On Monday morning we tidied up the apartment, packed up and headed out.  Our booking for the Eurotunnel wasn’t until late afternoon and we had promised Belgian waffles to Cameron so we spent a few hours in Brugge.  I wish we could have spent an entire day, at least, and maybe we’ll have to pass back through because I really loved it.  It was a great combination of European style village mixed with Gothic and medieval architecture from days of yore.  Whatever hasn’t been well-kept from centuries past, has been restored to fit the part. 

Unfortunately it was a cold and rainy day, but we parked the car and headed for a waffle shop I’d found on a travel blog. It was just off the main plaza, and the kids and I sat down to eat our waffles while Richard went back to put money in the parking meter. 

After we finished we went back to the courtyard of the market hall, which stands around the Belfry of Bruges, to use a toilet and meet up with Richard.  While we were waiting for him I had fun taking pictures of the kids.  

While I was taking an exceptionally long time in the WC with the littles Richard gleaned some valuable info from the attendant.  She said that she speaks Dutch, (which the Dutch call Flemish) German, English, Spanish and French.  Richard says that he can corroborate that because he saw her speak four of those languages just while she assisted international toilet users.  She told him that Brugge is the old Dutch word for “bridge”.  She said that in Belgium they generally speak Flemish or French, depending on which region of the country they live in.  In the north near the Netherlands they speak Flemish.  She said Flemish and Dutch are written the same, but pronounced differently.  (Like English and American English.)  Then naturally in the south near France they speak more French. 

From there we went back out to the main plaza, and then just explored the streets of the town. 

Richard had heard/read somewhere that Easter weekend was the second busiest travel weekend of the year.  We didn’t notice on our way over through the chunnel because we left on a Wednesday, but when we got to the Eurotunnel check-in on our way back over, they had an elaborate, but very efficient system set up to get the cars through to the trains as fast as possible.  We were amazed at the number of people headed back to the UK and were equally amazed at how easily the process was despite the crowds.  

We made it back across the channel to our lovely London home, which was so cold from having the heat off while we were away, that we all wrapped up in blankets and watched a movie in the living room with the doors closed and the space heater at our feet.  

In September of 2009 I wrote a short blog post about how much I wanted to live in Europe.  (Oh how I laugh when I read my old blog posts! Dramatic much? I imagine that in six years I’ll read this blog post and laugh too.)  This is what I wrote.

I am intrigued by the tulip fields in the Netherlands. I am intrigued by a great number of European places and interests. I want try it out.  I want to experience Europe. I don’t mean I want to take an intense ten day vacation across the Atlantic to see the Eiffle Tower and Swiss Alps. I want to live there.  I want it so badly. I can’t explain it but I just want to get to know the people. See things differently. Ride the Eurorail and eat cheese all the time.
Speaking of cheese, I want to sort out all the stereotypes. I want destroy preconceived notions. I just want to be someplace foreign. But not just anywhere.  I’m not sure why I don’t feel this way about Africa or the Asian world. I’ve been to South America now and while I feel there is a great deal to learn from those folks, it is Europe that my heart longs for.

I posted this picture of the Dutch tulip fields, and from then on I became obsessed.  

When I planned our trip to the Netherlands I did (what I thought was) extensive research to make sure our timing would be right.  April, April, April was what I found.  This worked out perfectly with the Easter holiday and it all came together really nicely.  

On our second day in Holland, at Efteling, I noticed a large rotunda full of tulips.  The unfortunate thing was, they were only about four inches tall.  My heart sank.  Tulips aren’t like most crops, they don’t germinate and blossom on an approximate timetable calculated at planting.  They are bulbs, planted months or years before, so they grow and blossom on Mother Nature’s timetable.  To say I was disappointed would be an understatement.  I was devastated.  I had to take a deep breath and hold out a glimmer of hope just to continue to enjoy our time at Efteling.  

Sadly, the next day in Amsterdam my suspicions were confirmed, and I realized that there wasn’t a tulip to be found in the Netherlands, except the little wooden ones sold at tourist shops.  

