Amsterdam Part 2

After our day in Antwerp, we spent the next few days hanging out around Amsterdam.  We started by visiting the beautiful Vondelpark.  This park is huge!  We're talking lots of trees, ponds, restaurants, and a lot that we didn't see.  Aden loved running around and especially liked the ducks.  He tried to join them in the water a few times. 

 

 Daddy and Aden watching the ducks.

If you have ever flown KLM airlines, there is a commercial type video that runs before you actually take off.  It shows some of the places KLM flies to but also shows a bunch of people posing by and I amsterdam sculpture.  Ever since I had seen it, I knew I wanted to find the sculpture.  It is really crowded so getting a good picture was not going to happen, but it was fun anyway.  Aden loved playing by the letters. 

 Here he is in between his initials!

 Here is the whole thing. 

One of my favorite things about this trip was the breakfast.  We purposefully picked a place to stay that made us breakfast.  Every morning, our Hostess Fleur, would make us freshly squeezed orange juice, tea, fried eggs with bacon, and provided a plethora of amazing bread, cheese, and jam.  We often add until we were very full and then made sandwiches with the rest of the bread to eat for lunch. They also had two cats who roamed the house and Aden loved that.  One of them, Bamboo, would just come up to Aden and rub on his legs.  Not many cats in Saudi let him come close so it was a special treat.  

 Aden and Bamboo at breakfast.

Fleur also had two bikes for us to use while we were there.  Now Jamie loves biking and was ecstatic about doing some biking in the Netherland countryside.  One thing we didn't realize beforehand was how different their bikes are to ones you'd find in the States.  They are very upright and the center of balance is different.  It was like learning to bike all over again.  As you can see from the picture below.  The child's seat is between the handle bars.  Aden loved this!  He could see where he was going and even had his own set of handle bars to play with.  Jamie wasn't as comfortable with this arrangement because every time Aden would move it would shift the weight of his bike.  In fact, Aden at one point because very interested in watching Jamie pedal and would almost double himself over to one side in order to get a good view.  It was amusing to watch. 

 We stopped for a snack break across from a sheep pasture.

 An old windmill that is now used as a brewery.

Our last day was spend at another park, Amsterdamse Bos.  It has a great goat farm that we thought Aden would love.  We were partly right with this.  He did love the animals, but was very timid to get too close to them (especially their heads).  He stayed in Jamie's arms or attached to his leg for about the first 30 minutes that we were near the goats.  There was no way he was going to feed them either.  In fact, he seemed to like the chickens better than the goats. 

 He did eventually touch one!

 Touching, but not getting too close.

 He made a friend there named Mia.  They followed each other around and had a blast.

They sell a lot of goat products at the farm including this goat ice cream.  The best part about this is that after I took the picture the ice cream fell on the ground.  Jamie just picked it up quickly and kept on eating.  Yum!

Aden attempting to feed a goat

Aden and Mia petting goats.  Mia is not as timid as Aden about this.

Amsterdam part 1

School's out for summer!  

The end of the school year has finally come.  The craziness has subsided.  It amazes me every year how different the end of the school is for my students than it was for me.  They are happy that they get a break from school, but many of them are leaving our school forever.  These kids are so good at adapting to whatever environment they are put in and make new friends quickly, but saying good-bye is always hard.  There were many tears shed that last hour of school and we had to shoo a few stragglers out who really didn't want to leave.  It's hard not having a full high school.  We had to say awkward good-byes to students who will not be in our school next year, but aren't really going anywhere.

I am personally very excited about summer break.  I love my job and my students, but it has been an insane year and I need some rest.  Before going back to Wisconsin, Jamie and I decided that we wanted our own little family vacation.  So, we are currently in Amsterdam!  I know that most of you automatically think of marijuana and prostitution when you think of Amsterdam, but there is so much more to it.  To kick start our trip, we took a 3-hour walking tour of the city.  Yes, we did see coffee shops (they sell marijuana here, not coffee) and the Red Light District, but that was only a small part of the tour.  We learned a lot about the prosperous history the Netherlands has had and how the highest spot in Amsterdam is only a little more than 2 km above sea level. 

This used to be a weigh station and the right tower was used as a place to do experiments on bodies that had been tortured.  What was even more disturbing was that people would watch for entertainment.  Rembrandt went there once and later painted "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp" after his experience.  

