The monday at Valloire

At Valloire, like most ski villages, during summer, there are many outdoor activities. Some of these activities are paying. There is often an offer to buy a pass to access all the activities at an attractive price. For the apartment we booked, we were each able to benefit the Activities Pass for 1€ a day. This pass includes access to the cable car, the swimming pool and the skating ring. 

On Monday, we headed up the mountain by the cable car. We were able to see cows grazing below us. They had big bells and we could hear them even when the weather was foggy. 

After the cable car ride, we went even higher on the chairlift. The only times I took the chairlift was when I was skiing many years ago. This time, I was with A1 while Seb took the earlier one with A2. The chairlift did not look solid and I was pretty nervous on it. 

At the top was the lake, Lac de la vielle and we had a pinic lunch with a view. 

After a good lunch of local ham and cheese, we hiked down towards the cable car station. That took us an good hour of walk before taking the cable car back to the village.

At the village square, there were free activities for kids like giant chess and checkers. There were also badminton rackets, juggling materials etc.... The boys pedaled on karts and had much fun.

At 4pm, we headed to the bowling alley for a game. It was the children's first time. When it was their turn, the bumpers would rose up automatically preventing the balls going into the gutter. They actually scored better than me. A2 was asking to go bowling every day after. At 7.50€ per game per person, the bill added up fast. That was the only time we were there.

That was how we spent our fruitful day. During the stay, the boys had fun at the playground, multi-games court and bouncy castles in Valloire. They also loved the slide at the swimming pool. More posts coming....

A week in Valloire

Tim and Carmen came visiting us on 8 August for 11 days. The next day, all of us went to Valloire for a week's vacation. As with most holiday homes in France, towels and bedsheets are not provided. They can be rented but usually at an exorbitant price. Unlike hotels, the owners of these holiday homes do not want the hassle of having to do laundry. And most holiday homes are by a weekly basis starting on Saturday. I was glad to find an apartment that rents from sunday to sunday.

We were six and our VW Touran came in handy. However, there was hardly any trunk space left after installing the kids' car seats at the back row. I borrowed a roof trunk from a neighbour and we managed to squeezed in our baggage in it. It was not easy as bedsheets and towels for a family of six took up a lot of space.

We were taking a toilet/coffee break at a gas station along the highway. This was how our vacation car looked like.  Did you notice that behind our car, there was another Touran with a roof trunk too? That is how the french go on holidays in summer.

As the cat hotel that we usually put Bao Bei at was full, we found one mid way to Valloire nearby Clermont-Ferrand. This cat pension was new and each cat had a big space with big cat tree. After dropping Bao Bei, we continued our route to Valloire with Seb driving us up the Alps mountain range.

The car trip took us about 10 hours. Once we settled down in our apartment, Seb brought us around this small mountain village. He had came here to ski a few times as a kid.
The pic below is a hotel with typical architecture of the region.

More apartments on the slope of the mountain with a cable car station that brings people all the up to the top.

The village square with the church at the background.

The day we arrived, it was cloudy and foggy. Carmen mentioned that it looked like a backdrop of a 武侠小说 (Chinese swordmen movie).

I have more photos coming up showing the lovely scenery and activities we did during this one week. Stay tune.

Morning fun

When the boys wake up before me, sometimes they stay in their rooms to play. One morning, I found them in A2's room building. Here was a boat and an Elmo fire truck made by A1.

Then, A2 told me his creation was either Eiffel Tower or a birthday cake. I was surprised he had the patience to build such a block.

Lastly, A1 told him he made a DS (Nintendo video game). He had seen his older cousins playing with one. He never asked for one for his birthday or Christmas gift (yet). I am glad he prefers to make one himself.

Art works from day care

The boys went to day care during the first two weeks of the school holiday. Below are some of the art works they brought home at the end of each day. I have no idea what to do with them. Should I keep them until one day they are famous artists and sell them for a high price? 

I doubt that day will come as they took after their parents in the arts department. So I took pictures so as to show them when they grow up.

Pretty and neat art works won't you say. But what do I need them for? To decorate their rooms? I have others from school.

I wonder if my mother would like to have them. If not, they are heading to the bin soon.......

Parc Babyland

In June, with two other mothers and their boys, we missed school on a Wednesday (9am to 12pm) and headed to Parc Babyland. We were a total of six boys and three mothers. The park was about an hour's drive away and I had a mother with her two boys in our 7 seater Touran. The four boys were making lots of noises while I had a good chat with the mother.

