Bits & Pieces

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2011-08-12T16:49:00.008+02:00

It's hard to believe it has almost been one and a half months since we have been here. It has been really good. Neil and I feel like we are still unwinding from a very stressful time. We look back and think that things were more stressful and crazy then we realized at that time. Maybe it's because we are now surrounded by nature with no agenda.

The kids seem to be doing well and not too much affected. Cameron just started nursery 2 weeks ago, so that is a bit tiring for him (and we're in this nap or no-nap period where it seems he really needs his nap but if he gets one it takes ages for him to fall asleep at night). He's been outside playing at almost every opportunity and it's so nice to let him play outside without having to be out there with him every second. He can even ride his bike without sidewheels now!

(can you imagine striping down to play in the ocean in a more beautiful place? just a bit chilly...)

I spend a lot of time right here (the kitchen sink, especially now that we don't have a dishwasher. boohoo). At least I've got some friends keeping me company.
It's been good (so far) to have a slower, simpler pace of life and be away from the stress of the city. It's easy to forget when you're in it what a negative impact traffic, supermarket busyness and especially rushing for things can have on your life. Now if all those fantastic people we had to leave behind could move over here too, life would really be perfect.

Uprooted and arrived

2011-08-05T21:16:00.005+02:00

About 3 1/2 weeks ago we packed up all our things and left our beloved Wilhelminastraat in Amsterdam. We chose to do it the chaotic way: get everything into the van by 12:15 pm when the new owners and their agent were coming to check the place, be at the notary at 13:00 to sign the buying contract and then be in Ijmuiden at the boat by 16.30 to catch the boat going to Newcastle. It was stressful, but we made it with almost all our stuff...

[Here we are, moving our stuff out the front balcony onto the street]

[We could have used a bit extra space for those last few things...]

[Celebrating in our cabin on the boat with champagne]

It was a huge relief to get onto the boat and know, 'it's done'. Sighhhh. We got so much help from so many amazing people. We wouldn't have made it without them. That is a huge understatement. We'd probably be dead without them, or in some sort of comatose state.

It was good to have some of 'my own blood' go with me in this process. Elisabeth is one amazing woman. It felt like she was able to pick up where I left off and fill in in so many places that needed attention that I couldn't give. Especially with the kids. This girl is amazing with kids. I mean, look at this picture. You would think it was her own (Jacob does look a lot like Elisabeth)

And then there's this guy. He's OK. He did some stuff too. Laying floors in the house, sanding table, playing with kids, letting me order him around. It was super good to have him here too.

I'm hoping to give another update soon with some more pictures that might make you wish you had moved with us. It's good to be here.

2011-04-20T15:28:00.002+02:00

It's crazy here.
But for now, here's an update, in video form:

One day there will be more news.

Whoa, die is zwanger!

2010-09-09T14:04:00.003+02:00

I'm now just days away from my due date, and feeling it. Yesterday I stopped into the Hema and heard a guy say to someone, after I had passed, 'Whoa, die is zwanger!' Which you could translate into something like, 'Dang, she's pregnant!' It's a good thing we don't have a full length mirror in the house and I'm thankful that Neil keeps trying to convince me that I look good.

There's not much to update on this blog, just thought I'd update that the baby has not arrived yet. We're all excited for it to happen and can't wait to meet this little one. 'Can't wait' it also a good term in this situation because I do truly feel like I can't wait any longer (please, let this one not be overdue!). In the mean time I am keeping myself busy with all things domestic, including knitting some fun baby items, like this little red bonnet in the picture. I found this baby alpaca wool that feels like it was spun in heaven. Nothing could be better for a tender newborn head.

Summer Holidays

2010-07-26T13:24:00.007+02:00

We got back from being on a long holiday in St. Louis, B.C. Canada and Florida. Thought I would share some pictures...

Cameron fully submerged in bridal flowers and television (note: we don't have t.v. at home, so this was a novelty for him)

Amazing bridal flower mastermind: mother

No comment

The only way to beat the heat

Beautiful British Columbia. Check out the cutest baby highland cow all the way on the right!