Sunday morning, Easter morning, dawned with the most glorious blue sky, I couldn’t help but feel my spirits lift.  We decided to take the drive up north like we had originally planned and just see the coast and enjoy small Dutch towns.  

We packed up a lunch, and lots of Easter candy and drove up north.  We talked about going to Keukenhof gardens, a world famous Dutch garden that I’m sure would have knocked our socks off, but it was really expensive.  We decided to just drive to it, check it out and see what we could see, but the traffic queue to get there was a complete standstill so we just kept on driving.  

Eventually we got to a place where I could see the tulip fields.  Once again, my heart sank.  I could just IMAGINE what it would look like in full bloom.  It was interesting because someone told Richard that if it was a warm spring to go in March, and then we heard from plenty of people that if it’s a cool spring you don’t get to see the tulips until the last two weeks of April.  It would have been impossible to know for sure when they would bloom. 

Throughout the rest of our drive both Richard and I grieved a little bit about what we were missing and how amazing the northern part of the Netherlands would be in two weeks.  But now we’re sounding a bit spoiled, so I’ll turn on my optimism and say that the remainder of the day/drive was beautiful.  Especially the daffodils.  

In addition to daffodils, we saw many canals and bicycles and windmills.  It was really relaxing, the sun was shining and I feel like we got a really good taste of the north country.  It was a nice Sunday drive.  

We stopped in Den Helder, on the coast of the North Sea, to eat our lunch.  It was windy (per usual in Holland, it seems) but sunny.  After we ate we walked down to the water. 

After lunch we turned off the sat-nav (that’s what they call a GPS here) and just drove along the coast and began to work our way south again.  Late in the afternoon we stopped at a park and let the restless kids play.  

After the kids were sufficiently worn out we drove the two hours back to The Hague and our apartment and made it just in time to make some dinner and watch the Sunday morning session of conference live, 6:00pm Holland time.  (Cooking from an apartment has been a major budget saver and stress reliever while traveling.)

Despite its disappointments, the day turned out to be a nice celebration of Easter and family and this life, that I’m really living in Europe.  

Saturday morning we drove about 45 minutes to a Park & Ride where we caught a train into Amsterdam.  (We really didn’t want to mess with parking in the city, that’s the drawback to using a car for transportation.)  The weather was breezy and cool, and when the sun came out it felt lovely, but it was chilly when the sun went behind a cloud.  We got off the train at the Central Station without any kind of plan.  We had a list of things to possibly see/do and a canal tour was on the list.  (It was really just a list in our heads.)  Despite the cool weather, I REALLY wanted an open-boat tour.  The boats are smaller and it just looked more private and personal.  It was more expensive, but not by much so I begged and Richard relented.  

We decided to get something to eat first so we walked for a bit until we came to a little cafe/bakery.  I just let each of the kids choose a giant pastry of some sort, and Richard and I split a giant sandwich.  It was all really good. 

On our way back to the canal boat Richard also bought some frites to share.  Frites are just french fries, but big thick ones, with a generous dollop of flavored mayonnaise for dipping.  

Richard and I were both worried about being cold during the canal tour but the captain put up a wind/rain guard on the back half of the boat, there were floor heaters, and plenty of blankets.  The kids were cozied up in no time, but about 20 minutes into the tour the sun was out and we were all warm enough so we asked him to put the plastic cover down so we could see better.  

I wish I had taken a picture of the boat.  It wasn’t too big, and our captain stood behind the wheel.  There were two other passengers, two Korean twenty-something girls from L.A. who were smitten with the kids.  The took glamour shots of each other during the whole tour, which really amused Richard and I.  They were really sweet though and good company. They weren’t so much interested in what our captain/tour guide had to say, so he spoke softly mostly to Richard, who sat close by and asked questions and listened attentively.  

We really loved the canal tour.  It took about an hour and a half and our tour guide was really nice and knowledgeable and the kids were pretty entertained by our new travel friends and other things to look at. 

