First, before explaining today’s title and photo, let me just throw out a question. What is it about people visiting us who think they must sneak out of town before the crack of dawn? Last month my parents left Nantes at around 5am, and today Brenda, Greg & Perrin did about the same. Are we so embarrassing that people need to depart under the cover of darkness? On top of that, Greg had to leave with some kind of stomach ailment. So not only are our guests making a break for it before the sun rises, some are getting sick in the process.

Fair warning to the rest of you who have thought about a visit…

Okay. So last week Chloe went to significant effort to prepare a way for Perrin to make a “gingerbread” house. She bought large cookies to act as the gingerbread, as well as a variety of candies and sugars for decoration purposes. Along with Ella and a series of adults, they spent an afternoon building their city which they aptly titled, in honor of Seattle’s “Candy Cane Lane, “ “La Ville de Sucre d’Orge.” The translation of this, assuming we got it right, is “Candy Cane City.”

Yes, I know, there are not any candy canes in the city. Stop being so picky. I haven’t seen a candy cane in any of the stores. Chocolate of all holiday kinds, yes. Candy canes, no.