Friends with the Tooth Fairy (blog music: money) PAUSE PLAYER to hear video

$$$ I'M RICH, I'M RICH $$$

William has now lost 4 teeth and 2 more are loose and ready to come out! To kids, without any knowledge of how the real world works, I'm sure this appears to be a pretty easy money making venture. Thomas of course wants to get in on the business of making money, but doesn't quite understand why HIS teeth aren't "falling out" as he puts it.

Funny story! William walks up to Thomas, who is extremely busy watching The Backyardigans, and begins pointing to his mouth. William says, "Thomas look at my mouth, my tooth fell out. Look it's gone." Thomas looks quite worried as he looks at the missing tooth. In the most concerned, deeply caring three-year-old voice, Thomas says "Oh damn it."

I think that's one of dad's phrases.

One Night in Bruges (blog music: viva la vida)

Filip and I were given the treat, by Filip's parents, of spending one full day and night in the beautiful town of Bruges. Bruges is referred to as the Venice of the North because of its network of canals that flow throughout the village. It is a very breath taking village and the quintessential image of Europe. Even though we have been to Bruges several times, I never seem to come home with less than 50 pictures. It has a renewing quality and an everlasting beauty. It was also the first time Filip and I were able to visit Bruges alone as well as stay the night. Filip and I were guests at the Pand Hotel, voted Europe's Small Luxury Hotel of the Year. It was gorgeous! The room and hotel was beautifully decorated and very luxurious. The service and attention to detail were just the same! There was even a turn down service! Apparently, while Filip and I were out

to dinner, the house keeper prepared our bed for the night complete with chocolates that had been laid on the pillows. The hotel was located a few streets away from the Center and the view from our balcony was quite a treat. All the little brick homes smooshed together with one of Bruges' cathedral looming over them. We spent hours and hours just walking all over Bruges. Turning down this little street and then that one, over bridges, and in and out of the little shops. The village was quite busy that day and by some miracle of nature, it decided to actually NOT rain! Bruges is a big tourist destination. There were things happening all over the village and there were markets everywhere. I love markets! I could spend hours in them, especially antique markets. There are many things to do in Bruges. Two of my favorites are the canal tours and the horse and carriage rides. Filip and I stopped at a little cafe to have a snack during the day. I of course ordered a Belgian waffle with powdered sugar, ice cream, and a cappuccino. Filip had ice cream and strawberries. Half the fun of ordering things to eat in Belgium is the presentation of the food. It's so pretty. Little spoons for the coffee, silver bowls brimming with ice cream, beautifully garnished meals... it's really impressive. I had a lot of fun just walking around finding new things to take pictures of. There is no shortage of wonderful material in Bruges! Pigeons flying everywhere, horses trotting by, flower boxes, small streets and passageways drenched in shadows, and the swans that call Lovers' Lake their home are just a few! Brugge is known for its tapestry

and lace work. There are usually little women sitting outside shops or in little passageways working on intricate patterns.

This is truly a talent and pure artisanship! We had a lovely dinner, rather late at night, close to the waters of the canals.

Once every four years, Bruges hosts what is called The Night of the Canals. All throughout the village and on its many canals; music, costume and light shows were taking place. There were crowds everywhere and well into the night. We had a blast and can't wait to do it again!!!

Here Comes The Sun (blog music: big country)

When we left Belgium it was raining of course,
but we didn't care one bit! This family was jet
setting to Spain!
We were going to spend one whole
week in this far- flung sun soaked part
of the world. Although it was a rather short flight, it seemed to last FOREVER!

One Sweet Ride (blog music: in a big country)

There's nothin' better than throwin' the family into the back of the Land Rover and taken off into the mountains of Spain!! The guides pulled up in front of the hotel and we were off.

The boys thought they had died and gone to heaven! The top of the Rover had been cut off and replaced with a tarp and when you're flyin' down the freeways of Spain, you just wanted to stand up and yell, "This is so AWESOME"! It was on and we started climbing! The first village that we had reached just seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Just like a desert oasis. It was a maze of homes built into the mountainside. The bright white paint popped against the green dusty mountainside. We made our way into the village and began to wonder its streets. The streets were so narrow at times, the descents steep, and the inclines sharp. There were flowers hanging from every iron balcony and quite reassuring that something could grow in this heat.

As we made our way to the Center of the village the guides pointed us to this fountain. He told us that it was a constant flowing fountian with the water coming from the mountains. The water was so clear and tasted so good. As the boys were playing in the fountain and others drinking from it, locals would arrive to fill their large drums and bottles! It was amazing! This was no ordinary little Spanish town. It turns out that many stars, even Oscar winning, have a villa here. Such as Dustin Hoffman, Catherine Zeta Jones, and Julio Iglesiass to name a few! We climbed a bit further and found ourselves in another little Spanish town and being that it was around lunchtime... time to eat. The guides along with those on the tour were invited into a real Spanish restaurant where we sat down to authentic Spanish cuisine. This wasn't a "restaurant"; this was a real place to eat in a real town with real people. Perhaps one of the most noticeable qualities about Spain is its people. They are so friendly and eager to say hello and chat, even though hardly anyone speaks English. They also seem to be very fond of children, nice, and caring towards them.
With lunch over it was time to start climbing again. Keeping in true safari style, the guides urged us to hang out the top of the Rovers. Here we are climbing and climbing, driving through little streams, being sloshed back and forth, as we make our way up the tiny dirt mountainn passes, and I can't remember anything greater or more fun than that. We were hot, sticky, and covered in dust!

