Joining the "Leavers" Group in lieu of Math Class

There was a chance our European adventure could end early and we would all head back to the US.  Charlie kept saying that he just wanted to know so at school he could join the "Leavers" group, who got to go during math class and talk about moving (instead of doing Math).

Well, he got his wish and we did too..we are moving on to Portland, Maine.  Super exciting!

Besides the Leavers group he had quite a few end of school year activities that the lucky class Mom (me) got to help with.

First was his Maracuja day.  Maracuja means passion fruit in Brazil (where his teacher formerly taught). She runs this program where each week the kids get to spend an hour doing something they are passionate about.  In Charlie's case it was building and a group of fellow 3rd graders assisted him in building a very cool box fort...

The box had lights, a flag, a cool door, games on the inside, a pillow, a stuffed dog, what more could you want?

The students did all sorts of projects, I spent some time in the kitchen with the girls that wanted to do cooking.  One girl brought in her stuff to make tortillas from scratch, something I had never even dreamed of attempting before!  A few other girls were making cupcakes from scratch- Europeans don't really believe in our box mix American methods!  One hour was a super stretch to get cupcakes, baked, cooled, frosted...all before the bus came...we managed but it was manic!

They had a neat showcase event where they told you all about their passions at what they learned.  It was so sweet.  I hope they all get to grow up and follow their passions!

For the end of year class party, they requested a restaurant (same as last year).  So I got to be the shopper/chef and I brought in hot dogs..last year the kid in the white shirt at 4, this year he topped his record and had six!!  I asked him if his stomach hurt and he said no!!  Charlie was the banker and collected all the order slips and play money.

Add the students who are on to new schools next year

We finished out our baseball season, it may be the end of my baseball coaching career! Our team was the Cardinals.

There were lots of fun end of school year activities, one boy hosted a nerf party at his new house that is being renovated.  After nerf they fired up the four wheeler.  Charlie did not want to leave.  Yes, that is the house in the background!   One thing about International schools are the different types of people your kids go to school with, we aren't in Kansas anymore Toto!

All the local schools were doing end of year field trips, when I take the Metro to work I see whole classes wearing yellow vests and riding the trains.  I decided that they were the inspiration for the Minions in the Despicable Me movies...wearing their vests, speaking French and giggling, they are ringers for the Minions...here is a photo of a group I rode with...nothing better than a field trip!

MINIONS!

I have no Katie pictures from the end of school, she was too busy saying farewell to her friends and I feel like I didn't see her for a few weeks at the end.  Kelly was off seeing Croatia with a friend and then returned to do the final packing..she gets her own blog post on her adventures.stay tuned!

Kelly's Graduation and a great Hughes Visit!

I'm super behind in this post, our visitors have come and gone and even Kelly has now left Brussels to start her next adventure.  We were sad but excited for her to start the next chapter-Go Navy!

The Hughes clan arrived a few days before graduation and we got to do a few local trips..I was happy to finally see the reading room at the Leuven Library with them..what a place!

 Quite the staircase banisters!

This is what happens when you have too many Belgian beers with lunch!

 Greg, Joanne, Mark, Joe and Julie headed for Bastogne one day..

 Representing Massachusetts of course!

 We did a quick tour of the Embassy... I love the photos of all the former Ambassadors to Brussels.

Mark tries his first Westvleteren, the famously hard to get beer here in Belgium!

Mike brought his amazing camera & talent to the graduation to save the day and was kind enough to share his gorgeous photos.  The ceremony was held in the gym with theater type lighting so it made pictures tricky for most of us...unless you are Mike!

The only one I got was the day before when Charlie and I went to the practice, he had just gotten back from his trip to the Belgian Coast and was excited to give her a hug!

Note the wrinkled gown, she wore it like the first day, then handed it to me about 20 minutes before we were supposed to leave before the ceremony and asked for ironing help.  When I told the story to another father later (who happened to be former Marine) he told me to remember that from here on out she will be taking care of all the ironing herself!

