PG13

Taylor said her first swear word (as far as we know) a few weeks ago while on the road back from France. It was the "S" word and it appears that it was from the video she was watching in the car (poor screening on the part of her parents), but as Amy was confronting her I couldn't help but think..."Shit, I hope she didn't learn that from me."

Lisa , Chris and summer in April

A sunny April this year in cool, rainy Belgium coincided with Lisa and Chris' two week visit and the kid's two week spring break. The holiday started on a lucky note at the Amsterdam airport. Just as I realized that I had no idea how to find Chris and Lisa, they walked out right in front of me. Anyway, the kids were waiting "patiently" for our arrival. Actually they were on the front lawn anxiously watching every car go by. Chris and Lisa were excited, too. Lisa told me I could take the scenic route home only if it didn't take more than five minutes...I skipped it. The first day was spent with an effort to keep our visitors awake until Amy's "transatlantic jet lag conquering bed time hour" of 9 pm. We decorated Easter eggs, washed the cars, went to the park...whatever it took.

The usual Browne vacation has a relaxing pace to it and this one was little different other than the five nights we spent in Scotland. This adventure began with Amy's introduction to apparently the only surly person in all of the country: the car rental lady. Amy got over this woman's attitude quickly enough, only to begin the challenge of driving on the left side of the road from the right side of the car. We met only friendly people from then on but the driving remained a challenge for Amy and me.

Our little farmhouse near Dunkeld was complete with stone fences, pregnant sheep, rocky outcroppings, rolling hills, curious cows, and a beautiful view of two small lochs. We enjoyed our temporary home mostly in the evenings since we were traveling the narrow roads through Scotland during the day. During our three days there we went to a ski slope (didn't ski), lunched at St. Andrews (Mecca for Lisa), explored our village of Dunkeld, visited the beach (didn't swim), saw the famous "Queen's View," and were invited to a wedding (couldn't go). The kids met newborn triplet lambs. Mackenzie let out a booming toot in Dunkeld's ancient cathedral and then excused herself in her tiny voice. Dylan repeated knock knock jokes and collected rocks for much of the trip. Taylor was excited her nickname was also the name of the river that ran through Dunkeld. After the kids were in bed, the adults talked, played scrabble, and sampled some Scottish beers (except Chris who sampled Irish whiskey). It was, of course, great to hang with the four of us.

The Easter bunny found us on the first of our two nights in Edinburgh and Easter Sunday found us walking (most of) the Royal Mile to the impressive Edinburgh Castle. The weather was cool enough that Chris had no qualms about having her hood cinched tight even for photos. The Mile has numerous historically significant buildings and churches that we blew past to get to the castle. "Wow, that looks like an old building...OK let's keep moving!" The children don't have a day's worth of patience for the details so we went for the biggest attraction first: Edinburgh Castle. We did stop on the way for a photo shoot with Braveheart, however (click on the picture to look at Dylan's tough guy face).

The castle sits on an ancient volcano overlooking the city and has a thousand year history of sieges and battles. It is where Mary, Queen of Scots, gave birth to King James IV and where the Scottish Crown Jewels are housed today. We viewed the jewels and the Stone of Destiny which has only recently been returned after the English stole it 700 years ago. While I went into the military museum the kids stood guard, or at least stood in a guardhouse, for another photo op. A number of Brownes and even a McMonagle or two were among the listed killed in the few books I managed to glance through in my short time there.

By the time we left Scotland Amy could hardly look at me with a straight face because an enormous zit had taken over the tip of my nose. Everyone else pretended it wasn't there. The kids were happy to sleep in their own beds upon our return to Belgium. The vacation pace slowed back to Browne speed, meaning about one event per day...if that. While in Belgium (both before and after Scotland) we went to ISB (our school when we lived in Brussels as kids) and drove by the old house. Chris and Lisa took their own one day adventure to Brugge via train. We also explored Antwerp one evening and did dinner on the River Schelde. Much time was spent at home with the kids...counting Taylor's pogo jumps, playing keep away, sitting outside with the kids in their bathing suits...just enjoying the Belgian summer...in April.

A night at the movies

A solo trip to the movies a few nights ago reminded me how similar, yet different, things are here compared to home. I ate a light dinner before the movie so I wouldn't feel too guilty about the bucket of popcorn I'd eat at the theater. After getting my ticket I pondered the evils of my beverage choices while waiting in the concessions line. In the states this would be easy: Coke or diet. In Belgium it's Coke, diet, or the always tempting beer. I opted for my tradition and ordered a large Coca Cola Light, knowing as a result that my ears would be ringing in the morning after a night of lousy sleep. I'm not a fan of the Belgian's taste for sugar on popcorn so I picked the less popular salt option...it was stale as usual.
The theater was mostly empty since it was a Tuesday night and the Harry Potter film had already been out a few months. I headed toward the assigned seat that was printed on my ticket: rij 11, zetel 12. Row 11 was completely empty except for another solo guy sitting in seat 13...right next to me. I chose a different seat figuring the odds were good that I wouldn't be moved. Soon another loner came and parked himself on the other side of what was supposed to be my seat. I took a few minutes before the film to (over) analyze things...16 rows, more than 20 seats in each...over 300 seats total...counted the people...less than 30. In a theater that was less than 10% full the only 3 guys without dates were supposed to be seated next to each other. The ticket people were having a good laugh: "Hey, let's sit the losers together!"

