Grampa "Voorst"
Grampa "Brugge" can do a mean chicken dance!
Did you hear the one about the Dutch security screener?
So, this American family walks up to the security line with 2 bottles of water in their backpack. The water was purchased in the Prague airport for making bottles for Marcus and "security tagged". The security screener says, "We don't accept security tags from outside airports. Due to increasing security regulations...blah, blah, blah, blah, blah... you'll have to throw away the water". So the American Dad says, "But wait, it's for baby food. Isn't baby food allowed?" Security screener (whose "How to Spot a Potential Terrorist Handbook" apparently didn't address this situation) says, "Uh, yeh...". American Dad continues, "So you're telling me that if I empty these water bottles into these empty baby bottles it's ok for me to take this water on board?"
Security screener: "Uh, yeh".
American Dad: "Are you serious???"
Security Screener: "Uh, yeh."
So American family holds up the security line and pours the water into the bottles while simultaneously corraling an impatient toddler and wiggly infant.
Security Screener: Apologies profusely for the absurdity of the situation and attempts humor by giving us permission when we get to America to "sit around the Christmas tree and laugh and tell everyone about the crazy security woman in Amsterdam that made us do this". After the water has been successfully transferred, we are allowed to take our empty water bottles and pour the water back out of the baby bottles.
So, Ms. Dutch Security Woman... we're laughing about you. And the terrorists have won again.
Security screener: "Uh, yeh".
American Dad: "Are you serious???"
Security Screener: "Uh, yeh."
So American family holds up the security line and pours the water into the bottles while simultaneously corraling an impatient toddler and wiggly infant.
Security Screener: Apologies profusely for the absurdity of the situation and attempts humor by giving us permission when we get to America to "sit around the Christmas tree and laugh and tell everyone about the crazy security woman in Amsterdam that made us do this". After the water has been successfully transferred, we are allowed to take our empty water bottles and pour the water back out of the baby bottles.
So, Ms. Dutch Security Woman... we're laughing about you. And the terrorists have won again.
2006
Thursday, January 04, 2007
I was "told" by a friend recently on her blog (Laura Syvertsen; link at right) that the thing to do in the blog world is to "look back at the past year and log the first sentence from each month." I couldn't resist. So here goes:
January: Whoever wrote that song with something about a Christmas tree and it's beautiful branches must have been insane!
February: So... a once-rare occurance is becoming a semi-regular habit at our house. Lydia seems to enjoy undressing, diaper and all, while in bed. (ok. had to cheat with 2 sentences here)
March: Along with Lydia's 2nd birthday, came Lydia's 2-year checkup.
April: Today was an exciting, fun day for all of us!
May: No, I haven't fallen... Off the face of the earth, that is...
June: So, I've been craving real, American, chocolate chip cookies for approximately 1 year now.
July: Police strike again...
August: My final getaway from Prague (until Christmas), and as a mother of one child, was accompanying Brandon on a business trip to Italy.
September: We had a doctor appointment yesterday.
October: In Brandon's famous last words, I guess I would've been "one of 'em who died on the prairie".
November: Look what arrived today. It's Virtual Grandma-in-a-box!
December: This evening brought to you by Daddy, proud sponsor of Mommy's First Night Out
Here's to a wonderful, memorable year. Can't wait to see how 2007 looks in review!
January: Whoever wrote that song with something about a Christmas tree and it's beautiful branches must have been insane!
February: So... a once-rare occurance is becoming a semi-regular habit at our house. Lydia seems to enjoy undressing, diaper and all, while in bed. (ok. had to cheat with 2 sentences here)
March: Along with Lydia's 2nd birthday, came Lydia's 2-year checkup.
April: Today was an exciting, fun day for all of us!
May: No, I haven't fallen... Off the face of the earth, that is...
June: So, I've been craving real, American, chocolate chip cookies for approximately 1 year now.
July: Police strike again...
August: My final getaway from Prague (until Christmas), and as a mother of one child, was accompanying Brandon on a business trip to Italy.
September: We had a doctor appointment yesterday.
October: In Brandon's famous last words, I guess I would've been "one of 'em who died on the prairie".
November: Look what arrived today. It's Virtual Grandma-in-a-box!
December: This evening brought to you by Daddy, proud sponsor of Mommy's First Night Out
Here's to a wonderful, memorable year. Can't wait to see how 2007 looks in review!
O Sleep, Where Art Thou?
Nighttime has taken a nose dive in my personal list of "Favorite Things to Do". Seems as if sheer exhaustion carried us through the first two nights of jetlag recovery. As for the 2nd two nights, I am finding myself as a human pinball, ricochetting helplessly between "ravenous/I need to burp" Marcus and Lydia's incoherant requests (my button is open on my pjs/I want to go downstairs/I have an owie on my finger) all of which are presented in unrelenting sobs. Yes, in her 2-year old mind, the sky really IS falling. All of this leaves me with uninterrupted sleep between the hours of 3:30am and 6:30am. Except for last night, when ravenous Marcus was again ravenous at 4:47. There. Now aren't you thankful you didn't travel to Europe for Christmas with two small kids?
Ricochet: the motion of an object or a projectile in rebounding or deflecting one or more times from the surface over which it is passing or against which it hits a glancing blow.
I couldn't define it better myself.
Ricochet: the motion of an object or a projectile in rebounding or deflecting one or more times from the surface over which it is passing or against which it hits a glancing blow.
I couldn't define it better myself.
Home again, home again....
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
We're back in our Prague home. It was a great journey to America and back, filled with family, friends and lots of fun. The flights both ways went remarkably well with Marcus awake, eating and sleeping in regular 3 hour intervals and Lydia, well.... NOT sleeping. But she was heroic and good natured nontheless. Our 3 hour layover in the Amsterdam airport gave us plenty of time to hang out in the children's play corner where Lydia (after pulling an all-nighter) entertained the other unsuspecting children and their parents with stunning renditions of "Jesus Loves Me" sung at the top of her lungs... Our little 2-year old evangelist.
Now we're home and trying to recover that night of sleep we lost somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. So far we've only had short 5-minute wakeups at 4:00am where Lydia thinks she "needs" to go downstairs. After a short explanation of how we sleep at nighttime and go downstairs in the daytime she quietly returns to sleep.
Pictures to come... gotta unpack the camera first!
Now we're home and trying to recover that night of sleep we lost somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. So far we've only had short 5-minute wakeups at 4:00am where Lydia thinks she "needs" to go downstairs. After a short explanation of how we sleep at nighttime and go downstairs in the daytime she quietly returns to sleep.
Pictures to come... gotta unpack the camera first!
