Mama's celebration day

Mother's Day tutu.

My angel looks like an antique doll. 

I love this picture. She's holding a brush and trying to brush her hair, while simultaneously reading a book.

I love my baby soooo much. She's been so sweet and cuddly... And is understanding so much more. She points to her nose and tries to repeat "le nez", she touches her feet when I ask where are her "chaussures" and opens her mouth wide when we say "ouvre la bouche". Loooove her!

Curls

Barrettes! 

Marceline's hair is growing! She loves it when you brush her hair and when she can brush your hair..... And now barrettes! 

This was taken the morning of my 35th birthday. I just want to squeeze and kids her she's so cute.

Marselfies

A series of Marselfies. 

First batch of brew

Marcelle is growing up in amongst jars of bacteria. Our latest project is the ol Buch... As in Kombucha. She's been sharing her table with a gallon of the Buch brewing next to her, with the mother breeding another jelly fish looking creature and she hasn't once asked me about it. Normal. 

This morning was the scary moment of opening the lid and trying this elixir. Shockingly it smelled and tasted like the real deal!!! We're keeping it in the jar for a bit longer to stiffen the flavor but overall thumbs up for first batch. Currently our mason jar collection includes kimchi cabbage, kimchi daikon radish, sauerkraut, pickled Persian cucumbers, yogurt and miso! 

Next step---kefir and kefir cheese?!?!

GG park is our backyard

Yes, we have a backyard. Albeit it's on the small side and not very toddler friendly these days. Much better suited for affogatos in the afternoon during work lunches with friends. Thankfully, we live a mere 3 blocks from GG park. 

This is our current family obsession: afternoon park sessions with Marcelle.

This pic is before mama arrived bearing chocolate croissants! Just a typical day post daycare... Riding the bike home with dad. Marcelle, you've got it soooooo good.

It's been a long time

Goal was to write daily. And then life happened...I guess!?!?? I can't believe it's been ten days since last post. 

Soooo, if I'm honest..... I just don't do that well in terms of evening creativity. Once M goes to bed, at the lovely hour of ...7:30pm.... I'm ready to relax with the husb and somehow it becomes quasi impossible for me to motivate to blog. 

Really, my best time is the morning... 

Between 8-12pm. 

If it were up to me, here's what my day would look like:

8am wake-up

8-8:30: roll around in bed

8:30: meditate

9: breakfast

9:30: read news with black tea or blog :)

10: shower and dress

10:30 : go to work

12:30- lunch

1:30-2 nap

2-5: work

5: meditate 

5:30-8: walk, hang, do stuff 

8: dinner

9-11: unwind 

That's my ideal!!!!!

However, I love updating with pics so perhaps I just need to do so during my 10am miso break?!?! 

Latest news???

M got her 3rd ear infection since Feb. Ugh. However, with antibiotics she's like a new lady. She's still saying "no" but she's added some other "words". Her first French word is.... Wait for it.... "Le chat", which she says to many non cat things. 

Things are rolling right now. Super looking forward to summer and trip to alps, via Vancouver. 

Weather is awesome and we're maximizing: ocean beach yesterday after work and GG park today. Run girl, run!

Both places offered M huge expanses of space to explore. Living apartment lifestyle works when you've got these gems outside!

SF tourist spots

Most locals avoid tourist locations. Our family loves them! Give us the slightest hint of a reason to go walk on the Golden Gate Bridge or grab a shrimp cocktail, and we're already plotting out driving routes and parking situations. Thank you SFUSD for an all day parking pass. Golden key to the city.

I remember sitting with my dad and eating shrimp cocktails as a wee one, or taking the 28 bus with maman and walking arm and arm from the bridge to the marina. Somehow this has translated into continued magical moments that my husb and I enjoy sharing with family and pals. 

If I was a runner (not a sentence starter that is used frequently in my household) then I would run on the bridge. Stunning views, flat surface and safe environment. Yes, there are plenty of tourist and biker hurdles to navigate but these don't seem to override the amazingness that is the bridge. I LOVE THE GG BRIDGE. Somehow I have come to own this feeling that much more with Marcelle in my life as I eagerly talk about it and point it out on all of our walks. We can see it from the other side of the street that we live on, from China beach where we go watch papa swim in the ocean, from our numerous walks from Land's End/Beginning (many with Auntie Avrielle who is OBSESSED with Land's End), or from my bike ride along the Embarcadero or the Marina to get to Francisco MS. And, it's in one of M's fave bed time books "Good Night SF".

Poppy is here one more day....and what a trip!

- Fisherman's Warf shrimp/crab cocktails

- GG bridge

- Collette's Art show

- Hanging with Bri and Nada

- Lunch at my new fave place in the mission....San Jalisco. Seriously, this place rules. Like 10,000 times.

- Land's End and Louie's Diner breakfast

Poppy's arrival

Marcelle's grand-pa from Nebraska arrived! 

Hey poppy.

Trying to boss papa.

New barrette.

Russian dolls

Trip to grand-ma's apt led us to rooftop pictures and an intense game of Russian dolls. 

We're waiting for Jack's dad to arrive from NE!

Lists

Freedom= running around naked in your own home.

Joy= eating strawberries from the farm box.

Calm= being read to quietly before bed.

Pain= 3 new teeth appearing.

Excitement= swinging at playground.

