DutchInLaw

Sometimes I feel like writing a blog post about the fun and interesting things that come our way while living in Holland. Sometimes I just feel like dropping a ton of photos into a post so there's at least some sort of recap. (Also sometimes (most of the time) I take so many hundreds of photos that my computer fills up and gets upset at me, which means I really need to get better about clearing them out.) So, here you are. Alsjeblieft .  This is hagelslag (literally, hail-strike), the chocolate sprinkles that Dutch people put on bread. But this particularly kind is so fancy, it's called HAGEL-SWAG. I can't even.  Soft summer evenings with bike paths up the dike. Beautiful but annoying to bike up.  Sometimes we do school outside. Because, why not? Pippin continues creating with pattern blocks. His six-year old explanations of what he has made are not brief, but they are entertaining.  Our blueberry bushes give us about a handful a week.  Friends come over for pl...

Because sometimes the photos and videos fill up my computer faster than I can think what to do with them. Photos from a trip to Rotterdam last August, when the weather was typically Dutch - rainy for a few hours, then glorious sunshine after that.  The metro is the easiest way to get to and from downtown Rotterdam - no parking fees, no crowded streets. A quick swipe of an OV chip card, and you're on your way. One solution to car parking shortages downtown: buy a tiny car and park it sideways. Trams (above-ground public transport) have the right of way and ring their bells in warning.   The city architecture is a mix of new, old, and very old, but there's always somewhere to lean a bike while you run errands or check out the shops.                                The Koopgoot (literally 'Shopping Gutter') is an open sort of tunnel that cuts through downtown and is full of shops of all ...

Not everyone finds books delicious, but a lot of us do. And if you're a homeschooler, or a homeschooling parent, you likely find books ESPECIALLY delicious. Sadly, the price of living and inflation and food goes up... and the price of books doesn't go down. Sometimes I give silent screams when I walk into a store here in Holland, turn over a cute little board book, and find that it costs 8 euros. For a board book that will probably be chewed on for a year or two before it's past repair. A 'normal' paperback easily costs 10-15 euros, so keeping up a book habit can get pricey, and the quality of books matters more. (At least, the internal quality of books mattes; half of the books we own are second-hand, which is why we can afford so many books :D :D :D). We also have library passes at not one but three libraries in the region, and regularly check out our limit for the kids (ten books per pass). In 2020, the estimated population size of the Netherlands is about 17 mil...

After March 2020, most public events in the Netherlands have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 epidemic, including my favorites like the Furiade in Maassluis and the Ladies Run in Rotterdam. When I search for '2020 Brandersfeest', I read that the organizers aren't sure what the situation will be in September, but they're discussing spreading the activities over a whole month instead of one weekend. So I'm glad we went last year and gave our kids a taste of what it's like when the nearby city of Schiedam holds a festival. In September 2019, the metro line extension from Schiedam towards Hook of Holland had just opened, so our family decided to try it out. The RET had even announced that travel along the new Hoekse Lijn would be free for everyone that day! And there would be refreshments! There was some good-natured grumbling about how all that sounded wonderful, until you considered that the metro renovation was planned to last 5 months (during which ...

As Pippin and Bloom and I headed out the front door, we waved to two of our neighbors who were chatting by their doors. "We're going to the Varend Corso," I called. "Do you want to come?" One who has lived here for years laughed. "Oh, I've seen it about thirty times." The other, who's also a recent transplant to Maassluis, said, "I'm busy tonight, so maybe another time. But what is it?" "Um, a boat parade, from what I've heard. Plants, flowers, music, boats?" According to the website , the "Westland Flower Parade" has been an annual tradition for the last 15 or so years, and I have a soft heart for traditions. Especially brightly colored musical ones where I can take photos and feel connected to this country that has been my home for almost twelve years now.  I decided to bring the kids too, but not my husband, since massive community events are not his cup of tea. (A massive community event like ...

When I first started 'practicing' homeschool with Pippin, I had high hopes but not a lot of context. What could a 2.5 year old learn? What would they enjoy? I read about some children who could read at 3 years old, others who didn't learn until 6 but were strong in other areas. I hoped to use the Sonlight homeschool curriculum once Pippin got older, but the teachers guide and books started from the 3/4 Preschool year. At two and a half years old, he fell more under the category 'totschooling'. So I focused on materials that would be a fun and casual introduction to letters, numbers, and the world around him. I wasn't ready to commit to a curriculum or materials that would be expensive or exhausting, especially if homeschooling didn't work well for us. I also didn't have much of a budget, or access to homeschooling communities from our home in the Netherlands. What I did have was plenty of free time, a working printer, and fast internet. So I started s...