~theredmop~

still enjoying the snow

2012-02-02T13:04:00.000+01:00

at least the kids are :-)

I tried to give Dyllon a haircut, good thing he doesn't care :-)

B&W snow

2012-02-01T15:43:00.000+01:00

today

2012-01-29T15:29:00.000+01:00

now time for a cup of hot chocolate by the fire.

2012-01-17T10:58:00.000+01:00

we are back on track! Dyllon was teething and was not happy going on the potty for a week, he is back to his normal self now. He had 8 teeth come through in 2 weeks, I think we will be fine for a while now.

texting & driving

2012-01-17T08:43:00.000+01:00

still life

2012-01-15T16:41:00.000+01:00

my kids are getting tired of my camera.

1, 2 and 3, trying to see the beauty in winter.
4. my neighbour's window.

cheek

2012-01-12T22:38:00.000+01:00

happy & chilly & banana on the mouth.

2012-01-11T21:59:00.000+01:00

home sweet home

2012-01-11T21:38:00.000+01:00

Paris

2012-01-04T22:03:00.000+01:00

just took a few shots on the phone

eyelashes

2012-01-04T21:15:00.000+01:00

still practicing my focus. think I nailed it on this one. love his eyelashes.

country living

2011-12-31T15:38:00.000+01:00

bath in front of the old woodburner Rayburn/aga.

the kitchen floor got a good clean.

Early morning

2011-12-19T09:21:00.000+01:00

potty time

first snow

2011-12-17T15:00:00.000+01:00

hat

2011-12-14T22:30:00.000+01:00

the story of Daddy's hat. Dyllon insisted on wearing it.

evening computer

2011-12-13T22:55:00.001+01:00

watching puppies onYoutube.

Entertainer

2011-12-13T16:50:00.001+01:00

Mr D was entertaining us on the stairs.
This is the darkest place of the house, but he was so funny. He knows he is not allowed to climb on the stairs so he tried to charm me, which as you can see totally worked.
He is singing, clapping his hands and dancing (on the stairs)

I really wish I knew how to take good low light photos, but here you go just for fun:

today

2011-12-12T20:32:00.000+01:00

moody Black & White photos.

today

2011-12-10T14:46:00.000+01:00

today

2011-12-09T15:22:00.000+01:00

1. present from Mr G.
2. lunch
3. love when my baby snores
4. there are no ornaments left ont he bottom half of the tree.

today

2011-12-08T19:58:00.000+01:00

1. Wrestling boys
2. home decor lust
3. cutting teeth
4. reading
5. late afternoon run

today

2011-12-07T22:27:00.003+01:00

busy all day, so that we could have this tonight.
this is what my tree looks like when I don't have my contacts in. Pretty isn't it? maybe I should do one day week without contacts, can't see the mess, can't see dirty dishes, can't see kids spelling mistakes and Christmas tree looks amazing.

today

2011-12-06T13:30:00.000+01:00

1. working hard
2. a little help
3. snowflakes ( I really, really enjoy these little white pieces all over the house for a whole month.)
4. we don't have a TV
5. escape route

coffee

2011-12-06T11:22:00.000+01:00

somebody stole my cup.

today

2011-12-05T12:17:00.000+01:00

today

2011-12-04T14:11:00.000+01:00

1. looking outside
2. Wooden train
3. sunday breakfast
4. brotherly love (they totally snuggle like that all day long. Dyllon can't go for 20mn without getting a cuddle from bay.)

today

2011-12-03T15:17:00.000+01:00

1. Very grey sky with a tiny little sun
2. tree
3. free
4. Christmas
5. Across the road from home.

Our morning walk.

black & white fascination

2011-12-02T15:17:00.000+01:00

practicing taking sharp pictures, well except for the grainy ones at the bottom, it was getting pretty dark out there, but i kinda like them grainy ;-)

today

2011-12-02T10:36:00.000+01:00

1. Tea party guest.
2. Tea party.
3. Postcard of an old protestant temple G preached in, about 30 mn from here.
4. Little me (3 or 4 yrs old)

a great run

2011-12-01T21:37:00.000+01:00

I got back from my run just after 5, and it was so dark I had to use flash to take a pic of my good looking running feet.

