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!
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Monday, September 3, 2007
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!
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!
Sunday, August 19, 2007
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!
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!
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Jerry and Pete's Visit
We had a great visit with Jerry and Pete when they came to visit. They spoiled us with many wonderful treats from home, and we hope we showed them a wonderful time while they were here.
We took them to the Grand Place in Brussels, and took a bus tour around the city. It was great for us, too, because we got to see some things that we haven't seen yet. We took a weekend trip to Germany -- stopping in Cologne, Koblenz, Boppard, and St. Goar.
We saw the beautiful Cologne cathedral, and the kids had a great time playing in a fountain. We took a "train" (a bus dressed up as a train) around Cologne to see the sights. T.J. took the kids to the zoo, while Jerry and Pete took a overhead tram ride across the Rhine, and I indulged in some retail therapy. (And some Starbucks therapy, too!) We had some great pretzels, and got a takeaway lunch of sandwiches that was quite nice. We then drove from Cologne to Koblenz to spend the night. It was a long car ride as the kids were cranky and the GPS which we rely on almost exclusively in Europe to find our way did not pick up a signal until we pulled up to the hotel. TJ was pretty close to throwing it right into the Rhine. We had a nice stroll along the river and ate at a nice little restaurant on the bank of the Rhine, eating more traditional German food. Pete and T. J. enjoyed some German Beer. Not too cold, but still good.
We woke up the next morning and had a wonderful breakfast (bacon! scrambled eggs! so unusual in Europe!) and then drove to the nearby castle in Koblenz. The castle was more like a fortress perched way up high on the cliffs. It was an awesome view down below of Koblenz and where the Rhine and Mosel rivers meet. Afterwards, we drove to Boppard for lunch and for a river cruise down the Rhine. It was just lovely, and the scenery was beautiful. We stopped off at St. Goar and were greeted by a local parade. The men and women were dressed in interesting outfits. The men had Green jackets on with lots of medals pinned on them. The parade ended in front of the local church where they all stopped to socialize (lots of German Beer appeared to be flowing) and enjoy local music. We wanted to go to see the castle at St. Goar but the kids both fell asleep in their strollers so we opted for a coffee and dessert on the main street.
We took a nice day trip to Ghent, and we showed them around the Stockel market. We got some wonderful food to grill -- it's great to sample all of these wonderful foods.
We really enjoyed having them here, and the kids are sure missing them now!
Joining the Club
The kids and I joned a swim club last week. The kids have a HUGE pool they can swim in (and it's nice and warm!) and love going there. There are a few families from Amelia's school that go there, which will be nice. They have a bouncy castle (on some days), a restaurant, a workout facility, a creche (day care), and a wonderful sauna. Oh, yes, and a spa and a salon, too. It's been a wonderful place for us to go.
Season Passes Everywhere
We just got back from a trip to the zoo this morning. I packed lunch for the kids, and we had a great time walking around for 2 hours. There are tons of playgrounds, and a great water toy for Jack (he is now soaked). We bought passes for the zoo, which isn't too far, and it's great that we can go whenever we want.
We also got passes for Technopolis (www.technopolis.be) that is a great hands-on science museum for kids (like the Magic House in St. Louis, but way bigger).
Transition Time
Our German neighbors (Amelia's playmates) just let us know that they're moving back to Germany in September. Amelia is really going to miss them -- and we will, too. Unfortunately, it's something we have to get used to, with being here. All the folks we meet are here for a short period of time, so just as soon as you find some good friends (for either us or the kids), someone gets transferred away. I don't know how you get used to the transitory nature of things here, but I guess we just enjoy every day as we can, and just go from there.
HOW Much?
Saw pancake syrup in the grocery store. A regular size bottle was 8 euros (over $10 ), and a small package of chocolate chips was 5 euros ($7). It's amazing how much those things are!!
Joe (T.J.'s nephew) will arrive on Monday for a visit. We're looking forward to taking him around and showing him the sights.
I'll be posting pictures from Jerry and Pete's trip shortly, so check back!
