Back to my roots

When I was little I was a Tomboy and very proud of it. I had a motorcycle, a horse, a cowboy hat that I wore everywhere and especially cowboy boots! Many years have past since and I have worked hard at shedding my tomboy manners, although I am sure some still show through from time to time. Well, this trip I have been captured by those memories. Maybe, it was going through old photos in the first few days or the childish excitement of Christmas, but I do feel this time more than ever like that little girl with all the cowboy attire.

Yesterday, I mentioned to my Dad that I thought maybe I would like to look at getting some boots. My father, who has wore boots everyday all his life, was a bit shocked, but excited at the idea of his little girl wearing boots again. So, we took off with the boys to an old boot shop he knew of a half hour away. They had nice black boots that fit, but also a pair of pink ones that he loved and I have to admit where very cool. Not finding exactly what we want he said to the sales women “well, we will have a look around this is the first place we have looked.” I thought to my self “Look around? We are in a town with about 10 shops and I am almost sure this is the only boot shop.”

The next shop was another half hour farther and I felt quite ridiculous for dragging my entire family all over looking for me a pair of boots, because I was having a flash back to my childhood. We got to the shop at ten past five and the shop closed at five, but she was still open we walked in and asked for women’s boots. “Only these two here left” she said. They had one pair black and one red pair only, but amazingly the red ones where my size. I slipped them on and they where perfect and everyone left with a big smile, especially dad and me. I think we both had the same feeling as when we used to go shopping for boots when I was a little girl.

Only in America

When you are in America do as the American’s. So, we rounded up the entire family (17 of us) on Tuesday and took off in three cars to the city, to the best place in the world! CHUCK E. CHEESE'S! The kids had fun bouncing around playing all the noisy games, eating pizza, winning tickets and then getting cheap plastic toys with all their winnings. If you are not familiar with such a place the best description is “Child Casino”. You get loads of coin like tokens and put them into very load flashing machines in order to win tickets.
After everyone including all adults were seeing double with a constant ringing in our ears we left to go to the zoo. They had lit up the whole zoo with Christmas lights and it was only a $1 entrance. What a full and exhausting day, but everyone fell asleep on the way home.

The house is still full with 5 children ages 10 months to 6 years and 6 adults. Mornings are madness, but the kids love it. It has been warmer here so they play outside, which has much more room and no rules like NO RUNNING! The day after Christmas Pieter and I snuck away for an entire day without the boys. We went to The Old Market in Omaha, which is becoming a ritual outing for us when we come. It is a nice place to walk around, shop, eat and sit for coffee. We went to different thrift shops, but didn’t find treasures like we find at our local thrift shop in Brussels.


Tuesday was my Grandmothers 89th birthday and we went up to see her before we left for Chucky Cheese. We had ice cream and cake and gave her the handmade candle in the shape of a flower that Pieter had gotten her a in Brussels. She is doing so great and has very much enjoyed the ciaos of the holidays and all the kids running about and showing her all their favorite Christmas gifts.

Merry Christmas

Natan's Quote of the Day

“All I want for Christmas is a blue lightsaber Mama,
can we buy it?” Natan asks while we where at the store shopping.
“No, Natan, you tell me the things you really want and then I will pick
one and buy it for you, but it will be a surprise.” I say
“But, I only want that...today!” Natan insists
“No, it is very close to Christmas,
so you have to wait. It is a surprise!” I respond
“Then I will just go get it for myself.” Natan starts to walk towards the toys.
“Do you have money to buy it?” I say “Just be patient. You
may get it for Christmas, but not before and you can't know before what I get.”
“O.k.”, Natan pauses and says, “I will go over there
around the corner and you go buy it, so then I won’t
see you get it for me!” Natan gleams as he has figured it all out!

So, one major celebration down and one to go. It is 20:33 and all are nestled snug in their beds…, well all mine anyway. I can not quite explain what it is like to have a large Christmas dinner, open presents, play with them, have dessert and then bed for 8 children and 9 adults in a not so big of a house! You will just have to imagine it for yourself, but it is all over now and it is up to time to erase all the ciaos and fill my head with only loving, quite and calm memories of this event, so that one day I will want to return!

