Monthly Blog Update

No more fooling this just isn’t going to happen more than once a month. I am sorry to those loyal readers who have been requesting more, but I am afraid I just can’t get to it. So, I will do my best to make one REALLY exciting, long and inspiring blog each month.

End of October was very exciting as we created a company studioVerbeelen where Pieter and I are partners. He will continue with his renovation and interior design and I will run Turtlewings as a division of the company. Of course at times we will work together on large projects. It is all very exciting and extremely stressful at the same time.

Maybe not equally important, but equally exciting was our first trick or treating in Brussels. It was organized around one city block, where quite a few xpats lived. (English speaking people living in Brussels) Natan dressed up as a bionicle and Kai as a little devil, which suited him just perfectly. As we set off for the first house Natan held back to see how it was all done. Kai on the other hand, seeing something to eat, rushed through the cracks of all the other children (over 30 in one group!) and stood quietly and politely in the front. He picked one candy from the bowl each time it passed him until he was the last one standing there. Of course, most children took their one candy and stepped away for others, but Kai was so small no one really noticed and after the first house he had it all figured out. The only concept he had trouble grasping was that you where suppose to wait to eat it until you got back home. So, all that was easy to unwrap was eaten immediately. Thinking back on my childhood now I wonder "Why did we wait?" This is Kai’s gift. He just does what he wants and if you don’t agree he will figure it out for himself. Most of the time he really gets you questioning yourself. Why do we conform to so many social rules? Maybe, we should all live life by a 21 month old's rules!

Natan is also growing up fast. He has become a real artist, which doesn’t bother me at all. He has also taken over my drawing table as his own, again not a real bother. He started in a French football (soccer) league in October, but we found it to far away, so he stopped for awhile. He was really sad for weeks, so we found one closer and he is very happy again. My heart sinks every time I see him out on the full size football pitch though. Because I know he isn’t understanding a word the coach is saying and I definately know how that feels, but he always comes back in incredibly happy. Also, I know by the end of the year I will have a little French translator by my side, which can come in handy when shopping in Brussels.
Next September Natan will go to lagere school (Elementary) and Kai will begin kleuterschool (preschool). This means we have to already shop for a new school now. Brussels is a primarily French speaking city, so there is loads of French speaking schools and very few Flemish, but the Flemish system has better education, so many French speaking parents put there children in Flemish schools. To complicate the problem there is not even enough place for Flemish children. So the system is that there is one day that you can sign you child up for one school. You must go first thing in the morning (some even at 3am) and stand in line hoping to get a place. Most parents split up and queue at two different places just to better their odds at getting in somewhere! Crazy! Anyway, we have begun this process, by touring 4 different schools last week, now we have decided between two and we can now wait for the 1st of March and hope to get in one!

November just went by so fast I feel I missed it, but we have worked hard on our company identities and public relations. I have updated the Turtlewings website and have some exciting projects coming up. We finally broke down and left the car-free world and got a really cool Skoda Roomster for our company car. We received a loaner car last Friday until ours comes in and it is very nice! The problem is that because we have been car-free for so long I tend to walk past it more than I get in it! I guess we will get use to it eventually.

Well, that is about all for this month! We will be going on a road trip through Germany for our anniversary in a couple weeks and we will have a very relaxing Christmas and New Years holiday here at home.

Cheers,
Jules

Let's go back a month or so!

Mom and Dad getting inspired at Salvador Dali's house (Port Ligat, Spain)

One month ago today my parents where here and we were celebrating my fathers birthday. It now seems ages ago, except occasionally when I go to the coffee maker and have a cool idea for our house, then it feels like they where just sitting there exploring all the cool things we could do. Next time we will spend more time dreaming and doing fun projects and less time traveling. Although, they had a wonderful time and saw loads, I think we tried to fit in to much. In the end it seemed they where running for the taxi to the airport only minutes after they arrived. There was so much I forgot to tell them and show them and so much more we could have talked about, but I am not complaining to much. It was brilliant to have them here and we did see a lot from grape picking to Dutch pottery making and from playing in the park around the corner to searching for a surf shop and swimming in the Mediterranean sea in France. I am already planning of the next trip, although I am sure that it will come and go way to quickly. If only they could move Iowa and Belgium just a bit closer together.

Kai is serious about helping with the boats. (Port Ligat, Spain)

Natan and his friend feeding the horses at the neighbors vineyard.

Isobel, Simon and Kai at dinner after grape picking.

Bringing the grapes into the cave.
Pieter scoops them into the bin while dad looks on.

