From Christmas to Easter: ketchup!

If you've noticed a lull in the action...you are right. If feel like a bear coming out of winter hibernation!

I honestly think I am now just getting over Christmas. When did Christmas become so exhausting? Of course, we did travel home, go on to Victoria, have a birthday party, a Christening, 6 gift openings and a partridge in a pear tree. Never again. Enough said.

January was devoted to getting back to routine. I insisted that we not travel, and kept things as routine as possible. Because young William started daycare! Here, there are 2 daycare options: creche which is full time, and halte-garderie, which literally 'halts' over the noon hour (the French devotion to a good lunch is really impressive isn't it?). We were lucky to get a space 2 mornings per week in a halte-garderie in the ground floor of our apartment building. The first week was devoted to 'adaptation' where we gradually increased William's time in care. The first day, after only an hour, he came home and slept three hours. Tiring stuff, this daycare! There were lots of tears in the beginning but he is gradually coming to like it, and even look forward to it. Greg and I notice his comprehension of French has increased since starting daycare, and that he is a little more assertive on the playground....not a bad thing since he used to get knocked over a lot. And he has a new look to go with his new routine: his baby hair was getting pretty shaggy so I took the scissors to the back. The cut is a it abrupt, but he only sits still so long. At least its tidy now.

With William in care I could get back to French lessons. I have been lucky enough to find a sympathetic teacher not far from our apartment. Florence has the most amazing bleached blonde hair and is skinny as a nail, but she makes me a coffee every morning and we laugh a lot. Once per week is not a lot (I need the other morning for 'me' time. Or to write this blog!) but it is a start. If all continues to go well, we will ask for another morning per week for William.

The new year also brought changes for Greg. His boss had had a minor heart attack the previous summer, and seems to have taken his doctor's instructions to go easier to heart (literally). So, he has given Greg much more responsibility, asking him take over presentations and act for him on several occcasions. Greg is also getting to travel more, which he likes (probably because William and I stopped going with him, ha ha!). Greg is finding the work more satisfying as a result of all this, and is feeling comfortable and competant in his work.

Greg had an odd incident in the New Year. While we were away in Canada, his lower left lip ballooned out, looking like he'd been in a fight. It wasn't sore, but didn't go away so he had it looked at once back in Paris. It turned out to be a blocked saliva gland that needed to be surgically removed. He came home (by Metro, can you believe) looking like Frankenstein, and needed to eat soup for a few days. Besides a small divet in his lip, he is back to normal, but it was was weird little thing to have happen.

With William more or less settled at daycare, we could indulge Daddy's desire to go on a ski trip. Now, I have to tell you that I honestly thought this was a bad idea. Dad goes off skiing leaving Mm and busy one year old with nothing to do and nowhere to go.....so I dragged my heels a bit and by the time we booked the only think left was a hotel called the Dacha. Think 1960's from floor to cieling. In fact, the entire village of Chamrousse is a 1960's throwback. They hosted the Olympics in 68 and haven't renovated since! Dad did go off skiing but of course let Mom do the same. However there wasn't much to do with baby boy as he is too little for tobaganning. We tried taking him in a baby sleigh, called a 'luge' here, which he loved until he toppled out and then he just cried and cried. Turned out he was getting sick, poor lamb. Next Mom got the virus badly so the trip ended a bit disastrously. I think I will stick to my guns next year and stay home! Or, book Club Med Mont Blanc......now we're talking.

March was the Month of Megan, my birthday! And it was a special one this year as I turned 40. Forty. Fooorty. I have to keep saying it and I still don't beleive it. Anyhow, I celebrated in style. On the actual some friends and I took in my favorite museum, the d'Orsay, and treated ourselves the champagne in the oh so lovely cafe. The next weekend, Greg hosted a lunch for friends, and a few weeks later I went off to Florence sans bebe et mari. I wasn't sure how I would feel leaving William for the first time, but I had little time to dwell on it as there was shopping, eating and touring to be had! My friend and I shopped for jewellry on the Ponte Vecchio all morning, then took in Sante Croce where Michealangelo and other important dudes are interred. We then had a one our massage and spa....heaven. And a big pasta dinner, more heaven! It was a great trip and made me realize that mommies need regular holidays too. If we (as a family and a society) truly value work at home, then it deserves the same perks as work outside the home, right?

The fun in March wasn't over as Greg and I took in a Bryan Adams concert late in the month. I had bought it as a birthday gift for him, but enjoyed it just as much as he did. What a great time! The man can still rock, and it reminded us of our youth. We spent the evening singing and shimmying and it was a good thing.

Naturally, William's development has slowed down a bit but there is still a lot going on with Little Man. Physically he is much more sure, and prefers to run everywhere rather than walk (although he still motors 'quatre-pattes' if he is tired). He is now adept at climbing, much to my terror, and proudly reached the top of the slide all on his own last week. His current favorite toy is the wooden push along truck we bought him for Xmas as he can not only push it, but sit on it, and even better use it as a stool. Needless to say I am babyproofing more/still/again! He still loves his books, current favorites being "Hand Hand, Fingers, Thumb" (dum ditty dum ditty dum dum dum!) and "I Love you Through and Through" for bedtime. Verbally, he is really taking off. He repeats ducky and doggy sounds, says 'bye bye' and 'au revoir', 'yellow', 'shoes', 'tummy', 'eating' 'yoghurt' and 'dehors'. He will shake his little finger and say "ni ni ni no!" to the daycare workers if they chastise him. We love to play dress up with hats and scarves, but his favorite activity of all is vacuuming...we do it every day, and I hate it. We spent time in museums this winter to escape the cold: saw Musee des Arts Decoratif, Sempe exhibit and Malmaison. He is really getting rythmn when he dances: shakes his little booty and everything! He is a sweet tempered guy most of the time, willingly sharing things, and liberally giving kisses. He can be a real monkey too, witness the time he dropped my keys down the elevator shaft! Thank God for spares!

Best of all though is that William is finally sleeping through the night.........

So, that's us up til Easter. Will write again soon!