Movies, Carnivale and the Rhino

Things are pretty uneventful around here, which is nice. I've been to the movies several times lately (seeing "National Treasure," "No Country for Old Men," and "Juno." The movie-going experience here is mostly the same, with a few exceptions:

1. They sell beer at the concession stand
2. You have your choice between salty and sweet popcorn (alas, no butter)
3. You have to pay 0.30 to use the bathrooms, which are still pretty stinky, despite paying someone to keep them clean

The theater is pretty convenient to the house -- we just take the metro into town, and the theater is right outside the metro stop. It's been nice to have the opportunity to see some familiar movies.

Amelia just finished her Carnivale Stage (camp) at our swim club. She had a pretty good time. She was a trooper about it, as most of the kids -- and the 2 teachers -- spoke French. But she didn't complain or say she didn't want to go. I tried to teach her a few key phrases, but I'm not sure she used them, though. I think she'd go back again and participate in another Stage.

There was a Carnivale parade in our neighborhood today, and it was great fun. The music is louder than anything in the US, and it really got everyone moving. They gave away all sorts of candy, fruit (oranges, apples), and toys to the kids. I caught a travel pack of Kleenex...



The kids had a great time and really enjoyed it. It's great to have such things within walking distance to us. The Harrisons joined us for the parade, and they had us over for spaghetti. It was great, since T.J. is in the US for a short business trip.

The kids are working their way through some brief illnesses (I hope). Jack came down with a fever Friday night, but it was gone by morning. Amelia came down with one tonight, and I'm crossing my fingers it disappears just as quickly.

We took a trip to the zoo this morning, and had a great time. We were thisclose to a rhino. If he were any closer, we could've actually petted him (not that one would want to). But basically, there were just some widely spaced bars separating us from him. No moat, no electric fence, nothing. AND the zookeepers had put his breakfast right next to the fence, so obviously he was just hanging out there. Poor guy had both of his horns removed, so the kids couldn't easily identify him as a rhino.

The kids loved the river otters and, of course, the zebras. It's not a pretty zoo (it's actually more of a breeding facility for the Antwerp zoo), so the animals' surroundings are pretty sad and dismal. We couldn't escape without a trip to the gift shop, and I was an easy mark for coming out with matching panda bears for the kids.

On a side note, some of you might have heard about the shootings this week at Kirkwood's (St. Louis) city hall. It's my hometown, and my family has said it's a really tragic -- and moving -- situation. It's hard to imagine that the shooter's family is defending his actions, but they are. It's terrible when things like that strike so close to home, and you see your hometown all over CNN.

Our daylight is increasing by several minutes every day. It's wonderful to have it light before 8 and after 5. I'm sooooo looking forward to springtime (if only the clothing palatte would brighten up too around here. Guess we'll go from dark brown to light brown ...)

I'm off to check on Amelia's fever. Cross your fingers for us. The Echinacea syrup our doctor recommended to us has been staving off illnesses so far, so I'm hoping it will continue to bring us good luck. This has been our first bout of illness in a few weeks, so maybe there is something to Echinacea after all. The doctor says they don't really know why it seems to help, but it does.

Belgium: Let's Put Chocolate on EVERYTHING

Really, now. I was at the grocery store today to pick up crackers, and I discovered chocolate covered rice cakes. See: it's impossible to eat healthy here, when they even cover their rice cakes! (By the way, I did buy them, and they were good. Even the kids love them.)

Amelia continues to have a great time at school. They had a mom's morning at school 2 Saturdays ago, and Amelia showed me all the things they do. She's even beginning to learn to spell, and she's doing a great job at sounding out words. Her favorite activity is drawing, and we spent lots of time drawing a fish. She came home one day with a picture of a flower that she colored in, and she even labeled "pistil" and "stamen." I guess it's time I brushed up on my long-forgotten school knowledge, because I have a feeling that I'm going to have to start answering questions soon!

Jack was the proud recipient of me slapping him on the back the other day, courtesy of a "Nose of Ghent" that Jack started choking on. I'm not sure how urgent the situation was (given our history, I tend to be quick to slap on the back), but he was making choking noises with his hands clasped to his mouth. I flipped him upside down, slapped him on the back a few times, and he spit out several chunks. It was nervewracking, as usual. So much for cuberdons in our house!

