Today was a relaxing day for me as Daddy took Pit on errands and Frunty went to Sophie's birthday party at the park. Luckily it was sunny during the party and now it looks like it is going to rain...everything looks so green around here because of all the rain. The dark, purple lilac is just gorgeous surrounded by green foliage and grey skies.

I managed to get a good nap and then had a nice chat with Gramma and Grampa. I really appreciated them letting me know that they enjoy our blog, as do Nonna and Nonno. Daddy and I write it as a record of our very special moments with our kids and we want to share it with our loved ones.

For the record, Gramma had sent me an article from Canada in which two doctors argued over the efficacy and pertinence of doing "elimination diets". It was so interesting to read two very different opinions. One doctor contends that what we eat has no baring on our internal health while the other opposes that view completely. Just as the first doctor we went to here in Brussels told us that there is "no such thing" as food allergies, our current doctor has done the blood work to show us our intolerances and allergies and after following his advice, our eczema is almost non-existent.

The bottom line is, I think, that it does matter what we put into our bodies whether or not we have outward signs of an allergy/intolerance or other digestive problems. While I do hope to one day get back to enjoying an ice cold (gluten-filled) Belgium beer and a waffle slathered with cream and milk chocolate...it probably does me some good to avoid these delectable delights anyway!!! (boy, has it been hard though to resist!)

The good news is that I just found MILK CHOCOLATE at Sequoia, the health food shop in Stokkel that we CAN eat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, it is RICE MILK CHOCOLATE but it works! If anything, I have expanded our repetoire. From buckwheat crackers with almond butter to purple rice pasta with Konyaku, from coconut cream pancakes to Daddy's divine carrot cake...we are eating differently but delectably all the same! Time for polenta with several different sauces (tomato/Roquefort/mushrooms) and gluten-free organic sausages: Italian Spicy for me, Merguez for Daddy and Toulouse for the kids from Jack O'Shea's...thank goodness we can afford to make the necessary changes to make it right for us!