But, really it was and is wonderful to see Natan and Kai with their cousins as well as to watch the joy on my families faces as they open gifts from each other. This is what I miss more than anything each year I am away. Natan received a Star Wars lightsaber from Josh(15), who is also a huge fan and collector of Star Wars and was as excited to give it as Natan was to receive it.

Now Santa will come bringing more fun things to keep the children busy and it is off to Aunt Pam’s tomorrow for yet another large sit down family dinner, luckily it is not in anticipation of presents, but I am sure the ciaos will be the same. Pieter is helping Pam cook and I am sure it will prove to be a wonderful mix of Iowa and Belgian cuisine.

A warm Iowa sunset in December!

Today was an amazingly warm day and we took advantage by spending most of the day outdoors. We even had a bon fire in the evening by a brilliant sunset.

The first gift of Christmas

As we anxiously await Pieter’s arrival this evening and Kai was sleeping Natan and I wrapped his present to Kai. Natan is so excited for all the Christmas festivities and with the tree finally here and standing it was time to place some presents. Whether they will stay long under it I am not sure!

The Christmas Tree Ritual

We finally got our tree! On our second trip to Hawthorn Tree Farm, the first was unsuccessful because our first trip was spent driving all over the country to locate it to find out it was closed. It was cold, 14ºf (-10ºc) with a wind chill of –2ºf (-19ºc), so we knew we weren’t going to look at to many trees before deciding. The minute we walked around the barn dad said, “There, that is a nice one let’s take it!” It was a beautiful full and round tree as wide as it was tall and in the middle of a bunch of little scraggly trees, but we should look a little bit more. We walked a little farther down the hill and look at a few others, but it was so cold and dad was so adamant that he wanted the little pudgy tree that we all quickly agreed.

So, the story is, I guess, that the first Christmas mom and dad were married dad came home with a tree that looked pretty much just like this one. So, when he saw this one it brought back so many good memories he just had to have it.


Natan helped cut it down and then they put it in the back of the little black pickup. It looked HUGE! Why is it we always underestimate the size of the tree? I even thought about this before we left thinking we shouldn’t get anything taller than us. Well, in fact it is only 5ft(1.5m) high, but it is also 5ft wide. This posed a major problem when we got it home and the doorway was less than 4ft wide. So, mom and I pushed while dad pulled and after several chosen words and Kai screaming, because it appeared his mother’s body had become a giant ball of pine needles since he could only see my head, we got it in!


We had a decorating party later that afternoon and we made popcorn, cranberry, fruit loops and marshmallow strands and sugar cooking ornaments. Of course not as many pieces went on the tree as did in the mouths, but that is just part of the ritual. The tree looked wonderful and well worth all the fuss but, of course it is not all over, as it does have to go back out that door one day!

“Isn’t it leaning a bit?”

Monday evening as mom was putting up the last of the decorations, the tree topper. I mention it looked like it was leaning forward. I then went out of the room when I hear mom yell down to dad to come and help straighten the tr…, but before she could finish there was a load crash. The tree was noticeably leaning forward now! He is just to short and fat and can’t keep his balance; he needs a “Bill Fix”. I just had to ask while dad was looking puzzled as to how to fix it, “Did the first tree give you this much trouble?” “Not sure,” he said, “but I think it fell over as well.”

So, we clean up the mess salvaged any remaining unbroken cookies and my mother says, “There is really only one thing I do not want broken, the glass pickle from Germany.” This is German tradition of whoever finds the pickle first on Christmas day gets a present. We looked a bit and didn’t find it. Dad was busy finding a stud in the wall and nailing in a U nail that could hold up a brick wall, you can never be to careful. Finally, the tree was upright and secure, when just then we heard a small crash. “Aha, I said dad has FOUND the Pickle!” Of course someone always has to keep a sense of humor in a stressful situation.

Now, our tree is back up bolted to the wall, and although it’s feathers are ruffled a bit, it looks like nothing happened. Stay tuned though, because we aren’t to Christmas yet!

3 x 2 = 6

Last night, I met up with two of my girlfriends from high school. Deb and Karla, the last years of high school we were inseparable. We have managed through many years of growing up and away to remain good friends. Each time I am back we get together and it seems as if no time has past, except for the SIX extra people accompanying us of course! Strangely enough we have two boys each. Ranging in age from 7 years to 7 weeks.