We weren’t really sure what to do next, so we just took a bus to the Anne Frank House and Museum.  The queue to get in was FOUR hours long.  That wasn’t going to happen.  My original plan was that Richard could take the kids to a park while I went into the museum but it was too cold for a park.  We’ve since learned that Easter weekend is one of the busiest travel weekends in the year because it is sandwiched by two holidays and so we should have anticipated the crowds.  From there we tried the Van Gogh museum but it was the same story.  We were feeling pretty discouraged and disappointed by now, and the kids were restless and hungry.  Our public transport passes were about to expire soon too so we decided to catch a bus to a pancake house someone had recommended and call it a day.  It took longer than expected to get to the Pancake House, but it was in a really fun part of the city and I’m glad we had the chance to walk around there and see more than just the central part of town.  

Richard’s friend had recommended the Pancake Bakery, and it’s the kind of place that as a tourist you only find if someone recommends it.  (My favorite.) It was kind of tucked away off the beaten path.  The kids menu listed about seven different pancakes like the “Police Pancake” and the “Fireman Pancake” and it was really all the same pancake, but they brought out a prize associated with the pancake type.  Simon of course chose the Fireman pancake and I’m pretty sure it was the highlight of his day. 

I had a pancake with mangoes, slagroom, coconut flakes and pistachio gelato. Soooo delicious.  

After pancakes we walked to a bus stop where we caught a bus to a train station where we caught a train back to our car and then drove back to The Hague.  Amsterdam was a let down in a lot of ways, there was so much I didn’t get to see that I wanted to, but maybe I’ll get a chance to go back.  Without kids, bless their traveling hearts.  

If I was a big-time blogger and wrote sponsored posts, I would write one for the TripAdvisor app.  That app is such a treasure trove of travel resources.  Second only to knowing locals.  I found Efteling on TripAdvisor and it completely lived up to it’s rave reviews.  It was everyone’s favorite part of the holiday.  

It’s an amusement park with a fairy-tale, folk tale, fantasy theme.  But fairy tales in their old-school form, pre-Disney.  I love Disneyland, and it will probably be forever untouchable in the ranks of amusement parks, but Efteling had a lot to offer.  (It was actually even built before Disneyland.)  It was charming, not crowded, and really inexpensive, while still offering and endless array of attractions, thrill rides, shows and FOOD.  The kids loved it too, and it was really laid-back.  In fact, we probably should have amped-up our intensity because we were there until closing and didn’t get to do some of the things we wanted to.  

It was about an hour and a half drive from where we were staying, and we hit some bad traffic so we got there about thirty minutes past opening.  But there was no queue, so we just parked and walked right in.  The weather was nice- it was overcast but not cold or rainy or windy. 

Richard knew that the Fairy Tale Forest would be a big hit with the kids so we went there first.  After a quick stop to see this amazing diorama. 

Fairy Tale Forest included a lot of fairy tales we were familiar with (Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, Tom Thumb, Snow White, Cinderella, Hansel & Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood and The Emperor’s New Clothes.)  

But there were several others that were new to us.  It’s probably just a matter of time before Disney gets their hands on these tales.  The Six Servants.  The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids (Another Big Bad Wolf story.)  The Red Shoes.  (Pretty creepy.)

I had read on TripAdvisor that the food at Efteling was really affordable so I didn’t even mess with packing snacks.  In Fairy Tale Forest we stopped for a snack of waffles and doughnuts and saw this beautiful peacock and got photo-bombed by a pigeon.  Sorry Eli. You really are a part of our family. 

We finished Fairy Tale Forest just in time for a show called Raveleijn – it was in Dutch but the special effects were pretty impressive.  Horses, trick riding, some Cirque-du-Soleil type maneuvers, a massive animatronic fire breathing six-headed dragon, and some sword fighting dramatics.  Just the kind of stuff kids love.  

I put my camera away during the show and then for awhile afterward.  We did some more rides including a monorail type ride for the non-thrill seekers, my favorite- the swings, a couple playgrounds and then this carousel. 

We took a break for lunch, which included a lot of frites, and then went on to the more adventurous attractions. 

We split up for a bit and Richard took Cameron on a roller coaster while I took the other three on some of the rides we had already done and knew they liked.  Then Richard took the kids on a couple rides while I went on a roller coaster by myself.  (It was rad.)  

