Sinterklaas, "Black Pete", and the "Joys" of Being Home

What's new with us? Well, to begin with, we've been pretty hermit-like for the past week, thanks to a bad case of the flu and some less than perfect weather. Not only have we all been feeling yucky (save Tobi, who seldom catches what we have), but I'm not sure our friends would forgive us if we passed this nasty bug along their way. Okay, so Dutch people do seem to be slightly less concerned about catching things (perhaps under the precipice "that which doesn't kill us, makes us stronger"), but the American in me screams "By golly, I'm going to prevent the spread of these doggon germs!"

Our being sick didn't stop Sinterklaas from coming by on Sunday evening, but, then again, he did drop the presents at the back door and run. Lukas thinks it might have been a "Zwarte Piet", or "Black Pete", since that's whose face was on the burlap sack. Zwarte Piets are Sinterklaas' helpers; there's great blog posting about them here. Computer Piet, Package Piet... the list goes on and on. Sure, there may be some racial undertones, but Zwarte Piet is more revered than Sinterklaas in most circles, so to do away with him would change the face of this bigger-than-Christmas-national holiday in unforseen ways. Also, Dutch people have more issues with their German neighbors than those with a darker shade of skin, so - to put it in context - it really is quite a bit different here than on America's racially charged, but politically correct, scene. But that's a blog posting in itself!

Lukas learned a couple of Dutch Sinterklaas songs at school, and loves to sing them. And what child doesn't adore the candy and "Pepernooten" (tiny, crunchy, ginger-bread like cookies) so characteristic of this time of year?

Sinterklaas aside, the kids continue to grow up quickly. Yesterday as I was doing the laundry, Alex waved "Goodbye" to me as he closed the kitchen door, locking me out. Later, he prepared the diaper mat and placed himself on it, handing me a diaper as a subtle cue for a change. He loves to read, and, though his language skills are still limited, he picks up what seems like a new word every day. I wish I could say so much for myself!

Meanwhile, Lukas has developed an imagination beyond that of my wildest dreams. Last Saturday, whilst hibernating indoors on a rainy Zeeland day, we got to listen to stories of "Veegie" - the Orangutan-Indian. Lukas had Papa in put on his toddler-sized pirate hat, while he sported a bright orange gangsta' hat. As if that wasn't enough, suddenly a lion just joined the equation.

Yesterday, in our daily naptime battle, a chuckling Lukas called me an "Angry old ogre." Had he not been spot-on, I would have found that offensive. Instead, I later gave him a high-five for his handling of Mama in her grumpy state. When I'm in a bad mood, he just laughs and ignores me... which is the perfect way to get me to snap out of it. What a clever boy!

Though there are days when they can't grow up fast enough, most days we wonder where the time has gone. One day, they'll be wondering the same thing. And, with only a couple months left in this incredible old farm house here in Holland, I'm doing everything I can to make sure that we treasure every last minute. Rain or shine. In sickness and in health.

While we're counting our blessings this holiday season, why not give those less fortunate something to be thankful for? Visit our travel blog to learn about the Passports with Purpose initiative, where $10 gets you a chance to win any number of prizes, such as 5 nights in Hawaii or a $150 gift certificate to Shutterfly. All money raised goes towards the construction of a new school for Cambodian children. Talk about a happy holiday! :)

A Soon-to-Be Four Year Old Gives Thanks

My Aunt Beth had a great idea. She suggested we write thank you cards to the people we care about this Thanksgiving. As much as I would love to do that, we see my family too seldom for Lukas to know what to thank people for. What he did come up with is:

To My Mom: He's thankful for your silliness (because he remembers running through the Brussels Airport with you), the Easter eggs that he hunted with you, and for the times that we've been able to stay at your house.

To Melissa (my sister): He's thankful for the cards and photos you send us. As are we!

To Jessie (my youngest sister): He's thankful for the cool Spider Man toy you gave him last Christmas.

Grandma and Grandpa Woodman: Lukas is thankful for the many cards you've sent, as well as "the money". He says his favorite is the one that sings "You are my sunshine..."

Paul, Teri, Alyssa & Evan: "Thanks for coming to visit us and for the tattoos!" :)

Grandma Hamel / "Memere": Lukas is thankful for the times that he's able to talk to you on the phone.

Oma and Opa (Tobi's Parents): Lukas is thankful for the present you sent with Tobi last week. "Oh, I love presents!"

Carrie, Danny & Mia: Alright, I'm going to be brutally honest, because his answer was kind of funny. Lukas (who adores Danny when they're together) said, "Danny doesn't like to play. He only likes to be mean all the time." But he did say that he was thankful to be able to play with Mia! :) Needless to say, we had a little talk about this one.

