Long Time No See!

A lot has happened since I last wrote three months ago. Will take it in bullets. It's Thursday after all!

• In May our dear friends Maria and Daniel visited for a short weekend to celebrate Daniel's 40th birthday. Of course that required proper celebration at a two-star restaurant! Thanks P & O for babysitting!

Cheese!

• Later in May we flew back to Sweden for a long weekend to celebrate my mother's 60th birthday (and my parents also celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary). The weather was perfect, sunny and 28 degrees! My mother was very happy for her gift from me - a visit to Chelsea Flower Show next year (that reminds me, should probably book the tickets already now), something she has wanted to do for a very long time! My mum is also, despite her age (ha ha, though these days 60 is still very young) finally getting a driving license, so she's busy studying theory and taking lessons. Good for her!

• A few days after Sweden we packed up the car (you can never travel light with kids!) and drove to Münich together with our friendbours P & O to visit O's brother and wife over the Ascension Day weekend. On the way there we stopped in Frankfurt (partly because we left after work on the Wednesday and partly to split the long drive - 7+ hours - for the sake of the kids) to spend the night, but on Sunday we drove home in one go. We were a bit unlucky with the weather but otherwise I really liked Münich and we had a very nice time. Unfortunately Isolde caught a fever so on Saturday she and I spent the afternoon in the hotel as well as in a local playground while the rest of the group continued their sightseeing (this meant I sadly missed the visit to the Englischer Garten, but we'll probably be back some day).

I didn't take that many pictures with the iPhone but this is what Münich is all about, right :)

• The following weekend Peter went to Sweden again, this time for the wedding of a friend of his. We didn't feel like travelling with the children again for the third time in just two weeks, so he went by himself. Nice for him to get some child-free time as well. While he was in Sweden, the kids and I hung out with the neighbours - of course - and I packed a bit. Friday was 6 June and the Swedish National Day so P, T and I took the kids to the Swedish church for the celebrations in the evening. Sunday it was Princess Leonore's christening so we used the occasion to have a brunch with the friendbours, or at least the females of the families and the children, while the christening was on TV in the background. I also had the Monday off for Pentecoast and since Peter came back Sunday evening, we had a family day as well. 

Emily, Harald and Isolde at the National Day celebrations!

• The following week and weekend was the big move! I took half of Thursday and all of Friday off - work gives a leave entitlement for up to two days for removal purposes. Thursday afternoon we set out to Ikea with quite a long list - wardrobes for our bedroom, for Harald (Isolde had one already coming with the lorry from Sweden) and for the entrance/downstairs hallway, crib for Harald, bookcase for the kids' room, a double bed for the large/main guest room and other bits and pieces. The movers were supposed to arrive Friday with our furniture from the Stockholm flat, but they called and said that they were arriving early and asked whether it was possible to unload already Thursday afternoon. So they arrived around the time we returned from Ikea with lots of flatpacks (we used this excellent Ikea taxi service that only costs 30 euros irrespective of how much stuff you have and they help load and unload the van and there's no waiting time). We had reserved to block the street from other parked cars for the Friday to allow room for the lorry, but since it was Thursday still they had to just park in the road. Luckily it is not a very trafficated road so it worked out fine. We had booked a window lift - very exciting for the kids - for Friday afternoon to get some of the bulky furniture upstairs, as the staircase is a bit narrow, so we still made use of our cleared street part. On Sunday the "friendbours took the kids for most of the day so we could get some unpacking done and assemble Ikea furniture. After that it started to look like a home, or at least the start of one, and from that Sunday night (15 June) we slept in the house.  

Some order but mostly disorder!

Exciting!

• Isolde made her first school trip ever in mid-June. They went by bus to a horse farm near Leuven where they were able to ride and feed the horses, look at sheep and bake some bread (very tasty actually!). She had a really great time and asked several days in a row if she was going on an excursion that day again.  

Isolde's farm-baked bread
 

Isolde reenacts her school photo :)

• We had guests at the new house from the start. Even before we moved in Peter had assembled the grill and the trampoline so we were ready to receive guests, big and small! The first dinner was with P & O and kids and the first BBQ with our other neighbours T & M and another friend A with her boyfriend J, without the kids as we had organised a babysitter for the evening. We had meant to watch Belgium's first match in the World Cup on big screen in the local square but there were so many people that we decided to go home instead.

First BBQ at the house!

