Jasper (6M) is nearly crawling

Theo's X-mas party

Sunday rest...

...much needed as our boys were very tired

Cutie

For nanny Sandra

Look Sandwa, this is my art gallery in London.It's lots of fun with mama, but I prefer all the crafting with you! I always want to make one more, but sometimes mama says it's enough...I miss you, Julesxxx

Dank u Sinterklaasje

Bravo Meme Catherine!

Huge congratulations to Jaspers godmother Catherine who just succeeded her very final exam to become anesthesiologist. Enjoy your well deserved trip to New-Zealand and Sydney and we can't wait to see you back in Belgium for X-Mas!

Luka in town

We enjoyed the weekend with our first Belgian visitors Stef, Elke and Luka.

Snug as a bug in a rug

I love my brother

Juleens first Direct Mail

Juleen, now nearly 3 years old got her first direct mailing - a great offer from BA to go to a 5-star resort in Andalusia. Funnily enough, Frederik and myself didn't get any invite?!? Interesting database management...

Jasper (5.5M old)

Jasper blossoms

Dressed by Dom and Lucy

This weekend Jasper's tree was planted (a "Red Sentinel"), in mamie and papie's garden in Holsbeek, not far from where Juleen's tree grows.
Great effort from godmother Catherine and some very nice pictures! We look forward to checking it all out next month during the Christmas break.

Shot by Juleen (5)

Shot by Juleen (4)

Daily massage

Jasper really enjoys his daily massage - and Juleen just loves to help and put the cream on.

Introducing solids

Jasper is loving baby rice from the first spoon...

Ready for baby ballet

Juleen starts her first ballet lesson with mama on Thursday and football session with papa next Saturday. Now really wondering which one she will prefer...Any bets, post a comment?

For Nonna

...2 pony tails with love

Bloody Halloween

We bumped into our neighbours (with 2 kids) at 4.30pm yesterday and she invited us along to the Halloween tour for the kids on our square at 5pm. Ooohhh, how I hate Halloween, but as a good mum, I didnt want to take away the potential fun for Juleen. So quickly back home we opened all the cupboards looking for some orange and black stuff. This is the best we could do (see pic1)...and off we went. Children were asking her what she was dressed up like (how brutal can they be! ;-)), so we said a scary clown (the mask we made this week came in handy), but some kids were more inventive and told us she was dressed like a pumpkin. Of course, perfect!! Anyway, she quite enjoyed it, especially the moment we got home and ate some of her lollies. So then I had to explain what Halloween was about and I couldn't! She kept asking 'so if it's Halloween party, then who is Halloween, is it a man, is it a lady, who's party is it?? Anyway, I better get the story right for next year and put the date in the calendar. Yes, I will be forced to party along from now on, sigh...

Jasper enjoys (formula) milk

Jasper (4.5M old) had his first bottle of formula last night. As much as I didn't feel like breastfeeding the first time around , it's hard to quit my little special moments with Jasper. He didn't like the bottle at all at first and didn't know what to do with it (apart from gagging or playing with it), so a tip for anyone who introduces the bottle late, do it at the night time feed, when he's still half asleep. I am rather forced to stop weaning him, as I've joined bootcamp yesterday, so getting up at 5.30am and a late night feed is a bit of a stretch...

As for Juleen, she is the most adorable girl you can imagine. She is sooooo caring as a person eg. in the morning she's the first to ask ' did you sleep well mama/papa' or if I'm a little tired she will ask ' don't you feel so well mama, maybe have some rest'!?!. She is fully potty trained now and started it all by herself (so another tip for new parents, bribery does not work, they just have to be ready). She is also the sweetest sister with Jasper, always looking after him and making him laugh a lot. I asked my mum and she doesn't have this from me ;-/.The adjustment to London is going pretty smoothly even though she is still referring a lot to friends in Sydney she played with 'yesterday' and some toys/things that are still from/for Dylan (her buddie) and Sandra (nanny) - and 'tomorrow' we're going to Sandra's house and play with Ricky and Dylan.