Caroline (Flipse, our friend at the gym): "Thank you for the cookies that we had at your house!"

Peter (Claeijs): "Thank you for hunting the food for Arda." (He thinks the food that you hunt goes into the town store).

Julia (Claeijs): "Thank you for the poffertjes!" (That she made for Lukas a long time ago!)

Bindi (Irwin): Lukas would like to thank you for being an "animal rescuer". You're his wildlife warrior hero and his new (somewhat imaginary) friend! :) He also wants to thank you for stopping to say hi to him at the Australia Zoo!

Baby Brother Alex: For your kisses! :)

Mama: Thank you for popsicles and cuddles!

Papa: Lukas thanks you for his trip to Australia!

Friends and schoolmates in Oudelande & 'S-Heerenhoek: Lukas is thankful for the many play dates and parties... and espcially for "the chips and cake" (at the parties)! :)

Viera, Miro, Laura & Gregor: Lukas is thankful for "decorating and eating the cake", and for being able to stay with you during our time Down Under! Us too! :) Thank you!!!

If your name isn't listed here, know that I'm thankful for you... even if you didn't make the list of a forgetful almost-four-year-old. We're very lucky indeed to have such wonderful friends and family... around the world. And although we'll have no turkey dinner this Thanksgiving, we're very mindful of the people that have made our lives so special. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Lukas (along with Liz, Tobi and Alexander) Kraft

Even Mini-Globetrotters Grow Up Fast

Man oh man has it been a long time since I updated this blog! In the meantime, we spent a month in Australia, Alex's last couple teeth came in, he has a couple of new words, and he's infatuated with his older brother, Lukas. Everything that Lukas has Alex must have, and what Lukas does, Alex must do. Boy, is it cute to watch (when it doesn't end violently).

Alex's vocabulary, though not as comrehensive as Lukas' at that age, includes such words as:

- Doggy, pronounced "dah-dee!"

- Elephant, pronounced "Eff-ahh!"... usually accompanied by an elephant-like tarzan call

- Pa-pa

- Lukas, I can't really make out. It's something like "lidl, lidl"

- Bottle, prounounced "bah"

- All motorized vehicles "Toooot, toooot!"

- Horse - "ah-see!"

- Cow - "Hmmmm!"

Despite his limited word index, Alex is a clever little guy. He does things that I think are uncharacteristic of a child his age. A couple days ago he brought me a walnut (which I sometimes succeed in cracking with my hands). He made a straining sound, which was his way of telling me that I should try to open it. After a couple minutes he gave up. He slid off of my lap, took the walnut out of my hands, and brought it back to the bowl. Then he shuffled them around and pulled out a new walnut, which he dutifully brought back to me. He must of been thinking, "This one should work." Little cutie.

Alex is also crazy about our saintly dog, Felix. It's kind of an obsession, really. He climbs on him, throws things for him to fetch, and showers him with plenty of affection and baby kisses.

Meanwhile, brother Lukas' active imagination is livelier than ever. He loves to talk to his somewhat-imaginary friends, Seymour (a small stuffed tortoise who he often coverses with) and Jeffa (a long-neck Schleich figure). In fact, he only just returned from a rescue mission where he single-handedly recovered 500 ladybugs from the mouth of a wild buffalo.

We're also making progress on the reading front, as Lukas can now recognize most of the letters of the alphabet by sight, and is beginning to understand how to "sound things out". Yesterday was his first day back at school in almost two months and he could hardly wait!

They seemed to enjoy our time in Australia, although the flight there and back (about 24 hours each way!) is pretty brutal for children of any age. Lukas' favorites (most of which were Alex's favorites, too) were the ferris wheel on Brisbane's South Bank; greeting Bindi and Robert Irwin, petting koalas and kangaroos, and riding ponies at Australia Zoo; the boat ride and cable car to, and animals at, Sydney's Taronga Zoo; 4-wheeling with Papa, Albert, and Mama at Corner Inlet National Marine Park in Victoria; wandering through a maze in the Dandenongs' Sky High; viewing the coral reef from the semi-submersible from the Great Barrier Reef's Reefworld; lots of warm beach and pool outings; and spotting whales and dolphins from the iconic lighthouse in Byron Bay. Lukas' has a knack for languages, and he had fun learning the Aussie mate, including such expressions as "How ya goin', mate?", "Good on ya, mate!" and "G'day, mate!". I've got to get some video of that before he loses it all! Alex meanwhile proved to be quite the swimmer, and held his breath like a pro at the count of three.

Although it certainly wasn't an inexpensive trip and - because of their ages - it definitely had its stressful moments, I can't say we'd wait until they were older. There will be other trips when they are older, and the memories that we have from this trip are captured in photos, videos, blog postings, and, of course, our minds.

