Status quo here in Belgium...

One plus month without an update usually means one thing...nothing too exciting is going on here for the Belgian Millers.  I probably still wouldn't be updating, but Scott's insisting that we have at least one entry a month...thank goodness for a leap year I guess:)  Our weeks have been all virtually the same here...school, play, Saturdays at home with a late afternoon grocery store run, and basketball Sundays.  It's been nice - up to a point - but now I think we're all getting a little antsy...ready for some warmer weather, a trip and some visitors.

Will decided he wanted to play basketball again this year, so, along with Scott's weekly basketball games, our Sundays have been filled with the sport.  Will really likes it - and Bo loves to go run around and do some of their activities with them - so it's a win-win.  I was telling somebody the other day that sometimes I feel my sole purpose as a mom is to get the boys as tired out as possible by the end of the day - not so easy to do with days upon days upon weeks of cold, drizzly weather.

Scott leading the crew in calisthenics.

Prince William

Bo got a little carried away with the sprinkles.

Heart-shaped pancakes

Bo and I had a little Valentine's party with some of his friends and their moms.

Valentine's shirts, courtesy of Aunt Jen.

Last week was winter carnival break, and although I really, really, really wanted to travel somewhere, Scott couldn't get away from work, so the boys and I were camped out at home all week.  We did fit in a few play dates, and of course we had a big birthday in the house, as Bo turned three!  Although Will and I were both sick, we did manage to get out and to a big indoor playground with a couple of their friends to celebrate, followed by dinner at McDonald's.  Bo got both things he asked for - a Superman costume and a 'green' birthday cake:)

Birthday pancakes

Will and his friend Aidan.

Bo and Jaxon

Birthday spankings

Unfortunately, Bo's costume fit Will better than it did Bo...

By Sunday of this week  - after four days of illness - I was ready to go bonkers if I sat in our apartment one more minute, so I joined some friends of ours and we traveled to Geraardsbergen, Belgium for their 'Krakelingen Festival.'  The festival celebrates an old folk tale passed down from the 14th century when the city was under siege.  Apparently, townspeople tried tricking their enemies into believing they had plenty of food to last them, and threw the last of their bread and herring stores over the town walls.  The story is depicted in a parade, then we all traipsed up a giant hill on the outskirts of town and gathered in a courtyard to watch city leaders drink wine with live herring in it, then throw 10,000 rolls - of what they claimed to be sweet bread - but in truth was so hard a shark would have cracked a tooth biting into it - at us.  It was pretty much a big party - carnival type with lots of games and rides - but with the historical depictions of the siege thrown in there, and a large dose of weirdness sprinkled on top.    Pretty typical from what we've seen here of other Carnival celebrations - it's all just so...strange.  And I mean that in the nicest way possible:)

Because I'm sure there was lots of fire-breathing going on in 14th century Belgium.  

Bringing in the herring...

See the buns flying threw the air...

I actually caught a bun!  People were pretty crazy about going after them - and, admittedly I jumped right on that bandwagon.  10,000 buns may sound like a lot - but there were a lot of people there - and all were quite intent on getting one for themselves.  My hand burned for about a half an hour after catching one, as it first hit my hand and bounced off - and as I said, they were rock hard - basically mini-bricks flying through the air.  Apparently a voucher is baked into one of them, good for a piece of jewelry specifically designed for the festival - and worth 700 euro!  

Some people were pretty serious about their buns...

Our friends Kristen and Chris.  Fun fact - they were on House Hunters International this past week - all about finding their place in Brussels:)

Brent ran over our buns as we were leaving - to make sure they were indeed an actual food item.  No voucher:(

So that's about it...and so concludes are moderately boring existence here in Brussels.  This Sunday we're going to fly down to Barcelona for a little trip.  We return Wednesday and three days later my aunt and cousins arrive - yippee!!


Until next time,
Jackie