We're in that funky time in between summer and fall, where the day's weather is a mystery only solved by checking the forecast each morning, and you're not quite sure if it's still too early to put chili and soup on the regular dinner rotation or wait another month. While waiting for solid signs of persisting cooler temps, we've been sticking to spending our days indoors, setting up some semblance of a routine and working on some milestones. I'm so excited for the change of season, and honestly can't wait for Loden to become a little more mobile; he's such a heavy baby, it's a struggle for me to keep him strapped in a carrier for long and he's easily bored with those lame stroller views. I can't say enough how different my two babies have been!

So, here's what chez nous has been looking like lately while we wait for fall to arrive. 

Without a doubt, the worst thing about a trip to Paris is leaving. Saying goodbye to some of her favorite people is something Avienne is starting to get used to. She understands that we live in a large world and far away from family, but it doesn't stop her from asking why Nana has to stay in France or why Tata can't come with us back to Texas. It's always heartbreaking and never seems fair, but we explain as best as we can and try to remind her throughout the visit to make every moment count. 

The thing about vacationing in Paris is that we spend a large part of our time catching up with friends and family that we don't always have time to completely enjoy some of our favorite parts of the city. We usually stay with family just outside the périphérique and spend a good deal of time in the car going around to see people and getting back to the suburbs for moments in-between. So, this time around, we decided to stay in a hotel right in the middle of Paris instead of outside the city center with family. This way, we were really able to take advantage of our down time by catching up with our people in Paris and being a short metro ride away from the home-base (which turned out to be really convenient at nap time). 

It's hard to believe we're already 2 weeks into a new year! After two consecutive Christmases spent stateside, we headed to Paris this year for the holiday. It was a short but sweet whirlwind of a trip, and we left with full bellies, hearts and an extra checked luggage. Avienne is at the age where she actually grasps the idea of Christmas, so it was really fun to introduce some of my and Gui's favorite traditions with her this year. 

We had our fill of all the traditional and seasonal French fare, including foie gras, cheese, buche de noel and of course way too much champagne. I really enjoyed not having an agenda for the trip, focusing instead on spending as much time as possible with family and relaxing whenever possible. Avienne played lots of games, baked cakes and indulged in so many goodies, it was hard to convince her to get on the plane back home! 

We were able to catch up with some friends we hadn't seen for a good while, and the weather was so mild for December that we were able to spend a day out at the local Christmas market and a bit of time at the enchanting park where Amelie was filmed (that swan!). Paris is truly magical this time of year, and I know we're all pretty grateful that we get to bask in its magic from time to time.