A new graduate!

Love Charlie's smile!

Sisters!

Dad gets a hug!

Just missing our photographer, Mike!

Last family photo til parent's weekend in August!

We had a nice dinner on Sunday night before everyone flew back, we were happy the Baratas also made the trip over to join us. Dave even stepped in to help Katie finish up her cake decorating duties...

Barb was highly entertained by the cake frosting efforts as she was unsure if she has ever seen Dave frost a cake before!

With the masterpiece..specloos frosting-the best!

The two catchers finally got to spend a little quality time in the backyard after dinner!

So glad that the Hughes family made the trek to share such a happy occasion!

A Quick Trip to Amsterdam

"You can't have a history teacher Mom and not go see the Anne Frank House" is what I told my grumbling kids as we drove towards Amsterdam after a full day of school and work.  Getting tickets to the Anne Frank House is pretty tricky these days.  The slot I managed to get was for 8 pm, even months in advance!

We listened to the audio book on the way, as Charlie and Katie have not read it in school. Hearing it again after so long and as a mother of a teenage girl the same age really made it hit home.
Photos aren't allowed inside..so here are a few from the street.

We told him he couldn't smile...it wasn't a happy place!

This is the church next door that she could hear the bells from.

I did sneak one blurry photo of Charlie about to go behind the bookcase and up the stairs to the secret annex.

Since Greg and I visited the Anne Frank house almost 20 years ago it has all been redone and now much more of her writing is on display. It is incredible how diligent of a writer she was and that she had even started to rewrite her journals so they could maybe be published after the war.

One thing that really struck me (as everyone is reflecting on the 75th Anniversary of the DDay landings)  was the tiny map on the wall that her Dad used to track the Allies progress into Europe.  He had different colored straight pins marking the locations of troops.  Those in the secret annex rejoiced at the DDay landings, but sadly the Allies didn't get to Holland in time to save them.  They were found in hiding that August and sent to the camps.

Otto Frank's map, courtesy of Museum website.  

Seeing teenage Anne's photos on her bedroom walls and her journals is really a powerful experience that I wish everyone in the world could have a chance to see, in the hopes of preventing this from ever happening again.

“Thanks to Father, who had brought my whole collection of picture postcards and movie stars here beforehand, I have been able to treat the walls with a pot of glue and a brush and so turn the entire room into one big picture.”

Courtesy of Anne Frank Museum website...https://www.annefrank.org/en/museum/inside-museum/

We stayed the night and got to explore some cool things the next day, first the Rijksmuseum.  (think of it is as the Dutch Smithsonian)

Rembrandts only life sized portraits of this couple..

We were early to the museum and got to see the special Rembrandt exhibit. There was one picture that Greg brought me back to take a good look at..it really was spectacular, his turban looked like you could reach out and touch it and it would have been soft silk!

I believe it is called Man in Oriental Clothing, this is a photo from the museum website.  But I can honestly say the picture doesn't do it justice!

This was my favorite thing in the whole museum...dropping silk parachute flowers...I wish it had been set to music..but then I might never have left this alcove!

They had a great photography exhibit, that even had family photos..I loved this one!

Hands down the coolest clock I have ever seen, it had a bunch of ships at the top that would rock in time with the seconds.  You can barely make them out in my picture...

One of the many, many cheese shops!

I had to leave the museum of priceless treasures to go take Charlie to this tourist trap, the Ripleys Believe it or Not
Which he absolutely LOVED!

Miffy the Dutch bunny that you see everywhere.

We got to go into the Diamond Cutting Museum/Shop, the guy showed us around and let Charlie hold & study all kinds of beautiful, crazy expensive rings. He let him use that magnifying glass you hold up to your eye to study the diamond!

Now Jay knows what to buy for a special lady someday!

A happy boy that loves bling!

We headed home so Jay could fly back the next morning...sad Charlie to lose his big buddy!