Passport

When applying by mail, pay the application fee (as well as the expedite and overnight delivery return fee, if applicable) to the "U.S. Department of State". There is no execution fee when applying by mail.

For Passport Application Fee:
Personal checks, money orders, and bank drafts at all locations.

- from the passport renewal page of the USA

There are a three problems with this if you are living in the Netherlands.

1. There is no such thing as a personal check here. I send a letter to my bank and my bank sends your bank the money. I need to know your account number for this to happen.
2. There is no such thing as a bank draft.
3. Money orders cannot be obtained here in the Netherlands. I actually got laughed at when I asked about this at the post office.

So, in the end, I had to go to Amsterdam to renew my passport in person. 2.5 hour train trip to Amsterdam (23.45 euro). But the train was slow so I missed my tram in Amsterdam, that made me late for my scheduled time. So I took at taxi (15 euro). I was dreading the embassy itself, expecting some sort of ultimate DMV. My last visit was to attain a visa for my fiance to go to America. That was 10 years ago and not a happy experience.

Nothing! No Problems at All! I was able to walk right up to my window, the whole transaction took 5 minutes, and because the Euro is so strong it felt like I got a 30% discount on the fee. It was great.

The US Embassy in Amsterdam is awesome. (when renewing a passport. The people applying for visas were stacked up 10 deep.)

Anyway, this means that I will have my documentation in time for the trip home in October. We will arrive on the 11th and will be hanging around with my folks until the 17th.

Derek's 8th Birthday

When it is your child's birthday, there are three things you must do here in Holland.

1. Make a snack and/or small gift for everyone in the class and something nice for the teacher. This is called a 'tractatie'.
2. Arrange a birthday party for your child and several of his friends.
3. Arrange a birthday party for your child where adults can come and congratulate the family.

We didn't actually make it to step 3 this year, because step 2 just about killed us. My son, who is a sweet and friendly boy, invited fifteen (15) FIFTEEN boys ranging from 7 to 9 years old to his birthday. So, from 12:00 until 17:30 on Saturday August the 30th of this year, I really really wanted to have some earplugs.

Putting the cake on the table was easy enough. Keeping the boys from daring each other to jump out of our 7th story window was a bit more complex. And walking the kids to a bowling alley that is only a few blocks away was harrowing and nightmarish. We had arranged to have two other parents come to help us with herding duties, but one begged off because a problem at work.

15 boys, against 3 adults.

I say that as if you might know what the hell that MEANS. And if you do know, then you have my sympathy.

After the bowling alley, we walked them back to the house and watched them play soccer in a field until it was time for their parents to pick them up. It ended up okay. No one was hurt, all the kids seemed to have a good time. I have to count it as a success, but next year, "No more than 7 kids, Derek. No more than 7."