Vacation - Dramamine Kids

Our kid isn't prone to motion sickness, she's the kid who never complains about the car & loves roller coasters (even Space Mountain).  But something about her & an airplane don't quite mix.  She's flown between Europe & America 3 times now (12 flights due to connections), and each time was increasingly more difficult.  The poor kid had 4 vomiting sessions trying to get from AMS to PHL!!!  By the end of the flight she was covered in it, between little warning and a leaky bag it was a mess.  The poor kid couldn't even handle the smell of the food on the plane and had to cover her head in a blanket just to get some relief.  Eventually she wore herself out and fell asleep, but needless to say there was little enjoyment during the flight.  Based on past experiences we knew to pack extra clothes for the connecting flight - at least this time I wasn't alone trying to handle it.

When it was time to return home, my husband & I dreaded the flight back.  We knew it would be miserable for her, and could possibly put her off flying (and flying back to The States to see family is just part of our life).  We had to do something.  But were we really going to be those parents that load their kid up on medicine just so they sleep through the flight?  It just didn't feel right, but what was better for her, vomiting for 6-8hrs or sleeping?  There we were searching the kiosks at the airport, exploring our options, feeling kind of guilty. Then as if the clouds opened and the sun appeared we found Children's Dramamine!  It was a great option, no guilt, no unneeded flu/sleep medication - one magic pill that we hoped would change everything.  And you know what, it did!  Whether it was a mental thing or actually worked, our 4 yr old didn't vomit once or complain about being sick.  She enjoyed the flights like a kid should (well, she did skip the meals & cover her head again, but that was precautionary in her mind).

Needless to say, THANK YOU Dramamine!  And for any of you out there travelling with kids prone to motion sickness, you have to try it!

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Old Pics - Visitors

This is an old photo from a disposable camera (well a scanned version), you know before we all had cameras on our phones!  This particular photo was taken over 10yrs ago (summer 2003), hard to believe... I swear we're still that young at heart (and looks, of course).  This photo was taken during our first year together here in The Netherlands.  Well, the pic itself was taken in Dunkerque (Dunkirk), France... back in the days when we used to explore the country or bordering countries every weekend.  Before we left Florida to start our new life here, we offered an open invitation to all of our friends and family that if they scrounged up the money for the flight we would give them a place to stay.  At the time we didn't really expect anyone to visit except for family.  Of course my Mom & step-dad turned up a few months after we arrived, and that summer a whole lot of friends decided to visit also.  They all picked the same summer (heat wave without a/c)... as soon as one set left another set arrived.  By the time the 3rd set of friends arrived we were unfortunately out of vacation time from work and money (sorry Ashley & Ursula!)  But it was so nice giving our young friends (all in their early 20's at the time) a chance to see Europe and to experience The Netherlands as we knew it, beyond Amsterdam and windmills.  Since then well, a lot of these friendships have faded away over time and I think only one more friend has taken the trip over to see us.  But luckily for us my parents & their partners have become regulars, even to the point I don't panic when they say they're going for a stroll through town.  (In years past I was sure they would never find their way back.)  Our living situation is more limited now that we have a kid, so nowadays when my family visits it is a small investment because they also have to arrange accommodations.  Hopefully one day we'll be able to sell our apartment and get the house we talk about so often.  And then maybe the extended family will decide to make the journey, hint-hint!

