Roadtrip to Dijon

Hot summer evening

Telecabin @ crozet

Slow and steady we will get there. Finally a new toilet..!

Once upon a time in Macon & Cluny

 

Growing up too fast..

Ayden and Adamian are growing up so fast... Adamian will soon turn 5 years old and Ayden will turn 8 this year. I am already forgetting all the cute things they say but I managed to 'rescue' some of them from memory... here are some of the things that they say which are cute and funny because of certain contexts... I'm writing them all down here now so I can remind them about it when they grow up.

Ayden: It was not me, it was Adamian (and vice-versa)

Adamian would draw stick mans on A4 paper and cut them out and play with them. One time he created me, himself, Antoine and Ayden.

Ayden would say on Thursday night (the last week of school): Can I play games on your phone? It's the last day tomorrow at school and we literally won't be doing anything. Nice try :)

Adamian would put up the wafer sticks in Kiri vertically and say 'happy bday to me!'. So creative.

Ayden came up with the idea to make some fruit salad for Father's day. So thoughtful.

Adamian would say 'happy bird' when he meant 'angry bird'.

Ayden asked me: How come you're at the office when we're home? And you're home when we're at school? He's onto me.

Adamian one time brought me my toothpaste and toothbrush because it's night time and said it's time for me to brush my teeth. He was right.

Ayden and Adamian would literally run to me as soon as I arrive at the door, back home from work, to hug me. I hated the pandemic because I had to tell them I could not hug them until I showered and changed clothes.

Ayden is so strategic and good at the game Set de Familles.

Adamian pronounces Octopus with 'Royas'. He also pronounces his name 'Adanyan'.

Ayden asked me the other day when he was playing with Lego: Is there such a thing as a female robber?

Adamian would ask if I did the cooking. And if I said yes, he would say 'aww maman gentille!'.

The nicknames: DenDen and Nanong.

Ayden asked the other day: If blue fire is hotter than orange fire, then why is the sun orange rather than blue? Good question.

Adamian pouts his lips when he wants a kiss. So cute and funny.

Both of them would fight who gets to sit next to mama at dinner.

Adamian would say: Doudou!!

Ayden would say: It's normal (when he was very little).

Ayden cried so badly last time. He wasn't crying because of the cut he got from a hammer (don't ask how he got it). But he cried so badly because I put a unicorn bandaid on his knee and he didn't like it.
LOL

Ayden felt bad for doing a betise. He wrote on a post it note 'pardon mama'. I found it before going to bed, on my pillow. Awww..

When Ayden was little and if he didn't like something, he would pretend to use his fist and get 'mad'. Wa wa wa!

Adamian sometimes gets nightmares and I would hear him speak in his sleep 'No, no et no!'

Ayden learned to read before he could speak proper sentences. He knew all his alphabets (phonetic) by 8 months.

Adamian learned to climb up the stairs before he could walk.

Alhamdullillah, I am very grateful for these gifts of life...

First weekend out

Last weekend was great. The much-needed human interaction (other than with the kids and hubby) was attained. I had a dinner at my friend's house (picked another girlfriend on the way). We ordered some Indian food through Uber Eats, sang karaoke and had a good catch up. The next day my family and I met another family (couple with two kids) and went hiking at Mt Mussy from 8.30 pm to 10.30 pm. Yes two hours, and all of us had torch lights. We passed a herd of cows and the walk was level EASY. Luckily it was a long weekend (Pentecost) so Monday was off. Monday was gardening day - thatched the lawn, sprayed out new seeds and fertilised the soil. Hoping new grass will grow in two weeks time and compete with/outgrow the weeds. It is supposed to rain tomorrow for a couple of days straight.

The kids were supposed to start school this week but alas, due to miscommunication with the school they will stay home this week. I am hoping I can get it through this week with kids + working from home. If kids will need to be at home next week, I have no choice but to go to the office and work there. I really need to focus, work is piling up and I cannot concentrate at home. And honestly, the kids need time away from us too. They were so looking forward to see their friends today...

Lockdown over - First weekend

I'm so glad the full lockdown in France is over. We no longer need to complete forms to get food, etc. We can go out within 100km from our residences (you need a good reason to go beyond). We don't need to.

