Rehearsals

I have noticed that I often rehearse things I'm going to say in my head before I say them out loud.

I especially do this when I'm going to say something in French. It's really interesting, because along with it tends to come an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. I think about what I might need to say to someone to make them understand my motives or to get what I need. Sometimes, I think halfway through a phrase or sentence and then start over, because I realize that I don't know that word in French yet...but sometimes, I do remember it in Spanish, which is not at all helpful.

I wonder if most people rehearse the words they are going to say. They probably don't all the time, but maybe at least sometimes.

Learning a new language is really fun and stimulating. I'm really glad I get the opportunity to do this.

(Navigating the) Belgian Supermarket, Part 2

Another big difference between the supermarkets in America and the ones here is that if you want a bag, you have to bring your own (or buy a reusable one there). There are no bag boys--you have to do it yourself. If you have ever been to Aldi in the States, then you kind of know what I'm talking about. Like at Aldi, most of the grocery stores here have the carts that you have to put the money in, too. You can even shop at Aldi here (I believe it is a German company), if you want, but it's not that great. A lot of the food there is not that good for you. Luckily, the reusable bags I told you about are very sturdy and can handle a lot of weight. It's a good idea. Less plastic in the landfills.

Good Day

Today was one of those days that leaves you feeling all warm and sentimental. Sam had some rough times, but the majority of the day was a lot of fun. This afternoon, we went to a park that has a lot of trails, some sculptures, and a chateau on the property. It's amazing, but this park is actually free. It was donated by a family for public use. After we move from here, this park will definitely be something that I will miss.

Well, tonight, Brian had a work dinner to attend, so it was just Sam and me all day. Having extra time with him can sometimes be exhausting, but tonight it was really fun. Part of that might be due to the fact that I also got to talk to one of my girlfriends on the phone for about an hour!!

Anyway, giving him a bath was actually fun! Sam likes taking a bath, until the cleaning part. Then he fusses (which is an improvement over the screaming and crying he used to do with it). Also, getting him dressed and helping him brush his teeth were more enjoyable than usual. Reading him his bedtime stories was very, very pleasant, too.

When it was time to put him in bed, I was a little sad. I started to think about how I have been really blessed to be able to stay home with him the past almost-two years. I felt wistful as I thought about how I will probably put him in preschool next year...and then he will go to kindergarten....and eventually, he will be big. It's days like these that make me want to slow things down and really take in life.

Car-Free Sunday?

"What is this? The Indy 500? There have been 12 cars in the past 60 seconds!" Brian said as we tried to enjoy our walk on the alleged "Dimanche Sans Voitures" ("Sunday Without Cars").

We walked by two people who also questioned the excess of cars on the road. They looked at us with puzzled faces and double-checked that today was indeed the day.

I honestly couldn't tell a difference from any other normal day. Were the people who were driving just breaking the rules? Did they know something that we didn't? There are some things that I don't think I'll ever figure out here!

Navigating the Belgian Supermarket

Before we moved here, I thought we were going to have to go to outdoor markets all the time to get our food. I had heard that Europeans shop at the market every day. My only experience of a Belgian grocery store was a fairly small one that was next to our hotel when we went house hunting. Well, much to my surprise, there are "hyper" markets here. I'm sure that some will tell you that it is a bad thing to have these types of stores infiltrate their culture here, but I was so relieved. There is one store that is very much like a Meijer or Super Walmart...in that it has groceries, clothes, electronics, books, and houseware items. It is massive. There are still some key differences when you shop here, though. My favorite difference is the bread. They have freshly baked loaves of all sorts of bread. You pick the one you want and put it in the bread slicer so you don't have to do that at home. Then you put it in a bag. It's so good. They have bread like we do in the States--presliced and in a plastic bag. But, this is their specialty, so why would I pass it up?

I'll fill you in on other grocery store differences later.

