On vacation, stop 1 – Thiezac, Cantal.

Our first stop was in the Auvergne region, in a little town called Thiezac, which had been selected as a destination by our friends Carole and Didier. We’d decided to be laid back and followed them blindly. It was great fun in a new region that neither of us knew before.

We first stopped on the way down in Issoire, where Lucie insisted that we visit the cathedral. Greg explained why Jesus was sitting like that and holding the ball (very useful for a 3 year old, but she did ask…)

We also took advantage of a nice “Last Judgment” fresco. Lucie: “why is the monster eating these people?” Dad: “because they didn’t listen to their parents”

(ok, it’s both blasphemy and child abuse, but very entertaining…)
In Cantal, there isn’t a whole lot to do if you’re not into walking. We discovered that Lucie likes it, as does Malo, who especially likes it when others are doing the walking for him.
Lucie hiked in style

Everyone was part of this hike. Carole, Michele, and the two bigger kids (Lucie and Adele).
Didier and Louise
Near the top, we stopped to check out the ladies.
These ladies…
At the top, we all rested.
Malo got a snack.
It’s all very picturesque, and much easier on the way down…

We eventually returned to our little cabin, where Malo got a bath in the sink, as there was no bathtub…

While you wait

We're on vacation, and we've got low bandwidth, so here's a little hello while you wait

Vacation Envy

Back in July, it was pretty clear that everyone needed a vacation. Michele looked a bit tired…

Greg and Lucie were down to reading about rocks

Malo was so bored that he’d taken to eating his chair

What? Just take me on vacation, dude!

And so we all went off for a month, and it was all better!

Pajama Time!

The moon is out and it's getting late...
Let's get ready to celebrate.
It's Pajama Time!
Oh yes, it's pajama time.
See even little Malo is in on the action! I guess it helps if you know the book. Baiha and her parents came over for dinner a few weeks ago. The moon was out and there was definitely a party, but in reality there was not a whole lot of pajama sleeping.

Kinda the 4th

The problem with living in France, besides the obvious matter of the large number of French people around, is that you can't find a hamburger bun anywhere. This makes the celebration of July 4th challenging, but we resolved to celebrate in as much style as possible by inviting ourselves over to Isabelle and Thierry's place on July 3rd and having a barbecue.

I did manage to find some hotdog buns, and so the girls had some hotdogs.
Dude, what's wrong with you? Can't you see I'm eating a hotdog? This ain't Coney Island.
Dad! quit taking pictures already...
Lucie and Fanny, aka "ladies who lunch".
Look Fanny, I'm going to show you this great thing we do in the US, it's called "body slam your little brother, WWF-style".
Thankfully, a crisis was averted, and the girls played in the wading pool.
Meanwhile, the rest of crew relaxed after some luscious steaks.
Mr Overbite
Michele went a bit overboard on the sunscreen
Our gracious hosts

Bunch of pics

Once in a while, Malo feels a bit lonesome and sad...
Thankfully, it doesn't last long. Malo loves his recliner, which he bounces vigorously by shaking his leg and where he plays with the little toy bar.





He also loves sitting in his bumpo - in these pictures, he's just wearing a diaper owing to a rare heat wave in Paris (36C, without air conditioning).




When he's not busy smiling, Malo sleeps - this is a less natural endeavor, but he's getting the hang of it.



He's also getting more and more interested in stuffed animals and loves the flashing bee.

Sometimes, he just wants to suck his fist.

Our good friends Ray and Marilyn came to visit and brought presents. All we could offer were cute kids and some good eats.
When you abandon your wife & two kids for 10 days to go to (say) Abu Dhabi, it helps if you come back with some good ideas to make it up to her. Cooking with your daughter's a good idea.
Little fingers are always helpful.
Not to mention cooking shirtless... and the grub wasn't all bad: squid stuffed with basil and breaded zucchini flowers (one of Michele's favorites)

Lest we forget, Lucie has also been busy, visiting her friend Charles at his grandmother's in Paris, where they enjoyed a dip in the kiddy pool on the balcony. Eric (Charles' father) dipped Malo in the pool, but it wasn't so successful.

The day ended at our neighborhood park, where Lucie convinced Charles to swing with her.
Lately, she's gotten to be very good at playing quietly by herself.
Sometimes, it's just too much.