Chocolate Eclairs

Noah tried his hand at chocolate éclairs recently. Don't be overly impressed, though, he deigned to use a mix this time! They turned out great.

Christmas Painters

We decorated for Christmas a few days after we arrived home. I got out the glass paints I found at the "random stuff store" this summer, and let the boys decorate the windows.

Real little artists.  And the best part - it will (more or less easily) peel off when Christmas is over.

Last Images of St Louis

Benjamin had a lot of work to do to keep up since he was missing two weeks of school. Dictation turned into French lessons for Grandad, too.

This is how Noah started his day... just like every other six-year-old, right?

Museum of Transportation

On the Sunday afternoon after we got back from camp, we joined my best friend and her family on a visit to the Museum of Transportation in St Louis. I hadn't been with the boys since Noah was several months old, so it was like visiting for the first time, for them. We started with a train ride around the grounds.

We saw and walked through lots of trains, and got to ring the bell on one of them, and play with the rail traffic lights.

We learned that St Louis used to have its own car manufacturing company.

I think the only thing that could have made it better for Noah is if they had tractors. Maybe they'll open a tractor center with their next expansion. Maybe we should write and request it.

Thanksgiving Camp

I feel kind of sorry for all the people who don't have Thanksgiving camp. We wait for this all year. A few days full of family, food, puzzles, walks, fishing, horseshoes, washers, boules. And this year, a mouse in the bathhouse, for a little added excitement.

No catfish this year, just some little bream.

Still working on teaching the Americans to play boules.

Noah was over the moon to discover how the kitchen sign-up sheets worked. He told me, "I didn't know I could write my name there! Now I know I can write my name!" He signed up for meal preparation and clean up several times.