We took them to the Grand Place in Brussels, and took a bus tour around the city. It was great for us, too, because we got to see some things that we haven't seen yet. We took a weekend trip to Germany -- stopping in Cologne, Koblenz, Boppard, and St. Goar.
We saw the beautiful Cologne cathedral, and the kids had a great time playing in a fountain. We took a "train" (a bus dressed up as a train) around Cologne to see the sights. T.J. took the kids to the zoo, while Jerry and Pete took a overhead tram ride across the Rhine, and I indulged in some retail therapy. (And some Starbucks therapy, too!) We had some great pretzels, and got a takeaway lunch of sandwiches that was quite nice. We then drove from Cologne to Koblenz to spend the night. It was a long car ride as the kids were cranky and the GPS which we rely on almost exclusively in Europe to find our way did not pick up a signal until we pulled up to the hotel. TJ was pretty close to throwing it right into the Rhine. We had a nice stroll along the river and ate at a nice little restaurant on the bank of the Rhine, eating more traditional German food. Pete and T. J. enjoyed some German Beer. Not too cold, but still good.
We woke up the next morning and had a wonderful breakfast (bacon! scrambled eggs! so unusual in Europe!) and then drove to the nearby castle in Koblenz. The castle was more like a fortress perched way up high on the cliffs. It was an awesome view down below of Koblenz and where the Rhine and Mosel rivers meet. Afterwards, we drove to Boppard for lunch and for a river cruise down the Rhine. It was just lovely, and the scenery was beautiful. We stopped off at St. Goar and were greeted by a local parade. The men and women were dressed in interesting outfits. The men had Green jackets on with lots of medals pinned on them. The parade ended in front of the local church where they all stopped to socialize (lots of German Beer appeared to be flowing) and enjoy local music. We wanted to go to see the castle at St. Goar but the kids both fell asleep in their strollers so we opted for a coffee and dessert on the main street.
We took a nice day trip to Ghent, and we showed them around the Stockel market. We got some wonderful food to grill -- it's great to sample all of these wonderful foods.
We really enjoyed having them here, and the kids are sure missing them now!
Joining the Club
The kids and I joned a swim club last week. The kids have a HUGE pool they can swim in (and it's nice and warm!) and love going there. There are a few families from Amelia's school that go there, which will be nice. They have a bouncy castle (on some days), a restaurant, a workout facility, a creche (day care), and a wonderful sauna. Oh, yes, and a spa and a salon, too. It's been a wonderful place for us to go.
Season Passes Everywhere
We just got back from a trip to the zoo this morning. I packed lunch for the kids, and we had a great time walking around for 2 hours. There are tons of playgrounds, and a great water toy for Jack (he is now soaked). We bought passes for the zoo, which isn't too far, and it's great that we can go whenever we want.
We also got passes for Technopolis (www.technopolis.be) that is a great hands-on science museum for kids (like the Magic House in St. Louis, but way bigger).
Transition Time
Our German neighbors (Amelia's playmates) just let us know that they're moving back to Germany in September. Amelia is really going to miss them -- and we will, too. Unfortunately, it's something we have to get used to, with being here. All the folks we meet are here for a short period of time, so just as soon as you find some good friends (for either us or the kids), someone gets transferred away. I don't know how you get used to the transitory nature of things here, but I guess we just enjoy every day as we can, and just go from there.
HOW Much?
Saw pancake syrup in the grocery store. A regular size bottle was 8 euros (over $10 ), and a small package of chocolate chips was 5 euros ($7). It's amazing how much those things are!!
Joe (T.J.'s nephew) will arrive on Monday for a visit. We're looking forward to taking him around and showing him the sights.
I'll be posting pictures from Jerry and Pete's trip shortly, so check back!
Sunday, July 8, 2007
July 4th -- Belgian Style
The Wednesday before July 4th, the kids and I met a friend at the American Women's Club for their July 4th picnic. We had a really nice time -- hamburgers and hotdogs (much better than anything locally!) and rice krispie treats and all sorts of things. The kids had a nice time playing with other kids, and I had a nice time getting out. We even picked up two new videos (Pooh Bear and Spot) that the Women's Club was giving away.
