More Visitors

This week got off to a rather depressing start. I was told that I wouldn't have a teaching job next year. A different school in the district is shrinking, so we have to take on their teachers. Even though I am much better qualified and can offer a higher quality of education to the students, seniority is the trump card. Looks like I will get bumped.

Luckily my family came to visit this week, so that has been nice. Mom and Dad got here early on Wednesday morning, and Claire rumbled in after dinner. The first thing Amélie did was run to Grandma and give her a bit hug. We didn't expect that!

Thursday was a bit of a rainy, recovery day, but Friday the sun came out. The only time this week. We took the girls for a nice morning walk and went shopping in Apeldoorn that afternoon. The girls had a blast riding the escalators in the mall. This was the first time they can remember being in a city.

The business seems to be heading in the right direction. We stumbled across a store that wants to carry a few of my products on Friday. I am busy with some wedding gifts. Hopefully the place on the beach will pan out. Seems like cutting boards are the thing I will be busy with for awhile...

Surf Boards

I had an order this week for a set of those surf boards. So I made two. It helped to figure out how to cut down the time. Hopefully I will get more orders. There is a place on the beach in The Hague that has some interest...

Winter seems to be over, but it is still February as far as my seasonal depression goes. I don't have much motivation. On the upside, the vitamin D has helped with the short temper and I haven't been sick since before Christmas, so that is a big improvement.

Abigail has had a rough time for the last couple weeks. Crabby and difficult, lots of crying. The last couple night she cried in bed for 45 minutes or an hour, then we picked her up, and she didn't go to sleep until around 10. Way too late for her. Must be another growth spurt or something...maybe her English will start getting better.

Visitors

Claire drove up from Switzerland this week. She picked up Tung, an old family friend, in Germany on the way up. I haven't seen him in twenty years. It was a nice visit! We spent some time in Utrecht. He left Friday morning; Claire left Sunday afternoon.

This morning we woke up to around three inches of snow on the ground. That is the most I have seen in this country! We had a lot of fun making a snowman and taking a walk. Towards the end of our walk, we had a little snowball fight (Abigail even joined in) that ended rather poorly. I sent one zinging toward Naomi, who moved out of the way. Unfortunately, Amélie was about ten feet behind her, watching the action, and got hit right in the face. She was less than thrilled.

So it turns out two year olds don't have the best reflexes. I saw it in slow motion - she just kept staring straight at the incoming projectile until it turned her face white. Then red. Thankfully it was fresh snow, so no real damage. Just lots of tears.

Where do Grandma and Grandpa live?
Abigail: In the telephone.

Where does Aunt Claire live?
Abigail: In her car.

Where does Sinterklaas live?
Abigail and Amélie: IN SPAIN!!

Electric Amélie.

Working.

Watching.

Helping.

The finished product.

Taking a walk. 

Chocolate milk!

Tasty lunch in an old loading bay on the canal in Utrecht.

The picture spot.

Spring?

Granted, it is supposed to drop back below the freezing mark this coming week, but it seems like Spring is already here! Lots of noise from the birds, warmer weather, and no more icy windshields to scrape in the morning! We shall see if it lasts.

I started working on the upstairs cabinets again this week. The doors in particular. Didn't get very far. Had to make a few trips to the hardware store figuring out how to glue up the mirrors and realized at the end of the day (after they were glued) that two of the mirrors I ordered are wrong. Hopefully things go better this coming week!

Got a new shop-vac. Came in a nice box. The girls love it. The box that is. On the way to the grocery store Abigail wouldn't stop whining about how all she wanted to do was play in the box. She walked pretty much the whole way herself again though. She continues to do really well with the potty training too. Only one accident this past week!