French apartment renovations, Days 569-570

Last night I went in bed early to read and ended up not getting back out again. I sanded down the walls yesterday except a few parts that weren't quite dry.

Today was Christmas prep day. Zari and I headed to the butcher shop in the morning to buy a filet mignon (for Beef Wellington) plus meat for a few other meals. We got a jovial butcher who, after I had ordered the filet, asked how I was preparing it. I gave him a quick summary of how it's put together. Then he said,

"What time are you eating?"

"Sunday afternoon."

"Good, that works for me! I'd love to come eat it with you!"

We got a good laugh at that.

I sent Zari home with a heavy bag: filet mignon, 6 chicken thighs, and 3 kg of ground pork (for larb, which we ate tonight). I continued on to Lidl to stock up for the next few days.

After lunch, Zari and I went shopping because she still needed to find a present for Dio. We found something and a few little things for the girls. So she is now done! The 3 other kids finished their soccer camp this afternoon. Lots of pictures from this past week! Dio was a hit with the other kids--they all called him "Haaland." 

We watched a Christmas movie tonight, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Zari was not impressed with humor from the 1980s.

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French apartment renovations, Day 568:

10,562 steps

I applied smoothing compound (enduit garnissant) to the two big front bay windows. It should be ready to sand tomorrow. That took all morning. I was listening to the rain while I worked--which meant the 3 kids at soccer camp were out in the rain all day! They came home wet but in good spirits.

Zari and I went Christmas present shopping and found things for Ivy and Inga. No luck for Dio, though.

We watched 3 more episodes of Wednesday, so now we have just 3 more left to finish the season.

Eric and I were able to go on a walk after putting Ivy and Inga to bed.

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French apartment renovations, Day 567

13,405 steps

We have officially re-started our renovation count. I worked all afternoon, grinding off old iron shutter supports, scraping loose paint off the window frames, and planing down the frames until they lined up with my laser level. Zari helped by vacuuming the floors. I'm amazed my hair or clothes didn't catch on fire with all the metal grinding I was doing!

We all exercised today in some form: Ivy, Inga, and Dio at soccer came. I went running my normal 5k. Eric did a quick run along the Promenade, and I told Zari she had to run without stopping to the Negresco and back. She grumbled but did it. She's been taking weightlifting this past semester and has developed more muscles, but she still needs to work on her endurance.

Once the kids were back from soccer camp, I brought Ivy to go Christmas shopping for her siblings. Inga was very sad because I had told her we could go, but she needed to shower and I told her I'd take Ivy while she showered. We debated about going once Ivy and I returned, but finally we decided to watch the last two episodes of The Mandalorian instead. Inga found presents online and got everything ordered this evening. Now it's just Zari left for needing to buy presents for her siblings.

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Soccer and other activities

6,057 steps

Ivy, Inga, and Dio went off to soccer camp all day. Zari had an activity with some other teenagers, assembling and then handing out food & care packages to the homeless in central Nice. My day was quiet and fairly tedious: mostly bookkeeping and accounting.

I can't think of what else to write about for today! Oh, I also napped this morning because I woke up earlier than I would have liked. Tomorrow I'm determined to start some renovations and to go running.

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World Cup & Lebkuchen

About 10,000 steps

What a game! I wasn't actually all that interested in it until the last part of the second half. France was down 0-2 most of the game. With just 10 minutes left, Mbappé scored twice, evening the score and amping up the energy. It went into overtime, with Argentina scoring again and then France. Then it went into a shootout, which Argentina won.

Our TV feed was about 20 seconds ahead of the feed outside in the pub. So we had fun cheering and then hearing the crowd outside erupting into cheers as soon as our own celebrations had died down.

We baked and frosted all of the lebkuchen dough during the game.

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Eric woke up at 4 am and, after trying to get back to sleep, decided to get up and do something productive: grading. He crawled back into bed a few hours later, just as I was waking up. I had a quiet few hours and finally started waking the family up well after 9 am. It took several tries.

I think I'm mostly adjusted--this was the first night when I woke up at the right time.

I did my usual 5K run. It was sunny and temperate, enough that I took my jacket off after the first kilometer.

Ivy had two soccer games late morning through mid-afternoon. Dio and a friend went to a skatepark with their scooters. They said it was so packed that they hardly got to go on anything. So finally they gave up and came back home via scooter (it's a fairly long tram ride away, or a 45-minute walk). Inga got invited to go rollerblading and then to something called a Fête Foraine--basically a big carnival with lots of rides.