"Paradise"

Honey farm.

Tricia and Aiden. This is the happiest child I have ever encountered.

Bridal falls

Wedding!

This is what happens when Neil starts taking pictures...who knows? (Let's not forget that this is during the wedding.)

The wedding was peacock-themed.

Florida

Beach.

Giant bubble gum mom heading into water.

Her morning elegance

2010-07-15T15:21:00.002+02:00

Something reminded me of this music video today and thought I would post...

10 reasons I'm super happy

2010-05-13T20:36:00.012+02:00

10. The blauwe regen (wisteria) vine has reached all the way up to our flat this year and is blooming. It smells like heaven, and is so beautiful.

9. I'm going to see these guys soon:

8. Neil gets/has gotten lots of days off recently for public holidays, so we've had more days together. This picture was in our neighborhood on Bevrijdingsdag (independence day?), last week.

7. We just celebrated Koninginnedag on april 30th, one of my favorite days of the year. The weather wasn't ideal in the morning, but it was still great. This is my favorite find of the day. A vintage children's tray that cost me 1 euro, which the woman selling it said was given to her when she was a child. Why would you sell this???

6. I'm finished with school! (this is HUGE) No more juggling lectures and babysitters and shoolwork and family and a household and everything else at one time. Ahhhh, relief.

5. I get to do fun things now that school is done, like knit while Cameron is sleeping.

And go to places like Artis (Amsterdam zoo) while Cameron is awake.

4. Cameron is funny. Here he managed to pull a bag of nappies from under his bed.

3. Neil is an amazing husband. Who still likes Duplo.

2. We're having a baby! (due in september) We're super excited.

1. I love Jesus!

Best.

2009-11-21T21:29:00.004+01:00

Mothersday from chris roeleveld on Vimeo.

A video my brother once made for my mom for mother's day. I know it's not the mother's day season, but it's still the best. And my throat gets a little tight every time I watch it. (well, the first time I shed a tear too)

Before the half year mark!

2009-11-09T13:55:00.003+01:00

It seems like my blog habits have a certain trend. 1 month in between, 3 months in between, now 6 months...At this rate the next post can be expected at some point in november 2010.

I really hope that this won't happen and that I can make some attempt at sharing more frequently (although if I had anybody who was interested in this blog I am sure I have lost all hope for anyone to be interested now). I admire those who can keep up so well. Blogs are popping up everywhere. Now, even my grandparents have started a blog! Amazing people.

I have to say, though, there have been good reasons not to blog for so long. I have been really busy with good things and there were a lot of things that needed to have a higher priority than to update this blog. And not that I have nothing to do now, but things have slowed down a bit and I have this month and next month to enjoy a bit quieter agenda and to-do list. Things will pick up in January when I dive into full-time classes again until about april or may.

I hope I can share some of the things that i have been getting into lately like food production issues, knitting, learning how to be a mama, cooking, farming and the list goes on, although I think those are the biggest. If anything I hope this can be a place where I can get some of my own thoughts and ideas organized...

Milestones!

2009-05-16T21:37:00.006+02:00

Wow! So many things have been happening since the last time I posted anything-that was over 3 months ago. Things have been really busy here and it has been hard to find the time for things like blogging (not that anyone really is waiting for a post...)

Here is a short summary of what has happened:
Mom came to visit
Went to Scotland for 2 weeks
Cameron turned one
Cameron started to walk on his own
Cameron is trying to say some words
Kate is trying to finish up her internship and started full-time classes

It seems like the last month Cameron has grown so much and is really not a baby anymore but a little boy. It's so fun to be part of. I think we can say that his first word is uh-oh, which he's been saying the last couple of days. He's also been intensely interested in zippers lately.

