This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Mom and Dad P came to visit for 2 weeks and we packed a lot into that short time!  When they arrived they helped Makenna decorate the Christmas tree we got for her bedroom.  2 days after they arrived we headed to the Christmas markets in Strasbourg and Colmar for 4 days.  After returning to Clermont, we had to do some last minute Christmas shopping and Makenna made a gingerbread house with her Nana.  We also did some baking and had Reese baptized on Christmas Eve.  After Christmas we had to visit the Christmas market in Clermont and then Ryan and Dad P went on the big ferris wheel in Place de Jaude.  We had a lot of fun in between, including getting Dzia Dzia to do the “hot dog dance” with Makenna (the dance at the end of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse).  After dragging them on and off trains, through several Christmas markets in France, and the daily life of our 2 little ones, I think they were ready to head back to the US!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

This Christmas was extra special because it was the first year Makenna really understood what was going on, it was Reese’s first Christmas and it was our first Christmas with Ryan’s parents.

Ryan’s parents were able to get to our apartment pretty early, just as Makenna was waking up.  I think Makenna didn’t realize it was Christmas Day, so I had to tell her that it was Christmas and she should go see if Santa came.  She was so excited when she saw the presents under the tree!  Being that she is still pretty young, she was good about slowly opening gifts and she was ok with taking a break to eat breakfast.  We had panettone and then she finished opening her gifts.  Both kids got some really nice gifts from their grandparents and Uncle Jon and Aunt Janet!  Makenna kept saying she wanted a scooter for Christmas but we didn’t think she’s ready for one so we got her the one other thing she really wanted- a microphone.  It was a Frozen themed microphone and she was so excited that she got it!  We spent the day playing with her new toys, watching movies and eating.  Ryan made a great spread of food including scallops, mussels, bruschetta, escargot and a turkey dinner.  It was really nice to spend the holiday with family since our first year here we were alone and last year we went to Germany.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Reese was baptized on Christmas Eve so that Ryan’s parents could be here to see it.  We wanted him to be baptized at the same church as Makenna and from the same bowl that was purchased in order to perform Makenna’s baptism.  It was extra special because Reese wore the same outfit that Ryan did when he was baptized.  Makenna even had fun standing in the pulpit afterwards!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

After spending last Christmas in Germany and visiting the Munich Christmas market, we decided we had to go to the Christmas markets in the Alsace region this year.  The Strasbourg market is one of the biggest and most popular, and the small neighboring city of Colmar is known to be really pretty and have a nice Christmas market as well.  Ryan’s parents arrived a couple days before we left, so we had some wonderful travel companions as well!

We took the train which was the best way to travel with kids, especially since it was about a 6 hour trip (longer by car).  We took a train into Lyon and then the high speed train to Strasbourg which saved a little time….plus we could use the bathroom without having to stop, eat and entertain the kids more easily, and be a little more comfortable.

Another (somewhat) helpful aspect of the trip was staying in an apartment we found through Airbnb.  Having separate bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen was so convenient (although the old, steep, windy 2 flights of stairs were a little tough going up and down with kids, luggage and a stroller).

We spent 2 1/2 days in Strasbourg visiting the different Christmas markets and exploring the city a little bit.  The neat thing about the Alsace region is there is a strong German influence and the architecture and food are all German, you almost feel like you have left the country when you are there!  We really felt the Christmas spirit in Strasbourg, partly because the shops have a competition as to who can decorate the best, so many shops had really elaborate decorations outside.  Some of them were even themed according to the type of shop it was (such as a cheese shop having cheese decor).  We heard the cathedral was really something to see, and it was beautiful from the outside (but unfortunately we never saw the inside because there was a long line to enter).  Another great part of staying in an apartment very close to the Christmas markets was that we could go back and rest and then head back to the markets easily.  During our first trip out to the market, we saw Santa walking around and he took a photo with Makenna, then took us into a nearby restaurant that has a display set up with a sleigh and we took a photo of her there and then he told us about a nearby patisserie that had a pretty Christmas display so he walked us over there…it was like a personal tour from Santa!  One time that we went to the main market there was a group of people playing Christmas music on trumpets in front of the cathedral.  It was really a special moment to remember!   While we spent most of our time outside during the day, we had to go out one night to see all of the lights.  One area had a huge Christmas tree that was really pretty, and of course the cathedral looked beautiful lit up at night.  There was one area called the Carré d’Or that had the most beautiful decorations and lights, and many of the lights were strung overhead across the narrow streets or above shop windows so we would just walk around looking above in awe.  Another fun part of the Christmas markets is drinking hot wine and eating dinner outside from one of the food booths.  We had a delicious dinner of large soft pretzels topped with a hot dog, and dessert was a sugary soft pretzel that was like a donut!

