Carnival

I think a good time was had by all!

Sophie chose to wear her poodle costume:

The sun was shining so the children carried noise makers and walked around Ossun:

There was a clown (a mom of one of the students) to entertain and engage the children, but Sophie stayed back with us:

There was a costume fashion show, complete with a runway: 

Each student received a certificate for participating:

Assembling the students for a group photo: 

And then we all headed back to the school for a snack in the courtyard!  My cookies were a hit, and there were also crepes, madeleines, donuts and cake to feast on!  As we left, Sophie sobbed in the car that she wanted to go back to Carnival :)

Another First

Tomorrow afternoon, Sophie will celebrate her first (and mine!) Carnival.  The children dress up in costumes (Sophie has not decided if she will be wearing her poodle or monkey costume) and weather permitting, they parade around the village, and then return to school for a snack (provided by the parents).

So, I spent the afternoon baking peanut butter oatmeal cookies:

1 1/2 c shortening
1 1/2 c peanut butter
2 c brown sugar
3 eggs
2 t vanilla
3 c quick cook oats (this makes them healthy, right?  RIGHT?)
2 c flour
2 t baking soda
1 t salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Cream the shortening and peanut butter together.  Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and slowly add to the creamed mixture.  Drop by rounded teaspoon and flatten with a fork.  Bake for 12 minutes or until done.

This recipe made so many cookies!  Perfect for a school event.  I just need to make a little sign so anyone with nut or dairy allergies can steer clear . . .

Pics to follow!

Another First

With our return to Seattle this summer, we were disappointed that Sophie would not be starting at Orincles' school in September.  There are 27 students in the 3 and 4 year old class this year, so they could not take Sophie mid-year (Sophie technically can't start at the public school until she's 3).

A private school in the nearby (15 minute drive) village of Ossun starts at age 2 and we went to check it out at the end of January.  Sophie wanted to start RIGHT THEN (it was 5:30 p.m.!) when she entered the classroom because oh!  the toys!  She seemed enthusiastic about coming back on her own so we agreed that she would start the following Monday, but mornings only.  At this school, tuition (a whopping 30€/month!) covers most of the day:  9-12 and 1:30-4:30.  The students can either eat in the cafeteria or a parent picks them up to eat at home.

And so here she is, on her first day of school at Ecole Saint Joseph: 

That morning, I noticed another student with a green, gunky nose and sure enough, Sophie came down with her first school cold on Wednesday night! She went to class on Thursday but I kept her home on Friday because she hadn't slept well on Thursday night. She rested up over the weekend and she was back in class today and had a great time!

It's an adjustment, between missing Mama and Papa and the language issue (she understands French, and has many words in French, but cannot communicate in French like she can in English, which is frustrating for her!).   

Happy Groundhog Day!

Picking Oranges In Gilbert, Arizona

Better Late Than Never

(I'm cheating and backdating these posts!)

It's still January so I can say "Happy New Year!" :)  I didn't get Christmas cards out, and then I thought I'd do New Years cards and clearly, that didn't happen either.

So, belatedly, here is 2010's visit with Santa:

That is a Sophie, trying NOT to smile.  She did NOT want to see Santa this year.  On the day of the visit, I did not tell her where we were going and when we entered the mall, not even NEAR Santa mind you, she said, "I don't want to see Santa!"

We got closer to his booth and fortunately, there was no line.  Sophie was hiding her face in my neck and wouldn't even LOOK at him.  I was kneeling in front of Santa holding her like this, Santa was trying to ply her with a book and then he suggested that I put her on his knee and I thought, "Oh, she'll LOSE it."

But she didn't, and then tried to hide a smile :) 

Smile!

Taking a break from stacking wood