Goodbye 2006- the year of intermittent sleep

Despite battling the flu; sinus, eye, and ear infections; a nasty sore throat and long nights of coughing; we have emerged from the last week of the year relatively unscathed. Its been such a blur I'm not sure who was sicker with what, when, but we have all had something or the other in the last month. Mike even had the pleasure of sharing James' conjuctivitus.
We did manage a nice Christmas day- our American neighbor Neko and friends Judith and Niels joined us for turkey dinner and some competitive Scrabble and dominoes. Attempts to take pictures and movies on Christmas morning were fruitless; not the year for capturing the moment between a toddler's manic actions and virally debilitated parents.
This year with James has been a steep really enjoyable learning curve. Recent skills include opening screw tops (clever but not always handy- he even once managed a childproof ibuprofen bottle: empty of course, after our weeks of sickness), fetching socks (one of his favorite words), 'helping' carrying the groceries in from the bike, and hugging. For our part we have learned to try to always have a plan (and a back-up), be flexible, and take the time to communicate with each other. Well, that is ideal- we are still working on all of it.
We have been in a bit of a warzone for the past couple of days- fireworks are legal in NL for New Years and the week before it (technically it is from 10am New Year's Eve till 2am, but that rule is pretty well ignored) and people really go crazy. Anytime day or night there is something exploding somewhere in town. Our first year here was really crazy; all we really knew about the town was that there had been a huge fire that razed a whole section of town when an illegal fireworks factory exploded. Check out the 'fotos' on this site. That year we just sat inside wide eyed at the amount of fireworks going off on every street- it went on non-stop for hours. The next day we couldn't believe the ankle-deep layer of paper and trash in the streets. The next year we went with friends to Copenhagen for New Years and there the chaos was on an even larger scale. People were wearing protective goggles and ear plugs against what I would call municipal-size fireworks going off all over the city. Even when were driving home on the evening of the 3rd, you could still see them going off in towns all the way through Germany into the Netherlands. Without kids or dogs, I'm sure it would be a blast.

We are really looking forward to 2007- Katharine will finish her thesis (and hopefully hear something positive from all the job applications), I plan to begin training as a timber framer this summer. There are still a lot of things up in the air for the next year- selling a house, moving (where?) but one thing we are really excited about is the pending arrival of a new member of the family sometime next fall- and I'm not talking about getting another dog! Yet another Maier grandchild on the way...
More soon-
Gelukkig jaarafwisseling allemaal! Happy New Year's!

Lang zal ik leven...

Yesterday I, Mike, turned 35 and had a great birthday (the title is from the Dutch song they sing here). I first got to sleep in until 845, something that hasn't happened in 16 months. Katharine took care of James most of the day; when I went to the gym in the afternoon some friends surprised me with a bunch of balloons and singing as I was walking out of the showers- a very successful surprise- I pretended I was bright red from the exertions of my workout...
We are excited about Christmas- here they even have First and Second Christmas day (25th and 26th); it is more for family and visiting than Sinterklaas. New Year's is called Oud en Nieuwe (old and new). Since we didn't wind up with sufficient leftovers from our Thanksgiving we decided to have a turkey for Christmas dinner. We are trying some ideas from the BBC- they have some great cooking shows- will let you know how it turns out.
In sickness news (I think I remember being sick every year for my birthday till I was well into my twenties, its just the season...), James woke up with some gummy conjuctivitus this morning. To keep up with a long-running Maier tradition we had to ensure some photodocumentation.




My Dad is the biggest proponent of this technique- somewhere I have some great shots of me post wisdom teeth; even better the picture of my sister Dorothy's head staples after her brain surgery.
James has also had some good times with a few early Christmas presents. We figure he is not really cognizant or a stickler for any of the details this year anyway- and we also found out how difficult it is to completely hide stuff from children (it makes it harder to try and keep something away from a little sick kid...)

He really digs his new rolling duck-car (thanks ML and Pablo):





For your cultural exchange/Dutch lesson of the week?
You know the aardvark? Dutch for 'earth-pig'. Consider yourself slightly enlightened.

End of year wrap-up

While I would not say that we are all "well", things are much better in our world this week. In case it has not been adequately described on this forum, since James began day care he has consistently had a runny nose (our expert-mom-force assures us this will last a year or TWO at least-- quick tip: buy stock in tissue manufacturers now) AND has had a few fevers and an ear infection. However, for at least the last week things have looked (and felt) much better. James is definitely feeling better, and is so much happier and more fun when he is well. We also can see he loves school, and though it is only two mornings a week it makes a world of difference.

