Today I had another first:First playgroup for my son. We've played with friends, met at the park, etc, but this was the first official playgroup. It wasn't as bad as I thought and I was so very pleased by that. You see, I'm not meant to be a stay at home mom and wife....at all. Bless those that are and choose to be and can, it is not easy! Automatically, you believe that everything needs to get done before that breadwinner gets home and your kids should be so well behaved and mannerly. Nope, doesn't happen that way, at least not with me. I have a career(insert had) and I miss it. When I'm able to work, I feel more complete, my child is happier, my husband is happier, all because I'm happier.
So, I was quite concerned going into this with none other than the PWOC, protestant women of the chapel. They were great women at VBS, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I was ready to just stay quiet and let them chat, but right away I met another disgruntled stay at home mom. Hurray! She's semi-actively looking for a job and counting the days before pre-school starts too! She feels like she shouldn't spend money and go shopping either. She doesn't get fulfillment out of clean laundry and freshly mopped floors either. I wasn't thinking I'd meet someone at playgroup to hang out with, but I did. I'm so glad we went to playgroup.
Oh, the rest of the women were nice too, and one of them even had a puppy, so I had a bit of a dog fix.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
One great house feature
One of the great features that my house has is a rainwater system. Since it rains here about 220 days/year (I think they're underestimating this average, just sayin') they have plenty of rainwater to use. Our water is collected in a storage barrel under the house somewhere and is used to flush the toilets, the washing machine and the outside faucet. It saves on alot of city water, which is very expensive, and uses what we already have readily available.
The only downside that I see with this system is that my white clothes don't look as white and they DON'T use bleach here. There isn't even a place to put bleach in my washing machine. When I asked the house inspector about bleach, he was almost appalled that I asked. Oh, and the water in the toilets always looks dirty, but with a 3 year old, it might be, it's a gamble.
The rainwater system is a great way to use what it so plentiful and renewable in Belgium. Now, if only they'd install a wind generator in my backyard, we'd be set!
The only downside that I see with this system is that my white clothes don't look as white and they DON'T use bleach here. There isn't even a place to put bleach in my washing machine. When I asked the house inspector about bleach, he was almost appalled that I asked. Oh, and the water in the toilets always looks dirty, but with a 3 year old, it might be, it's a gamble.
The rainwater system is a great way to use what it so plentiful and renewable in Belgium. Now, if only they'd install a wind generator in my backyard, we'd be set!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Pairi Daiza
We could not be luckier to be so close to the zoo, Pairi Daiza. It is absolutely amazing! Two of my son's favorite attractions are the large indoor playground and the even larger outdoor playground. The indoor one is just around the corner from the front gate, so it's perfect on rainy days. We spent two hours there today just to get out of the house on this dreary day.
They have everything that most big zoos have in the U.S. with few of the safety precautions. It's so funny to see the differences in the two different countries. They have a bat exhibit here, underground, beneath the huge tower on the property. In the U.S. all the bats would be behind class, not so here. You walk into the exhibit, through some heavy plastic drapes and right into the bat cave. They are flying all over the place, close to the ground, near the screened entrance to the tower and right past your hair. You step in guano, they skim past your nose and you can touch their food if you are so inclined. Amazing and just a bit unnerving.
In their new Australia exhibit the kangaroos hop past you, if you get off the sidewalk, you could chase them. There are little monkeys darting around stealing your food and sitting on your head and pooping if they care to. They also have the world's largest opal and some ginormous geodes that are taller than I am.
One of their newer attractions are the giraffes...that you can feed. There's a big tree house that you can climb with limbs and branches that you can hold out to them and they'll eat right out of your hands. Giraffe tongues are really huge and kinda gross, but it's cool that they'll eat from your hand. Wouldn't see that in the states, well, I haven't yet anyway.
Two of the things that we haven't gotten to see are the raptor show and the elephant show. The raptor show displays their falcons and eagles and some of their talents. We've walked past the show when it's in progress, but haven't gotten to actually sit and watch. The elephant show puts you within 15 feet of the pool and they do a few tricks, including spraying the audience. We didn't even know there was an elephant show until the 5th time we were at the zoo.
Something else we discovered last time was the large ship they have that is full of endangered animals from the world. They have explanations about poaching and scalping that I'm sure are interesting, but we don't read or speak French or Dutch yet.
If furry animals aren't really your thing, you can walk through the many gardens they have expertly placed within the property. There's also a neat aquarium placed in the chateau on property. They have sharks, Nemo and Dori, but they also have something I've never seen before, nautilus. A mollusk that is snail like, and super cool. We got to watch one move today when we were there, by blowing water out it's something...
