January 2014

Bon Annee…..Happy New Year!

So, I’ve been trying and trying to figure out what to blog…..really not much shocks me here now and what was once weird is normal.  I’m in my January/February hibernation mode too….it’s never been my favorite time of year and when you are alone a lot, it becomes more of a month or two where you could stay in the house and just wear track pants and a sweatshrt.  Fortunately this year, the weather is so much better….it’s been in the 40’s and 50’s most days, some rain, some sun; but nothing like the past two winters of freezing temperatures and dreary days.  It helps everything when the sun shines.

I’ll go back and recap from Thanksgiving until now and see if I can find something exciting to write about!

Each year for the past eleven years, the Cirque Georget is in Luynes.  They actually live here year round now and teach circus classes as a sport.  Your child can learn tumbling, juggling etc as their activity. BUT, in December they do circus shows.  You may remember that last year I went with Lindsay, Calum and Liam and we had the best time ever. So, not what we expected but so fun. Well this year, for the first time they had elephants. One Sunday in early December they decided to have a Christmas festival in the village and have an elephant parade throughout the streets. Okay, call me crazy, but I informed Ross we were skipping church to go to the elephant parade! Plus we invited friends! It was hysterical, I mean there they were, the circus family riding the elephants right up the streets, no barriers, no police and the elephants were within touching distance. It was amazing and one of the most fun days ever. There were probably close to two thousand people in our little village for this event and there were booths with crafts, baked goods and various items. In the midst an antique car show which made for a busy day. PLUS, they sold cotton candy! I found out my friend Kelli loves it as much as I do so there we were, two adults waiting in line for our spun sugar treat!

I loved that throughout the day we had to  “biz” or do the kiss kiss thing with about ten couples or families. My visitors laughed and asked if we were showing off in how many people we could run into that we know. BUT, after two years in the village it is sooooo nice to be recognized and feel like you know people. Now at one point there was a lady Ross was “biz-zing” and chatting with…..my friend asked who it was, I replied “oh that’s Natalie, she cuts our hair”. So it’s random people in town, but we know them well enough to say hello and feel settled. Even this morning I ran into a lady in the pharmacy I know and of course everything stops and you biz and greet each other. I do love that part of the culture.

The next weekend I went to the circus with Kelli and her son Cohen.  We had front row seats and when I say the elephants were close, I mean we shrieked a few times; once as the elephant stuck its trunk in our laps and into Kelli’s bag. Another time as they sat on circle things and I could reach out and almost touch the elephants back. I kept thinking “if this thing leans back just a bit too far, we squashed dead”. We were separated by a two foot high wooden wall, just held together with hook and eye hinges. So not up to code in the US. We had such a fun day and it reminded me of why I will always go to the circus in Luynes each December.

One funny road sign I noticed too….”traffic perturbed”, then the dates. It meant there would be work coming for the dates mentioned and that traffic would slow down….I just thought it was a funny way to put it.

Then Ross and I left the 20^th of December to head to the US for Christmas. Several delays ensued and we ended up just waiting and waiting.  Finally four hours late we took off; when you planned to arrive at 8PM, a four hour delay is fun for all. Lindsay and Calum picked us up after midnight and we all crashed at the house. Since Tristan worked nights, he was gone when we arrived, asleep when we woke up the next day, so we didn’t see him until he got up for work about 5pm that day. Too funny how schedules can have people in the same house never seeing each other.  He and Lindsay are complete opposite and rarely see each other through the week.

The fun began the next day as Liam and Katie arrived.  Even in a short time, Liam changes so much and he was just so fun to be around.  His vocabulary is great and he learns something new each day.  Katie loved having a break and being able to go out alone and I enjoyed being able to stay in and play with Liam.  He’s taken over the family room with his train table and cars.

 He and Katie do this fun thing where she rolls out a big piece of white paper.  They then lay down and draw a town.  He tells her what he wants, a Chik Fil A, his house, the bank, Publix, Lindsay’s house, Nana’s house, school, daddy’s work, etc.  Then she connects them with roads and he drives from place to place. He colors and adds his own places too.  It’s amazing watching his imagination go and he designates a certain car to a person and remembers who goes where. He plays on it for days until the paper falls apart and we throw it away and begin again.  One day he and I played town on our fireplace hearth.  It’s all various stones and he picked each stone for a place and never wavered when we drove from place to place, hysterical!!! So we played lots of trains, town and then special games on Nana’s ipad.  I have a file of Liam’s games and activities and we sit and play….I love every second.  