It has been a little clearer in Enschede this week, and much colder. Though the forecast calls for snow, I think that is not really accurate. I traveled by train Monday to catch a bus, to catch a ferry to visit the Wadden island of Ameland. I was going to speak with someone about a restoration project on the island. Unfortunately, the first link in my chain broke, and my train was almost an hour late. I was so disappointed; I called my contact from the train when it was clear I'd already missed my bus. So frustrating. As it is winter, there is limited ferry service, only one trip per day. Without the ferry I was doomed. My contact was VERY KIND, and understanding. We have rescheduled for January. I was able to get a lot of work done in my 5+ hours on the train. That at least is good.

I (Katharine) took a few days off last week for illness and just to have a break. I may do the same this week. I did manage to send off all job applications I was interested in at this point. It is a little weird-- my contract is not officially over until December of 2007, but most colleges hire in the Fall of each year. It is a toss up whether to
-rush a little, finish early and start work immediately, or
-finish at the proposed time and potentially wait a few months for
employment.
After many weeks of not being able to decide what to do (either could be really beneficial or difficult, depending on the details) I applied only for a very few jobs I have a lot of interest in.
I am focusing on the Northeast. Though we have talked about Portland or Seattle for years, and despite the sweet job at Humboldt State, we decided to stick with the East coast for at least a few years. We would like to be closer to family. Besides, housing prices in California are insane.

My four applications were to Albright College, Wheaton College, Keene State College and Green Mountain College. In Reading, PA, Norton, MA, Keene, NH and Poultney, VT respectively. Mostly New England, all small colleges (GMC weighing in at a diminutive 750 students), and nearly all private (Keene state is public). For us the container deposit legislation in most of these places is just a bonus.

We are planning to visit Den Helder for a few days soon. A friend's parents live there and have offered us the use of their house while they are in Enschede. What a treat. It is at the tip of the province of North Holland (Noord Holland). This is the home of the Royal Navy, and also the point of embarkation for another Wadden Island, Texel. Apparently you can visit a seal education/ rehabilitation center, too... waiting for the details on that. We may just stay put and enjoy walks along the dune paths in Den Helder.
Well, now that you have patiently sat through the boring details of our everyday lives, on to the star of our show--- little James. He is such a sweet bean, and is developing a very funny personality. We think his first official word may be "socks"-- something he hears a lot because his dad always lets him know when it is time to put on shoes and socks. He is making so many noises and sounds, but nothing much we would call a word yet. "Socks" he at least repeated back to us for a few days. Then stopped again. Photos are from the decorating of the tree, and include several shots of James wrestling with the box, and one of him and his (favorite) dog ghost.

Mid-winter traditons

There are some really cool things cultures come up with to get through the darker (literally in Northern Europe) times. Two winters ago, we lived in a more rural area (in a customised mobile home I'm proud to say; they label them with the slightly more romantic 'caravan' here) and we had the chance to hear the midwinterhoorn. It's a ghostly, lonely sort of sound, but somehow very fitting the long dark nights. If only because space on the internet appears to be unlimited (especially for Google) For those of you who don't subscribe to the Utnieuws studentenkrant I'll paste an article I wrote 2 years ago for lack of knowing how to make a cool link to it- or whatever. Feel free to skip ahead to the pictures of James.

'Echoes of winter: midwinterhoornblazen

If you spend time in the Twente area during the winter you may notice some odd sounds in the evenings. Among the cacophony of modern noise is a unique tone with roots in some of the earliest human societies in Europe. Is it a train whistle, canal boat horn, or a plaintive bird? Listen carefully after sunset in parts of Enschede and many villages in the region, and it is possible to hear the call of the midwinter horn, a handmade instrument traditionally sounded during the long winter evenings from November to early January. It is a primitive and raw sound whose story and traditions date far into the past.

Once common across the Netherlands and surrounding areas, the horns are heard today mainly in the Twente area, though similar instruments appear in the history of several Nordic and Germanic countries. The horns themselves are simple and elegant constructions made of wood and usually a meter or more in length. Scholars suggest that the earliest uses were to contact far off neighbors, drive away evil spirits or wild animals, or as a warning system in times of need. Though its true origins are unknown, the earliest written record in Dutch history appears in 1485. History shows several groups using the horns as warning systems, including Catholics hiding mass from state-sanctioned Protestantism and smugglers avoiding the law. Like many pagan traditions predating the arrival of Christianity, horn blowing was eventually incorporated into the rituals of the Church and became connected with the birth of Jesus.

