skating and sinterklaas

Sunday morning we woke up to rain and all of our lovely snow was gone.  Every last snowflake.  It feels a lot less Christmas-y around here without any snow but I am hopeful we will get a little more before the season is through.

Jake and I bundled up and walked to the rink -  umbrella and rain shield in full use - to meet Billy for a family skate the team was putting on.  The family skate happen to fall on the exact time Jacob usually naps but we figured we would go anyways and see how long he would last.  He did pretty well.  All of the kids flying around and the Disney songs blaring in French made for a pretty exciting environment.  He lasted about 20 minutes and then started falling asleep on Billy's shoulder. 

Once nestled back into his stroller he was fast asleep before I could even exit the arena, stayed sleeping while I carried him into the apartment, and only opened his eyes for a brief second while I took off his shoes, mittens, touque and jacket and put him into the sleep sack.  Turns out skating with Dad is pretty tough work. 

I don't know how it happened but I forgot to bring my camera to the skate.  I contemplated going back for it but was worried Jacob would be asleep by the time I returned.  And he probably would have been.  Luckily one of the other mothers was prepared and she took a couple of pictures for me. 

December fifth was also Saint Nicholas' eve.  The birthday of  Saint Nicholas, or Sinterklaas as the Dutch call him, is the sixth of December.  The patron Saint of children, sailors and Amsterdam.  It is cause for a huge celebration in the Netherlands.  As tradition goes, he arrives by steamboat from Spain and puts goodies and sweets into children's shoes on the eve of December fifth.  One year he put a package of very nice Christmas tea in my shoe. 

It is a little something we like to do to remember our time in the Netherlands and a fun little tradition to carry on.  Here there is no such celebration.  The French have Père Noël which as far as I can tell is a lot like our Santa Claus back home.