What to Do When it Rains? And Rains, And Rains

We discovered a place called Planet Kid's ( http://planetkids.be/-- anyone who knows me well will shudder for me when they notice the apostrophe in "Kid's" -- the editor in me will never die). It's a big indoor play area with different sections for different ages. A small enclosure for 0-2, complete with ball pit and slides, then a bigger multilevel section for 2-4 and a super-big multilevel section for agest 4 and up. It was nice, because I could stay with Jack in the infant area but feel comfortable in letting Amelia run free in the other areas, as I could always see the door. Then in the middle, there's an open cafe, selling beer, wine, sandwiches and lots of fries. So the kids played for 2 hours, and I even got to order a sandwich and a cappuccino. It was a great afternoon diversion, and I think we'll go there often!

We Came All the Way Here for This?
TJ is off on his first overnight business trip to Lille, France. They were going to do a walking tour of the town, followed by a rousing night of bowling. Huh? Well, at least he's sure to get a good dinner out of the evening (unless they eat at the bowling alley, I suppose?).

Weather Forecasts Are the Same Worldwide
We were dejected to see that today's forecast was for a 100% chance of rain. Not optimistic. But absurdly enough, it was a gorgeous day. Sunshine, blue sky, and only a few passing ominous (but clearly not rain-filled) clouds. But, of course, we thought rain was always just around the corner so we were afraid to stray too far from home. (I'm buying rain covers for the double stroller when we return to the US, so at least I can then take the kids out in any weather and I'm the only one who will get wet.) We did manage a few walks, which was nice.

Jack's Pediatrician Visit
Jack had his 18-month appointment today, and all was well. He hasn't gained weight (hard to believe, as he always has food in his mouth -- but he's always moving, too), but got a good report. This pediatrician doesn't seem to think we need to revisit a pediatric opthamologist about the blocked (yes? no? sometimes?) tear ducts. So we'll just keep an eye on his eye (so to speak) and see how they progress.

We do have to return to the doctor in April for an additional immunization (one that they don't give in the US). So the doctor gave us a prescription for the shot; we'll pick it up at the pharmacy and keep it in the fridge; we take it to the doctor for her to give Jack the shot. An interesting routine, but it seems to work.

Gotta Learn French...
I must admit, I've been a little humbled by my lack of a second language (granted, I would be a little better off if we were in Spain, but even so...). When the the fast-food burger worker ... and even the panhandler speak better English than I do French, I find it a little embarassing. And then I'm even more so when I expect people to be speaking English. I realize that this is a very international city, and that English is a very international language, but still...

Pastry of the Day and Other Goodies
Below is Amelia's bakery selection from yesterday. Another marzipan-wrapped cake with a layer of cream in the cake. Then each end of the marzipan was dipped in chocolate. Quite tasty!




My latest indulgence is a Belgian s'more. Two speculoos cookies (a graham-cracker-like cookie but much, much better), a pink and white striped marshmallow, and a dark chocolate spread. Quite tasty.

And for the kids, I discovered a portable applesauce that Jack, especially, loves. It comes in a container like a Capri-Sun with a little screw top. You unscrew the top, and the kids suck the applesauce right out.

Other News
We have a possibility of an opening in a school for Amelia. We hope to hear something by the end of the week...

The North Sea in Winter...

Red Tape, Belgian-Style
Last week culminated with getting one of our new cars -- hooray! TJ went to the DMV-equivalent on Thursday to get the license plate, and found himself at the end of a long, long line of unhappy-looking folks, being slowly served by a scant few DMV employees. Somewhat dejected, TJ returned to the office without the license plate, but found that he could hire the insurance company to go stand in line in his place. So that's exactly what we did! A rep from the insurance agency came to the house Friday morning and picked up the paperwork; she went to the DMV and got the license plate. She got everything to TJ, who hitched a ride to the garage (who was making the second license plate), and he arrived home with our Opal Zafira minivan.

I had the luxury of having the car for the day, but not the luxury of having two willing children. They went somewhat gamely along with the idea of meeting a friend for lunch (bribes: the chocolate that came with my cappuccino, two rides on the Mickey Mouse ride in the square [which played "It's a Small, Small World" nonstep -- I know, Mom -- it's payback time!], and a Leo (like a Kit Kat) bar. Unfortunately, all bribes were given out before my lunch even arrived.

