27 hours time spent in Paris: Bâteaux Mouches, admiring the Eiffel Tower, taking the escalators up in the Centre Pompidou to see Paris from above, playing in the funky fountains outside in Beaubourg, walking the Champs Elysee, taking the metro.
3 different sets of friends seen in Paris - Mommy's friend Carolyn, Nicolas and family, Fabrice and family.
1 rental car and 3,000 kilometers driven in said rental car.
2 grandparents for lots of fun.
16 days: time Reynald spent in France
1 night spent at Pascal's in Metz visiting with him and his family
7 cousins 15 or under, seen and played with
3 nights in Treport at the Baie de Somme in Normandy - kids in RV with their grandparents and Eve and Reynald in a very nice B&B - the Manoir de Beaumont: http://www.demarquet.com/
48 euros per night for two at the Manoir! How inexpensive, even if you are spending dollars!
3 number of times we took the funicular with the kids (twice up and once down) on the cliffs at Treport.
2 people (Reynald and Luka) playing in the waves at Treport while laughing like deux petits foux.
2 stitches Luka got in his chin at the emergency room in Metz. Oops!
3 types of currants growing in Jean-Claude's garden (plus raspberries, cherries, questch and mirablelle, too. Yum!)
4 kinds of lettuce we eat from JC's garden
2 Game Boys that Luka got from his cousins (first one broke, second one is still going strong)
2 aliens, 2 monsters on stilts, 4 donkeys, 5 lambs among various renaissance fare, seen at the Renaissance Festival in Bar-le-Duc (or http://festivalrenaissances.com/)
1 juggler that wanted to brush Axel's teeth with a broom (!)
2 fishing ponds at Mandre (camp ground owned by Reynald's aunt and uncle)
3 horses that Axel got to pet (chevaux de trait)
1 postcard Luka and Axel received while in France (from Eve's friend Diana in Japan)
8 T'choupi videos on the iPod downloaded from YouTube.
3 Trotro DVD's waiting for the kids on arrival in France
3 times the picture radar flashed Reynald while he was driving - ouch, those speeding tickets hurt. (See this posting for more info.)
4 evenings at the campground for kids and grandparents while Mommy out of town.
2 training wheels that are no more - Luka learned to ride a two-wheeler on his own at the campground. Yay, Luka!
5 fantastic days in Frontonas with the Henry Family near Lyon: friends, fun, pool. 3 children in their family: Mathilde, Pierre, Claire. 4 times the kids got to go in the pool! 1 birthday party while there. 5 hours and 2 trains to get there (St Dizier - Dijon - St Verpillier).
1 relaxing day in Nancy with Edith (just Eve)
3 nights for Eve in the camping car - Mommy's "secret cachette"
50th Fourteener climbed by Reynald in Colorado while the kids and I were still in France ;)