During the first preview the film stopped abruptly. In the states people would call out immediately to make sure someone was in the booth and that they were paying attention. That all-American "let's get 'r done" attitude. I think Belgians would sit patiently and quietly until their stale, sugary popcorn was finished. Good and bad points from each culture. I decided I'd wait it out, at least until it became obvious that no one would help us. It would have been priceless if I'd screamed something in English just to see the looks on people's faces. Instead, we waited patiently for the minute or so before the film rolled again (it seemed like an eternity to me...since I'm American and all).

The usual 30-45 minute previews were only 15 minutes. At intermission I paid my .30 euro for the use of the toilets. I glanced at the Dutch and French subtitles from time to time to see if I could learn a new word or two. It's the subtle things that emphasize our differences.

As I expected, the movie was good and my ears were ringing the next morning from a restless sleep...I should have had a beer.

"It was long ago and it was far away..."

My old football coach at the Air Force Academy probably wouldn't even remember me anymore. After all, I was a fourth string running back before I left the academy for the sanity of a real college. Not to mention that it was (quite) a few years ago. Anyway, that coach, Fisher DeBerry, retired after last season.

The new coach is a middle aged guy like me who was the second string quarterback while I was the fourth string running back. We were also part of a handful or more of guys that often found themselves in late night poker games.

I'm sure Troy Calhoun is still a great person although I'd bet he's not as easy going as I remember. After all, he is a football coach. While I'm happy for Troy, I feel a bit old with a former teammate now coaching the very team we played on. The picture below isn't helping me feel any younger either.

I'm sure Troy would have to think for awhile if someone asked him if he remembered a guy named Ted Browne. That's OK...it took me a bit to remember him. After all, it was long ago.

Hopefully his tenure is long so I can continuously drive my friends crazy by pointing to the television and stating, "Hey I used to play with that guy!" A few decades of this would be nice. Unfortunately, this won't be possible for a couple of years since there aren't any sports bars in the neighbourhood. At least none that show any game I would care about.

Congratulations on your accomplishment Troy and thanks for giving me a reason to watch more football.

Spiders

Brushing my teeth before bed quite awhile ago now I discovered a spider dangling from the faucet. Amy had hit the sack, and I'm sure, brushed her teeth just a couple hours before. Recently, I went out to my car to discover that overnight spiders had built on both of my side view mirrors. Actually, my passenger side spider is a mainstay. I should probably have a name for it by now. It lives somewhere behind the mirror and continuously rebuilds it's web depending on how badly I damage it. Highway miles are rough on webs. Anyway, it doesn't take much time before spiders start moving in anywhere, inside or out. It's not unusual for the vacuum to inhale up to 3 spiders living in the same corner...one at the ceiling, one at the floor, and one in between. It's hard to believe they can find enough food to survive on, quite honestly. Part of me wants to keep them around for the mosquito season...it'll be less expensive than buying window screens. Spiders like the one on the right, appearing to be only inches from this attractive woman's back, can be found on nearly every light post during the summer. Check out those nice curves...hey!...I mean on the spider web.

Pretender

"OK, let's pretend that I'm actually 10 years old, not 7, and that my name is Suzie because that's my favorite name..." This sounds easy enough until Dylan's lego starship comes in and blasts "Suzy." Then..."DYYYLAAAN...you always do that!"

Taylor is showing signs of being the oldest. She's a doer who loves to lead, compete, impress, and please. While she's low maintenance she's as exhausting (in a wonderful way, of course) as the other two. Mackenzie needs attending to, Dylan sucks energy from me as I watch him cruising about in hyper drive, and Taylor demands attention. "Dad, watch this...Daddy, I can do that too...Hey, check this out..." I think every child deserves more attention then we're capable of giving them. Such is life or, dat is het leven. Speaking of which, Taylor is now at the age where, "Can I have some more _____" is met with, "sure, you know where it is...help yourself."

So many things each child does just makes me want to grab them and say, "You can't even imagine how much I love you." This is only scratching the surface but: With Mackenzie it's her gentle hugs and kisses. For Dylan it's his big brown(e) eyes accompanying his contagious laugh. For Taylor it is the many versions of her smile I've put on this post.

Bananas are sometimes called telephones around our house...my fault. The pretend phone conversation is short before Taylor and the other two eat their "phones." A bunch of bananas doesn't last two days, barely longer than it takes to consume our puny one liter milk containers (1/4 gallon).

Recently, before we visited the states, Taylor was trying to convince Dylan that nothing could penetrate a forcefield, not even a ghost. As far as I know neither of these things exist, so I let them work it out amongst themselves. The situation ended in frustration.

My efforts to download software that will put my cell phone pictures on our computer have failed...I quit...here's a story without pictures because, as usual, I forgot the camera on a day that should have been photographed. I've inserted different pictures of Taylor (just because I can).

A strange day that occurred months ago...

