Sss-sss-sss-Summer, 2011.

I'm not exaggerating: I haven't been on this blog in so long that I forgot how to log-in. I had to go to another chat forum, view my signature, to see the link to my blog.

But enough with the mea culpas about not posting in forever. You're either a blogger or you're not. I'm not. But let's get to it anyway. I write to you tonight from Normandie, chez Brice (mes in-laws). We're back from a 3 week trip to the States. Hubbie is working in Paris, kids are seaside with grandparents. Meanwhile, I house sit, cat sit (awww... Jitske), and pick tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries when nobody is looking (because guess what? nobody is around to look). I also have a substantial amount of work to catch up on and the down time has been incredible. I've resurrected my running "career" by committing to tracking my time/distance/calories via RunKeeper (a game changer for me, I welcome Big Brother on this.) I've relished the time alone, and have watched movies, internet surfed like it ain't nobody's business, and drank back-to-back Leffe bears. I mean beers.

I do miss my RC, though. I've been trolling (is that a word? yes, but not the one I meant). Try this: trawling through old photos and videos of my little ones, falling in love all over again with the babies that they once were, remembering how much I forgot. Grateful for the video footage and regretful that I hadn't taken more. Seeing who they are now, in who they were back then. I've been away from them for 1.5 weeks now. As Patsy Cline once belted out, I need to get back in baby's arms (wait a minute, reverse that). R celebrated his 3rd birthday in July, and C celebrated her 5th two days later. My heart sags a little when I think about. (yearn).

R gives a good blow.

C in birthday princess ensemble.

We had a fantastic visit to the States this summer. We limited our trip to upstate NY, mostly a family visit, avoiding the hot, stinky weather of NYC. Managed to see: Ali, Gwen, Amy, Jodi & Chris (and the triplets!) and Lauren (yeah! for making the trip from NOLA to join us in the Adirondacks). (I retell a story here- it's really Lauren's story to tell but she'll forgive me- when she told a co-worker in New Orleans that she was going to the Adirondacks for a few days, her colleague asked her, un-ironically, "Does that have anything to do with Adirondack chairs?" As if!

We lived large in the Adirondacks, and by that I mean we ate ice cream every night. We attended my XXth high school reunion, visited the Hancock Shaker Village, and best of all: spent hours poolside and jumping on a trampoline with Aunt Jen and Uncle Larry, and our cousins "Rouge" and Nate-Nate. See for yourself:

3 Hamilton women; 2 of them 1/2 nude.

cousin Nate-Nate is King of the World (or at least of Lake Luzerne)

Lau and Jill on a boat, as we do.

cousins: reunited and it feels so good

the curious incident of the fish in the day-time

Aunt Jen before an old Shaker barn.

They were out of vanilla so strawberry had to do.

morning mirror image.

Adirondack chairs doing what they do best.