Its Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Bonjour mes amis! Today was my first day off (aside from going to French school) in about 11-ish days. Emilie went to the United States with Jean-Pierre, or "Papi," her godfather for a week so it has just been me, Guillaume, and the kids. She returned today around noon so things will go back to "normal." Its been a good week but I am happy to have my normal schedule back! Not only has Emilie returned with Jean-Pierre (who will leave for his home near Bordeaux tomorrow) but Guillaume and I  planned a special surprise for the Kowalski household! Do you want to know what it was? Do you?! Of course you do.

DISCLAIMER: If you couldn't tell by the title (ha....), this post is Christmas related. Yes, I know it is not even Thanksgiving yet, but this is France and we do not have Thanksgiving. So, if you have anything negative to say you can move along. :-)

So, this is Victoria's first Christmas and Auggie's first to truly comprehend what is going on, so we decided to go ahead and decorate for Christmas. Jean-Pierre is a very special person in Emilie's life and the children love him, so Guillaume wanted him to be part of the festivities. I think Emilie suspected something was going on because she found the Christmas cookies in the kitchen when she arrived. I didn't really hide them, but she doesn't eat a lot of sweets so it didn't occur to me that I might want to put them away. I made my Aunt Nell's traditional sugar cookies that my cousins and I would decorate every single year. She would make tons of cookies in multiple shapes and we would gather around the table for hours and decorate until either the cookies were all finished or we were exhausted and covered in frosting! Haha. We would listen to Christmas tunes and drink hot cocoa or coffee and we always tried to decorate the funniest or most creative cookies we could imagine. I made heart-shaped cookies into butts before it was cool.

Anyway, decorating the cookies with my cousins is a very special Christmas memory of mine so I wanted to share it with my Host Family. I actually baked all of the cookies on Tuesday night and yesterday afternoon I decorated them with Auggie. Of course, since he is only 2-years-old I did most of the work. HAH! Not that I minded... I mean, I turned on my spotify and made a cup of hot chocolate and imagined myself being back in Tiperlsville.

Regarde:

The little blue teddy bear was Auggie's specialty, and of course I roped Guillaume into decorating at least one cookie! 

This morning after I left for school and Guillaume took the children to Nounou's house he drove to a town near Geneva to pick up our Christmas tree... a real one! My family always had a fake one, which I have never minded, but I am very excited to have a real one. When everyone was finally home and settled this evening, Guillaume hauled in the tree, brought up the decorations, we served the cookies, and I made my Mum's wassail! What is wassail? I am glad you asked, because it is another special Christmas memory of mine.

Wassail (pronounced "vas heil") is a hot beverage that my Mum makes every year. My family loves it and we always anticipate that first delicious pot of the season. She makes it with apple juice, cranberry juice, a bit of orange juice, and a spice pack of red hots candy, cinnamon sticks, an orange slice, and whole cloves that are infused into the juice as it cooks. After is it brewed, adults can drink it with Spiced Rum (Sailor Jerry is the best choice, if you ask me) but kids drink it without. From what I have researched, the traditional Wassail dates back to medieval times and translates to, "for your health/to good health." While I think what we make is rather close to the original drink, the original had eggs in it which is SO not gonna happen with me. I am all about sticking with tradition but some things change for a good reason. Anyway, it was customary to go door-to-door offering a cup or drink of Wassail and sing:

"Here we come a wassailing among the leaves so green,

and here we come a wandering so fair to be seen!

Love and joy come to you,

and to you, your wassail too,

and God bless you and send you a happy new year,

and God send you a happy new year."

My family never went door-to-door and sang (hahahaha) but we listened to the song a lot so that counts, right? I do remember going caroling a time or two with our church when I was very young but we never offered anyone Wassail. Haha! The Rum would have been a big "no-no" in the Southern Baptist church anyway. Regardless, it was a dry county so it wouldn't have mattered whether it was to their approval or not. Not to get off topic, but I find it best to include details such as these because here in France there is no such thing as a "dry" area. You can drink anywhere except for in a vehicle, of course. French drivers already drive like they're drunk so I cannot imagine what they would be like if they were buzzed. Lord, help us all! You can even buy liquor in the grocery store here! When I moved to Florida I remember being surprised/excited that you could buy beer AND wine in grocery stores, but you still had to go to the Liquor store for the hard stuff. Not here. As I am sure you know, the Europeans have a very different view of alcohol than the Americans, so I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised to see the Vodka next the cereal, or 17-year-olds drinking beer while walking home from school. Anyway, enough about booze.

