Christmas!

We had to forgo our usual Christmas Eve present-opening and wait until Christmas morning this year, since Frédéric worked on Christmas Eve.

I have a friend here whose kids were horrified to learn that 3/4 or more of my kids' presents under the tree were books. No such horror in this house - the boys were happy with their new books! Benjamin in particular has really gotten into reading in English this past year. Even Frédéric got a book!

Other highlights included Lego sets for both, cooking supplies for Noah, and a set of origami paper for Benjamin.

Benjamin's Birthday!

It is hard to believe that this kid just turned 9! He wanted a birthday flan instead of a birthday cake this year. He invited his friend Léa to go watch the Paddington movie with us for his birthday, and I took them out to McDonald's afterwards.

We did his birthday flan a different day, and he just got one big present - but he loved it!

Village Christmas

As it does every year, Puiseux had a Christmas party for the kids in December. They had a magician come put on a show first, and then the Père Noël showed up with the presents. Benjamin was very pleased with a Nerf gun, and Noah with a Spiderman game.

His own style

Noah has always had his own style... his wanted me to crochet him a scarf,  so I did, with his yarn and the colors and order he chose.

Then he wanted me to crochet him a hat, so I did that too... again with his color choice. I tried to steer him towards colors from the scarf, but he insisted this is what he wanted...

Maybe clashing is a thing and I'm just not in tune with the times. At any rate, he is very sure of his sense of style.

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.