Neuhaus Factory Outlet

This was my fourth trip to the Neuhaus Factory Outlet, but the kids had never been there, and since Mitch had to work today even though it's a holiday, I decided we needed a little chocolate treat. I'm not gonna lie, I got a little drunk on the vodka chocolate cordials, because they use insanely good chocolate and fill it with insanely good vodka. They should rename them Mommy's Miracles. Okay, I was disappointed the first time I went there because there was no factory tour, just a little strip-mall type of shop, but soon I learned that there are free samples of every chocolate in the store, and I didn't mind not getting to see how the chocolates were made. Especially after five Mommy's Miracles.

We all got sick but no one barfed, so it was a successful outing for our clan. Neuhaus Factory Outlet. Recommended!

Ghent

So, Valentine's Day was the first Saturday Mitch didn't have to work since we got here, so naturally we wanted to make the most of it. We gathered up the kids and hit the road to Ghent, an absolutely adorable town about an hour away. Less if you don't stop for windshield washer fluid. This little journey helped us discover that the best way to spend cupid's holiday is at a medieval torture museum.

Gravensteen Castle is an old count's castle from the 1100s. That's old as shit, you guys. It's situated right in the middle of Ghent, moat and all. 

No, really. They built the town around it.

The minute we walked into the place, I could tell Mitch was on the verge of pissing his pants with excitement. I handed him the camera, which is why the rest of our photos look like this:

I mean, it's nice and ceiling-y and all, but how many photos does one need of arches and architectural details? And did he take even ONE photo of the tower crappers where the toilet holes were open directly to the moat? Nope. And I know that's all anyone really cares about. Except torture!

The torture museum was the shizz, although we mostly just have pics of the ceiling and no pictures of the vast displays of thousand-year-old weapons. He did take a few snaps of the guillotine and the rack.

And he got one from the top of the castle, although I suspect that was just an excuse to capture more architecture.

The rest of Ghent was quaint as could be and we found a sweet little restaurant along the canal for lunch. Henry and I took over camera duties after that.

My Valentine. Awwwww. 

I call this piece, "Bridge with Kids in Front of it."

The title of this piece is, "Canal that People Used to Poop into and Old-Ass Buildings and Some Kids that Came Out of Me."

Mitch got the camera back.

This is right after my tiny baby twins each consumed a side of beef with frites. Because everything comes with frites in Belgium. And beer, so that's good.

We went to a pretty cool light museum, but by that time my eyeball was twitching from being out in public so long, so we didn't see all of it. Total number of times we had to find a bathroom for my tiny-bladdered daughter that day: 6. I don't know why she didn't use the open-air toilets back at the castle. What a princess.

We wrapped up our Valentine's Day with a viewing of slasher movies. Because that's how we roll.