I was all excited about my running experience that I promised a blog post, now later on I don't feel that excited anymore but I think it's still worth sharing. I left for my run, and after about 30 mn, met one of my neighbors, not too far from my house ( I stay close to the house when Graham is not home so that I can check on the kids while Mr D is sleeping). I ran passed her, and tried to avoid to stop and kiss her as, we Frenchies like to do. (I do not enoy giving 2 or 3 kisses with my sticky, sweatie cheeks when I am out on a run.) So I try to pass her politely, hoping she will not be offended by me not stopping and I smile and say : "hope you doing well". At that point, she stops and starts crying, really sobbing her heart out. So I decide that maybe I should stop. She then tells me she has been suffering from a terrible sciatica for a month now, and it hurts so much she can't walk, it hurts ALL THE TIME.

So I am standing there, looking at her, I decide to hug her, she is about half as tall as I am, seriously she is the smallest lady in the neighboorhood (I think Noa is taller than her), it feels a little awkward, and then I start remembering my prayer time in the morning. I was reading through Acts, and I was challenged to pray more for the sick, and expect God to heal, and I actually asked to help me reach out to my neighbors more. I ask her if I can pray for her, and she says "yes I would love for you to do so". She doesn't expect me to pray for her right there, but I put my hand on her back and I prayed for her out loud. Asked God to touch her, that she would feel His lovely presence, and I boldly pray for her healing.

Then comes the "scary", I start thinking, should I ask her if she feels better? and I remember how many times Graham (my sweet husband) tells me that's the important part, ALWAYS ask people how they feel. I could just walk off and not be embarrassed if nothing happened...but I work up all my courage and ask her, and she has a HUGE smile on her face and tells me she feels GREAT.

The next mile was the fastest mile of any run I have ever done, I was so happy. Thank you Jesus.

I must keep pressing on and live out what Jesus promised in the book of Acts. I don't want less. I want more.

xxx,

Léa

today

2011-12-01T11:38:00.000+01:00

1. little hands
2. yesterday. Sandy's very boyish handwriting. ( pattes de mouche in french).We tend to homeschool in French, but every now and then we learn an poem in english, or read books in english.
3. Mr D's favorite, I have to put them out of reach, he bites in them, sucks all the juice out, then brings them to us and asks us to peel them.
4. 7:20 AM. The Lord is Gracious.
5. family favorites

today's favorite photo

2011-12-01T09:32:00.001+01:00

home

2011-11-30T15:18:00.002+01:00

randoms pics around our home.

1. memorizing a poem by the fire.

2. play.

3. next time I take a photo of my kitchen I will close the cupboards. (ps: For the record I HATE closed doors, and that includes cupboard doors. It drives everyone around me crazy. ps2: I will also tidy next time.)

4. my favorite dutch thing.

5. keeping warm.

6. reading about New York.

nov 30th

2011-11-30T11:15:00.001+01:00

it's finished, hurray.

The kids did (nearly) everything. Embroider the numbers, sew the squares, sew the buttons, sew the trees. Well done kiddos.

work in progress

2011-11-26T13:01:00.000+01:00

Fire is on, hot chocolate, nice music...

Advent calendar

buttons

2011-11-18T23:25:00.001+01:00

I was buying wool, and on the counter was this big bag of all sorts of buttons for 2 euros. I couldn't leave them there. Noa really enjoyed sorting them out by color. I remember doing that at Oma's house in Holland before she passed away when I was still very young. Since then I haves always LOVED buttons, they remind me of her.

can't wait to start on a little project with these.

horsey horsey

2011-11-18T12:22:00.000+01:00

Horsey, Horsey don't you stop.

Just let your feet go clipity clop.

Your tail goes swish and the wheels go round.

Giddy up we're homeward bound.

cowl

2011-11-04T11:15:00.000+01:00

made a cowl for bay, he loves it, it's comfy snuggly cozy as we would say in our household!

my cousin is so wise

2011-11-04T11:05:00.001+01:00

my cousin Gabriel is so much wiser than me.