Dimanche Sans Voitures

Oh, yes. You read that correctly. This Sunday is going to be a "Sunday without cars." We were going to travel somewhere this weekend, but in light of how things work in this country, I would hate to not be able to get back home when we want to. They are actually cordoning off an entire area that surrounds our town and about four or five others. I think it's a Europe-wide ordeal--to show you that you don't always need your car--you can bike or walk places, too. It's a good idea, but this is also a region where few people go to church on Sunday. We do go to church on Sunday, but not this Sunday. The road closings begin at 10:00 am and continue to 5:00 pm. Church starts at 10:00 am. When we told an unaffected acquaintance (they live in a town that is not participating) who goes to our church about this Sunday, he said, "Well, what are they going to do? Not let you drive back to your house?" I wanted to ask him,"Umm...haven't you been living in this country since April?" But, instead, I only thought those words...and felt much the wiser.

Welcome, Terrible Twos

Well, I think it has officially happened. The terrible twos have infected my sweet, perfect, little boy. I have been witnessing some warning signs the past few weeks. You know....him ignoring me....throwing toys....screaming in the store after I tell him "no"....sticking his hand in his poopy diaper.... All the wonderful things that make me realize how much I love him after I put up with his antics. But, today, I decided that something had to be done. So far, I am going to try to not have to give him any "love pats", but man, do I want to sometimes! The past couple of days, I have tried doing a modified "time out" where I just remove him from the current situation and then sit him down by himself and I leave. He doesn't like it when I remove myself from him right now, so that is just about the only thing I can think of (besides spanking) that will get his attention. I don't quite know if he understands that level of cause and effect yet, so I don't know if it's going to work. But, I have to do something. Now, what do I do about the screaming in the grocery store? Because "no" only makes him scream more (because then it's funny to him that Mommy is mad). Where's Supernanny when you need her?

Hitchin' a Ride

It's not unusual to see people standing on the side of the road with their thumbs out here. I'm not exactly sure why, but a lot of people seem to hitchhike in this area. I usually see at least one person per week attempting this alternative form of transportation.

However, today was the first time I ever saw a senior citizen hitchin'. Not only was this person an elder, but this person was a lady! I'm not kidding! She even had a cane!!! I felt so guilty passing her up. I hope someone stopped for her. Bless her heart.

The First Rule of Sam's Club

As a mildly-seasoned parent, I have learned the hard and fast, number one rule of having a small child: Do not leave the house without food.

Simple.

It doesn't even matter if your intention is to leave the house and come back in 10 minutes. If you don't bring some type of food with you, you will probably be sorry. You could always get a flat tire...or get caught in some unforeseen traffic...or get stuck in the slowest checkout line in the grocery store...or any number of things.

Lately, we have been so "on the go" with errands and other activities that we have been running late for snacks, lunch, and supper. This means that Sam inevitably gets hungry and cranky and needs the food I have stashed in his diaper bag. Most of the time, it is crackers or some other remotely unhealthy snack.

It is funny to see the progression my parenting has taken since Sam was born. I would not have thought I would allow my child to eat so many non-nutritious things just so he wouldn't fuss and carry-on...and so I could get some things done... Not that I ever thought he wouldn't eat junk food...and no, it's not like I usually allow him to eat junk all day. I guess this is just par for the course. When the leader of your club is a toddler, some preconceived rules are bound to get the boot.

Endless

Today, it is a beautiful, sunny day in Belgium. Brian is lounging on the two, lonely chairs on our patio...soaking up the sunlight and listening to his Ipod. He deserves the break. He has been contending with long hours and endless e-mail since he returned from his trip to the U.S. Since he works for a global company, there is always someone who is awake and sending out an e-mail request. Always....

I am sitting in the kitchen, looking out at our scenic backyard and taking a break before Sam wakes up from his nap. I deserve this break. I have been contending with endless laundry and cleaning since we moved here. Most of the flooring is this (sort of) pretty salmon-colored tile. There is one floor of hardwood. Part of the upstairs is covered with a light-colored laminate. Sam's room and the guest room are covered with a thin layer of carpet (not the spongy, padded kind we're used to in the U.S.). Anyway, I am reminded of an e-mail "conversation" my friend, Lara, and I had many months ago. I had mentioned that I didn't understand why people had the notion that stay-at-home wives...or housewives are constantly cleaning. I didn't do very much cleaning at all in Aurora. Well, in Aurora, we had wall-to-wall carpeting and some vinyl flooring that hid dirt very well. Lara has hardwood throughout her house and has to clean it often, she told me. She said that back before carpeting was the norm in a house, frequent cleaning must have been a necessity.

