Day 145: or The Day I Heard the 15 Year Old Singing "Alabama"

Another sunny day that would be irresponsible to waste. The Kid had school for a couple of hours and we headed home to get lunch with the 13 year old. For some reason, he didn't want to go to the pool so I first got him just to go outside. The trampoline is easy and he never says no. After that it just a little push to get him into his swimsuit. When we got there, one of his little friends showed up, so I talked with her mom while they played. The pool was basically empty, which I just find surprising. I would just assume people would take advantage after 8 months of cold. Well not cold, but too cold for the pool. The Kid gets cold pretty quickly it seems. Amazing what having no body fat does to you. He is one skinny little boy.


We headed home and I made dinner. I made a bolognese sauce and spiced it up. Throwing caution to the wind, I added some cayenne pepper to the sauce. Not much, but they definitely noticed. They all ate it, but I got a couple of glances from the girls. The Kid commented, but he likes pasta too much not to eat it. The 13 year old isn't bothered by spice. I figure if I just keep forcing it, they'll give in. Spicy is always better, that's my motto.


After dinner, I was talking to the 15 year old, while she was looking at my iPod. When Alabama's "I'm In A Hurry" came on, she sang the first couple of lines. I turned around and asked how she knew that song. Then I remembered that both girls stole all my music. They aren't the biggest fans of country, but Alabama being one of my all time favorite bands, I was impressed none the less.

Day144: or The Day I Couldn't Figure Out The Trains

I took the early train a couple of stops this morning to a larger train station to discuss tickets for next weekend. I am considering a couple of destinations, but my French only gets me so far. I may end up in the South of France, or maybe Rome. I know I'm going somewhere because I get 4 days off in a row, but where is still up in the air. Because I'm reserving seats with a Eurail Pass, I can't purchase my tickets online. Hopefully, next time I try, I'll be successful and leave with 2 tickets to somewhere.


The rest of the day was spent outside mainly. We had lunch at the park and I sat and talked with some of the other au pairs. It started off cool this morning but ended up being nice and warm. I dropped the Kid off at school and headed back to the house where I read outside and enjoyed the sunshine. When I went to get the Kid, one of the little girls in his class asked if he could come over and play. So I returned home alone and with a few free hours. I ended up just talking to the girls when I got there and took my time making dinner. I obviously don't mind the time off, but I'd be just as happy if they came over to our house. I feel bad sometimes that all he has is me. A good change of pace every once in a while seems like a good thing.

Day 143: or The Day I Missed Real Fajitas

Another Monday done. Which means I only have 7 left. Can you imagine? Only 7 more weeks. Now, 2 months doesn't sound all that short, but when you say only 7 Mondays, puts things into focus. This was a Monday like many before it. I stayed around the house and enjoyed the quiet that is an empty house. I remember before I ever lived alone, worrying that I would be too bored without a roommate. Then I lived alone and realized I was crazy. Obviously, it depends on who you live with, but having a house/apartment/room to yourself is a very nice thing. So when Mondays roll around, I bask in the glory. I spend more time in the kitchen than anyone else, by far. It feels like my kitchen from 8am to 8pm, Monday through Friday. I've figured out that I don't need to live by myself, I just a need a couple of hours every now and then. Mondays are my "couple of hours".


I promised cookies last Friday, but we were out of eggs so the kids accused me of breaking promises. So today I got ready to make them and we were out of butter. Two days in a row was not going to fly. When the first older kid gt home, I left the little one with them and biked to the store. They were more than willing to help out if it meant cookies. I was able to use the brown sugar my Momma brought over from Texas. The cookies turned out awesome but we had to hold off until after dinner to eat them. I might have snuck* one when the Kid wasn't looking. I know I won't spoil my dinner. We had "fajitas" and refried beans and I was decently happy about the way they turned out. I wonder how long it will take me to get tired of Tex-Mex when I get home. I'm thinking it will take a good long while.


How is "snuck" not a word? Yes I know it's not exactly correct, but I can't write sneaked because I would never say sneaked. My apologies to the grammatically inclined.

Day 142: or The Day I Went To The French Open

Thanks to the generosity of my Father, I went to the French Open Roland Garros today. Here, they don't say French open, only Roland Garros, when in Rome. It was supposed to be rainy this afternoon, but the weather was beautiful. It was very sunny, but with big clouds every now and again to give you a break. The train situation was the same as yesterday and I had a walk a good bit, but it was all fairly easy. All except the footwear. Within 15 minutes, I knew I'd made a mistake. I was wearing boat shoes, that have given me few problems in the past, but decided this was the day to become my worst nightmare. By the time I made it to the train, I was just happy to get a 30 minute break. 

