Pop-pop's pictures

Lucie really enjoyed her American grandparents' visit.
She got some flowers for her parents on their anniversary.
She took her grandparents to the top of the Arc de Triomphe


And gave her Pop-pop a haircut...

Happy birthday Lucie

Today is Lucie's birthday, and she was lucky to have all of her grandparents there to celebrate and shower her with gifts.

And a shower it was. Or more like a tropical downpour.
But the best gift of all came from our friends in Pakistan. Lucie loves her tambourine. (note to self, buy trumpet for child of said friends).
Michele made a nice cake for Lucie, and decorated it with strawberries. Lucie loved blowing the candle so we did it several times.
and again at dinner time, but we used the cauliflower. Lucie thought it was great.

Life back in Paris

We do occasionally spend time in Paris. Here's a few recent photos from our neighborhood.

Lucie spotting Greg on the crowded sidewalk.

Now running away from Greg...
Whew! he caught her. (Relax, it's a pedestrian street!)
At one of our neighborhood parks.
Just walking. Lucie's big enough now that we can now go out without the stroller.
Gabrielle, Greg's brother's girlfriend, suggested a picnic in the park last weekend and she even brought a tart to celebrate our birthdays!!! Adele and her parents joined us and the two girls had a great time playing together.

Eating and drinking with her Uncle Bertrand.
And this is what happens if you don't share your dessert with Lucie. Bertrand won't be making that mistake again.
Leaving the park at the end of the afternoon.

The Ivory Coast

While Lucie was at the beach, Elise - the woman who watches her during the day - was visiting friends and family in the Ivory Coast. She came back with many colorful and beautiful dresses and was kind enough to bring back dresses for Lucie and Julie.
This was the end of the first day back from vacation and the two girls had had enough of each other. They had just had a huge fight over who would get the bucket Julie is holding and as you can see from the picture, Lucie was being a sore loser. What's really amazing is that Elise was still smiling.

Last Photos of Summer

We've been back from vacation for a couple weeks, but there were still a few pictures on our computer that we never downloaded. Lucie is totally appalled by our laziness.
Every time I mention biking with Lucie to my dad, he asks if she wears a helmet. We took this photo just for him.

Collecting shells.
Hunting for crabs.
Windy kisses


Hunting for butterflies and bees in the garden.
Your dad, a bottle, and a beach; life doesn't get much better than this if you are a toddler named Lucie.
Eating strawberries especially saved for her by her great grandmother.
A nice photo of Lucie and her great grandmother.
Grilled sardines! Yum!!

Biking with Dadah... without a helmet! Oh no!! Its a good thing Lucie doesn't actually know how to pedal yet.

Nice and not so nice - it's Bretagne...

One of the nice things about being on vacation with one's parents, is that you get lots of hugs in the sun.

Lucie really likes her mid-afternoon milk.
She rides like there's no tomorrow on daddy's 30-year old wheels.
On a nice evening, it's time to go hunt for green crabs when the tide's just right.
Next day, not so nice weather, but Lucie still hits the beach.
Somebody decided to start piling to rocks on the beach, and others have followed. The result is a bit surreal (this goes on for several hundred yards)
Lucie will play anywhere that there is dirt.
She also knows when to take a rest.
And when to try to get away...
Vertical wrestling should be in the Olympics.
Lucie's a good little Breton, she's not afraid of the fierce wind.

The Lucie Show

Nothing is better than a little bit of bread and her grandmother's homemade jam...


Playing with cards on one of the few overcast days of our vacation.
Sometimes Greg does get to relax and read by himself, but not a lot.

"It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses." Lucie doing her Blues Brother's impersonation.
Gnawing on a duck bone. Yum!