Train Ride

This morning we went to breakfast at the same place by the hotel that we have been eating at and we got our last Dutch pancake for breakfast, Yum!!!
We also had to go shopping to get a bigger suit case for Joann so that everything fit in the bags.  We then headed back to the hote to reorganize with the new suit case and make sure everything was packed.
We arrived at the train early because we thought that there would be customs, but there wasn't, you just got on and off at your stop even though we were going from The Netherlands to France.

Anniek played with her new Pokemon that she got the other day when we were out checking out the stores.  She was not interested in anything that I packed for her other then the snacks.  We had lunch on the train.  When we arrived in Paris we took a cab to our hotel then dropped off our stuff and checked out the room at the hotel.  It even had a walk out private patio!!!

We then wandered around the hotel area and found this wonderful crape plae where all they serve are crapes so dinner was a buckwheat crape with spinach, cheese, mushrooms and a cooked egg on the top.  Dessert was a crape covered with chocolate, nuts, whipped cream and caramel.

After dinner we went back to our hotel because we wanted to have an early night.
When we got back to the hotel our tickets and RER tickets for Disney that we ordered when we got to the hotel were waiting for us as well as our stuff for the Eiffel tower tour we booked.
We then showered and Anniek fell asleep for an early night.  It didn't work for me though.

Time for the BEACH

Today after breakfast Joann's cousin and her husband came to pick us up and brought us to their place in Ijmuiden.  We sat out on the back patio and Anniek found a paint brush in the shed and got a bucket of water outside and decided to play with it until lunch cleaning things.  Anniek really warmed up to the husband.
After lunch we went to the beach on the North Sea by their place.  At the enterance to the beach there was an area where  an area of sand was dug out and 10 trampolines were placed in it and they rented out each trampoline for 2.50$ Euro for 10 minutes.  Anniek wanted to do it so she was given the money to do it.

We then talked to the water because the tide was out we had to walk a bit.  There were a bunch of jelly fish all over the sand, I am assuming they were dead.  There were also lots of shells on the beach.  The water was too cold for swimming but we went in up to our knees.

We walked along the beach to a cafe on the beach with a large patio that looked out to the ocean and we stopped there for ice cream and something to drink.  Dogs were allowed on the patio and inside and they did not even have to be on a leash!!!
We sat down to enjoy our ice cream.  Anniek wanted to sit on the bench with the pillows so we let her while we were at a table.  Soon Anniek saw a lady with a little Chihuahua dog and asked to pet it.  The lady had Anniek sit next to her and put the dog on Anniek's lap, Anniek loved that. 

After a while Anniek came up to me and asked if she can have another ice cream, turns out the lady with the dog asked her if she wanted done, so Anniek got another ice cream and ate it with the lady and was sharing it with the dog.  When Anniek was done the ice cream we thanked the lady and headed back to the car.  Anniek was lucky and got carried most of the time we were walking on the sand.  We walked back to the car on a path along a canal behind the beach.

We then drove around and we got shown the old bunkers from WWII.  Back then they decided to just cover them with sand and forget about them, now they are in the process of uncovering them and going through them.
We then went back to the house where we met some more of the family and we had a huge wonderful dinner that was wonderful.  Then we got ready to head vack to Amsterdam and the hotel and pack for the train and go to bed.

Shopping Day

Today in the morning after breakfast we did some shopping in the streets around the hotel for a while, when our hands were full we went and dropped our bags off at the hotel.
We then decided to go on a canal cruise.  Anniek was not really interested in the cruise so we got off a stop early which was almost right outside of the Anne Frank House.

 We grabbed a bite to eat for lunch at a coffee house just up the street because it was lunch time and Anniek was hungry.
When done we went into the line for the Anne Frank House, but it was getting cooler and a bit windy and the line was huge so we decided to come back later, after we got sweaters from the hotel first.
So we walked back to the hotel and found a shopping center on the way back, so we stopped in and looked around.  After the shopping center we saw the Royal Palace and in front of the Royal Palace there were a couple horse and carriage tours.  Anniek wanted to go on one but they cost $35 Euro for 20 minutes, so not worth it, so we didn't do it.
Batman was also there, so I got her picture taken with Batman.

There were also a bunch of pigeons that would come and land on your arms if you put them up beside you.  Anniek LOVED it that the birds came and landed on her arms.

