December 2011: Let's decorate! Auntie B came to celebrate her birthday (same day as Gontran!) Ambroise got to read books all day long! Also available on Youtube at http://youtu.be/2gZFN50AOyU Also available on Youtube at http://youtu.be/avwaIzOpCyk         We spent a day in the city, looking at the Christmas store window displays For Dad's birthday he got an IPAD! Ambroise loves it just as much as he does. Also available at http://youtu.be/Wvy9vSzogCM     The wood was delivered - lots of fires in the fireplace this winter! We found Santa          Raclette on Christmas Eve   Cookies and milk for Santa         Christmas!  A pre-teens dream! This is what they got each other... go figure?   Also available at http://youtu.be/g3hq4i3RqUM          Theo got a bedroom make-over: Before  After  We installed a hospital-type retractable curtain to give Theo his own space and let Ambroise sleep while Theo reads, etc.                We did the "magic fruit" test. These mega-expensive berries make anything taste sweet. Pretty cool!         Also available at http://youtu.be/_kKxOjuDFvY Here it is, your moment of Zen: "Smile, I see you..."  Great parenting, Dad!   [Papa has an excuse - the November website update. But this is still quite embarrassing!] Also available at http://youtu.be/4CtKd2z_I9s Ambroise's progress report: - Ambroise loves playing with Madeline on her PC. They wrote a letter with four sentences:   I love you Theo, I love you Mommy, I love you Papa, I love you Madeline.  - Snuggling in the bed is still the occasion for some tender love. To Theo's delight, Ambroise has been asking Theo to come into his crib not only in the evening, but sometimes also in the morning as well. When Theo gets out, Ambroise says "I miss you". - Ambroise helps his Mommy with the laundry: he notably looks at the clothes turning in the tumbler and opens the door to see closer... But he helps sorting out - he can recognize the owner of any clothes. - Ambroise loves to make a fire with papa. He makes wads of paper, passes the "amumettes" allumettes= matches)... "Watch out, papa! Hot!" - He can differentiate a hexagon from an heptagon from an octagon... - Ambroise has a passion for volcanos, and they appear everywhere, in his food, in his drawing requests. M&T are inventing volcano songs. A few titbits: - Ambroise took a Christmas ornament from the tree, threw it on the floor. It broke. He immediately started crying... He thought it would bounce back like any other ball! - The little conversation with his Mommy which followed:   A:  "Mommy's mad" E:  "Ambroise is naughty" A:  "I'm sorry" E:  "I forgive you", with a big hug A:  "Mommy's happy!" - With two Christmas trees, it was a challenge for Ambroise to count on his fingers. - To his Dad: "I love you. Lazy Bum." - Ambroise accidentally gave a black eye to his mom. - Mommy: "You are a-do-ra-ble". Ambroise: "No! Dora is on the TV!" - Ambroise, out of nowhere: "Reindeers have antlers". Where the heck did he learn that? - The smallest Russian stacking doll has a "baby mother" inside.