A Week In Command, A ReTREAT, A Queen, A Show, A Goodbye, A Friend, A Purpose?

A TIMELINE
A Week In Command (Sept 7 - 12)
Week two was au pair boot camp for me. Susan went to Switzerland on business and I was almost entirely entrusted with Sergeant Greetje and Lieutenant Gabriella (I had some help from Grandma and Elody). Still, they ran me amok. Some sweet moments with the girls, but the sour moments sent me to the barracks and introduced me to a side of Kelley that I'm not well-acquainted with- impatient, irritable, defeated... There is quite a tension between being a cool, easy-going au pair and being a responsible caretaker. After a bit of a tug-of-war between the two I realize in the long run it's much more beneficial for the girls and myself if I can tighten up a bit. I knew from the beginning that I wouldn't be a good disciplinarian because I'm always so concerned with being liked. Still trying to find a successful balance, but it's coming.



A ReTREAT (Sept 12 - 15)
At the end of the week I got to head out to L'abri with Herman. Took me three hours to travel approximately 80 miles. Road lesson #1: Do not drive on Dutch highways between 3:00 and 6:00 p.m. on Friday. When I arrived I immediately felt at home. This was absolutely the best setting to de-stress. Many quality interactions with dear friends and new friends. I left Eck en Wiel fully rejuvenated, hopeful and optimistic about the next week as an au pair.





An interesting exercise Robb had us do Sunday evening.
Never take your eye off the subject or lift your pen off the paper.
Let go of any expectations. Simply follow the intricate lines of the face.





A Queen (Sept 16 daytime)
Tuesday the girls were off of school for Prinsjesdag or 'Princes Day' which marks the beginning of the new parliamentary year. On this day large crowds gather near the center to watch Queen Beatrix ride in her golden carriage from her palace to the Knights Hall to make a speech about the policies the cabinet is planning to implement over the next year. I took Gab and Greetje to the center to shop and then we met Susan by her workplace (Rabobank) to watch the royal parade.





A Show (Sept 16 nightlife)
My dearest Dutchy Stefanie accompanied me to the Colbie Caillat show in Amsterdam. Colbie is pop artist from the States but much of her support comes from her Dutch fans. My friend Justin from Nashville is her stage manager. So he got us in. The venue Paradiso is an old church- intimate, stained glass windows and "Soli Deo Gloria" engraved in an archway over the stage. Colbie has a great voice, catchy songs and a talented band supporting her. I had a great time with Stef and Justin afterwards. Stef took some pictures of the show.






A Goodbye (Sept 19-20)
Elody left on Saturday. Her internship with the architecture firm ended on the 19th. She was incredibly instrumental in my smooth adjustment here. I'm grateful and fortunate that she was here in the house for my first few weeks. Not only did she help out with the children, we often enjoyed adventurous bike rides through the city center, on a search for a new place to sit and talk with a drink and perhaps a cigar or dessert. Now that she's gone I need to be a bit more proactive at finding a buddy I can share my evenings and weekends with, which is not so easy in a large Dutch city. Maybe I'll hang out in an Irish pub. They're always friendly there, right? ***Elody, thank you for an enjoyable few weeks. I hope you return next year to finish your studies here. Until then, I hope to visit you in Saint-Étienne or Paris.***





A Friend (Sept 21)
On Sunday my friend Levien visited from Utrecht. I first met him and his good friend Wouter at L'abri in October last year. We stayed in touch and the two were even able to visit me in Cape Canaveral this summer. I thoroughly enjoyed his visit on Sunday. An American church service, a simple lunch, a relaxed bike ride, the beach with its kite-covered sky, a visit to his friends, a spontaneous beer accompanied by a bundle of typical Dutch fried food, all laced with good conversation and the free spirit of a day off well earned by both parties. ***Thanks for a nice Sunday Levien***



A Purpose?
So there you have it. I've catalogued a list of events and experiences I partook in. They keep me busy, entertained, and productive, thus giving me some sense of value and self worth. Then a familiar question blasts me... What's my purpose in this life I'm living in The Hague? The "Big P" purpose is a concept I struggle with (ultimate life calling, destiny, etc) but at least (or maybe at best) I am able to discover something sacred, beautiful, telling or poignant in an ordinary moment. This is "little p" purpose. This question of purpose stirs in us all to some degree. And for those who wonder if there is such thing as a life purpose, maybe the stirring inside of you that dares to sometimes ask "is there more?" or "so what?" is proof enough that there IS more. For now, forget seeking the more you long for. Simply acknowledge that you long for it and perhaps in that very moment you are living your purpose. I personally don't know for sure what all this purpose stuff means, but I know it's innate and cannot be ignored.