There was a ride with an international theme that resembled Small World.  There was also one that was probably the kids favorite that was easy going with just the right amount of twists and turns, it was like Toad’s Wild Ride or the Peter Pan ride at Disneyland, great things to look at while you wind through the darkness.  

There were two or three other rides we really wanted to do, but sadly we ran out of time.  So we bought cotton candy and watched a really fun fountain show they play as the park is closing.  In the summer months the park is open later, but Richard and I decided that we probably got to do just as much as we would have in the summer because we rarely had to wait in any lines, and when we did they were just a few minutes.  So in other words, one day just wasn’t enough.  

I took Cameron and Eli to Disneyland with my family when they were little and I remember someone saying to me

“Why do you take your kids when they are so young? They will never remember it.” 

I know they won’t remember it.  But I’ll remember it.  I know it sounds cheesy, but I’ll remember their smiles and giggles and excitement and nerves and euphoria and delight.  Mim and Si likely won’t remember Efteling, I think Cam and Eli will probably remember, but I know Richard and I definitely will. 

After the Peace Palace we walked the remainder of the way to our car and drove up to Zaanse Schans, a place everyone (everyone on TripAdvisor, that is) said we should go to get the real “Holland experience.”  

When we first stepped out of the car there was this overwhelming aroma of cocoa.  There was a cocoa plant nearby and the smell of it almost made you feel warm, it was so divine.  

Zaanse Schans is really just a well-preserved neighborhood on the Zaan river, that exists now primarily for tourists.  It definitely has charm. It was really windy but we had a good time.  The first thing we did was learn all about the wooden shoe.  It was really fun to see how they were made and how once they were dried, they actually weigh very little. It’s mostly moisture in wood that makes it heavy. (My kids, and even Richard, were skeptical about wooden shoes so the presentation and mini-museum were my vindication. Someone might have said “Wow. So they actually wore these.”)

After observing and discovering the world’s first crocs, we went to the pancake house for lunch.  Richard called these pancakes, “Pancrepes” because they were a cross between what Americans call pancakes and what the French call crepes. They were as big as the plates, but thinner than a pancake and thicker than a crepe.  They were really yummy.  Eli had honey, Richard and Cameron had nutella and “slagroom” (Dutch word for whipped cream), Simon had apples and cinnamon, Miriam had chocolate sauce and I was the only one to go for savoury, with bacon and cheese.  Mmmm the best cheese on a pancake I’ve ever had. 

After lunch we spent a couple hours walking around the village, looking at the windmills up close and taking a lot of photos.  There were also other “exhibits” and presentations including one about cheese, complete with samples. 

We left Zaanse Schans with plenty of time to drive back to The Hague and make a trip to a grocery store to buy food and prepare dinner.  But we didn’t account for a lot of things.  We didn’t account for the fact that grocery stores are hard to find in the heart of a city like The Hague.  We didn’t account for the fact that most grocery stores don’t take Visa.  We didn’t account for the fact that at least three cash machines would be broken.  And of course we accounted for, but underestimated our ability to find said stores and cash machines even with a smart phone.  All of these oversights made for an adventurous two or three hours, that included the help of a really nice man named Mustafa who escorted me all around a dodgy part of the city while Richard drove around with the kids in the car and we couldn’t communicate because I have no cell service outside the UK.  It was such a nightmare and I was so grumpy by the time we finally made it to a store, cash in hand, that I made Richard do it for me.  

Needless to say, by the time we got home, cooked dinner and put everyone to bed I was exhausted.  

First things first- it wasn’t until we moved to London that I had a few things clarified.  Some are obvious, some less obvious.  The Netherlands is the name of the “kingdom”/country as it exists today.  Holland is the name given to the provinces of North and South Holland, which is where most of the population lives, and economic and political activity occurs.  (Rotterdam, The Hague, and Amsterdam.)  Holland is also the “brand name” for the country, and is the name most often associated with tourism and travel. The people and the language are Dutch and The Netherlands still has a monarchy.  

The Hague is the political capital of the country, where the Parliament and Supreme Courts reside, and also most of the international embassies.  The Hague also has a headquarters for the United Nations.  But Amsterdam is the official capital, the financial center of economics and culture, and the Amsterdam Stock Exchange is the oldest stock exchange in the world.  

