A Horse is a Horse

Remember I said we have 6 Advent Calendars?
Here's the great PopUp Eric Carle one from his book "Dream Snow". The farmer and his 5 animals, etc. It's darling, so cleverly made, so original. My girls love love love it.
Thanks Darlene!
Léna with the book she doesn't let out of her sight, my family's recording of Frosty, last year's Xmas gift....
Another Advent Calendar: Oui Oui (known as "Noddy" in the anglophone world, I just found out!)
Enjoying Aunt Mary's Christmas gift from last year - A Peanut's Nativity Scene. So much fun to play with. And if Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Pony, Madeline, Dora and a Playmobile lady would like to join Snoopy and CharlieBrown, well, the more the merrier.

Like I said, the hills may be alive with the sound of music, and my apartment on the weekends and in the evenings is filled with the recordings from my family and these amazing recordable Hallmark books - "The Night Before Christmas" and "Frosty". It's like my whole family is floating all around the apartment.
She's so sweet. When she's not destroying something.
Now here's the kid that never destroys anything and has the patience of a Samaritan with her sibling:
Below: Estelle has these recorded books memorized, every syllable, every intonation. She likes to place her finger on the photo of each person as they are speaking. Or singing.
Below: Our other advent calendar (not pictured yet) is 24 little boxes that we have filled. I used whatever I could find around sometimes (like post-it notes that Doug gave me after cleaning out). This is a lot of fun when you are 5.
Again, have I mentioned the obsession with the family recorded books? Thomas now can imitate everybody, even Danny who sounds like he's 93.
Here's Estelle drawing Santa a picture.
Getting the finer points down.
Love:

Last Sunday Thomas made me this: pear and almond powder. Heaven.
Mommy, Cindy Lou Who says stop taking pictures of me.
Things to write, places to be, people to see. Outta my way.

Note that after everyone's name, there's a # to show their age. Estelle has just had the epiphany that Mommy's age is 4-1, and Daddy's is 3-4, and doesn't that mean Mommy is bigger? Why yes, dear, that's what that means.
Richard Scary's The Smells of Christmas. Scratch N' Sniff, reproduction of the 1970 favorite. One year Estelle got 2, one from Mary, one from Martha. That was the same year they each gave her a Dressy Bessy. Twins, what can you do?

And lastly, a recent photo of me:
Some of you may know that Thursday I visited my pulmonologist only to be told that nothing had improved on the pneumonia front, despite the pleurisy hurting a bit less. I spent the entire day having tests, blood work, Xrays and Cat scans. It began at 9 a.m. and ended at 7:30 p.m. The verdict: 4th and different (and hopefully final) antibiotic treatment including a visiting nurse coming 2x/day to administer a shot to me. When I picked up the vials at the pharmacy, my pharmacist Eric (who has been following my sad tale of coughing woe since Nov 1st) said 'Wow, they're not messing around any more. That's strong stuff". I needed 20 vials and they only keep 2 in stock, which kind of tells you something. Anyways so far I've had 4. Today the nurse told me that these shots are for horses. I laughed. She peered at me over her bifocals and said something like "No joke, I have almost never given this to people because anyone who gets this is usually hospitalized by the time they need this." And then she basically said something to the effect of it really IS for horses. Neigh. Snort. Neigh. Giddyap....of course of course no one CAN talk to a talking horse - she coughs too much!

In Sickness and In Health

Last Tuesday as soon as my pleurisy was diagnosed, Thomas came right home and did not leave my side for almost 6 days. Doctor's appts, blood lab, getting girls hither and thither, cleaning, cooking, shopping, laundry, playing with kids, he did it all with nobody asking.
He's not here so I can't take his picture to put on this blog, but here's a few old shots to remind us both where this crazy ride all began.






The photo below is surely the reason I was struck down with pleurisy after a 6-yr incubation period: this shot is certainly an effrontery to God and the Church - what were we thinking posing like this is the House of the Lord?
Last week on Thursday and Friday we spent 2 days holed up with no kids, no work, no activity and nobody else. Something we haven't done in a long, long time.
Now he's gone back to work, and now that I'm healing at home alone, I miss him.
Thanks Thomas.

Advent Calendar Bonanza!

