Looking for Xmas

This year I haven’t decorated much for the holidays as we are celebrating Christmas in Spain and we are actually already leaving today. It means that I have only spent 4 days in Brussels this month! However, I couldn’t stop myself from bringing out a few decorations anyway…

My plan is to try to make O’s parents’ home cosy for the holidays, especially as it is V’s first Christmas even if he won’t remember it… And to do some baking, maybe together with O’s 5-year old niece.

Glögg from 2006. It tasted ok, probably because it is 12% alcohol… Why do we have 5 year old glögg? Well, we bought it for a glögg party in 2006, didn’t finish all the bottles and then put them in storage when we moved to Puerto Rico!

I really like this angel light from Ikea (sold out it seems!), which I use as a night light by the bed. V doesn’t like the pacifier, and keeps spitting it out – I guess that I shouldn’t insist.

Xmas socks that I will wear in bed in Spain – it is cold in O’s parents’ house!

An elk or reindeer that we got a few years ago from my parents

Lights from Ikea in the hall

Oven gloves and a tea towel

V will have to wait at least another two years before I prepare the advent calendar with small gifts

The Ikea bag is filled with Xmas gifts and other stuff that we are bringing to Spain

Merry Christmas!

First Saint Nicholas party

V and I were invited to two Xmas parties yesterday, the first one already at 11 o’clock with our mother & baby group, and then at O’s office at 16.00. Since we had had quite a difficult night and it was the first (out of 4) day back in Brussels after the time spent in Sweden, I decided to cancel our participation in the morning Xmas party. I have realised that I’d better limit the activities we have instead of overdoing it and disrupt our so-called habits (which habits?). Also I do feel a little stressed about the fact that when V and I fly to Spain on Sunday, we won’t be back for more or less 6 weeks, and I need to get organised.

The afternoon Xmas party in O’s office was actually a Saint Nicholas party. The Belgians celebrate Saint Nicolas / Sinterklaas on the eve of the 5th / morning of the 6th December and it is traditionally the day that the children get their Christmas gifts. Our little V will be spoilt with gifts for Saint Nicolas, Christmas Eve (in Sweden) and for Epiphany (los Reyes in Spain).

We spent a few hours with O’s colleagues and children, and I realised that we will have to get used to loud environments from now on! V, who didn’t seem very disturbed by the noise, got to meet Nicholas and his helper, Zwaarte Piet, and received a present. What did he do? He let out a huge yawn! Our little boy is so blasé about getting presents 

The present was suitable for 18+ months so V will have to wait until March 2013 to play with it!

Random photos from V’s first visit to Sweden

Little V and I have had a great week back home in Sweden. We’ve been spoilt with attention, love and presents but we miss O and it will be nice to see him again on Tuesday when we return to Brussels.

My mother and I found our old classical Brio toys in the attic – V is still a bit too young for them but soon…

V has met for the first time my soon-to-be 92-year-old grandfather (V has his name as a second name), my aunt, my Latvian sister Z & her children, and of course my brother who will be V’s godfather and his fiancée, as well as two blog friends. Tomorrow we are having lunch with two of my second cousins and one of V’s “third” cousins who is just a few months older than him.

Trying out a Swedish pram, incidentally also made by Brio, just like the wooden toys!

A happy baby at the BVC (Swedish child health care centre). Don’t worry, V’s grandmother was standing just next to him even if she’s not visible in the photo

V’s mother, aunt and grandmother enjoyed a classical dish, “Flying Jacob”, on Friday while his grandfather and uncle had a whisky tasting session in Malmö

The quality of the photos taken with our small Lumix is still awful

BVC and passport

Tomorrow is a big day for little V: he will get his Swedish passport! I applied for it on Monday and it was ready to be picked up two days later but I haven’t had time yet. And we are going to have a very Swedish baby experience: going to BVC, the Child health care centre, to get him weighed and measured. It will be interesting to compare it with the Belgian ONE (Office de la naissance et de l’enfance).

Both V and I are enjoying our time in Sweden. V is getting lots of attention from  his grandparents and I get to rest a little. But we miss V’s dad who is back in Brussels. We are returning to Belgium on Tuesday and then the whole family will head to Spain next weekend for a month!