Somewhere in the Middle

Leaks but no cracks

Looks like we have a leak in our kitchen. It started last night. I walked into our kitchen and there was a huge puddle of water right in the middle of the floor. It was very odd. Thankfully our landlord is great and came over right away. Lil' C was so curious about what was going on. He wanted to be right in the middle of things. So when our landlord left S showed him the water pipes and where they think the leak is coming from. When I looked over & saw the two of them under the sink I just had to capture the moment. Too funny.

Conversation Wednesdays

Wednesdays are such a treat for me. I absolutely LOVE being involved with my English conversation group!  It's an amazing group of women from Turkey, Spain, Germany, Austria, Norway, and Portugal along with three Americans including myself. It's interesting to see how each of my American friends brings something different to the group based on their personalities, backgrounds, and experiences.

TR is the group leader and everyone adores her. She has such a positive energy. Within the first few minutes of meeting her I could tell I was going to love her. TR is great at explaining grammar in an easy & fun way which is so useful in a English conversation group.

Blond K is also in my group. If K were on the game show "Jeopardy" she would totally win. lol! She's extremely knowledgeable. K is so organized too.  I seem to be so forgetful these days so the fact that she remembers to bring her dry erase board to every meeting is a big deal. She is always so good about writing new words so the group can see how a word or phrase is spelled.

Today Sev made an amazing collection of sweet treats along with her fabulous Turkish tea which makes my heart race. When you're not used to caffeine just one cup of her tea can transform me into a super chatty person. Everything today was made from scratch. Sev made a beautiful collection of butter cookies. Some of the cookies had marzipan shaped roses while others were shaped like mini shells with chocolate filling and candy shaped like pearls. Sev also baked a chocolate pudding frosted yellow cake stuffed with a whole banana. The cake looked absolutely sinful but the banana made it seem pretty healthy in my eyes. ;) And the baklava... Oh... the baklava was so delicious that Sev gave me a few pieces to share with S. He's going to just love me.

Last week I asked everyone to bring random questions to ask one another. It's turning out to be a great activity. I love the questions people are asking and it encourages everyone to speak. I've already learned so many things about some of the women in my group. Our conversations often are so interesting that we run overtime. Today I left the meeting feeling so grateful to be a part of something so wonderful.

Fun Artwork for C's Room

Today was a super day. It's amazing how having a nice clean house can make me so happy especially when I'm not the one doing the cleaning. ;) I Love it! 

Lil' C received his first piece of artwork today. He was incredibly excited when he opened the package! I love that he chose these photographs all by himself. ;) A few weeks ago we were browsing Etsy together trying to find some artwork for his room when we came across these wonderful prints by Hot Digital Dog. Lil' C loved them straight away. We especially loved how the male cat is smiling. Too funny! This cat had us laughing all day. When I ordered the prints for Lil' C, I thought it would be nice to write a little note to the artist letting her know how much we appreciate & enjoy her work. When the artist wrote back she was so delighted to be a part of Lil' C's art collection she offered to send him a free print. I was so surprised! It was such a sweet & thoughtful offer! The following day when I told Lil' C about the artist's offer he was thrilled. He chose the cute little rabbit print. Here are the photographs that will soon be hanging in Lil' C's room.

This evening we had our parent/teacher conference with Lil' C's teacher and the meeting went so well. I'm so proud of how he's coming along. Lil' C is growing into an amazing boy. He's intelligent, creative, funny, caring, sensitive, loving, and a gentle soul. Before we met with the teacher we had the opportunity to look through his folders containing the work he does in school. It's amazing to me how Lil' C is progressing. He's already writing sentences and creating short stories summarizing a class activity or a story they read in class as well as writing about his weekend activities. Very cool.

Lil' C's teacher said he's doing great and she has no concerns. One of the things I was most happy to hear was when his teacher explained how Lil' C really knows who he is and is quite happy with himself. And he's okay with doing his own thing. Making sure Lil' C feels confident, happy & loved is so important to me. Having a low self esteem can be the start of so many problems that carry well into adulthood and have a major impact on the decisions one makes in life. Supporting Lil' C and making sure he feels great about himself is one of the most important things I can do for him.