Center Parcs

As promised, I'm finally getting around to telling you all about our weekend getaway to Center Parcs.  Center Parcs is a huge franchise with parks in multiple countries, but we decided to go with one close to home.  Within 30 minutes from our house lies Center Parcs - De Kempervennen, who knew you could go on vacation so close to home, ha-ha!  But I must admit, I felt worlds away from Eindhoven and when we returned home we all felt relaxed and rejuvenated.  Center Parcs offers cottages you can rent for the weekend or longer, and within the park they offer more activities than I could even start to list.  You can also visit the park for the day, if you're not interested in staying in one of the cottages.  Since we were going with two families we went ahead and rented one of the larger cottages, and this one was even equipped with things for the kids, like a bunk bed and toys.  The cottages are all located in the woods and once you've unloaded your car you're required to take it to a parking lot on the outskirts of the park, which means it's quiet and you walk everywhere.  Besides the cottage being located in the quiet of the woods, ours was also situated next to a pond.  All we had to do was open the door to the terrace and we could walk down to the duck filled pond, and considering we all brought our dogs they too were ecstatic.  You can make the trip as expensive or affordable as you like, you can request every package they offer (even grocery or meal delivery) or you can bring things from home.  Since we weren't travelling far we loaded our cars up with every amenity you can imagine, anything to make the stay more comfortable.  We brought a lot of food but we also were sure to eat at a couple of the restaurants while we were there.  Besides treating ourselves to everything from bbq to pizza, we also made sure to try out a handful of the offered activities.  In the course of the weekend, we swam at the large indoor tropical pool, the kids played at 4 different playgrounds, played midget golf, the guys played basketball, went to a petting zoo, the kids play in one of the many lakes, and even sat lakeside in the sand for lunch and drinks watching people wakeboard & waterski.  There were many more things we wanted to do, but there just wasn't enough time, we'll save things like the swan-shaped pedal boats and the white-water slide for the next trip.  You can even rent bikes, go indoor snow skiing, or play tennis is you like, oh yeah, and instead of the normal cottage I think you can also rent a houseboat.  They really have it all!  Some highlights for me, the underwater disposable camera I brought and the hopefully great shots I took at the pool and on the water slides (still have to get it developed) and the afternoon on the water I felt like I was back in Florida just minus the excruciating heat.  (Wish I could give you more pics but I don't like posting too many pics of my family & friends on my blog.)  A big thanks to the hubby for making this possible! 
 

And of course to all you mother's out there, especially mine, Happy Mother's Day!

Weekend Getaway

I would like to be sitting down telling you all about our great weekend getaway to Center Parcs (De Kempervennen) but instead I am busy unpacking, doing laundry, and preparing for our nieces to visit.  I hope to squeeze in a post before Wordless Wednesday but not sure if my agenda will allow that.  If not, you'll hear from me by the end of the week!

Wordless Wednesday #50

Link up here for Wordless Wednesday!

 

Our curious camera compilation can also be found here...

We're Back!

We're back in The Netherlands after our adventure to Tennessee, USA!  I am so glad that the trip went by without many issues, travelling so far alone with a toddler was very intimidating.  The night before the double flight to the US I nearly hyper-ventilated, it was a combination of nerves and a cold.  And the morning before the double flight back to Europe I threw up, that was a combination of nerves and taking a vitamin on a fairly empty stomach.  Both road trips between Nashville Airport and my grandma's I felt light-headed & my heart raced, also nerves.  For my toddlers sake I didn't show her any of this, I wanted to make the trip fun (also instructions from my husband, ha-ha!)  She too was sick, she threw up on the big flight over, too much excitement and apple juice.  And she threw up on the big flight back, who knows why because we stuck to water and ate lightly.  So it's official, we're wimps, but wimps that made a huge journey with very little help! 

Our time in TN was great, I'm sure you saw my 4 blog posts, right?  Driving in the mountains wasn't as bad as I thought, and it didn't take me too long to get used to the American rules of the road again (my grandma might disagree, ha-ha).  I accomplished almost everything I set out to do while in TN, and even tagged on a few extra things.  I can say the trip was a success.  And miraculously we are dealing with jet-lag quite well (there & here).  I follow the rules and it works.  If you arrive early in the day in a new country take a short nap (2hrs) then stay up at least until 9PM... if you arrive late in the day don't nap and force yourself to stay up until 9PM, it works like a charm!  It was wonderful getting to see my grandma and getting to see her & my tot enjoy each others company and make memories of their own.  And my Dad was even able to fly up for a weekend, spoiling us because we just saw him around Thanksgiving.  I am so appreciative to my husband for making this trip possible, thanks you're an incredible guy!

And quickly before I close out, we chose to fly Delta this time and I was so happy we went with their airline.  Great service, great planes, great layover times, and great prices!  Fly with Delta if you can!

