birthday girl is turning 7 today

Today is Rachel birthday, she is turning 7!!!!

The first thing she said to Natalie this morning when they were still both in beds was: "do you know that TODAY is my birthday"?

When she was a baby, I was annoyed when people used to tell me to enjoy the moment,  that she would grow up so fast... In fact they were right. When I see a woman with an infant nowadays, it touches me and I do have to remind myself that I too was a mother with an infant one day.

I like to tell Rachel stories about her when she was a baby and those stories stay with them, like the day Yossi came back from an interview and held his 2-week old baby who did not have a diaper.. You can just imagine what happened. Rachel still talks about it.

Rachel, you have reached so many goals this past year.
You are not the shy child you used to be. You love to play with your friends at school and daycare. You became the master teacher there and all the kids younger and your age gravitate around you, playing "school". 

You have extended so many invitations to your friends that I can not find enough week-ends to accommodate all these requests, but I will, don't worry.
You asked me to spend more time together and we'll do that too - maybe before all these playdates take place. 

The only playdates you used to have was with our friends' kids and neighbors. When you had your first playdate with a classmate (Caroline) a few months ago, I was amazed how well the two of you got along and how quiet it was in the house. When you asked to have another playdate and asked to have 3 friends (Delfina, Dunja and Katie) over, I was fine with it.

You refused to do ballet this year "it is for younger kids" and asked to do soccer instead. You did soccer after school and loved it.  Now you will try basketball. You just started cooking classes with your former K teacher and yesterday was your first day, you had a lot of fun (on the menu was bananas covered with chocolate).

You are sweet and still very nice with your sister Natalie and love to explain her many things; you play nicely together. 

You share the same bedroom and do not like to fall asleep when sometimes she is downstairs with papa.

You discovered that you have a dog and love to pet her and feed her, to Heidi's greatest pleasure.

You love to write and make your own stories. We have many of your homemade books and I treasure them. 

You get upset once in a while and when you decide to throw away a piece of artwork you just did, I am not that happy, but ... it is your choice. 
A few times when I said no to something you wanted, you told me to leave you alone, to go away, that you did not like me. We had to put a stop to that and those bad moments are now behind us.
(I should maybe not mention that but it will make you smile when you read about it n a few years).

You are very special to us and we love you very much
Happy birthday ma grande cherie

Papa, Maman, Natalie
and Heidi.

morning ritual

In the morning the girls love to sit in front of the vents where the hot air comes through. With papa in charge, they do dress themselves because there they get a treat afterwards.

Le matin les filles aiment s'assoir devant les bouches ou l'air chaud sort. C'est la qu'en semaine elles mangenet leur tartine.

playdate

A few months ago Rachel had a few friends over (Katie who was in the K class and with whom she plays soccer); Dunja who was and is still in her class; and Delfina her best friend who unfortunatelly will go back to Argentina in March 2013). It felt like we had 5 daughters at home, that was a sweet feeling.

evening stories/ histoires

Many years ago the thought crossed my mind about writing stories for young children but I never did it; it was way before I had my own children.

Every night Yossi reads a chapter book to Rachel (the mouse detective Geronimo). Afterwards I go to her for her goodbye kis (ses), sit down on her bed and do tell her stories I invent. She loves them, I tell one and she tells me one as well (in French). To my surprise she remembers them, I do not.
My stories talk about anything, could be about an ugly shoe, a flower, a friendship between a cat and a hippopotamus, ... .

Le soir je raconte des histoires à Rachel. Elle connait les fables de la Fontaine mais j'ai commence à créer mes propres histoires dont elle raffole, on y parle de l'amitié d'un d'hippopotame avec un chat ou bien d'une chaussure qu'une petite fille ne veut pas, d'une fleur, ...  Elle les adore et a ma grande surprise ne les oublie pas. Je lui raconte une histoire et elle m'en raconte une autre (en francais bien sur). Parfois Natalie se joint à nous si elle est encore éveillée.

wonderful long week-end

Thursday morning we let the girls stay in their pjs till 3pm. The evening was wonderful at Evelyne and the girls played with Leora and Jonathan.

Saturday Rachel and Natalie had a playdate with Zoe, Mia and Sophie. It was very sweet to see them getting along so well.

On Sunday afternoon, we went to Leslie and the girls played with Anjali (former classmate of Natalie) while we chatted and drank tea.