Then it was off on a new shopping adventure -- Colruyt. It was like a mini-BJ's or Sam's. Very small (VERY!) and very industrial, but some good finds. Juice boxes, pretzels (only 40 cents a bag!!), and fake Goldfish crackers were the gold nuggets here. I hear they have a good meat counter. To order meat, you take an order form, check off the kind of meat you want, and turn the form in. I plan to take a form, bring it home, translate it and then enjoy something other than chicken.

My mom is horrified that I bought some chateaubriand and put it in the crockpot. Honestly, it was one of the few cuts of meat that I recognize (though I sure didn't know if it was a good cut, a mediocre cut or a bad cut), so I bought it. Lucky for me, the crockpot meat turned out fantastic, and I'm not sure if I should be proud to say that I'll probably do it again...

Our Trip to the Shore
In our efforts to get out on the weekends, we headed to a town called Knokke on the North Sea coast (http://www.trabel.com/knokke/knokke-voorpagina.htm). It was cold, and rainy and windy. And this was before we left. So why, oh why, you say, did you think that going to the coast would be a good idea?? Well, we heard that stores were open there on Sunday. Good enough of a reason for us, so off we went.

And, indeed, it was cold, and rainy, and windy. But the rain would break, and the sun would come out just a little. Amelia insisted that she wanted to go swimming, but was appeased by just going for a run in the sand with TJ to the water's edge.



Jack tried valiantly to catch up with them but mostly just lost his balance and would fall in the sand.

Our "shopping" ended up being coffee and lunch in a cafe, and buying Amelia a plastic baby deer at a toy store. Although it wasn't great weather (to say the least), it was a pretty drive and would definitely be a place where we would return in nicer weather. They had a nice boardwalk with lots of riding toys you could rent for kids (and yourself, too) and a lot of cafes with outdoor seatng (in better weather).

And the baby deer? When we got home, the deer was nowhere to be found. I searched the car. TJ searched the car. I even went back out in the rain to search under the car. Nothing. TJ wrote a "letter" from the deer, saying that it was lonely and had gone back home. Amelia thought that was cute, and she wrote a note back to the deer. Lo and behold, hours later, I discovered the deer crammed into her Snack Trap, munching happily on Honey Nut Cheerios. Who knew deer liked Cheerios? I was just glad that my 4 euros wasn't for naught...

The Zoo and Mardi Gras

We took several adventures this past weekend.

We went to Planckendael Zoo (http://www.planckendael.be/content/index.asp?), which is about halfway between Brussels and Antwerp. It was a pretty nice zoo, with most of the standard zoo animals. We did notice that there are fewer barriers between you and the animals (note the kids chasing the giant bird below). Jack loved all the huge birds and shouted "ba ba" at them. The birds were definitely the highlight for him.



It's hard to tell on the picture below, unless you enlarge it, but there are a whole bunch of otters in the back, to the left of Amelia. There was a family sitting next to us, throwing handfuls of cookies to the otters (which the otters loved, by the way). And you can tell there's not much barrier between us and them (not that otters are that likely to rip your throat out or anything, but...). But feeding animals seems to be much less of a "no no" than at home. (Some of you might have read on cnn.com a few weeks back of a woman who adopted a big cat at the Antwerp zoo, and then one night, she snuck in its cage after dark. Needless to say, that story didn't end well... http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/02/12/cheetah.attack.ap/index.html)





Jack making the "pig" sign

So anyway, the zoo is part zoo, part playground, part nature walk. The had several HUGE playgrounds for the kids, and I wouldn't be surprised if some folks came just for the playgrounds. They also had several very nice restaurants, with more than your typical zoo fare. TJ had beef stew; I had a "hamburger" (which was a patty that had been simmering in some kind of sauce -- not so tasty) and, as always, fries with mayo (which we're growing to like quite a bit). There was also lots of beer and carafes of wine to be had.

