Léna turns 5!

Léna in her first 2 weeks, early May 2009

So happy to be a big sister!

First 4th of July in America.  Picture taken on the bed in the snowflake room.  (before we got kicked out).  :-)

6 months old

9  months old and starting to show her TRUE SELF

One Year Old!

2 year old Terror wearing Estelle's crown

3 year old fun!

3 years old!

4 years old!  Card from Aunt Lisa & Uncle Dan

Barbie and her horse Tawny - present she chose with birthday money from Papi & Manou

4 years old Smurf Cake that we had with Yvette & Dédé in Provence

Tomorrow we go to Calvinet to see Léna, who was 4 the last time we saw her after our "jaunt" to the American Embassy/Consulat in Marseille last week. 

Easter!

 Above:  Estelle & Léna enjoy an April Fool's Fish chocolate.
Below:  A great card from Lisa & Dan for my license!

 Estelle & Léna get a great Easter package from Aunt Joanie!
 
 And in it was something for moi-meme!

A few days before Easter, Estelle had her first Wind Ensemble concert at the Conservatoire.  Here she is, with 2 girls on flute and a little boy on basson who are in her 2nd grade class.  The two other oboists are 3rd graders.

They played 2 songs.  It was very sweet, and fun. Then the older kids took over and things got serious!

Easter day, after mass (Estelle played and her grandparents got to see her, it was great!).  Then we had a wonderful leg of lamb meal that Thomas made.

I made "Susan Our Beginning Cook" scalloped potatoes, thanks to Joanie & Mom scanning me the recipe.  Anyone recognize the serving utensil?

 

On Easter evening, Léna lost her first tooth!

On Tuesday, we had to take Léna to the American Embassy in Marseille to renew her passport as the American Consulat in Nice is temporarily closed.  This photo is just next to the Embassy at the Marseille Prefecture.  It's quite impressive.

Today, after finishing my last day of university teaching, I walked all the way home on the Promenade, and enjoyed looking at things I never have time to enjoy.  Below, a ferry, the beaches....

Above - the Negresco. All in all not a bad walk!

The pink slip

When French people used to take their driving exam, at the end, if they passed, they would be given the "pink copy" of a form and that meant they had been successful.
Now, because it is so difficult to pass and people get violent when they don't pass especially when they're on their 2nd or 3rd time trying, results are mailed to you a few days later.
I got mine today in the mail:

You must have a minimum of 20 points to pass.  I had 20.5.  By the skin of my teeth.  Interesting, I got a 0 out of 3 for "know how to set up yourself and ensure security while driving".  i.e. I didn't check all my mirrors and show I was adjusting my seat before clicking my seat belt.  Maybe it's because I was too busy listening to Joe Inspector test his 6th grade English on me and smiling politely at his POODLE who came with him.
Yes, that's correct.  Did I mention this cost me almost 2 grand?
Anyways, who cares, it's over.  I love the final verdict on the form.  They circle either "favorable" i.e. we look favorably on your performance or "insuffisant" i.e. you can't cut the mustard.
To celebrate, I will eat a piece of torte aux blettes (swiss chard sweet torte) that I bought for myself at the bakery.

Palm Sunday

 Today Estelle played her oboe at mass with a small group of young musicians.  It was great!

 Meanwhile, this creative project was done by the children at "Eveil", which translates as "awakening" which is for kids who are essentially a bit young for CCD classes but to give them a little social group within the framework of CCD.  Léna helped to make this yesterday afternoon.

 The church looked so lovely today with all these enormous palm leaves!

 I think I've posted about this tradition before, but in France on Palm Sunday, the custom at the beginning of mass is that the entire parish is outside the church where the priest blesses the palms and the "buis", which is either boxtree or boxwood in English.  Also sometimes you see laurel branches or even olive branches around here.

 There's Léna lower right with green leggings and sandals.

 Here you see the children and parishioners holding up their palms and boxwood for the blessing as the priest walks around sprinkling holy water.

 Léna can be seen hiding behind the flora.  She loves her "teacher", Sophie.  You can't see Sophie but you can see her arm lovingly placed around Léna.

 It's an impressive sight, this tradition.  I am always impressed.

 Estelle, meanwhile, had a great (and musically educational) time playing in four of the different pieces - processional, hosana, offertory, and exit songs.  There were 3 violins, a cello, drums, a guitar, and a French horn (which p.s. is just a "horn" in France.  ha ha).

We had a great Palm Sunday!  After our meal, both girls headed out to different birthday parties.  One more week of school and then 2 weeks off!  Everyone is looking forward to a break.  Spring is here and Easter is almost here!  Yeah!

Semba

Last weekend, Léna had her turn to have the class mascot, Semba. 

 Basically its every parents headache.  Pressure to do more in an already jam-packed weekend, take photos everywhere, make your life look oh-so-fabulous.  And then print out the photos and paste them all into the Semba's "journal" for the class with witty comments.  In French.

 Léna and Estelle, however, LOVE having the class mascot!  Semba had to ride on the tram.

 

Semba had to go to Léna's music lesson.

 Daddy had to make crepes for Semba.

 Semba had to come to swimming lessons where he was reunited with other kids from Léna's class.

 By the way, Léna swims in that huge pool with no floatation devices whatsoever.  She can even swim down to the bottom to grab a swimring.  It amazes me - she's not even 5!

 Then Semba had to go to the ice rink!

 Here's our friend Caetan with the girls.

 Then Sema needed a concert and dance party.

 Sunday night, Semba fast asleep after his busy weekend.  Amen, the mascot weekend is OVER!