• The following weekend was Midsummer's and we had the celebrations at the house on the Saturday (Friday being a regular work day here) with 9 adults and 8 kids even though our house was in a bit of a state still. The weather was perfect and we were mostly outside anyway. We even had a proper Maypole and wreaths for the kids, thanks to T. There was so much food over so the next day almost the same crowd came over (minus 2 adults and 2 kids) for the leftovers and stayed all day. We didn't get much unpacking and organising done that weekend, but there would be time for that. Life is too short not to enjoy it fully with good friends!

• Peter managed to trip and fall on top of our glass table in the living room in the middle of our Midsummer fun, which broke in a thousand pieces, but luckily he wasn't injured except for some minor cuts (very fortunate, it could be much worse). It was funny in a tragicomical way because P, when seeing the table for the first time the day before, had asked "is that really safe with kids?" and Peter had responded "I've had this table for almost 18 years, several grown men have fallen on it, it's very sturdy..", etc. I guess the years and all those "bumps" had taken its toll and perhaps travelling 1,500 km in a lorry from Stockholm to Brussels was the final straw. Now we're on the lookout for a new table and possibly we're going for an almost exact table from Habitat (if we dare...).  

The table that no longer is...

• After that it was school's out for Isolde and we drove to Sweden on Friday 27 June. The trip went surprisingly well, much better than the trip to Münich a few weeks earlier. We started around 9 in the morning and took our time to Travemünde where we were going to take the ferry to Sweden. Actual driving time was just over 6 hours but we took two breaks and arrived in Lübeck around 6pm for dinner and a walk around. The ferry wasn't leaving until 22:00 and check-in was at 20:00 so we had plenty of time to kill. Once on the ferry the kids were able to play in the playroom for a while before bedtime. We had chosen one of the largest cabins so that we had proper beds (well, sort of, but at least avoid top bunks) and more space.

Great time in the ball pool!

• The ferry arrived to Trelleborg already at 07:30 so we had to set the alarm pretty early. We had some breakfast on the boat but saved some room for a second breakfast at an old school friend who lives in the Skåne countryside. So our first stop on the Swedish side was a visit to C. in little village Stora Beddinge for some just-out-of-the-oven scones and fresh coffee. Last time I saw C. was three years ago and before then...15 years?? It was very nice meeting her sambo and children and I'm very glad that we stopped by. Around 10am we headed north and only stopped once for lunch after almost 3½ hours as the kids slept for most of the first leg. After the lunch stop we only had another two hours or so before we reached my parents' house in Södertälje in time for dinner.  
• That weekend I had the chance to see Saltistjejen from New York who was in Sweden for the summer and meet the latest addition to the family. So glad we were able to meet up, even if only for a short fika!

• Sunday evening I flew back to Brussels to work while Peter drove to his parents' summer house. I had to work for another two weeks, however, I flew to Sweden for the weekend, and Peter and the kids joined me in Stockholm where we stayed in his parents' apartment. That weekend I also had the opportunity to join a farewell get-together for a colleague from my old (or Swedish) job (and did karaoke for the first time in ages and "better than good" as the saying goes...). While I was on my own in Brussels for two weeks (or ten working days) I did a little unpacking and fixing but also took the opportunity to go out with colleagues and friends, for example girls' night to celebrate P's birthday. The first few days alone felt rather lonely but then got used to it and the second week I started longing for the kids (and Peter too of course) again, even though I had seen them at the weekend :) And great weather had come to Sweden while I was shivering in 14'C Brussels and had to turn the heating on as I was all alone in a big house!
• Then on 11 July I flew to Sweden again, but this time for four weeks holiday! But more about that in a separate post!

House

As I mentioned in my previous post we are moving to new accommodation here in Brussels next month. Since we arrived last autumn we have been renting a flat - and it is a very nice flat which we like a lot - but now we would like to see what it is like to live in a house with more space and a garden (and the family who normally lives in the flat is returning at the end of the summer anyway). We only looked at three houses (I viewed two and Peter a third house on his own) before deciding to go for this house, but having looked at quite a lot of properties online we knew this one was a good "catch"*. It ticked several of the boxes: location (same neighbourhood, not more than 10 minute-walk to school/crêche/metro), good condition (especially the bathrooms and to some extent the kitchen), three or four bedrooms (it has four), around the rent we were willing to pay, and immediate or near availability. On our wishlist were also a free-standing/detached house and not too many (steep) stairs (compared to the very common Belgian townhouses) and a laundry room on one of the main floors rather than in the basement (especially if there are steep stone steps to the basement, which it often is). A bonus is that this house also has a working fireplace.

