Another School Year, Another Virus

First Day of School -- Monday, Sept. 3
Amelia started school again today. Remarkably, we all got out the door on time, dressed, teeth brushed, hair combed, snack in hand. Of course, today it decides to pour down rain. But it didn't dampen spirits at all. Amelia had no hesitation about going right in, especially when she saw her friend Lana. Even Jack didn't seem too concerned about Amelia leaving. He asked about her a few times, but now seems perfectly content.

Jack and I made a grocery store run for chocolate chip cookie (from scratch!) supplies. It's a Neunreiter tradition to have them on the first day of school, and I couldn't let Amelia down (especially because my Mom kept reminding her of it!).

Now I've eaten half the dough... Ugh. At least it tastes good. They don't have "all purpose flour" (at least, not that I can translate), so I was a little worried about the flour I ended up getting. Tastes good, though!

School Days, Sick Days
Jack is recovering from his first cold of the school year. He visited his creche for 1 hour last week, and managed to come down with a nasty cold. He ran a fever for 3 nights (but not during the day) and is super-congested. On night 3, he came down with a croupy cough. Last night was pretty good -- he only woke up twice, and I didn't have to sleep with him (we've been sharing the guest bed for the past few nights).

Latest Road Trip
We went to Antwerp on Saturday, for no real reason other than we hadn't been there. I probably enjoyed the trip the most, as the first thing we found was the major shopping street. We did a lot of walking, and a street clown made Amelia a lovely balloon hat. We had a really nice time, but didn't come away with any diamonds. It was a quick drive (only about a half-hour away) and was a lovely town to visit. We'd like to come back soon to investigate it some more, and there's a nearby zoo for the kids to enjoy

Tuesday, Sept. 12
Everyone is getting into their school routine. Unfortunately, Jack cries hysterically at the mere mention of "school." I feel like a jerk dropping him off, as he's clinging to me crying "Home, Home." But they tell me that he stops crying right away and is having a good time. I've enjoyed having a few mornings free to go to the gym or do some shopping without having to bribe the kids.

Jack continues to learn new words -- dinousaur, drive (he always wants to sit in the driver's seat) and M&M are the latest. He's just as cute as can be.

And Amelia has succumbed to the power of commercials. My Little Pony commercial? "I want that!" Yogo yogurt snacks commercial? "I want that!"

Afternoon at Walibi
XOM had an employee day at the Walibi amusement park (like 6 Flags) on Sunday a few weeks back, and it was a great time. I'll post pictures later. They had a great section for the young kids. Amelia got to ride her first rollercoaster, and Jack got to ride on a bunch of rides as well. I won Amelia a giant dolphin (exactly what we needed, right?) by shooting a basketball (a one-chance deal). It slept with her for a few nights, but it took up too much room.

The ExxonMobil folks had rented out a pavilion, and it was kids' heaven. A popcorn stand, cotton candy, waffles, crepes, face painting, balloon man, bouncy castles, play areas -- and all free. They had lots of great food and drinks, and it really was spectacular. We had a blast.

I'm sorry I still haven't posted from Joe's visit. I haven't been online as much as usual, and I just haven't been writing and drafting as often as I should. I promise to try to be better!