jiu jitsu - Update

The boys got their new colors as you can see, they did their best and now they can show it... They were both very proud as are we.


The boys had jiu jitsu today. Son #1 went for his 5th Kyu 1st half and son #2 6th Kyu 2nd half. They did their best so we will wait for their result next week...

Exams

Yep! they are. Today I had two exams.


We already know the results of one, and I passed, the other one, we get the result in about one and a half week...
But now, I have time to craft again. So I immediately got on the couch with my quilt.

Antwerp Zoo

This morning we paid a visit to the Antwerp Zoo with our au pair. But unfortunately, we were not alone... Normally the zoo is not so popular on Sunday morning but now it was swamped... So we only paid it a short visit.
The lions have their new enclosure so it was nice to see that they have much , more space now. But we learned that the lions mate and his daugther fight him, so he was alone today. Poor guy, intimidated by two females...

Although it seems that he likes being on his own.

Son #3 was a bit tired, since he had to walk quite a distance yesterday, so we cut the walk short and went back home. And as you can see, he was really tired...

jiu jitsu

Yesterday we had a walk through the forest wit the jiu jitsu, you had to do tasks on the way. When we arrived back at base camp the boys could do some games and afterwards we had a BBQ. Great idea, fun afternoon.
And some planking on the way...

Pink

This is a combination I would wear. Love the pinks and especially the bag.

stitch itch

I was checking out Pinterest, (yes, I know, I spent way too much time there) when I saw this gorgeous stitched piece. The pattern is available from ThisTinyExistence. I can´t imagine how many hours of embroidery went into this exquised piece.
Wish my craft place would look like this...

Crochet

I saw this afghan on Pinterest. And it has a link to the pattern. I just love it, I would make it with a red background to take to our cabin when we go skiing. Oh, who am I kidding, I still have so many UFO´s that it will take me at least a year to finfih everything, but then...
A specially since I am studing for my exams...

Autumn

Yesterday I noticed some squirrels in the back of the garden. As I followed them running through the yard, I saw that we already have some shrooms in the yard, but they are already damaged because some animals fed on them, probably the squirrels. And as it has been raining all weekend, autumn is definitelt here.

Yesterday morning we made a quick trip to the market in Antwerp, where I bought these... a cross between strawberries and raspberries... they tasted like the small wood strawberries, but they are much bigger, really nice and they didn´t last the trip back, as we ate them in the car.
Have been quilting a bit, but since I have exams in two weeks, I have been reading in my books a bit... I think it is getting time to do this...

Happy camper

Today my new sewing machine arrived! I am a happy camper. Couldn´t wait until the kids were to bed and I could unpack it and try it...
Oh, and what a difference it is with my old machine. No comparison...
When DH saw my trying some different stitches, he wondered when I would shorten his trousers... as if this machine is made for domestic work, no this machine is made for quilting.

WIP

My sewing machine died on me, so yesterday I joined my friend Evelyn to finish my quilttop. She generously offered that I use her sewing machine. So I went over, we had a cup of coffee in a local bistro first and then we started.

She tried a new pattern and I finfished my quilttop. It is now lying on the dining table to be pinned, so I can quilt it.
And since my friend´s sewing machine was so great, I also bought a brother. I ordered it from Matri. So I can´t wait to get it and give it a go here at home.

Wonderful weather

Today the weather was great! So we decided to visit my PIL who live near the beach.
And even on the beach, we had wonderful weather, with a warm breeze.
The boys enjoyed this unexpected day at the beach. They found these empty crab shells and one crab that was still living and son #1 even a fish that was still alive, so he showed it in his bucket and then through it back into the sea, where it swam away real quickly.

In the meanwhile I am still crocheting on my Lollo bear, but I saw that I don´t have enough stuffing, so I will have to get some, so I can finish him.

WIP

While I am crocheting on my hex blanket and finishing a quilt (my sewing machine died on me while making the top of the quilt), I started a new project.
It is the lovely Lollo from Heidi Bears. When she finished the pattern I immediately bought the pattern and couldn´t wait to start. I finished the head, and a big portion of his body and also one arm. He is absolutely gorgeous and I willd o my best to finish him as soon as possible.
When I finish him, I will show the result.

Look who arrived

Today a little bag with a red cross arrived and it was adressed to your youngest son. And look who it is...Son #3 lost his stuffed animal, last week... again, so I called the Knuffelkliniek. They have stock of all the stuffed anlimals they ever made and you can back/order them. And the way the present the animals, how cute is this?
I think there will be a very happy boy after school...

Autumn is coming

This morning we had a walk in the Peerdsbos, a small forest in Brasschaat. Because autumn is coming early there were already chestnuts and beechnuts (hope this is correct), as son #3 shows in the pic below. We harvested some to feed to the squirrel that lives in our garden, as we don´t have nuttrees in our garden.

As the weather was better than predicted, we also had a row at the small lake of the castle of Brascchaat.
But then we met this tree...
Doesn´t the eye look eery...

Craft

For those of you that are wandering if I did any craft during our holiday... Yes, I did!
I made this viking hat, it was a trial hat, as I tried it before with a different kind of wool and it didn´t work out they I want it to be.
When we were in Augsburg, Germany, we strolled in the city and I saw a wool shop, so I bought some 100% Merino wool for crochet hook 7. And I think it worked out they way it should be, although the horns should be more curved.
The problem now is, I can´t find such wool anywhere around here, so I think the easiest way is to order them from the net in Germany.
And offcourse I also am still working on my African Flower blanket.

