 |
| Another flower market :) |
 |
| Notre Dame |
Saturday, May 26, 2018
France - 6ième Journée
Today's pictures can speak a thousand words! Oh, but I should say that I took a picture of the bride and groom only because Louisa and Cora love to see wedding dresses. Good night!
Friday, May 25, 2018
France - 5ième Journée
Our fifth day in France was full, yet relaxing. We did a bike tour of the less touristy parts of Paris. I've been having fun trying to learn how to use our digital camera on modes other than AUTO. I'm not totally convinced that it's worth hauling it around if my iPhone can take pictures that are just as good. I'll need to set up an experiment to test this theory.
On Friday evening, we had dinner at Le Bon Georges - recommended by my friend Kerstin, who lives in Wisconsin but visited France last fall. The food was good (I had a ahi tuna-like fish), but the waiters were the most memorable part of the experience. They all obviously loved their jobs. I asked one of the waiters why he liked his job so much. His answer was somewhat lost in translation, I think. He basically explained that he works 10 am to 2 am with a 1 hour break and that he loves his job because it doesn't feel like work. Isn't that what we all want out of a job?
It turns out that George himself was one of the waiters, which still surprises me. But I decided that that could be why the entire waitstaff seemed so enthused - because their boss was working along side them? Anyways, it was a very French experience and during the 2.5 hours we sat and ate, it poured rain, stopping long enough for us to leisurely walk & metro home!
On Friday evening, we had dinner at Le Bon Georges - recommended by my friend Kerstin, who lives in Wisconsin but visited France last fall. The food was good (I had a ahi tuna-like fish), but the waiters were the most memorable part of the experience. They all obviously loved their jobs. I asked one of the waiters why he liked his job so much. His answer was somewhat lost in translation, I think. He basically explained that he works 10 am to 2 am with a 1 hour break and that he loves his job because it doesn't feel like work. Isn't that what we all want out of a job?
It turns out that George himself was one of the waiters, which still surprises me. But I decided that that could be why the entire waitstaff seemed so enthused - because their boss was working along side them? Anyways, it was a very French experience and during the 2.5 hours we sat and ate, it poured rain, stopping long enough for us to leisurely walk & metro home!
 |
| My cousin Molly, my mom, my sister and me |
 |
| Just a nice plaza in Paris |
Thursday, May 24, 2018
France - 4ième Journée
Oh my. I have even fewer words tonight. Not because I'm so tired, but because we are getting up quite early for a bike tour of Paris! A few pics to recap another lovely day!
 |
 |
| Peter, Cora and Louisa! I thought you stayed home with Nate |
 |
| Some amazing graffiti in Montmartre |
 |
| Sacre Cour |
 |
| Sacre Cour, encore |
 |
| I miss traveling with my photography coach (Nate). He would teach me how to make this picture 100% better! |
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
France - 3ième Journée
I haven't found enough time to write! Pictures will have to suffice today, because I'm too tired to collect my thoughts. The captions can tell the story of day three.
 |
| A great door in Chinon |
 |
| Looks open, right? Nope. Not until 12 pm :) |
 |
| Fun name for a flower shop |
 |
| Chlorophylle Fluers, from another angle |
 |
| Group photo in Chinon, a lovely medieval town |
 |
| Chinon from above |
 |
| The wild poppies here are stunning |
 |
| Fast forward to Paris, in La Louvre |
 |
| Molly, Sarah and my Mom, hanging with Mona Lisa |
 |
| A grand hallway in La Louvre |
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
France - 2ième Journée
The first day in France was nice, but sort of feels like a lost cause because of the jet lag. So I'll just skip to day 2. What a lovely day! After sleeping in until 10:15 am, we drove our rental car to Chateau de Chenonceau. Our Rick Steve guide for the Loire Valley said this castle was known for maintaining it's wood-burning fire places in the winter and flower arrangements in the summer. Was this ever true! As a budding flower shop owner, I couldn't help but take photo after photo of the arrangements I saw throughout the castle.
Next we drove to Vouvray, in search of a late lunch and wine tastings. Wine tastings were easy to come by, whereas food was not. In rural France, it's not so common to eat between 2 and 7 pm. We settled for some marvelous quiches from a charcuterie while tasting some nice wines at Cave de Vouvray. The brut (bubbly) wines were our favorites. Next we headed to another winery complete with a cellar tour, before checking out Tours (the largest city in the region) and finally driving back to Ambois for dinner.
