Since arriving back in Amsterdam a little over a week ago, it has felt like full-on fall here. Fall is one of my most favorite seasons (summer is my least favorite — yes, really), so I have been reveling in the colder weather and cozy evenings at home. I’ve jumped right into my arsenal of soup recipes, and have already made Potato Leek twice (!) and lentil once in the past week alone.
Coming back to Amsterdam after being in California felt a little more like returning “home,” though I will admit that I still don’t totally feel like this is our home yet. The fall weather certainly helped my mood upon returning, as did walking the Albert Cuypmarkt with KC, Prim, and some fries (yes, with mayo) from a local vendor.
We’ve also gotten back into biking around the city, which I just love. We biked to the center this past weekend to buy a new frying pan (our lives are thrilling), and the fact that it went from sunny to raining over the course of our trip didn’t bother us in the slightest. There’s something about biking home in the rain that really makes you feel like you’re a local here. Plus, I’m getting so much more comfortable riding with Prim on my bike now, which is lucky for her since she sits behind me on my bike — not in front like on KC’s, which is pretty chilly right now! (I will admit that I thought the purchase of this most adorable fall coat for P was a little frivolous when I bought it amidst the 90-degree heat in California, but man are we getting a lot of use out of it here in Amsterdam!)
KC and Prim came down with the stomach flu last week, which certainly put a damper on things. I will say though, I’ve never felt better about my decision to register for three crib sheets and two mattress protectors as I did last Thursday night. And I’m even more glad that I decided to wash all of our laundry back in California before we flew back to Amsterdam, because adding that to the pile of sheets, towels, and sick bedding would have been nuts. (I’m definitely looking forward to returning to the land of normal-sized washers and dryers in 2018. These tiny Euro appliances kill me.)
PS: Does the stomach flu only strike kids at night? It’s terrible no matter what, but I swear child illnesses have some special incubation period where they specifically take hold after you’ve gotten your kid to sleep for the night. The worst.