Cart Clutter Solved!

Nothing is more irritating than carts scattered all over the Walmart parking lot.  They roll into your car leaving a nice little ding and block open parking spaces...and it's always the close ones.  And, then there is the lowly Sears cart at the end of the parking lot by JC Penney....nowhere near where it belongs.  I always wonder who the poor sap is that has to go retrieve that cart.  Well, all of these problems would be solved if these stores would take on the European mentality when it comes to carts.  All you need is a 1 or 2 euro coin (which you always have plenty of.)  There are tokens that work as well.  You stick the coin in the opening in the cart and it unlocks.  When you're finished, you lock it back up, and your coin or token is returned to you.  I suppose you could leave your cart in the lot, but no one wants to lose their euros.  It's perfect!  All carts are returned, the lots are free from the clutter of carts, and there are plenty of carts waiting to be used by the customers.  Perhaps it will be my mission to develop carts like this when I return to the states. :)

I will, however, make sure that these new and improved US carts will not have four 360 degree wheels.  It makes these boogers tricky to push.  They tend to get away from you, but it is quite an ab workout!

Until next time,

Wendy

Jinxed??

 You know we've had quite the stroke of bad luck....my Mac crashed, camera lens broke, dishwasher wouldn't work, owl in the fireplace, Allison's iPod had to be restored and she lost everything, engine light on my new car, lightbulbs blow all the time, etc....  So, Friday night, we were sitting back on the couch.  Chris looked at me and said, "Hey, nothing broke today!"  And, then he didn't knock on wood or anything....doesn't he know you're supposed to knock on wood!?!  And, that's when our luck changed again.  Nothing really tragic happened.  Just more annoying little things that have to be fixed.  It started with the shower.  Thomas was going to take a shower before his sleepover.  When he started the shower, water went EVERYWHERE!  It was all over the bathroom and clear out into the hallway.  Needless to say, the shower head needs to be replaced.  Luckily, our bathtub has a shower hose as well, so I put that shower head in the shower until it can be replaced.  

Then on Sunday, Chris left for the US.  He was going to drive to work, leave his car for the week, and get his taxi from there.  I suggested I drive him to work just in case I needed his car during the week.  Turns out my gut instinct to leave the car at home was correct.  I noticed the rear tire on my car was low yesterday afternoon and there was a bulge in the sidewall.  Amy helped me pump it up (where would I be without Amy??), and her husband Chad did this soap and water trick to see if it was leaking air..and it was.  So, down to the local Goodyear I went today.  They are able to order me a tire that will be in tomorrow afternoon.  Let's hope they can actually put it on the car tomorrow.  Could be Wednesday.  Pray it holds the air that long.  If not..wish me luck with the bike pump! :)   I guess it doesn't matter if it is Goodyear in Moline or in Hoeilaart.  They always take good care of me!

Can you see the bulge in the bottom left?  

So, I was feeling really good after I got that accomplished.  I got the house cleaned today, and I also finished and put away all of the laundry.  It was fun being home and watching the snow fall outside.  It snowed all day and rained the whole night before.  

Isn't it pretty out the window.  Seriously, the biggest flakes I have seen in a long time!  Thankfully, it was much too wet for the snow to stick.

 I went to pick up the kids from school, and let them run and play for just a bit at the end of the day. Of course, with all the wetness, Thomas returned to me like this.....  

So much for being finished with laundry.  Like I said, nothing tragic...just a bit annoying. :)

Until next time,

Wendy

Play Date

Not a typical play date...but thank you Steve Jobs....these two enjoyed their play date filled with many giggles and some serious fun on Animal Crossing.  

And the hair...well, I'm just not sure about that. :)

Until next time,

Wendy

This one is for Tyler

So, I was chatting with Kathie last night...and she informed me that Tyler Stephens was tired of the inside pictures of my house and wanted to see some outside pictures of the house. So, in this freezing cold and snowy (yes snowy...yay!!) weather, I went outside and took some new pictures of the outside of the house.  Some of you have seen them on FB, and I'm friends with Tyler on FB???, but this post is dedicated to him.   Enjoy Tyler! :)

There was just enough snow to leave a little message for the kids after school.  Chris is in the U.S., so he doesn't get a message unless he brings home some Lucky Charms.  Just kiddin' you hon!

This is the front of the house.  The house is actually turned sideways, and that's probably good.  It's really not the prettiest front of a house.  I do love the brick though, and once there are some flowers out there with a little table, it's going to look much cuter!

This is the north side of the house (I think.)  I actually hadn't even looked at this side of the house since we arrived, so maybe it is good that I got out and took some pictures!  I like the cute little triangle windows at the top. That's the attic...which is gigantic!!!

I'm standing in the side yard, looking at the backyard.  We are really lucky to have such a nice yard.

