It's Not Vacation Till Someone Gets Pinkeye

I'll leave you with that teaser for just a few minutes while I fill you all in on the week's happenings.

Jack followed up his tiny pee on the potty with a tiny poop on the potty the next day at creche. I haven't been able to replicate the miracles at home, but we're working on it.

On Thursday, we headed to Strasbourg for the long weekend. We stopped in Luxembourg City for lunch and had a nice Italian meal. We walked around a little bit, but since it was a holiday and we were on a mission, we didn't linger too much.





We went on to Strasbourg and checked into our hotel. We had asked for connecting rooms, but, as usual, we didn't get them. We had rooms across the hall from each other. T.J. won the draw for the solo room for the first two nights, and I was looking forward to having my solo night on our last day there. (Big lesson learned there.)

We got there late on Thursday, so we had time for dinner and then bed. The kids actually did great all sleeping in the same room, and I secretly enjoyed being able to go to bed at 8:30. And T.J. enjoyed being able to go out to pick up some beer and then watch TV on the computer that we brought along.

The kids woke up bright and early the next day. We got some pastries and juice and had breakfast back in the hotel. Then we went off in search of the Neunreiter legacy (our ancestors emigrated from Strasbourg around 1870).

We took our address of the mysterious Neunreiter business and set off Friday morning in search of it. We took a tram (Jack was very excited) just outside the city center and took a 5-minute walk. We found the street, then I realized I forgot the specific address number back at the hotel. But, luckily, it was a very short street.

We almost passed it. As we were walking by, I peeked around a corner into what looked like a pavement courtyard with a big garage. And on that big garage was Neunreiter, S.A. (or something like that -- I took a picture). So far as we could tell, the business operates out of a big garage. An eldery couple pulled in to the courtyard (parking lot? I dunno), and I used my best French to try to explain. From what I could gather from them, Neunreiter Industries isn't booming. I guess they're more of a distributor (or glass and ceramics) or something now, and there's not a Neunreiter in charge. She did give me the name and telephone number of the man who runs it (or something; French isn't so good). Apparently, someone isn't there on a regular basis. So my hopes of coming home with loads of Neunreiter-embossed goodies were in vain. I was pretty bummed to be coming away with only a picture of a placard on a garage. It was like getting a picture of a lemonade stand.

So we walked across the street to continue our journey, and I turned back from one last look. Then I noticed the giant entryway (that we had walked into, but hadn't really noticed) and saw that there was a big stone archway into which was carved "NEUNREITER." Now THAT was impressive.

The entryway was built in 1906, I believe. Pretty cool. So back in the day, they were obviously much bigger. The entryway was attached to the building next door, which is now office space for some other company.

So still not what I had hoped, but it was pretty neat.

No Neunreiters in the Strasbourg phone book, but I don't think that included suburbs. One day, I'll have to come on a nonholiday week and try to go to city hall and see if I can go through records....



It was pretty neat to think that we were walking in the same places that former Neunreiters had been walking a century or two ago.

We found another carnival, no surprise, so the kids loved the rides. And we got some wonderful crepes. We did some sightseeing and walked around the city and had a great time.

On Saturday, we took a drive down south towards Colmar, France and stopped at Mount St. Odile. On the way back, we took the Route du Vins highway through the vineyards and saw a million wineries. We stopped at one (we chose it only because it was one of the few we found open) and got some red and white wines.

On the drive back to Strasbourg, T.J. started coming down with the virulent 24-hour bug that attacks out of nowhere (chills, fever, aches), and Jack was starting to cough and was starting with a runny nose. I ended up taking the kids out solo Saturday night to a traditional Alsace restaurant (I had a tarte flambee and hot wine, which was great!). The staff didn't seem so happy to see me (an American with 2 little kids), but they were pleasant enough. Amelia was pleading for a teddy bear, but luckily, all the stores were closed by the time we were done with dinner.

So I obviously didn't get my solo night in the hotel room, with T.J. being sick, so I had a third night with the kids. They were funny to listen to -- they would talk with each other, and Amelia was trying to tell Jack stories.

