December - Decorating the Tree

We're finally into December! Getting caught up, little by little.

These photos are all of the day we picked out and decorated our tree. Alixe wasn't very interested in putting anything on the tree, just taking ornaments out of the box and carrying them around the living room. Or taking ornaments off the tree. Aimy was pretty unhappy about that. Otherwise, Alixe would run away so quickly whenever I got out the camera that there aren't many pictures of her that aren't a complete blur.

Aimy had a blast helping me, and was very focused on making sure all parts of the tree had enough decorations (unlike last year, where a few branches got all of the decorations at first!) The only problem was the lack of star for the top - since they were learning about "le sapin" at school and doing lots of activities to do with Christmas, Aimy was a bit upset when I tried to put Santa on top of the tree. "Pas Père Noen!" she kept telling me ("Noen" because she has trouble saying "Noel"). We ended up buying a star a few days later, but I don't think I took any pictures of the tree with the star on top. Oh well, next year.

Waiting for the tree to be all unwrapped
so that we can decorate it

Lights all strung, with Alixe running by
wearing one of Aimy's boots

Untangling the string of a straw ornament

Very focused

Hanging up a snowman

More decorating

Admiring Aimy's work (ie getting
ready to take another ornament
off the tree)

Finished (minus the star)

November

Everything went back to normal in November after our holidays. Though normal is relative, I suppose! Aimy wore her sling for the whole month and after about the first week, when she would tell us to be careful every time we picked her up ("Slowy, Mummy!") and was cautious about using her arm, she was acting as if her collarbone had never been broken. She was happy to go back to school and even to show her teachers her 'backpack'. 

Alixe caught a bad cold in November and had an awful cough, and did not enjoy using the inhaler the doctor gave us, at least not at first. She figured out how to blow her nose rather quickly though, and started wanting to wander around with a piece of kleenex or toilet paper in her hand so she could blow her nose at any moment. She also made me laugh one day when she dropped her sippy cup and the spout came off. As soon as it hit the floor, she looked guilty and said, "Uh oh!" and when I came over to fix it, she pouted and said "Bad girl!" over and over again. It was hilarious.

The girls started to play together a bit during this period. Before they usually played side by side, stealing each others' toys at the opportune moment (and fighting over them too!) but in November they began to do things together - Aimy would sing The Wheels on the Bus and Alixe would copy her for the actions or Aimy would throw a ball and the two of them would run after it. They also both enjoy brushing their teeth (though Alixe prefers to chew on her toothbrush more than brush, but it's a start!)

So proud of her "backpack"

Out enjoying the autumn leaves

She wanted to knit with me,
so I gave her some scrap yarn and
a crochet hook.

Aimy-in-the-Box

Her favourite position to nap: on her stomach in the fetal
position. Always cracks me up

The very rare photos of Alixe with her
hair up. Usually she takes it out the
second I'm finished

Playing the Muppet keyboard

It's off-centre because she already
tried to take it out once

October Holidays Part 4

Our holidays went by so quickly and we soon found ourselves heading home... but on the way we decided to make a little detour to a beautiful natural site, le Cirque de Navacelles. It is located between the two départements of l'Hérault and le Gard, and was a fairly quick trip off the road we were taking to get home. But what a road to get there! At times, the roadway was barely large enough for one car, and wound its way up the hillside, with some very precarious spots in between.

Once we finally arrived, we were amazed. The Cirque is an incised meander cut off from the Vis River about 6000 years ago, which left an oxbow lake. It later dried up, leaving the only patch of land suitable for cultivation for several kilometers (the rest of the area is rocky - mostly limestone). And it is quite an impressive sight. The Vis river is mostly hidden from view, but from our spots from either side of the vally, the meander is still clearly visible.

Looking at the meander from the north

An overall view, including the river (bottom left) and the
road we eventually took to get to the viewpoint on the other
side of the valley

From the south side of the valley

Beautiful old outbuilding

Limestone cliffs

Good view of the road on both sides of
the valley and the meander in between

Keeping herself entertained
on the way home

Biscuit books are the best for long
car trips

October Holidays Part 3

Continuing on with our trip...

