Doctor, Doctor....an Apple a day does NOT keep the doctor away!

Doctor Visits....

In the past few years, we have not had too many reasons to visit the doctor- any doctor. We regularly go for Chiropractic appointments, and always do your our annual/bi-annual Dr. and Dentist visits, but have not had too many issues to have to deal with outside of those. Since moving to Amsterdam, I feel like we have seen every doctor under the sun. The first few weeks we were here, Maya's molar broke apart- no joke. In the middle of eating, half her molar just fell off. What the hell? Not having any idea where to bring her, if I needed to have her see anyone, I resorted to my first best friend here in Holland- Facebook and the Holland Homies Facebook page. This web page has literally been a life saver for me. I have asked every question any normal, Type A personality would ask, and am pretty sure that "they" were tired of my multiple times daily, random questions (where can I get X, anyone know of a hairdresser in Oud Zuid, can someone PLLLEEEAAASSE recommend a dentist!). That being said, I have never posted a question out there that someone has not been able to answer- it has been a very huge tool in my figuring things out here in Amsterdam and I am grateful and appreciative to everyone who answers my crazy questions! I ended up finding a Dentist, and was told her tooth was coming out because the one underneath was pushing it out! No need to do anything at all....20 Euro later! (Not to mention, the appointment was after school, it was dark, we had to bike there, didn't know where "there" was, got lost, ended up being basically escorted "there" by a random woman on the street (who had two small kiddos, and was still kind enough to help us out!) and were late to the appointment...ahhhh...the glamorous life of an Expat- feeling stupid daily!).

A little background on the Dutch medical system and how it works. Unless it is an emergency, and you have to have medical treatment ASAP, you are required to go to your GP (General Practitioner) before being allowed to go anywhere else, Then your GP must refer you to the specialist. Your GP will not provide you with antibiotics, and generally tells you to go home, rest and call back in a week if you are still feeling bad/have the symptoms, etc. In December, Maya ended up getting a very weird eye infection. The Nurse at school told her to take her contacts out and leave them out for a week...which we did and it looked like it was getting better. We then headed to Ireland for a week, in which time the infection kicked back in. We went to a pharmacy and they recommended some drops, which she took for a week. They did not clear it up, so I took her to the regular General Practitioner in our neighborhood, after waiting (hoping) it would just miraculously disappear (it didn't). The GP thought it was sinus' (no clue how she got to that determination), and sent me to Etos (like a CVS or Walgreens) to get some decongestant nose spray, told Maya to use it twice daily and call back in a week if it wasn't cleared up. One week later, with no improvement, we called the GP again. She called in a prescription drop for her eye....which didn't work. Called back in another week and she referred us to an Eye Dr. She ended up having a bacterial infection on the lids of both of her eyes (by this time, it has spread to both eyes!). She was prescribed some weird drop which she took for another week, and it finally cleared up. So, the poor kid had a month and a half long eye infection- had to wear glasses and rec specs, no contacts...was not happy.

Scott has had a random infection, I had a period of time where my entire face and upper body went numb (don't ask) and we have had MULTIPLE colds, in all forms- head, throat, chest, nose...we have gone through all but 1 box of the HUGE stash of Kleenex that we brought with us (thank you Sam's club....and YES, they do have Kleenex here....I like to be prepared!). We have had back issues (me), teeth cleanings and more new experiences in the medical area than I care to have. I am just hoping when we go back to our U.S. doctors/dentists this summer, they do not have to do anything special- hopefully we can hold off on braces until we get back, and Maya's scoliosis has stayed in check...or we will be figuring that all out next fall as well! I guess the good thing is I have a very remedial sense of how to get things done here in the Netherlands when it comes to medical issues/needs!

Girl's Basketball NECIS tournament- Northwest European Council of International Schools)- Dusseldorf, Germany 2015

This past weekend (Thursday, March 5 - Saturday, March 7), we spent the weekend watching Maya and her U12 Girl's basketball play in the NECIS tournament in Dusseldorf, Germany. Maya and her team, along with the other U12 boys' teams and the U14 Girls' and Boys' teams, bussed to Dusseldorf on Wednesday, staying in a hotel for 3 nights and having a TON of fun. We were very surprised that Maya decided to play basketball (she declared after last year that she had ZERO interest and was never going to play again...now she says she likes it as much as soccer!).  Playing has allowed her to not only learn the game of basketball, but to make some solid friends here in Amsterdam, which has made her very happy. Her team went from barely being able to play, to actually looking like they were playing basketball- so much improvement over the course of the past three months.

The team went 4-1, losing in the Semi-finals by 6 pts, and overall coming in 3rd. They played well, had fun and should be very proud of themselves!

