Looking for the king in Chambord

School holiday is here. With the boys' friends and their mother, we took a road trip to visit Château de Chambord and Zoo de Beauval over the weekend.

I get along well with Nina and my boys get along very well with her two boys. As Nina has a small summer house nearby Zoo de Beauval, she invited us to stay over and visit the zoo on sunday.

On Sat, the six of us got into the Touran and headed for Chambord. We had a picnic along the way at a play ground like what we did as a family two years ago. Our guided tour was booked for 2.45pm. The target audience was aimed at children and what a delightful time the kids had. The tour guide was the nanny of King Louis XIV's children. She explained to the group that the children were sick and she had to look for the king. As she brought us around in search of the king, she explained the facts and function of the castle and the lifestyle of the royalties back then.

At the king's chamber, the nanny taught us how to do a bow or curtsey if we were to meet the king. The children and the adults took turns to practise. It was funny watching the boys took it seriously.

A2 volunteered to check if the king was in his changing room and managed to enter the prohibited area. The boys were saying he was lucky.

When the nanny left at the end of the tour, we walked around the castle grounds before heading to the summer house. Nina's youngest boy was 4 and he was looking out for the king. We were told he might be out hunting since he was nowhere to be found in the castle. The older boys however understood it was just a story.

We were fortunate to have a clear day. It was cold but dry. When we arrived at Saint-Aignan, we quickly started a fire in the fireplace to warm up the house. The three older boys were excited to be able to sleep together on a sofa bed for the night. Though they had a long day, they were still chatting away when lights were out. 

The guided visit was really well done for little children. The nanny was perfect in her role. However, it is only available in French. For french families, this is something worth doing.

A2 is 6

I can't believe my baby has turned 6. A2 celebrated his birthday with his friends last Saturday. He invited 6 boys and they had fun.

The theme was basketball. I printed out basketball invitation cards, made a simple butter cake and 2 basketball pinatas stuffed with sweets to be thrown into the basketball loop.

The boys spent their time in the garden playing with balls. They also spent time upstairs playing dressed up and fighting as super heros. It was free and easy as they were not interested in the games Seb and I proposed.

Still at the end of the party, Seb and I were exhausted. The boys were very rowdy. We think this might be the last birthday party at home. We are considering indoor playground for next time.

As for the birthday boy, he was happy to spend time with his classmates. He received toys and games and a book. He told me frankly that he did not like to receive book as a birthday present. That is just so A2.