Let me back up a bit.  When planning our trip to the Netherlands I looked at flights and they were really inexpensive.  It’s true what they say about flights around Europe being really cheap. (As low as £15 one way.)  But what we’ve discovered is that it’s NOT cheap to rent a car big enough for the six of us, and it’s not convenient to haul car seats through airports, let alone the four children.  A friend from work told Richard that when traveling to the west coast of mainland Europe, the EuroTunnel is the way to go. It worked out really well.   Flying to big cities is fabulous if you plan on staying in the city and using public transport.  But I knew we would be going all over the country and we would need a car, so we just took our own!

We left on Wednesday afternoon, the kids were in between terms and on holiday for two weeks and Richard had the Friday before and Monday after Easter off work for bank holidays.  We put everything in the car and didn’t have to mess with kids or luggage until we got to the apartment.  Soooo nice.  It took about an hour and a half to get to Folkstone where we board the train.  We had booked a reservation in advance but it wasn’t crowded and since we arrived early they put us on the first train going out.  We drove right up, and drove right on to the train. There are bathrooms on the train and you can get up and stretch your legs.  The train goes down into a tunnel underneath the English Channel and in only 35 minutes we were in Calais, France.  

From Calais it was about a four hour drive to The Hague (Den Haag) and we drove into the city just after dark.  It’s a really beautiful city.  I completely forgot to take pictures of our apartment but it was nice. It was in the heart of the city, which was great for atmosphere and charm, but inconvenient for parking.  Fortunately Richard worked out a good system and would drop us off, find a place to park and then walk back.  The apartment did have big windows that opened out over the street, which made me a little nervous with the kids.  And the stairs were SO steep, just like all those flats we used to see while watching House Hunters International.  It was so funny, when we got home and the kids were walking up and down the stairs they were laughing about how their muscle memory in their legs was telling them to take higher steps than they needed to.  

It’s always nice to stay in a place with more than one bedroom and a kitchen to make some of our own meals. With websites like HomeAway and AirBnB it’s been pretty easy to find reasonably priced places to stay for a family.  After the kids explored the apartment and claimed their beds (I totally remember doing these things when we traveled as kids) we all went to bed. 

Richard said he had seen a neat building on his walk back from parking the car the night before so in the morning we decided to walk to the car and see some of the city.  It was really cold outside, really windy so it was hard to really enjoy it, especially for the kids.  

The building Richard had seen turned out to be the Peace Palace.  You have to pre-book tours of the palace itself, but there was a visitor center next to it and we were so cold we jumped at the chance to get indoors.  We were given audio guides (my kids LOVE audio guides) and spent about an hour inside learning about the peace palace. 

I won’t get into the history of it, I definitely suggest reading about it, but the palace is a monument to world peace. I loved it so much. I also won’t get into my ever-growing inclinations toward pacifism, but I consider myself a huge advocate for peace.  (I suppose most people do.)   The palace is also home to the International Courts of Justice, (very interesting to read about) The Permanent Court of Arbitration (also interesting to read about), The Hague Academy of International Law, and the Peace Palace Library. The library was a request/demand of Andrew Carnegie, who more or less funding the building of the peace palace. 

We celebrated Cameron’s birthday on Eli’s birthday with dinner at Pizza Express and gifts at home.  Cameron had asked for new football cleats (they call them football “boots” over here) and we threw in some new socks that match his school football kit. (He plays occasionally on Saturdays for the school team.  And a “kit” is another name for uniform or jersey.) Baca and Grandpa Hall sent Cam some books and Baca and Grandpa Bird sent him a March Madness t-shirt.  

On Cameron’s actual birthday we were driving to the Netherlands and ate our dinner in the car.  I didn’t take a single picture of him until he was in bed and asleep and I snapped one with my phone for Instagram.  Feeling pretty guilty about that… 

A bit about Cameron. 
 
Cam has an amazing memory. He can lock away sports facts and trivia like it’s nobody’s business, but he can also recall events from his life and memories from his earliest years.  This makes me grateful and hopeful that he’ll be able to retain a lot of his experiences abroad. 