Driving with the left hand!

ISA

The girls transferred from their respective public schools in Portage to the International School of Amsterdam (ISA). ISA has one campus, located in Amstelveen, that educates Pre-K through 12th grade and follows the IB program- so everything taught is taught in an investigative manor- how did we get the answer, why did we get the answer, do we understand where the answer came from and did we find multiple ways to get to the same answer...it is still confusing to me, but I like the idea of connecting the dots, instead of just getting the answer correctly, I personally am struggling with the Math part of it- getting the correct answer is just a "part" of the grade, and how you get there is just as big of a part. They also grade with numbers 1-8, no letters (A,B,C,D). We are all still trying to figure out what a good grade is and how to understand the system. Maya gets VERY mad when she gets the correct answer, but does not get a perfect score because she did not do EVERYTHING she possibly could to figure out why the answer is that way. My biggest concern is that my kids will be behind when we move back Math wise- Maya and several kids are very far ahead in Math, find it boring because they are not learning new concepts...I am afraid what was her favorite subject will become her least favorite subject. Hanna is also breezing through- her grade is definitely NOT hard enough for her. That being said, technology speaking, this school is leaps and bounds above any we have attended in Portage. They are both located in different areas of the school (Hanna is in Lower School, Maya is part of the Upper School), so they do not see each other at all except at the beginning and end of the day. Overall, they have adjusted very well, made a lot of friends, are in extra curriculars and seem to be happy!

Halloween

Maya- Hermoine Granger (Harry Potter), Hanna- a Skeleton

We moved here in the middle of October, with Halloween right around the corner. Thankfully, we had connected with a (now) friend, Gretchen, who got us all signed up to do Trick or Treating in Amstelveen, near ISA, put on by the international families in that area. Although Trick or Treating is not really a Netherlands tradition (Halloween is celebrated all over Europe, but as a Scary holiday, and not celebrated here in the Netherlands), the Expat families did a great job of making it fun. The girls had 5 days of school under their belt, and did not really know anyone, but we dressed up and went anyway. We got some American candy, a lot of Netherlands candy and some weird candy as well (one guy- pretty sure he was Dutch, and just decided to hop in on the fun, as he was not on our house map) gave the girls 1 individual mento each...then he ran out and grabbed a candy bowl from his table and started handing everything in that out!

Pumpkins at a NORMAL price- 2Euro! In Tokyo we paid roughly $40/pumpkin

Dutch Swim lessons

These lessons are not like ours in the States- no red cross, learn your 4 strokes, etc. lessons. This is learn strokes that are important to surviving, if you were to fall into a canal. If you did not know, Amsterdam is below sea level, there are canals everywhere, and the primary mode of transportation is by bike. At one point, there was some flooding, and it killed many school children. The Government then decided that all children had to take Survival swimming, so that if flooding, or falling into one of the many canals ever happened again, they would be able to save themselves, and schools in the Netherlands are required to make it part of their curriculum.

"The ability to float and breathe, regardless of the water's depth, for an indefinite period of time. Children are naturally drawn to lakes, ponds, rivers, canals, beaches, and pools. It only takes a second for an accident to occur no matter how careful a parent supervises their child."

There are 3 diploma levels, and in order to be able to swim in a pool in the Netherlands, without an adult with you (if you are under the age of 18), you must pass at least the first Diploma A level. With these levels, they are taught basic swim skills, basic swim strokes, as well as swimming through tubes, opening and keeping your eyes open underwater, and swimming in everything from shorts, shirt and sneakers to winter coat and boots. Hanna is required to take this swimming every Thursday as part of her schooling, and until she gets her diploma (Maya too), I need to be in the pool with them...not too thrilled about that one!

Survival swimming- Diploma practice

Adjusting to Life in another Country

Adjusting to Life in another Country

How are we doing? How have the girls adjusted? What is different about life in Amsterdam, the Netherlands? What type of school do the kids go to?