2011-10-24T20:48:00.001+02:00

Noa's new friend. As we walked though a little village nearby, this dog runs accrross and lies on her back wanting Noa to tickle her tummy. Of course Noa did not resist and then she played fetch with her for a good hour.
Noa was incredibly sad when it was time to say good bye. She named him "white paw", actually she has named about 5 dogs in our village, and has to greet all of them as we go on walks. It is completely normal in rural France to NOT attach your dog.
PS: Sandy also played with the dog :)

hat

2011-10-19T21:01:00.000+02:00

remember the little jacket, well it took me a month but I finally finished the hat:

and this one is just to prove you that Mr Dyllon likes to eat and he's got cheeks to show for it:

I made this hat because I KNEW he would not be able to take it off.

seeing I wasn't happy he put back on

I do think it's the cutest hat I have ever made, and today was our first day of cold weather so it was ready just on time.

dirt & poneys

2011-10-12T12:39:00.001+02:00

Whenever I wonder where Dyllon is, this is where I find him:

Having a conversation with Charlotte the poney while eating dirt, stones, leaves or old plums.... he is a farm boy!

yaya

2011-10-05T22:15:00.000+02:00

love this girl

the freckles, the sun, the happiness.

silly playground pics

2011-10-05T09:23:00.002+02:00

playground

2011-10-04T21:11:00.000+02:00

I took Dyllon to the playground last evening.

It was a new experience for him. Living next to a farm and having a garden means I don't really need to take him to the playground, but Noa and Sandy wanted a change of scenery.

the NOT HAPPY look :)

another niece

2011-10-03T10:51:00.000+02:00

another one of my beautiful nieces

Paris

2011-09-27T15:22:00.000+02:00

the kids really wanted to see the Eiffel tower. So we had a day out.
I hadn't driven in Paris for a quite a few years, but I quickly adjusted to my old "parisienne" driving style, except with three kids in the back asking a million questions it is not so easy, especially on the famous "Place de l'Etoile". I promise, Graham, I did not look back at the kids once.
Driving all the way to Paris, reminded me that 9 years ago, while pregnant with Noa it used to take me 1 hour and 30mn every morning and same or longer at night just to get to work... So pleased my life has become a lot easier.

here are a few of the photos I took... Didn't take many, once I got on the boat to tour Paris and got my camera out, Dyllon decided it was highly time for a an afternoon tea and started pulling my shirt. He was quite stubborn, so the photos didn't really happen.

The Nutela crêpe was delicious. The carousel was so pretty, I wanted to let Dyllon have a go but he was so tired by then, that I wasn't sure about taking him on it. Regret I didn't do it.

It was a lovely day.

apple

2011-09-19T18:35:00.000+02:00

Dyllon's favorite snack these days

Little pieces of skin are left all over the house. here on the couch. Thank you :)

crochet

2011-09-19T13:34:00.000+02:00

I knitted a few things this summer that didn't quite turn out the way I wanted, but I was very pleased with the way this little cardigan turned out. I adapted it from a knit pattern, and it fits Dyllon perfectly although I intended it to be a bit on the larger side, Oh well, I hope the wool will stretch with time to last through the winter.

black & white portraits

2011-09-17T10:35:00.010+02:00

just wanted to post some pics of my chubby one year old.

and yes the cheeks are as delicious as they look.

I just wanted to add this last pic, it's a strange photo but i like it, maybe because of the intensity of his eyes.
L~

from crying to laughing

2011-09-16T20:50:00.000+02:00

in less than 10 seconds

it's a lot easier for him to change his mood than it is for me :)

airplane & hat

2011-09-16T12:19:00.002+02:00

Sandy made this completely on his own. I was super impressed.

and he chose this hat all on his own on tuesday when i went clothe shopping and told him he could pick what he wanted.
Again I was super impressed with his sense of style. He definitely fits in with the neighbors Mr Gibert & Papi Bébert.

what a cute kid. he has the sweet nature that goes with it. Seriously I am jealous of his future wife.

