Christmas Eve chez la famille Freeze

Lobster 

Oysters 

Shrimp 

Langoustines 

Blini with caviar 

Blini with boursin, smoked salmon, & capers 

Champomy

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Inga had a soccer game today (they won 4-0 with Inga scoring one goal!). Eric went to it, and then they stayed for a parent's meeting / snack / gathering. Meanwhile the rest of us had a chill afternoon at home. We started a new series called "Travelers," which has been fun so far.

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Winter solstice party

After a day of Christmas shopping and other errands, we finished together with a winter solstice party with a few other families. It was a lovely low-key gathering with tons of delicious food, candles on every surface, and good conversation.

We were able to hold the party in Le Chateau since our renters left this morning. Ivy was primarily responsible for decorating, with help from her siblings.

We were supposed to go to another party after ours finished, but it ended up being too late. That was 100% fine with me. I had no desire to interact with more people.

Inga's soccer team met this afternoon to go ice skating and then to the "foire," a huge indoor carnival at the Palais des Expositions.

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It's super late and I just finished a huge video editing project and my brain is on hyper-focused mode. Time to wind down...

We're officially on holiday now!

Zari and I biked over to her university this afternoon to get her student ID card and meet with the administrative office. Because her program is multidisciplinary, she will be taking classes on 4 different campuses! She can sign up for classes in early January but they don't start until the end of the month. She will have so much time free. I hope she can fiill it with a combination of exercise, college applications, scholarship applications, and fun.

I took Inga clothes shopping to a few of my favorite thrift/vintage shops. She found a pair of pants that she's thrilled about; they can be dressed up or down.

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9 papers

Dio learned 2 days ago that he has to write 11 1-page papers for his PE class back in the States (yes, even through we moved out of the country and transferred schools, they are still making him do all of his classwork for 2 weeks! It's crazy!). They are due tomorrow after school. He powered through 9 of them today and only has 2 more to go. They each have to be about a topic related to sports, exercise, or nutrition.

I gave him lots of ideas based on things I know, so there's BFR training, intermittent fasting, HIIT training vs cardio mixed in with other topics :)

We're celebrating the winter solstice this Saturday. If you live in Nice and we are friends and I forgot to invite you, please come! Send me a WhatsApp message for details.

I made larb for dinner and banana bread with chocolate chunks. When I pulled it out of the oven, I was perplexed. It had a weird, soggy, spongy texture.

Then I realized I had forgotten the butter. And the flour! I am not sure how on earth I missed those two ingredients!

To be fair, I was cooking dinner and helping Dio with his assignments and there was a lot going on. 🤣

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Lebkuchen!

It's offically Christmas now that we've made (and eaten!) Lebkuchen. I mixed up the dough yesterday and we invited our renters (a Canadian family with 3 children) to come up and help us make them. This family stayed in our apartment while we were in the States and now they're staying in Le Chateau for a little while before they go on ski holidays and then finish off the school year in Nice.

It was super fun to finally meet them. Our kids hit it off immediately and they even had a last-minute grocery store run to buy more powdered sugar for the lemon icing. It was literally a run--with only a few minutes before closing, they ran to 4 different grocery stores before they found powdered sugar.

I did sprint intervals this morning. I think my days of normal running are limited, as one of my knees starts hurting after about 2 miles. It's not terrible pain or anything, but it definitely feels "off" once it starts hurting. I'm thinking that's probably not a good sign. But doing sprints is fine. And sprint intervals are probably more effective than jogging anyway. Win win.

Ivy and Inga got the braces installed on their molars today, so now they are all set until their appointment a month from now.

Today was soccer practice for Ivy, Inga, and Eric at Cavigal.

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Thrift store score!

This afternoon Eric and I ran a few errands and then browsed several stores in Old Nice, which shockingly I have rarely done! We found presents (can't say what they are until after Christmas!) and got ideas for other ones.

We also stopped by a thrift store and found a coat for Inga as well as one we thought would suit Zari, a lovely black wool belted trench coat with some fun design elements. I came home and convinced Zari to come with me and just try it on. It was AMAZING! And we also found a spring-weight trench coat in khaki twill with black piping, also totally amazing on her. For a grand total of 15 Euros! She's been wanting to dress a bit more sophisticated than her usual soccer jerseys and jeans. This will go a long way, I think.

I've gotten some other Christmas shopping done and am quite excited so far.

Zari came with me first thing this morning for a quick grocery run to Lidl for lebkuchen supplies. We came home with a full shopping cart and an extra bag! Lots of yummy treats as Christmas is approaching. I mixed up a huge batch of lebkuchen dough and maybe we'll roll it out tomorrow after soccer.

We've given away 5 bags of clothes and other items since we arrived, and we are selling 4 pairs of skis on the online classifieds. I love cleaning things out! With a small apartment, we have to keep paring things down because "stuff" accumulates quickly despite our best efforts.