Next week is Carnivale holiday week. Amelia is off school and will be participating in a camp. Amelia's school will dress up on Friday in costume, and Jack has a costume party next week. Mardis Gras is definitely a big deal around here.

I successfully navigated my way to the Taxipost centre last week to pick up a package from the Wordens. I figured I had plenty of time: 2 hours to get downtown and pick up the package and get home for my final French Lesson. HA! It was over an hour to navigate through the city at the end of morning rush hour, and finally made it to Taxipost. I walked in and saw about a dozen miserable-looking folk, all sitting there, clutching their receipts, waiting for their packages. I patiently waited second in line until a Belgian walked in the door and immediately got in front of me in line. Given that I now had only 40 minutes to get back to the house and that no one received their package in the time I was there, I left. AND I didn't even make it back to the house in time for my lesson.

But the next day, I waited until after rush hour, and I got in and out with no trouble. What an adventure!

Our Alpine Adventure

We survived our first trip to the Swiss Alps, and it was a great success. We took planes and trains this time, and it was great. We traveled to Villars sur-Ollon (just around the lake from Geneva). The train station was flanked by our hotel in front and the snow kindergarten and sled hills (also known as luges and sledges over there). Here's where we were, in case you're interested: http://www.villars.ch/fr/welcome.cfm



Our hotel was fantastic -- the kids had their own bedroom, and we had a great view of the Alps (am I using too many exclamations here?). The children, mostly Jack, were fascinated with the bidet in the bathroom. Granted, it was the perfect height for them for handwashing, but they spent more time in there than I would have preferred...



We rented sleds and spent many a morning and afternoon sledding. The weather was perfect -- in the high 40s and brilliant sunshine, so we hardly needed coats. The kids loved sledding, and it was certainly the most athletic vacation T.J. and I have had in a while, with dragging the kids up the hills on the sleds (so not fair that we didn't get to ride down every time!). There was a 2 km sled run just up the mountain from the hotel. We took the train up to the next town, then we walked through the forest and took the sleds down. So much fun!



And on another day, we took a train down the mountain to a town called Friences. They had a kids sled run with a telebob (essentially a cable on pulleys running from the bottom of the hill to the top. When you got to the bottom, they hooked your sled to the pulley and it pulled you to the top of the hill.). So we got to have all the fun of sledding without the work of going back up the hill. We even got to have a nice mini outdoor picnic on our sleds, it was so nice out.

The food was very good. Lots of fondue -- one was the traditional gruyere fondue -- in a pot, with bread for dipping. but then we also got raclette fondue. they took a huge hunk of raclette and put it under a special broiler. They heated it up, then scraped the melty part off the top and onto a plate, where you eat it with little red potatoes. sounds weird, but very, very good. Lots of hot wine and hot chocolate.

There was a nursery at the top of one of the sled hills, and we took the kids there one morning while I took my first ski lesson. I took a 2-hour lesson and had a great time, even if I couldn't always understand my French instructor (he did speak English, but he used some creative words sometimes). My falls were minor, and I quickly bypassed the bunny slopes (which was good, since it was filled with 4-year-olds who were skiing far better than me). I even got to use the ski lift, even though my route down was very slow, going from far left to far right. The kids really enjoyed their time in the nursery, and they really enjoyed that we got to sled from "school" back to the hotel.

The airplane experience was a little different. We flew "EasyJet" (I know, I know, I wouldn't trust them either!) They have super-cheap flights, but you pay for convenience. For example, if you want to check bags, you have to pay for them. Any drinks on the airplane, you have to pay for. You can gate check your stroller, but good luck finding it after you land. They don't bring it back to the jetway -- they send it to the baggage claim with other oversized bags. (On the return flight to Brussels, the stroller didn't show up until 1/2 hour after all the other bags had arrived.)

It was a great vacation, and we can't wait for the next!

