Both kids are swimming so well now and today we enjoyed our time at the pool after they attended their morning English camp with Sophie at Anna and Rich's house. Frunty is always asking if he can go to school in English so I thought he would enjoy this camp instead. There are two children from Spain and Frunt says he is picking up some Spanish too!

We took Sophie to the pool and I think she did her first little swim! So it was a special day and we are all really tired now...the kids going pretty easily to bed, that's for sure. Frunty insisted on painting a house he made with Daddy, an ancient Egyptian house in fact. Today at the pool, he put his towel around him like a toga and called himself an Egyptian. Actually, he looked like a mini-Ghandi!

So far it has been a really rainy summer here and quite cool. It feels like fall actually and although I usually don't complain, I do find it kind of annoying because, for example, I like to walk to the club without getting soaking wet. And picnics outside would be nice although we are making the most of it and still doing tons of fun stuff like last summer. (which incidentally was rainy and cool like this!) Hopefully Greece will be awesome but before that, could London be nicer weather wise? Ah who cares!? We'll be inside the smoke-free pub after seeing the indoor musical, Lion King!

Hope anyone reading this is having a lovely summer too...regardless of the weather!

The kids started an English camp this morning which will run all week at Sue's house, the owner of Lounge 81. Her daughter, Anna, is running the programme with her husband, Rich and Sophie, Frunty's friend and classmate is also attending. He told me that she doesn't really want to speak English very much and so he helps her. Obviously our kids know English but we hope they will just enjoy singing/games etc. and help the others learn some of the language. Frunty always asks to go to English school so this is his chance to have a taste of it.

On another note: Since Egypt, we have been reading about life in ancient times and received some more books from the nonni. Thanks so much! We will be making ancient crafts in the weeks to come. We had better change gears though and start learning Greek before our Odyssey begins in a few short weeks!

Speaking of languages, it was really funny when Pit said to Frunty, who had just brought him a banana, "Merci madame". We all laughed at the table when he said it...funny voice and all! His French is progressing and it's adorable, as is his pursed lips as he swims under water with our resident dolphin, Frunts.

What fun these little ones and all their "stages", pun intended!

Trip to Cairo to celebrate our three birthdays, the 18th, 20th and 21st...so many highlights! Picture Pit and Frunts sitting on a camel, with the pyramids in the background, as the sun rises and Pit putting his arm around his brother and exclaiming, "Frunty, it's my birthday!" with absolute glee so pleased with being 3 and being there.

Picture Frunty running in and out and back in again the one particular pyramid of Queen H., wanting to show us something new he had discovered as Daddy and I took turns accompanying him. And then later, looking at all the treasures having been taken from the pyramids and other places in Egypt and placed in the museum with great interest.

Sitting by the pool, watching Pit make great gains with swimming underwater without his water wings, lips pursed, goggles on, swishing his arms about...you can't get any cuter than that. Frunts dancing to Egyptian music at the hotel bar as we celebrate with our third, Movenpick cake of the week.

There were hard bits too. Pit throwing up in every taxi ride we took! Being bothered by camel owners trying to sell their wares. Small annoyances well worth the incredible adventure our family of four enjoyed.

I will write again soon with some more details of our birthday trip extraordinaire.

Yesterday we hosted a joint birthday party for Frunty and Pit at our St. Anthony's Parish church. It was fun! We chose this venue because of the beautiful grounds and despite the rain, we did the Treasure Hunt and played a little game of soccer.

We invited 15 kids and any adults who could stay for this Fancy Dress party. One child could not come at the last minute but the others did wearing pirate costumes, Flamenco and princess dresses and we even had a ninja turtle. Our swimming teacher, Pierre Antoine, brought his little baby, 7 month old Margot which was really sweet.

We played pass-the-parcel after the kids decorated wooden picture frames with a photo of them and the birthday boys. (I took these photos prior to the birthday party and it was a real hit!) The kids do just beautiful artwork and I love seeing their creations.

Perdie and I, dressed as a witch and a pirate, enjoyed doing a little skit with an overflowing magic potion which Frunty said was his favourite part of the party, other than the presents! Who needs to hire a clown! Daddy was excellent as a bar man and we had a baby bathtub full of ice (compliments of Delhaize and chez Andy and Perdie) and lots of fun drinks.

I made a soccer themed cake with the boys the day before but they didn't see the decorations until the party which included two Playmobil soccer fellows, one with the #6 on his shirt, one with #3. I made grass out of green coconut and put flags all around the cake which the kids loved getting on top of their piece, of their respective countries. Inkeri was at first sad there was no Finland but accepted graciously a Belgium flag! Of course, there were tons of candies on top and later I saw little mice scurry around, stealing them. I just had to laugh.

I think it was a really lovely atmosphere, with good spirit, lots of laughs and amazingly, only one tiny cry by Max because someone took his seat but that really only last a second before we cheered him up. Amazingly moreso that neither birthday boy cried which is a first for all the parties I have been too in recent memories. I mean afterall, they are entitled to do so but I was thrilled they didn't because it meant they had a thoroughly good time, as did I.