Well, mommy-hood calls. Better get these boys out of their PJs so we can head out to the gym! Wishing you many happy adventures with you and your little ones, wherever you are!

~Liz

"Sweetie Brother" Takes off Running

Sweetie Brother.

That's Lukas' nickname for Alexander, when he's feeling affectionate.
But for the full effect, you really have to hear him say it,

"Awwww... you're a sweeeetie brother!"
I just melt away.

Or try this one on for size:

Lukas: "The moral of the story is, you don't yell at someone when they're on the potty!"

Me (smiling): Did you just say "The moral of the story?"

Lukas: Yeah, I did.

(And in my defence, I didn't exactly yell. His sometimes frequent, but unsuccessful, attempts to go "#2" can try my patience.)

Alex is walking... actually, running nearly! And talking. Not all of it makes sense (to us) but his first word (other than "Mama" and "Papa") is "duh-dee". This is a multi-purpose word, used primarilly to describe a "doggy", but also employed for lions and cows (or pretty much anything that walks on all-fours) and "duckies". We love it. Then there's the jibber-jabber perhaps best described as the human version of the Australian magpie call. It's kind of a sing-songy, made-up language that will sadly disappear with time. I'll see if I can get a video of it soon.

On the teething front, poor little Alex has four incisors coming in... at the same time! What did they do before Orajel?!?

Other than that, we've been very busy preparing for an excrutiatingly long journey. After about 24 hours in a plane (broken up with 2-nights' stay at Dubai's famed Atlantis), we'll touch down in Queenland's capital city of Brisbane. It's a city near and dear to our hearts, as we lived there for 13 months back in 2004/05.

We'll be in Australia for a month, and are excited to see it from more of a kid-perspective this time around... visiting zoos, rainforests, national parks, beaches, the Great Barrier Reef, Brisbane's beautiful South Bank, and one of Lukas' very favorite landmarks... the Sydney Opera House (thank you, Little Einsteins!).

So on that note, "Cheers, mate"! Let the "walkabout" begin.

Enjoy this clip from the goosebumps-and-all advertising campaign for Australia, created by Baz Luhrmann.

On Walking, Talking, and Turning One

Five days after Alexander turned one, he took his first step (for the record, it was on the evening of Monday, August 17th). The next day, he took one more. And the following day, two more. It's hard not to get excited as a parent. Something as small as a first step shows bravery, boldness, tenacity, and determination. Sure, every child may have it, but to recognize it in your own little one is an awakening of sorts. Go, Alex!


Meanwhile, with Tobi gone, Lukas and I have been reading together and cuddling before bedtime. Last night, he looked at me and said, "I love you Mama, but do you know what else I'm thankful for? Ferris wheels and playgrounds." I could literally feel my heart melting. He's such a sweet, sensitive boy, and he's always looking out for his little brother (sometimes tackling him or grabbing him by one foot to prevent him from crawling into mischief).


Speech-wise, we're thinking that Alex is not quite as advanced as Lukas was at that age. That's probably normal for a second child. He says both Mama and Papa, but he seems to say that for a lot of things. What was cute was his begging for a Snickers bar on the beach in Wemeldinge the this past week. I take a bite, give Lukas a bite, and Alex is nearly on top of me, saying, "Mama, Ala!". For those of you who need a translation, that's "Mama, give Alex a bite!". Very cute.


With the first child, I think parents are so anxious for their babies to talk and be the first at everything that they tend to read more into each tiny baby noise. Hence the mother of an 7-month-old, proclaiming, "Oh, he just said Da-da!" (which only works for fathers choosing to go by "Daddy" and not "Papa"). Whereas with the second child, you're begging for them to grow up slowly, and more confident that they will walk and talk when the time is right.


I'd rather Alexander be the last at everything, than the first. Afterall, he has his whole life to walk and talk. I want him to be a baby... while he still can.


Happy birthday, sweet baby boy. We've so enjoyed this first year with you, and we're looking forward to watching you grow... every step of the way.

Our (Nearly) Dutch Baby Turns One

Has a year really passed? All of 365 days? With the coming and going of this huge milestone, I'd like to write a bit about where Alex's journey to-date. It's a long-overdue update of our life abroad... as parents, and as a family.

The past couple weeks has been really special. My Uncle and his wife and children made it out for a visit... which came as quite a surprise! Best of all, the boys adored my Uncle Paul, Aunt Teri, and cousins Alyssa and Evan. I know they're missed already, even if Alexander can't say it. :) Actually, the kids have adored most of our recent visitors (my cousins Vanessa and Andrea, my Mom, my friends Jen and Lauren, the Müller family, etc!). That's great!

As I played tour guide, the boys were great travelers (as usual), and we took them to some of the most incredible spots in Zeeland, Belgian Vlanders and Bavaria.

