Merrry Christmas!

First of all, Merry Christmas!!!!!

Second, goodness, it's been a while, hasn't it?

Most of you were probably thinking that I'd got lazy and given up on this blog. The truth is that Ben and I have just been so darn busy lately that I haven't had the time to do anything but the essentials in life.

Thankfully, kids grow by themselves and so, while Ben and I have been running around like mad things, they've gone and got all big.

Jack's now 4 and can draw basic pictures, recognise letters, write his name, and count - and all while charming the pants off anyone within a ten mile radius! He's currently in love with Selenia and Katy Morag.... as there are worse girls out there, I'm happy with his choices so far.

Emma's now 1 year and about 4 months and is a cheeky wee dafty! Although she doesn't say much for the moment, trust me, she makes herself understood and completely gets whatever we tell her. She's still a 'baby', though, and so quickly left the toy babies she received today so that she could 'feed' herself the bottles of pretend milk and sit in the toy push-chair herself. Obviously, she doesn't think she should be looking after anyone else but herself yet!

I'm glad she's still a big baby because these days are flying by and time just seems to be disappearing. For the moment, then, I'm very very glad to be back home in New Deer for Christmas. We're deep in snow and enjoying every minute....

because every minute does count at the moment!

Hoping your moments are counting, too.

love,

Robynxxxx

Emma's Walking!

I don't have any time to upload my photos of Emma at the moment but, as I've just posted on Jack biking, I thought you'd like to know.... Emma's walking :-)

Jack Biking :-)

La Rentrée / Back to School

Hello,

You've probably been wondering why I haven't written anything about Jack's return to school yet. The truth is his 'rentrée' has gone really well but I just haven't had time to sit down and think as I've also gone back to school.

What?

Yep, now I can tell you the wonderful news that I've been hired to teach Language and Literature classes at the Lycée International des Pontonniers in Strasbourg. It's a gorgeous high school and the students are so motivated and alive that teaching there really is an honour.

In the meantime, though, Ben and I are also working and playing hard with Emma and Jack. Emma's beginning to walk without the aid of our hands and Jack still the apple of my eye! Here's my first 'video blog' of Mr Jack 'mountain biking' in a local forest. At the end he's shouting in French, 'Did you see what I did?' Personally, I don't think you'll be able to miss it!

hugs to one and all,

Robynxxxx

Maureen O'Brien

Hello again,

I just wanted to let you know that during Les Omergues' very first literary festival , I had the chance to meet with the writer Maureen O'Brien. As well as previously 'being' Vicki in Dr Who, she is also the author of the Inspector Bright detective novels. Donna Leon believes she is a 'real talent' and i would agree. I've only read 'Close Up on Death' so far but I really like the way that she presents Inspector Bright and, indeed, the rest of the world through the eyes of only one of the characters. Close up On Death kept me guessing until the very last pages and, supposedly, the rest of her books are also known for being cliff hangers...

Just thought you'd like to know....

smiles n hugs,

Robyn

Six Years Later

We've just come back from paradise - as we've just spent 3 weeks in Les Omergues under the warm provençal sun. As Ben and I were married in Les Omergue's six years ago, it's always nice to return. This time, though, we were able to show Jack the inside of the chapel. 'It's too cute,' he exclaimed before going on to 'remind' us that he'd married us just last week! You see, time is still a bit vague for Jack and so something that happened yesterday will be referenced as something that happened a month ago.

I can't really criticise him as time itself seems to be playing tricks on me. Emma is now a year old and so full of mischief that we can't help but smile when we're beside her. She's learning to walk and stands up by herself and all that means that she's always into trouble: sucking stones, eating lego, going where she's not allowed....

Jack, meanwhile, is just himself. He rides his bike (without stabilisers) like a beast, jumping off the pavement, hurtling down dirt tracks and, inevitably, falling off. He's just grand and seems to have changed so much recently. Good thing, too, as he returns to school in a couple of weeks and now will be in the 'moyen/middle-sized kids' section. Good luck to us all!

