Beaucoup des fetes - A lot of parties!

We've all been very busy despite the lack of blog-updating! Max and I are just back from a lovely few days in London while Paul went to a conference in Pont-a-Mousson. I travelled with Max on Eurostar and it was great - very relaxing compared to flying with him. We visited Dawn and Tim and saw their beautiful baby, Brodie and we stayed with Annemarie and Allan in their lovely house close to Brentwood Park. I enjoyed some good blethers with Dawn and Annemarie and Max seemed to enjoy the change of scene. We're now back in piping hot Paris and our wee flat here is baking. I'm trying to moan about it in the hope that it'll help me to look forward to our move back to Edinburgh, but it's not working!

I'm also moaning on about the fact that my digital camera's gone on the blink! Thankfully, trusty Veronica hung on to the receipt so I'll fight Kodak on my return, but it does mean that there'll be no more blog snaps! This may be the one thing that forces me to actually use our daft video camera, especially now that Max is taking his first (very tentative) steps! Watch this space for action movies! In the meantime, here are a couple of photos from parties in the last few weeks:

Looking like a young Springsteen in his rocker top from Ilona, Max tries to push his wee friend, Noah, around my pal Louise's flat. This was taken at Clara's (Louise's daughter) first birthday party two weeks ago.

Last Sunday night at the Fete de la Musique - the whole of Paris turns in to an open air music venue. We'd spent most of the afternoon in a friend's courtyard listening to bands, but we took to the streets in the evening with Paul's 'Ideals of Proof' crowd. We walked down the Canal St Martin, through the Marais and down across the Seine. Paul, Max and I headed home just after 10 as they were going on for food and we knew that we were chancing our luck with Max staying asleep that long! (From left to right: Paul, Renauld, John, Sean's girlfriend, Sean and Mic).

Champagne et Courses! - Champagne and Shopping!

Champagne and shopping would be (for me) a dangerous combination, so fortunately they were on separate days last weekend! We went to Reims (pronounced 'Rance') in the Champagne region last weekend with my Australian pal, Penny, her partner, Will and their French friends, Nicolas and Stephanie. Penny and Will now live in London but came over for a weekend's break. Reims is a beautiful city - it's relatively compact and is dominated by the cathedral of Notre Dame de Reims, the traditional site for the crowning of French kings.

Paul in the cathedral of Notre Dame de Reims.

A bright, sunny day in Reims. They weren't able to take the scaffolding down in time for our arrival. You can see on the right hand side that, as with Notre Dame in Paris, the facade of the cathedral is being cleaned up to look really clean and bright.

Nicolas had arranged for us to then visit a famous champagne house - Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin - for a tour and tasting! The tour lasted about an hour and a half and was really quite interesting. The caves where the champagne is stored were quite breathtaking as they're so deep underground and go on for miles.

Our tour guide talking us through the different vintages of Veuve-Clicquot champagne. Given the fact that I would normally judge a bottle of champagne by the style of the label, I wasn't overly impressed with the easyjet-orange colour scheme that Veuve-Clicquot have adopted.

Max wondering why on earth we're all hanging around underground. Mag wondering when the tasting's going to commence!

After the champagne tasting, we headed out for lunch in Reims - Mag with Stephanie, Nicolas, Will and Penny.

In the afternoon, we headed to a park in Reims to give Max a run around before catching the train back to Paris. The journey on the TGV takes less than an hour, so it's a great day-trip from Paris.

On Sunday, Paul, Max and I headed up to the Buttes Chaumont park for a picnic via a 'Vide Grenier' (attic sale). This is vide grenier season, where neighbourhoods have fantastic jumble sales out on the street every weekend. It's easy to snap up a bargain and it's also really interesting to see French household things!

Vide Grenier! I found a beautiful little wooden trailer with wooden blocks for Max which he loves.

Max and Paul on their way up to Buttes Chaumont park for another picnic.

Projet cent - Project 100!

We've just returned to a wet and wintery Paris after a few glorious days in sunny Scotland for 'Project 100' - codename for dad's 70th birthday celebrations on Arran, which we combined with my 30th. We all had a magic time - Max certainly enjoyed the noise and complete bedlam that results from a family get-together.

There was no way of keeping my age a secret in Cleats on Friday night! Birthday drinks with Paul, Ilona, Jeep, Geraldine, Francesca, Sinead, Colin, John, Lesley, Graeme and Jenny

Champagne celebrations! Francesca announces her engagement - the pub is silenced by my screams!

Thanks Queenie and John for watching Max on Friday night - we'd a great time in Cleats, but still managed to remain relatively sober for what we feared may have been a rough crossing to Arran the next day. The forecast was completely wrong however and we enjoyed a fantastic crossing followed by a day on the beach at Kilmory.

Clare, Maeve, Dad, Lucy, Mum, Anna, Sophie, Maryann, Max and Mag on the boat to Arran

Max's first time on a boat

Getting ready to destroy Austin's sandcastles - Max on the beach at Kilmory

Max is safely tucked away in the baby carrier behind me (he likes it, honest!)

Sophie, Anna, Eve, Austin, Ben and Lucy hard at work developing some kind of irrigation system in the sand while the babies (and dad) take their afternoon naps

We went out for dinner to a wee hotel further down the road from the bunkhouse. The food was great and we more or less had the restaurant to ourselves. The older kids fell in love with the spaniel outside.

Austin, Ben, Lucy and Eve playing 'fetch' with the dog in Kilmory

'Uh-oh, no-one checked the price of Arran Ale before ordering several of 'em - Veronica, Ross, Paul and Mag smile like the mugs they are as they are ripped off in Lagg.

Pair of chancers - Max and Charlie test their boundaries again and again by the fire in Lagg. The word 'no' seems to light up their eyes and brings big grins to each of their faces.