And to top off all this wonderfulness Lil' C also received a special award at school. So tonight we celebrated. ;)

Why I dislike automatic car washes.

Last week S kept reminding me to take the car to get washed. He even bought me a prepaid card hoping this would encourage me to keep the car clean. S tries his best to keep our cars in pristine condition but with all the rain & mud here in Belgium it's a little hard. I know it drives him crazy to see our cars dirty.

Days went by and my car was still dirty. It wasn't that I forgot it's just I hate those automatic car washes. And believe me I like driving in a nice, clean car too. Belgium isn't like California where there are car washes everywhere and all you do is simply drive up, tell the guy what you want done and give him your key. That's it. That's what I want! Where I live there is no one but you & the car wash machine. And I can NEVER align the car correctly along those metal grids.

When S asked me once again if I was going to get the car wash I fessed up and said, "I'm afraid of those automatic car washes because EVERY.TIME. I use them something goes wrong".

He told me, "What are you afraid of? Don't worry this one is really easy".

Maybe for him it's easy but it's a completely different story with me. But I decided to give it a try anyway. And sure enough it wasn't so easy. After I paid or at least I thought I paid since the prerecorded voice spoke French & I had no clue what she was saying but when I heard her say "Merci" I thought everything was ok. Wrong. I drove up until the light turned red but the machine never turned on.  So I had to reverse the car and because I can't seem to reverse straight back I went over those metal grids. Very embarrassing. I'm sure the people waiting behind me got a good laugh. I tried my prepaid car again but I wasn't sure what I should do differently to make it work this time. By now there was a line of cars waiting and because I was nervous I didn't see the directions in English on the wall. So I just started pressing buttons hoping something would happen. The man waiting behind me could tell I was having trouble. I'm not sure what tipped him off me frantically pressing buttons or the fact that I backed up over the metal grids. Either way I was happy when he came to help me.

Another week went by and again the car is filthy so I thought about trying the car wash again. I know I'm crazy but I was feeling much more confident this time. At least I knew how to work the little machine with my prepaid card. What could possibly go wrong this time? So I entered my information and pulled the car into the driveway until the light turned red. Water & soap are now coming out and things are looking good. Until... the water & soap stop and the lights above me start flashing red & green. Ugh!! This is why I don't like automatic car washes! I had no idea what to do. I didn't want to get out of my car just in case the machine decided to start up again. It reminded me of an episode on "Curb Your Enthusiasm" when Larry David's wife must get out of the car and the brushes are knocking her around. It's hilarious! Instead I decided to open my window and asked the man next in line (who got out of his car to see what the problem was) if he knew why the machine stopped. He told me my car wasn't aligned correctly. So I backed up and tried again. Nothing. By this time the guys at the gas station must have seen what was happening on their TV monitor and came to my rescue. So I moved the car again with his guidance and once the car wash machine was reset everything went well. But that's it, NO MORE AUTOMATIC CAR WASHES FOR ME! I called S right after I finished and told him he could KEEP my prepaid card. I'll find a car wash where there are people who can guide me into that trap.

Mornings with Snowflake

We were a bit late for school this morning because Lil' C wanted to feed our cat, Snowflake. Well... it's really not our cat but because she visits us almost every morning we're beginning to think of her as our own. She is still a little afraid of us but she's warming up. The milk is definitely helping. ;) Lil' C is crazy about her. I'm not sure if she is a stray or belongs to one of our neighbors.  There are also two other cats that occasionally visit but Snowflake comes regularly. One day one of the other cats was sitting on top of the grill cover (their favorite place to hang out) with Snowflake and Lil' C rushed to get her a cup of milk but she ran off scared. Milk isn't helping in this situation although Snowflake is happy to consume her portion. ;)

Santa's Reindeer + The Norwegian Lunch

This past Monday the Norwegian community held a luncheon. The day was beautiful too; very springy. The luncheon turned out really nice and the company was great. I sat with a few ladies from my English conversation group.
 