On the negative side the garden is perhaps a bit small but it will be sufficient for our young children (we can fit a trampoline and still play a game of badminton) and that there is no evening sun in the garden. There is a possibility to put up a plank to make a sitting area on the front of the house (in order to get some privacy from the road) though I think we will make do with the back veranda to start with. There is an awning (markis) and if we buy an infraheater we can probably sit there many evenings.

Here are some pictures! They are the realtor's so not the most exciting photos (but these are quite good compared to most Belgian real estate ads!) and they are not complete as we don't have photos of all rooms and spaces.

The house from the street. The kitchen is the bottom right and upstairs is the main guestroom to the left and the second guestroom to the right (the two other bedrooms are at the back). The extension to the right of the kitchen is the laundry room (the old laundry room was in the basement where there is still a stone sink) with an exit to the garden. In addition to the garage the basement has three (I think) rooms as well as a pantry but none of the rooms are furbished so will mainly be used for storage.

Garden view of the house. To the left it is the laundry room as mentioned with an entrance to the basement underneath. Downstairs the living room is to the left and the dining room to the right with doors to the veranda both from living room and the dining room. Upstairs, our bedroom is on the left side with an ensuite bathroom behind the small window, and to the right is the children's room.

The veranda/porch is not very big but will fit the furniture we had in our balcony in Stockholm at least.

View of the garden from the porch. We will put the trampoline in that corner.

And the garden from the other side.

The living room with windows to the garden (and a door to the porch to the left of the picture). Behind the camera is the dining room and to the right the door to the hallway. There are wooden floors (parquet) in the living room and the dining room and tiles in the kitchen and hallways. Upstairs are also wooden floors but not parquet.

The dining room with doors to the porch to the right and I think there is also a door to the hallway to the left. I like the shaped window.

The kitchen has not been renovated now (looks like it is from the 90s?) but at least it is white and in good condition, and the cooker, fridge/freezer and dishwasher is completely new, as well as the washing machine and dryer next to the kitchen. I think the kitchen will look nicer with a table, perhaps a rug underneath and a few gadgets such as my red KitchenAid! The fridge is very small so we will probably end up buying a freezer box and put in the basement.

Before we move upstairs, downstairs is also the entrance and hallway as well as a toilet with a sink as well as some space for wardrobes. Underneath the stairs is the door to the basement, which I don't currently have any pictures of either.

Our bedroom with garden view. There is a little bit of a niche so we are a bit unsure how to place our bed but I think it will fit in that space and still allow us to put a bedside table on the left side of the bed and also be able walk between the bed and the window. There is also space to the right of the picture but I would prefer to put the bed in the alcove if possible. To the left of the windows is the ensuite bathroom, however the toilet is in the hallway (very common in Belgium).

The ensuite bathroom. I like that there are two sinks, much needed!

The main guestroom with a small balcony. This room may be somewhat bigger than our bedroom and has a better layout, but the main bedroom has the ensuite and is also facing the garden, and is probably quieter than the rooms towards the street (though all windows are double-glacing).

The second guest room (which is likely to double as playroom for the children) which is facing the street. I think this room, or it might be the main guestroom, has a fireplace, not a working one but a place to put some candles for some atmosphere.

For some reason there was no picture of the fourth bedroom, the children's bedroom, but it is very similar to the other rooms: white walls, wooden floors, same type of windows.

The shower room in the hallway upstairs is also brand new like the bathroom with the same type and colour tiles. The separare loo is also very similar in style.

So this will be our home for the next few years! I will post new pictures once we we have moved in and made ourselves at home. We look forward to having guests occupy the guest rooms and jump on the trampoline with Isolde!

* If we were buying I am certain we would look at many more houses and taken our time but now when we are "only" renting it's easier to take a quick decision.

April's Gone

May already and more than a month since I last wrote, so time for a little recap.

• Lots of work for me. This time of the year, March-May, will always be very busy, even though the busy period started already in January.
• But at the same time, April means Easter and we were able to spend almost 10 days in Sweden. We had a much more relaxing schedule than last time we were home at Christmas and spent most of the time with family but met with a few sets of friends. We also ticked off a few "duties" on our list, dentist for Peter and Isolde (first ever visit for her - it went well and she opened her mouth long enough for them to count her teeth), vaccination shots for Isolde, belated one-year check-up at BVC for Harald, and doctor's appointment for me to get migraine medicine (here in Belgium they only have these huge packs that only holds three pills while I can get a pack of 30 in Sweden).

