Written by Though I love all types of animals, baby animals are my favorite. Cute, cuddly, and full of innocence. I had seen an image of a baby giraffe and knew that’s what I wanted to sketch for this prompt. Also, I didn’t have much time, so I needed to choose something I knew how to sketch fairly quickly. Philippe and I arrived in Paris today, and, as usual, didn’t sleep at all on the flight. We were greeted by the family at the airport, complete with a banner that said, “Welcome Charlie & Philippe, We Love You!” It was a fun start to the trip and the excitement was the only thing keeping us awake. Though my understanding of French improves slightly each trip, I still feel a bit like a baby animal every time I arrive. Like I’ve just been born into a perfectly delightful, yet mysterious world with only a bit of instinct to guide me. Come to think of it, I feel a bit like that when it comes to many things in life.
It’s still morning in Paris as I’m typing this, and the morning seems to be passing even more slowly in our current state of sleep deprivation. Our apartment for this trip is being cleaned around lunch and won’t be available until early afternoon. The good news is, I have a bit of time to sketch and write while Philippe catches up with his mom. I don’t feel horribly sleepy, but if we don’t manage a nap this afternoon, we’ll pass out in our plates during dinner. That would be terribly awkward so I’m hoping everything works out to plan. Tonight, we’re going to see our niece so we certainly want to be awake for it. I used to pull many all-nighters in college, as I was always doing all of my projects at the last possible moment. While I’m still a last minute kind of guy, staying awake doesn’t work as well as it did back then. Actually, I’m not particularly sure it worked well back then, but I could do it more easily than I can these days.
Now, I’m mostly just wishing I could rub a genie’s lamp and make a wish to be able to speak French fluently. Or go back in time, like in movies, and tell my littlest self he needs to diligently study and learn the language. When we’re very young, our brains are like soft little sponges, soaking up all knowledge like it’s oxygen. Everything is easy to learn when we’re little tykes, eager and ready for each new piece of information. But, despite my inability to speak French with aplomb, I can stumble through a few sentences and sometimes even in a way that’s understandable. And when whatever I say is not easy to understand, I receive smiles in return for my timid attempts. Of course, simply DOing is always the best way to approach everything. So I’ll just keep right on fumbling my way through French like the littlest of kids and happily enjoy those “that’s so sweet” smiles. After all, as it turns out, baby animals are cute.
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Sweet! It’s funny how a baby giraffe manages to be cute and cuddly even though they’re probably bigger than most of us! Speaking of cute: how about that welcome? Adorable. I pulled one of those all-nighters yesterday, so I’m also angling for a nap. Fingers crossed – and have fun!
Thanks, Jacob! 😃💕I know!! Giraffes still manage to be adorable while towering above us all! Hope you get a nap soon my friend! hehe
Sweet giraffe!!! Such a wonderful reception for you and Phillips!!! Enjoy every minute of your visit and hope you are a
able to work a short nap into the schedule.
Thanks so much, Mary! 😃💕 hehe… we only got the one nap in, but slept all last night well, so we’re slowly getting back on schedule.
Ta girafe est mignonne! Un essai magnifique, comme toujours. Bonne sieste! This french comes courtesy of Google Translate, lol.
Merci beaucoup, Sandra! 😃💕hihi! Most of my French comes courtesy of Google translate, which probably explains all of the incoherent stares! lol
What a wonderful welcoming. Envious of your travels. Are you still upright? I wouldn’t have been as soon as I walked off the plane. No sleeping on planes for me. I need to be awake, in case something happens (yeah, like I would be able to take over…hahaha!) Funny, I chose a baby giraffe too. Great minds!
Yay! Great minds indeed! Giraffes are the cutest! 😃💕 I love painting them. And yes, I weirdly manage to stay awake for everything here, but I do feel a bit odd at times during the first few days. lol
Giraffes are quite gangly as babies, very cute. I’m not sure what baby I’m doing yet. I’m behind as I’ve been doing other painting then in a car which is not condusive with painting. Then we were at a 60th party so all I could do was sketch my TV and hope I’ll catch up tomorrow. Perhaps I should do a quick pen and ink one! Enjoy your family time.
