Party Like The French

Like every other good American I love to throw a party. Nothing fancy mind you. But a BBQ with neighbors, an impromptu potluck with friends, even my kids birthday parties (when the adults get to be part of the fun too). But after hosting two birthday parties here plus some dinner gatherings I felt like it was time to discuss some of the differences.

First off, having friends over for dinner never means "potluck" (although with people you are closer to, you can offer to bring something) and never occurs without multiple courses. I have to admit I'm getting pretty good at throwing one now but in the beginning let's just say I was making lots of lists and multiple trips to the store to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything. They also rarely start before 7:30 or 8pm; which means you're usually not sitting down to eat until 9pm. With a few of the families here we've negotiated an earlier start time because of the kids but it's definitely not the norm.

Here's a typical list:

• Appetizers & Aperitifs - radishes, carrots, bread sticks with olive tapenade, sparkling water or juice for the kids, Ricard (anise flavored hard alcohol), Champagne, or a Wine for the adults
• Main Course & Wine
• We've done Fondue a few times, which I love because it's easy and eliminates the need for the Bread and Cheese course -- and I have to say Marc has mastered the Fondue Savoyard (which is the local version of fondue)
• I've also done a Moroccan Chicken and Curry Chicken
• Even did Mussels and French Fries once
• Notice no hamburgers, sausages, pizza -- some of my go-tos at home
• Salad
• Bread and Cheese -- with usually at least 3 different cheeses to choose from; thankfully the fancy cheeses here are a lot less expensive than cheese back home.
• Dessert -- I am admittedly not much of a baker so this course is not my favorite; I've bought dessert from the patisserie, we've done ice cream, fruit salad, and I tried my hand at a crumble. 
• Digestif -- usually a tisane (or herbal tea) does the trick here but some times more alcohol is pulled out.

Now of course the indulgence is happily reciprocated when you are invited over to someone else's house for dinner BUT it is definitely customary to come bearing some type of gift (bottle of wine, flowers, chocolates, or even a fun kitchen item or gift for the kids -- our last guests brought a book for the girls). Now this is not to say that I don't do this in California too but admittedly not often when it's just my buddies and it's generally nothing fancier than alcohol.

I know I've mentioned this before but since our topic is "Parties" it seems like I should mention again that birthdays are another time when a lunch or dinner party is thrown for the whole family. Lola's was the last birthday we celebrated. For her "lunch" party she requested fondue and a Milles Feuilles (same cake as the one Mamie had for her birthday was the request).

Mamie surprised Lola with a "professional" make-up studio. (For those of you that know me, then you know I was slowly dying inside). Teah and Mila were getting fancy with the new goods. Two peas in a pod those two; the 6 year old and 13 year old versions of each other.

Pretty pleased with her Mille Feuilles!

Keep in mind that this was one of three parties this little one got to enjoy. The morning of her birthday of course pains chocolates and croissants were waiting for her. And the night of her actual birthday Tonton, Tata, Margeux, and Mila showed up with presents and delicious little pastries. 

She's 8!

Showing off the elaborate birthday card/castle her sister made her!

I have to tell a little story here. A few weeks before Lola's birthday we were discussing what she wanted for her birthday. She was actually having a hard time coming up with things. Teah however said that she already knew what she wanted to get Lola. Later when I asked her what it was this is what she told me. "I think we should get her a sewing machine with fabric and stuffing so she can make the little pillows that she misses making back home." Are you kidding me? This kid? As it happens from time to time the girls get nostalgic for back home and really start to miss everyone. One particular evening Lola had been feeling sad because she was missing being able to go to her lovely art room in Open Classroom whenever she wanted during the school day. She especially missed the pillows she used to sew in the art room. Well, her sister remembered and wanted to get her that for her birthday!

As you can tell, she was super happy!

A close-up of the yummy treats Tonton and Tata brought over that night.

The next day Papa took Lola skiing for some Papa/Daughter time.

And that night we celebrated what Lola loves most (painting) by collaborating on a family painting! Pretty cool, right?! We can thank Papa for copying the drawing off a birthday card we gave her.

Can you guess who did which corner?

But it doesn't end there. Oh no! Then Miss Lola got to have a friend party the following weekend where she had invited some friends from school for more painting, forest fun, pizza, treats, dancing, and a movie. Marc and I braved 9 little girls (in addition to Lola and Teah) and did our best to keep everyone happy. I have to say by the end of the evening my French was considerably better. With 9 little girls rapidly speaking French to me whenever they needed anything, totally not caring that I didn't speak French very well, it was sink or swim time.

Side note here about how French kids eat. I don't care what they say in those French books, French kids are just as picky as American kids. Half of the kids didn't like pizza so I also had to make a big pot of pasta (butter and cheese only, sound familiar?), only a couple of the girls in addition to my kids were willing to eat any salad and then only a few liked the treat we made. The rest made faces when they tried it, put their portion down, and asked if there were any bon-bons (candy). Ugh!!  I just can't bring myself to let them all binge on candy, however that is exactly what happens at every other birthday party the girls have gone too. Forget healthy snacks or meals. It's all cake, candy, juice, and syrup drinks.  I'm not kidding!

