I lost track of which day I'm on during the big Christmas trip so......

Jenn and Leah touching the foot of a statue for luck.

The catacombs where St. Cecelia is buried.

On the road to the Coliseum

The Trevi Fountain

Spanish Steps

Rome - We saw the POPE!!!

We were lucky enough to see the Pope in Rome!!!!! It was really momentous that we were at St. Peter's and Rome when the Pope came out of his study window to give a blessing and speak about the current events in Gaza. He actually gave the blessing in many different languages and is the first Pope to ever speak to the crowd in Icelandic. It was freezing, raining and we waited for a very long time. It was worth every ice filled minute to experience such an exciting day.

Maria has better pictures. She and the twins got much closer than Bob and I did. Rain meant nothing to the kids and they pushed their way up and out to the middle of the square.

We saw so many wonderful things in Rome. The city is full of history; ancient, old and well known. I think we saw it all! Thanks to Bill and Pam, we had a hotel that kept us right in the middle of all the action. There was no place to park, but once we got rid of the car, we could walk to every attraction.

In my next post I will show pictures of all the major sights.

Pictures of Days 4 and 5

A big SORRY goes out to Nana and Grandma! We know you were trying to follow our vacation, but we had very limited internet service everywhere we went. I will catch up over the next few days...

Here are the pictures from Milan that didn't post even though I tried over and over again to get them on here!

Christmas Trip Days 4 and 5

Milan was our next stop after Switzerland. We traveled through a tunnel over 10 miles long and made it to Milan in time to view the "Last Supper". Our picture is illegal. The Christmas market on the square of the Duomo was fantastic. We went to the Christmas Eve Illumination Mass and then had a great dinner. That picture is of Maria's soup!

Christmas Trip Day #3

Bob went to the top to ski down!

All three of the girls together.

Look at the Alps beyond the trees with the sun shining! (Bob gets credit for this amazing picture!)

Summary of Days #2 and #3

Skiing has been a blast! Everyone (except Julie!) took to the sport very quickly. We had lessons on Monday and Tuesday mornings then skied in the afternoon on our own. Bob didn't need lessons and went straight for a Black Diamond run on Tuesday morning. He is pointing at the spot where he skied in one of the pictures above. Leah and Jenn started slowly and then started to leave the instructor behind. They kept going higher and higher on the run until they got into the fog, skied out of it and came down the hill. I couldn't go as far up as the rest of the family, but I could get on and off the lift, ski down slowly and even stop before plowing into innocent bystanders. Maria was at the top of the run by the end of Monday morning. She was unbelievable. Then she and Bob spent all of Tuesday afternoon skiing on the other side of the mountain. When I asked Bob about the skill level of the area they were in, he said, "You wouldn't have approved and that's what made it even more fun!"

Obviously, we have had a great time. Tomorrow we leave for our next destination. If you don't already know where we are going, I will give you a clue. We enjoy eating out, but tomorrow won't be our "Last Supper".

Christmas Trip Day #2

Christmas Trip Day #1

Day #1 - Sunday

Today we left our house in Belgium to drive south all the way to Switzerland. Along the way, we stopped in Luxembourg and France. The drive to Engelberg, Switzerland was only 6 hours and a beautiful trip. Switzerland is indescribable. As I write this, I am sitting in the lobby of our hotel with a view of the ski jump off the Alps where they held a competition today. (A Swiss man won with lots of Swiss flags waving.) There is plenty of snow, ice, slush and everything needed to make great ski conditions.

We had a real Swiss meal of meat and cheese fondue. We are all smiles in the picture because the food was so good. We even made a reservation to go back again on Tuesday.

Tomorrow we will have ski lessons and get on the slopes. Bob is a good skier and can't wait. He is acting like a little kid on their way to Disney World! He is so excited. I promise to let him be in the picture tomorrow with an action shot hopefully.

Christmas Vacation

We leave today for our big Christmas trip.