Next we drove to Vouvray, in search of a late lunch and wine tastings. Wine tastings were easy to come by, whereas food was not. In rural France, it's not so common to eat between 2 and 7 pm. We settled for some marvelous quiches from a charcuterie while tasting some nice wines at Cave de Vouvray. The brut (bubbly) wines were our favorites. Next we headed to another winery complete with a cellar tour, before checking out Tours (the largest city in the region) and finally driving back to Ambois for dinner.
 |
| A flower shop in Tours |
 |
| Shimmering cobblestones walking back from dinner |
Saturday, April 14, 2018
She's 5!
Cora turned five on Wednesday. We started the week off with a joint birthday dinner with Aunt Georgia (who turned 30+ on Friday :). On Wednesday, Cora brought toilet paper rolls stuffed with fruit leather and stickers to her 4K class and silk flowers with fruit leather taped to the stems to her friends at St. Bernard's.
On Wednesday night, we celebrated with butternut squash soup, grilled cheese sandwiches and green beans at Cora's request. The strawberry birthday cake was supposed to be a highlight, but both Cora and Peter found it too sweet. I went out of my way to avoid fake stuff (jello, artificial strawberry extract, a box mix or canned frosting), but alas, it probably wasn't worth the effort - note the curdled frosting below. Sounds like I should have tried adding more sugar instead of assuming it was the acid in the strawberry puree. The cake theme [space/monkey/Hello Kitty], however? NAILED IT! The best part of the birthday night was probably a surprise visit from Helen (our old nanny) and new rain boots, both of whom/which Cora asks for with regularity.
The next day, I had parent-teacher conferences with the girls' teachers. Mrs. Douglas, Cora's awesome 4K teacher, had wonderful things to say about Cora, including her "academic" progress and love of art and science. Louisa also had Mrs. Douglas for 4K, and in September, after only knowing Cora for 2 weeks, she commented on how different she is from Louisa. I didn't get to ask her to elaborate on her observations then, so I asked her on Thursday. She explained that while Cora doesn't do this so much anymore, she tested the limits in the beginning of the school year. She also mentioned that Cora is more apt to play with boys and be more physical (in a playful way) than Lou.
When Cora was in 3K, we laughed about how often we heard of boys in her class competing for her attention. Mrs. Douglas didn't mention that this year. Whew!
Bean Bean, we love you. Your love for make-believe, your family and art is awesome. We're excited to continue to watch you be you. Hang tight - those bangs will grown out soon enough!
On Wednesday night, we celebrated with butternut squash soup, grilled cheese sandwiches and green beans at Cora's request. The strawberry birthday cake was supposed to be a highlight, but both Cora and Peter found it too sweet. I went out of my way to avoid fake stuff (jello, artificial strawberry extract, a box mix or canned frosting), but alas, it probably wasn't worth the effort - note the curdled frosting below. Sounds like I should have tried adding more sugar instead of assuming it was the acid in the strawberry puree. The cake theme [space/monkey/Hello Kitty], however? NAILED IT! The best part of the birthday night was probably a surprise visit from Helen (our old nanny) and new rain boots, both of whom/which Cora asks for with regularity.
The next day, I had parent-teacher conferences with the girls' teachers. Mrs. Douglas, Cora's awesome 4K teacher, had wonderful things to say about Cora, including her "academic" progress and love of art and science. Louisa also had Mrs. Douglas for 4K, and in September, after only knowing Cora for 2 weeks, she commented on how different she is from Louisa. I didn't get to ask her to elaborate on her observations then, so I asked her on Thursday. She explained that while Cora doesn't do this so much anymore, she tested the limits in the beginning of the school year. She also mentioned that Cora is more apt to play with boys and be more physical (in a playful way) than Lou.
When Cora was in 3K, we laughed about how often we heard of boys in her class competing for her attention. Mrs. Douglas didn't mention that this year. Whew!
Bean Bean, we love you. Your love for make-believe, your family and art is awesome. We're excited to continue to watch you be you. Hang tight - those bangs will grown out soon enough!
