Our hotel room.

Maastricht

Upon arriving in Germany Alessandro and I traveled by car to Maastricht. Alessandro slept the whole way and I chatted up front with our driver, Bettina. Bettina owns a limo service with her husband and they almost exclusively drive Booz consultants around the area. When they are not driving their beautiful fleet of Mercedes they travel by motorhome all around Europe. She told me that the hotel Chris stays in is really special but I was completely unprepared for how special it was. The Kruisherenhotel is a renovated cloister that merges modern minimalism with a historic exterior. Every hotel room is different but none of them feel like hotel rooms. Each room comes with a book of poetry and all of the poems are about the concept of home or house. The Netherlands were one of my favorite destinations in Europe when I was living in England and it wasn't just because of the coffee shops! I was happy to realize that I still love it for all the same reasons and despite all the places I have been since then and all the changes in my life I still felt somewhat the same there. I still get mistaken for being Dutch and I still think the culture is logical and straightforward yet inviting. The Dutch seem at ease with everything and we felt very comfortable there.

European Vacation!

The upside of having Chris in Europe is having the option of flying there to meet him instead of him flying home to see us. Since traveling with a small backpack by train around continental Europe on my spring break almost exactly 12 years ago I have only been to Spain a couple of years ago when I was pregnant so I was excited. This time I got to enjoy the food and wine which was very nice but wow the Euro has changed things! I know I am a little late to notice this but I don't know how college students do it now. We left Dubai early in the morning to fly to Dusseldorf because it is the closest airport to Maastricht, Netherlands where Chris is working. Alessandro was an angel on the plane (thanks to his carseat) and he even made a friend. There was a little german boy on the plan that followed us every time we went to the bathroom. They both shared a deep love for toy cars. Here is Alessandro in the Dubai airport, I just can't believe how much he has filled out the courtesy stroller! Pardon his blanket in many of the vacation shots, he needs it to sleep and there were quite a few naps on the go. His blanket is also a lifesaver in a pinch when we are in transit since let's face it we all get a little tired, hungry and annoyed when traveling!

Dubai World Cup

So every year (since 1996) there is a world cup in Dubai that ends the horse racing season with a bang. In true Dubai fashion it is glamorous, big and showy. This year the event coincided with earth hour which made me feel slightly guilty since just a few lights were on at the time! The first year we were in Dubai I was in the midst of morning sickness and Chris attended as part of a bachelor party. Last year the thought of leaving Alessandro for 9 hours was not possible so this year I made it! I had to go as a third wheel with our friends Ana and Steve though since Chris was in Amsterdam for work so it wasn't perfect. Despite his absence we had fun dancing, drinking and people watching. The outfits were everything from classy to gaudy and all shades in between. The event ended with a concert by Elton John and there really aren't words to describe him live. Sure he is getting up there and he doesn't have the same bang that he used to but his energy is still infectious and I definitely felt as though I was in the prescence of greatness.

Friday night alone

A couple of weeks ago Alessandro and I were on our own for the weekend. Friday night we set out to meet some friends on the beach and on the way home we got caught up in a break dancing competition right across from our building so we just had to stop. Alessandro cried when we left. This was the best shot of him getting down I could get.

Naturally once the camera was going he pretty much froze...typical.

New Year Resolution- a little late!

My blog just kept getting ignored for too long so I am determined to get it going again! Since Alessandro turned one (7 months ago) our family has been busier and busier. With his increasing independence has come more activities for him, for me and for all of us as a family. Chris and I have had more nights out alone and with friends. I also began doing yoga again after a long hiatus. In all of this activity writing has gone on the backburner and I hope to get it going again.

Some new updates in our family-

1) Chris is currently working in the Netherlands and is enjoying a much needed respite from Saudi Arabia. He gets to walk places, eat real food in real restaurants and go to Amsterdam on the weekends. On the downside: he is still working crazy hours and he is away from us for 10 days at a time. It has not been easy for anyone but we are making the most out of the travel opportunities. Alessandro and I just got back from visiting him in Maastricht and taking a trip to Paris for Easter.

2) Alessandro and I attend a music class once a week- it is all about trains this term and he thourghly enjoyed seeing the class come to life on our European train rides!

3) Alessandro also takes a swim class once a week and I can't be in the pool with him anymore- he prefers to be alone with the teacher. Mommy is almost not needed these days.

4) There is a lot of talking going on in our house. If you skype us you will probably only hear wow or cow but I promise he has lots of other words. Uh-oh is a favorite. Car and ball play a big role and his newest words are tickle and baby. There are lots of others but he tends to have a favorite a week that is in heavy rotation. Chris and I have noticed that his language is starting to come together a lot like a puzzle from different directions and it is so exciting to witness.

5) Climbing is a new pasttime for him so he is truly earning his nickname "monkey". We have had some scary falls but luckily he is always ok after a short cuddle.

6) We have lots of friends in the neighborhood for him to play with which is very nice. We are never short of something to do around here and are just dreading the summer weather which is fast approaching. In the past couple of months we have made friends with a few other couples that all have a Peace Corps or Thunderbird history or both- our kids are all the same age and we all live in the neighborhood so not much planning is needed for a nice get together.

I hear some intense activity coming from Alessandro's room so it is time to begin the day- it is almost 9am so I can't complain but what I wouldn't give for a day to do nothing- toddlers don't really sit around and have lazy days!