 This used to be the headquarters for East Indies Trading Company and is now a university.

Jamie is standing next to the narrowest house in Amsterdam.  People used to be taxed on the width of their house, so they build tall, skinny houses.  This house (the red one) is only 1.8 meters wide.  Jamie is taller than that!  There is only one room per floor which means a lot of up and down stairs and the stairs in Amsterdam are steep!


Our second day here was also Jamie's birthday.  He decided that he wanted to go to Belgium.  So, we took a 2 hour train and headed to Antwerp.  Aden loved the train ride!  Here he is being his normal goofy self.  

 This is inside the Antwerp train station.  It was stunning!

 We kept seeing hand figures being sold so I finally asked what the significance was.  There is a legend that there used to be a giant that guarded the Scheldt river.  If you didn't pay his fee when crossing the river he would cut off your hand and throw it into the river.  Don't worry, according to legend a young hero came and killed the giant.  The name Antwerp means "hand throwing" which is signified by this fountain near the city center.  Aden loved playing the fountain because there was no basin to catch the water.  You could run under the water and play in it like at a water park.

 Here is the birthday boy with his birthday drink. 

We fully enjoyed our time in Antwerp trying out the Belgian beer and chocolate.  It was a laid back day which was exactly what we needed.

 

Here is the nerdy math teacher in me... I got really excited when I found out that the B and B we were staying at was located on this street.  Can you tell why?

Part 2 coming soon......

Schools Out for Summer . . . almost

Hi everyone,  it has been a busy few weeks since I got back from France.  We only have 7 1/2 days of school left.  I'll hit the highlights and then I have a lot of good pictures and a fun video of the ever growing Aden.

Our 10th graders celebrated their time at our school last Sunday night.  We went to the Intercontinental Hotel for dinner and let them say their farewells.  It was a nice evening that was very student centered. They put a lot of work into slideshows, speeches, and songs that they wanted to share with their friends and families.

Also on the school end of things, I put together and pulled off a successful geography bee for the second year in a row.  A new thing I did this year, since I am teaching PE was to put together a fitness competition for the students that wanted to show they are the toughest of the tough.  Ray, the head PE teacher and I came up with the list of events based off of the Crossfit Games, a huge competition sponsored by Reebok.  Unfortunately Ray's dad, who was 90, fell very ill and Ray went home a couple of days before his Dad passed away.  With some help from our awesome staff and of course, Tara, the ISG Jubail Fitness Challenge was still a success.  17 students participated and16 decided to finish the two day event.  All were very tired, sore, and proud when they finished.

At home, we have been spending part of every weekend on the beach.  Aden loves the water and playing in the sand.  We lather him with SPF 50, put him in the sun, sand, and water, and then take him home for a very long afternoon nap.  This system has been working well and Mom and Dad love the long naps he takes.

Upcoming travels include Bahrain next weekend for our anniversary.  On June 25th we leave for five nights in Amsterdam with a day trip to Antwerp, Belgium for my birthday, and another day trip somewhere else in The Netherlands.  Starting July 1st we are grounded to the Midwest until August 24th, when the craziness starts all over again.  We are very excited to see everyone at home and enjoy the novelties the U.S. has to offer that we can't come by in Saudi (Tara mentions Target frequently).

Enjoy the pictures and video!

A photo in Oia, Santorini that I received from our photo Swap with Dan and Heather.  This was taken from their kitchen window.

Training him early.  He is going to run my detailing business with me someday . . . maybe.

Aden may look like he hates sitting on the paddleboard we borrowed from our neighbors, but he really just hates wearing that floaty.  We took off the floaty, stayed real shallow and he loved it.  All three of us fit on the board.

Leave no space unexplored Aden!

Sometimes Aden likes to be like Daddy.

And sometimes Aden likes to be like Mommy.

The boys.

ISG Jubail's 10th grade class of 2012 . . . plus someones little sister.

Aden doesn't look very impressed with his very scholarly mother at her graduation.

I just found this video and wanted to show what a cool card Aden was given by his Great Grandma Gloria for his birthday.  He still plays with it and Mom had to tape it back together today.  He also woke me up with it while I was napping on the couch today.  

