Conversations

Dinner conversation:

Benjamin: Time goes by so fast... soon I will be living my solitary life. I might have to eat tartiflette every night [the only dish he knows how to make].
Noah: You can invite me over, I will bake cakes for you.
Benjamin: I don't want to eat only cake.
Noah: I can make you eggs!
Benjamin: I need a balanced diet...

Moral of the story: I think we better step up the cooking lessons so our kids can move out some day.

 *  *  *  *  *  *

On our way to the swimming pool, after having been out of town for almost a week...

Benjamin: Since I was gone, I missed the history test.
Me: Well, that's ok. You can talk to your teacher about history at swim practice. 'Hey, Mr X, how 'bout those Romans?'
Benjamin: Yeah, they were pretty smart, but now they're extinct.
Noah: They stink?
Benjamin: Yeah. But they smell a heck of a lot better than antelopes!

Back to Swimming

We returned to France on Thursday, after having been delayed by the ice storms in Texas, which got our Tuesday flight cancelled and made driving treacherous - particularly since Texans don't prepare the roads and don't know how to drive on ice. The four-hour leg of our trip took me eight hours since we didn't get over 40 mph very often. Thankfully, Frédéric had warned me in advanced that our flight was cancelled, so we were able to reserve a hotel room for that night, take the trip slowly, and reach the hotel without incident despite the icy conditions.

So we had been home all of about 72 hours when Noah had his first swim meet of the season. Nonetheless, he did great! He came in second in the 50-meter backstroke, fourth in the 50-meter breaststroke, and fifth in the 50-meter freestyle.

Not bad for having jet lag!

Warming up

Warming up

Second place in 50-meter backstroke

The boys and I were saddened to take an impromptu trip home in January, due to the passing of my grandad, James Robert Lundy, Jr, one of the kindest men to ever walk the earth.

I wish he could have stayed with us longer, but we're so thankful that we had a good visit in November, and I'll always be thankful that the boys were able to know him even though we live so far away.

Benjamin and Grandad in 2006

Grandad and Noah in 2008

Gavin, Caitlyn, Benjamin, and Noah, with Grandma and Grandad in 2017