View from the stands

When I was walking to the stadium, I was walking from the outside of Paris in. I saw almost no one. It was just a quiet Sunday morning. But when I got to the point where I met up with those travelling from the city center, it was an absolute hoard. They came out of nowhere it seemed. One Metro stop deserted, the next packed to the gills. AT this point, I knew I was going the right way and just followed the masses a short distance to the main gate. The line would take hours, so I walked less than 10 minutes to a side gate and waltzed right in. I don't think I was particularly clever, but more than most it would appear.

Tsonga Match

I watched 4 matches throughout the day, the highlight being French player, JW Tsonga. Ranked 23 in the world, I though the bigger match would be the earlier one with David Ferrer, #6 in the world. But the French love their own and the stands were packed. The arbiter had to tell the crowd more than once to quiet down. Not exactly the norm I gathered. Got the giggles pretty bad watching the Frenchies get in trouble being too raucous doing the wave. Just couldn't help it. I've never been to a professional tennis match before, so I guess it could all be normal, but it didn't feel like it. The matches were all fun and I walked around a bit between to see the grounds. It was opening day and the really big names weren't really playing today, but people didn't seem to notice. After the last match, I walked around a bit more and then headed home, dreading the pain I knew my feet would shortly feel. By the time I reached my station, and elderly couple offered me a ride to the village. They complemented my French and I thanked them for the ride. I made it home in time for dinner on the patio and got ready for the week to come.

America

Day 141: or The Day I Voluntarily Put The Kid To Bed, On My Day Off

This being one of my last weekends in Paris for awhile, I made sure to go into town at least for a little while, even if I didn't have plans with p people. The new Pirates of the Caribbean movie was just released, so I thought I would plan a day around that. I headed out a little but after lunch and made the trek to the station. The train line was under construction so between two stops, you had to get off the train, onto a bus, and then back to the train. Simple enough, just a pain in the butt that added 15 minutes to the commute.


I had some time so I stopped off at La Defense to walk around the mall and grab a sandwich. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, but I like to go shopping frequently, even if I don't get anything, to check and see if there are any good deals. I've been in search of a new bag since I arrived in France, but nothing has struck my fancy that is anywhere near affordable. Where's a Target when you need one.


I made it to the theater with only 10 minutes to spare, not thinking that there would be a line to get in. When I arrived, there was of course a very long line. But when I got up to buy my ticket, the board said there was still over 250 seats left, so I wasn't worried. And as luck would have it, when they started letting people in, I was able just to step into the line. It was a very poor system if you ask me. There was 20ft of walkway that wasn't roped off and there was no differentiating between movies either. SO I just walked up and no one stopped me. Some of you may think this is cheating, but I just went to the bathroom and bought popcorn, so I ended up with just as good of a seat. That's one good thing about going to movies solo. You can almost always find a decent seat. The movie was good, but just more of the same really. I walked down the Champs Elysees and window shopped, and made my way back to the train.


The train returning had the same break in service, but wasn't quite so smooth. First we had to wait 15 minutes for the bus, then another 10 for the train. I'm just glad it's only this weekend, what a pain. I made it home and had dinner with the kids. The parents were having a dinner party and I was just as happy to be at the kids table. After dinner, one of his sisters or brother was supposed to put the Kid to bed, but at 10:30pm, he was still awake. Somehow, the ball had been dropped. From my room, I could here the Mom asking his if he wanted his sister to read to him. His response was "where's Caitlin?". I was safe in my room on my day off, but I still went out and offered my services. He likes the way I read stories more than anyone else. Even when the Mom is home to put him to bed, I read him a couple of books before she says goodnight. It's nice to be appreciated.

Day140: or The Day I Tried Being Social For A Change

I got a nice gift today and given the morning off. Nothing better than an extra hour of sleep. No matter what though, I wake up when everyone leaves. There's a good 30 minutes between the 1st and last person to leave. But I'd be happy with an extra 10 minutes, so all in all it was a good morning.

Nothing much to speak of during the day but I did manage to go out with the other au pairs at the end of the night. I started to watch a movie with 2 of the kids and thought I would have a low key night when one of the au pairs called and said she would be at my place in 15 minutes to pick me up. Because I travel so  much on the weekends, I don't get to see the other girls much so laziness wasn't an option. It was a low key night but very nice none the less. Everyone is leaving so soon it seems and it's really starting to feel real. Most everyone is leaving before me so I may not see them much before the end. I have trips planned the next 3 weekends so I'm really trying to see everyone before they leave. July just seems to be sneaking up on me.

Day 139: or The Day of The Dentist

I went into the next town today to buy a train ticket to Berlin. I'm planning on going for a weekend soon and my plans keep getting thwarted by sold out trains. With the help of the family I was able to plan ahead enough to buy my ticket and make my plans official. I've been in Germany twice on connecting flights, but never left the airport. I've also flown through Belgium and Switzerland on this trip. A shame to be so close to a new place, but not actually visit it. 

