I should probably join a gym...

This park has a mote!

If I'm going to keep eating ice cream, cheese, pastries, wine, and bread at the rate that I am here in Holland, I should probably look into membership at a local gym. I'm not kidding. The servers at Plan B ice cream parlor recognize me, and as I walk around Delft with my ice cream cone, I wonder if it would be better or worse to be a "regular" at a bar or an ice cream parlor (and you HAVE to choose because either is necessary when an au pair). Tonight, Claire shooed me away from cleaning up after dinner, and insisted that I take my first break of the day. I literally sprinted to the nearest place that sold chocolate. After loading up my purse with chocolates from Albert Heijn (grocery store), I then went en route to the Oude Kerk (Old Church) where Alex has brought home delicious pastries from a French bakery nearby (the chocolates, btw, were for when I came home later to eat with the parents. duh). When I couldn't find this heavenly bakery, I bit my lip and made the walk of shame to Plan B where I was greeted with a knowing smile from the very cute server. My excuse is that I'm practicing my Dutch with her. I was reading someone else's blog today about how to make iced coffee (thanks to good ol' time-waster, Pintrest) and was offended by her remark, "...and if you're bad like me, add a splash of half and half." If adding cream to your coffee makes you a bad person, then my fulfilling diet has earned me a ticket straight to hell. Just the other day at Ikea, I bought a side of whipped cream to stir into my coffee...okay, maybe I have a slight problem, but I'm not a bad person.

Another growing bad habit of mine here in Delft is, now that I have A BICYCLE!!!, I like to go out riding at dusk and really perfect my voyeurism skills (now this might warrant the title of "bad"). It is so interesting to peer into other people's windows to catch a glimpse of what their homes are like. So far, the conclusion from my observations is that residents of Delft are somewhat affluent and keep a tidy household, making it all the more fun to study their interiors from the sidewalk.

Claire with Jasper in front of his school on the first day!

The big news of the week is that Jasper started kindergarten on Monday- he's so brave! And every day he's coming home with new words and phrases that he learned in Dutch at school. Reasonably so, Claire and Alex's nerves were on high in anticipation with the first day of school. Will Jasper make any friends? Will his teacher remember to repeat things in English? Will Jasper feel comfortable to ask his teacher for help? Where's the bathroom? Will his lunch be similar to other children's lunch? Will Montessori be conducive to him building a social life? etc. When they arrived at the end of the day to pick him up and take him out for ice cream, they found Jasper diligently working at his desk. After a few minutes, Jasper looked up, gave his parents a smile, and a thumbs up for satisfactory. Whew! And so far, so good! Now the hunt is on to find the perfect place for Annika and Oliver.

Oliver adds chili pepper to the guacamole

While Jasper is off at school, Alex at work at University Delft, and Claire working from home, I get to hang out with Oliver and Annika. This duo is pretty magical, and I thoroughly enjoy spending time with each of them. One morning, Oliver helped me make guacamole, because the night before he had decided to stick his thumb through one of the avocados, and that's when I realized that they were on the verge of going bad. Oliver is as goofy as he is analytical, which I appreciate, and Annika is so sweet and wonderful to be around. My heart flutters every time I lay eyes on her. It's hard to call what I do here, "work."

The boys explore a fort that we found at a park

Which is why Claire and Alex had a conversation with me tonight about needing to schedule a regular break time for me. They're incredibly intuitive and know me well enough that I would continue to work around the clock without requesting some 'me' time, but can also sense a burn out coming. It's easy for me to feel compelled to help out every hour of the day when I live with the family, and feel more apart of the family than I do as an employee working at my job. But there is tremendous value in structuring a little break in the day, and knowing when I am done with my 'shift' at the end of the day, so to speak. I realized today, as I walked the boys to a park during my third straight week without much of an afternoon 'off', that having a little break every day, or day off once a week would be beneficial, because otherwise I don't think that I am EVER going to want to have children of my own - seriously, too much selfless work. So as our routines get settled into place, I'll be able to have more time on my own to explore.

And that is why I have, indeed, looked into taking a Zumba class once or twice a week, and it may very well be at the gym, which would balance out my lavish diet. Who am I kidding, I'm not giving up the ice cream any time soon.

The fort at the other side of the mote

Jasper helps his younger brother ride the zipline at the park

Go Jasper!

How Jasper gets to school every day

Montessori classroom

A candidate preschool for Oliver includes gardens, chicken coop, and bunnies!