Ahhhh....now I understand. If you drop a crumb....a hair....a speck of dust onto our salmon tile, you can see it. It really could stand to be vacuumed every day. Even after I get done vacuuming, I need to vacuum again!

And don't get me started on the laundry and ironing!!! Their washers fit half the amount of clothes in them here and take two to three times as long to complete a cycle (if you use anything other than cold water). Their washing machines are not hooked up to the hot water heater, but heat the water internally...so it's quite a lengthy process.

Well, Sam should be waking any moment now, so I'll just take in this view and forget about my cleaning for another couple minutes...

America, the Beautiful

It may be a cliche to blog about 9-11 today, but I don't feel that I have any choice.

I am not in the U.S. today, so I didn't get inundated with the coverage of the memorial services. I only heard a few snippets on BBC while I was driving in my car.

I guess today is one of those days where you want to be with or at least around someone who understands what it felt like to be in America on the day of 9/11. That was a scary day. Do you remember where you were? I have memories of my dad talking about being at school when he found out that Kennedy got shot. In the same way, I will always remember where I was...and how incredibly out of control the world seemed, especially in the couple of hours after all of the planes went down.

I would like to add that the U.S. really is a great country. It does have its problems, but so does every other nation...

There is not much more to say, so I guess I'll just end with a prayer that peace will prevail...Amen.

"She Must Not Love Life"

That is what Bernard said when we were going through a roundabout, and a driver took her turn, when it clearly wasn't her turn. Bernard was the guy from the relocation office who drove us to all of the houses we looked at on our house-hunting trip.

I think of that statement often when I witness the crazy, Belgian driving. However, most often, I utter that phrase when I see the maniacs on the motorcycles zipping through...and between traffic.

The other day, I was on my way to meet Brian, so we could pick up my car. I got stuck behind a line of cars, because this is a rural area, and there are lots of sloooooooow farm implements on the roads. Well, this guy on a "crotch rocket" decided that he didn't like how slow we were going. He thought it was a good idea to bypass the road, go through a rest area on the side of the road, and then merge back into the traffic. He ignored his yield sign and emptied out onto the road a couple meters in front of my car. Hello! I have a child in my car.

These cyclists do this kind of stuff all the time! On the motorway, they weave in and out of the lanes...sometimes riding between the lanes. All it will take is one person changing lanes and not seeing them zipping through where they shouldn't even be.

It's crazy! It really makes you believe that they couldn't possibly love life!! (Or care about anyone else's, for that matter!)

He Would Have

Tonight, while I was working out (gotta burn those chocolate calories!), the song that Brian and I danced to at our wedding reception came onto my Ipod. It made me think of my dad, because I remember him sitting and watching us while we danced. The other day, I heard the song that Dad and I danced to, which almost brought a tear to my eye.

It is always difficult to go through milestones without him. When Sam was born, I mourned his loss all over again. And now that we have moved to Europe, I can't help but feel sad, knowing that I can't share this experience with him.

Brian and I have talked a little bit about who we think will come to visit us while we are here. A couple of times, Dad has come up, and we wonder if he would have come. I think....that it might have taken a little bit of coaxing...but...at the end of the day...I think he would have.

An Act of Kindness

The other day, Sam and I were driving back home from getting groceries. It was raining, and we had just turned off of the highway onto a little road that takes us to another little road, that takes us home. We had to slow down, because there was a car stopped in the middle of the road--not an uncommon occurence here. Then I realized what was happening. There were two females in the car. There was a man in a suit, carrying a briefcase and an open umbrella, standing next to the car. One of the women was clearing a space in the backseat, so the man could sit there. Most likely, the man had taken the bus to and from work (the bus system has many pick up and drop off points, making it an excellent source of public transportation). Because it was raining, and it rains often here, he was prepared with an umbrella. I don't know if the women knew him. It is likely, since it is a smaller community. But, at the time, I figured that if they did know each other, they were merely acquaintances. The pick-up might have been planned, but I don't think it was. As I drove past this scene, I felt chills, as I often do, when I witness kindness in progress.