After the meal out on Saturday night, we headed back to the bunkhouse which was attached to a large public hall. The hall was complete with large stage and sound system so we were all set for the 'Arrans Got Talent' concert.

Eve, Lucy and Austin 'Simon Cowell' Smith judge the performances

Eve and Sophie are very quickly joined by wee Kate for their ballet performance - it all got a bit scary with so many pirouettes close to the edge and plugs!

Once the children were in bed we had a more raucous sing-song in the kitchen area of the bunkhouse (which thankfully couldn't be heard from the bedrooms). Highlights for me were Brian's "Hands, touching hands" moves and dad's "Stop Your Ticklin', Jock".

Martina with all the grand-kids. Austin is struggling to keep hold of big Max!

The whole troop (minus Jenna who was at a hen weekend).

The next big group shot will be at the wedding next month!

We lunched in style at Auchenrannie hotel before getting the boat back across to Ardrossan. On Monday we went flat hunting in Edinburgh for the big return home next month. We've picked a good new build flat in Leith that's very close to my work so that I can MAXimise my time with the wee man by getting home for lunch etc. Francesca very kindly had us to stay at her place and I'd a leisurely day yesterday spending my birthday vouchers on new togs for work! The whole weekend has been amazing and has definitely helped me get my head back into the return to Edinburgh and work. Thanks everyone!

Quelle bonne surprise! - What a surprise!

Feeling like a right tulip - at my surprise 30th party

I'd never thought that Paul was capable of sneaking around behind my back, especially as he usually works from home and I'm a lady of leisure, but he very successfully arranged a surprise party for me here on Saturday night!  It was a great soiree; he'd went into my emails to contact all of my friends here and arranged for his friend, John, to meet them all and bring them to the basement where there's a party room.  We'd been invited to dinner at the Greeks' flat in the building (or so I thought) and Vasso called at the last minute to propose eating in the basement as there's more room to allow the babies to sleep.  I was completely shocked and flattered to find all of my Paris pals there singing 'happy birthday' when I arrived.  It was really special and has made my 30th birthday celebrations very memorable before (I thought) they'd even begun.  

Rachel brought a fantastic birthday cake - delicious - particularly for me (as I'd saved myself for a big Greek scoff!)

Last minute panic - I didn't have a wish prepared and the candles were about to die during the wait for our arrival!

Party-man Paul celebrates the launch of the shin-dig with my tipple of choice, 'Cafe De Paris' - it's a cheap champagne (France's answer to cava)

After a few glasses of Cafe De Paris, and the party is swinging (most of us are mums who don't get out very often!)

My friend Kate and her partner, Jesse are both fabulous musicians.  Paul had asked them to bring their instruments and they played a fantastic set, including a full sing-a-long round song with audience participation!  Little Mo (on Kate's back) always goes to their gigs and claps along behind Kate.

Paul took a couple of days off last week as he'd been working non-stop for over a week due to deadlines and different talks.  We've decided to try to tackle some more touristy things in our final weeks, even if it means getting into debt!  We went to the Museum of Modern Art at the Tokyo Palais last week and struggled again to appreciate the vast majority of the work.  My friend, Moraima's partner, Matthieu, is a very famous contemporary artist here and has exhibited at the Modern Art museum.  He came along to the party too (you'll be relieved to hear that I didn't enter into artistic conversation with him after some of the aforementioned Cafe De Paris), but he is quite open about the fact that being successful here depends upon coming up with a unique concept - once you are part of the art circle, you can really do anything (eg drawing a line on a page) and your art will be worth a fortune because of your name.  I'm still working on my concept, but I think I'm onto a winner if I draw a big number and Paul writes 1,000 words on whether that number actually exists.  Whadayareckon?

At the Palais de Tokyo - Max's favourite place was the canteen as he was allowed to run riot!

The best thing about the Palais de Tokyo - it had an old-fashioned passport photo booth.  There are rarity now that you can select your own digital picture that you're 'happy'(!?) with.  Nothing beats being taken by surprise by the flash!

On Friday mornings I usually take Max to Cafe Zoide at the end of the canal for 'international singing'.  The cafe organise a 'Rue des Enfants' along the canal every year and they had a great day for it on Saturday.  There was a huge soft play area in the shade for little ones, so Max enjoyed himself.  We then walked up to La Villette and had a picnic and a play with the ball.

A beautiful sunny Saturday for the Rue Des Enfants along the canal

Fantastic music in the sun

Max and Paul chilling out at home.  I've been watching my friend, Jen's baby, Theodore for a couple of days as Jen's been in dance rehearsals.  It's so much more stressful when it's someone else's baby!  Max was loving the novelty at first but started to become a bit jealous - for the 100th time I asked myself, 'how do people cope with twins?!'

  

'Come on mum, it's starting to smell!' Max loves to tackle our very scary staircase - he knows to start climbing when he needs a nappy change!

Max in the sandpit in the park Villemin beside us.

When I was in the shower this morning, Paul yelled in to inform me that there were half a dozen men in the flat so I may not want to come out!  I had to get him to pass in my clothes to protect my modesty!  They'd arrived unannounced to deal with the wonky floor in the kitchen area and began ripping up the floor without any warning.  Thankfully, it was a gorgeous day again, so we went out for a coffee before Paul headed to work and I walked up to La Villette to meet Kate and co for singing.

'Put more suncream on my knees'!  Max heading out to La Villette this morning.

'Wa-oh!  Let's get outta here!  The men in suits all seemed to wear very long pointy shoes - I can't see that Parisian trend catching on in Scotland!

I'm off to pack our bags for a holiday weekend in sunny Scotland!  I can't wait!