We arrived just in time for the opening at 10.30am. It was not a big park and there was no queue. I think the park was a hidden treasure as it was by word of mouth that we came to know this park. Maybe that was why it was not crowded.

Most of the rides were operated by ourselves. There were start and stop buttons at each amusement ride and once the children were seated, it was the adult who pushed the button to start the ride. A ride lasted three minutes unless the stop button was pushed. 

The boys had great fun with the giant slide. As A2 had not pass the height limit, I had to do it with him. It was thrilling.

There was also a mini roller coaster just beside the giant slide. We did these a few times.

There were two trains rides and below was a photo of the six boys.

 Tricycles were available at a corner. A1 being the sweet older boy rode the younger boys around. They rode round and round and were never tired.

We stopped for a picnic lunch. There were picnic tables under the shade. Lunch could be bought there but we brought our own. One mother made a tomato salade, another made quiche while I made banana cakes and brought watermelon.

The boys continued to have fun with bouncy castles and other fun rides. The horse ride was the highlight. As the boys were not 120cm yet,, they took turns to ride with me. It was like the real thing with the horse trotting and galloping.

My boys tried the doggy ride aka viking boat with glee. I thought they would be afraid but no. They were waving at me when they reached the high end.

We called it a day at 5pm. The boys spent a long time at the balls pool. It was deep and the youngest boy sank in and had to be pulled out by his mother when his brother alerted us.

When leaving, A1 asked if he could come every wed. The boys love the park. I love it too. It cost a friction of the price we pay to go Disneyland and best of all, there was no queue. We would surely come back again. I told Anca about this park and she went recently. She told me her boy cried when they were leaving at closing time. We shall organise a day there togather. It has to be soon because this park is for young children.

14 July

We watched two fireworks in celebration of the French National day. On 13 July, we went to the neighbour town's football field and watched fireworks. We reached at around 10.30pm and once the sky was totally dark at around 11pm, the fireworks started. This was the second time the boys watched live fireworks. Their first was last year's 14 July in the south of France when we were on vacation.

The firework display was a small scale but nevertheless, we enjoyed it as we were up close. A fireworks went off course and fell on the grass. As it had been a very dry season, it started a small fire with lots of smoke. That was the side attraction. When the fire engine arrived, the fire had been put out.

The boys slept at midnight which was really rare. The next day, we went to visit our friends an hour and half drive's away. We left at 5pm and had a quick dinner in Paris on the way home. The boys wanted to watch fireworks again as there was a bigger scale that night at Rambouillet. I told the tired boys that if they slept in the car, I would not wake them up. So they kept themselves awake all the way home. We reached home at 8pm and had a quick shower. At 10pm, we drove to Rambouillet, parked our car rather far from the castle's park and walked 15mins to get there. There were many people. 

I took the camera this time and was happy to get some decent photos of the beautiful fireworks.

Enjoy.

The boys have grown up. They can stay awake pass midnight now without napping and yet wake up at 7.30am as usual.

School year end show and funfair

Summer school holiday starts this week. Two weeks ago, the boys performed at the school year end show. A1 did some traditional dances from Africa, France and Ireland. A2 danced to a funny french song. I could not find the title. He also tapped on a stick to the rhythm of The Carnival of the Animals (Camille Saint-Saëns). 

After the mini concert by the four classes, the funfair started. We had BBQ sandwich lunches before the boys went off to play and I took up a stand twisting balloons. The kids requested for swords, sabres, flowers etc...

We bought the boys 20 tickets to play at the various stalls. Each game stall would give a token once the game ended. With the tokens, the children could exchange some small gifts. 

The night before, I made flower bracelet ballons and doggy balloons. I enrolled A1's best friend's mother to help me with the stand. She dropped by after the kids were in bed and we practised making more complicated balloon sculptures. I think we are getting really good.

At the end of the funfair, there was a lucky draw. Each year, I bought 5 tickets and never won anything. This year, I bought 10 and won a voucher worth 40€ from the cakeshop. I was thrilled. The cake came in time for my birthday at end of June.

