The Ricksalicious Life

Orbeez: The New Moon Sand

2011-10-11T14:48:00.001-07:00

Okay, so you know those toys you hate and your kids love?

Here's a list:

Moon Sand, Play-dough, Anything Noisy, Things They Get In Party Gift Bags That End Up All Over The House.

You know what I mean. And the list goes on and on.

Here's a new one for the list: Orbeez. Max saw some at school and HAD TO HAVE THEM. We looked around, and couldn't find them anywhere but Big Lots, which should have been my first clue. They are these little granules that come in packets and then enlarge when put in water into these Boba sized balls that I am desperately trying to keep from ending up all over my house. But the kids LOVE THEM. I mean, like play with them for a half hour with no fighting love them. So, I guess I am mildly recommending them?

Wait, did I just say that?

I do have to admit they are kind of pretty suspended in a glass of water.

I'm a sucker for aesthetics. If only Moon Sand was so pretty!

Dear Blog,

2011-10-06T09:32:00.000-07:00

Well, hello blog, how have you been?

It's been too long, right?

Well, I was just out on a walk today after having a fluish icky virus for two weeks and took this picture and thought of you. I'm so glad it's fall and that, at least for today, it's sweater weather.

Hope all is well in the blogosphere, and hope to be seeing much more of you soon.

Laura

To Blog or Not To Blog, That Is The Question

2011-08-04T08:06:00.000-07:00

What has happened to me?

Since, like, May.

And before that it had been since March. What happened to that blogger who loved to write every day? To be honest, I'm not exactly sure.

Of course I'm always busy. Of course the kids take up a lot of my time. Of course I'm so lazy that I can't sit at my desktop for a few minutes a day to write something down and since Blogger doesn't work with my iPad, well, you know.

But I miss you, blog. I miss the writing and the daily ruminations. I miss the looking for something to write about, everyday. So, here I go again. And this time I have very few excuses. My kids are both going to be in school all day this year. I think within that time I can find a few minutes to get something down to remind me that life is good and sweet and sometimes hard, but mostly not. And I have a new motivation because my wonderful friend Mirjam is moving off to Europe, and sometimes Facebook just doesn't cut it, you know. She's a wonderful blogger, not the kind that makes you want to throw up in your mouth a little bit when you read about their perfect life, but one that just makes you happy because she reminds you that life is beautiful. A true, rare gift.

So, here I go again, and hopefully this time it will stick.

Doing The Dutch Thing

2011-05-18T05:35:00.000-07:00

We're Back!

We don't have kids with us, and while it was hard to leave them (seriously, what happens to us when we become parents?) I can't help but thing how great it will be to sample some more Dutch cuisine that does not come in a hamburger bun.

Steve and I arrived this morning, which felt like the middle of the night, and checked into our apartment and then I laid down for just a minute and woke up 2 1/2 hours later.

Amsterdammit!

I think I might just barely be able to kick this jet lag thing.

Oh, and then there's this blog lag thing.

I think some photos of some beautiful Dutch architecture will do the trick! Tune in tomorrow (or is that today? Oh, forget it), for more...

Self Portrait

2011-03-01T16:20:00.000-08:00

I was just syncing my iPhone and found this self portrait Max took (without my knowledge). Reminds me a bit of Francis Bacon.

Perhaps we have an artist on our hands?

Dilemma

2011-02-23T15:05:00.000-08:00

Max showing our two drawings of our muse, the porcupine.

I was really looking forward to today because Jack had an after school playdate, which meant I had THE WHOLE DAY TO MYSELF!

Yes!

So I took the kids to school, did a little grocery shopping, went to yoga, and was just bringing in the garbage cans from the curb when my cell phone rang and I saw it was Max's elementary school calling. Well, my first reaction was "oh great, someone's throwing up," so I answered immediately. Instead it was Max telling me that he had a field trip today and needed more parents to come and wanted to know if I would.

Crap.

I mean, what do you do? I had no excuse other than my own personal interests to keep me home. I even told Max that I would try, but I wasn't sure. My body was weak (it really wanted that nap I had been planning), but the will was strong (Max never asks for anything, ever), so I sucked up my selfishness and went.

We walked to the natural history museum so the kids could sketch the animals. Max and I got to sit together on a bench and sketch a porcupine together, which, really, how often do you get to do that with your children? But really, that wasn't the best part. The best part was when I first got to his classroom and he turned around to see his slacker mother had shown up after all, and his face totally lit up like his favorite rock star had just walked in the room.

After a response like that, I only have one thing to say: Naps are over-rated.

I Think This Takes The Obsession To A Whole New Level

2011-02-17T13:34:00.001-08:00

Steve asked me what I wanted for Valentine's Day, and since I'm trying to lose some weight, my #1 choice, a ton of chocolate (although I did get some chocolate, and ate it all within 24 hours), was out of the question. Flowers? They die too soon, in my opinion. And perfume is usually out because I often don't wear it and have a hard time finding scents that I like. But, while perusing Ebay recently, I saw my dear, dear, Orla Kiely has a new purfume out that is only available in the U.K. I told Steve that was what I really, really wanted, and Steve produced the goods. I was a little bit hesitant to buy since I was going scent unsmelled on this one, but it was exactly what you would think Orla Kiely's fragrance would be, light, clean, slightly floral, and a little earthy. Nothing like a handbag. Even the packaging is perfect.

I love, love, love it.

Now, that's a great Valentine's gift. Score a big one for Steve.

Space Snowman

2011-02-15T14:04:00.000-08:00

Jack was asked to collect some things a while back to make a snowman during art at school. He collected all kinds of stuff from our art drawer, and then went off to school to create. A couple of weeks later I was walking down the hall and saw his snowman, complete with a caption that explained what kind of snowman it is. Of course, since Jack is only in Kindergarten, the words were mostly spelled wrong but if you employ all your phonetic skills, you can figure them out.

Jack's, which was a Space Snowman (the one in the picture above holding the American Flag), said: Im holdin a Amerikan Fag.

P.C.? No. Funny? Yes.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T06:56:00.001-08:00

Last year for Valentine's Day we wandered around art museums and shops in The Marais in Paris. This year we decorated cookies with friends, had a special breakfast, and enjoyed being together.

One of our special Valentine's Day plates we used for breakfast.

Holiday cookie decorating. What I live for.

On the menu: Eggs Benedict, Mango, and Banana. Oh yeah, and chocolate.

A big, red Lego robot. What every five year old boys wants for Valentine's Day.

And even though this year was much less exotic, I have to say, I loved both days just as much because I got to spend them both with these three guys I love more than anyone in the world!

Happy Valentine's Day!

His First Ski Day

2011-02-13T06:54:00.001-08:00

He's definitely got the ski dude attitude down.

Sew What?

2011-02-08T14:58:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me knows I'm not one for the crafting.

That is, until lately.

Trust me, I'm as surprised as anyone.

It all started with my Halloween costume this year. We decided to have a big party, so I figured I had to have a good costume, and I figured if I made it once, I could wear it every year. Really, to be honest, at first I looked to buy a costume, but have you ever seen the adult Halloween costumes available on the open market? Every time I found myself looking I thought I had wandered into the lingerie department. Talk about scary! I never knew that Halloween was a chance to get in touch with your inner stripper. Who knew.
So, I decided to be a witch and I made this hat:

Thanks to Steve for being my anonymous model.

Which made me realize that I needed more than just a crappy dress that cannot be near open flame. So, I went to the local thrift store and looked around in the Halloween section and found that the only selection that would fit me was no better than the Halloween Lingerie department at the local time. Only this time it was used. Eww!
My next step was the women's dresses where I hit the jackpot, a black taffeta bridesmaid's dress, in my size, with an easily detachable bright yellow sash (Can you say bumblebee wedding? Sorry I missed that one).
So, I took it home, and after a lot of swearing and way too much damaged orange satin, came up with this:

Me doing my best America's Next Top Model pose.
Whoever said you couldn't learn anything from reality TV was DEAD WRONG!

And somehow, I had the sewing bug. And now I'm appliqueing t-shirts, scarves, hot water bottle covers. You name it. And I still don't know exactly why.

This is either a really good or really bad sign of my mental state. Your guess as to which is as good as mine, but in the meantime, my kids and their friends are getting their applique on.

Love Notes

2011-01-31T05:48:00.000-08:00

With the start of February just around the corner, I get thinking about Valentine's Day, and in doing so remembered this beautiful love note Jack wrote for me a couple of months ago. Truth be told, I actually remembered it because I found it in a pile of stuff that had accumulated on my desk, and I was so glad I had (inadvertently) saved it.

I remember the day he wrote it he spent quite a few minutes working on it, and then came up and handed it to me and said, as he often does "You're the best Mommy in the whole world," (by the way, it's not true, but I'm glad I've duped him into believing it for the time being). He wanted to write I Love You, but since his writing skills are still developing, he wrote what he knew how to write, "Yes Mom", with a beautiful, sketchy heart. Never before has the word yes been so sincerely felt. I love that guy.

Yes Jack.

You Say It's Your Birthday....

2011-01-28T05:36:00.000-08:00

...Happy Birthday To You, Max!

You've changed a lot in 8 years, but you're still my beautiful baby boy!

I LOVE YOU!

"Hugs!"

2011-01-27T01:41:00.000-08:00

Max and Jack, happy to see each other after school.

One of my favorite moments of every day is when I drop off the boys at school, and not for the obvious reasons. Lately they have begun the habit of yelling "HUGS!" and then giving each other a huge hug before they run off in different directions to their classes.

Seriously, does it get any better than that?

A Cookie The Size Of Your Head

2011-01-26T10:53:00.000-08:00

So, yesterday, Jack finally joined the "Cookie Club" at school, which means he was able to recognize all of the letters of the alphabet, out of order, with no mistakes. I do have to wonder if the reward of a cookie big enough to feed a third world country is the best incentive, but there you are, and he was so excited I didn't worry too much. And, luckily, he was nice enough to share it with a bunch of his friends at dinner last night, which made me feel a little better about the whole thing.

But it makes me wonder, what's he going to get when he passes off all his sight words?

Yes, Laura, There Is A Santa Claus

2010-12-21T17:54:00.001-08:00

The other day I got up totally exhausted from all the Christmas festivities and business and looked on my kitchen counter and saw this:

Okay, like I said in the last post, I cry at EVERYTHING, but this really got to me. A couple of weeks ago Jack was asked to write a letter to Santa as part of his homework, and I figured, hey, why not mail it. Really, I had no idea they have some nice person in the post office mailing stuff back. It was just a form letter, but had Jack's name hand written and a hand written Santa signature, and I thought, like I do every year, why we try to keep the tradition alive. And I guess it got to me specifically because this year Max asked me one day "Mommy, is Santa real"? And guess what I did. I FLAT OUT LIED and said yes. Without hesitation. And I still don't even feel bad about it. And then I wonder why such a blatant lie would cause no guilt at all, and I realized that I want them, so desperately, to believe in Santa. I want them to believe that there really is good in the world, and sometimes we do get stuff just for being good. Even if we're only good once in a while.

And, that, I think is true.

But when I think of this Santa deceit every year, I can't help but think of one of my favorite Christmas stories ever, "The H Street Sledding Record" by Ron Carlson. It reminds me how important it is to keep the dream alive.

Just for some background, I grew up on the very H Street Ron Carlson is talking about in the story, so it has always had special significance to me. But I also adore Ron Carlson, who also grew up in Salt Lake City, and was the Artist For The Schools (or something like that) when I was taking creative writing in high school. I remember just being so in awe that this guy got to WRITE STORIES FOR A LIVING, and remember writing a somewhat mediocre story in an attempt to impress him. But the best part was when I ran into him a couple of years later while I was working at Mrs. Backer's Pastry Shop and he said he remembered a line he liked from my story. I could have died and gone to heaven right then and there. Years later, at a signing, I bought the short story collection, The News of The World, which includes "The H Street Sledding Record," and he signed it for me, saying he remembered me, but I had my suspicions he was only trying to make a sale by that point. Here's the title page:

I love this story because it brought back a lot of childhood nostalgia when I first read it, but now that I have my own kids, it has moved to a whole new level. And so, even though I am probably breaking a million copyright laws by doing so, I scanned it in to share on my blog. Just promise me you won't print it out, photocopy it, and sell it on a street corner somewhere, okay? My kids don't need to grow up visiting me in the state pen. Anyway, if you haven't read it before, here it is (click each page to make them large enough to read).

