Maastrict

 Before the girls and I all headed our separate ways for the holidays, we decided to cram some authentic Dutch culture into a Saturday. We headed for the Christmas market in Maastrict:

Yep, ALL the way at the bottom of the country, a mere 3 1/2 hour train ride from the dam.

There were some early morning train snuggles:

Some mid-morning gluhwein (hot spiced wine, yum!) and impromptu dancing:

Ice sculptures:

New hats and scarves:

A walk around the snow covered town:

Anyone else think this Santa statue is slightly creepy?

Warming up with drinks in a bar that used to be a church:

Night time at the market:

Santa! I know him, I know him!!!!!

If you get the thumbs up from Santa, it's going to be a good Christmas!

And a delicious dinner at a tiny little Michelin starred restaurant:

 Followed by naps on the long ride home. Luckily there's no pictures of that!

I'm Obsessed with Sinterklaas

Found this article to be both hilarious and enlightening. I promise this will be my last post about Sint. (Until next year, of course!)

Six to Eight Black Men

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

So for the past 6 years, I've been teaching my first graders how to tell time. And everyone one of those years I had to tell them about
72,000 times that there was no such thing as 13 o'clock.

I just got told up by European time.

Erin - 0, Ice - 1

I completely bit it on my bike this morning. I was all excited that it was no longer blizzarding and blowy, and hopped back on my bike ready to ride. Curse you black ice! I'm fairly certain the Dutch riders around me were saying "I told you so, stupid American". I'm taking the bus home. 

P.S. for those of you keeping track, that's the 4th time I've fallen off my bike - 2 doubling incidents (1 involving alcohol), 1Erin vs. rain and 1 Erin vs. ice

Sneeuw

That's the Dutch word for snow. So appropriate! When it first started snowing, I was all "Ooooooh, so pretty". 4 days later when it was still snowing, and beginning to turn to slush and ice, I was all 

"Snow. Ew." 

 Poor Tulip, with a basket full of snow.

  (Yes, my bike's name is Tulip.)

My 'hood covered in snow:

The view from my bedroom window:

 (Where I stayed safe, warm and cozy with hot chocolate while catching up on Glee episodes.)

 Snow-covered canals at night. This city keeps getting prettier!

 If you look under the bridge, you can see some swans a swimmin'. I was so worried they were going to turn into swan popsicles. (So I took this picture of them. Really helpful.)

P.S. While I was enjoying (?) the sneeuw in Amsterdam, Lucy was enjoying the snow in Raleigh:

Sinterklaas Is Coming To School!

 So here's the deal with Sinterklaas. He arrives, in mid-November on a boat from Spain. He stays until his birthday on December 5th. Once he arrives, the children start leaving their shoes out at night, and wake up to small treats placed in their shoes. Chocolate letters are very popular. And delicious :) This is all build up to his birthday on the 5th, when he comes around knocking on doors and leaving a sack of gifts outside. On the Friday before his birthday, he stopped by school.

The entire lower school, waiting for Sint to arrive. They were all singing!

HE'S HERE!!!

(If this picture had volume you'd be deaf now from the screaming. He's totally bigger than Bieber.)

Then he came around to visit each grade:

(Gold carpet. Nothing but the best for Sint.)

After chatting with the kids, and asking them about only things that the real Sinterklaas would know, he gives everyone a treat bag, and says goodbye. 

See you next year, Sinterklaas!

Say Cheese!

Please note the sweet leather jacket on the child to the left of me, and the array of pained/confused expressions.
I love awkward school pictures!