All these questions have slowly been getting answered over the past 4 months, some easier than others. People ask us how we could do this to our girls- move them away from everything they know, all their friends, their safety zone, comfort zone, etc...for the 2nd time.....and all I can say is that over the past 4 months, as a family, we have adjusted successfully to a new school, a new job and location of employment, new driving rules, new friends, new food, new transportation methods...basically new everything, and we are HAPPY. Happy with our new schools- ISA has been for the  most part, challenging, welcoming and an overall great environment for my girls to be exposed to so many things (Dutch Survival swimming anyone??), Maya adjusted very well almost immediately. She amazes me daily with her ability to jump into something, even if it is uncomfortable. It was a skill I did not learn until much later in life, and she has it down at 12. She is not afraid to do something she has no experience in, talk to someone she does not know or take risks not knowing what the outcome will be...this is why we have moved here. Hanna's adjustment was a bit more difficult. She is a kid, at an age, where knowing what is going on is very important. The unknown scared her for the first month or so...so much new, with so little guidance (independence is really stressed at ISA). She had a new teacher, had to make new friends, take Dutch (which she hated at first, but now it is one of her favorite classes!) and most frightening, take Dutch survival swimming lessons. But, slowly, over the past four months, she has become comfortable with it all and has made friends and is very happy. Scott's job is going pretty great- he is on a virtual team, with his Boss located in San Jose, CA, and most of his team spread out around the world. It is a neat team, with a lot of learning and growing opportunities for him. The transition has probably been the most difficult for me. While everyone else has their "thing" I have been looking for mine. I left Portage teaching multiple classes a week, left friends, my tennis...so I have had to figure all that out here, while learning how to live- grocery shop, get around the city by bike, car, tram and Metro, find a place to play tennis,etc. The months of November and December were probably the loneliest for me, but I have started to make some good friends, I teach 2 classes a week at local parks and currently play tennis at two different locations (though I am still figuring that all out!). I am happy for all the opportunities that we have been given, grateful to learn daily and experience things with my family that we never would have been able to do back in the States. My family gets to learn every day, grow every day and become better people every day..we are doing well!

In front of the Blarney Castle, Cork County, Ireland

Differences

The major differences of living here in Amsterdam have to do with every day living. Bike is my major mode of transportation, and I absolutely love it. The unintentional exercise I get every day, even in the rain, makes my day so much better.

Bikes, Bikes and more Bikes

The girls take the bus to school, Scott uses Tram/Metro or takes the car. Grocery shopping is a pain...very similar to Tokyo, so for that reason, it has not been a huge adjustment- just a change of process. Though there are multiple larger grocery stores (Albert Heijn, Jumbo), there is not a lot of cupboard space or refrigerator space... so we can not buy too much, because we do not have anywhere to put it. I grocery shop every other day, by bike, and can only get what I can carry home. Once in a while I will order online and have it delivered (a great option when I have a lot to get, or we go on a trip and I want it delivered right to my door when we get back), or I will trek out to a larger store that has parking (parking in A'dam is a big, fat pain in the Arse!) and buy larger quantities. Foods are different, but I can find almost everything I could in the States- at least the necessities. This is MUCH different from Tokyo, as they did not have many international products, and where they did, it took a BIG effort to get them. They also have a lot of good snacks, and special treats (Stroopwafels) that have proven to be delicious! Plus, I can go to the international store and buy Dt. Mountain Dew when I need my fix...it is expensive, but worth it! Language- the national language is of course, Dutch, however most speak VERY good English, so communication hasn't been a huge issue. Some Dutch would prefer you learn Dutch, but most will tell you "why bother" as there are only 17 million people in the entire world who speak it, and everyone here speaks English. I have not even started my Dutch lessons, which I am fairly disappointed in myself for. The longer I go without taking them, the less chance I see of me actually taking them...another added bonus is Google Translate. Pretty sure this App was my very best friend, and quite possibly, still is. I can fairly easily translate Dutch into English- so there are not as many guessing games at the Grocery store, when we get letters in the mail, etc. Comparatively, Amsterdam has been 9000 times easier to move to when talking about language barriers. 

Being a Tourist...

I have been slowly getting out and about, to see some of the landmarks in and around Amsterdam. I have visited the Ryksmuseum, the Anne Frank Huis (this is a tug at the heartstings place- I just will never understand how innocent people can be persecuted for who they are, having different beliefs, etc. I don't understand the cruelty of people), and our Lord in the Attic church.

The Ryksmuseum has many famous paintings, including The Night Watch, by Rembrandt van Rijn painted in 1642.  I took a small tour in English, which always helps in explaining why things are highly regarded (I am no art aficionado!).

Anne Frank House- Anne Frank was a Jewish girl who had to go into hiding during the Second World War to avoid the Nazi's. She and her family, along with another family hid in what is now called the Secret Annex above her Father's warehouse for 2 years, until turned in by an unknown person(s) to the Nazi regime. I had been waiting to go to see her "home" and learn more about what she and the others in hiding had to endure during their two years. It is a powerful place, and she was an amazing and articulate young woman.

Our Lord in the Attic- Catholic Mass was outlawed in Amsterdam shortly after the "Alteration" of 1578, which transferred the city into Protestant hands. However, Protestant authorities tended to be tolerant of private Catholic worship as long as it was kept hidden from public view.