Gabriel

2011-09-12T15:18:00.000+02:00

took some photos of my nephew, just a few months older than Dyllon. so sweet.

yaelle

2011-09-12T10:27:00.000+02:00

my niece yaelle is a becoming a beautiful young lady. I get to give her advice on her curly hair. (can you believe that my sister, who has straight hair, has 6 kids with VERY curly hair).

She is always busy with one of her 5 little brothers ;-)

One

2011-09-03T11:08:00.000+02:00

he turned one.

He wobbled across the room, as if he was not allowed to crawl anymore.

he was not interested in his presents but terrified by the noise of the wrapping paper.

Not knowing how to react at all the excitement he did what he knows best: give his brother a HUGE brotherly hug. (mommy had a little tear at the cuteness of his reaction)

his 6 cousins came for a visit for the day. he played and played and played,

It was a good day!

august bath

2011-08-07T22:33:00.000+02:00

he still fits in his little bath. Although most of the time, he has his bath in the sink, So much quicker & easier.

2011-07-29T20:07:00.002+02:00

thank you Auntie Raphaelle for the beautiful trousers & wool. I finally managed to finish knitting this little peppermint vest. I love it.

I almost threw the little trolley away a couple of months ago. Glad I didn't :)

california baby on the way

2011-07-28T22:38:00.000+02:00

My brother and his lovely wife are expecting the arrival of their first baby, anytime this week.
Here's a little something I was so excited to make for them.
I can't wait for the little bub to show up and snuggle him/her. Although I may have a wait a bit before I can hold him/her.

the great escape

2011-07-27T22:43:00.000+02:00

the best kids

2011-07-27T22:40:00.000+02:00

don't they look like fun kids?

{this moment}

2011-07-22T14:03:00.000+02:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

more over at soulemama's blog

blueberries

2011-07-20T12:55:00.000+02:00

We did manage to bring enough home to make some yummy pies. THe pies above are for mami Jeanine et Papi Bébert and Mr G and his daughter.
L~
PS: did you notice that amazing little blueberry picking tool I found in our old barn this winter. It had been there since we moved in but never noticed it. I may have to do with the fact I never clean the barn.

PS II: did you noticed Sandy's nose? good Hé?

10 months old diaper free Provence!

2011-07-19T21:31:00.000+02:00

Dyllon LOVES water.

He screams EVRY SINGLE TIME I take him out of his ~~bath~~ bathroom sink (we don't have a bath tub in our house).

We went to market in Moustiers Ste Marie, inHaute Provence, and Dyllon got very hot, so while waiting for our american friends who were buying cheese, macaroons, olives, crepes, gelato... etc
Dyllon cooled down at this little fountain.

I love his cute diaper free bottom. He is still doing amazingly well without diapers, I have only had 5 poopy diapers in the last 6 months :)
he is now 10 1/2 months old and uses the potty all the time. He tends to cry and squirm when he needs to go, and I still heavily rely on timing. If I put him on the potty and he doesn't really need it, he will try and squeeze a tiny little peepee out. Whenever he eliminates, he sings a little song ( I think he copies me saying : "well done") and he started clapping his hands when he is done.
I am the first to be amazed at how well diaper free is going and I love it.

New Home

2011-07-05T09:31:00.000+02:00

Among the rockets, submarines, airplanes and other engines, I found this picture in Sandy's little drawing booklet.

It's Faithdog's new home, he lives the life of a royal dog, we like to think.

L~

two boys

2011-07-02T18:41:00.000+02:00

pictures that don't need words, but tell of their growing friendship.
PS: the stitches are coming out on wednesday, Sandy is feeling great.

a day out in Auvergne.

2011-07-02T10:06:00.002+02:00

a day out, with sunshine and showers, in Auvergne with Papi and Mamie.
We set out to see the "Pont du diable"... we found a nice village and an old castle (11th century)

playing on the kitchen floor

2011-07-02T09:47:00.000+02:00

keeping busy while mummy is cooking.

2011-06-16T21:56:00.000+02:00

I recorded Noa's danse during her last practice this afternoon. she has a pink skirt and 2 little side buns. she starts off in the group of three girls at the back. tomorrow is the real deal, but with Dyllon, I am not sure I will be able to record. Even today was a bit of a challenge with Dyllon in tow.