The kids had a dentist appointment today that they had forgot. I told the Kid he needed to get ready when the Mom called in a panic saying she'd be home to take them soon. He became instantly worried. Apparently he's afraid of the dentist. I spent a good 10 minutes explaining that sometimes it hurts, but usually they're just checking. He didn't seem to believe me.

When they got home, he told me with a little bit of surprise, "they didn't hurt me". It's nice to not get caught in a lie. I've never had a problem with dentists. People think I'm crazy when I tell them that I never had anesthesia for my fillings. Hopefully a couple more pain free visits for the Kid and he'll get over his fear.

Day 138: or The Day The Pool Opened

Since I first arrived, we've been talking about May and the pool finally being open. Seeing as I have a little experience teaching the kiddos to swim, the parents wanted me to try with the Kid. Today was the first day the pool was open and we headed down the street after lunch. It was decently busy and the weather was perfect pool weather. They heat the pool, but it was warmer than necessary. Being May, I was expecting a slight chill, but it was like June in Texas.


I worked with the Kid a little but I mainly just let him play. No sense ruining his first trip of the season. There were a couple of his little friends there as well and when we'd been there for awhile, I got out and watched from the side. Parents are almost always more lax than babysitters I find. So when there seemed to be a slight issue in the water between the two boys, I was the only one who seemed concerned. They were both using the same small ball as a floating device. It couldn't hold all the weight and even though they could both usually stay afloat and were less than a foot from the wall, all of their focus was getting this ball. The other moms were closer but much less concerned. I jumped in and pulled the boys to the side. It wasn't a big deal, but it was a bigger deal than anyone else seemed to think. The Kid didn't seem fazed after 5 minutes on the side and we headed home. Next time I think we'll work on floating.

Day 137: or The Day of Tortillas From Home

Whenever I let the Kid sleep in, it always seems to bite me in the ass. I'm trying to be nice, give him a few more minutes, but no. Even when we have plenty of time, he manages to make up things that must be done before school. I haven't ever been truly late however. truly late is when the gates are locked and there's no getting inside. I guess you wait until the lunch break when they open them up again. I just hope I don't have to find out.


I had a small break before I went back to get him. In the beginning, my 3 hour Tuesday break was nap time. Not enough time to go out an about so I'm already stuck at home. Only problem is that 12 noon rolls around a lot faster and then you have no real break. I did manage to use my good tortillas when I made myself breakfast tacos. Delicious. They even happened to have some cheddar in the fridge. Probably only the 3rd time all year. Only problem is, if I keep at it, we'll run out of eggs quicker than usual. Somethings always off.


 I tried catching up on emails and blog stuff. if I owe you an email, I apologize, I can't seem to remember who I haven't written back to and when I do remember, I'm never at my computer. The day went by without any catastrophes and nothing much to speak of. Could be worse. The title of today could have been "The Day We Were Truly Late For School". I'll put it in the win column.

Day 136: or The Day After My Dad's Birthday, Happy Birthday!!

Life is back to normal. After a month of visitors and travelling, my schedule is beginning to clear up. I have plans to do more travelling, but nothing big or set in stone. Today was a lazy day of laundry and napping. The weather was gray and uninviting so I wasn't tempted to do much of anything. The kids were all home for dinner and everyone just went about their day. I started research on some upcoming possibilities for trips. I'm trying to make sure that I don't waste any time and end up with only 2 weekends left and 4 weekends of trips undone. 


If no plans change, I'll be heading home the 12th of July. It seems so close and I can't believe I'm already 4.5 months in. I'm not ready to leave yet, but the closer the day comes, the more I let myself get excited about the little things I've missed. I haven't had too many bouts of homesickness, but I haven't really let myself think to much on it either. Also, knowing I need to grow up and get a real job when I go back puts a slight damper  on things. I'll worry about that in a month.

Day 135: or The Day We Went To Dijon

The last day of our trip started with breakfast and a short trip to Dijon. We had planned to slowly meander back to Paris, seeing as we had all day, but we only really stopped in Dijon. It seemed much larger than any of the other cities we have visited, but we were able to find the center and walk around a bit. We went to the Beaux-Arts Museum and were happy to find it free on Sundays. It's amazing how many places I've seen for free while living in Europe. They really like to give people a break when it comes to Museums.


After a while we walked a bit more around the main square, and bought the requisite mustard, just to say we did. We bought Dijon mustard yesterday too, but not actually from Dijon, so we were covering all of our bases. We got on the road, eventually stopping for lunch at a roadside restaurant. We contemplated stopping at many different locations, but my Mom was antsy to get back so she could check in to her hotel, return the car, and make sure she knew her route. We made it back to the house around 5pm and said our goodbyes. Now, while in the car we discussed the fact that my wallet was in her purse and that needed to be fixed. But of course, an hour or so after she left, I get a call informing me my wallet is still in her possession. So she kindly drove back across town and we had dinner at the local place. Again we said our goodbyes and she headed off, for real this time.