Now the Bad News
Right before we left, T.J.'s car was broken into (in front of the house, no less!). They broke a small window, rolled down the passenger rear window and ripped out his console, taking the GPS, radio, temperature controls -- everything! It was a true mess. T.J. had to drive to the police station to file a report, and the police weren't too hopeful that anything would come of it. Guess it's a more common occurrence than we had thought.

It's a little disquieting to know that someone smashed up and stole your things, and it was difficult to explain to Amelia in a child-friendly way. To kind of explain things to her without scaring her.

The worst part was that for a week, despite the fact that they stole the radio, music was still playing in T.J.'s car! Of course, he couldn't change the station or adjust the (slightly too loud) volume. But then today, the radio stopped working. Go figure.

Have a great upcoming weekend, all!

3 Urgent Care Visits, 2 ER Visits and a Stomach Virus in a Pear Tree

Of course, you know it's not the Byrds if we don't lead off with a health report. This time, I'll keep it brief.

The kids and I headed out to St. Louis before Christmas, and the kids did great on the Brussels to DC leg. But by the time our layover was done and we were on the plane to STL, it was the middle-of the-night Brussels time and the kids were exhausted. Jack was so tired he couldn't fall asleep and all he could do was cry.

I came down with a headache on the flight from DC to STL, and 2 days later, it was as intense as ever. I ended up in the ER, since no amount of Motrin was helping. They did an MRI and a neuro test, and decided that I just had a headache -- no stroke or tumor. I came out with some great pain pills, and a day later, I was feeling much better. Amelia came down with a stomach virus a few days later. Despite our magic anti-nausea medicine, we couldn't get her to stop throwing up, so we ended up back in the ER. Luckily, she was only starting to get dehydrated, but they gave her some strong antinausea meds, and by the time we got home, she was a whole new girl (even asking for pizza!).

We had a subsequent round of pinkeye (surprise!), but the rest of the US visit was sickness free.

The kids were thrilled with all of their presents and were, no surprise, seriously spoiled. We had some really great weather in STL, so the kids could go outside with their ride-on fire truck (complete with working hose and loudspeaker, plus a super-loud siren) and their first Porsche.

One of the big hits from Maryland were the boy and girl twin dolls that Jerry gave to Amelia and Jack (the kids had been BEGGING for them). We asked Amelia what their names were, and without skipping a beat, she said "Annabel and Mannabel." I don't think she knew how clever she was with the boy baby's name, but I had tears running down my face. She's a smart one.

We actually bought some beginning reader books for her (like "Dick and Jane"), and she's doing really well. Her teachers fully expect her to be reading this spring.

Back in the Routine
After a week of jet lag (I can't remember the last time I slept until 10 a.m. -- much less for 3 days in a row!), we've all gotten back in the swing of things.

The return to Belgium was a little harder for me than in the past. While I really like it here, there was a part of me that really misses shopping at 9 pm at the mall, and buying groceries whenever I feel like it. I had some big homesick pangs, but they seem to be in remission now (coincidentally just as the January sales heat up here??).

The Circus is Back
On the first day of taking Amelia back to school, we see the circus trucks setting up in the field across from Carrefour again. As a result, I now make a 4-times-daily detour to/from school so that the kids can see the animals. This time, it's 3 llamas, 5 little goats, 1 horse, 1 buffalo-like animal, and 1 camel. It's pretty sad to see them in their pens, but it was worse to see the tigers. There is one grown tiger and three babies, living in a semi. The doors are open just enough that you can see the animals. No room for them at all, and it's a pretty sorry existence. I really feel terribly for how they're treated. And I felt rather bad supporting it by attending the circus, but we did go today.

Jack is actually starting to be afraid of "roars" (which seems to be a general term for anything big and loud -- tigers, lions, dinosaurs). He keeps worrying about them being in the house.

But anyway ... we go to the circus today, and it's a mostly enjoyable experience. The "acts" are nothing spectacular -- juggling, clowns, plate spinning, doves, hula hoops. With few exceptions, it was more like a talent show than a circus. And despite the kids' fear/fascination with them, the tigers didn't make an appearance. The kids had a good time (even though there was no cotton candy), and we did too.