Here's the back of the house.  

And the south side of the house which is along the road.  The window on the top right is our bedroom window.  I think it is so pretty!

Here is the view when you pull into the driveway of our home.  Caution...there's plenty of mud!

We have a bit more organizing to do in the garage, so that is why both cars are in the driveway.  I could fit one, but I'm kind of lazy I guess.  I'm really not sure the Volvo will fit.  It's not a very big garage at all!

So sorry Ben and Bekah...look how I am abusing your poor car.  It is not happy about that muddy road, but I have a real problem with car washes.  It's a bit of a phobia for me.  I'm going to have to get over it.

And, here is the view from our front door.  I'm anxious to see all of you pulling into the driveway for a visit.  I can't wait for that!!!

And finally, for bootcamp today I wore lycra.  I haven't worn lycra since 1995 on the ISU Danceline.  I totally caved under the pressure that everyone here wears lycra.  And lycra paired with rain boots is totally HOT, so I thought you could get a good laugh over my fashion sense today.  And my word...that is a ridiculously bad angle!!!  :)

Tyler, I hope you enjoyed this post.  Now you and Molly and those precious children of yours need to get over here for a visit! 

Until next time,

Wendy

Comfort Food

I promise...last post about food for a while. :)  Today, Chris, Thomas, Amy, McKenna, and I ventured up to Antwerp to go to the American Store.  Now, don't go picturing Wal-Mart.  This store was more like the size of a convenient store.  But, thank goodness it wasn't any bigger because that would have meant more money spent.  We really didn't NEED anything, but it was so much fun to buy some of those things from home that we really miss.  Did you know you could really miss Pam cooking spray?  I didn't either.  I'm pretty sure I saw Chris jumping up and down when he spotted the Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue sauce.  I'm glad he came along, so I wouldn't be the sole one to blame for spending all of our (his) hard earned money.  I found diet Mountain Dew!!!  Yay!!  But, the only cases they had were past the date, so they were on sale.  I went ahead and bought a case, but I swear I can tell if it is one day past the date.  So, I'm not getting my hopes too high that it will taste okay.  That was his last order of it as well because it only has a shelf life of two months.  By the time it gets here, it is already expired.  Bummer!  We came in just 2 euros over Amy's amount.  I think we did pretty well!  Here are our goodies...

Anyone want to guess how much we spent???

Allison went to her first birthday party today.  The birthday girl was having a Harry Potter party, and the invitation requested they dress up.  I'm super happy Thomas was Harry a couple of years ago.  This costume has come in really handy!  Doesn't she look so cute!!

This is how we are spending a lot of free time.  We bought this puzzle at Disneyland Paris. 

Chris leaves for the U.S. tomorrow, and he gets to see all of my favorite people...yes, I'm feeling sorry for myself!!!  Praying for safe travels!

Until next time,

Wendy

Drawing the Line

I am a Diet Mountain Dew addict.  I would do just about anything to drink one right this minute.  Don't get me wrong, Coca Cola Light is delicious, but it's not the same.  Amy and I decided to go to Stone Manor today.  It's a darling little British store that offers some American favorites as well.  I went in search of two things...Diet Dew and Lucky Charms.  Unfortunately, they didn't have Diet Dew, but I was quickly distracted by the Cadbury eggs.  I bought one teeny tiny little one to enjoy after dinner.  It made my day.  Anyway, at the end of our tour around the store, we finally reached the cereal.  And, there on the shelf was Lucky Charms!!!  So much excitement came over me, but then it was completely and totally deflated!  Why???

See that little price tag under the box of cereal?  That says 9.50 euros.  That's $12.53 for one box of Lucky Charms, and that my friends, is where I draw the line.  The kids and I will just have to suffer through our Frosties (Frosted Flakes.)

Until next time,

Wendy

Some Step...I Jump!

I consider myself a shy person...stop laughing...I really am shy!  I struggle with being the first one to make the move in a conversation.  I assume people don't remember me, or maybe they just don't want to talk to me.  So today, I did something that really isn't typical for me.  

I was at the Delhaize (grocery store) and was chatting with the clerk that was ringing up my groceries.  She spoke outstanding English.  Apparently, we were talking loud enough for others to hear.  When leaving, a woman stopped me and said, "You're an American!"  I don't think I even need to speak, and it is abundantly clear that I am an American.  But, I informed her that I was, and we chatted about her daughter living in Illinois, how long she has lived in Belgium, and our experience in Belgium thus far.  And then, she invited me for coffee...AT HER HOUSE!  Honestly, I was stricken with terror...I don't even know this person!  Well, I tried to use the "I have milk that needs to stay cold" excuse, but she said I was more than welcome to put the milk in her fridge while we had coffee (uh, I don't drink coffee.)  Soooo.....I WENT!  I thought...What the heck, and I went!  This was probably one of the most out of the box things I have ever done.  Some people step out of the box...but today...I felt like I jumped!!!  My new friend Gwen has two grown children that live in the states.  She is married to a man from Norway that she met when she was an exchange student in Russia.  They have a home in Norway, Vermont, and Arizona.  She attended the University of Illinois and struck me as brilliant!  And, she was so very nice, and she makes a good cup of coffee.  I think Gwen will be a great friend and resource here in Belgium.  It's funny how God brings people into your lives.  Today, He made sure that Gwen and I were both grocery shopping in Overijse, Belgium.  Funny how those things work....

