Winter of Content

After a fall of positive but sometimes difficult adjustment to our new home, school and neighborhood, the new year brought us a winter of content in many ways.

We increasingly realize that Milo had really lucked out with his teacher at school, who draws alot of inspiration from Montessori teaching methods. Milo developed a real appreciation for drawing and painting this year, and studied the masters at school!

Milo with his teacher, Emmelyne

He also studied one a contemporary artist named Space Invader who I've actually once interviewed for an article .

Milo took part in a Medieval dance in the context of his unit on castles and the middle ages.

 I started the new year with a case of pneumonia, but Perrine got me healed up with some wonderful dinners, including a memorable birthday dinner.

Chocolate mustache

We started to make friends with the kids and parents from Milo's school, and enjoyed some weekend lunches together at friends' homes around the neighborhood.

We also spent weekends exploring all the places our nreaby metro and bus lines can bring us to now, such as the Marais...

Milo's first hot dog!

and the Jardin des Plantes where the paleontology museum is located - dinosaurs!

The first picnic of late winter, spring is coming...

Finally, we were happy to put our apartment to good use in welcoming some very special guests this winter - first my dear friend Magdalena from Argentina, who I met at the University of Saint Thomas, came to visit for what we hope won't be a once-a-lifetime European tour.

It was the chance for us to catch up after more than 15 years apart, and do a lot of walking around Paris, and a lot of eating...

Foie gras with pickled cherries, unbelievable.

We visited the Ile Saint Louis...

and the beautiful church there...

Saint Claire of Assisi - Italian wood panel oil painting, 14th century

And we ate some more.

Falalfel from rue des Rosiers

It was quite a treat to see Magdalena, and to top it off, her visit was followed immediately after by another visit  - grandpa and grandma.

Milo was very happy to see his grandparents, and put them right to work reading stories...

and building projects...

I was still working on my article on Ile Saint Louis, so we headed back over there, where Milo tasted chocolate ice cream from Berthillon for the first time - so good we forgot it was winter.

There was lots of exploring and walks and metro rides...

But it was also nice just to have a chance to be at home together, play games, and sit around the table and give thanks for all our blessings.