Bloggin' From TN #4

Wow, I can't believe I've managed to pump out 4 blog posts while visiting Tennessee.  Between my phone and my grandma's little Acer Aspire One I've been keeping you all fairly updated.  To be honest the point of this trip was to help my Grammy clean house, so it's not like you're going to get adventurous posts from the Smoky Mountains or even the heart of Nashville.  Besides helping my grandma, this trip has been about squeezing in some of the things I miss about The States, like extended family, shopping, and even a good steak.  (Is it rude to put them all in one category?  I hope not because I mean well.)  I've been putting a lot of great shots on Instagram but haven't used any of them for Wordless Wednesday, for me it's an entirely different creative outlet & audience. 

Today we managed to squeeze in a trip to Outback Steakhouse.  I used to work at Applebee's so you most likely will not catch me in that type of restaurant but I do find Outback & Red Lobster acceptable (even though I know they probably work just the same behind the scenes!)  Anyway, I was in the mood for a lot of seafood at a price I can't find in The Netherlands but it turns out my grandma doesn't like it.  End of plan.  So, I opted out for surf 'n turf at Outback, for those of you unfamiliar with this term it means you get a combo of steak & seafood on one plate, yes!!!  And if you're at Outback you're almost required to also order the Bloomin' Onion for a starter.  Then there was the cheesecake, something you don't often find on a Dutch menu.  So after ordering half the menu, including caesar salad and grilled asparagus, I realized there was no way I could eat all of that, even though I was sharing the appetizer.  So in American style, we brought a doggy bag home (this is what Americans do because the portions are too large and/or they want to get their money's worth).  The restaurant even had hooks on the end of the booth to hang the doggy bag, can you believe it???  Now I'm stuffed, and it's been 3 or more hours since we ate!  All of the calories I worked off busting my butt around my grandma's house I consumed in one meal... oh yeah, and the Budweiser I'm sipping on isn't helping either!  We'll be leaving soon, and like I said, I have to squeeze everything in.  I actually wanted Michelob Ultra, that's what I used to drink in The States but I'm too used to Dutch beer and it would be like drinking water.

And in usual fashion, I have included pics for you!

Bloggin' From TN #3

I'm not much of a reader, mainly because I'm a writer and that's where a lot of my free time goes. But about a year or so ago I bought my grandma a book through Amazon and it's occasionally crossed my mind, oddly enough. I often wondered if the characters were too young or if possibly the book interested me more than her, but it's a romance and that's the genre she avidly reads. Being that there isn't much to do here at night once the tot & grams have gone off to bed, I turned to this book. I miraculously finished the book in 2 days! The book caught my attention and even reminds me of some of the partially written light-hearted romances I have (or am) working on. This book, He's No Prince Charming, by LuAnn McLane is even a southern cowboy-cowgirl romance perfect for my stay here in Tennessee.

The 1st night I stayed up until 1am reading, woke up at 6am and read until everyone awoke, and then finished it off by 10pm! I had to find out more... maybe that's another reason I don't bother with books I can't stand putting them down. But once finished with the book disappointment set in, the story was over. No more hopes of what might or might not happen to Dakota & Trace's relationship, the book wrapped up neat enough that I know there will not be a sequel. I thought about re-reading it, but that would just be crazy, it was good but there wasn't anything I possibly could have missed. I even considered buying another one of LuAnn's books but when I return to my usual life it'll back to writing my own stories. But if there are any of you out there looking for an easy read that will make you chuckle and also want to hop in bed with your hubby, check out this book!

Bloggin' From TN #2

Here I am again, still on our short trip to Tennessee. When visiting The States there are always a few pit-stops we have to make, like American Eagle & Old Navy!!! But clothes stores aren't the only places we hit up, I love Walmart! When I used to live in Florida I avoided Walmart but since moving overseas I've learned to appreciate the deals. You may take Fruit of the Loom & Hanes for granted but we sure don't.  Where we are in TN, Walmart is one of the largest stores in town, it also includes groceries... I think I've been there 3 times already and intend to go again!