Our school drags the children from the classroom often for field trips...maybe "events" would be a better word. I often drive a couple of children since they don't always take a bus. I like this. On one occasion Taylor and I had the girls singing along with the Ramones..."ay-oh-let's go!" Sometimes a kid will speak a word or two of English because she's in the English speaking car. On this day though, we took the bus with the first thru fourth classes. The 5th and 6th classes came too, but rode their bikes for the 3 miles (or so). How's that for a cultural difference.

This day was "Sports Day" and was led by the gym teacher: Jufvrouw Sim (Jufvrouw is a female teacher and is usually shortened to Juf. --it's pronounced "yoof"). I wore my light running pants thinking I'd be spotting a few cartwheels. I was wrong and probably should of worn another layer. I spoke with Taylor's teacher on the bus and she stated that nobody, not even Juf. Sim, was sure what to expect. While this trip was to a military domain, that meant nothing since many of these areas are now used as parks.

The bus left us in a wooded area in the rainy, windy, chilly weather that Belgium is known for. We hiked through the forest, guided by signs and markers and startled by occasional gunfire. I doubt even the 7 year olds believed it was real, but it marked the beginning of a fun and unusual day. The 15 minute hike through the woods may have been the most "sporty" thing we did all day.

At the other end of the woods were police vans which shuttled us quickly to the next spot with sirens blaring. Taylor said she liked the police car ride...I told her the cops might not be smiling next time (or something to that effect). As we stood in line to get our faces camouflaged...yes, you read that right...I noticed a woman wearing what were obviously American patches on her uniform and told Taylor so. I figured she must be in a NATO exchange program or something. I was wrong. The woman spoke to me in Dutch and, as it turned out, wasn't even in the military, unlike most of the people we met that day. I was a bit embarrassed as I explained my mistake to Taylor.

I stopped blushing by the time we got to the "tank" where everyone had the chance to put on a helmet and do a "walk through." I realized at this point that I might like this day as much as Taylor. I asked the soldier nearby if this was actually an armored personnel carrier and I was set straight again. It was a mobile howitzer cannon. The area I thought was meant to carry troops was actually for the recoil of the cannon. How can they think a 7 year old girl is as interested in this stuff as a forty year old guy? I pictured some of my family and friends cringing as he told me that this equipment had been sold to Lebanon and would be in the middle east next year. Don't be concerned, this equipment is seriously outdated, and no, we shouldn't invade Lebanon.

The rain drove us into a hangar of some sort with different types of games and activities for the children. Taylor proved a quick study at the stilts, probably aided by balancing skills she learned while conquering the pogo stick. Again, it's that oldest thing.

Belgians seem to love their "jumpies," those air filled things that aren't quite as fun, or dangerous, as a trampoline. Most children's events here aren't complete without one, and this day was no different. It was located under a roof, but the lack of hangar walls didn't protect the adults from the wind bringing in a cold mist. Thus, to keep warm, the teachers and I decided to join in. This jumpy was split in the middle by a hill, for lack of better words, that was impossible for most 7 year olds and some adults to conquer...but not for forty year old guys with gray chest hair. Soon I was dragging wet socked, stinky footed kids to the top, only to see their faces moments later as they slid down the other side and came around for another go. For thirty minutes, or so, I was more than just the English speaking papa van Taylor.

Then, finally, that armored personnel carrier...we put on helmets and cruised around a few hard corners. I was right for the first time that day.

On the way to the four wheelers Taylor's teacher, chuckling, told me that Lianna, Louisa, and Taylor were playing "Mackenzie." I think it was Lianna's game and I'm not sure of the rules, but one of the kids pretended to be Mackenzie and the other two probably followed orders (since they all know Mackenzie pretty well). Yes, Belgian children love little kids too, and curly haired "miss attitude" draws some attention around their small school (there's only one class per grade). The 7 year old children drove the course on miniature 4 wheelers. Taylor did well considering she's never done it before...a few kids ran into (small) trees.

Daan gathered flowers for Taylor for the bus ride back home but apparently couldn't gather the courage to deliver. I can remember those days, too, but I think I was twelve, not seven. Such is het leven.

Sandman

Everything seems normal. Suddenly, Dylan stands bolt upright and slowly rolls his eyes into his head. His tongue flops from his mouth and his head tilts while he makes gurgling sounds that signify his death. Once again Dylan has been shot and killed...nearly a daily occurrence.

Dylan told me recently that the next time we go to the park I should bring an ax so he can chop up a fallen tree he and Taylor played on. Yeah, right.

He saw a picture of a soldier on the internet and asked if he uses a gun or a light saber.

The pile of sand to the right is from only one of his shoes after a hard day at the school playground. He says he'll be famous someday because he'll invent things. Having heard about his inventions, I'm skeptical. Yet, I don't doubt that he'll be famous, if he wants to be, since it's so ingrained in his mind, and he's smart.

Dylan lives in the innocent world of a 5 year old boy. Not only are the good guys good but the bad guys know they're bad. It will be a confusing day when he learns that everyone thinks they're the good guy.

Dylan no longer collects rocks. This was one of the funnier stages I remember. We knew that if Dylan disappeared for a minute that he would reappear with a pocketful of rocks. We set guidelines like: "you can choose one rock only," or "all rocks at this castle need to stay at this castle." Now it's all just another good memory.