What can I say, this story just fills me with all kinds of hope.

I hope you enjoy it.

I hope that the legal team at Norton won't shut me down.

And, most of all, I hope you will be doing your own form of shoveling manure on your roof for years to come.

The Nutcracker is Sweet

2010-12-19T07:41:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up still on a Christmas high, and totally exhausted, from our visit to Salt Lake for the Nutcracker, including a backstage visit to see the dancers and sets, a carriage ride around Temple Square to see the lights and sing carols, and a dinner at The Roof restaurant overlooking downtown Salt Lake and the beautiful Christmas lights.It was a beautiful night, and so nostalgic for me. I spent many Christmases going to the Ballet West production of The Nutcracker, and was really excited to take the boys for the first time, but I was totally unprepared for my reaction. I have admitted that I cry at just about anything, but I started to tear up as soon as I walked into the doors of the Capitol Theater, and then had to hold back the tears through about the whole first half of the ballet, watching the boys rapt faces as they watched the magical moments of The Mouse King, The Snow Queen, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and, the favorites, Mother Buffoon and The Russian Dancers. Thanks to Alison for having the idea to go and make a day of it. Here's a few (bad) photos taken with iPhones since we forgot our camera.

I love the Capitol Theater. So beautiful.

Steve and Max gearing up for the show.

Jack was getting excited for the show to start...

...Ivy was too.

Cha Cha, Me and Max waiting to hear those opening notes of the overture.

Scenes from the production. Stolen from the Internet.

At the Sugar Plum Fairy Party after the show the kids got to see the dancers, eat some treats, have their picture taken with some of the cast, watch a magician, see some of the sets on the stage, and get their very own nutcracker ornament. The best $5 I've spent in a LONG time.

Zoe and Ivy on the train after the show.

Me, Jack, Alison and Ivy on a very bumpy carriage ride around Temple Square.

The view from our table at the restaurant. Also stolen from the Interweb.

Alison in the glow of the Salt Lake Temple from The Roof restaurant. I cropped myself out of this one because I looked as tired as I felt.

Such a wonderful night, and such a great addition to our Christmas season. Even thought I never in a million years wanted to end up in Utah, I am so glad I get to share these childhood traditions to my kids and friends. To me, that's what Christmas is all about.

Another One Of Those Sappy Song Dedications

2010-12-13T13:42:00.000-08:00

One day I was just folding the laundry listening to my iPod when this song came on. Not a strange occurrence if, a) I had of downloaded it myself, and b) if it wasn't one of my long, lost favorite songs. And Steve downloaded it on there without telling me, and without knowing it was one of my favorite, long lost songs. Such a pleasant surprise. Seriously, is there a better, more joyful love song out there? And it reminds me of Steve, and not only because of his covert downloading of it on my iPod. I'll leave it at that so you don't have to deal with too much sap.

Really, try to forgive Phil Collins for all that stuff he did in the eighties, and give it a listen.

Michelle & Cindy

2010-12-12T05:22:00.000-08:00

When Alison and I went to Seattle in October an amazing thing happened.

We were shopping in the Free People store, and I was trying on a great skirt and sweater, and when I walked out of the dressing room to show Alison, I looked over and there was another woman trying on the exact same thing. We both laughed and got to talking and it turned out that this other woman was on a girls trip with her friend as well, and they both had two kids each, and were out to have some kid-free fun. Well, after a few minutes talking like we had all been friends forever, we decided that we had to take advantage of the coincidence and decided to hang out. Thus our weekend in Seattle with Michelle and Cindy began.

We got lost in the International District looking for an awesome restaurant recommended to my by my friend Lara who used to live in Seattle, and then spent time kicking around the Fremont Market with them. It was so much fun, and such a great chance to meet two cool new friends.

A belated thanks for the great weekend Michelle and Cindy!

Jingle Bells or My House on A Tuesday Afternoon

2010-12-02T05:58:00.000-08:00

The holidays are coming, you can feel it in the cold, winter air, the Christmas lights, the busy stores, and all the baked goods and chocolate that seem to be mysteriously making their way into my kitchen (okay, I may have something to do with that). But the true sign of Christmas, above any other, is hyper kids (okay, the chocolate and baked goods may have something to do with that). Here's what a bunch of them look like at my house on a Tuesday afternoon:

Happy Holidays!

Amsterdammit!

2010-11-29T07:41:00.000-08:00

When I was living in London I saw a black cab with an Amsterdam ad on the side that said "Amsterdammit!," and I've been wanting to use it ever since. And now, ten years later, my time has finally come.

I guess I'm just doing some catch up with all we did in the past year, and I realized that I totally missed our time in Amsterdam. So sad, considering that Amsterdam is my favorite city in all the world. A new addition since my last visit was the Iamsterdam sign on the Museumplein. Not only is it clever, it looks cool and was a great place for the kids to play. Well, that and the half pipe where they made quite a few new Dutch friends.

I was surprised how much fun Amsterdam was with the kids. I had only ever been there with grown-ups before, but there was a ton of fun for kids (including a great play center called Tun Fun). Steve and I are planning on returning this spring for a performance of one of his pieces, and while I am looking forward to going to nice restaurants and staying up late (as well as sleeping in a bit), I will miss the bike rides in the Vondelpark and hanging out on the Museumplein with Max and Jack.

Well, maybe just a little bit.

It's So Funny, How I Don't Blog Anymore...

2010-11-28T18:03:00.000-08:00

Oh, the reasons, there are many, including a stressful summer (more about that in a minute), school starting, a Halloween party that pretty much took over my life for, like, a month, and then 23 people for Thanksgiving, and now that whole Christmas thing lurking over my shoulder.

Whew!

So, I want to be back at it. I want to share. Even if you'd rather not read what I have to share. So there you go. It's all about me, I guess.

So, back to my stressful summer. I just want to get it out there, be done with it, move on. Basically, I had some health concerns while we were living in France last year. I would have these strange muscle spasms and, for the first time in my life, was dealing with anxiety at an almost debilitating level. I was still functioning and getting everything done that I had to do, but I would wake up at night with a racing heartbeat and fear of nothing and everything at the same time. It wasn't pretty. But I love Paris, and the students, and our experience there, and I chalked up the aches and pains and panic attacks to a absolutely crazy year.

For those of you just joining us, let's recap what I experienced in the span of about 9 months or so. First, we FINALLY finished building our house, and let me tell you, building a house has been one of the most trying experiences of my life. And one of the most amazing opportunities. But the time August rolled around and the moving trucks pulled up with the last boxes, I was spent. And just a month before that we found out we were going to be moving to Paris for a few months, which was amazing, but, as you can imagine, a little stressful. I tried to do too much, and the fall was filled with me running from one place to the next trying to fit in my regular life stuff with additional French classes and getting our house organized and then packed up to leave again.

Oh, and then there was the pneumonia. So much fun. And almost a year ago to the day we were taking off to San Francisco to get our French visas, with me still on antibiotics, Max getting over the stomach flu, and all of us limping along feeling things had to get better.

They did, and Paris was also one of the most trying times of my life and one of the greatest opportunities. Seems to be a running theme here.

Anyway, back to the health issues. I got back home and decided that if I didn't feel better I was going to go see my doctor and find out what might be up. Well, she ran some tests, and they came back "funny," (and I don't mean ha ha), so she said to wait 8 weeks and then take them again. So, two months of worry and then I took them again, and they still came back SLIGHTLY POSITIVE (whatever that means) and she wanted me to see a specialist. Well, to make a long story even longer, I had to wait for over two months to get into see a rheumetologist, and when I finally did, guess what? He wanted to run more tests. So, three more weeks of waiting.

Needless to say, I've learned a lot about patience in the past year.

Finally, the day came to get my FINAL ANSWER on the tests, and I knew they feared I had Lupus, which is a terrible and debilitating disease. Steve and I went to see the doctor together, and he told us that I didn't have Lupus (big sigh of relief), but he ran a genetic test on a hunch, and found out I have a genetic disorder that causes me to have a type of arthritis called Ankylosing Spondylitis that I've probably been suffering from since my late 20's or early 30's. And it could be treated with simple anti-inflammatory. I never thought I'd be happy the hear I have arthritis, but I was overjoyed to find out what the problem really was and that it could be treated.

So, after my diagnosis, thing have been looking much better. I am actually seeing some huge improvements in my neck and shoulders that I thought were just the ABC's of being me, but have almost disappeared due to the medication I'm taking. And while I do feel a bit geriatric taking arthritis medication, I'm feeling better than I have in years.

So there. That's the reason. Really, I just didn't want to talk about it, but now I have and, luckily, things weren't too serious, and I can move on. I do have to say thank you to all my friends and family who were a support to me while I was going through the hellish waiting this summer. I couldn't have done it without you.

So, look for more posts, I am planning to make them as often as possible, hopefully every day before long. I really do miss acknowledging the simple, beautiful things in my life, like the paper star I started this post with.

I bought them 10 years ago in a outdoor market in York, in the United Kingdom, and I love them, and have made them a part of my Christmas decorations every year. They make me happy, like so many other simple things in my amazing life.

And I just wanted to share.

And I want to share much more in the many days to come.

Sleeping in Seattle

2010-10-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is about my birthday, but it always makes me want to get out of town. So, this year, I went to Seattle with my wonderful friend Alison, and it was just about the best birthday trip ever. We chose Seattle because it was the cheapest flight we could get to a place Alison had never been, but it was such a good choice. It had been over 15 years since I had been, and I forgot how much I love it. After my first visit back in the 90's I was ready to move there, and even applied for a few jobs (which didn't pan out), so I guess it just wasn't in the cards. But luckily I can still visit, eat fantastic food, and shop to my heart's content. Check it out.

My birthday breakfast, Eggs Benedict with crab and avocado. Great way to start the celebration.

Signs of fall in the city.

On the ferry to Banbridge Island (a.k.a obligatory tourist shot).

Lunch at the Streamliner Diner.

Wall of gum at the Market Theater in Post Alley.

It had to be done.

Pike Place.

Shopping is F-U-N.

The craziest balloon animal maker I've ever seen. Seriously, click this image to enlarge to see what I mean.

Table of tags from a million past gas station workers. And, amazingly, no Max in the bunch.

Nature's perfect food, falafel. Not quite as good as it was in Paris, but the best I've had in the US.

Happy Birthday to me!

Why I Became A Mother

2010-10-06T06:48:00.001-07:00

When I decided to have children, my main motivation wasn't because I had a lot to offer, or that I thought I could raise human beings that could add something to the world.

It was because I wanted to make holiday cookies.

Seriously.

I just love making holiday cookies, and the coming of Halloween welcomes my favorite time of the year. That means lots of get togethers with friends to decorate baked goods. And it started yesterday.

So, maybe I do have a lot (of baked goods) to offer, and who ever said that decorating cookies doesn't make better human beings to add something to the world?

Nothing's Gonna Change My World

2010-10-05T11:20:00.000-07:00

I'll admit, I've had a lot on my mind lately. Mostly I've been thinking about how much I love my life and how, right now, it seems absolutely perfect. And I never want anything to change that. And then I heard this song yesterday and realized that nothing ever will:

Curves and Cow Heads

2010-09-30T00:17:00.000-07:00

My friend Susannah left for Paris yesterday. She and her family are there while her husband teaches at a University there, and it's brought back a lot of memories, and I think for the first time since we got home I actually am missing Paris. Not that it wasn't a completely amazing experience, but after last year (which, to remind you, included building a house, a bad case of pnemonia, as well as moving my whole family overseas) it's been nice to be home. I'm loving my new labeler and organizing closets.

I know, nothing like life in the fast lane.

But I have to say that it feels good to be nostalgic. I feel like our time in Europe was such a whirlwind, especially the end when we left Paris and then spent ten days in London and two weeks in Amsterdam. It was wonderful, but left me overwhelmed in the blogging department. So, expect a little catch up in the next few weeks, starting with today.

