Things are finally looking up

Omigosh I have ome good news. After following a complaint I gave to the IND(Immigration in Holland) about paying my last host family back, I no longer have to du it anymore. And so now I've been getting my last 4 months planned out.

This month, I'm going with two friends to Octoberfest, and I'm excited to finally go to Germany for that. And a week before we do that, I'm going to Paris for a weekend to see the Eiffel tower and whatever else it has to offer. Found a bus that will do it, for only 68 euros round trip, how cool is that. And FREE WIFI the whole way. Though I'll probabaly be sleeping as the ride is from 11:00pm-5:45am, but then again, maybe not. Still not sure. In October, I'm finally going to London, I've been booking some things, and I'm going there and doing the Harry Potter Studio tour, seeing Big Ben, and the Eye, and Buckingham Palace. That's going to be great. Someone is eating something in the library, that reminds me of mexcian food.4 more months until my return and I'm going straight to get a spicy burrito..yum!

Let's see, at the moment, I got a moment of reprieve. The kids are visiting the granparents and the parents are in England for a wedding. Yeah, freedom until Wednesday. But on a brighter note, they go back to school on monday. I'm like cheering so loudly at that, or I would be if I wasn't currently in the library.

Let's see November, I'm thinking Rome, and doing a Segway tour, to see the sites, of course the coliseum, And I haven't truly thought about anything past it. There was a a big earthquake back home, a 6.0, but where we live everyone was okay, but Napa, and Sac, not to good up there. Man, the the big one is coming, it's just a matter of when I suppose. That's all for no,I'll update again, when I actually finally get to do it. 2 weeks here I come!

Vacation over, and it starts work again...*sigh*

This last week, my vacation was over and I spent it with the gurls. I'm exhausted by the way, but they enjoyed themselves. On Monday we went to the beach, it was an ugly wet day, and e did this glow in the dark Mini Golf thing, that was fun. They had pizza and ent to an arcade for the first time(No words for that) and then they got ice cream. Tuesday was low key, one of my host kids apparently has a mild allergy to tomato paste??? Why wasn't I told this before? I cook dinner 3 times a week as well...apparently according to the mom, the tomato paste she can't have is only foundin pizza that's not made at the AH or home. Basically she told me(the host mom) that the girl is allergic to all non-healthy things,,how in the hell doe that work? lol...Right...Let us not tell her of things I've been feeding them for the past 5 months then. I think she just doesnt want her eating it. Alright.

Tuesday was low key, aka stay at home because the middle child claimed sick when her mom came home the previous.  then realizes oh, I can't do anything fun today...can I retract it? No the damage is done, but anyway I built forts for them out of chairs, and they had a ball.

Wednesday, We went to a bunch of parks, my youngest one(4) ran away from us, and freaked I and the 9 year old out. 4 Year old don’t understand, that particular worry,, but we do and it sucks.

Thursday, we went to the museum, took a moment to get there as all the directions were driving and not biking but we got there.

Friday, we went back to the museum twice as my 7 year old tries to be an grown up and left the discount book  we needed for the museum at home atfer pitching a fit when I put it in my backpack..after that bit,,,I was too through. And then my week was over, well kinda. I went to my swimming class, and I made progress! I can now open my eyes under the water, and yes it is a big deal lol. My goggles broke and my substitute swim teacher said good I didn't need them anyway, lol...its a hindrance yeah but I'm so glad she pushed me!!!

Saturday, today really, I wanted to go to the Anne Frank Museum. But I'm gonna end up going alone and being happy about it. I have a few problems I've been dealing with and I'm about ready to go the hell home. I'm at the library, I don't get wifi in my room anymore, my host family did something to it, and won't fix it no matter how many times I ask . My bed, is an old like fold up wire bed, and my back is killing me, but I'm dealing with it.  And the important bit, my first family threatened to sue me if I didn't pay back the ticket lol, they bought for me to get here. Apparently, according to the Dutch IND I'm not allowed to pay back which I have been because I didn't know that rule...they're taking 100 euros out of 300 euros...a MONTH! Yeah, so my 4 months left, I'm ignoring them and enjoying my last few months. Why didn't I know this before..been paying...and been broke since April..