As I continue to learn here, it really is all about the food. And finding reasons to gather around food. French parties are a great showcase of that.

Winter Break

Have to admit. I'm totally lovin these 2 week school breaks every 6 weeks. The girls are definitely ready for a little R&R by then and although it admittedly butts into my work routine a bit, it's so much fun to have the extra time with the girls. Thought I'd share some of our day-adventures over the last break (2/20-3/3).

Since Teah decided not to continue the Wednesday afternoon ski trips (Lola absolutely adores it) we told her that she had to use the time to learn something else. So, she decided to finally learn how to ride a bike! I know I'm bragging a bit here but so proud that after only 2 afternoon lessons with Papa she's riding totally on her own! I'm sure it's entirely Papa's extra-ordinary teaching ability.  ;-)
So, we decided to put her new bike riding skills to the test and took a little bike ride in the woods. So fun!

We also finally got over to visit Therese. We've been meaning to for the last 6 months. She's always a stop in years past when we've visited France. She's the oldest of three sisters who are cousins of Marc's Dad. She is absolutely amazing! Must be the clean French Alps air. She's 95 and as feisty as ever. Seriously!! She lives on her own in a beautiful apartment in downtown Thonon. She drinks, she smokes, and gets to the local casino to gamble at least twice a week. And on top of all of that, she's hilarious! Cussing up a storm and getting into all kinds of gossiping trouble. A total delight!

I mean seriously; does she look 95?!?!

And what Winter Break would be complete without some ski time. We headed up to Morzine again for some more ski adventures and had the added bonus of spending the night up there in Marc's brother's chalet. So fun! Oh and did I mention?! This was Marc's first time back on skis in 17 years!! Just like riding a bike.  ;)

Learning how to control her speed!  ;-)

Finally Lola got to do some real slopes with Papa and Tonton.

Relaxing back at the chalet.

Plus a little ice skating fun in town with cousin Mila.

We rounded out the break with a couple play dates, a visit to meet a friend's new puppy (so adorable!) plus some rock gathering at the lake.

Spending some time at the pool with new friends.

And Skyping back home with old friends. I love that they draw together over Skype. So sweet! 

Showing off her collection.

Teah and I working REALLY hard helping Lola!  ;-)

Reading in the sun! Who doesn't love that?

Teah claims she's "reading" in her secret language, which miraculously allows her to zoom through chapter books. Ha!! 

All in all, a relaxing and fun break! This week, the girls headed back to school. Only a bit reluctantly. And already looking forward to the 2-week Spring break in April when Grandma and Grandpa come to visit!!

Our Lone Survivor

Oh boy! Chicken farming is definitely not for the faint of heart. That's our lesson learned in a nutshell. They are totally fun and delightful and of course produce the most delicious eggs BUT so much of their survival falls outside of our control as we've learned.

We lost another chicken this week; Zoe. Thankfully not to a predator but to what we can only assume was an illness. For the last month or so she's been a bit off. Not producing eggs (which is not totally unusual in the winter) and alternating between her normal perky self and sleepy and lethargic.

Since we got the chickens back in October I feel like I've always been able to hear Zoe breathe. Almost a bit labored. But that definitely got worse in the last month and was followed by little squeaks here and there, which I eventually figured were sneezes. We assumed she was dealing with some kind of "chicken cold"?! Figured it would eventually pass but that ended up not being the case.

This was the day before she died.

Sadie snuck in through the kitchen door but Zoe's in the back pecking away like normal.

She died Wednesday night. We found her the next day in the coop.  :(  Marc actually found her and graciously saved us (and especially the girls) from seeing her.

After only 5 months we're down from three to one!! Sadie thankfully has always seemed to be the strongest of the three and that hasn't wavered at all in the last week. I wasn't sure what to expect. Do chickens grieve? Would she not like being alone? Would we be able to tell? Thankfully she seems completely normal and content! Phew! I was not prepared for this emotional roller-coaster when we decided to become chicken owners. Little did I know.

Sadie posing on the window sill.

Hoping that Sadie will continue to live out a long and full life with us.

On Parle Francais

It has officially been six months since we arrived in France. It seemed time to update everyone on the state of the language.  In other words, how is our French going?  It's been a different experience so far for each of us.

As you know from previous posts it has been hardest for the girls as they've been immersed in the French language all day. BUT after 5 months of French school, they are officially speaking French! Sure, they still search for words on occasion but seem to have enough vocabulary now that they can find the words to say what they want to say. The first time I heard them play with their friends in French, I was astounded. For me it seemed like all of a sudden it was there. They could speak it. When their friends' parents told me they were not only speaking to their friends in French but the parents too, I was ecstatic. And then the teachers confirmed that they were speaking to them in French too and participating more in the classroom.  Yahoo!!  In some ways it very much feels like mission accomplished. So in case you were wondering how long it takes to learn a language if you immerse your kids in a new culture? In our case, 5 months!!

