Friday, April 13, 2012

Ringing in my 27th year

That's right, today is my birthday. Although, in the country where I was born, it is no longer my birthday. All very confusing. Since we've only been in France for a couple of months, organising a party seemed a little overboard - plus it's 27. It's one of those years that no one makes a big fuss of. Can't do nothing though. Must have standards. Must at least have cake...

Decided I wanted lemon cake. Don't have much of a sweet tooth so a whole cake of chocolate is too much for our little household of 3 and a half. Begged and borrowed till I found a recipe, then got it a bit wrong, but seemed to turn out just fine. Couldn't be sure, of course, until I tried it, and couldn't do that till I had some guests to feed. Invited my coffee group girls over, without telling anyone it was my birthday (wouldn't want anyone to rush out and buy a present just so that I had someone to share my cake with!) and they all oohed and aahed appropriately.

Success!

Was/is just as good as it looks.
(Couldn't taste the baking powder I used instead of baking soda - not at all!)

All ready for coffee group girls! 
Thanks to Michelle for delicious recipe. I had no icing sugar so instead doused the thing with lemon juice and sugar, then added pretty star sprinkles I found at the supermarket (where I could have bought icing sugar, I suppose, but it's good without).

Technically, my birthday in NZ is the real birthday, I suppose, so a few pictures from yesterday...
Sometimes, Louis' hat hair really is a highlight of my day.

Table legs. Tehe.

Actually rung in my birthday in a sad way - up half the night, itchy and miserable. But things got better with the light of day, and crepes! Luuk made us fresh crepes for breakfast, and then I got a birthday card signed in all the different crayon colours, from my two boys, and a book...

An essential part of my education, apparently. Somehow I avoided Asterix throughout my childhood. Now I get it in French (as it should be, some would say).

After Louis' morning nap, we had a few important errands: getting ready to visit prefecture tomorrow and put in application for my resident's card, so that I can stay in the country. Got passport photos of Louis - first photo was perfect! Amazing. Last time we did passport photos of him he was just a couple of weeks old and we took 80 photos trying to get it right.

Returned home with a ticked-off shopping/errands list and had yummy sandwich for lunch.
Hot chicken and avocado. So good.

Louis had a nap and I tidied up the more appalling of our messes before coffee group.

Tonight Luuk and I are going out for a fancy schmancy dinner in Paris, and Louis is staying in with the babysitter.

Photos of that to come, of course. But before I sign off, the other thing about birthdays: presents! Mum and Dad wanted to give us something for our bare walls and I picked out this poster while Dad was visiting.

Got it framed in time for actual birthday. 
It's a 'plan de la ville' (a map of the city) of old Paris. Very cool and interesting.

Birthday money this year is going towards a few cute tshirts to cover my increasing belly, and DVDs of some of my favourites: Elizabeth Gaskell's 'North and South', 'Cranford' and 'Wives and Daughters', and the BBC tv series 'Doc Martin' which Luuk and I whipped through like the tv addicts we are. Aren't I spoiled. And it's only just begun. The restaurant I picked out for dinner, Le Baudelaire, lists truffle on its menu more times than any other menu I've read. Always wanted to try truffle.

Will report back on actual experience, accompanied no doubt by photos of Paris at night (sigh, pretty lights) soon.

3 comments:

  1. If it's your 27th birthday you're actually ringing in your 28th year... Enjoy :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds like a very happy birthday. Even if it's not a milestone year, I'll bet it'll be one of the best remembered.

    ReplyDelete