Week 104 of Mommyhood...

Tuesday the 15th of April, my precious baby turned 2. Where did all that time go? I mean I understand when you loose a day or two, but 104 weeks?! I still think about when I was pregnant, and the anticipation of her arrival. Then I realise that she is already here, and what a completement to my life she's brought.

Anyone can tell you that it is wonderful to be a mother. However until you're there, you really have no idea. You have no idea how great your own mother is, and how much you can truly love someone. I remember the first week after W. was born, I cried every day thinking how beautiful she was, and how was I- me, just a simple person, going to care for her for all her life? What a huge responsibility; was I the right person for this task? And I'm sure hormones had nothing to do with the overwhelming feelings of everything, but being the steward of another person is a very large task.

Now, two years later, I find it is her, not I doing the care taking. I now have someone who tells me when to brush my teeth, which way to drive on the road, and even someone to chew bits of my sandwich! I really am very lucky, and don't understand why people don't have 15-20 children these days... humm.... maybe this bit of logic will convince my dear husband to produce another!

But more on having a two year old. W. is a great little girl to be around. Until you go against her wishes. I have always been told that I'm a little bossy. Whoa, have you ever met a toddler? If it's not her way, it's the highway. Tears and tantrums on the floor of the grocery isle are common events around here. Though so are toy-picker-upers, book readers, and dinner assistants. Toddler hood is like a spring storm. Sometimes rough, sometimes mild, but there will always be a little sun in your day, and lots of pretty blooms.

Saturday the 19th we had a BBQ birthday party for the princess. A new Weber grill was installed on the patio, and enough food to feed our village was provided. And presents. Oodles of paper covered packages and small people to open them. Although, presents are not the highlight of the party here. It's the $1 balloon bag that had the children entertained for hours. But for all the work provided, it was a lot of fun. It always is when W.'s around, and when we can have friends to share a meal with. So here's a big thank you to everyone who helped make W.'s party so much fun!

And now I'll leave with a few parting shots:

Brussels, Belgium

On Friday the 11th of April, the Archer family decided that we'd had enough of Germany, and that we needed to see the sights in Belgium- that and we were running low on good beer. So we loaded up the Subaru and ventured the short way to heart of the European Union- Brussels.


What a beautiful city! What crazy drivers! Now if you've never driven in a large European city, you're in for a treat when you visit Brussels by car. Not only are the streets incredibly narrow, but there are little to no road markings. It's like running with the lemmings... you're all going somewhere, you have an idea of where, but most likely it's not going to end up the way you thought. Thankfully we have our trusty GPS. Not that she does a lot of good when a double Decker sightseeing bus is double parked in your lane, but she helps.


So we arrive at our hotel in the center of Brussels. A nice place with in walking distance to all the places you'd like to visit or take the tour bus to. We were able to comfortably walk around the city with a toddler and a stroller. http://www.eurostarshotels.com/en/hotels-in-belgium-bruxelles-eurostars-grand-place.html

The first stop on our afternoon walking tour was of the Grand Place. Considered by many to be one of the most beautiful squares in Belgium, I now could see why. The Hôtel de Ville is a now the town hall for the city of Brussels; it is absolutely beautiful, and you can read more about it here: http://www.trabel.com/brussel/brussels-town_hall.htm

The Grand Place was bustling with activity, and a weekly market was just coming to a close. There were all kinds of unusual sights to behold- did you know that the Belgians walk their children on leashes? What a great place!

Over the next few days we gorged ourselves on waffles right off the iron, chocolate goodness on every corner, and the main staple we were here to get: BEER! If you love beer as much as we do, this is the place to be. Every cafe has a different taste, and you will never get tired of trying them all. That is unless your toddler starts wanting to have a beer party instead of a tea party... but I digress.

There is just about everything that you could want to try here. And lots of sights, here are a few that we visited: Palais de Justice, Bourse (Stock Exchange), Market Place, King's House, The Town Hall ( Hôtel de Ville), The Guild houses, The Royal Palace, The Royal residence, The Heysel with the Atomium, the St. Hubert gallery (has fantastic chocolate!), and of course Manneken Pis (adorned in his karate outfit). To read about where we've been, check out this web page: http://www.trabel.com/brussel/brussels-buildingsandmonuments.htm

And now I'll leave you with a few parting shots!