On Friday morning we picked up Arianna from her sleepover. She's had a great time and had jumped out of bed that morning smiling and excited. They didn't get to sleep until after 11, but had a good night. "We watched a movie. And we took pictures. We went to sleep and we talked a lot. We had chocolate. We had tons of fun. We hunted for candy in the woods and we found tons of it. We ate all the candy and we had really really tons of fun."We gathered up her things and joined her class and their families for a final breakfast at the International Dining Hall on base. "The breakfast was yummy. It was so yummy that I could hardly believe my eyes and I even got a soccer ball."
Saturday was the final soccer game and party, so I baked the soccer ball cake and made chicken enchiladas. We were all excited and ready - as was Arianna - until we actually got there, and then, for whatever reason, Arianna decided not to play. So, it was a bit disappointing for Kirk and I. She moped and sat in the car most of the game. I watched and cheered the other players on and it turned out to be a great game. We'd planned a big party at a park nearby, but only four families could stay, so we joined a few other teams there on the field and had the party there. Arianna and Luci got their trophies - ugly silver alien trophies. Very ugly. But... the girls love them and cuddle them like babies.That afternoon we went to a BBQ and stayed out until after 10. It gets light at 0430 here and stays dark until after 10 at night. It's really confusing when you're outside in the evening because the time goes so quickly and it stays so amazingly bright out that at 9:30 it still seems like 6. We looked up the sunrise online and it said over 18 hours of visible light here. Tomorrow our day will be 15 seconds shorter. I like the long days here. It feels great to see the sun and it's making up for the winter when it was getting dark at 4pm.
Today was a swim party for Tiara's friend, but we all went. Kirk spent his time juggling little girls in the big pool because they all wanted their turn there, but the pool is indoors and they have a nice shallow pool with a gate, so the young ones can be happy and safe over there. Still, Elise has an obsession with the deep water. They all need swim lessons.
The grass is as short as it could get and the cows are resorting to nibbling on the hedge on the far side of the pasture, so I think their days in this field are numbered. I'm sure they'll be moved in the next day or two. It will be sad. They are so sweet. If you go to the fence, they lick your hand. When we watch them from the windows, they look up at us. Today they were playing - running around the pasture like baby lambs kicking up their legs and butting their heads. They are adorable.
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Luci's class ended on Monday with her picnic, but Arianna had school through Wednesday. A couple weeks ago a German kindergarten class visited both Arianna and Luci's class for the entire day. On Tuesday Arianna's class met a little early at the school, then walked off base to the bus stop and took a German public bus into the town of Geilenkirchen to the kindergarten there. They spent the entire morning with that class. Arianna buddied up with a little girl who shared her cubby with Arianna and played with her. They did art and play time. They have several indoor play structures. During circle time they sung "head and shoulders, knees and toes." The playground was extensive - a lot of play equipment, tires, sand and water tables, soccer nets. It didn't seem to end. The kids had a great time. Arianna seemed to enjoy it, but was so tired that day, that I still haven't gotten many details from her. She does know who to ask "what's your name?" in German and to also tell what her name is, so she did say that she talked to some kids there and she really liked the girl that she played with although she couldn't remember her name. Arianna's teacher told me that next year they are going to visit that school every other month, so Luci will experience a lot more there and I'll be sure to go as a chaperone at least once.
Wednesday was Arianna's last day of school and graduation. The school day was normal, but then we were back at 5:45 with cap and gown. It started at 6 and lasted an hour. I would never had expected such a wonderful program. The teachers are treating the last year at their preschool as if it were the last year in a German kindergarten, so they have made it really special. The kids performed for 45 minutes, singing and moving around almost the entire time. In the beginning, they introduced themselves with the microphone and said "good day" in several languages. Then they sang the basic songs like the ABC's. After a few minutes, it really got going with big smiles, sunglasses, and dancing. We had so much fun and the kids did great. Arianna was all smiles and knew each and every bit of her part without any hesitation.