The whole family went to another July 4th celebration, but on Saturday the 7th, at the Brussels American School, which is located on a U.S. Department of Defense compound. At both July 4th celebrations, I was a little nervous about potential terrorist threats (especially when I heard that there was an evacuation of a U.S. military facility south of Brussels on July 4), but the lure of USDA beef was just too strong.
We had a great time at this party, too. Hamburgers, hot dogs, BBQ pork sandwiches, Frito pie, country music, Cheetos (the real ORANGE ones), bomb pops and more. Yum! We ate far too much. Amelia got her face painted; Jack took a horse ride on a police horse. There were fireworks at dusk, too, but since dusk is 11 pm, we chose to miss that.
T.J. has been working lots of long hours lately, poor guy. He's really been working hard for us, and we really appreciate it, but we sure miss him! :)
Visiting the Windmills
Last weekend, we drove to the Netherlands to visit Kinderdijk (http://www.kinderdijk.nl/), which has a whole bunch of old windmills, all in a line.
The kids weren't too fascinated with the windmills, but they did have a great time rolling down a hill by the windmill. They have a wonderful bike path along the windmills, and I'd love to return with bike in tow!
Is it September Yet?
We have found a creche for Jack for September. Since he's too young for Amelia's school, we're going to put him in a creche just down the street. I think he'll have a great time playing with the other young kids.
Knee-High by 4th of July
I've been surprised by the lack of some produce, both in the grocery stores and in the markets: corn on cob, sweet potatoes, portabella mushrooms. I really miss them. The local corn is growing by leaps and bounds, so I'm hoping to have some fresh corn soon.
The whole family went to another July 4th celebration, but on Saturday the 7th, at the Brussels American School, which is located on a U.S. Department of Defense compound. At both July 4th celebrations, I was a little nervous about potential terrorist threats (especially when I heard that there was an evacuation of a U.S. military facility south of Brussels on July 4), but the lure of USDA beef was just too strong.
We had a great time at this party, too. Hamburgers, hot dogs, BBQ pork sandwiches, Frito pie, country music, Cheetos (the real ORANGE ones), bomb pops and more. Yum! We ate far too much. Amelia got her face painted; Jack took a horse ride on a police horse. There were fireworks at dusk, too, but since dusk is 11 pm, we chose to miss that.
T.J. has been working lots of long hours lately, poor guy. He's really been working hard for us, and we really appreciate it, but we sure miss him! :)
Visiting the Windmills
Last weekend, we drove to the Netherlands to visit Kinderdijk (http://www.kinderdijk.nl/), which has a whole bunch of old windmills, all in a line.
The kids weren't too fascinated with the windmills, but they did have a great time rolling down a hill by the windmill. They have a wonderful bike path along the windmills, and I'd love to return with bike in tow!
Is it September Yet?
We have found a creche for Jack for September. Since he's too young for Amelia's school, we're going to put him in a creche just down the street. I think he'll have a great time playing with the other young kids.
Knee-High by 4th of July
I've been surprised by the lack of some produce, both in the grocery stores and in the markets: corn on cob, sweet potatoes, portabella mushrooms. I really miss them. The local corn is growing by leaps and bounds, so I'm hoping to have some fresh corn soon.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Where are the preservatives?
Everytime I think I have things figured out here...
I was getting some ingredients out for a marinade yesterday, and one of the ingredients was cider vinegar. I had bought some after we moved here, and I got it out. But I noticed that there was this white sludge at the top -- like a slimy moldy piece of goo. Immediately cursing at how quickly everything seems to spoil around here, I called good old mom to vent. She told me that it was probably something called "mother of vinegar" and that her grandmother had used it to make her own vinegar. Skeptical, I did some research on the internet, and sure enough, it was true (www.solutions.uiuc.edu/content.cfm?series=3&item=295&Parents=0%7C28). Not that I didn't believe my mom -- but this goo just looked too nasty to be there on purpose. So I filtered the needed vinegar through a coffee filter. I'll be using it tomorrow, so I'll let you know (if I never blog again, you'll know that mother of vinegar isn't a good thing).