Thanks, Eve! 😃💕 You should always do a quick sketch any time you can! hehe… it’s just fun! And yeah, I’m sketching at the oddest of times and writing posts around midnight while here in Paris. Weirdly, they post around the same time that way, though, so it works! hehe
Adorable baby giraffe! I used to pull all-nighters in my teens and twenties – I could stay up all night doing school work, continue through the next day awake, and even go out and party the next night. Now, if I don’t sleep at least 5 hours, I’m a wreck the next day. I used to say “You can sleep when you’re old” and laugh, never imagining that such a time would actually arrive. I’m not laughing anymore!
Thanks so much, Sharon! 😃💕 Love it! hehe… yeah, I said the same thing. Now? I need my sleep!! lol Funny how times change. 😉
Cute! As to the sleep thing, I seem to have over the last couple of years found myself with a bad case of age related insomnia. It stinks. I used to be an eight hour plus kind of gal, now I’m happy to get five.
Thanks, Lisa! 😃💕 Yeah, I can relate to that. I’m at 6 hours, at least consecutively, but if I take after my mother, that will probably reduce to 5 in the next few years.
me too I use to wonder why they were caged up and us free….I guess that is the wild animal park.
Yeah, I think undomesticated animals are better off free to roam about, but I’m equally thankful for the good zoos and parks that are preserving the endangered ones. 🙂
Good point.
Cute baby . N milk bottle in his mouth .
Looks pretty.nice story 2.
Thanks so much, Snehlata! 😃💕 Glad you enjoyed this one my friend!
Charlie says, “I’m mostly just wishing I could rub a genie’s lamp and make a wish …”
Already part of your wish has come true. That banner was a lovely hello.
The giraffe is precious and you are very brave. It helps to be surrounded by a loving
family, but even then it takes a special person to create beautiful memories though
language could have been a barrier. It just further proves the power of your personality
and the bounty of your blessings in the family that you married..
That is such a sweet thing to say! Thank you, Sarah! 😃💕Big hugs to you! I do hope my personality shines through the little words I can stutter as we go. I still seem to be making a nice impression I think. 😊
Sweet giraffe. Love the way you added the baby bottle. What a wonderful welcome. Enjoy your stay in France.
Thanks so much, June! 😃💕 Glad you liked my baby giraffe. I do feel a bit like a baby here… hehe… guess it just keeps me young! lol
Love you cute giraffe,i’m learning French to at home with a book from the library,it isn’t easy language to speak.
Have a wonderful staying in Paris there a lot of nice things to visit as the museums.Le cuisine excellente aussi many more.
Merci beaucoup, Fatima! 😃💕 French is indeed a tough language to speak. Far easier to read… I constantly struggle to pronounce anything correctly, or each in a way I can be understood! hehe
love the giraffe and so amazing that you can do so quickly and easily. Thinking of how wonderful it would be to arrive to that sweet sign! <3 You are going to have a wonderful time! ENJOY!
Thanks so much, Jodi! 😃💕You’re so sweet! I wish I were more consistent, but it varies with my quick sketches… hehe… turns out I’m painted lots of giraffes so this one was easier! lol And we’re having a fabulous time here! It’s so wonderful to be reunited with family and friends! ❤️
Charlie, I love your giraffe! He is so cute and has a great deal of personality . I look forward to your sketches every morning. Have fun in Paris but not so much that you don’t sketch, okay?
hehe! I couldn’t skip sketching if I tried! 😉 Though some may be lightening quick as the plans can come fast and furious with all the friends and family we happily to get to see while we’re here. It’s very fun!
Yes they are cute
Glad you agree! 😉
I also love small animals very much. They are so cute and relentless. And still very interesting to everything new! It’s a miracle as children of people and animals get to know the world! I want to learn to rejoice at every moment in life and be grateful if possible! Children’s spontaneity and leisurely is what I want to achieve
That’s awesome! I so agree! 😃💕 I think getting back to that childlike spirit is the most creative thing we can ever hope to achieve in life!
I love baby giraffe’s, they look so gentle and sweet.
Me too! 😃💕 I love giraffes in general as well… hehe… they are beautiful creatures!