The Showroom

First week

Everyone survived it pretty well. Well except for the weather. Pouring rain in the middle of August (which in my mind = summer month) is rather depressing. Calling my mum to hear that the swimming pool shows a water temperature of 29 is even more depressing....

I did much less that I had planned to this week. Instead I caught up with friends and tried to think of the 5 weeks ahead leading to THE move.

So many things must happen, I'm kind of getting overwhelmed somehow. I really need to chin up and start packing, and start throwing (ugh) and really get organized. Instead I'm editing pictures of the sumer...

 

 

 
 

It's raining outside...

Just a few days ago I was looking at this...

 

Friends...

These kids have been friends forever, like from the day they were born. In turn...

They moved to America 2 years ago and we met them for the second time since during their annual Summer European Tour. "Meeting Harry" as the boys call it. It was a great great weekend, and the kids picked up exactly where they left at a year ago. Parents did too!

It is always hard seeing them leave but we are already thinking of the next time we'll all meet again.

 


 

 

Summer....

 

Hockey!

Boys are at hockey camp this week. What's better than playing hockey the whole day with your friends. Right! Absolutely nothing. And when mum agrees to have your friends stay overnight, then you start to wonder: what's up with mum? Is that a hint to NOT forget to buy a present for mothers-day??

It is so fun, rewarding, peace-giving, not sure of the word, to see them growing up and being part of a group. They have great friends and it feels great to let them go everyday a little bit more.

I photographed Maxim's class on Thursday and one of his friends lost his mother last November. Watching him laugh (I got great pictures of him), I hoped he could sometimes feel the bliss of just being a child again. I was thinking about his mother and how hard and painful it must have been to have to say good bye to her 3 kids. How do you do that, how do you let go when it is forever?

This was this morning, on their way to the last day of their 3-day camp. Happy as it should be!

 

Photography is so cool...

Because without it I would have probably forgotten the details about this - the beautiful rooftops in Quebec city - and this - one of the coolest hotel we stayed whilst there.

Canadians you have a beautiful country. We'll be back, probably skiing!

I haven't finished proofing our vacation there in March. I went thru a few today and played a little.

Walking the tide...

I'm not sure how I came with this title! LOL! I needed one and this came to my mind...At least it makes me laugh! And I'm sure happy to be. This w/e was just not such a good one. I got this nasty migraine on Friday and it finally left me today at noon. I had so many plans for the w/e but instead spent most of it curled up on my bed in the dark...

It kept me away from the pc and tonight I finally finished proofing the pictures from the w/e when we flew to France to pick up the boys. This one really caught my eyes...There's something about  a son walking along his father. I'll share more tomorrow and what happened last week (it sure was a busy week) but for now..Good night! I have some sleep to catch up.

Favorites of the vacation

The boys spent 5 weeks at my mother's place, of which 2 weeks entirely alone with her. The purpose is 2 fold. They get to practice their French (which is AMAZING, I'll get back to that in another post..as I remember going through months of doubt about this bilingual thing). But more importantly they get some 1 on 1 time with my mother, who they don't get to see very much as we live abroad.

Their bond is amazing. My mother just love kids, all age, she just knows how to handle them..always, to get them interested in all kind of things. I am in awe of what she achieves with them. She's also such  a good sport..Last week she went fishing frogs with Nathan..Not your usual activity. Obviously Nathan had been on it for  a few days and she HAD to do it....

15 days alone without us and they never asked once to go home. Every morning, she made them draw a cross in one of the 14 boxes to count the days. That was good enough for them.

These pictures show it all...

 

A little story for the guest book..

August 22, 2006 I wanted to post my vacation pictures but there are way too many. Wish I could link to a blog gallery. Guess this will be the reason of my switch over. My mother keeps a guest book at her house in the South of France. I usually print a couple of pictures that tells the story. Well I guess this year will be more than a couple. LOL. 2 x A4! I will use the blue picture I posted a while back for my cover story. Yes, I'll still do the hand written journalling. But will keep it short: the pictures tell everything!