I was nearly in my first accident today. I was driving down the street, not thinking about whether I was on a priority road or not. I drove by a street, and a car coming out to my right laid on the horn. Ooops. I was supposed to stop to let this car on the right pull out. Luckily, he was more used to the "priority on the right" rule than me (or, should I say, he was more used to people not paying attention to priority on the right), and we escaped unscathed. This time. It's really hard to get used to the idea that sometimes, the car on the right has the right to pull out in front of me.
The kids and I were out and about , trying to find a windmill. There's an old one not too far from our house, and we'd seen it from far away but I wanted to see what it was like up close (answer: abandoned, shut down, and fenced off). Another disappointment for the kids.
So then we went out to Baby 2000 to try to find more pacifiers for Jack. (I've decided I'm just going to overload his crib with pacifiers in the hopes that he can find them himself in the middle of the night.) Of course, they didn't have his Nuks. But before we discovered that, we spent time trying to find a parking spot. It was completely packed (everyone goes shopping on Saturday, since everything closes early during the week and is closed on Sunday) -- much like it would be on the day after Thanksgiving. A lot of stores also had "Sale" signs in the windows. There are sales only 2 times a year, and I guess now is the time (hmmmmmm....wonder if there is some shopping in my future).
For those who are curious, the greek food that I picked up at the market today was delicious beyond words.
My French lessons continue to go well -- I just had my third one. While I don't yet know a ton, I'm starting to recognize a little more (though not enough for conversations to make sense), and at least I'm learning more about the language. Whoever decided that nouns need to be either masculine or feminine have my eternal scorn. Really, why is that necessary? Although the cashier at the pet store says that learning English is way more difficult. Could be, but I have my doubts.
The prices for flights to Brussels are dropping to $540 (round trip from St. Louis) once you hit September, so if you're thinking of visiting, the fall is the time for you!
I can't tell you all how much I would like Taco Bell right now. Isn't that a strange thing to miss? All this wonderful food, and I miss Tacos. My Starbucks withdrawal has abated a little bit, as I've discovered an instant cappuccino mix that is surprisingly awesome. I'm not one for rehydrating my coffee normally, but this is quite delicious.
Next weekend, we're going to a July 4th (belated) celebration at the Brussels American school, sponsored by the military. Real barbecue, kids' activities, and fireworks at dusk (which is 11 p.m.). We obviously won't make it to the fireworks, but it should be a nice time nonetheless.
Time to go study my French. Bon soiree!
I was getting some ingredients out for a marinade yesterday, and one of the ingredients was cider vinegar. I had bought some after we moved here, and I got it out. But I noticed that there was this white sludge at the top -- like a slimy moldy piece of goo. Immediately cursing at how quickly everything seems to spoil around here, I called good old mom to vent. She told me that it was probably something called "mother of vinegar" and that her grandmother had used it to make her own vinegar. Skeptical, I did some research on the internet, and sure enough, it was true (www.solutions.uiuc.edu/content.cfm?series=3&item=295&Parents=0%7C28). Not that I didn't believe my mom -- but this goo just looked too nasty to be there on purpose. So I filtered the needed vinegar through a coffee filter. I'll be using it tomorrow, so I'll let you know (if I never blog again, you'll know that mother of vinegar isn't a good thing).
I was nearly in my first accident today. I was driving down the street, not thinking about whether I was on a priority road or not. I drove by a street, and a car coming out to my right laid on the horn. Ooops. I was supposed to stop to let this car on the right pull out. Luckily, he was more used to the "priority on the right" rule than me (or, should I say, he was more used to people not paying attention to priority on the right), and we escaped unscathed. This time. It's really hard to get used to the idea that sometimes, the car on the right has the right to pull out in front of me.
The kids and I were out and about , trying to find a windmill. There's an old one not too far from our house, and we'd seen it from far away but I wanted to see what it was like up close (answer: abandoned, shut down, and fenced off). Another disappointment for the kids.
