More Skiing Fun

Yesterday, Luka did the rope tow for the first time--at Eldora above Boulder. We met Corinne, Ada and Dan there and Corinne and I traded off watching Axel as he slept in the back pack. It was very warm! Luka went up (and down) 4 times with me, skiing down between my legs. The rope tow was the hardest part--but we got better at it each time. Next year, ski school, here he comes!

Reynald also had a good ski day in that he did one of his ski tours. Everyone else bailed, but he did it alone and met Ken part way. He did Edlora to Winter Park over Rollings Pass. Go, Reynald!

Ode to Mittens and Gobelets

Baby Mittens
Here is a picture of the tiny mittens that Grandma Joan (my mom) bought for Luka, before he was born, during our trip to France when I was pregnant with him. Of course, we did not know he was Luka then. She bought them when she and I stayed in Aix at the end of our trip at one of the cute baby shops in town. Luka wore them as a newborn to keep his hands warm at night and Axel wore them inside his buntings to give his hands an extra layer when he was several months old.

I am passing them on to my friend Ann who is due in July. Great to get more use out of them--they have crossed the ocean to do their duty. But, it is kind of sad, so I wanted to chronicle their part in our lives. Bye bye sweet little mittens!

Luka's Gobelets
We had to retire the beloved Sponge Bob straw cups ("Gobelet"). I could not get them clean anymore and we had had them a long time. It was a sad parting, but of the four, we only had three left anyway (or was that two)? They must be in sippy cup heaven. We have replaced them with a new cup, but it doesn't work as well (meaning, it leaks). Sponge Bob, we need you! Here is a picture in memory of our first and most beloved Gobelets.

Luka's New Room!

With a new bedroom set and a new hardwood floor, we can say that Luka has a totally new room! Here is a picture of him from last night--the first time he saw his new set up. Wow! No more sleeping in Maman and Papa's room while the work is being done!

He had a great first night: didn't fall off the bed and slept 12 hours. Mmmm - I love my own room!

Now, the work is not done for Mom and Dad--new rugs to buy, put all the pictures back on the walls, everything back in the closet, etc. But, we are getting there and it was worth it!

French Rock Star Jean-Louis Aubert & other Famous French Visitors to Denver

We saw Jean-Louis Aubert last year in Denver in March and even got our pictures taken with him after the show and talked to him and his entourage--and talented backup guitar player. Being French expat(s) has its perks in getting to meet really famous people up close that we'd never be able to get near in France. (That includes Julien Clerc with whom Eve had dinner and Reynald drove his band around town (he was very gracious and looks very young for his age), Jack Higelin with whom we ate a midnight dinner with, along with his entourage, at My Brother's Bar (he was an amazing musician but kind of a weirdo), director Alain Mottet who Eve took to a Rockies baseball game (he said it was his dream to attend an American baseball game--how could I deny him?), Bernard Lavilliers, and director Claude Lelouch, and former French president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (even in English, his speech is very aristocratic--not like Geo Bush II, I'd say).

Turns out Aubert made a mini-documentary of his trip to Denver that is on his recently-turned platinum CD in France. The ablum is called Ideal Standard and you can find it on Amazon.

Check out this article in the Denver Post about the album and Aubert's take on Denver.

Also, go here to see our pictures with him. I was just beginning to show being pregnant with Axel.

In this picture, Eve is on far left.
In this one, Reynald is far left.
And here, it is just Reynald and JL Aubert!

When Reynald's cousin Fabien saw these pictures on our website, he emailed me and said the guy with Reynald looked just JL Aubert, and was it really him?!

Luka was really into JL Aubert after this concert (even though he didn't go). He liked the autographed poster, and any time the CD came on, he'd say (in French), "That's Jean-Louis Aubert!" Then, when we were in France in November, we saw him on the equivalent on French MTV while looking in the electronics section at the store Auchan, and he was very excited (me too!).

Sking Fun!

Here is our new ski sled for the kids that we got on Friday (it also turns into a bike trailer, a rickshaw/hiking get up, a jog stroller and a stroller). It is the Chariot Carrier. We used it for its first run today! We went to the East Portal trail by the Moffat Tunnel above Nederland.

