Last night I was up rather late. I went online to write my blog (not intending to do anything else), but one thing led to another, I answered some emails and then next thing I know it’s 2:18am and I’ve just spent the last couple hours watching music videos on YouTube. I say, Lady Gaga’s music seems normal, but then you watch the music videos and you’re thinking ‘what the heck is she on?!’. I mean sure, she’s very artistic and creative and ‘theatrical’ (according to Glee), but I’m being honest when I say that sometimes you can go a little over the top. But hey, the world needs a few people like that so the rest of us feel normal. I’m not dissing Lady Gaga, there are some of her songs I really like listening to. I’m just being observant and voicing an opinion.

I thought staying up would be ok because I could sleep in today, but I ended up getting up to go to Little Gym with Bastien and Adeline. Today was the end of a cycle and their was a show where family could come in and watch what the kids do every week (like they do with dance classes) and take pictures and things. Normally it’s just one parent per kid in the room. I didn’t have to go, but I thought it would be neat. So I have a bunch of pictures and some video. It’s a really neat place where the kids can be active in a safe environment (with lots of padding) and try out mini gymnastic type things. They also have this big circle pad where they put the kids on it on their stomachs and roll them towards another pad. When the get there, they help the kids do a somersault onto the pad on the floor. It looked like fun! They sang some songs and even had one of those big parachute things that are great to play with in groups. At the end of the parachute section they had the kids go underneath it and when all the kids were supposed to leave from underneath, there was Bastien trying to stick his head out of the center hole. I don’t have a picture of it, but I have it on video! Bastien even let me take his picture with his diploma. Now he will move up an age group and go at a later time.

Let’s travel back in time for a minute shall we:

Flashback to April 1997.

Some of you might know/remember the story of how when Jean-Go’s family came to visit the year he lived with us we went to Medieval Times in Toronto and someone (I can’t remember who, I was 10) won a blue teddy bear and gave it to Lisa. This is the one time I remember actually throwing a temper-tantrum. I know it happened more than once, but this is the one time I remember. I wanted a bear too! Yes, I admit, I am somewhat ashamed at my behaviour. Oh well. So when we took them to the airport Jean-Go’s Dad and younger brother disappeared for a while. When they came back they handed me a beanie panda bear and Charles (Jean’s brother) told me his name was Freddy. I remember playing with that bear a lot. I even took it to school and when my friends and I built small forts in the snow, I put the panda in them. I still have him. I actually brought him with me.

End flashback

This is the story of Freddy the Sleeping (now he’s awake!) Panda. So remember how I was saying (yesterday I believe) how Bastien likes to go on ‘trips’ with his backpack-on-wheels and he likes me to go with him with my suitcase? Well, he wanted to do that again today. So when we were in my room getting my suitcase he went and got Freddy. He had gotten him earlier when we were playing as well and I had put him (the bear) in one of my hoodie pockets. So Bastien tried to do that, but he didn’t have any pockets! So he told me to put him in my pocket again. Thus starts the funny part of the story. He decided that Freddy needed to have a nap so he took the bear and put him in my bed. Lying on his back of course (he corrected me when I put Freddy on his stomach). Then Bastien pulled up the covers (and now for something REALLY CUTE), gave him a little kiss and said good night (and good nap), just as if he was putting a little kid to bed. Then as we left he had me dim the light. Bastien closed the door, started walking into the library and then stopped! Freddy was awake! So he went up to the door and said ‘tok tok’ (knock knock) Bonjour Freddy, opened it (had me turn up the lights) and went to get the bear. He brought Freddy back out with him (but not before pulling my covers back up, so thoughtful) and got the library again and decided it was time for Freddy to sleep. This happened at least 10 times, I’m sure of it, and he never got very far (sometimes only a few steps) before he would take Freddy back into my room and put him back to bed or go and get him when he was ‘asleep’. Sometimes Freddy was crying, sometimes he wasn’t. Bastien would always talk to Freddy very nicely, and give a kiss before leaving. I couldn’t stop laughing (silently of course), it was cute and so funny. It was funny because he did it so many times and because he never got very far before he was back either waking him up or putting him to bed. It was adorable. Actually, I think Freddy is still in my bed right now :D. He’ll have to go back to his place on the nightstand tonight though, I sleep alone :).

During this time two of Adeline’s friends were over. One I met at the wine and cheese party and the other I just met today. Both are very, very nice. And for the occasion Adeline picked up a tarte sucre (sugar cake) from the bakery. Very tasty. We had hot chocolate as well and fruit.

Also today is my 1 month anniversary of my arrival in Belgium! And I haven’t missed a day of blogging yet, go me! And I guess I have this strange obsession with ‘!’ marks. I just get so excited!! 😀