It was a good trip, and a nice change of pace to have someone around when I'm usually alone all week. Tomorrow it all goes back to normal though.

Day 134: or The Day We Went To Beaune

Being a Bed and Breakfast, you can’t exactly sleep through breakfast. We made our way to the dining room for our coffee and bread with jam. The place we stayed was very nice and in a very tiny little town outside Auxerre. We had a 1.5 hour drive to our next location so we got on the road fairly early. I’ve been doing all the driving so I can drive a manual without any hiccups. With last night’s traffic and and today’s windy roads, I think I’m about done practicing.

We made a detour on the town of Vézelay to see it’s Basilica and ancient streets. It was a overcast and early so there were no crowds and we walked the streets and made our way up the hill to the church. The building was Romanesque, the largest in France, and had a surprisingly light interior. The stonework is still light in color and the large windows obviously help. It was a nice change from some of the darker ones I’ve seen on this trip. From the back terrace, there is a nice panoramic view of the valley and the little towns below. On our way down the hill we stopped at a little creperie/ sandwich shop for lunch. I got a croque madame and my Mom got a crepe. We finished with hot chocolate and headed on our way.

We headed to the North end of the  Les Routes Grande Crus. This road meanders through small villages and towns for 60 odd km and was our scenic route to Beaune. We had planned on stopping along the way, but nothing we stopped at was quite what we were looking for. When we got to Beaune, we searched a bit for a wine tasting venue. We found the one Zoe suggested fairly quickly and had a good time sampling wines from the region. My Mom said she'd been there before but can't remember how she managed to escape from the kids to drink wine. A mystery.


After the wine we checked into the hotel and did research on restaurants. We finally settled on a small one and walked over to find that they were booked. It was such a small space that tables are used once a night basically. They told us that if we were willing to leave in 2 hours, they couldn't fit us. No problemo. We ate the same meal, boeuf bourguignon and escargot. Separate dishes, just to be clear. It was a good meal and accomplished the task of eating burgundy beef in Burgundy. Technically, the escargot were also Burgundy escargot.  We headed back to the hotel, full and sleepy. A good day.

Day 133: or The Day We Went to Burgundy

We had plans to go into Paris today as it was my Mom's last day available, but a Metro strike made the task just a little too daunting. I rely heavily on the Metro. I do a lot of walking too, but I never use buses or taxis. I like to keep it simple. So when the Metro has problems, I have problems.


We decided to stay around Saint-Nom and avoid adding necessary stress. One of the 3 restaurants in my town is a creperie and I've always wanted to try it, but it's a little too pricey for a no reason lunch. We both  got savory crepes over sweet. We were going to get a dessert one too but the portions were so huge, there was no way to justify it. 


After lunch we drove to the next town over that has the big super market and shopping mall. We bought enough Diet Coke to last me most of my trip and a couple other things that were greatly appreciated. If I am able to start driving the car soon, it will be an easy thing for me to do during the week, but the train doesn't go to that town. So close, and yet so far. And close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades.


The parents worked it out so we could head out a little early. I let the Kid go with his sister to soccer practice and we headed out a little after 7pm. It was supposed to be a 2.25 hour drive, but with traffic and dinner, we didn't arrive at the B&B in Vaux until after 10:30. For dinner, since we were running behind, we stopped at cafeteria like diner at one of the rest stops. The restaurant was built over the highway, connecting the two rest stops. Pretty cool view.


The B&B was very cute and quaint. With a long day tomorrow though, we called it a night pretty soon after arriving.

Day 132: or The Day We Went To Giverny

After our attempt last weekend to visit Monet's gardens, we knew we needed to head out at a decent hour to beat the crowds. We headed West a little after 9:30 and stopped at a small road side hotel for coffee. Had this been a longer trip, I would have liked to pick places like this to stay spur of the moment. But when your trip needs to be efficient, planning seems more necessary. We made it to Giverny and found a short line and available parking. Mission accomplished.

I came here when I was 15, but my memory was beginning to get hazy. Walking into the place though, and I remembered it all again. The flowers were beautiful and the weather was nice. It was a little chilly, but in the sun, it was perfect. It's not a huge piece of property, but you can spend a decent amount of time walking up and down the rows of flowers. We walked through the house and workshop and the out into the gardens. It's less than an hour from my house but you definitely feel much farther from the city.