It was around 20 degrees where we were (a bit colder at the end of the outing), but the kids were toasty warm in their little cocoon. We both took turns pulling them, me on snow shoes and Reynald on skis. And, Luka skied down quite a ways with Reynald on his little skis. Both Axel and Luka were outdoor champs!

Reynald pulling the new kid sled with Luka and Axel inside. Yee ha!

Luka's sled last year and this year (with the addition of the booster chair as a brilliant idea of Mommy's) before the new sled. It was fun, but just not ridin' in the same style (or warmth).

A cute picture of Axel from our trip to Han's Peak (nothing to do with the sled--I just like the picture :).

Pool Fun

We went to the pool at the new Broomfield Rec Center just north of us for the first time, from around 5:30 to 7ish. Luka had a blast, but Axel was not a happy camper in the water. I guess he is still too little. This was his first time in a pool/anything outside the tub. We tried him in the floatie frog, but he is not big enough yet and did not like it. He could not sit up right in it anyway, so we will wait a couple of months. We dried him off and put him in his towel on his stroller. He was happier that way! Reynald and Luka had a blast going down the big slide! They went down like 8 or 9 times - which is good for Luka since he can be kind of scared of stuff like that. But, I asked him if he wanted to go down with Mommy too, and he said, all happy, "No! With Papa!" :) He is probably right - don't know if I could hold on to him going down!

Winter Fun and Fur Rondy Memories

Winter Fun near Steamboat
We spent a long weekend (Reynald took a day off and so did I) about 45 minutes north of Steamboat Springs (Hans Peak area) this past weekend with friends Corinne, Dan and Ada. Luka and Ada were great buddies and Axel thought Dan was the greatest.

We also went to Steamboat Springs Hot Springs. Luka loved it and Axel screamed in his car seat till he fell asleep. It was too cold for him out of the water. Ada and Corinne had a blast too--poor Dan was back at the cabin sick. :( The adults had fun on their huge water slide. Corinne and Reynald had to convince me, but then I did it a second time!

Axel spent his first snow shoe hike (or any outing) in the baby back pack. He was a trooper. It was sunny all weekend and Monday long, so we lucked out. Everyone else skied but me (no back country skies yet, just snow shoes). Luka even got a ski in around our cabin with Papa. He did some sledding and rode in Ada's ski sled too. So did Axel. We also rigged up a sled for Luka using our red plastic sled and Axel's high chair/booster seat. But, we loved Ada's enclosed ski sled so much, we just bought a double ski sled for the kids. We would have liked to get away with a single one, but for skiing and hiking, the double seems necessary despite the gap in their ages. It is a Chariot and we got all the kits for it. They are found at www.chariotcarriers.com. It was a big (= spendy) purchase, but hopefully, we will use it all year round. It is a gorgeous pod for our little guys!

All this outdoor stuff encouraged me to spend other some money at REI too. They are having a big sale. I got a new day pack with reservoir system, Axel got a new bunting and fleece baby shirt for winter and Luka got a ski helmet and ski goggles (actually, those were from www.Trail-kids.com). Today was really cold. It was 0 degrees at around 5 p.m. and last time I checked, it was -2 degrees. Oh-- www.weather.com now says it is -7 degrees. Brrr!

Oh, Axel screamed all the way home from Steamboat (~3 hours). I am not kidding. It was awful. Not sure why he did it, but we could not get him to stop. :( Oh well....hopefully, he will be happier next time.

Axel news: He is extremely smiley and people comment on it wherever we go: Chipotle for lunch where he flirted shamelessly with a couple next to us, at our CPA today for our tax appointment, with people in the tea house where I had a tasty tea to ward off the cold weather, etc. He also seems to like solid food in the morning but lately is not too keen on it in the evenings. I think he is too tired by that time.

Luka seems to be having a lot of fun at school. He is really into playing with his friend Johnny. He asked if Johnny could come to his house--he has never asked that about anyone before. He has known him since Toddler 2 (1 - 2 year old class), but John is 4, I think. We were watching the Olympics the other night and figure skating was on. Luka said, "I can do that!" and did some turns around the living room, imitating them. To him, seemed pretty simple! :) He was very proud. Maybe he will be an Olympic champ some day--ha ha.