The original press in the cave of Pieter's father.
This is the first year wine will be made there.

Pieter drinking the juice from the new grapes,
which have been in the wine vat for 3 weeks.

Everyone enjoyed the little yellow train up into the Pyrenees mountains.

Goodbye, grandma & grandpa we miss you very much!

Welcome the 4th Verbeelen Girl! Now, we are 4 girls vs. 5 boys

Julie Verbeelen (born just before 6am on October, 22 2006)

T.G.I.F.

So, I have still yet to blog properly yet or get any photo's downloaded from my camera in the last month or so!

What have we done then?

Well, we have been working hard at creating a company or two. We have finally decided for now to focus on the bvba (Dutch abrv. for normal profit company) and see how it goes before seeing if it is necessary to make Turtlewings a non-profit (vzw). So now all our design activities are officially under Studio Verbeelen. We are now in the process of buying a company car. Yes! You heard correct, we who preach a carless lifestyle to all who live in the city, are looking for a car. It will be mainly for business meetings, which are not within convenience with public transport.

Two weeks ago Sat. we began to plaster the back wall in our studio. Getting it all ready for the Turtlewings grand opening in Jan. It started modest because we had our wine&design party the following Friday night. So, because I really didn’t want to stand in the way of progress we continued as I tried to keep it all clean and organized for Friday. Well, by Sunday I lost control and everything in the studio was piled in the middle and there was plaster and dust everywhere. After Pieter had spent two days straight plastering and all the dust settled I spent 4 hours sanding and 8 hours painting during the week and it look fabulous. Pieter plastered the back wall and the front walls and we painted the front a very dark charcoal brown! Wow, amazing, but it was Thursday night and everything was still pile in the middle. Well, to make an exhausting story short. I organized; Pieter cook and we had a brilliant party with 25 friends and friends of friends.

This weekend we are doing absolutely nothing!

p.s. Will try to put pictures up soon, but at this point won’t promise!

Sitting and Writing

Bad blogger, bad blogger! 

So no excuses this time it has been weeks maybe even months since I posted. I still have yet to put up pictures from mom and dad's trip, but tonight I just downloaded a great Widget to my new laptop, which allows me to sit in my favorite chair and post. So, does this mean I will post more often. Perhaps! It could be mainly words, which I will have to get used to because I like having the picture to say most everything so I don't have to carry on so, but I believe that I can do it! 

I hope you can forgive me, but I have a really good excuse this time !

August 2006 in Belgium has been put down in the history books as having the most rainfall and least amount of sun ! Can someone explain this after July 2006 was put down as the hottest most sunniest July in History ?

So, as you see I couldn’t sit and write in this depressing period. It is now getting warmer still very very grey,but that is the Belgian’s favorite color they say ! Another reason for my absense is Apple ‘s amazing crappy service in Belgium. If any of your wish you can write and complain on my behalf. We turned my computer in before we went on holiday to get the noisey fan fixed it was suppose to take10 days, we where gone 12. I STILL don’t have it ! I called yesterday and was a real Amaerican on the phone, since Belgian’s NEVER complain he was so shocked he couldn’t talk.Well, maybe I wasn’t letting him talk, can’t remember at the time, but all that bitching of course does nothing as they still have it and even if I say in the end I won’t pay for such bad service I WILL have to because I am the one in need not them. (I HATE THAT)

O.k. I feel better for getting that all off my chest and I promise that the following catch up blog entries will not be so negative.

Natan's first day of school

Natan's Quotes of the Day

"I am going to move to
Iowa and work, O.k.?" Natan exlaims.
"Oh, When?" I ask
"Now," Natan says
"What about school?" I say
"I am all done with school,
I am going to work!" Natan announces
"What will you do then?"
"Make money." he responds firmly
"How?" I ask
"By working." Natan says
"What kind of work will you do then?"
"I will do work that makes money?"
"You will have to choose something,
like Opa is a doctor, Oma a dentist,
Papa builds houses, mama a designer,
Hendrik works with airplanes and space,
so what will you do?" I explain
"None of those things, umm," he thinks...
"what does Pauline do?"
(Natan’s best friend Max’s mama)
"She writes books." I say
"That is what I want to do write books!" he decides
"Wow, that is a great job I think." I say excited
"What is spiderman’s job?" he says not satisfied
"Well, when he is spiderman, he helps people,
but that is not really his job." I respond
"No, when he is not Spiderman?"
"I think he is a journalist." I answer
"What is that?" Natan asks
"Actually also a type of writer."
"Oh, that is it then I will be a writer!"
(after this discussion I am told Spiderman is actually a photographer,
but I am still excited about the idea of Natan the writer!)