I have to be careful with Cameron because I can easily exploit his desire to please others in my discipline.  Shame-based parenting is really effective, it always gets me exactly what I want from him, but I worry about the cost.  I might crush his budding self-esteem in the process, if I’m not careful. 

He loves sports.  He has completely embraced football here, he “supports” Chelsea Football Club, but can also tell you all the other teams in the premiere league.  He has also still kept up with American college football and basketball, being just as excited about March Madness this year as any other year.  In fact, he won the Hall Family bracket challenge and took second place in the Bird Family bracket challenge.  (Losing to Jess, who seemed to benefit from the same beginners luck I had the first time I did a bracket and knew nothing about any of the teams.)  At any given moment you can find Cameron playing imaginary sports, (football, American football, or basketball) and announcing them as he goes along, complete with sound effects for the crowd/fans.  

Cameron is really bright and does really well in school.  He doesn’t love to read, but does it willingly when he gets his hands on a book he likes.  He is like Richard in that he can do all kinds of math computations in his head and loves it when Richard tries to stump him with “mental maths.” (Another British term.) 

We are lucky to have Cameron as our first, he has so many trademark firstborn traits, he is responsible and ambitious, albeit a little bossy. But he really is an easy kid, with a sincere heart and genuine desire to do the right thing.  

We have a family rule/tradition that you get to have a “friend birthday party” when you turn five and when you turn eight.  Eli being the introvert that he is, doesn’t have a big group of good friends, so he decided that for his birthday he just wanted to invite Kayden to go to a movie and then out to dinner with us as a family.  The Saturday before his birthday Richard took the four boys to see Home and I begged Miriam to go with me to see Cinderella.  After the movie we went to Nandos for dinner.  

I did a thoroughly lousy job of taking photos for Eli AND Cameron’s birthdays.  But we celebrated them together on Eli’s birthday because Richard had a meeting on the 31st, and on Cameron’s actual birthday we were driving to the Netherlands. 

We went to dinner at Pizza Express in Greenwich and then came back to the house for cake and presents.  Eli got a Manchester United jersey from Richard and I, a solar system model and a watch from Baca and Grandpa Hall, and a set of scriptures from Baca and Grandpa Bird. (A birthday tradition for 8 year olds.) 

A bit about Eli. 

Eli is a really thoughtful and introspective boy.  You can see in his furrowed brow that the wheels in his head are constantly turning.  He is a sponge for knowledge and loves to learn trivia type facts and data, particularly about religions and civilizations.  He will often come to me with a “Did you know…” statement as if it’s the most exciting thing he’s learned so far.  

Eli’s quality that is both endearing and infuriating is the way he is perpetually distracted.  All day, every day it feels like I’m asking him to focus or reminding him to stick to the task.  Simple tasks like getting dressed or putting his dishes in the sink seem to take ten times the appropriate amount of time. But it’s that same trait that  causes him to notice details in everything and appreciate and observe the little things. 

Despite lacking a bit in the patience category, Eli is the most sensitive to his siblings needs and feelings.  His compassion runs deep for them, and for humanity in general.  He doesn’t like violence or destruction or trauma.  He loves playing video games (FIFA ’15 and other football/soccer games) and could easily be the kid who never leaves the couch if we’re not careful.  He also likes board games and playing sports with Cameron so long as Cameron plays fair.  Nothing ticks Eli off more than someone who breaks the rules.  He loves hearing and telling jokes, and especially loves anything that is mysterious or magical.  (Card tricks, illusions, brain teasers.)

Eli’s introverted personality brings such a nice balance to all the extroverted personalities in our other children, and we love him so much.   

Simon’s immune system was not prepared for what London has thrown at him this winter. It seems he’s been sick more than he has been healthy.  Fortunately on his birthday he was feeling well enough to go to school because he was really excited about taking treats to his class.  

We let him open his presents in the morning because I wanted him to be able to use his gift on his birthday.  He has been asking for a scooter for awhile, and he specifically requested red.  He was so excited about it when Richard brought it down.  He also got a book and a torch (flashlight) from Baca & Grandpa Hall.  I’m starting to really believe in this simplifying of birthdays/holidays.  One gift from us, one from his grandparents, and he was a perfectly happy boy.

