Zeke thinks I am the coolest mom ever.

He is really impressed that I have a blog, but I am not as funny as the defective yeti guy. He still loves me, but I can't beat the squirrelly. The gauntlet has been thrown down.

Busy busy busy

Today was supposed to be the first day of summmer vacation. We had a pool party for Tess's Brownie Girl Scout troop, but the rest of the day was supposed to be down time. But turns out Thor had a birthday party this afternoon, and Zeke had a going away party to go to, so I spent much of the day driving from one place to another and then back again. I was supposed to go to a party tonight but I completely forgot about it...Whoops! Hopefully they didn't miss me...
Must go because Zeke needs the computer...

Woo Hoo! The next 3 weeks are gonna ROCK!!!

Mark will be home!!!! No more single momhood!!! Marilyn is coming, and we are going to London for four days, and then back for one day, then off to Poland and the Czech Republic for four more days.

(Marilyn, I reserved the big van -- we are gonna pick it up the evening of the 30th, and leave at 4 am on the first, go to the Czech Republic and stay over night there, then spend the 2nd and 3rd in Poland, hopefully in the castle--I am still working on that part. Then we will be back to the Netherlands on the fourth of July...).

Then, Marilyn and I will do day trips -- the antique warehouse, the grocery store in Belgium for 47.5 pounds of Belgian chocolate, the Koln cathedral since I haven't seen it yet, Aachen, Maastricht, who knows...And of course, just hanging out, because otherwise Marilyn may not survive this vacation.

I am so jazzed about London!!! I love London, it is one of my favorite cities ever. Ever. I don't know why, but every time I have been there I have had a great time. Part of it may be that I have always gone to London from Germany or the Netherlands, and it is always a relief to not have to deal with the whole language thing...to be able to read all the signs, talk to people without mangling their language (actually, some Brits may argue that as an American I do in fact mangle their language...). Shopping. Fabulous shopping, and the British museum. West End shows. Also may be that after all this time in Europe, where stuff is closed on Sundays and evenings, to go to an enormous city where there is always something happening. Whatever the reason, I get to spend four days in one of my favorite cities with one of my favorite sisters...Excellent. Super. Fabo.

Again. Woo Bloody Hoo!!!

Talking to Europeans about politics.

This past week I went to my international book club meeting, where we were discussing Hillary Clinton's book. It was very interesting, as there were a couple of Germans, an Italian, a Canadian and a couple of Americans there. (There are twenty some members of this book group, but hardly any of them wanted to read this book, and I was the only American who read it.) The Germans pointed out that in Germany, they believe Gorbechov was the one who caused the collapse of the Soviet Union, and that Reagan was incidental to the whole thing, which is quite different from the conservative American view. Talking to Europeans about America, Americans and American politics is very interesting. It tends to remind me how egocentric Americans can be...I sometimes find Americans who think that the USA is the center of the universe.
Also, Germans learn that North and South America are one continent -- America. Which can be fun, because you can torture some Canadians with the idea that they are Americans, the same way Germans are Europeans. Really drives that certain segment of the Canadian population here crazy...
Now, as it is getting really really late, I am going to bed.

New blog.

Wow. I got it to work, and here I am with absolutely nothing to say. This is fairly intidating. But let's start with what I did today...
I went to a giant antiques warehouse in Belgium. I saw another gorgeous arts and crafts hutch, in better shape than the one I bought there a few months ago, and I didn't buy it. I did buy an arts and crafts style sideboard, and a thread cabinet and a really crap cheap little cabinet that Zeke has already hauled off to his room, but because I already own three hutches, and have possession of one I bought for my sister, I was very virtuous and didn't buy the one I fell in love with today. Damn it. Now that it's almost one am, I realize I made a huge mistake and should have bought it. The fact that there are three hutches, a table and chairs, a side table, a bookcase and a large Flemish cabinet in my dining room already is beside the point. I really don't know where I am going to put the sideboard I bought today...very soon we will not be able to walk through our house. Good thing we are moving soon. We think.