Meet the in-laws!

Never a dull moment when you have guests! Between sightseeing, constant eating, planning the weekend trip and hot-water heater drama, I’ve been busy doing things I love: walks in the park, cooking all my favorite meals and spending lovely time with family. But yes, we could have skipped the hot-water heater failure/fixing! It seems that whenever something like that happens, we have guests, the laundry and the dishes are piling up and all I want is a hot shower!

With the grandparents at the scenic overlook of CF

Monday morning Lauris had another adaptation session at the halte garderie, and this half-hour went no better than the last few. It seems a certain little boy has grown quite attached to his mother in the last few months. But then he surprised me later, when he didn’t even think twice about waving, singing his little atā in soprano, and letting me leave for a quick run to the store.

I’ve been taking full advantage of the extra hands around the house to sneak out to the IWC book club, monthly meeting and photography club session. Thank you very much to the grandparents for minding Lauris, as well as for all the help around the house with the everyday stuff. It is wonderful watching Lauris hop into your laps clutching a book to read, and great seeing how quickly he has picked up new skills. I love that he signs “delicious” when he’s enjoying his lunch, and he knows at least three new animal sounds. It always seems to me that he develops more quickly when he is surrounded by the extended family.

Reading "The Smart Book"... is it working?

Tuesday we were lucky enough to join some other IWC ladies in a guided walking tour of downtown Clermont. Our very knowledgeable guides, Ludivine and Michelle are students at the Université Blaise-Pascal here in Clermont-Ferrand. Not only are they taking classes in tourism, but they are simultaneously learning English! The whole tour was en anglais, and after a start in Place Delille we headed west towards Notre-Dame-du-Port. From there it was on to Place du Terrail, Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption, then on to the Amboise fountain. I was pleasantly surprised how much of the history and fun facts I knew, but also aware that I don’t remember dates and numbers well, so this tour was extremely valuable in teaching my parents-in-law more about our current hometown. We walked about 4 miles total, including a stop in the Marché Saint-Pierre to discuss meats, cheeses and other local delicacies.

The captive audience

Thursday I drove the visitors up to Puy de Dôme, and while I certainly am in no shape to climb it, the grandparents were up to the challenge. Although the weather held and it did not rain, the summit was engulfed in clouds and there were no views. They seemed satisfied with the climb nonetheless, and to make up for lack of visibility I stopped at the scenic overlook on the way down to Clermont-Ferrand that we take all our guests to, and luckily the whole city was visible along with the mountains in the distance.

And so the eating, exploring and relaxing with family continues…