When it was over we all went outside for a BBQ. The kids played at the playground and the adults sat around visiting and eating. Arianna didn't want to eat. She was having too much fun on the swings. She and Nevan are best friends and she has said that she will marry Nevan when she grows up. The scary thing is that Nevan likes Arianna just as much and bugs his mom ALL THE TIME to play with her. He invited her over for a sleepover, but Kirk isn't ready for that. That's Nevan pushing Arianna on the swing in the photo... he's such a little gentleman and Arianna loves being the princess.
After a relaxed dinner, it was time for cake and the graduates each got to cut their own piece (with the help of their teacher). It was such a nice time. The kids were all so happy and the rest of us were very relaxed. It was nice to be able to talk to so many of the parents there. One of the boys in Arianna's class is Italian, so I talked a lot to his family. They are from Venice and offered to give us a tour anytime we came down. We'll definitely take them up on that!
Today there was no school for Arianna, but we dropped her off at the school at 5:30 tonight for a sleepover. It is a German tradition upon completion of kindergarten and before primary school begins to have a sleepover at the school. Arianna's teachers have been doing this for years. So... Arianna is gone tonight. It seems wierd. This is her first sleepover ever and it is with her entire school class (she and Nevan are sleeping in separate rooms). They played outside when they first got there and then they were going to have a pizza party, go on a late night walk with flashlights through the woods, watch a movie with popcorn, and tell stories until 11 or so. Luci really wanted to go too. She tried to give me her pajamas when I was packing Arianna's things. But, she'll be doing this all next year.
This evening on the way to the base to drop off Arianna, I heard her and Luci talking. Arianna asked Luci, "Luci, how many children will you have?" "Three," was the reply. Arianna said that she'd have five and that "I'll drive mom's car." Luci said, "no, I'm going to have ten children."
OK... Last, but certainly not least in today's family news:
Yesterday between picking up Arianna and attending the graduation, we attended the school award's assembly at Tiara's school. I didn't know if Tiara was getting an award, but we were hoping for another straight A quarter. Well... she did it. Tiara got straight A's yet another term - the only student in her class to get straight A's any quarter this year and she consistantly got them the entire year. Her teacher was really proud and said some very nice things about her. The principal made a point to get a picture with her too. Then... more awards were given out and Tiara got the Leadership award for her class too! She was embarrassed, but we are so proud of her. Her teacher described her as being a "quiet leader" and very organized and helpful. She's happy that school is out for a while now and she can sleep in and relax. We're planning some fun summer activities though to keep busy and I've told her that we'll work on her writing skills over the summer.
Not to leave out my youngest two...
Luci is almost four and reminds me of that almost daily. She is in the princess phase of her life where everything is princess. We asked her the other day what she wanted to be when she grew up and, without skipping a beat, she replied, "a princess." When it's time to get dressed in the morning, she insists on wearing "a princess dress that is pretty," and when it's time to go to bed at night, she wants to wear a different "princess dress that is pretty." Getting her dressed for the playground is a struggle. She loves tights and leotards and dresses and pretty shoes. The advantage to all this is that for the first time in her life, she is cooperating during the hair fixing process... because, of course, a princess has to have pretty hair. So, hair clips are always on the shopping list. And, they have to be "pretty."
Elise is two in every way, but is learning quickly that temper tantrums will not work. So, she screams, kicks, looks around, and a few minutes later will acquiesce to whatever the situation is and say, "ok mommy." She is very sweet and amazingly articulate. I can't believe the sentences she's saying and she pronounces words more clearly than Luci. She's learning to pester her sisters, but plays well with them too most of the time. Outside she is obsessed with dirt which drives me crazy. Every time we go outside, she scoops up handfuls of soft sandy dirt from the garden and smears it all over her ball. Or, she'll carry it to another part of the garden and then transfer dirt all over the yard. She ends up completely brown - looking more like Schultz' Pigpen more than my baby. I do hope this is a short lived obsession. She just has to have her hands in things. My favorite coffee shop has a wonderful little patio outside with a fountain and goldfish. Elise loves it, so it's been a great place for me to relax because she's happy there. Now she's discovered some gravel around the trees and she tries to pelt those poor little fish with the rocks. There goes my peaceful bliss.