I have noticed that no one ever mistakes Axel for a girl. That happened all the time with Luka when he was a little baby (under a year or so?). I think it is because he was so "pretty" with his long eyelashes (like his Grandpa Paul). Axel has gorgreous dark brown eyes too, but his lashes are not as long, I guess.

Fur Rondezvous Memories from Anchorage, AK
Talked to my mom today on the phone and she said Fur Rondy (big winter carnival in Anchroage, AK) was starting. I miss it. Sounds like it will be fun. The Miners and Trappers Ball is being held again this year. We had some fun times doing that (me, Cathy and Dolly--were those fun days, or what?!). She is also going to the Pioneer Pancake Breakfast. I wonder if they still have the Polar Bear Party. That was the best. I remember going with Dad too when it was dowtown off G street at the old Fur Rondy office (now is that building the Glacier Brew House?) and in later years going with Mom, Charlie and others when it was at the Sheraton. We would sneak in using the polar bear sticker passes from the previous year on our Fur Rondy buttons (you were supposed to be a "VIP"). That was hilarious. Some pretty good sneakiness for us straight-lacers. Well, we are VIP's too--(ast least Dad was). Tee hee.

I remember when I was a French painter in the parade--something about I got extra credit for that in my high school French class??? I remember that it was fun, but pretty cold. And talk about cold--going on the carnival rides down at the "buttress area" on Third Ave. That was really cold. After the Round Up or other rides, we could hardly move our faces because they were so cold. In college when I would tell that story, people thought it was weird. It is just the way it was--and I guess we were pretty tough Alaskans. ;) And I can still smell how it always smelled like cigarette smoke down there. Carnival rides always do, don't they?

And the fireworks. Very cold but fun to watch outside from the TeePee park or downtown, all bundled up. And, one year I was in the Miss Fur Rondy pagent, but that is another story....Ah.....I miss the the Fur Rondezvous. Like Mom and I said, I had been going to those events since I was born, so there are a lot of years to be nostalgic about. If you want to visit Anchorage and make your own Rondy memories, check out their site at http://www.furrondy.net/.

Axel's 6-month check up

Axel had his 6-month check-up at the doctor today. He's in good health, of course! He also got two shots--poor little guy! For the first one, he flinched a bit but didn't cry till the second one. ("What are you guys doing to me?!")

Weight: 15 lbs. 2.5 oz. - 20th percentile
Length: 26.5 inches - 50th percentile
Head circumfrence - 17 inches - 20th percentile

Luka came along and was a good helper (well-behaved). He was embarassed when he called Tammy the nurse "Dr. Jarmul." He was smart though to know to use the dr's name (we talk about going to visit her). Also, when we drove up to the hospital (where our dr's medical offices are), Luka said, "Maman, je ne suis pas malade !" (Mommy, I am not sick!)

Happy 6-month Birthday, Axel!

Today is Axel's 6-month birthday! Wow - can you believe it? He is growing fast and getting more observant every day. His new things are that he is holding things more with his hands and into sticking things in his mouth (Mommy's shirt, Mommy's arm, his little teether hedgehog or other toys (no actual teeth or real teething yet though, just sucking like mad)). He is also really into sucking his thumb in the last few weeks. That is good! He can self-comfort a lot more.

Luka sucked his thumb for a bit too around this age. Neither of our kids ever sucked a pacifier. For Luka, we never tried. For Axel, we just tried for a few nights in France in November out of desperation because he would not sleep a wink without being held by one of us. He used the pacifier a bit for a few nights there (sucking it nervously instead of Mommy) but then he dumped it. Which is fine with us! He got back to sleeping more normally back in the US, and now, the last week and a half, he has been sleeping 10 - 12 hours a night! Go, Axel! Looks like we are done with the waking up during the night stuff, but we will see.

He is also rolling over some, from front to back, and some from back to front, but not a lot for either. Luka was never a big roller either, so no big deal.

He is also very vocal and likes chirping, "talking" and likes to sing with Mommy and big brother. He is also really into books now and loves to be read to. He likes to play with Luka and was very excited the other night when he heard Reynald and Luka come home from work/school, even before he saw them. He knew two good playmates were on their way in the house!

Joyeux Anniversaire and Happy Birthday, Axel Baby!