We didn't go too crazy this weekend. On Friday nights we still had our usual stay-in movie with the kids. At the moment we are into Star Wars, we are watching them in chronological order (The next one is episode V). The difference is this time we had MacDo for dinner. The waiting line was not bad, although I was there at 6.20pm. Dining in is still not permitted but the drive thru is now open, for the first time in like 9 weeks. The kids sat in the back - Ayden once commented: Wow I don't even recall how it felt like to sit in the car. Poor kid.

Then on Saturday, I went to La Poste to send boxes to Germany and Australia. La Poste made sure social distancing was respected and so they arranged to have queue ropes outside for a line to form. I saw that a maximum of 5 people were allowed in at a time. I did not wait at all, they let me in first because my request was not too complicated, compared to others, who were applying for bank cards, etc.

I took the chance to get some fresh strawberries from the Ferney open market. I wanted to cash in a cheque at the bank. But then saw that drat! It was an obligation to wear a mask inside. I stupidly left mine at home, near the door. I then went round the market (it's now a one-way street, to prevent overcrowding) and went to the pharmacy. What luck! Not only did they have masks in stock this time, they also had some for kids. So I went for it! Then banking done.

In the arvo, we all went to the garden centre and bought flowers. OMG we are so into gardening now. Getting rid of weed is so relaxing, the results calm the mind. Soothing for the eyes.. Trying also now to slowly repair the lawn.. from years of neglect..

Lessons learned from this crisis: enjoy the small things.. take the time to disconnect from work on the weekends.. take many naps.. cherish the garden, heal the soul..make the most of what you have... don't splurge on unnecessary materialistic things.. spend time with loved ones... take the time to talk to family and friends..

Futher reflections..

Fasting month has started. First time fasting while working 100% from home. The first few days didn't seem so bad cos well, working and taking care of kids at the same time makes one forget about hunger and thirst. It only starts getting noticeable after work - so between 6pm and 8.40ish pm, fatigue and hunger kicks in. Red bull usually helps around this time but as fasting takes over, this is not possible. Definitely a testing time for me and the family. It's even more challenging when it's been raining all week and so the kids and adults are locked indoors. In addition, I can only do the REAL work when everyone is asleep. There are too many distractions during the day with all the virtual meetings, calls, conferences and emails. It is not even possible to focus on one task for 20 minutes straight.

Next week may even be more challenging. The two-week 'vacation' would be over for the kids. This means that homework is back. So homework + house work + cooking + cleaning + full time job with the usual non-stop teleconferences + fasting = ultimate definition of a nightmare. I know, it should be a blessing to be able to fast because well it means I am healthy, but I really can't help but complain of all the challenges muslim parents under full lockdown are forced to face.

Dear God, please give me strength for the next few weeks..

Ok Week 6 of lockdown

Wow, I can't remember now if we're at week 5 or week 6 of the lockdown. By looking at my previous post, I guess we are indeed moving into week 6. Time passes so slowly and fast at the same time. It's slow because of the impatience to go back to the 'new normal' (ie. 11 May 2020). It's fast because with so many virtual meetings per day, I end up reacting to what appears to be urgent requests and in reality I have not done a single thing as a work outcome. There's whatsapp (the work group chats), Teams, GoToMeetings, emails, calls etc etc. So many distractions.

Most of us who telework would agree that we work more hours than usual. We save time on commuting, we're so accessible - colleagues expect a fast response. I can only focus on the real things I need to do after the day is over. After I help with the kids' homework. I'm so tired. Last weekend I literally slept for the whole two days.

Dear God, please give me strength. Hoping for better days..

10 simple things

I went through some of my old posts. Around this time, 10 years ago I wrote the '10 simple things one should be happy about' and listed the below: 

1. Knowing you've done the right thing.
2. Spending time with people you care about.
3. Laughing so hard your face hurts.
4. A hot shower or a bubble bath.
5. No lines at the supermarket.
6. Hearing your favorite song on the radio.
7. Finding a 20 dollar bill in your coat from last winter.
8. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.
9. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.
10. Sweet dreams.

I must've felt kind of down at the time when I wrote that but can't remember why. Still, it was interesting to see because I forgot that I wrote this post. 