Check back often to see where we are going! I will try to update the blog every day.

More of Leah and Jennifer

Pictures of Leah and Jennifer at their first orchestra performance called an "Informance".

I promise to put pictures of Maria on here too, but she is busy being a high school student who is ready for Christmas break!

Field Trip

Leah

Jennifer

As you read this, please remember I was a public school teacher in Indiana. When taking a field trip we were required to have a background check on all parent volunteers, permission slips signed in triplicate when we set one foot off campus and all field tripswere relegated to only places which were educational and worked within the state educational standards.

Today I accompanied Leah and Jennifer on a field trip to go ice skating in Brussels. This field trip takes the place of a 5th grade Christmas party. In a school where there are 13 different countries represented in 5 different 5th grade classes, you can almost bet that celebrating Christmas is not politically correct with about 40% of the kids. So, the kids go ice skating instead.
Here are some of the particulars. Each class has 22 kids and brought 1-3 extra parents. Remember there are 5 classes. Each class left at staggered times so we wouldn't bombard the ice rink. At my old school, 125 kids plus parents would need 3 buses. At the International School of Brussels, we do things a little differently. We took public transportation! I am not kidding. After leaving campus, we took a brisk 10 minute walk to the closest TramStop. After a wait of about 5 minutes, we hopped onto the Tram and traveled 4 stops. The entire class then walked 1 block to the Metro Train Station. Inside the station, we waited for the next train and got on, traveling through 5 stops. At that point, we all got off the train, went up an escalator, down another escalator and got on another train riding until we reached our final stop 3 stations later. When we finally saw daylight, we walked another block to reach the skating rink.

What a day! My girls had a great time and so did all the other kids. I was sure we would lose one, maybe two kids along the way, but everyone made it there and back in one piece.

I thought of all the field trips I have taken during my tenure of teaching. None of them were like today. My children grow each day more than I ever thought they would. They view themselves as being able to do anything. I like change, I like trying new things and I like sharing these new experiences. Stay tuned. I am sure there is plenty more change and excitement to come!

Our class on the Tram

Our class getting off the train and going up and out to the rink.

Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet

Sinterklaas Day Dec. 5/6

How should I explain this holiday? The Dutch people celebrate the giving nature of a character patterned after St. Nicholas. Sinterklaas and his helper Zwarte Piet arrive in the Netherlands sometime in November on a boat from Spain. Sinterklaas then travels around the countryside checking on the little children. If they have been bad, Zwarte Piet will capture them and take them to the coal mines. If they have been good, they will receive presents. All children are supposed to lay their shoes by the fireplace so Sinterklaas can fill them with goodies; chocolate letters, paper notes (I couldn't figure out what this is but its like a cookie) and oranges or clementines.

The picture are of a Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet in a chocolate store and other representations. SK always wears a tall bishops hat and ZP always is a Dutchman in black face. It seems so politically incorrect, but the Dutch are far from giving up their tradition! Pictures of the two of them are everywhere. We even saw a poorly dressed reprentation walk down our street! Where is the camera when you need it! They are on TV everyday so kids can follow their journey and escapades. If you want to see the TV show, watch this YouTube video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8_41dDnvic&NR=1

And here is the Wikipedia version of Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwarte_Piet

All the new traditions are fun. Imagine Christmas shopping only Monday - Saturday. Absolutely no stores stay open on Sunday, even during the Christmas season. There are no "1 Day Sales " at Macy's and no "Extended Hours" at any store. Good or bad, that's the way it is. Our tree is up and we're getting in the holiday spirit. If I can convince the homebodies in the family to venture out on a quiet Sunday, we may drive to Germany to see a Christmas Market tomorrow.

Pics of Mom in Paris

First, let me just say my mom is the best house guest anyone could ever have. We had the best time even though I took her to a quilt store that closed 3 years ago and got us lost numerous times while driving us all over Brussels. She never complained. Even if we couldn't find the historical landmark we were looking for, we could always find a nice pub for a cup of coffee or a bakery for a great piece of cake.

