What a day! Definitely not boring.

Well, if it's possible, today was more insane than normal. I got up late and found Daan, my host mother, and Sybren, the youngest child, baking a cake in the kitchen. I didn't want to disturb them, so I went without my coffee and breakfast. The mail came, bringing eight birthday cards, four for each twin we had. Today was their birthday, hence the mother is baking a cake. After awhile, Daan and Syb left to pick up the kids for lunch. After they left I made my much-desired coffee. I sat down to drink it while reading God’s Generals II, the book that I’m currently working on. I read about Martin Luther. When I reached the last two sips of my cup I looked at my coffee and saw that something was terribly wrong with the coffee. There was stuff floating in it, and it was a lot of stuff. I grossed out a bit, became disappointed (because there was no way I was drinking that unknown substance) and made myself a new cup of coffee. When I started to stir the new coffee I saw that the thick floating mass was there AGAIN!!! And then I knew what it was. The milk that I'd used in my coffee was bad, sour, gross...you name it. I dumped my second cup of coffee, smelled the milk, and dumped the milk. I came to the conclusion that it was worth trying for one more cup of coffee. However, before I did that I made a cup of hot water and poured a bit of milk from the new carton (dated the same as the old carton...25-11). The hot water was a pure milky white with no odd thickness to it, so I made a cup of coffee and it was heavenly. Then I set the lunch table and continued to read about Luther.

Suddenly, there were footsteps and little voices audible. The back door opened and in ran six, not four, but six children!! Two friends were over, and due to the slight insanity of it all we had a picnic instead of a normal lunch. Well, that didn't necessarily decrease the insanity, but everyone was able to eat at the same time without ordering the bread of their desire. When the kids finished they went off and played or fought, according to what suits their fancy. Finally it was time for them to go back to school. Daan and I managed to get them (individually) on the toilet, in their (individual) coats and shoes and out the (same) door. Peace reigned again in the house, though it looked like we'd just been through a war. I cleaned up the kitchen and table, sat down, and read about Luther. After Daan came home I went to the stores to pick up the important items of a Strippenkaart (which is a card with a lot of stripes on it that I’m required to use in order to ride on the Public Transportation), (non-sour) coffee creamer, and tissues.

While standing in line to pay for my coffee creamer at the C1000 (a grocery store) a very interesting scene occurred. There were three long lines at that particular time. I went in the one that looked like it had least products lined up, seeing as I only had to pay 44 cents in total. I didn't really want to stand forever. At one point I thought a lady was going to skip me in line, but as I stared unimpressed at her shopping cart she said, "Nee hoor, je bent als eerst! (Translation: No! You are first!)” So, I wedged myself in between her cart and the one of the lady in front of me. As I waited I noticed that the three cashiers were talking back and forth to each other, trying to help one of them because something wasn't working. She needed a number to punch in and they couldn't find the right number. Well, after a minute or so of this one of the customers waiting toward the back of the constipated line said, "Wat is so lastig? (Translation: What’s so difficult, anyway?)" She then proceeded to open her loud mouth and to tell the cashier how to do her job. She then walked to the front of the line, picked up the grocery item in question (a 24 pack of Amstel beer) and swiped it across the radar, causing the price to finally show up on the screen. She then walked back to her spot in line, complaining and rebutting the entire way. The lady next to me in line said something about it, to which my first thought was, "Oh no! Don't talk to me!! I am not Dutch!" I hadn't caught exactly what she said but I gave a one-word comment and summary of the situation in my opinion..."ongeduuld (Translation: Impatient…I’d been looking at the well-voiced item swiper)". The lady then proceeded to tell me that you either understand your job or you don't. I said back, "Weet ik veel. Ik heb het nooit gedaan. (Translation: Like I know! I’ve never done it before!)" I paid my 44 cents, and walked out as quickly as possible, wanting also add that the swiping customer had been rude, but I didn't know the words for it and so was spared the agony of giving my opinion to a stranger. Then I went to Kruidvat and bought the tissues that will assist me greatly for this last part of my currently tormenting cold.

Finally, I was home and complained to Daan about the above scene and about how Dutch people are not only opinionated but that they seem to think that because they have an opinion that they have to give them, too. I must have complained very well and with much passion because she agreed with me whole-heartedly. Then I went and read about Luther. At that time Daan went to pick up the kids from school.

The kids arrived home. When they got home it was a bit of deja-vous. In walked six, not four, but six kids...the only difference being that two of them were different kids. Jack came home and we threw a birthday party for the twins. Then things proceeded to build in volume. I took pictures, made a video, and then sat down to read about Luther. I amazed myself at my ability to ignore the excessive noise of 2 girls, K3 (popular group of three female singers that are all above the age of thirty but dress like their about the age of thirteen then dance about while singing very fast-tempo songs about being in love), and 4 boys. I even managed to comprehend and enjoy the words on the page before me, which is quite amazing considering the loudness of everything at that point in time.

I then ran upstairs to write an email and do some homework. I went back downstairs and all was quiet, finally. Things were back to normal. There were only four kids, the television was on, and we watched the Children’s News Program about Sinter Klaas, which keeps them updated on all the important details of what’s happening with the Sint and his Piets. I sat down and read about Luther. Then we ate, I went to Dutch classes, got beat up by a bunch of past tense verbs, and now I’m back, eager to crawl into bed and finish reading about Luther. Then again, maybe I’ll just go to sleep.