This time we met first alone for drinks at the S F Martin House in Atlantic, very cool old house I would highly recommend, and then with children the next morning. Of course the morning after this time was much different than it used to be. First, because we all felt fine and secondly, because we were all running after, holding or carrying children.

(clockwize around table) Kai, Justin(4), Natan, Ty(2), Jacob(7) and baby Cody was having his cupcake in the form of milk somewhere else.

It is wonderful to be able to get the boys together from time to time, but it does make me think what if? …but, I soon think about how wild and crazy the three of us were and decide the world is not ready for these SIX together!

Justin and Natan watching cartoons.

Barn Raising

On an Iowa farmstead in the olden days when a barn was to be built all the men from the neighboring farms would come and help and it was called a Barn Raising. Today, many of these beautiful old barns are falling apart and just being torn down, because they are to big and expensive to keep up.

On this cold day in December we spent the day indoors nice and warm and the three men of the house had their own miniature Barn Raising. Mom found the barn the other day and thought it would be great fun for her grandchildren, whom six of eight are boys! So, Dad with his super patient hat on worked with Natan and Kai to built it and get it ready for the rest who are coming in one week.

It has gotten cold out again, but no snow remains on the ground. We are hoping for snow before Pieter arrives next Tuesday. Today Natan and I made a count down to Christmas and Papa paper chain, but Natan was completely sure that Santa and Papa where coming on the same day, only 5 days to go! He was quite disappointed when Grandpa came upstairs and agreed with me that Santa was still 10 days away. Natan said “But, no, that is not right I have already had many nights sleeping he should be coming already.”

Yesterday, I had a very nice day and break from the boys. I left them with Uncle Randy and took off to the city shopping with my sister. We went to several places and then met up with Tanya (her daughter) and her boyfriend for lunch and then I hung out the rest of the afternoon with them in downtown Omaha, which has a very nice old market with warehouse style buildings and loads of unique shops and coffee houses.

Tonight we drove the boys over to a house in the neighborhood that puts on an amazing light display and has ever since I was little. Our plan was to go to eat first and then to the lights, but both Natan and Kai fell asleep on our way so we ended up going through a drive through and waking Natan up just for the lights and french fries. I think he was a bit overwhelmed as was I because, the people putting up the lights have seemed to have really lost all since of control and beauty.

Well, our hope is to go to a tree farm tomorrow and pick out the perfect Christmas tree, so I will hopefully post about that soon!

Ciao, from a very cold Iowa winter.

Heat Wave

Natan's Quote of the Day

"You need to be less wild around Max" I say.
"Yes" Natan says.
"Maybe you can say to Max that you can't get so
wild because you can get hurt?" I ask.
"No, I can't say that. Because, you know those words
aren't in my belly." Natan responds matter of factly.

Today we had a major heat wave 40ºf (4.5ºc) and it was time to do some REAL serious playing in the snow. Natan and Max went up and down the large hill until they were worn out, which is very good news for me, because I have been trying to get them to sit still for two days! Just before we came in for hot chocolate we worked on a snow family, but only got the dad done. The rest of the morning the boys where quite, but just after lunch their energy came back and they were bouncing off the walls again. I am feeling a bit like I would like a holiday from my holiday.

Happy Friday!

Almost one week and everyone seems to be back on schedule. Kai slept till 7:30 for the second morning in a row and pretty much through the night and now is hungry and tired at more appropriate times. Today, dad and I took the boys, including Max, to the Air & Space Museum. It was over an hour drive, but well worth it, when we arrived and saw three large rockets in front. This was Natan’s kind of place! There were planes of all shapes and sizes and you could walk under and around and practically inside most of them. After the trip we did the drive through car wash and the drive through ice cream. Always a big hit for us Europeans with no drive throughs and actually no car. Unfortunately, I forgot the camera, a major blogging sin, so you will have to settle with a photo of Kai this morning playing with the puppy.