Next we took a short train ride to Colmar to spend a day at the Christmas markets there.  Our visit was off to a rocky start because we forgot one of our bags on the train (which we unfortunately never recovered) that had all of my makeup and toiletries and Reese’s special formula for his milk allergy.  I started to worry because we have to purchase his formula at the pharmacy and they have to order it, so we often can’t get it the same day.  Thankfully the pharmacy was able to get the formula later in the afternoon, and I was able to do a little shopping for the items I lost.  We arrived in the morning and couldn’t check into our Airbnb apartment until 2pm, so we had to carry our luggage with us for a little while.  We weren’t sure how that was going to work out, but it wound up not being too bad!  Our first stop was the children’s Christmas market which was cute and they even had some farm animals.  Then we were lucky to find a cute restaurant that had a ski lodge theme and was fairly big for a French restaurant….most restaurants here are small or very narrow and you could never get in with luggage and a stroller!  We sat in a back booth that had quite a bit of room and we were able to set all of our luggage next to our table.  It was really cold outside and we had a couple of hours until we could check into the apartment, so we wound up having a very long lunch and Makenna even took a nap.  For lunch we had a delicious soup that was so satisfying after being out in the cold, and a bottle of Muscat that was so so good.  The Alsace region is know for having great white wine (too bad we didn’t buy any to take home with us!).  After we were able to put our luggage in the apartment (another apartment that was up 3 flights of stairs but this time not as narrow), we went to visit some of the other market areas and I fell in love with the area called “little Venice” due to a small canal that ran through the center.  The architecture was so nice too, it was very German and very different than what we’re used to seeing in France.

It was a busy, whirlwind trip but we really enjoyed it and we definitely felt the Christmas spirit…no wonder Strasbourg is called la Capitale de Noël!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I’ve been so happy with Makenna’s dance class experience and it was so exciting that her last class for 2016 included a visit from Père Noël.  This was also the first class I was able to watch, as usually parents can’t stay during the class.  I have to admit I got a little teary-eyed watching her dance and interact with her teacher and the other kids.  She genuinely loves to dance and it’s another opportunity for her to learn French before she starts school (this girl speaks French most of the time anyway, it’s crazy!).   The kids were also asked to dress up (this is a popular thing in France…they wear costumes for all kinds of occasions/holidays!).  For girls, this usually means a princess dress…but I thought a Christmas outfit was more appropriate for the occasion so Makenna wore a Christmas outfit with a red tutu and red butterfly wings.

After the kids danced for a little while, the teacher explained that Santa was coming, and that they had to call his name for him to come.  All of the kids started screaming “Père Noël!” and the teacher kept telling them to say it louder.  It was so cute!  Finally he came through the door and walked to a chair they had set up for him with a basket full of presents.  Makenna was so excited she ran up to him and walked with him to his chair.

The teacher then had the kids sit in front of him and started calling their names to receive their present.  Makenna was first and she ran up and got her present and a bag of chocolate.  Once the kids all received their present they were able to open them and it was a Frozen themed stencil and stamp kit.  Of course she had to play with this as soon as we got home!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We recently had a Christmas dinner at our place with our friends/neighbors from Brazil.  My friend Lili brought some delicious appetizers and a dessert.  One of the appetizers was carpaccio and she made it the way her mother-in-law makes it in Brazil.  I’m not a huge beef fan, especially when it’s raw, but it was amazing!  The dessert was also a Brazilian recipe (although I have no idea what it was called).  We talked about Christmas traditions in our countries and what we did to celebrate.  Makenna had a great time playing with her friend Elis and gave her a gift that she picked out.  I love that through this expat experience we are not only learning about the French culture but are meeting people from other countries and learning about their cultures as well!

Every year this an ornament exchange party with the expat ladies.  I haven’t been able to attend the last 2 years, but this year I was finally able to go and it was a great night away for this tired mommy!  It was held at one of the American lady’s apartments and this place was GORGEOUS!!! It was an old apartment with beautiful French charm.  The photo above is of the room that you walk into when you enter the apartment and the ceiling was so ornate.  There was a great group of ladies there mostly from the US but a few from other countries (including a new lady from Ireland!).  The game was a lot of fun and after having one of the ornaments (it was actually a sign in French about the “rules of Christmas”) I came home with a beautiful hand-blown glass ornament made by an artisan in the neighboring town of Riom.  Even though there is a big group of expat ladies here, we don’t get together often enough, so it’s really nice we have this yearly tradition.