I really did learn a lot about beauty and art in Paris because it surrounds you there, and thinking of this brought me back to one of the most beautiful things I saw during my time there.

I was at a tourist shop with my sister Angela when she visited and I was waiting outside on the corner while she made her selections. I had walked down the street a million times, but I had never stopped on this particular corner and taken a look around. I spied what looked like an building from a movie set at the end of the street and, after my sister was done, we went to check it out.

Turns out it was one of the best examples of Art Nouveau architecture in Paris, so I had to snap some photos:

Every little detail of this building was a piece of art in and of itself. The doorway was so beautiful I could have just studied it's details all day.

One of my favorite parts of Art Nouveau is the weird assymetry and whimsy. Like the oval shaped window thrown in randomly (behind the tree). It just made this example over the top. As I was taking the photos an American tourist couple stopped to see what I was doing. I explained that this was the most stunning example of Art Nouveau architecture I had ever seen. The woman said it reminded her of Gaudi, and then added "And it certainally is GAUDY, isn't it?" Ugly Americans. Even when they're cultured enough to know who Gaudi is, they have to go ruin it by making a stupid comment. Whatever.

I especially loved the color in this building. Next to all the monochromatic gray Haussmann buildings in our neighborhood, it stuck out like a really beautiful sore thumb.

Curves and Cow Heads. Both should be required in all buildings in my opinion.

Even the artist's signature was beautiful. And this guy deserved credit for this masterpiece.

So, I wanted to share. Despite all it's haughtiness, Paris is truly one of the most beautiful places on earth. And I was so lucky to be there, even if it added to the absolute craziness of my year.

And I really am terribly jealous of Susannah.

Is that so wrong?

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

2010-08-09T12:46:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have been away for a while. Why, you may ask, well many reasons, so I'll give you a list:

Blogging Burnout: Seriously, you try living in Europe for a few months and blog about ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING, and you'll see what I mean.

Kernel Panic: So, as soon as we got back from Europe, my laptop kept having what, in the computer geek world, they call a kernel panic. It would just shut down for no reason, then not let me start up again and put me in a perpetual loop with this lovely image:

You know when Apple starts giving you warnings in several languages your computer's days are numbered. I took my dear, sweet laptop into the Apple Store a bunch of times (which was no problem, if you remember how I feel about the apple techs), and they finally gave me a shrug and told me it would cost at least $300 to fix. Well, I may have been an English major and no math whiz, but I was able to figure out in no time flat that it was time to upgrade, which leads to the next item on my list...

I Bought An iPad: You know, when these little babies came out I thought it was a great idea, but didn't plan on getting one for a while. I was totally last on the bandwagon with the iPod and iPhone, so I usually take these things slow. But with the threat of having to SIT AT A DESK to check my email looming over me, I decided that now was the time, first generation and all. I have to say, it's great, but not so much for the blogging. I don't have all my photo library at my fingertips all the time, and I often dip into it for my posts. But the good thing about it is that I don't have my photo library at my fingertips all the time, which means that I don't have to stress about losing all my family memories with one tragic click. You remember what that did to me before. I'm still not completely over it.

I Changed My Blog Template: Why, you may ask? Well, it all comes down to bedding. Yes, bedding. While we were in London I decided I had to partake of the Orla Kiely bedding at Heal's. I was all set to buy this one:

but once I got to the store I felt it really was a bit too girly for Steve to have to sleep in every night, so I bought this one instead:

And it felt a little too tech nerdy to be sleeping in my blog template every night, so I did the old switcheroo. You'll have to tell me what you think.

I've Been Re-Evaluating My Life: Okay, totally CHEESEBALL, but true. I've been thinking about a lot of things, many of which I plan to share in future posts, but lets just say for now that I have realized that life is a lot more fun that I was giving it credit for. I'm learning to enjoy it more by spending more time in the sun with my kids, doing more yoga, sleeping more, reading more, and spending more time with friends. It's been good.

We Got A New Cat, Then It Got Shot: Yes, you read that right. After our cat Briscoe died last Fall, we promised the kids that we would get a new cat as soon as we got back from Paris. And believe you me, we kept our promise. The day after we got home (at 3 AM, no less) we were adopting a cute little tabby cat and we named her Yoko. Long story short, she got shot a couple of weeks ago. I'll save the details for another post, but after the boys were done crying their eyes out, they both asked if we could get a new cat, so the next day we did. Here he is, Smoke:

He's an awesome Tabby/Siamese mix with amazing blue eyes, and we love him. Now if he would just stop peeing on our duvets, he would be perfect.

Well, that's all for now. It's good to be back, and while I'm not committing to writing every day (part of the life evaluation thing), I plan to write a lot, and hope you'll all decide my life is interesting enough to check out from time to time.

What French Women Taught Me About Fashion

2010-06-01T05:57:00.000-07:00

While I was walking around a market in Amsterdam with my friend Lara, she asked what women were wearing in Paris this year. I gave her a list: black leggings made from shiny, fluid fabric that looks like leather, short denim shorts with tights and tall boots, tall boots with just about anything, crazy, colored tights, and the list goes on and on. There really isn't just one thing. I liked some of it, some of it not so much, but I did learn one very valuable lesson from French women when it comes to style.

I think it hit me one day of the first warm, sunny days we had in Paris when I walked by a busy cafe and a woman was sprawled out on her chair like a cat in a very transparent, very small camisole, enjoying the sun. And she looked amazing. And, you could tell, the last thing on her mind was how she looked.

I started looking around and realized that this epitomized the real edge that French women have on fashion, they are fully committed to it, and more comfortable in their skin than even the most put together American women. Of course there are exceptions, but I feel that it's very rare to see an American woman who is truly comfortable in her own skin, let alone her fashion. I took the above picture of a woman walking down the street near our apartment because she looked so amazing (and had some really amazing shoes) and was wearing pink. Pink! Layers and layers of it with ruffles and flowers. I wouldn't have been caught dead in that outfit, but she looked BEAUTIFUL!

So, I guess what I want to take away from this is to find my own style, wear it well, then commit to it, believe it, and forget about it.

I'm Back!

2010-05-31T18:20:00.000-07:00

And almost ready for action.

I realized just now that we've been home from our travels for almost two weeks, and I am just about decompressed. I think I need one more night of catching up on 30 Rock, The Office, and the other goodies saved for us by our thoughtful DVR while we were gone. Then I'm ready to catch you up on all we've done and are doing!

Promise!

The Five Stages of No Internet Access

2010-05-09T05:29:00.001-07:00

Even though I am in Amsterdam, possibly my favorite city in the whole world, I have been suffering dearly due to the fact that we have no internet access.

Seriously, it's been freaking me out far more than I would have ever thought. But the uncontrollable shaking only lasted the first day or so.

The only way I am posting this is that we are camping out in the hotel room of my friend Lara and her husband Christian, who are also visiting Amsterdam and who not only have internet, but it's FREE! I just never knew how much I rely on the internet for JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING. I catch myself about ten or more times a day saying to myself "Oh, I'll just go and look that up online....DOH!" And yes, I have gone through all the stages, and the most pathetic part of the story is that not only have we resigned ourselves to watching TV, but watching TV in Dutch. Which I don't speak or comprehend. At all. It may be an all time low.

But the good news is that we are living in a lovely apartment in an even lovelier part of Amsterdam, eating good food that actually has flavor (and fiber) as well as a lot of chocolate from Puccini (more on that later), playing in the park, and sleeping well.

Not a bad way to end our four months in Europe.

So, I guess you all will have to wait for the nitty gritty details of our travels in England and Amsterdam. But hey, look at it this way, at least I'll have something to blog about when I get home.

On my 24/7 super speedy internet. God Bless America!

Twiglets & Ginger Beer

2010-04-30T09:45:00.000-07:00

Well, as you may have guessed from by brief hiatus, I am no longer in Paris, but have spent the last week in London, which I love, love, love. It feels like being home since Steve and I lived here about 10 years ago, and I have been sleeping, eating, and enjoying traveling without those pesky 18 college students to worry about (even though I love you guys).

And as I have come back to my hotel every afternoon, thinking I should be writing on the blog but instead mindlessly surfing the Internet, I have been indulging myself in one of my favorite UK snacks, Twiglets & Ginger Beer.

If you're scratching your head, you're not alone. I put "Twiglets & Ginger Beer" on my Facebook status update and have yet to get one comment, so either people are totally stumped, or they think I'm totally lame.

Anyway, first let's start with Twiglets. Really, these things are totally bizarre, and when they were first introduced to me by our friends Tim & Alison I thought they were kidding. They are these whole wheat, pretzely-like snacky food that are coated in the equivalent of Marmite, which is Vegemite, which is that stuff that Men at Work talk about in "A Land Down Under," which is that stuff made of nasty tasting yeast that Aussies, for some reason, think tastes great on just about everything. When I first tried them I was repulsed, and said "Ewwww," but after chewing and swallowing I stopped and said "wait a minute, give me another one of those things...," and thus, an addiction was born.

The Twiglets are totally pungent, so what better to match it with but Old Jamaica Ginger Beer. It's a little like ginger ale, but then again, nothing like ginger ale. It's a soda, but tastes like real ginger instead of the syrupy, nasty flavor in ginger ale. It can be really strong and almost hot tasting, but I find the Old Jamaica is just right. And it comes in diet. Score.

I don't know what it is, but there's something about that nasty yeasty taste and that sharp ginger taste that makes up for all the bland, heavy, French food I've had over the last few months. I know, I know, Marie-Laure, but I just never did completely get it. What can I say? I'm an ugly American.

So, here I am, having my afternoon snack, writing about my afternoon snack. I know, it's a little less ambitious than most of my blog posts of late.

But come on. I'm on a vacation here!

Locks of Love

2010-04-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

Well, Icelandic volcano or no, my time in Paris is quickly coming to an end. And our time with the students, although most are still in Paris, has already finished. It really was an amazing experience to get to know them each, and I can truly say that each of them taught me many important things during our time together.

We've been getting together each Monday night for FHE, and we wanted our last meeting to be one to remember. Then I was reading my friend Reba's blog and learned about the tradition that has been going on for years where couples put a lock with their names up on some of the pedestrian bridges across the Seine and then throw the key in the river to symbolize their everlasting love. I wanted to do it for the family, but I thought of the student's time here in Paris, and how I am sure this experience has changed each of them. So, I thought it might be a nice idea for them each to put their own lock on the Passerelle Léopold-Sédar Senghor to symbolize that they are leaving a little part of them in Paris that will be here forever.

I know, I know, it doesn't really follow the rules, but rules were made to be broken, right?

So we all got together and shared what we had each learned personally during our time in Paris, and then put our locks on the bridge. It was a great evening, and truly one of the highlights of our time here for me. Here's some photos.

The students decorating their locks to attach to the bridge.

Then on to dinner.

Steve got the Boeuf Tartare. Why? I have absolutely no idea, although I do know that he often likes to eat food that's based on a dare.

Finding a home for our locks.

I knew we were in trouble the day before we went to the bridge and I told the boys about the tradition and let them decorate and put their name on their own locks. Jack lovingly decorated both the lock and the key, and then cried like he had lost his best friend when we attached it to the bridge and he realized it wasn't coming home with him. Luckily one of the students didn't make it, so he inherited his lock to stop the sobbing. He's already been back to visit his lock once and wants to see it again before we leave Paris on Friday.

Throwing the keys into the Seine.

Lots of locks. The row is some of the students, and ours is the large one in the middle with Max's and Jack's attached.

And, luckily, someone was smart enough to make a key for you to find your lock again when you return. Ours is in section 23A.

I really have loved my time in Paris, and I have to admit that it has thrilled me, humbled me, inspired me, and kicked my butt on more than one occasion.

It truly has been everything at once.

And, as I am spending my last couple of days here, I am starting to realize that leaving that little part of me here in Paris is really going to hurt.

And Just When I Thought It Was Time To Come Home...

2010-04-18T12:33:00.000-07:00

BAM!