The menu was a real treat too. For starters we had Røykelaks (Smoked Salmon on Toast with Scrambled Eggs). The salmon was fabulous but I wasn't crazy about the eggs since they were served cold not room temperature but cold like they were stored in the refrigerator. The main course was Finnbiff (Reindeer Casserole with Mashed Potatoes & Brussel Sprouts) which was quite interesting. For a girl who never ate salad or yogurt until after she was married I've come a long way. lol! The reindeer wasn't gamey at all; the meat was lean with a delicate taste.

My German friend said it reminded her of lamb and she's right. Most of the ladies I knew at the luncheon had never tried Reindeer so it was nice to try something new. Although at one point I looked over at my friend, Blonde K and she said, "So, what do you think of Rudolph?" lol! For dessert we were served Trollkrem (Mountain Cranberry Mousse) made from Tyttebær and whipped egg whites. The bright pink mousse was presented with an upside down ice cream cone. Based just on looks I think Lil' C would have loved to try it.

All of the Norwegian host wore their traditional Bunads except for one Norwegian woman who was dressed as a Troll. These Bunads were fascinating to look at. They're really beautiful and the embroidery work is exquisite. According to the little Norwegian fact sheet they gave everyone it says that Bunads are worn for special occasions such as christenings, confirmations, weddings, birthday, funerals, and on May 17th, their National Day. I wish Americans had something similar. Can you imagine having just one dress that you could wear to all those important occasions. Owing a dress like this would definitely simplify my life. A bunad is quite expensive & normally a once in a lifetime investment. My friend told me it takes about a year for your bunad to be made. There are approximately 200 different bunads in Norway, each of a local or regional origin. They may differ in color, embroidery, jewelry, or other accessory.



Being that trolls are a symbol of Norway's folklore, everyone went home with a troll sculpture by an artist named Paul Bonner. Mine is a bit scary looking but according to the Norwegians at the luncheon trolls possess supernatural powers and are notoriously quick to get angry but usually bring good luck. I'm curious what Lil' C will say about him when he sees the troll.

Lunch at the Neuhaus Chocolate Outlet

I went back to Ikea today to pick up another bookcase to use in my craft room. Last week I bought one for C's room & I loved it so much I decided to get another one. Plus, I wanted to pick up a few more frames and look at the fabrics again.

Afterwards, I decided to stop at the Neuhaus Chocolate Outlet. For my sister's bridal shower I thought it would be fun to put together a basket of Belgian goodies as prizes for the guests. So even though I won't be attending I'm trying to help her best friend with some planning.

Today was my second visit to the Neuhaus Chocolate outlet. During my first experience I was so overwhelmed with the selection of chocolates I walked out without buying one... single... piece of chocolate. Of course I managed to try almost every chocolate they made plus their delicious cookies. As you can imagine when you have access to sample almost everything in the shop things can get out of hand quickly. lol!

I managed to eat so much chocolate I couldn't remember the differences between the flavors which meant only one thing... I had to try them all over again. After a while I couldn't eat anymore chocolate so I'd just take one bite of the praline & throw it away. Yes! I never thought I'd be guilt of throwing away perfectly delicious Belgian chocolate. But I did. And for some odd reason I always manage to visit the store right around lunch time.  So essentially chocolate becomes my lunch. And today was no different. At least I did manage to control myself and was very selective in what I chose to sample. But towards the end I had to threw away a few pieces of chocolate. It was a little like wine tasting. When you're tasting 15-20 different wines you can't possible drink a whole glass of each variety.

Unlike my first visit I did select a box of chocolates to bring home with me. The prices are amazing! Each box contains over 2lbs of chocolate and each one is 10 Euros or you can buy three boxes for 20 Euros. It's a steal. The three boxes are a great deal especially if you buy them with friends and  mix up the flavors. The flavors for the boxes vary so you never know what they're going to have in the Lucky corner. My favorites today were the chocolate ganache as well as the ginger ganache but I opted for the latter since I thought it was a little different.

As you can see the outlet is quite small but believe me they can pack a whole LOT of chocolate into that little shop.