We grabbed a sandwich from the take away window. While there, the woman in front of me was having a slight disagreement with the server. She was asking for coffee with milk and the server said we only have cafe au lait. I guess she thought she meant coffee and milk. The customer was being a little ridiculous so I just ordered for her. Then when she complained about there being no sugar, I pointed to the fairly sizable basket of sugar cubes sitting 4 inches from her elbow. I'm not quite sure why she was in a huff, but I felt good about at getting her out of the server's face.


After a couple of hours in the village, we drove back home. Took a little siesta before heading to school to fetch the Kid. We decided tonight would be Mexican night. I had thought I would use the good tortillas from home that my Mom brought, but when I told Zoe that last night, she looked at me like I was crazy for sharing. I used the normal tortillas with the taco seasoning from home. The kids all commented on the "spiciness". I told them to hush and that they were crazy. No more wusses in this house.

Day 131: or The Day We Went To Paris For Dinner

All the other days of the trip, my Mom and I get a break long enough to go look around, but today we were stuck around the house. The Kid slept in to a decent hour and got up just about the time my Mom walked in. She brought pain au chocolat and we sat down for a late breakfast. He kept himself entertained until it was time for class and then we headed out to the cafe for a coffee while we could. Since the weather had improved, what used to be a small bar has become an outdoor cafe spilling into the square. Much more appealing and a nice place for a break.


We had decided on sandwiches in the park so we took our baguette sandwiches and drinks to the school to get the Kid. It was a warm day and there were many other parents with the same idea. I'm always afraid the Kid is going to choke on his food because he runs over, grabs a bite, and runs off again. I can't manage to get him to sit still and eat for anything.


After the park the day went by quickly as the other's made there way home. My Mom and I had plans to see Zoe and Pascal so we skipped dinner and made our way into Paris. We brought Zoe a gift of tortillas and pecans from Texas and had a good time in their very cute apartment. We had a salad and a variety of cheeses for dinner, which were very good. It was an all around good night and a nice break from the ordinary.

Day 130: or The Day We Went To Le Petit Trianon

My Mom stopped by after I took the Kid to school and we went to the café for a coffee. The Kid comes home for lunch on Tuesdays so we just drove around for a bit before we went to get him. And by we, I mean me. I got to work out some of the kinks of driving a stick and think I've improved enough to drive the second car when the family doesn't need it. But I guess that’s up to them.


I went to pick the Kid up from  school and brought him home for lunch. I made fish and veggies which always goes over well, so no fighting. He seems to be sticking to the good mood a little bit longer and still wants to show my Mom all sorts of things around the house. I brought him to school for the afternoon and we headed over to Versailles for a couple of hours.


The palace grounds have many different buildings and since we've both seen the main château, we headed to the Petit Trianon for a short visit. The house was Marie Antoinette's private play house basically and is "small" by most château standards. For a couple extra euros you can drive your car right up to the gates, through the park. It was beautiful weather and the grounds were fairly packed with people. We took the tour through the house and walked a bit through the gardens before heading home. We took the long route and made it back in time to get the kid. 


The parents were both out of town so after I fed all the kids and put the one to bed, my Mom and I headed out to the next town of Marley-le-Roi. It had an adorable little street of restaurants and shops and we stopped at an Indian one where I got chicken vindaloo. I've been craving Indian since London and was happy to find such a place by accident. I miss spicy food more than almost anything else and vindaloo does the trick. After eating a little too much, we headed back, with me behind the wheel.

Day 129: or The Day We Went To Montmartre

Being Monday, my Mom and I worked around my work schedule and tried to make the most of it. Since I didn't have to work until 4:30pm, we decided to take the train into Paris and walk around the Montmartre neighborhood. It was great to have the car for the drive to the station. Not because of the physical effort, but because instead of leaving 30 minutes early, you only need 10. I'm going to be spoiled by the car by the end of the week.


It was a fairly sunny day and Montmartre was fairly busy. We started at the basilica and walked up the steps to see the gardens and view. After my 3rd trip through the church, we continued through the neighborhood  looking at the artwork at restaurants. We decided to follow our friend Rick's advice on where to eat and ended up at a little place down the hill. After our very French lunch, we kept walking until we found ourselves outside a Metro stop and decided that was a good stopping point.


We caught the train home and made it in time to take a little break  before going to get the Kid. He's been in a good mood since she arrived, so I'm just waiting for the novelty to wear off. The night went fine, dinner of pasta and meat sauce is a pretty safe meal. After the Kid was down, we went to the next town for a glass of wine but only stayed for a bit before heading home again.

Day 128: or The Day We Went To Deauville

With the help of earplugs, I had a better nights sleep. I'm a heavy sleeper and can sleep through a lot, but if I'm still awake, I get very distracted by noise and so, ear plugs it was. Another French continental breakfast and we discussed where to go. We had all day to drive the 2 hours home, so we could take our time and any detours we wanted.