Zari was the only one who didn't have something going on. I convinced her to run some shopping errands with me so we could make Lebkuchen. We had to get some spices (cardamom, allspice) at the Asian food store and other ingredients at a nearby grocery store. I have a big batch of dough mixed up and in the fridge.

We watched 3 epsiodes of Wednesday--it definitely gets two thumbs up from everyone in the family. Zari said, "Ugh, if it turns out there is a love triangle, the rating will go down." (Honestly so much of Wednesday's character reminds me of Zari, or at least of things that I know Zari will find amusing--the biting wit, the disdain for social conventions.)

And...the biggest excitement is coming tomorrow...the World Cup final with France vs. Argentina! We are having a friend over to watch the game with us. He's French and his wife is Argentinean, and she has already arranged to watch with a group of her Argentinean friends. They cannot watch the game together--too much at stake :) We will, of course, be cheering for "les bleus."

I remember 4 years ago when France won the World Cup and the absolute madness afterwards. We wandered around the streets right after the victory. The most memorable moment was a buck naked (and very drunk) man sitting on top of a convertible that was slowly driving down the street.

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Last day before holidays!

7,682 steps

I almost went running this morning. Key word: almost. Maybe tomorrow. I keep waking up 2 hours earlier than I'd like. Eventually things will even out.

It was still raining this morning but finally stopped after the kids went to school. By late afternoon, we even saw the sun peek out!

I ran a few errands, not that they were pressing but mostly because I was eager to get outside.

This evening the girls and Eric had a dinner event at Cavigal. Dio and I stayed home, cooked hamburgers, and watched some shows together (an episode of The Mandalorian and then a Mr. Bean movie).

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Back to school

With everyone back in school, we're getting into our normal rhythm. But just for one more day--then we go on winter holidays for 2 weeks!

The kids came back from school with postive reports all around. I'm so thankful that our re-entry this time was smooth. We weren't sure until the last moment if Zari would be re-admitted to the same high school but it all worked out.

Eric, Inga, and I all woke up early. Eric in particular was up for several hours before he wanted to be, which meant he took multiple naps throughout the day. I had an involuntary nap after lunch. I just couldn't resist it.

It rained all day. The kids came home soaking wet for lunch and soaking wet after school. I haven't seen the sun since we arrived, which is abnormal for Nice. But I hope the rain down here translates into lots of snow up in the Alps!

We are going through our stuff as we unpack, trying to get rid of unnecessary things. With 6 people living in 65 m2, we can't keep too many things. (Ok, if we add in the attic bedroom that we can't stand up in, it's maybe 75 m2 / 800 sq ft.) We are giving away many of the toys: wooden train set, wood blocks, duplos, brain flakes, marble run, wood play food...crib bedding and baby blankets...a big bag full of clothes Ivy has grown out of....

I had to do some minor bricolage today in our own apartment. With our heat pump system offline, we had to use our old heating system, which consists of one wall-mounted electric radiator and two towel heaters. Yes, that is the entire heating system for our apartment. We don't heat the back two bedrooms except for whatever heat gets thrown off by the dehumiditer and the towel heater.

Our one wall-mounted heater was fritzing out, so I disconnected it entirely and removed it. Where the cable used to come out of the wall, we now have an outlet box installed, which we are using to power a freestanding radiator. I also pulled out an oil-filled radiator from our attic to help heat the living room. We're feeling fairly cozy now.

I also made another shelf in our shoe cupboard because we were out of space. OF COURSE it wasn't just an easy rectangle. It was a complex trapezoid with a rectangle cut out of one corner to go around some electrical conduits. But I got it figured out and it fit perfectly.

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Jet lag & 4,501 steps

Eric and I were up by about 6:30 am. I had a good night's sleep and felt reasonably good today. Zari started school right away this morning, so she didn't get to sleep in. The other kids were out. We finally woke them up at 10:30 am and they were VERY hard to rouse.

She was nervous and stressed before she left the house, but all sorts of people recognized her and welcomed her back. She has several friends in her classes. I think she'll be fine.

Inga, Ivy, and Zari also had soccer practice this afternoon. I came at the end to help with grocery shopping (there is an Aldi close by). We now have a well-stocked fridge and pantry, complete with about 15 kinds of cheese, several varieties of cured ham, and a sampling of various meat terrines.

There's still so much unpacking to do. The house is messy as we're trying to put things back in their proper places. Ugh, it's so stressful to have such a mess. But we're slowly making our way through all of the bags and boxes.

