Chateau du Hincka

Une Chateau de Hincka! I'm sure Danny will have to correct my grammar but nevertheless, here is our Belgian House! It is very close to Danny's school, which was one of have main drivers. The decor was cutting edge in 1984...so old it is almost back in style?! There are sinks in the bedrooms, some with saloon style doors on them,hilarious! Things that don't usually come with a house in Belgium, overhead lights( I know??!) and a washer and dryer are in this house. The refrigerator is a big American one, so that will be nice. Yard is not too big, which is good because we will be maintaining it, but there is a small patio. There is also a basement that will be good for a workout room. Jerry is excited about this.

The owner is also leaving some furniture in it, including some beds and a couch and a table, which will save us a lot of money. Furnished houses are not available here. I will add a few more photos, but I am super happy that we have a place!

11/6 Thursday House Hunters International Hincka Style!

Do you recognize this man??! He is Steve Hubert ( Steve oooo-bear!) of RKS relocation and realtor on HHI. We were watching an episode set in Brussels, Belgium and this lovely agent was helping the family find a place. I googled him and discovered that he did relo and shot him an email. He moved quickly last week to get things set up for us...in Belgium you have to pay someone to liaison with all the different agents because each property is listed separately. We spoke by phone and did lots of email as we toured schools and made our choice, thereby narrowing down our house search area. Final arrangements were made and we met him outside our hotel at 9:30am.( you bet I was up earlier and out at a cafe to fuel up!) Steve was as kind and friendly as he was on TV and the phone, and we set off in his car. Throughout the day he shared tips with us about things to look for..how is it heated,oil,gas,or electric? Are there day and night metres? Yes the tenant does the yard work, and no the properties do not come with lawn mowers/rakes/etc! At each house we met with the agent and Steve asked him all the questions. At one place he was able to tell us that the land lady had a bad reputation and she was planning to try to sell the house, though she claimed to want to rent it, so steer clear. There were a couple we were able to knock off right away, do to unsafe stairs for Molly, super far from the school for Danny, huge yard- which Jerry and I don't want to care for...but many more that were strong contenders. I really though it would be easier. We happily to a lunch break at Le Pain Quotidien, and got the soup bowl of coffee and potato onion soup for myself and Steve, and tuna tartine for Jerry. It was so nice to sit and chat with Steve about his family and job. He has 2 kids, one age six and one baby girl 9 months old. After lunch we were back at it, viewing more houses with more agents. We had a lot to choose from and think about, each one had good things and some negatives. After sitting down at the hotel and reviewing everything we decided to go back to one house and look at it from the outside again. While there I said "let's just call the agent, maybe he can come over and let us in again" and he did! He actually left us in the house, and said to close the door on the way out, which was awesome. We were able to walk around slowly, and really talk about the rooms. This place was cutting edge cool about 40 years ago, so now it is "retro-cool?!" Who cares! The staircase and showers are Molly friendly and it is the closet one to the school. He is also letting it partially furnished, and since furnished is impossible to come by, this is the next best thing. Much less to bring or buy.  Danny will be able to sleep til the last possible moment, a good thing as he enters those teen years. We emailed Steve and asked him to negotiate on our behalf, and now we wait to hear from the owner, perhaps tomorrow. I am excited!! I will post pictures next!

Start the day with coffee, end the day with coffee!

Day two of the Brussels trip, our first full day in Belgium. We slept in a bit and enjoyed the great shower in our hotel--great water pressure and a towel larger than 8x10, which is not often found in Europe! We walked along the Main Street in town until we found a cute cafe. It was down a corridor from the street, a mini indoor hallway of shops. We ordered the largest coffee we could get, and then had another round. We loved people watching. Jerry was most impressed by the Belgian couple and their single male friend, the men dressed in jaunty newsboy caps and scarves and the woman with a beautiful coat, ordering rose' at 10:30 am. They also had another round! We then headed to the Waterloo tourist office where we met a lovely young lady named Eizabeth. She gave us great information and then as I asked more questions about the area, the low down on discount shops and tasty restaurants. now we're talking! We told her we would be back to visit her with the kids in January. We contemplated the museums and battlefield excursions around the Battle of Waterloo but decided to wait for Danny. We just walked and explored our soon to be home town. We headed to the school to drop off Danny's admissions application and where greeted effusively by Caroline, Romy and Mary the receptionist. Met a mom called Jennifer who was volunteering in the Lions Den shop and so.d us the tshirt Danny will need for PE. She also told us how awesome huge school is and how happy her kids are. Everyone was thrilled we are coming there, and I must say that feels really nice. We walked back towards town and while Jerry went to our room to get on a call is visited several shops, got Jerry some lunch, priced bicycles and resisted buying toys at  L' atelier de Gepetto--Very Hard! Jerry ate lunch and then we went for a 5 1/2 K run through some neighborhoods we will be looking at houses in tomorrow. A fun way to get the lay of huge land. In the evening we went out walking again, in a light rain, and found a small Turkish pizza place, inexplicably named Chez Michelle. We enjoyed falafel wraps and frittes, YUM. We ended the evening with a trip to the supermarket for some nice beer and pindas and a quick stop for a fancy cappuccino for me. Perfect way to end the day!

