I bought some men's tight fitting swim shorts to put over my one piece and that was okay. I think the rash guard would be okay in the outside parks. Most places have guidelines online that say what is allowed. Or you can look at photos online to see what others are wearing. Also the Flemish area is okay with shorts.

They say it is for sanitation reasons. It's not really clear what they mean but I think they feel the shorts might be worn outside or have things in the pockets that might get into the system. A lot of American boys and men don't like wearing speedos and avoid going to the pool altogether. I personally think the ones that look like tight bike shorts are fine, but my dh won't even wear those to the pool. But we haven't had any problems with board shorts in Germany though and they have the most amazing pools I've ever seen.

I like board shorts, especially for watersports but just wanted to say that you wouldn't be able to wear them in a lot of European pools. Even men can't wear those.

I finally got rid of all the girly pink/purple floral and juvenile sheet sets. I just did an IKEA run for guest bedding and bought it all in grey/neutrals that go together. I would have to do major laundry before we left on vacation (for the house sitter) or when we had guests to make sure there was enough clean bedding. My new system will be put to the test tomorrow when we return from a trip and have house guests the same night. Hopefully everyone will have a clean bed to sleep in. I also bought three of the under-the-bed storage boxes to make it easier to know what goes with which bedroom. We have American queen, American twins, and European single beds.

I'm glad they are an option for us too. The standard US diploma doesn't carry enough weight for European schools without APs. One more to go, tomorrow morning, Microeconomics.

She had attended primary school in Belgium, French speaking. That's why she had good speaking skills. We had continued off and on with a private tutor which we called French 3 and French 4. My younger daughter just finished the powerspeak course through Clonlara school and took the AP exam this week. She said the exam was easy. She only attended a French speaking school from first through fourth grades and then we used a private tutor for high school French. We will see in July how she did. The technical problems seemed to be worked out with the course.

I'm feeling a bit frustrated with the exams this year. How can a student do very well in a class and on the released practice exams and then come out of the exam feeling like they did poorly? Why would there be so many questions they are unprepared for assuming the course was approved by the College Board and the student worked many released exams? We only have one more to go but it's on Friday.

AP French went well but dd16 thought the Bio FRQs were tough. She is done now so we went for a bike ride and pancakes to celebrate. Dd18 still has her last one (microeconomics) on Friday.

I made a sheet for my dds with their SSN and other info on it so they could fill in the forms. They didn't mention it, but I assume they filled it in the blanks. It is in their college board accounts also. Mine still don't have their SSN memorized since they never need it. They don't have their US address memorized either so filling in the forms is a challenge for them. State and zip code nearly gave my dd an anxiety attack on the SAT since she didn't know how to read the US address I gave her. We have that all cleared up now.

We have used USAA for banking and insurance since 1985 without any problems and lived worldwide.

The international tests were a lot different. They must be graded separately as well.

My dd18 is growing into a very mature young lady but there are still some things that make me shake my head, like leaving the house without a key. I've always been around to open the door I guess. On the other hand she could take the Thalys to London and navigate the tube and trains to get to a summer camp last year successfully, albeit a bit nervously. I'm glad she is going away to university next year because she will have to be completely responsible for her own schedule, keys, having money on hand, etc. every day. Sometimes I think I had it really together from 16 years of age because I could drive to work, school, and friends houses, but my life was much simpler. I only needed one ID, some dollars, house key, and car key. There was no cell phone, multiple IDs, multiple currencies, foreign languages, navigating the university app process ( I just applied to state school), sports practice, youth group, etc. I'm spending some time in the Netherlands right now for AP testing and I see what appears to be a very happy and independent youth culture here. People of all ages are zipping around on bikes, smiling and laughing together. Of course, this is just casual observation but I'm a bit jealous.

When I grew up I took my bike to my first job, the bus to school, and when I was 16 drove to school and work. My mom didn't have a license so she was never able to take me anywhere and my dad worked at a factory job. By the time he got home from work, it was clear that he was going to be having his dinner and relaxing, not driving kids around. Times change. Where we live now the driving age is 18 but still most kids don't get their licenses until closer to 19 or even later. There is public transport and most local kids rely on that or take their bikes. I tend to drive mine most places because of the weather and I don't like them taking public transportation in certain areas of the city at night. Also there are few jobs available to teens. Student jobs are very controlled. Things like stocking shelves and being cashiers are all full time adult positions. Waiters are professionals and not students. There are a few more opportunities in the summer, but we tend to travel then. So I do feel like their adolescence is prolonged. On the other hand, they have had opportunities that I never dreamed of having.