I always say, nothing like 6 advent calendars in an apartment less than 1000 sq feet to get your holiday season off with a BANG! Below: Advent Calendar #1, and certainly the most coveted: The Kinder Surprise = every day is Kinder chocolate. Thanks Papy & Manou!
Below: Advent Calendar #2: from Estelle's "Pom d'Api" magazine, the little donkey goes from window to window each night. You tear off the window and on the other side is a picture of something he is bringing to Jesus. Today (Dec. 1st) item was clover. You put it in his basket on his back. The magazine has a story, one page per day, to accompany each window and explain what happens. There's even a Star of Bethlehem that moves along with him, to guide him. Great!
Below: #3 - Vermont Christmas Company's version of "Twas the Night Before Christmas" - each window has a different verse on the inside cover and a charming little image to go along with the verse. Thanks Martha & Chris!
A little Jingle Bells to get things rockin'..... Funny, Estelle burst out into singing "Rudolph" tonight, which surprised all of us that she would remember so many of the words since last year. So I plucked it out by ear and then we wrote out the music for her. She is practicing the first two lines - stayed tuned for a video of THAT!
Below: Calendar #5's book component: Eric Carle's "Dream Snow". Thanks Darlene/Wes/Wayne/Cole & Heather! Such a great story to go with a VERY cleverly made Pop-Up Advent calendar which you'll be seeing in our next installment, along with #6, both of which escaped the photo shoot today. They're not in the Advent Calender Union.
Meanwhile, a few videos from yesterday which showcase our new favorite buddy:
CB, or as Léna calls him "Le Bonhomme de Niege".

Thanksgiving, one last time

Saturday afternoon: One last Thanksgiving with Craig & Doug and their gang. This was in Cannes at their flat - the villa has changed hands officially, and the flat sale will be signed off on in about 2 weeks or so.

Below: on the left, a Dutch friend Michel, on the right a Dutch boy from a different family, Stayne. When I met Stayne he was 4 1/2 and peed his pants at the first Thanksgiving. This is when you realize 10+ years have gone by. Now he golfs and drives a scooter.
Please note the Elton John video in the background. There's Stayne's dad pilot Harry explaining something important to Curtis.
Below: Ian and Mark, Scottish and British. Live in London, have a place for holidays in Nice. Mark and I discovered that we lived in DC at the same time - usually there are so many people at C & D's villa events that you can't really talk to people. With a reduced crowd (14 adults), I really got to visit with some people - like Mark, who lived close to where my niece Sara lives now. Mark is a big biker and is preparing to bike from Land's End in England to someplace in Scotland whose name I've forgotten - John Dows?
Craig, Curtis (American) and Claudia, Stayne's Dutch Mom.
The Lonely Doll decided to come to Thanksgiving with us. It seemed like a Dare Wright kind of day.
Lizzy & Barry, old friends from London who moved here about 8 years ago. I'll miss seeing them.
Here's Craig's piece de resistance: Phillipino Sheila and Bonita that he hired to be in the kitchen and deal with dishes and serving and clean-up. We love them. They have seen my girls grow up at each event. Sad to not see them anymore! Thomas told me after that they asked him if he knew of any French guys looking to marry a Phillipino friend of theirs so she could have her papers. Cracked me up. You can see the terrace off the kitchen.
Doug attack. Behind you can see all the gifts for our Yankee Swap game.
Yes that is still Elton John.

Brigitte (French wife of Sylvain, their handyman for the past 11 years) discusses dogs with Lizzy.
The boys. No Mark cause he was too busy with Estelle....
Mark and Estelle played games for an hour in front of the fire.


Watching the game, waiting for our #'s to come up. Note the pocket doors that had been closed. Behind those doors those Philippino ladies turned that kitchen from post-buffet disaster into a dessert showcase (showcasing my desserts, of course - cheesecakse with berry coulis and lemon curd plus oatmeal chocolate chip pumpkin bars).
Léna wanted to bring everyone their gift. All the time. There's Stayne's sister Emma sitting on the couch. Those kids flipped between English, French and Dutch every other sentence. Wild.
Claudia gets help.
I found out Sunday that later that evening after everyone had left, Doug bought a Jaguar. Literally. On-line. Doesn't he look like he has something up his sleeve here?
They were, as always, great hosts. I still can't believe they are leaving. Like my only family here and they are leaving. Such a bummer, but such a great new opportunity for them! Very exciting.

Thankful for....

...post-nap cuddles....
discovering new toys with a really great dad...
....new toy = and Ipad2!
...getting all Craig & Doug's luxury hotel toiletry stock...

...free face painting at Youth Cinema day on Sunday....
No school on Wednesdays. Most of the time it is too intense (dance, piano, pool), but there are sweet moments after the nap....
...reading about Pilgrims....
...getting advent calendar's ready.....
Thankful for 2 beautiful healthy daughters. They drive us crazy, but dang they're cute.
Eventually I will be truly thankful to no longer have pneumonia. 3 weeks of coughing and caring for young children and teaching is....what it is. For the moment things aren't worse, but they're not better. The doctor will see me again Friday morning.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, especially my family and my mom, and my sister Mary. We wish so VERY much we could be with you on Thursday.