Day 6 - Last day in the Netherlands and flight to Spain

Day 6 dawned sunny and beautiful. Pete had been in Saudi Arabia on business for the week, so it was really fun to see him on Friday evening and we stayed up until 1:30 am talking. (Yes, I, Amy Allebest stayed up until 1:30 am! There were witnesses). We woke up feeling overwhelmed with all that needed to be done to get ready for the final transition, and kids were running wild all over the house. Pete kindly offered to take the little kids to an indoor playground for the morning so that Alycia and I could take the big kids to Haarlem to see the huge Saturday market and the Corrie ten Boom House (the setting of the book The Hiding Place). Erik stayed home and exercised, did laundry, packed and got some work done. 

Haarlem has a huge Farmers' market in the town square, just as they have for 700 years. We ate strawberries and fresh, hot stroopwaffles. The church in the background is where Oma and Opa got married

Kids hiding in the wall in the ten Boom house

After lunch and a quick power nap (Erik having gotten all the packing done), we hopped into our minivans and headed to Muiderslot Castle. This treasure was built in 1280 and is absolutely perfectly preserved - when we walked up Lindsay said, "well, when you picture "castle" in your mind, that's exactly what you imagine." The kids had a ball running through the many parts that were open for exploration, games, and dress-up try-ons. 

"Sir John" told me to stay with him so he could protect me from the bad knights

A magical end to a magical week

And what comes to mind as I see this photo is that right after  I took it, the kids went running over to a green water pump, around which were baskets full of sparkling clear empty water bottles. There was a sign on the pump that said "Drinkwater" - one of those lovely words that's exactly the same in Dutch and reminds me of our common Germanic roots. The kids had been whimpering with thirst for hours so I helped Stone fill his bottle and he guzzled down several gulps when we saw Pete running toward us yelling "NOOOOOO!!! Don't drink that!" I hadn't paid attention to the word "Geen" above the "Drinkwater" - it looks basically like "Clean," right? It means "NO," and on the other side of the pump was a clear sign that said it wasn't potable. Wish us luck! (Note to castle groundskeepers: What's with the inviting empty water bottles near a non-potable pump???) :)

We ate dinner at home with the Clarkes, so comfortable and cozy. Stone had told Alycia he loved her and wanted them to come back to the US, and he tried to convince Pete to get a different job so they could live by us. Our consolation is that they are coming to visit us in Spain in October!

Thoughts about the Netherlands: According to a recent survey, the Dutch are the most content population in Europe (and within the Netherlands, residents of Haarlem are the most content). I've been thinking about the value of excellence (which can be defined many different ways, but let's say striving for mastery of skills and constant progress and innovation) vs. the value of contentment (being at peace with life the way it is). Erik's cousin Jessica (an American married to a Dutch man and living in Amsterdam) told us how frustrating it was for her as a manager of a business when employees show up for work 4 hours late or not at all... with no explanation and no apology and don't understand why she's bent out of shape. And of course when you look at Technology or the Arts or Sports (soccer and skating being notable exceptions), you don't see the Dutch at the forefront. But Jessica said they have a phrase they say all the time which translates to "just be normal." As in other European countries they take forever serving food and bringing your bill at restaurants and it takes an excruciatingly long time to get paperwork done, etc.... but I LOVED the way people seemed at ease. I did not ever see parents hurrying the children anywhere and come to think of it, I never saw any parents scolding their children. I don't know which culture I would buy wholesale if forced to choose, but I'm ruminating that I don't have to choose at all. As I go about striking my own balance for myself and my kids, I like the influence of the helmet-less hair-flowing-in-the-breeze meandering pace on the bike with a bunch of tulips in your bike basket lifestyle. I will definitely channel my inner Dutch girl when I'm feeling rushed and stressed by the pace of American life and tell myself "Calm down. Just be normal." I feel happier and more myself that way.

Grammy brought fun new activities to keep the kids busy at the airport

Lucy lost her molar while in line to board the plane. How fun that the tooth fairy will bring her a Euro!

Our flight was scheduled to leave at 9:30 but it was an hour delayed. The kids were tired but I was shocked how well they did!! Sophie fell asleep on Erik's lap around 11 pm (these are kids who go to bed at 8:00 on the dot and have been known, like their mother, to fall apart when not properly rested so I was geared up for a catastrophe) and we landed around 1:15 am I think. Luggage... taxis... Stone climbing on something and falling off and screaming... it was all a blur. 

And then came the moment I had been dreaming/worrying about for the past 5 months - walking in the door of our house! I have to say I had very low expectations - Google Earth showed a busy, unpretty street similar to El Camino, and I knew from photos that it was an old, quirky house. And after staying in the Clarkes' stunning, huge house on a beautiful street I knew I would need to re-calibrate what "a house in Europe" looked like in our minds. So pulling up I have to say I was glad I looked at Google Earth. Not the cutest street in the world. Grafitti, old apartments, buildings under construction, an empty lot of dirt and debris across the street. We walked in the door and it was the most... let's see, what adjective should I use? Let's say unique.... house I've ever been in. Next post will have pictures. We were all brain-bruisingly exhausted but my friend Tabitha told me I needed to relax a little and not insist that the kids go straight to sleep on our first night in the house - I needed to let them explore a little! :) She was right - it was a great, hilarious bonding experience (and we needed to open every window in the house anyway - it was stiflingly hot). We finally crashed into bed at 2:30 or so, a very unsettled Sophie and I sharing a single bed. And so, exactly three weeks after our minivan rolled out of the driveway in Mountain View, we are finally here!!