We woke up Sunday to Jack with pinkeye (again!) and a really goopy nose and bad cough, poor kid. We drove back to Brussels without incident and were glad to be home.

Tuesday -- It's Spreading
So I took the kids to the doctor yesterday -- they were scheduled to get flu shots. But Jack started running a fever, so I knew he wouldn't get one. I took him in anyway, to get some drops for his eyes (and also ended up with drops for the nose, plus 2 different kinds of cough medicines). Amelia got her flu shot, and woke up this morning with mild pinkeye in one eye.

So I went without contacts today so I could put homeopathic drops in my eyes in hopes of avoiding it spreading to me.

Both kids stayed home from school (Jack is still running a high afternoon fever, but feels great!), and we made a carrot cake for a tea party. We walked down to the market in bright sunshine, but 1/2 way there, it clouded up. By the time we finished our shopping, the heavens opened up, and it was a long, wet walk back. I had brought a rain cover for the kids, so they were warm and dry. I, however, was drenched. Rain was pouring down my face, and Amelia was clamoring for me to tell her stories. Not a fun adventure.

Becoming Official
I got notice last week that I can go pick up my permanent residence card, meaning I can travel freely. The police are coming by for a final visit on Thursday, and that will clear the way for all the paperwork.

That about sums it up here. We're getting ready to celebrate St. Nicholas day -- Dec. 6, I think. That's when the Belgians do their big gift-giving for the children. It'll be a nice way to celebrate Christmas here and then do the holidays in the States. I don't think we'll be doing a traditional Thanksgiving, either. Not much in the way of turkeys, cranberries, stuffing, or the like.

We're missing sunlight desperately. Getting dark by 5, and still dark around 7. It's only going to get worse ....

Have a great week!

Vacation Week

A big accomplishment at the creche today -- Jack used the potty for the first time! I'm not sure if I'm excited or saddened by the fact that I'm missing the whole potty training adventure. He's been sitting on it at home, but with no results. I think seeing the other children using the potty at school must be having a positive influence on him. He's also becoming quite the talker!

It's a holiday week at school this week, so Amelia is off (but Jack is still going to creche). Apparently, All Saints Day is a national holiday. We went to Technopolis yesterday (a huge hands-on museum for kids), and they had a great time. Below is a picture of Jack and I from the Spy section of Technopolis...



Unfortunately, when we made it home yesterday, I ended up coming down with an annoying 24-hour bug (fever, chills, aches). I had to call T.J. home (though not too early) and I quickly retreated to bed. Amelia was quite the mommy, and brought me a bunny to sleep with to make me feel better. And sure enough, by morning, I had a pounding headache, but I had mostly recovered. Jack had actually had the same bug last week, so I guess he passed it on to me.

Amelia insisted today on getting a "Tom and Jerry" puzzle at the market today. Unfortunately, it's a 500-piece puzzle. I tried to explain that 500 is a whole lot of pieces, but she insisted. I anticipate that we'll lose the vast majority of pieces by week's end...

Car Free Day and Other Events...

I had forgotten to mention earlier that the Sunday after we left to come to the U.S. was "Car Free Day" in Brussels. And they meant business. In the Brussels Capital Region (of which we are a part, by just a few blocks), there was NO auto traffic allowed. If you had to use your car that day, you had to apply for a permit. The only traffic allowed was, I think, buses, taxis and emergency vehicles. There were barricades on the side of the road just outside our neighborhood, and on Sunday, there was a police officer manning those barricades to prevent any auto traffic from coming into the Brussels proper area.

T.J. had to drive to work that day, so he had to park his car a few blocks away, just outside of the city limits. It would've been fun to be here on that day and to ride our bikes on all the streets. Perhaps next year!

Face Painting
Here are the pictures from last week's birthday party. Isn't Jack the cutest?




