I’ve been a baaaaaaaaaaaaaad blogger!

*hangs head in shame* I know, I know …. I’ve been horrible at this blogging thing lately! 

Amazing how things that shouldn’t take up your entire day… do.  We are still in fight mode with the kids’ schools, I’m not sure how they determine a person is suitable to be a teacher in this country, but obviously it only requires a cracker jack IQ and the ability to say, “That’s not possible” with out getting bored.   One teacher was suppose to make an appointment for us to meet back in October, I guess his calender is a bit different then ours since it is now December and we have to book it for January.  So much for keeping on top of your students.  

As for the other kid’s teacher, they gave her this “test” that determines what she should do later in life….oh you know what I’m talking about, you have to find what picture goes next in the sequence, or if a is to b then c is to type questions.  OH no no no this isn’t an “IQ” test (which are b.s in my opinion) according to them, this is a capacity test…. hmmmmmmmm questions are the same…..standard for all students……..given a score at the end so that they can put her in one of 10 categories they have already pre- determined………….yup sounds IQ-y to me!  But again… it’s not. So after they give her this test and basically draw a map out to what she should do for the rest of her life, I now have to convince her that this test was crap and that she can’t let a computer tell her that she should be working in a museum if she wants to actually get into hospitality.  So that was battle number 2 continued.

The youngest one, we’ve just given up on her teachers and I now give her extra work at home to do and hopefully that will help her advance.  She’s going to end up at the same school as her older siblings and unfortunately we can’t do anything about that… but hopefully at the next school they’ll get so sick of me arguing with them with the last two they’ll just listen the 3rd time around. 

The youngest one is also a Christmas baby, so that means that I have to do her birthday treat for her class  on Friday instead of her actual birthday since no one will be there.  I’m going to make Rice Krispie squares for them.  Easy, quick and if they drop off the back of her bike there won’t be any icing to smoosh.  Then I was told by Frank that I had to get packages of stroopwaffels or cookies or something to give to the REST of the teachers…. what??  Ya I get that birthdays are a big thing here, but I’m not here to supply the rest of the staff with cookies to celebrate an 11 year old’s birthday.  You work.. if you want cookies bad enough… go buy them yourself.   Or if you have to, have  everyone donate €0.10 and you can get a package. 

Frank also had his birthday recently, the big 4-1 this year.  But he had to take Monday and Tuesday off for some personal things with me and that means that he’s actually going back to work today for the first time since Friday.  Last night he told me that he had to get a cake to bring to work… why?  It’s your birthday, they should buy you a cake!  I know that at Saxco we lived for birthdays.. it gave us a chance to get out of our offices and eat cake, but not once did my boss Maria say “Ok.. well it’s your birthday so can you go buy the office a chocolate cake please?  Thanks”  I just find that a bit odd.  So now he has to rush to the store to get a cake for the office before he’s ostracized.  I told him that he should just bring it in on Thursday and if people want cake or cookies bad enough they can go to C1000 and get it themselves.. but what do I know ;)?

Stoney finally has a groomer’s appointment next week.  He’s starting to look homeless again.  I want him shaved down and nails clipped. He’s adorable with his long hair, but man he gets stinky right quick.  I’m not worried about him getting cold since he has enough sweaters and jackets to keep him toasty in the frigid arctic Netherlands weather (insert sarcasm here).  But he’s getting hair in his eyes and I’m sure it’s driving him nuts.  We found a place in Kattenbroek but she’ll be gone until after December, so I opted for the one in Hoogland.  It’s a bit further but she offers a deal where after 5 clippings you get the next one 1/2 off.  So as long as she doesn’t freak out the dog, I’ll continue to go to her. 

Now with Christmas on the horizon, I have to finish shopping get them wrapped and then figure out our christmas dinner and Bri’s birthday dinner.   Fortunately we are almost done the Christmas thing and we just need to get Bri’s birthday present which we are going to do this Saturday while her and two friends are at the movies for her birthday in the city.  We’ll drop them off and go shopping while they watch High School Musical 3.  Then they are coming back here to spend the night.

So there… I hope I made up for some lost time!  lol I promise to be a little better when it comes to the blog.  Things have slowed down a bit over the last few weeks so I should be good to go until January, when I start my inburgeringcurses –  ya me – again…sarcasm.