David's Diary: Thursday, October 11, 2001

Allen Turns Six

Today we celebrate our fourth birthday since we left Vancouver. Allen turned six and he started the day with a traditional French breakfast. Fresh bread with jam, a croissant, and hot chocolate got the day going.

School is in today, so while Allen would have preferred to have the day off, we spent a busy time completing school work. We are living in a hotel and using the main dining room as our work area. This has worked out well, but we have to keep organized since we have to vacate the dining room by noon. After our morning at school, we had lunch and then checked in on the boat.

In The Mediterranean

In the afternoon, Allen wanted to go to the beach. So we headed off and all went for a swim. The water is about 20C, so it takes some getting used to but is pleasant once you get in. We built sand castles, buried each other in the sand, and goofed around until the setting sun set us on our way back to the hotel.

After Dinner Hugs

Because we were in a hotel, we couldn't cook a special dinner. But Allen just wanted two three-minute eggs as his birthday dinner. We had asked the chef to cook a special French chocolate gateau as Allen's birthday cake and it arrived on the table with six candles to celebrate his birthday. After blowing out the candles, Allen shared his cake with all of us and ended the evening with a cuddle in his Mom's lap. No matter where we go, celebrating birthdays is a family affair.