A week in Scottieland #NeedAnotherOne

We're back! From a week in the homeland, which flew by, despite my best efforts to not over-schedule myself. I tried to stick to one coffee a day with a friend, which doth not an interesting blog make, so thankfully there were also some main events.

Like a Christmas tree:

 And Small Fry's first ceilidh:

The Gay Gordons

Off camera excitement:

And THE main event: the Kelling + Lamb Clan family Christmas:

Fingerling maintained a healthy skepticism of it all:

Queen of the Single Raised Eyebrow

Thanks especially to Oma for hosting us, and all her toys, and for all the clan members we caught up with. Missing you already.

What a boy does with a pram #BirthdayGiftTwist

I am 2 #IHaveMyOwnFriends&ACoolRoom

3 peas

New room layout to cater for all his birthday pressies. Where will we fit Fingerling's bed one day?

Actually 2 #And8Weeks

So today he was actually 2.

About one tenth of his pressies

A turning 2 selfie

But it's also Fingerling's 8 week anniversary:

P.S. #WeAreFamily

Oma, La Moz, Le Poz, Mamie, Tante Margret, Tante Helga, Aunty Fona, Pacotio, Tonton Druz, Ma Well.

These are all the people who have stayed with us since Fingerling's birth.

We are grateful to all of you for all of your help - especially La Moz who has gone out of her way 3 times to come and help.

The Rösch Sisters #5*

These 3: they've baked, cleaned, cooked, ironed, sorted, sewed, organised, shopped and supported us tremendously these past few weeks.

A bajillion thanks.

Celebrating 2 #LivingForLove

This afternoon, 10 of Small Fry's friends (i.e. 10 of my friends who also have kids Small Fry's age), 3 of their baby siblings, and their parents, celebrated his 2nd birthday. We hired a room in the Church that was big enough to cater for us all, provided some age-appropriate drinks spanning the generations, some healthy snacks and some very unhealthy ones (most popular), and then sang happy birthday to him in 4 languages.

It was a lot of effort...the cake, the food, the decorations, carrying all the presents home...but now that it's over I think about how right it is to celebrate birthdays. Of course the kid gets spoilt something rotten, but having a party with the friends and family who journey with us through the fun, new experiences and the difficulties, was also a chance for us to celebrate the adventure....Although I am sort of wondering whether Small Fry's wee sister Fingerling might not be quite fine with just a cupcake next year.

The first guest. Getting ready to parday...

The cake. It took 1 day to bake, 1 day to construct and a final day to decorate.

Theme: Fireman Sam.

2 peas in a pod ignoring the carrots, cucumber and peppers and instead sneaking the crisps.

Zonking out despite the palava of 10 little kids running around.

A Big Chop #BlurredLines

Before

After

11 November #NeverForget

21st Century Jet Set #FirstWorldProblems

So, Fingerling's passport has arrived:

I was a bit surprised to a) receive a text that it had arrived (all swish new alert system) and b) that it took 3 days, when I had been promised 30 (resulting in plenty of panic about the forthcoming flight to Scotland). I mean I'm really pleased it's arrived, but I could have done without the panicky bit.

The eagle-eyed among you will already have spotted that it is...well...French. And that's about the long and the short of it.

Yes, ridiculous rules mean that Fingerling does not have an automatic claim to British nationality as she is the second generation born abroad. I've always considered growing up in different countries to be a fantastic, worthwhile and would-like-to-repeat-it-for-my-children experience. Except that the British don't. So while the French were very happy to accept Small Fry as one of their own even though both he and his papa were born outside of France, the only way Fingerling will become British is through meeting residency (money) and registration (more money) requirements before she is 15.

I was very disappointed* (as well as £105 poorer) to learn about Fingerling's solo nationality, not because there is anything wrong with being only French, but because a) I'd always imagined passing on my own nationality to my children and b) I want to provide Fingerling with the same choices and opportunities that Small Fry has.

For the foreseeable future at least, this is the sort of logistical nightmare I will have to keep track of:

4 people with 3 nationalities and 2 of them are travelling on ID cards and 2 on passports**. And with one of them with a different surname to the other 3***.

The most important thing is that we can go!

*the polite version
** it's a long story about why it has to be this way on this trip
*** that's a whole other blog post

Keeps me going #UntilSuppliesAreRestocked #ScotlandInNovember

I was SO happy to find a box of decaf Earl Grey hidden in my tea cupboard. 

After all, who wants anything else with their afternoon slice of cake? 

Family Life #Update

Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow #FingerlingFinallySleeps

It's been a tough few nights. Fingerling's reflux means that both El Puma and I spend quite a bit of time during the hours of darkness in this position below. It's not so conducive to sleep although it  seems to help her sfor a couple of hours. But during the day, it's La Moon's turn (as Small Fry calls her). And Fingerling sleeps really well with her. Must be that comfy pillow.

Whipped into shape #StillBenefittingFromTMargret'sVisit

I simply thought double cream didn't exist in Paris. It's amazing how a homemade meringue pavlova base provides an incentive!

Thanks again T Margret!!

Another girlfriend #Heartbreaker

Paris in November #UnseasonablyWarm

She's running in her bra and shorts!

All Saints' Day #TMargretIsOurs

Another 24 hours later and T Margret had provided us with a pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, the completed ironing, sewing, shopping, cleaning, cooking...and always with ready arms to hold the baby.

A total saint.

Thank you so much!