It has been almost two years since we moved into our house, and although sometimes it seems that not much has changed and we are not working hard enough on the renovations we left unfinished, at other times it appears we have done a lot. We have been working now for two weekends on the stairs to Natan’s loft. Of course the easy thing to do would have been to go out and buy a pre-made stair and put it up in a day, but we have a little habit of NEVER buying anything we can make ourselves. (For instance, I finally talk Pieter into an ironing board last weekend, we have never had one. I use a hot pad on the kitchen counter. Pieter finally agreed that his idea of building one into our bedroom cabinets probably couldn't be done as fast and nice as just buying one!) Anyway, the stair is looking great and my idea, that I have held strong on for over 2 years, of building them like cabinets that you walk on is proving to be brilliant. (Of course!) 
Just before Christmas Pieter made our cabinets in the studio, which are very very nice and make the studio finally functional and looking a bit more thought out. We still have a ways to go with many walls still only primed, doors not sanded and light bulbs on wires sticking out from the wall, but all in do time!
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Still remodeling!
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Onze Lieve Kai
Kai's Quote of the Day
Our sweet Kai is covered in chickenpox. My mother tells the story that when I got chickenpox I had one between my toes and then my sister got them and you couldn’t put a finger between them. Well, this is what has happened. Natan didn’t have them so bad only about 40 to 50 all over and they where small and he never scratched. Kai has at least 100 just on his head and last night another couple hundred came everywhere else. He is miserable. I have to keep clothes on that cover everything including his head or else he starts tearing away at his skin, not just scratching them, but literally trying to rip them off. Thank goodness we are almost halfway done and I hope they are finished coming.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Is it possible to make a calming video game?
As a designer, parent, and I guess just video game ignorant person, I just have never got it! What make video games so appealing? Especially to parents, whom are usually the ones buying them for their children. In my opinion they are visually noisy, not to mention just plane noisy, aggressive and over stimulating. Although I will mention that graphically they are quite impressive as far as technical graphics, but just as a graphic image not to impressing. It doesn’t take much to make a real looking gun!
I have always said that I will be the bad parent one day when Natan wants a video game and say “Sorry, but no, never, not any kind ever!” So, to eat my words I have two recommendations to make to parents also questioning video game frenzy. The first is a Leapster. It is a handheld video game by Leapfrog for children ages 4 to 10, which as ONLY educational non-violent games. Natan got it for Christmas to help him with English, which he isn’t getting in school. It is great and from Christmas till now Natan has went from recognizing NO letters to knowing practically all of them, but it is in the end a video game and does have qualities of visual and audible noise, but I just figured this was unavoidable since I have yet to see a nice graphic video game, until…
The second example I just discovered from my sister Pam is an online game site that makes video games beautiful and calming. Almost like watching fish in a fish tank, but interactively. It is called Orisinal and it is brilliant, both the graphics and the sounds are lovely, calming, and soft and just plan cool graphics. This is the most amazing thing I have ever seen and makes me proud to be a designer to know that someone has broken the threshold of horrible graphically noisy video games and found a solution to calm and enjoyable play. Believe, me my mind has changed, just a little, and if they ever put this out in a handheld I am getting it.
Friday, January 20, 2006
Chickenpox Part II
No this is not the same as ChickenRun Part II, far less humorous I suppose. So we had two days of normalcy before Kai got his first pimple. Luckily I only worked Monday and Wednesday this week and Pieter’s mother is back, so there is no stress this time. Unfortunately, Kai has much more than Natan had and of course has much less body surface. So, he is pretty covered and although he doesn’t seem to miserable it looks miserable and makes me itch just seeing it. Good news though, is that we only have two children, so this is going to soon be over!
Monday, January 16, 2006
What's new?
Natan's Quote of the Day
It is actually where a spider bit me.
Look, I am starting to get things that help me stick to the wall.
I am changing into...SPIDERMAN."
Natan says as he looks at a chickenpox on his hand and then up at me very surprised.
Now we are finally at day one of normalcy. Natan’s chickenpox are gone and he went back to school and had a great first day. Kai went back to crèche today and also had a very good day. Oh, by the way, HE IS WALKING!!
He started to take a few steps at my parent’s house, but he is very very cautious and still only goes for short distances, but he is getting more confident everyday. Unlike, Natan who at 8.5 months took 7 steps the first time he walked, not even being able to stand on his own yet, then falling flat on his face and repeating this at least 20 times a day! We are all very proud of Kai and more than ready for him to be up and moving, although I am having troubles loosing my little baby.
As for me, I finally started my contract, which I have been working on since August. I am the design consultant for the International School’s Early Childhood Center’s Exhibition of Learning, which will take place in early March. I have a very short timeline and a huge amount of work, but I am very excited about it and getting to finally put to practice what I studied in Helsinki.
Pieter is also back to normal and working hard. He will be starting another GB supermarket renovation in February and hopefully it won’t be as stressful the second time around. His office might also move down by the canal, which is a great area.
Well, that is about all the newness I can think of. Quite a bit when you start to write it down. Talk to you soon!
Cheers,
Julie Anne
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Situation Normal?
We are back in Brussels! The plane trip was pretty uneventful as I had hoped it would be and everyone except me and 5 other screaming children, luckily not ours, slept pretty much the entire time. So, life is back to normal. Everyone in their own bed. Well, not last night as Natan was in and out of ours until 2am. Everyone is sleeping and eating normally. Well, falling asleep at 2am and waking up at 11am is normal for some people! Everyone will be back to work, school or crèche on Monday. Well, also not exactly as Natan has the chickepox and will not go to school all next week and Pieter’s parents are gone for 10 days and I start my new job Wednesday, so Pieter will have to take off.
YIKES! Can we have returned to any more abnormalcy (not really a word I guess, but best describes this situation)
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Goodbye Iowa
Well, our month is up and tomorrow we fly. It has been a VERY full month and although we hate to leave everyone here we are all ready to go home. The only problem is that Kai, Pieter and I are all pretty sick. We are well stocked though with many different kinds of medicine and I hope we can all sleep it off on the plane. Poor Natan will have to entertain himself or sleep, since he is the only healthy one.
Goodbye Iowa, we will all miss you very much!