I made the Wassail and even though Guillaume does not like cinnamon I think he liked it best. Emilie liked it as well but she is not used to "hot alcohol," as she put it. Haha! For me, the instant the scent started wafting through the kitchen I had a brief surge of homesickness. Not in a bad way, but Christmas with my family is one of my most beloved memories so I think no matter how old I get or where I go I will always want to be in my parents kitchen waiting for the Wassail to be ready, listening to Nat King Cole, hanging stockings, and making "Haystacks" with Mum.

So, lets return to the evening! The tree, my first real tree was probably more exciting for me than anyone else. I was so excited when Guillaume lugged it up the stairs, dropping pine needles everywhere! They laughed at my "child-like" joy but I don't care. It's awesome!

I was just waiting for Guillaume to clip the strings and branches fly out and bust the windows like in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation! Luckily, that didn't happen.

AIN'T IT PURTY?!! 

The minute we started hanging the decorations my mind raced back to 1995 when my little brother, Andy, was but a wee nugget and would throw the balls on the ground just to watch them shatter. We had to hang them out of his reach or else we wouldn't have had any left! Auggie was not violent with the decorations, but instead preferred to remove them and put them on the couch immediately after we hung them on the branches. Haha! 

Jean-Pierre ("Papi") helping Auggie: 

Mommy and son 

After it was all over and Auggie was in bed with Papi reading him a story, Guillaume, Emilie and I cleaned up the dishes and I could tell they weren't very happy. Guillaume was rather disappointed in the outcome of the night. I have told many stories about the memories I have with my family at Christmas and I think they want to have the same type of memories with their children, which is wonderful, but Jean-Pierre was rather disengaged in the festivities which hurt both of their feelings. Victoria is only 6 months old and Auggie is only two, so this is just the beginning and I think they are off to a great start, which I explained to them. I don't know anything about Guillaume's relationship with his parents, but Emilie never knew hers so I know it is important to her to create memories that they will always cherish. While the evening may not have gone the way they would have liked, I think they are starting some great traditions that they can build on for years to come. They are wonderful parents that do so much for Auggie and Victoria! It is really special for me to be here to experience this time with them, share stories and traditions, and ultimately be part of the children's growth. 

Bisous,

Alli

The Bucket List

A few days ago my Facebook account had a glitch and thought I was dead. While it was funny (I think) it made me think about what I would want people to say about it me if I were actually dead. A little morbid, I know, but we all have to go sometime so its worth a thought or two. I imagine that most of us "picture" our deaths at an old age, but truthfully we never know when it will happen. What do you want to leave behind? If you were to die today what do you think people would say about you? Would they say you were always smiling and happy or always giving and helping others? Would they say you were smart and accomplished? Would they say you were talented and hard-working? Think about it. I am not saying to think about your death but rather about what you can do, well, before it's too late. Haha. There are many things I would want people to say about me but unfortunately, I have not always done things that would prompt people to say them. I am not always the nicest person you will ever meet. I have a good heart but sometimes my words and actions do not display this. Lucky for me, my Facebook was mistaken and I am still alive! Therefore, I can still make the changes that I want to make and do the things I want to do, one day at a time before I "kick the bucket."

Speaking of buckets, a few years ago I started my first bucket list. It was very short and sweet because I really didn't know what I wanted. Some of the traditional things you might find on other peoples' bucket lists, like traveling the world, seemed a little far fetched but look at me now! Living in Europe! I never thought something like this would happen to me. So, this summer I updated my bucket list with a lot more conviction than when I started. Some of the things I have already done so I have put a little cross by them. Have a look and feel free to be inspired! Also, I would love to hear if you have any of the same things on your list or some suggestions for mine!

Places I want to go: (in no particular order)

-Greece
-Austria
-Italy X
-Ireland
-Scotland
-Germany
-England
-France X
-Switzerland X
-Egypt
-St. Petersburg, Russia
-Morocco
-Spain
-Brazil
-Thailand
-Japan
-Fiji
-New Zealand

Things I want to eat or drink:

-Gelato in Italy X
-Guinness in Dublin
-Fried grasshoppers X (believe it or not, I have always wanted to try these! I have wanted to since I was little and saw the I Love Lucy episode where Ricky and Fred eat them in Japan.)
-Fondue in Switzerland X
-Pizza in Italy X
-Hot Sake in Japan
-Crepes in France X



Things I want to do:

-Swim in the dead sea
-Ride a Camel
-Ride an Elephant
-Climb the Eiffel Tower
-Climb the Matterhorn (that one is probably a little too far fetched...hahaha)
-Learn French (working on it!)
-Learn German
-Learn to Ski

Of course, I will add more things to the list over time but I think I have a good flow so far!
I would love to know what you think. In the meantime, back to my coffee.

