Two weeks in Belgium

Last Saturday, the kids and I returned from a two week stay in Belgium (while Remo was abroad for work). I had planned to post something during my stay, but, as I should have anticipated, I could not find one quiet and peaceful moment to do so. So, here is a short summary of the two weeks in Belgium.

We arrived in Charleroi airport on Saturday (20th) and two days later, on Monday, Auro already started going to the kindergarten he frequented last time we were in the country. He was, by the way, more than happy to see all his Belgian classmates again.

One day, Auro came home dressed like an Indian. The Indian name they gave him: "wild dinosaur"!

Auro and juf Els, one of his two kindergarten teachers

The first Wednesday, Auro stayed home from school, because I wanted to take him to the Zoo of Antwerp, one of the oldest animal parks in the world (1843). He never went and I thought it was time for him to see real elephants and real monkeys. We met up with my aunt, my cousin's wife and her son, Jonathan. Auro spent a lot of time exploring the zoo by himself (something he recently started doing wherever we go) and so I spent most of my time looking for him and, mostly in vain, telling him not to wander off. Tosca, on the other hand, was very excited to see all the live animals, but was more than anything else impressed by the man at the entrance dressed up like a lion. Anyway, except for the somewhat exuberantly priced ride on the zoo's merry-go-round, we had a great day!!

Auro and Tosca on a gorilla

the kids on the pricey carousel

Friday evening, we drove to Jandrain-Jandrenouillle, where my brother and his family live in their new home. Zita was more than excited to have her two cousins sleep in the room with her (actually she insisted on it), so it was late when they actually fell asleep, but the whispering and laughing we could hear from their room made it completely worth it ;-)

This is how you fit 3 kids in a bath tub!

So ready for breakfast!

Auro and Tosca taking over Zita's sand pit

On Sunday, we went to see more animals at a kids farm in Lier ('t struisvogelnest). My cousin and Jonathan joined us and soon we were eating pancakes while the children were jumping up and down an inflatable castle.

In Betekom, a village near my dad's house, there was a fair, so after the farm, while Tosca was napping, we went there with Jonathan. Three days later, we returned with Tosca and Zita. For Tosca it was the first time at a fair and she was completely overwhelmed by it. She didn't speak a word the whole time we were there, but it was more than clear that she loved it!

Flying high!

Making a turn to the right!

Spontaneous visit

Last Monday, Han, an old (Belgian) university friend posted a photo on Facebook stating that he was visiting Florence. When I proposed them (he was traveling with his partner Rik) to drop by on the way back to Belgium, I got an immediate answer saying that they would join us for dinner the next evening. And so it happened that they arrived at our house on Tuesday. It was the second time they saw the house, but the first time they visited it since we moved in. Let me explain. In the summer of 2010, looking for a house to buy, we visited several houses in and around Genoa. When we came to look at the house we live in now, Han and Rik just happened to be in Genoa and therefore momentarily joined us in our house hunt. I remember that they liked it as much as we did (and still do), so it was extra nice to be able to host them in it. 

A short drive to Praglia

Sunny Easter

Today,  quite unexpectedly, we woke up to a beautiful sunny day. The Easter Bells therefore dropped their chocolate eggs in the garden. Both Auro and Tosca were equally excited about their egg hunt (the first one for Tosca) and ,in no time, had collected all the little eggs in their plastic bags. Needless to say, their breakfast consisted mainly of chocolate...

collecting the last eggs

getting ready to open the big eggs as well

Ready!

We are ready for tomorrow! Big (Italian) Easter eggs are lined up to be opened in the morning and 2 baskets are ready for the kids to go on their Easter egg hunt. According to Belgian tradition, tonight, the Easter Bells will return from Rome, laden with chocolate eggs, which they will drop in the gardens for the children to find on the morning of Easter. I can't wait to see Auro's and Tosca's faces!

Auro's Easter Bells (he made them at school)

"Happy Easter" wishes

Italian Easter tradition: big chocolate eggs with a toy inside

Auro and I decorated some eggs to get in the Easter mood ;-)

Italian fathers

Yesterday, the 19th of March, Italian children celebrated their fathers. Auro made this at school and succeeded in making Remo's day very special.

TWO!!!

On the 27th of February, Tosca turned two! We waited for Auro to come back from school to give her her present, but her crown... that she wore from the morning. 

On Saturday, all the neighbours came by and we celebrated with more presents and a birthday cake.

Tosca and the present we got her

the cake

a little overwhelmed by all the attention ;-)

Back in time: before Tosca's Birthday

On the 30th of January, we left our rental car at Charleroi airport and boarded the plane to Bologna. I was a bit nervous to travel by myself with the 2 kids and 4 bags, but they were on their best behaviour and it was one of the most relaxing flights ever. At the airport of Bologna, my sister-in-law was waiting for us and she drove us to Cesenatico where we would stay until Remo returned from Japan. 