The good news is now I have time to catch up on the blog.

Today I Felt Like A True Parisian

2010-04-14T12:06:00.001-07:00

Was it because I got swept away by the art and architecture? Was it because I had a fantastic French meal? Was it because I spoke perfect French all day?

Non.

It was because I yelled at some American tourists who were pushing on the metro.

I think this means it's time to come home.

J'adore: Shopping In Paris

2010-04-13T08:06:00.000-07:00

And no, not the kind of shopping you might think, although I have done my fair share of that kind too. No, the shopping I'm taking about it grocery shopping. And to be completely honest, it's been a bit of a love hate relationship. Things don't always taste just right, sometimes I have bought the wrong thing completely (like the day I used the kind of sugar you only use for jam in brownies and they ended up very sour), and, you know, everything on the groceries is written in FRENCH.

The nerve.

But today I did what I am guessing will probably be my last "big" shopping trip, one where I have to take the trolley and get a major work out getting up the stairs because it's close to overflowing. And it made me a bit sad. I do not for one instant miss my car and driving to do my errands, and I have to say that is probably the thing that I will miss most from living here: the self reliance of walking everywhere, or even taking the metro. I do have to admit that I have a really nice grocery store right across the street and another good one around the corner, so there is no slogging the groceries on the metro like I had to do on the tube in London when we lived there. So I am spoiled that way, and it takes a ton less time to walk and do my errands (even when I pick up bread at the bakery and fresh veggies on Rue Cler) than it does when I drive at home. And I will miss Rue Cler; it is beautiful.

But really, I just hate cars. And I am lucky enough to have a good one that's fairly new and in good shape. But I love briskly walking the neighborhood with my ugly, hunter green trolley with electrical tape on the handle, keeping up with all the amazingly beautiful, impeccably dressed French women pulling their (not so shabby) trolleys to do their errands. It makes me feel like one with Paris, and I feel the pulse of the city around me. I feel alive when I run my errands here, and at home it just seems like a blur of turn signals and stop lights and looking forward to getting it over.

I will miss the Carrefour City. And it's theme song that plays as you're shopping "Carrefour, Ci-tay." Although it does come in second to the theme song at the Franprix around the corner "Franprix, votre grocery préfere, Franprix." And I love that the Carrefour is open from 7 AM to 11:45 PM. And on Sundays from 9 AM until whenever they feel like closing (which is probably about 1PM). I'm not kidding. I love and hate that about the French: they are very protective of their downtime.

So it was with a heavy heart today I carried my heavy shopping trolley up the steep, winding staircase to our apartment.

But hey, I'm looking at the bright side. At least I can sing along to my iPod when I run my errands avec car at home. Believe you me, the French would not like it one little bit if I walked down Rue Cler singing Feist at the top of my lungs.

The nerve.

What Do You Make For Easter Dinner In Paris? Mexican, Of Course

2010-04-11T08:05:00.001-07:00

Okay, maybe I should clarify by saying "What do you make for Easter dinner in Paris when you are feeding 20 American college students?" When I made some (very bad) Mexican for some of the students one Sunday (we've been having two of them over every week during the program), the word spread like wildfire that I made the BEST MEXICAN FOOD EVER.

Seriously, it kind of sucked.

So, when I decided to have everyone over for Easter dinner, the requests for Mexican were overwhelming, and because I have grown to love the students like my own children, I had to oblige. And let me tell you, making Mexican food in Paris is not an easy feat. First of all, the French don't seem to like anything spicy, and cheddar cheese is almost impossible to find for less than 20 Euros per pound, there's no sour cream, and after searching for months, I only found one supermarche that carried jalepeno peppers. And I never did find pinto beans, but luckily had my sister bring some when she visited in March. So, I pieced together a pretty good semblance of a Mexican meal, and I have to say, in the end, I was quite proud of it, as strange as it was.

Who knew that a big pot of pinto beans could be so exotic?

Me telling everyone to come and get it. Max was wise and ate on the top bunk to avoid the feeding frenzy.

The spread: Homemade guacamole, salsa, refried beans, chicken tacos, with a few little French additions, like creme frâiche instead of sour cream, gouda cheese instead of cheddar, and romaine lettuce instead of iceberg.

Luckily cooking for college students is like shooting fish in a barrel. Especially when they haven't had Mexican in months.

And for dessert, the best brownies in the world. I'm not kidding. If you've always been looking for the perfect brownie recipe, look no further because here it is. And those things that look like cyclops eyes are actually chocolate eggs filled with ice cream and caramel to look like whites and yolks (stuck on with Nutella). I had to be a little festive in the middle of the fiesta.

Jack loves the ladies, and the ladies love him right back. I may have something to worry about in a few years...

And Max convinced a few of the students to get into a little Uno smackdown too.

It really was a great Easter. I usually have a big Easter feast with friends and family at our place, but this was just as much fun. I certainly missed my friends and family, but it has been pretty awesome to have a whole new family here in France.

Thanks students, I love you guys!

Kinda Like Your Favorite Rock Star Coming To Spend A Day In Paris With You

2010-04-11T07:41:00.000-07:00

We had a fantastic surprise last week. Steve's cousin Jill and her family came to visit us. Jill's husband Dave is a pilot for Delta, so they decided to hop a flight to Paris for spring break and come to see us. Unfortunately we only got to spend one day together, and it was one of those crazy Paris spring days that alternate between sunny and beautiful and freezing and raining every 15 minutes. Jill and Dave's kids Jack and Katie are total rock stars to Max and Jack, so spending a day with them in Paris was just about the end all be all in their book. Here's some photos:

Dave, Jack, Katie, Jill and Max in front of the I Love You wall in Monmartre during one of our fifteen minutes of sunshine. By the time we had stopped at Sacre Coeur for a few minutes, it was pouring.

Riding the metro with Katie during a rainy bit of the day.

And sunshine again at Notre Dame when Dave gave Jack a piggy back ride.

Max, Katie, Jack and I walking along the Seine.

And one of my favorite moments of the day was when Jack asked me if he could take the sleeping mask Jack and Katie had given him from their flight to bed with him. When I went to check on him, I found he had decided to actually put it to good use.
Alas, even this didn't get him to sleep past six.

Jill, Dave, Jack & Katie, thanks so much for coming to visit!
You really made our (rainy) day!

At Le Jardin Du Luxembourg

2010-04-09T00:29:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite places in Paris has got to be the Jardin du Luxembourg, one of the big, beautiful city parks. I love it because it's a great walk from our house, and the boys love it because there's so many fun things for kids to do. Unfortunately, the fun things for kids only happen on Wednesday (because French kids don't have school on Wednesday) and the weekends, so we hadn't had a chance to take advantage of them all. But a couple of weeks ago we actually had a nice day on a Wednesday so we decided to go and do all the things we'd been wanting to try.

First was Les Bateaux. I had read about these cool, old school boats that you can rent for the kids to sail on the large fountain in the middle of the park, right by Luxembourg Palace. We had tried on the weekends a couple of times to find them there, but the weather wasn't good enough or the guy that rents them was taking a mental health day, but finally, we found him there. Here's the photos:

The boats are old, wooden hand painted sail boats that the kids push with a long bamboo stick to get them going. Doesn't sound too exciting, but those things really get cruising, especially on a windy day like the day we were there.

Boats afloat.

We had a bunch of boat races between Max and Jack, and this time the boats actually got stuck together, but it was a great photo opportunity. Max's boat was the one with the number 5 and the French flag, Jack's was the one with the pirate skull and crossbones.

These two sailors did a great job on their maiden voyage.

And then it was off to the playground. We've spent a lot of time in this playground mixing it up with the French kids. It's got some great play equipment, including a zip line and tons of fun merry go rounds like this one. The only downside is that I get a little nervous at how fast a group of kids can get this thing going.

New French friends.

Max having fun on the see-saw.

Then it was off to see the Guignol Puppet Show right next to the playground. Again, I have always wanted to do this but we've never been at the park at the right time. Today was our lucky day, there was a production of Pinocchio starting just as we left the playground.

The crowd getting ready. Max and Jack got front row seats (you can see jack up in the front left).

The show was hard to capture in photographs, and although it was all in French, the kids loved it. The French kids called back to the characters and told them what to do and not to do, and there were all kinds of special effects like fog and a explosion of fire when one puppet turned into a bat. Very cool.

And finally, we are seeing some signs of spring in Paris, which are more than welcome. The flowers are out, Steve's allergies are attacking, and there's little bunnies in the furrier's window. Must be spring.

Four hours in the Jaridin du Luxembourg = One terrific afternoon.

So Many Châteaux, So Little Time

2010-04-06T11:10:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went on our last trip with the students before leaving Paris, and let me tell you, it was a doozy. In a good way. But also in a tiring, standing too much in the rain sensory overload way as well. I think I took something like 680 pictures, so it's taken a few days to sort through them all and give you a sampling of all the Châteaux of the Loire Valley. At least the six we saw. Seriously, there was more than I could count in the area, but I think we got a pretty good overview with the handful we saw. So, here's the (very abbreviated) photos of our whirlwind tour:

Our first stop was Langeais. Driving into the town felt like we were the last people on earth because all the shops were closed for lunch and there was hardly anyone on the street of this super small town. After being in Paris for months, it felt great to have nothing going on. The castle was the real deal, complete with drawbridge.

Max on his way to the château.

One of my favorite photos I took in the Château was of this tiny mirror that made me feel like I was in the famous Jan Van Eyck painting The Arnolfini Wedding. I always loved how the artist did a tiny self portrait of him creating the painting in the mirror, and how I have my own little self portrait of me taking the photo.

The best part of Langeais had to be the park out back. After seeing the château we all played on the playground and in the most amazing tree house any of us had ever seen.

After Langeais, it was a short trip to Azay-le-Rideau, which I have to say, in my opinion, was the most beautiful of the châteaux we saw on the trip. Seriously, the whole time I kept saying "Are you kidding me?" It was that amazing. And it was a beautiful day. Good thing we enjoyed it while we could...

Checking out what a château kitchen looks like.

Beautiful views everywhere.

Seriously, I just couldn't stop taking photos. Here's one with Max and Jack.

Skye, Emily, Rosalie and Brooklyn had time to do some acrobatics while the rest of us enjoyed the sunshine.

And my sweet boys both collected flowers for me. The best part of being a Mom is having cute boys give you flowers every chance they get.

Well, the next morning we found out that the beautiful weather couldn't hold out, so we had to spend our trip to Chenonceau in the rain. But, are you kidding me? A château that goes across a river. So cool. And wet.

The gardens sure looked pretty, but were drenched by the time we wanted to take a stroll around.

But a little rain didn't stop Max when he found a hedge maze to conquer. He made it to the middle first, and out the other side before any of us.

Next we were off to Amboise, and though the weather was still cold and rainy, there was a ton to see there.

I loved getting out of Paris to see what I think of as the real France. Beautiful quaint towns and calm, happy, people without all the big city angst and hostility.

Leonardo Da Vinci is actually buried in Amboise and his remains are in the chapel of the Château. So cool to think of all the influences he had on world culture in his life. I was inspired.

And I love these floors. I took so many photos of cool floors in all the châteaux that I may have to make a separate blog post just to show you. They are so detailed and beautiful, especially the ones like these that show the wear over the years.

And then it was off to Clos Luce, the home of Leonardo Da Vinci in Amboise.

My very favorite part of the trip was walking around the museum in the Château with Max. There were a bunch of replicas of Da Vinci's inventions there and he ran to each one and asked me what they did. He saw the first bike, the first water pumps, paddle boats, and so on. There is also a park that has large scale models of his inventions that we spent a little time in, but since it was pouring (with a little hail) it didn't last long. I didn't even get a photo, that's how wet it was, so I stole this one off the internet.

The next morning we went to Blois, which was beautiful, and cool, but I was on kid duty so I didn't get many pictures, but here's some so you see what I mean. It was a bit scizophrenic in it's architecture; the next three photos are all taken in the same courtyard.

Then it was off to our final stop, Chambord. It was the biggest of the châteaux, which a bit ironic considering it was only used as a hunting lodge. Not too shabby.

