Beach Day

Ever since we got back from Crete we've been having the most amazing weather right here in Paris. Such a welcome change from the miserable, cold Spring we had. The girls have been happy relaxing at home and playing in the garden, but the first good summer I've experienced in Northern Europe for years was making me nostalgic for the seaside of home and summer holidays in France. The closest beach to us is two hours away, but it's an easy drive so the girls and I decided to get up early on Friday and go for it. By 11 o'clock - the time when most days everyone has still been in their pyjamas - we were happily settled in under one of Deauville's famous beach umbrellas and pleasantly suprised to find we had the beach almost to ourselves!




The last time I was in Deauville, aged about six, I was miserably sick with tonsillitis and didn't enjoy myself at all. I had a much better day this time and so did the girls. The soft sand of the beaches in the English Channel makes such a good playground.


The beach is huge and it's a long walk out to the sea when the tide is out. These colourful markers placed all along the beach help finding your way back to your towel so much easier. I thought that was such a great idea.





We spent all day on the beach, but once tummies started rumbling, we set off for the neighbouring town of Honfleur for dinner. The GPS took me through the country roads to get there and it was such a pretty drive to an incredibly pretty town.


We didn't have time to explore, but a quick stroll around the old harbour gave us plenty to enjoy.


We ate at one of the restaurants on the busy harbour front. Crêpes for the girls and seafood for me.


This was the view from our table. Florence just about sat through dinner with the promise of a ride on the carousel!



She has only just started to really enjoy carousel rides and she always chooses the car. Less scary than the horses!



Her sisters, however still love the horses.


We had a wonderful day out at the seaside. All the better for being completely spontaneous. I hope we get to go back again soon.

We love Mondays

The girls had a couple of extra days off school this weekend while the teachers did some Professional Development. They (the girls not the teachers!) decided this would be the perfect opportunity to go to Disneyland. They pooled their pocket money, did chores without complaining and convinced me there would be no queues on a wet February Monday. They were right. The waits were short, the rain stopped and everyone had a great time. We met up with some friends, so while they took the big girls on the scary rides, Florence and I hung out in Fantasyland. She doesn't watch the Disney Channel or know who the princesses are but she was beside herself with excitement to be there! And the best thing about Disneyland Paris? Nutella Crêpes!

Happy World Nutella Day!

Winter Wonderland

We've had some snow here in France.


A lot of snow for here and just like last year most of it arrived on Saturday night. All the better for playing in, but this being France, snow ploughs don't work on Sundays!


While we figured out how to rescue Georgia & Savannah from their Saturday night sleepover, the rest of us walked down to the market to find something for dinner.


This being France, the markets don't stop for anything (not even Christmas Day). Normally open to the elements, Sunday's temporary, snow covered roof created a cozy atmosphere for all the shoppers who had ventured out.

The hill that provides me with my weekly workout carrying home the groceries was transformed into the perfect sledging hill for India & Florence.




We did eventually get Georgia and Savannah back with plenty of time for an afternoon of snowball fights and sledging through the woods.


And after a day spent energetically outside we had our first slices of the Christmas cake that I finally got around to decorating this weekend. Well worth the wait!

Lions and tigers...

and turkeys...


and deer...


and llamas...

and bears. Oh my!


We're back in France after a quick trip to New York to see the American Girl Store, The Statue of Liberty and Wicked!


The weather is beautiful, the baguettes are delicious and we are all happy to be back in our own home!

Sunshine State*

At the beginning of this week American Mom in Bordeaux, a URL friend who is fast becoming an IRL friend was kind enough to pass on a sunshine award to me. We certainly have plenty of sunshine here in California this week with the temperatures in the 100s every day (will those of you reading in Paris or the UK please look away while I complain that it's too hot!) and while receiving the sunshine award brightened my day no end, I'm never any good at wittily answering the questions that go with these awards.


Instead I thought I'd spread the sunshine love a little differently by showing you some of the photographs I've been taking for my class of the California Poppies growing all over the land around the house we're renting. I might even sneak in some of the answers to the questions as I go!


I've always loved the California state flower not least because orange is my favourite colour. They bloom all through the spring and summer and like their bolder French cousins, grow all along the roadsides making you want to stop your car in inappropriate and dangerous places to take their picture.


This house is right out in the country though at the top of a private road so not many people have seen this particular crop of poppies. I was just fiddling around with getting a better picture of this scene when I saw a snake crawling towards me through the dry grass - didn't stop to ask what kind before I scrambled back up the hill out of harm's way - so this is as good as you get!


Don't mind taking pictures of the bees enjoying the flowers though.


The California Poppy officially became the state flower in 1903 and until I started to do a bit of research today, I was under the common misconception that it is illegal to pick them. There is no state law specifically prohibiting you from picking the poppy, but it's a misdemeanor to remove any plant from land that you don't own so leave them where they are for everyone to enjoy and you won't get in trouble!


Recipients of the sunshine award are supposed to pass it on to ten more bloggers, but as I don't know that many bloggers who haven't already received it, I've decided to give a much needed update to my blogroll and have added ten blogs I love that I've found in the last year. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

I've got a few more changes for the blog planned when I get a minute. I might even start a Growing Berries Facebook page. What do you think?!


*Florida is actually the Sunshine State, California is known as the Golden State but I'm not going to let the facts get in the way of a good post title!

What a week!

The weather was so lovely last week that I took a little vacation from my life - the one where I make sure my children are fed and have clean clothes - to really enjoy Paris! I've said it before and I'll say it again, the housework will always be there but a week of gorgeous spring weather with Paris on my doorstep is a luxury not to be passed up.

We started the week with a family outing along the Seine on a Bateau Mouche. 100% tourists but a great way to see all the sites in one afternoon!

Tuesday really was going to be my laundry day but when a friend asked if I wanted to see the Robert Doisneau exhibition in the Hotel de Ville, I just couldn't resist another day out in Paris. Halte Garderie was full so I braved another Paris museum with Florence in tow and we both loved it.

On Friday I was back in Paris again this time to meet up with one of my few but faithful blog followers, the delightful Genie from Paris and Beyond. If you read her blog you will know that she visits Paris often, but this was the first time ever that she had been accompanied by her husband! The sun shone down on them from the beginning to the end of their week long visit and knowing what a treat it was for her to be here was the motivation for me to get out and enjoy it all too. We met in Parc Monceau, somewhere else new to me in Paris, but a favourite spot for Genie.


Florence loved the ducks and chased the pigeons.


Then had the time of her life coming down the fastest slide in Paris.


After a very pleasant hour spent chatting, photographing and discovering much that we have in common, Genie and her husband walked off into the Paris spring and Florence and I set off in the car round the périphérique and back home.

On Saturday the sunshine was gone and real life came back with a jolt. I spent the rest of the weekend teaching, what seemed like every English speaking eleven year old girl outside Paris, to sew!


Nine flapper dresses were whipped up for India's school musical. (More on that later!)


And her girl scout troop all made sit-upons at the meeting we hosted on Sunday. We used this tutorial should you be in urgent need of one yourself!

Finally merci to Véronique for so sweetly mentioning me in her post this week and welcome if you are visiting from 'Seattle'!

Now I really MUST go and do some laundry!