For Marc, his French has gotten a lot more natural. Although he is French and was born and raised here, after living in the U.S. for 25 years and only speaking French on the phone with his family once every week or two he had lost quite a bit. Now of course he can still get by fine, but at first, most people thought he was American with a really good French. Now his French is back to speed but his writing is still a bit rusty; that's taking longer to come back.

For me, the progress has been slower. Not that it's not happening, it is, but much slower than for the girls. The reality is I spend all day working in English and speaking to Marc and the girls in English. We had considered switching to French at home but the girls put up a huge protest, arguing that they have to listen in and speak in French all day and when they get home, they need a break. Okay, fair point. So, we never made the switch at home. There are some days when the only French I hear is from the radio. And then of course there are other days, when we're out and about, and I'm surrounded by French. My vocabulary is slowly expanding and my confidence is starting to grow when I'm speaking to Marc's parents or even just going shopping on my own. At dinner parties it varies. At some parties there is only French being spoken and my skills are put to the test. And then on other occasions we're speaking English most of the time. Several of the families we've befriended who have children at the girls' school speak English really well. So in all honesty I get to "cheat" quite a bit.

There are a couple of things though that I'm sticking with and do feel like they are both helping with my progress.

1. Every Monday I go to a yoga class that is all in French and I carpool with a woman where we only speak French together.
2. Every morning I get on Babbel (on the computer or phone) for at least 30 minutes and am working through their lessons. Over the years I've used various language learning tools (Rosetta Stone, CDs in the car, and even classes at the local community college). I don't think any have been as good as Babbel. Definitely look into it, if you're trying to learn another language.

I'm not sure how long it would take to really feel 100% fluent. I've heard various lengths depending on who I speak to. Most people though seem to think around a couple of years. I'm sure this would go faster the more you force yourself to speak the new language. And I definitely think that if I was trying to work in French that that would really help speed things along. But for now, that's where we are. And honestly I'm just so happy the girls are picking it up and finally able to really speak with their friends and family in French!

Winter Wonderland

Although all in all it hasn't been a very wet winter so far it's definitely a new winter experience for me. Coming from California I am not used to living where it snows or where the temperature drops below freezing. That's not to say it never drops below freezing at home but it usually happens at night and then during the day will warm up another 20 degrees.  Not the case here.  The range between mid-day and the middle of the night is only a couple degrees.

It finally started snowing here after the first of January. Just in time for the girls Wednesday afternoon ski classes.  I loved watching the snow fall during my morning yoga. Hearing the crunch of the snow under my feet when I walked on it. And of course playing in the snow with the girls. So much more fun than I thought it would be. And surprisingly more pleasurable than rain. That first weekend the snow storm continued. We headed up into the mountains to enjoy some snow time at Marc's brother's chalet. I felt like I was in a French Alps Postcard.

The view from my yoga mat.

The other view from my yoga mat.

The girls made a snow man (bonhomme de neige) at Mamie and Papi's house. To the dismay of Papi's dog Louki who proceeded to bark at it for 3 days until in the end he got the courage to grab the snow man's hat end shred it to pieces. May be he just knew he who must not be named was from New York!

Sledding down the small hill behind Mamie and Papi's house.  Mamie found this toboggan for the girls and its the same one Marc and his brother used to play on when they were little. 

Playing Monopoly with the cousins at Tonton's chalet.

The next week the snow stopped but the temperatures dropped so low that all the snow remained. To add to the cold, the wind (called La Bise) started blowing and temperatures dropped even further. Apparently this wind travels all the way from Siberia blanketing much of Europe in cold, freezing wind. It was honestly difficult to be outside for any real length of time, even with 2 layers of pants, 3 layers of shirts, a jacket, beanie, gloves, etc. It was so cold that we had to head out to the chicken coop every hour or two to add hot water to the chickens water. It would freeze over and the hens couldn't break through it with their beaks!

With the wind also came waves in the lake and because of the freezing temperatures, icicles developed all along the shore of the lake. They were amazing! Marc and I braved the cold to take a walk to see them. Marc managed to get some beautiful pictures.

And then finally the glorious sun returned; several weeks later. For me, that is the hardest part. Going days on end without seeing the sun. Only different shades of grey filling the sky. A grey fog rests over our region, along the lake. It reminds me of the marine layer in Southern California, only much colder of course. For the lucky ones who can escape into the mountains, you are able to climb above the fog to see the sun. One thing is for sure. I definitely don't take the sun for granted, which admittedly I'm fortunate enough to do in California. As soon as any rays of sunshine start to sneak through the grey you move into it and attempt to absorb as much of its warmth as possible. You definitely get out and take a walk! I feel like a cat seeking out the sunny sports in the house and just sitting or laying in it as long as I'm able.

As Marc keeps reminding me. When you live somewhere that has more extreme weather you appreciate the changing seasons much more and learn to love parts of each season that you end-up waiting all year for. I am starting to understand the allure of the snow. But my body is still craving more sun!