A day off #Chain2Sustain #Berlinconference

It's not like I've not been working for the past year. I have, and quite hard sometimes, regularly doing the night shift. It's not been very well rewarded, and since September not at all, but I do thoroughly enjoy it, even though it's the most tired I've ever been.

But when my paid employer really asked very, very nicely if I would do them a huge favour and go to Berlin to a conference, then I said yes. First of all thinking I would get a nice break, then that it would be a gentle return to work and third, the topic was interesting enough to me to motivate me.

So, no, no, yes.

Crevette and her dad came with me (he did the babysitting) and she developed yet another hacking cough and a shocking cold, while my head felt like cotton wool as soon as I was talking about anything other than my baby, but yes, it was incredibly interesting and I hope I can continue to work more on the topic. The topic being "blockchain". Maybe more on that later...like, another time. Maybe.

So while I was here:

Daddy was having loads of fun here:

 Busted. So now he knows why I'm in no hurry to return to work. Too. Much. Fun.

School photo time #meandthree #theonlywayFingerlingwouldacceptaphoto #goodjobIwastherewiththebaby

118 cm
19 kg

67 cm / 106 cm
7.5 kg / 17 kg

Me and three #alwaysaphotoopp

6 today #hiphiphooray!

Since about the age of 3, Small Fry has had all his birthday's planned out...at least the cakes. At age 4 he wanted a dinosaur (tick!), age 5 a shark (tick!) and for this one, it's been a few years that I knew I needed to make a lollipop cake.

And voilà as they say!

And it wasn't just skin deep!

I've also known for a looooong time that all Small Fry really wanted to do was play football with his best mates, particularly those from the Grande Section at his previous school, where they had space, grass and time to play football (unlike real school).

So I found a way to track them all down to their new schools and sent them an invite. Lo and behold, they all turned up, even though it was a morning party and felt about -5. Honestly, the best birthday present ever. Apart from maybe his personalised football shirt (thanks Moon and Abuelo!) and football shoes (thanks, er, me and his dad).

Rinse and repeat, because that's basically what he did on Sunday too with the kids of our friends, who, surprise surprise, also love football.

As you can see, no girls invited this time (apart from the two little sisters of his mates whom we can't just magic away)...well, it was about time he got to decide his own party.

Of course it means he got a shed load of gifts, lucky kid, and things we actually find pretty cool too, like a babyfoot, 3D puzzles, a coin maker, play mobile, a book on learning to draw, and at least a million marbles. Small Fry plays marbles (how, I have no clue) day in and day out and he's forever talking about their different strengths. Well now he has about 50 huge marbles and a gazillion small ones and if that doesn't make him king of the playground I don't know what will.

The best part for me was seeing him back together with all of his mates. I know he's making good friends at his new school, but there was something special about that group from the jardin d'enfants, and I'm sad they don't see more of each other.

Then again, football seems to be something that they might have in common for a while, so who knows. Oh, and we also squeezed in a great fun family lunch. 

Thank you everyone for making it such a special weekend for him!

Love bites #familyrepellant

The mosquitoes are STILL alive in Paris. It's not like we had many to start with, but for some reason they just have not DIED this year.

And poor Fingerling takes one (or 10) for the team each and every time. She still has marks from her epic mosquito fest this past summer but now she has a swollen lip to add to them as well as an ugly purple bump bite developing near her eye.

I do my best to bite them back. I probably kill one about once a week. I kill those mozzies dead I do.

Now that the cooler weather is here I'm hoping they get frozen out, but in the meantime I might start spraying the room a bit. Still, it's NOVEMBER for crying out loud! 

On the shoulders of giants #followingpowerfulfeet #l'arcdetriomphe

Most Wednesdays, once Small Fry has finished school, we try and meet up with anglophone friends and/or visit a Parisian site. 

I've been trying for a while to get back to the Arc de Triomphe, but watching the Remembrance Sunday Heads of State meeting by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and all the questions that raised for Small Fry and Fingerling, provided the incentive. And Eveline got to join us, which made it extra special. 

The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile (Triumphal Arch of the Star) is one of the most famous monuments in Paris. It honours those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars and stands 50m tall, 45m wide and 22m deep. It stands at the centre of twelve radiating avenues and was commissioned in 1806 after the victory at Austerlitz by Napoleon. 

Beneath the Arc is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, from World War I. He was interred on Armistice Day 1920 and hosts the first eternal flame lit in Europe, which burns in memory of the dead who were never identified.

My two in front of the Tomb with the wrath Macron placed right at the front and with the deconstruction of the glass protection in the background.

Looking skywards...

I think I last visited the top of the Arc in around....oo....2008, with a certain Frédéric and a small bottle of champagne (that was when security was very different to now) at sunset.

This time, the sky was clear blue, cold and sunny and I really did not remember it being so amazing at the top. I think they have changed the protective surround in the meantime and have now built more transparent barriers and ramps that allow for better visibility.

And with our feet back on the ground.

A great day!

Underneath your clothes #accumulatedwardrobe

A girl can't have too many jackets, right?

I just found a box of my favourite 6-month girl clothes (thankfully crevette is so titchy she still fits them) and have added those jackets to the variety I have received from at least 3 girlfriends sharing their hand me downs.

And in this weather, you can't have too many jackets. It's freezing!

Remembrance #100

As I've mentioned before, I find the 11th of November quite a poignant day for a number of reasons, which definitely includes a reflection on the senseless and sacrifice of war, the benefits to the path of peace, and how change must first come to the human heart before we can see more war and less peace.

This year was the 100th anniversary of the end of WW1, and as a member of the Royal British Legion Paris Branch, El Puma and I got tickets to Notre Dame Cathedral and the Remembrance Day Service.

Moon was kindly on hand to do the babysitting, and we got to listen to tributes to the fallen (sometimes personal) as recounted by young and old, as well as that most evocative of musical pieces: The Last Post, and a lament by a lone piper. Shivers.

Sing it loud #withCapucine

I have great respect for Capucine, who can not only keep 9 little girls entertained for 2 hours, but also put on a wonderful performance this morning for children aged 1-6 at the local theatre. 

And she used the informal 'tu' with me when she recognised me, which makes her my instant friend! 

The Golden Tour #Everybody'sdoingabrandnewdancenow

So much glitter, so much gold, SO many men in tiaras...it could only be Kylie!

Kylie is such a throwback to the 80s/90s, and maybe for that reason it was so much fun...everyone there seemed to be over 40 and reliving their youthful idols. And who knew I still know every word to The Locomotion??!

Hooray! #tickthatbox

Bye bye #tickthatbox

'Tis the season #jolly #kidsaway #mulledwine

One of El Puma's favourite things has got to be: eating in peace. By which I mean, not having to cut a child's food, be interrupted, have to take a child to the loo in the middle of the meal, not be able to finish a sentence, have to discipline a child while eating, not having to pick up a spilt glass or wipe little mouths at the end.

But you know, as French mealtimes can take so long sometimes, I don't know why he still holds on to that aspiration. For me it's long gone. I would almost not be able to remember the last time I had an uninterrupted meal were it not for the past 3 days....which is the length of time the two eldest were with Moon and Abuelo in Brest.

OK, ok, so we still have one at home, but one is SO EASY compared to 3!! Especially when that one is so sweet and still naps twice a day and on schedule. 

So El Puma took to eating every second meal out the house, which was quite a treat for me too, and after 11 days it actually felt like we were on holiday too.

Before they left: crevette looking cute

 First of the season!

Mulled wine