Chanukah

Raphael learns the letters and the rules for playing dreidel.

The blessing

Halloween and folk music

 Raphael making a mask at Olwen's Halloween-themed birthday party.

Lucas, Raphael, Olwen, and Neven and the "citrouilles"

Raphael makes the same disgusted face his father did 10 years ago, when he carved his first pumpkin.

After listening to Peter, Paul and Mary's "If I Had a Hammer,"  Raphael, unprompted, tries out his own version of "Pierre, Paul et Marie."  His debut single is titled, "When I Will Have a Hammer at Night."  We admit that his lyric writing needs some work, especially toward the end of the song he really loses momentum. (A carrot? Seriously. Come on, Raph.  What are you, 3?). 
 Then again, maybe it's a French thing.   The "real" French version of The Hammer Song really is just one step above "carrot."  Desolee Claude Francois

Summer Vacation Part 3: Salvages with the Gauberts

Hungry

Viaduc du Millau

off to the market

Ice cream!

Hike up to a chateau

Summer Vacation Part 2: Orcines

Raphie helps out in the garden

Hiking and crossing a flock of sheep

Post staircase smile before the fatigue sets in

Obligatory family picture in front of the Puy de Dome

Spot where Raphael confuses llamas with rabbits

"Fishing"

Train ride up to the top of the Puy de Dome

The mountain air makes Raphael hungry.  His first taste of a trouffade was a success.

Paddle boat: A good idea for about 3 minutes.

Future handyman

Picnic and a "cookie sandwich."

Summer Vacation Part 1: Canada and Schroon Lake

Elie's tearful departure

A quick stop on our early morning walk and coffee run

Batman videos on YouTube

Midnight Julep run

Mmmmmmm...julep

Help!

Raphie's impromptu cake in Schroon Lake

Raphael's impromptu dental exam in Schroon Lake.

Creperie Au Tournesol - 25 years later.  We're pretty sure it was the same lady making the crepes.

Raphael does not protest that he has mozzarella instead of emmental in his crepe.

European Vacation

We started our trip in Venice. Raphie seems to have grown some hair since our last visit. We got to see Tanja, Nicolo, and Nevena. We stopped quickly in Trieste on the way to Slovenia. Ljubljana a quick bike ride in Bled a healthy lunch (the local specialty is cream cake) Slurping the last drops of Slovenia as Vienna waits for us. The Opera House. Raphael is disappointed to learn that Herbert von Karajan is "retired." A quick stop in Bratislava (with Daniel and Brigitta, who hosted us in Vienna) Communist-era tramways do not appear to interest Raphael Daniel and Brigitta's Communist-era car is, however, slightly more interesting I will be petitioning to rename the song The Gray Danube (Linz, Austria). Signatures, anybody? Salzburg - before Raphael started to whine that he wanted to go in the car and sleep Raphael napped from Salzburg, through Germany and his mother's screaming about going too fast on the Autobahn, only to wake up just in time to whine he was hungry for lunch. After a picnic, the boys relax in Innsbruck. Yes, that's the ski jump in the background. As could be expected, there wasn't much to see in Liechtenstein. Our last stop was Zurich, before heading back to France.