Wow...at the moment, there is a crying kid in the library....wont they comfort they're kid already? Okay, not much going on I know, but I have 1 and a half weeks of this left. For like 3 days my host parents are going to London, and my host kids are going to their Grandparents...I can't bloody wait! I'm tired...so effin tired.

Vacation is nearly over, Hi Amsterdam

So yeah my vacation is this final week and I find myself ready for it to end and just get back to working. That seems to make everything go by faster for me. I've mellowed out since coming here, and I find that I really am over the whole Au Pair thing. I'm not going to end it, as I'm 6 months in and that would be stupid, but I just think I'm done ya know. I come to the realization that though I love kids, this might not have been the best job for me.

Au Pairs have nothing when they leave their whole world to become an Au Pair. I lost a good friend of mine this past week, I just spent the week with her and then out of the blue I get a text from her saying the next day after I left mind you that she was going home the next day because her Host Mother decided she didnt want an Au Pair anymore.

I think I'm over the whole Au Pair thing as well, I can honestly say that as much as I love kids I never want to do this again. When I go abroad again, it will never be in Holland and never as an Au Pair.

This past week, I saw a movie every night lol, thank goodness for my movie card, I am going to miss that when I go back home.. And ontop of that on Wednesday I went back to Amsterdam and went on a tour that was free to Au Pairs. I'm all up for extra knowledge so it was fun, and I made a new friend in the process. We were going to visit the Anne Frank Museum,but good grief that line was atrocious, it was so massive.

 We did go to the Cheese musuem, and I tasted a ton of types of cheese, which was oddly fun. We tasted a cheese that tasted like Lavender soap, no joke. It was blue, and just gross. That cheese block to the right of the page is fake, however they do have cheese that big and more. If I ever get up the nerve to go into the neighborhood cheese shop and take a picture of some of them you'll see.

This next picture has a great story behind it, apparently there is a bridge in Paris that is filled with padlocks of all kinds. Look to the left there this was on a small brige in Amsterdam. The locks have names on them, and people...well couples write their name on them and they lock it to signal their love never ending. The bridge in Paris that covered in this, I want to see, however I was told that one section of it, collapsed because the locks(which I felt here) were really heavy. It was just an amazing thing to see.

 This piece of chocolate here, is so rich and yummy, reminds me thats yes we are close to Switzerland and yes I need to visit there before I go. I mustn't forget. My host family went to Switzerland for 2 weeks, and brought this back for me. It's huge, and so good.  It's like toffee nougat, swiss milk chocolate and honey I thnk. It's really good, never had this bit before. We do have those in the states, but this was just slightly different i think.

This bit to the right was a little walk through musuem we went through. The floor was covered in over the 100 or so different nationalities that currently reside in the Netherlands. America was there but our representation looks a bit like the UK flag lol. Anyone ever wonder why most of the countries have flags that have at least Red, Blue or white. Not all but alot have blue in them..wierd lol.

Now this last bit here was a disappointed. Starbucks will forever be overrated. This to the left is called a Vanilla cream, a Vanilla bean Frap at home. However the carmel as you can see on just the top was 50 cents extra, and I was disappointed and irritated that I paid that much and they only put it on the top. I anted the carmel in the cup like home. Sigh ..I won't really be back but I was peeved.

That's its I suppose, well there is more but I dont want to drama down my blog and turn this into a rant or something. i find myself wishing that my 5 months would just hurry up and go by already, it's beginning way to much. I'm not home sick as in I'm dying to see my family, but I do miss the simplicity of things. And on that note, I'm bucking up for 3 straight weeks of just me and the girls. #Icantwaitforschooltostart