Happy 2nd Birthday, Stella!

Girl Scouts Camping Trip

Lily and I went on her first Girl Scout camping trip over the weekend. The campsite was at the Meadow Group Campground, about a one hour drive from Los Angeles. Most of the families were there from Friday night until Sunday morning, but we got there by Saturday noon, just in time for Lily to participate in the activities to earn her Outdoor Adventurer Badge. One of the activities included a field trip to the Chilao Visitor Center, where the girls met Ranger Dave and went on a hike, searching for footprints of forest animals! At the campground, they played games, helped cooking, made a campfire and roasted s'mores over it. After a nightly glow stick parade and telling scary and/or funny stories around the campfire, we all retreated to our tents and beds. We shared a tent with Milie and her parents. Since we aren't seasoned campers, I was happy we didn't have to get our own tent, but we could use camping supplies from the other, more experienced camping families. Ideal for a first camping adventure! On Sunday morning, we got up early and started preparing breakfast for everyone. The girls made a fire all by themselves!!! I must admit, I was a bit nervous, just thinking of all the potential disasters that could happen, but one of the other moms assured me that they were fine and that we should be proud of all the life skills they are learning as girl scouts. So, I tried to relax and enjoy the beautiful morning... We packed up around 11 o'clock. It was a great weekend and Lily says she can't wait to go camping again. She loved it (help!). Me, I will be happy to sleep in my own bed again tonight 😉 The things a mom does for her girl!

SATURDAY: At Chilao Visitor Center

At the campground:

SUNDAY MORNING: Breakfast

GOODBYE ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST!

Date night out!

Family and Friends screening of Little Evil at Netflix:

And off we are!

A new school year has started and with it comes homework, projects, etc., this year both for Lily (3rd grade) and Ennio (1st grade). Lily had homework as of the second day of school and brought home this project: All About Me Collage. Task: You will make an art collage all about you to let the class know about you, your family, and your favorite things. In the collage include photos, magazine clippings and/or advertisements (e.g. pictures of you and your family, favorite foods, pictures of places you like to go/shop/eat, etc.) This is a collage, so make sure all the pictures touch or overlap so the white paper is not visible. In the middle of the collage, draw or decorate you first name and place the pictures around it.
To get a 4 - Collage is colorful, name is neat and colorful (may use beads, stickers, etc. to spell name). Pictures are colorful and touch or overlap. Several types of media are used, like photos, magazines, and advertisements. No white of the paper is showing and collage shows clear understanding of the task.
To get a 3 - Collage has name in the middle and is neat and colorful. Most pictures touch and/or overlap. Some types of media are used. Some of the white may be showing.
To get a 2 - Collage has name in the middle and has some pictures or photos. White background is showing OR the collage is late.
To get a 1 - Did not follow directions/collage is incomplete/late.

Lily and I worked on this on Saturday and she picked out a lot of clippings I still had from Japan (I kept them because I still need to write my travel journal on this blog!!!). She wanted Mount Fuji on the collage, the photo with the flowers and Matsumoto Castle, the vending machines, the brochure of the Ghibli Museum (her favorite museum) and the ticket of the Geisha Ceremony in Kyoto. Obviously, Japan is her favorite country! Favorite foods include sushi (photo with Amélie at Katsuya) and lasagna (bottom right corner). Favorite animal: her cat Stella (we cut up a napkin with cats on it). Favorite character: Pippi Longstocking. Favorite store: Target ("because they have toys"), we cut up a Target plastic bag. Favorite activity: hanging in the hot tub (haha, see photo of all the cousins in the hot tub) (she also said, "rollerskating" but we couldn't find a picture of roller skates right away). Favorite singer: Sia (photo of Lily dressed up as Sia on Halloween). Favorite people: mom, dad and Ennio (upper right corner).

Coincidentally, she also had to do something similar during Dutch class with juf Karin that morning: Alles over mij. Here it is:



You'll find out that her favorite TV series is Futurama. Her favorite candy is a lollipop. Her favorite place is outside on the grass. Her favorite color is purple. Her favorite book is Princess in Black. Her favorite holiday destinations are Iceland and Japan. Her favorite subject is cursive writing.

Ennio's teacher told us her students get a pass for the first week, but homework will commence tomorrow! Oh joy 😉!

Family Camp!!!

We didn't need to book any camps for the month of August because - we told the kids - we would have "Family Camp". Oh yes! We convinced Opa and Oma to fly across the ocean again (last time they were here was 7 years ago, when Lily turned 2) and uncle Wouter (my brother), tante Charlotte, and cousins Amélie (11), Robbe (9) and Jolientje (5) didn't need much convincing to come too 😃. It was the first time for the kids traveling to the United States. Wouter, Charlotte and kids stayed at our place, and Oma and Opa did too for a couple of days (Lily insisted), and then moved to a hotel not too far from where we live. This worked out well, since the hotel had a pool and the kids loved - in between our busy activities - to have a pool day with Oma and Opa! We had so much fun. On top of that, we got a BBQ grill from Wouter and Charlotte and enjoyed delicious BBQ dinners most nights. They are really great cooks and it's too bad they can't stay forever as our personal chefs. That would be the day!!!
Anyway, here's the schedule of what we did. Photos will follow later.