This whole week-end was so relaxing. I had a facial and haircut, finished a great book, and had some time left for cleaning and laundry on Sunday.

post-Halloween pictures

can I be the mom?

It is Saturday morning and Natalie joined us in bed.
N: can I be the mom?
I: ok
I: was it fun to play with Leora yesterday?
N: I am not the kid, I am the mom
I: was it fun to be with Evelyne, Monique and Brigitte?
N: oh yes, very much so
I: what did you talk about?
N: important things
I: like what?
N: tigers, unicorns, ...


Natalie nous a rejoint au lit samedi matin.
N: maman, je peux etre la maman et toi le bebe?
Maman: ok. C'etait chouette de jouer avec Leora hier?
N: maman, je suis la maman, pas le bebe
M: ok. C'etait chouette d'etre avec Evelyne, Monique et Brigitte?
N: oh oui
M: de quoi avez-vous parle?
N: de choses tresimportantes
M: comme quoi?
N: de tigres, de licornes,...

Rachel likes to play teacher

As I am typing this, I can hear Rachel and Natalie in the living room playing "school".
Rachel is the teacher. 

One evening when I picked her up at the after school daycare, she was surrounded by friends and she was the teacher, explaining them what to do and how to do it.
When she was at Montesorri 2 years ago (she was then 5 years old), her teacher Mrs. Tricia had told me that Rachel showed much compassion towards her classmates, that teaching was very natural to her. Will she become a teacher? Who knows....
I used to do the same when I was younger, except that I did not have a small sister to tell what to do.


Rachel adore jouer a l'ecole, elle est bien sur le professeur. Natalie est l'eleve.
Au daycare je la retrouve souvent entouree de ses amis et c'est elle qui leur explique ceci ou cela. Lorsqu'elle a des amis a la maison, elle aime jouer a "l'ecole". Ca me rappelle les jeux d'ecole auxquels je jouais moi aussi, a part que je n'avais pas de petite soeur a qui donner des ordres.

Ce matin, Rachel s'etait entourree de ses tintins et de Natalie (voir photo).

How did I meet Yossi. I am thankful...

Thanksgiving became one of my favourite holidays.

Tomorrow we will not cook but will rather visit our friends Evelyne and  Moe, and their children Leora and Jonathan who are close in age with Rachel and Natalie.

I have known Evelyne for almost 20 years. Her husband Moe is the one who introduced me to my husband in 2000.

I had taken sailing classes at the marina in Alexandria that spring and the few times I tried to rent a boat, the wind was too strong for me to be on my own on the Potomac.

When I mentioned it to Moe, he mentioned that one of his friends was a good sailer. I went sailing with Yossi once, twice, we went to the movies. The first movie we saw together was East West, I still remember it. That was my first introduction to Russian life.
Our first serious dinner was in an Italian restaurant in Georgetown where a voilinist serenaded us while we sat outside on the balcony. 

Yossi charmed me with his funny stories, his gentle manners and devoted attention, his good humor, the way he treated his friends and more importantly mine, and of course by playing the piano for me.

We started dreaming about having a family, living in a charming house with a backyard, sitting in front of the fire place sipping wine, listening to opera, and also about adopting a dog. We got married in 2003.

We do have two healthy sweet girls of almost 5 and 7 years old, a house with a fire place, and a lovely 10-year old German Sheppard Heidi who has been with us for the last 8 years.

I also have a very nice mother in law who thinks the world of me and considers me as her own daughter. What else rally could I ask for....

I am thankful for having all that in my live. I am thankful for the love I get from my husband and from my children,  from my parents and sibblings, from my mother in law and family, and from my friends.

imitation

We both have accents Yossi and I and already Natalie likes to imitate us.
I do not think she is aware of our accents but she likes to imitate the intonation of our voices, she is good at it.

Natalie aime nous imiter et surtout l'intonation de nos voix a moi et a Yossi. Elle le fait bien en plus.

how was your day?

Mom: "Rachel, how was school today? What was fun ?
Rachel: "hum, nothing, just kind of"
Mom: What something not fun?
Rachel: No, hum  kind of"
Natalie: Everything was kind of then?

Ride to the park

It is Sunday. I went to my yoga class, did some shopping for my next yoga class and after lunch, I took the girls and Heidi to the park. They took they scooter and did a great job. We met some friends there and it was nice to see them all playing together. I am sure they will sleep well tonight. Too bad I did not take my camera.