I can't do a blog post without a picture, so here are the kids.  They were all finished with homework and piano, and they finally had time to relax.  Allison actually let Thomas sit on her bed, and even though they weren't really talking, they didn't need to.  They were just enjoying time together.  That makes this mom pretty happy.

Until next time,

Wendy

Willpower

 I let my friend, Amy talk me into this program.  Powerhour Bootcamp, and it's really awesome!  It is just what the picture says...it's a bootcamp.  Each class, we do different workouts involving weights, running, pushups, planks, etc.  It's a great workout, very challenging, and exactly what I love.  I do miss Gold's Gym!  But, there is the eating portion of it.  It's basically The Zone Diet.  I get it...it's easy...but when I know I am on a "diet" I am a complete and total failure.  I started the diet three days ago (might I add that I am down 8 lbs  since Christmas...before starting this bootcamp.)  But now, I have eaten more in those three days than I've eaten since I got here.  I'll get weighed next Thursday, and I am totally prepared for weight gain, more inches, and a very serious lecture from Dan and Angela.  They are the instructors.  Not nearly as harsh as Bob or Jillian, but I'm prepared for the discussion they will most certainly have with me.  Ugh!  

Part of the problem is...THIS!

I swear it talks to me.  Oh, how I LOVE it.  I had never tasted it before coming to Belgium, and I probably should have kept it that way.  See the scrape marks on the side of the jar.  Yep, that's from me just eating it straight from the jar with a spoon.  I'm beyond pathetic.  Wish me luck on the "diet".  I can do this...I will have the willpower and see it as more of a lifestyle change than a diet.  After all, I paid for it!  I shall try. :)

Until next time,

Wendy

Bomb Shelter?

No, no not a bomb shelter. :)  Several expat friends suggested that I stock up on goods in the U.S. and ship them over in our sea container.  They gave me a great list of suggestions, and I made it a point to pick up items each time I went to Walmart.  Chris and I also made a run to Sam's Club.  But, it's kind of like Christmas...you keep buying and not realizing just how much you really have.  Once we got it all unpacked, we realized we have our own little Walmart in the basement of our house.  The supply certainly won't last throughout our stay, but it's nice to go to the store and only shop for food items.  Here are a few pics of our personal shopping center.

This and That...Random Wednesday Happenings

First of all, Happy Birthday to my sister-in-law, Amy!!!  The Vastines hope she has a fantastic day!!!

Here are the kids...ready for school.  The "T" in Thomas stands for tiger snake, and the "A" in Allison stands for Athlete.  It was fun to see all of the kids leaving school today and how they were all dressed up.  Some kids really worked hard on their costumes.  One girl was wearing a painted box that looked like a juice box with a straw.  Another girl had a box around her that looked like a vending machine.  Uhhh....they had one night to do this!!!  My kids are at a big disadvantage with this craft challenged mother.  Poor things!

We had a pheasant visiting our backyard today.  What is it with me and birds???

Thomas was the one that spotted it.  He was pretty scared at first.  "Mom!!!  What is in our backyard??"  But then, he was fascinated by it!

Chris bought me flowers for my birthday.  They still look beautiful and look how huge some of them are!!!  The flower arrangements here are beautiful.  You can get them at every grocery store.  I suppose folks buy a lot of flowers to make the inside cheery...to counteract the dreary outside.

Tonight, the kids had their first piano lesson via Skype with Mrs. Witzig.  I would say it went pretty well.  We are so appreciative of her willingness to do this.  The kids are so excited.  It is one aspect of their lives that has remained constant.

And, look what they were selling at school today....Girl Scout Cookies!!!  Oh, was I excited.  Friends have been selling them on Facebook for their kids, and I've been wishing for just one box.  So today, I bought not one...but four! :)

The fire department came to the house today to remove the owl from the chimney.  As of 8:30 this morning, he was still alive...staring at me from just inside the flue.  Unfortunately, there are two turns in our chimney, and their equipment could not accommodate for that.  I think they felt really bad that they couldn't help.  We now have the number for a chimney sweep that will hopefully come by the house tomorrow.  We have raw meat in the fireplace hoping to lure him out of the chimney, so we can get him out, but I'm afraid he isn't going to last much longer.  I just feel really terrible for the poor thing.