 

Like me, my grandma also appreciates saving money (I guess being frugal is in the family, and so is hoarding but that's a different post). In the hopes of saving some money we also hit up Dollar General (I mentioned bargain stores in an old post, I love them). I was glad we did because I found cards to mail home for 50cents!

 

As always I snapped a couple shots for you. The 1st is an insanely busy Walmart, especially for 2:30 in the afternoon. And the other is Dollar General for those of you unfamiliar with it.

Bloggin' from TN #1

Well, I've never written a post from my phone before, so I hope this turns out o.k. I'm in The States now for a short trip so I can't promise a lot of posts but I'll do what I can.
 

Saturday we had the pleasure of visiting a poultry farm in Tennessee with our extended family. I think my tot thought we were at a petting zoo, ha-ha!  There was everything from chicks to peacocks. Besides the poultry there were other animals roaming around too, dogs, goats, etc. I witnessed a couple things I personally have never experienced before in my 31yrs. One of which I wish I had filmed! I watched a llama chase a donkey over a hill, then in defense the donkey back kick the llama in the neck. Have any of you seen this before? Another thing, one I could have done without was a chicken having its leg cut off! Luckily, I realized it wasn't a joke and distracted my tot while holding down my own vomit. Turns out they did it to try and save the chicken but still, ahh!
 

Overall it was a fun outing between a big family get together. Here are some pics for you to enjoy! Not sure when I'll post gain but this should tide you over for a little while.
 

Oh yeah... maybe I don't know enough about animals but have you ever seen a white peacock or a turkey with a blue face?

Guest Blogger???

Since I have an upcoming trip to The States planned, I'm looking for a few guest bloggers to help keep things interesting around here while I'm gone.  My blog is pretty random so I'm not looking for one theme in particular.  It's always fun to connect and also to promote other blogs... you know I love promoting blogs, stores, music, etc.  Maybe you just want to write about yourself and your blog, maybe you want to write about something on your mind, maybe you just want to ramble on, maybe you want to talk about expat life or parenthood, maybe you want to write about struggles or triumphs... I'll take it all into consideration. 

If you're interested please email me at :
danicasthoughts (at) upcmail (dot) nl

Please submit your name, contact info (including your blog address), and your idea for a post.  If you happen to already have a draft or finished post, you can also submit this via mail.  I also post pictures with every blog post I write, so also consider what picture (drawing, photo, etc. or even just a blog logo) you'd like to use.  In return I will let you know if it is something I am interested in and we go from there.  I'll be accepting applicants all this week and possibly into the following weekend.

Couples Getaway

Read something funny in "odd news" today and thought I'd share...

 

Any couples out there looking for a long secluded getaway with your partner???  Well, a non-profit organization is looking for a couple (preferably married) to take a trip that'll last roughly 1.5 yrs.  The living quarters are small but the view is out of this world!  There's only one issue, you might not make it back alive.  So it's for thrill seekers only! 

