Happy Birthday Bret

We had a "surprise" birthday party for Dad last night. Max had a lot of fun helping me with the party. We went shopping together to buy Dad's gifts and Max helped me make a cocunut cake with melted chocolate on top. Max also "helped" by putting a whole bottle of sprinkles on the cake ...so it was a very crunchy cake.



For dinner we had one of Bret's favorite French foods, Tarte Flambee, it is really thin pizza dough with a white sauce topped with lardons (like bacon) and caramelized onions. It is very good, tastes a lot better than it looks


Maddie was very excited about the balloons she was chasing them all over the house. She also loved helping Dad unwrap his presents.


I let Max pick out a present at the store for Dad and he chose a set of game cards with one of his favorite characters, Tchoupi. Max has several books about Tchoupi that he loves to read and when he saw the cards he was certain that Dad would love them for his birthday so that he could play cards with Max. I am sure he was right. Dad was very excited to get his Tchoupi cards

The Carnival Comes to Town

This past weekend our town had a festival, it was a big flee market. People came and set up booths all over town selling things. Mostly used things and antiques and a few new things. Streets and streets of stuff for sale. It was a garage sale lovers dream The best part for us was the small little carnival that they set up to go with it. Our town is really small so there isn't room for much. There was one ride, one game booth and a booth that was selling candy. Max loved the ride and he rode it several times. It was his first real carnival ride and he thought it was a lot of fun.




Max was having so much fun he wanted Maddie to come and ride with him. I doubt she would have enjoyed the ride but she did have fun helping Max fish for ducks. She kept sticking her hands in the water trying to catch the ducks.


Max won a ball that Maddie automatically fell in love with and carried everywhere she went. Later, when he saw how much Maddie loved the ball he said, "Maddie can have that ball, I won it for Maddie" It was really sweet. He loves his sister .


Max also enjoyed picking out a treat at the candy booth. They had tons and tons of candy. Max chose a candy necklace.



Maddie gave the women and the candy booth a big smile and they gave her a sucker.


All in all we had a very good time at the very small carnival . Because it was just down the street we went a couple times. Max was a little disappointed when everything was taken down. He said, "Mom, why did they put the carnival away?"

Back to School

Max was excited to go back to school this week. In France public school starts at age 3. They first start in school for children ages 3-6. He was in the first year class when we moved here and he is now in a second year class. They do a lot of fun activities and it is a great place for him to learn French. There are many things that are different about schools here in France. All of the children keep a pair of slippers at school and put them on when they arrive. They wear them when they are in class. This is Max pointing to his Oui, Oui slippers. Oui, Oui is a cartoon character they have here that he loves.



Here is a picture of Max greeting his teacher on his first day back to school.


I think Maddie is also happy that Max started school. She loves the walks through the town everyday to drop him off and pick him up from school.

She's Walking!

Maddie has been taking steps for several weeks, but she has always preferred to crawl. This afternoon we were having her walk between us. Usually she will take a few steps and then fall into our arms, but today, as she was walking toward Bret she made a turn and just kept on walking! She kept falling down but staying on her feet longer each time she tried. She was very concentrated, practicing her walking. We had a lot of fun just sitting there watching her. Max especially had a lot of fun watching her. He kept saying, "Look Maddie is walking, she's knows how to walk!" Then he decided to join her. They walked all around the house together holding hands. Max is so excited that she can walk now.


Maddie was so proud of herself and we were proud parents for a few minutes. Then we thought, "Oh, no she is walking...what are we in for now!"