So then we went out to Baby 2000 to try to find more pacifiers for Jack. (I've decided I'm just going to overload his crib with pacifiers in the hopes that he can find them himself in the middle of the night.) Of course, they didn't have his Nuks. But before we discovered that, we spent time trying to find a parking spot. It was completely packed (everyone goes shopping on Saturday, since everything closes early during the week and is closed on Sunday) -- much like it would be on the day after Thanksgiving. A lot of stores also had "Sale" signs in the windows. There are sales only 2 times a year, and I guess now is the time (hmmmmmm....wonder if there is some shopping in my future).
For those who are curious, the greek food that I picked up at the market today was delicious beyond words.
My French lessons continue to go well -- I just had my third one. While I don't yet know a ton, I'm starting to recognize a little more (though not enough for conversations to make sense), and at least I'm learning more about the language. Whoever decided that nouns need to be either masculine or feminine have my eternal scorn. Really, why is that necessary? Although the cashier at the pet store says that learning English is way more difficult. Could be, but I have my doubts.
The prices for flights to Brussels are dropping to $540 (round trip from St. Louis) once you hit September, so if you're thinking of visiting, the fall is the time for you!
I can't tell you all how much I would like Taco Bell right now. Isn't that a strange thing to miss? All this wonderful food, and I miss Tacos. My Starbucks withdrawal has abated a little bit, as I've discovered an instant cappuccino mix that is surprisingly awesome. I'm not one for rehydrating my coffee normally, but this is quite delicious.
Next weekend, we're going to a July 4th (belated) celebration at the Brussels American school, sponsored by the military. Real barbecue, kids' activities, and fireworks at dusk (which is 11 p.m.). We obviously won't make it to the fireworks, but it should be a nice time nonetheless.
Time to go study my French. Bon soiree!
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
A World of Laughter, A World of Tears....
Another delay in blogging! It's been a busy end of the school year. Amelia finished school last Friday (after also coming down with the mystery fever last week -- luckily, hers lasted only 12 hours). She brought in a Pony cake to share with her friends for her birthday.
We headed out to Euro Disney on Saturday to celebrate Amelia's birthday. It took us about 3 hours to get there (it would've been shorter, but TomTom kept sending us in circles after a detour to McDonalds for lunch). We actually had to drag the children out of the McDonalds playground, assuring them that Disney Town (as Amelia called it) would be much more fun. TomTom (our GPS system) didn't know quite where our hotel, the Davy Crockett Ranch, was, and tried to take us to an empty field. Luckily, we backtracked and found some signs to the hotel and arrived without further incident.
We dropped off our stuff at our "log cabin" (honey, I really had a wonderful time, but I do have to giggle about this a little), which was really a little trailer decked out as a log cabin, placed in a "neighborhood" of other trailers. We had a nice full kitchen, a separate bedroom for the kids, and a bedroom for us. To our dismay, there was a bunk bed in the kids' bedroom, which the kids just adored. Both of them just wanted to go up, down, up, down. We ended up blocking the door with Jack's Pack-n-Play so that we didn't have to worry about either one of them leaping off the top bunk.
We quickly unloaded, and headed out to the park. We got to the park around 2 -- it was PACKED. We walked around a little and headed to Fantasyland and through the castle. Everything had long lines, but Amelia really wanted to ride on Dumbo. The sign said it was just a 30-minute wait. I wish. It ended up being a 60-minute wait. Lots of tired, cranky, hungry toddlers in line. T.J. and Jack ended up walking around while we were waiting, and they saw a live Pooh Bear show. We finally got to ride, and while Amelia had a great time, it was over much too soon. We walked around more but were unable to find anything with short lines. Since the kids hadn't had afternoon naps, we had an early dinner at a steakhouse (again, not very good meat) and an early bedtime -- for all of us. At dinner, I was trying to entertain Jack, and he swiped at me, knocking my contact out. We frantically searched the floor for it (needle in a haystack), and luckily finally found it on the highchair seat.
