Getting to Know You

This week is "Neighbour Week' - getting to know your neighbours here in Antony. Our main streets have always been very active, and we joined in the fun tonight. Our little road, rue de la grande Couture was closed off, and on the road was the party! Everyone brought a little something to eat and drink and then everyone mingled. Its a great way to meet and get to know the other neighbours, people whom you often greet but never actually know who they are. I think that this is a wonderful tradition.

Bibou had fun, as she had a LOT of space to run around! She was a bit clingy in the begining, but soon warmed up to the other kids... kids around her age (though she is the youngest by at least 1 year). The older(ish) kids were just enchanted by her... they think she's a doll (to play with!).

Well, the music is still playing on the street, Daddy's still out there (I'm here updating the blog while 'keeping an eye' out for Bibou who fell promptly to sleep!).. I'm off to bed.

Good night all.

Choo Chooooo! We're off to see the 'Queen'!

Ok, not really the queen, but we drove up to the UK to visit Jesse, who'd come all the way from Toronto to visit Gerard. We left on Thursday morning early... and I mean EARLY! We left at around 3.30 am, so that little 'princess' would still be asleep and sleep for a big part of the journey. That really worked well! She was asleep for the whole car ride in France (under 3 hours) until Calis... work up during the train ride, which was great, I walked with her up and down our carriage, trying not to disturb the other passengers who, like Daddy were trying to sleep at that ungodly hour! When the cars started up again, she fell right back to sleep for the rest of the hour and a half journey to Tunbridge Wells. Thursday was spent catching up with Jesse and Gerard. We also went to visit Dimmie (Gerard's mom) in the nursing home. She was in high spirits, singing along with Bibou.

Friday was shopping day for me...yippee :) I had fun lol. Bibou and the boys went to visit the

Hop farm and spent the day playing with the farm animals, which Bibou always have loved. Unfortuantely, Daddy forgot the camera! So no pix there.

Saturday we went to visit the Spa Valley Railway which operates Heritage trains from Tunbridge Wells West Station to nearby High Rocks and Groombridge. We got our tix and got on the train.

It was a wonderful ride! Gorgeous scenery to see out of the window during the short (10 minute) train ride. The train was an old steam train. You can see the steam passing our window in the pix on the right. The train also 'turns' into Thomas the train on special occasion (well they say that Thomas and his friends 'come and visit').

Everyone was just so kind and friendly on the train... they are all volunteers, ranging from the conductor, driver, even the 'bar man'... who heped to cheer little bibou who was crying her eyes out because she lost her chocolate chips. They got her all in giggles after a while!

From Tunbridge Wells, the train took us to Groombridge, where we got off and then to see they turn the train around. It was fascinating to watch... especially with all the steam. Bibou had fun, I think, trying to charm all the other tourists there. She was acting all cute!

Once the train has turned around, we got on again, and headed back, but this time, we stopped at High Rocks first. A picturesque little village with, can you imagine, these beautiful high rocks. It kinda looks like it would have been in many films really! However, I think it got a little bit too close to lunch time, so I kept little Bibou with me while we tried to starve off her hunger with little snacks while the boys went to explore the gorgeous rocks and view. She did have fun with Daddy when they came down..as they fooled around like Daddy did around the rocks.

We had a lovely little lunch (Italian - no English pub food!!)... but missed the train to go back to Tunbridge Wells! No worries, there was a wedding going on in the little hotel, and the driver offered to give us a ride back (it was like less than 5 minutes away)... we said our goodbyes, big hugs and kisses, load up (like to the brim!!) the car and set off. Bibou was good on the UK side (as she was asleep), but then got very restless on the French side (the loooooooong side). I slid into the back seat with her to sing songs with her and tried to calm her down. it worked some of the time, but we did get quite a earful!

Anyway, here's a pix of Bibou trying to 'escape' from the car in the tunnel!! Beep beep.

My Little Chinese Soup Drinker

Little Bibou is just such an entertainment center. Tonight at dinner, she just got us into stitches. We had chinese take out for dinner (gasp I know! But we just had soooo much to do before we leave for a short trip to
Tunbridge Wells tomorrow!). I got my usual favorite, glass noddle with bits of shredded chicken in a clear(ish) chicken broth. I got two orders as sometimes Bibou likes it. Well, what do you know... she didn't like it... she LOVED it, and just couldn't get enough of it. She asked for more and more. In the begining, she kept going 'oooo hot hot' as it was hot, and would stop every few spoonfuls to ask us to 'blow' on the spoon. She even blew on it herself.... it wasn't that hot, but she likes doing it... I think also because we were just tickled pink by it too.

She had 2 whole bowls (not so neatly, but it's far better than her usual, 'throwing everything on the table' self). oh no... she tried to finish every spoonful. Not easy, eating slippery glass noodle soup with a small spoon. Then she asked for more soup! So I filled up her bowl with soup (and there were bits of glass noodle in there too). She got sooo impatient trying to drink with the spoon that she just lifted the bowl up and drank it straight up! She finished 2 bowls of soup and even licked it up! She loves her soup.