(Enjoying the afternoon sun through my bedroom window)

After School Shenanigans and A Good First Week

This is what one hopes to find after leaving three eight-year-olds alone for 30 minutes with conspiring imaginations...


(Gabriella escaped from the zoo, Suzanne joined the Cirque du Soleil, and Greetje became a live TV reporter on her cardboard television)

Just a glimpse of the oh-so-sweet parts of my first official week as Au Pair. A successful week, I conclude. Much to learn about my responsibilities, the roles expected of me and new roles I'll ascertain. Right now I see a blunder of expectations in my mind, therefore driving myself a bit nuts. But I envision what my life will look like when I get settled into a routine. Similar to how it has been in any of my life settings(with the exception of a living with a family who daily depends on me). It will look like this: a mixture of busy and balanced, fun and challenging, relaxing and inspiring, with some lonesome moments, but mostly full of life and healthy interactions.

Susan has made my transition into this new life quite comfortable. She's fully welcoming, helpful and approachable. I observe her daily as "Super Mom" and she does it as a single parent. It's quite amazing. Full-time director of a bank, a wonderful mom to Greetje and foster mom to Gabriella, a hockey mom, gymnastics mom, theater mom, music mom, a wonderful home, active in the community and committees, loyal to friends and family, a host to any... and she's cool.

It's going to be a good year.

Last night the girls and their playmates planned a disco party for Susan, a friend and I in Gabriella's room...


As the winner of the Dutch word scramble my prize was an improvised dance performed by Susan and her friend. Susan chose the chicken dance in order that we were all familiar with the moves.

Oh, Pear!

I am an au pair. Here are some pictures to help you with the pronunciation:
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An open source contributor says:

The au pair title comes from the French term meaning "on a par" or "equal to", indicating that the relationship is intended to be one of equals: the au pair is intended to become a member of the family, albeit a temporary one, rather than a domestic servant. In the best circumstances, both parties benefit from learning about the other's culture.

Address:
Burnierstraat 38
2596 HW Den Haag
Netherlands



Though I've been here a total of five days, today (Monday) is my first official day on the job. The past few days consisted of getting to know the family, settling into my new home, jet lag recovery, becoming acquainted with the area on bike (the children have been excellent tour guides) and transitioning from old au pair to new. Mila, the previous au pair left Saturday for a 40 hour busride back home to the Ukraine. So now there are five of us in the house. Susan (the mom), Greetje (8-year-old daughter), Gabriella (7, almost 8-year-old foster child), Elody (21-year-old French/Dutch friend of family who is staying with us for five weeks while she interns with a local architecture firm) and I! All girls. Even Sara the anti-social cat. Except of course for Herman the Tit, the '88 Peugot 205 Susan bought for me to use from time to time. He's the only male in the family, but he stays outside on the street :)



Most days I will bike the children to school at 8:30 and pick them up at 3:00 and take them to their prospective activity for the rest of the afternoon. Which is either gymnastics, music lessons, field hockey, drama or playing at the house/friend's house until dinner time. Either Susan or I will cook. We eat dinner together, clean up and Susan spends time with the girls and puts them to bed. I am free in the evenings and on the weekends. Room and board are provided as well as insurance and many other benefits.

I am a bit spoiled at the moment with Elody here. She steps in to help in many instances: meals, playtime, cleanup, babysitting, etc. She is also very delightful company to have around and a new friend I can visit in France.


The family is wonderful. I would say so far that Susan's and my personality will get along fine. She's intelligent, generous, straight-forward, likes to drink wine, is quite funny and a bit "ATG" (against the grain). The children are creative, silly, polite and explore interests that I also enjoy. Good times are ahead.

One of the best parts about where we live is the location. Ten minutes to bike to the city center and 15 to bike to the beach. Sunday was our last day of summer and just-so-happened to also be the last day of sunshine for a while. Stefanie, my dear friend I met at L'abri who lives in Ede, came by train Sunday morning to visit a local American Protestant Church with me as well as spend the day with us all at the beach. It was a perfect day. We at lunch at Susan's brother's restaurant, we bathed in the sun, swam, and people-watched. European beaches are quite entertaining.






Goodbye Summer. Hello New Life...