The kids conked out with no trouble. Amelia, thankfully, fell asleep on the lower bunk, and Jack was relegated to the living room (no room for the Pack-n-Play in Mia's room), right under the only TV. T.J. and I commiserated that on yet another hotel stay, the only one who had a TV in their room was Jack. We were so looking forward to some English TV (even if it was going to be mostly Disney programming). But without anything else to do, I headed off to bed while T.J. went for a walk around the hotel grounds to find out what the Indian drumming was all about.
We woke up Sunday morning starving and in search of breakfast. We walked over to the hotel restaurant, only to find it closed. I mentioned that the hotel employee had pointed breakfast out on the map, and it was supposedly at the end of our street (although we hadn't seen anything that even remotely looked like a breakfast place). So off we walked, and sure enough, there was a little ... kiosk? ... where they were distributing bags of food. So we got our allotment of a giant baguette, bag of croissants, box of milk, 3 juice boxes of OJ, box of condiments, and are two packages of instant coffee. It was pretty funny. Our visions of bacon-filled buffets were shattered, but it was still a pretty tasty breakfast (especially because they included Nutella). It was hard not having coffee (we couldn't bear to make the instant stuff), but we ate at the picnic table outside of our cabin, and it was really pretty nice.
We headed off to the park early on Sunday, as it opened at 8 (2 hours early) for Disney hotel residents. The lines were MUCH better, and we got to ride the carousel and the Mad Hatters Teacups without waiting at all. We all headed over to It's A Small World to ride. But that ride didn't open till 10. Amelia and I waited in line (again) for a 1/2 hour, until they announced that the ride wasn't opening because of technical problems. We went off in search of T.J. and Jack but couldn't find them. We eventually went to see the Pooh Bear live show and had a really nice time. We eventually found the boys, who had gone in search for us and had been able to ride It's a Small World.
We had a quick lunch at the park, then headed back to the hotel to spend the afternoon there. We went swimming (luckily T.J. could wear regular swim trunks, but there was a sign saying no topless swimming). It was a little chilly, but the kids had fun. There was a big waterslide, and T.J. and I both went down it. Perhaps a little juvenile, but it really was a lot of fun! We also saw the animals, played on the playground and saw Mickey Mouse. There were even reindeer on the property, plus some TeePees for the kids to play in. I headed to the store on the grounds, which had Disney goodies as well as groceries, and I quickly snagged coffee and filters for the next morning. Amelia conned me into a baby Simba stuffed animal, while T.J. picked up a Pooh Bear for Jack. A good buffet dinner, and another early bedtime.
Monday morning brought another bag of breakfast and checkout from the hotel. We finally got to ride It's a Small World (twice) and the carousel again.
Jack had downed two huge sippy cups of juice before leaving for the park, which is nothing new. I was holding him in line for It's a Small World, and when we got to our turn and I put him in the boat, I noticed the whole side of my shirt was wet (always a great feeling first thing in the morning). His pants (and onesie), needless to say, were drenched. So while Amelia and Jack and I rode the ride for the second time, T.J. went to a shop to purchase an (overpriced) Disney t-shirt and sweatpants.
We had lunch at Mickey's Cafe, where several of the Disney characters came through (unfortunately, they weren't very recognizable by Amelia -- several from Robin Hood and Pinocchio, which she hasn't seen. They brought her a cake and pumped their Happy Birthday song over the loudspeakers. She really enjoyed it, and even Jack didn't mind all the characters coming by.
The kids are definitely learning how to push each other's buttons. The kids had one sippy cup to share in the car one afternoon, and Jack had it. Amelia started whining and crying and pleading for Jack to give her the cup. Jack didn't really want it, but he didn't want to hand it over easy, either. So he held the cup to his lips and emphatically went "Mmmmmmmm. Mmmmmmm." Which made Amelia only cry louder. It was pretty funny, although as a parent, I probably shouldn't say that.
Post-Vacation Fun
Jack continues to learn new words. His latest phrase is "Oh, man" courtesy of Swiper the Fox. It's pretty funny. His new name for Amelia is "nyah-nyah" and he just adores her (but still likes to torment her).