We went South, to Deauville, only 12km away. It's Normandy's answer to the Hamptons, but hadn't quite hit it's stride as far as the season is concerned. For the low season, there was still a fairly sizable number of  visitors and the market we stopped in was pretty busy. We decided to walk down to the water and see the beach. The beach cabanas are all named for actors and actresses. Some great, some not so great. Deauville holds the French film festival for Northern France, while Cannes holds court in the South.


While walking on the boardwalk, taking our time to decide where to eat, I had a flash and realized we hadn't paid the parking meter. I could just see going back to the lot, with no rental car and no way home. Obviously we rushed back for the car, hoping for the best. Whew, that was close. At least we got free parking for the day. Since we had seen what we deemed necessary to see, we headed out of town on search for a small eatery out of the city. Forgetting it was Sunday, it took us longer to find somewhere than expected, but we managed to have a good lunch at a small hotel's restaurant in a town well off the beaten path.


We were passing Giverny on the way home so we stopped for a bit to see if we had time to visit the gardens. They were crazy busy with lines wrapped around buildings and streets filled with tourists. We just walked around the "town" a bit. The town is basically Monet's house, gardens and museum. We walked around none the less and then headed back to Saint-Nom for dinner.


The Mom had cooked a Moroccan chicken dish, with couscous and salad. We all ate outside, with myself being the diving line between children and adults. A role I find myself in frequently. Dinner went well and afterwards we said goodbye as my Mom headed to her hotel and the rest of us prepared for the week.

Day 127: or The Day of Rouen and Honfleur

We woke up this morning and went downstairs for breakfast. It was a continental spread but the coffee was good and the croissants were excellent, so a  step up from the usual. Before we packed up we walked to the Tourist Office and got a little a bit of information. The  lady behind the desk seemed super excited to help us. Read: sarcasm.

We got back to the hotel and changed, packed up and checked out. We decided to take a small 40 minute train tour. More of tram really but it drove through the main parts of town and gave a brief overview of the churches and cathedral s in the area. We walked though the Cathedral of Rouen but there was a first communion going on so we stayed near the entrance. It was a pretty impressive place though, from what I could see.

We walked to the Vieux Marche square and stopped for lunch. Julia Child’s first stop in France was there but we weren’t ready for such an event so we stopped at a more popular place and had a salad and pasta. The place was also the site where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake so we walked around the church that is now on the spot. They erected a cross on the exact location. We stopped and bought some macarrons, chocolate and pistachio.

We got our car back and headed to Honfleur  a little after 1:30pm. It’s an easy drive, less than an hour, but the Garmin takes you an interesting route. Let me give a little background information. I am Awesome at directions. Once I’ve been somewhere I can get there again without help. I can read maps better  than most people and I can almost always tell which way is North. My mother loves her Garmin. I decided to trust the machine and follow it without question. If I was with my Dad, he would blame me if we ended up in Germany, but my Mom would say “It’s ok, it’s like an adventure.” With that in mind, we ended up on a small farm road in the middle of nowhere France. At worst we were going to waste 10 minutes, but we ended up on the main road again after only a little bit of worry.

We checked into our hotel  and made our way into town. We walked around the town a bit and saw all the shops and restaurants. We stopped at one on the harbor and had a glass of wine and just took a little break. We decided to keep walking down by the water and found some gardens to walk through. One of them was called “Le Jardin des Personalitties” and it had many different statues of people associated with Honfleur. We made it all the way to shore and slowly made our way back to the town.

By now, it was already dinner time so we walked along and read all the menus and decided on “Les Deux Ponts”. I had oysters and fish and my Mom had chicken pate and steak. Finished off with ice cream for me and apple tart for her, delicious. 

Day 126: or The Day My Momma Came

I woke up later than I meant to when the cleaning man came and knocked on the door. He's new and not used to be opening the door with my eyes still closed, he'll get used to it. I started getting ready for my Mom because she was supposed to be arriving within the hour. Not having any way to get in contact, I waited by the window, making sure I'd see her arrive. Around 10:45am she made her way to the house and I showed her into the house. After a brief tour, we decided to go for a short walk.


We started at the bakery where I bought a croissant for the walk and a baguette for lunch. I showed her around town, hitting the most common routes I take. We made it back to the house and had sandwiches on the back porch. She decided to take a short nap and I enjoyed the nice day a bit more. My parents aren't the best with jetlag so a short nap was deemed most prudent.


After the nap, we drove to Saint Germain and walked around a bit more. It was a clear day and from the Chateau's gardens you can see Paris. We ran into a couple of the au paris also enjoying the nice day and after awhile we headed back to the house to get the Kid from school. He is usually quite shy with strangers, but I had told him she would be coming and he seemed excited to show her his toys when we got back to the house.


