Frunty and I just got back from the mall where we picked up our plane tickets to Egypt! We are excited about going. After we got our tickets, we played for a long time at the nature shop. One of the workers said that we could try all the toys. It is nice to find a child-friendly place to visit. Frunty sat on a motor boat and the next thing I knew, he took coins out of his pocket and put them in the slot. I was surprised! The problem was that he didn't have enough but worse than that, the motor boat was out-of-order.

I got in a run as well as I pushed the jogger stroller to the mall but on the way back, the wind was too strong and I was too tired! Frunty wants to call Daddy now so I had better go. Happy Weekend everyone!

P.S. Gramma phoned with exciting news yesterday as she and my aunt B. will come to help when our Tiny Baby arrives and my Dad will come later on. We are so lucky.

Happy Birthday to our favourite Canadian friend over here, K.B! Today Frunty and I took K to our favourite creperie for lunch and afterwards we all went on a tram adventure to the Petites Riens shop and bought sunglasses and some pants for Frunty and K got a dress next door at another secondhand shop. It was fun. One can find brand new items in secondhand shops and when I do, I think that it is so silly paying full price for clothing at other shops.

We had some more snow this morning and a light snowy drizzle on and off throughout the day. This weather is supposed to last until the weekend and then hopefully, spring will be here...finally! My Spanish friend said that she saw snow on the beaches of Spain which is very astonishing.

Time to skidaddle. Hope the snowstorm is over in Toronto and hope you are all well.

We woke up to more snow this morning and cold, blustery winds. It is only about minus 5 but still, very un-Brussels-like. J&J came for lunch and the kids played air hockey while the Moms prepared a Chinese lunch. After that, the Js had to go home and so I took Frunty to the musical instrument museum. On the first Wednesday of each month, the museums are free in the afternoons and so we finally took advantage of this special offer.

Frunty liked wearing the headphones for awhile as we walked around and listened to various instruments. We really liked the harp music. A performer from Mexico had just finished a live performance during which he demonstrated several different instruments. Everyone left just as Frunty and I arrived. I asked the man when his next performance would be and he said that that was it for today. But he was very kind and gave us a little private concert nonetheless. It was wonderful and even Tiny Baby kicked along with the music. A photographer came by and took pictures of us. She left before I could ask why she was taking our picture!

One of the highlights was taking the train there and back. On certain days, when it is really raining, I wish I had a car but mostly, I am actually very happy that I don't. The joy that Frunty gets from taking trams/buses/trains and just plain walking, is really worth everything to me. He gets so excited everytime and it almost seems like the first time for him each time. Frunty makes "choo choo" sounds and asks questions about different sounds he hears. Like when the metro doors are closing, there is a chime sound and when the train gets to the station, there is a sound of the brakes. And sometimes there is a busker playing on the train and Frunty puts a little coin into his/her pouch.

If we had a car, we would have different experiences and perhaps fun singing along with Raffi. But because Frunty's car seat is too low to really see out well, I feel that these other modes of transportation where he can see so well, provide much more fun and entertainment for the little guy whose got so many questions and whose eyes are open wide. He is joyfully taking his world in during these journeys and it seems like they are often as fun as the final destination! (that may sound all a bit sappy but he really does love these trips and so do I!)

We woke up to a blizzard this morning! It looks like Toronto and I know from Gramma and Grampa that it is snowing back home too. It is very beautiful outside and I just hope Daddy makes it to work okay since we don't have snow tires and neither does anyone else around here!

Frunty and I have booked our one week trip to Makadi Bay, Egypt for while Daddy is in Washington, D.C. Yesterday I started packing and that meant trying summery clothes on Frunty. He wanted to wear his "superman" wetsuit around all morning! I think we'll have to order a new one for this summer as well as a new "second skin" anti-uva/uvb suit. Take a look at:

www.lemeridien-makadi.com

In the afternoon, we enjoyed our Mandarin lessons. We are finished with fruit and have moved onto animals. Our teacher made a cake which was delicious and afterwards, all the kids wanted seaweed snacks...again! And once again, I got sent home with yet another bag of seaweed which is "very good for me and the baby." Apparently I am to eat seaweed everyday while pregnant and after delivery, a wakame soup for at least thirty days. I feel like I have my own, personal nutrition team helping me out and it feels great.

We also purchased a bag of homemade dumplings that our teacher picked up for us from an elderly gentleman who is now retired from the restaurant business but who makes them in his home and sells to the local, Chinese community. We are very grateful to be part of the Asian world here as we would never know about this gentleman and his small business otherwise.

We have The Little Gym this afternoon. I don't think we'll go running this morning though as it looks pretty slippery out there. Hope you're all fairing well with the two-day storm in Toronto.

We had a really fun weekend which started Saturday morning with booking a trip for Frunty and me to Makadi Bay, Egypt! Daddy has to go to Washington not Boston so we will not travel with him. In Boston, we have several friends with children Frunty's age so we would have had fun while Daddy worked but in Washington, it would have been many long hours alone.

Frunty has been talking about rocketships almost as often as trains since we went to the space expo last weekend. We got a book and each night and even first thing in the morning, Frunty wants to read and re-read all about space travel. So yesterday we took him for the second time to the Euro Space Centre in the south of Belgium. We had to drive through the Ardennes and a snow storm!

After the space museum, we went to the beautiful, Ardenne village called "Redu" where we enjoyed crepes and icecream at Le Fournil. We went there in the fall with Gramma and Grampa too. It was a wonderful day!