Walking through Cesenatico with Ginevra

The first Sunday we were there was an important one, because it was the day that Ginevra (my little niece) was baptized and I became her godmother!The little ceremony during the Sunday mass was followed by a very opulent lunch at a restaurant. Unfortunately, I didn't really manage to take any photographs of this joyous occasion, so I'm hoping someone else did and will forward me some.

A freshly baptised Ginevra enjoying her lunch

Three days after Ginevra's baptism, the first pockmarks appeared on Tosca's body. The next day she had them everywhere (her head was covered with huge blisters). She had one night of fever, so I kept her in the bed with me, but other than that, she didn't really suffer much. By the time we went back to Genoa (about 10 days later), all the lesions had crusted over and were healing.

Tosca on her first day with chickenpox

Back in time: January 2013

We started the new year in Belgium with a New Year's dinner with the whole family at my father's place. The kids discovered the fun of indoor playgrounds (They are immensely popular in Belgium!) and were over-excited outdoors as well with the heavy snowfall. 

One of the many reasons we went to Belgium this time, was because we wanted to send Auro to the kindergarten there. Equipped with a brand new backpack containing his mid-morning snack and his lunchbox, he started school on the morning of the 7th. Leaving him there that first morning, I had no idea he would like it so much. But, he really loved it and during the 3 weeks he was there, he never complained about having to get up early, made many new friends (he even managed to get a play date) and, like all the other kids, came home with the chickenpox (which didn't make him sick at all, so he just continued going to school).

Dinner on the first day of the year

Presents!!

Remo and Auro enjoying the indoor play ground in Leuven

Playground in Booischot

Lost and lots of snow...

Auro on his first (Belgian) school day

Tosca having breakfast

On my birthday, my husband sent me flowers from Japan. Tosca had to smell each and every one of them before I could put them in a vase ;)

One afternoon when Auro came back from school...

The kids and their cousin Zita in Jandrain-Jandrenouille (where my brother and his family have just moved into their new home)

Back in time: December 2012

December: the month in which we put up the Christmas tree, Saint Nicholas brought many presents and we saw the first snow covering everything with a thick white layer. In December, Auro's kindergarten organised a Christmas recital (in which Auro was present, but didn't take part very actively due to a fever that made him miss 2 weeks of school and nearly all of the preparations for the recital). 

The first snow was good enough for this beautiful snowman!

On the morning of the 6th of December, Auro and Tosca followed the trail of tangerines and chocolates down the stairs, to find that Saint Nicholas had brought them a table with chairs, a CD, a puzzle and a board game of Barbapapa!

Happy kids!

Auro's school recital (Auro is in the right bottom corner, with a white t-shirt)

There he is, trying to find us among all the parents while he should have been singing with the other kids...

Here is one girl who really enjoyed the show (shouting Wawa every time she spotted her brother).

On the 23rd of December, we put all of our Christmas presents in our suitcase and took the plane to Belgium. We had a quiet (but nice) Christmas Eve in my dad's new apartment and on the last day of 2012 we went caroling in the street where he used to live. We even stopped at the house I grew up in and met the new owners (it felt weird, but comforting at the same time knowing the house seems to be in caring hands). 

Auro and Tosca ready to sing for candy

A pit stop at the house of friendly (ex-) neighbours  (cookies and a glass of water for the children, jenever and homemade Amaretto for the adults)

After about 10 houses, the children finally overcame their initial shyness and started singing louder than the accompanying adults (notwithstanding the jenever stop we had just had). Here you see Zita (my brother's daughter) singing at the top of her lungs ;-)

And they were well rewarded!

A final toast on the old year...

Back in time: November 2012

November 2012 was the month in which Remo turned 40. He had told me many times he didn't want any party, so what did I do? I threw him a surprise party! And guess what? He liked it :-)

The day after his birthday party, however, Remo had to leave for Japan and I stayed behind with the kids. Luckily, my father and my aunt drove all the way from Belgium to keep us company a bit. About a week after they had left, my sister in law and her little girl came to stay with us.

Four candles on a small cake (on the 9th, Remo's actual birthday)

Birthday lunch at the restaurant (on the 10th of November), followed by a surprise arrival of neighbours, friends and colleagues

...with a slightly bigger cake!

 

 

 

 

 

My beautiful kids one evening during that long November month

Tosca & Auro with their cousin Ginevra

Goldilocks

Before I start on (yet another) huge update, I want to mark today as the day that Tosca had her first haircut! After today's bath, I sat her down on her step stool with a book and draped one of Remo's dirty shirts around her shoulders. About 5 minutes later, I had collected a handful of golden curls in Remo's shirt.

The walk

This is how Tosa walks!