Last night our Nonni arrived from Toronto and boy were we excited to see them! Tomorrow we leave for El Gouna in Egypt and I realize that I haven't written for over a week. So much has happened since the 16th. The boys and I took Daddy on the 19th to Plopsaland for his birthday! What fun! We got a new countertop in our kitchen the following day and hung out at the army and airplane museum. That night, after the boys went to bed (they both go together at 8 pm, it is super cute!) we watched a movie, "House of Flying Daggers". Mandarin was fun on the Monday and Frunty and I made a carrot cake together that was super good.
On the 23rd, it was our God son, J's birthday and we enjoyed chatting to him and his folks. On the 24th I went to the dentist while my friend, J, helped me with Tiny Baby who slept through most of the appointment, just started getting hungry the last 5 minutes. Then Daddy and Frunty picked up our nonni after the Little Gym. Perfect timing. The fun just never stops but it means that time really flies and Tiny Baby has been chewing his fists for the past week at least, perhaps indicating that the long process of teething has already begun. He smiles at us even before we smile at him. He is such a joy. I gotta get packing now but will write when we get back from El Gouna and before we go to Turin.
For my own records, I have been running with both children sometimes together in the one stroller and now that H leant me her double jogger, after a nice walk with her and friends the other day, I have taken them both side by side. Frunty sings to Tiny Baby and keeps him happy until he falls asleep. I sometimes have to make a few stops but I am grateful that most of the time, I can be "selfish" and get my running in!!!!! Cheerio!
Thursday, 25 August 2005
Friday, 19 August 2005
Frunty took me to Plopsaland for a surprise birthday adventure. It's a theme park about a 2 hour train ride from Brussels. We had lots of fun on mini-train rides but probably the high point was this Balloon Race up in the sky! (Click on the picture to make it bigger.)
Tuesday, 16 August 2005
I was thinking about Movies 4 Mommies the other day and remembering how much I enjoyed going with Frunty and friends and out for Starbucks afterwards. One of the highlights of my first "maternity leave". But it is the new me, I don't sit around and compare and complain...not since Christmas. Daddy found an adventure for the boys to do this afternoon and I took Tiny Baby to the video store to get a movie. I got one that I had hoped to see with Gramma but we didn't get a chance, called In Good Company. I've got a Canada Dry, some pumpkin seeds from Nonna and here I go...to my livingroom. It's a grey day and I am going to have my own M4M right here at home. Yes, it is not the same. Yes, I wish I could be in the Beach with other screaming babies...wait a minute, different can also be good! Don't forget, if you get lemons sometimes, you can easily make lemonade!
Daddy has taken Frunty to Science-tastic...some kind of science center type place. And in a few days it's Daddy's birthay and boy, do we have a special surprise in store for him! Stay tuned!
Daddy has taken Frunty to Science-tastic...some kind of science center type place. And in a few days it's Daddy's birthay and boy, do we have a special surprise in store for him! Stay tuned!
Tiny Baby's first post-natal flight was on July 23rd 2005 from Brussels, Belgium to Monastir, Tunisia. After take-off, he slept the whole way! Not a peep during take-off, in-flight, or landing. The flight was about 2 hours and 15 minutes. What a little trooper! We will remember it was Tiny Baby's first flight as it is D's birthday!
While pregnant, I flew with the kids to Toronto, Makadi Bay, Egypt and Turin, Italy. No peeps then either!
Saturday, 13 August 2005
Frunty said something very cute today. He overheard us talking about going to Pizza Hut for dinner so he chimed in with his own story in a melancoly tone: "One time. Just Frunty and Granma. We went to Little Gym and after at Pizza Nut there were no more balloons"
What a busy week since getting back from Tunisia. I haven't had a chance to write or catch up on emails so I hope I won't lose our readership! I don't have time to write even now but I will say that we enjoyed berry picking today and a picnic at the Foret de Soigne between chores! The blackberries were mostly quite sour though! I squeezed in one run this week and it was the first while pushing Tiny Baby in the new jogger. Pretty great since I feel strong and Tiny Baby slept the entire run and woke up just after I finished weight lifting! Perfect! This was after visiting H and her newborn, V, who came early on the 31st of July. (she was due the 21st of August) What a tiny cutie and H's birth story had us both laughing til our sides' ached. I think sharing birth stories is an extremely important part of the entire process and needs to be done. I had my six week check-up this past week though it was really almost 8 weeks because we went to Tunisia. Everything fine.
We enjoyed lunch out with Uncle M at MC Squared just like old times but I ate too much chocolate moose, the best in all of Belgium. Frunty ran around the grassy area a lot before and after. Uncle M gave Tiny Baby a vibrating chair by Fisher Price called Aquarium or something like that which he really likes for a few minutes two times a day or so. After lunch we all went to the Little Gym where everyone met Tiny Baby for the first time and were thrilled. M.P, our teacher, said he looks exactly like Frunty. Sometimes he really does other times he looks like himself. I had fun catching up with some other Mommies whom I've gotten to know over the months.
Well, I said I didn't have time and luckily I type very very fast, gotta go!!!!!!!