This is the daddy writing: The other day we were all getting cozy in bed ready for sleepy time and I was reading a story about outerspace exploration with F nestled in my arms. Mommy and I have been discussing sleeping arrangements when the Tiny Baby arrives. This evening, we asked F. where Tiny Baby would sleep. He pointed to the little nook in the Mommy's arms and said, "Right there." to which we responded, "oh, okay, but where will you sleep?" and he pointed to where was sitting and answered, "Here, with daddy." F. seems very willing to share his parents with Tiny Baby for now.

I was re-reading my blog just now and wanted to update a few things. Frunty never wanted to wear those underpants after the first couple of days and said he wanted boxer shorts instead. So last night he wore a pair for a little while and came over to me at one point and said that they were wet but they were perfectly dry. He is such a funny, little guy.

This schooling at 2.5 years old is really "federal day care" as my one friend pointed out and it is housed in schools instead of daycare buildings due to lack of space. I am checking out another programme tomorrow for children 4 and under to come with caregivers for organized activities. Anytime from 9-12pm, Monday to Friday, and they can wear diapers and I can give a snack and if Frunty feels sick we can go home or if we have the opportunity to spend the week in Germany, like we did last week, we can go with Daddy. Frunty can learn just as much if we provide the environment for him to do so and we want him to figure out potty training on his own terms, in his own way.

Frunty has attended a "stage" during two afternoons at the Little Gym and he really liked it. He was allowed to wear diapers and Marie Pierre changed him happily. Frunty really enjoyed himself and we have signed him up for an Easter Spring stage as well. So I know that he does very well without me and this fills me with much happiness. The whole point of us practising "attachment parenting", as I have recently heard it termed, is to raise a secure child who can enjoy independence...when he is ready. When HE is ready. Not when I am ready for him to be independent.

Sometimes at Mandarin lessons on Monday afternoons, Frunty sits at the table with the other two children and listens well to the teacher. This last class, he all of a sudden wanted to sit on my lap while listening. There are moments when he needs to be reassured that we are there for him. Because I am in a position to do that for him, and because my husband supports me in this, I want to.

And I will put up with being called a "hippy" or having people tell me almost daily that "he should be in school". Well, the other week, we went to Dr. Willemot who has 5 children and she really surprised me because she is Belgian and I thought she supported the philosophy here about putting children in creches at 3 months and then directly into "school" at 2.5. But instead, she thnks the oppposite. I was really surprised.

I was really re-assured recently by an article I read on the website www.hugabub.com that states that "attached parenting" does not mean "spoiling" ones' child.

And last but not least, Frunty is learning tons of stuff WITHOUT the stress of having to use a toilet. I take him to lots of activities with other children. Yesterday he showed me a yoga position and said, "Mommy, you try it. It's good for you." I was FLOORED. He learns sports at the Little Gym. He plays computer games called "La Petite Famille" from Daddy and a "Canailloux" game from his Nonni when he needs some down time. I take Frunty to the doctor/physiotherapist (the sport one who is nice) where he picks up lots of stuff. It looks like he is playing but afterwards he asks me if my back feels better and later he tried to rub it for me. We took Mowgli to the vet and Frunty sat on a chair and watched Mowgli get weighed, have his heart listened to and his yearly vaccination administered. He was very interested in it all and the vet was very impressed that he sat and paid attention the whole time.

Frunty learns Mandarin on Mondays and I take him to the library for a once-a-month "On lit, Bebe" programme as well as swimming when his nose isn't running. He loves his Japanese train video and those little friends that gave it to him. He tries to help me in the kitchen and brought over a chair yesterday to watch me make a salad. He tried the radish and spit it out but at least he tried. He loves cracking eggs and then frying them up.

In Germany, he learned about Daimler Benz cars at the museum, and how to enjoy "butter fish" and how fun it is to kick snow and soak his little feet in the hot tub while I soaked my back. All of this with a diaper on or off, at 9 am or 11 am or 5 pm or whenever. He is learning and if one more person, Belgian or not, tells me he should be in school, I think I will respond, "he is in school. It is called the SCHOOL OF LIFE."

Frunty know his colours/numbers, can count in English, French, Spanish and Mandarin. I am not trying to make him a genius. We are just trying to introduce him to different things and see what he likes to learn. We do arts and crafts with friends and sometimes alone. On Sunday we made an Easter wreath for the front door. We read books together and lately, Frunty wants to read books to our Tiny Baby. We have organized play dates several afternoons a week and look out the window while we are on the tram/bus/train to see what we can see.

I am not trying to justify my "attachment parenting style" or explain it in any way. I am recording what is currently happening in our lives here in Belgium. I know two full-time Mom friends in Toronto who do not send their kids to day care or school but instead, take them to programmes each week that involve music and play and other enriching activities. I often wish I could tag along with them because then at least I would feel "normal" sometimes. Here I am an oddity but so be it.

Today a woman at the Little Gym asked me if Frunty were in school and I said "no but we do a lot of activities". And then she said that once the new baby was here, it would be easier for me to have him in school. Well...thanks for your opinion. And of course, it would be easier to have him go in the mornings and perhaps he will be ready when he is three to enjoy pre-school. But the comment really sticks out because she said that it would be easier for ME. Well...I did not have children to make my life easy. And we were never in a rush to have children because we knew how hard it would be and that we would want to make a committment to them and the things that people call "sacrifices" we wanted to call "labours of love".

Sometimes I have to vent. There are just no two ways around it. I am NOT commenting on other peoples' parenting styles and saying that "school" or "day care" do not have some benefits. Some children apparently love both very much and parents have to make choices that feel right and everyone is different. I am just saying that there are many different ways to learn and when we feel that Frunty is ready for "school" we will give it a try. Little by little, we will watch him develop his independence and that means,

NO COLD TURKEY and NO BOOT CAMP.

I think my pregnancy-related hormones are getting the better of me. I have just been battling with myself about what is best and it is a work in process that we will figure out as we go along. No pressure and no rush.