The next day brought a bit of heartache and pain. Aimy, Alixe, Carlos and I shared a room at the house, and on the 29th in the morning, Aimy decided to jump around on the bed while Carlos and I were busy getting breakfast and such ready... and she slipped and fell off the bed onto her shoulder, or at least that's what we assume, because neither of us saw her fall. She was very upset and cried a lot, and would cry out in pain when either one of us tried to pick her up with our hands under her armpits. She sat on my lap to eat breakfast and was all hunched over and very hesitant to let me touch her left shoulder... so we took her to the emergency room at the local hospital, and though the intern who examined her didn't think it was serious, I was pretty sure something was broken. The pediatrician came and took a look, and sent us for an x-ray right away, though he wasn't sure if there was a problem with her arm, her shoulder blade or her collarbone. They let me come into the room with Aimy for the x-ray and the tech and I both discovered it together: a hairline fracture on Aimy's left collarbone.

We went back to the exam room and the doctor came back right away to give us a sling (that Aimy started calling her 'special backpack') for her to wear for the next 6-8 weeks. There's not much else to be done for a broken collarbone, but Aimy - and all kids, really - was lucky in that she was able to snap back to her old self right away. After a long nap that afternoon, since she was exhausted from the stress and pain of the morning, she was back to her old self, as the photos below will attest. But through the whole thing she was very brave, and after the second day wearing the sling, it was as if the fall had never happened. For a few weeks after that, we were still unable to pick her up the way we usually did, but she didn't complain of being in pain and her x-ray 8 weeks later showed normal healing. 

And of course, ever since that day, she hasn't once jumped on the bed again!!

Poor baby. Being brave at the
hospital.

As I said, we still went out and visited a few more villages before we left - Aimy was feeling fine and we had no restrictions on putting her in the car seat (which was a relief, seeing as we were going to be leaving the next day to head back home). This part of France was completely unknown territory for me, and I'm hoping to go back there again someday and explore more!

Brissac's church belltower, seen
from the rooftop terrace of the house
where we stayed

Ironwork

Saint-Martin-de-Londres

Old houses, Saint-Martin-de-Londres

Eglise Saint Martin, XIth century

Looking towards the archways in earlier photo. The doors at
the top of the stairs lead to the municipal library. How
would you feel about working at a library in a building like
that, Mom?

Another little house...

... and its nearly hidden stained glass window

Back side of clock tower showing the
modifications made to the city wall
over the centuries, Viols-le-Fort

Another door, Les Matelles

Walking through Les Matelles

Picturesque houses covered in vines

Take away the humidity, and I could
totally live in this house.

As you can see by the big grin, Aimy
was feeling much better by this point.
She's wearing the sling under her
sweatshirt

She even felt good enough to climb
the steps up to someone's front door

A wild rosemary bush, just growing out of
a crack in the rocks

Just short enough to fit in the doorway!

The girls were thrilled to bits about
holding hands with each other and kept
giggling as we walked through town.
Can't complain about that!

October Holiday Part 2

Our holidays continued with a trip to the area north of Montpellier. The husband of one of our friends is from the area and is working on a house in the village of Brissac, and though he was working and unable to come, we spent a busy few days with our friend and her mother, exploring some amazing towns in the area. The first place we visited was the medieval village of Saint-Guilhem-Le-Désert, a gorgeous town tucked into a valley next to the Gellone river. Even though it was misty and rainy for most of our visit, it was still breathtaking. I can only imagine what it must be like in the summer, and I'm glad that the weather kept the streets from being busier. Definitely worth the visit, if you ever happen to be in the area.

Fountain

Village map. The site has been named
one of the most beautiful villages in
France and is on St James' Way (Chemin
de Saint Jacques)

One of the many beautiful houses

Neat old-style window

Street view. Notice the lack of electrical
wires or anything modern. And also
very clean!

A little alleyway leading to someone's
front door

Sculpture of a Cardabelle plant (not sure if that is the right
name in English) A cousin of the artichoke, these are placed
on doors in the village as a way of predicting the weather:
 the pointed leaves retract when rain is imminent!

Neat doorway

The church, part of the former Gallone Abbey

House in the main square, with ruins on the summit of the
hill behind

Alixe having a ball in the backpack. She
sang to herself for most of our visit

Anne-Cécile and Aimy

A door with a cardabelle plant

Hanging out in front of the abbey church

Evelyne, Ourson and us in front of the abbey