It was fun to celebrate his first birthday. It was a beautiful sunny day. It is still surreal to think back on this last year with him. From going into labor and knowing he was on his way into the world, to looking into his eyes in the middle of the night that first night, to worrying about why he was crying, to little sounds and giggles, to eating and crawling and then walking and playing and then now. (and that skips a lot of big things!) One thing I love that he has been into the last week is reading books. People who know Cameron would say 'active' is an understatement when describing him, so sitting on my lap wasn't exactly his favorite thing to do. But for the last few days he's been enjoying reading books on our lap. It'll even go so far that he'll grab the book and then walk over to sit on our lap. I love it and I love the close contact it gives. He's learned how to point and will enthusiastically point at different things in the book and make some sort of noise.

We had a lovely holiday in Scotland in the beginning of April. We had some beautiful weather (nice surprise!), took some walks, let granny and papa enjoy Cameron, saw lots of family and my mom and Elisabeth were also able to make it over for easter weekend (since my mom was in Holland at this time). Neil was busy planting trees and dreaming...
Here are some pictures to capture some good moments of the last while. Hopefully it won't be another 3 months before I post again!

Our Daily Bread

2009-02-09T11:24:00.004+01:00

Last night we watched the movie 'Our Daily Bread' with some friends. It's a movie by Nikolaus Geyrhalter about food production (in Europe, as far as I know). The movie had no words or subtitles, just footage of the origins and process of our food. Though there was no spoken explanation to what was shown, the images said enough. I was quite horrified (I even dreamt about little piglets last night).

To me one of the saddest things was seeing the different workers at their jobs, especially those involved with livestock and poultry. They have this super mundane, monotonous work day in and day out. They showed people working with such things as chicks, cows, trees, fish, pigs, tomatoes, and more. In each situation there was no dignity in their jobs, and they had no choice about it. People spending their who day castrating piglets. Over and over and over. Or scooping up hundreds of chickens and stuffing as many as possible into crates to be processed. In wanting our food to be as efficient, cheap, and much we not only rob animals of their basic instincts and a normal life, but we do it to people too. There is all-around now regard for life and the quality thereof.

To what extent can we say that people have choice in this? I don't really know. What are the alternatives and who is in charge? Who makes jobs like this available, we the consumers, the producers, the government? How much farther can/will this go?

In the past I've been somewhat aware of the food production issue, but i think I mostly viewed it in terms of health/nutrition. How is food production effecting my health? I knew there was a difference in mass produced food compared to what would come from the small farmer, but it wasn't a huge issue. Maybe it's not as healthy, but then again, people are living longer these days then they were before the age of mass production. And it wasn't as much where the food was coming from as what food people choose that makes them unhealthy. Organic bacon, sweets, and butter isn't going to make you healthy.

Since seeing this documentary I feel this issue in a new light and the bigger pictures. This simply isn't they way things are supposed to be.

Cameron taking some assisted steps

2009-01-21T14:16:00.003+01:00

Today Cameron took his first few steps supported by his little cart. He was very excited about it!

It's been a while since I've posted anything. Things have been busy over the last 2 months. We took a big trip to St. Louis for Christmas and had lots of fun there with Oma and Opa, Christmas day, Molly and David's wedding in Columbia, paintballing, horseback riding, and....knitting (couldn't leave that behind).

Now it's back to school and the same not-so-regular routine.

Here's a picture of what I'm working on now: it's my first attempt at cable knitting. It's going to be a hat for Neil...if it fits.

Knitting

2008-12-08T15:46:00.003+01:00

I'm starting to get into knitting and am easing my way into the knitting world. It's amazing how much stuff there is about knitting on the internet! Crazy! I've become a member of Ravelry which is an online knitting and crocheting community-it's super cool. You can look up patterns and other people's project (also look at people who are knitting the same pattern as you). It makes me want to knit all day long! Which of course, is not possible. I am happy to get in just a tiny bit of knitting.

Saturday I completed my first project from a baby knitting book I got for my birthday (Simply Baby by Debbie Bliss) and knit a shrug for a friend's daughter who just turned one. It was fun to complete something and be pretty happy with it being my first non-rectangular knit project I've completed! Here are the results:

In other news, Cameron is really moving. He's been pulling himself up, which he really only learned how to do last week and had already managed to climb up the first stair. Yikes! At this rate he's going to be walking soon I guess.