Other Stuff
Jack continues to babble at alarming speed. Most charming right now is when you say "I love you" and he replies "love too." He can count to 12, is practicing his alphabet, and can now touch the bottom of the pool in the shallow end ("mama, me so big"). We put in his application to attend Amelia's school (but a different classroom) next fall, which will be nice.

Amelia went on her first field trip and got to ride on a big bus. She still just adores school. We got the kids Leapsters while in the U.S. and it amazes me how quickly Amelia has picked up on it. She's practicing her letters and learning all sorts of things while playing. A great investment!

I had a humiliating wipe-out on my bike last week on my way to pick up Jack from school. I'll spare the stupid details, but I can assure you that I'll be sure to wear my helmet from now on. I've got some spectacular bruises on my legs -- right in advance of our first ski trip (snow trip?) to Switzerland. I'm really excited to take a day's worth of lessons -- but T.J. thought I was kidding. We've been so excited to be buying our snow and cold-weather gear, only to find that it will be in the upper 30s where we're going (fine by me, really!). I hope I don't have further leg injuries to report in a week or two!

We've been enjoying some mild weather (40s) here lately -- I just wish the sun would be up earlier. We're gaining a few minutes of daylight a day, which I'm thrilled about.

We're having Lingo (telephone) issues, so if you try to call, we may or may not be able to answer. My trouble ticket has been escalated by "Mike" in India -- I put his name in quotes because his real name CLEARLY isn't Mike -- and they *promise* to resolve it in 24 hours. Of course, our problems went from bad to worse once Lingo support started "fixing" the problem, so I'm not sure what will happen....

Happy Monday to everyone!

p.s. To those who are wondering, my birthday was much less ... how can I put this politely? ... unpleasant than it was last year. Jack's runny nose was the only illness, we got to go out to dinner, I sat down to enjoy a double lait russe (like a grande cappuccino) and I got some great accessories for our upcoming trip. Hooray!

Bah, Humbug?

I know it's just Dec. 5, but I'm finding the Christmas spirit a little elusive this year. There are a few reasons for this:

1. No Christmas music boring holes in my head (I've heard it in very few stores, and on the radio, it's just on the Armed Forces station). We've been playing a bunch on the iPod, but my selection is severely limited.

2. Hardly any lights on houses, and few decorated trees (outside or inside). They sell plenty of decorations here, but I sure don't see many up. We've seen a few places selling trees, but each place has only a handful of trees for sale.

3. Confusion over how to celebrate. We figured out that tomorrow (Dec. 6) is St. Nick's Day, which is when the kids here get their toys. So I've done all my shopping, and put packages under the tree, gifts in the stocking and candy in their shoes. (How we will pull the kids away from their presents in order to take them to school is a wrinkle we haven't fully figured out.) Then today T.J. hears that for some families, St. Nick actually brings the toys tonight (Dec. 5) -- and basically pulls a ding-dong-ditch: ringing the doorbell, then when the family opens the door, there's a sack of presents. Then the Zwarte Pieten come overnight leaving the goodies in their shoes.

So even though St. Nick arrives via ONE horse named Americo, we still decided to "encourage" Amelia to bed by shaking sleigh bells outside her window. Not accounting for the triple pane windows, we had to shake the bells four times outside (while nonchalantly opening a window so Amelia could hear). Her first response? "I think that's just a cat." T.J. was determined, so he went back out and shook them again. Amelia then acknowledged that it was probably St. Nick, but that his bells sounded different than last year (actually, we used the same bells last year, too).

Well, in any case, we're ready. But I also learned today that many of Amelia's classmates won't be getting their gifts tomorrow, so then I will have to try to explain when not everyone was "visited" by St. Nick....

4. St. Nick? Sinterklaas? Santa? I've given up trying to not say "Santa" -- it just keeps slipping out. Not that the kids know the difference, but it's just so hard to keep all the traditions straight!

I guess I'm feeling a little nostalgic for home (especially for shopping at the mall at 10 p.m.). It's neat to celebrate some new traditions, but I also miss those of home (and not that I'm missing them -- we'll celebrate those soon enough!).

I did manage to find the ingredients for traditional Neunreiter Christmas Day caramel rolls, so we'll get to have some yummy food for the morning. As I'm trying to send everyone to school!