We enjoyed lunch out with Uncle M at MC Squared just like old times but I ate too much chocolate moose, the best in all of Belgium. Frunty ran around the grassy area a lot before and after. Uncle M gave Tiny Baby a vibrating chair by Fisher Price called Aquarium or something like that which he really likes for a few minutes two times a day or so. After lunch we all went to the Little Gym where everyone met Tiny Baby for the first time and were thrilled. M.P, our teacher, said he looks exactly like Frunty. Sometimes he really does other times he looks like himself. I had fun catching up with some other Mommies whom I've gotten to know over the months.
Well, I said I didn't have time and luckily I type very very fast, gotta go!!!!!!!
Monday, 8 August 2005
Kid Power!
Happy Feet, Healthy Food is a combination logbook (to record exercise and diet) and sourcebook for exercise, activities, and eating tips. Geared specifically to children ages 6 to 12, it's the perfect way to promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle while improving your child's reading and writing skills.
runnersworld.com
Happy Feet, Healthy Food is a combination logbook (to record exercise and diet) and sourcebook for exercise, activities, and eating tips. Geared specifically to children ages 6 to 12, it's the perfect way to promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle while improving your child's reading and writing skills.
runnersworld.com
Sunday, 7 August 2005
We are happy that we got at least two weeks of summer in Tunisia because we are back to cool, fall weather with lots of rain here in Brussels. (14 degrees Celsius) And we hear that the weather in Toronto is fantastic and that swimming at the cottage is perfect. I think that you only need hot and sunny weather if you are by a body of water. Otherwise, who really needs it!? I am not trying to make myself feel better. I honestly don't mind the cooler weather. And all this rain is great for the garden not to mention the skin!
We looked at all of our photos from Tunisia. I will now write some highlights but not in any particular order.
1. Enjoying our kids and each other without worrying about household chores or distractions from the outside world
2. Watching Frunty play with other kids and run around each evening before Mini Disco, laughing his head off, jumping off of little walls, jumping onto other children "human blankets"
3. Beach activities: building sand castles/boats, walking each day up and down (my two walks: Eden Viaggie and Demiss with Thai-style huts), and running around with Frunty in circles sometimes and several solo runs during which I felt no discomfort at all (the best one was 30 min. thanks to Daddy keeping Tiny Baby happy)
4. day trip to Mahdia, a lovely port town, and sitting outside in a courtyard, under some ficus trees, drinking almond tea and listening to traditional music with air scented with the smoke from those pipes (it was magic)
5. Playing in the room, jumping on the bed, wearing goggles in the tub, goofing around together during the hottest hours of the day
The challenging part of the trip included getting used to the "resort culture". But I'll write about that another day. Although resorts are great for very small people, in our opinion, we look forward to taking the kids camping one day for a kind of fun that cannot be paralleled and then staying at cottages is excellent too!
We looked at all of our photos from Tunisia. I will now write some highlights but not in any particular order.
1. Enjoying our kids and each other without worrying about household chores or distractions from the outside world
2. Watching Frunty play with other kids and run around each evening before Mini Disco, laughing his head off, jumping off of little walls, jumping onto other children "human blankets"
3. Beach activities: building sand castles/boats, walking each day up and down (my two walks: Eden Viaggie and Demiss with Thai-style huts), and running around with Frunty in circles sometimes and several solo runs during which I felt no discomfort at all (the best one was 30 min. thanks to Daddy keeping Tiny Baby happy)
4. day trip to Mahdia, a lovely port town, and sitting outside in a courtyard, under some ficus trees, drinking almond tea and listening to traditional music with air scented with the smoke from those pipes (it was magic)
5. Playing in the room, jumping on the bed, wearing goggles in the tub, goofing around together during the hottest hours of the day
The challenging part of the trip included getting used to the "resort culture". But I'll write about that another day. Although resorts are great for very small people, in our opinion, we look forward to taking the kids camping one day for a kind of fun that cannot be paralleled and then staying at cottages is excellent too!
Saturday, 6 August 2005
Back from Tunisia:
Today we returned from our first family trip and we had a wonderful time. We stayed at the Melia El Mouradi Mahdia Hotel. The weather was superb and the ocean warm. Frunty played a lot, Tiny Baby grew a lot (now about 5 kg at six weeks), Mommy rested a lot and Daddy took care of all of our needs day and night. We had time to just enjoy our kids and it felt great. We mostly played at the beach and pool and there were some other fun kids there and we visited the town of Mahdia. Someone is hungry so I gotta go but will write more later and include photos too.
Today we returned from our first family trip and we had a wonderful time. We stayed at the Melia El Mouradi Mahdia Hotel. The weather was superb and the ocean warm. Frunty played a lot, Tiny Baby grew a lot (now about 5 kg at six weeks), Mommy rested a lot and Daddy took care of all of our needs day and night. We had time to just enjoy our kids and it felt great. We mostly played at the beach and pool and there were some other fun kids there and we visited the town of Mahdia. Someone is hungry so I gotta go but will write more later and include photos too.
