interesting comment, and Dad would have too—if Cecily had said it. But since I said it, he said, “True. But then, the Dutch have always been expert skaters, and rollerblading is like ice-skating on pavement.”
Well, it's pure good luck that we got to see them on our second evening in Holland.
But it's pure bad luck that… our luggage still hasn't come!
When we got back, the check-in man said it may take another day or two.
Dad blew up!
“Another day or two! That's outrageous!” he said. “We're here for only a week!”
Hendrik said nobody was at the baggage office at this hour, but if we don't get our luggage by tomorrow, the company will have to compensate us for our inconvenience.
“What does that mean?” Matt asked.
“Give us some money for new clothes,” Mom said.
“Does luggage ever stay lost?” I asked.
“Rarely,” Mom said.
Matt looked at me and I explained that “rarely” is grown-up for “sometimes.”
Matt is worried about DogDog, and I'm worried about Hedgehog!
As we walked up the steep stairway of the canal house, Mom and Dad got grouchier with every step. They said that if our stuff doesn't come while we're asleep, we'll go shopping first thing tomorrow.
I won't mind shopping.
I like shopping.
Dad doesn't. He said he didn't come to Amsterdam togo shopping and he doesn't want to spend all day at it.
Mom said, “Sweetheart, I didn't come for the shopping either. I came for the art, and if nobody objects, I wouldn't mind seeing some paintings,
dank u wel
.” She wants to see the Van Gogh Museum, Rembrandt's house, the Rijksmuseum (Rakes Moo Zay Um), and the modern art museum, for starters.
Dad said, “Honey, be realistic. We can't possibly do everything, especially with three kids.”
Mom said, “I won't have my children growing up thinking that Dutch Masters is just the name of a cigar company.”
Dad said, “Miranda, they already know better— and this is supposed to be a vacation, for God's sake.” (He said for God's sake, not for gosh sake.)
It was embarrassing that Mom and Dad were arguing in front of Cecily. Usually they behave better when other people are around. I whispered to Cecily that my parents always call each other sweetheart and honey when they argue, and Cecily smiled a tiny bit.
Matt started crying—I don't know whether it was because of Dad and Mom arguing or because of DogDogbeing lost or because of burning the roof of his mouth or because he was about to pee in his pants and it was taking Dad forever to unlock the door.
Cecily, for once, didn't tell everyone not to worry.
The funny thing is, I kind of wish she had.
Dad finally got the door open and Matt ran to the bathroom and Cecily kicked off her sandals and said, “I'm going to shake a tower.” Dad, of course, laughed— ho ho ho like jolly old Saint Nick.
Then Matt started moaning about DogDog, and
Cecily lent him Snow Bear for the night
. Matt and Dad and Mom were all touched. I was nauseated.
Maybe I should never have invited Cecily on this trip.
But then, I didn't.
Mom did.
Maybe Mom thought that having Cecily here wouldhelp us all get along. Wrong! (Or partly wrong anyway. Everyone else is mostly getting along.)
Or maybe Mom really just wanted to help Cecily's mom. I keep forgetting that Cecily's mom is very sick. I bet Cecily hasn't forgotten, though.
P.S. I wrote Smelly Mellie because I can't believe I'm still wearing these clothes. As for Dad…
P.P.S. Cecily tried to call home but her mom wasn't there, so she left another message. Right now Cecily is being sort of quiet. I wonder if she wishes she hadn't lent Snow Bear to Matt the Brat.
Dear Diary,
What woke me up today was Dad making phone calls about our luggage. He found out that our luggage was definitely on the plane with us. The luggage people's computers were down but now they are working again, so they said they would be able to trace our stuff.
“Then do it!” Dad said, sounding sort of mean. “We're
Well, it's pure good luck that we got to see them on our second evening in Holland.
But it's pure bad luck that… our luggage still hasn't come!
When we got back, the check-in man said it may take another day or two.
Dad blew up!
“Another day or two! That's outrageous!” he said. “We're here for only a week!”
Hendrik said nobody was at the baggage office at this hour, but if we don't get our luggage by tomorrow, the company will have to compensate us for our inconvenience.
“What does that mean?” Matt asked.
“Give us some money for new clothes,” Mom said.
“Does luggage ever stay lost?” I asked.
“Rarely,” Mom said.
Matt looked at me and I explained that “rarely” is grown-up for “sometimes.”
Matt is worried about DogDog, and I'm worried about Hedgehog!
As we walked up the steep stairway of the canal house, Mom and Dad got grouchier with every step. They said that if our stuff doesn't come while we're asleep, we'll go shopping first thing tomorrow.
I won't mind shopping.
I like shopping.
Dad doesn't. He said he didn't come to Amsterdam togo shopping and he doesn't want to spend all day at it.
Mom said, “Sweetheart, I didn't come for the shopping either. I came for the art, and if nobody objects, I wouldn't mind seeing some paintings,
dank u wel
.” She wants to see the Van Gogh Museum, Rembrandt's house, the Rijksmuseum (Rakes Moo Zay Um), and the modern art museum, for starters.
Dad said, “Honey, be realistic. We can't possibly do everything, especially with three kids.”
Mom said, “I won't have my children growing up thinking that Dutch Masters is just the name of a cigar company.”
Dad said, “Miranda, they already know better— and this is supposed to be a vacation, for God's sake.” (He said for God's sake, not for gosh sake.)
It was embarrassing that Mom and Dad were arguing in front of Cecily. Usually they behave better when other people are around. I whispered to Cecily that my parents always call each other sweetheart and honey when they argue, and Cecily smiled a tiny bit.
Matt started crying—I don't know whether it was because of Dad and Mom arguing or because of DogDogbeing lost or because of burning the roof of his mouth or because he was about to pee in his pants and it was taking Dad forever to unlock the door.
Cecily, for once, didn't tell everyone not to worry.
The funny thing is, I kind of wish she had.
Dad finally got the door open and Matt ran to the bathroom and Cecily kicked off her sandals and said, “I'm going to shake a tower.” Dad, of course, laughed— ho ho ho like jolly old Saint Nick.
Then Matt started moaning about DogDog, and
Cecily lent him Snow Bear for the night
. Matt and Dad and Mom were all touched. I was nauseated.
Maybe I should never have invited Cecily on this trip.
But then, I didn't.
Mom did.
Maybe Mom thought that having Cecily here wouldhelp us all get along. Wrong! (Or partly wrong anyway. Everyone else is mostly getting along.)
Or maybe Mom really just wanted to help Cecily's mom. I keep forgetting that Cecily's mom is very sick. I bet Cecily hasn't forgotten, though.
P.S. I wrote Smelly Mellie because I can't believe I'm still wearing these clothes. As for Dad…
P.P.S. Cecily tried to call home but her mom wasn't there, so she left another message. Right now Cecily is being sort of quiet. I wonder if she wishes she hadn't lent Snow Bear to Matt the Brat.
Dear Diary,
What woke me up today was Dad making phone calls about our luggage. He found out that our luggage was definitely on the plane with us. The luggage people's computers were down but now they are working again, so they said they would be able to trace our stuff.
“Then do it!” Dad said, sounding sort of mean. “We're
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