Examples of Orange EVERYWHERE!!!

This picture is a great example of how orange is everywhere. This one little street must have 200 orange flags draped across it. I am going down town to find a pub on Friday to watch the game. I am pumped! I love how alive with excitement this country is over the world cup! I love when cities are obsessed with sports, hahahaha.
So today I saw a lot of what I need to know for the future--I saw the day care and met the teachers, saw the ballet classes, gym classes, local shopping center and large park/lake near the house that the kids like to go to. I am having a hard time keeping all these new locations in my head, but I am sure I will know better soon when I go there, with soem directions and can recognize the area, at least. I also met a few people online, one of which I am planning to meet this weekend. I also emailed a smith alum who happened to be planning a Smith College Club of the Netherlands lunch next weekend. I am making the hour trip out to Den Haag to see the town and also meet some fellow alums. The internet has made making friends much easier than it ever was before!

Cute and ORANGE!!!

So, today was not an eventful day. We were watching a movie at one point, though, and I got this beautiful picture of the younger girl--to be 3 next week. I took the baby to the doctor with his Mom and he got two shots and he didn't even CRY! He is much better with shots than I will ever be. Then we came back to the house and I watched the two younger kids with the other Au Pair until we got the older kid from school. She had two friends coming over--one planned play date (a novelty in Holland) and one spontaneous. Then we watched the kids until dinner and a little after. I had two of my first funny language barriers with the father today--after dinner he said to me, "you know, you can relax now." This, at first seemed to me like he was telling me I was uptight but really eh meant that I was off duty and didn't have to work. Then, after the kids went to bed, I was brave and went to spend some time with the parents to grow a relationship with them, and he said to me "Tell em if there is anything I can do to make you stay." This meant, Jane and I figured out, that he wanted to know if anything would make me more comfortable. Those were just some of the first, of many I am sure.
Also, these past days have been Orange and soccer filled. Even the toilet paper in the house has orange writing on it that says Hup Hup Holland--Go Go Holland! and has a dog playing soccer. The supermarket even orange flower arrangements and every few houses is decked out with flags, banners and orange galore. The day of the game they won in the finals we didn't even have to watch, we knew what was happening from the cheers and horns being blown throughout the neighborhood. It was insane everything we could hear. It was like the red sox were winning the world series back home--but for each and very kick and goal. This country definitely lives for soccer like Bostonians live for baseball.

My First real day, THE ZOO!

So, today was my first real day as an Au Pair and the other Au Pair and I decided to take the two younger ones to the ZOO!It was not your normal Zoo trip, because we saw maybe 5 animals, played in the playground and ate ice creams before going home an hour after we entered, but they have a monthly pass so it didn't cost anything and the kids enjoyed it, so it was all in all a good trip. The picture is of the baby, Nigel, who was chewing on the popsicle, (iche lolli in dutch), stick after we ate it. He is even wearing an adorable crocodile dundee hat. Then, we went home and I got to chat with the current Nanny while the kid napped. She is really nice and we seem to have a lot in common, which is a good sign for us getting along well. Then, after dinner she took we around the neighborhood to show me all the parks in the neighborhood, the girls schools, the community pool and some stores and things that are all pretty easy to find. I feel pretty confident, and there are so many parks just in their small 10 minute walk radius neighborhood, so I am sure we will have lots to do. She also gave me some great advice of how to meet people and showed me a web site that connect Au Pairs, and gave me advice that if I brought my baby to a park downtown I would be sure to fine some other Au Pairs. I also fund a knitting group in Amsterdam, which I am sure had all middle aged women in it, but it is worth a start! I am already loving the city and feel lie I am already starting to feel comfortable with the family. Tomorrow night it is my goal to spend some time with the parents after the children go to bed! Day one of being an official au pair--CHECK!

First Day, First Impressions

So after a long plane ride, I was greeted at the airport by two adorable girls and their mom. I knew we would get along because the older, Marisa, was wearing a Disney princess bathing suit under her clothes and the other had Cinderella shoes. We went to their house, which was about 10 minutes from the airport, to relax for the rest of the afternoon. I met the father and mother, both who seem very nice and very accommodating. The dad likes soccer and we watched some of the world cup, which was great, and the mother seems to just like to talk in general, which was comforting. The current Au pair was busy but after dinner I had a chance to chat with her. She seems very positive about the whole experience and I really like her, too. The kids are absolutely adorable. The oldest, Marisa, is five and is in a stage where she likes to make her own decisions--which often means not listening. But, she loves books and to play and seems to really love positive attention, so she won't be too difficult. Kaitlin, who is 3, is an adorable chubby little girl who seems to be easily entertained and is a cuddle bug, which is always fun. Then, there is cute 11 month old Nigel who scoots across the floor instead of crawling, loves to walk with help and is an overall happy baby.
They live in a cute area surrounded by canals and parks. There are some stores and things around, but I haven't explored at all yet. Tomorrow I am with the current au pair, Sarah, and Nigel and Kaitlin all day, so I should have some time to explore with the kids and get to know the area through Sarah.
This is a picture of my room. Although not big, its clean, has a few windows and is very cozy. Their whole house is cozy. I am going to get some art--or make some--to hang up in my room to detract from the white aspect. Well, it wil be my home for the next year so it will have to be perfect!

I love you all and can't wait to hear your comments!

Here it goes..

Hello to everyone out there,

So Australia was amazing but now I am getting ready to begin my real adventure. I leave on Saturday for Amsterdam. I am meeting the mother of the family at the airport early in the morning and then going back to the house to meet the three children, father and current Au Pair, who is going to show me the ropes before she leaves. I am so nervous about meeting them but also excited. I am bringing along a few gifts, a red sox hat for the baby boy, a few cool Disney princess purses for the girls and some really exciting Australian animal cookie cutters. Those should be fun for all of us! Other than that, I don't know much but I will be sure to post almost every day with a picture and some words. Hopefully, I will here comments from all of you!

And so my story begins!

Amanda