We haven's been for two weeks and my son and I have both missed it. It's open every day, rare in Belgium, until the middle of November. With school getting out early on Wednesdays in Belgium, I think I know where we'll be.
They have everything that most big zoos have in the U.S. with few of the safety precautions. It's so funny to see the differences in the two different countries. They have a bat exhibit here, underground, beneath the huge tower on the property. In the U.S. all the bats would be behind class, not so here. You walk into the exhibit, through some heavy plastic drapes and right into the bat cave. They are flying all over the place, close to the ground, near the screened entrance to the tower and right past your hair. You step in guano, they skim past your nose and you can touch their food if you are so inclined. Amazing and just a bit unnerving.
In their new Australia exhibit the kangaroos hop past you, if you get off the sidewalk, you could chase them. There are little monkeys darting around stealing your food and sitting on your head and pooping if they care to. They also have the world's largest opal and some ginormous geodes that are taller than I am.
One of their newer attractions are the giraffes...that you can feed. There's a big tree house that you can climb with limbs and branches that you can hold out to them and they'll eat right out of your hands. Giraffe tongues are really huge and kinda gross, but it's cool that they'll eat from your hand. Wouldn't see that in the states, well, I haven't yet anyway.
Two of the things that we haven't gotten to see are the raptor show and the elephant show. The raptor show displays their falcons and eagles and some of their talents. We've walked past the show when it's in progress, but haven't gotten to actually sit and watch. The elephant show puts you within 15 feet of the pool and they do a few tricks, including spraying the audience. We didn't even know there was an elephant show until the 5th time we were at the zoo.
Something else we discovered last time was the large ship they have that is full of endangered animals from the world. They have explanations about poaching and scalping that I'm sure are interesting, but we don't read or speak French or Dutch yet.
If furry animals aren't really your thing, you can walk through the many gardens they have expertly placed within the property. There's also a neat aquarium placed in the chateau on property. They have sharks, Nemo and Dori, but they also have something I've never seen before, nautilus. A mollusk that is snail like, and super cool. We got to watch one move today when we were there, by blowing water out it's something...
We haven's been for two weeks and my son and I have both missed it. It's open every day, rare in Belgium, until the middle of November. With school getting out early on Wednesdays in Belgium, I think I know where we'll be.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Working the system
We have a cute old house that has recently be remodeled. The landlord said it was 200,000 Euro, but we think that might be over estimating it by about....well who knows. I can't imagine the house being that much, but I don't know the prices over here.
Anyway, remodeled yes, to typical American standards, no. I have a galley kitchen just the same size that my husband and I had when we were first married living in Iowa. However, I had twice the cabinet space then as I do now. We have exactly 1 cabinet (double door), 3 large drawers and 2 silverware drawers to store food, dishes, storage containers, spices, etc. That's it. That fact wasn't overlooked by me, but that's another story.
So, when we contacted the military furniture place that supplies us with washer/dryer/fridge/etc, I was looking on the list for cabinets. We had someone tell us that they offered them, and just to take them, there's no storage here. The cabinets weren't on the list, so I figured that I couldn't ask for them.
Then I asked someone about them again, and she said that they have them, just ask. So I went out there and asked in person. I wanted to get my sob story face ready if needed. The kind people told me in their best English (thank goodness they have English) that they have them, but they would have to come out and look at the kitchen and verify that I have no cabinets or storage space available.
After 3 weeks, they finally showed up today and the little gentleman stated, as he got out of the van, "I can tell from your road that you don't have any kitchen storage." Referencing that we live in the sticks and our nearest neighbor is probably a quarter mile away. He asked me what I would like for cabinets, which are more like tall pantries, and told me I was allowed to have 3 of them. "Then 3 is what I want," I told him. So, after all this time and waiting for them to show up, he was here about 5 minutes total and will be submitting his report to the manager on Monday and they will call me next week to set up a delivery time for the cabinets. With any luck, in 3 more weeks, I'll have some cabinet space and I can get rid of the boxes on the main floor. Who knows when we'll have a bedroom set so I can get rid of the boxes in there.
Anyway, remodeled yes, to typical American standards, no. I have a galley kitchen just the same size that my husband and I had when we were first married living in Iowa. However, I had twice the cabinet space then as I do now. We have exactly 1 cabinet (double door), 3 large drawers and 2 silverware drawers to store food, dishes, storage containers, spices, etc. That's it. That fact wasn't overlooked by me, but that's another story.
So, when we contacted the military furniture place that supplies us with washer/dryer/fridge/etc, I was looking on the list for cabinets. We had someone tell us that they offered them, and just to take them, there's no storage here. The cabinets weren't on the list, so I figured that I couldn't ask for them.