Mom in front of the Pantheon

Bob, Jennifer, Leah and my mom

No explanation needed

Paris was fascinating. We stayed 2 days and Bob was our tour guide (or chauffeur). He took us all over the city and drove just like the Parisians! We saw everything but the Louvre. We just didn't have time for that enormous place. Christmas was in full swing in Paris and in Brussels. Christmas markets and decorations were everywhere and very festive.

Come back again Mom, but next time bring Dad along!

Paris

This one is for you Aunt Ruth and Uncle Jim! We had a great meal in Paris with my mom, cousin Becky and her husband Stu. More on Paris later.....

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us to all of you.

(Bob is taking the picture.)

My Mom

My mom has taken lots of pictures.

Here is Mom at the coolest cookie store. My mom and I visited The Church of the Holy Blood in Brugge. Google it and see what we saw. Then read the mystery novel Holy Blood by Charles Covington, a new friend of ours.

And the best of all, my mother wearing a berret and eating frittes (french fries) on the street in Brussels!

Thanksgiving

Maria looks her age of 17 in this pic...but looks like she is about 10 in the picture below!

My mom is visiting and got to see Maria dance the ballet in Oklahoma!

Here in Belgium, the Thanksgiving holiday is not celebrated. It makes sense that this country would not want to celebrate a time when the Pilgrims fled the continent to find a better life in America! The kids have school and Bob has to work. On the up side, there also aren't any "Black Friday" or "After Thanksgiving Day" sales. We will have turkey on Thursday evening anyway after my mom (who is visiting) and I take a guided tour of the Fine Arts Museum in Brussels. Mom has been here since last Friday and will go home again on Dec. 2. We have shown her all there is to see in Brussels and the surrounding areas. Then on Friday, we will take the train to Paris and spend 2 days taking pictures of the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame! It seems odd to say that I will just take the train to Paris, but that is the life I am living now. Ooh la la!

An Open Invitation

In an effort to accomplish all of my goals (see my previous blog entry), I have devised this open invitation for visitors. Mom is coming tomorrow and I am sure she will be able to give a review of our fine establishment. Note, if you are a stranger and you are reading my blog, this does not apply to you. You are not invited to my house and we are not a real hostel.

Information on the Biasi Hostel:
Aside from 2 weeks at Christmas and 2 weeks in April, we are open for business at our hostel. We can host you with fine accommodations of 7 bedrooms and a free breakfast. We offer a shuttle service to and from all airports and train stations. Beware of our driver as he is a little careless and has been known to weave and speed in traffic. Your room also comes with laundry service and a complimentary tour guide. We have 5 guides on staff with each one being skilled in their own area of expertise. Our guides boast the following qualifications:

Guide #1 - Experienced in all aspects of beer drinking and beer production. Wine is also of high interest and can take you on a tour of all bars and wineries.
Guide #2 - Knows every single shopping mall, outlet, open market and antique (troc) store in the greater Brussels area. Also skilled in Chocolate buying and eating.
Guide #3 - Is skilled in providing internet capability at every single establishment in Brussels. Also understands where a visitor can obtain the most "bars" on any cellular phone. If you have lost your phone, want to upgrade your phone or need lessons on texting lingo, this guide is for you.
Guides #4 and #5 - Although our youngest on staff, they have more knowledge than most. Reading French menus are their specialty. "What not to eat" is their latest publication with Escargot, mussels and tongue(that's right!) being top on the list. They can also explain the value of British TV and cross country running in the forest.

To all our friends and family, we would welcome your company. Please consider visiting us!

Needs

Here are some things I really NEED to do while our family lives in Europe:


1) Visit 10 countries.

That may seem like a lofty goal, but it is actually quite obtainable. We have already been to 4 countries, 6 more to go!

2) Have friends from the US visit us.

Totally out of my control. Mom is coming on Friday! Yeah! I hope she is the first of many visitors. Flights are cheaper. Start planning your trip.