It's been a cool summer so far. We've even had to get the fleece pajamas back out and turn on the heat in the bedrooms at night. Highs in the days have been in the low 60s, with more cloudy/drizzly days than I'd like. I took the kids to the zoo yesterday. There are so many big playgrounds at the zoo, that they were more interested in playing than seeing the animals. We got a year pass for the zoo (at 16 euros for me, 11 for Amelia, and 4 for parking, it adds up quickly).
I've bought rain cover for nearly every stroller we have (double jogging, Sit-n-Stand, and single umbrella), and I've used them ALL! We were going to go to the market this morning, but hesitated when I saw it raining a little. I decided to go anyway and put the kids in the double jogger with the rain cover. It was actually quite pleasant -- the rain was next to nothing, and pushing them in the jogger is so much easier than pushing them in any of our other strollers. We got some tasty treats at the market (spanikopita, feta-stuffed marinated red peppers, baklava, petite strawberries). It was such a nice way to spend the morning.
We headed out to Euro Disney on Saturday to celebrate Amelia's birthday. It took us about 3 hours to get there (it would've been shorter, but TomTom kept sending us in circles after a detour to McDonalds for lunch). We actually had to drag the children out of the McDonalds playground, assuring them that Disney Town (as Amelia called it) would be much more fun. TomTom (our GPS system) didn't know quite where our hotel, the Davy Crockett Ranch, was, and tried to take us to an empty field. Luckily, we backtracked and found some signs to the hotel and arrived without further incident.
We dropped off our stuff at our "log cabin" (honey, I really had a wonderful time, but I do have to giggle about this a little), which was really a little trailer decked out as a log cabin, placed in a "neighborhood" of other trailers. We had a nice full kitchen, a separate bedroom for the kids, and a bedroom for us. To our dismay, there was a bunk bed in the kids' bedroom, which the kids just adored. Both of them just wanted to go up, down, up, down. We ended up blocking the door with Jack's Pack-n-Play so that we didn't have to worry about either one of them leaping off the top bunk.
We quickly unloaded, and headed out to the park. We got to the park around 2 -- it was PACKED. We walked around a little and headed to Fantasyland and through the castle. Everything had long lines, but Amelia really wanted to ride on Dumbo. The sign said it was just a 30-minute wait. I wish. It ended up being a 60-minute wait. Lots of tired, cranky, hungry toddlers in line. T.J. and Jack ended up walking around while we were waiting, and they saw a live Pooh Bear show. We finally got to ride, and while Amelia had a great time, it was over much too soon. We walked around more but were unable to find anything with short lines. Since the kids hadn't had afternoon naps, we had an early dinner at a steakhouse (again, not very good meat) and an early bedtime -- for all of us. At dinner, I was trying to entertain Jack, and he swiped at me, knocking my contact out. We frantically searched the floor for it (needle in a haystack), and luckily finally found it on the highchair seat.
The kids conked out with no trouble. Amelia, thankfully, fell asleep on the lower bunk, and Jack was relegated to the living room (no room for the Pack-n-Play in Mia's room), right under the only TV. T.J. and I commiserated that on yet another hotel stay, the only one who had a TV in their room was Jack. We were so looking forward to some English TV (even if it was going to be mostly Disney programming). But without anything else to do, I headed off to bed while T.J. went for a walk around the hotel grounds to find out what the Indian drumming was all about.
We woke up Sunday morning starving and in search of breakfast. We walked over to the hotel restaurant, only to find it closed. I mentioned that the hotel employee had pointed breakfast out on the map, and it was supposedly at the end of our street (although we hadn't seen anything that even remotely looked like a breakfast place). So off we walked, and sure enough, there was a little ... kiosk? ... where they were distributing bags of food. So we got our allotment of a giant baguette, bag of croissants, box of milk, 3 juice boxes of OJ, box of condiments, and are two packages of instant coffee. It was pretty funny. Our visions of bacon-filled buffets were shattered, but it was still a pretty tasty breakfast (especially because they included Nutella). It was hard not having coffee (we couldn't bear to make the instant stuff), but we ate at the picnic table outside of our cabin, and it was really pretty nice.