Note: If you're in the Brussels area & interested in visiting leave me a comment & I'll e-mail you the address.

Redecorating

For several weeks now I've been thinking about how I want to redecorate Lil' C's room. I want to create a space he'll love & enjoy but one that will grow with him. I also feel it's important to include Lil' C  ideas. But this has proved much harder than I initially thought. His opinions on certain things seem to change from day to day. And the fact that Lil' C leans more towards colors & toys that are traditionally feminine makes this project a challenge. If it were up to him he'd have a pink Barbie room. And as much as I don't want to admit it, I do have a hard time giving in to a request like this one. But then again I think I'd have a difficult time giving in to a Barbie theme even if I had a girl. Luckily, Lil' C is pretty easy going and I feel like we're reaching a compromise.

I've been spending a lot of time on Ohdeedoh, a website dedicated to children's home design. They also have four other blogs dedicated to cooking & kitchen design, home decor & technology, along with solutions for designing a green home. Definitely worth taking a look. So many wonderful ideas & resources especially for people like me who are find decorating a challenge. One of the things I love about Ohdeedoh is the rooms they showcase... these rooms are completely within reach of designing. 

After spending days going through Ohdeedoh's archives I've found lots of inspiration. I especially adore the modern trend being used in children's room decor. Unfortunately some of the funky quilts I found are either sized for toddler beds or they're duvet covers which means I'd have to buy a duvet.

Even if these don't work I really want to incorporate that edgy modern look & keep it simple. I mean if I can actually pull it off that is. We'll see... This is the room that I'm using as my inspiration.

I spent a great deal of time last week browsing online at a variety of quilts, comforters, and duvet covers for children. And yes, I even thought maybe I should buy a duvet. It was tough finding exactly what I wanted. I was hoping to find some funky colors & designs but instead most of the linens for boys were dark, drabby colors like navy, brown, and khaki in solids and plaids. Very boring. Although the bedding options were a lot more fun as the prices increased. I did find a few funky patterns but the background was usually white and white is definitely not a color I want to use for a child's room. The girls however had beautiful linens. Bright, cheerful colors.  It's so frustrating to see how these stereotypical colors are assigned to boys & girls. Not all boys want blue rooms just like I'm sure not all girls want pink rooms. I found that The Land of Nod had the nicest selection of boy bedding but what I found interesting was the way the quilts for boys & girls were categorized. Here is a sample of the bedding collection for girls:

And here is the collection for boys:

Notice anything? Why is it culturally acceptable for girls to have orange, brown and turquoise strips as well as a Solar system, Baseball, and Rock n Roll bedding (with high tops and guitars) but it's unacceptable for boys to have bedding with flowers, butterflies, and horses? There are plenty of men including my grandfather & R who enjoy gardening just as there are also men who are fascinated with lepidopterology (the study of butterflies) and horses. Who says ponies & horses are feminine? The issue really drives me crazy. I think it's definitely possible to create decorations & linens with these themes and still make it look cool for a boys room. I think I may need to go into the textiles business.

I eventually found this cheerful turquoise & lime quilt set from Garnet Hill that I think is going to look great in Lil' C's room along with these fun blue polka dots and city striped (top) sheets.

  

Lil' C had fun picking out these horse sheets which he really fell in love with. 

I'd love to incorporate some orange accents into the mix but I'm just not sure it'll work. Last week I found a funky orange pattern fabric from Ikea that I thought would look cool for pillows or curtains. Once the quilt arrives I'll be able to make some more decisions.

I also bought a variety of frames that I plan to use to frame Lil' C's artwork. I'm excited about the possibilities.

So stay tuned I'll be posting photos once everything is done.

Random Meme

Love reading these random meme. I like how they include silly little bits about a person. When you think about it it's those funny, quirky things that make a person unique.

So here are a few tidbits about me.

1. My Mom named me after a character in an Elvis Presley film.

2. I don't drink coffee but I love the smell. When I was little I used to bring Papi his coffee. It was always black with lots of sugar and it smelled wonderful. Now every time I smell freshly brewed black coffee it reminds me of my grandparents.