A1 is promoted to CP and is no longer in kindergarten. He is in elementary school now. As the village school is both a kindergarten and elementary school (primary school), it does not make a difference for A1. Furthermore as his teacher is teaching GS (Grande Section) and CP togather, A1 would be with Claire again. A2 is promoted to GS. He has spent his first two years of kindergarten with Sophie. He would find himself in the same class as A1 again with a new teacher.

Fruit trees

Last November, we planted an abricot tree in our garden. It was a 7 years old tree. This spring, I spotted two abricots growing from this small tree. What a delight.

 Last year, I did not get to enjoy any fruits from the garden. The birds ate up all the cherries before we had time to pick them. This year, I bought a net and Seb and I put it over the cherry tree. Good thing the cherry tree was not too big. The harvest is plenty for this young tree. I am waiting patiently for the cherries to turn bright red. This evening, I picked 7 red cherries and the boys enjoyed them. I tried one and it was sweet and firm. Delicious.

As for the apple tree, there was no apple last year. This year, there were bees working in the garden and they helped to pollinate the fruit trees. I am expecting a big harvest of apples too. However, I have to check for aphids everyday. The ants are protecting the aphids. So I have to destroy the ants and the leaves infested by aphids and its eggs.I found this website that explains the interesting relationship between the aphids and the ants.

And when I see the ladybird, I leave it alone because I know that it is my ally. Ladybirds are just as important as bees.

My first contact with aphids, ants and ladybirds did not start in the garden but on a boardgame few years back. Seb bought A1 a game when he was in USA. It was the Ladybug Game. The players choose their ladybugs and try to reach the finishing point by collecting as many aphids as possible and avoiding the praying mantis. Near the end, the players must have enough aphids to give to three lazy ants to continue the journey home. We enjoyed this game a lot as a family. But these days, it's UNO and Monopoly that we play. I would have to dig out the Ladybug game to play with the boys and then show them these real insects on the apple tree.

Checkers

A1 received a checker set for his birthday. We taught him the rules and he understood quickly. It was not easy for him in the beginning to apply the rules as he forgot that the piece can only move forward unless it was jumping over an opponent's piece to capture it.

When we played with A1, A2 would join us to watch and tried to understand. He picked up the rules fast too.

In no time, the two boys started to play against each other. Seb or I would watch to make sure the boys do not break the rules and to teach them some tips here and there.

Last weekend, the boys were playing checkers just before we headed out of the house. I told them to pause their game and get ready to go. I was amused to see that the only remaining pieces were the kings.

Seb told me that once the board was cleared of the many pieces, the boys' aim was to avoid the opponent's pieces and reach the other end. They were trying to get as many kings as possible.

This is the first time I saw that many kings on a checkers board. When we reached home that evening, the boys did not have time to continue their game. At the end of the day, I kept the game. A1 was disappointed the next day. We have no idea who the winner was. It looks like a dead lock to me looking at the picture above.

Mother's day

In France, mother's day was on 31 May this year. Last wed, after school, I noticed that A2 had glitters on his hand and face. I asked him what he did in school and he told me it was a secret. I replied 'Oh, you are doing something for Mother's day.' A2  immediately got very upset. He said 'But maman, how do you know?' I laughed out loud and assured him that everyone knew it was Mother's day on sunday. A1 added that even his teacher knew. He told his brother the most important was to keep the present he was making in school a surprise for me. A2 started to say that the present was a plate. A1 shouted 'Shhhh.' to keep his brother from revealing futher. Kids. They were so funny.

On friday, Seb fetched the boys from school and helped them to hide the surprises. 

On sunday morning, the boys came into my room once they woke up to give me the surprises. 

A2 made me a glittering necklace made from beads and pastas. It was wrapped up on a beautifully decorated paper plate. He wrote 'BONNE FÊTE MAMAN' on the plate.

A1 made me a big card with hand drawn flowers. In the card was a poem. The thing with the french education system is that once kids learn the capital letters, next is the cursive handwriting of small letters. A1's writing was beautiful for a 6 year old. However, I always have problem reading french cursive handwriting. I could tell that A1 took time to write this neat poem.

Though I am not his mother, Seb bought me flowers on this day. That was so sweet of him. He told me he got it for me on behalf of the boys. The flowers were exotic. 

A2 wanted me to wear the pasta necklace. I did but for 5 minutes cos it made my neck so itchy with the glitters. It was beautiful but just not wearable. It shall stay on its paper plate on my night table.