In 1661, a wealthy Catholic merchant named Jan Hartman bought a stately canal house and two houses behind it. A devout man whose son was studying for the priesthood, Hartman included a fine Catholic chapel in his new property. The rest of the houses were used as living space for his family, reception of guests, and storage.

The hidden church occupied the entire top floor of the canal house and the two houses behind it. Lavishly appointed, it would serve as the parish church for Catholics living in the city center for 200 years.

The church was then referred to as "the Hart," after the statue of a stag that hung outside, presumably inspired by the host's name. It was dedicated to St. Nicholas, taking over the patronage stripped from the Oude Kerk at the Alteration.

This Church was really neat to see- from the outside, it looked like a regular canal house!

Bruges, Belgium

A little overnight stay in Bruges, Belgium

After a two game visit to Brussels for Maya's basketball team, we headed on over to Bruges for the night. We had heard that Bruges was gorgeous, mid evil, exceptional...so we had to take a visit. Even on a cold, windy Saturday/Sunday, we enjoyed the sites. We were lucky enough to experience it with our new friends, the Lewis Family (Eric, Holli, Lilli, Lucy and Eliza), spending the day walking, eating chocolate, climbing towers, taking canal tours and just plain taking in the breathtaking city of Bruges.

Hanna's 9th Birthday!

Hanna's 9th Birthday

Happy 9th Birthday Hanna!

I can't believe that Hanna is 9! I think about the life that she has led to this point and it amazes me. She has lived in 3 countries, started to learn 2 other languages, moved multiple times (twice across the world), has attended 8 different schools (including her preschools), made friends from all over the world, does not see color, language, culture or any other differences as a barrier to keep her from becoming friends with someone, and has adapted to the uncomfortable. Her personality is hard nosed, stubborn, self reliant, confident, kind, loving and caring. She has a hard exterior, but a soft interior. She is smart, really funny, athletic... a good friend, a great daughter and an overall special girl. For her birthday this year, she chose a visit to the zoo, a jump at the indoor trampoline place,  a dinner out with family and a joint birthday trip with Maya to Paris, France (instead of a party- I think we all won!). We love you Hanna- thank you for all you add to our family- keep being exactly who you are! 

Artis Zoo- pretty sure there are monkeys somewhere back there!

Jumpers, the Indoor Trampoline park

Her favorite birthday gift- an electric toothbrush

Ireland...the land of Rainbows, green grass, castles and RAIN, WIND and COLD!

Ireland, December 15-22, 2015

Ireland...a place I have DREAMED about going to basically my entire adult life.  Scott ended up having to go to Cork, Ireland for work for a few days during the girls' winter break, so we decided to revolve our Christmas trip around those few days, and extend it longer so we could be tourists. We planned a weeks vacation, with the help of an Ireland travel expert named Jody, around Ireland, including the Counties of Cork, Limerick, Clare and Waterford. Though the weather was not awesome (rained some, but cold and VERY windy the whole trip), the trip itself, and the things we got to see and do were amazing.  

Maya kissing the Blarney Stone

Hanna kissing the Blarney Stone

Ringing the Shandon Bells at St. Anne's Church

Cork/Cork County- we stayed at the Fota Island Resort, right outside of Cork. We stayed in a small duplex, with a full kitchen, two full baths, two large bedrooms...VERY good for a family of four. It gave us some good privacy and space, plus it had a nice Spa that the girls got to swim at a few mornings after Scott went to work. While in Cork, we visited the city, including the shopping streets and rang the Shandon Bells at the Church of St. Anne's. The girls LOVED the bells- they had a music book for them to ring the bells in song...I basically had to drag them out!

Cliffs of Moher- by FAR our favorite part of the trip. The cliffs are a natural wonder- beautiful, scary, great hike, phenomenal views....it was an active day, and we have found our family does better when we are active!

Maya and Hanna- Cliffs of Moher

 

Adare- we visited the Adare Manor in Adare, Ireland and went on a Hawk Walk. We got to hold all different types of birds- Hawks, owls, eagles....it was amazing. We also got to fly an American Bald Eagle (did you know that they do not get the white feathers on their head until they reach maturity at 4-5 years old?), and take a Hawk on a walk (he would fly back to us and land on our arms/hands). Aside from the cold weather, the experience was amazing and educational!