I love these amazing spiral staircases that we saw in both Blois and Chambord.

At this point in the trip, Steve and I had to do the "divide & conquer" approach with the boys. You can imagine they were getting a little testy and sick of châteaux by this time. I was the one with the camera, so sorry you won't get any more Max and Steve for the trip.

During the war some of the worlds most priceless art was stored at Chambord, including the Mona Lisa. Jack got to look at a blown up version up close and personal.

And by the end of the trip, we were all feeling a bit like Jack did when we were done at Chambord. It was a lot of fun, but totally exhausting.

Who knew checking out châteaux was such hard work?

What The Easter Bunny Brings In Paris

2010-04-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

Max and Jack woke up Easter morning to a surprise from the Easter Bunny: two massive Kinder Surprise Eggs with awesome toys. The best part was cracking into them:

But it was even better watching them struggling to get their surprises. We only let them flounder for a few minutes before we helped.

Happy Easter!

"Mommy, I Wanna See The Gates Of Hell"

2010-04-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

So, even after months of living in Paris, I'm still discovering things that are right in our back yard. Last week, it was the Museé Rodin, which is just next door to Les Invalides. I had seen it on the map and we had talked about going, but now that our time is getting shorter and shorter, we thought we'd better go ahead and do it before it got too late.

So, we packed up the boys and went on the three block walk and found a truly beautiful art experience. There was so much to see, not the least of which was the beautiful old mansion that houses the collection. I love that part of Paris, not only is the art amazing, but they really know how to present it better than anywhere else around.
Whenever we take Max to a new museum, he wants to get a map to find his way around. After walking around the inside of the museum we went out to the gardens and Max was studying his map trying to figure out where all the sculptures were. As we were walking along, he said thoughtfully, "Mommy, I wanna see The Gates of Hell," one of the many sculptures covering the garden. Well, it's not often that you get a request like that, so we had to oblige. Here's some photos:

Max and Jack and "The Thinker."

Inside the museum. I love these antique mirrors that make everything look soft and misty. It was a great way to see the art reflected.

Close-ups.

Max and I in the gardens with the museum behind us.

More sculptures, and then finally...
...The Gates of Hell.

And even when standing in front of the Gates of Hell, these guys still need to mix it up a little bit. Just part of going to an art museum with a four and seven year old.

The Reason My Jeans Are Fitting A Little Tight

2010-03-31T02:04:00.001-07:00

And not just my skinny jeans either.

But I think I have figured it all out, the French are secretly trying to kill off Americans with all their pastries, campaillettes, cheese and chocolate.

Well, HA! Frenchies, I'm onto you and your little conspiracy.

And it won't work anymore! Not because I have a strong will, but because I have a train ticket out of here in less than a month!

Take that!

At Versailles

2010-03-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

So, I'm still catching my breath after all the activity of the last few weeks, and still catching up on the time that my sister Angela was here to visit. Seriously, I am looking forward to the days when I have to scratch my head to come up with something to write on the blog. I swear, it's way easier than sifting through the backlog of activities and photos.

Yeah, I know, boo-hoo, call the wahmbulance.

Anyway, I was so glad that Angela wanted to go visit Versailles while she was here because after all the times I've visited Paris and two months here, I still hadn't gone. I guess it's because I always have had a million other things I wanted to do, so a 45 minute train ride seemed like too much time to sacrifice, but it was seriously amazing, and totally worth the trip. Check it out:

Max and some cute Japanese tourists at the gates of the Palace.

Making faces in the hall of mirrors.

Down the hall of mirrors. Now if all those annoying tourists would just get out of my way so I could take a decent photo...

A self-portrait.

Marie-Antoinette's bed chamber.

The Gardens.

Running along the hedgerows.

Max and Jack made friends with a ladybug...

...and a very silly swan.

And with all the sites at Versailles, the thing I will remember most is how hard the boys laughed when the swan went bottoms up while it looked for food on the bottom of the pond. Far more priceless than any silly old palace, in my opinion.

Brothers

2010-03-28T13:37:00.001-07:00

Jack loves to tell stories. And talk with his hands.
I think he might get it from me.

Max likes to explain things to Jack. And he's a great listener.
I know he gets that from Steve.

Yin & Yang. A great combination.

Who Needs A Backyard?

2010-03-27T08:28:00.001-07:00

When I first learned we would be moving to Paris I wondered how the kids would do without a backyard. For as long as they've been around we've had houses with big patches of grass they've had all to themselves. City living was an adjustment at first, but soon we were into the swing of things and started spending time every day at the nearby Champ De Mars, and lately it's been scootering at Les Invalides.

Setting off for some fun at Napolean's Tomb.

Scooter races: You start at the gate to Les Invalides and then go to the corner (trying to avoid the tourists and cranky French people along the way)...

...and then back again to see who wins.

Max won this time, but believe me, Jack can hold his own, and he beats me almost every time.

And when the scooters get old, there's always races around the empty fountain.

Jack taking a lap.

Seriously, these guys have no idea how lucky they are.

I ♥ Paris In The Springtime

2010-03-24T02:26:00.000-07:00

Why?

Well, besides the obvious reason that IT'S NOT FREEZING ANYMORE, another reason to love Paris in the Spring is that it brings visitors from home, the first being my sister Angela. She must have brought the sunny weather with her from Arizona, because we've had some of the most beautiful days ever since we arrived.

So, what do you do when the sky is sunny and the air is warm?

Go back to the cemetery.

I know, I know, but Angela had never been, and really, it is one of the most amazing sites in Paris (in my humble, albeit goth, opinion). Here come the photos:

Jack and I amongst the headstones.

Max and moss. And we got him to kiss Oscar Wilde's grave this time around.

Seriously, there are as many beautiful things to see at Peré Lachaise as any museum in Paris.

After the headstones, we headed out for lunch at Creperie Beaubourg at the Place de Stravinsky. It has one of my favorite cafes in Paris. I've gone there every time I've been here because I love the view of the fountain there and it's close to the Pompidou Center, and I'm always there at some time or another. And since the weather was so nice, we got to go way French with it and sit outside. I love that. And I have vowed to eat outside as much as possible until we leave Paris.

After lunch we had to feed the pigeons, which Jack loves to do. There was a group of school kids on a field trip running around the square, people were out enjoying the sun on their lunch breaks.

Some super cool graffiti art by the cafe.

I will miss these moments in Paris.

That's starting to hit me now.

And I'm not pleased.

Movie Night

2010-03-23T03:57:00.000-07:00

One of the major reasons that I haven't been blogging much lately is my sister Angela has been in town and I've been too busy doing stuff in Paris to write about doing stuff in Paris.

Not a bad problem to have.

One of the very nice things she did for us while she was here was watch the boys so we could go out to a movie at a theater we had been eyeing by our apartment for some time. At first I kind of swore off going to movies in Paris, but when I saw La Pagode, I decided to change my mind. I love old time movie theaters and the magic they seem to hold, but this one has quite a history as well. It started as a fancy dance hall when it was built at the turn of the century, and then was transformed into a movie theater in the 1930's. And it even has a tea garden if you want to stop and relax before or after the film. And, of course, we got there early to take pictures.

The Pagoda at La Pagode as you enter the tea garden.

The facade. You can see why we had to come back to this place once we walked by it one day on the way home from the park.

Lions complete with cloisnné balls which are in amazingly great shape after a hundred years out in the weather.

Details, details. The French love details, and I love them for it. I doubt I'll ever go to another movie theater with antique stained glass windows.

I was pretty excited to see the interior after seeing the outside, but it was just a plain, old theater inside. For any old time Salt Lakers, it felt just like being in the old Blue Mouse Theater. I can only imagine what it looked like back in the day.

Oh yeah, and we saw The Ghost Writer. Not bad, but the movie definitely got second billing after the theater on this movie night.

Metro Max

2010-03-21T03:57:00.000-07:00

Max is excellent at navigating the Metro. I mean, really, really, really good. One of our first days here I started heading the wrong way and he told me that I was going the wrong direction, and I told him, no, I knew what I was doing, and then, once we were on the platform, I realized he was right. I thought it was a fluke, but after saving me from going the wrong direction several times, I listen.

Seriously, this guy knows the Metro backwards and forwards.

He even maps out our routes a lot of the time and loves to find the quickest way to get places. And he remembers it all. I ask him which line we take to get to the Jardin du Luxembourg and he says "We take the 8 to Concorde and then the 12 from Concorde to Notre Dame Des Champs. And 12 is the green line."

What can I say, the guy knows his stuff.

Living On The Metro

2010-03-17T02:05:00.000-07:00

IKEA has been on strike in France.

I should know, I took the Metro, the RER, and then a bus with the kids one day to buy some things for the apartment only to find it closed after our 1+ hour journey.

Lovely.

But they are back to work, and to let everyone know, they came up with these clever ads in the metro, sofas included.

Finally, proof that IKEA is, in fact, taking over the world.

J'adore: Mamie Nova Yogurt

2010-03-16T01:36:00.000-07:00

The first morning we were in France, I went to the grocery store across the street and bought one one of my favorite things for breakfast: yogurt and muslei. I saw this Mamie Nova rhubarb yougurt and thought I'd give it a try and I have just one thing to say.

Oh. My. Gosh.

It is so amazing. So I branched out to different kinds. Pineapple Passionfruit? Addictive. Peach? Mind blowing. Cherry? Awesome. Strawberry? Incredible.

Seriously, you can keep your French pastries, cheese and bread, but don't touch my Mamie Nova yogurt.

Definitely my favorite kind of French culture.

Might As Well Jump

2010-03-13T21:52:00.001-08:00

For some reason, whenever tourists get their pictures taken by the Eiffel Tower, they have to jump.

Not exactly sure why.

So, while the boys were scootering in the Champ des Mars the other day, we thought it was time to jump on the bandwagon (pun intended).

So cute, and the whole thing brought back some great high school music memories.

Ahh, gotta love Van Halen.

And after listening to that, suddenly that jumping is starting to make a little more sense.

Exact Change, S'il Vous Plaît

2010-03-11T11:46:00.000-08:00

Do you want to know what you can do to really tick off a French person?

No, seriously, I mean, really, really, get under their skin?

Pay for a baguette with a 20 Euro bill.

Here's how it will all shake down:

First, you slap the twenty on the counter on the boulangerie with a smile on your face because you're thinking "Hey, my 20's good here, and now I'll have a whole bunch of those awesome 2 Euro coins that look like chocolates."

Second, the cashier looks at you in total disgust and then asks, incredulously, if you don't have the exact change.

You say, "Non."

Then cashier then picks up your twenty as if it is a dirty rag, drops your change on the counter, and throws the baguette in your face with a look of "I bake bread, I don't count change, you American swine."

And then on the way home you find she short changed you one of those beautiful chocolate 2 Euro coins.

Ah, the French. Gotta love them.

(And I do love you Marie-Laure!)

In Monmartre

2010-03-10T01:36:00.000-08:00

I've been waiting and waiting for just the right day to take the boys to Monmarte. I guess my hesitation is due to the fact that I think Monmarte is my absolutely favorite part of Paris.

And I wanted the boys to love it too.

One of the first times we were in Paris we went to an exhibit of Brassaï, and I fell in love with the steps after seeing his famous photo. Forget the Eiffel Tower and The Seine, the place that most says Paris to me is the steps in Monmartre. I guess it has something to do with the view, and the lamp posts, and the trees and Sacre Coeur in the background.

Since we had day after day of sunshine last week, we finally took them. And it was just what I wanted it to be. There were lots of people out, break dancers performing, a service going on in Sacre Coeur, and a great carousel they could ride. Who could ask for anything more from an afternoon in Monmartre?

Jack's eyes and the blue skies.

Hanging out on the steps of Sacre Coeur.

Break dancers. Sweet.

Waiting for the Funicular, and enjoying the ride.

I love these crazy, technicolor carousels all over Paris.

And the famous I Love You Wall that says the phrase in 300 different languages.

Monmartre, J'taime.