Nous sommes allees au parc dimanche apres-midi avec les filles et Heidi. Il faisait un beau soleil et il faisait frisquet. Elles ont pris leurs trotinettes et ont pedale dur!

enfance/ childhood memories

All week long I think about stuff I want to write about.
I would like to to write about childhood memories.

When I was 6 my brother told me about who was behind St. Nicholas.  We were biking from our house to our grandparents house who lived 2 miles away. I remember how sad and mad I was at him. 
In Belgium it is St. Nicholas  who brings presents to the children, not at Christmas but on the 6th of December. For a whole week beforehand, we place each night our shoes in front of the chimney and we can expect to find the next morning some candies and clementines. 
I remember the present I got at my last Christmas, it was among other things a beautiful doll bed with light blue drapes around it.  My brother had shown me where mom and dad were hiding the presents. That day my sister and brother hit somewhere in the house and ran a bell making me and my 2 cousins who were visiting believe that Santa has just came by and left the house.

Other memories with my siblings:

My brother Boule (Eric) and sister Faby (Fabienne) taught me how to use Rollerblades (the wheels were in metal). We practised in the evening in the attic on the 4th floor, just above our playroom.

My brother Eric taught me how to whistle and I remember that I kept practising every time I would go to the bathroom.

I used to sleep with all my dolls and teddy bears. Mom would put some back in the closet and I would go and let them out. I did not want them to get cold and I had barely enough place for myself. Rachel does the same.

I remember the summer vacation at my grandmother's former farm where I and my 2 cousins would spent some time together.

I remember the day I gave a bath to my sister's cat and how surprised I was to find out that the had shrunk so much with his fur being all wet. I sneaked him in my coat and we both stayed in bed.. till my sister found out about us.

In the evening, we used to sit on the window still and guess the color of the passing cars.

In the summer we would all read and after the lights would be turned out, we would use flash lights to finish our chapter.

I hope my girls will remember the good times they are sharing together. These moments are so precious.

dentist

I have never seen kids so happy to go to the dentist than mine.  They were running on the parking lot
Rachel: who will go first?
Natalie: I will
Rachel: ok then I''ll watch you.

Dr. Orlando has 3 daughters (6, 5, and 2 1/2). I like the way he explains what he is going to do, let them touch his gloves. The girls really like him.
Of course I should say that while he cleans their teeth they watch a dvd and when all is done they do get a new toothbrush of their choice. But what they really like is the sticker they can choose and the 2 treats they can get from the treasury chest.
All is well. Nothing to worry about the fact that Rachel hasn't lost ababy  tooth yet and that she grinds her teeth at night.  Her bite will change as well. He was happy to see that 3 of her molars came out already.
chosen CD: Madagascar III, I have to get it now.

Visite semi-annuelle chez le dentsite.
Tout va bien. Je ne dois pas m'inquieter que Rachel n'ait pas encore perdu ses dents de lait, quand ca va arriver - ce qui ne devrait plus trainer- ca ira tres vite. Il ne pense pas qu'il devra intervenir.  Rachel a deja 3 molaires qui viennent de sortir.

new morning schedule as of tomrrow Nov. 15

Yossi's 1st IBM assignment is in VA on the metro line. It will take him 1h1/2 to get there but he does not have to drive, lucky him.
He will drop off Rachel at 7am and I'll drop Natalie at 7.3am. Wake-up call tomorrow at the Finn's residence: 6am!! Wish us luck.


Demain le reveil va sonner a 6h du matin a la maison. Rachel sera au daycare a 7h et Natalie a l'ecole a 7h30. Les fille sont contentes d'aller a l'ecole plus tot, surtout Rachel qui recoit un pt dejeuner: pain perdu, pancakes, cereals -- miam!

thinking about grandpa/ pensees pour papy

Natalie: I would like to be dad
Mom: WHY???
Natalie: Because I could speak to grandpa
Mom: But you CAN speak to him now, he'll hear you.
.....

a great Sunday afternoon with good friends

This past Sunday we all went on an adventure to Roosevelt Island.
Thank to Marya we have memorable pictures of the outing.

I still have to find a way to save them in order to post them

Dimanche nous sommes allees promener et avons retrouve quelques amis et leurs enfants. Il faisait tellement bon (20 degres), Ce fut une belle apres-midi. Je mettrai qq photos plus tard, du moins j'essayerai.

