Cousins on the beach

On our last day of summer vacation, we overlapped at the house with Greg's first cousin Marie, her husband, and two kids. The four cousins had a great time swimming and playing on the beach together.

 It rained a little during the day and there was a double rainbow over the beach.

 Followed by more "rain" in the garden.

Malo asks, do we really have to go back to Paris?

  

See the sun is setting. It is time to go home...

It's not summer anymore, but we're behind on the updates

Dadouh's been complaining that she doesn't get much press here. So here are a few photos of her. This one with her sister Armelle.

Having a drink on the terrace...

On to the kids, which is why anyone come here in the first place...
Malo likes to sit and play by himself. It's bliss for his parents.

He likes to try to blow at the BBQ...

And he's cute...

He gives the best hugs, tied with Lucie.

Michele enjoying drinks on the terrace. We had a few very nice days, and took advantage of Pakkah and Dadouh's generosity by coming back for apéritif after giving the kids a bath and some dinner. The kids then had seconds and thirds of saucisson and olives, and all was well.

If you look closely, you will see that Malo's cheeks are filled with saucisson...

Lucie, flexing some muscle on the beach.

And she really is strong...

Swimming with great-uncle Olivier, in water definitely too deep to stand in... check out the previous photo to see the size difference between those two.

Malo's ready for takeoff.

Sometimes vacation can be truly exhausting...

A random photo from that windy day.

This summer, we also got a visit from Pierre, Pakkah's older brother who lives in Canada. In this picture, he's doing his best Popeye impersonation.

Another day in the life

Malo just wants to say that he loves you too.

And he'll love you even more if you read him and his sister a story

Invariably, at one point during the summer, it gets really windy, and invariably, we head for the Cote Sauvage (check out previous years if you don't believe us). This year, it was particularly windy.

Malo, spotting a bird (aaak aaak).

Grass blowing in the wind

Malo playing in the sand

Our children are geniuses, and this one's already learned how to write

Lucie, getting a hug

Lucie, taking a pose

Michele carrying Malo

Yes, this photo was staged - at least to the extent that you can stage a 4.5 and a 1.5 year old in a blowing gale.

The sea really was wild on the Cote Sauvage...

"Just look up there while I sneak under the wire and head for the cliff at breakneck speed"... (and he did).

Wisdom

Lucie: "I can wait a minute if it's not too long"

More pics of the kids, what else?

This is what happens when you mix a wooden table, breakfast, a cute kid, and photography classes.

Lucie loves to take photographs. It often stresses the subjects as she can barely hold the large camera. In this case, aunt Morgane and uncle Dyfan (hint 1: it's not pronounced how you'd think, hint 2: he's not French).

 They look a great deal more relaxed with the midget photographer IN the picture...

 Some things never change.

 Malo loves the FisherPrice airplane, and has an uncanny ability to sit quietly and play by himself.

 Michele brought back popsicle molds from the US. It was a hit every time.

More Bretagne

Dadouh complains that she doesn't get a lot of pictures on the blog, so here are some. 

Sailing the seven seas in a kayak with Lucie

 Manhandling Malo

 Grandmother hugs are great, why are you making that face, little man?

 "That's a fascinating thing you said, young man."

The other thing that Malo's learned to do really well is point to show things. He spent a great deal of time pointing at birds (aaaak aaaak) and at planes (brrrrrrr).

Lucie hadn't seen our cousin Thibault in a couple of years, and she's always had a thing for him since she was little.

Needless to say, it was a party.

 

Lucie also helped to prepare the sail for the catamaran