Sunday, March 4, 2018
'Till You See The Light [Turn Green]
For years and years, our kids' bedtime routine has been lovely and the same: jams on, 3 books on the couch, brush teeth, hop in bed, 2 songs, 1 prayer, and then 1 final song. Perhaps it's his age, but while Peter has mostly gone to bed easily since he was an infant, he hasn't always embraced the singing and praying routine before bedtime. By not embracing it, I mean there were times when he would request no songs! don't pray! so we would just say goodnight and leave his room.
He has consistently been our early riser too. If the rest of us would sleep in until 6:50 on a weekday and 7:10 on weekends, he prefers sometime between 6:20-6:45 regardless of the day of the week. To help train him to sleep in a bit later, we bought the Ok to Wake clock for Peter, which turns green at a set time, signaling that it's okay to wake up. It's not really working, but it is cute to see how proud he is when he happens to sleep past 6:45, which is his okay-to-wake time. The problem/not-problem lately is that he is waking up around 6:30, removing his diaper and going to the bathroom. Our alarm is thus, I pooped on the potty!
Thankfully he's feeling the rhythm of songs and a prayer lately, and the other night, I decided to sing a song that was new to him. It goes like this:
I will be your home
I will be your guide
I will be your friend
Always by your side
Sleep now in your room
Quiet of the night
Surrounded by the moon
'Till you see the light
When Renae and Jeremy sing it, it's beautiful - repeated a couple of times through, with a round and nice harmony. When I sang it for Peter the first time the other night, I was not thinking of the green light on his clock, but apparently he was. The first time through, he was staring at me, obviously listening to the words. The second time, right as I sang the final word light, he sang along: turn green. It made me beam and still 24 hours later, made my heart swell. I can't say that it helped him sleep in either morning since, but I guess we'll keep trying.
Even if you don't sleep in, we love you, Peter! And happy 3rd birthday!
He has consistently been our early riser too. If the rest of us would sleep in until 6:50 on a weekday and 7:10 on weekends, he prefers sometime between 6:20-6:45 regardless of the day of the week. To help train him to sleep in a bit later, we bought the Ok to Wake clock for Peter, which turns green at a set time, signaling that it's okay to wake up. It's not really working, but it is cute to see how proud he is when he happens to sleep past 6:45, which is his okay-to-wake time. The problem/not-problem lately is that he is waking up around 6:30, removing his diaper and going to the bathroom. Our alarm is thus, I pooped on the potty!
Thankfully he's feeling the rhythm of songs and a prayer lately, and the other night, I decided to sing a song that was new to him. It goes like this:
I will be your home
I will be your guide
I will be your friend
Always by your side
Sleep now in your room
Quiet of the night
Surrounded by the moon
'Till you see the light
When Renae and Jeremy sing it, it's beautiful - repeated a couple of times through, with a round and nice harmony. When I sang it for Peter the first time the other night, I was not thinking of the green light on his clock, but apparently he was. The first time through, he was staring at me, obviously listening to the words. The second time, right as I sang the final word light, he sang along: turn green. It made me beam and still 24 hours later, made my heart swell. I can't say that it helped him sleep in either morning since, but I guess we'll keep trying.
Even if you don't sleep in, we love you, Peter! And happy 3rd birthday!
Friday, March 2, 2018
Attic Upgrade
I'm still so surprised by how well I've been able to overlook the eyesores of unfinished work all this time. Surprised and proud, I guess, as a recovering perfectionist. Nate's big thing about these finishing touches is that after about 30 minutes of living with the improvement, we stop noticing it because it "looks the way it should look." I agree, although 1 week later, I still glance up towards the attic when I'm walking down to the main floor. And if I go up to the attic to do a little yogadownload.com, I start to breath deeper before I've even laid my mat down, thankful that this tedious task is behind me. Next step, repainting the walls so there is more contrast between the Pearly White trim and the Modern Grey walls, although I'm not gonna lie - that is not high on my priority list right now.
I hope these before and after shots help you breath a little deeper too. Namaste.
The attic is definitely a fun and relaxing place to be these days, as long as I avert my eyes from the storage room, which in in need of a big re-org. Or just a door. Actually tonight I sat on the couch and watched an entire movie (Toy Story) with the kids. Not once did I feel the urge to get up and organize. What did really distract me though was how beat up the trim of Andy's house is. This is a animated film, Pixar! Can't it just be perfect? I've seen the movie before and definitely did not notice the trim then. Apparently I'm extra sensitive after spending so much quality time with ours.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)