Babyhood

I had hoped to send the children to their grandparents so that P. and I could celebrate the New Year in a grown-up way, but Kevin came down with a bad cold and Méemée had bronchitis, so we cancelled that idea.

I knew P. wasn’t keen on going to any parties, and I hadn’t even planned to do a special meal for us. But he surprised me at the last minute by going out to buy smoked salmon for dinner and fancy cakes from our favourite bakery! So I whipped up some “party food” for the children (tiny savouries on a posh silver tray), and put candles on the table. They realised it was an exciting occasion. They stayed up late (till 10 pm) and we all watched the Disney movie ‘Fantasia’ together. So P. and I saw in the New Year very peacefully, listening to music and phoning friends...

Our young neighbour Ophélie knocked on the door with her rampaging friends after midnight, but most people stayed inside, as it was far too cold to go partying in the streets.

I started off the New Year by taking the children to the dentist for the first time ever, and I’m very proud to report NO CAVITIES! The children regard tooth-brushing as a boring chore, but I’m obsessive about it, and rightly so.