Our New Boat

Exciting news - we bought a boat today at the Amsterdam Boat Show. We decided on an Isloep 585, which is from a new Dutch boat company. We've always liked the look of the Isloep brand, but we shopped around and considered other brands and models first. In the end we decided that nothing really compared to the classic look and craftsmanship of the Isloep boats.

We actually negotiated the deal with the owner of this small (and growing!) company who is the designer of the boats. The company is four years old and the model we chose was launched this year - which is why we couldn't buy a used boat on the second hand market. But I'm not complaining ; )

We now have to choose a name for our boat, so I am taking suggestions and will be sure to post when we decide.

Check out this video of our boat. The video features the larger model, so just imagine the same boat in a smaller size (about 20 feet) more appropriate to navigate the canals of Amsterdam with our little family and hopefully a few guests from America!

First Hair Cut

I took Sophie to get her first hair cut this week, she is 2 and 1/2. She spotted the jar of chocolate easter eggs at the cash register when we entered the salon, so I told her if she was a good cooperator she could choose one to take home with her. She was a perfect customer. I don't think she moved a muscle during the entire hair cut

She kept such a serious look on her face, it was hard to watch her an not laugh.

She did lift her eyes to study the clips that the stylist put in her hair.

She finally cracked a smile when the blow dryer came out at the end.
The stylist originally left her bangs longer than they appear in this photo, but I asked her to chop them shorter so that I wouldn't have to worry about them covering her eyes for at least a month. : ) Sophie was proud of the final product and spent this weekend telling everyone about her new hair cut!

Maisy's School

Maisy started a new school in September. So it is probably time to post some photos of her classroom. Maisy is attending a Waldorf school, also known as a Rudolf Steiner school. I love the handmade toys and teaching that is done through story telling and song.

Maisy always has a smile on her face when I pick her up from school, but she is often reluctant to go out the door in the morning. There are over 25 students in her classroom and the kids range in age from four to six years. I don't know if the size of the classroom or age of her classmates intimidates her, or if she simply takes after her momma and isn't a morning person. Either way, Maisy misses Wanda's classroom. She is fortunate that her little sister is now attending Wanda's, so she has the opportunity to see Wanda every day.

Maisy outside in the private garden which is off her classroom.

This is the house - or fort depending on who is playing - that Maisy and her friend like to play in.



To celebrate the teacher's birthday, each student made a flag which was sewn together and hung as a banner. I realized early in the year that my crafting skills would be called upon on a regular basis and I plan to invest in a sewing machine this spring!

Maisy was very proud of our collaboration...and so was I. :)

Center Parcs

Maisy and Sophie did not have school last week. It was the February school vacation for Northern Holland. The girls and I spent the week with a friend and her two children. My friend organized the trip which was a welcome relief since I am always the one organizing our family vacations. She picked one of the Center Parcs destinations in Southern Holland. Center Parcs are family oriented vacation parks with modest facilities so the trip was very affordable. The location we chose had an indoor water park, Chuck E Cheese play area for kids, indoor sport facilities including a small ropes course, and outdoor skating rink, petting zoo, climbing wall, and during the summer it has numerous other outdoor water sports and activities.

Families stay in bungalows with kitchens. The bungalows were not fancy, but ours was clean and comfortable. Since my friend and I both cosleep with our children, there were two spare bedrooms which the girls turned into their special play areas. And one night they even attempted a slumber party in one of them.

Unfortunately, it rained all week and the weather was cold so we couldn't enjoy the outdoors as much as we would have liked. But the sun did shine long enough one afternoon for me to take the girls ice skating for the first time. The rink rented those horrible double bladed skates that you strap over their shoes. Maisy was able to use one of those metal walker devices to help her keep her balance and I ended up just carrying Sophie because she was too small to effectively push the metal stabilizer around the ice and my back wasn't strong enough to bend over and pull her around the arena for any real length of time. She prefers high speeds anyway, so we whizzed around the rink together until she got cold and wanted to quit. (which was about 15 minutes into the activity!)

We had a fun week and the kids did a good job of getting along with each other considering the highly stimulating activities and infrequent breaks they got from playing with each other.

This first photo doesn't need much explanation. But I do want to note that it was pouring rain and very cold when Maisy had to take an emergency pee on our walk home.
The kids enjoyed eating their meals in this trolley car which was located next to a play area. I must admit that even though the food wasn't the best, I did get to relax and enjoy my meals while the kids played together on the playground equipment.
Sophie at the end of a tunnel in the HUGE climbing maze for children.
Sophie and her buddy Asher who is one year younger than she is.
Maisy and Alana were very excited to try a slumber party and insisted on sleeping together in the spare bedroom. This arrangement didn't last more than an hour. Maisy chickened out first and unsuccessfully tried to convince me that Alana should come join our family bed so that her slumber party could continue!

Maisy, in her true element.

Enjoying the attention from the animals.

Sophie and Asher couldn't quite reach the peddles on these tractors. I tried to divert Sophie's attention from "Papa John's" tractor, but she won and I ended up pushing her around the farmyard.

Maisy and Alana enjoyed driving the motorized cards around the playhouse.

On our last full day we enrolled the girls in one of the children's classes. Maisy and Alana were reluctant to participate, but they both seemed pleased with the final product. I loved the outfits and am so happy to have a piece of her artwork to hang on the wall at home.

The kids had a wonderful week and I anticipate that we will return to Center Parcs next winter for another Moms and Kids week during the February vacation.