Sunday morning

I love Sunday mornings. We have plenty of time to cuddle, to chat, to play.
This morning Rachel is playing a card game she has invented and Natalie is preparing hot cereals with me. 

Dimanche matin
les dimanche matins sont tjs assez calmes a la maison. Yossit dort un peu plus et je m'occupe des filles.

1/2 day for myself

It is Saturday morning and the girls are at Alliance francaise.  I cleaned the house (Maria hurt her back and could not come this week), did 3 loads of laundry, sorted the winter clothes and I am now listening to Semele -music by Handel - with Kathleen Battle, Marlyn Horne and my favourite baritone Samuel Ramey as Cadmus. What a treat.

opera

Last night was the opening of the European film festival at the AFI theater, even co-sponsored by the EU Delegation.  "Quartet" directed by Dustin Hofman was a bitter sweet movie about retired pennyless British musicians .
Beautiful music, love, jalousy and of course the issue of getting old. You laughed, you cried ... perfect  movie to make you think that life has to be lived to the fullest. 

But most importantly it reminded me how much opera moves me and how much I enjoy it.  I digged out this morning my olds CDs and I am now listening to Semele while the girls are at Alliance francaise with Yossi, te much higher than I would when the girls are around. The volume is loud, something I normally do when the girls are around...
I discovered opera 20 years ago. My 86 years old neighbor Colonel Roy Baker introduced me to it slowly and took me to the Kennedy Center season after season.  When he passed away, I treated myself and purchased a subscription and sat in the same row: E - it was like watching a play and being craddled by this wonderful music.
Not going to the opera is something I missed but did not realized it. 

pajamas

Last night I let the firls sleep in their day clothes (very cozy ones). I guess this is the first time it happens.  I have to say that it was nice not to have to battle with them to get them into their pajamas.

Yossi's 1st assignmet for IBM

No he will not be sent to Florida.
He got a job at IRS. It is in Virginia and on the metro line. We are very happy.
At least it was one victory for him yesterday.

Yossi va travailer en Virginie et pourra prendra le metro - ouf.

future president

At home we have different political views, both coming from different countries and political background. My mother used to work for the union and politics was  something my parents discussed freely at home.

At home, we do talk about politics too and the girls know whom Yossi will vote for. In fact Rachel even discussed that with her friends at schools (!) and was very happy to report that some of her friends would vote for the same candidate. We have as well a few drawings with plenty of harts for that candidate done by both of them. We explained to them that I do not vote as I I was born in Belgium and that kept my Belgian citizenship.

A day like today I wouldn't mind voting...
 

Natalie

Natalie had a good night sleep Sunday night with no cough, in bed by 7.30pm (I know I kept the old time for their sake) and she woke up this morning at 7am. The night before she woke up at 6am and joined us in our bed.  That's much better than coming in at 1.30am. 

Natalie a commence ses antibiotics le samedi apres-midi et a passe une meilleure nuit. Elle s'est reveillee vers 6h du matin dimanche matin et nous a rejoint dans le lit. Dimanche apres-midi elle a fait une petite sieste avec papa quand je suis partie avec Rachel a Strathmore et hier soir elle s'est endormie vers 8h (9h ancienne heure). Le docteur nous a dit que ce n'etait pas contagieux et que si sa toux allait mieux elle pouvait retourner a l'ecole le lundi.

Sunday with maman/ dimanche juste avec maman

Rachel has been talking more in French since she started her classes at Alliance francaise. She has developed her assertiveness as well and has shown more aggressive verbally telling me that I was not nice and that she did not like me anymore. Of course these moments do not last long, she would come back and tell me 1 hour later that I was the best mom and that she adores me. Ok, but hearing these things in my mother tongue did hurt.

This week-end she mentioned that she thought I was spending more time with Natalie, which I never realized. I thought I was managing my time between the 2 girls fine. It is true that Natalie being younger cries more and gets then my full attention.

I told Rachel that I love them both the same and reminded her that she had been my only baby for 2 whole years and had gotten my full attention.  Natalie on the other hand had never had that, this seemed to help.

During the week, I let her come to our bed once while I was reading my book early in the evening and she seemed happy to lie down close to me and hold my hand. Papa took her to bed an hour later.