Brussels, Belgium The Adventure Begins

Update from Brussels--

Finally sitting in my hotel room, a full 28 hours since we left Michigan! 

LONG DAY! But good! We landed on time and were in the rental car and on our way to International school of Brussels by 8:30 am.

The main is office is in a chateau, and the old parquet floors and painted ceilings were gorgeous. The guy that we met with was very nice and informative. We  toured the school, met with the assistant head of the middle school(which is 7,8,9)saw the sports fields, met the band director, math teacher, etc It is a very nice school, grounds very tidy. The school seems to be quite academic and you can even take classes like science and history in French if you want.

We then headed south of Brussels to Waterloo. We got there quite early, so we grabbed a coffee and walked around the area near the school to get a feel for the neighborhood. We went in around 1pm and met the admissions head, Caroline, whom jer had met with a few weeks ago. She was thrilled to see jerry again and happy to meet me. We sat in a nice conference room and she went over some details about the school and let us ask questions. The middle school principal came in, Dave, and sat with us for about a half hour. I was able to ask about math classes,etc. Danny would take a placement test at both schools for French, math and English. Then the music teacher came in and joined us, it is crazy how much time they all give you and how friendly everyone is! We then headed out to the music area with that teacher and saw the facilities. They have a band and also do solo and ensemble.  She has about 6 different music events during the year, with choirs and bands. In two weeks they are putting on Joseph and the amazing...

We then toured the rest of the school, Caroline kept poking her head into classrooms and introducing us to the teachers, physics, science, math,etc. everyone was so friendly!

The fall sports teams were getting ready to go to their fall finals and so they were having a pep rally at 3 pm. She took us to the gym and we saw the teams run in, all the kids cheering, met more staff...and so forth. Then back to the conference room, after a swing through the two libraries, the cafeteria, the high school wing...I could hardly keep it all in my head. She reviewed the application procedure, I asked if Danny could do exams early and still go to Philmont with boyscouts( looks like a yes!) we then got brochures and a mini stuffed mascot and were on our way.When we got outside Jerry asked what I thought and I said I couldn't get over the warm and friendly feeling there. That is what he felt too, from the first time he visited, but he wanted to gauge my feeling before sharing that. We then talked pros and cons and decided to go for St. John's! 

We canceled our plans to visit the Antwerp school tomorrow, and emailed the relocation but to concentrate on the Waterloo area. Steve had already sent us lists of houses, so we plugged a few into the GPS to see where they were compared to the school. We looked at a couple, then tracked down one that was 1750€ which is the least expensive of the group. We pulled up in front and it looked fine, small and tidy. I could see it was empty and as we prepared to get out to go creep around, over the hill toward us came a running team! We had of course been talking about whether it would be safe for the girls to run...and here came these kids. We had come a back way and weren't quite sure where the school was, but as the team got closer, we could see it was Saint John's kids! Was this a sign?!  We shall see!

We received an email from Steve just a bit ago, there is a strike planned for Brussels on Thursday, our house touring day...yikes! We said we were ready to go for tomorrow if he can make it happen, I will keep you posted.

Jerry and I came to the hotel around five and than set out walking. We explored the town, found a Turkish place and ate, I had lentil soup, hummus and pita, Jerry had a falafel sandwich and frittes! Then we walked some more. We visited a beautiful church that had a When we got outside Jerry asked what I thought and I said I couldn't get over the warm and friendly feeling there. That is what he felt too, from the first time he visited, but he wanted to gauge my feeling before sharing that. We then talked pros and cons and decided to go for St. John's!  We canceled our plans to visit the Antwerp school tomorrow, and emailed the relocation but to concentrate on the Waterloo area. Steve had already sent us lists of houses, so we plugged a few into the GPS to see where they were compared to the school. We looked at a couple, then tracked down one that was 1750€ which is the least expensive of the group. We pulled up in front and it looked fine, small and tidy. I could see it was empty and as we prepared to get out to go creep around, over the hill toward us came a running team! We had of course been talking about whether it would be safe for the girls to run...and here came these kids. We had come a back way and weren't quite sure where the school was, but as the team got closer, we could see it was Saint Johns kids! Was this a sign?! I told Jerry that I would rather be at the bottom of our budget and have room to spend money on traveling around while we are there. It will be interesting to see the inside, but it may be the place!

We received an email from Steve just a bit ago, there is a strike planned for Brussels on Thursday, our house touring day...yikes. We said we were ready to go for tomorrow if he can make it happen, so we shall see. 

Jerry and I came to the hotel around five and than set out walking. We explored the town, found a Turkish place and ate, I had lentil soup, hummus and pita, Jerry had a falafel sandwich and frittes! Then we walked some more. We visited a beautiful church that had a mass going on in French in a side chapel. Then we came back here to crash. I had a nice decaf cappuccino and a chocolate croissant, YUM!