That's about all for today. Time for bed, so St. Nick will fill my shoes!

Who Said Ear Infections Aren't Contagious?

I don't think I mentioned that the stomach ick ran rampant through the house (sans T.J., of course) about 2 weeks back. Luckily, it was a brief virus, but intense. Jack came down with it at 1 a.m. on a Wednesday night, I got it Friday afternoon (and relapsed Sunday when I thought I was better and drug the family down to the Christmas market), then Amelia got it at 1 .m. on Sunday night. There was a lot of laundry involved in the middle of the night, let's say.

I also made the mistake of giving Amelia a bell to ring on Monday, as I demanded that she stay in bed and rest. I told her that the bell was for emergencies and when she needed me. It turned into her using the bell to give me the play-by-play of her My Little Pony videos. Needless to say, the bell was removed.

Let me just say that Motilium is the best anti-nausea medication EVER (for both kids and adults). I've thought about giving it as stocking stuffers....

The Christmas Markets
OK, I'm back (a little) in the Christmas spirit, after attending 3 Christmas markets this weekend. The markets are a little different than I expected. I expected it to be mostly Christmas items, but it ran the gamut -- blood sausages to scarves to jewelry to candy to Romanian wines to wonderful art. I picked up a few things and had a great time. We didn't linger at the Brussels market the first time (as I felt terrible). Then on Saturday, we went to Aachen, Germany (STARBUCKS!). It was super crowded, and not enjoyable for Jack and the kids. Luckily, there were some kids' rides, so T.J. took them there while I made a quick run through the market. We did get to enjoy roasted chestnuts and these wonderful shredded potato pancakes (deep fried, of course) with this fantastic garlic yogurt sauce. Here's the Web site, if you're interested (http://www.aachen.de/EN/ts/90_festivals_events/90_30/index.html)

There was a nice market in Stockel as well. And the big bonus was that it was under a big tent (BIG bonus during this weather, since it seems to be raining all the time). That was where I discovered gluhwein (or vin chaud, or hot wine). Very, very good! And then on Sunday I returned to the Brussels market (solo, this time). It was, by far, the biggest market, including a giant Ferris Wheel, an ice skating rink, and a few neat kids' rides. And then it started raining, which drew a big crowd to anyone selling hats. Of course, I got stuck on the metro trying to come home, but otherwise, it was a good trip.

Dec. 14 Update
We are now dealing with ear infections. Jack got one on Monday, and Amelia got hers on Wednesday. So now we're dealing with eardrops and echinacea, and Amelia is on antibiotics. Never a dull moment areound here. But luckily, the early illnesses should mean that we'll be healthy for our trip to the U.S. next week. I know that they say that ear infections themselves aren't contagious, but it's sure suspect that the kids got them within 2 days of each other. And the kicker was that they never had any other symptoms before diagnosis. Jack felt a little warm on Monday, but had a fever of just 101, but when I took his temp (by ear), that's when he said "Hurt me." Amelia woke up screaming on Wednesday and was literally in hysterics from the pain (I remember the feeling). The doctor said her infection was pretty spectacular, and she started throwing up from it. But all is better now!! (for now)

We've been having a fun time stocking up on fan favorites around here. I think I have a full suitcase of chocolate, plus 3 kilos of cheese.

The kids had their European haircuts today. The barber at the Gentleman's Coiffeur just loves the kids, and he even squeezed in a haircut for Amelia after Jack's today.

Tis the Season for Tipping
Service providers are NOT shy about getting their holiday season tips around here. We got a flier in the mail a few weeks ago from the trashmen, saying that they were "authorized to pick up their Christmas box in December" and to "Beware of impostors." What we learned is that everyone will come to your door for their tips. First the trashmen, then the recyclers (both arriving at around 7 p.m.). Today, the mailman brought the mail to the door for the first time ever. I've spent more time scrambling around for euros to give everyone! Then I found out there are 6 people in Jack's creche to buy gifts for, plus Amelia's teachers. It's a good excuse for shopping, I suppose. But then with Amelia being sick Thursday and Friday, I wasn't able to make my deliveries!

