Friday, December 14, 2012

Preparations are underway for the arrival of the kids next week. Ross and I have the bedrooms ready including a small crib for Liam.  We had beds and linens for the other rooms, but waited to get something for Liam until this month.  I went to my local Ikea and picked out what I wanted then realized it wouldn’t fit in my little car! So, I got the accessories and Ross went with me the next day in his car to get the bed part.

I love my little car and usually it is perfect for what I need, just didn’t think about a baby crib needing to fit!  I told Ross people always look at the car and I imagined they are wondering what type it is since it’s new and there are not many on the road. He burst my bubble when he said “are you kidding, they’re looking and thinking…wow…that really tall lady just got out of that really small car”.  We are looking forward to using the new Ferrari carseat we got for Liam; it’s the only Ferrari Ross will ever own so he better enjoy this one!

I have been shopping and making lists for things needed and foods to buy.  Due to the small size of my fridge and freezer, I needed to map it all out and pick days to shop and what is needed for each meal.  Fortunately, Lindsay and Katie are like me and enjoy seeing different grocery stores, so they’ve already said they’ll go along for fun. Also, due to the holiday, shops or bakeries are closed, so I’ve been trying to organize it all.  Yes, I made a spreadsheet for their visit; I do not know how I functioned before Excel!  The boys want to see Normandy, so we had to pre-book a hotel for that and also because I can buy tickets in advance for a cheaper price, it just made sense to plot out the time- well in my slightly OCD brain it made perfect sense!  It also lets me know what days we are all here for meals and what days we’ll get something while touring.  We are going to our friend’s hotel/restaurant in Luynes the first Saturday they are here because I want them to experience the French cuisine in a typical French way, with courses and presented beautifully.   Other than that I have the meals planned and we’re ready.  Of course, just like my kindergarten class, I love to have it all mapped out and planned,  but am flexible to be able to change those plans if needed.   

One of the bakeries in Luynes is closing from the 22^nd to the 28^th;

I about had a stroke, we buy bread every day! BUT….the other  bakery will be open but limited hours and you need to pre-order things now, so I can breathe a sigh of relief!  They’re even open Christmas morning for pickups of the orders.  I did my order yesterday which was an event in itself; trying to figure out what I want, what is special this time of year and then communicating with the proprietor who speaks only French!  So, first thing Christmas morning Ross will head into Luynes and pick up my bread for the day as well as a few special Christmas pastries for brunch. I also ordered three small “ Buche de Noel’s” in three flavors.  They are log shaped cakes with creams and fillings.  They do 8 types at my bakery so it was a trick to figure out exactly what I wanted.

We have a tree up too, I bought it last year the day after Christmas at target at 75% off. So, it’s a skinny tree and the ornaments are nothing fancy, but it fits our small space and I was able to find bells for the bottom of the tree.  Liam is fascinated with the bells that jingle and he is allowed to take them off his tree at home; so I did what any good Nana would do…..I hunted the town to find some for here.  Sure it took four shops, but we have jingle bells!!

On my way home the other day, along the Loire River Road, I had to do a double take as a man had pulled over along the banks of the river and was standing there taking a piddle break. Not behind a tree or near his car, just along the road….argh!!!

Ross and I had a date night to see Celtic Legends at the local theater.  It was a fun night out and we enjoyed the singing and dancing.  There was a flier that Mama Mia is coming to town in February, so we got tickets to see that as well.  Not Ross’ favorite, but it will be fun to see it in French!

I’ve learned a new grammar thing that has me wondering though…..you know my mind goes crazy places.  Anyway, at language school they had me sharing about my kids.  When I got to Katie, I have two choices….I can call her  “sa femme de mon fils” which means wife of my son or I can call her “bell-fille” which means daughter in law but actually translates as ‘pretty daughter”….SO…. here is where my mind goes, say I have only Lindsay and Katie with me and I have to “present” them (never “introduce”- that means something quite dirty-argh) ; so I say here is Lindsay, “ma fille” – my daughter and then Katie as  “ma belle-fille”- my pretty daughter!!!!!  Now, for mother in law I kind of like it, I’d be Katie’s “belle-mere” which means mother in law, but literally means my pretty mother.  So many little twists and crazy turns to this language thing.

We found a bakery in the next town of Fondette and had to take a photo.  It wasn’t anything spectacular except for the names of the proprietors…..last name Silly…love it.

I’m putting up photos of a few food items I’ve found that are interesting!  I’ve said we get seasonal things, but what happens when some of them are things you’ve never heard of or seen?  Take carrots for example, been buying them for years….but this week they had a display of yellow carrots, white carrots and violet carrots…so of course I bought some of each!  So far we’ve had yellow and they were nice, I used them in beef stew, so it was hard to get an exact flavor.   One exciting thing we can get is rhubarb yogurt…..oh yum….if you like rhubarb which we do!  Today there were fruits that were new and unusual to me; didn’t buy them, just took photos.  To me some of the fish look kind of nasty, I prefer mine in a boneless skinless way.  The “cerf” is stag or deer meat and the “sanglier” is wild boar. I’ll be cooking a few traditional French meals for the kids to try, but don’t want to get too crazy with things they won’t eat.  The boys really want to try horse, so I think I’ll find a small package for them to try.  That won’t be a big family meal!!!  I’m going more for Tartiflettte, Duck Confit, and Salmon pasta and Lardon pasta……We’ll be touring chateaus, Normandy and Paris so there will be several meals out as well, but mostly café’s and sandwich shops.

We’re excited that Ross’ cousin and her husband will join us Christmas Day so we’ll have a houseful…..in our small house! But, it will be tons of fun!!  I’m waiting to see people’s response to the boys; they already think I’m a giant here, wait until they see Tristan and Calum!!!

Lastly, I went to an English Tea Luncheon in Loches this week and had a great time. It’s a group of women from the US and Britain who like me have somehow ended up in France.   All learning or have had to learn the language, all learning cultural things, it’s been a nice group to meet with monthly.  I’m putting up a photo of the meal the tea room guy served, it was yummy.  Salad, fish stew, a mushroom and squash thing, a leek crumble, a fruit mousee with cranberries. Plus a homemade vegetable soup as a starter and three nice desserts on a slate plate to finish.  The group changes a bit monthly depending on who can come, but it’s been really nice for me to meet others who “get it”.  

This weekend we are going Loches on Saturday to the church that does an English service twice a month. They’re having an English Christmas Carol Sing.  I can’t wait, there is something so wonderful to me about singing in English at church.  You don’t realize what you have until it isn’t there.  I enjoy singing in French, but there is just something special about singing in your native tongue.  I’m looking  forward to Christmas Carols in English!!!  Last week at church, we did “O Peuple Fidele” or O Come all ye Faithful……but verse two had me wondering….it went “Dans une humble etable; froid et miserable”  which means in a humble stable, cold and miserable….hmmmm, don’t know that I’ve sung that version!!!

Anyway, I’m off….more after Christmas!!