Les Vacances Scolaires

It's oh-so-quiet in Paris this week...all of the petits Frenchies are on vacances scolaires (school vacation), and parents are either home with them or have sent them to some sort of day camp so that they can continue to go to work.

I have my pick of any Vélib I want, and the metro is about half as crowded as usual.

Le BONHEUR!

I rode to work this morning, all I could do was sing this little song in my head...

Because when the kiddos are back in school....

Puddles

I parked my Velib, put Clément the Casque in my day bag and started the walk to my office. 

A papi (grandpa) was walking what I imagined to be his little granddaughter to daycare. She had an adorable brown bob and held his hand as they walked.

Suddenly, she let go and started walk/running with her itty bitty tennis shoes to the most gigantic puddle on the sidewalk.

Papi: Don't do it. Do NOT jump in that puddle.

The little girl paused to think. 

Then, run run run run run

..... SPLASH!

 

Gaufres, Chocolat Chaud et.... MARSHMALLOWS!

It was cold and cloudy yesterday, so when my good friends in Vincennes, AKA: Babyland, invited me  over to make and then eat, gaufres (waffles), I was like, YES PLEASE!

I arrived just in time for the gouter at around 4pm and was greeted in the petit bois (the little woods), by 2-year-old M on his trotinette (scooter). We scooted over to the apartment where my friends' other little boy (only 5 months!) had just gone down for a nap.  We got the waffle machine heated up and then on to waffle making!

I wasn't quite sure what to bring to a Gaufre-Making Extravaganza in France - whipped cream? speculoos spread? Nutella? So I went in another direction and decided to impart my American culture on them, whether they liked it or not.  What's the best part about a cold day? Hot chocolate! What's the best part about hot chocolate when you're a kid? MARSHMALLOWS!!! Also, adding sugar to your friends' kid's diet is always greatly appreciated, especially when they are in the throws of potty training! Good times!

My Vincennes Friends humored me by giving me the extra-large American mug, just so that I could have extra marshmallows :-)

Our semi-sweet hot chocolate, made just right with pure-sugar marshmallows - or chamallows if you are of the French persuasion.

Home made gaufres with melted dark chocolate on top - oh the wonderfulness...

I highly recommend hopping up on sugar and then going into a food coma and/or playing with monster trucks and toy trains and then jumping on the trotinette and zipping around the living room until it's time to ahhhh run to the potty because, wow, this potty training stuff is hard and then, Maman, can I have another gaufre???!!!

Dans les Rues de Paris - Bubbles!