We watched a few episodes of The Mandalorian. Eric and I have already seen it, but the kids hadn't yet.

Life will be even busier tomorrow--everyone starts school! They didn't have to, since there are only 2 days left until the winter holiday, but we wanted them to meet their classmates and teachers.

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Rixa's epic voyage

This picture says it all...we are in Nice, finally! I am so sleep-deprived that my whole body is shaking. I sincerely hope that I can sleep tonight.

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Breech tour du monde, day 34: On the way to France!

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Breech tour du monde, day 33: Traveling home (back in the USA)

I am in the strange limbo where tomorrow is today and my internal clock is discombobulated. I made it to Chicago and am waiting for my last flight. Then I may (or may not) sleep tonight and we head off at noon tomorrow for France!

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Breech tour du monde, day 32: Traveling home (Auckland to Indianapolis via Chicago)

I got in after 3 am last night. The plane was late, plus it took a long time to pick up bags and go through biosecurity. I spent the night at the staff guest house at Nga Hau Mangere Birth Centre (one of our teaching locations), quite close to the airport. It was a little house next to the birth center with two bedroom suites and a shared living room and kitchen.

I was the only one staying that night and appreciated a comfortable bed. It still took me a while to fall asleep, and I was up earlier than I would like.

I had planned on going out for a run or a walk, but it rained all day! I stayed in, talked to Eric and the kids, and did video editing until my Uber came at 5 pm. I decided not to get any food until I arrived at the airport, since my schedule was already so mixed up with the time change from Australia to New Zealand.

I'm waiting to board the big flight to Chicago. Already quite tired...

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Breech tour du monde, day 31: Traveling home (Adelaide to Auckland)

We're still afternoon here, but I won't have the opportunity to update once I'm on the airplane. I left my friend's house at 11 am and had an easy transfer to the airport. No rush, no stress. I flew to Melbourne and am now waiting my connection to Auckland.

I'm glad I double-checked my departure information because last night it said 4 pm and today it said 2 pm!

Here's a picture from our hike in the national park yesterday. This was near a waterfall lookout point (the waterfall was dry!).

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Breech tour du monde, day 30: A sunny day off

I woke up in the middle of the night to a nightmare about the kids being kidnapped and held for ransom. I was up for a while after that, reading, and finally fell back asleep as the sun came up.

We had a nice walk in a national park nearby through eucalptus groves. We didn't spot any koalas, unfortunately.

At lunch we met up with a mutual friend--my host's midwife and someone I have known for a while and who I last saw in person in Ottawa in 2009! We caught up and basked in the sun. Especially me. I have been so cold this past month that it was amazing to soak in the heat.

Late in the afternoon, I strolled around the little downtown village nearby, full of quaint little shops and cafes. I might go back tomorrow when everything is open.

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Breech tour du monde, day 29: Last day of teaching!

I am done! I'm so tired that I will leave you with some pictures from old textbooks that one of the midwives brought with her today.

Tomorrow will be fun: visit a state park in the morning and meet up with a midwife (and my host's midwife) in the afternoon.

Oh--David and I got to cross something off our bucket list today: we saw a real kangaroo in the wild! It was sitting on the side of the road. I would be very disappointed to visit Australia and not have seen a kangaroo.

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Breech tour du monde, day 28: Arrival in Adelaide

We had a trouble-free travel day from Perth to Adelaide. I was up yet again around 4 am...but since we are jumping forward 2.5 hours, it works out perfectly in our new area!

I'm staying with a friend who lives up in the hills above Adelaide. We met via our blogs when I was pregnant with Zari and she was pregnant with her 3rd and last child. We met for the first time in person 5 years ago when their catamaran was stranded in a little island, Frioul, off the coast of Marseille. We had a lovely day there seeing their little boat, walking around the island, and swimming (I remember that the kids swam but it was a bit too chilly for me, and I huddled under a towel).

She gave me and David a tour of their Japanese-inspired house and gardens. They have a little stream running through their backyard, which then slopes up to the ridge of the hill. It's all very forested and secluded, but quite close to the center of their little town. I may go have a walk when I have some free time to explore the shops.

What an interesting world we live in, where friendships can start halfway around the world, meet somewhere else in the world, and pick up again another halfway around the world.

I made a dark chocolate tart for dessert...it's fun to cook just because I want to, not because I have to!

My last day of teaching is tomorrow, then I have one day off to rest and do something fun. I'm starting to get VERY excited about going back home--it's now a reality rather than something quite far off.

