A week ago on Estelle's first day off from school, we started making our Christmas cookies...
Even Léna got into the act:
Tuesday afternoon we went to a "Gouter de Noel" at Emmanuelle's house - she has 2 daughters Charlotte & Maelys who are at Estelle's school. We know them thru Eva & Louise. So these 6 little girls spent a few hours together. Emmanuelle made us waffles!
Here's Estelle wearing one of their costumes that they let her borrow, even! It makes me realize I have no dress-up clothes for Estelle.
Weds and Thurs are a blur of rain, laundry and packing. Friday morning at dawn we flew up to Angers and by some miracle avoided all the cancelled flights which plagued Europe last week. We arrived to see a few changes in Estelle's room:
And a sitting room ready for Christmas:
Friday night we went to mass and Saturday morning there was some excitement!
Estelle made out like a bandit.
Our breakfast table:
For our Christmas dinner we had a "chapon". This is a castrated rooster, I learned. Very good. 
At 4:30, as tradition goes, the Saulnier family joined us for champagne and the Buche de Noel.
This year after years of threatening to do so, Guy made his OWN buche and so the one below (from a bakery,chocolate mousse) had some competition. Somehow I don't have a photo of Guy's! It was very much like the ones I have made in the past. Excellent!
Lots of fun everywhere for Léna...
The day after Christmas (yesterday) we walked over to the Moreau's house for some Christmas cheer around their central fireplace. There were 4 different families represented, all neighbors from the cul-de-sac area where Thomas grew up and where his parents still live.
Agnes with Sebastien Rigollet and Virginie Saulnier.
Here's Lucie Rigollet and her two boys Ferriolle and Robinson, who are both within days of my own girls. 
So far, lots of sweets and meats but no sweetmeats (yet).It's pretty dang cold (32F) but no snow.
More playdates this afternoon etc. All is well.
