Christmas Cracker play

Rio with her best friend Lottie.

Christmas Cracker play, performed by Reception, Year 1 and 2.

It's always so rewarding to see the final production after hearing bits and pieces of songs over at least a month or two. I was particularly interested in the origin of the Mistletoe song:

"Under the misteltoe you and me
K-I-S-S-I-N-G
Under the mitletoe you and me
Just one kiss or two or three
Kissing, kissing, I'm so happy I want to sing
Kissing, kissing, it's cold outside
But in my heart, it's sppppppppring!"

Happy Holidays!

Wishing you the best holiday season and a happy New Year!

Maia, Kai, Rio and Ila

15 Minutes of Google fame...in Paris

If you enlarge the images you'll see Maia and Ila in her red poussette, strolling down rue Lagrange on June 12, 2008, sometime around 4PM. Or you can go to Google maps Paris streetview and search for 15 rue Lagrange.

Google made most of the faces fuzzy, as the French law prohibits photographing a person without their consent.

Truly unfortunate that they succeeded in obliterating my and Ila's face - with all the lawyer friends that we have :)

Late October in Southern France

We do have a sheer talent for going to Southern France during their rainiest weekends or weeks. It was so rainy on most days that I didn't even bother filming, as we were just sitting in the car, driving across the Alps (trying to get across to Italy to escape the rain...and to our surprise finding snow on the other side).

But, we did manage to hit the peak foliage in the mountains, which was quite beautiful, especially in the remote parts, with heavy clouds hanging below us.

The food scene was quite disappointing. Nice is filled with a load of low quality Nicoise restaurants serving canned tuna on big lettuce leaves. That is if they bothered with that at all - I've never seen more pizzarias in my life. The only restaurant that truly stepped up to the southern French cooking reputation was L'Oursin in Antibes. An eighty year woman was celebrating her birthday there - so you know that place must be the best one in town.

Video footage was taken in Nice, Antibes and the French Alps (via highway it takes about 30 minutes to get to the high Alps region from Menton!).

Trying to outrun rain in the French Alps

Video footage coming soon!

October Nice Vacation

Few snapshots...before the rain clouds made their way to Southern France.

Rio still wants to be a rock star

"If you want to have a man" is topping the UK charts....ahem, yes, we are in the process of securing a voice instructor to help our budding rock star hone her singing skills. The sincerity & creativity are definitely there!

Pret-a-Portrait Preview

School portrait photography at its best. Rio managed not to stick out her tongue or cross her eyes, as she usually does during those sessions.

Sunday ale lunch at Spaniards Inn

After a long walk through the muddy Heath, Kai somehow always manages to steer us towards the Spaniards Inn. Rio then gets overly excited, as during our first visit they had a children's day and she ended up getting her face painted & winning toys. She now considers it Her Pub. Ila likes it too. There's usually enough dogs for her to chase around.

Some history on this very old pub here: Spaniards Inn

Hanging out in our new backyard

 
 
 

Early morning in Hampstead

This main artery path that leads one through the Heath starts right next to our building. It's insane to think that one can have this right outside your window and be at Picaddily Circus in about 20 minutes by tube.

We pass this cemetary on the way to school and say hello to "Maud Tree, His Wife" statue every day.

Our main street in the Hampstead village.

First day at the New School

Before:

And after - she survived pretty well:

Rio's big comment at the end of the day: "They all speak English heeeare!" The "here" spoken with a perfect British accent after the first day. So long childish French chatter at the Neumann house.

Our London Nest