2007 Begins

Welcome to a new year! I keep telling myself that I need to remember to welcome this year and to be thankful for all of the little things, things that make me smile and things that irritate me. I want to laugh and sing and grab each moment. I want to rejoice this year and keep focused on the positives rather than scream about the negatives. This is now the second time I am writing this, I also put it in my personal journal and the intention lasted for about fifteen minutes until I lost it with the kids for something so not-worth-it. So, I'll keep trying. I'll keep asking them to try with me and maybe we will find a common ground that works for all of us.

Spent Christmas with my aunt and uncle in Moirey. It was a totally different experience from what I am used to. It was really about spending time together and taking it slow. I am truly glad that mom and I had a chance to go, even if it meant spending time away from the kids and JJ. I am pretty sure that they missed me but they managed to enjoy their time together.

I also got to see Anne-Laure and JB who housed me for a night and then spent two nights with Laurence and Celine. I was truly spoiled and enjoyed having the opportunity to catch up with all of them. Celine pampered me by doing something that she probably thought that she would never do, she went and got seafood and ended up shucking oysters! I enjoyed it to the very last drop, much to Laurence's dismay who had come home unexpectedly to find me finishing the goods, leaving her to warm up the wonderful rabbit she had made for us for dinner the previous evening.

Our last night in France mom and I went with Laurence and another friend, Cecile, to see 'the importance of being ernest'. It was truly well played and we had a great time and a good dinner out afterward.

We spoiled ourselves by flying business so the trip wasn't so bad and I came home on Friday to open my Christmas gifts. I will admit that was weird, not having anything to open on Christmas day. It wasn't a bad thing, just strange. So I opened my gifts on Friday evening. The kids got me the KD Tunstall CD that I have been wanting for forever and the third book of the traveling pants series. JJ got me an ipod adapter for the car, which is totally awesome because now we can all listen to the same thing. Okay, my kids were probably not thinking about it in that light, and will probably not think that it is as awesome as I do... I also got some Chanel N5. I am not sure about that, I don't think that I am old enough for it, but I sure do like it. It's like a classic scent and I am used to wearing something a little sassier, but I am glad that my husband thinks of me as a classic.

Family Christmas was at our house on Saturday and it was wonderful. I didn't worry about anything except the ham. We had a great time and Lucienne and Gisele came and seemed to have a good time with us as well. We missed Daniel and ofcourse Aunt Colette, but we are hoping that Dan will come next time and that we will have the pleasure of spending more time with our cousins from PH.

New Years Eve spent with good friends Patty and Errol with more food than could possibly be eaten by six adults and three children, more than we could have eaten in a week. It was fun. Charlotte babysat so she wasn't with us, nor was Luke who decided to spend the evening with his best buds, Jon and Dan. The Lions won, for pity's sake, this ofcourse means that we don't get the first draft. They can't even win right.

New Years Day, we went to wish dad happy birthday, and watch Michigan get slaughtered in Pasadena. It was a topsy turvy football weekend, to say the least.

Now we are all back to work and school. We shall see how long the resolutions last and whether at the years' end I will be more patient and joyous, and if I will have lost 20 pounds (currently I am going the wrong way on the scale, but I am confident that I will get this under control). We'll see if Charlotte is able to focus on her school work and lose ten pounds, or maybe she said five pounds. We'll see if Helene can also work on turning in assignments on time and complete, and Luke, well he has the same ambitions for school. I am not a complete idiot, I realize that the resolutions that our children are putting forward are for my benefit. I also think that they are smart enough to realize that things are much easier for them when they do what they are supposed to do in school.

My husband has not spoken about his resolution with me, but I am assuming it has something to do with keeping me totally happy and cherished. He does this quite well, but I will never tire of it, nor take it for granted.

Luke has discovered the Beatles and the Monkees. It has been a lot of fun listening to the albums with him. With that I will close saying that for 2007, I'll get by with a little help from my friends.