Cassie and Leah

Two peas in a pod! That is how I describe Leah and Cassie! They love to cook, craft and play pretend. They love to make kitty caves, and crawl around the house barking like puppies. They love to watch Frozen, go in the big bathtub, and have sleepovers. They  LOVE to go to Friday Night Basketball and to Leo's for ice cream. Cassie calls Leah her Brighton sister, how awesome is that?! Watching their friendship blossom and helping it grow is really a treat for me. Look at these beautiful faces!

Friday Night Basketball Reunion!

Top row--Pedro(Kate's boyfriend), Jake, Stan, Ben, Jerry, Molly, Danny

Kneeling--Paul(Megan's boyfriend), Kate, Megan, Luke(Ben's son), Charlotte

Twenty years! That is how long Jerry,Stan,Megan,Katie,Jake and Molly have been going to Friday night basketball. When we first moved to Michigan Jerry was having major basketball withdrawal. I asked Molly's physical therapist, Robyn, if she knew of any leagues he could play in. She said her then husband Stan played in a league, but the guys were really particular about who they let in. Robyn promised to ask Stan, and a couple of weeks later Jerry got the call for his "tryout". He was as nervous as a 15 year old on his first date! I waited at home anxiously, hoping that he would have fun and find a place for himself, and he sure did! Stan, and Ben's Dad Jim, and the other guys were all very mellow and relaxed. They just loved to play and weren't interested in acting like jerks, like a lot of the guys Jerry ran in to in NJ. The best part about it was that the guys brought their kids, and while the men played on one half of huge court, the kids played on the other....and the Mom's were Home Alone!

With no family or friends in Michigan to babysit for me, I was with my darlings 24/7, so this time was such a wonderful treat. Sometimes Robyn and I hung out, other times I cleaned the house, or Christmas shopped--all by myself! When we moved to Fairway Trails, the minivan filled up every Friday night, Matthew burgess, Matt Bedner, Melissa Mavron, the occasional Cluskey boy...you never knew who would turn up in there! When Charlotte turned two she started her rookie season and she was so excited to go off with the other kids. When the men had finished they would always play a game or two with the kids, and when Megan,Ben,Katie and Jake hit highschool these games got pretty intense. Danny and Sophie joined the crew when they turned two, and now Leah and Cassie are going as well.

The guys used to shower, then take everyone to BigBoy, nowadays they just stay grubby and go to Leo's, but the result is the same, a chance to visit with each other's kids, catch up, be a part of things.

The continuity is pretty fantastic, and our kids bringing their kids along, now that I s a blessing!

Mom visits!

On week two of my visit from Mom. This is the first time she has been here since her fall in June. This fall precipitated many changes for mom and for the family. She was in June hospital for a week and in Kessler rehab for two + weeks. We encouraged her to bump up her plans to move from Toms River, which is an hour and change from her two NJ kids and plenty far away from me. Susan had begun the process of looking at assisted living places, and when I was in NJ to assist with her care I had a chance to view the places too. Mom settled on Emeritus of West Orange, five minutes from Donnie and Catherine and fifteen minutes from Susan. After discharge from rehab she moved right in and we arranged to move her things, clean and empty the house in TR and sell it. A long,challenging summer for everyone. We can appreciate the difficulty of leaving a home you have lived in for more than 20 years, but it is not the same as having to do it. Mom has really struggled with this process and it has been hard to move her along, patiently, and still try to be understanding. Some days go better than others! She has been in Emeritus for a couple of months, and is not super happy. Of course we don't know if she will become accustomed to the place, or get more miserable. She complains that most of the people aren't "with it" and that the administration is not open to her concerns. I think it is just really difficult for her to realize that this is where she is at at this point in her life. I know many people my age are struggling with this, helping aging parents while still respecting their independence and wish to make their own decisions. It is definitely a work in progress! 

But the visit has been wonderful! We created "The Nana Suite" in the library, complete with a sign and pictures from Molly, a single bed, portable closet, vanity table and reading lights! She is next to the half bath and we go upstairs every few days for the shower. 

She seems to like it, and definitely likes how easy it is to roll the walker across the hardwood floors. The kids have enjoyed having her here, watching movies, talking to her and taking her out to eat. She has cheered Danny on in a crosscountry meet, seen a movie and gone shopping. Also had lots of reading time on the sunporch, with her faithful companion, Harry the dog! He loves to lay right in front of her walker, maybe to keep her from moving around too much?! We also had Cassie this weekend and of course Mom had so much fun with her. She was so excited to have Nana at her Brighton house, and the first night, when she went to kiss nana goodnight she said, " mmm, you smell like flowers Nana" now how's that for insuring your place in the will?!! They sat right next to each other at the table and mom payed attention to every little thing she said or did. And Cassie introduced her to Frozen! Perfect!

Perhaps in the future she will consider coming to live with us, though I know she doesn't want to leave NJ. That is where she has always lived and where her friends are. So we shall see. I will continue to be in prayer for her, and hope that more visits will come. I hope this was a bit of a rest for Susan, who is really the primary caregiver now, arranging the appointments, finding new doctors, shopping, hanging pictures,etc. and that is a big commitment.