It was a great time, but a little pricey. It was 31 euro to get in the zoo, plus parking, and then another 25 or so euro for lunch. But we got out of the house, for which I was very grateful!

There is also appartently a nice riding/walking path along the Dijle canal that runs close to the zoo (http://www.s97358565.onlinehome.us/cyclebel/brabant.htm#dijle). While we didn't go on it (but drove over it) it looks like an enjoyable way to spend a sunny day.

Mardis Gras
On Sunday, we took a drive to Binche, a town about 40 minutes south of Brussels (http://www.visitbelgium.com/mediaroom/BincheCarnival.htm). We got a late start, so we missed the parade, but there were still a lot of parade participants wandering through the crowd. It was a HUGE crowd. Many of the children were in costumes (anything from princesses to Tigger -- basically whatever Halloween costume you had), and there was lots of confetti. We bought a bag, and the kids enjoyed throwing it, though they threw it mostly at the ground, rather than up in the air.

Hot wine was a mainstay (though I swear it has a distinct grain alcohol taste!), and there was a lot of food. There were also several vendors selling flowers -- corsages and bouquets -- made of a pretty yellow flower (goldenrod-like, but I don't know what it was). Many people were wearing the corsages and carrying the bouquets, but I'm not sure what the symbolism of it is for. I've never seen anything similar in the US. And, for those who are curious, there were no beads being thrown and no one flashing for beads. Just a lot of noisemakers and costumes.


Amelia tossing confetti


The street scene in Binche

The town was really picturesque, and it was fun to experience a different kind of Mardis Gras. The schools are all out this week for Mardi Gras, and I've noticed that several businesess are closed Monday-Wednesday.

We Bought a Car!
Another great accomplishment was that we bought a car on Saturday (one down, one to go). But buying a car isn't as easy as it is at home. Though we put our down payment on it, there's a whole bunch of paperwork nonsense that intervenes, so we probably won't be able to pick the car up for a week or two.

Other strange Belgian rules having to do with cars:

• When you get your license plates, they give you only one plate. But law is, you have to have 2. So you have to take your plate to a shop somewhere in town to have your second plate made.
• It is law that in your car, you have to carry a first-aid kit, an orange emergency triangle, a fire extinguisher and yellow safety vests for each adult passenger.

Other Belgian Accomplishments this Week (So Far)

• I found the post office and mailed a first set of letters back to the states. I also discovered that they have standardized envelope sizes. If you have a nonstandard envelope size (for example, all of my extra Christmas card envelopes from Kodak...) it costs you 3 times as much to mail. So you can bet I hustled out to the paperie and bought some standard envelopes. Also learned (the hard way), that the post office doesn't open until 10:30 am on Thursdays. Then they close again from 1-2 pm.
• Jack got his first Belgian haircut today. He was a trooper and sat by himself in the chair with a big cape around him and sat like a big boy. His right eye is getting all watery again -- not sure if it's related to his (latest) cold or if it's his blocked tear duct problem resurfacing.
  

• We got our driver's licenses today. Quite a change from US licenses. It's just a trifold piece of thick paper with our picture glued on and then embossed with a seal in the corner. A pain to try to fit in your wallet.
• Dropped things off at a drycleaners. They give you a card (kindof like an ATM card) that you can use to pick up your drycleaning 24/7. Apparently you put the card in a slot, the reader pulls your information, and a robotic arm retrieves your drycleaning and hands it to you -- even in the middle of the night. I guess for 5 euros an item, you deserve to be able to get your cleaning whenever!! (Though I'm still doing TJ's shirts -- though not very well -- so we're saving a ton of money there. It's our first drycleaners run since we've been here -- not too bad!)

I guess that's all for now. We're still going OK. Though I had a bit of a meltdown Sunday when faced with the prospect of staying home all day (hence the trip to Binche). It's still sometimes hard to not have a car, especially on rainy days or on days when I just don't feel like walking 40 minutes (with a stroller and 2 kids) roundtrip for milk. But most days I get along just fine without the car and should be thankful for being able to make the walking trip (plus, it gives me some exercise).

I know how to ask for some basic things in French (though I'm confounded when they reply to me in French) and am pleased to start finding some things that I can show to visitors when they come (when are you coming, visitors??).

