I came upstairs today to find Frunty with the phone, trying to dial a number. He told me that he was trying to phone Gramma and Grampa and that he missed them. I told him that we had to wait til later because they were sleeping. A couple of times during the day he told me that he missed them. Me too.

Luckily we got to talk to them later in the day and that cheered us up. And we are also getting busy with our trip coming up in a few days and needed to do a lot of errands. That helped get our minds focused on something fun! We are off to Zermatt on the weekend for a week of fun in the snow. So we needed snow boots, pants, gloves etc. I got some hiking boots as we plan to do some snowy hikes. Daddy will rent ski gear once there as he plans to enjoy a day of skiing. I told him that if the conditions are good, he should go again.

There are several toboggan runs in Zermatt. You take a train to a certain point and toboggan back to the village, taking about ten minutes. I love the Alps because there are all these little villages you can stop at while skiing and enjoy fondue or rosti on the way down. In North America, you tend to take a chair lift up and ski directly down with nothing along the way. Here you have the opportunity to stop and carry on after a nice, hot cup of Gluhwein. Okay...I am getting really excited.

The last time we were in Zermatt was when we lived in Lausanne, 1993-94. Now we are returning after all these years with our two boys. Who would have thought it?! When we were there last, it was also in January or perhaps early Feb., Daddy had planned a surprise weekend there and we ate shrimp on the train. Very romantic. We also saw a white Labrador in Zermatt with a big, pink bow and thought we might get a dog one day. We'll have to put our own dog in a pension here in Brussels as the trip is too far for him and he doesn't travel like he used to.

Well, Daddy will go shopping tomorrow for some last-minute gear. Then we'll leave Saturday. Will update when we return!

Happy New Year everyone!

We have had a challenging Christmas holiday season this year and lots of fun too. My parents visited us for three weeks from Canada. Two days after they arrived, we noticed the first spots on Frunty's belly. He had the chicken pox and bronchitis for the first half of their visit and Pit, the second half. (chicken pox only) Despite fevers, coughs, major crankiness, and unbearably itchy skin at times, we all rallied to have a nice Christmas at home and a new year's celebration with fireworks in the tiny village, Furfooz, in the Ardennes.

Highlights were watching the kids playing with my folks. It took them no time at all to get reaquainted and i was surprised at how they ran to the door when my folks appeared each morning (we got them a little apartment nearby so that they would have good sleeps) and how they sat on their laps or leaned on their knees and snuggled with them. It made me feel great to see how loving my kids are with them and likewise.

I enjoyed running with my Dad and going to the sauna/steam room afterwards at the club. My Mom and I did two classes at the club together...Body Balance (quite challenging) and Yoga 1 (quite crazy!) and she enjoyed a hair treatment/head massage. The two of us also saw the movie The Holiday which put us into the Christmas spirit too.

Despite the pox, we did all get down to the Christmas market in Brussels. My folks had planned to go to one in Germany but it didn't work out. We had also thought of maybe going to Paris/London at some point but that became definitely unfeasible when the kids became sick. But just hanging around here, playing, making cookies, doing crafts, watching some movies and playing "Jeux de Societes" were nice ways to be together.

Another highlight was having our Thai chef, N, come and cook twice here. Once a Thai meal and once a Chinese hot pot last night. Delicious and fun and definitely a great way to have a "restaurant meal" at home...better than a restaurant actually.

Daddy and I enjoyed celebrating our 9th anniversary together and were able to go a very quaint resto together at the Sablon and bowling afterwards. We also had great babysitters for a trip to Maasmechelen village for shopping and the week prior, to see Casino Royale. All times, my folks had everything under control at home so we knew we could really relax while out. It isn't easy to get them to bed but my folks were able to do it...praises to them!