Christmas Shopping
Just as in the US, the Christmas decorations are out in full swing. We've been seeing lots of toy commercials on our satellite TV ("I want that! I want that!"), and I'm discovering that most toys (at least, most toys that Amelia wants) are TWICE as much in the U.K. as they are in the U.S. TWICE!!! I think that they'll be slightly cheaper here in Belgium, but they'll still be close to double the price. Amazing. Luckily, the kids aren't really wanting for too many toys (except what they see on tv), so I hope to get by with lots of books this year!

There's not much else to report. Tammy and I have been attending all sorts of wacky classes at the gym, but we're enjoying our Latin dance step aerobics (for lack of a better term) class. It's really fun, the time flies by, and we're burning 500 calories a pop, according to my heart rate monitor.

More later....

The Faces of Jet Lag

We had a (thankfully) uneventful trip back to Brussels. The kids couldn't have done any better on the airplane, and they adjusted to the time difference much better on this leg of the journey. I'm not exactly looking forward to doing it again in December, but at least I'm not terrified of it this time.

We're getting back into our routine and we're happy to be settling back in. But I sure miss Quizno's and Walgreens and the mall and...

We're preparing our Halloween costumes. Apparently there are some celebrations around, but not to the extent as there is at home. Amelia is borrowing a ladybug costume, and I'm not sure what Jack will be.

My friend Tammy and I hit the gym today after a long absence. We thought we would try a Pilates class, but right after we got in, we found that it was DEFINITELY not Pilates. We found ourselves smack in the middle of a cardio class. It ended up being a lot of fun, but a lot of work. Trying to follow a cardio class anyway is hard -- trying to follow it in FRENCH is even harder, as you can imagine. (We found out that the Pilates class was being held in another room.)

More to come....

11 Hours in a Tin Can

Susan came to visit last week, and we had a great time. She and I made a solo train trip to Brugge, where we conned each other into buying whole hosts of things. My favorite purchase was a set of old chocolate molds, with baby bird designs. I figured -- birds? chocolate? -- a good souveneir of the Byrds time in Belgium. The whole family also made a trip to Namur, where they were having some sort of festival. More shopping, more games, more rides, and more cotton candy. Plus an old fortress and lots of cheap beer.

School Update
Jack is adjusting to school. We've had a few days of him not crying when I drop him off, but he's never enthusiastic to go. And if you mention the word around him, he'll just shake his head and yell "no". Oh, well. I think it will continue to get better (he's actually finally starting to eat at lunchtime there), so we take the small steps.

Jack caught another cold right on the tails of the first one. This one has resulted in a beautiful rash. The doctor suspects strep, but it could be any sort of viral infection. So we're waiting for the strep culture to see what happens.

I caught this second cold from Jack and was pretty miserable for several days before Susan arrived.

Long Flights
So we flew with Susan back to the US on Saturday. What a long day. They let us board first, and we got all settled, and we taxied to the runway. But before we got there, we had to go back to the gate, with the pilot announcing "mechanical problems." Of course, he doesn't say what those problems are. I'm a nervous flier anyway, and this does nothing to console me. They finally say that it's just a temperature control problem for the cabin temperature. So I'm relieved. But then we don't leave for another 2 hours! Not so relieved. By the time we take off, we know we've missed our connecting flight from Chicago to STL.

So the long flight begins. Lots of videos, lots of junky treats for the kids, not much rest for Susan and I. The kids don't sleep so well, either. But really, overall they did great. Just a few meltdowns.

We finally land, and as we're touching down, amelia announces that her stomach hurts. I take it with grain of salt, until she throws up halfway down the aisle (luckily, I had grabbed a few airsick bags, just in case). But the poor thing is a trooper and announces she feels much better and is able to muster the strength to pester her brother as we make mad dashes for baggage claim and customs (we learn we have just one hour before the next STL plane leaves).

Jack melts down in the line to recheck our bags, claiming he wants "more plane." After 11 hours on one, it's hard to belive, but he's serious.

After running like madwomen, we make it onto the plane just before they shut the doors. Amelia throws up twice more on the 45 minute flight, and I'm thankful that I brought the Belgium magic medicine with me that will stop her nausea ... if only I'll be able to find it in the suitcase.