Dylan rides a two wheeler now, thanks to Amy's style rather than my brutish nature.

A barely audible, "please say yes," comes from him when he's not sure if he'll get permission. It's as though he's trying to subliminally affect our decision. It's hard to say "no" when you're laughing.

His phone conversations are cut short with, "Bye from Dylan."

the Boss

Mackenzie...put her dirty gardening hands up to the phone to show nana...said "hi" to my feet under the shower curtain (my feet "answered").

Her world is full of real and imagined spiders. To Mackenzie, ants are spiders, a thread the other day was a snake and any foreign object on clothing is a "bug" of some type.

Her life is a mix of clumsy bumps and strange little surprises. Recently...a big smile from Kenzie as she pushed a door to the wall...laughs became tears as the door bounced from the wall and nailed her! Eventually, other lessons in life will be much more painful, of course, but, for now, these are tragedies.

She's only 2 but she's already had her first field trip. She views her parents as servants. Come to think of it, so do Dylan and Taylor! She gets her way with her brother and sister more than she does with her parents. In other words, they are bigger suckers than us!

A soft "yay" escapes when given permission..it's hard to say no to the boss...

Vegas, Baby!

Since time doesn't seem to exist in Vegas there was little problem adjusting to the 9 hour time difference from Belgium. To make it easier, I was charged up to see everyone after nearly a full day's travel.

Getting to Vegas was like a slow motion dream. But, any twenty hour trip would be, especially with delays, missed connections, and shared taxis. It sounds like I'm whining...Poor Ted, lives in europe and had such a hard day's travel to spend 4 days with his family in Vegas...I know, it's rough. Still, it's been a long day when a face wash in the airport bathroom is not only necessary, but refreshing. It's hard to be me.

There's something great about being the last to arrive. Everyone's waiting for you, eye's light up, hugs are exchanged, lots of energy emanates. From that positive vibe I started my day and a half winning streak at craps and, believe it or not, video poker. Of course, I was there for 4 days so the next three days were spent squandering those winnings back to nearly even. Still, only the casino employees took my money home this time (tips). Figuring in the occasional free cocktail, I did OK. It's been so long since Vegas now that I'm not sure if the picture to the right is my big winner or someone else's in the family (I think Deb won a big one also). I do know Deb took the picture.

It's not all about me, of course, and Deb and Chris proved this by being the big winners. They both play with the theory that blackjack is streaky. You lose, lose, lose...you win, win, win. When you're lose, lose, losing, you keep your bets low. Everytime you win a bet, you raise your bet. It's one of those things in life that sounds a lot easier than it is. But when you hit a good streak it pays dividends. I doubt if either of them won more hands than the casino, but on their winning streaks they strangled the gold from the Golden Nugget.

Others fared less well, although Lisa has been the big winner in the previous two outings. I don't know if next year will be mom's turn, but I want to be at that craps table if it happens...If only to hear her whistle! Bernie is wiser than the rest of us since he mostly watches and dabbles a little. Amy broke even since she wasn't there. Hopefully she'll join us when the kids are older and we're back in the states.

Other highlights: Binion's Steakhouse---the annual visit for the great food and the scary elevator ride. Mixing with the Ft. Collins crew. The football playoffs. Cirque Du Soleil's "O" with Deb and Bernie---what a show!

One of the great things about Vegas---everyone can have their own schedule and still spend time together. Need to see a show? Go along with Deb and Bernie. Want to stay up til 3 am? Chris will join you. Go to bed before midnight and you'll be up for breakfast with mom and Lisa. Sleep til noon? No worries...you'll be with everyone from then until late at night.

Amy met me in the school parking lot with the smile that makes her green eyes... We startled Veerle as Amy and I kissed and hugged. Maybe that was a bit too much outward emotion. I explained that I hadn't seen her for 5 days...

Oh, the hardest part about Vegas: You really need a few days rest afterwards to get over it. As I said before...It's hard to be me. Can't wait until next year.

Late nights, lazy days

So long has it taken me to blog Christmas that I'm now more excited about our summer visit home than I am about reminiscing. I'm a procrastinator who's in over his head. Since Christmas I've been to Vegas, Amy met up with Julie in London, and my sisters (Lisa and Chris) visited and joined us on a trip to Scotland. Many other recent events are blogworthy as well. John and Kim come in a week and we're seeing the Loire Valley (France) with them. If I don't get typing I risk being swamped under...

Two yearly visits aren't enough to see the people we care about. Of course, it's fair to say that we didn't see friends and family enough when we lived nearby. Another lesson learned. At least things such as time, distance, gray hair, extra pounds, wrinkles, and lacking or unwanted hair don't seem to change much between friends. Our visit to Minneapolis was short but eventful.

The O'Hallorans dropped me off early. Mom arrived on time. It all seemed so simple. Yet we waited 30 feet away from each other for nearly an hour. We'd still be waiting if not for cell phones. This was the first I'd seen her since her heart attack. She looked great, felt pretty good, and wasn't thrilled with her diet restrictions.