Hope your Wednesday is going well.  Until next time...

Wendy

Reality Bites!

We are at the three-week point of our time here in Belgium, and I think it has hit Allison that we aren't going home anytime soon.  She had a rough day today at school.  She forgot she had a French test, and we'll just say it didn't go so well.  She started to cry when she saw me after school.  As we were walking to the car, she said, "I hate it here!  I hate this school!  I just want to go home!"  It absolutely broke my heart.  I know she is hurting, and I want to make it better.  But I know in time, she will like it.  I will say though...they have a tremendous amount of homework.  It is 2+ hours every night for Allison.  And, it's not "right there" answers.  They are very thought provoking with multiple answers and most are short answer.  They have very little down time in the evenings.  Combined with late bedtimes, they've just been all out of sorts.  But tonight, they were in bed by 8:45, and we are praying for a more positive day tomorrow.  

On the flip side, there have been so many positive things that have happened to Allison....

1.  She joined a writing club (and informed me it was free.)  They meet the first Thursday of every month and share stories they have written.  They critique each other's writing and offer suggestions for improvement.  They also discuss what they liked about the piece as well.  She is really excited about that.

2.  She now has a violin!  She will start private lessons next week to get caught up with the other 5th graders.  

3.  She was invited to a birthday party.  It's a Harry Potter party, and they are requesting the guests dress up.  She talked about it all night last night!

4.  She really likes the girls in her class.

5.  She ate the cafeteria food today and said it ROCKED!

6.  Tomorrow they get to dress up for school according to the first letter of their first or last name.  She chose A and is wearing her soccer uniform.  She is an "athlete".  I know if you have had Allison on your team...you just laughed.  LOL!  FYI...Thomas is wearing a camouflage shirt with a tiger snake around his neck.  That is just so Thomas!

7.  And, I received emails from both of their teachers complimenting how well they have settled in (Allison's teacher said "remarkably well"), they advocate for themselves, ask questions, and they already have many friends.  That makes this mom very proud!

So see...it isn't all bad, and they are loving riding with me to school and back.  It sure beats the stinky bus, with the driver who doesn't speak English, and the teenagers who "make out" in the back of the bus.  

Here she is composing her first story.

I had to include some pictures of the evening entertainment from last week.  The kids wanted to do shows for us.  Thomas has the moves like Jagger and Allison was channeling her inner Rihanna.  It was hilarious!

Just for the record...I would never let her leave the house like this.  How do you like Thomas' really cool hairstyle?  He did it himself.

Owl update...Chris is using his McGyver skills as we speak.  He has a mirror taped to some cardboard and is trying to look up into the flue.  I'm not sure what he's going to do when he meets that owl face to face.  We could hear the poor thing hooting last night.  It sounded really pathetic.  We even put food down in the fireplace to lure him back down, but so far, nothing has worked.  We'll keep you posted.

Until next time,

Wendy

Another Perspective

Up to this point, you've seen a lot of the inside of the house, so I thought I would share what things look like on the outside.  When we were in Belgium for our house hunting trip, I kept seeing these really strange trees.  They kind of gross me out.  There is something about their texture that I can't stomach...and...we have one in our backyard.  It was almost a deciding factor for me to not choose this house. :)  

Here it is...standing tall in the backyard.

These things are sharp!

Here's the trunk....ewwww!!!

 I'll be avoiding that tree.  Yuck! 

And this is the SUN!  We haven't seen it for several days, so I thought I should document this momentous occasion.

Can you see the rain water in my urn?  I wish you could really grasp the depth of the water.  It's deep!  Did I mention that it rains here...a lot!

Look here... we have real holly in our yard.  Love it!!!...that is holly, right?

With all the rain, we still have pretty little flowers like this growing along our garage.

And here is our road.  No one will able to park here until at least June.  It's a mess!  We have to put on our rain boots to walk on it.  Chris has complained about it every day that we have been in Belgium.  But, the Belgians think it's great.  Cruddy road = no traffic.  I can't argue with that!

Here it is looking the other direction.  I'm standing at our gate, so the mud is literally right at the end of our drive.

I love all of the little bird houses on the poles.  I have no clue what EVA is....just one of the many things I don't know yet.  I really do love how quiet it is.  We are really in touch with nature around here.

That is the GIGANTIC tree behind our house.  Pray for no major wind storms, or our house is in trouble.

The view of our front door.  I can't wait to put flowers out here and make it more welcoming.

And finally...this is my sweet new ride.  I was sad to have Ben and Bekah leave so quickly after our arrival, but God has his perfect timing.  They needed to sell everything, and we needed to buy everything.  It's a win win for everyone!

Thanks for reading!  See you tomorrow!

Wendy