The older kids filtered in and out and it was pizza night so the kitchen was in a pretty busy state. The Kid wanted my Mom to watch a movie with him so they were entertained while I finished cooking. After dinner the parents showed up and we headed out and hit the road a little after 8:00pm. The drive to Rouen is olny 1.5 hours and we got there right after sunset. The hotel was ideally placed and we miraculously found a parking spot next to the front door. We walked down the block and had drinks and a plate of charcaturie. We headed back to the hotel and got ready for the rest of the weekend.

Day 125: or The Day I Tried To Explain Cinco de Mayo...

... and couldn't think of anything past margaritas.


Today is my Momma's birthday and she is headed to France. So happy birthday to you.


Today is also Cinco de Mayo. I was trying to explain to the 15 year old. I know that it celebrates a victory, but not Mexico's Independence day. Explaining to a child the fun times involved with "drinking" holidays can be a sticky situation so I wrapped up the lesson with a quick "nevermind".

Day124: or The Day The 14 Year Old Became The 15 Year Old

We had another picnic in the park today. It's a very simple thing for me and the Kid seems to really like it. On our way home we stopped by a neighborhood sale to see if there was anything he would like. We looked t books and clothes and toys, but of course he becomes immediately fixated on a huge castle. It was our entire budget and he already has a castle, but there was nothing else really to get. It made him really happy, but I was nervous the Mom wouldn't see it that way. The boy has a lot of toys.


After the sale, he played with his castle and then we made chocolate chip cookies for the 15 year old's birthday. Today was the last kid's birthday of the year. We've almost had one birthday a month since I've been here.The cookies went over well and my life was made easier by the fact that the Mom had made a quiche that I only had to stick in the oven. I did my part and quiche and cookies were enjoyed by all. After  a little trampoline action, the Mom came home and I eased the castle into conversation. Less than thrilled but not angry, so I won't count it a total loss. The Kid got his requisite 3 stories and I called it a night.

Day 123: or The Day We Talked About Leaving

Today was one of those odd days that seems warmer than it really is. Never really getting out of the low 60's, and quite breezy at times, it was light coat weather. But when the sun shone strong, I could have been in a swimsuit. The Kid and I had lunch at the park. He has a 1.5 hour break between classes for lunch on Tuesdays. Usually we go home and eat but today was nice enough and I planned a bit ahead so that we could stay at the park and he could play. He of course was too distracted by the other kids to actually sit and eat, but he choked enough of his sandwich down that he shouldn't be starving.


I came home and sat in the sun for awhile. Even though I don't really leave the house, it makes me feel better to go sit in the garden with a book. I went to get the Kid from school and I let him finish watching the movie from last night. The 13 year old played on the trampoline with him while I talked to the parents about the last 2 months of my time here. We discussed weekend trips and vacation days. We also, for the first time, decided on when I would be going home. I'll be leaving sometime in the 3rd week of July, just in time for the family reunion. It's still far enough away that it doesn't seem real, but it will come sooner than I expect I'm sure.

Day 122: or The Day They Stopped Talking About The Royal Wedding

The first thing I do in the mornings is check my emails. When I wake up, everyone at home has just gone to sleep so I usually have a couple emails waiting. This mornings news came with the announcement that Osama bin Laden had been killed and I just plain wasn't expecting it. It's a surreal moment to read about it and watch the President's announcement. It was interesting today though to not be at home during this time. The French don't have the same, personal reaction. I'm not sure exaclty what my reaction is for that matter. I'm happy for a successsful mission, and I'm relieved no U.S. troops were killed. I believe it's a good day for America.

Day 121: or The Day in Canal Saint-Martin

Seeing as I didn’t push myself to hard yesterday, I headed into Paris in the early afternoon. I headed to the Canal St Martin area to meet Zoe. I was early so I strolled around and grabbed a crepe. I sat on a bench where I met a guy from San Francisco. He is teaching English and we were both waiting for friends. After lunch I happened upon a socialist rally in the Place de la Republique. Pleasant. The canal has a series of locks so I watched them in action. I may be nerdy, but I thought it was cool.

When I did meet up with Zoe we started off at a sale benefitting Japan. The clothes weren’t exactly my taste so I bought some bake goods to help the cause and we headed off down the road. We met up with another of her friend’s and decided to go to a local place called Le Comptoire Generale.  You walk in and you feel as if you’ve just been transported to Ghana, which was their intention. It's a really cool setting and we sat for awhile and enjoyed some beers. It wasn't long before it was time to head for home so I said my goodbyes and made my way to the train. I got home just in time for crepes with the family. A crepe filled, tasty day. After dinner, I got a hold of Anne for a chat. I haven't been the best with emails lately between the blog and just being busy. It's nice every once it awhile to have a normal phone conversation as if I was still in the States. 

