Trip to New Hampshire

Well, we've officially been back in France one week. It's 8:25 a.m. and this is just about the time we wearily crawled in the door last Friday morning, children and suitcases in tow.
Stealing a few minutes over my tea this morning to upload some more photos.
Yesterday I unloaded the last suitcase and today I pack up new suitcases to ship Estelle off for 2 weeks with Papy and Manou, and ourselves alongside for one night in Provence at TaTa Yvette's.

Faithful readers may remember that my Blog Chronicles of our trip Stateside left off just after 4th of July weekend and I had arrived in NH chez Lisa & Dan to visit them and my mom. Sister Laura also came up from below Boston to visit for one night.
Here's what Dan was up to....

Laura caught mom, Lisa and I enjoying someone else's blog!
That's the only photo I have of my mom from the whole 4 days! She was paparazzi-weary so I let her be. (Can you imagine how many photos you have to pose for when you have 11 children and 26 grandchildren? Staggering!)

Estelle did a lot of tearing around Lisa and Dan's big house. They have two different sets of stairs to get to their 2nd floor and that was VERY entertaining for Estelle. As was the dishwasher, apparently.

We did a lot of lounging around as the weather was SOAKING WET.
p.s. Laura you left those socks at Lisa's.
Here's cousin Ana at the playground with Estelle, in between rainshowers. Should be noted that Ana was on a marathon of playing with Estelle. I almost felt like I should be paying her, the poor college grad that she is....
A slightly different look than the parks in Nice!
Retro toys:
Rain Rain Go Away.
Story hour at the New Boston Library....
Who is that woman in between Lisa and I? The Milkman's daughter? How is she our sister? We always said Laura looks nothing like us.....

One morning Laura gave us pedicures.
Heaven.... now if this isn't sisterly love, what is?
Enjoying the baby over tea....

We had a great few days before going back up to VT and getting ready for Thomas' arrival....Thanks to the whole New Boston crowd for being our wonderful hosts.

Time to get my day going so I'll sign off, but here's a sneak peak at the next installment with a little video....

Estelle on Uncle Paul's swingset. July 15th.

Videos

Here's a few videos from the past few days. Estelle talks 24/7, in English, about anything and everything. But of course when I try to catch her doing it on video, she clams up. Sort of. Well, you get the idea!

Appetizers

A few things to wet the whistle until I get organized to start blogging again.

(how arrogant to think people are sitting around waiting for me to post.....).
A video from June 27th, the day we moved my sister into my brother's house cause now he lives in my mom's house (say it 3 times fast).

Followed by 4 photos as a partial representation of what Estelle did in America:
1. Picked flowers (this is a Red Clover, the Vermont State Flower)

2. Watched the farmer haying the field (not just any farmer, my 2nd cousin).
3. Took some nature walks
4. Played with cousins at Shadow Lake
Lastly, here is what Lena did: Drink Milk and sleep. This photo is so NOT flattering but hilarious so must be included.

ALIVE AND WELL

Arrived in Nice this morning. Trip ok.
Now back on-line so sometime this weekend will post the 3,000 photos from the rest of our trip in America.
Hello Everyone! I owe a lot of emails and thank-you's to many people.
Also our postal mail was being held during our absence so if anyone mailed us packages, etc and thinks we are very rude and forgetful for not acknowledging them....that's why. (we are rude and forgetful but this time there is an excuse).

VERMONT: The First 2 weeks

Here we are in America, I'm at my sister's with a high-speed internet connection. 20 photos to say we are alive and well with a brief description. Nothing is in the right order but beggar's can't be choosers.

Cousin Chelsea with Wayne, Cole and Lena...
Mom reads to Estelle and Cole.
Wes and Dan under Dad's old Chevy.
Heather and Estelle with guitars.
Wes gives a trackster ride to the kids...

These next 5 shots are near a small lake where we stopped to give Estelle a break whilst traveling to NH from VT yesterday. She still threw up later on. Dang. One thing I've learned on this trip - the girl is prone to being carsick. Rats.





Sunday evening, Estelle and my friend Ana's daughter Aleah told Joan how to get out the weeds in her new garden.
Spanish dinner on the deck.
4th on July on this past Saturday - dressed for the occasion!

Friday July 3rd, in Richmond, VT - Uncle Danny shows Estelle around his farm.
Thursday July 2nd, Aunt Mary reads to Estelle.
Thursday afternoon, visiting my Aunt Becky, Dad's sister in Colchester.
Wednesday July 1st, visiting my Dad's other living sibling, Aunt Elaine in West Glover...
12 hours after arriving in Glover, Tuesday June 23rd, visit from my high school friend Jane and her 3 kids!
Checking out frogs by the pond.
Snack time in the playhouse.
Saturday June 27th - the day the whole family came to move Joanie from her village house into Wesley's old house on Perron HIll.
Playing in a tree.
Mom meets Lena, grandchild #26.
Two little girls who like to watch a baby.
Where are the photos of Aunt Martha and her kids, of Uncle Cedric pushing Estelle on the swing, of the 4th of July at Peter's house, etc etc.... I just don't have time for photos of everything, I suppose! Having a great time and anxiously awaiting Thomas' arrival Monday.
Best of all, Estelle is speaking 90% in English. And unbelievable transformation. I cannot believe how well is speaks.

Father's Day Farewell

Lots of stuff going on today over here - Father's Day , the Fete de la Musique (see last year's post on June 21st) and our last day before heading off to America.

This morning Estelle came and jumped on Thomas in bed to say Happy Father's Day. But it was late - 8:40 - so not so bad!This morning we made mini cakes for Eliott's belated bday party.....
We made quite a few.....
Estelle readies herself for America wearing gifts from our friend in Wisconsin, Virginie:

Here's the shindig in a local park. Very fun. That's Arnaud, Eliott's dad, fresh back from 6 weeks away in Angola, or someplace like that in Africa on an offshore.
Lots of excitement about presents!
This morning I learned that Estelle knows how to operate a mouse!



See everybody on the flip side of our travel day tomorrow!

Last Days

Thursday was Estelle's last day EVER at the municipal day care called "Lu Parpaouin", which is Nicois for "Le Papillion", which means "The Butterfly".
Estelle started in Sept 2007 at 14 months in the baby section, moved up 5 months later to the "moyennes", and for the past school yr has been in the "grands". Things were a bit touch and go at the beginning, but this year it has been great, she has loved it 3 afternoons a week for a few hours.
Sorry for the fuzzy photo! In the background you see a woman in black, Odile, responsible for Estelle's section. My batteries died just when I set up a nice photo of Estelle on Odile's lap. Oh well! Below is a little girl I always liked, named Solene. She was always friendly and well behaved. Not the case for everybody in this joint!
This little boy I think is named Younes. He started as a baby with Estelle.
This little girl was always with Estelle to be picked up last in the afternoons. I dropped Estelle off much later than the other kids because she took her nap at home. So she was always with Hannah, her partner in crime when everyone else had left.
And a little video of nothing special with the baby. REally it is just for grandmothers and aunties - boring for anybody else! Léna weighed in at 5kg300 g and 60 cm on Thursday.

Packing on the Pounds

This girl is filling out!




Yesterday we had a visit from my friend Chantal. She brought lots of nice gifts. Estelle was tickled to see Chantal but VERY sad that she didn't bring her grandsons Pierre and Paul to play with her like in February. Hopefully in August!
Meanwhile, the clock ticks. Trying to ready myself to leave.

A fuzzy video of smiles.....