It was hard saying good bye today and my folks flight took off less than an hour ago. Frunty took it really well and seems to understand the comings and goings of grandparents. We look forward to the next visit, whenever that may be. It isn't the same as being able to see each other each week and sometimes I feel sad about that. I picture my folks coming down to Willow on Friday afternoons, my Mom taking the kids to Gymboree, my Dad and I going running, eating dinner together perhaps and then maybe Daddy and I even going on a date some nights. I picture help when the kids are sick or when I am ill or when Daddy is travelling. For example, Daddy will go to Nice, France for a week at the end of this month. Being together and being able to help one another sound ideal. Being so far away seems so hard. But this is our reality right now and we are all making the best of it.

I am going to try to get back into writing more this year. I got out of practise. So stay tuned for more updates! All the best to all of you in 2007.

I forgot to add that I decided to join this club called Royal LaRasante. (www.royallarasante.be) It is about one year old and quite nice, apparently very "posh" and fancy but I really don't find it so myself. This is because, for Belgium standards it is new and awesome but for a spoiled North American like me, it is not outstanding in any way. Completely different standards. I would say that it is less "posh" than the Mayfair in Toronto just to give an idea but definitely better than Mademoiselle Spa.

I have joined because the pool is very warm and the kids lips don't go blue and their bodies don't shiver and the air around the pool is warm and the showers are any temperature you want. The public pools are cold period. I also tried an excellent yoga/pilates class and hope to attend again. Frunty asked if we could stay there forever, his words, and that also encouraged me to join. Some would say it is expensive but what is my physical and mental health worth to me? If I can find a club I am happy going to, where I will actually exercise and take time to relax as well, then it is worth it. On top of this, I am able to put Pit or Frunty in the creche together (or alone, depending if Frunty is in school of course) and I am right in the same building so can easily be retrieved. I tried the creche 3 or 4 times now and have been very happy with the women working there and the job they have done.

So that is that.

Pit really enjoyed the club pool today and was not whiney or scared at all. He enjoyed jumping into the pool as I always caught him in my arms and he laughed a lot when I kissed his tummy in the hydrotherapy pool full of bubbles. He also laughs a lot when he splashes me. This tiny little arm lifts up some water and pushes it towards me. You just can't get any cuter.

Pit enjoyed the Little Gym in the morning and although sleepy at first (since he fell asleep just before arriving in Daddy's car) he got into the swing of things and did somersaults and for the first time, was able to hang in the air with his little, tiny hands gripping onto the bar. He also likes doing the balance beam and is quite good though we obviously have to hold his hand.

After the pool, Daddy picked Pit up from the club and took him back to the Little Gym to do a make-up class and luckily, he had had a good nap in between the Little Gym seances. Pit slept at the creche at the club. I dropped him off asleep in his pousette and picked him up an hour later still asleep. During that hour, I enjoyed the steam room, sauna at 95 degrees celsius, sauna at 56 degrees with different coloured lights, and getting in and out of the 35 degree pool which has two hydrotherapy parts to it. What a day! With the wind howling outside and the rain pouring, I felt just fine inside and my friend and her baby joined us in the pool later.

While Daddy was doing the Little Gym seance with Pit, I picked up Frunty from school and took the tram to the L.G. Then we all headed to Ikea for dinner and playing. It was fun! But busy and I am tired now. The children are snuggling in bed together, fast asleep and snoring. Two nights in a row that they have fallen asleep together during story time. It is so hard to move them when they are all cozy and asleep so it looks like I am in the bunkbed again until probably 5 am, when Pit wakes up for a feed. Let's cross our fingers. Maybe he'll wake at 6.

Enjoying life!

Frunty is swimming really well with his water wings on and this afternoon, at the club, took them off to try without. He plays at the pool every Tuesday with his class but does not take formal lessons. He is teaching himself really and I saw him float for the first time last month as I take Pit to the pool to watch him and his class. Afterwards Pit and I would go swimming but it is too cold for both of us and now that we are thinking of joining a club where we are right now enjoying a trial period, we can consider enjoying the 35 degree celsius childrens' pool.

Frunty swam the very first time with his water wings on at the pool by Daddy's office. We took the train to Leuven afterschool one day to meet Daddy and go swimming at the beautiful complex by his work. That was on November 10th. I figure by the end of this year with all the swimming he is doing, Frunty will probably swim without wings! But there is no rush.