Simon’s teachers at school aren’t always sure what he can eat and what he can’t eat, (it’s hard to know what treats have milk in them) so they usually just give him a piece of fruit instead.  He’s a good sport about it, but he was go glad that for his birthday he could bring a treat that he could eat too.  

I asked Simon no less than a dozen times where he wanted to eat for his birthday dinner but he could never quite nail it down.  He would either say whatever restaurant his siblings whispered in his year, or McDonalds.  So I chose for him. a place called Giraffe in Blackheath.  It’s really kid friendly and has tasty food too.  

After dinner we came home. ate the rest of the doughnuts and sang to our birthday boy.  

A bit about Simon. 

Simon is delightful 90% of the time, but the other 10% of the time it is clear he is the youngest.  I don’t hesitate to admit that the child is spoiled. How do you NOT spoil your youngest? I suppose we could have another baby, but at some point there has to be another way…

Simon is very honest and matter-of-fact about his mistakes and misbehavior, which is both endearing and infuriating.  He has a great sense of humor and loves to laugh at his older siblings’s jokes.  He hates to be alone, he doesn’t play well by himself, but he makes a great companion for me.  He is super adaptable to my whims and adventures, although he does also appreciate routine.  He loves to come home from school and eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and watch a cartoon.  His favorite cartoons are Fireman Sam and Team Umizoomi.  He loves sweets, almond “milky” and hot dogs.  

He loves his scooter and for days begged me to take it everywhere with us, even in the car.  He has gotten really good at riding it and loves to take it to the parks and to pick up the kids from school.  He isn’t into sports so much, unless it’s the only way to get some attention from Cameron.  

He still loves to snuggle with me, he loves Richard’s teasing and “Dad jokes” and he very nearly worships the ground Eli walks on.  He has a love/hate relationship with Mim that I think is typical of siblings closest in age, and he looks up to Cameron too, although they are far enough apart in age that they don’t have as much in common.  

Simon has probably had the least trouble making the transition to London life, and in fact said the other day that he never wants to move back to the United States.  Eli asked 

“You want to grow up and be a beefeater?” (British Guard)
“Yep!”  

Living in London has made me aware of all these days that I never knew existed before.  I love that London is such a multicultural epicenter, always “in the know”, so to speak, to international celebrations and events.  I’ve already mentioned International Women’s Day, then there was the International Day of Happiness on 20 March, but before both of those, on 5 March was World Book Day.  Apparently this is a big deal in the UK, and it is tradition for school children to dress up as their favorite book character.  In fact, I found an article on netmums.com (a site I refer to occasionally to help me figure out what the heck I’m doing regarding all things British) about how stressed mums get each year trying to think of new costumes at the last minute or meet the requests/demands of their children. 

“If it’s your first time as a mum facing World Book Day then you might be wondering what all the fuss is about. It sounds like such a fun lovely day to encourage a love of books and reading. Doesn’t it? If you’ve been through it before then you’ll know why it brings some mums out in a rash.”

Ahhh mommy competition spans the continents.  

In any case, since it was our first time the kids were all pretty excited, and I didn’t stress too much about how little prepared we actually were on the actual day.  So we made the best of it, and all the kids were pleased with the results.  

Cameron: Harry Potter
Eli: Sherlock Holmes
Miriam: Fancy Nancy
Simon: Fireman Sam

All in all I think World Book Day did in fact turn out to be a lovely day meant to encourage reading and a love of books. In fact the kids were each given a token that they can redeem for a free book at UK book retailers.  

Unfortunately World Book Day fell on School Picture day, in a major scheduling disaster (and yes, you can pronounce that shh-eduling if you like to read my posts with a British accent.)   I got a text about half-way through the morning informing me that school photo day was that day and the next.  I hope no one lost their job over that one.  

So the kids school photos weren’t anything spectacular, except the photo company did do sibling photos on the second day, when the kids were all dressed normally, and it turned out really great.  I’ll post it here when I get my prints.  

Happy [Belated] World Book Day everyone!