The girls get the last parts of their braces on tomorrow before soccer. Dio just came home from soccer practice, Eric is at his men's team practice, and Zari is at her "sénior" Cavigal practice, trying out (and trying to decide if she wants to do it this year).

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First day of school!

Everything went well today. We helped get kids out the door and dropped off. Inga and Ivy didn't need me at all, so I just headed out and went running. Eric brought Dio to high school and made sure he was handed over to the person in charge of showing him around.

I took advantage of the sunny day and got vitamin D therapy on the beach with a book. And also a short nap! Eric and Zari both joined me.

Ivy and Inga and I ran errands after school and also looked for Christmas presents. We didn't come home with any gifts but were loaded up with school supplies.

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Dio's team lost 2-3 but I think they played well and played hard. Dio played the 2nd half in center-mid. Although it was sunny, it was cool enough that I got chilled and couldn't warm up for several hours even after I got indoors and kept my coat on. I finally had to take a long, hot shower.

We went to the Marché de Noël this evening. The 3 older kids didn't stay for too long as it was a lot of slow walking around while Ivy and friends played.

I've been a bit more tired today than other days. If I sit down, I start nodding off. At least it's finally bedtime!

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Soccer and more soccer!

Ivy had fun helping Eric with an under-9 girl's tournament. I had a hard time falling sleep last night so I was super tired this morning. As a result, the other kids had a late start with no one to wake them up until I was awake.

I did another big grocery run to the Asian food store, butcher, and produce market. I can now make things like larb, Thai coconut chicken soup, and Thai curries (which I made tonight with sweet potatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, onions, and a bit of chicken). It's so much more fun to cook here because I can actually get the ingredients I need.

Ivy and Inga have sore teeth and have been eating a lot of soft foods.

Eric and I went to Inga's game this afternoon. Their team is ranked #1 and they were playing the #2 team. They won 4-0! Inga didn't score but had several good assists and a few shots on goal. She played center-mid and attacker.

Tomorrow will be busy but in a fun way. I'll be going to Dio's game in the morning while the others go to church. Then there's some sort of music program and potluck picnic after. Then in the late afternoon we're meeting several friends to go to the Christmas market.

We just watched the new Beetle Juice movie tonight. Zari found a random scholarship essay contest themed around Beetle Juice so she's going to write it and see if she can win the scholarship.

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Braces x2!

Well, it was a big day today--Inga and Ivy got braces. We thought they were just going in for pictures and then they'd get them next Wednesdays. But no, they had time today! They have everything but the braces on their back molars on.

I did lots of walking around town running errands this afternoon. I can't say why because it's Christmas present related and I do have children who may read this!

Inga had practice earlier this evening and then Eric and Dio left right after she came home for his practice.

I felt fine today but while we were watching Beetle Juice this evening, I had about 20 minutes where I completely conked out.

We have a big soccer day tomorrow. Eric is helping out with a tournament for the under-9 girl's team, and Ivy is coming along as his assistant. Then in the afternoon Inga has a game. Dio has a game on Sunday. Still, everything but one event is here in town so it's not too bad.

We went to Zari's "remise du bac" this evening, where they picked up their diplomas. We were expecting a big event with hour-long speeches. But we all gathered in a big room with no chairs. There was a 5-minute speech and then everyone lined up to pick up their dimplomas from a series of tables. They milled around for a while, talking and eating some snacks. And that was it!

Zari was one of 9 students in her graduating class who got a "mention très bien avec félicitations du jury," which means a score of 18 or above and in the top 1.8% of students nationally. Not bad for missing half of every school year and doing it in a second language! Yes, I am totally bragging :)

 

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We got all the kids re-enrolled in school, with Dio, Inga, and Ivy starting next Monday. Zari's university semester doesn't start until January. She's working on various applications and scholarship essays.

I had a nice mid-afternoon walk with Zari and Eric. It was sunny and very windy. A brave person was out windsurfing, or whatever it's called when they're hooked up to a parachute and a surfboard. Parasurfing? Kite surfing?

I brought Dio to his soccer practice while Ivy and Eric went to theirs. He had a good time and his coach had very positive things to say. Except when I first went up to talk to the coach after practice, he approached me with a grave expression and said, "Your son was very misbehaved at practice today." Which is completely unlike Dio so I suspected something. Then he grinned and said, "Just kidding! He was great!"

We have orthodontist appointments tomorrow morning for Ivy and Inga.

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Freeze Family annual migration

We have arrived in Nice! Despite our first flight getting cancelled and us not being notified until a few hours before we were supposed to leave, it all worked out. We left our house at 1 pm and arrived in Nice at noon the next day.

As soon as we set foot in our apartment, French life started up. We ran into several friends and neighbors just heading out the door. Right after lunch, Ivy went to the park and played with a group of friends all afternoon. Eric and I walked to Lidl (our favorite grocery store) to stock up. I walked to pick up the "2Good2Go" surprise bags at a local bakery. (Check out the amazing breads, sandwiches, pastries, and brioches that we got for just 8 Euros!)