School started

On thursday all schools started in Belgium, so the boys went back to school. As you can see all the kids were very interested in the start of school and the little play the teachers performed.

Last day in Austria

Today was our last day in Austria. We promised son #3 to take a ride with the steam engine of the zillertalbahn, and so we did.
All the kids, our boys and my cousin´s daughter were in ´trachten´, so they were the talk of the town.
The steam engine ride was really great for the kids, and the views are amazing. A trip worthwhile making.


We drove from Kaltenbach to Mayrhofen, where we had a bite to eat in a Konditorei, and then we took the regular train back to Kaltenbach; At the moment we packed our stuff and I am waiting for DH to bring the car to the chalet to pack the car. So this is the end of a great vacation in Austria.

Kaprun

We visited the Wasserkraftwerken in Kaprun. This little town is famous for the big fire they had in one of trains that brings skiers to the piste.
But they have a beautiful attraction, the stauseen in the mountains. High up in the mountains they built three dams to generate power. You can visited them taking one of these big elevators and some busses.

The sights are amazing and they have fun playgrounds and exebitions for the kids. And the ride up in the bus is worth it, but not for people who are afraid for heights.

Krimml

Today we visited the local craft market in Krimml. We bought some great wooden toys and minerals. The boys love all the minerals you can find here and in this valley you can find a lot of mountain cristals, as the picture above shows.
We bought some smaller ones and spent some time enjoying some local specialities like Krapfen and bradwurst.
Tonight we had a swim at the Kristalbad in Wald, where this picture was taken of Groene beestje on a cristal, because offcourse he joined us.

Krimml Falls

Today we visited the Krimml Wasserfall. When we drove up to the falls we drove pass a forest where there were 2 big male deer. As they saw the car they ran away, but I have never seen the big males this close to houses. The small bambi like deer you see a lot, but the big Hubertus ones, wow...
My dad, DH and son #1 climbed the falls, and I stayed down with the other kids. We visited the visitorcenter.

As the weather is very hot overhere, we had days with 34°C at 1700 m, a hat is not a luxery. But the waterspray from the falls gave a nice cooldown effect.

I took the kids in a Kneipp bath... the wellness lovers under us know this. First you submerse your arms into icecold water for a better bloodcirculatio, and then you walk around in a small artifical lake with stones... Let me tell you... do people pay for this?

But we found some lizards in the water, as you can see, the kids loved them, so I had to get a couple of them for all the kids, as they all wanted to touch them.

Last week update

We didn´t have internet connection at our last appartment, but now that we arrived at our new accomodation, we have internet again. We have had a busy week, so I will just give a short update.

1. Looking for gold in a small creek; 2. son #1 on the witch ride, which is a small seat connected to a line along the longest suspension bridge of the alps (175 m); 3. The Reiseck bahn, a small train that takes you up the mountain on a 82% inclination; 4. The cross on top of a local mountain where we had a picknick and had to flee for a thunderstorm; 5. a deer we encountered in a wild life park; 6. Son #3 hacking for granates, we found quite a lot of good quality and the kids, and especially me had a great afternoon hacking for granates; 7. a Murmeltier, a local marmot that lives in the Alps, we encountered them twice; 8. Drinking for fresh mountain water on our way to Grosglockner, Austria´s higest mountain; 9. Me and the kids at the Kaiser F. Jozef lookout, overseeing the gletser of the Grosglockner.

Another day at Sinsheim

This morning we visited the museum again to see the other parts. DH and son #2 also went to the iMax theatre.

I also went from the slide with the boys, 3 times ! They made a slide from one of the planes on top of the roof, and you can take the stairs into the plane and then the slide back down; Great fun.

Then we drove to Augsburg, where we incountered a guy that made fun ballons, so the kids offcourse wanted one.

Had a great German diner and then took a tram back to the hotel, because son #3 is completely obsessed by trains and trams, so he was all happy.

Holiday

Every year when we drive up to Austria for our skitrip, we pass a museum in Germany; You can see a concord standing next to the highway; So this year we decided to stop in Sinsheim and visit the Auto museum overthere. It is really spectacular. They have an extraordinary collection of oldtimers.

1. Oldtimer; 2. They have amazing big engines; 3. Izetta; 4. Engine in motion, Ruben was mesmerized; 5. Great copper statue of an oldtimer; 6. Steamcrane lifting up engine; 7.Restaurant with planes you can visit; 8. Concord; 9, airplane with slides, great for kids.

There is also a big playground so the kids had a great time. A museum worth visiting.

Sewingmachine broken

At the momet I wish I still had one of the old machines. For some reason my sewing machine lets go of the tread and I cant get it right so no sewing for me today.
Every time I guide the tread and start sewing, the tread come out of the needle...
Oh well, I will look into it after our holiday. The quilts will have to wait...

Laptop sleeve

It has been a busy week as my vacation started last friday, so had to finish some things, but now, vacation started and I finished my laptop sleeve.
Until now I didnt have one and I must admit there are some cratches on the lid, so I decided to make myself a crocheted sleeve, and here it is.
The cute pink buttons I found at Hema, a dutch store that also has stores in Belgium. The came in a package with pinks and red polka dots, so the pink onces matched the colors of the sleeve.

I am very please with the result. If you want the tutorial on how to make the African flowers, check out Heidi Bears blog, she has a good tutorial.