Michelangelo's Madonna & Child

We went to Bruges, Belgium yesterday, and we saw this statue while we were there. It is a Madonna & Child Jesus by Michelangelo. It is special, because not very many of Michelangelo's works were transported from Italy. To me, it is a very moving piece, because Mary looks very much like the Mary in Michelangelo's "Pieta." The Pieta is on display in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City, which I was very lucky to see when I was in college. That Pieta statue moved me very much, as it depicts Mary holding Christ after he has been subjected to the crucifiction and has passed on from this world. Mary has a similar somber look in both statues. She holds Jesus in her lap in both, as well. I think that now being a mother myself, I understand both of these works in a whole new way. The love for a child is such a strong and all-encompassing thing...and to imagine going through what Mary went through when Jesus died...it is too much. I love Michelangelo's depictions of Mary and Jesus. They are both very tender and emotional. They are truly great masterpieces.

Poulet Rotis

Today is Sunday, the day of the poulet rotis (rotisserie chicken) at our local grocery store. Every time we drive past the small store and read the chalkboard sitting outside, we are reminded that dimanche (Sunday) is the day for the special. Today, on our way back from our English-speaking church in Brussels, we finally got one. We brought it home, and I boiled some potatoes avec (with) skins and then mashed them with the hand mixer. I also steamed some fresh green beans. Voila! Lunch! Better than Boston Market.

Answer to My Question

Yesterday, after Brian got home from work, I brought out the tiny, cute, French grapes I had just bought at the supermarket. "These grapes have seeds in them!" I ranted. It seems it is difficult to find seedless grapes here. "Who eats these things, anyway?" Well, it seems that our little Samuel answered my question for me. This morning, he begged for them, so I cut some in half to remove the seeds, nearly destroying them in the process. Then, I couldn't keep up with his pace, so I let him try a whole one. He spit the seeds out with disgust. However, at supper time, he was begging for them again. This time, I let him help himself, and he seemed to like that. One after the other, seeds and all, he ate the entire grape. And, no, he wasn't swallowing them whole. Sometimes, I could even hear the crunch of the seed. Gross!! I wonder if that's how the Belgians do it? Do they eat the seeds...or do they spit them out? Phew....another question, just waiting to be answered...

Progress

Today, the car rental company was supposed to come at 11:00 to pick up our rental car. We just got my car last week. We got the license plates in the mail on Monday. So, we're ready to give the rental back. Well, at 11:30, I called the rental place, and the guy was really nice, but this is what he said: "Oh...yes...we need your address again." Mmmm-hmmm. So, were you going to call and let me know that? I think they just maybe forgot, right? I gave him the address, and he said they would be here in a half hour to an hour. Well, I got a little annoyed, but I wasn't really even mad. My inner dialogue was, "That is so Belgian." Now that is progress!

Your Belgian Tidbit of the Day

Did you know.....?

...That if you buy a car from a dealership in Belgium, you better head straight to the nearest gas station, because they only put about a liter of fuel in the tank...?

Settling In

I have always been a lazy unpacker. Ask Brian. He will reassure you that my still-full suitcase is usually sitting on our bedroom floor several days after we have returned from a trip. Not that I didn't have a legitimate excuse this time (ahem...like, nowhere to put the contents!), but I just unpacked my suitcase today. Some of it had already found a home, but a lot of my clothes remained in my big, green bag...with the airline tags still attached.

Tonight, the tags went into the garbage, and the shirts, shorts, and socks went into the closet or my dresser. It felt good to finally put the suitcase into storage. It was clearly a symbolic gesture. Now that we have our furniture, and we're setting up our house, we are starting to settle in.