The great Dutch phenomenon of Tulip Time is among us. After months of speculating over weather conditions and the health of the sacred tulips, it’s time to shine-up your wooden shoes and join the festivities. While I look forward to food vendors lining the streets with their colorful stands so that I might enjoy a variety of fried foods and bratwurst galore, I’ve adopted a more local attitude now that I live in the heart of the action.

Instead of going directly home from work last night, I made the poor choice of stopping at Wal-Mart first. By the time I finished my shopping the Klompen Classic 5K race had begun and I had no access to Main or any other street near my house. This was very frustrating with a hungry 8 month old in the backseat. We drove around and around until I finally made the executive decision to seek shelter and food at Pizza Ranch. Not a total loss, but not how I planned on spending my evening either. This is one mistake I won’t make again. It’s time to wisen-up and not allow myself to fall victim to Dutch tradition. Next year I will leave work at noon and go directly home just to be safe.

While our new location comes with annoyances like closed roads, there are many benefits such as close proximity to the square and food! We can’t wait to put Emerson in the stroller and walk downtown to enjoy the festival. Earlier this week Nic took her for a walk and got a head start on tulip gazing. Here are a few great shots!