When Anniek got to play with the birds for a good amount of time we went back to our hotel and dripped off the stuff from the shopping center and got our sweaters.
We then walked back to the Anne Frank House.  The line was in the same spot as when we left it earlier.  It was very interesting, but Anniek was not too interested as she didn't understand about it and was trying to just get through each room quickly.
We then wondered the street around the Anne Frank House and stopped at another cheese place and they had cheese that came in different colors.  They had Green cheese (Pesto), Blue cheese (Pesto/Lavender), and Pink (forgot the flavor) Gouda cheese!!! 

Anniek wanted a pack of blue cheese to bring home so we got a pack of it as they package it so it is good out of the fridge for up to 4 weeks and its fine on the plane.
We then headed back to the hotel for dinner and stopped at a Chinese place for dinner.  The food was very good compared to the stuff we have back home.  Joann then took Anniek and found a bakery while I got a break and we met up at the hotel and had some very nice treats before bed.

Touring Holland

Today we got up bright and early in the morning then went to get tickets for the "Best of Holland" tour which was 2 half day tours made into a full day and you got a discount if you got them together.  The morning tour lasted until about 2pm.
The morning "Countryside" tour consisted of going to de Zaan, the oldest industrial area in the world that has working windmills.  We got to tour Het Jonge Schaap...a cap winder sawmill that still works!!!  The people working in it were wearing wooden shoes.

We even saw a dutch bicycle...how I wish they had ones like this over here...they would be so much easier with kids.  Anniek wanted to take a picture of one.

We then went to the city of Volendam which is a fishing village.  We got to see how Gouda cheese is made and try numerous different flavours.

We then had a lunch break and went to the place the tour guide suggested to eat for lunch.  I tried eel which was surprisingly really good!!!  Anniek wasn't as adventurous and had a personal pizza for lunch.
After lunch we took a 10  minute boat ride on Europe's biggest freshwater lake to the island of Marken and went to a wooden shoe factory and we got to see how they are made.

In the afternoon we went on "The Delft and The Hague" tour.  We got to tour the Delft factory and see them painting Delft and we got to tour the city of Delft. 

We then toured around in the bus the city of Hague.  It was raining by this time which didn't really matter because it was a by bus looking at the old Queens castle that she still lives in...and the new Kings castle...as well as the parliament building, peace palace and different embassies for different countries.

Schiphol

We arrived safely to the Schiphol airport with no issues.  For those of you that know this is in The Netherlands aka Holland.  We made it though no problems and were one of the first ones to grab our bags and make it out of customs and to the spot to wait for a shuttle to the hotel.

Schipol airport is actually about 20-30 minutes from Amsterdam so I was surprised to have to sit for another 30 minutes after we got onto the shuttle to go to the airport.  When we arrived at the hotel we freshened up and got changed then we went to walk around where the hotel was and see what there was to do in the area.

Because of the time change and not getting a lot of sleep the night before on the plane it all caught up to Anniek around supper time just before they served us our plates.  We had to feed her the pancake because she was so tired she could hardly keep her eyes open.

Children's Wish Foundation

Anniek got granted a wish from the Children's Wish Foundation when she was younger, but we decided to wait until she was more stable and old enough to remember the wish trip.  Anniek changed her mind a few times about what the wish would be.  For a while it was a horse, a trip, a few interesting things that were not possible for her to choose for a wish like a sibling, having a Dad (step-dad) that I am married to and is around.  There were also a few destinations mentioned for trips like China, Africa, Florida, Paris and Holland. 
In the end we decided to go on a trip...by plane.  So we got our passports and everything and it really didn't feel real for the longest time.  It really didn't sink in that we were actually going until about a week before the trip and we were getting packed.
We arrived at the airport early as it is an international flight and we have to get through customs and everything.  Then started the long wait sitting around for our flight to be called...we even got to see the plane before ours load and take off as it was still day light off.

Anniek was very good at waiting for our plane to arrive and to be called.

We even got to be the first ones "checked in" at the gate and the first ones on the plane!!!
Anniek's awesome god-mother came with us.

Cardiology

Anniek had her cardiology appointment today.  I thought it wasn't until March 6th so its a good thing they sent out a letter saying it was today.  Anniek was well behaved at the clinic and the doctor is happy with how things are looking.  So the doctor feels comfortable with not seeing her for another 9 months.  I asked that she be signed up for the heart camp here when the registrations come out and they said that they would sign her up.  I think it will be good for her to go and meet other kids with special hearts and have a camp to do in the summer as she won't be able to go to regular camps with her heart.  She is finally old enough to go to the camp this year...I am excited for her to go, but yet I know I will be nervous once it is closer for the time for her to go away to camp.