19 November 2013 ::

:: Brothers ::

Things I never thought I'd hear myself say: 

1. Double pee, huh? Cool!!

2. You can just share the puke bowl; it'll be fine. 

3. Toothbrushes go in our mouths, not in our pants. 

Things I swore I would never say out loud, but think to myself all the time. 

1. THIS is why we can't have nice things. 

17 November 2013 :: 3:12pm

16 October 2013 ::

:: Brothers ::

"Since it is so likely that children will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage"

 - CS Lewis

16 October 2013 :: 3:33pm

14 July 2013 ::

:: Brothers :: 

We celebrated the official end of The Summons with a nice little patio lunch at Mama Roma's.  You boys were in rare form today and Finn thought you were especially hilarious!

14 July 2013 :: 2:46pm

02 July 2013 ::

:: Brothers ::

Your first week of Summer!  You are already out catching bugs, eating wild strawberries, getting Happy Meals and scraping up every inch of your little bodies.

02 July 2013 :: 12:39pm

06 June 2013 ::

:: Brothers ::

Being a Lowrie is exhausting.

 06 June 2013 :: 5:19pm

26 April 2013 ::

:: Brothers ::

What 3am in Beauvais looks like...

27 April 2013 :: 3:12am

10 March 2013

:: Brothers ::

Proof that you do actually, sometimes, get along. 

10 March 2013 :: 10:37am

11 January 2013 ::

:: Dutch Soren ::

Um, Daddy? If Finn eats food off the floor and dies, we can get a dog and we'll name him "Bolt", ok?

I'll think about it.

11 January 2013 :: 2:12pm

17 December 2012 :: 201

:: Brothers ::

Overhead whilst getting dressed for school this morning..

Dutch: Tites, you smell like fish!
Titus: Only in my mouth!

It's true, you did.  We might be switching to a more powerful toothpaste.

10 February 2013 :: 12:12pm

16 December 2012 :: 200

:: Brothers ::

Every time I walk into the living room, I see that the presents under the tree have been moved by little hands and I smile.  You are finally old enough to grasp all the magic Christmas has to offer.  It reminds me so much of the magical Christmases I had as a child and I hope when you grow up you have the same warm memories. 

I want to give you the world; the things on my heart will not fit under a tree, but will be instilled in yours to take with you wherever your destiny calls you. I have no doubt you will be world changers.

07 December 2012 :: 191

:: Brothers ::

Overheard whilst playing "bad guy trucks" together in your room...

Dutch: Ok, well I'm gonna go now. Bye!

Titus: Ok, bye!

(Truck drives away, then a sudden U-turn...)

Dutch: WAIT! We forgot - I need hugs and kisses!

Titus: Oh yeah, hugs and kisses!

(smacking noises as the trucks give kisses)

Titus: Ok, see you later! I love you!

Dutch: I love you too!

These are the sweetest bad guy truckers I've ever met.

07 December 2012 :: 11:56am

06 December 2012 :: 190

:: Brothers ::

Tonight is St. Nicolas Day; the day when all the Belgian kids get all their presents for Christmas.  According to the custom here, you put out a boot with a beer for Sinterklaas (Santa) and carrots for his horse (who has transported the big guy from Spain where he landed in his boat a week ago). 

You were SO excited!  The next morning you found the beers and carrots replaced by gifts.  

06 December 2012 :: 7:44pm

07 December 2012 :: 6:53am

04 December 2012 :: 188

:: Brothers ::

Christmas is in the air! You both came home today from school singing your little Dutch song about Santa Claus.

Dutch, your class made special plates to put Santa's snacks on and you are very excited to use it.  Tites you just wanted to play with it, touch it, look at it, smell it... pretty much anything to get a rise out of your big brother.

04 December 2012 :: 4:48pm

03 December 2012 :: 187

:: Brothers ::

This morning we woke up to swirls of big fluffy snowflakes falling.  We bundled you up in your jammies and headed outside.  You're not quite used to snow yet, as you both made it about 4 metres out the door and headed right back inside for breakfast.

Apparently, Belgium is not quite used to snow yet either, as none of the roads were passable, so after an attempt at heading to school, you and Daddy walked right back inside and you stayed home from school. 

Neither of you was too torn up about this turn of events.

03 December 2012 :: 7:23am

01 December 2012 :: 185

:: Brothers ::

I've been hoarding sample Christmas pictures on my pinterest "photog" board for the past year and now was my chance to finally try it out.  You both tolerated cooperated fairly well. 
Dutch, I still can't figure out why you pulled out your "gangsta face" for these photos, but I'm assuming it has something to do with being my child and preferring behind the camera to being in front of it.  Too bad for you, I'm going to be in your face with that thing until the day you move out.

01 December 2012 :: 7:44pm :: Photo by Nolan Tarnantino

30 November 2012 :: 184

:: Brothers ::

"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother” – Theodore Hesburgh

... and he does. so very well. 

Photo by Nolan Tarnantino

21 November 2012 :: 175

:: Brothers ::

I'm not quite sure how it came about, but somehow the first words out of my mouth to Daddy this morning were something to the effect of "the boys can stay home today if you want; its only a half day anyway"  ... and so it came to be.

After your naps (more for my sanity than for your well being), you both climbed up to the big table on your stools and spent the rest of the evening cutting up paper with your 'safe' scissors. 

It was really pretty darn cute.

21 November 2012 :: 10:34am

01 November 2012 :: 155

:: Brothers ::

This morning you boys woke up dying to play with the new little walnut boats me and Dutch made last night. You scarfed down breakfast to make room for your "pond" and the boats on your little table.  

The "pond" wasn't realistic enough for you, so we added some blue water and you played until most of the water had found its way out of the pond and the boats were too waterlogged to float anymore (much to your chagrin).  

01 November 2012 :: 8:27am

14 October 2012 :: 137

:: Brothers ::

You boys love your new little brother, especially Titus. You like to lay your head on his face and you are ever so gentle, though for a two year old, can sometimes can still be a bit rough.  Finn is a good sport though, and even gives you a smile every now and then. 

You and Dutch fight over who gets to sit in the middle in the car, so you can help hold Finn's paci in his mouth.  

You are such a sweet big brother.

14 October 2012 :: 7:18pm

05 October 2012 :: 128

:: Brothers ::

Today to spite the rain, and to partially commiserate Daddy being gone, we took ourselves to "MickyDonalds" for dinner.

An old man spotted us and watched us the entire time we ate.  He walked over on his way out and gave us his Speculoos cookies as a gesture of goodwill.

I didn't have the heart (or the proper French) to tell him that Dutch would not eat nor enjoy his gift.

Finn slept the entire time.

05 October 2012 :: 5:01pm