Opportunity

As a mom, I have been very attuned to what Allen and Kyra are missing back in the United States.  On the one hand there's all kinds of stuff we gladly leave behind - the traumatic years of being a girl in junior high,  extensive drug and alcohol abuse (it's here just not on as large a scale), American self-indulgence, Northern Virginia traffic, etc.  And on the other, I cringe at what we have lost in being away from a Fairfax County education, its level of excellence and diversity of classes.  I miss opportunities for Allen and Kyra -  big and small.

And in the midst of these "woe is me/ woe is my family" pity parties in breaks a reminder of how fortunate we are, how what we have here might never happen had we not picked up our lives and settled in rainy, foggy Belgium.

Such a moment happened last night.  Last night was the fall sports banquet.  It was a potluck in the school cafeteria.  I can sense you are jealous already.  But wait there is more - six teams, their coaches and parents were present and we got to sit and listen and clap for six teams (with their middle school, jv, and varsity divisions) passing out participation certificates, awards and gifts.  All this in an echo-y cafeteria with a not so great sound system.  I hope you are getting the picture.

As awful as the evening was, there was one shining moment that made it worth sitting through all over again.  Allen not only received a varsity letter for cross-country but also a certificate for athlete acadmic achievement.  Would Allen eventually letter at Lake Braddock? Probably, but not until his senior year and certainly not as a freshman.  In a smaller school, with more individual attention and less fierce athletic competition, Allen has really stepped up both academically and athletically.

Had we stayed in the US, Allen would not know the joy of being on this cross country team (which is a great group of kids, their camaraderie is evident), competing in some notable places and reaching a level of achievement he (and his parents) can be proud of.  

Even in the midst of the damp and clouds every now and again, a bit of light shines through

Mud

Farmland + rain + tractors riding through fields and then pulling out onto roads = mud, and lots of it.

In our walking routine, Dobby and I have our habits.  If the weather has been reasonably dry, we will walk the unpaved roads between fields behind our house.  If it has been raining, we avoid the puddles and mud and stick to the paved streets.

These days though, it does not matter, there is dirt and mud everywhere.  Farm equipment moves from field to road and road to field throughout the area and throughout the day.  Anything - people, animals, cars - that moves on the roads gets dirty.  Both Dobby and I have to wipe all the mud off of our feet and legs when we return from our walk now. 

The other day as I was driving into Mons, I noticed a van with the word "sale" written in the grime.  At first I thought, "it's for sale" then I realized nope "it's dirty."  The French word for dirty is "sale" and I guess the practice of writing in a car's grime transcends nationality.

You know it is cold outside when...

I have always lived in the suburbs.  Cows are those animals you pass by while driving on the highway between cities.

Now that I live in farm land and have cows for my neighbors, I am learning another rhythm of life.  I know when my bovine neighbors are fed, their movement from pasture to pasture and when it is going to rain (cows lay down when it is going to rain, according to one of Kyra's teachers).  In Belgium this is pretty much every day and all the time.

Now the cows also help me gauge temperature.  About a week or so ago, I noticed four foot piles of hay and dirt "burning" close to the barns.  I'm slow on the uptake, but I've got it now.  You know it is cold outside when you can see the steam rising off the manure piles.

Our House

I realized I have not yet posted a photo of our house.
Here it is -

When Kyle was looking for a house, curb appeal was very important to him.  Not sure the house looks very special.  Other houses on the street certainly look more charming, but ours doesn't look awful.

From the street it is hard to see our house, as it is surrounded by hedges.

We have a family room, eating area, kitchen, laundry room, pantry, four bedrooms, loft area and two and a half bathrooms.

As I look at it, this photo gives you a false impression of our home.  It appears as if the skies are blue with small fluffy clouds.  This is a rare occasion.  More often than not it is gray and cloudy.  Usually it is also rainy.  

Making lists

I've making lists in my head these days, so here's one I've been thinking about...

Things I don't like about Belgium (in no particular order) ...

1. Spiders - they refuse to live outside where they are supposed to

2. I haven't seen the stars since we moved here - too cloudy

3. Rainy (see cloudy reference above)

4. Muddy (see rainy reference above)

5.  Everything (laundry, shopping, administrative stuff) takes longer 

6.  My stove is very small and heats slowly

7.  Blocked from some US websites

8.  I'm doing much more driving (though there is a lot less traffic) 

There are many things I like too, I get to those in the coming days