I haven't slept since yesterday and I'm really feeling it now.

We spent much of the evening hauling out bags from our attic storage, trying on clothes, making a "donate" pile, and unpacking suitcases. Still lots to do tomorrow but at least it's a start.

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Christmas parade, farewell party

Today was filled with various activites and amazingly, it hasn't felt stressful at all. There was a children's christmas program at church this morning. We came home for lunch and then Eric and Dio had to leave right away for a soccer game (which his team won by a large margin with Dio scoring a goal!).

The rest of us did some cleaning and laundry and then went to help out at the Christmas parade. I drove one of the parade vehicles (a van for a local radio station) and the kids helped by filling candy bags and passing out candy. Our friends who work at the radio station are hosting an exchange student from Italy. I told her, "This is so stereotypically American!"

We had a bit of time after the parade to do final cleaning and packing. Our new renters came over at 5 pm to go over the house, things like thermostats, gas/water shutoffs, how various appliances work, where the linens are stored.

We had dinner once they left, with Eric and Dio arriving home just on time. And then...a farewell party for Ivy and Inga's traveling soccer team! Some of them are still running around outside in the dark. A great way to send off the Freeze family 🙂

We leave town in the early afternoon so tomorrow will be relaxed. I have a few errands to run in the morning (thrift store drop-off, recycling, and a few purchases). But we're very close to ready.

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Our grand departure is just a few days away. I've been fixing all sorts of little things around the house that I've ignored, figuring "I'll get to that later." Well, later is now.

Dio has come down with hand, foot, and mouth disease! Besides being in the expected places, it's all over his face and arms. It looks like he has a bad case of acne. Poor kid...and he has soccer games today and tomorrow and has to run with sore feet.

Zari has officially finished high school (again). It's quite anti-climactic as she left with zero fanfare.

Tomorrow will be our big packing and cleaning day. Sunday is already filled with several activities so we can't rely on having much time then. And then Monday...au revoir!

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So much Zoom!

My expected 5 hours of Zoom meetings only turned out to be 4. But that is still a lot! Tomorrow should have much fewer meetings.

Dio stayed home from school today. I think he'll be back tomorrow. This is a 24-36 hour illness that is short but super intense.

I made a dish that the kids loved. No recipe but I caramelized an onion in butter, then added a pound of chopped mushrooms until they caramelized as well. Deglazed with a bit of water, then mixed in some flour. Added about a cup of broth and brought to a boil to thicken. Meanwhile I sauteed strips of pork chops in butter. Added about a cup of cream to the sauce and then mixed in the pork. Served over brown rice. Super simple but packed with flavor and I didn't even need to add any herbs or seasonings except salt.

And then when we were eating dinner, Zari noted that we didn't have any vegetables! Whoops! I told her the mushrooms were close enough. We eat vegetables or salad so regularly that it's super weird when we don't have them.

That's all in the exciting life of Rixa the Zoomer. Bonne nuit.

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3rd one down

Zari felt well enough to go to school this morning. Since it was a chilly 12 F (-11 C), I drove her and Dio to school.

But poor Dio...apparently he started feeling terrible during school. He went to the nurse but since he wasn't registering a fever, she sent him back to class. When I picked him up from school, he was shivering and shaking and almost crying. He promptly went to bed and has stayed in a sleep coma most of the day.

Ivy and Inga are outside playing in the snow. It's almost 10 pm. I told them, "Sure, you can go for 5 minutes." Several reminders and probably 20 minutes later, they are still outside. It's hard to say no when kids ask to play outside!

I have about 5 hours of Zoom meetings tomorrow. Need to gear up for the meeting marathon!

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Cold and sick

We'll only have one day in the next week where the temperatures will get above freezing! I'm ready to leave winter behind.

Zari woke up extremely sick with the same thing Ivy had on Thanksgiving. She was in bed all day, sleeping for much of the time.

I worked on her storm window frame this weekend. It randomly started rotting even though it's not really exposed to any consistent moisture. It even had mushrooms growing on parts! On Friday I soaked the rotten areas in a mildew remover (I figured it couldn't hurt). On Saturday I removed the completely rotton parts, drilled holes to help the wood hardener soak in, and then applied epoxy hardener to all of the soft areas. Today I mixed up the epoxy wood putty and rebuilt the frame. It's clamped and weighed down. Tomorrow I'll sand and get it ready for painting.

We finished Season 1 of Only Murders in the Building. It's been really fun although it has the occasional jokes that are a bit inappropriate for children. Eric clucks disapprovingly every time someone says an F-bomb, which actually draws more attention to it! We all know he doesn't like that word.

We left Zari resting in bed after dinner and went to the indoor track. The track itself was taken over by the baseball team, but the basketball court was empty. I walked the halls of the athletic center while the others played Horse and juggled soccer balls.

It's Christmas carol season. Ivy loves singing with Eric. I caught them at the tail end of a song, unfortunately.

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