Now, if I could just start doing some shopping.....

TJ and the Speedo

Well, it made you look at least.

We did buy TJ his European swimsuit, but I don't know how much use he'll get out of it. It is a refreshing change to see the guy be anxious about swimsuit season for a change...

The kids and I did make it to the pool last week for our first adventure. It was a really nice facility. We paid 20 euros for 10 passes (so, roughly $3 a visit for Amelia and I). They had tons of changing rooms for individuals, plus they had several large changing rooms for families -- big enough for me, the stroller and the kids to all fit comfortably inside.

I bucked the trend and put Jack's swim diaper on underneath his speedo. I just couldn't imagine what would happen if the warm water, uh, caused Jack to relax... So I was able to tuck the diaper underneath the swimsuit and you couldn't even tell he was wearing it. I felt much better about swimming, then.

Jack still wasn't allowed in the big pool, so we had to settle for the little pool, which was still very nice. There was a little slide, some fountains, and nice little poolside seats for the adults. They had a great time splashing around, and they didn't hesitate with the swim caps.



I'm sure we'll be visiting the pool often. It was a great diversion. I still don't understand what all the fuss is about speedos, but I guess we just have to go with the flow...

Jack Ready to Wow the Ladies at the Pool

Gee, Thanks, Uncle Schmoopie
He gave Amelia a makeup kit for Christmas, and she recently unearthed it. After quite a while of begging, we finally put lipstick on. A lot of lipstick. With glitter. And some eyeshadow too. The next time we're in Maryland, I'm going to make sure we gussy him up. Wink, wink.



Adapters of a Different Kind
We found that one of the unexpected things that didn't work over here was potty seats. Poor Amelia kept falling into the potty using our myriad U.S.-made seats. So at Carrefour Saturday, I managed to find a giganto seat (I mean, this is one big molded piece of serious plastic) -- but for only 5 euros! It's really interesting, as it fits under the toilet seat, rather than on top of it.) It has a nice backrest for her as well as a little splash guard (great for if Jack ever starts potty training).

More Shopping Fun
I had another shopping adventure at Carrefour Saturday morning. Not having a car during the week, and nothing being open past 7 pm makes big grocery shopping difficult. So off I went today on my own, expecting a great adventure. I got to Carrefour at 9:15; it opens at 9. The parking lot was nearly full. Inside the store was like an anthill. People everywhere. Just imagine shopping at a combination Wal-Mart/grocery store at the busiest time possible. The store is just so big, and there's too much too look at. I got through most aisles but filled my cart up with milk and juice (and a potty seat). It's still hard to try to make my way through the store (trying to decipher french/dutch), and the meat section is especially trying. I picked up a few meats -- have NO idea what they are and NO idea how to prepare it. But all I can do it try, I suppose.

Fried foods are definitely a big thing around here -- they sell big boxes of beef fat in the grocery store. Yet interestingly, I haven't seen many overweight people. A combination of walking everywhere, smaller portions, maybe less processed food and fewer fast-food places must make the difference!

Crabby Don't Begin To Describe It
So I did manage to find one lowly pair of Speedos at the Disport sport store Tuesday. I'm not even sure if they'll fit (they only had a 1-year size, but Jack is small, and I was desperate), but Amelia is so anxious to go to the pool. He seems to be fond of, uh, checking to see if all the parts are there, and he's not really sure why this feels so unlike a diaper. But it's the swim cap part that I'm unsure about. There's no way he will keep that on...



School Days?
We're going to go look at schools for Amelia this week. One school only had availability for afternoon school, which just isn't going to cut it. She's actually napped every day this week, and I'm not ready to force her to give that up. I may also look at creches for Jack, once he gives up his morning nap. What will I do with the time? Who knows. Maybe catch up on some shopping??

The Only Thing We Ain't Catching Is a Break...
Jack, somehow, has managed to catch a minor cold (how? where have we gone? I'm running out of decongestant!). Hopefully, a stuffy nose will be the extent of it. Amelia has been complaining of an upset tummy lately. I'm going to try an experiment of no milk tomorrow and see if that helps.