Day 120: or The Day of Movies and Bribes

Another day thwarted by rain. Sort of. I had planned on going into Paris today, but rain was in the forecast. By lunch though, it was sunny and nice. I contemplated a late afternoon jaunt into the city. By 4:00pm it was raining again. Too bad.


Because I was staying in, I put the Kid to bed so that the Parents could go and see a movie. He did not want to go to sleep but he didn't fight me exceptionally hard. Seemed easy enough. I went up to the TV room to see what the 13 year old was watching and we decided to watch Pirates of the Caribbean. Everything was going fine until we heard the hurried sound of little feet. The Kid was of course trying to watch from behind the couch without being seen. Foiled again. I picked him up and carried him to his room. Crying and complaining, he told me that he loved the movie and that he never gets to watch it. I let him watch at least 1 movie a week. Why has he never chosen it, I have no idea. I couldn't leave his room, his brother even came to help. Eventually all was calm, and with the promise that he could watch it with me in the week, he finally stayed in bed. We had also promised that we wouldn't watch it, so for the next 30 minutes I was on high alert trying not to get caught in a lie. Miraculously, he was unseen the rest of the night.

Day 119: or The Day I Watched A Wedding

Apparently, today was kind of big deal. I woke up and waited for the new cleaning man to arrive. The old one is moving to Canada so today was orientation day. After that brief intro, I went up to the TV room, and found the BBC. We don't have that many English channels, but luckily we have the one that matters. I watched the interviews and the back stories they gave. I'm not sure I would have woken up at 3am, but we are an hour ahead, so I figured I shouldn't miss something people will be talking about forever, if Diana's wedding is any indication.


The ceremony started and it was all very beautiful. More than anything though, all I could think about was how surreal this must be for her family. And for her. At what point to you wrap your head around the fact that you'll be Queen on day. Or that your daughter will be Queen. Just bizarre. 


At one point, the new guy came upstairs and needed to vacuum. He was soft spoken and I just felt bad saying no, so after they said their "I wills", I headed back down stairs. I checked back on the computer for the  "big"moments, but wasn't too wrapped up in it all.


I had planned on going out, but wasn't feeling up to an all nighter.  I haven't been sleeping all that well and staying out until 6am wouldn't help that. It was a good day, and I'm happy for the weekend.

Day 118: or The Day of Lentils

Last night, I made a cold lentil salad. It was pretty good, but seeing how I've never made lentils before, I may have made a little too much. So today, I was instructed to  try and finish them. Rough.

I told the kids, the more we eat today, the less we have tomorrow. We all sat down and I was proud of the kids. A real team effort. The 14 year old and I worked on a second helping for a good 10 minutes after everyone else left. We got the giggles because we just stared at our plates, dreading it. We managed to get the amount down to a very manageable size and I packed it away in a small container. We contemplated chucking it in the garden, but we fought those instincts.

Day 117: or The Day We Had Bagels

A full 12 hours with the Kid can be a bit daunting at times. Today was a fairly easy one. Since the family returned from the States, they brought some American food items with them. My treat today was bagels. I've always lived bagels and was very happy to have one. I'm an everything bagel time of person, and these were plain. But after 4 months, I've learned to compromise when it comes to eating American food in France. Good way to start the day.


The Kid has an English class on Wednesdays that is more play time than class. The teachers are English and there is a weekly theme. This weeks theme was the royal wedding. All the kids dressed up like princes and princesses.  I was amazed at how every little girl was dressed in costume with less than 24hrs notice. Everyone of them had a legitimate gown. The Kid loves knights so he dressed up in one of his knight costumes and I threw a paper crow  on his head just to make sure. I don't remember having a princess costume on hand at all times, but it was a long time ago, I guess I could be wrong.


After the party, we came home and he brought back a little flag he had made with the Royal couple's picture on it. Whenever someone came home they asked me if i'd made it. Um, no. I had to explain it was for class and they all seemed relieved. What an odd little project for me to undertake.

'Day 116: or The Day I Rejoined The "Real" World

Today was the first day back on schedule. I let the Kid sleep until the last minute before I took him to school. The Mom said he woke up again in the middle of the night. He is an early riser usually. Even on the rare occasions I have to get him to come downstairs, he's already awake just not out of bed. Today he was sleeping like a rock. I felt bad waking him up. To top it off we hadn't done his homework. He only has a couple of worksheets a week, and I thought we did them before the break. As we headed out the door I noticed and knew I was going to have to explain it was my fault. I hate getting in trouble with teachers.


I ran into a couple of the other au pairs and we caught up on the vacations we all took. All the moms and kids seemed to be in great moods. Vacations are wonderful things. I spent the rest of the afternoon at the house and in the garden. The weather is supposed to turn a little gray at the end of the week so I'm taking advantage of the sun while I can. When the Kid came home we went on the trampoline and I made dinner. An easy day and a nice way to ease into the routine again.