We headed off to the park early on Sunday, as it opened at 8 (2 hours early) for Disney hotel residents. The lines were MUCH better, and we got to ride the carousel and the Mad Hatters Teacups without waiting at all. We all headed over to It's A Small World to ride. But that ride didn't open till 10. Amelia and I waited in line (again) for a 1/2 hour, until they announced that the ride wasn't opening because of technical problems. We went off in search of T.J. and Jack but couldn't find them. We eventually went to see the Pooh Bear live show and had a really nice time. We eventually found the boys, who had gone in search for us and had been able to ride It's a Small World.
We had a quick lunch at the park, then headed back to the hotel to spend the afternoon there. We went swimming (luckily T.J. could wear regular swim trunks, but there was a sign saying no topless swimming). It was a little chilly, but the kids had fun. There was a big waterslide, and T.J. and I both went down it. Perhaps a little juvenile, but it really was a lot of fun! We also saw the animals, played on the playground and saw Mickey Mouse. There were even reindeer on the property, plus some TeePees for the kids to play in. I headed to the store on the grounds, which had Disney goodies as well as groceries, and I quickly snagged coffee and filters for the next morning. Amelia conned me into a baby Simba stuffed animal, while T.J. picked up a Pooh Bear for Jack. A good buffet dinner, and another early bedtime.
Monday morning brought another bag of breakfast and checkout from the hotel. We finally got to ride It's a Small World (twice) and the carousel again.
Jack had downed two huge sippy cups of juice before leaving for the park, which is nothing new. I was holding him in line for It's a Small World, and when we got to our turn and I put him in the boat, I noticed the whole side of my shirt was wet (always a great feeling first thing in the morning). His pants (and onesie), needless to say, were drenched. So while Amelia and Jack and I rode the ride for the second time, T.J. went to a shop to purchase an (overpriced) Disney t-shirt and sweatpants.
We had lunch at Mickey's Cafe, where several of the Disney characters came through (unfortunately, they weren't very recognizable by Amelia -- several from Robin Hood and Pinocchio, which she hasn't seen. They brought her a cake and pumped their Happy Birthday song over the loudspeakers. She really enjoyed it, and even Jack didn't mind all the characters coming by.
The kids are definitely learning how to push each other's buttons. The kids had one sippy cup to share in the car one afternoon, and Jack had it. Amelia started whining and crying and pleading for Jack to give her the cup. Jack didn't really want it, but he didn't want to hand it over easy, either. So he held the cup to his lips and emphatically went "Mmmmmmmm. Mmmmmmm." Which made Amelia only cry louder. It was pretty funny, although as a parent, I probably shouldn't say that.
Post-Vacation Fun
Jack continues to learn new words. His latest phrase is "Oh, man" courtesy of Swiper the Fox. It's pretty funny. His new name for Amelia is "nyah-nyah" and he just adores her (but still likes to torment her).
It's been a cool summer so far. We've even had to get the fleece pajamas back out and turn on the heat in the bedrooms at night. Highs in the days have been in the low 60s, with more cloudy/drizzly days than I'd like. I took the kids to the zoo yesterday. There are so many big playgrounds at the zoo, that they were more interested in playing than seeing the animals. We got a year pass for the zoo (at 16 euros for me, 11 for Amelia, and 4 for parking, it adds up quickly).
I've bought rain cover for nearly every stroller we have (double jogging, Sit-n-Stand, and single umbrella), and I've used them ALL! We were going to go to the market this morning, but hesitated when I saw it raining a little. I decided to go anyway and put the kids in the double jogger with the rain cover. It was actually quite pleasant -- the rain was next to nothing, and pushing them in the jogger is so much easier than pushing them in any of our other strollers. We got some tasty treats at the market (spanikopita, feta-stuffed marinated red peppers, baklava, petite strawberries). It was such a nice way to spend the morning.
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