Anyway... that's about all the news here. Today was Tiara's final day of school, so summer is officially here and play time starts. We'll see what kind of trouble we can get into! :)
Today was Luci's last day of school and school picnic, so at 11, Elise and I went to join Luci and her class. We ate inside because it had thunderstormed earlier in the day. As soon as Elise walked in, she found an empty chair, picked it up, and carried it over to Luci's table so she could sit by Luci. The two of them ate together very nicely. Elise wants to be in the class so badly. I don't think school will be an adjustment for her at all when it's finally time for her to start. Every time we go to pick up Arianna and Luci, Elise runs in ahead and goes to their classrooms to "pick them up" herself. It is very sweet. And they hug her and show her off.
After lunch we all went outside to the playground and the kids played and had popsicles and got their certificates of completion. It was very nice. Elise lined up with Luci and played with the big kids fitting right in like another member of the class. She spent most of her time in a little wooden house playing with a ball.
Luci ran all over and did a little bit of everything. She's pretty independent, but she played well with her friends too and was holding hands with Alessandro, one of the Italian boys, when they were lining up. Luci can seem fiercely independent, but her friends are important to her and she does like to be social.
Luci and Elise are below with Miss Verena. She is one of Luci's teacher and probably the sweetest lady I've ever met. She babysits, so I'm going to call her and have her watch the kids from time to time. All the girls love her.
On the way to soccer tonight I heard the girls talking. They think that all beautiful churches are castles too and there is a spot on near the base looking out over the flat farmland where you can see 7-8 churches on the horizon - each in a different village. Arianna told Luci that those were castles over there and that princesses and kings live in them. The girls were getting very excited talking about all the royalty nearby. I think the "king" in the parade this weekend just added fuel to their imaginative fire.
Last week we got a flyer in our mail advertising the Somerkirmes in our own little village of Gillrath. It started Saturday and ended tonight. There are shooting clubs here and it is one of those "highly recommended" memberships for the men of the town, so pretty much everyone is a member. In the beginning of each summer festival season there is a big contest to see who can shoot the "birdie." It's not a real bird, but the best marksman is made king for the season and at every local event, he will appear wearing his nice suit with a metal chain adornment hanging around his neck. His wife then is the queen and wears the appropriate gowns and the town decorates the front of their home with flowers and banners and all sorts of streamers.
On Saturday afternoon I heard music playing, so I looked out my window. There was a band playing a lot of men wearing suits with white gloves and traditional green hats with feathers in them, so we went out and took pictures. It was a very short parade with only a band and these groups of men in different outfits. They were very dressed up, but smiled a little and seemed pretty casual. I was the silly American tourist - the ONLY one anywhere around taking pictures of it. That night at 8 was "FRESH: DIE ROCKPARTY." We were at a play in Brunssum when it started, but we could hear it when we came home. They had it near the church at the other end of town, so we could only hear it with the windows open, but at 1230am, the music was still going -- mostly American top 40 rock and roll.
Sunday at 5 was another parade when the king and queen walked into town. There were a lot of events that we missed because it was hard to find out exactly what was going on. We were at a birthday party earlier in the day and in that village there was a king and queen too with their house all decorated and people were starting to assemble for that parade. This is the official beginning of the summer, so most of the villages are having celebrations. Sittard had a carnival in their square this weekend and both Geilenkirchen and NierstraB have festivals next weekend. They are all very small town type events, but fun and they have a good turnout of locals. (Below is the king and queen walking into town on Sunday)
Our festival grounds are a small parking lot. There they constructed a temporary building and they had one little tiny car ride and two carnival games. Tonight was another parade as the king and queen walked to the grounds for the Konigsball - a ball for the king and queen and all the members of the club with their spouses. I think other people were welcomed too, but am not sure. I will find out more and might go next year. Kirk is even thinking of joining the shooting club. It would be a fun way to get to know the locals in the community a little better. A German friend told me that everyone dresses up in fancy "prom" type dresses at the ball, but I saw people walking back tonight in nice clothing, but nothing formal nor fancy.