In the meantime, Tobi's been working... a lot. And when he's not working, he's studying for his MBA. In between, we have a quick dinner together. His dedication is amazing, and he's been coming to bed at 3am, only to wake up at 6 for work again. Poor guy.

While Alexander doesn't seem to notice Papa's occasional absence too terribly much, Lukas asked where Papa was as he began to doze off tonight.

"Papa's working, honey."
"But Mama, he just came home from work -- I just saw him."
"I know, but he has a little more work to do. He'll come to bed soon."

You have to love those sweet bedtime conversations!

How am I coping with all of this? Well, better than expected. I never thought I could be a single parent, but when you pick up any slack gradually, it's becomes doable. We comitted to this, and although we're only 3-months into Tobi's 3-year Masters program, I know time will go by more quickly than we think.

But hey! I wanted to focus on Alexander in this posting, so let me shift gears.

The poor little guy is sick... again! His nose isn't running as much, but as this cold runs its course in my body as well, I'm beginning to realize that there's more to it than sinus congestion. My chest is feeling yucky and tight, which means he's probably dealing with the same thing. Let's hope we're all better by the weekend for Alex's big party!

Today we celebrated Alexander's birthday as a family, singing him happy birthday and eating nutella-and-chocolate-sprinkled cupcakes. Judging by the mess on his face, he enjoyed it, and Lukas loved the decorating part. We also had a small party for him at Tobi's parent's place on Sunday... but that was kind of combined with a traditional German meal. It was cute watching Lukas, who did a great job helping his little brother blow out his very first birthday candle.

Developmentally, Alexander is great at keeping his balance and loves to climb. And, although he's a risk taker, he just isn't quite ready to take that first step yet. The funny thing is, while with Lukas nothing could ever happen fast enough, with Alexander I remind myself how quickly time flies... take your time, baby! :)

I know I'll have more to write in the morning, and Alexander has just begun to fuss, so I'm going to come back to this post in a few hours' time.

Thanks for reading, and check back soon for (more regular) updates!
~Liz

Cleaning the Toilet. "That's so cute!"

So Alexander found his way to the toilet while I wasn't watching last week, and I discovered him with the toilet brush in hand, cleaning the toilet. He can't walk on his own yet, he can barely stand, and here he was at the toilet's edge, cleaning away (at 11 months!). I called Peter, our Dutch foster-Opa over to see, and we both had a good laugh.

Alex is constantly surprising us with his boldness and risk-taking. A few days later he crawled across our large stone driveway to the garden area (while Tobi and I were busy searching the huge barn for our occasionally elusive toddler). We both expected the stones to be an insurmountable obstacle for someone incapable of walking... that'll teach us!

A huge development is his sleeping through the night, which he's been doing for just over a week now. Best of all, he's in his own bed (which we never could have done with Lukas). It's fascinating how different children have different needs, and he just doesn't sleep well beside Mama. Although I was a bit sad at first, just one sound night's sleep and I was quickly over it.

























As for Lukas, just this morning he decided he wanted to get himself dressed for school without any help. He opened his closet, chose his clothes, unbuttoned his pajamas top, pulled down the bottoms, and put on his yellow Piet-Pirat shirt and jeans, before pulling on his leather velcro sandals. He was so proud, as was I. To put it in his words, "Awww, that's so cute!" (Which is the new saying he uses whenever he sees something he thinks we'll like.) He can also use the toilet without any help whatsoever, not counting the times when I have to try to catch him before he dashes out of the bathroom with a dirty bottom.

The boys are already playing together, which of course means that they've already begun fighting. :) They're brothers. Why wouldn't they? I just didn't expect it to start before Alexander could walk or talk.

Since my last blog entry, Lukas carried the ring down the aisle at Tobi's brother's wedding. During the actual ceremony he passed out in Papa's arms. So sweet. In times like those he's still our little baby.

On the other hand, when he hurts himself he's a big grown-up tough guy. Last week he stumbled while running, smacking his eyebrow on a bench at the Antwerp Zoo. It swelled up immediately and, while he was certainly in pain, all he was worried about was whether or not we were going to miss seeing the kangaroos. In the meantime, I was wondering was pondering the age-old parenting question: Does this merit the attention of a doctor (since it was so close to the eye and temple)? As it turns out, he was fine, and proudly showed his "Owa" off to the kids and teachers at school the following day. Such a boy.

Well, let me wrap this entry up, so I can spend some time sorting out the blog, and getting it up to par. I have lots of grand ideas, but too little time to create! I'll try to be better about posting to this blog, though... if for no other reason than to keep track of the big milestones of our two incredible

Is that all???

More posts to be transferred soon! In the meantime, you can read more at:
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