At Cimetiere du Père Lachaise

2010-03-09T01:05:00.000-08:00

Last year when Steve and I were in Paris, we went to Père Lachaise cemetery for the fist time. It turned out to be one of my favorite things we did on that trip. Maybe it's just my inner goth coming out (it was only a matter of time, really), but this is one of the most fascinating places in Paris.

So, this time we wanted to go back and take the boys. When we cheerfully announced that we were taking them to a cemetery, their reaction was "Can't we just stay home and play video games?" But, being the kind of parents we are, you know the type, the ones that forced you to see boring museums and stuff as a kid, we made them go anyway.

And surprise, surprise, they loved it. Jack especially loved it. He loved looking inside all the crypts and the broken down chairs and stained glass. And the crows were cawing and although it was a little more atmospheric when we were there in the rain last time, it was a great way to enjoy a sunny day.

In the cemetery. Where they bury dead people.

Go figure.

Max and Jack peeking into a spooky crypt.

The oldest headstone we found that day.

This place goes on forever, and feels like a city in and of itself.

Frolicking amongst the corpses.

The grave of Chopin. It was just before his 200th Birthday when we visited, so it was totally decked out.

And we had to visit the grave of Oscar Wilde, and even though I chickened out last year, this year I puckered up and made a wish. Hope it comes true.

At The Parc Floral de Paris

2010-03-08T23:53:00.000-08:00

Last week we had sunshine EVERY DAY! At home that may not be a big deal, but here it certainly is, and it makes me realize that spring is definitely just around the corner. To enjoy the great weather, we went with some friends to Parc Floral de Paris, and it truly lived up to it's name. Around every corner there were crocuses bursting from the ground. No better sign of spring to me.

Grandma's Gonna Be Jealous

2010-03-07T23:43:00.000-08:00

I'm not exactly sure why, but my Mom, the boy's Grandma, has always wanted to have a pony.

Seriously.

She bothers my Dad periodically, but she's yet to get her dream pet. So she might be a little jealous to see what the boys did at the Jardin du Luxembourg on Saturday afternoon:

A Room With A View

2010-03-07T12:03:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure the boys scored the best nightlight in the world.

A Cold Day In Chartres

2010-03-05T04:05:00.000-08:00

Last week we went on a day trip to Chartres with the students to check out the famous Chartres Cathedral. It was rainy, cold, and even colder in the cathedral due to the renovation work they are doing which requires that it stays open to the outside ALL THE TIME. Seriously, I think it was about 10 degrees colder inside than outside, and it was far from warm out there.

Yikes.

But it was a bit surreal to be inside the very cathederal I studied back in my Architecture 101 class oh so many years ago. And it was nice to be out of the city for a while and enjoy the charming, laid back pace of the countryside. And I think the boys had fun too!

Score.

The boys loved this little maze we found in the gardens around the church.

Some serious stained glass.

Prayer candles.

My favorite part of Chartres was the carved stone scenes of the life of Christ around the chapel. It was very dark and creepy in this area on the day we visited, which only added to the experience.

Jack loved this row of funny little faces and wanted to be sure we got a picture.

The view from above.

Chelsea and Shaina, two of the students, on one of the towers of the cathedral.

I never get tired of views like this.

Sans Objet

2010-03-04T03:38:00.001-08:00

The other day Steve said he wanted to plan a night out for us. I said okay, and then he came back and told me that he had bought tickets for what he called "some guys dancing with a big, mechanical arm." Hmmmm... he usually has good judgement about these things, but he also comes home from the video store with some pretty random rentals from time to time, so I was a bit skeptical. But he was excited about it, so I figured I'd go along with the whole thing.

Turns out that the performance was called Sans Objet by director choreographer Aurélein Bory and was playing at a theater in Monmarte. It was more performance art than dance, and was an hour and ten minutes of mesmerizing, funny, beautiful, and scary movement with this huge mechanical arm and two guys dressed like Mormon missionaries. The whole thing started out with the arm under a huge plastic sheet, moving in semi-darkness. It was amazing that something mechanical could be so graceful and human in it's movements. And then the guys came in and seemed to slip in and out of existence between movements. And then, from time to time, they would seem to defy gravity to suspend themselves from the arm, and from doing yoga I know they had some major bondas going on to make it look so easy. The performance finished with the huge plastic sheet put up in front of the performers and robotic arm like a curtain and then someone or something beat it to a pulp and then a bright, white light shone through it's tattered remains like stars in a night sky. Seriously super-cool, smart, inventive, French stuff.

So, score one for Steve, because I think it may just be the coolest thing I've done in Paris so far.

Two Favorite Movies + Two Days In Paris = Just About As Perfect As Life Gets

2010-03-03T06:32:00.000-08:00

Last week was crazy busy, and then put some major league migraines on top of all of it, and, well, I think I have an excuse for not blogging as much as I should. There, I said it, now let's move on.

Anyone who knows me knows that two of my favorite movies of all time are Amélie and Once. Amélie came out way back in 2001, and never before had a movie captured my idealized memories of Paris better. That movie is how life should be, in Paris and everywhere else. And that Audrey Tautou is just so cute. And Once came out in 2007. Steve and I saw it on our anniversary that year and, although it's filmed in Dublin, it took me right back to the time we spent living in London. Like Amélie, it just felt really authentic to my memories of my time in the UK. Once is at the same time thrilling, joyful, heartbreaking; a lot like life.

These are two of the like four films I actually own, because I am not a fan of owning movies. I feel like they get overwatched that way, and I'm not keen on collecting a bunch of stuff. But these two I had to own. I just had to know that at any given moment I could drop anything and watch them. It's like having two good friends sitting on your shelf for you to hang out with whenever you want. If you haven't seen one or both of these movies a) I feel sorry for you, and b) what are you doing sitting around reading blogs on the internet? Get in your car, go to the nearest Blockbuster, and RENT THEM NOW!

So, as you can imagine, I was pretty excited to learn that Audrey Tautou was going to be in a production of Ibsen's A Doll's House (or Maison de Poupée in French) in Paris. A bunch of the students wanted to go, so we got tickets. I was well aware the whole thing would be in French, and that along with the fact that I had a migraine the day of the performance arrived, made me think about bailing at the last moment. But I pushed myself, because I knew I would regret it if I didn't, and went. And I am so glad I did. Audrey Tautou was exactly what I thought she would be, charming, funny, and energetic, even in a heavy play like A Doll's House. I have never wished I understood French more because I could tell I was missing out on a ton of the subtext by not compreneding the language, but it was still totally worth the time. And the pain. I just wish I had photos, the costumes were amazing and the makeup and lighting was all very film noir, so it felt almost like watching a silent film from the 20's (might as well have been slient with as much as I understood). It was exactly what I would have expected from French theater. Amazing.

About a week earlier a new friend of mine, Leslie, emailed me to say she and her husband were going to a concert with this band who did the movie Once, who were now in a band called The Swell Season and had I heard of them. After peeling myself off the ceiling, I wrote her back and said "Uh, YEAH!" and then went to get tickets. The first place we stopped was sold out, but we were victorious at the second, and got two of the last five seats. Lucky, lucky us. Actually, lucky Glen Hansard and Markéta Iglovà because had I not gotten into the concert I probably would have been haunting the streets of Paris looking for them. It was amazing. Glen Hansard got sounds out of an acoustic guitar I've never heard before, and seems to be exactly the same in person as he is in the movie (which isn't saying too much about his acting, I suppose). Okay, I cried a little, but I seriously think the scene when the two of them sing Falling Slowly is one of the most perfect movie moments ever. And I made Steve take some video of the song during the concert. Not the best footage ever, but you get the point.

So, I'm still feeling pretty lucky that I had these two amazing opportunities, one right after another, over just two little days in Paris.

The opening act for The Swell Season was an American (from Boise to be exact) folk singer named Josh Ritter (Janell loves him). He was downright amazing too, and he had the biggest, toothiest smile I've seen since I left the states. You could just feel how thrilled he was to be there. At the end of his set he thanked Glen Hansard for inviting him on the tour and talked about how much he was enjoying traveling through Europe and said "This is just about as perfect as life gets."

I have to agree.

Going For The Brass Ring

2010-02-28T08:06:00.000-08:00

I think one of my all time favorite memories of Paris will be one gray evening when it wasn't too cold so we took the boys to the park at the Champ de Mars. While they were playing at the playground we noticed the carousel was open. We decided to check it out, and found it was an old school, man powered crank carousel where the kids try to catch brass rings on sticks each time they go around. My favorite part was the guy running the carousel, who really seemed to love being there as much as the kids, so much so that every time one of the kids missed getting a ring he would enthusiastically say "Presque!" (almost). And it was another time I saw the Parisians drop their cold exteriors for just a moment and get caught up in the game, smiling as they watched in the twilight. For some reason it was one of those magic Paris moments you expect to happen all the time, but rarely encounter.

And, of course, I didn't have my camera.

But the boys have gone back several times, and yesterday we finally got photos:

Mr. Presque. I love this guy. Seriously, when I am about to give up on Parisians altogether, I run into someone like this that makes me think maybe my judgments have been a little too harsh.

Max, poised and ready. He takes this carousel very, very seriously.

And his dedication pays off. His all time record is nine rings. Not too shabby for an American kid.

And Jack's getting better and better with practice.

Here he is gearing up.

Getting closer (with the help of Mr. Presque, pointing where he should aim).

Victory!

A Serious Blog Backlog

2010-02-28T07:43:00.001-08:00

So, like I mentioned, I had a few migraines, but now that I am ready to start blogging again I am finding that I have way too much to blog about.

Like, it's going to take some serious time to catch up.

But I promise to get to it ASAP. I just have to stop doing things and taking so many pictures. And stop getting headaches. But I am going to do it soon.

I promise. And this time I mean it.

Basically, France Triggers Migraines

2010-02-26T06:21:00.001-08:00

So, I've had nasty migraines on and off for the last week. It's doubly hard when all I want to do is get out and see everything in Paris. I did a little internet research today thinking it may be something I've been eating that's made my headaches a little worse lately, and this is the list of foods I should be avoiding:

Chocolate
Dairy Products, especially yogurt and cheese
Diet Soda
Rhubarb
Cured Meats

Or, in short, 90% of my diet in France. Fantastic.

But we have still been getting out and doing A LOT, and I plan to start writing about it soon, I promise.

At Notre Dame Cathedral

2010-02-23T01:30:00.000-08:00

The first day the students got here we took them to the Hotel De Ville Metro stop to catch a river cruise, and Steve said "We won't be able to see Notre Dame today," with Notre Dame pronounced with a very American accent, and I said, a little under my breath, "because Notre Dame is in Indiana." And the funny thing is, he keeps calling it by the name of the University and I tease him every time.

And I enjoy it fully.

But we still hadn't taken the kids to see Notre Dame (pronounced with a French accent this time) so decided to go the other day. We downloaded the animated Disney version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame for them to watch on the plane ride over, and, although I am not a huge fan of Disney, I have to thank them for getting them excited to see it.

And it did not disappoint.

The famous Rosetta stained glass windows in all their glory.

The boys both loved the lit candles in Notre Dame, and we made a donation to light one too. They asked me what they were for, I told them that it was like saying a prayer. They liked that idea.

Being statues in front of Notre Dame as one of those fabulous gypsy women came up to ask if we spoke English.

We didn't answer. Is that so wrong?
I'm thinking it's a good thing we lit that candle.

Toto, I Don't Think We're In Paris Anymore...

2010-02-21T20:10:00.000-08:00

Oh, but we are. We are at La Défense, one of the business districts of Paris. When I first visited this area I thought I had somehow been transported from Paris to some futuristic Asian city after just a short ride on the Metro. It's a big departure from historical Paris, but it really appeals to my modern sensibilities, so I love it.

Le Grande Arche.

I find it just as beautiful as any old Arc de Triomphe any day.

City of the future. Built in the 80's and 90's.

Cool, curvy architecture.

Reflection.

And then, stuck between the buildings you find some beautiful, modern sculptures. Like this one by Joan Miró. Nice to have something pretty to look at on your lunch break.

But then, every once in a while, you are reminded that you are, indeed in Paris when you see some of the old mixed in with the new.