3) Learn how to speak another language.

Ik spreek een betche Nederlands! Ik woon in Overijse. Ik kan afscheid nemen. Ik kan vragen stellen om een man of een vrouw. Uit welk land kom jij? Goedenavond!

4) Figure out public transportation.

I am not sure why this is so hard for me. I haven't stepped foot on a bus, tram or train since I moved here. (This should have been at the top of the list.)

5) Master driving in a foreign country.

Complete! With the GPS, I can go anywhere.



Now here are the things I really don't want to do while we live in Europe:



1) Have a car accident.

People here drive in a very crazy way. It is only a matter of time before I have a fender bender. Maybe I should concentrate on mastering #4 above and I could decrease my chances!

2) Get sick.

Wouldn't it be great if none of the kids ever had a cold, sinus infection or cough while we're here? Then I wouldn't even have to figure out how to go through the entire doctor process. My own medical concerns are in a different category. I think I have already had my episode of getting a catastrophic illness away from home. So chances are, I won't have to worry about it happening again. Optimism is always best!

3) Get locked out of the house.

Who would I call? We need to hide a key somewhere.

4) Get robbed.

Note to self: Hide the key in a really good place!

All about the Museum

The pictures below show the twins at the Museum voor Natuurwetenschappen. (Museum of Natural Science) We saw dinosaurs that were actually found right here in Belgium. All the facts were written in multiple languages so we didn't have any trouble educating ourselves. There were lots of other interesting things to see like a huge collection of stuffed or mounted animals, rocks in every shape size and color and a history of the Belgian Zoo which used to stand where the museum is now located. Poor Maria did not get to come along. She spent the entire weekend at the SAT prep class. It is a two weekend course taught to high school students.

In the same weekend we went to an Abby in the Ardennes region of Belgium. It was so boring that I really don't have much to say about it. They did sell good beer and cheese so I guess that is a bonus. Unfortunately, the visit to the Abby was my idea and so uneventful that I we didn't even take any pictures. The visit to the museum was Bob's plan and he definitely won if we are comparing the two trips.

Museum

I will write all about this cool museum later...............stay tuned!

Chateau de Presles

Last Tuesday, although very jet lagged, I went on a tour with the American Women's Club. We traveled to the Chateau de Presles and toured the beautiful grounds and home of the Count and Countess Oultremont. The history was outstanding and the chateau was beautiful. We were also served lunch in their dining room and heard wonderful stories about the history of the family, the land and the chateau. The Count and Countess were so warm and funny. They talked about the election (it was November 4) and the political and religious importance of their home. They even hung an American in our honor!

(Oops...The Count and Countess did not hang an American, they hung an American FLAG! Many thanks to all of you who emailed me to point out this grievous error. I wouldn't want my blog post to be reason for strained relations between the French and Americans!)

Thanks

I just wanted to say thanks to all our friends and family. We had a great time while we were home. I kept saying I wanted to watch TV but I honestly think I didn't watch it all! Everyone definitely had their fill of fun and fast food. That is something we just can't get over here. We also spent plenty of money at the mall and Target.

During one of my many trips to Target, the checkout guy said, "Man you're really stocking up!" I told him we didn't have a Target in the place where we live and he asked if we lived in the mountains or something. I just laughed and told him we lived in Europe.

Thanks again for keeping us busy and entertaining us!

VOTE!!!

Bob and I had the opportunity to vote in person during early voting last Thursday. Of course we wouldn't be in the country on election day so this was the only way, aside from absentee mail in voting, for us to participate. We waited in line for 30 minutes outside the county courthouse and then 60 minutes more as we entered the basement voting area. As we waited, we talked on the phone, talked to other people and played scratch off lottery tickets to pass the time.