ISG Jubail-Yanbu France Trip 2012

As you heard from Tara, I was in France last week on a study trip with 19 students from our school and another school in our district that is across the kingdom on the Red Sea in Yanbu.  It was a  great trip, but no vacation.  Taking a group of students to another country is very exciting and stressful.  I slept about 90 minutes between the flight and nine hour layover in Amsterdam.  It was about 36 hours from when I woke up at home to when I went to bed at our hotel.  I was also chosen by the trip organizer to be in charge of passports for all the students and to carry the largest sum of money.  Tara gets a little nervous when I am carrying just our family's passports.  Thankfully, the trip was without any major catastrophes.

We spent 5 days in a city called Aix in the southern part of France called Provence.  From Aix we made our daily trips.  The first day we hiked up Mont Sainte Victoire.  We didn't have enough time to make it all the way up, but a group of us covered about 20 km round trip.  We also explored really neat towns like Le Beaux, Arles, Nimes, Marseille, and Avignon.  We saw and learned about some really well preserved Roman ruins.  We also kayaked the Gard River to the Pont du Gard, a very famous Roman aqueduct.  The kids had a great time with the kayaking and most had never done anything like that before.  In Avignon we toured the Palace of the Popes.  Most people don't know, but seven Popes lived in Avignon when Rome was too dangerous for them.

The last day and half of the trip was spent in Paris.  Paris was amazing.  The Louvre was incredible.  Without any artwork it would be a magnificant mansion to tour.  Phillip II built the first part and Louie XIV lived there until he moved to Versaille.  Louie XIV used the Louvre to display the royal collection after he moved and it has been a museum since the French Revolution.  We also made it to the Eiffel Tower  in the evening and climbed the stairs to the second level to avoid the long elevator line.  From the second level, we took the elevator to the top.  It was quite the experience. Still, once you have seen the sights in the North, Southern France would be my vacation destination.

One of the best parts of the trip was coming home.  I really enjoyed the experience of chaperoning and couldn't help but enjoy the sights, history, food, and culture.  However, I missed my family the whole time and was very glad to see them again.  I arrived late at night and woke up to see Aden sitting on our bed smiling at me in the morning.  It was a nice homecoming.

Enjoy the incredible pictures.

Jamie

Chateau d'If.  Ring any bells?  Monte Cristo?

Our kayaking lesson

Pont du Gard!

In Nimes.  Not quite the Colosseum, but it is still used for bull fighting. 

Palace of the Popes.  Look at how small the people are at the door.

In the Louvre.  DaVinci Code?

Outside the main entrance of the Louvre.

Passing by the Eiffel Tower on our Seine river tour.

Can you find the smallest house in Paris?

Being a single parent

Jamie left on Wednesday night for a week in France with a group of students.  They all arrived safely in Aix de Provence (which is in Southern France) where they will spend most of their time.  Today they hiked for a few hours up Mount St. Victorie. 

Aden and I have been surviving without daddy, but we do miss him a lot.  Thursday and Friday are our weekend, so we've just been hanging around the compound.  The weather has been gorgeous.  Imagine sun, a slight breeze, and upper 90s, it's been wonderful.  We've been spending a lot of time on the beach.  Aden also discovered that he really likes to help in the kitchen, as long as we are using the KitchenAid.  This weekend we made bread, bagels, tuna noodle casserole, meatloaf, and cooked squash.  Granted, Aden didn't help with most of those, but he played while I cooked.  I give a lot of credit to single parents.  I've gone to bed the last two nights exhausted.

This week we also finished all of our master's work.  Graduation is on Thursday!

Here are some pictures of the fun we've been having.

Aden helping mommy bake.  He loved adding flour to the mixer.

Here are the bagels we made.  They were fantastic!

We spent a lot of time at the beach.

Having fun at the park!

Jamie on a hike up Mount St. Victorie

Almost finished....

Come Friday, all of our final master's work is due.  That means that we are in the home stretch and feeling the pressure.  Both Jamie and I have finished our action research plans (the equivalent to a thesis) and have just a paper or two to do for our Problems in Leadership class.  It's been a very busy time in our lives, but it will feel good to be done. 

