My blog is about to take a turn: two days ago, I moved to the Tel Aviv. After almost four years in Brussels, it was time to move on to a new post, and our cards pointed towards The Middle East. With two small kids, it's never easy to find enough time to write all that I want to. And with the 400 boxes that I'll have to unpack over the next six months, it ...More »

Today my husband and I looked at a space where we will probably hold our farewell reception in a month to say goodbye to our friends and colleagues in Brussels. In a month, my daughter will turn one. In a month, we will move out of the maison de maitre that has been home to us for the past three and a half years. In a month, I'll move out of Europe and into the ...More »

The moment I commit to writing I hear a little voice peeping from behind a closed door. Sofia has just woken up from her second nap of the day, and Luca won't even consider closing his eyes for a minute until the sun sets. When does a writer find time to write? Something has to give -- the housework, the dog that needs to be walked, the laundry that needs to be washed, the bills ...More »

I used to be organized. Now as the mother of two, I organize the bare minimum and hope the rest falls into place.Since my daughter was born four months ago, I have had three appointments at the pediatrician. At the first appointment, I showed up an hour early. At the second one, I arrived an hour late. (At both, I thought I was on time.) And, at the third one, I forgot it entirely and ...More »

There are days where I just can't get it together. Where I feel as if I'm juggling watermelons with greasy fingers. Everyone ends up in tears. Today is one of those days. It's hard enough getting out the door with two kids and a dog but even harder to coordinate Saturday morning errands with all of the above's eating and sleeping schedules. All I need is teatime with twins, or an hour-episode of that reality ...More »

She's here! Our daughter, Sofia Maria Ortona, was born on February 23, 2009 in Brussels. In the end, as suspected, her brother Luca chose her name. When my husband told Luca that his baby sister had arrived (without mentioning her name), Luca replied, "Sofia!" He tried to explain to Luca that we were actually leaning towards the name Livia.  Luca would have none of it, and threw a floor fit. We realized then that he ...More »

I never imagined that my two-year-old toddler might have a say in the name of his sister. My husband and I can't decide between the names Livia and Sofia, both of which we like. I'm leaning more towards Sofia; my husband prefers Livia (he says it's more original and less common -- he's probably right yet I still think Sofia is a beautiful name). But yet when I ask Mr. Big Eyes which name he ...More »

In a week, we'll be a family of four. I'll be the mother of a son and a daughter. Yet most times I still feel I'm a kid myself. I'm supposed to check into the hospital this Saturday for some preliminary tests. If all goes as scheduled, our baby will enter the spotlight on Monday, February 23 before 9:00am. I'm nervous and excited all at once, and anxieties about it all keep me tossing and turning ...More »

Yesterday, instead of his usual bossing around of me, my son was bossing around our dog, Brie (named because she is the color of the cheese -- not because she smells like it). Mr. Big Eyes had dropped a piece of bread on the floor, and, rather than picking it up himself, he summoned our canine hoover to do the job. "Bread on floor, Brie. Eat it," he commanded while pointing out the evidence. Then, he proceeded ...More »

Our second child should make her debut in less than two months. She kicks more than Luca ever did so I can't help but wonder if she wants to show her face sooner than planned. A doctor's appointment this Thursday will help answer some of my questions, even though it's clear that nature has the final say in the end. To some extent, that is, since I'm scheduled to have a C-section, as I did ...More »