Little Acrobat

2008-10-16T22:38:00.003+02:00

Cameron is becoming even more mobile. He's got the crawling on his belly down, but now he is wanting to take it a "step" further and get up on his hands and knees/toes. He hasn't yet figured out how to actually move forward though, which I think frustrates him a bit.

This post is especially for Neil to be able to see this newest development since he is off-shore at the moment and I am in the states with Cameron. Cameron started this the day we arrived at Oma and Opa's, so Neil hasn't seen it yet.

Becoming Mobile

2008-09-24T20:31:00.002+02:00

Cameron is becoming mobile, there is no question there. Although he doesn't travel long distances yet, he can get around and get to what he wants. Often times an electrical wire, i.e. Neil and I need to childproof our house! It is really fun to see and watch. He scoots around on his belly, but does try to get up on hands and knees too. He sometimes uses his head to try to get him there, also quite comic to watch.

It was only two and a half weeks ago when Cameron did his first roll-over from back to belly. He had been trying really hard but his arm kept him from being able to fully roll over. Since that move he has been non-stop on the go. He would practice for quite some time in his crib, when he was supposed to be falling asleep. Of course, this only made him more and more frustrated and he was tired, so he wasn't always happy. But now that he can get around a bit more he is happier. No more toys out of reach.

In just a week and half Cameron and I are going to be traveling to the states for a tiny get-away while Neil spends some time on a gas platform off the coast of Holland. Not a fair trade since he'll be working long, hard days and Cameron and I will be enjoying the autumn air in St. Louis. I am really looking forward to being with my parents, though I will be missing Neil. I can't wait for them to be with Cameron and see how much he has grown and changed. I am also looking forward to a time of rest and maybe even some alone time while I have two very willing babysitters to look after Cameron.

Cameron training for Olympics 2028

2008-08-16T21:28:00.003+02:00

Inspired by the olympics this year, Neil has decided start training Cameron for rowing. Cameron seems to enjoy this tremendously and ohhhs at each stroke. Like father like son.

Sisters reunite

2008-08-16T21:02:00.003+02:00

Elisabeth arrived back in Holland about 3 weeks ago, something which I know I will not regret! She'll be here a whole year while she is an nanny for a family quite near to us. It is so fun to have here close by and to be able to 'just get together'. And it's fun to both be doing the same sort of thing all day- caring for kids.
I thought I would post a couple pics to celebrate her arrival.Here Elisabeth is trying to avoid getting bitten by mosquitos while using the computer (probably on facebook). It's too bad we don't have a picture of Elisabeth, Neil and I watching the Phantom of the Opera just a few miutes later under ther net.

Elisabeth being a hip Amsterdam 'mom' biking the two girls around in the bakfiets. I'm secretly envious that she gets to use one. Maybe we should look into getting one too? Then I can be equally as cool.

You might wonder what this has to do with Elisabeth in Holland? First of all, it's her nephew. Secondly, that's her arm on the right side supporting Cameron. And, how would a post be complete without mentioning the wee one?

New Bed!

2008-08-05T16:43:00.003+02:00

Cameron has been growing a lot. And along with that he is also starting to 'do' more. Last week he rolled over from his tummy to his back for the first time. Twice in one day and it caught me by surprise! He's also holding things a lot better. One thing he holds is the bars on the sides of his bed. He seems to use this as leverage to pull himself on his side. Sometimes he gets his legs caught in the sides of the bed, too. Or he'll push himself up with his legs using the bars. Sometimes he gets himself way up to the head of the bed and his head will be against the bars. All this while he is supposed to be going to sleep. Then he'll start crying because he is stuck, but the crying only makes his head hit the bars and it's a downward spiral from there...

Neil and I decided last week that is was time to look into a bigger bed. We decided to start at Marktplaats, which is the dutch version of Ebay. It went quite quick and we found a bed about a 30 minute bike ride away. Neil went and picked it up on his bike. Guess it's not everyday you see somebody with a bed strapped to their bike!