3. Love to eat French toast but only with Brioche, Challah, or French bread. Regular bread gets too soggy. Blah!

4. If you make me laugh super hard I will most likely pee in my pants! There is only one friend that has been able to consistently do this to me and we've been friends since I was 13. The last time she made me pee in my pants was last year! lol!

5. Would rather watch a foreign/independent flick over a main stream movie any day.

6. I wore braces for almost 5 years. Headgear, rubber bands, you name it and my orthodontist made me wear it. I probably would have worn my braces for less time if I had listened to my dentist but who really wants to wear a headgear? lol!

7. Love creating different hot chocolate concoctions. Lavender hot chocolate is my current favorite but I just bought a bar of ginger chocolate that I'm dying to try out.

6. Automatic car washes make me nervous. Something always seems to go wrong when I try to use them.

7. My dream job would be to work as a photographer for National Geographic.

8. I let my Dad trim my bangs when I was in Jr. high. Bad, bad idea! lol! My Dad & I still laugh about that day!

9. In the late 70's, my grandmother bought me my first Spanish record, "Emociones" by Julio Iglesias right after taking me to watch his latest film.

10. Would love to run a 1/2 marathon here in Europe but I have nightmares of being the last runner to finish and by that time everyone will have gone home.

11. When I eat big pancakes I only eat the crunchy outer edge (my favorite part) and always leave the middle section on my plate.

12. I can easily go through a can of hair mousse in one week.

13.  My favorite city in the whole world is New York City. I'm a proud New Yorker. And the fact that I was living there during 9-11 makes me feel even more attached to this city. Till this day I find it very hard not to cry when I think of that tragic day.

14. I backpacked through Europe with my sister for 3.5 weeks.

15. I'm most happy when I have one or two close friends rather than lots of casual friends.

16. I'd never eaten a salad, yogurt, or pop tart until after I was married.

17.  I don't like nicknames. My mother, sister, and two friends from high school are the only people who can call me by a nickname. I dislike nicknames so much that I purposefully only considered baby names with one or two syllables to reduce the chances of people butchering the name.

18. Love, love, love Halloween & the fall season. Love it so much I planned my pregnancy so I'd give birth in October.

19. I'm fascinated with foods made with flowers... Ice creams, sugars, cakes, drinks, anything.

20. My favorite make-up accessory... lipstick. Rarely, if ever do I leave the house without it. While I was pregnant I used to joke with one of my girlfriends that I'd be wearing lipstick during the delivery. ;)

Good Start to 2009

Did I mention we sold our home?! We closed at the end of Dec. The experience was bittersweet. Having our home in VA was the one thing I felt really tied us back to our life in the US. We knew we had a home to return to. It was a familiar place. We had friends & family in the area. We knew what time to avoid the Beltway and if we were stuck in traffic we actually knew at least 2 or 3 different routes to get to our destination. When you're in the military these simple little things can be very comforting. I know it sounds silly but our house was like my little golden egg. The real estate prices in the Northern VA had soared since we bought our home in 2002. And now? Well... my little egg was tarnishing and fast. The current market is completely different from the one we initially bought into. During the selling process we realized it's NO fun selling a house in a buyer's market. But I'm thankful we weren't in a situation that so many Americans are finding themselves in... Forced to live or keep  homes that were purchased for much more than their current selling price.

It's hard to believe this time last year we put the house on the market. Deciding whether or not to sell was a tough decision. And even when the house was empty for over 5 months we stuck it out. I think we did the right thing especially now that rental prices are being effected. With the current economy we may have ended up renting the house much longer than we ever imagined and that is something S or I never really wanted. Thank goodness we had an amazing rental property manager. Looking back it's unfortunate we didn't sell when we left the US. When I think of how much more we could have sold the house  it makes me cringe but... we had different plans. We thought we would complete our 3 year tour in Belgium and go back to the DC area. But life changes and you just have to look forward. Which brings me to the next exciting piece of news.... We've extended our tour in Belgium until the summer of 2010. We're excited. It means one more year of travel! Plus, Lil' C can continue going to the same school which we absolutely love. So I'm happy. ;)