What is it like living in The Netherlands as newly settled expats? On Tuesday October 15th, I kept a record so that I could share a typical day with you. Welcome to the minutia of our everyday Dutch life!

7:10 am

Elora (almost 3) knocks on our bedroom door, “ge up, mama, ge up.” And with that, my day begins. By the time I get downstairs, Liam (age 12) will already be off to school on his bike.

7:30 am

Elora and I come downstairs for breakfast before the sun has properly risen. We find Aria (age 14) in her morning study spot. Aria enjoys waking in the quiet early hours to study. She’s been up since 6 am. Right now, she’s studying for a biology test (in Dutch!).

On Tuesday mornings my husband has a late start at university. He takes the opportunity to make one of his thrice weekly grocery runs. Over breakfast Brandon quizzes Aria and I about our dinner plans. We four - Liam, Aria, Brandon and I - each cook on set days to keep things simple.

8:10 am

Brandon hooks up the trailer to his bike and loads in some reusable grocery bags. At Dutch grocery stores, you are charged for using disposable bags. Elora relishes any outing by bike. It’s cloudy and a bit dark out, but not too cold.

I watch from upstairs in my sewing attic and then settle in to do some computer Stitched in Color work while they’re away. While I’m working, Aria departs for school. She and Liam go to different schools based on their Dutch language level. These publicly funded schools are focused on teaching Dutch to new arrivals.

9:00 am

They’re back! “Hi, mama!” drifts up the stairs and soon Elora joins me at the desk.

It’s short-lived of course. I probably burned all of the time that she was happily engaged taking these pictures! Honestly, trying to work at the computer is hopeless.

9:10 am

So we switch to sewing! I’m also minding a project on the longarm that’s in the process of quilting.

10:00 am

Time to head down to flights of stairs for afternoon snack and some playtime. I don’t worry about Elora on the stairs at all. She’s become a master at bump-bump-bumping down them on her bottom.

11::00 am

My shadow and I climb the stairs to tend to the longarm machine. It’s automatically-guided, but still requires frequent attention. Fortunately, it’s the kind of work that can wait for breaks in our day.

I readjust the machine to quilt a new section of this large quilt by fabric designer Karen Lewis of Blueberry Park fame. Simple and lovely! Elora loves to help me wind bobbins.

11:30 am

While I’m fixing us lunch, Aria opens our back gate, parks her bike in the garden and comes in. She’s home early because a teacher’s faculty meeting has cancelled some classes. School schedules are quite irregular it seems. Aria and Liam start and end school at different times Monday through Friday. They might leave in the morning as early as 7:20 or as late as 9:40. They could be home near lunch or not until after 4 pm. Thankfully they’re providing their own transportation to school, just like all Dutch children. It’s a fantastic arrangement for all! Lots of exercise, no fossil fuels and parents that can focus on living lives.

12:00 pm

After lunch Elora and I always snuggle on the sofa to read a few books. I only read to her in English, since my Dutch pronunciation is no up to par. Fortunately, we brought our entire children’s library from the United States.

12:15 pm

Look who walks in the door, while we’re reading! Liam is off early for the same faculty meetings. His school is farther than Aria’s - 25 minutes by bike.

12:30 pm

It’s rest time. Elora plays in her room for about an hour each day after reading time. This gives mama a break while teaching her to practice fully independent play. Sometimes she tucks herself into bed with her baby doll and falls asleep. But not today.

1:30 pm

Rest time is over, and it’s time to pack Elora’s preschool snack. The school asks us to bring fruit for our own child’s afternoon snack. They provide water and milk for the children. This is Elora’s “time to go to preschool” face. She’s ready!

2:15 pm

It takes all of 20 minutes from when I leave my house by bike to the time I’m home again. And a good 5-8 minutes of that time is spent playing alongside Elora in the preschool room, as all parents are encouraged to do at drop off. Now I’m back to work on quilting Karen’s project and prepping a quilt back for my baby Dear Dottie.

I enjoy a few hours of uninterrupted work. Whoot!

4:55 pm

On my bike again to pick up Elora. I’ve snagged a hat for her since there’s a bit of a drizzle. She’ll already have a light jacket because we don’t leave home without one. Rain comes and goes a lot in The Netherlands. Plus, I need something to block the windchill when I’m biking! Today the high was in the low 60’s F.

5:30 pm

Liam made burgers for dinner. On the panini! In this States we barbecued a lot, but that’s not so convenient here with all the rain we get. We’ve tried substituting the grill with cast iron pans and now the panini. Next time we’re using the skillet. Adjusting our meals has been a gradual and often frustrating project. It’s one of those things I don’t want to have to work at. Thank goodness we’re sharing the challenge.

5:45 pm

Brandon opens the back gate, back a little early from university. We catch up on our day while he eats and I clean up the kitchen.

6:20 pm

I tell Elora goodnight where’s she’s splashing around in the bathtub under Aria’s watchful eyes. I’m headed to ballet, a class I take with other women on Tuesday nights near town center. It’s a 10 minute bike ride, sometimes quite pleasant with the sun setting around me.

This time I’ve been warned to wear my raincoat. There’s a steady, light rain falling. Fortunately I’ve mastered the technique of riding one-handed so that the other hand can keep my hood from blowing back in the wind. Some Dutch people manage to bike without fussing with their hoods, but I haven’t figured that out. Maybe it’s because I ride an upright city bike and practice good posture, haha. I can’t slouch on the way to ballet class! If I was leaning forward on a trail bike, I might be able to keep both hands on the handlebars. Hm.

8:20 pm

Time to tuck in for the night. Shower, chocolate + Calvé peanut butter and a good book. Liam’s reading on the couch beside me and Brandon is studying upstairs. It’s the end of a typical day, and I’m tuckered out. When Aria returns home form Tae Kwon Do a little after 9 pm, I’m glad for the millionth time that no one had to pick her up. I tell you this massively simpler self-transportation scheme makes up for all the rain and the cold. I think the bike culture is going to be one of my very favorite things about the Dutch life.