Sorrow= leaving said swing.

Love= receiving bisous and calins all day.

SOOOOOOO many different extreme emotions daily in the life of an almost 15 month flower. 



Household highlights:
- finishing 4th batch of yogurt and figured out the difference between smooth and grainy texture.
- working on 4th batch of sauerkraut. starting next batch of kimchi tomorrow.
- picking out beautiful stone tile for bathroom floor, and imagining all new design/decor.
- seeing M run around Aunt Patti's house and "play" with Cleveland the cat.
- biking to the outer mission for birthday dinner with Michelle Braun.
- learning that I need to eat more seaweed and chia seeds.
- talking to Michelle Suquet and hearing Henry in the background.

Yellow rain slicker

Most of Marcelle's outfits make me wish that we were the same size so that we could share clothes. One day....one day!  However, everything looks cute on someone who's only 2 feet tall, and looks slightly less so on someone who is much bigger, coming in just over....5 feet. Dressing her has proven to be one of my morning highlights. Waking up in the 6 o'clock hour continues to not make that list. Deciding between her leopard print pants (yes, she owns two pairs), her skinny jeans, her various collection of striped pants or her workout gear is not easy. Add to that her amazing collection of handmade French sweaters (thank you Aunt Jacqueline, Cousin Isabelle and Paulette!), and her navy leather shoes and she ends up looking just like a doll. Which brings me to....the yellow rain slicker (thank you Holly, Jack's student teacher!), which is also one of my preferred outer garments. Her father and mother both have a slight obsession with jackets so it's par for the course that she has 3 sweet choices, all of them totally endorsed by Paddington Bear. And on days like today, the yellow rain slicker wins.

Other important points of discussion for tonight: Marcelle had her first burrito bite this evening... like a real human bite, where she looked at Jack's burrito, made eye contact with him that it looked tasty and leaned towards it with her mouth open. She didn't use words but it could not be clearer that she better get a bite or we were in for a lecture. Since she lives in a household where burritos are a regular conversation point, it was a proud moment for both parents to see her eagerly request a taste. "About time Fleur!" Meanwhile, I was cooking zucchini, a favorite of Baby Girl's.

Her favorites currently include:
- owls (Mr Hibou is her BFF whom she sleeps with nightly, but she has a few others in her bedroom as well.....spirit animals maybe?)
- raspberries
- yogurt
- chowfun noodles
- broccoli
- eggs
- small colorful square objects
- Russian stacking dolls
-toothbrush & hairbrush
- song "L'ile en l'eau", track #13 from "her" CD.
- counting the ten crabs on the Fisherman's Warf page in "Good night SF"
- bath time
- baby swings
- running around naked before bath
- rocking chair lounging in grandma's arms
- neighborhood stroller rides
- the TV remote

Bville photos

Real nice colors here. Just a few pics from glorious start to spring break 2014. 

Dominating, only took 3 attempts

Uploading group pic of weekend. Coletty increased the already high fun factor by rolling in for the day. That tarpestry continues to blow minds. Thank you Colorado. Best present to self. 

2nd attempt

Ok, so still feeling somewhat of an idiot as the title for this blog was supposed to be "Life with Fleur" and navigating blogger, with the pressure of the red battery glowing in the upper right hand corner, is making it quasi impossible for me to think straight. Quasi. My husb would comment that I just like to say "quasi". Apparently, he knows me well.


So, instead of the awesomely direct title that I was envisioning...I am now potentially stuck with "Boonville and blogging". It COULD be worse.

In any case, only about two people will probably be reading this. Ok, let's be honest..one person...yes, Mame, I'm talking about you....so perhaps this isn't as shattering as I was feeling moments ago.

Pressure still mounting with battery claiming 16 minutes of life left. Laziness being supreme, I'm torn between shifting couch positions to increase the joy of this new project...or just going to bed. It is before 10pm...which doesn't really mean anything since sleep is more precious now than ever....so a minor couch readjustment might be in order....hold on, Guinness in hand while I do this...and ooof, here we go with more juice. P.S. Guinness is wheat free....made with barley...and therefore my drink for tonight.

Sooooo, just returned from super fab weekend with Hennesseys in beautiful modern barn like structure in Boonville! Three nights of relaxation, nature, delicious food and watching the babies toddle around, sometimes naked. Discussions of homemade yogurt, fermented foods, housing crisis that is SF, education, emergency preparedness earthquake kits, hiking, California, parenting, business projects (bottling homemade formula. Brilliant), art, rain, and biking. Basically, best weekend ever.

Lady Grabe inspired this blog. She inspires many things, but perhaps that will be a separate blog. What she shared, which I LOVED, was that you could print your blogs at the end of the year and make a book out of them. What a genius way to chronicle Marcelle's moments, and amazing Christmas presents for the grand parents.

Which brings me to....Marcelle, Marceline, Fleur, Floo, Marz, M.
Baby girl is almost 15 months, which is impossible to believe.
This blog is about her. Aiming to post "quasi" daily with a pic.
For now, having gotten this started, under the wrong title, and posted two blogs....including an old pic of M, am going to bed.

 Bonne nuit. A demain.

Testing

First time blogging. Took me much longer than expected just to get this going. And by that I mean, I switched from my phone to the computer, to find the same results, and now I'm titling this post with "testing". Feeling very 35.