Traditional Finnish Easter eggs and Finnish (Danish?) smørrebrød at Thomas & Minna's new flat on Easter Saturday.

Easter decoration à la Isolde

Harald is enjoying that all playgrounds in Sweden have swings

Easter cake helper

Eating corn snacks in his sleep...

Time to fly back to Brussels

• Spring comes earlier here than in Sweden (and this year it is an usually early spring apparently) and in mid-April it looked and smelled like Sweden in May. You know those flowers you associate with the last few weeks of school before summer vacation. But here that is very much April rather than May. Now it is completely green. The cherry trees blossomed at in mid-March and the magnolia was almost withering by the end of March. The lilac are still in bloom though.
• We finished the month of April with Walpurgis Eve / Valborg celebrations at the Scandinavian School in Waterloo on 30 April together with our new neighbours, Swedish T., Welsh M. and their daughter E.

• E. also started attending Isolde's school at the end of April. They are not in the same class but the two classes spend the afternoons together.

Off to school on E's first day

• We have also made some more definite plans for our continued stay here in Belgium. Peter will be working for his Swedish employer until the end of the year - still on parental leave until August and after that, remote working either from home or from his company's office here in Brussels. That will give him more time to find a job here.
• We also started looking for houses to rent here in April, and this week Tuesday we signed for a very nice house in the same neighbourhood where we live now (so we don't have to change schools/crêche)! We are so excited! We will get access at the beginning of June so now we are looking into moving our furniture from Sweden here. As our tenants in the Stockholm flat have moved out and we are looking for new tenants we have the opportunity to move the furniture and then let it unfurnished instead.

Our new house!

• In the saga that is Harald's computer addiction he managed to break my iPhone screeen while we were in Sweden but luckily it didn't cost me too much to fix it. Unnecessary of course but it is very difficult to say no to him sometimes! Now I have problems with the LCD screen under the glass and sometimes I can hardly see what I'm doing so it's time to buy a new one (and I should probably complain to the repair place in Sweden but I don't think I kept the receipt...)!

Must. Get. The. Computer.

• We have hung out with the neighbours and been to one housewarming party of an old acquaintance from my stagiaire days who also lives here now (they came to our drink in March as well). Unfortunately in April we had to say goodbye to our good friends Chris & Jacqui who moved back to the UK after four years in Belgium (after before that four years in Sweden where we first met them). We miss them so much! Luckily it is not too far to the UK from here and especially not to Kent in south England where they live now.

We will miss little Emilie and her brother Daniel, and their parents of course!

• Our dear friends and neighbours P & O brought back some shoes for our kids from Spain where they spent Easter. Shoes are so much cheaper there! And it's good quality leather shoes! We will need to put in another order for their next visit! :)

• And the kids are growing and learning new things! Isolde is drawing cars and Harald is practising his fine motor skills.

2013 Report

Happy New Year! Posts about our two weeks in Sweden coming up, but in the meantime, the 2013 annual accounts!  Illustrated by the photos we chose for the 2014 calendar.

Did you do something in 2013 that you have never done before?
Took a big life decision affecting not only myself but also my family when I decided (though of course consulting my husband), to take a job in another country.

Did any of your friends become parents this year?
Not that many, but we could welcome a few new little people.  A good mix of boys and girls - Ellna, Émilie and Ruth, and Dexter and Benjamin. 

What dates from the year 2013 will you always remember?
The top date is of course Tuesday 12 February 2013, when Harald was born.  He surprised us big time as he wasn't due until a month later on 11 March.  I also remember many dates around that time related to my new job in Brussels, as I had to rearrange interviews, etc. due to Harald arriving early :)

Harald 9 days old in February 2013

Have you been sick or injured yourself this year?
No, except for the occasional cold.  I did have a terrible case of mastitis!

Which countries did you visit? 
Not that many actually, as I was pregnant and not allowed to fly at the very beginning of the year, and then for the first few months of Harald's life we didn't go anywhere, except for a new job-related trip to Belgium in May.  In June we attempted to go to France, but only made it to Denmark (Copenhagen airport) due to an air traffic control strike.  But in July we spent almost a week in the north of Norway with dear friends Maria and Daniel, and of course, at the end of August we moved to Belgium.  I made a short work trip to Sweden in December (where I also ended up spending an unscheduled stop in Copenhagen) and we also spent our Christmas holidays in Sweden.

We also spent some time at the summer house but not as often as we would have liked.

Best buy?
The dishwasher in our flat in Brussels.  Can't believe our landlords didn't have one (although I've heard that they have started to change their minds now that they have children)!