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Breech tour du monde, day 27: Small group, good times

With only 11 people today, we were spoiled. We got to give everyone tons of hands-on time and do all of the activites together, rather than splitting up and switching stations. I enjoyed having the break from pushing a baby out for 10 hours straight!

We leave early tomorrow morning for Adelaide, which is my last stop before I fly home (via an overnight in Auckland). I can't believe it's already coming to a close! It's a bit silly that I've been in two countries halfway around the world for nearly a month and I still have only done something touristy for one afternoon (hiking). Ah well...

I was up again at 4 am. That's fine, though. Our next stop will bring us 2.5 hours forward, which means 6:30 am. That's usually when I'd be getting up for a workshop!

Here is another picture from Brisbane. Sorry, no time to take pictures today! I hope some attendees will send me theirs.

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Breech tour du monde, day 26: A perfect way to wake up in Perth

I was up by 4:30 am. Soon after, I got a message from BWB's treasurer: she had received a piece of mail from a charitable foundation and was wondering what she should do about it. I guessed it was a donation for our organization and told her to open it and let me know what was inside.

A minute later, she sent me a picture of a letter giving us carte blanche to use the funds where the need was greatest....and an ENORMOUS donation. A "holy forking shirtballs" kind of donation! (Nod to "The Good Place")

I quickly messaged our Board of Directors to share the news. We're buzzing with ideas, most of which involve using the donation to train providers in resource-poor areas of the world.

We'll make an official announcement soon, once we have sorted out how we're going to use the funds.

Today's workshop was fabulous. Wonderfully engaged attendees, great discussions, lots of laughter.

We taught in an old Girl Guide hall, straight from the 1940s or maybe even earlier. I felt like I should go out and build a campfire and pitch a tent. The back half of the hall was a cross between a quonset hut and a military bunker.

I don't have any pictures from today's workshop yet, but I do have more from Brisbane.

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Breech tour du monde, day 25: (Mis)adventures on the way to Perth

I barely made my flight to Perth this morning. I got to the gate as they were doing the final boarding call. David, alas, did not make it. He was behind me during checkin, but by time he brought his bags to the drop-off counter, it was too late.

He had to buy a new flight ($$$) and come a few hours later. What a day.

It's hot, dry, and sunny here. I went running after I got checked into the airbnb. It was a high of 29C (85F) and I only lasted about 4 km before I needed to walk. I maybe could have kept running but I felt sapped.

Here are a few photos from yesterday's training with a very enthusiastic midwife.

Here's hoping I don't wake up at 3 am tomorrow...alas, it's pretty likely given the time zone change.

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Breech tour du monde, day 24: Brisbane, day 2

Our main classroom is situated above a Hindu temple. Incense and chanting were wafting upward throughout the day. The weather was beautiful, perfect for opening all of the windows and allowing the breeze to blow through.

We had a lively group with many midwives who were obviously close friends. One came from 4,000 km away in Darwin!

I woke up early again, but I managed to get back to sleep until a more reasonable 5:30 am or so. We change time zones again tomorrow, so I'll be back to waking up at 3 am 🙁

I have to stay awake long enough for our laundry to dry. Then it's time to pack and get everything set for an early departure (6:45 am) and a 5-hour flight to Perth.

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Breech tour du monde, day 23: Marathon training day in Brisbane

Today's workshop was one of our larger groups, although we were missing a few attendees. I woke up at 3 am again--ugh. It was difficult to make it through the whole day. It gets light outside around 4:30 am, which made it impossible to fall back asleep.

I'm now sitting in bed at 8:45 pm and feeling completely exhausted. But I need to stay awake a bit longer in the hopes of resetting my internal clock.

We have another big group tomorrow, probably bigger than today's! Then we fly across the country to Perth.

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Breech tour du monde, day 22: Rain rain rain in Brisbane

I woke up at 3 am and read for a while, then finally got back to sleep until 6 am local time. It's been a quiet work day. I caught up on emails, ran payroll, made new flyers, and did other breech-related tasks most of the day. We also had a breech live session, which went very well.

It will be very intense for the next 10 days: teach 2 days, travel 1 day across the country, repeat a few more times. Then I fly home and then I fly to France! Yikes!

I was able to talk to everyone back home while they were eating dinner.

We had an impromptu visitor this evening by someone who works with a materntiy care advocacy group here. It's amazing how we get to meet all sorts of people whose work intersects with what we are doing!

On a whim, I submitted photos to the My Heritage AI generator. Here you go! 

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