Merveillieux!

I am staring into the face of FIFTEEN days without school.  Winter break starts on Monday and  this Friday is a teacher workday!  Not bad if you can head off for a ski break, but Scott has to work and travel and skiing here is a little too complicated for me to handle alone.  

The kids started an after-school program (fencing) yesterday and were gone from 8 until 5:30.  I picked up them expecting them to be starving.  They were, but they were cheerful about it.  I explained that the french don't snack, which is why they eat things like snails for dinner.

I also expected that at least one of them would not like fencing, but they both enjoyed it.  The instructor spoke French but they had a pal in class who interpreted for them.  I love being reminded of the adaptability and resilience of kids, and surprised that I continue to I underestimate them.  They continue to enjoy school, especially lunch.  The only homework they have is a little bit of french, and last week they memorized a poem in French.

While they were gone I spent a long lonesome rainy day  online planning what to do during the break.  And snacking.   Scott will be traveling the second week of break so I made plans to take the kids to London for a few days. The Eurostar will get us there in an hour and a half,  and we will stay at a hotel near where I lived in 2001.  I am very excited to show the kids the Tower of London tour and other fun things.  I am much more confident about handling London avec enfants than the Alps.

France separates the country into 3 zones and each zone has a different set of weeks off for both winter and spring break.  Since everyone around here is off at the same time, the city and smart business folk create things for people to do with their kids.  The first week there will be an indoor park set up with bouncy houses and ziplines and climbing walls.  The second week they have something called Lille Neige, which is an indoor winterland with a toboggan hill and skating rink.  I am also thinking of doing a day trip to Disneyworld Paris, just because it's there, or rather, an hour or so from here on the TGV.

Speaking of neige, we have not had a flake. We have had only a few frosty nights, and none in the 10 day forecast.  I think it's milder than usual as the normal low is 33 for January and February.  The highs have been about 50.

Stop talking about the weather and give you some more food pictures?  Here is a sweet  favor Amelia received at a birthday party this weekend


And here is a Amelia  with a local dessert called Marveilleux...marvelous!  It's meringues with whipped cream in the middle and outside and then dusted with chocolate.




And finally, here is our Sunday supper of bread and cheese and spreads, and salad and fruit.  Bon Appetit!