Most of the houses in town displayed flags all weekend. Most all of them had just two horizontal stripes - each in a different color. Most were white with either red or blue, but there were green and orange flags too. They are very pretty when all lined up house after house. It was neat to see so many people come out of their houses to watch the parade go by. Traffic wasn't disturbed either. A police car led it and a firetruck followed it and they stayed in one lane to allow traffic to go by in the opposite direction. Traffic backed up a bit behind them, but the parade route is not long.
Not only was this a festival weekend, but we got cows!!!!!!!!!!! There are beautiful black and white cows all over the place here, but on Saturday 4 sweet cows arrived in field next to our house. The girls were so excited. They watch them every day from our windows and try to feed them from across the fence. I ran in and got my camera as soon as I saw them. Tinny laughed at me. Cows are pretty common here - not something anyone would take pictures of, but they are so adorable, I just had to take a few photos.
Saturday night we went to see "The People and Robbers of Cardamon Town." A few students and a teacher from Tiara's school was in it and it was geared towards younger children and very funny, so we went. It wasn't high class, but they did a good job and it was amusing. Arianna and Luci (the target audience) loved it and laughed through it. The robbers ran through the audience several times and interacted with the kids a bit as they passed through. At the end the cast all lined up in front of the stage. Arianna asked if she could meet them and ran up all by herself to the first cast member and one by one shook all of their hands saying hi and telling the robbers that they were really funny. Luci ran along with her and did the same - my social butterflys.
On Sunday as we were waiting for the parade, my next door neighbor across the field pointed to my camera and motioned for me to follow him. He's a really nice older man and a friend of Tante Tinny's, so I followed him to his back yard where he showed me a very cute miniature horse. He wanted me to take a picture of it. I guess Tinny had told him how much I loved animals. She thought I was pretty nuts taking photos of the cows the night before. The horse's back was about Elise' height - may be even shorter. I got the kids and they all fed it apples and pet it. It's name is Bonsai and he's four years old. Now that we know he's there, I'm sure the kids will make weekly visits to him. The man doesn't speak any English, but he's really nice and it's about time I work on my German a little bit.
Parking there was insane. Really, I don't know if I've ever had to sit in traffic that long at any beach on the West coast. It moved slow, painfully slow, and the parking lots were full. I think we'd pretty much decided to go back to the farmhouse, but we were stuck in the parking lot, unable to go anywhere with cars in front of us waiting for spots and no room to go around. Then, two spots opened and we actually got parking! (This is when a shower of confetti would burst forth from the page, for at this place, getting parking is like winning the lottery.)
A long sidewalk ran along the road paralleling the coastline. The beach was below, so from the sidewalk, you could see out, over the rooftops of cafes and ice cream shops, to the waves. A childrens playground of large inflatable toys was closeby. One toy had a big cowboy standing tall on it's bouncy platform. Silly. Cowboys are popular here. It really didn't look like anything special to me. Meaning, it didn't look like anything that I wouldn't see in the states. Restaurants, gift shops, kids play spaces. It was all modern and beachy. The sand was sand. Nothing special... probably very similar to the Atlantic sand on the East coast of the US. The shells we collected were small versions of the conches we found in Florida. Still, it was nice to walk barefoot in that sand and collect those tiny shells.