Then I asked someone about them again, and she said that they have them, just ask. So I went out there and asked in person. I wanted to get my sob story face ready if needed. The kind people told me in their best English (thank goodness they have English) that they have them, but they would have to come out and look at the kitchen and verify that I have no cabinets or storage space available.
After 3 weeks, they finally showed up today and the little gentleman stated, as he got out of the van, "I can tell from your road that you don't have any kitchen storage." Referencing that we live in the sticks and our nearest neighbor is probably a quarter mile away. He asked me what I would like for cabinets, which are more like tall pantries, and told me I was allowed to have 3 of them. "Then 3 is what I want," I told him. So, after all this time and waiting for them to show up, he was here about 5 minutes total and will be submitting his report to the manager on Monday and they will call me next week to set up a delivery time for the cabinets. With any luck, in 3 more weeks, I'll have some cabinet space and I can get rid of the boxes on the main floor. Who knows when we'll have a bedroom set so I can get rid of the boxes in there.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Priority to the right
On our second day in Belgium, we had a "tour guide" show us around the area. The person my husband took over for was very friendly and wanted us to see some houses for rent. As we were flying down tiny little roads that wouldn't even be paved in Nebraska, he stressed one driving rule, Priority to the Right! Unless you are on a VERY major road, all the smaller roads have priority. That means, as you're cruising along at 90kph on a road with or without a center lane, all the roads that join yours will have priority to the road and they'll pull out without looking, because they have the right of way. It's frightening! I think the only people who slow down when the see an arterial road are non-Belgians. From what I understand, this crazy, deadly rule is unique to Belgium. And you'll see signs of priority to the right accidents all over. People with either their front left side bashed in from turning onto the road, or the right side bashed in from not yielding to a priority road. If we get out of here without an accident from this crazy law, I'll be absolutely amazed!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Plentiful Pears
We have a very prolific pear tree in our backyard. Pear tree. Really, pears are not my favorite fruit. Who do you know can say that pears are their favorite fruit. The texture is so iffy, it has to be just perfect or it's hard as a rock or mushy. Yuck.
For the past few weeks, we have been picking up pears by the bucket load and dumping them over the fence in the various fields next to us. Then we decided that was quite wasteful. We should do something with them. There are people who would love to have them. We just have to pick through the ones that haven't been eaten by birds, gophers, lady bugs, or aren't infested with slugs, worms and bees. Damn bees. We've all be stung now, thank you bees.
Anyway, tonight I tried my hand at making homemade pear bread. I'm not really a domestic person by nature, but I don't mind baking. If I have to mix something, it might as well be something sweet. So, after finding some good pears and being stung through my gardening gloves, I had enough to make a few loaves of pear bread. And by god, it's good! My husband even said so, yeah me! So, with the last remaining 500 or so pears that are left on the tree, I've finally found something to do with the good ones.
Warm pear bread with ice cream will only help my already failing diet, but it's tasty, and more socially appropriate to talk about than my love of the local beers.
For the past few weeks, we have been picking up pears by the bucket load and dumping them over the fence in the various fields next to us. Then we decided that was quite wasteful. We should do something with them. There are people who would love to have them. We just have to pick through the ones that haven't been eaten by birds, gophers, lady bugs, or aren't infested with slugs, worms and bees. Damn bees. We've all be stung now, thank you bees.
Anyway, tonight I tried my hand at making homemade pear bread. I'm not really a domestic person by nature, but I don't mind baking. If I have to mix something, it might as well be something sweet. So, after finding some good pears and being stung through my gardening gloves, I had enough to make a few loaves of pear bread. And by god, it's good! My husband even said so, yeah me! So, with the last remaining 500 or so pears that are left on the tree, I've finally found something to do with the good ones.
Warm pear bread with ice cream will only help my already failing diet, but it's tasty, and more socially appropriate to talk about than my love of the local beers.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Involvement
My daughter noticed it first, I think, but she was totally right. The level of involvement of parents and older kids is huge at this post.
VBS started today and I'm volunteering. I'm one of 90 volunteers, adults and kids combined and we have over 150 kids coming to VBS. I'm amazed at that number. It's a small duty station, but everyone has something that they help with.
I'm starting with VBS and then will start choir later this month. I'll be substituting when school starts and volunteering elsewhere when I can. My husband will be helping with the boy scout troop when it starts back up in the fall.
This is a great post and I'm very excited to be a part of it.
VBS started today and I'm volunteering. I'm one of 90 volunteers, adults and kids combined and we have over 150 kids coming to VBS. I'm amazed at that number. It's a small duty station, but everyone has something that they help with.
I'm starting with VBS and then will start choir later this month. I'll be substituting when school starts and volunteering elsewhere when I can. My husband will be helping with the boy scout troop when it starts back up in the fall.
This is a great post and I'm very excited to be a part of it.
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