He's found his thumb and sleeping through the night

2008-07-25T17:14:00.003+02:00

A couple nights ago Neil and I were standing in the kitchen when we heard this loud sucking noise coming from Cameron's bedroom. As quietly as we could we opened the door to his room and peeked in and there he was, sucking on his tiny thumb. You wouldn't really think it would be that satisfying considering how small his thumb is, but apparently it's soothing. Who knows if this will really become a habit and if it will go on for a long time.

We gave him a pacifier for a while, but decided to take it away when we got back from Scotland not even two weeks ago. At that same time he started sleeping through the night(not even two weeks ago-meaning I am getting more sleep. Although I still tend to wake up. I'm going to have to learn how to sleep through the night myself!). I don't just mean he sleeps from 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. He sleeps roughly from 9 p.m. to 7.30 a.m.! I don't know what happened, but it's great. I didn't think it would ever happen. And was expecting to be getting up in the night for quite some time since I'm breastfeeding. Maybe he is able to self-soothe now that he sucks his thumb rather than looses his pacifier and wakes up in the middle of the night without it. The downside to the thumb is that you can't take it away...and it could be hard to stop. Not to mention cause us some extra pennies on the orthodontics bill in the future. I hope he doesn't keep up the thumb sucking until he's 8 years old, like somebody I know....

St. Kilda

2008-07-21T14:49:00.006+02:00

Neil and I had the privilege to get to travel to St. Kilda while we were in Scotland. This archipelago is the most remote part of the British Isles. We took a three hour boat trip, leaving from Leverburgh, on the island of Harris. As you can see, it's a tiny island way out in the Atlantic. Nobody lives there, although there are conservationists that stay out there for a few weeks at a time working to preserve the island and maybe to do some research. People used to live there until the 1930's, when they people were evacuated and brought to live on the mainland. Apparently there have been people living on the main island, Hirta, since prehistoric times. It seems crazy for anyone to have found this place and then also to decide to live on the tiny island. You can walk from one end of the island to the other in a couple hours.

This is the earth house which dates back from about 2,000 years ago.

The village

To the right is a cleit, where they used to store food.

When you get to the top of the hill there is a 750 ft sheer drop to the ocean-yikes.

The birds!

Catchin' up

2008-07-21T14:31:00.006+02:00

I have finally come to a point to decide to let people know that I have a blog. Not that there is much to see here. But seeing it would make it easier for family and friends to see a bit of what is going on here by viewing this blog, I've decided to try to start again. I'm not sure what that is going to entail but I'll just start with some pictures of Cameron (probably the only reason why anyone is really going to be visiting this blog, because let's face it-he's pretty cute and worth viewing)

This is Cameron playing under his 'baby gym'- he gets pretty excited about this

Neil, Cameron and granny on Laide beach

Ready for a walk

Boys will be boys

2007-09-10T10:33:00.000+02:00

We're redoing our kitchen. Or maybe better said, we are moving the kitchen to the opposite wall. This to allow a place to have an another room. Neil and Oom Kees have been working hard, as you can see here. I can't say I have helped much, I think mostly because I'm not quite comfortable drilling with a piece of machinery that is bigger than my own leg...It is fun to see Neil get excited about big tools and he and Oom Kees are doing it all so well!

something new

2007-09-06T13:30:00.000+02:00

I was speaking with a friend today while sitting in the train about keeping in contact when she is away in Italy for a year. There is always a lot to tell someone you don't see regularly. Considering half my family lives in the U.S. and all of Neil's in Scotland, I thought it might be fun to start this blog. When people want to know what's going with us they can may be get an answer on this blog. Or they can just check out pictures or what not of what life for us is like here in Amsterdam. This would save me from telling someone I'll send pictures or updates and never following through (and potentially saying I'll send those same pictures or updates to other people and still not following through. Now I can put all that in one place once and for all). So, here it goes...