Birds of a Feather...
I mentioned that there are a lot of birds around. What I failed to mention is that the birds start chirping early around here. Early!! Like 3 am -- I kid you not -- early. I thought I was hearing things the first time, but it happens every day. I've never heard birds out so early!!

And the sunrise is a full 1/2 hour earlier than it was when we arrived here, so we're happy to have more daylight. And the next few days are supposed to be without rain, so for that, we're VERY grateful.

All in all, things are still going well. I have my low points, but they're few and far between and mostly from frustration at the differences from home and some language barriers. To be expected, I'm sure. I look forward to getting a car and being able to do some exploring, and I also am looking forward to taking some language classes.

Frosty the Snowman, Belgian Style

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder?
You know what I just noticed that I haven't noticed around here? Squirrels. I think we've seen one in the month we've been here. How strange is that? At home, they're so pervasive that you can't NOT see them. Here -- can't seem to be found.

The Belgians do seem to be very into birds, though. We've received several bird feeders as gifts. We've hung a few suet balls outside and we've enjoyed seeing the birds visit them. Jack especially enjoys watching them, and it's a pleasant change to see him cackling at birds (and flapping his arms) while looking out the window instead of laying on the dining room floor poking at ants and screaming "ba-ba." (Yes, Jack, we're well aware of the ants. Quite, quite aware.)

Snow, Snow, Snow
We had a beautiful snow this morning -- maybe just over an inch of white, wet, fluffy snow. Beautiful to watch. Not so beautiful to see TJ tramping out to the car (while we do have a garage, it's a manual one. And you swing the left door open, then the right door open, then you drive in, then swing the doors closed -- it's a whole lot easier to just park in the driveway!), driving away, and then skidding back into the driveway a few minutes later.

I get the feeling that a big snow (even more than an inch) is rare around here. Didn't see any plows or salt trucks, so I suspect that the snow is never around long enough for them to something proactive (or, in fact, retroactive) about it.

TJ said he slid into one main intersection close to home and decided that going to work just wasn't worth the effort. Today was to have been my last "Hints" class, but I decided (after looking at the snow covered streets) that it just wasn't worth hauling the children out in it. And once TJ returned (if he came back, you know it was bad), I knew we'd made the right decision. (Turns out that the Women's Club ended up closing for the day, anyway.)

So by 8:30 a.m., I had spent the better part of a half-hour layering children into socks, boots, snowpants, snow jackets, mittens (which Jack is vehemently against, even if it means cold, wet hands), and hats. (And no, I forgot to ask anyone if they needed to use the facilities before we set off on this adventure -- luckily, that didn't come back to haunt me.) And out we went onto the terrace to enjoy the falling snow. Amelia ran around and immediately started building a snowman. Jack, resembling either the Michelin man or the Stay-Puft Marshmallow man, promptly tipped over and was stranded on his back like a turtle. The kids had a great time, and it was wonderful for me to be able to leave them on the terrace while I popped into the kitchen for a sip of hot coffee.

He's Got the Chills, They're Multiplying...
Meanwhile, TJ is sitting on the couch, having announced that he feels achy and a little nauseous (as of this afternoon, he did go into work. I do hope he avoids the worst of this.) We'll keep you posted. The rest of us are fully recovered. Hooray! And since the kids weren't in the nursery all week, I have a feeling it will be a healthy weekend!

Local, But Not Connected
It's been strange for us to not have access to a local forecast -- we rely on weather.com for our weather information, and they certainly didn't talk much about accumulation. And the same goes for local news. Since our only television is coming straight over the internet from D.C., we have no idea what is going on locally. Bird flu, terrorism, the chicken man's rotisserie going up in flames -- anything could be happening, and we would have no idea, unless it is covered by CNN.

Kriek -- Not Just the Sound Our Doors Make
A local specialty I have tried (upon recommendation from some others) is a cherry beer called Kriek. For those of you who aren't so fond of beer (like me), this may be just up your alley. It was actually rather tasty. TJ wasn't too fond of it, but I think he's enjoying sampling the many specialty beers here in Belgium. I'll try to bring some back for some of you to taste. It's unusual, but it was rather refreshing. (And the brand I tried was "st. louis" -- so I just HAD to try it.)