We made a few stops along the way to take breaks and drink a lot of water. One of the stops that we made was for a bit of education. The guides spoke to us about many of the indigenous trees and flowers that grow in the area as well as their medicinal and practical uses. It was very interesting! We also made a stop at a lake high in the mountains and the water was so refreshing. William had a great time taking a dip in it. It was a long and hot day, but the boys did really well and we all enjoyed the great and special experience of treading through the Spanish mountains.

Even Opa! Yes, the one who said he had preferred the smooth ride of his Mercedes to the dirt roads of the mountains, in the end liked it very much. Even though he would make the funniest faces and sounds every time we went over a bump or he hit his head.

Hot Spanish Nights (blog music: all night long)

The nightlife at the hotel was by far my favorite and something I looked forward to each day! It was incredible! After we had spent a lazy sun soaked day by the pool or at the beach, we would return to our rooms excitingly preparing for the hot Spanish nights. It was so much fun dressing up for dinner each night! Heels, hair, make up... the whole 9 yards.

The dinners were fabulous. Each table had been prepared with tablecloths, dinnerware, and wine glasses. There were 5 buffets filled with the most wonderful food and desserts. The boys loved running back and forth filling their plates with food. However, they didn't always eat what they had taken. I think they let the excitement of all the food and self-service get the better of them, but not when it came to dessert. They would run back and forth between our table and the dessert buffet with all kinds of ice creams and sweets. After dinner, we would make our way to the terraces complete with fountain, bar, stage, and row upon row of tables and chairs. The night was air was still rather warm, but we enjoyed and all needed every moment of it. Children were running all over the place and dancing on the stage, while it was still empty, no doubt thrilled to be staying up so late! Yet again, the bar would open for free drinks. There's nothing like Pina Coladas and Sangrias to kick off the night. The boys looked forward to their nightly pop cycles and bags of chips! With the Spanish sunlight finally beginning to fade, that night's entertainment would make its way to the stage. Every night brought something new. Magicians, Russian acrobats, African and Brazilian dancers, and my personal favorite... the Spanish Flamenco dancers. They were beautiful! The music was full of fire, their dress long, flowing, twisting, and turning with each move of their body. They would arch their backs and begin clapping, as one of the women would move to center stage. Her heels stomping furiously atop the stage brought even more life to the exotic music floating in the night's air. It was absolutely incredible. The night before our big safari, we decided to take an evening walk on the beach. The boys had fun rolling in the sand, as usual, and throwing rocks into the Sea. The towns that lined the beach were all lit up and the Sea was calm and peaceful. With the beaches almost empty and the sunlight gone a new crowd of sorts would make their way to the shores. Every few feet giant fishing poles rose from the sand with their heavy lines floating somewhere in the dark waters. Behind them usually stood quite an older man, Spanish no doubt, looking so tranquil and at ease with every new cast of their line. Every move was made from habit as though they had been fishing the same beaches since they were boys.

Sun Soaked (blog music: here comes the sun)

The boy's favorite place to be was the hotel's swimming pools by far! The pool area was quite lavish and very large. There were sun chairs and umbrellas as far as the eye could see, 2 pools, and a hot tub all set a top Spanish tiles. The boys loved swimming, splashing, and jumping into the baby pool. They turned into 3 little fish. They were many children that would come and go and each time the boys found someone different to play with and share their water toys with. The hotel really catered to its guests! During certain hours of the day, the bar would open and invite its guests to free drinks and snacks. We all took turns be drink runners and the boys especially liked the sweet cakes and breads!

The hotel was situated just right off the beach, which was lucky for us since the boys liked dividing their time between the pool and beach at a moments notice. The boys would get quite wild in the pool at times! Thomas and William loved kicking around the giant beach ball, running and jumping into the pool, and coming up with new and inventive ways to play with their beach toys. Harrison loved jumping from the side of the pool into the arms of whomever was there to catch him. The 3 looked just like old pros showing up to the pool with their sack of toys, beach ball, surfboards, boat, and floaters! Either that or just like 3 little boys who were desperate for sunshine and summer fun! Someone should really do something about the weather here!

Costa Del Sol-Coast Of The Sun (blog music: surfing usa)

The sand was hot, the breeze was cool, and the water was warm. The boys loved rolling around in the sand, digging giant holes, burring each other, and making "sand cakes".

The waters of the Mediterranean were salty and warm, even wild at times! The boys liked sitting on the shore the most, just close to where the waves would break. Thomas thought the waves were whales and would say, "Thomas not like the whales". Nevertheless, occasionally they would venture out into the waters with Filip or I.

Filip and I on the other hand loved swimming in the Sea. We would just float and float. When the waves would become wild we would use them to get back to shore. We had even bought the boys little surf boards, but WE soon discovered what a blast they were. Floating in that deep water took some getting use to for me. I was convinced that Jaws was looming somewhere just under the waves. I would always wrap my legs around Filip (I didn't like the idea of them just hanging there) and keep my back to the shore! You know, if we were going to get attacked Filip would be first!

My 3 Little Fish

3 Little Fish!

A special HELLO to everyone back home

from 3 Spanish Fish!