Swiss Update - Big Yellow Villa in Founex

We have just signed the lease on our next home - the Big Yellow House - in Founex 10km outside Geneva, Switzerland. We should be moving there w/c 14th April. Very exciting. It has 6 bedrooms, which may sound a little excessive, but once one becomes an office, one becomes a playroom, and one is a guest room we're all full up. A large garden to run around in, and a drive and garage where we can park the cars. How novel, I'm used to having to get in a lift and walk 5 blocks to get the car. Mind you there's nothing near the house. If you walk two kilometers you get to the village centre which I am led to believe has a little store. If you go two kilometers in the other direction you get to France, just in case we miss it... There is however the "motorway" close by so we can go places. Things are certainly going to be different than the big city appartment living we've done for the last 6 years. Think I'd better go shopping now...

Pasg Hapus

Sebastian, being too young for chocolate and a quarter Welsh, got a Welsh Teddy for Easter from (Welsh) Granny. Unfortunately my hand is over the Welsh flag in the photo!

Isabella's Egg Collection

Looking very pleased with herself, here's Bella with her eggs from the egg hunt and a few extras from friends and family. I think the chocolate egg thief maybe in town soon, he's a bit like the tooth fairy's alter-ego...

Easter Egg Hunt 2008

Despite challenging weather we made it to the Message Easter Egg Hunt at the Arenes de Luteces. Supplied with a rather large bag, Bella held her own in the younger kids section. No pre-training required this year, she can spot chocolate from a great distance.

Happy Boy

First Set of Wheels

Sebastian got his first set of wheels this week. Although he can't touch the floor yet, Bella can now push him around the house, and invite him for tea in her bedroom. Eventually he'll be able to move himself but for now it's just a comfy seat with a good view for when he gets bored of lying down.

Siblings

Sebastian adores his sister; his eyes light up when she enters the room, and he watches her every move. Either that or he's startled by the noise and is scared she's going to clock him one, only time will tell.

Yum yum yum

I don't think there was ever any doubt, but here we have Sebastian enjoying his food. Have discovered that Picard (an upmarket frozen food chain here in France) do 100% pure vegetable purees in small chunks. You can just get out as much or as little as you want. Only 1.99 euros for a big bag..bargain, doesn't seem worth doing your own when they do it so well.

Having said that, both Bella and Sebstian were sick with vomitting and runny bum for a week. Not pleasant. They were both off their food (relatively speaking). Sebastian is fully recovered. But Bella ever the sensitive and crafty one still refuses her previously acceptable vegetables although wolfing down any dessert she can lay her hands on, whilst complaining of a sore tummy. Hmmmm.

Mini-me

We decided it was time for a haircut again for Bella. She hates having it washed or brushed, refuses to wear clips or pony tails, and everyday she wakes up looking like she has a birds nest on her head. It is however lovely and blonde with a nice curl that leads to many stangers around Paris commenting and touching her head (not to be encouraged).
So drastic action was taken, I decided to do it myself...What started as a trim, ended as a restyle, and I only know one style. I followed her round most of the day with a pair of scissors clipping off the stray ends. It was a bit like the table leg story. Anyway the end result is pretty reasonable. Luckily the curl will hide the imperfections for the time being, and it looks sort of cute.

Oscar visits during Fashion Week

Jo, Chris and Oscar, now walking, came for a visit last weekend. Another lovely weekend with fab weather.

We went to see Monet's waterlillies at the Orangerie. Actually I stayed out and gave Seb his milk whilst the others went in, as I had seen them before. Looks like Oscar and Bella enjoyed them.

It was Paris fashion week, although we didn't know this until we went out. Luckily Oscar wore his new leather look jacket, which he set off nicely with a knife to give it that edgy feel. Mum and dad also managed to dress in chic black.

There was also a trip to the local market for yummy food (Oscar again dressed appropriately in the country market look), a ride on the merry-go-round, Sebastian's first, feeding the "ducks" and a trip down the river on the batobus. Not forgetting the lovely mother's day lunch in a traditional French bistro...or did I make that up.

.

A house full

Evelyn, Stuart, Orla and Suvi came to stay for a weekend. It was a lovely weekend, the weather was beautiful and Bella had a greta playmate in Orla. Unfortunately Evelyn and Orla were a bit sick but they coped really well. Evelyn and Stuart saw Paris through the eyes of kids, with a trip to the Champ de Mars and the Jardin d'Acclimatation, Bella's favourites. Never will Paris seem like a romantic destination again.

lunch outside, is it Spring here ?

hide and seek

oh darling, so glad you could make it

the Etoile

Suvi and Bella have a race

Costaud comme un Super-Heros

Apologies for the short intermission. We have had technical difficulties here in Paris. I guess given my job title I should know how to get them fixed, however my management capabilities seem to be a little lost in translation! or is it the famous service culture we have here...

Anyway we have at least a temporary fix, so here are some recent piccies.

Sebastian went to his 4 month check-up. Knowing how impressed the doctor is with his weight gain (???!!!) I put him in his special "Costaud comme un super heros" onesie. Not only is my management talent lost in translation it appears my sense of humour is too. Ha.ha. Anyway having convinced him I only give Sebastian 4 bottles a day now (true) he advised that I start him on solids. Below you can see Bella celebrating his promotion to high chair (wearing her ballerina outfit - probably not her future career)

We went for a day out to the big cat park. Many of you will know Bella is very nervous with animals. Recent incidents include "Mummy that sparrow is staring at me..." and running screaming in to the room where I was because she was scared of the cat on Cinderella. Hmmm, so we thought a big cat park might do the trick... We had a nice day out saw lots of big lions and tigers etc. Bella used the binoculours - backwards. She also fed the goats popcorn, "one for you, one for me". Sebastian didn't seem overly impressed, but came aong for the ride anyway.