15 days of rain

Every day for the last two weeks we had rain.  I am very grateful that we don't have one of those Texas downpours, that creates a river down the Fielder street (those of you from our hood know what I am talking about ;0).  However, with the temperatures in mid 50s it has been hard to think it is spring. We have not gone to any day trips.  It is just not fun to walk in the rain.  But there is always a good side to any situation.  Ashley went all out this time.  He got the kids to make and decorate paper airplanes.  Old fashion fun with new kick: stickers decor!!!

And of course, my pro gamers ;)))))

A day at the farm

"This is the best day EVER!" those were Carolyn's words when I picked her up from school. She spend a whole day at the farm and loved every bit of it. First she summed up the grossest things that happened to her: she was sprayed by cow's milk, peed on by a baby goat, bit by a piglet, and slobbered by a calf. Other than those things the day was a BLAST! She went on to share about the tractor ride, baby chicks, poop, milking the cows, holding baby rabbit... I think she wants to move to the farm!

I thought I was really awesome that she had ths opportunity to see a real farm with all it's smells and cuddly things. Too bad there are no pictures to share. I did consider to give her a camera for the trip...but I am not sure for the camera safety after us listening to some of Carolyn's stories.

The trip was organized by Carolyn's school, so she went with her classmates, parents were not allowed. I find this school policy very discouraging: no parent volunteers allowed (or wanted). When we were planning to come here, I was really excited by the opportunity to volunteer in my kid's schools. Oh, well. She had a great day, that is all that matters.

Easter... Luxembourg Style!

We thought it would be the most fitting to start this post with the pictures of the front of our apartment building and the foyer decor, all compliments of our neighbors.  They manage to decorate for every season and occasions.

First of all I want to mention that this year I truly missed our hood Easter Egg Hunt.  Seeing how much our kids and our friends' kids are growing it is hard to realize that some of those fun times will remain in the past.  Easter egg hunts are not really common here.  The churches are much more focused on the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ rather than on entertaining the community.  I hope you will see that comment as an observation not a judgement. 

The stores were full of Easter candies, I thought I would share some of those pics.  Yes, the first picture is featuring Easter eggs weighing 1kg (about 2 pounds).  I had to leave those on the shelf. 

We were invited to have Easter lunch by our new  friends we made here.  Her name is Stephanie, which makes me always think our our Stephanie, the major's wife and my dear friend.  They had organized a small Easter egg hunt, which was a nice surprise for our kids.  Also we have learned a new game to play with eggs.  This is a cool family game that we will be sharing with our friends upon our return.

Amsterdam, Netherlands (or Holland, if you prefer)

Amsterdam is all you already know about it, plus some.  So needless to say, we needed to be extra careful as we were traveling with our kids.  As in almost any European city the architecture is amazing even in the boring placed such as the train station.

The main method of transportation there is bicycles and trams.  The pedestrians should be constantly aware of not walking in the bicycle lanes.

Also, we had to be very diligent about not walking in red light district.  Prostitution, as well as pot smoking is legal, and the sights are unavoidable.

On a  positive note there are many other attractions that deserve more attention. We have visited Van Gogh museum and Anne Frank museum.  Due to "NO CAMERAS" we don't have any cool pictures from those places.  Carolyn recognized the Starry Night by Van Gogh, so it is neat.  The Anne Frank museum was a little too much for our kids (they recommend for kids to be at least 10 years old).  I have found this museum to be very touching, I left with heavy heart.

We needed to "take turns" with our kids, so for their entertainment we have visited the science museum NEMO.  It is full of many interactive things for kids and adults.

The following day we visited Artis Zoo, which is considered to be the oldest zoo in Europe.  We read many different comments about the zoo as some people found it too dirty, and here is why.  There are many animals who are not caged, especially birds.  Yes, the lion was behind the gate, but many tame animals were much more accessible for cool pictures.  These monkeys were absolutely our favorites.

We also took a boat tour to learn more about the city and its history.  Unlike many other other major European cities, Amsterdam does not have any major cathedrals, or old walls.  Its main attraction are the canals, house boats and buildings along the the canals.  There are over 150 canals, about 1200 bridges and 2500 house boats.  As we were on our boat tour we were able to see inside some of the house boats.  As with "normal" houses, some people take great are of their homes and others not so much.

All in all the trip was great.  I picked up some tulip bulbs from the flower market, left the clogs hanging (maybe next time ;-0).  The old windmills are not part of the major city, but we did catch a view of one.

6 Months! Already!

Yes, it has been 6 months since we have arrived in Luxembourg. The actual anniversary was yesterday, but we were worned out from our trip to Amsterdam, Netherlands ( pics and comments will follow in the next couple of days) to blog.

I have to admit that I think that sometimes the time seems to drag but looking back, it has flown by! Carolyn is doing great in school, I went to the meeting with her teachers last week and they have shared that they are very impressed with Carolyn and her progress in their school. Needless to say we are very proud parents.

We are now on two-week Easter break. Students here have at least one week off after each 6 week study period. This system is not true to all European school systems.