OK...

Strangely (to me), substitute teachers are not readily available in schools, or dance schools in Delft. When Lucas and Hailey's teachers are sick and cannot work, kids are often distributed to other classes or told to be kept at home.

Frustrated by the prospect of missing yet another ballet class, I volunteered to teach the class with assistance. I was surprised and delighted to be taken up on the offer last week. No photos- no need to see this lady in a leotard, but it all went well. Fortunately, my "Goed zo!" (good job), linx/rechts (left/right), and een, twee, drie, veer (1,2,3,4) Dutch was all I really need to communicate. The 10 girls mostly copied my every move and giggled curiously at I what I was doing. For the record, I was classically trained in ballet years ago. It is my favorite kind of dance and I'm excited to take the kids to the Nutcracker next week.

Happy 5th Birthday to H & L

Special birthday hats from school teachers

Spider Sandwiches

The boys...and a friends's sister

The Princesses

Couldn't turn this- girls found all the pieces/parts to assemble this princess

Halloween 2010

Halloween is not a Dutch tradition...so we got together with our American pals and enjoyed some spooky treats and fun games. Witch hats off to Sara for her creativity in the kitchen. Eating donuts off a string was Lucas' favorite activity. Buzz Lightyear and the Peacock Princess were in attendance.

Praha (Prague), Czech Republic

This is an awesome city! A remarkable change since its former communist rule, Prague offers beautiful architecture, interesting history, modern shops, restaurants, and entertainment, and a reserved but welcoming atmosphere.

The experience started on the right foot when we checked into the Hotel Julian. http://julian.cz/en/ Great service, spacious rooms, tasty breakfast & dinner menus.

Pictured here is THE CHARLES BRIDGE, the family at dinner, THE ASTRONOMICAL CLOCK, miss Hailey, a watch tower, and THE LENNON WALL.

We had fun in a hall of mirrors and climbing Petrin Tower; a structure about 1/4 the size of the Eiffel Tower.

Also pictured here is Cathedral of St. Vitus, fountain with water spouting on Tom's head, Prague Castle, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints building where we attended church, and the best looking buildings in Old Town.

L & H

Autumn in Delft

September is a nearly perfect month. Kids are back to school, the weather is crisp but comfortable, vacation destinations begin their cheaper shoulder season rates, and apple and pumpkin scents smell better than ever.

Some of late August and September's fun included the Tall Ship Parade in Amsterdam, Tom's birthday, Monster Truck Rally, visits from friends, a turn for Lucas in the Aqua Ball (video footage to come) during some bizarre carnival week, and Amy's birthday.

The Taylor family, from Connecticut, came to The Netherlands and stayed with us for a few days. While the dad, Todd, spent time with Tom talking shop about the present and future of Tom's Phd, Ricky, Ryan, and Sophie spent time exploring Delft and hanging out with the kids and I. Paddle boats in the canal and a trip to Zaanse Schans were 2 of the highlights of the weekend.

In other news- Lucas and Hailey have made great progress in their swim lessons. Both have advance to the next level and will hopefully have an official diploma before we leave.

Lucas has been enjoying soccer on Saturday mornings. The club sponsors kids 4-6 to learn the basics and have fun. The lemonade and frites afterwards are also a fantastic selling point.

Hailey tried her first ballet class this week. After much whining and apprehension, I've never seen a child happier to be dancing. She learned quickly and seemed to impress the teachers. I'm delighted with her coordination, confidence, and joy. She wants to go again- hooray!

No promises

I've been doing a lousy job with blog entries and would like to loosely recommit to the upkeep of this sight. Let me start with Tom- he's working extra hours and is under the gun to finish as much as possible before next summer. Lucas is still a mild-mannered boy, slowly coming around with his attitude towards school. His Dutch has improved and he takes pride in what he has learned. Right now he is a LEGO maniac- we've never seen a kid quite so adept at assembling structures on his own. Seriously- he looks at the picture, follows the steps, and completes, for example, a Star Wars spaceship in 30 minutes. He just took up soccer and has been enjoying swim lessons. He and Hailey are in fierce competition over any and everything as of late. Hailey loves schools and regularly corrects her parents' Dutch pronounciations. Her favorite thing to do is color and draw princesses. She likes to help with household chores and can climb like a monkey. Both were drilled in "smart lessons" over the summer by yours truly. It has paid off because they have both started to read a bit- "Ten Apples Up On Top" contains most of the high frequency words they learned via flashcards. It is exciting to see the wheels turning as they decode the text.

I've got an SAT seminar on the horizon and am humming along with the usual activities of life. Still like zumba, playing the piano, and movie nights with gal pals. I am particularly appreciating fresh produce and flowers lately because I know they will not be as abundant or inexpensive back in the US.

Normandy, France

Pegasus Bridge: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegasus_Bridge