Tile Tower: This multi-story tower is completely covered with 1 x 1 mosaic tiles...

...as well as this super-cool modern rainbow fountain.

And more color within the glass and steel. I saw this tower from the distance, and just had to walk up and see what it was made of.

Turns out it was covered with multi-colored metal pipes. I kinda went crazy with the photos, but all I had to do was point and shoot and voilà, modern art.

This is what I love about living in Paris vs. visiting Paris. You get the time to check out parts of the city like La Dèfense, where I probably wouldn't have taken time to check out if I was here for a short time. And it's totally worth seeing. And another thing I'm loving about Paris, Just when I think I figuring it out, I find it has more surprises in store for me.

Seriously Paris, I Can't Keep Up

2010-02-19T07:59:00.000-08:00

So the other day when Steve got home I needed to get out on my own for a minute, so I decided to take a walk around the block. Although, in Paris, there really is no such thing, more like a walk around the triangle, or more accurately, the sorta pie shaped wedge. Anyway, I went out and I had always noticed this big, gold dome behind our house, and wondered what it was. I asked Steve, and he just shrugged, so I figured I'd go check it out.

As I walked up to it, I realized that it was Les Invalides, which includes, oh, just the Tomb of Napoleon, as in Bonaparte, as in one of the most famous leaders in the free world. And this is where I was walking to just to get some fresh air for a few minutes at the end of the day. Surreal.
Well, I got home and told Steve, so we planned a visit with the boys. And of course, I have photos for you:

The tomb of Napoleon. Quite large for a guy who was supposed to be quite small. A little short-man syndrome going on, peut-être?

Angels In The Architecture: I loved these angels that surrounded the tomb. At first glance they looked all the same, but then, on closer examination, I found that each one held different objects, their hair was different, and even the draping of their robes was a little different on each one. Amazing.

The interior of the dome.

Napoleon.

This stained glass window was all amber and absolutely glowed in the dim afternoon light. I can only imagine how it would look on a sunny day.

Probably the most amazing inlaid marble floors I've ever seen.

The courtyard, complete with cannons.

Max with some heavy artillery. Jack is missing because he decided to take a nap in the stroller, and missed all the good stuff.

That's the Eiffel Tower up in the mist in the distance. So that's in front of our apartment, and Les Invalides is behind.

I loved these teardrop shaped hedges, and the whole front garden was full of them. Together they looked like a city of aliens creeping through the foggy afternoon.

Just when I think I'm starting to get used to living in Paris, when I'm starting to stop gawking at the Eiffel Tower in our front yard every day when I walk by it, I catch a view of what's out back and I realize, I'm never going to get used to this. And I'm never going to see it all.

But believe me, I'm gonna try.

The Top Three Things To Do In London (Besides Eating, Of Course)

2010-02-19T07:04:00.000-08:00

So, when we lived in London, we were like so over all the tourist sites. We thought, "Hey, we live here, we don't go see that stuff," with our noses a bit in the air. But truth be told, it was good we had friends and family visit who wanted to see all that stuff so we went along with them. Most of it is pretty cool. So when we knew we would be taking the boys to London, we both decided that top of our list of places to take them was the Tower of London. I mean, what little boy doesn't like knights, high towers, and artillery? They did enjoy most of it, and right about when they started saying they wanted to go home, we always seemed to find something else they were interested in. For a few minutes anyway.

Arriving at the Tower on a gray and drizzly day. In London. Go Figure. Max certainly looks happy to be there, doesn't he?

Climbing up one of the towers. Sorry the photo's blurry, but it was one of Max's favorite things about the whole experience.

Big things to hit people with. Cool.

A little sword practice for Max.

This knight is so tough, even his horse needs armor.

Tower views.

And for only 4,000 pounds, you can have this little trinket to take home with you. We went for 3.50 pound plastic swords instead.

Max attempting a duel with the guard at the Royal Jewel House. The guard fought back by promptly sticking out his tongue. Click on the photo to get the full effect.

Our second favorite site was the London Eye, which had just opened when we lived in London, and was all the rage. It's still pretty amazing, I have to say, and the boys loved that that it took them even higher than Big Ben. I loved that you didn't have to wait in line for hours to get on like when we first rode it. Hey, maybe it's passé, but I'll take it.

Me pointing out St. Paul's Cathedral, saying something like "When it's warmer, we'll take you right to the top." It really is one of the best views of London. But not when its below freezing. Which it was. Boo hoo.

Max, Jack, and Big Ben (looking rather small).

Don't look down.

The neighbors.

Another thing I really wanted to do with the boys in London was Tube Surfing. It can only happen when you're on an empty car of the Tube and you stand up in the middle while it's moving and try not to fall without holding onto anything. Our local Tube by our apartment when we lived in London often had empty cars, so we got lots of practice. I was fearful that we wouldn't get a chance to try it with the boys, but low and behold, on a busy Saturday afternoon on the Picadilly Line, we found a beautiful, empty car just ripe for surfing. And I have to say, the boys were naturals.

Showing the young ones how it's done.

Oh yeah, and we walked through Chinatown the day before Chinese New Year and got this pretty shot. That was cool too.

It really was a great trip to London, and since it was cut short and we got a free round trip ticket from Eurostar, we plan to be back again soon. With a little more time, and less delays (hopefully).

In Line At The Monop'

2010-02-18T12:45:00.001-08:00

So, as I innocently stood in line at a Monop' today to buy a drink, I felt something in my hair. I moved forward, and I felt it again, and then I realized that the guy behind me in line was actually sniffing my hair. Like nose against my scalp, deep sniffing.

Awesome.

English Eating

2010-02-17T03:23:00.000-08:00

Most people don't think of eating when they think of England. Fascinating history, yes. Amazing drama and literature, yes. Awesome music, definitely. Great places to eat, not so much. But when we go to England, we have two places we have to eat, and given, they're not typical English food (I mean, hello, check out the Full English in the photo. No thank you) and maybe because of this, they are among my favorite restaurants in the world.

The first is an Asian inspired noodle bar called Wagamama. Anyone who knows me knows I love this place and would do just about anything to get one close to home (although they do have one in Boston now, so maybe they'll make their way out West at some point). I love the gyoza and the kare lomen, which is a great noodle soup with chicken or shrimp in a coconut curry broth. Another favorite is the yasi katsu curry. Basically, I'd like to mainline this curry sauce directly into my veins. Why do I love Wagamama so? Mainly because everything tastes so fresh and is ALWAYS good when we go. And it brings back fantastic memories of living in London. It was fun to introduce it to the kids, who loved it by the way:

The boys both loved their noodles.

And Max loved the kid's chopsticks, that work like tweezers and were so much fun him to use on both his noodles and Steve's nose.

And I loved my yasi katsu. That's an eggplant I'm eating, and I wish we would embrace the use of the eggplant as much as Europeans do. An eggplant is a truly wonderful thing.

We also made it to a new favorite of mine, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, (or GBK to the locals). You that know me are probably going "What?! A Burger Place?!" and I have to say I am just as surprised as you are that I love this place so much. Really, I probably eat a burger, I'd say, maybe, once or twice a year, but if burgers tasted this good at home I'd have a big, big problem. Again, it's not a truly English place since it was created by New Zelanders, but the beef is fresh, the preparation is innovative (and who knew you could do something new with a burger?), and everything is made on the spot, so you don't get anything that has been sitting under a heat lamp. Ever. And their fries are awesome too. Check it out:

I love these little tomato shaped ketchup bottles on the tables at GBK. I need one to take home.

Real Diet Coke (not Coca-Light) in real glass bottles. Love it.

Can you feel the GBK love?

Our friend Tim, who introduced me to GBK on my last visit to London, challenged Steve to eat one of their signature Kiwi Burgers (which includes an egg, pineapple, and beets). Steve thought better of it and got a Avacado Bacon Burger instead.

And my favorite has to be the Garlic Mayo Burger. Sounds unassuming enough, but that Garlic Mayo is crazy good. Like crack cocaine good. I'm not kidding.

So we had a very successful trip to London, and probably gained a few pounds (and I don't mean Sterling) in the process. More on the actual stuff we did vs. stuff we ate in London later.

London Was A Journey, Not A Destination

2010-02-16T03:13:00.001-08:00

Well, at least it felt that way when we went to London via the Eurostar on Thursday, and had a FOUR HOUR DELAY because of technical problems. Luckily the wait was in the train station with lots of food and room to walk around, and we got a free round trip ticket for our inconvenience, but it made our trip to London a bit shorter than planned. But with any kind of travel, you have to take the good with the bad, or rather recognize the good in the bad. So, here's some of the good stuff that came from our delay:

At least we were sitting down in the (marginally) heated waiting area instead of in the lines outside in the freezing Gare du Nord. Seriously, these poor schmucks had to stand there the whole time we got to sit and eat and take it easy.

We got to catch up on our sleep and our email.

We got to know each other, and some complete strangers, better.

And we had a few laughs along the way.

But, best of all, I got this next little series of photographs of Jack looking out the window when we finally got on the train. Had we traveled on schedule, I never would have had the beautiful, late afternoon light to capture this moment.

In the end, the whole experience was a great reminder that life is short, and filled with unexpected delays, so it's important to remember to enjoy the ride.

Pictures Of Jesus And Stuff

2010-02-15T04:56:00.000-08:00

My good friend Alison, who just happens to be house sitting for us while we are in Paris, loves to tell stories about American tourists. She's Australian and has done a lot of traveling, and seems to have a hilarious American tourist story for every city she's visited. My all time favorite is when she saw some Americans waiting in line for the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and the lines were really long. The American tourist in front of her was getting antsy, and when they saw some other American tourists coming out of the gallery they seemed to be summing up if it was worth the wait when they asked "So, what's in there anyway?" and the other American tourist said "Oh, you know, pictures of Jesus and stuff."

I love it. And we wonder why Europeans don't take Americans seriously.

So, whenever I go to museums with classical European art, you know, the ones with lots of pictures of Jesus, I think about this story and have a little laugh to myself. And we had just that kind of experience when we went to the Musée national du Moyen Age (Museum of the Middle Ages) in one of the oldest parts of Paris. You walk around a corner and bam, it hits you, a castle in the middle of the city. The boys did okay at this museum, mostly because of the story of St. Denis. I mean, it is pretty compelling.

SAINT DENIS

St. Denis introduced Christianity to the Gauls around 250 AD, becoming the first bishop of Paris. He was martyred when the Romans beheaded him on a hill outside the city. Most historians think this is the origin of the name “Montmartre” (the hill of the martyr). According to a legend that appeared three centuries later, the slain St. Denis stood back up, picked up his head, and walked all the way to the current site of the Basilica St. Denis, where he collapsed and was buried. The church denounced this story during the 17th century, having come to the conclusion that St. Denis was most likely executed at the spot where he was buried, not at Montmartre. Any time you see a statue of a saint carrying his own head, that’s St. Denis (there’s one on the façade of Notre Dame).

The boys loved the idea of this dead guy picking up his head and carrying it across Paris, so they had to check it out. Here's the photos:

An ancient well in the courtyard of the castle/museum. The boys looked down and you couldn't see the bottom. Good thing there was a grate blocking it.

The man of the hour, St. Denis. I'd like to thank him for carrying that head across Paris so my kids could be interested in medieval history. He deserves his place in heaven for that feat alone.

Jesus.

More guys with missing heads, but the heads were found close by. Actually, these statues used to be on the facade of Notre Dame way back when.

Max with his map and timeline of the museum. The boys had fun finding the things in the pictures.

Jack's favorite was the two coffins we found in a back area. Scary.

This carving from a triptych blew me away. I have to say, I am always in awe of the dedication these artists had towards their faith in Christ. To spend this much time creating something to celebrate his life and death is truly inspirational.

Another head, this time the one of Christ after the crucifixion. It was really creepy and moving because it looked so real.

And there's always some Mary thrown in for good measure. I loved the color on this statue, and was in awe that it was still so vibrant seeing as it was created in the 1600's.

I love these leaded glass windows, and that you can see the castle wall through it. When I look through this kind of window I like to think of all the people who have looked through them before me, and how the view has changed over hundreds of years.

