The goofiest face award goes to...

We had a 2 week winter break early in March. The boys and I went to Lausanne to hang out with Em, Don and Sam. They live in a really nice area and after 1 month there, Em already knew all the cool places to visit.

- What do 2 girls do when they hang out together? #1: Play with the make-up...

I have a lot to learn from Em. The duck face is one thing...

style is another…

Sam had told us all about the steamroller park when he came back to Boulder last winter. We were excited to go see it for ourselves. 

We give this park a 10, Sam.

- What do 2 girls do when they're together? #2: Let the car break down…
(that would only be the 2nd time it happens while we're together, only last time it was my car)

That's right. The Swiss require all the drivers to turn on their car lights even during daytime. The signal (beeping sound that lets you know you let the lights on) on Em's car didn't work, so we forgot to turn them off when we arrived at the park and emptied out the battery. Who would have thought it would take stopping 20 cars and a good 40min to refill a dead battery in Switzerland?

- What do boys do when they're bored waiting in the car? Compete for the silliest face award.

Picked a winner yet? hang on it's not over...

After our adventures Em made us a delicious dinner: Pape Vaudois, a regional specialty with leaks, potatoes and sausages. It was amazing!

Sam definitely owns a spot on the silly face podium

The next day we went to another playground near the lake

and fed the ducks and swans (incidentally the seagulls and pigeons too).

Went on a walk in the woods near their house (there's a little creek too).

and picked up Sam at his school for lunch.

In the afternoon we visited a quaint little village nearby called Tolochanaz. Audrey Hepburn lived most of her life there.

- How do little boys enjoy sightseeing? Racing around historical landmarks… (ok it's only historical if you're a fan of Audrey Hepburn… but who isn't).

Her house (impressively simple) and her grave (just as impressively simple)

After all these festivities we said goodbye until our next adventures.

Back at home we had another week of winter break to enjoy and the weather was gorgeous. My sister Rachel was there so the boys got to play with their cousins around the house.

On Sunday we went on our favorite walk near the house.

I wish I could capture the beauty of the place

The following week my sister Emmanuelle came for a visit and we invited our friends from church Anne-Laure and Laura for an afternoon. 

We left messages with sticks and rocks for the hikers.

A sweet moment 

And later in the week we met our friends from church Leslie and her boys at the mall for a pirate festival. It was completely awesome. We could have spent 2 full days there. There were so many fun and interesting activities to do, and being with friends made it even better!

Josh was really brave and tried a very challenging rope course for the first time in his life. He went about 20feet, but couldn't continue and asked to be helped down. He was pretty scared and didn't trust in the harness, but he managed to handle his fear without making a scene. I was proud of him for trying.

Again what do boys do when you pull out your camera? A silly face contest.

Daniel and William, solid contestants. 

Josh, Adam, Samuel, William and Daniel (missing Robin)

Adam earned a spot on the podium with this one.

When he went back to school the next week, Josh's teacher asked him to draw what he'd done during the break. This is what he drew:

Him, Sam, and Adam (Adam had chickenpox right after the pirate festival, hence the spots on his face).

February Fiesta

February's a short month, it always flies by, this year even more so. Between the trip to Paris, the day trips to the snow, Grand-Papa's birthday and the Carnival we were busy every week-end. 

I was hoping to introduce Josh to skiing this year but we didn't have a chance. Never mind the lack of time and resources, he figured out his own way of doing it :

cardboard skis and poles...

This kid is resourceful and creative. He's been experimenting with cardboard a lot these last few months. Every single cereal box or cardboard box we had was turned into something (mostly swords and shields, but also skis, belt, helmet, guns, fishes).

Since the snow didn't want to come down to us, we took a few trips up the mountain. I can't say sledding was very popular this year, but we built several igloos and a couple "Olafs".

We couldn't find sticks for Olaf's arms, so Josh lent him his. 

The boys tasted "Kebab-frites" for the first time. 

Score!

Josh had pink eye and missed a few days of school, and William caught it a few days later. 

We experimented different hair styles. William was a dinosaur, and Josh a rock star.

My Dad celebrated his 70th birthday! Marie-Eve and her family came down from Paris to celebrate with him, and Emmanuelle and her family joined us a couple days later. The boys were ecstatic to see their cousins twice this month!

We took the kids sledding and playing in the snow again.

Another Olaf

And a pit/igloo

William giving his cousins some love.  

And we celebrated all the January and February birthdays. (Mathias 19, Grand-Papa 70, Youri 46) 

Cousin consensus in the tree house

Sunday walk

The last day of February was the last day of school before winter break, and the school had picked it to celebrate carnival. Josh insisted in going as a knight eventhough the costume was 2 inches too short! He paired it with snow boots (his favorite shoes whatever the weather) and a custom made shield (he drew a lion struck by lightning on it). William went as captain America. 

William posing with his teacher Sebastien, and Josh with his girlfriend Iliana (she'd told him she'd be wearing the princess dress he'd offered her for her birthday the week before, hence the insistence to wear a knight costume to match… sigh!)

We added up to the fun with another carnival party at church that same night. This time Josh went as Thor, and William as spiderman.

We had dinner, played games, destroyed a piñata, and ended the festivities with a dance.

Josh has certainly inherited his dancing moves from his Dad

and William his from me… (only cuter)