Beginner B

On Monday I went a few blocks down the street to enroll in a French class.  I waited in line thirty minutes and by the time I got to the front of the gate they told me they had run out of tickets and I needed to come back tomorrow.

So Tuesday I arrived an hour early and made it somewhere in the middle of the line.

They took me in, made a copy of my national ID card, and then made me take a test that had me try to conjugate etre.  When I failed at that exercise I was tempted to turn the test in blank but instead wrote an essay in my very poor French about how I was jet lagged and my children had their nights and days mixed up (I can usually talk about my children in French with the most ease).  Then a lady sat me down and we had an awkward conversation about my rockstar life.

She said, in French, that I needed to work hard but since I would have tres amounts of time on my hands with both children starting school I should be able to catch up and be in the beginner B French course.

I am terrified and thrilled.  I don't really want to learn a language, I would rather have free time, but I feel it is time to learn this language and immerse myself more into this culture (not that any Belgians would let me, but it's the thought that counts right?)

Seth signed up for a Dutch course at work, I am taking French, Stella is in French/English kindergarten, and Tiger starts French preschool on Monday.  Yes, we are going to be a bilingual family.

Truthfully I just want to be able to yell at kids on the playground and order two scoops of ice cream instead of one.  (What is the word for scoop?)

In other news, my children have been going to bed at midnight and sleeping in til eleven.  This needs to stop, but oh boy how I love this quiet time.  It almost makes me want to get up at six so I can have every day, but not enough to get up at six.

Vacances

We are back!  Yes it is almost 10 in the morning and my children are still sleeping.  Perfect opportunity to catch up on the blog.

I feel like I can, and have in the past, do an entire blog post about traveling on a plane for 15 hours with children.  Let me just say this: it gets better.  We had no puke, urine, fecal matter, or meltdowns so that is a success in my book.  Score!

We went to Utah to see my little brother get married.  John is my baby brother by 11 years, which means he is way to young to get married.  However, my people have made it a habit to get married too young.  When I got married at the ripe old age of 25 my parents had already bought me china because I was deemed old maid.  At both my other younger siblings weddings, whilst still single, I was told my turn would be next.  They lied, it took a while to find Seth.

Anyhow, my baby brother got married.  We love his new wife and even though I had not planned on going home and shelling out a fortune to get there I was glad I did.  I underestimated the importance of the extended family and our children's need to connect to that extended family.

It had been a hard year for Stella.  I saw her go from extrovert to introvert.  From smiley to European grimace.  It has been a tough.  I started to think maybe Stella was just an introvert and I had her pegged wrong all along.  No, in the three weeks we were home I saw her smile return and her personality burst at the seems.  I am so happy we went back.  Money be damned.

Here is what we have been up to:

This is what happens when you let five year -olds pack themselves.  

Outside of the Bountiful Temple for John's wedding.  

Stella rockin' it at the reception.

Me wanting to rock it at the reception.  Seth said I looked like Elaine from Seinfield when she danced.

Tiger dressed up for the wedding and playing on the sidewalk with his car.  This was and usually is his status quo.  I love this boy.

I got both my iPhone and Macbook fixed in the U.S. for a fraction of the cost, in dollars, with great customer service, and with little effort on my part.  I love America!

We went to my alma mater, BYU and it has remained weird.  

BYU Art Garden.  I call this Stella 2.0

Boating at Deer Creek.  That hat doesn't get any cooler.  

Stella taking the wheel on the boat.  

Campfires with cousins and second cousins and cousins once removed.  

In America we super-size our blanket forts.  

Tiger scooting at Grammy's.

Mirror Lake with the cousins.  Before.

After.  My son is awesome.

Stella at Mirror Lake.

Lots of slushies.

Seth and Tiger on the Alpine Slide.

Pedicures with my mom and sister/in-laws to celebrate the next and much needed girl.

Old friends.

Old friends with new additions coming.

New friends.  

Loved being home.  Sad it is over but ready for this new year.  Today I am supposed to register for a French course that I won a scholarship for at the embassy.  Grand total for one year of language study in Belgium $150.  I have had a year of excuses but this year I am taking charge.

In half-marathon news, I did train some when I was home.  Training in the mountains is not great for one's self confidence.  I ran out of breath every day.  It hurt my lungs.  It hurts to run but I am doing it.  More updates to come.

Committed

I admit I am a bit of a slacker sometimes.  For example, right now I should be packing to go to Salt Lake City tomorrow but instead I am online perusing Gawker, Facebook, and other internet gutter litter. Not all of this was in vain.  I also registered for the Amsterdam Half Marathon.

You ask yourselves, I didn't realize you were a runner or running.  And my response to you is, you are correct.  Minus a few years in high school my running days have been behind me for over 15 years.  In that 15 years I have done a lot, had a few babies, and lately I have been feeling a little more wobbly than I would like.  As in, I don't want to have to get a Lane Bryant credit card but if things continue at this trajectory I will get there.

It has been a delicious year of weight gain.

There has been chocolate:

The best bread of my life:

Oh.....croissants!

Don't forget the Nutella.  It's like a candy bar spread and they try to make you believe it's healthy like nuts.

But my favorite weight gain food has just been the sandwiches.  Even the tuna tastes good.  TUNA?!?  That is an accomplishment.

I tried the Dukan Diet a few months back.  This is the diet where you eat only lean proteins for a few days and then crappy vegetables and lean proteins.  It was awful.  I felt like I wanted to eat my face, but that was made of protein so I no longer craved that.  I survived about a week, lost eight pounds, and vowed I would rather be fat than feel like that.  I vowed I would rather run 13 miles than feel like that.  Which is what I am doing.

This week I have run 4 out of 5 days.  I am just beginning but I can now actually run the entire three miles which is something.  The reason I make myself run is because Stella comes with me.  She is like my dog, except she is a human child on a bike.  She makes me sprint to catch up with her.  It is a funny sight.  My motherly instincts make me run to get to her before she thinks about crossing a road or something.

I have approximately three months to get my butt in shape to run 13 miles.  If I run while on vacation I might be able to pull it off.

Is anyone taking bets as to whether I will make it to the finish line?  Now that I have spent money I am sorta terrified myself.

Real Actors Read Yelp Reviews

This video made my morning, my terribly crazy busy morning.  So much happening right now, will blog once it all happens but here are the highlights.

• Wedding coming up.
• Bid list is out.  Where, oh where, will we go next?

After a few comments I realized this other Yelp Review needed to be added.