Dd said it went pretty well. I think we have a different test overseas. She wasn't sure about one of the FRQs but tried to answer anyway. At least it is over. It seems to me that there isn't a defined set of things to know for a test like that. Only Micro left for her and my other dd has Biology and French next week.

I dropped my dd off for her Government exam this morning. It's a holiday here in the Netherlands (Ascension Day) so the school isn't in session. I am so thankful that they are still holding exams and the roads were completely empty. My other dd arrives tonight. Her exams are next week. I had a lot of stress getting this all arranged, packing, getting here, etc., but now that it is all working out it's turning into a nice little break and adventure for me. Every cloud has a silver lining is true in this case.

I'm staying in an airbnb now. I didn't want to have to shop right away so I brought things for breakfast the next day which for me means oats, almond milk, some nuts, chia seeds, and my vitamins. I knew from the website information that some basic food like coffee and bread would be provided. I wish I had brought paper towels, tissues, and TP from home. We ate out the first night.

dd thought the Physics 1 exam was pretty hard. She expects to do better on Government and Micro.

I have two diffusers and use them often. It is much better than scented candles IMO. We use lavender or eucalyptus every night in the bedroom. My dh loves it and comments if I forget. I feel it helps us sleep. I use an immunity blend in the winter to fight off colds but I also really love the scent. I've found a roller ball with tea tree oil mixed with a carrier oil is helpful for razor burn. I do not ingest them.

Those are all great ideas! No slow cooker here. They don't even want us to use the tea kettle and the dishwasher or clothes washer simultaneously. It might blow a fuse. They are super energy conscious here. It's interesting to me to watch everyone pedaling around with their little bags. I even saw an older couple cycling with potted plants they bought at a garden center. Quite a contrast to the pick-up truck we take to the garden center when we go. I can walk or cycle to the shops. I'm trying to embrace this aspect of the culture while I'm here. One odd thing is that the gas stove has an auto-igniter, but the flame isn't the blue I'm used to and the gas doesn't have an odor. I keep staring at it to make sure the flame is still on and I can't see if it's the right size for the pan I'm using. It's disconcerting.

I'm staying with my dd in an airbnb while she does AP exams. It's very charming. It has a well equipped kitchen but it is small and I don't want to mess it up too much. I'm looking for some good ideas for super easy yet healthy food. There is no microwave. I can get roast chicken at the local market so I will probably do that with salad a couple times. We went out for lunch yesterday and had sandwiches for dinner. We could go out more often but she wants to be at the rental to study as much as possible in the evenings. My other idea is wraps. We have nearly two weeks here. The shops are unfamiliar so I think simple is the key. Thanks for your ideas.

This afternoon we arrived at our cute little townhouse in a small village outside The Hague. Dd18 has her Physics 1 exam tomorrow at a school she has only been in once before but they have been very accommodating. She isn't feeling super prepared but after the test we will take a break by renting bikes and heading to the beach for dinner and some relaxing. The weather is amazingly warm and sunny. I could get used to this! I hope my dd16 tests here next year. Good luck to everyone!

My older one is doing Physics 1, Govt, and Micro. Physics is taking almost all her time. The review book seems much easier than the course she took so we aren't sure what to expect. My younger one is doing French and Biology. She isn't too worried about the French except for just the awkwardness of the oral part. She is the only student taking the exam. Biology is her tough one. At this point there isn't much I can do to help. Just get them where they need to be on time and pray.

My senior has three exams this year and my junior has two. They are studying hard this week. The cool thing is that we have to go to The Netherlands to take them. The American school near us won't let us test anymore. I am looking forward to renting a bicycle and exploring the dunes, villages, and bulb fields while my kids do their tests.

Faith is a journey. Even though I was raised Catholic and believed in God, I didn't have a personal faith and doubted much of the Bible. When my first child was born I decided that I needed to make a decision whether I believed or not and what I would teach her as she grew up. So during the many hours of nursing her I read many books and I realized that I could actually read the entire Bible and probably should. So I bought a one-year type Bible and started with the intention to read with an open mind and not be concerned with whether a man could really live in the belly of a fish or not, etc. By the time I finished the Gospel of John, I believed without a doubt that the Bible was Truth. I've continued to study since then and my faith has grown deeper. Other books that helped me during my time of searching were Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis and The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom.

You want Gortex. If your son is older/fully grown you could get him a high quality brand at a sporting goods store.