Mom and I made up for that lost hour over the next few days. One evening we met Erik and Ty at the Bryant Lake Bowl. Mom and Ty switched into Fox News mode which, as one may imagine, brought about a passionate discussion in which old topics were rehashed and absolutely nothing was solved. Thus, inevitably, this conversation will happen again soon. Ty's swearing increased steadily with each shot of Jack he consumed. Mom ordered a white zinfandel and received a strange look from the waitress. Ty, in his army fatigues, carried Erik's framed Uncle Sam poster thru uptown. It looked like he was taking military recruiting to the streets...quite an unusual sight. Mom went home, the rest of us detoured to Erik's and then to the Bulldog for some good greasy American food. My previously twice a month get togethers with Erik are now twice a year. No fair.

Randy and I caught up at the Big Ten. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Randy reminded me of Fred (his father)...this was a new and interesting twist: not only am I becoming my father but I'm watching my friends become theirs...Shit!...things are strange, or at least worth a good laugh. Catching up with Randy is like a night in Vegas...3 hours seem like 20 minutes...a good soul.

Deb and Bernie arrived and the children were outnumbered. The kids had a second Christmas at nana's and were entertained with snow forts, crystals, neck pillows, Star Wars, cousins, the indoor park... Deb brought her camera and her itchy trigger finger. Dylan, famous within the family for ducking out of photos, would have been exhausted had he tried to outrun Deb. On vacation, the lazy mornings are nearly as nice as the late nights which precede them. We had plenty of both with mom, Deb and Bernie (and with Rosie and the McMonagle's in GB for that matter). Hopefully Deb and Bernie will come to Antwerp this summer or fall.

New years eve was to be a quiet evening at mom's with Julie, Trevor and Lexi coming over for dinner. This was the first significant snowfall of the winter and they got in an accident. All involved ended up being OK but Trevor was badly injured. Having been through an ordeal but things are better now. We'll be seeing a lot of Trev, Lexi, and Julie in the states and when we go to Italy with them this summer.

Amy worked at corporate a few days, thus missing out on some of the late nights and lazy mornings mentioned before. She caught up with work friends, hung with the family, and took a girl's night out with the book club.

The holidays at the Browne's aren't complete without football. As a kid the game was even on during Thanksgiving dinner...unless it was a blowout. Some might think this would take away from family time but, when it comes to football, the Browne's are excellent multi-taskers. Many of my fond memories of family are tied in with football. This trip Bernie and I watched possibly the greatest NCAA game I've ever seen: Boise St./Oklahoma. There were clutch plays, a hook and lateral, lot's of back and forth, overtime, a behind the back Statue of Liberty play, and even a successful marriage proposal! Best part--Underdog State outduels Goliath U. What fun!

I caught another bowl game at Majors with college friends. It was fun but the night was too short and I felt like I barely talked with anyone. I'm hoping these guys will come to Oktoberfest with me in the fall but it looks as though it won't happen this year... maybe next.

At Mac and Kathy's we saw TC and Dale, Eric N., and Ann and Dan. The kids played, the adults hung out. We'll be at Mac and Kathy's cottage for the 4th of July. That will be a blast.

Things are changing fast back home. Erik's moving to Ohio, Ty's shipping off to Iraq, others with new babies, new pregnancies, or new homes. Back home in 6 weeks!

Planes, trains, automobiles...and buses too!

Christmas! The States! A day of travel with three children six and under...ouch. The day before our trip...a Belgian friend: "London is fogged in. Aren't you flying thru London?" Uhhh, yeah, we are...A phone call, a flight cancellation, a new flight, a car ride to Brussels, and we're on our way...to a layover in London...Perfect for my Christmas shopping for Amy (and her for me)...a $60 bagel lunch for the 5 of us..."Let's get some sleep on the 8 hour flight to Chicago"...doubtful, at least for those of us over the age of 6...I have too much adrenaline going now but if I listen to the Ipod maybe I can sleep...OK, maybe not...airplane seats...Amy and I are a good team when we travel..."you take Mackenzie to start...I'll finish"...unless, of course, she sleeps forever or just wants mom (like she usually does)...I'll hang with Taylor and Dylan who want mom's attention too but are a great deal more reasonable than the 2 year old. Our children endure a lot...of course they're sleeping now, unlike Amy and me...irrelevant...Chicago soon...last plane change...we'll sleep after we see grandma Rosie...Chicago...American English everywhere...a train ride to a different terminal...it was a bus in London...we're covering all the bases...Quote from the London to Chicago flight, "Flight attendants (plural) prepare for landing." Quote from the Chicago to Green Bay flight, "Flight attendant (singular) prepare for landing." We're in the upper midwest of America because our only flight attendant sounds like she starred in "Fargo." "Yaaa Hey Dare." Welcome home....or close enough to it. Rosie at the airport...a great surprise...rental car....no narrow european streets...nice...American strip malls...convenient but ugly. The first night we had Rosie to ourselves...not common with the McMonagle family...soon the house would be crowded.

Next day...even with no snow on the ground, spending Christmas Eve with their cousins was nearly perfect for Taylor, Dylan and Mackenzie...the glitch...Dylan had been sick since we arrived in Green Bay. Sadly, this was just the beginning.

