"Chandeleur"

So it's that day again:  Chandeleur.

February 2nd is 40 days after Christmas, and thus is known as "Chandeleur" - or "Candlemas" in English.  I doubt many French people know that this 'holy' day is one of the 12 great feasts in the Catholic calendar = Presentation of Jesus at the Temple.

Cause in France, the thing to do on Chandeleur is make and eat crepes.  When in Rome.....

This morning, I had my own Vermont version of Chandeleur: pancakes & maple syrup.  The photo below represents what, to you?  a.  A little 6 1/2 year old girl who is excited to eat her first pancake of the morning.  -or- b.  The daughter of someone with OCD.  Look at that precision with which she cut up those 2 stacked pancakes.  She freaks me out. 

 Then, there's child #2, who takes after her father (yes I know she IS so darn cute, dang it):

So, after all these crepes and pancakes, we needed some exercise today.  Threw the girls' bikes in the trunk and off we went to Beaulieu.  Parked and rode our way back to St. Jean Cap Ferrat.

Please note the villa on the point on the right side of the photo.  How the other half lives.  Meanwhile, out on the jetty, a few shirtless guys.  Yes it was that warm.

One lone sailboat.

All along this walk, a world better than Downton Abbey is just on the other side of the wall.  Villas beyond description on some of the highest-priced real estate on the coast.  Note this rumored-to-be-sultan's property who has a freaky gold statue of some guy on a tortoise which is so big it looks over the wall.

Porte at Cap Ferrat.

Why ride forwards, when backwards is so fun?

We picnicked at 1:45, after finally working up an appetite post-pancake.

Incredibly, Léna sat in that spot and never moved for about 40 minutes.  She just looked at the waves.

Yes, yes, she's cute, I know.

What a lovely day we had.

Those who love us

 Here are a few photos to finish off 2012.  We want to say thanks to all the people who love us, and who love Estelle & Léna from near and from far.

 Doesn't that little girl look pretty cosy with her grandmother reading to her?

 Here's what we did on NY's Eve:  I learned how to play a French card game called "Beulot".  It was a lot like "Pitch", a game I played in college.  But more confusing!

 The photo above shows the ultimate, ultimate perfect hand you could ever possible have when playing Beulot.  Guy got it!  For the first time in his life, or ever in his experience of playing the game has he ever seen anyone get it!

 We had to take a photo to prove it.  A good omen for 2013.
Below:  when we returned to Nice from Angers on Jan 1st, we had a package from Aunt Martha!

 Along with some yummy maple treats, we have a nice Madeline book.

 More importantly, I got this:

 It's a wall tin.  Love it!

 Thank god for the iPAD.  It sure helped on the plane.

 And now that Estelle can read, there are many possibilities:

 Santa's gift:  LalaLoopsy Silly Hair dolls.

After suffering this past week thru the worst roller-coaster in my professional adult career, I am looking at the first part of 2013 with a different plan/schedule than the one I thought I had.  When one door closes, another one opens, hopefully.  Thanks to those who love us for your support on life's rollercoasters.

Epiphany Party!

2 weeks ago we had a nice visit from Thomas, my "old" student - he is Xavier & Valerie's son (the olive tree people).  He was leaving the next day for La Reunion (Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean) where he will be for 2 1/2 years as his first post as an officer in the French Navy.  Thomas has recently graduated  from the French Naval Academy, where he was "majeur", which means he was #1 in his class.  This is a very important distinction - and he says it's partly due to his good English! :-)

 Perhaps the most amazing thing about Thomas is that when I met him he was 11 years old.  Now he is REALLY REALLY tall!

At 6 p.m. that evening we welcomed 27 people into our tiny flat to say Happy New Year to our friends whom we hadn't see since we'd left for Angers.

 

This is just a fraction of the food we had.  I kind of overdid it!  And people brought great stuff to share.

 
Meanwhile, the calmest moment of the evening was when I fed the 10 "big" kids in the kitchen.  This was the most contained they were the whole night.

 

Above: Lena, Celestin, Eva, Maelys, Louise.  

Below: Estelle, Flora, Eliott, Milo, Charlotte 

Not pictured:  baby Thomas, Basile, Chloé

 
Emmanuelle et Regis, parents to Charlotte, Maelys, & little Thomas who walked around in his pj's all night.  I did find him exploring the medecine cabinet at one point!

Thomas in action with Caroline (Milo & Chloe's mom, Jef's wife) behind...

Fransiska full of smiles since Thomas was "managing" Basile behind here.  Yannick looks on (Flora's dad - his wife Lisa & baby Rose were home with the stomach bug.)

This is most of the adults: Fransiska standing, then Yannick, Marie (Eva & Louise's mom), Manu, Regis, Jef, Arnaud (Eliott & Basile's dad) and lastly Marion (Celestin's mom) who is sitting down having a chat with little Basile who didn't want to let go of his Mommy Fransiska all night.  Wandering in the middle is baby Thomas.  Chloé was asleep in our bedroom in her stroller.  And see that closed door in the background to Léna's room?  That's where the other 10 kids were at this point, piled on Léna's bed, watching a film at 9:30 p.m.

Regis played a lot of piano for us - he is an organist for fun.

It was fun.  Tiring, but fun!