The Things They Say
Jack was playing with a little wooden Christmas train yesterday and broke off a bunch of pieces. T.J. asked if Jack broke it. Jack said (phonetically) -- "so suf, dada, ma fo" -- which, translated from baby, means "So sorry, Daddy, my fault." It cracked us both up. And if he hears us sneezing or coughing, he'll ask "Mama, Kay?" to see if we're ok.

Please forgive how some of this blog turns into an online baby book sometimes. I don't seem to have the time to write down all the cute things the kids do, so it seems like this is a good time to do it.

The kids have also been loving the musical cards that Jerry sends them. They took Jack's to the market today, which sings "Up on the Rooftop." The market vendors got a big kick out of them
as did the barber.

Brussels, Bruges and Ghent

The Rousseaus arrived on the 15th, and we took them to the Natural History Museum to see their fantastic dinosaur exhibit. It was really neat, and the kids loved it, although Amelia got a little nervous toward the end. The kids had a great time playing with each other!
On Sunday, we made the trek to the Netherlands for the Sinterklaas parade (see the previous post). Then on Monday, we took them down to downtown Brussels and did some sightseeing (Ste. Catherine's cathedral, the Mannekin Pis, the Grand Place, the restaurants). We did a little shopping, a little chocolate tasting and a lot of walking. The kids loved riding on the Metro (Jack just kept repeating "choo choo ride.")

On Tuesday we drove to Ghent to see the castle and the churches. T.J. and I had a nice cappuccino while the Rousseaus toured the castle. I actually had 2 cappuccinos (when I find the opportunity, I take advantage of it!) and then went shopping (just a little!). We then headed toward Bruges, where we were staying in a castle for 2 nights.



The castle was really neat -- originally built around 1100-1200 but extensively rehabbed in the 1850s. Reportedly, Napoleon visited there twice. It was all very ornate with lots of old pictures and beautiful stained glass and painted ceilings. It was a really nice stay, and close enough to Bruges that it was a quick drive there for sightseeing and dinners.

We had a nice time walking around and seeing the sights, including one of the few Michelangelo statues outside of Italy. Everyone else took a horse and carriage ride around town, while I selfishly stayed behind to watch the strollers (and then immediately took off for the shopping district, stopping for a takeaway cappuccino along the way).

The girls had actually stopped earlier in H&M for a mini-shopping excursion. Amelia wanted a glittery Hello Kitty shirt, and then went berserk when she saw My Little Pony shirts as well. We also, of course, had to buy some glittery pink shoes to go with her new shirts. Jack got a white t-shirt, so as not to feel left out.

After our time in Bruges, we headed to Oostende, a coastal town on the North Sea. The kids got to play on the beach a little, and they had a ball, even though it was a little dark and cold.

The week went by really fast, and we were sad to see them leave. Now it's time to get ready for the holidays.

Just Different Enough...
My latest vents:

1. Bought new lights for the Christmas tree, because, of course, our old ones won't work here. Got three strands of 50 lights each. Opened up the package at home and found that instead of one long strand of 50 lights, it was a CIRCLE of 50 lights. So putting them on the tree was quite a challenge.

2. The kids had some gorgeous portrait pictures done at Jack's creche, and I was trying to order them last night. Of course, they don't have 8 x 10, 5 x 7, etc. Everything is just different enough that nothing fits into the frames that I have -- so now I have to buy all new frames.

And what I'm pleased with....

1. Christmas markets galore! So many, that I won't be able to attend all of them. So we're planning one Saturday in Germany, one in Brussels, one in Stockel -- and who knows where else. There are just too many to go to, but they all seem neat!

2. I found bagels in the grocery store today, and I heard that the British store sells Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Life is getting good. Seems like peanut butter, syrup, takeaway coffee and rice-a-roni are the few things I still can't find, so my list has definitely gotten shorter over the past year.

3. I LOVE riding my bike -- even in this cold, damp weather. It's been so nice to pick Jack up from creche on the bike, fill my basket with groceries and get some exercise. (Although the ride home is uphill, and that's always fun with a 12 kilo kid and groceries.)

So overall, life is great here. They're starting to decorate Stockel -- they just put up a giant Christmas tree and were stringing lights. But we're looking forward to our visit to the U.S.