Bisous,
Alli

Un Jour Avec Moi

     Bonjour, mes amis! I just put Auggie down for a nap, I am curled up on the couch with some lait de chocolat, and it is snowing outside. After I finish my warm beverage and this blog post I will iron some of the baby clothes, make compote, and decide on what to prepare for dinner. It is a cozy day.

     The other night I purchased a book on my kindle about a girl who was an Au Pair in the Loire Valley in the late 1970s. It is a true story and its hard to put the book down! It made me realize that I need to keep better track of my daily life and not just the days when I visit a new place or do something out of the ordinary. Maybe someday I will write a book of my own (haha), so I need to remember as much as possible about this adventure. So, I thought I would write a post telling you all about my daily life.

     In general, on Mondays I work from 7am-4:30pm. I give the kids their bottles for breakfast, we watch a few cartoons, I get them dressed, then we pile into my Ford and take Vicki to Nounou for the day. When Auggie and I come back home we do a number of activities such as coloring, play dough, puzzles, etc. I prepare his lunch, which is usually a meat, a carb, and veggies, and he has a yogurt for dessert. After lunch we read a story and then he takes a nap. While he is napping I usually iron and tidy up from play time, and then I usually have time to read, study my french, or update my blog. Depending on how long he naps and if the weather is decent, we sometimes take a walk up to the chateau or to the stables to watch the jumping students train. Guillaume is usually home between 4-4:15 and I am free to do whatever I choose. I usually help prepare dinner around 6 because Emily is usually home by 7.

     On Tuesdays, I have French class in Annemasse until noon, and then I come home and have lunch with Guillaume and Auggie, and as Guillaume leaves for work I read Auggie a story and then he takes a nap. Like today, I usually have some down time and then do some light chores around the house. Last week I peeled a HUGE bag of apples from Nounou's tree and made apple sauce. Today, as I stated above, I will make compote, which is a variety of fruits (usually apples, pears, and banana) that are cooked and mashed in the Thermomixer and I freeze them for Auggie to have as a snack after nap time. I work until 6:30pm on Tuesdays so I usually start bath time for the kids around 5 and go ahead and get dinner started.

     Wednesday is my favorite day with the kids! The morning starts the same as Monday, but after we drop Vicki at Nounou, Auggie and I go to Bonneville for his baby music class. He loves music class. Afterwards we have lunch and then I take him up to the chateau for baby gym class, which he also loves. We are done with classes and home by 2pm and I put him down for a nap. I am usually free after that because he sleeps until Guillaume comes home. I always help with dinner on Wednesday because Emilie has yoga class after work and isn't home until around 8pm. Lately, Guillaume has had Volley games to attend so I put the kids to bed by myself.

     On Thursdays I have French class until noon and then I am free for the rest of the day. I usually run errands, clean my room, or take a nap. Haha. On Friday mornings I only work from 7-9am to get the kids fed and ready and I take Vicki to Nounou and Auggie to day care, however, this Friday I will work until 2pm because it is a bank holiday so Nounou is off and daycare is closed. I have the weekends off except some Saturday mornings when I take Auggie to the indoor pool in Annemasse. Its not my favorite activity because the chemicals really bother my skin and sinuses, but I guess we all have things we don't like about out job.

     Some days can feel very mundane and tiresome, but I do my best to create new, fun activities to brighten the environment. For example, I try to find recipes that would be fun and "easy" to let Auggie help me with, such as dog cookies or pretzels. I also try to come up with learning games for Auggie to teach him numbers, colors, and of course, letters! His English is getting much better but he can be rather stubborn about it sometimes so I try to make it fun. Yesterday I started teaching him to make his own bed and pick up his own mess/toys. We have been working on potty training for a couple of months now and he is finally progressing, but I think part of that is because he gets un bonbon for every poop on the potty. Haha!

     So, there you have it. My daily life as of late. Christmas is quickly approached and I cannot wait! I am already planning gifts and recipes and sneaking in some holiday tunes on my spotify when no one is around to judge. Haha. I plan to enjoy European Christmas to the fullest extent. Starting...now.

Until next time,
Alli