first skate with dad

We walked over to the rink this morning to watch the last few minutes of practice and go for a quick skate with dad.  He was a little sweaty (which explains the red towel) but of course Jacob didn't seem to mind.  He was too interested in the ice to even notice.  So interested in the ice he could hardly stop staring down at it. Cute! 

 

 

protests in amiens

 

Yesterday afternoon, while walking for groceries this is what we happened upon.  Around 7000 people protesting the increased retirement age in France.  It was just beginning really when we walked past so we just heard a lot of shouting through mega phones, loud music, flares and whatever it was they were setting off to make the loud "boom" (check the 1:30 mark).  You'll get the gist of it from the first couple minutes of the clip, no need to watch the entire thing.

They marched around the city and at one point were only about four blocks from our house.   And although that sounds pretty amazing, we could not hear a thing from inside our apartment.

Don't be alarmed, it was actually a lot more peaceful then it looked.  I did not hear of anyone  getting hurt or arrested.  We even saw some parents with children there and a few dogs in the mix as well.  It definitely added a little excitement to our day.   

currently reading

Let The Great World Spin by Colum McCann 

McCann took the true story of a tightrope walker who walked high above New York City between the Twin Towers in 1974 and wove in intricate and diverse storylines that all intersect with this single event.

 

Verdict: Liked it a lot

For kids, The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein

A Caldecott Medal wining children's book that chronicles the same tightrope walk between the Twin Towers.  I haven't had a chance to read this one yet but will as soon as I get back home.  I love the idea of reading some non-fiction to children.

when in france

Not a day goes by when I do not see numerous people walking down the street carrying  giant baguettes.  Until living in France I thought that this was just a stereotype you see in movies.  It is not.  People consume a LOT of baguettes here and  it is very common to see  someone carrying one, two, three or more.  

I guess it was only a matter of time before we jumped onto the baguette bandwagon.  With two boulangerie's on our block it was probably inevitable.  When in France do what the French do, buy a baguette.

enjoying fall

The other day it was just Jacob and I here while Billy was on the road so he got sucked into some picture taking (again).  He is such a good sport about it.  I just could not help myself and here are a few of the cute results. 

Afterward we went for a walk with Hailey to the grocery store.  It was a beautiful Fall day - bright and sunny with a hint of cold.  It was the perfect day for Jake to go forward facing in the Bjorn.  So much to see.  Especially in the grocery store, with aisles and aisles of colour.  He loved it. 

On our way back home, Hailey was almost jumped by a cat hiding in a bush (and she ran away from that cat as quickly as she could, you would have been proud Jean).  We all made it home in one piece and enjoyed our exciting little afternoon walk.  It was enough to tucker Jacob out and I was able to read for two hours while he was down for his nap. 

sockeye salmon run

Thinking of my parents who went to see the sockeye salmon run the other day at the Adams River and wishing I was there with them.  15 million salmon are estimated to migrate this year which is pretty unbelievable (the largest run in a century).  I cannot even imagine it.  It would be an amazing sight to see.  The next cycle of migration is not until 2014.  Hopefully we will be around to take Jacob. 

"Can you imagine swimming 400 kilometers against a raging current, encountering thousands of obstacles along the way, not eating a bite of nourishment, with only one purpose to your journey -- to reproduce and die? Such is the fate of the Adams River sockeye salmon. The drama of reproduction is played out in exactly the same way every cycle as millions of sockeye make their way back to the gravel beds of the Adams River, the place of their birth, to spawn and die." - Adams River Salmon Society

The Adams River Salmon Society tells it like it is.  No sugar coating here.  This article tells the complete story of their journey and is worth a quick read.  Amazing but so, so sad.  

Photo courtesy of maryedwardsphotography

things that make me smile

Here are just a few...

mom and dad ● wheels on the bus ●  diaper changes ● hailey ●  looking at my art cards ● peak-a-boo, but only sometimes ● throwing my soother out of the crib ●  my activity gym ●   playing with moms hair ● touching my toes ●  jumping ● being tickled

parlez-vous francais

We started our French lessons yesterday and what a misfit group we are.  We have a French teacher who speaks very little English, two English speakers who speak no French and five Czechs who speak varying degrees of English (ranging from none to very little) and no French.  And just wait, it gets better.  We also have a two month old, five month old and three year old attending lessons.  Good luck to our teacher.   