Sleigh riding

This morning it finally warmed up 11ºf (-11.5ºc) so as promised Natan and I put on our snow clothes and found a carrot, buttons, hat and scarf for our snowman and went outside, but the snow was to dry to make a snow man. We decided to trek down to the little barn through the deep snow to find a sleigh. We were in luck and found a purple plastic sleigh and went sleigh riding on the small hill beside the house. There is a much bigger hill and Natan really wanted to go on it, but as it was still quite cold and I didn't feel like carrying both Natan and the sleigh up hill each time I insisted on the small one to practice. Of course the big one will have to be next. All in all it was a very good substitute for a snowman!

Hotwheels

Natan's Quote of the Day

"I have very helpable fingers!"

My father always was down on the floor playing with us when we where kids, but ask him to play and discuss cars and he will be there before you.

Yesterday, we were out doing a bit of shopping and Dad showed Natan a set of Hotwheels cars. He said he was getting it for them to share. “YEH” Natan said wide-eyed, “some for you and some for me.” When they got home they sat on the kitchen floor and discussed all the design features of each car. My father having many REAL hotwheels in his days still loves to talk cars. I loved to watch Natan sitting on the same floor as I did when I was a child playing with my dad!

Day 3 and -3ºf

Natan's Quote of the Day

"She likes me now she doesn't bite only licks my face
and my hands also. Well...
sometimes she bites my toes just a little."

Natan and the new puppy Se'ra

Grandma's Winter Wonderland

Well, we are at day two, Natan seems not to have missed a beat, but Kai, and thus I as well, are having MAJOR sleep issues. Our second early morning chat at 3:30am this morning has made my jetlag kick in full force. Everyone is asleep now and let's hope it last a bit longer tonight.

After a very homey day yesterday, getting used to everyone and everything, Kai today feels right at home and is taken in ALL the many Christmas decorations my mother puts up every year. Dad says she begins the day after Thanksgiving and continues decorating until New Years, when she then starts to take it all down! Her whole house transforms with decorations from all the years past and some new. I have to say it is brilliant and it makes me feel like a little girl again and I feel the excitement of the approaching Christmas festivities as much or maybe even more than Natan.

We did venture out today to my sisters house and also to see my grandmother and of course take boxes of left over decorations to her apartment and help her decorate. No sleigh riding today though as it was 0ºf (-18ºc) and tonight we drove home in a blizzard. I am beginning to think this could last until we leave, which is beautiful, but not the best weather for leaving the house much!

Top 3 great things about snow!

1. Walking in the snow!


2. Throwing snow!

3. Eating snow!

Well, we have arrived all in tacked. It was quite a trip, but the boys were brilliant playing, sleeping and just being very patient so I could get us all, along with all our luggage, to the proper places. Natan is in heaven because Max, his 7 year old cousin, stayed the night last night. They have been up since 6am teaching eachother everything they each learned in the last year and a half. Kai on the other hand is really confused. He is tired and hungry and doesn't exactly know where he has be set down, but he will get it all worked out.

We ventured out in the snow this morning. Well, it was 8:30, but Kai and I have been up since 3:30am and Natan since 5:00, so it seemed like afternoon. Anyway, it is 9 degrees (-13c) here today and snowing and, although it looks like perfect play in the snow weather, after about 5min we were heading back for hot chocolate.

I think today is a homey day!

Iowa here we come...

The sun'll come out
Tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar
That tomorrow
There'll be sun!

Just thinkin' about
Tomorrow
Clears away the cobwebs,
And the sorrow
'Til there's none!

When I'm stuck a day
That's gray,
And lonely,
I just stick out my chin
And Grin,
And Say,
Oh!

The sun'll come out
Tomorrow
So ya gotta hang on
'Til tomorrow
Come what may
Tomorrow! Tomorrow!
I love ya Tomorrow!
You're always
A day
A way!

Photos are from our honeymoon in Iowa in 2000

A White Thanksgiving in Belgium

If you are going to throw off the balance by celebrating Thanksgiving with a bunch of Belgians why not go all the way and add 15cm of snow!

Saturday, we celebrated our 3rd Thanksgiving with Pieter’s family. Being ALL Belgian and I being the only American they are not familiar with our outlandish family dinner customs at Thanksgiving, but now for the 3rd year in a row Pieter and I have cooked up a fabulous feast. This year though there was a bit more excitement as it snowed 15cm (6 inches, which I know doesn’t mean much to the Iowans, but is a lot here in Brussels.) Of course we had not gotten any of the food, except the Turkey, and we had to plow through the snow in order to get to and from the store.