Hoping you're all doing well and are having a fantastic summer, wherever you are in the world,
:-)
Robynxxxx

Changing Directions

Hello there,

New directions are being taken... as Mr Jack has definitely turned a new page for he's become much gentler and a little calmer in the last couple of weeks. He listens more and seems more attentive to reality. Now, that doesn't mean that he's a wee angel for he's not. It does mean, though, that I'm chuffed with him and hope that we'll stay 'on this page' for a while before the winds picks up and the pages start aturning once again.

Miss Emma, meanwhile, is turning from a little monkey into a wee chimp! She'll giggle and wag her pointing finger at us if we tell her 'No' for something. If she hears us telling her not to do something (for example, climb the stairs, touch the fireplace, go into the kitchen) she'll do everything in her power to do that 'thing' all the faster. Here she is surrounded by all the tissues she emptied out of a box last week. See that smile? That's our new Emma!

Hoping you're all smiling as you own lives twist in their new directions,

Robyn

Lisa Doby

Hello there,

I recently met Lisa Doby , an American living nearby in Strasbourg, and I thought y'all would like to hear some of her music.

Enjoy!
Robyn

Summer's coming close

As I type, Emma's standing up holding onto the chair and chattering away to herself. Yep, she's growing up and moving onward with her wee life.It's all incredibly cute, as she's staying as sweet and calm as ever.



Jack's life is, as usual, just a bit more complicated. For example, recently, he's been both a tree and a tiger!

He was a tree last Friday, at the school production of 'little red round hat' (petit chapeau rond rouge). I was sitting happily with the other parents when Jack and his friends came out to play the 'forest' -with Jack waving his arms and making 'I'm a tree on a windy day' noises. Then, all of a sudden, Jack spotted me and came running across the room shouting: Maman, I love you too much!

But, for all the love in the world, I have to admit that Jack is also as much a tiger as a tree and so things haven't been easy for him in the apartment. Ben and I are both very tired of his rather too proud behaviour (we don't ever doubt that he's a good lad but he is too quick to reply ever so cheekily!). So we're being strong with him and calling him on everything. And, it's calmed his game. Last night I asked him what he had to change. 'Direction' was his rather apt response. Pushed, he admitted he needed to be more polite/'purlhlite' but not tomorrow, 'the day after tomorrow.'

And so, for all your todays and your tomorrows, and for all your tigers and your trees, I hope you're doing well wherever you are in the world!
hugs,
Robynxxxx

The Write Way Forward

Okay, so you've got to peer at the pink envelope below as though it were an echography to see Jack's spidery representation of his name: that must be the J, and is that the A, and there's a C that looks like an S, and, well, that must be the K. But if you peer, and squint, you can see Jack is becoming a writer. Of course, several months ago I celebrated Jack becoming an artist and he hasn't drawn a darn thing since (not an eye, not a nose, not a mouth and certainly not a face) and so it may be months again before we see him writing. But, and it's an important but, the idea is there... and as we all know it's the idea that counts!

Phoenix Cards

Hello there,

I just wanted to let you know that I've recently become a trader for Phoenix Cards .

The reasons are simple:

I love their cards

I love sending cards

It's difficult to find good cards at a reasonable price in France

I want to play shops and see how it feels to sell a product I like!

The rules are also simple:

I can't sell these cards over the internet

I can't do 'mail ordering'

I can only sell them 'from my home'

However, I'm already having great fun distributing the cards to friends and colleagues because Phoenix do have a great range of cards for all sorts of people and all sorts of occasions.

So, should you and I ever have a chance to have a cup of tea together or should you ever see me and want a card, don't hesitate to ask me either for a card from my 'ready to sell' collection or for a catalogue (from which you can order cards and so have the cards in a week!).

love n hugs n nice smiley cards,

Robynxxxx

Paris (darling!)