Then Lindsay had introduced him to Nana’s big tub and he loved his bubble baths in it.  He counts down for the jets to go on and braces himself for them to go.  He spends an hour or so playing and goofing in the tub making bubble beards and talking.  Lindsay and I of course indulged this and loved bath time. Then we lay together on Nana’s bed and read books before bed. Moments I will always cherish! Lindsay and I love taking care of him together….it’s just easier with two of us and he LOVES the double attention!

What makes me laugh is that he considers it Lindsay’s house and Nana and Papa have their room in Lindsay’s house. In his defense, since he’s been born, we’ve lived here and she has been there, so he assumes it’s hers.  We laugh when asking for something and Katie says she doesn’t have any, he’ll say “Lindsay has some”….He tells me that to get to my house you have to go on an airplane and train, which is correct. This week as he showed Katie one of his many teensy tiny almost invisible boo boos, he asked for a bandaid.  She said she didn’t have any ….his reply “Lindsay has some”.

The holidays were spent enjoying family and relaxing. We invited Katie’s parents for Christmas morning and brunch so it was fun for us all to watch Liam open his gifts and play. I loved watching his 82 year old great grandparents on the floor playing town and trains with him.  He even got their names correct….Granma and Great Papa. We had to add the great to Papa since that is what Ross goes by too. He still loves his Unc Cal and everyone else ceases to exist when Calum is near.

I prepped on the 26^th (oh such fun) and had my colonoscopy on the 27^th. The procedure is so simple and quick, the prep not as easy! It went well and he said he went all the way to my stomach. All is well and the problems I’ve had for six months did get started by the use of multiple antibiotics, but then is compounded because I have no gallbladder there is a lack of bile absorption.  He prescribed a new medication which is working wonders. So, no more hunting out roadside trees and being in a panic going somewhere…..YAHOO!

Lindsay, Katie and I had a girls day out too. Part of my Christmas request.  We shopped, ate out and then got pedicures. We just talked and laughed and had a fun day together. Much needed for us all. Ross was on Liam duty since Calum and Tristan had work. Ross and Liam had a great day together too. We girls stopped at the Nike store where Calum works to get sneakers for Ross and me, plus a few clothing items. Hey 30% off plus his 30% discount…right up my alley. Fun to see him in his work environment. So obvious sales and marketing are the right choice for him!!!

Ross and I left for home on the 31^st, celebrating our New Year’s on the plane. Well, surprise, we got on the plane, they had a mechanical error, tried to fix it and couldn’t. So, we had to get off the plane and switch to another one. Fortunately they had another plane available and we just had to wait for the luggage and food to be transferred. Plus, there were empty seats so they upgraded us to business class from economy plus! Oh business class, how I have missed you. Ross is the top tier on Delta now so he was one of the first bumped. I like travelling with him, I get perks like that occasionally plus we can us the lounge.  Alone, I’m just a nobody and sit in the terminal like everyone else! The seats made such a difference in my comfort level for travel, I even slept a couple hours which never happens. We missed our train due to being three hours late but we were able to switch our ticket for the next one.  After a wait and the train, we made it home…well a taxi ride too, then home. We showered and crashed. Not much food in the house but we managed, it was New Year’s Day so even after a nap I couldn’t shop.

January brings us back to a busy month of travel for Ross.  Last week Germany, this week China and next week Sweden. I’m back to my French classes and life has settled in again.  After such a busy time in the summer and fall with visitors it’s quite quiet to me. I’ve been having marathon Hulu Plus sessions with Masterchef and Chopped. In between I’m at the dentist for a crown on a back tooth.  I’ve known it was coming for over a year, but had to deal with the abscess issue first. My dentist here loves me! I’m trying so hard to fight genetics with my teeth.  Both parents had issues and I work to keep my teeth and have them be nice! It’s so much cheaper here and my out of pocket is small, so I am trying to do as much as possible before I return to the US.

So, I’m off on this crisp, clear, sunny day.  In France we talk about the weather a lot when it’s nice…..just because it often isn’t so nice J Wishing you all the best in 2014…..

Also a few photos of our meal this past weekend. We do love eating in France!