2011-06-16T21:16:00.000+02:00

this is what is keeping us busy this week:

2011-06-11T12:48:00.000+02:00

in the Didymos wrap on my back!

curly

2011-06-10T11:01:00.002+02:00

none of my kids have inherited my VERY curly hair.

When I was about 4 years old, I had very straight hair, and I had a friend in her 20's who had curly hair and I though she SO pretty, so I prayed to get curly hair. Well guess what? my hair got gradually curlier and curlier. When I was a teenager I often wished I hadn't prayed that prayer (none of my sisters have curly hair).

My girl would really like wavy hair ("not as curly as yours mommy", she's smart).
We had a go at making it curly without using heat, we used a head band and wrapped her hair around it and she slept on it, and woke up with these beautiful bouncy curls. SHE LOVES IT.

2011-06-09T10:34:00.000+02:00

repurposed some wool I had laying around for the fall.

the hardest part was deciding what to do, i started out with stripes but wasn't happy with it, so I went for something a little bit funkier. What do you think? Originally i wanted BRIGHT GREEN buttons, but none of the shops sold them, so I had to settle for red.

interchangeable & breezy

2011-06-02T23:20:00.002+02:00

If you are in North Wales, and it's windy...it's actually so windy on that side of the island of Anglesey that there are no big trees, only bushes. So when it's windy and cold, fly your kite!

the weather forecast in wales is hilarious, they always say the same and can't go wrong:

sunshine and showers, or interchangeable and breezy. For some strange reason i still watch the weather forecast everyday when I am in Wales. Waste of time.

2011-05-28T12:00:00.000+02:00

when you come home from a trip, this is the first thing you have to do:

2011-05-27T11:39:00.000+02:00

back home. Sweet Artycho spoiled me with this little hat. and more.

I conquered

2011-05-09T13:46:00.000+02:00

my sewing machine.
I made these little overalls, using an old shirt and an old pair of pyjamas.
I am SO proud. Check out the button-holes. Seriously I may like sewing now.

I have another 20 shirts in my attic that need to be used ;-)

just because

2011-05-09T10:38:00.000+02:00

this reminded me of this post

love.

Léa

I will get my daughter a bike just like that on day.

EC

2011-05-04T13:55:00.001+02:00

thought I'd do a little post about EC.
EC is a short for Elimination Communication, also called diaper free. You can read about it here: http://www.diaperfreebaby.org/
Remember, I started EC'ing Dyllon around 5 months old... Well to be honest I really started at the hospital. When he was 2 weeks old he was doing great, but it was causing a little bit of stress because he wasn't taking good naps, as he would scream like crazy every time his diaper was wet. So I stopped. Around 5 months I noticed his diaper being dry more often so I started again, and within a few days I was only having about 1-2 misses a day, a miss being a wet diaper.

I rely on timing (after naps, feeds), cues (he becomes fussy) and just intuition (yes yes, you get the knowing all the sudden: he needs to go).
Dyllon is now wearing the cutest teeny tiny undies, and goes on the potty all the time.

I am the first one to be amazed at how well this is working.

reading on the potty. getting good habits from the start.

presets

2011-05-03T21:15:00.000+02:00

discovering the world of LightRoom presets...
same pics as earlier

kinda fun don't you think?

little trousers

2011-05-03T14:11:00.009+02:00

remember the little trousers I made on sunday.

I asked Dyllon if he would be willing to model them for me. he agreed, in exchange of a small fee (lots of milk please).

So here you go:

ok, the trousers were only an excuse to show off my little model. He's doing a great job isn't he?

sorry, some pictures are lighter than others, I was playing around with my settings...still learning :)

upcycled trousers

2011-05-03T09:57:00.002+02:00

I did it.
I managed to sew something I actually like. I did it by hand, because I do not have a good relationship with my sewing machine.

I did some wee trousers for our little one. I used an old pair of G's trousers.

Used a pattern from Petit Citron.