Well, I really could go into business doing these parties as I enjoy the work. The hard for me is getting the cakes right. Because I want the kids to help and they enjoy doing so, it means the cakes aren't store-bought perfect. Also, I make hypoallergenique cakes which are really wanting! But with all the allergies in the class, we have to be careful! Sandro loved the raspberry clafouti and was our photographer thoroughout the party as well as my personal translator!

Today Frunty took 22 party bags to school and two cakes, one banana with fresh cream/orange frosting and one chocolate for his classmates at school, a tradition here in Belgium. I hope he has fun.

And now, ready for a surprise???!!!! I am! Tomorrow we are off on a big, birthday adventure, shall I write HUGE! So stay tuned.................

Having fun as always with my glorious little ones and thanks be to the great spirits what watch over us all...and may the force be with you all too,

Party Mama

Yesterday was swimming day so when I picked up the kids from school, we walked to the pool together which takes around 45 minutes. We looked for treasures at the park which at first meant that perhaps someone dropped something neat but ended up being baby swams, croacking frogs and other natural wonders that the kids noticed. We got to the icecream job seconds before 1 pm. Because of Pit's recent tongue procedure, I told them they could have a sorbet. As we arrived, the employee was locking the door and pulling down the shade. She made quite a grimace but opened for us and by the end was smiling at my cutie pies as they licked (with the new and improved tongue!) their delectable delights!

At the pool, we enjoyed playing around and Pit can stand well, put his face under water and do little swims by the stairs. Frunty likes when I pull him backwards under water by his ankles and he pops his head up now and then for air. Yesterday he held hands with Charles, an older boy who wrestles with Frunts in the water, and I pulled the two of them around for awhile. What a work out for my legs.

After goofing around, Frunty has swimming lesson and Pit and I watch and play and then we all head to the showers to get ready for Les Petits Explorateurs which the boys really like. Frunty says he loves one game in particular, his words, which is a tag-like game. I hit the steam room for awhile and then take them to AspiriniLand to play for a bit. They just love it there too and we met a nice boy named Pablo who, despite some screaming which annoyed me, played really well with my boys.

Luckily Daddy could pick us up as we were pretty wiped out at 6 pm. Nevertheless, I went to my
my "prayer group" for the third time in a row at 7:30pm.

Now it's soccer day but Frunty says he doesn't want to go anymore. He really like Coach Eirik but there is another member of the team that picks on him and so next year, perhaps he'll just stick to swimming and Karate which would be enough anyway, considering he'll have homework after school as well.

Pit didn't maybe have the best night last night after his tongue procedure and neither did we but in the morning, he went to school anyway even though he was a bit cranky. At noon, I picked him up and he was smiling but still quite tired and I hoped he would fall asleep in the stroller on the way back to school to get Frunts at 3:15pm but he didn't. So he should fall asleep any second now.

Frunts is working on his animal project which he will present on Friday to his teacher and class. This is to make up for not having listened well during the field trip to Planckendael Zoo last Friday. He has chosen three animals to talk about: camel, lion and parrot and has learned some interesting facts about them already with me tonight. When I quizzed him, he easily answered. I am so proud of him as he sat well and began writing the names of these animals in French and will also draw a picture of each one as well. He has a good attitude although he did complain once or twice about having to do this project. I asked him how he could avoid doing a project like this the next time and he really did know the answer!

Daddy is out with Chris from the States and a bunch of others for dinner. So we had leftover bbq, pasta and a lot of fruit for dinner after having played a short time at our friends' home, Andrew and Michael also from the States. We usually just play with them at our club's pool and the two older boys have karate together but one day, Pit asked if we could go to Michael's house. We brought Kidibul and popcorn! Yum!

Time to enjoy some Curb your Enthusiasm and study a bit...you know, psychology stuff.

Today, dressed in his new Batman tshirt with cape (a secondhand purchased from St. Anthony's Fayre) Pit had his tongue operated on at St. Elizabeth's 2 Alice clinique. A few months ago our dentist noticed that Pit's tongue was too attached and referred us to a specialist who agreed with Dr. Michiels and referred us directly to a surgeon who took a look today. He agreed and they were about to find an appointment at the end of July when I asked if they could do it today and voila. It's done.

Pit was a real trooper. When the doctor asked him if he wanted to be spoken to in French he shook his head but for English, he nodded. He cried a tiny bit when his tongue was frozen and didn't like the serviette put over his shirt even though I tried to explain that it would get the cherry cream off of it.

Anyway, it went quickly and we came home right away for frozen lollies that Daddy had waiting and we practised licking a Chuppa chuppa with big brother, Frunty, showing Pit how it is done! Pit could for the first time, stick his tongue out and no longer will say, "I can't, I can't". He wanted to phone Joe and Peggy since lunchtime and so we did so after we got home and we told the story. It will take a few days before his tongue gets used to having more mobility and we may hear a difference in his speaking ability very soon.

I am just thrilled for Pit. Although his three languages were really coming along well, he is no longer tongue tied and should make big strides from here on out!