This morning, we taught her a new song. Ring around a roisy (you know, where everyone hold hands and go round in a cycle and then we 'all fall down'). She couldn't get enough and kept laughing and laughing. She'd jumped right up and asked to hold hands to go again.

We'll see you when we get back!

Sunday with the Molas

" Yippeee, the Molas' are coming over for a visit"LOL...the picture on the right does look like she's really pleased doesn' it! It's true though, that it has been a while since we've seen them. Bibou was in great form yesterday, excellent mood, was all bubbly and certainly quite friendly to everyone ie, not playing shy. Indeed, she was far from shy yesterday, as she showed off, and pranced and preened for our guests. She'd just woken up from her nap when they arrived, and she was all ready to go.

It was really funny to see her. She first got all excited when they arrived, and she started laughing and giggling at everyone. She showed the kids her toys and was 'talking' really loudly. She also started 'showing off' the words that she knew too.

Then came the really funny part! When we broke out into songs that she knew, songs with 'actions' that go with the songs. She had us all in stitches... as soon as music started (either me singing or daddy on the guitar), her hands are up ready to go with actions... And if it is a part of the song without actions, or it is a song she doesn't know or recongize, she'd be swaying her head and body to the music. She loves her music that girl.

Something new this weekend. We'd ask where's Daddy, where's Mummy and where's Bibou, and she will point to the right person!

Bibou's Big Booboo!

Poor Bibou! Today, she fell, while climbing up the stairs (alone!! - well, behind Daddy), and tripped and fell. She cried a little, but enough for little Dan (her day-time companion at her nanny's) to run to her to help her, and tripping and falling and getting a little bump too! Sure wasn't a good day for ta-ta (French for auntie, which is what Bibou and Dan call her). She rushed upstairs with the kids (and Daddy in tow) and got out the cold compress, and creams etc. Good thing I wasn't there! I'd probably would have been quite upset... as I was already when I picked her up this evening and saw the nice big bruise on her face!

But, apparently, she didn't cry a lot, she just picked herself up and off she went again. She's such a tough little girl. She never dwells on failures, pains etc. She always gets up and go again... and sigh, I guess she also never 'learns' her lesson, as she just goes right back to what she was doing. She's awfully adventurous, and dare I say, a tom boy! Always climbing and exploring.

She can and will heed to you... but only when she wants to! Here's her putting away her toys into the shed. I was quite amazed to see her strength! She just picked it up and put it away! Golly!

ahhhhhhhh, my favorite time of the day... getting a big hug and kiss from my little darling Bibou. And she hugs really tight too (when she wants to of course!)

Fussy but growing Eater

Ever since Bibou started to eat on her own, she's been a little bitdifficult! She won't let us feed her, but she sometimes won't feed herself, but prefers to play with her food. And she'll pick out what she wants, and play with the rest. Yesterday was no different! However, Daddy got tired of cleaning the floor after her meal, and since it was such a nice day, Bibou got to eat her dinner on the balconey. However, even with all the fussiness, Bibou's still growing! Her doctor's check-up this morning has revealed that she is now in the 97 percentile in her age group for her height (so less then 3% of girls her age are taller than her!), and about 50% of her weight. She still has a very small head though... less than 5%.
She did have a lot of fun really. She was in a really good mood during dinner. And treated us to large array of 'funny' faces.
She loves acting 'cute', singing songs and something new this week, putting her finger against her lips and going 'shhhhh'.



Shove the food in. Yum yum. Gotta love Mummy's home cooked chicken stew. (But what she loves most is the glass noodles that I add in there!).

Big kiss from Daddy.

Natural Affection for other Kids and Babies

My little angel! This weekend, I realized how much my little girl loves the company of other children. That was great to see! We had a little MESSAGE gathering which I hosted...a chinese cooking class. Kathleen had little Louise and her twins with her and Bibou had a great time! You can see in these pictures where Bibou is holding on tight to Louise and both of them were running around the garden swinging their hands.

But what really warmed my heart was Bibou tenderly holding and kissing the little babies! I was carrying litttle Hortense not wanting Bibou to see that I was holding another baby, in case she got jealous (as she'd previously did). But once she saw that I had baby on my lap, she pointed to her, came to me and kept saying 'baby baby'. She really wanted to hold her, hug and kiss her. She couldn't stop giving her kisses. She also stroked her face gently. This evening, we took a little stroll to the playground after dinner. There was another boy around her age and his little baby sister there too (they were strangers). Bibou started playing with the boy and then she ran up to the baby, and kept giving her kisses too. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Happy Birthday Daddy!