At the end of the day, the kids did pretty well, but I suspect that sweet smile Jacks wearing in this photo has something to do with the fact that it is time to go home.

Saint-Valentin à Paris

2010-02-14T10:13:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know it's been a few days, but we were in London for the weekend, and that will take quite a few posts to catch you up on, so I'll just fill you in on how we spent Valentine's day with tout la monde in Paris.

Seriously, Paris on Valentine's Day? Insane.

But it was a beautiful, albeit cold, day in Paris, and since those are few and far between, we couldn't waste it.

We decided to go out this afternoon to do what every kid wants to do on Valentine's Day: See Modern Art! Here's how it went:

We got the boys to the Pompidou Center by telling them about the cool escalators in tubes that take you to the top. Max was into it at this point (and, by the way, he has lost two front teeth in two weeks. It's pretty hilarious watching him eat a baugette).

After we all rode up we had a big, wide view of all of Paris.

And we also had a great view of the bubble guy, which made the rest of our visit to the Pompidou a little trying for all of us.

Then the reality hit Max and Jack: Mommy and Daddy are going to make us look at art. I thought they might enjoy the Matisse room since Jack loves to cut and paste.

I'm guessing that Max is whispering in Jack's ear something like "Hey, if you start crying now, we can get out of this place." Luckily he didn't listen.

Checking out some Dubuffet. I'm sure Max is turning around to say "Can we go see the bubble guy now?"

Uh, Jack, you need to turn around to see the art.
At this point we called it and headed out to see the bubble guy.

Okay, so the bubble guy is kinda cool. But grumpy. C'est Francais, n'est-ce pas? It was fun to watch all the Parisians in line smile and laugh at the kids as they chased the bubbles. After an especially big one Max said "Oh my gosh!" very loud, and they all laughed. It was one of those moments I forgave the Parisians for all their sins.

And then to one of our favorite places to eat in Paris, L'As du Falafel for some killer falafel.

Jack was not a fan. But at least he ate some pomme frites.

And then for a walk around The Marais looking in shop windows and checking out art.

And just before getting on the Metro, we saw some beautiful cakes made just for Saint-Valentin. Amazing. So amazing, in fact, we stopped at a patisserie on the way home for a Valentine's treat of our own.

Valentine's in Paris? C'est très bon.

And Some Days We Just Do The Laundry

2010-02-09T10:40:00.000-08:00

Yes, even in the city of lights, you have to separate them from your darks every once in a while.

Lucky for us, Jack's even making laundry more fun in Paris.

J'adore: Kissing In The Street

2010-02-09T06:56:00.000-08:00

You know, I started noticing something just after we moved to Paris. People kissing in the street. But the part I loved the most is the people kissing in the street were older. Like, in their sixties or older. And these kisses weren't just a simple little peck on the cheek, or the traditional French greeting of a kiss on each cheek. No, these were passionate kisses. My favorite to date was when the boys and I were waiting in the freezing cold outside the Parc Monceau for some friends, and an older couple walked up to the Metro stop, stopped, and gave each other a beautiful, loving kiss before parting. Of course I had enough respect not to snap a photo at the moment, so I've added Robert Doisneau’s beautiful, iconic photo “The Kiss by the Hôtel de Ville" to make my point. And I love it because I walk on this same corner several times a week.

And this whole thing has got me to thinking. I very, very rarely see kisses like that between older couples in the States. It seems to me that, for some reason, in our culture we are a bit disgusted by public displays of affection from people over a certain age. I remember quite a few years ago there was an ad with a couple making out, and then when the camera went wide you saw that it was an elderly couple and everyone's first reaction was EWWWW!

I wonder why this is. I mean, maybe I'm asking the question just because I'm getting older myself, but does passion end? Do those kisses end? I don't think so, and I'm taking a mental note to remember this lesson from the French. And to my friends who have rolled their eyes at Steve and I and our public displays of affection I say get ready for more PDA's for many more years to come.

Les Escargots

2010-02-07T12:34:00.000-08:00

When we first told the boys that we were moving to France, the inevitable topic came up: THEY EAT SNAILS THERE! They couldn't believe it, but I told them that they weren't that bad (I'd had them a couple of times before), and that I was going to be sure that they tried them while we were there. Their reply?

Noooooooooo!

Well, I didn't want to spend a bunch of Euros in a restaurant for something they probably wouldn't eat, but the other day when I was in Picard (which is another genius French invention, by the way), I saw that they sold them for only 4 Euros per dozen, so I picked some up. I told the boys that I had them, and again, the same reply:

Noooooooooo!

But I told them I was going to save them for a special occasion, and that occasion came up last night when we had two of the students, Brooklyn and Skye, over for Sunday dinner to celebrate their birthdays this month. The boys were dreading it, and we found out Brooklyn and Skye hadn't tried escargot either, so it was the perfect time to break them out. When we first brought them out to the table this was the boy's reactions:

But once I had tried one, they were a little more intrigued,
and then Brooklyn and Skye took the plunge.

Getting them out of the shell is half the battle.

And then you have to look at them while they're on your plate.
Not a beautiful sight.

The first bite is the hardest part.
Well, okay, the chewing and the swallowing isn't much easier.

But the best part, by far, is when Max finally decided to give them a try. I'd like to say he came to this decision all on his own, but I have to admit I had to bribe him with 2 Euros to get him to take a taste. Luckily he can be cheaply bought, because this next little clip is truly priceless (I especially love the nervous giggling and when his gag reflex kicks in. But he did it)! :

And what about Jack? Well, I have to say I'm proud that he didn't give into peer (and parental) pressure and stood by his guns. In fact, he couldn't even watch:

But don't worry, I'm not that mean, and made it up to the birthday girls and the boys with a whole mess of French pastries with a whole bunch of candles for dessert.

And mark my words, I'm gonna get Jack to eat a snail before we leave France. I may have to puree it in his morning smoothie, but believe me, it will happen.

At The Cité de la Science et l'industrie

2010-02-05T08:01:00.000-08:00

One of my kid's favorite things to do at home is go to the Children's Museum. I love it because they are entertained, can play with whatever they want, learn a little something, and I rarely have to say no to them the whole time we're there.

So, when I found out we were moving to Paris, I did a little research to find out what they had that was similar here. What I found was the Cité des Enfants, at the Cité de la Science et l'industrie. It is so cool that it blows our local Children's Museum at home totally out of the water. Here's a little glimpse into our day:

This gigantic wood ball run was Max's favorite thing at the museum. The boys had to move levers with their hands and feet to make a large wooden ball move from one end of the machine to the other.

These boys love to play with water, and it's always the most fun when someone gets wet.

This was one of my favorite things in the museum, a big, inflatable igloo type tent that was actually a wind tunnel inside.

Who knew playing with air could be so fun?

And I want this jungle gym in my living room to double as a plaything and modern art.

Max and Jack keeping themselves and some beanbag weights balanced.

I'll admit, I totally don't get some things about the French, but what I do get, and absolutely adore is their desire to make everything beautiful. I almost thought I was in a modern design museum instead of a children's museum. This little contraption below is actually made to teach children balance. If you turn all the petal looking things one way, it rocks to the side, but if you spread them all out like so, it stays up. Seriously, this would look amazing in my living room. It's big enough for a child to sit on, and its a good thing because if it had of fit in my handbag I would have been seriously tempted to swipe it.

Word play. The best part? Jack spelled his name all by himself.

Sharing an Orangina in the cafe afterwards
(yes, a children's museum with a cafe. Genius).

After our drink we took a walk through the Parc de la Vilette that surrounds the museum.

The boys checking out La Geode, which is actually a theater where they show IMAX films. I told you those French are cool.

And an old WWII submarine.

Seriously, you can't spit in this town without hitting some amazing art.

A clever sculpture by the bike trail in the Park.

More sculpture. This time chairs that not only look cool, but spin too! Kid paradise!

Two tired boys on the metro ride home.

Je Vais Toujours Au Yoga À Paris

2010-02-05T07:27:00.000-08:00

One of the things I knew I was going to miss about home the most is going to yoga three times a week.

Really, without it I would be insane. I'm serious.

So even before we left the states I started doing internet research on yoga studios in Paris and was happy to find Yogā Yogā Paris (that's it in the photo, down an alley), that offered Ashtanga classes right around the corner from our apartment. It was pretty pricey, and I wasn't sure of our schedule, so I held off from going in right away.

And, I'll admit it, I was intimidated.

I have never done yoga in French before and didn't really even know how to ask to join the studio, so for the first few days I stalked it. I walked past it nonchalantly, once I stopped and looked at the rates in the window, sneakily looking in to see what I had to fear. But it looked okay.

But I wasn't convinced.

So, one day, once my neck muscles had seized up enough to get me over myself, I walked over to talk to someone. The guy at the front desk looked nice enough, so I took a deep breath and walked in and gave him my best "Bon Jour." As I tried to ask him about the memberships and classes in French he just smiled, and said, "Don't worry, I'm American."

Whew.

So I went on to sign up and all, but then I had to go to my first class, and the owner told me that they were all in French. So I got there early, was sitting on my mat waiting for people to come in and as others came into the studio I heard the owner saying (in English) "Hi Bob, how are you doing?" "Nancy, how was your vacation to Nice?" "Jessica, I'm so glad you're back for your third class!"

Wait a minute. I thought I was in France.

So, the class started, and it was all in French, but since the class was taught by the American owner, and I can follow French much better when it's spoken by English speakers. It was no problem. The second class I went to was taught all in French, but was a much less involved Ashtanga class that I'm used to, so I could follow along. And the last class I took was taught by a British teacher and was all in English. And most of the people in the classes are English speakers. Seriously, I think there have only been one or two native French speakers in all the classes I've gone to combined.

The studio itself is amazing; very modern, very clean, and has two studios that combined wouldn't be quite the size of the studio I go to at home. And the best part? The biggest class I've been in only had seven people, and the smallest class I've been in had two. Which is awesome because the teachers adjust you to get you into the right positions all the time. That doesn't sound like that big of a deal, but when I was doing pyramid pose the other day and the teacher moved my hips just a few centimeters into the right direction, believe me, I felt it.

So, it's fantastic to have a French Free Zone (sorry, Marie-Laure), but I am a little bit sad I won't be learning all that yoga terminology in French.

Not too sad though.

J'adore: Pom-Potes

2010-02-03T21:55:00.000-08:00

The first time we went to church in Paris, I saw a couple of kids drinking what I thought was a juice pouch (like Capri Sun). I wondered what they were, and then when I was grocery shopping I saw that they actually weren't juice, but Pom-Potes, applesauce that comes in a pouch. I thought the boys might like them, but I had no idea they would LOVE them. They come in a natural apple flavor, and in amazing combinations like apple-pear, apple-banana, apple-strawberry and apple-apricot. And the applesauce is much smoother and more flavorful than in the states. The only problem? I'm afraid that the boys are going to go through some major Pom-Pote withdrawl when we get home since they suck down about three of these a day.

Oh well, guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

Date Night

2010-02-03T03:21:00.001-08:00

When Steve and I first found out that we were going to be living in Paris we got all excited listing all the things we wanted to do. And then we stopped suddenly realizing that we needed to add "with the kids" to that list. Don't get me wrong, we love the kids, but they're not big fans of modern art, forigen films, ethnic food, and walking long distances through the city at night.

What are they, 4 and & 7? Please. That's no excuse.

Anyway, we were a little sad to think we weren't going to have much time out together alone, but lucky for us we found a fledgling American fashion designer who is willing to babysit whenever we want.

A girl who needs cash + us needing a night away = DATE NIGHT!

So the first night we thought of just going to dinner and a movie, and then we were all, WAIT A MINUTE, WE LIVE IN PARIS! So instead, we went to the Pompidou Center, had some dinner, and walked all the way back to our apartment along the Seine. Cold, but amazingly fun, romantic, and so needed. It's gonna make those date nights back home suck big time, but I'll enjoy them Parisian style as long as I can!

Steve eating dinner and looking very bored, thus very French.

The best self portrait of us we could get along the Seine in the dark and with the bad camera, but here's one I stole from the internet that gives you a better idea.