We went to Paris last weekend to visit friends who have an apartment just minutes from the Eiffel Tower. We could only stay for the weekend but, goodness, it was great to be back in the capital. The last time I was in Paris was 7 years ago when Ben lived in Vincennes.

Paris hasn't changed since then (obviously) but our lives now include Emma and Jack. Indeed, their presence changed everything because after visiting the Eiffel Tower we then went on a tour of... Parisian parks! Did you know Paris has some great places for kids to play? Jack had his choice of carousel and he climbed and slid his way around 3 different playparks.



The highlight, though, still has to be the Eiffel Tower. We walked from our friends' apartment to the Trocadero which sits high, lording over the Tower with all of Paris at its mighty feet. We all had that moment of WOW and Jack definitely got a shock. The photo above shows that he just didn't know what to do with his eyes :-)



And Emma? Unfazed by everything! Me, cute? I know it (darling).

So, I hope wherever you are that you are feeling cute and you are the centre of your own world,

hugs,

Robynxxxx

Stability

What can I say? Life's been busy this last month.


Dear friends from university days came to stay for a week, renting a gîte in our town to give us all a little space and filling our life with laughter and happiness. Jack fell in love with the ten year old girl who came with them and who was with him as they all went to a treetop adventure park where he learned how to 'Death Slide' in style!


Emma's been busy.. growing cuter and cheekier by the moment. Just look at the photo above and you'll see the life - the growing, crackling fire of life - that blazes in her eyes.


And Jack? He's a wee -awkward, overly passionate, overly determined - charmer. Last week, he watched as one of bestest friends learned to ride her bike. During a pause, Ben put Jack on the bike and explained how it worked.. and away Jack cycled. Seriously! He's always had his small bike that doesn't have pedals and so he found how to keep his balance months ago but I was still awed/amazed/gobsmacked that he could just cycle off on his own. The photo below, mark, was taken that very first time - when he immediately left the safety of Ben to go off on his own. Of course, he doesn't really know how to turn or to brake but I'm sure he'll learn how to do such things later....

And Ben and I? We're so busy just getting on with life that we are a bit like Jack: we've found our balance and are moving our 4-person family happily through time and space without really knowing how to turn or to brake.

Helterskelter, here we come!

Hoping your life is either bringing you the stability you're looking for or that it is soaring you along that crazy old path called life!
hugs, loads of hugs,
Robynxxxx

Moving times

Emma's now eight months old and moves around by rolling from her pudgy tummy onto her back. Nothing is safe anymore!

At the same, being with her can be very 'moving' as she often bursts into (theatrical) tears when I leave the room....

only to smile again when I come back in.

I guess she's not a girl for nothing!

Hoping you are well and that things are moving along nicely for you,

Robynxxxx

Lucy Kitt

Hello again,

This is just a quick and dirty message as it's already past midnight... but, please, don't let the scarcity of my words stop you from following and playing this link to my friend Lucy Kitt's songs..If she gets enough plays, she wins some studio recording time.

How? Via 'Live and Unsigned':

Live and Unsigned is the biggest original music competition for unsigned bands and artists in the UK. The competition has attracted over 30, 000 entrants in the last three years and has proven a huge success with original musicians across the country. Auditions travel across the country in a bid to find the UK's ultimate unsigned act. Live and Unsigned is like no other competition because each act auditions live, there are no demos or submissions. Musicians line up to face the scrutiny of the judging panel, all in the hope of being crowned the winner and becoming signed. Those that make it through the auditions battle it out on stage at the Regional Finals in front of a live audience and judging panel, for the chance to perform at the Live and Unsigned Festival and Grand Final. The Finale of the competition will see acts perform on the main stage of the Festival.

So, go check her out at http://www.muzu.tv/liveandunsigned/lucy-kitt-times-they-are-a-changin-loud-and-clear-music-video/613883?country=gb

And, if you like her music, why not listen to more of her stuff on http://www.myspace.com/lucykitt

cheers and happy listening!