It was Daddy's birthday last week! Happy Happy Birthday! He got totally spoilt (as always :)), but he deserves it of course. One of his presents was a night out in town! We got our babysitter (who Bibou really adores, and apparently had a really great night with.. didn't even realize that we were gone), and headed into Paris. We had a lovely dinner. Not rushed, but not terribly slow either. Daddy got what he wanted ..steak and fries! Then it was off to see Natascha St Pier.. live in concert. It was at the Olympia Theatre. A small intimate theatre. When we got in, we found out that we had GREAT seats. Right down the middle and a few rows back... about 13 rows back (even I hadn't realized how great they were). Wonderful songs and presentation. Oh I just wanted to clarify...Daddy wanted to see her.... All in all, a lovely night indeed. And the strawberry on the icing... Bibou had a great time, and so, we didn't feel bad about leaving her behind.

Yesterday, we spent the afternoon at the American Library in Paris for the launch of the book that Daddy had been working on (me too... I was doing the proof reading).. the ABC's of Parenting of Paris. It was jammed pack! A big sucess. And the ladies pitched in and got him a birthday cake. awww...that was sooo sweet of them. Bibou was all decked up in a nice party frock. Here are some pictures of Bibou in them (but in great big yellow boots because the garden was all wet and muddy).

This is my fav, funny picture of Bibou... doing a dance for Daddy! Ha!

Julie Andrews the second!

Bibou's singing! Oh Yes. She's got her Daddy's genes alright. She's always liked music from 'young'... ok from the start lol. I think that comes from her Daddy's nightly routine when she was a baby - of playing the guitar and singing to her/us.

We started noticing her interest in music when she could stand on her own (so before she was one). She would bee-boop to music, especially the ones that knew. Then she graduated to doing the 'actions' of songs... things she'd picked up from the 'Baby can Read' video. So songs like 'heads and shoulders knees and toes'. Or if you're Happy and you know it'. Apparently, she just adores the singing / music session at the creche. She's the first one on the mat and all ready to 'rock and roll.

But this week, she surprised and tickled us pink when she started singing! It was only 2-3 notes and the words were 'la la'... but she knew when to come in, and it was the perfect pitch too.

Our little drama queen! Oh yes, she's a bit of the drama queen too. You should see her when she's in front of the mirror. She preens! She'll also talk and gesture dramatically... like she's giving herself a bit of a lecture. It's simply hilarious to watch her.

She's certainly a constant source of laugher, fun and amusement!

A Day at the Farm

What a day we had today! Bibou had an early nap and the weather looked like it would hold, so we went off to visit an 'open farm' that was about 20 minutes away. Off we went, making sure we had all our cameras! Fortunately, there weren't many people at the farm when we arrived. It was a huge place. We decided to skip the 'workshops - how butter / bread etc is made' as Bibou was still young for that. We straight to the animals part. We first arrived at the stalls where there were a few animals behind 'bars' such as a pig, donkey, some lambs and some rabbits. Bibou went straight for them (especially the pig)!!. She had her hands out, wantint to touch them...especially the rabbits. We had to watch it though, she almost poked the rabbit's eye! Out to the open area and Bibou climbed right up and pretended to drive the tractors.

Round the corner we went, and wow! A large

fenced in area where there were a large number of little kid goats and some pregnant goats! We were able to enter the field and pet the little ones. Bibou was a bit hesitant at first, but she gamely ran up to the kid goats and started pointing at them. She noticed that a few of the other kids were feeding the goats and was really curious about it. So I went over to the other side of the field to pluck some grass. But the goats rushed up, especially the big ones, and particularly the pregnant ones. I guess they have a big instinct to feed their little one. I had one climbing all over me. Bibou was not amused to say the least.

In fact, I think she got really frightened, and wouldn't go near them. I sat her on my knees and we tried to feed the cute small little ones. But the big hungry ones kept coming up. She really didn't like them, and I don't blame her a bit, they can be quite menacing!

On to the next part where there were some empty silos. While I went to visit the horses,

Bibou started playing around the silos with some of the other kids. It's really fun to see her playing with these kids. She loves it so much! She's always laughing and giggling. I guess she got a bit tired after that, and wanted to be carried..by me only. So I carried her a bit, and we went off to see the horses. Then it looked like it was gonna rain, so we thought it must to save the rest such as the big tree house, the maze etc for another day.

As we were driving out, there were signs for 'fresh vegetables and fruits'. I said, hey why not! ... and since the rain seemed not to be threatening anymore, we got off at the next exit. What do you know... it was part of the farm next door! You go pick the vegetables fresh! The visit was free, all you pay for (and really cheaply too) were the vegetables that you picked! We got a wheelbarrow and off we went. Except, Bibou got tired along the way, and Daddy decided to give her a ride... in the wheelbarrow. Boy did she enjoy that or what!! However, it was a little bit early in the season, so there wasn't much to pick.

We went and got some raddish...and then went to the tulips field. They were got sooooooooooo gorgeous! I had to limit the tulips that I picked... or else I would have picked everything! Bibou seemed to enjoy the flowers too. Here's her smelling one! This is the first time we've seen her use her 'nose' for smelling like this! Needless to say, it was a really enjoying day! Bibou was out flat almost immediately once she got in the car. It was a short ride back, so only a little nap, but she gobbled up dinner (3 helpings too!) and bed time was easy! And Daddy and I are really tired too, so! Early night for us....Good night.