I've been wheat free for a week now and it's really starting to get to me! I'm craving the wonderful ham and cheese croissants they have here in the Netherlands! And the chocolate chip scones!

I knew I had to go all the way - I found out recently I have a wheat allergy but really only cut back. Then once we got here in Holland, I just forgot about it completely. Then I paid for it! So last week I stopped eating it and now I'm so grumpy! I've had a headache for 3 days now! And the kids are driving me crazy!

But I'm being good. Alicia, I'm thinking of you!

In New Mexico, my home sweet home state, I am spoiled with over 300 sunny days a year, pleasant weather, mostly dry and hot. Sure we deal with cold, especially winter nights, but the days warm up and there is almost always sun. So... now I am in the Netherlands. It is cold, right around freezing. It rains almost everyday. We've had snow off and on the last 5 days. Sometimes the sun peaks out, but it's deceiving, it's still so cold! and then clouds come back anyway. I'm having trouble personally dealing with the lack of sunlight. And lack of motivation, it's so cold, I don't like to be outside. And then there's the kids. They need to get out. But it's wet or just too cold. What do people do who live in these climates? How do you cope? We don't have a car, so we can't drive anywhere. We've set up as many obstacle courses in the apt we can get away with. We need more than coloring and board games. Advice, anyone???

These wise words spoken to me by many who've counseled me have been brought to my mind recently. Sometimes I tend to listen to my own thoughts, fears, worries etc instead I should be speaking truth to myself, God's truth!

Before embarking on this adventure, Netherlands, I doubted the decision we made for the kids and I to come back before my husband. I didn't really feel peaceful about either option, so it was the "safer" route. Well about a month after we got here I felt much better about the decision and it has been confirmed by God in so many ways these last weeks.

I had a wonderful conversation with a Dad and his 3, almost 4 year old daughter in a coffee shop getting out of the snow and sleet. She was playing with my kiddos but they couldn't understand each other. So her Dad was translating English to Dutch for her. (Oh, and I found out we don't speak English, we speak American - another blog) Anyway we were enjoying each others company and he asked how long we were staying and then if the kids were going to school. I told him I homeschool them. Then he thought I was a tudor, not their mom. When I explained I am their mom, and yes I homeschool them here, and yes, even back home he didn't know what to think. His first question was why, of course. For me the main reason is academics. Yes, I am a Christian and that is extremely important as well. But where I live, well, let's just say leave it at that... Anyway, it's also bad social environment. I know many non-Christians, and agnostics who homeschool for most of the same reasons I do. Well, I'm preaching to the quior. Anyway, I'm still not sure what he thought about me, but I learned a lot from him. I knew the compulsory school age is 4 here, but I did not know that the child must start school the week of their 4th birthday - for his daughter that was in April. Wow. And they get their official letters from the gov't to make sure the child is there. No exceptions. Also - now the Dutch public school is the same hours as USA, about 8:30-2:30 but the international school where my kids would have to go, Heidi too, is from 8:30 -5:30. Now this is a wonderful school. It is also a boarding school. They have the best teachers, all kinds of courses for the students, including horseback riding for one. At anyrate, I'm not knocking the school. I wish I could've gone there. It's an awesome opportunity for the other Americans here, they are all mid-school and high school age though.  But my kids are too young - 5 and 7. Never been in school at all. Our homeschooling day is from 8-ish to noon-ish, with plenty of snacks. And to top it all off, the Int. Sch is 1/2 hour drive away. So when would we see each other? I am so glad God spoke ever so softly to my heart.

And now, about every 3 days, Heidi, my 5 year old says she's ready to go home. It's hard for her to understand time, but it will be here before we all know it, then we'll be sad.

My son is 7 and loves the Star Wars movies. The other day we were doing our Bible lesson and the kids were not listening. I told them when they didn't obey their parents they were disobeying God too and that they needed to listen to God not the Devil. Aaron then says something about Anikin and why did he go to the dark side. I'm thinking, Great! you really aren't listening!! But he was, he did have a reason for asking. So we talked about the movies and that the Dark side is like listening to Satan - it's all about pride, power and SELF. And how listening and obeying God is like using the Force. We talked at length about it and even though he's only 7 and mostly likes the movies for the light saber battles, he did learn a little more that day. Praise God.

Now when they kids are acting up I ask them who are they listening to? They know and confess (but still continue!) but at least they are becoming more aware of their heart motives. Now, being a mom who's grown up in the time of pop psychology, I wonder am I giving them too much guilt?! 

After a rough morning of homeschooling with lessons on respect and kindness, repeated a few times, I went into my bedroom to pout. My DH asked how I was feeling. "Defeated" was my answer. Well, he told me to fight the good fight and run the race with perseverence... He said reminded me I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. It was exactly what I needed rather than wondering if the kids will ever get it. Seems like so much goes in one ear and out the other. I pray they are getting it.

Meanwhile, we are planning a trip to Kasteel Hoensbroek for Easter Sunday. There is supposed to be a big festival and actors as knights and fun stuff for the family. It should be lots of fun. We keep threatening to not go if the kids don't show more respect. I hope they don't blow it. I also hope the weather is nice.

Here's us at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

We are having so much fun here in the Netherlands. We are very close to Germany - 20 minutes from the border so we are spending some time there and also Belgium too. This has been such an awesome experience.  As far as homeschooling goes, it's still going well. We try to stay in the apartment until after lunch because we do get strange looks with the children not being in school. If anyone asks us, I say we're on holiday. It is extremely hard to get permission to homeschool here, but not impossible as it is in Germany. My heart has gone out to all in CA and praise God, it looks to be turning around.

At anyrate, I just downloaded Medieval Life: Fedualism and Beyond from the homeschool estore, now CurrClick. It is so perfect for our studies and field trips here. I've never been is a place full of so much history. New Mexico is a barron state - there are some old adobes here and there, but here - it's everywhere! Hengelo, the town we live in was pretty much destroyed in WWII. There is a church and it's tall tower that survived, everything else is new. We visited Doorwerth Castle and it was almost destroyed, first by the Germans taking over, then by the allied forces getting it back. They have restored it to it's period and it's wonderful to see now. We can't wait to see more and learn more.

So here's my plug for CurrClick. It's really an awesome website.

 http://www.currclick.com/rss.php?affiliate_id=20200

Wow, who would have ever thought!

Homeschooling is going quite well here. I brought almost everything I need to homeschool the kids while we are here for 86 days. Already 9 have gone by. We are really enjoying the living what we're learning or is it learning what you're living? Anyway, we are loving it. Everything is different, yet the same...

We are studying castles now and will see one in 2 weeks. We are studying money and learning all about Euros. We are studying plants and have seen some things we could never have imagined - some strange and beautiful plants, some weird scary plants! The farm animals are very hairy/fury; the horses and sheep and cattle. Thank God for the internet! What would I do without being able to look things up, translate languages, and communicate with friends and family from home. It's a wonderful thing.

I'm so thankful to God for providing my husband's job and this opportunity to be here.