Robyn

School Days

'Maman, are you happy?' Jack asked me this morning while coming out of his bedroom.

'Yes, it's Wednesday and there's no school so I'm at home with you and Emma,' I replied while cuddling Emma on the couch.

'Why's there no school?' he demanded, now walking down the stairs and towards the table.

'Because in France children go to school only on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday,' I said, not really knowing what else to say.

'Why?' Jack continued, now sitting down at the table.

'To learn things. Your teachers want to teach you things,' I continued, kinda wishing I could have come up with something a bit more profound.

'I'm not learning things, excuse me,' Jack said, quite simply.

'Why?' now it was my turn to question.

'I not like thinking. I not think at school. sorry,' Jack reached for his breakfast bowl, looking less sorry than his rely might imply. 'Can I have some breakfast?'

And so he had his breakfast and so life went on with itself, just with a little less thought...


hoping you're having a more thoughtful day than Jack!

love n hugs,

Robynxxxx

Daisy Chains

Last night, sitting on the couch quietly as Emma slept beside me, I played with my new (awesome) iPod touch. 'I wonder if I can find something to do with 'Kindle' in the applications?' I thought to myself while tapping in the necessary letters in the search function. A few seconds later, I was pleased to be downloading the function for free (yes, free) and surfing around the amazon.com Kindle site. 'Let's start with the Bestsellers,' I muttered while scrolling through the list of famous and yet still tempting books. Then, there it was, at number 50: my old writing colleague - Mary DeMuth's book 'Daisy Chain.' For a little while, when we both lived on the French Riviera, we were part of the same writing group. More important than that, though, is Mary is now not only a published writer but also recognised for her Christian fiction and for her determination to explore the darker sides of our relationships with others. As I've already read not only drafts of her earlier work but also her book, Ordinary Mum and Extraordinary God, I didn't hestitate to make Daisy Chain my first (but surely not my last) Kindle purchase. Now, as you probably all know I'm hardly 'Christian material' but I do enjoy Mary's blog and, in general, her refreshing directness and generosity with words and ideas.

Why not check her (and Kindle?) out today!
hugs to one and all,
Robyn

The Artist as a Young Baby...

... didn't care about being an artist, she was too busy being cute and gorgeous!

So, okay, there's not much to write about Emma at the moment - you all know she's about 7 months now and so you can imagine that she's beginning to sit up, to reach for things, and to eat solids. You can imagine she's a delight and that I love her more than breathing...

but that still won't stop me from telling you that she's awesome, incredible, and beautiful, and that I do, in fact, love her more than breathing!

love n hugs to one and all,

Robynxxxx

The Artist as a Young Man

'Okay, Jack,' I said - all motivated that this was the moment I was going to show him how to draw a picture of a face - 'first you draw a circle.'

'Oui, Maman, and then the 2 eyes, the nose, the mouth, the 2 ears,' he said drawing swiftly and without a care, 'Voilà!'

And later he added a cake, because - you know - because the man was hungry.

So, I guess the cherry on my cake is that my son can now draw!

Back home

Back home in New Deer for a couple of weeks, I'm savouring the chance to stop and relax with family! We're having a gentle time, hanging out in the house and going out for the odd walk. Mum's out with Jack just now at the Singing Kettle Pyjama Party. Wish her luck!!!

While they're together today, Jack is sure to ask a hundred 'why' questions as he's thick in the midst of asking why, why, why about life. So, why not have a shot at answering some of his more pointed questions (remembering, of course, that every answer you give is echoed by other why questions!)

why doesn't his blood disappear when the sun goes down?


why was it a pilot and not a pirate who was flying our plane to Aberdeen?

Why do we eat?

Why does snow melt?


And, the killer question which appeared a couple of weeks ago, why don't we take Emma back to the hospital... as he doesn't need her anymore!





The answer we gave Jack is obvious.. Emma is here to stay and, not least, as she is growing into a delight, full of giggles and smiles and an incessant need for cuddles and attention.