September 1st is the first day of school all over Belgium, as long as it falls on a weekday, even Friday. So, yesterday was Natan’s first day back and he was elated to find out that Charlotte, his reason for wearing nice shirts, was back. He was worried all summer that she was going to go to the big school this year and no matter how many times I said "No, I think she is still in your class." He wouldn’t believe it till he saw it.

Isobelly was here.

Natan's Quotes of the Day

"Isobel grew up while she was away,"
"I also grew up,"
"I miss my friend Isobel!"

What a great weekend we had as Isobel got to come over for a long weekend. It has been a long time since she slept in her bed and we were beginning to think about realocating it ! Just kidding, that bed will be forever know as Isobelly’s bed. I think even when Kai moves there (because truely it is meant for him) he will still have to be careful not to mess up Isobelly’s bed. He will probably even have to move to the sofa next time she visites. Anyway, it was a wonderfully relaxing weekend, which we all needed. Of course it rained the whole time, but we just used ALL our rain gear and went out anyway. On Sunday we went to Tongeren a small village an hour from Brussels that turns into a giant antique market every Sunday, it is amazing.

Look at all this color!

As my freind Kelly says "Belgians like their cars like they like their skies, grey !" Actually, their buildings are also grey and now even almost all public transportation is grey, so I guess it is true! But, the Flower Carpet in the Grand Place is a welcome site, which only happens every two years, I guess not to overstimulate.

Our holiday photo diary

Natan's Quotes of the Day

"I think that when you
where a little girl
Kai was an old Swedish man
and then when you where big
he came in your belly"

Well, we are back. Lots to tell and show you since we never found internet access again. First of all I am happy we got the last taste of summer heat since it is 18ºc(60ºf) in Brussels. We had amazing weather both in Norway and Sweden.

Thursday, Aug 3rd
10:38 am

Ready for holiday, cleaning out the fridge.

Friday, Aug 4th
1:22 pm

Arrived in Norway late on the 3rd,
but woke up bright and early to see
Oslo and let Kai and Fredrik get acquainted.

4:49 pm

Walking the dogs.
The highlight of Natan's trip.

9:55 pm

Pieter's birthday,
a wonderful dinner cooked by Ingrid
and brilliant discussion with old friends.

Saturday, Aug 5th
9:23 am

Up bright and early for a trip through Oslo.

9:55 am

Fredrik really got all the
uncle attention he needed.

4:01 pm

After driving to the country we
all couldn't resist a quick dip.

Sunday, Aug 6th
9:07 am

Poor Ingrid and Fredrik will
have to catch up on their sleep later,
we are taking a long walk to the sea.

9:48 am

Bathing in the Norwiegen sea

9:52 am

Swimming to the raft was very exciting.
I have never seen such clear water.

3:31 pm

A view of the cottage surrounded by gardens.

4:43 pm

Nothing better than eating right off the bush.

4:50 pm

Saying goodbye is never easy,
especially not to Nellie.

7:40 pm

Getting lost and having a wonderful meal
in the trendiest town in Sweden.

Monday, Aug 7th
3:27 pm

Arrived late and lost in
Gothenburg last night.
After a sleeping in and a long nap
we were ready to go boating

4:06 pm

After nagotiating a cliff to get to a
swimming spot I was ready to relax,
but Kai had seen somthing interesting
and was determined to walk the cliffs himself.

8:52 am

What luck they get to stay up late
and they have a trampoline.

Tuesday Aug 9th
9:53 am

This was an extremely lazy day we
only made it to the park across the street.
Cool slide made on a stone though.

Wednesday, Aug 10th
2:07 pm

Off to the Swedish country side.
We walked to an island, but some...

2:10 pm

...surfed back and forth.

6:53 pm

A sunset and a fabulous meal by the sea.

Thursday, Aug 10th
2:56 am

City trip in Gothenburg revealed
the European championships.
There were great activities for kids.

3:03 pm

3:23 pm

15:46 pm

Natan and Scout show no fear.

3:49 pm

It took them until the middle of a river and back.

Friday, Aug 11th
11:41 am

Liseberg, Gothenburg amusement park.

11:55 am

1:27 pm

1:54 pm

I don't see what all the fuss is over
the rides, this popcorn is far better.

Saturday, Aug 12th
9:07 am

One last jump.

2:10 pm

Back in Brussels Airport