When we were in France Francoise kept a French copy of this booklet near her bed. I use to vacuum her room every morning and find it or under her bed, or on the floor by her bed or by her pillow but always someplace nearby and someplace different; a sign to me that she was reading it. (more…)

A sneak preview of our kitchen before it gets replaced. Meanwhile we got our floors delivered yesterday, only to see them go back because they’re the wrong colour. On a good note our painting is almost done, the crooked walls are now straight, our bathroom countertops are installed and the plumbing done. Now we have a working toilet downstairs! What progress.

We were talking with Françoise the other day and she related how she knew of kids at school who were still grounded from last year because they hadn’t done well in their schooling. Then she added that many kids get awarded money by their parents for every A they got. We figured if we began awarding our children money for every A they got they would turn us bankrupt. Turn their education into a profitable franchise like the time we told them the tooth fairy left money under their pillow for every tooth they lost and how they began loosing more teeth at once than one could ever imagine. Then she sighed and said that at least we don’t ground her. And I sighed too and said, “No. We just beat you.”

Okay, you’re pregnant and you want to surprise your relatives and friends with the good news. What do you do? (more…)