She's with me as I type just now, talking to her teddy and playing with her dummy!

Yep, I love holidays and quiet times at home with family.

Hoping you are well and that life is giving you all the answers you need,

Robynxxxx

Caught at last.

Go mourn J.D. Salinger, you big phony!

V

Jack's learning his alphabet and how to draw objects. Great stuff, right? Well, it should be except it reveals a little more of the world that's inside Jack's crazy head. Take this morning, for example:

Drawing on a piece of paper, Jack said 'ça, c'est le 'V' de vendredi' (that's the V of vendredi/Friday).
'Wow, well done Jack. I'm really impressed,' I said, really impressed.
'And that's a big bum of Mother Hubbard,' he added while drawing a big bum-like semi-circle.
(Nervous laugh) 'Oh, you mean like Mother Hubbard in the book Each Peach Pear Plum?'

'Mais oui, bien sûr!'he replied.

And me, well I couldn't say much for, indeed, his drawing (his first human drawing no less) did indeed resemble the big bum of Mother Hubbard, who is sitting in her yellow dress on the left side of this picture which is taken from the classic, Each Peach, Pear, Plum.'

I mean, heck, at least.... well, you can finish my sentence!

Hoping your bum doesn't look that big,
Robynxxxx

Snow Angels

My Snow Angel is no angel, but I love him all the same.

Molly's Venture

A dear friend of mine from Asheville, Molly, has just set up her own venture - to provide postpartum doula services to families in the Asheville area.

As her website explains:

The word “doula” comes from ancient Greek and means “a woman who serves.” There are two types of doulas – birth and postpartum. A postpartum doula assists new mothers and families in the postpartum period by coming to the family’s home during the first three months of a baby’s life. The goal of a postpartum doula is to support the parents in their new roles, by allowing them time with their new baby and by offering advice on infant care.

In short, she's designed her company so that she can help families adjust to those breath-taking first few months when a baby arrives. I support and herald her for, goodness, I can tell you, everyone needs a Molly at that moment!

So, why not check out her website and, if you're in the Asheville area, why not think about offering her services to a mother-to-be as a baby shower gift?

Hoping someone is caring for you today,

Robynxxxx

Happy New Year!

After a lovely Christmas down in Cagnes, we're back up in Alsace watching the snow fall and getting used to our new, busy routines.

Jack now goes to school in the morning, eats with his nanny, Sylvie, for lunch, goes back to school for an afternoon siesta, and then onto after school care until 6pm. Thankfully, he seems very content with such a busy planning and the various moments of the day balance each other nicely.

Emma now goes to a nanny, Tatie Lili, who is the same great woman who used to look after Jack and, of course, she goes to Tatie Lili because I am now officially back at work. Going back to work this time seems to be much easier than when I went back after Jack. That might be because I know what I'm going into or it might just be because I don't have that much work to do yet (most of my classes will really begin in February). Yep, not having to work that much definitely seems to be the solution to stress at work. I'd recommend it to all of you ;-)

Meanwhile, homelife is as funny and quirky as ever. Emma is now almost 6months old and is as wonderful and funny as ever. She's full of chat and seems to love giggling and blowing raspberries. And Jack, well he's just Jack! He's full of 'why?' questions and funny ideas about life. He loves watching 'Ice Age' at the moment. Last night, he said (while chomping away with his mouth)he was a baby dinasaur... but, we pointed out, dinosaurs aren't allowed in the house and, anyways, dinosaurs don't have fun - they can't eat chocolate or watch cartoons! Jack's reaction? Okay, I'm a crocodile! And when we told him crocodiles live in cold, dark rivers, he said that was 'fun'... so I'm not quite sure what kind of beast he's turning into but if he starts to grow scales and a tail expect to see signs for 'Adopt a Kid' appearing quickly on this blog!

Until that moment, though, stay warm and safe where ever you are in the world,

Robyn