Natan and Pieter's Robot Snowman

It seems though that every year is getting nicer and more like the family Thanksgivings I remember. (Well, without any of the family I remember, but they are still in my thoughts) The only things that are different are: 1. Our turkey is of ordinary proportions and not insanely oversized (7lbs). 2. We don’t have canned pumpkin pie and actually this year we didn’t even have a homemade pie, but wonderful cakes from the best baker in Brussels. (I made bread instead.) 3. The stories aren’t all about hunting and actually aren’t even all in English. 4. We only ended up with enough leftovers for a nice lunch for two.

Now, we are all ready to go home on Saturday. I have plenty to keep the boys busy for 9 hours and I am sooooo looking forward to being in Iowa for Christmas. Natan and Kai have never experience an American Christmas and I really can’t wait to share it with them.

Kai's New Talent

Kai has been ever so slowly changing from our EASY baby and he is making his new status very clear. Up until now he has always eaten everything put in front of him, sometimes with quite silly faces, but he DID eat it in the end. Now, he has decided he only needs sweet things and today Kai has shown us all a new talent he has been working on, in secret I guess. Today, as I tried to disguise potatoes and green beans, by dipping them in applesauce, he would ever so slyly act as if he were eating it only to spit out a small ball of naked potatoes and beans without a drop of applesauce. How can he do that? Finally, I just gave up and gave him only applesauce. They say children eat what there bodies need, so let’s put this to the test and I will stop torturing myself by trying to hide vegetables.

Why children kick you at night explained.

Natan's Quote of the Day

“Why are you in our bed Natan?” I asked in the morning
“Het was moeilijk in mijn bed te slapen."
[It was difficult to sleep in my bed.]
“But you kicked me all night?” I said
“You see, I was rubbing you with my feet to help
you sleep, want[because] I heard it, you were not
sleeping good.” Natan replies sweetly, “and I rubbed you to
scare away the bugs also, that’s good of me, ehh?”

Young at Heart

Natan's Quote of the Day

"I AM UNDERBOY!"
Natan yells as he dives under the covers of our bed,
while Pieter is trying to get him ready for school.

Since we got married, 5 years ago on Dec. 15th, Pieter and I have had many long discussions about our lives as designers and our lives as parents, (Parents, this word still shocks me, and parents of two that is even more shocking.) but by the end of every discussion we always come to the same conclusion. This is a wonderful way to do it!

O.k., our design careers are starting off a little more slowly than we dreamed and our family life is speeding along much faster than we had dreamed, this can be quite disconcerting sometimes, but it is brilliant to be young parents. At times we are more silly and wild than Natan, well mostly Pieter, and Natan says, “enough Papa, enough!”

Although, this seems to all be falling into place now, having energy and playful ideas for our children and then focusing on our careers later, it hasn’t always been so clear. In the beginning it seemed to much to handle and many times I would give anything just to sit in Kipsari, in the basement of Helsinki-University of Art and Design, drinking a Lapin Kulta, on a second hand sofa, with my friends from all over the world, talking design until it was time to go home. I still have these thoughts from time to time, but they are fleeting and come much less often.

So my advice to young parents is “Hang in there, it IS all worth it!” and to those who are young at heart and have the chance, "There is never going to be the perfect time to start, so why not now?"

Natan's first audio post

Natan the politician

Natan's Quote of the Day

"What does it mean to be curious? I ask before we read Curious George
"Be upside-down!" Natan answers confidently

Every parent dreams and envisions their child’s future and what it will hold. We can say with some certainty that Natan will most likely be a politician when he grows up. No matter what the argument Natan has something to say. He even has mastered some common political tactics.

Name-Dropping
“Matthew told me last night that we are suppose to go to his house today!”

Just the Facts
“I have only big toy needs.” Natan says after we asked him what he wants from Sinter Klaas.
Natan continues to explain, “Yes, you see because Kai he puts all little things in his mouth. That is why I need only very big things.”

