In the Christmas Spirit

First, let me just say that I'm so annoyed everytime I log into Blogger to write a post, and everything on the welcome page is in Flemish. I keep trying to tell them I'm an english speaker, but it just doesn't hold my preferences. It's so annoying to have all these French and Flemish pop-ups, and to have big banner ads for applying for the U.S. immigrant lottery. Enough already! I can't even watch clips on NBC, since they can "tell" I'm outside the U.S. Argh!

But on the plus side, we're one step closer (and a big one!) to being free from diapers. Jack and his friend Jacqueline seem to be having a little "who is bigger" competition, and the parents are the happy recipients. Jack started it by tossing the pacifier. Jacqueline followed a few weeks later. Jaqueline is pretty good about pooping on the potty (sorry, all). Jack was clearly concerned that he wasn't as "big" as she was, so he declared the other day -- out of the blue, and with no prompting -- that he was going to go poop on the potty. He did -- that was 4 days ago, and he's gone each day on the potty since.

HOORAY!

Of course, it's not always easy being diaper-free. Twice yesterday, we had to expose Jack's nether regions to freezing temperatures so he could take care of business behind a truck at the Woluwe-St. Lambert Christmas market.

But we're very proud of him. Just goes to show you that they'll do it when they're ready, and not a moment before.

Field Trip
The kids took a field trip on Friday to a Chocolate Museum (near the Grand Place) and to the Dinosaur Museum (near the EU). Those who were watching the news on Thursday may have heard about the 16 terrorism-related arrests made in Brussels on Thursday, and they were concerned that a suicide bombing attack may have been planned to coincide with an EU meeting that was occurring thursday and friday.

I agonized all night about sending the kids on their field trip, since both locations were in or near either crowded areas of a purported target. In the end, we let the kids go. Mostly because they arrested the person who had gotten the green light to go ahead with the bombing, and partially because the kids wouldn't be right in the center of where an attack might occur. I did worry all day, though. I think I was by far the most anxious parent.

But apparently not anxious enough, however, to stay away from the Grand Place and the Christmas Market downtown. Luckily, it wasn't very crowded, and after a glass of hot wine, I forgot (a few of) my worries.

Spinning is Hazardous to Your Health
I took the kids to the playground today, and Jack wanted me to spin him on this pole. He sits on the seat, holds on to the pole, and I gently spin. And spin, and spin. I kept asking him if he wanted me to stop, but he eagerly shouted "More." So I continued to spin, slowly. finally he got off. Promptly declared, "My tummy hurts." Then threw up.

He might not have a future in the space program. Which is fine, since he wants to be a fireman anyway (he gets lots of practice carrying around my vacuum cleaner hose while watching the fireman video cousing Andy gave him last year).

We're looking forward to our visit home for the holidays. I need some midnight shopping at the mall. But it was big news here: SOME of the stores were actually open today. Wow!

And finally: only in Belgium. Our good friends recently moved from their townhouse right off Place Dumon to the 'burbs. I rode my bike by their old place yesterday (in the snow, no less), only to discover that they've turned their house into a pharmacy. In a day! Pretty funny. It will be strange to go into the pharmacy when it opens. They even left a little spider sticker on the window that one of the kids put up...

Christmas in Brussels

We went downtown to see the Christmas lights in the Grand Place, and it did not disappoint. The pictures don't do it justice, but it's the best we could do. It was really neat. But Amelia verged on hysterics because she thought there was going to be fireworks.

We had a wonderful dish called Tartiflette (potatoes, onions, spices, Reblechon cheese and a bunch of white wine). I'm going to have to learn how to make it!






If you look closely, you can see that they're projecting a snowflake pattern on the Hotel de Ville.


Here's a video showing a bit of the light show and the music (and the little dancers).

I rode my bike to market today (yes, in December!), and when I came out of the grocery store, it was snowing heavily! It was beautiful, but a little awkward for riding the bicycle. They're setting up for the Christmas market this weekend. The Christmas markets abound -- far too many for us to ever get to! Probably a good thing for our pocketbook.

I had meetings with the teachers last week to discuss the kids' progress. Jack was highly praised for his bread-making skills. His teachers says he's mastered bread-making (one or two kids make bread every day for the other kids to eat with their lunch). So much so, that they said Jack could be trusted to teach any of the other kids how to make bread. He's always so proud of his little loaf that he gets to bring home!

Amelia was highly praised for manners and for helping the younger kids, and she's showing a big interest in math.

They're going on a field trip on Friday -- a chocolate museum and a dinosaur museum. Lucky kids! (I will be heading downtown to the Christmas market!)

I'll post some pictures later of our St. Nicholas day on Saturday. The kids got to open all of their presents, and we had caramel rolls and bacon -- a true Christmas miracle! And they also helped me with making sugar cookies. I need a far bigger kitchen!!

More soon!

Sinterklaas Comes to TJ's Office

Jack received a big Ferrari workbench, while Amelia got a My Little Pony Cotton Candy Cafe with 4 ponies. If she ever had any doubts about Christmas, getting ponies today shattered them. She's a believer!



Jack was not interested in greeting Sinterklaas or in getting his candy from the Zwarte Pieten.



While Amelia was first in line!



Uncle Shmoopy's makeup gift to Amelia lives on. Pink glittery lip gloss isn't for lips anymore! It's for faces and, apparently, dinosaurs.



Poor Amelia continues to be devastated by the approach of Christmas (= departure of Elena). Today she asked me to take the advent calendar down, and she cried at bedtime. It's heartbreaking for her to be losing her friend...