On our few times away from school work, we've been doing quite a bit of socializing.  Our neighbors threw an Easter brunch complete with an egg hunt.  Aden ran outside with all the kids during the hunt, but was more interested in playing than hunting.  We also had some new neighbors, a Belgium couple and their 2 sweet boys, over for dinner.  Even though the boys don't speak the same language as Aden, they had a good time playing together. 

Another big event was that Aden got a haircut!  His hair was getting ridiculously long, we're talking mullet long.  He looks so much older now. 

Here are some pictures to enjoy!

Tara

Aden and Danielito playing house

The boys discovered that they all fit under the glass coffee table and thought it was a blast.

Wearing mommy's shoes.

Check out the new haircut!

Greece, Part 2

We spent the last half of our spring break on the island of Santorini.  Santorini is a special place and is the one of the most popular of the Greek islands.  Here is a quick history lesson, skip it if you'd like.

The island is pretty much a big volcano and one of the most active in the area.  However, about 3000 years ago it erupted and what is one of the largest eruptions in recorded history.  The eruption blew out half of the island leaving behind a crescent shaped island with a few other smaller islands inside what is called the caldera. 

 All along the caldera are huge cliffs which lead to beautiful scenery.  Local entrepreneurs have taken advantage of the views and build lovely hotels literally on top of one another all along the cliff edge.

We stayed in the town of Imerovigli, just north of the main town, Fira.  We had a nice apartment with a shared balcony overlooking the caldera.  The nice thing was that high season hadn't quite started yet so we ended up having the balcony to ourselves the entire time.

Traveling with a toddler has been quite the growing experience, but we are getting used to it.  Jamie and I had to realize that it was okay if we spent half the day in the apartment letting Aden get a good nap in and just relaxing.  We are more used to doing something each day and trying to see as much as we can.  We were able to do some hiking and ate a lot of mouth watering Greek cuisine.  Our new favorite is a sweet Greek yogurt topped with honey and walnuts.  Throughout most of the trip, we hung out with friends of our, Heather and Dan Feimster.  It was so nice to have another couple to hang out with and Aden loved having them around as well.  They were like his second parents.  Dan even took him for a morning during the conference in Athens so that Jamie and I could both go to sessions.  We were so fortunate to have such caring friends who enjoy spending time with us and our toddler.

One of my favorite days we took a catamaran out from the south side of the island and cruised around the inside of the caldera.  We were able to see different parts of the island including the two smaller islands inside the caldera.  The medium sized one is the volcano (which is dormant, but not extinct) which we were able to hike a bit on.  The smaller island is not much, but has hot springs.  Jamie jumped in the water to check them out.  He came back later saying that yes they were warmer than the sea, but not much.  The water temperature that day was about 60-65 F.

Our big adventure happened the day we were leaving to go back to Athens.  We arrived at the airport Easter Sunday night for an 8 pm flight just to find out that all flights were cancelled due to high winds.  After much discussion we found out that the airline was adding in a new flight at 11 pm hoping that the wind would die down.  So, we waited around for a few hours and then found out that our second flight had been cancelled as well.  We knew that we needed to get back to Athens quickly to catch our flight back to Saudi the next day.  Unfortunately, there were no guarantees that flights would leave the next morning, plus they were already full.  So, we took the only option we had left, the overnight ferry.  The airline was wonderful and had vans ready to race everyone to the port so we would make the ferry.  We were able to book one of the last cabins and were very thankful to have beds to sleep on.  However, the wind that had cancelled our flights made for a very interesting boat ride.  Jamie and I both felt nauseous as we tried to sleep and visions of Titanic ran through my head as the boat was tossed around by the waves.  Luckily, Aden slept great and even slept in until 8 am the next day (which never happens).  We did safely arrive in Athens and had an uneventful trip back to Saudi.

It was a nice vacation away, but I am happy to be back in my own home again.  Here are some pictures of our time in Santorini.

Tara

 View from the balcony of our apartment

 Can you see the face in the rock?

 Aden loved pretending to drive the catamaran

Aden hanging out with his new buddy, Dan

 City of Oia, absolutely breathtaking

 Another part of Oia

 Hanging out on a volcano with the Feimsters

 Having fun with Daddy at the volcano

 Playing in the pool on Feimster's balcony

 Family pic with Oia in the background

Aden on our hike to Oia