The Pool

On Saturday mornings we often take Estelle to the pool in the Old Town. It is a special session with the freshly infused heated water, just for babies then toddlers and children up to 3 or 4. This is the same pool where I attend Pregnancy Swim classes with a midwife. Today was a special pool day because it was our last time there with our friends who are moving to Norway - Helene, Jocelyn and their son Mael. Helene and I are both expecting again and due at the same time. Here are a few shots: Thomas is the one on the far left. Mael and Estelle are on the yellow mat, with his parents behind.

Estelle gets ready for the slide:



Last night, getting ready to watch Yogi Bear.
Arts and Crafts moment with a Xmas gift from Estelle's godfather Francois.

Stayed tuned for more weekend events.....

Esteliott in Monaco's Aquarium

This isn't just any aquarium. This is Prince Albert's Institut Oceanographique. Perched on a cliff, hanging out over the Mediterranean, just across from the Cathedral where Princess Grace was married, and where she is now buried with Prince Ranier, it is an impressive site.
Unlike last Sunday, today was not a day to be at the beach. So off we went to the netherworld in Monaco with Eliott and his parents.


This is a great place for kids on a cold and grey day. They spent the first few minutes trying to catch the fish through the glass.



Check out those sharks up high and down low

Scary big turtle. My brother Wes made me watch some scary movie once with a giant sea turtle wearing a pearl necklace or some such nonsense and some girl that rides away on it. Now I am terrified of sea turtles. Thanks Wes.
Here's Estelliot looking at stuff that none of us know the name of.
Again, there's some scary stuff in there....
Here are some giant eels, which could not possibly be uglier.
"The Fish I Caught was THIS big!"

Taking a break on a bench
This cylinder of some kind of school of fish was fascinating.

And here's a few photos from last wkend after the beach: Ines came over for a playdate called "Roll the plastic egg across the table"
Thursday was strike day. The whole country went on yet ANOTHER strike. This meant no trains, buses, all the schools closed, the daycares, blah blah blah. Thursday happens to be the day I teach at the university and I have the car. Thomas usually takes the bus to work. Needles s to say there was no bus. He stayed home in the morning whilst I had the car to teach (with 4 students in attendance since the rest of them couldn't get to school since there was no public transportation) and then I came home at lunch and he went to work.
In the meantime, Estelle enjoyed his company (municipal day care was closed - she spent part of her afternoon with Ines and her mom while I had to teach). What a day Thursday was!
Enjoying new blocks from Manou and Papy.
Yesterday we had a "chandeleur" (Crepe Day - or Candlemas). Thomas made about 2 dozen crepes and we had Celine & Jerome and their son Thomas over to join us. I forgot to take pictures cause I was too busy eating crepes - as was Estelle - who I did take one of, full of Nutella.

Good Day Sunshine

When my dad finished his pancakes, he would use the side of the tines of his fork to scrape all the excess syrup on his plate to the edges and then he scooped it up, not being a wasteful man, son of the Depression that he was. Here's Estelle being a chip off the old block, trying to get every last drop of her cousin's syrup out of the pitcher. She had already licked her plate.Here's a photo for my friend Peter Huffy H. Dude, CHECK IT OUT. I know you know where this is - bas corniche, after Mont Boron. These boys were MOVE-ING - this is where they turned onto Cap Ferrat. SO jealous. And might I add there were many many troops out in force in various groups, spokes whirring, so glorious was the weather. A blur of color.
We headed to historic and pittoresque Eze Bord sur Mer for some beach time only to find the waves on this "unprotected" beach somewhat unruly and no real place to play. Behind Thomas is Cap D'Ail (the Garlic Cape - that one's for you, Mom) which is just before Monaco.
So we decided to head back to Villefranche where we knew things were more manageable.
When we arrived, here was our first sight:
okay that's not one of us but I was jealous of him so took his photo.....
It all started innocently enough. A bucket and a few toys. Estelle wanted to take off her shoes.
Then we rolled up our jeans and dabbled in the lapping surf.
The next thing you know, my family is half naked on January 25th.

Here's my new favorite person on the French Riviera: Paul Mistral ("like the wind", he said)This character, of Italian origins, was a chatty Cathy and was as friendly as could be. He and his wife were having a little picnic and insisted on us trying some of everything they had to eat. Meanwhile, he came up to my belly button. Which p.s. is sticking out now and it didn't use to. Incidentally I think he was wearing heels. But they had some amazing bread which Estelle sunk her teeth into as if she hadn't just gorged on pancakes 2 hours prior, and some kind of wacky Italian quichey-type thing with squash and rice. Whoah baby. Paul is my new best beach friend. He even had paper towels to give to Estelle (mother, you would have approved). Estelle and I walked up and down the beach whilst Thomas had some kind of crazy European discussion with this guy covering a wide range of topics. And the best part is that everyone who passed by called out to him "Hey, Paul!". We were next to royalty. Albeit it be pygmie-style.

And here's a video of the beach. With narration, of course.

Rock Around the Clock

There's a lot of fun to be had when you have/had the chicken pox.
Fox example, some dancing:



Or, other ways to pass the time:
Dress in your dad's shirts...
Eat cookies with milk.
Draw yourself with your friends
Make "ESTELIOTT" playdough characters...
Have endless "Galette de Roi" parties. (Estelle has been to 3 already and missed 2 others due to the pox). Here we are at Xavier and Valerie's villa on Sunday... notice my American brownies next to Valerie's homemade Galette de Roi (Frangipan) and the traditional bottle of cider with bowls.



More fun: Make your own King crown to go with your King Cake.
Eat mini ice-cream comes to sooth the pox on the roof of your mouth:

Go to the park with Eliott.
Other fun things to do - watch Eliott's dad Arnaud throw himself down a chute slide in an effort to convince Eliott to do it. Estelle needed no persuasion.
Commandeer an airplane.
Eliott drives a jeep.


In other words, chicken pox didn't slow her down....just us! All is well now and we are back to normal after coming thru what we realize was a VERY mild case. It was just the fever before that was awful.