I neglected our blog in January in February because I was 1 of 3 things: lazy, tired, or Ryan was traveling and I had to hold down the fort.  Ryan traveled a LOT the last 2 months (he was gone 15 of the 28 days in February!) and I was definitely ready for a break by the end of the month.  But we were able to fit in some fun things so here’s a recap of what we did:

In January we had a few days of snow, and although the snow doesn’t usually stick here in town, my friend Sheryl had enough snow in her backyard to invite the kids over to play!  Ryan was traveling at the time so it was nice to have something to do and Sheryl and her husband Tom made sure Makenna enjoyed her first time playing in the snow.  Tom helped Makenna make a snowman and then I showed her how to go sledding down the small hill in their yard.

On another snowy day in January, we had a Moms & Babies meetup and it was our last time meeting with my friend Gillian and her son Benjamin as they were moving to another area in France.  Makenna has played with Benjamin at these meetups since we arrived here in Clermont Ferrand, so it was sad to say goodbye to one of her first friends.  At the end we took a group photo of us 4 moms and our kids who have become friends over the last couple years- Gillian, myself, and Jena are all from the US and were all pregnant with our 2nd child at the same time!  Sarah is from the UK and now she is pregnant with her 2nd baby as well.  It’s a great little group and as we all gradually move on to the next chapter in our lives I will be thankful for these mom and baby friendships!

With the winter weather we had, we found the library to be a great way to get out of the house and do something fun with Makenna.  She has her own library card and loves to pick out books to take home.  Most of the books are in French but there is a tiny section of English books (although we usually choose the French ones).

Ryan and I ended the month by going on a date to an ASM rugby match.  It was interesting to see how the game is played and how the stadium is different than football stadiums in the US.  Here, we could stand along the edge of the field and be pretty close to the action.  The match is also much shorter than a football game.  We enjoyed a few drinks (I even had a glass of champagne….only in France do you drink champagne at a sporting event) and then headed back to our babies.

One of the best ways to start the month of February is to find a babysitter and go to the huge annual wine fair, Vinidome.  With over 360 wineries sampling several of their wines, you can drink A LOT for free if you have ticket (which is easy to come by).  Luckily there are a few booths in between that have some food!  Some people walk out of Vinidome with cases and cases of wine.  Ryan and I only left with 4 bottles (and some macarons), but it was a nice date and we really enjoyed our wine samples.  (and after a friend told me about some wine she found in pretty bottles I went back….on a Monday at 10am….with my 5 month old while my toddler was with the nanny.  C’est la vie en France!)

We also celebrated the birthday of our Brazilian neighbor’s daughter who has become like a big sister to Makenna.  There was lots of Brazilian food and desserts and we had a great time!

Valentine’s Day brought about another France memory to treasure.  In France, it isn’t a very commercial holiday like in the US and it is just celebrated by couples.  My mom sent over “Frozen” themed Valentine’s Day cards and Makenna gave them out to some of her friends including the twin boys who she shares a nanny with.  We explained to them how kids celebrate Valentine’s Day in the US and they thought it was so neat!  The following week when I brought Makenna to the nanny there was a little gift left there for her from the mother of the twins.  It was a heart pouch with a heart bracelet and heart hair clips, and a note from the boys, Nathan and Maël.

February also marked the start of Reese eating solid foods.  This picture shows how much he enjoyed it.

Ryan and I were lucky enough to go on another date (thanks to our Brazilian neighbor) and we went to dinner at one of the restaurants that has been on my list to try.  We enjoyed a nice meal of duck and admired how pretty the main square looks at night (we very rarely are out past the kids’ early bedtime).

This time of year also includes the annual film festival held in Clermont Ferrand.  It is very popular and includes films from all over the world.  During the film festival, there are several food trucks that are serving food just a short walk from our apartment, so we got dinner from them one night.  This year I thought the poster for the event was really pretty so I wanted to buy one and frame it.  Ryan went to the sales office and got a hand drawn version, but I really wanted the actual poster.  I was talking to my local café owner friend and he told me he had one and would give it to me but it was really big.  I said I didn’t mind because it could look nice framed somewhere in our home when we move back.  When he gave it to me I was shocked at how big it is, it is probably the size of our queen-sized bed!  He must’ve thought I will change my mind when we move home because the next day he gave me a small version which is around 8×11.  We’ll see which one makes the cut!

I thought the last 2 months have been a little mundane, but after sitting down to write this post they were quite eventful!  Now I am ready for spring.