Now that we’re in July Emily and I are going to do something different on MOT, that’s MaustsOnToast for the uninitiated. That’s right, each and every day in July we’re going to blog. I’m starting us off on July 1 and Emily will take July 2 and we’ll continue (hopefully) alternating through the end of the month. Here goes July…

I just got back from a pub in downtown Chambery where some fellas from school got together to watch the Euro Cup final, Spain vs. Italy. We were supposed to play soccer today but that got called off because of the rain. The next best thing was to watch the pro’s do their thing. From where we live it was about a 4 mile bike ride to the pub. We live just north of the main city, but since our school is in Chambery, we’re used to doing a little bit of a commute to get to things. While riding through the main park in the city I noticed that someone had pitched a tent on the edge of the green. A homeless person? Not really homeless if you have a tent, eh? Maybe that’s why the politically correct term for the homeless in French is personne sans domicile fixe, person without a fixed abode.

The rest of today was a rather normal Sunday. Church in the morning with lunch and a snooze at Granny and Grandad’s afterwards–except neither Poppy nor Henry had a nap. Those two really fight the sleep. What is it? We think with Poppy it might be that her little brain is just going so fast with things to do that she doesn’t want to risk not being able to do them all. Missing a nap, however, proves disastrous in the evening, around bath time and going night-night time. Such evenings are graced with shrill screams and loud “No’s!”. It’s a reminder that children don’t know what they need and that parents just have to strive to do the best they can.

Friday and Saturday of the weekend were particularly fun as Poppy and I got to go camping with Granny and Grandad by the lake. And not just any lake but the largest natural lake in France. It’s only about 10 mins drive from our house, thus making it the perfect location for Poppy’s first camping outing.

One rather unfortunate aspect of the camping trip was that open fires were not permitted on the campground. No campfire!? Maybe that’s because they’re not accustomed to making s’mores. What’s more, when we checked in, the camp manager asked us if we wanted a spot with electricity. Electricity! That’s not camping!

I have exceptionally fond memories of camping as a boy. It no doubt helped kindle in me a love of the outdoors. I appreciate my dad risking taking two young boys camping. It was totally worth it, Dad. Thank you! I once rode my bike into our campfire. Another time I fell on a hot lantern–I’ve got a scar on my knee to prove it. Scars notwithstanding, the wonderful memories run deeper. I hope I’m as willing and able as a parent to give my kids such great experiences. At the moment, I feel like I spend a lot of time saying No, but telling Poppy that the decisions I make for her are for her joy. Anyways, Poppy did wonderfully camping and I would have no reservations about going again with her–except that next time we must find somewhere a little bit more rough, perhaps even up on the mountains. Maybe then Henry could come too, a true family camping trip. Haste the day!