Jake was really interested in learning French for the first 20 minutes and then just wanted to jump and jump and jump.  He was suppose to be napping but unfortunately it was just way too exciting for him to miss out on. 

The three year old is from the Czech Republic and is adorable.  Throughout our lesson he would come up to me and speak Czech and hold Jacob's hand while I would smile and nod at him.  Too cute.  

sweet sweet bliss

 

Macron (pronounced macaroni without the i sound at the end). A melt-in-your-mouth confectionery that consists of a sweet buttercream or  ganache filling sandwiched between delicate meringue-based cookies.  

Basically my  F A V O U R I T E  thing about France. 

They come in every flavour  and colour - vanilla, caramel, cafe, strawberry, rose, pistachio, violet, lemon - and even some pretty unimaginable flavours - coca cola, pineapple, green tea, lavender.  Please note that I have omitted a lot of flavors in this list.  A lot.  Aside from being the prettiest things you could possible eat, they are absolutely delicious.

I have a favourite macron place here called Nature de Cacao and they are conveniently located across the street from one of the grocery stores downtown.  It is the tiniest, cutest shop imaginable.  very modern looking, all purple and silver inside with a giant pastry case filled with macrons, chocolates, gelato and colourful eclairs and tarts.  Every time we go I think of trying something new but juts cannot resist the macrons.  Maybe next time. 

Note: I would have taken a photo myself but Billy thinks it is a little embarrassing when I do things like take pictures of the food we are eating while we are sitting at the cafe or restaurant.  The other alternative would be to take the macrons home and take a picture there, except I keep running into the same problem, they ALL get eaten before we make it home.  I don't know how it keeps happening.  

Photo courtesy of Tartlette

thanks

Jake received a lovely surprise yesterday.  What a cute hockey shirt, we LOVE it!  As you can see he was quite happy about it.  We did a little photo shoot and then played with Hailey a bit. 

Jacob was really into it and Hailey was very patient.  Even with his thumb in her eye, Hailey still remained calm.  Quite the miracle.  Hopefully she gets used to the attention because Jacob cannot seem to get enough of her.  One of his favourite tummy-time activities is to watch Hailey so just wait until he is mobile. 

day at the beach

Earlier in August we drove to a little town in Northern France along the Atlantic coast called Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, which roughly translates to Paris by the Sea.  The day was a little overcast which turned out to be perfect for Jacob.  The beach stretched on for miles and miles, had the softest white sand and beautiful rolling sand dunes.  There are many walking paths in Le Touquet and one of them goes along the shore, through sand dunes and marshes for 15 miles.  If we were ever to go back, I would love to walk that trail. 

We stayed for the afternoon, walked around the beach and had lunch.  Billy enjoyed a  cheeseburger while I enjoyed a crepe with chocolate.  We obviously did not go swimming but we did walk into the Atlantic and it was surprisingly warm.

Jacob stuck perfectly with his routine, eating and sleeping when expected and was ultra comfortable with his dad in the Bjorn.

 

 

saturday, swimming & speedos

That's right, every Saturday morning Jake & I walk to the pool for our bebe nageur swim class.  No pictures to include here.  Sad.  But probably for the best because a) someone needs to be in the pool with Jake, and b) cameras and water could easily become a disaster.  

The class is full of babies and toddlers 6 month to 2 years old.  There seems to be no structure to the class - no circles, no singing, no instruction - but a swim teacher does mingle with parents and babies in the pool.  They have a good set up there, large shallow pool, mats, noodles, floating toys, watering cans.

Jake does not quite know what to make of all this, but takes it all in with wide eyes.  He mixes in a few leg kicks once in a while and by the time the class is over he is exhausted.  He is asleep as soon as his little body hits the carseat and will remain that way until I wake him up two hours later.

