Friday, February 11, 2000
Kevin & Pauline Catch The Train!
On Wednesday morning I took Kevin and Pauline to Méemée and Pépé's on the train. They were incredibly quiet and good for the whole two train rides (unlike some of the children who can’t sit still for 15 minutes on the school bus). When Mémée and Pépé met us at the station they were so excited that they ran off to the jeep without kissing me goodbye! Then I caught the train back into Paris to do a bit of shopping, but I didn’t stay long and do my usual movies and lunch thing because I was just too tired and crook, so I came home early afternoon.
Yesterday I didn’t go out at all because it was pouring with rain all day. I made a lovely lunch and dinner though for P. and I – when the children aren’t here I can indulge in spices and exotica and make meals that actually have vegetables mixed in with the meat and starch. For Kevin and Pauline those components have to be neatly arranged in separate piles on the plate! So for lunch we had chicken, leeks, mushrooms and carrots in a gingery, lemony, coconut curry sauce (recipe from 'North & South' magazine) and Madhur Jaffrey’s spiced dry potatoes. It was absolutely DELICIOUS. In the evening I made a tuna, rice, cheese, onion, green bean and egg mixture and flung it in the oven for 20 minutes like a casserole. We had red cabbage salad with that.
Yesterday I didn’t go out at all because it was pouring with rain all day. I made a lovely lunch and dinner though for P. and I – when the children aren’t here I can indulge in spices and exotica and make meals that actually have vegetables mixed in with the meat and starch. For Kevin and Pauline those components have to be neatly arranged in separate piles on the plate! So for lunch we had chicken, leeks, mushrooms and carrots in a gingery, lemony, coconut curry sauce (recipe from 'North & South' magazine) and Madhur Jaffrey’s spiced dry potatoes. It was absolutely DELICIOUS. In the evening I made a tuna, rice, cheese, onion, green bean and egg mixture and flung it in the oven for 20 minutes like a casserole. We had red cabbage salad with that.
Thursday, February 10, 2000
Road Works And A Jazz Band
Our long-awaited road works have started this week. The Mairie is tar-sealing the footpaths all along our avenue, so Kevin and Pauline enjoyed watched the various ditch-diggers and other heavy machinery at work, with flashing lights and lots of noise. It will be very pleasant to have smooth footpaths to walk on - less wear and tear on the shoes. It will also be easier for the children when they ride their bikes to the square or the cemetery car park. I let them ride on the road because their bike wheels slip and slide on the gravelly footpath, but of course they have to jump off and lift the bikes off the road every time a car comes, which is most annoying.
Pauline made me laugh the other day; she was looking at her baby photos and told me that when Kevin was a baby he was in my tummy, but that she was in her Daddy's tummy!
The school holidays started last Saturday but the first few days were difficult because Kevin had a cold and developed a slight ear infection. We got him onto antibiotics straight away so he was well enough to go to Méemée and Pépé's. On the Saturday night I went to Paris with Danièle and a group of her friends to a jazz club. She has been wanting to take us for a long time, because a friend of hers plays saxophone in a jazz band. It was quite fun, and although jazz has never really been my musical cup of tea, it was very entertaining. It was a very late night though, I was exhausted next day. I slept upstairs though, and left P. to get the children’s breakfast.
Pauline made me laugh the other day; she was looking at her baby photos and told me that when Kevin was a baby he was in my tummy, but that she was in her Daddy's tummy!
The school holidays started last Saturday but the first few days were difficult because Kevin had a cold and developed a slight ear infection. We got him onto antibiotics straight away so he was well enough to go to Méemée and Pépé's. On the Saturday night I went to Paris with Danièle and a group of her friends to a jazz club. She has been wanting to take us for a long time, because a friend of hers plays saxophone in a jazz band. It was quite fun, and although jazz has never really been my musical cup of tea, it was very entertaining. It was a very late night though, I was exhausted next day. I slept upstairs though, and left P. to get the children’s breakfast.
