Walking with Sam

And a few tumbles along the way. We've walked everywhere today. (I haven't got anything done!). We've toddled around and around the house and garden, around and around the supermarket and from the carpark to the patisserie. We eventually got back to the car and Bella did an about turn and set off again. I'm going to be running after her alot from now on :)

***

Children playing (nicely most of the time), baking Nigella's Lily scones with Sam and receiving lovely fabric from Bookou, which I am deciding what to do with....

More of the same...

More playing indoors. The sun keeps making an appearance inbetween heavy showers.  The children don't seem to mind. Bella loves sitting at the table on the little chairs I found at the brocante. She sits like a little angel doing her puzzle over and over. She is walking more and more. Sam tries to help by getting her to walk to him. It usually ends up with them collapsing on the floor. No injuries as yet!

Once upon a time....

....a long time ago, France was sunny place where the children played and ran (crawled) carefree in the garden. We're all trying very hard to remember these moments as it's been raining forever!

Rainy days

I can't remember how many days it has rained and the forecast is more rain! Maybe we had summer already in April? We're in week 3 of the school holidays and we've adapted to slower days and my initial worries of keeping Sam entertained were unnecessary. He has been playing with his Bakugan (sp?) for hours and hours. He talks to him, baths him, brushes his teeth and even takes him to the loo! And of course to bed. Last night Bakugan had a cough and needed medicine. Sam has never done this before with toys and it is very sweet. Oh, he loves him too.

Bella has been busy in her cafe cooking up bread and has been dancing with Sam in his bedroom to all my old cd's I found the other day. Loving Stevie Wonder on a rainy grey day :)

All play

No work and all play. Thank goodness she has a nap in the afternoon so I can get some work done :) She does make for a great model though, even with sloppy bits of bread everywhere.

Bastille night party

It was just really getting started when we had to leave at midnight. Eating bbq sausages outside always taste so good. I didn't eat the boudin noir (black pudding) though!

This weekend

It was the regional bicycle race this weekend. Scott was a marshall and Sam was his little helper. Other village residents were directing the cyclists at other road junctions. They were too busy chatting and sent some cyclists down the wrong road!

We then got ready to go to a Bastille day party/bbq last night. It was nice to catch up with friends and meet new people.

p.s. I am enjoying all the little bunches of flowers Sam keeps giving me and also love the way he has started to sometimes call Scott and I maman and papa in the cutest French accent.

The Actors

We trundled down to our favourite spot in the village with bonbons and icecream only to find our patch had been invaded by a group of actors, I presume were rehearsing for their performances during August for the Festival des Bouchures.

Sam was transfixed and didn't want to leave. I think he did realise they were acting and not trying to kill each other.

Bastille day

We joined many others today for the national Bastille day holiday down at the lake. It was packed and Bella was straight in the water squealing as the waves from the speedboats crashed into her. Sam was very brave and walked in up to his waist. We stopped for frites too...lovely :)

Inside

The weather has taken a nosedive, though I prefer cooler temperatures compared to the 32 degrees we've had recently.

I've been de-cluttering our house. A hoarder in a small house doesn't work, so I've been harsh and cleared cupboards and drawers out. I've still a way to go :)

Sam and I made a short story. We've been inundated with Ladybugs in the garden this year. Sam has had fun catching them and keeping them in a box and I wanted to make him understand on his own that this was perhaps a little cruel.  We made a little book about Lydia the ladybug who was taken from the garden and kept prisoner in a box. After realising, she was scared, lonely and hungry the little boy put her back in the garden with her friends and family. After telling this story Sam limits his ladybug admiration by picking them up and putting them straight back in the garden.