 We attend with another couple and their 7 month old son and it is nice to have another English speaker around.  For our first class Billy was away with the team but he will be around for the next few lessons.  For men speedos are mandatory - no baggy shorts allowed in the pool - which is a little funny.  Definitely a first for Billy.

far from home

About 7623 kilometers from home to be a little more specific.
 

Here is a glimpse of our new city:

Amiens, France 

Population: 140,000

I hour and 7 minutes to Paris by train

Home to the largest cathedral in France

Walking distance to the rink and downtown

Grocery stores open on Sunday's

v is for vancouver, city by the ocean

 Congratulations Aunty Kaity on your new job in Vancouver.  We are sad to see you go and will miss spending our summers with you.  Insert sad smile here.  Jake is a little heartbroken but says you can make it up to him by taking him to the aquarium.  

Good luck with the move and have fun in the big city. 

For any of you who are praising my creativity with this post title, I stole it directly from one of Jacob's alphabet books, ABC of Canada.  Currently one of his favourite books on our bookshelf. 

favourite things

Wee Gallery Art Cards are one of Jacob's favourite things.  He loves looking at the contrast between the black and white images and is really drawn to all of the different patterns.  They are really so beautifully done.  When he was a few weeks old he would follow the cards with his eyes and now he holds them up all by himself, and doesn't seem to tire of them.

Jake has the Sea Collection but as soon as we get home we are going to go to Chapters to pick up the Farm Collection.  If you know anyone having a baby, this would be a gift I would recommend.

Image from Wee Gallery 

a dogs life in france

Not nearly as glamorous as it sounds. Sadly this is not the apartment or city for Hailey.  And here are the reasons why:

Number One - No green spaces nearby for a) going to the bathroom and b) playing. The small patches of grass that we do find are pretty used up by other dogs and it is true what they say, French people do NOT pick up after their dogs. Hailey refuses to do what every single other dog here does - which is go on the sidewalk - so we are always in search of grass.

Number Two - Our apartment has hardwood and tile flooring and since Hailey will only lay down on soft surfaces and is no longer allowed on the couch, she only has one place to hangout - her dog bed. 

Number Three - In a apartment that has seven large windows you would think there would be lots of sun to bask in. Hailey's dream come true. Except we get no direct sunlight at all. Not even one stinking sunbeam for this pup to lounge in.

Poor girl. She has been such a good trooper, because on top of all that she has this new cute baby brother who stole her spotlight.

so thankful

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our family & friends back home.  Wishing we could be there.  We made a little turkey for ourselves yesterday on Billy's day off.  I was not brave enough to try a whole turkey in the toaster oven (smart decision, I think) but instead bought turkey breasts pounded thin and stuffed them with goat cheese and breaded them.  It turned out quite nice.  We served it with mashed potatoes, green beans sauteed with garlic and a fresh fig & avocado salad with balsamic vinaigrette.  Yum!

  

There are no pictures of our Thanksgiving meal so instead I will put up some pictures of one of the things I'm most thankful for.  

celebrating five months

Five months old today. 

So many big changes is such a short time.
How lucky we are.

chocolate dusted hazelnut sandwiches

"And what is better than a cookie you ask….

Two cookies sandwiched together with hazelnut cream

- that's what."

I would really love to take all the credit for this recipe and the beautiful pictures that accompany it, but in truth I have to thank my talented friend Tara who is a stylist in Oslo, Norway.  I am borrowing this recipe from her beautiful style blog.  These wonderful pictures were taken by Norwegian based photographer, Birgit Fauske.  Thank you very much for sharing!

 

Note: These cookies bake up beautifully on their own, and can be served with tea or enjoyed with your favorite spreads. To make sandwich cookies, use a good quality hazelnut spread and dust with organic cocoa powder. Be sure to flatten cookies with a wet spoon or spatula before baking as these biscuits will rise into soft peaks if left alone. Remember that the dough for this recipe will need to chill for 2 hours before baking. Makes 2 dozen medium sized cookies or 1 dozen sandwiches.