Wednesday, August 2: The holiday doesn't start off very well for Oma and Opa. KLM overbooked their flight and they are not allowed to board. They end up spending the night at a hotel near Schiphol and get on the flight the next day. Wouter, Charlotte and kids luckily don't have that problem and they arrive at night.
Thursday, August 3: Arrival Oma and Opa. Sushi dinner at Katsuya in the Americana in Glendale! Yummy!
Friday, August 4: The girls are getting their nails done at the nail salon. Pick-nick and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" concert at the Hollywood Bowl at night.
Saturday, August 5: Shopping day for Wouter, Charlotte, Oma and Opa, while I watch the kids at home. Lily has a sleepover at her friend Cami's at night.
Sunday, August 6: Oma and Opa check into their hotel in Pasadena (Residence Inn). Pool time. Dinner at Italian restaurant Il Fornaio in Pasadena.
Monday, August 7: Disneyland! I go to work, and meet Oma and Opa for dinner in Pasadena. We discover Fish on Tap, a great Japanese fusion food place. I want to go here again!
Tuesday, August 8: Time for the beach! We have lunch at The Malibu Cafe and spend the afternoon at Zuma Beach. At night, Wouter and Charlotte surprise us with a new BBQ!!!
Wednesday, August 9: Grocery and other shopping in the morning (Target, Seafood City). Hurricane Harbor in the afternoon. A delicious BBQ meal at night!
Thursday, August 10: While I go to work, the others have a swimming pool day at Oma and Opa's hotel. BBQ at night!
Friday, August 11: Newport Beach Whale Watching and Dolphin Cruise. It's a gorgeous day, and even though we spot no whales, there are tons of bottleneck dolphins surfing the waves of our boat! What an experience!
Saturday, August 12: Lily is getting her ears pierced at the Glendale Galleria! This is Oma's gift to Lily, and she had been looking forward to this day for MONTHS. We have a very happy girl afterwards! She's very proud to go to her friend Milie's birthday with freshly pierced ears! I have my friend Kathryn's birthday dinner in Topanga at the Inn of the Seventh Ray, and the rest has... BBQ at home.
Sunday, August 13: Tour of Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica (with tour guide Marcus 😃). Dinner at the Santa Monica pier at the rooftop bar of Italian Al Mare Restaurant.
Monday, August 14: Wouter and Charlotte and kids hike to Hermit Falls. Marcus and I work, and we all meet for dinner in Pasadena. Oma and Opa wanted to try out Kabuki. Everyone seems to like our California Japanese restaurants!!! Food is good, albeit expensive...
Tuesday, August 15: Wow, it is almost the end of Family Camp! It's the first day of school for Lily and Ennio! Oma and Opa check out of their hotel at noon. We all go pick up Lily and Ennio from school and have a tour of the classrooms and meet-and-greet with the teachers. It's very exciting for Amélie, Robbe and Jolien to see an American Elementary School! After that, we walk to the SRF Park in our neighborhood. Since it's Robbe's birthday the next day, his sister Amélie had asked if we could throw a surprise birthday party. Tante Lot and uncle Wouter are very efficient at throwing together a last-minute party and Robbe is indeed very surprised 😃. He also gets to hit his very first piñata! We end the day with another BBQ dinner. Last one together... We will think of you, though, every time we'll use it. Thank you!!!
Wednesday, August 16: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory tour in Pasadena. Marcus brings Oma and Opa to the airport. Wouter and Charlotte and kids leave a little bit later. What a great holiday it was. Thank you for visiting and please, come back again soon!!!

First Day of School!

Unlike Belgium, where the school year starts on September 1st, the first day of school is determined in the US by the public school district. This is different from district to district, and for Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) the day was set on Tuesday, August 15. Lily is starting 3rd grade and Ennio is in 1st grade. Lily will have Ms. Sanchez and Ennio will have Ms. Kehoe. We know Ms. Kehoe already, she was Lily's teacher in first grade and we are very happy Ennio will have her too! Crossing our fingers for a successful year in school! Since our visitors are still here, we all went to pick up the kids together and I gave them a little tour of the school (the principal had okay'ed this). We visited the kids' classrooms and talked briefly with the teachers. Maybe we can do the same some day in Belgium? I would love to see Amélie, Robbe and Joliens school!!!

Sweethearts!

Helemaal blij want morgen zijn oma en opa, nonkel en tante en neefje en nichtjes erbij!!!