The kids teased the waves running wildly away laughing at the slightest movement towards them. Elise enjoyed splashing in the puddles and leaning over to see her reflection. Arianna kept burying her feet in the sand. Luci built a sand castle - sort of. Tiara played. She just enjoyed being there. We all collected some shells. I think most of the beach went home in her hair. Dad and Angie took a walk to explore and the rest of us just enjoyed relaxing for a bit.
There was one interesting landmark there - one that Dand and Angie did walk to. It was a large narrow pier that went out over the water and ended in a large circle containing a restaurant. It wasn't horribly exciting, but it was something "out-of-the-ordinary."
We ate in this boat
Just as we were finishing up, it began to rain, so we went back to our farm house to relax and watch a little Dutch television. I saw the Supernanny with Dutch subtitles and CSI came on too.
Time for some travel! The drive up towards
We were heading towards our lodging first not knowing exactly where it was, but that it was right in between The Hague and Amsterdam making travel to each very easy. There is a wonderful web site that lists all the farms in The Netherlands that have rooms for rent and bed and breakfasts as well, so, in search of more affordable and more interesting lodging for our weekend up north, I looked up a few places and found one with space available. She worried that it would be cramped, but was ok with our 8 bodies in her apartment. Other than a photo on the website, I really had no idea what to expect, but hoped it would be nice.
Our GPS took us off the autobahn through a small town, along a beautiful canal lined with house boats. Other boats moved slowly up and down the canal many waving the Dutch flag. Walking trails lined either side of the water with walkers, bikers, and people roller blading filling them as if it were a holiday. I really do enjoy seeing the people here utilizing the outdoors so much. It is such a nice lifestyle. Turning from that town we drove through more canal striped fields of cows, saw more 19th century windmills, then entered the small 
Walking through a tidy storage room with well used wooden shoes by the doorway, we entered our apartment to see a very steep narrow staircase on our right. Upstairs were two bedrooms and two bathrooms. One bedroom where Dad and Angie stayed had a view out to the fields and a nice double bed and small table. It was small with the slanted ceilings, but nicely decorated and very clean. Opposite that room was another, a bit larger, but also with those roof-slant ceilings and a nice large window looking out to the gardens. It had three twin beds and two bookshelves and a large built-in shelving unit making it very nice for all our stuff. The owner, knowing we had a lot of children (having four kids here is rare – we might as well have twenty as odd as we look with four), put out a baby bed and two small mattresses on the floor. It was wonderful. The odd thing about our room was that it had a sink in it! So we could brush our teeth in our bedroom. The two small bathrooms were closets. One was just large enough for a toilet and sink and a size 10 or smaller body. The other next door housed a sink and a shower. Downstairs was a studio style room with living area, dining area, and kitchen. It was small, but very nicely put together and comfortable.
A patio door let out to a seating area outside along a canal and we were told that the girls could use their large trampoline in their portion of the yard. From the patio we had view of three windmills. Two (which I didn’t see close up) were on their property quite a ways away. Klaus owns and runs an active sheep farm. He had 90 ewes and 120 lambs and, well, he doesn’t raise them for wool. They were cute though. It was nice to stand out on the patio and enjoy the view with the sheep munching away and the windmills turning on the horizon. One morning we even caught a glimpse of a blue heron right outside our door sitting on the edge of the canal.
Baby lambs with their mother near the windmill in Aarlanderveen
Standing on our patio at dusk, sheep munching on the grass and the tiny waterway reflecting the colors of the sky. It is very serene - probably the perfect quiet get-a-way for someone wanting to reflect or pursue artistic endeavors like writing or painting. No wonder there are so many Dutch masters. The landscape is inspiring.
