Art at La Defense

I went t visit one last office last Friday, so now we have a wide choice to choose from.
We are going to make a decision the second week in January.
For now, here's a picture of a sculpture of giant thumb that I'd never noticed before at La Defense.

Office hunting near Paris

Last Friday I had an appointment with a real estate agent, not for a house, but for an office. We spent the whole morning walking around La Defense and immediate  surrounding area, visiting some great offices, some way too expensive, some too big and some with amazing view of the Eiffel Tower and Paris, all were good.
I took lots of photos, but the one above, well I have no idea, how it found it's way between them, but it's kind of depicts my life as it is since working again...always on the move, "très speed" like our receptionist says, good or bad, that's me at the moment

Checking in Christmas Tree Time

                                                 La Defense not far from when I work

Since beginning to work again, it's been hard to find the time do do anything other the essential, family, food, homework, cooking, eating, cleaning, working including transport to and from the office.
We have managed to do some progress in the children's bathroom, but it still not finished, maybe next weekend, as this weekend we are getting all Christmassy around here.

                                                    *Three out of five decorating the tree

Luckily the 1st of December was a Saturday this time, this helped a lot with the planning, especially for the Christmas tree.   
Now the children are older, we just them decorate, we have no colour theme, just mix and match.

 When Charlotte was five, we celebrated our first Christmas in France, and beforehand she made a Angel, using a empty toilet roll a polystyrene ball for her had and so aluminum foil for her wings, her nose is a silver star and she has silver hair.  Who would have thought would have survived all this time, but she has, and who would have thought that every year there would be a fight  debate to see who should be the one to put our little Angel on the top of the tree (like every year).  
It was decided that this year Gaby would have this honor, she needed a strong pair of shoulders(her Papa's) though to reach up high enough.  Voila, we are getting all Christmassy and it feels good.

*Charlotte was too busy with friends in Paris and Oliver too, he went to the Christmas market on the Champs Elysées, or so he said, but my guess if was visiting one of this favourite stores "Abercrombie and Fitch"

Bike riding in the Vexin

We live on the edge of the Vexin National Park, which is great, the countryside is splendid and there's lots of country paths and and hiking trails within walking distance of our house.

 With Alexis away till Friday 6th April, Marie-Kate and I are getting to have some quality time together, just the two of us. She loved it, up here above our little village and cycled more than she she'd ever did before, six kilometers is less than an hour.

 You can see La Defense from up here (not on photo) but as there was quite a lot of air pollution yesterday over l'Ile de France and didn't think it was worth taking a photo with my mobile phone, so instead this is a shot of a freshly ploughed  field taken by Marie-Kate.  I think up here they plant a lot of sweetcorn, but we'll see over the next couple of weeks.

Oh yes, Marie-Kate made a new friend, quite a big one, and yes she was a little scared to stroke him.  
Today, Wednesday, she wants to go back, this time with two apples, one for her and the other for the horse.  We'll go, because the weather going to be amazing again and it's not going to stay like this forever, so let's make the most of it and try and cycle ten kilometers, she'll sleep like a log after that.