One of the many things the french do well, are school holidays. They should, after all there are enough of them.  A two month summer break, ten days in October, another two weeks at Christmas, don't forget the February break that enables everyone to dose up on the must-do winter ski.  Of course the year wouldn't be complete without a holiday for Paques, (Easter) when the church bells go silent for four days only to start ringing loud on Easter Sunday when they suppossedly deliver chocolate eggs to children across the country.

What's one to do to entertain children for what amounts to 15-16 weeks a year when they aren't in school?  Ship them to the countryside to the grandparents as is the case with a lot of french families?  Could do. If they lived in the same country. Logistics get in the way though, it's not so easy to put them on the TGV to Connecticut, nor to the dry red soil of outback Australia. 

Instead, it means a lot of time for extra cuddles.  We do sleepovers, have photos taken with strangers who dress as oversized stuffed animals, bake things with odd names likes 'snickerdoodles' and sign up for ateliers  (workshops). 

This week was all about Calder and his movement in sculpture and mobiles. A little bit about the man himself, and a lot of free thinking creativity and interpretation by a gorgeous little group of seven year olds.  This was the finished product that we now proudly display chez nous.