Apparently Father Christmas (Père Noël) comes to Portugal at the start of December, which is why we had gifts from him. Hippolyte and Josephine were satiated with that explanation, so all was well in the household. :)
As usual, Rita had outdone all expectations in the creation of her Christmas decorations and nativity scene - which had representations of many countries in the world!
Thomas, Margaux, and I arrived early on Friday morning, and were joined by Marie, Scholastie, and their three kids that afternoon. When Margaux and Hippolyte saw each other they were so excited! Their friendship, which had blossomed in Corsica, was firmly reaffirmed here. I love watching them together.
With Hippolyte in charge, the presents were distributed and we were all spoilt rotten - especially Margaux, because she received birthday and Christmas presents in the same sitting!
Rita and Jean-Paul endowed Thomas, Margaux, and I with gifts appropriate for our upcoming skiing holiday in France - including a reversible puffer jacket for Margaux and an incredibly cute beanie for me... as you can see below.
Jean-Paul and Thomas received something that requires a smart-phone app and, when placed between the lens of the binocular-shaped box and the outer cardboard layer, helps you see a virtual reality. Or something like that.
We four parents left our kids with Mammy and Pappy on Friday night, and headed out to the traditional North-of-France restaurant where Marie and Scholastie had their wedding reception, where we were joined by Aymeric and Charlotte.
As usual, I found the language especially difficult in a public, noisy setting, and, as usual, everyone was very patient with me - both explaining things as best they could and trying to understand me when I spoke Franglish.
I truly had a lovely time - and knowing Margaux was in such capable hands made it easier!
And then Margaux discovered the stairs... My goodness! She's a little Demon! And so strong, the way she crawls and pulls herself up each step. As you can see from her different outfits, she took any opportunity to practice her new skill - thankfully with a helping hand at all times.
She became entirely frustrated by the gate at the top of the stairs... too bad!
On Saturday we enjoyed a sumptuous lunch of raclette... each person is given their own grilling pan, which they fill with cheese and put under a communal grill. When the cheese is melted, they pour/ scrape it over the food on their plate - cold meats, cooked potatoes, and a garden salad were available for us. It was delicious, however we could have all done with a post-raclette run afterwards!
Lunch was followed by a birthday apple tart for Margaux. Her favourite cousin brought in the cake and then, with Josephine, helped her blow out the candle. Although she had no idea what was going on, she seemed to enjoy it all!
And, finally, here is a small compilation of Margaux and the gorgeous new arrival to the family: Violette Bouchery-D'herlincourt. She is such a treasure.
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