First of all, today Lisa cut a piece of butter and it looked like Vermont. We decided it warrented a photo:
Here's breakfast:
On our way to take Léna to the pediatrician, we saw this woman and her 4 dogs, and her stroller, with a dog in it. Sadly, I couldn't get a photo to do it all justice....


Here's a huge boules court nearby....
They are sitting under the shade.....

Here's Estelle wearing her dress and matching dolly dress, today's Gift from the USA from aunt Joanie....

Lisa tasted Socca for the first time tonight (Nicoise specialty made with chick peas). She loved it!

Accompanied by a fresh mozzarella/tomato/basil salad.
And Estelle enjoyed a little ice cream cone!


And here's a little video of Léna that Lisa took - her first video!

Luxurious Wednesday

Here's Thomas giving Léna her nightly bottle (of expessed milk, no formula for this baby!) We were watching the film "The Kite Runner" on TV in English.

Here's Léna dropping off to sleep with her favorite buddy, the pacifier.
This morning while Estelle was at Cathy's, Lisa and I strolled into the Old Town with the buggy. Here's a shop that caught Lisa's eye: a very old Nicois store selling "bonbonnes", which are these large "bottles" for storing your own wine in your "cave". Also the shop sells "bouchons", or corks for people who make their own wine.
Here we are enjoying coffee/tea out on the terrace of a cafe on the famous Cours Saleya in Vieux Nice...
What a delight to finally feel organized enough to go out with the baby and enjoy a morning tea and people watch!
We shopped for our evening salad meal at the market in front of us, buying: pears, cherries, blackberries, goat's cheese, jambon de parme (like dry prusciutto) and whole walnuts. Lisa claims she is being gastronomically adventurous.
What will tomorrow hold?

Two Days of Activities

Monday morning Lisa and I took Léna out to Mougins to see Uncle Craig at his villa.
Here's Craig and his nephew Ben from Vermont, whom I knew as a little tike...

Back home, Estelle enjoyed opening her "Gift of the Day from the USA" - presents from Grammie!
The Gingerbread Man book and CD!
And a book for me too - The Teeny Tiny Woman! YEAH! Thanks Mom!
Taking it all in....
Coloring at her desk with things from Grammie...


Léna decked out in Kenzo from Manou....
Today Estelle enjoyed playdough time (another strike today so no day-care this afternoon)...
This seagull looks like he's on strike for something, doesn't he?

This afternoon Estelle played silently, alone, for 45 minutes with these blocks. Lisa and I were amazed.

When Estelle is having a great time, she wiggles back and forth on her bum. She kept doing that whilst arranging all these blocks without saying a word. A riot.Stayed tuned for what happens tomorrow!

Changing of the Guard

Yesterday (Saturday), Thomas' parents took their leave of us after a wonderful 10-day stay and lots of help! My sister Lisa arrived at the airport in the morning to pick up where they left off. Here we all are after sharing a tea together - Lisa fresh (ok, maybe not so fresh? ha ha) off the plane and Andrée and Guy ready to hit to road for Provence.Lisa brought with her out Christmas gifts from my sister Joan. Readers may ask themselves "huh? Christmas at Memorial Day?" My friends, you've heard me rant in the past about the postal service over here. Without too much of a deviation, I'll just say that I can carve another notch in my "Ridiculous Encounters with the Nice Post Office" paddle. At Christmas, a package from my sister was first misplaced and then sent back to America after she had paid $60 to mail it. She then was expected to PAY again to get it back, which thankfully the local USPS office said "oh forget that!", and so she then gave the gifts to Lisa who brought them BACK across the Atlantic for a 3rd time.
Thus, here is Estelle, opening her 3 books about Rudolph.
Lisa holds Léna for the first time:
Thomas surprises us with a bottle of champagne! (we are all drinking so little that it's still in the fridge)...

After everyone napped, we took a walk up to the Chateau, where some friends were having a birthday party for Eva who just turned 3. Here's Eva's dad Ludovic with Thomas on sandbox duty....
Fransiska, me and Marie (Eva's mom) and Eva's new little sister Louise:
Marie and I were like an ad for the La Leche League!
Meanwhile, in the sandbox, Eva, Estelle and Eliott get messy with some other little Polish girl who spoke to everyone in English and joined in the fun....
Eva is wearing long sleeves and pants due to her chicken pox - since Estelle's already had them we had nothing to fear!
Everyone played Dad to Eliott as his real engineer dad Arnuad is away for a number of weeks working on an off-shore platform somewhere off the coast of Angola (which I nod and pretend to know where it is ).Don't mind that silly hat on Estelle, her real very trendy hat is somehow temporarily misplaced so this had to do in a pinch.Léna enjoys her playmat:
This morning, Lisa stepped outside for a brief moment on the balcony to show Léna the Mediterranean sun and sea.

"Sisters, sisters, never were there such devoted...."
Estelle thought this was the greatest thing in the world, to have Léna in her bed.
I made French toast this a.m. using brioche from the bakery.
Estelle enjoys a Curious George book and CD from America!
Late this afternoon we took a quick trip to a park. Here's a photo of Estelle when, after just finishing her snack, she looked up the hill and saw the merry-go-round that she had forgotten was located there....

.....and so here we are approximately 2 minutes later!

Back at the ranch, some (supervised) cuddle time....
Yes, yes, I cracked 3 days ago and broke out the pacifier. I tried to resist! But my oh my that girl will latch on to anything and it certainly does have a calming effect!