You will need:

3 large organic eggs

170 ml corn oil

3 1/4 cups flour

1 cup granulated sugar

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp.best quality vanilla

1-500g container of Nutella or best quality hazelnut spread

Chopped hazelnuts & cocoa powder for dusting

……………………………………..

Blend together eggs, oil and sugar. To this mixture add in 2 cups of flour and combine.

Continue mixing batter, and spoon in remaining flour.

When dough is formed add baking powder and vanilla and combine. Cover dough and chill for 2 hours.

Shape dough into balls and place on cookie sheet. Flatten with a spoon dipped in warm water to achieve uniform round shapes that are flat on top.

Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees and cool on wire rack.

When cookies are cooled completely, spread with Nutella and press together to form sandwiches & dust tops with cocoa powder.

Food and styling | Tara Ballantyne

Photography | Birgit Fauske

paris in september

I am going back in time by a few weeks to share our day-trip to Paris.  We took the train in on a Sunday morning and spent the day wandering and eating.  We really skipped all of the main attractions - Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Cathedral Notre Dame - and basically ate our way around the city.

First stop was Starbucks, and boy was it good.  We made it there twice within our first three hours in Paris and brought some extra bold French Roast home with us. 

We decided to walk Champs-Elysee to take a peek at the Arch de Triomphe, and stopped at Laudree for macarons on the way.  As soon as we arrived we saw there was a line.  It did not look too bad from the outside but as soon as you get through the door you think you may actually be at Disneyland instead.  It is one of those lines that initially looks manageable but doubles back on itself, so it is actually twice as long.  We waited for 15 - 20 minutes until one of the 13 employees working the pastry counter could take our order.  There were people spending hundreds of Euros there but we happily left with six macarons: caramel, rose, lemon, mimosa and two vanilla.  They were delicious and worth the wait.  We ate them up before I could even take a single picture.  A very good reason to go back again sometime.  Before heading home we went to the Georges Pompidou Centre and bought banana nutella crepes for our walk back to the Metro.  So delicious!   

Jake had a great day.  He played and slept on the hour long train ride from Amiens to Paris.  Once in the city he hung out in the Bjorn and alternated between people watching and sleeping.  He happily spent the day like this and was very talkative, cooing and ahhhing as we walked around .  He liked the bright lights on the Metro and the busy streets of people.  Not a single tear was shed.

I hope we have a chance to go back again.  Probably soon while we can still take Jake in the Bjorn.  What a beautiful city.

 

 

currently reading

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

Take an 11 year old girl named Flavia, a love of poisons, and England in the 1950's.  Add a little mystery and you will have a story that you will surprisingly fall in love with.  Cute, charming and very original.  Also noteworthy, the author is a 70 year old first-time-novelist.  How wonderful is that!

Verdict: Loved it

adventures in teething

Oh yes, teething.  Those little baby teeth are trying to make their way up.  They are making themselves known.  The drool keeps coming and coming.  Jake is taking it all very well, so far, and has both hands shoved into his mouth on a regular basis.  Let hope that things go smoothly for Jake and our other little friends out there who are also teething. Good luck sweet babies, or as they say in France, bonne chance. 

enjoying the sunshine

Spending a little family time at the park before the winter rain starts up.  Next stop, a walk downtown for coffee and crepes.  What a wonderful way to spend a day.  

la cathedrale en couleurs

A truly unbelievable sight.  The Cathedral Notre Dame d'Amiens is the largest cathedral in France and a UNESCO World Heritage sight but there is more...

When the cathedral was being resurfaced they discovered that the front was intricately painted in multiple colors.  A light show was then developed to recreate the polychromatic appearance of the church.  We finally decided to walk to the church late one evening to catch the 45 minute show.  People filled the square, the music starts and the church is beautifully illuminated in the most striking colors.  The pictures I managed to take really don't do it justice at all.  Even Jake enjoyed the show and stayed up way past his bedtime.

Take note of the second picture.  Those tiny dark specks at the bottom are actually people.  

waiting for the show to begin

beautifully lit

close-up of one of the archways