After a few minutes to relax and drop off our stuff, we left to explore The Hague. Just before we entered the city, our usually trusty GPS, Stella, decided to completely lock up and left us quite directionless without maps to guide us, so driving around the Hague, trying to find the Mauritshuis museum was a little challenge. The city is pretty in places, but a very typically big city, so there was traffic, of course, and just when I'd see a sign pointing us in the right direction, it would be too late to get into that lane and we'd make a big circle. Parking was abundant as far as the signs went, but parking signs littered all the parking along the side streets as well, so it was hard to find a parking garage. Eventually we did and it was just a short walk to the square lined with restaurants. Hungry, we found one. I think we all hoped and expected to find some "traditional fare," but talking to some Dutch friends later, I've realized that The Netherlands is much like the United States enjoying cuisine from all over the world. Very few restaurants actually have traditional Dutch food because, according to my friend, if the Dutch want Dutch food, they cook it themselves at home. The food was excellent though. We had mostly sandwiches, but the flavor combinations were really interesting and yeilded some tasty results. I don't remember now what I ordered, but I do remember that it didn't show up. I ended up with a salad, but as it turned out, it was a great salad. Greens and a prociutto style ham, but honeydew melon as well. I was surprised at the combination, but there was not a leaf left on my plate!
The square was large and beautiful. A large statue stood in the center. There were pidgeons all over the place and one standing regally on the head of the statue as well. Large flower pots filled with bright blooms sat nearby. All around were shops and restaurants with chairs and tables spilling out into the pedestrian only walkways. Menus sat on the tables designating which territory those tables belonged to... sit at the wrong table, you'll get food from the wrong restaurant. Side streets jutted off to show rows or bicycles crowding the sidewalks. Bicycle is the preferred mode of transport for those living within the city limits. 
On the other side of the square were some beautiful important looking buildings and a few large trees giving a bit of shade. Sitting there, at one corner near a tree was a thing we'd never seen before. My dad took this photo - and truly, I'm glad he did or you wouldn't believe it. It's a public urinal. Such a beautiful place and setting, I was a bit disgusted to see this. Seems to ruin the ambience. I'm just glad that we didnt' see anyone taking advantage of that little convenience.
At the far corner of the square was the archway to the palace and the Mauritshuis museum - our next destination. The Maruitshuis (http://www.mauritshuis.nl/index.aspx?siteid=54) was originally a private home, but was given to the city upon the death of it's owner. It is not large, but is regal with beautifully painted/wallpapered walls in bold colors to show off the artwork. Now it houses the royal art collection - a relatively small collection compared with other museums in the area, but it boasts that it is the best of the best and it does include three Vermeer paintings including the well known, Girl with the Pearl Earring. The paintings were well displayed on the walls among old pieces of furniture in some rooms reminding us that we were walking through someone's home. 
The small home did lend itself to a warmer feel instead of the harshness of some museums large spaces and stark walls. The kids did ok through it. We had to shush them a bit, but they enjoyed the paintings as well. Tiara has learned a little about Vermeer, so she was the most excited to see those paintings and was upset that she somehow missed The Lady Writing. Elise enjoyed the air conditioning the best. At each window was a "bench," but that bench had slits in it that allowed cold air to come in. She wanted nothing to do with the art, but only to gaze out the windows at the lake outside as the air blew up her dress making her look like a little church bell. I enjoyed the paintings and what struck us all was the age of each one. So many of those paintings were 400 years old and more. These days especially I am in such awe of things that have endured so many years and so many histories - Here in Europe, especially, where history has been so dynamic for so long.
After the slow wandering through the museum, we left to walk around the large square lake that sat outside it where we could see the backside of the Royal Palace just adjacent to it. The walk was slow and meandering. My dad and I took pictures every couple feet because it was just so beautiful. There was the Mauritshuis the the Palace, then the lake with a small island in the middle. White geese and ducks swam around. A tiny raft floated near the palace and a fountain spouted water on the far end. On the other side of us was a grassy park area, then a street and a row of beautiful old row houses that must be worth a small fortune. 