The Last Word
“Come play with me.”
“I just sat down for breakfast, later, Ok?” I say
“What is Papa doing?”
“He is having a problem with the heating.” I say
“Papa has problems? I am Superman!” Natan says standing up and putting his hands in the air.
“Go help Papa then, because Superman helps people with problems.” I say, trying to have a quite breakfast.
“Ok, come with me then!” Natan says tugging on my arm.
“What?” I say shocked my distraction didn’t work as planned.
“Yes, I am Superman and I am helping you to play with me!” Natan exclaims

Manipulation
“Can I have a cookie?” “Can I have a cookie?” “Can I have a cookie?” “Ok, one.” I say
“Yes, one for me and one for you.” Natan says as he takes two and hands one to me
“Thank you, but I don’t want one.” I say handing it back
“Ok, two for me then!”

Exaggeration
“I need not to eat one more bite, because I have no space left in my belly. If I eat that I will puke and that is not good ehh, no ehhh.” Natan says, pushing on his belly and shaking his head.

Personal Agenda
“I have brought you in here, (in the museum shop) you see, so you can now see all that I couldn’t show you.”
Natan said, as he led his Oma into the shop from the Panamerenko exhibition. In the shop they have all books, posters, magnets, and post cards with flying objects from Panamerenko. Of course she bought him two magnets, but this wasn’t the purpose. He was only guiding her through the exhibits and wanted her not to miss anything, of course!”

White Lies
“No, not all candies are bad for you. Some like red and greens ones are ACTUALLY good for you!”

Exuses
"I am to tired for crusts."

Dear Kai,

Today you are 9 months and 6 days old and have finally recovered from your first cold. It was a long week and you are much skinnier this Sunday than last, but don’t worry you are a ferocious eater and in no time you will be back to normal. (We all hope because the restless nights and 3am feedings are a nightmare)

You have tackled several milestones in the last month. You can now go from lying on your back to your belly, then up to a crawling position, crawl around a bit, sit up and then stand up by holding on to something. This makes you very very happy and although it makes me quite nervous I am also very happy for you. Your brother thinks it is now time to wrestle around a bit, since you are more mobile. You on the other hand are becoming more and more an individual and can make quite a noise if Natan comes to close, but for the most part the two of you play together nicely and you love to watch your brother being silly.

Your favorite toys are…not yours actually. You are very interested in anything and everything that Natan is playing with. Because of this you have made me put away some of Natan’s favorite things like marble, legos and play mobile people. Natan is very careful with small things around you and said it was ok to put some things away until you could play together with them. One thing you really like to do is to put a small stuffed lady bug in and out of a stackey cup. This you could do for hours and you have given me some great ideas in the process.

So far your choice cuddly is a green blanket that you had on the day you came home from the hospital. It was February and very cold, so I wrapped you in this blanket each day and now it is your most treasured object to fall asleep with. You also really like a Mickey Mouse stuffed doll. A couple of weeks ago we thought we had lost him, but luckily Natan found him at his school and put him in his backpack and brought him back to you.

What is in store for this month I wonder? Maybe teeth since you don’t yet have any? Walking? Perhaps more words? You can already say mama, papa and ata (natan we think), but these aren’t always directed to the right person. For sure you will be going on your longest plane trip ever when we travel to Iowa to see your cousins you haven’t met. What else? I can’t wait to see…

Love, Mama

This letter was inspired by a very popular blog where a mother writes about her life and often writes letters to her 21mth old daughter. www.dooce.com

Books, books everywhere!

Natan's Quote of the Day

"That's a weo weo auto"Natan says "Would you like another weo weo auto?" Carll Cneut says with a grin"No, a vliegtuig(airplane)"Natan replies seriously

Yesterday Natan and I ventured away from our sick house for a day excursion. I felt very guilty that his entire school holiday has been spent at home with a sick baby and mama. So feeling better we enlisted Oma’s help to watch Kai for a day and we took the train to Antwerp to meet friends and go to the book fair. Boekenbeurs 2005

It was pure madness and ciaos, but we found the hall where the children’s event was happening for 3 to 7 year olds. We walked into a small conference room where there where already around a 100 children sitting uncomfortably in adult chairs. Up front was a stage with 4 chairs with a large table in front of them and in the four chairs where 4 ordinary grown-ups (authors of children’s books). Is it just me that sees a problem with this?

