Author: ashleyenfrance

The girls have a play kitchen in their room.  Two ovens, a sink, a box full of cups, silverware, ‘food’, and plates.

Every night for the past few weeks after dinner, we all troop upstairs, sit around the picnic blanket and order something from our waitress (Lily).  Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, her cafe has it all.  There are grapes, donuts, french fries, all kinds of food to choose from.

My Wednesday activity with Lily this week was to make a menu for her cafe.  And old business card holder, some pens, pencils, and paper, and voila, a menu was made.  She *loves* it.  We all sit around, order, drink our tea, eat our food.  Evie plays along, the baby rolls around on the floor.  It is a beautiful, simple, way to end the day.  Together.  Having fun.  And listening to the giggles of my girls.

My dog died yesterday and I am really devastated.  

He was my rock living here in France before I had kids.  He saw us get married, went on numerous vacations with us (skiing, Italy, road trips around France, I flew him back and forth to the US a few times…)  He saw us bring home 3 babies from the hospital, and transitionned from being the “only” baby, to the furbaby at the bottom of the totem pole.  He moved 3 times with us, and went to the “dentist” more often then I ever have in France.  He was my walking partner, my shadow, my friend…  He was a silent (well, non speaking) witness to our transition into a family and was a great part of it.  I’ll miss him forever.

Here’s to hoping wherever his spirit is now there is a nice, hot, sunny porch with lots of beds for him to lounge in and lots of mini tennis balls to play with. 

A new year, a blog.

I hope to keep track of our year here.

I don’t know that I want to make resolutions, but I do have a few overall goals for the year.

Simplify.  Less stuff.  More activities with the girls.  I am challenging myself to work *only* the hours I am paid for at my work at home job.  More pictures.  Blogging.  I’d like to start and finish even one knitting project.  I need to print pictures and do albums for each of my girls.  I’d like to find (and buy) a new to me sewing machine to try my hand at it.

And, that is all.  Because that is already a pretty full plate, and some fairly important lifestyle changes!