Baby D has the cutest little bottom in those. I'm planning on making a few more pairs for this summer.

spring...again...

2011-05-02T12:30:00.000+02:00

i'm in love with my house during spring:

Kids during school break, which last 45mn instead of 15mn.

cute newcomers in the neighbourhood.

and tiny daisies that make me happy!

happy Spring.
L~

liberty bracelets

2011-04-28T13:25:00.003+02:00

Noa & I made some Liberty bracelets....

I love these bracelets, apparently they are the big thing for young girls de "bonne famille".

L~

PS: did you notice Noa has sun tan, already and not me :)

a cutie, another cousin.

2011-04-27T13:22:00.000+02:00

I had to share she just looked so adorable with her umbrella and wellies. The umbrella kept her busy for a good eight hours. L~

spring

2011-04-26T14:18:00.001+02:00

Sandy with two of his cousins. I love spring.

dog lover

2011-04-25T14:14:00.001+02:00

I had my five nieces over last week, they came for my birthday :) and a few days.

The youngest one is a dog lover

thumb

2011-04-24T14:11:00.001+02:00

little Dyllon likes his thumb, especially after his meal, I think it helps him digest.

2011-04-23T18:07:00.002+02:00

cotton hat for the spring. Fun crochet project :)

starting to enjoy crochet...
L~

birthday present

2011-04-15T11:11:00.000+02:00

made by noa, sandy and my 4 nieces....

life

2011-04-13T21:32:00.000+02:00

via modabakeshop.com
love. L~

2011-04-12T22:00:00.001+02:00

snails

Noa stayed with my parents and decided to have a little farm, she called it "la ferme des petits animaux". It was rainy and cold so she collected a bunch of snails. Being such a business lady, she decided to sell her snails.
A small snail for 50 cts and a big one for 1 euro, all her cousins thought it was a real rip off, Noa justified her price: but they are ORGANIC snails.
Her cousin Elie took pity on her and bought one snail :)

anyone wants some organic snails for dinner?

L~

2011-04-12T12:40:00.000+02:00

first crochet...

I think I need to learn to read a crochet pattern.
I read a pattern, didn't understand it, so I invented my own pattern...had to make quite a few changes as I went along, and it became complicated.
I love this soaker though.

L~

2011-04-11T11:35:00.000+02:00

thanks to my sweet friend ruth, I had my first go at macro photography

managed to get some freckles & eyelashes from my handsome son.

2011-04-10T12:50:00.000+02:00

sunday morning breakfast

Need I say more?

Happy sunday.

L~

2011-04-09T11:44:00.000+02:00

the sun is still out.

Working on my first crochet project in the sunshine.

Eating outside.

trying to keep an eye on someone who is running away....

hiding under his (oversized) hat.

Life is good.

L~

Can u tell I am a total summer girl?
I am moving to California or Hawai or Australia or wherever I can get sun all year around.

one day

2011-04-08T10:50:00.004+02:00

I will make these. same color (or maybe mustard). same pattern. I love them. via lolalina

french

2011-04-07T22:48:00.000+02:00

this made me smile, via dannymars

spring...I love you.

2011-04-06T14:58:00.000+02:00

eating in the sunshine

Flowers and lemon water.

So good.

Can I write post without including a photo of our darling?

Happy spring! L~

can you see it?

2011-03-26T10:50:00.001+01:00

one tiny little tooth!

spring

2011-03-25T22:16:00.000+01:00

what's this green stuff mama?

not sure about it, it tickles me.

okay, I'll smile, because that always makes you happy mama.

oh is that something to eat? let me try....I always like to have a little snack

better put my camera away and rescue that leaf out of his mouth.

It was lovely here today, the kids and I went on a 3 hour hike with some big hills. All 3 kids were asleep very early tonight.

The country side is amazing here. Wish I had brought my camera.

We saw some lovely houses hidden in the woods and hills.

Did I tell you this area in France has the most amazing old stone houses?

I love houses, and love looking at houses...G doesn't trust me when I drive in the country side, I tend to steer the car towards nice houses, or ditches in between the road and pretty houses.

Don't laugh, you'd do the same if you lived here.