Arrival weekend in London

My first school

Juleen went to pre-school in Belgium for 6 weeks and it is amazing what she has learnt there. Every day, still now, I'm hearing new things and she knows about 6 new Belgian songs (hurray!). We were very sad to leave Juffrouw Marianne - as she is the one-in-a-million type of pre-school teacher, full of energy, patience and thoughtfulness. She had organised a leaving-do for Juleen where she was allowed to chose the type of cake (chocolate of course!) and made it together with her.

Welcome Jasper

Pepe and Mahé (now living in Bretagne) came to Belgium to meet Jasper for the first time. We spent a lovely afternoon together and especially Juleen enjoyed the new games pepe has taught her.

Jasper turns from front to back

Click on the 'Play' button pasted in the picture to see Jasper in action.

To the SeaPark with Meme Natje

Juleen had a great day when meme Natje took her to the Boudewijn SeaPark with little Emma and Charlotte. Thanks for everything meme Natje!

Shot by Juleen (3)

Mama's ass

Happy boy

Dressed by Di

I love my brother

Shot by Juleen (2)

Nonna's shoes

Face-painting is cool

Merci beaucoup pour les cadeaux, Vero!

I love choco!

Shot by Juleen (1)

Grigio under the table

Family fun

Juleen enjoyed a great afternoon with her cousin Victoria in the 'SpeelPlaneet'.

Jasper (3M) sleeps thru the night

Jasper loved the Blakes Hotel in London so much, that he decided to sleep thru the night (and is now fully recovered from the jetlag - it took 8 days).

Househunting in London

And whilst Frederik, Anouk and Jasper went to London on a househunting trip...


...was Juleen very well entertained by the 2 aunties (and friend Anne-Marie) and mamie and papie in Holsbeek.

Fun in Belgium

Godmother Catherine finally meets her little Jasper and Juleen has a great new friend, Musti the cat.


And yes, Anouk will become godmother - her sister Nathalie is expecting a baby mid January. How great to be back home!


And lots of fun in Nonna's garden, where Juleen plays with Antoine and Victoria as if they've always been playing together.

A piece of paradise...

We have discovered another piece of paradise and would highly recommend anyone with young kids to spend a holiday in the Jean-Michel Cousteau resort in Fiji. It offers the highest level of service (but all very low-key), most divine food, has most friendly Fijian staff and is highly personable - with a real soul. It's been unforgetable for us and it has been our best holiday ever...




...where we had one full-time nanny for Juleen and one for Jasper from 8am till 9pm every day


...where it felt like our second honeymoon, celebrating our 4th wedding anniversary on a private beach


...where it is ecologically friendly managed and where we enjoyed a total moon eclipse

...where Frederik had the most unforgettable Father's day organised by the staff and kids

...and where we had too many great activities to chose from every day - not to talk about the snorkeling on the coral reef just in front of the beach.

FOR MORE PICS...

Whilst it was pouring outside ...

...we gathered with our friends here in Sydney to say goodbye.

Sad, really very sad, as this is the place :

Where we lived many fantastic moments with some of the most welcoming, warm, dynamic and interesting people we ever met ...
Where Juleen spent all of her 2.5 years with her good friends Dylan, Zach, Keira, Fletcher & Elodie, Ricky & Nina ...
Where the sun shines most of the time (not today) ...
Where the beach and the ocean are in everyone's backyard...
Where everyone genuinely says 'Hi, how are you going today?'
Where you're invited by people you don't know and they turn out to become your best friends...
Where work-life balance became suddenly very real...
Where we found the best nannies & child care we could have dreamed of ...
Where Jasper was born ...
Where families & friends gather for sunny barbeque brunches ...
Where we loved our house and our neighbours ...
Where we walked to work to stay fit...
Where we made friends for life...
Where we were very well looked after by doctors, dentists, hospital staff and Anouk's special Chinese doctors ...
Where life is a true joy ...

... and where we will return if we realise that we miss it all too much !

THANK YOU ALL

XXX




Zach & Juleen


Dylan, Juleen & Zach


Margie & Juleen