Facebook consumed!

Well, I just made it in time to update this before my year of non-posting is up! I have to say I have been consumed with many things lately. We have finally taken the leap to rent a new space for Turtlewings, which will open on the 21st of February and I am cooking up #3 as we speak, which will be arriving around June 10th. Lastly, there is FACEBOOK. Actually, when a friend of mine forced me to sign up more than 2 years ago I thought it was crazy and I would never do it, but I have to admit, like many people I guess, that I have become consumed by my facebook. It is the companion of my morning coffee and has replaced the news as the first order of business. Perhaps linking it with this blog with now motivate me to blog more, but don't count on it! :)

Cheers,
Jules

Enjoying the sun

May, it is said, is the nicest month in Belgium and I have to say that we have had some really nice weather this month. So nice for a few weeks that it felt comfortable the day it rained again after three weeks of super sunny and warm (actually hot) weather. It is funny how used to the rain I have grown accustomed. Don't get me wrong I would love to live in day to day sun and wear out a pair of sandals each year instead of 6 years, but when the sun come out here for any length of time you see people looking up with confusion. I just guess they are wondering "When they will put the lid back on?"

As wonderful as May can be, one thing I do know for certain is that it most likely will not last. June could get colder followed by a gray and even colder July, which leads into an even colder yet a bit dryer August! So we are pretending it IS summer holiday every chance we can get...

Opa and Oma took the boys on the annual trip of Dirk's patients last weekend. The boys are quite the celebrities there and love to go almost as much as Oma and Opa love to take them.

Kai is still racing around on his 'loopfiets' pedals-less bicycle. Unfortunately, he did ask the other day for pedals! Sadly, the time has come I guess and I will be very sad to see him change. He now goes EVERYWHERE with his bike, to the shop, to the park, to friends, etc.

Kai and Julie are beginning to get along like brother and sister, so now they not only look the part but act the part. It is such a unique relationship they have as cousins, sharing a garden.

Finally, we have been working hard to organize our studio even more. We have added a floating metal table in the middle, where Pieter works and a library and workspace in the back where I work.

The garden keepers

They never show up in the same place twice.
They really watch over the ENTIRE garden.

April Showers bring buckets of snow!

Before our nice spring weather we finally got our winter snow we had all be waiting for. It didn't lack in excitement and enjoyment for the boys, but I am glad it only lasted a few days. There is something special though that must be said for Belgium snow. It is wet! If there is one thing we are use to here it is wet weather, but the snow flakes that where falling this time where like mini buckets of water and after a few flakes you we where soaking wet.

I'm Back!!!

Well, I must say it feels good to see my blog post page again, after I left it over a year ago. I can't promise this will continue, but I will keep you posted when I find time to post. If you are wondering why I stopped blogging in November 2006, well it is the same month we started Turtlewings officially. So here are the two sites that are taking up my time now. www.turtlewings.be and www.re-circle.org.

February Birthday's

I have always hated my birthday in February. It is a time when everyone is sick of the winter gray weather and wishing for sun. Then the sun finally peaks it's head out just long enough for you to get antsy for spring and then it ducks back under the clouds for several more weeks of bad winter weather. Anyway, enough complaining! I must say that this birthday season, since Kai and I now both share February birthday's we can call it a season, has been an exceptional one.

It started on the 1st of February which is Kai's actual birthday. We where really busy then, so we planned to postponed it a bit, but the presents started coming in. He received presents up until his birthday party, which was on 16th, when we had 4 of his friends over for a cooking party.

Kai's favorite thing in the world is food & cooking, so we made him a mini kitchen for his birthday. During his birthday party his friends and him made the birthday cake. It was eventful, chaotic, but loads of fun, which ended in an impromptu candle ceremony on EVERYONE's cupcake.



Next, it was my birthday! My lovely husband had a fabulous idea (I am not sure he would say that now!) to cook for me and some of my girlfriends. So, we all settled in and had a wonderful night of amazing food, conversation and great presents!


On my actual birthday the 24th we went with the boys to the sea. It was the first sunny nice day and we really enjoyed being at the seaside again. Some of us more than others! Natan especially had a great time because he got to test out his new skim-board that he received from his uncle for Christmas. I feel I am doomed to be a surfing, skateboarding and general wheely mom. He came out of the water and said "It was great, but the best thing is my feet are tingling.!"

Just to put Natan's surfing obsession in context check out the other children at the beach! Of course this was our first nice sunny day, but there where no other children even close to the water, let alone surfing in it!

Verbeelen Commune Update

Many of you know our living situation and are always full of questions on how it is going, so I thought I would give a "commune" update.

Pieter's brother Hendrik and Charlotte are expecting their second child any day now, a boy! Poor Julie (who you see above) will be a bit short on company at her tea parties. Natan and Kai though are always happy when Julie comes over to play, which is often as she is as obsessed with coming to our house to play as the boys are in going up to her house to play. Up being 5 flights of stairs for those of you who don't realize we all live at the same address. Oma and Opa live in the first few floors of the front house. Pieter's brother lives on the 4th floor and we live in the back house (former horse stable).

This situation although cramped at times is quite nice. Kai and Julie are like brother and sister and for almost a year went to the same day care. Riding together in a bicycle cart every morning and every afternoon. Natan adores Julie and is as great a cousin as he is a big brother. We are looking forward to a new addition to the commune. Things are definitely never dull around here, but we are also never without a babysitter, which is great!

Our Studio additions

Some of you might still remember what it said on our wedding invites...
"Please don't give us gifts as we are living a mobile existence."

Well, that was over 7 years ago! We are by no means mobile anymore, on the contrary I find it would take several LARGE vehicles to move us even a few meters at this time.

Check out what just landed in our studio last month!
Although, very large and blocking our beautiful large doors and natural light we are falling in love with "the ball" as Kai calls it. We have loads of pillows, blankets, a lava lamp and a light bright (just in case you have an inspiring moment) and you can't help but relax and most of the time fall asleep in it!