Christmas Day...Curiously, Santa combined the traditions of the three families staying with grandma Rosie, thus no difficult questions arose. Soon everyone started arriving for Christmas dinner...a football game broke out between a bunch of "has beens," and also Jacob, and Adam. As expected in these sorts of games the 6 year old gets the attention of the old guys, and the teenager gets somewhat ignored. This is not because we like six year olds better than teenagers, we just don't want to admit that the teenager is now as fast as, and soon to be, faster than us...thus we pretend it's not happening. Dinnertime arrived and some of that achy feeling I had was from football, and most from the virus that would play a major part in many of our lives over the next day and a half. It was a great family gathering...catching up with everyone (I remember John and Fred in particular)...unfortunately my white blood cells were circling the wagons...Christmas was an early night for me.

Leno would have some good material for what happened over the next day or so...best not to dwell on it too much. As I look back now, I have fond memories of this past Christmas...fifteen years of my life have been spent near Mac, Kathy, and Jules, so it was nice to be spend time with them after not seeing them for 6 months. On the lighter side, I look back and laugh at: Mac pretending to like the strong Belgian beer I brought...a gift for Amy surviving 5000 miles unscathed only to break in the last 10 meters as I pulled it from it's hiding place...sitting in the bathroom in the wee hours awaiting the inevitable...a knock at the door...it was Julie with Lexi, who's inevitable trumped mine by about one minute...there are so many McMonagles that one must wait in line to be sick even if it's 4 in the morning!

The day after Christmas...recovery, relaxation, conversation...quarantine. The next day I'd catch a ride with the O'Hallorans back to Minneapolis, leaving Amy and the kids behind to continue their quality time with grandma Rosie and the cousins.

Our hero!

Mackenzie woke up around three in the morning the other night with that nasty cold she has. As I was stirring and debating if I should do something, Amy rolled out of bed to the rescue. Soon Mackenzie was calm and Amy was asleep once again. As usual, I remained awake. Not long after this I heard movements downstairs, specifically the kicking of our metal compost can...a distinct sound...either Taylor or Dylan must be downstairs. Then Murphy, our hero, began to bark. Not her 7 am whiney, "feed me" bark, but a hoarse, "I'm old, yet angry," bark. I looked at the clock--3 something...who kicked the can and why is Murphy mad? Amy's in bed, Mackenzie doesn't ever leave her room at night...strange...I'll make sure the other two aren't sleepwalking...Murphy is still barking...Taylor and Dylan are indeed sleeping...I'm not! Murphy's bark is coming from her sleep area...as I'm struck with "analysis paralysis" she gathers more courage than me and comes out of her room into the main entrance hallway. I assume this means whoever may have been here was now gone. I was feeling about as brave as the "early morning killer ferret" moment Tommy Lockner and I shared shortly after college. I woke Amy and we went downstairs, still not certain someone had intruded. Amy asks, "did you put that chair (that blocks the kitchen door) on the table?" No, but it sure would make it easier to leave the house quietly, since it no longer blocks the door. Chills down the spine as the truth is evident...now we're certain...we walk the house. The door by the table no longer has an outside lock...pulled out by force...the good news...our visitor is gone. A phone call to the cops...an aggressive response (police combing the neighborhood...running, shining flashlights in the hedges)...they brought in the sniffer dog about 30 minutes after the first police visit, an hour after our initial phone call...there were at least 2 other attempts in the neighborhood after us. That's strange since this person was scared off by Murphy and had to hear me stumble out of bed...he (she?) must have known we'd call the police, yet they made 2 more attempts on our block...dumb and lucky...they got away.

Taylor's world

Taylor inadvertently gave me one of the great moments of my recent memory. In a placement test, not long after we moved to Belgium, she responded correctly to nearly all questions. One question was apparently more complicated..."How many meters tall is your father?" Taylor needed assistance as to the length of a meter...about her arms length...OK..."dad is 10 meters tall!" As tall as a 3 story building....YES!

Taylor is sometimes the other parent...scolding Dylan for saying "poop"...asking Mackenzie to stop doing this or that...dishing out incorrect advice to her siblings...and so on.

She knows that she's the sibling to give in..."OK Mackenzie, you can play with what I'm holding...just so you'll be quiet." She's a good sport.

I guess every parent is amazed at how fast their children grow up...I'm no different. It can't be 7 years ago that I was scared driving Taylor home for the first time...wondering if she was going to survive the speed bumps as we exited the hospital...hoping we didn't get in an accident. Was it really 6 years ago that she wouldn't let us leave her room at bedtime without singing "Wheels on the Bus," until she was drifting off to sleep..."more bus...more bus!" It couldn't have been 5 years ago when Taylor looked at that picture of a hippo getting on a bus....I expected her to say, "hippo bus" or something to that effect...instead, she startled me with, "It's a hippopatumus getting on a bus." I realized then that things were changing fast. I guess it's been 4 years now since she started preschool and thought that the other Taylor in her class would look and act exactly as she did...after all they had the same name (we had the class list before school began). Tell me it wasn't 3 years ago that she was trying to whistle, snap her fingers, and blow bubbles with her gum...and doing all three before too long. Was it really almost 2 years ago that Taylor wanted to go to all day kindergarten so she'd be able to bring a lunchbox to school? Has it already been a year since she only spoke English? Have we really been in Belgium for a year? It's gone so fast.