Enough of Belgian Germs, Already

All of our furniture and other belongings safely arrived on Friday, and we worked like madmen all weekend trying to clear boxes and get things unpacked (as the movers were returning on Monday to take away empty boxes and to do any last assemblies of furniture). We did an amazing job of getting it all done, but we're still amazed (horrified?) at how much STUFF we have. And how much of it we probably won't use while we're here. The kids, especially, have more toys than we know what to do with and are starting to put the toys in rotation, so there is always something "new."

I've learned that about half of my baking sheets and roasting pans will not fit into my oven. The one cookie sheet that does fit, only does so if I slide it in on the tracks for the oven rack. I've got several boxes already of "things that don't work in Belgium" (any rack that goes over a door is another thing -- the doors are too thick).

Our Latest Illness(es)
Jack woke up from his nap on Saturday, and Amelia went in to go entertain him for a minute. Next thing I know, Amelia is running in to see me, to tell me that Jack has thrown up. Sure enough, he has. None the worse for the wear, though, he proceeds to play and run and create general havoc for the rest of the day. And then throws up twice more. But he has no other symptoms and sleeps through the night, and all is forgotten by the next morning.

On Monday, we went to the commune to get our Belgian identification cards and our Belgian driver's licenses. I start feeling not so hot, and by the time we get home, I put TJ in charge of the kids and the movers and go to bed. Fever, chills and nausea put me out of commission for the rest of the day. Luckily, as was the case with Jack, by Tuesday morning I felt much better (though a little weak from having not eaten all day Monday). Were we in the clear? Of course not! The amazing vomiting Amelia had not had her turn in the (porcelain) spotlight yet.

True to form, just last night (Tuesday night), she woke up around 9:30 pm crying and fussing. TJ (the undisputed favored parent when it comes time for the kids to decide whom to throw up on) went upstairs to calm her. Moments later, I heard the dreaded "Honey.....!" I get upstairs to find chocolate milk everywhere in her bed (thank goodness for hardwood floors!). I strip the bed, while TJ changes her (and his) clothes. She falls right back asleep, only to wake a few hours later to repeat the process twice more. Hoping to nip this in the bud, I give her some of the Motillium that the Belgian doctor had prescribed her when we had an earlier round of the bug. And it worked like a charm. She woke up this morning ready to eat cheetos (though she said she didn't want any chocolate milk today).

Now, will TJ be the next to fall? He usually seems to avoid the stomach bugs, and I'm hopeful he does this time, too.

On a postive note, every time Amelia got the stomach flu in the U.S., we ended up getting IV fluids. This Motillium must have some magic qualities. I shall definitely stock up on it before returning back home.

I know everyone is wondering what, exactly, we're doing to invite all these germs. I really don't know! The kids have been in the nursery a few times (always a germ festival) and we've only been out in crowds around the markets. I don't know if it's different strains of bugs that we weren't exposed to at home, or if it's just "that time of year." In any case, I hope we're developing some resistance to this nonsense.

I'm sick of being sick and have had enough. Plus, it takes too much time to do the laundry after each of these episodes.

Kindness of Neighbors
We've had two of our neighbors come by this week with beautiful flowers to welcome us to the neighborhood. Everyone has been extremely kind and has offered to watch the house and the kids and to do whatever we need help with. It's been very reassuring, as we had been told that the Belgians weren't very outgoing with foreigners, but so far, we've found the opposite to be true.

To Sum Up...
So as of Wednesday afternoon, all is well here. We're over our latest round of illnesses (unless TJ comes home early), we're settling in, and TJ was able to watch the Super Bowl the morning after the event.

I successfully made dinner last night following the detailed pictures on the back of a box of pasta mix (those Europeans, they do draw nice pictures for those of us who can't read French/Dutch) -- so I feel like things are coming together there. I need to branch out from my mainstays of chicken, but that will come, I'm sure.

Hope all is well at home. We miss you all and hope to see you soon!



Our container with all of our stuff....




Amelia and Jack in their new play area