For 2020, if I had to list out 10 simple things which would make me happy, it would look something like this:

1. My health and the health of my loved ones

2. Secretly loving it (whilst pretending to be in denial) that I look younger than my age. People are shocked that I'm almost 40 with 2 kids

3. Checking the mailbox and finding my little order from Amazon arrived

4. Knowing I can cook and bake now, most of the time, very well

5. Watching the kids learn new things and impressed with what they know, understand and remember

6. Managing to surprise myself at times at how well I handled a tough public debate

7. Catching up with siblings and/or with parents over whatsapp

8. Cutting a lovely rose or flower from the garden for the kitchen vase

9. Having a good time and laugh with my girls

10.Bubble tea

Hoping I would remember to write the next list in 2030..!

Moving into week 5 of lockdown

It's the Easter long weekend. We were supposed to be in London for the weekend but ah obviously that didn't happen. British Airways cancelled our flights. As we bought our tickets through another intermediary, British Airways said it could not do the refund directly. Of course, as I fully expected, the line of this intermediary agent was busy and there was no way we could have gotten our refund before the date of departure. We will see in the coming weeks if there is a way to 'rescue' the situation. Luckily, the hotel managed to return the payment we made.

Health wise, we are all ok, even my face have returned to normal, Alhamdullillah. This is the most important thing and no one we know is infected by the virus. Brunei recorded one death so far and hope it will stay that way. This is a big deal considering we are a small population.

We are getting into the routine of things and my office table which was originally home to a lot of junk and trinkets, including makeup, has now been cleared for a temporary office. It is quite cosy actually and conducive to work. The only thing I cannot control is when the kids barge in, in the middle of a video conference. I feel kind of sorry for them, because when Antoine and I are working, they are left to their own devices for hours on end.. with a lot of screen time. Although we go outside in the garden during the lunch break, I feel that the kids need mental stimulation at a higher level. Their learning process is not the same at home - with homework only taking up a short period of time during the day. They obviously need to socialise with others their age and also learn from the teachers which are fully trained to do so. I bought them a lot of games, lego and puzzles to keep themselves occupied... there is only so much we can do to help.

On a positive note, the bank account looks healthy. My skin also looks healthier as I use less makeup during the weekdays. I get to see the kids grow, everyday. I was concerned at one point because of the regular travels. I had 31 missions last year. I have more opportunities to record the kids for YouTube and take more photos - my treasured memory bank. I also value the things I own, more than before. I listen to more music and read more books at night, instead of working. Perhaps rushing back to the 'new normal' wouldn't be so great afterall. We will see.

Day 7 of lockdown

We survived this week without any major dramas at home. Self-isolation is not as easy as it sounded. When I first heard it, I was slightly excited. Simply because I thought it meant that I get to work from home and work less. What a rude awakening - there is actually more work to be done. Colleagues are working overtime in order to get up to date with what's happening globally.

In my case though, I will be on medical leave next week so that my face can recover. The neurologist said that stress can impede the normal function of the immune system and recommended I take the week off.

Other updates for now - people can still get out to buy food, see a doctor, buy fuel, exercise, upon condition that they fill out a government issued form (it is simple to complete). Else, we face a 135 euro fine. The house is cleaner than I thought, maybe because we clean in between tasks. The kids got their new double bed, so goods are still moving in between states. Toilet paper and other food essentials are available at shops. In fact, there aren't too many people on the road or the shops, people in general are using their common sense nowadays to prevent the virus from spreading.

Now - courage to all parents out there, let's go now into week 2 of lockdown..

COVID-19

So the Coronavirus just hit Europe in the past few weeks, it originated from Wuhan in China. We are now in Day 2 of the official lockdown in France. President Macron announced last week that schools are closing this week, until further notice. Antoine and I are working from home. Luckily we have a little garden where the kids can go out and play. Antoine bought supplies that would sustain us for 2 weeks. Seeing that made me panic inside. And all the toilet paper at Carrefour are gone. People panic buying.

In Switzerland, it is under the State of Necessity/Emergency this week. Same thing - all borders closed. All restaurants and cafes closed. People are asked to enforce 'social distancing'. Large gatherings are not permitted. Travel within Europe and between Europe and the US are banned.

Older people especially are at risk and asked to stay home.

On my side, sadly half of my face is paralysed. The Doctor said that it could be triggered by stress. So I am now taking steroids (again) to calm the nerves. This is the third time this happened to me.. eugh.. hoping it goes back to normal in the coming weeks.

On the positive side: there is less pollution in the air, less planes flying, less cars travelling... more people exercising and actually communicating with each other.. Families get closer together...