There was little place on the floor in front of the stage and there was NOTHING at all to keep the children’s interest. Oh, expect the very famous author’s reading of course! Children don’t want to see the author they want the pictures, the story, the voices and the adventure. Well, this only happened when one of the four authors jump up with a t-shirt like Superman except with a Z. She began to yell and shout and read the story so excitedly that the room was still and everyone’s, including my own, mouth was open. The story was a about a four year old boy who was Zoeperman! (the Dutch equivalent to Superman) Then she says “This is my first book and I am so happy to be here to read it to all of you!” Aha! So I guess the problem is that the others have written to many books for children so they have lost what is really important? I still don’t understand!

After the stories we went to buy the Zoeperman book and we met the author and had it signed. Beside her was a guy about my age and as I look to the books in front of him I realized it was one of my favorite Belgian illustrators. Carll Cneut. I was more excited than the children in front of him when I saw him signing books with illustrations. So after looking through all his books I FINALLY talked Natan into one with an airplane in it. He signed it and talked to Natan and was very into every child that came up to him! WOW! Carll Cneut and Tine Mortier, author or Zoeperman, have just restored my love and faith in children’s book authors and illustrators.

Trick or Treat!

Vicks Vapor Rub

Last night I was miserable with a horrible cold and a very very sore throat. I was feeling completely sorry for my self and I just wanted to revert back to childhood when my mother used to rub Vick’s vapor rub all over my chest and I would curl up under the covers and sleep all day.

Just then I remembered! Hey, my dad forgot his Vick’s, which he ALWAYS has on his bedside table, when he visited last March. Yippee. I rubbed it all over my neck and chest, put on a high neck shirt, curled up in the covers and fell asleep with a smell that brought back so many memories.

I slept like a child. Thanks Dad!

A Child's Choice

Yesterday, Kai crawled over to a basket full of toys and picked out a stuffed Mickey Mouse. He sat and played with it for almost an hour. Natan’s chosen one since he was 2 has been a Winnie the Pooh. Bought for him by Isobel when we stopped at a Disney shop in Rome. Don’t ask why, out of everything to visit in Rome, we went into a Disney shop!

Anyway, I love Baby Pooh, but what is up with my children choosing Disney characters over all the cool design toys they have? What is it about Disney characters that make them so attractive? To me they are completely and utterly over designed and unnatural.

Out of all of the parents I know we have the fewest loud, bright, hard, plastic and cartooned toys. Also, we do not have a television. So, it isn’t that my children are indoctrinated into wanting profit oriented character toys. They have just chosen these out of all the other less mass-produced and marketed ones. At this moment I wish Kai could carry on an intellectual conversation and tell me why he picked Mickey from the basket. Then I would know the secret to design for children.

As for Mickey though I am sad to say he has already been lost. After watching Kai play so wonderfully with him. I decided to take him on our walk to pick up Natan and between the school and home he was tossed overboard. I didn’t notice until it was to late to go back. Honestly, I didn’t ditch Mickey on purpose because he comes from Disney. Lord knows NO mother in her right mind would loose a chosen one on purpose.

Natan & Baby Pooh • July 2004

The Belgian Beach

[Natan: 4y • 2m• 29d]
[Kai: 8m • 25d]

Natan's Quote of the Day

"You can only go to the sea by train a car doesn't go well."

I should have posted this two weeks ago (Oct 16th) after our trip to the sea, but I just downloaded the pictures today. I wanted to show a picture and mention how really lovely the Belgian coast is, especially at this time of year. Of course it is not a beach as most believe a beach to be, sunny, hot and blue, but we really enjoy it. At this time of year it has all these wonderful muted colors everything with a bit of grey and the air is amazingly fresh. You can walk for hours along the beach and for children it is a never-ending exploration. Digging, hunting for crabs, seashells and other strange creatures, chasing waves, building castles, making islands, etc. Natan is in perfect form at the sea. He comes alive with ideas and questions and can be free to explore and just play without any programs or structure. I remember as a child spending every possible moment outside making up games and adventures that had NO direction from adults. Although, this is not often possible in a large city it is perfectly possible at the sea!

I guess I am raving a bit, but I am amazed at the amount of people I meet in Brussels who NEVER, well maybe once, have made it to the coast. Which is a whopping 1hr45mins away. If they could just leave behind their stereotypical idea of what a beach day should be like they would have a brilliant adventure!