Mackenzie's world

Mackenzie's world is derived in part from the words and actions of Dylan and Taylor. She is, of course, still an original. From Dylan she's learned: "Hands up!"

Mackenzie always seems to be hungry. After she says, "me hungeee," she rarely falls for any stalling tactic or diversionary method, with the occasional exception of Dora. Even if dinner is only half an hour away it's best to give her a snack rather than get chased around the kitchen by a leg hugging two year old..."me hungeee...me hungeee...!" Often, while I'm preparing dinner, Mackenzie decides that she needs more attention: "hode me...hode me...!" Same as above...try the Dora "card" or, more likely, give in and become the "one armed chef."

Kenzie tells you what she's up to even if you're there with her: "me coloring... me dressing...me mad"... She updates on who's along and who's not...the other night at the store with me: "Me shopping, daddy doo, nod mommy, nod DayDay, nod Dayan." She's even started to use her words and actions to demonstrate things--after falling off her chair the other day she cried, returned to her seat, and then leaned to one side and said, "me fall like this." Accustomed to incorrect phrases such as, "me here," I was surpised the other day. While I was looking for her on the upstairs level she called out to me from downstairs--"I'm down here!"

Mackenzie's bedtime ritual includes her blankie, doggy, and baby doggy (and, of course, her water cup). She often needs bandaids whether her accident leaves a mark or not. If I recall, this stage lasts a couple of years...we'll need to stock up.

Life has changed for her (and me)...she started school...and loves it. At first she cried at drop off ---now she hardly remembers to wave goodbye to me.

Dylan's world

The other night I helped Dylan complete his "Vrienden Boek" (friend book) for a friend of his at school. These books ask some fun and basic questions that even Amy and I can now (mostly) figure out without the Dutch/English dictionary. One question: "If you were stranded on a deserted island what would you want with you?" "What does deserted mean, dad?" "It means noone lives there." I think Dylan's answer was legos-------One day later: "Dad, can you tell me again about that 'candy island?'" "I don't remember a candy island." "The one you talked about last night--the one where noone lives ." Ooooohh--the deserted island....I get it...... "des(s)ert" island.....candy...

Amy to Dylan, "in 10 years, or so, you'll have whiskers." Dylan laughs, "mom, only cats and dogs have whiskers."

Today....Dylan: "Dad, I heard in school that someone's grandma has seen a flying dinosaur." My response: "dinosaurs have been gone for a long time, I'm sure she saw it's fossil in a museum." Dylan: "No dad, it was in a different country...not here or America!" Aaaah...so that's why I'm not familiar with it.

Sometimes he asks unanswerable questions and then confronts me regarding my response: Dylan--"Why are all these cars going the same direction as us? Are they all going to the same place?" Me--"Probably not." Dylan--"How do you know?"

Dylan constantly gives short insights into the workings of his brain. His quotes paint hilarious pictures--like a pterodactyl soaring above an island made of candy, or teenagers walking about with cat-like whiskers. What a guy!

Daytrip

Dinant is a small town in Belgium's Ardennes, about an hour and a half from Antwerp. It's two noteworthy tourist attractions are it's cathedral and the fortress, or citadel, that is perched on the cliff overlooking the town (both seen in the picture to the right). Mackenzie read the map on the drive and made some (pretend) cell phone calls to Amy..."Hi mom, yeah...OK, love you, bye-bye." It was nice to see hills, something not present in the flatlands of northern Belgium. Dinant is split by the river Meuse and seems to be squished up to the river by cliffs on one side and hills on the other. It's most famous denizen, Adolphe Sax, invented the saxophone. After all the statues of people I've seen in Europe, it was humorous to see a statue of a musical instrument in Dinant. My day trip with Mackenzie became more of a scouting mission after getting there only to discover that the Citadel was closed...poor planning by the tour director. The cathedral was impressive but Mackenzie wasn't in a quiet mood so it was a short visit. We skipped out of town and had lunch in Ciney--famous for one of Belgium's best beers--in my book at least. I hope to return to Dinant to see the Citadel...it would be a perfect tie in with some of the other great destinations in the Ardennes. Hopefully next summer.

Face Painting

Amy has made the comment that Belgians take their face painting seriously...here's proof (especially "Spiderman"). We'll be in the states in a week!

Dublin

A gracious invitation from the Polaskys brought us to Dublin recently. Amy and Doug know the city and thus they became our competent tour guides and unofficial hosts. Dylan, Mackenzie, and I flew out a day earlier than Amy and Taylor. Our flight attendant knew Dylan by name, in part, because of his extended decision making process when choosing drink and treat. This new friend was one of the first on the scene when he fell and injured his foot at the bottom of an airport escalator. I regret encouraging Dylan to go ahead of me as I gathered up Kenzie and the stroller. Another moment in life I wish I could change. Dylan limped through the weekend, riding in the stroller much of the time...an honor usually reserved for Mackenzie, and coveted by Dylan, even with two good feet. For a day and a half Dylan enjoyed that he was the oldest, and he acted accordingly, never complaining about his foot. Looking back, I must say that Dylan and the Irish are a pretty good fit; both are passionate and humorous. Dylan is the only person I can think of that says "darn it" with a tone usually put to stronger language, and he's absolutely certain that he tells more jokes than me (by this I think he means he's rarely serious). If I were to ask Dylan if he knew where my car keys were, he'd most likely say, "on your head!"