For me, this election has nothing to do with the candidates. I don't even live here. Yes, I know it effects me but It had more to do with the voting process in general. By casting my vote in the 2008 presidential election, I am giving more of a vote for the USA itself. I voted YES to democracy, YES to freedom of speech and YES to patriotism. Our country, though young as it is, has a darn good system. A track record of over 225 years of democracy and a 2 party system has proven itself over time. By living in another country I can see the USA for what it is; a country established with the forethought and guidance of people like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Their political footprint paved the way for us to fulfill dream after dream. I have never believed that one man, our president, ruled our country. We the people are what have made our country great. We are also the same folks who have confused success with excess. We are the country where everything is bigger and better. I voted YES to bigger and better, YES to fulfilling dream after dream and YES to our political footprint.

Basically, the candidate didn't matter. I voted YES to the USA. Don't forget to vote tomorrow!

Finally back home again in Indaina

We are finally home in Indiana. The twins have watched a marathon of Disney and Nic shows, Maria has visited with tons of friends already and we have had plenty of fast food.

Although we got here a day late, we are still happy to see the old house. We now have a great travel story to add to all our others. Let me just say, without Bob and his knowledge of airports and air travel in general, we may still be stuck in Newark, NJ!

More visiting today along with Doctor appointments and dance classes for all the girls. It is great to be home but Leah mentioned she feels like a foreigner in both countries~!

Delay

We should be on an airplane right now traveling to Newark then Indianapolis. Our flight has been delayed and won't leave for seven more hours. We will miss our connecting flight and will have to spend the night in Newark. (Oh Boy!)

All of our plans will just be pushed forward one day. These things happen! Good things come to those who wait. Patience is a virtue. Time is a state of mind. ..Blah Blah Blah

Starbucks

My friend Jill sent me this very interesting and cool article about Starbucks. You have to read it to see the correlation between the declining economy and the amount of Starbucks locations a country has.



http://www.newsweek.com/id/164878/page/1



Don't worry. I plan on frequenting each and every one of the 6 Starbucks locations near my house when I go home next week. Don't ever say I didn't contribute to the growth of the economy. "One venti Cafe Americano with 2 Equals please"

Back Home Again in Indiana

We are starting to sing the song "Back Home Again in Indiana". All of us have different things we can't wait to do or taste when we get back to the US next week. Here is my list of the most important things I want to do when we get home next week:

Visit with friends(of course this includes family too!)

Drink Starbucks coffee

Visit with friends

Eat Taco Bell

Visit with friends

Shop at Target

Visit with friends

Drive thru any establishment

Visit with friends

Go out for breakfast

Visit with friends

Read anything in English

Visit with friends

Go ahead and leave a comment if you want to add to our list of activities!

Saturday

Maria is off today to watch the last high school football game against SHAPE at the military base. She took actual American $ to buy Starbucks, Taco Bell and maybe even Burger King. If she has the opportunity, she might even be able to pick up a package of English muffins for me!

We have met some very kind and wonderful people here in Belgium. Our school environment is one that welcomes the newcomers, appreciates the seasoned dwellers and understands when yet another family moves away. I don't know what we would have done without Jill, Alle, Jenna, Stephan and Andy. They welcomed us and have made our lives so much easier with good advice, directions to the store that sells Cheerios and most of all, great friendship.

When I go back to the United States I will remember what it feels like to be lost and confused and hopefully be considerate of others in similar situations. Does the feeling of being a foreigner ever decrease? Truthfully, I hope it doesn't. I have learned to appreciate my homeland so much more now that I am away. But I have also learned to appreciate another country and its culture which is so different from my own.

With the holidays approaching I am sure we will see a side to celebrations which we didn't know existed. Our first real shock came when we realized the kids have school on Thanksgiving day. With the time difference, maybe we will be able to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade after school and football games during dinner.

Weekend note: No travels this weekend. We were too busy playing Wii!!!!!!

Leah and Jennifer on their 11th birthday.
Jennifer
Leah
Their reaction was priceless! Jennifer and Leah were so excited when they opened the Wii!!