The photo of us shows the palace in the background. So much of Europe still has some form of royalty residing there. I hadn't realized it before, but it is real here. The Dutch have their queens and what is interesting is that for generations, the queens have married German men. The new prince, next to the throne has chosen a wife from Argentina, I think. And the people love it. They pride themselves on their multiculturalism. At the other end of the water by the palace, the railing was lined with planter boxes filled with beautiful bright red geraniums. These seem to be the favorite flower both there and in Germany as they fill planter boxes in windows on houses and on railings over canals and bridges. 
They seem to be everywhere and are always beautiful. I'd like some for my house, but I kill plants. Sadly, the green thumb missed me. In the background of the photo with the flowers, you can see the palace and the fountain and a tree in the middle of the island... then, in the center far background are three tall buildings looming up over the palace and the museum. They are in the background behind the square as well and give a beautiful modern contrast to the beautiful historic buildings as they are new and shiny and very showy. The twin towers, pointed with glass sides that reflect the sky are in contrast to the large green dome and the taller grey building that looks like the front of a cruise line from the front. A bit like Brussels in the aspect of such sharp contrasting architectural styles, Dad and I kept getting this view over and over as week took pictures of the area. Holland is a great place for roofscapes and we certainly enjoyed that one.
Walking toward the palace, we passed a stand with fried fish and french fries - a common fast food item in the Netherlands. An ice cream stand was right next to it. We entered the doorway on that side of the palace wall to find an open square with palace buildings on all sides and a large church towards one corner. Archways with colomns lined one side. Some doorways had signs for government offices. I think that part of the palace is an actual residence and other parts of for government use - kind of like the White House. The kids liked the fountain, of course. Buildings get boring for them, so they always fixate on water and ducks. Thankfully, Holland has a lot of those, so the kids all enjoyed this trip counting windmills and pointing out canals, fountains, livestock, and waterfowl everywhere we went. There was not a lot to see in that area. It was a palace and appropriately beautiful, but we didn't see any place where we could go in and be nosey tourists. The walk was enjoyable, but after the mornings drive and the museum and walk, we were all antsy to get back to the farm to relax. We all liked the Hague, but it is not a very clean city and though beautiful, I think Amsterdam is a much nicer city to visit.
That evening we took a walk looking for something open with food since we hadn’t brought any cold groceries. Nothing was open (being a Saturday evening - nothing is open except in the larger cities), but we did get to walk down to one windmill by a field of sheep and another field of cows. Those poor cows, growing up in cheese country, are big milk producers. We felt kind of sorry for them as they all looked like they were way overdo for a milking and it had to be miserable for them. We got up close and took a lot of pictures. The cows were very sweet. 
The windmill was built in 1801. At first I wasn't exactly sure of the date because the old number 1s look like Js. So the date looked like J80J. All the windmills we saw had that same symbol for the number one. Along the street that we stayed on some people had bridges that could raise and lower. We couldn’t figure out why. Since not all the bridges were moveable, it would be impossible to actually put a boat through down the canal, but a lot of people did have small wooden rafts next to their homes. Many roofs were thatched. Some with new thatching were very thick – may be 6” of tightly pressed straw. It wasn’t straw exactly, but it looked the same. The older ones were growing and looked a bit moldy on the top. I wonder how long that kind of roof will last? Dad and Angie did a lot of walking along that road on the early mornings and in the evenings while I got the kids to sleep. The area is beautiful, but the roads are so narrow that only one car really fits. When oncoming traffic comes you have to squeeze precarioulsy over as close to the canal as you can hoping that you don't tip over and tumble in. Dad and Angie got quite nervous with local traffic flying past them and not even moving over the tiniest bit. Those roads are even narrow enough that foot traffic is at risk when a car flys by.
Swans in the canal in Aarlanderveen, a very common sight in the canals in Holland. Flocks of swans occupy fields too, intermixed with the sheep and cows, sitting in the fields in large groups as if they were part of the herd.
A view of the Mauritshuis from across the water; Big face statue - one of many statues of all sizes we saw in The Hague.
I LOVE MOO! Creative.
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