Best project?
No DIY projects this year, except for weeding stuff and packing for the move, if that counts, but we did hire people to renovate our bathrooms (or rather, completely rebuild) in our flat in Stockholm.  We were able to enjoy them for three weeks or so before we moved to Belgium :)  Hopefully our tenants are taking good care of the shining tiles!

Did something make you really happy?
Seeing my children together, and especially in the last couple of months, from Harald turned 9-10 months old, when they have really started to play together and interacting in a "real" way.  Seeing how Harald follows Isolde around, both with his look and literally following her around the flat.  She often announces or tells us that he's there, especially in the morning or after he wakes from a nap.  "It is Harald!" (though she says it more like "that one is Harald" ;) So cute.

Together, into the future (the calendar cover)

Have you been lacking something in 2013 that you want in 2014?
Sleep!  And time.  I was on parental leave February-August and in a way, had all the time in the world, but it felt like it went so quickly!  Especially with a new baby, and with my thoughts occupied on the pending job.  And now, since we moved to Brussels, it feels like time is just slipping away.  I work, come home, feed the baby, eat dinner, hang out with the kids and/or do some chores, put the kids to bed, and the suddenly it is 10pm and where did "my time" (egentid) go?  But I guess that is life right there.  I don't really suspect it to change much in 2014 (especially since I will now be working 40 hour-weeks instead of 37½...), but it should get a bit better as we get even more into the way and routine of living in Belgium (not that it have been de facto that much different than life in Sweden, but it's been mentally exhausting I guess).  Maybe we can get our kids to go to bed a bit earlier (or Harald at least, Isolde seems to be a lost cause), so that I can go to bed earlier, after I had some egentid... Wish us luck haha!

What do you wish you could have done more?
Sleeping.  I really need to discipline myself to go to bed earlier.  But it's that egentid that I also want, and I don't feel tired in the evening but then in the morning I'm soo tired.  Both kids usually sleep through the night (though Isolde often comes to our bed, and has had some periods of worried sleep, and Harald has had a few sickness periods with cold and cough), until at least 7 am, but until recently I would breastfeed Harald at least once sometime between 5 and 7 am.  And the main problem, sorry to repeat myself, is that I don't go to bed early enough.  Falling asleep around midnight and then sleeping until 7 am, minus an hour or two due to various sleep disturbances, is not enough for me.  I can really feel (and see?) how I have aged during the past year, and I don't think it's reversable unfortunately, though I hope the darkness under my eyes is.

What do you wish you could have done less?
Felt impatient and angry with the kids and yelled at Isolde.  I guess it's normal, and kids must learn and experience anger too, but I'm asking for a larger dose of patience with a child in the terrible twos (and soon threes) in 2014.

Little Miss Mischief in December 2013

Favourite programme on TV? 
Orange is the New Black, Big Bang Theory and Modern Family and I also liked this year's julkalender (Christmas series) and Solsidan.

Best book you read this year?
I actually managed to read 10 books this year (or nine, as I read most of "How the States Got Their Shapes" in 2012), which is more than double than the year before.  It's really thanks to having a short commute to work (15 mins each way).  Of the list below I think I liked "The Bad News Bible" the most, but "Stenhjärtat" was also very good but depressing (about child abuse).

• "The Bad News Bible" by Anna Blundy
• "Chasing Harry Winston" by Lauren Weisberger
• "I minnenas tecken" by Reginald Hill
• "Karriär och köksbesvär" by Sophie Kinsella
• "Pajernas värld" by Karen Stolz
• "Guernseys litteratur- och potatisskalspajssällskap" by Mary Ann Shaffer
• "No-One Ever Has Sex on a Tuesday" by Tracy Bloom
• "The French House" by Nick Alexander
• "Stenhjärtat" by Katarina Wennstam
• "How the States Got Their Shapes" by Mark Stein

Greatest musical discovery?
I'm so bad at remembering song titles or names of artists, so though I'm sure I have heard some new and good music, I can't name it.  Instead I will answer that I love how Isolde is constantly singing (apparently I was too when I was little) and I'm amazed how many different melodies she knows!

What was your greatest success at work in 2013?
Well, it must be that I finally got the chance to work for the European Commission and work in Brussels, something I have wanted to do for a long time.

Greatest success in your personal life?

Getting that job offer is also very much part of my private life, especially since it involved moving my whole family.  But besides that, I guess rearing two wonderful little individuals. I guess they are both with their personalities but I also think they are who they are because of Peter and me.