We met Amy, Doug and Joey, booted through St. Stephens Green (Dublin's "Central Park' as Amy P. would say), and walked to Trinity College, only to discover that we couldn't get in the library to see the famous Book of Kells. We ended up on Grafton St. as we would a few more times during the weekend. This is a "European-ish" pedestrian street, like the Meer in Antwerp, except with a few more drunks. A good Irish lunch, a rare thing according to Amy and Doug, and it was naptime. While I dozed, Dylan and Mackenzie watched TV...although it was supposed to be the other way around. Soon it was time for dinner...the Polaskys began our 3 1/2 day tour of how to avoid Irish food while in Ireland...that night we ate at TGI Fridays. Back in their hotel room we caught up. Joey, Dylan and Mackenzie became reacquainted, and mostly entertained themselves (they watched a lot of movies over the weekend, too). Joey, the good guy that he is, was nice enough to share his stroller with Dylan, which meant Doug had to carry Joey quite a bit. If you know Doug then you know that Joey probably had the best view in all of Dublin. Just before we left for our room that night, Mackenzie became sick...casualty number two. She went through a few sets of clothes and bedsheets but was finished by 1 am...plenty of time for some good sleep.

The next morning we continued at my vacation pace, which is the same as Amy's vacation pace if she were seven months pregnant. I know this from experience and, no, Amy is not pregnant. After sleeping in, watching cartoons, and grabbing a late bagel breakfast, we met up with our friends (jet lag had them sleeping odd hours). Bagels, not even near the top of my food list, were exciting since they don't exist in Belgium. We snacked at Subway before visiting the Jameson Whiskey distillery. The tour was informative and followed with a free shot of Jameson 7 year. Doug didn't like his much and I don't think Amy tried it, but they noticed that I finished mine. Thus, those nice, sneaky people, bought me (and some of their friends back home) a personalized bottle of 12 year Jameson. A very nice gift. A visit to Google taught me that whiskey doesn't continue to age once it's been bottled, so I opened it (in Belgium). The 12 year is worth the wait! OK--it was time for another nap and soon Amy and Tay would arrive. To emphasize Amy and Doug's aversion to Irish food, we ordered Dominoes for dinner. By this time Joey had locked on to the fact that he and Dylan had the same pair of Target shoes. He decided that he was only going to wear those shoes for the weekend because of his friend, Dylan. The girls arrived and the crew was complete! Vomiting and foot injuries considered, I still had the better end of the deal that weekend. Amy wasn't able to watch cartoons until noon, or have a shot of whiskey! Worse yet, she had to work (not that parenting a 2 and 5 year old isn't work). Dylan returned to middle child status but was still "the man," to Joey.

The breakfast buffet the next morning had me wanting another bagel. The unusual smell didn't keep Mackenzie and Taylor from finishing their eggs...and mine. For once I wasn't snacking on their leftovers. Maybe the Irish developed their famous sense of humor to cope with their cuisine. We hopped the city tour bus which would drop us at the Guinness brewery. First though, the tour brought us past Temple Bar, which is Dublin's cultural quarter, and Christ Church Cathedral, which was founded in 1038. This contains the tomb of "Strongbow, the Norman adventurer who conquered Dublin" (quoted straight from the tour bus guide). We left the bus at the Guinness Brewery and skipped to the front of the line because we had young children (not a bad perk). Mackenzie and I, slightly behind the group, were unfortunate enough to see a man in the same condition as she was two nights before--although for a different reason, I'm sure! If the Irish aren't famous for their food, at least they have a beer that drinks like a meal. We had, a self guided tour, a good lunch near the top (Irish food was good this time), and a great view of Dublin at the top, as we enjoyed the "freshest Guinness" we'd ever have. I guess that means the brewing process had ended a moment or two before my beer was poured. By the way, this may sound like a party weekend...Jameson, Guinness, and so on...but the truth was more subdued. We stayed up late talking, only because midnight in Dublin was dinnertime in Wisconsin for the Polaskys...it was a pretty mellow weekend. Actually, I can't believe I went to Ireland and didn't go to a pub. Back on the bus, past Molly Malone, the fictional "tart with the cart," and the spire of Dublin...with a number of lewd nicknames. Then... sandwiches, movies for the kids, and bed.

Next day...last day in Ireland, for now. We walked to a viking ship that wasn't where it was supposed to be...maybe it was off to pillage elsewhere. Since the vikings established Dublin, conquered much of the English isles, and consistently defeated enemies in the coastal villages of Europe, you'd think they'd be able to put together a good football team. Not this year. We strolled through Temple Bar, with it's colorful pubs and restaurants, ate at another American style restaurant, and returned to the hotel to catch a taxi to the airport. As always, it was great to see Amy, Doug and Joey. Who knows where next year's Polasky/Browne reunion will be. Dublin will be hard to top.