Frunty really enjoyed his second birthday party with new friends and a candle that wouldn't blow out for good on a yummy cake!

Daddy was sorry that he missed seeing E and A and meeting the twins. He just couldn't leave work soon enough but at least got to enjoy the tail end! A special thanks to Gramma and Grampa for sending all the fun Thomas the Tank birthday things that helped make our party a hit!

Playing bocci balls on our beach in Djerba while Mommy gets a seaweed wrap at the hotel's spa.

What a week and it isn't over yet! We got back from Djerba on Saturday and celebrated Frunty's second birthday and Father's Day on Sunday. We started with pancake breakfast, went to church, came home for a decadent Belgian chocolate birthday cake from Desmet bakery followed by a trip to the Tram Museum. First we took the vintage tram to Tervuren and then to the Cinquantenaire park and then we visited the museum itself. Frunty just loved it, actually we all did. Came home and had a seafood bonanza bbq and more cake! The next day was Frunty's actual birthday party and we had altogether 8 kids, lucky number. Wow!



Josephine from Taiwan

Jordan and Jillian from the U.S.

Alexander from Bruxelles

Sybilla and Octavia, twins from the U.K.

Lucine de la France



It was so fun! Pictures will come later, when I have a chance. Daddy was so excited about the party that he came home early from work to join in the fun. Thank you again to all those who sent emails/gifts/cards and phoned! Thank you for remembering us on our special days even though we live so far away. Tuesday we took the nonni to the airport, as you know, then Wednesday, hosted a good bye lunch for the whole Baby Time group as one student/Mom is returning to Japan for good. J and I hosted together with J making the meal, I made desserts. Thursday was Baby Time and with two new students! (Josephine joined and her Mom's help is greatly appreciated!) Today is French Library.



Despite how busy this week has been, we still made time for naps and quiet time. Next week will be even quieter with no extra special lunch or trips to and from the airport!

We just took the Nonni to the airport and although it was very sad to say "good bye", we will see eachother soon what with the way time flies! We had a wonderful time with them in Tunisia and I will add some photos little by little.

I had to explain to the baby that Daddy had to go home from the beach. He still sometimes asks for you and about you. It does seem like he understands a bit because he says, " Daddy, Mowgli" as if h eknows that you two are together.

We are headed to Djerba, Tunisia tonight so you won't hear from us for awhile. We are

looking forward to a relaxing, beach holiday and hopefully the weather won't be too

hot. Since we are staying on an island and right on the ocean, there will be a breeze,

no doubt. When we get back, it'll be Father's Day and Frunty's second birthday! So stay

tuned for updates about Djerba and photos of Frunty and balloons!

Nonno reads an animal counting book and later, enjoys looking at the spiders

the children made at Baby Time yesterday!

Nonna reads "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" to the Baby Time students yesterday. It was lots

of fun!

Running along the beach together in Le Touquet, France, during a recent long

weekend break.

Daddy flew off to Milano tonight because he has a meeting tomorrow morning. He hates to miss time with Frunty so he brought us lunch and spent the whole afternoon playing with us. After he left in the late afternoon, J&J came over and we walked over to one of my Japanese student's home to check out her garage sale. She is moving back to Japan in July and will be sorely missed. J and I both purchased some fun stuff. I got Frunty a slide and tricycle and a bunch of clothes. I remembered our garage sale last summer and how hard it was to sell some special items. The only thing that made it bearable was that we donated the proceeds to breast cancer. It is important to remember that things are only things but you know what, things comfort us too and are associated with special times and people. So even if getting attached to material objects is silly, it is still hard to part with certain things. I am just rambling!



The point of this blog is to tell you fun things you can do with your Baby or at least, fun things that I do with mine! And this morning we made smoothies in our new blender and after we both had a glass, we poured the rest into Teddy Bear Tupperware Freezer Pop Moulds and after naptime, Frunty ate three in a row! Luckily they were full of only fruit and no added sugar. We put bananas, peaches, strawberries and pineapple into the blender. Yummy! I think I'll have one now. Cheerio! And by the way, Frunty loves helping in the kitchen and it's a new hobby for us! I highly recommend it despite the fact that it is a little more messy!

We just came back last night from a three day weekend to the north coast of France where we stayed in the fishing village of Etaple and enjoyed playing on beaches in Le Touquet and Ste. Cecile. Frunty loves the sand and I think he could play all day at the beach, finding shells, digging holes and jumping in, making circles, running along the ocean. Daddy bought a rainbow-coloured kite and we had fun watching him learn to fly it. I tried too. We ate a lot of seafood and even bbqed fish kebabs. We also went to an amazing aquarium in Boulogne called Nausicaa where we saw some awesome sharks. A week today we leave for another seaside holiday in Djerba, Tunisia. We have never had so many holidays in a row but that is what it means to live in Europe where vacation time is 5 or 6 weeks plus all the statutory holidays plus the long lunch breaks when Daddy sometimes comes home and 35 hour maximum work week. (by law, employers cannot demand more without giving a day off in lieu.) It is a different world and despite my homesickness at times, I am happy for all the time Daddy gets to spend with us!