First, on Saturday, we had our friend Pierre over for lunch.
Thomas made a sautée de veau (braised veal)and chorizo with a green-olive tomato sauce and polenta. Yum!
Pierre spent some time in the States and can hold his own with English. He enjoyed reading "The Tooth Fairy" to Estelle who had just lost her tooth the night before. He then used his iPhone to show Estelle diagrams of the human mouth to determine the official name of the tooth she had lost. I already forgot what it is!
later Saturday night - last swim lesson for the year:
Here's Eva going done and Estelle waiting on deck
This is into water well over her head (over my head too!)
Once she plunges in, she swims over to the ladder in the corner...
Fabio and (some of) the herd:
A celebratory cocktail afterwards....
Read a few books, thanks to Eva (who can read!)
Celestin and Estelle look on....
Sunday 12: prepare for the tea party:
Morning of the party - Pentecost Monday, no school, no work for Thomas.
One game of "set the tea table" ( I was literally tracing these things onto the paper as the girls were arriving, hence the mutant fork).
Irina, Estelle, Emma, Alice, Lilou
Decorating scones:
The finished scones:
Play time!
I bought many tutus at a church shop - plus Snow White. Martha may recognize the white and pink outfits from Alexandra?
Racing to set the table!
Singing moment:
Now the dollies get their tea:
Games #2: stacking sugar cubes:
Mae made a flower:
Happy birthday, sung in French, English, Roumanian (Irina) and Japanese (Mae).
I served each girl her own scone, and suddenly saw them all grimacing. Long story short...I realized that in my panic of party prep, I had used one tablespoon baking SODA and not baking POWDER. YUCK. Threw it all away and pulled out ice cream cups!
Enjoying some gifts:
More piano action
After lunch: Birthday fun for Mommy: touring Nice's answer to Arlington Nat'l cemetery, which shockingly I had never been to (out of the way).WWI graves.....
Fransiska & Eliott joined us...
military -
A grave for nuns: nothing but a cross, no names. Very striking.
Here's part of the more modern Jewish section...
And then, off to the beach at 5:30....
Back at the ranch, Estelle takes our photo!
This little piggy went straight to bed....
What a great birthday weekend!
3 comments:
Wonderful photosQ
First of all, the kids in the swim pool from up high looked like water bugs!
Loved the bday party photos. What a nice job you did, despite the soda/baking powder confusion.
Lena's hair is getting so long.
The statues at the cemetery were beautiful!
Can't wait to see you soon!
Wow!! What a weekend.
First of all, the tea party looked so professional, great ideas. And it looked like each girl got to take home a real tea pot that you must have bought at a used shop...very sweet.
And I love your usual scone recipe, sorry this one got turned inside out--but you carried on!
I loved the cemetery pics...the sculpture of the woman weeping-so beautiful . And the one with angels--at first I thought Estelle had climbed up from the back and that was her at the very top--then I realized it was sculpture, not real! What a weekend!
I think things will be so much more low key in Glover--prepare the girls!!
Can't wait to see you all.
I thought that was a great idea that Thomas will enjoy the jazz festival.
Does anyone else think that Lena looks like Emily did when she was that age?
SAM
Yes, Lena does look a bit like Emily. However in that last picture of Lena in the high chair, I still see lots of Estelle and some of Julie's eyes!
Love, Lisa
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