On Saturday evening when the girls were in bed, after papa's story, I sat in Rachel's bed, she held my hand and we told each other stories.
Yesterday afternoon I took just Rachel to the show at Strathmore and leave Natalie with papa. We walked to Strathmore, sat down together and listen to the story of the dragon, crocodiles and of course princess. We had a nice time.
This week has been more pleasant and I haven't heard anything negative from Rachel.
I am glad she told me how she felt and I was able to make her feel better and loved.

Ces derniers temps Rachel parle plus en francais mais est plutot agressive me disant qu'elle ne m'aimait pas, que j'etais mechante (ce n'est guere facile a entendre). Ce week-end, elle m'a raconte qu'elle aimerait faire des choses rien qu'evec moi (on essayait deja de les separer et Yossi enmenait parfois Rachel au musee le dimanche ou allait faire les courses avec elle).
Samedi soir apres la lecture, je me suis assise dans son lit (Natalie dormait deja). On s'est raconte des histoire, elle a tenu ma main et s'est endormie. Dimanche apres-midi je suis allee voir un show avec elle et j'ai decide de laisser Natalie avec papa (ils ont fait la sieste ensemble). Hier soir je leur ai lu une histoire et apres je suis restee pres de Rachel, j'ai lu mon livre et elle s'est endormie en tenant ma main.

Day off when you want but not when you have to

Last month Rachel asked me if she could skip school for one day. Of course my reply was NO.
A few days later she was sick and when I told her she would have to stay home, she started crying.
Be careful what you wish for!

I could have done with a few extra hours of sleep

Coming back from MNO at 11pm and catching up with Yossi, it was past midnight when I went to bed. At 1.30am Natalie started coughing and her cough became so bad, it woke her up and she came to us. For the next hour, she kept coughing.  I put some vicks on her feet, gave her honey and water, put the humidifier and 2hours later she was comfortable or simply exhausted and felt asleep.
I took her to the doctor this morning and she has PNEUMONIA. She is not in pain and it is not contatious, she will start antibiotics today.

Natalie a tousse pendant la nuit et apres la visite chez le medecin, c'est confirme qu'elle a une pneumonie.

Dad away from home?

Two weeks ago papa signed a new contract with IBM.
Last week he got an offer to work on a contract for 10 months with a possible extension for another 2 years in Florida!, meaning that he stay in a hotel there during the work and travel on Sunday night and come back on Friday night in order to spend time with us during the week-end.  We thought a lot about it and came to the conclusion that we did not want to be separated for so long and that as a family we did not want him to be away all week long from you Rachel and Natalie.

Aussitot son contract signe avec IBM, il a ete appele a travailler en Floride 9contract de 10 mois avec extension possible de 2 ans). C'est une decision difficile a prendre et je ne voudrais en aucun cas m'opposer a l'opportunite que IBM lui offre. Nous en avons bcp parle et avons decide de ne pas accepter. Voyager le dimanche soir et revenir le vendredi soir pendant 3 ans, non.  On est une famille et on a besoin d'etre ensembles et Rachel et Natalie a leur ont egalement besoin de voir leur papa plus que 2 jours par semaine.

November 1!

There we go again with blogging for a whole month.

yesterday was Halloween and the girls have been counting the days. We had fun. At the last moment, they ignored their costumes and Rachel changed to a vampire and Natalie to another princess.  Rachel had fake teeth she put on at every house we visited. The fake blood was a success. We visited more houses this year than last year and towards the end Natalie wanted to come home, she was tired.
Pictures to follow

maman, on est repartis pour un mois de blogging.
On a fete Halloween hier et c'etait super sympa. C'etait bien de pouvoir resortir apres ces 2 dernieres journees d'ouragan. Mais on ne peut pas se plaindre, les gens de NY et de NJ ont eu bcp de degats et bcp sont encore sans electricite avec des temperatures exterieures assez basses.
Rachel n'a plus voulu etre une princesse et s'est deguisee en vampire, une robe violette, des fausses dents et des gouttes de sang sur le menton, elle etait fin prete. Natalie n'a pas voulu mettre sa robe de princesse et a mis une jolie longe robe verte. Elles se sont bien amusees. Natalie etait fatiguee apres la longue promenage que l'on a faite et voulait rentrer a la maison. Yossi est reste a la maison pour donner les bonbons aux enfants.