HAPPY BIRTHDAY MANU

Manu's birthday was on Tuesday and with his family arriving that night we had a quick quiet time to make fairy cakes.

The boys icing the cup cakes

No Sam that's mine.........and so it goes on

After that we awaited the arrival.  For dinner we had Foie Gras - I know all you animal fanatics as am I but it is delicious if not a little rich.  After that we had Mont D'Or a cheese you melt in the oven and eat over potatoes similar to Raclette, then of course Chocolate Cake.  And if that doesn't blow the cholesterol level out of the water I don't know what will.

Manu's brother Chris with Mackenzie

Smile Chef it's your birthday

Foie Gras - this is like gold to the French - Apples on the bottom of the plate

Uncle Juju with the Mont D'Or

Le Famille Guillet

...Happy Birthday to you.....



SKI DE FOND

Well the hot air balloons with lights at night was a complete wash out on Sunday because it rained and rained and rained.  Do you know what you get when the rain comes down for a day on 50cm of snow.  DOG POO.  It's everywhere.  I can't believe nobody can pick it up.  Ugghhh.  I spend my day going mind the dog ***, becareful the dog ****, jump etc etc.

So today I took Samuel to Sallanches, 20 minutes hair raising drive with bends that put Chapmans Peak in the shade.  But he goes to a school where they have a teacher - Didier - who teaches the foreign students French.  He has restored my faith in teachers in this country.  A more caring and kind person you couldn't find.  After Samuel's teacher told us he is limited he has assured us we have a very intelligent child just battling with change.  So we are exploring different options and Didier is still determined to teach him for as long as it takes for Samuel to adapt to French.  This afternoon he went skiing with the school.  He came home so deflated.  He kept falling.  But Samuel is a fighter and is going to go tomorrow and try again.  Ski de fond is different to skiing, your shoe fits into these very long and very thin skis just at the front and you slide along the snow.  Looks great and I have promised Samuel I will try it next month. 

On a different note I can't wait to go back to SA just to shop in English.  Today I spent 25 minutes in the light bulb aisle trying to buy a ... yes you guessed it a light bulb.  It's not easy when everything is in French.  The other thing I battle to purchase is cream I can never remember the words for thick, clotted, runny, whipping and the list goes on.  Chocolate now that's easy....see it.... buy it....eat it mmmmmmmmmmmm

INTERNATIONAL MONTGOLFIER JOUR

Hot Air Balloons to those who don't speak french.  It's a weekend of them here in Praz.  We took the kids to the park to watch them, we took our life into our own hands trying to get there because everything is still an Ice rink.  This part of winter I hate, when the snow melts, freezes and boom you fall on your ***.  The kids had fun though and made a kite each.  I spent a day cleaning and catching up on ironing whilst Manu cleaned the garage with the help from the kids.  Tomorrow night we are letting off hot air balloons at night, organised by the school, should be fun.

Walking there very carefully

Mini ones

The real thing

Our Village Balloon - Praz sur Arly - So proud sniff sniff

Finished off the evening with Spag Bol - Benjamin trying parmesan for the first time.............

We had neighbours for Christmas from Ireland and when they left they handed us this bag of cheese.  Manu was like a kid in a candy store and so we said thankyou and yum yum yum.  This is a huge piece of parmesan, I am never buying it in packet form again.

BACK TO SCHOOL

Ice on the road

Kids are back at school and the sun is shining.  It's like a skating rink outside as the combination of rain and freezing temperatures during the night resulted in all the moms slip sliding the kids to school this morning.  Benjamin came home for lunch announcing he had eaten the king's cake - Gallette de Rois.  Samuel's class had sent off a hot air balloon in the sky to celebrate international hot air balloon day which is happening tomorrow here in Praz. When I arrived to pick him up it was floating over my head and all the kids were chearing at the fence.  Too cute.

BRING IT ON

Well that's it folks have left, can hardly keep my eyes open.  They left at 4am, Manu drove them to Geneva.  The other family - Manu's arrive Tuesday, 6 Adults and 2 Babies.  I'm getting good at changing beds.  Since we moved into our new home in August we've had visitors for 10 weeks, so not to be rude to any of our lovely guests but I am looking forward to having a break and getting into a routine.  So if you want to visit you'll have to wait till after March I'm afraid, 'cause I'm done for now.  Was lovely to have mom and dad around though.  I think Christmas would have been very lonely without them. 

Samuel is not doing well at school and we need to concentrate on him for the moment.  Seems he has learning difficulties which to me - before this - meant having a child that was a little behind.  NOT.  It's a completely different story and so frustrating for both parents and child.  And of course doing everything in another language only adds to the matter.  So day of rest today, changing beds, moving clothes, and maybe having a relaxing bath where no one can bother me.

I went swimming with Benjamin last night whilst Samuel was at Jujitsu.  I think it's so important to do different things with the kids seperately but not always easy if you're not a clone.  It was fun except I felt like killing him when it was time to leave because he refused to get out of the water.  Typical Benjamin always testing the boundaries.  We have neighbours at the moment, an Irish family with 6 kids from ages 13 and up.  They brought their housekeeper with them who is so lovely and we've been chatting.  She's given me all her novels she's read whilst here and I can't wait to get into them.

So to the week - BRING IT ON, but not today I'm chilling.

GALETTE DE ROIS

This is a Catholic tradition dating back to the time of the three biblical  kings, here is the actual explination as given by Wikipedia...................

Catholic tradition states that their journey to Bethlehem took twelve days (the Twelve Days of Christmas), and that they arrived to honor the Christ Child on Epiphany. The season for king cake extends from the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Twelfth Night and Epiphany Day), through to Mardi Gras day. Some organizations or groups of friends may have "king cake parties" every week through the Carnival season.

So in France at the moment in every shop you can buy a Galette de Rois or King Cake.  Here it is a Pithivier (ha for all my hotel school friends I actually remembered that useless piece of information) which is a circle of puff pastry filled with almond paste or Frangipane as it is called here and a little prize, usually a coin or a miniture ceramic Jesus , king etc.  When you cut the cake you have to then cover it with a cloth and each person around the table shouts out a name of another person at the table who receives that piece.  Then whoever gets the prize wears the crown for the evening. 

The Galette de Rois

Grandpa won the prize

but shared the crown.

We are invited to friends on Wednesday to share another Galette de Rois and I don't mind because it is quiet delicious.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

New Years Eve we headed for the market in Megeve.  A big one with lots of stalls all food mainly but we were all walking on about  inches of ice as we haven't had snow in a while and everything is just frozen.  Fun had by all anyway.

Smoked and dried sausages - yummmm

Mistletoe

Cheese - quiet a selection and this is only a quater of what France produces

Nougat sold by the slice

Chestnuts and vegetables

Then in the evening we celebrated early with the kids having a Raclette.  Boiled potatoes with cold meats and you melt your cheese on a little grill in a little pan and pour it over.  Great Fun.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE, HERE'S HOPING 2011 TREATS YOU ALL WELL AND BRINGS YOU WHAT YOU DESERVE.