Happy New Year!

Hello,

Our New Year has started with a snowy and cold return to Alsace: it's -5* outside and snowing hard. That's not to say we're not happy to be back, we are, but - brrrr - it could be a bit warmer!

We had a great 2 week holiday back home with my folks in New Deer. It felt really good to be 'home' and to wake up each day knowing I would spend the day with my family. You know what I mean? :-)

Jack also had a lovely time and really seemed to enjoyed being surrounded by English (Scottish!) voices. At any rate, the number of English words he can say has increased. He likes the most important words like plane, bus, tractor, cow, and without surprise the world's most important word, 'gateau,' became cake. As his 'grandma' had also bought him a life-size car, he learn key verbs like 'car drive' and 'car park'... and can now do a three point turn better than me!

Christmas was a right laugh, as he had his own stocking and later got a (noisy) stovetop that makes the appropriate or should that be inappropriate bubbling and sizzling noises.

To try and burn off everything we were eating, we took walks along beaches and in parks and we visited the Macduff Aquarium. A funny moment came when we went to Haddo House: Jack spotted the playpark wayoff in the distance and set off on his own, even though the path led uphill and way away from us. When Ben called to him in French to 'come here' he shouted back 'no, come here' and kept walking. You can tell from the photo that he got pretty far before he realised his game was up!

So, all in all, we had a lovely festive period and I do dearly hope that wherever you are reading this blog from (whether it be in the States or Iceland, China or Egypt, Scotland or South Africa, New Zealand or Brazil) I hope you are well and that the New Year 2009 brings you all the joy and happiness you deserve.

much love,

Robyn xxxx