What it's like to like to travel alone in Europe with a jet-lagged toddler and preschooler (aka Day 2 am)

This post isn't complete... Check back for more later.

Here's how today has gone so far:

-7:30 woke up, exhausted, but got out of bed to visit G before his work started. He had already made coffee, and I wasn't sure I'd figure out the machine on my own so this was my chance, so I had a cup...

- showered, blow dried, clothes, make-up

- furiously cleaning because Apt owner was coming to fix a piece that was broken on the shower and I didn't want him to think we were the slobs that broke it 

- Tried to fit the stroller into the elevator. I can't.

9:45 / 10 - kids wake up, breakfast, get everyone's diapers changed / on the potty, dressed, clean up breakfast mess for Owner's benefit. The sun is shining. 

12:30 - finally ready to leave. L has a tantrum that he wants to stay home and play, which makes shoes, coats, strollers, stairs, elevators (aka getting out the from door) a real uphill battle. L was still crying as we started down the street. 

I literally pushed them around the corner. Buy each kid a 1€ waffle from a shop with a window because there's no way I'm getting my double stroller up & down the steps into shops. And even if I do, there's no room between the people and tiny aisles. We kinda stuck on the street with the stroller. 

The waffles are yum.  Warm, light, sweetly glazed and eggy! (Local waffle man at home does not come close.) 

Literally the store next to that was where we bought our nice chocolate.  Neuhaus.  According to our apartment owners, this one is the best quality. (Leonids are quality but cheaper. Godiva is quality. There are 1 or 2 more she wrote down...)

I bought a box of alcohol-free fancy chocolates for the kids, a box with alcohol for us, a box of macaron, and a box of potty training chocolate. (If you're not motivated to keep your pants dry for Belgian chocolate, then I don't know what will motivate you!) 

Almost literally next to that door was the Mannekin Pis statute. 

No sooner had we gotten across the street from the Mannekin Pis to Godiva to watch the lady in the window dip strawberries in chocolate and it starting pissing down rain. (Ha ha) 

So I busted out the new Joovy rain cover and directions and figured it out. 

30 pm - return to the apt. Attempt to feed the kids lunch. No one will eat.  M drops her food all over the floor for entertainment.

finish cleaning up from lunch. 

3 pm - the sun is back out and shining.  Get L to sit on the potty so we can go back out. He does but halfway missed the potty and gets half on his pants. Now I have to re get him dressed and we short one more pair of pants til we get to a place with laundry.  Change M's diaper.  When I come out, L has torn into the $30 box of chocolates that I just bought, which was supposed to be after meal treats, not "congrats, you just peed in the potty treats." get L dressed. 

4 pm - M decides she wants to nurse down for her nap... Nurses but doesn't nap.
5 pm - I'm so done with being house-trapped! I tell L it's time to go. He throws the exact same tantrum he threw at noon when I took him out: "No, I don't want to go. I just want to stay here and play."  (Insert tears here.)  I realize I haven't drank any water all day, so I run for a sip as we're rolling out the door and drop a glass jar of Dijon.  Seriously? I'm not letting this shattered glass keep me here any konger! So I leave and figure I'll clean it up when I get back with G.