college drawings

 When Alexis drew and shaded his picture above, his teacher didn't believe him at first that he did it (looks better in reality)  but he did.  He spent hours on it too.  Apparently , the other drawings  in the class were so bad, she assumed he had help (he finished it off at home, like all his classmates). He did do it and has proved it since. He got a 19 for this dog.  Alexis loves drawing portraits and now can drawing great noses which he is happy about.

When Gaby was in 6eme, she had a similar topic to do, but she only had the half of the picture to complete, she did it on her own too and got a 17.
Gaby's speciality is drawing mangas.

Desks

 I bought a vintage desk way back when we lived in Sanary which now is in Alexis' room. I miss having a desk at home, I work better with one...
While visiting our local thrift shop a couple of month's ago, Alain found this desk to take its place that we snapped up, perhaps they didn't manage to sell it quicker due to its size, it's huge.  It came with its original keys and has a  secret compartment too!!!
We placed it up against one of our sofa's and gave our square table (thrift again) to our neighbour.

 Since buying it, our children, especially Alexis, have commandeered it. This wasn't supposed to happen.  Alexis can be found sitting there, morning and evening, his workbooks cover it and are usually stored under it.  It's only now, during the festive period that I have managed to move him and his stuff from my desk....
Now I have just got to get rid of Gaby's math, Marie Kate's Furby (scary creature) and other kids paraphernalia....wish me luck (photos date from ages ago).

August in December

Christmas has already past, the children have been spoilt a little less than in past years but that's not a bad thing. 
Christmas was good, time went too fast and now it's the 27th December and I have actually some time to blog, read, spend quality time with the children (not in that order).
Alain left for Nigeria today for an operation off-shore, it's going to be weird to not spend New Year's with him. 

 I have many photos to go through and here's the first few, this time from our holiday this summer in Guadeloupe.  I wish we were still there.  
We stayed in an fantastic villa about 10 minutes drive from Saint Anne's  We climbed to the top of La Grande Soufière, visited main parts of the island, ate great food and basically had a wonderful time

Back after nearly four months

Since working full time, it's really hard to find time to update this blog, well to do anything other than, eat sleep, look after the  children and their homework et cetera still I can't belief it's been four months since I have logged in here.
And it's November already!

  So much as happened in the last four months,  for example:

• Oliver left home for the first time for his internship in the UK during the summer, only to come back to move into an apartment near his campus..which costs a fortune.
• MK and Alexis went away on their first summer camp for two weeks and loved it
• Gaby went away for three week tour of Scandinavia and hated the first week but loved the rest of her time there
• Charlotte went to India for three weeks, and had a fantastic time
• Charlotte's taking driving lessons
• Took the children to see Les Fourberies de Scapin at Versailles 
• We went to Guadeloupe for a couple of weeks with Gaby, Alexis and MK..lucky us
• Back to school happened, Alexis is now in 6eme!
• Only MK left in primary, yikes
• We bought a water rower and a new desk
• We have started Christmas shopping rather late
• We have been reading a lot, especially Game of Thrones..watching it too
• Loving House of Cards, Scandal, Homeland...

Back soon with some photos:)

Water Slide

The house is feeling a little empty without the children.  It's strange not to be woken up at 6 on a Sunday.   Having a tidy  house. Not having to stop squabbling  children several times a day.
Cooking for two. Still being in bed at 10.40!!  

Before the children left they asked for a swimming pool, but instead we bought a water slide and it's turned out to be the perfect choice.  Friends have been to play most weekends and even after school.  Even without a squirt of washing-up liquid, they almost fly down the 10 meters so fast.

I tidied the slide away yesterday and mowed the lawn which took hours ( our battery-powered lawn mower hates long grass).

Alexis and MK arrive back next Saturday, Alexis at 13h and MK at 20h.  For our last night before they get back, we have reserved a super suite in a Parisian hotel and a great restaurant. I'm looking forward to this, but I'm looking forward to Saturday and seeing A and MK a million times more.  

Summer Camp "Survivors" camp

Alexis really didn't want to go on his summer camp, his first ever summer camp, and it took a lot of persuasion, I mean really a lot and a fews promises about which phone he could chose when he came back home.... he is an extremely good negotiator, so you can imagine the phone he's going to get!

His camp is in La Creuse and we can catch up with what they have been doing via a blog (photo taken from there).  Alexis is on the photo, he's the one with the green t-shirt on. 

We had a call two days ago from the camp leader, Gabrielle took a confusing message about Alexis that had been bitten or stung something beginning by a T.

We phoned straight back after returning from work.  It turned out that he'd been bitten by a tick and he had to go and have it removed by a doctor.  He's on antibiotics and he's fine, in fact it turns out after speaking with Alexis on the telephone that he is loving his camp.  I thought he'd beg us to pick him up...what a pessimist I am!  
We are use so happy that he's having fun and making new friends whilst sailing, cabin building. And for the next two nights he is going to sleep à la belle étoile.  

Spring and Summer update...and some photos from Amsterdam

Where does the time go?  We have been so busy:

• working a lot 
• trying to balance family time and work
• visting Amsterdam
• watching the children take part in their end of year concert 
• waiting for the visa that never came (A was supposed to go to Angola)
• wrapping up the last term at school before the holiday's.  Alexis enters college in September (he came out top of his class this year and had 98% for national exam all CM2' sit!
• shopping for summer camps
• Seeing Oliver leave for England for an internship...three months without no dirty laundry being left in the middle of the bathroom and a tidy room that smells kind-of fresh for once

                                                                                                                       On a beach a long bike ride              

                                                                                                                       from Haarlem

I could go on but I won't.  Now it's the 12th July.  We have one of five children at home which is weird but ok.  Charlotte is here, she goes to India on a humanitarian holiday (half of the time) and the other half sightseeing.  She will visit the Taj-Mahal, visit the town of the Dalai Lama (meet him if he's there).  Help make a new classroom...she's going to take lots of stationary for the school over there.

                                                In our big house boat in Amsterdam

Where are the other four?  Well you know that Oliver is in the UK getting some work experience. 

Alexis and Marie-Kate left last Sunday for their summer camps.  Alexis is on a "Survivor's" theme camp.  More to come in another post

Marie-Kate is on a "Graine de Veto" camp.  Basically, she's getting a first look at what it's like to be a Vet;  More later on her camp.

                                                      Our house boat at night

Gabrielle left at the crack of dawn yesterday (we were at CDG and 5 in the morning!) She's off on a Scandinavian tour, where she'll visit Denmark, Norway and Sweden). Once again more later.

Finally, us, two parents, with one 17 year old who is capable of looking after herself.  We are off on a hiking holiday, a short one, and we'll leave when the pile of clothes have been ironed, and the house is tidy, the grass has been cut and the plants watered.

Two more photos and then I have to tidy

 We didn't really find the food that great in Amsterdam, however in Haarlem we ate a  small organic café and the children loved the hamburgers they served.

 Bye bye house boat.  Last day before catching the plane to come back home

This is one of two floating house boats that have been transformed into a super playground that the children loved.