Mom and Dad meet us at the airport, and Susan and Mom wait for our bags and plan to take a cab, while the kids and I go with Dad in the car. One more throwing up for Amelia in the car. Fantastic. The kids are as droopy as can be (by this time, it's 1 a.m. for them, Belgium time, and they've barely slept all day). They revive some with all the goodies at the house and manage to soldier on.

They crash pretty early, but I'm optimistic. Shouldn't have been. We were all up at 2 am. For good.

I take the kids downstairs and pop in a video. I figure I'll make the most of being up, and ride the recumbent bike for an hour while I sip my coffee. So even though I exercised, I ended up eating several breakfasts that day before we even got to 8 a.m.

Followed by two more mornings of the kids rising at 4, and up multiple times during the night.

But last night (Tuesday), they both slept soundly all night. Jack slept till 6, and Amelia was awake at 4 but tossed and turned in bed until Jack got up.

Miscellaneous
I think I've been to Walgreens every day! Just because I can! I've had only 2 Starbucks so far, but I've done lots of shopping. It's a good thing I brought extra suitcases!

We've enjoyed the warmer weather too. We've finally gotten a chance to wear our warm-weather clothes.

Jack is obsessed with being downstairs (in the basement, where all the toys are) and out on the deck, where he splashes his hands in the birdbaths (sanitary, no?).

His new phrase here has been "Momma (or whomever) -- are you?" (asking where we are). It's just so cute.

They got measured for new shoes today at the same place I got my shoes when I was their age. They were so adorable that the cashier gave us 5% off our purchase, plus cookies, balloons and stickers. They also had the staff at the dental office (yes, family day at the dentist) oohing and aahing over them.When asked to show his teeth, Jack opened his mouth wide, and then curled his lips over his teeth, like a toothless old man. I guess his teeth are OK, but he wouldn't look anyone look at them.

We're having a lovely time, even though we miss home. More soon, and pictures will follow, but not for another week or 2. Hope 2 blogs in one night help make up for my absence!

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!

Not Another Carnival...

Thankfully, we only had to survive 5 days of the latest carnival. The kids just adore it, and it's hard to say "No" to them when they've been such troopers on the vacations we've taken them on (they don't really appreciate sightseeing!).

This carnival was a pretty big one in Stockel. On two of the kids rides, once the ride started, the operator would clip a nasty-looking ball of yarn (anyone remember Warm Fuzzies?) onto a rope, and they would swing it around by the kids, and whoever catches it would win a free ride. We were there so often we won more than our fair share of free rides. There was also a fun "horse" ride, with mechanical horses that went along a track. I got to take advantage and ride, to keep Jack from falling off. Amelia would bring Stripey and sit on him. (She had a tantrum tonight when T.J. took Stripey away mid-ride. It got so bad that the ride operator stopped her horse so she could get Stripey back.)

There was also another trampoline bounce. Amelia went on it twice, and then tonight when we went, Jack pounded his chest and said "Jack. Peese?" So Jack went on too. Trouble is, Jack hasn't really mastered jumping. So I had to get on the trampoline, sit in front of him and "throw" him in the air. He kept yelling "High" and "More" as all the muscles in my body were screaming in pain. (Think about it, it's a lot of work! Plus, there was no one else in line, so they never came by to take the kids off. Amelia got so tired, she just dangled in mid-air and ceased all jumping efforts.)

The usual food suspects were there (lots of fries and fried foods, plus wonderful beignets), but the funniest was the vendor who sold cotton candy from one end of his cart, and escargot from the other. Uck.

The kids continue to do really well. Jack is really trying to talk a lot and follows Amelia everywhere. It will be hard when she starts school, but he will also be starting a creche. For the first time in 4 years, I'll have a little time to myself! I'm already planning my shopping!

The weather this summer hasn't been too bad -- a little cool and cloudy (generally in the upper 60s or low 70s), but I wouldn't trade it for the U.S.' hot weather

I'll be posting carnival pictures on this page soon, so please check back. I'm also going to try to get up shortly a recap of our visit with T.J.'s nephew...

Sorry this is short, but it's 11:45 and I'm tuckered! More soon!