Le Lioran

 We spent a week skiing the last week of February in the Auvergne, in the Cantal, at a ski station called Le Lioran, which we had never been to.   We rented a small chalet in a very isolated spot.

 The girls did 6 days of ski lessons.  Above:  pre-first-day-skiing.  Below: post-skiing.

 The view from our chalet was incredible.  We were about 30 mins from the station, but as the crow flies much closer.  The skinny, winding rode to get way up to our place from the village was a slow process each day.

 We had a great time.  One day we were even brave enough to take the teleferique (gondola?) way up to the top of the Plomb du Cantal at 1855 meters high.

 Even Thomas managed his vertigo to get up there.  Interesting, skiing down is no problem for him.   It's just the ride up!

 Each day, when Léna was in her lesson, Estelle skied with us.

 The girls had a lot of fun.

 When Estelle was in her lesson, Léna had a chance to ski with us.  After the first few days, she really DID ski with us - up the chair lift and down the green trails!

 Meanwhile, back at the chalet, this is how things looked around the stove in the evenings.

 One day we had lunch in the village restaurant:  Potée Auvergnate:

 Here's Pascal, Léna's instructor after getting her "Bear" medal:  she was said to say goodbye.

 And Sebastien with Estelle, who got her 1st star.

 Our last day the weather was terrible.  It made for a hard, hard commute.  There were many accidents and the road to the station was closed for several hours.  Thomas had to put on, and remove, tire chains 3 times that day in bad conditions.  We have not divorced, thus we consider our marriage a success after that day.

 Here are some photos Estelle took during the week:  Sunrise at the chalet.

 Upstairs in the chalet - the little mezzanine where the girls beds were.

 Daddy getting dressed seems funny, when you're 7.

Here's Léna with Piou Piou, the mascot.

 Another great bonus was the Papi & Manou came for 2 days and stayed in the B & B just next door.  They brought us all our food for the entire week, plus lots of other stuff.  Whew!   Good thing they were around!

 There was so much snow, the girls enjoyed playing around the chalet each day when we returned.

 Nearby to our chalet, was a tiny cabin owned by the same Dutch couple that owned ours and the B & B.  A French family from Paris was in that cabin during the same week, with a daughter 2 months older than Estelle and a sweet 11-yr-old older brother.  Both parents were teachers.  We became friendly with them, and on our last night, they came over to our place for food and fun.

 Enjoying a few comforts of civilization with the girls up in the loft.

 See that woman with blue pants and blue hat, struggling with her bindings?  Who could that be.

 We played a LOT of card games.

 Tiny Léna on her tiny skis.

 Snow heaven:

 Nothing but fun for one week.    Thanks Le Lioran!

Art

 Today I downloaded some photos off Estelle's little camera.  To my surprise, one whole section was her taking photos of her and Léna's drawings & paintings.

 I realize these photos date from last summer, when we went to London for a wedding and Thomas' parents came to stay with the girls while we were away. 

 They made a "museum" on our bedroom wall and stuck up all manners of their artwork.  I remember how excited they were to show it to us when we walked in the door from the airport.

 It's still all on our bedroom wall, 6 months later.  Estelle said "it's a permanent exhibition".

 She also apparently took a photo looking out our bedroom window.

 And one of Léna's room.

You never know what you'll find on other people's cameras!

High 60's - Beach time

 Last night we got the girls back.  After I went to mass and prayed I could get the hang of being a mother again after a 6-day hiatus, off we went to Villefranche for a nice picnic with hot socca and a pepper shaker in hand.

 So much fun to run in and out of the waves.

 Thing 1 and Thing 2.  Tweedledee and Tweedledum?  2 Peas in a Pod?

 Somewhere there's a photo of me at age 4, crouched down in the garden in front of the crabapple tree in Jericho, grubbing around for something with hair in my face, snarling at the camera, and it might as well be this photo:

 Meanwhile:  Aldrich legs.  Lisa and Laura, I'm talking to YOU!

 How the other half (or is that just the 1%?) lives:

 These girls went from treacherous snow conditions to barefoot on the beach collecting shells in the same week.

 Thank god my husband is young and has the energy for this:

Back to reality, routines, school, activities, music lessons etc tomorrow!

It's Lent!

Lent means I get off Facebook for 40 days and thus can pay some much-needed attention to my blog.
For now, until I get recent photos off my camera and phone, here's photos Thomas loaded off his phone:

 Above:  Thomas's best man Guillaume and his daughter Maia, when Thomas was in Spain.  Below:  me throwing out vomited-on stuff from the car on the windy road to Calvinet.

 Estelle and Léna on funny little ponies over a year ago in Angers.

 Léna as a cowboy.  I have no idea where Thomas took this.

 Estelle riding a pony.  Somewhere.

 I don't know what this was, or where.   

 Estelle doing a treasure hunt for Nice Patrimony Day.

 Léna, making her own treasure hunt.

 If only I knew what, or who, this was.

 No one is this photo is recognizable to me.  Why does my husband take photos of strangers with his phone?

 Léna flying high on the trampoline.

 Thomas at the new gazillion dollar state of the art stadium in Nice for a big-deal rugby game.

 Below: I assume this is something Thomas ate, somewhere.

 Léna skating with Thomas!

You just never know what random photos you'll find on your spouse's phone!

Estelle sings a French song

Click here to see Estelle singing a song from her chorale at school.

Video of Oboe/Dance Bonanza

Click here to watch the girls. Get ready to laugh.