Life has been busy and we have been getting into a rhythm with the boys. Getting up for school in the morning is really challenging and I am happy when Daddy can help me. When he is travelling, it is quite challenging to get out the door and make sure the dog has been walked as well, especially on mornings when it is pouring rain outside.

Frunty loves his teacher and his class despite lots of "fights". There is a lot of punching, kicking and some biting going on but it has seemed to have settled down now. I guess they all have to jostle for position. Frunty likes his atelier class on Mondays at lunch during which he paints and his modelage class on Friday during which he makes things with model clay. Every Tuesday is pool morning, as I mentioned. We don't go to Spanish on Tuesdays anymore as everyone is pretty tired and the class starts and finishes too late for us. Wednesday afternoons there is never school so we either go on an adventure, like to a concert last week (a flemish couple performed music with instruments made from things in their kitchen) or to different play dates. Sometimes we have Chinese lunch and practice Mandarin with the Js.

Pit has a busy and fun schedule too but I manage to make time every day to sit on the couch with him and snuggle. He falls asleep in my arms for most of his naps and this makes both of us very happy. Monday he has psychomatricite, Tuesdays swimming and Fridays, the Little Gym which he loves. He has his first girlfriend from the Little Gym as Annya tried to kiss him last Friday and they sat together by the wall, alone, while the rest of us sat in a circle and then Pit tried to get her to come to the group. I wish I had had my camera! Sometimes we go on play dates or to the library for an organized reading time with other moms/tots.

I have a private French teacher now, from France, and we do an English/French exchange once a week. It is hard work and I am tired but happy afterwards. She puts her child in a daycare but mine is able to either sleep in my arms, sit on my lap or play nicely nearby so I am not going to put him in a creche for that exchange. I have also started a little French club at a nearby cafe called Lounge 81 which just opened up this fall. It's cozy and smoke free. I hire a native speaker each week as a facilitator. So far I have had 4-5 women each week attend and we practise French in a relaxed, informal manner with our tots. It's working out so far and the profits are going to go towards buying some games for the group.

I am still running and now that I have semi-joined this gym/club I am swimming and will start some classes. I rode my bike there today with Frunty so that was 15 minutes of exercise right there. I am down to one run a week because my friend K babysits Pit and so that keeps me making a committment. Otherwise, I am in a really, lazy frame of mind. I think the school run several times a day plus playing with Pit give me enough exercise. It is really just an active lifestyle so running on top seems hard at times. I do want to get back into running more though as the benefits are so great.

Daddy is traveling more and more and more, almost every week now at least one long day trip and this past week, an overnighter. I am able to not only cope now but handle things quite fine although I get really, super tired. Daddy makes it up to me and then some by cooking gourmet dinners when he gets home, getting me my favourite movies and supporting and encouraging me to take time for myself especially re:exercise and hot baths.

We are really looking forward to our folks arrival in a few short weeks and have some surprises in store. Meanwhile, the nonni are wrapping up a wonderful trip to Hawaii. Life is busy for all of us but very productive and I am happy with my committment to a rest period each day on my couch with Pit and then some quiet play time and reading in French in the evening with Frunty followed by a nice chat with Daddy. The busier we are, the more we have to make time to be still. That's my new mantra! And instead of saying "yes" to all the invites, I now ask myself if I would rather be at home, snuggling with my kids and find myself now saying "no" more often to these invites and feeling great about it!

Today we had a lazy sunday afternoon and barely left the house. We'll eventually get around to filling in the events of the past month, but in the meantime, the daddy wanted to mention that tiny two legs calls his dog "bee-bo" and then throws himself onto the dog's neck and back. Very cute!

We were sitting at the table making a joint effort to get Frunty to eat his dinner. Meanwhile, Tiny Two Legs had finished his supper and was off in the front room being very busy shifting chairs. We eventually got up from the table to inspect his work and found a neat line of chairs. Very industrious little fella.