Harald in December 2013, almost 10 months old

Biggest mistake?
Can't think of anything, at least not anything serious.

Isolde wasn't really planned when she announced she was on her way in 2010, but what a blessing!

Were you happier or more sad this year compared to previous years? 

I'm also a quite happy person and this year was no different. Maybe even happier because Harald came into our lives and I got this new job I always wanted. But also sometimes sad because at times juggling a job and the kids can be tough (but only up given for short moments, most moments at those of joy) and taking life-changing decisions are not, and should not be, easy.

Something you wished for and got? A healthy little boy and the job I always wanted.  And the little but oh so important things, moments of love and joy with my little family.

Sibling love in the spring and summer of 2013

What did you spend most money on?
Children's clothing and otherwise stuff related to the move to Belgium.  We didn't do much travelling this year, only to Norway, though relatively speaking it was an expensive trip as Norway is soo expensive!  Oh, and of course our bathroom renovation.

Something you did NOT wish for and got?
Harald has been sick much more than Isolde was her first year of life.  Nothing serious but colds that are coming and going, probably because of viruses at Isolde's (pre)school.  It makes him suffer for days with a really clogged up nose, cough and something fever, but also makes the rest of the family suffer from sleep deprivation.   I guess it is pretty normal but I still wish we could avoid all germs!  I also had a terrible case of mastitis that I could have lived without.

Best film in 2013?
I can't remembering going to the cinema a single time in 2013, but at least we watched quite a few films at home.  My favourites as I think back are "Argo", "Silver Linings Playbook".

Seen films in 2013 and rated by me:

5+
Cloud Atlas
Argo
The Lady
Life of Pi

4+
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Skyfall
Silver Linings Playbook
Hugo
Oblivion
Now You See Me

3+
Sahara
Catch and Release
The Hobbit
The Heat

2+
Poseidon
This is the End
Despicable Me 2


What did you do on your birthday 2013?
I can't remember actually, I think we were just home as it was a Monday but went out for dinner the weekend before.

About to be a big sister, two years old, in January last year

How would you describe your style in 2013?
As I was on maternity leave and/or at least breastfeeding most of the year, I would say nursing tops were my no 1 wear.  Casual style, jeans or chinos with a nursing top, until August, and after that more work appropriate clothes, however, there is no strict dress code in my new workplace.

Is there anything that could have made your year even better?
In an ideal world I would have stayed home with Harald to the end of the year at least (at least 10 months, as with Isolde) before I started working, but you can't have everything.  I'm very grateful that he can be home with Peter instead of being in daycare.  My colleagues here in Brussels do not have that choice.  Some babies start already at four months old while some can stay home a bit longer to perhaps seven months, but the maximum is 10 months (4 months at regular pay levels, but then 6 months flatrate amount, which not everyone can live on).

Harald "the Seal" in his new home in Brussels in September (sadly after he learned how to crawl he stopped doing the seal)

What made you feel good?
Being with my family - the children are so much joy all the time (okay, there are moments you almost wish you didn't have them, but then five minutes later they are sweet or funny, and you forgot all about the bad times).  And also feeling that I took a step forwards in my career (hopefully).  And of course spending time with friends and doing things that I like such as blogging and reading blogs.

Sweetness most of the time

Who did you miss?
Our family and friends who we don't see that often since the move to Belgium :(

Best new people you met?
Well, in addition to the obvious reply, our latest family addition Harald, our new friends P & O here in Brussels.  We had met P a couple of times before, and I knew her through our blogs, but we hadn't met O and the children before. 

Our happy boy in October 2013

Most proud of?
Landing a new job in terms of my own accomplishments, but otherwise of Isolde who is doing so great in her new country and her new preschool.  She just loves her school and talks about as soon as she opens her blue eyes in the  morning.  And also of how she learnt to go to the toilet and other perhaps small but still big things, like put her own jacket on.

Spring 2013

Greatest wish right now?
That we make our life here in Brussels work, especially after the summer when we're both meant to work.  Making sure we have work-life balance and the kids are alright, also once we are two people working, one child at school and one child in the crèche.

What will you do differently next year?
Several things: stop procrastinating and waiting until last minute to do stuff, go to bed earlier, stop biting my nails, do some sort of exercise once a week, tell my husband I love him more often, have more sex (with said husband of course), get all our photos organised finally...

Plans for 2014?
Stay in Brussels beyond the summer, provided my contract gets extended and Peter finds a job.  Maybe rent a house after our current rental contract expires.  Make new friends in Brussels.  Have fun!