Now linked with Christmas, horn blowing takes place between the first Sunday of Advent and ‘Epiphany’ or the arrival of the three kings in January. 17th and 18th century records show that horns were played all over the Netherlands but after 1800 the tradition remained only in Twente, mostly in the northeast region. Nearly lost in the interim, the practice was slowly revived after World War II and grew in popularity in the 1970s. Players testify to the difficulty of mastering this ancient instrument; most people can make only four tones, very good players can attain seven or eight. Often played over a well opening to resonate the tones, the instruments are played like a trumpet without valves, with each player having his or her own mouthpiece. Demonstrations, contests, and workshops on how to build and play the horns are held in many locations in the area.'

Other notable traditions here are FREE postage for christmas cards, which I think is very cool, and Sinterklaasgedichten which are traditional poems that accompany gifts (usually on Dec. 5). Basically you write a short couple of lines about the person you are responsible for giving something to (in the name of the Sint) and it is a chance to poke fun at the recipient. For example, the Sint ridiculed the fact that our bathroom is unfinished and our yard is dangerous because its full of construction trash- that sort of thing...

Without further ado-

James dressed up like the Sint:



Ghost tolerating James' attempts at provocation...



Restrained from touching the tree...




In other news, James was truly frustrated all last night with what turned out to be an ear infection and is now on his first run of antibiotics. November 16th was his first morning at daycare and he has had a cold or worse every day since...

Visitors from Tryptophan

Well after a very busy week we are finally beginning to recover from overdoses of fun and excitement. We only really throw one party a year consistently, and it has to be Thanksgiving- our favorite American holiday.
This year we had 35 people (including 10 kids, 5 under 3 years) in our tiny house. Unfortunately in the melee, I somehow managed to erase all the pictures I took off the camera and the computer. It's never the best occasion for the cook or the hostess to take very good photos anyway- most were a blur.
With the help of my neighbor's oven we had three (small- 7lb.) turkeys ready by 5. Everyone else brought a dish or drinks and we provided the birds, dressing (some people call it stuffing or filling) and accoutrements. It was a real smorgasbord- au gratin potatoes, 2 kinds of cranberry sauce, smoked salmon quiche, pumpkin pie from scratch, tiramisu, curried lentils- plenty of everything.
We had a really interesting crowd this year, and I think everyone had a good time. For five of our Dutch friends it was their first ever Thanksgiving, and all gave enthusaistic responses. As soon as the turkeys came out and were cut up people were digging in, I would do one more next time with so many people as there weren't any leftovers (though the 3 carcasses made awesome stock). Our friends Allen and Vicki stayed with us the long weekend and really ended up helping out a lot. This is a picture of them in Amsterdam where we went to meet them on Thursday. It is always nice to get into the city, and we (actually Allen and Vicki)treated ourselves to an awesome lunch at the cafe de Beiaard which has their own in house brewery and great food. James slept through the whole meal after we had pushed him through the Rijksmuseum; he didn't even wake up when an extremely loud group of football fans sat next to us and started singing . Allen and Vicki were great houseguests; they are now off for two months touring Africa, hopefully we gave them a good send off.

Keeping it turkey

Ten days since the last post- all of us caught the first wave of flu since James began going to the germ repository (daycare). The day after his first day he had a fever and has been going through all the syptoms of a flu since. Other than the flu, james loves going in twice a week with the other hummels. I (Mike) luckily (?) avoided most of the worst of it but Kat and James are bearing the brunt. In the morning its like being surrounded by Darth Vaders with all the constant heavy breathing. James showed promise blowing his own nose for a couple of days but then suddenly lost the skill recently.

We are busy getting ready for our Thanksgiving this Saturday and looking forward to meeting friends in Amsterdam on Thursday for a couple days visit. (Just three Mom, I know, fish and guests...)

On the future plan front- no word from Allbright yet- and not really expecting any- and a polite rejection from Cornwall. Disappointing to get your hopes up, but part of the kooky academic game. A hopeful sign this week though, as we found something that could benefit everyone's long term ambitions with the chance for Kat to teach in New Hampshire at Keene State. The guide book open next to James at the breakfast table is for New England. We'll see.

We have gotten into putting everything on our heads recently (I don't know where he got the idea...)




And being a ham regardless of the snot quotient/cranky pants...