Dinner Isn't Just For Eating

Hi!

We are going to Cassis tomorrow morning for 5 days.

We're meeting my grandparents there.

We won't be writing the blog, so we will leave you with a game to play each night for the 4 nights we're away. You can play them at the dinner table (we played all four tonight). We each made up our own game (except for Daddy--he wanted to show us a fun one he knew about). Feel free to make any variations on any of them, or make up your own. If you play ours, tell us how you like them! If you made up your own, tell us how to play them!

#1 Daddy's Game: "Zoom, Shwartz, Profigliano."

He'll explain: It's a game of verbal tennis. You start by serving to another player by saying "zoom". They can hit it back to you by looking at you and saying "profigliano" or looking at another player and saying "shwartz. You respond back with the same options. Or either one of you can serve ("zoom") to any other player.

See the instructional video below...

VIDEO WILL BE ONLINE SOON.

#2 My game: "Favorite Words"

(Me explaining how to play)

Everyone silently picks their three favorite words. Put them in a sentence. Everyone else guesses which were your three favorite words. You can try to trick people by putting four or five fancy or big words throughout your sentence.

#3 Frances's Game: "The Sneaky Eye"

(Frances flashing her sneaky eye. Check out her new wool dread)

We all stare at each other from around the table. One person ("it") sneaks a peek at another at the table while asking a vague question, like "Do you like your asparagus?" If you think she was looking at you, you answer the question. If you were not the person she directed the question to, she'll remain silent until the right person answers the question. It's actually quite funny and fun.

#4 My Mom's game: "Gargle Word"

Frances gargling (or should I say LAUGHING) while saying "Rose."

My mom will explain: Everyone silently picks a word--not necessarily their favorite. Just a word. Then, one by one, each person sips a mouthful of preferably BUBBLY water (but tap will do), leans his/her head back and says the word. Someone might want to be on hand with a bowl in case the laughter sends the water spewing.

Everyone guessed the words right (after about three gargles each).

The words were: Spoon (Eleanore's...Ouch--try gargling and pronouncing S's!), Liberty (of course, Daddy's), Frances's was rose (so HARD!) and mine was Asparagus.

Frances couldn't keep the Pellegrino in! It just burst out!

We finished the night by finishing our 3rd book in France: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. I recommend it to each and every one of you. There's action, mystery, ships, murders, sailors, a really tough girl (main character). And my mom says, "It's a Newberry Award Winner."

We will write next on Sunday. Goodnight!

My mommy wants to say something:

"Two nights ago after writing our blog entry, I told Eleanore it was after midnight.

She said, 'Oh my GOSH.'

I told her, 'It's okay, you can sleep in tomorrow.'

She said, 'Mommy, I sleep in every day. I love France.'"

Front view of the newest hairpiece.

Last thing: Yesterday we went to listen to the best tenor in France sing in UZES!

You can listen to him on youtube, probably.

Here's his name: Patrik Garayt.

His accompanist on the piano was Michel Chanard.

Frances and I were the ONLY kids in the theater.

There were four encores. It was crazy.

My mom didn't think she'd need the camera, so we don't have any photos. Sorry.

Ahhh, here's to parenting...

in the late, late night with a scary, scary book...

the littlest kid always ends up in your lap.

Good technique, huh? :) Carolyn