Hanna at the Hawk Walk

Maya at the Hawk Walk

Bruff- we stayed at The Old Bank bed and breakfast in Bruff- a tiny little town between some of the sites that we hoped to visit while in Ireland. Miriam, the owner, was quite animated, full of stories and actually offered to babysit the kids so Scott and I could go out for a drink one night. The bed and breakfast was wonderful. We went to church at the very old Catholic church down the road which was also super cool, and then Miriam recommended a little bar called Mary's Place right down the street as a place to stop and have a drink. I kid you not, Mary's place was a big as my living room, with a bar in it, including a trough outside in the back for the Gentleman to go to the bathroom. When we walked in, everyone turned around to stare, and by the time we walked out, everyone was yelling Good night! Has to be the friendliest European country- would love to go back!

Waterford- we took an overnight trip to Waterford. While a beautiful town, we went for the Wintervale- a Christmas festival that was supposed to turn the town into a winter wonderland....a cheesy, 1970's plastic winter wonderland. We visited the Waterford Crystal store (no factory tour), but all the other things we did their were very cheeseball! We did have some good food, and took a really nice horse driven sleigh ride through the town, so all was not lost.

Castles

We had the chance to visit two castles while we were in Ireland, and both were fantastic and very different!

Bunratty Castle and Folk Lore Park was built in 1425 on what was originally a Viking Trading camp in 970. It was restored in 1954 to its former medieval splendor and now contains mainly 15th and 16th century funishings, tapestries, and works of art which capture the mood of those times.  It was very neat to see how all the rooms were set up and what they were used for. The skinny, tight cement staircases and you wound your way up to the rooftop of the castle were really neat. The Folk Lore park allowed us to enjoy the sights, sounds tastes, scents, of this time period as you stroll from house to house or around the charming village street complete with school, post office, doctors house, hardware shop, printers and of course McNamara’s pub! For those of our friends in the U.P. it felt like Fort Wilkens, where you could get an active idea of how life was back in the days that the Castle was actually occupied.

Blarney Castle

Blarney Castle- this was a last minute add on- as we were heading back from Waterford, we decided to go check this out before we headed to the airport....simply said, I am SO glad we did. This was one of our favorite things we did while on this trip. The grounds were amazing, and the castle was as is- no recreations or restorations...so we had the opportunity to walk through the castle without furnishings...using out imaginations. We got the chance to kiss the Blarney Stone (upside down, over the edge of the castle...a bit freaky!), walk through the poisonous gardens and take in the beautiful scenery.

Rock of Cashel- A spectacular group of Medieval buildings set on an outcrop of limestone in the Golden Vale including the 12th century round tower, High Cross and Romanesque Chapel, 13th century Gothic cathedral, 15th century Castle and the restored Hall of the Vicars Choral. This Cathedral, cemetary and grounds were simply amazing with a spectacular view of the countryside (exactly how you imagine the countryside of Ireland to be!)

Rock of Cashel

Charles Fort in the POURING Rain

Charles Fort- The Charles Fort is a star shaped fort built on the coast of Ireland. The day we went was the only day that it poured buckets, so we didn't get to stay long, and didn't get to enjoy it as much as we would have liked. I would love to go back and check it out on a nice day, where we could walk the grounds for a longer period of time.

Kinsale

Kinsale- unforunately, this was the same day we visited Charles Fort, and we did not get to enjoy it as we would have liked. That being said, the town reminded me of Newport, Rhode Island- small, cozy, quaint, sailboat filled port that on a great, warm day (if that happens in Ireland!) would be amazing to hang out in. We also took a Heritage tour with Dermot Ryan, which allowed us to learn a little more about the town, it's history and find cute shops and restaurants!

Jameson Experience- Scott and I took a few hours one day, let the girls hang at the Fota and did the Jameson Experience tour. Super cool, plus we got a chance to "try" out quite a few whiskey's! Not normally my thing, but when in Ireland.....

Titanic Experience- on one of the days Scott had to work, I took the girls to Cobh, Ireland- the last port for the Titanic before if headed to sea and to the it's next port in the United States. The girls and I went to the Titanic Experience, and all 3 of us thoroughly enjoyed it. We were given names of actual passengers who were on the ill fated Titanic, and then at the end had a chance to see whether "we" lived or died. All three of us SURVIVED! The crazy thing was that all three of us had the last name of Murphy- my maiden name, and all of those Murphys (two were sisters, the other unrelated) ended up settling in the Michigan/Illinois area....aside from that coincidence, we learned a lot about the ship, the passengers, and the night the ship hit the iceberg. Interesting and sad (and now Hanna claims she will NEVER, EVER go on a ship again). 

Dinner with the Ridderman's

Dinner with friends- we had the chance to meet up with some friends from Kalamazoo, who were finishing up their expat assignment in Cork, and moving back to Kalamazoo a few days later. We had a fantastic dinner at Sage in Middleton, good conversation a an overall great night!