Check it out, ha-ha!  Mission Mars

Leaving On A Jet Plane

♫ 'Cause I'm, leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again ♫  (Actually I do know when we'll be back but the John Denver song sounded so nice!)  As I mentioned in a previous post me & my toddler are headed back to The States for a short visit.  You heard it right, me and my toddler, my husband's staying here in The Netherlands due to work and well the outrageous costs of travelling internationally.  In years passed I refused to take the trip alone, I'm not the best traveler... so it seems crazy that I'm doing this with my 3yr old in tow.  But sometimes opportunities arise that you don't want to miss out on, and this one is getting to visit my grandma and see what her life in a little Tennessee town is like.  Plus I want to help her get the house tidy and organized so she can consider selling it and moving into something more manageable.  See years ago she decided to move back home, she used to live in Florida like I did, but she had always dreamed of returning to the town she grew up in, and she followed that dream.  But life happens, and now she's 75yrs old, and that dream is changing.  At her age managing a large house and yard alone is almost impossible.  I always talked about wanting to see her dream but it seemed so far fetched, if we spent the money to go back to The States we always went somewhere central so everyone could visit us in one go.  Then things happened or didn't happen, decisions were made, and then my husband said, "why not, why not do it".  I couldn't help but cry - it means a lot to me... I cried when he suggested it, I cried when I told her.  And believe me, I don't cry easily.  Then after reigning in the emotions, reality started to sink in.  WTF, I'm about to fly internationally, on a connecting flight, then drive a rental car for an hour, with my 3 yr old, whoa!  Needless to say, I've been getting less sleep these days.  The nearing trip has actually taken over most of my thoughts.  I'm a planner you see, so I've been researching every last detail of the trip (maps, airports, you name it).  It took me 2 days to finally settle on a plane ticket, and another entire morning of research before choosing a rental car!  I've been stocking up on things I need to get through the trip from toiletries & luggage, to entertainment & documents.  I've been corresponding with the airline and malls, and anyone else that can give me any more insight on my trip.  Plus there are other things to arrange, like the dog and making sure my husband has food (just so you know, he is capable of taking care of himself).  The trip is consuming my head (I mentioned that right), you've probably even noticed a lot less blog entries the past couple weeks.  But no matter how overwhelmed I sound (and am), I am truly looking forward to the trip.  Mostly the part where I'm in Tennessee with my Grammy and not so much the travelling part.  I don't know if I'll be doing any blogging while there but I'm sure I'll have plenty of stories when I get back.  What people don't always realize is that when you become an expat you never really fit in anywhere anymore.  So I'll feel just as foreign in Tennessee as I do in The Netherlands.  And based on previous short road trips with my toddler, I'll be sure not to say things like, "we're lost" or yell "f*#k" when things don't run smoothly.  All she needs to know is, "we're almost there".  For any of you out there who happen to be pros at travelling internationally with toddlers, feel free to throw some advice my way, thanks!

RyanAir

If you don't want to hear a lot of complaining about an airline ripping us off then avoid this post...

 

I know I'm not the only one out there but I despise RyanAir.  Every time I've ever used them it has ended up costing me extra money and hassle.  Every time I've ever used them I've sworn never to use them again, and yet some how it happened.  Back in August we wanted to fly up to Ireland with some close friends for the christening of their baby.  Then our toddler had a chicken pox scare, we contacted RyanAir and they informed us she would not be allowed to board the plane if she showed signs of chicken pox.  There was no way we were going to be able to go on the trip, we couldn't risk getting stuck in Ireland while she suffered through chicken pox.  We followed all RyanAir procedures just to find out later they were not going to refund the over €700 we spent on the tickets.  See, here in the Netherlands the doctors will not release medical records without proper consent.  Therefore the airline needed to first request our written consent then their medical department needed to contact the doctor directly in order to obtain any medical documents about our toddler.  Do you think the airline is going to bend over backwards to refund our money, no way!  After endless faxes and emails back & forth they finally said there was nothing they could do for us and possibly we should take the issue up with our travel insurance company.  They referred us to a company named One Claims, which emailed us a stack of paperwork to fill out and a list of other requests.  One of which, a "no-show" letter from RyanAir.  I didn't want to contact RyanAir again, I didn't want to give them another cent of our money but I had no choice.  I went on to their website to find out how to get the document, turns out I have to call their 900# at .45₵ a minute in order to request a document that RyanAir is going to charge me €20 to get via email!  I almost flipped out.  Then to top it off while I had RyanAir on the phone I realized I didn't have our credit card, so I had to interrupt my husband at work to get the info.  All the while RyanAir was still charging us money for the call, then the CSR had the nerve to tell me he couldn't hold the line any longer, I almost let him have it.  Luckily we stalled long enough for my husband to get the info!  Now I get to sit around and wait for the document, which I'll have to print out myself (costing me more money)!  Then it will be on to phase two, stacks of paperwork that I have to mail to who knows where, costing who knows what, just to continue this 3 month fight with the airline!

 

I'll be sure to keep you updated on our progress, and in the next post about RyanAir I'll tell you a couple other stories about how they have ripped us off over the years!