Day 61: or The Day Texas Turned 175

I tried explaining Texas Independence Day to the English people, but they didn't really get it. I know I'm in the minority of people who even know when it is, let alone remember it, but it's just a day I always think of. 


Today we made cupcakes, carrot cupcakes. They were quite tasty and I'm pretty excited to get to eat them. They were made for a birthday, but the birthday is tomorrow, so we all must wait. Another Wednesday has come and gone. Today was another quite day with not much to report. It's almost the weekend though so hopefully that will change. 

Day 47: or The Day I Started Lonesome Dove, Again

When I started this week, I was reading Girl With A Dragon Tattoo, finally, but I knew it wouldn't make it all week. I looked in my room and decided that over 800 pages of Texas should keep me entertained. I had no idea what my days would be filled with while here. All I knew was that if nothing else, I would have enough to read. Of course, when the girls ask about the book, I can't help but try and convince them to read it. I have 4 more months to accomplish the task.

I skied early today and came home and turned in my skis. The first 2 days were great weather and I was really happy to be back skiing after so long. Today was snowy and you couldn't see where the mountain stopped and the sky started. Makes skiing difficult. I really enjoy skiing but I've figured out I am definitely a fair weather fan, and I’m ok with that. After I walked around the village, I came home to find everyone was back. The daily ritual of snack, shower, reading/games, dinner, dishes, more reading happened.  We leave in 2 days and it’s back to the real world. I’m not sure what I’ll do while I’m still here but I’ll try to make the most of it. Weather permitting.

Itunes just decided to play Clarence Carter’s “Patches”.  I know he grew up down in Alabama, but it makes me think of Texas, so I guess that’s the theme of the day.

French Word of The Day

Je suis du Texas.


Ok, so it's more of a phrase than a word, but it means "I'm from Texas". I say it a great deal here. At the bar on Friday, everyone would ask where everyone else was from and the answers were Sweden, Ireland, Britain, the U.S., and Texas. I wasn't trying to be obnoxious, but when people ask where are you from, I say Texas. I'm trying to break the habit, but so far, it's been a decent conversation starter.

Day 23: or The Day I Ate Too Many Crepes

Now let's be honest, how can you eat too many crepes? Personally, I don't think you can, but I did have more than I needed. Today was a great day. It was cold, and not too beautiful, so I stayed in and relaxed. My foot has been better, but I figured a day of now walking would be good for it. I stayed in and watched movies, organized my room and talked with the kids. For dinner, one of the girls made crepes, and they were delicious. I've always been a fan of savory over sweet, so we had ham, chicken and cheese or, sugar and butter. The subject of Mardi Gras was brought up, because they have a tradition of eating crepes on the day. I said we celebrate Mardi Gras a little differently thinking they would know of the spectacle that is New Orleans. They didn't. It's not that I think all French people would know about it, but they did live in the states for 6 years. Alas, New York is not New Orleans. I skirted the subject as best I could, seeing as Mardi Gras isn't exactly America on its best behavior. I some how got us onto Cajun food, and back into safe territory. The other interesting topics of the day were Sororities and the Civil War. On of the girls is considering school in the States, so she was just wondering how honest television and movies depict Greek Life so I tried to give her my totally unbiased opinion. I think I was able to pull it off. Then the Civil War, or Session War as they refer to it. They were asking how we learn about it, and I wasn't sure exactly how to explain it. I made it clear that we don't call it the War of Northern Aggression just because we are from Texas. As a history major, I can talk a decent amount about U.S. history, so I hope I did an acceptable job, but who knows. Every once in a while you need a day like today. I feel ready for the week, which I believe is exactly what the weekend is for.

Day 18: or The Day I Made Pizza

Today was the Kid's birthday, which in a way made my life easier. Instead of feeling guilty when I gave him a little extra time, or one more cookie, I could tell myself, "hey, it's his birthday, give yourself a break". Worked pretty well too. It's amazing how much more agreeable kids are when you don't tell them no as much.


It was another grey day. I stayed indoors and did some laundry and other around the house things. For dinner we had homemade pizza. She made the dough last night, so I rolled it out and covered it with cheese and ham. Turned out pretty darn good. She told me that if they liked it I should have about half of a pizza left, out of the 2 I was to make. I ended up with a little less than half, so I would say I was a successful pizza maker.


Today was a hard day though because of Darcy. Since she hasn't come home, I'm trying to grasp the fact that she is gone. I just can't believe it though. I've had her for over half my life, and in the last year, I have tried to come to terms that she would be gone soon. But the fact that she just disappeared makes it harder. I know I already said my good byes to her, but seeing her on skype while my dad held her up was fairly comforting. She seemed to be doing a little better. The family here is trying to understand. I can't seem to keep it together for very long though, something about my Kuykendall genes I guess. For the first time since I've been here I want to be home. I know it would make me miss her more, but I miss my baby girl, and I want to be home.

Day 15: or The Day I Went Ice Skating

The Shopping Mall, au Printemps. It means Spring.

I took the morning train to Paris. The other au pairs and I decided we would spend the day, but we didn't have a plan as to what we would do. We started by walking to a currency exchange place, because my American dollars weren't exactly welcome. I of course knew this, but hadn't yet had time to make the switch. After the one chore was complete, they girls wanted to shop. In France, they have sales twice a year, each time for 6 weeks. There are the winter sales and the fall sales, where they clean the store for the upcoming fashion seasons. Needless to say, Paris is 
crazy this time of year. I'm not that into shopping. Don't get me wrong, I do love it, but at this time in my life, I would rather save my money for weekend excursions. Also, the lines for the dressing rooms were about an hour wait, so it was quite easy to not be tempted. 

Sacré Cœur, I'm there on the steps.

After the shopping, we went to the Sacré Cœur, which is situated on a hill above the city. A very nice part of town, almost ruined by all the people catering to tourists. I'm not sure what it is about me, but my goal in life is to never look like a tourist. I don't wear my tennis shoes around Paris, and I don't order ketchup at restaurants. But that's just me. The Basilica is very nice, very beautiful. No pictures were allowed of the inside, which is a bummer, but I really loved the fresco and the stained glass. We walked around some more and saw the artists that gather in the Montmarte district. I loved some of their paintings, but decided to wait until the end of trip to decide which one will come home with me.


We stopped at a very little Italian restaurant for a late lunch. It was delicious but I really love going to restaurants that you might never find again. It was a little off the beaten path, and I doubt it gets very many tourists. The man spoke no English, so it was another chance for me to practice. After eating, we made our way by Metro to the Hôtel de Ville, which is Paris' city hall, for some ice skating. We hadn't planned on doing it but we found out about it while in Paris and so off we went. 

The ice skating at the Hôtel de Ville

I had a great time skating. My Grandpa Jim taught me how to skate when the lake froze, so I greatly prefer skating outside. But being from Texas, indoor shopping mall rinks are the only thing available. But I love skating outside, like when I learned, so I was ready. Granted I hadn't done it in a good 10 years, but it's just like riding a bike. Sort of. I was a little wobbly, but it got easier. What didn't get easier was dealing with the crazy people skating at warp speed around me. I don't mean in comparison to me. I mean weaving in and out, running into you, and then stopping abruptly right before they bowl you over. There were only 4 or 5 guys doing this, but I did not appreciate it.

Me, trying not to fall. Don't worry, I stayed on my feet.

We took the train home. I had a nice dinner with the family. Uploaded some pictures for your enjoyment. Speaking of pictures. I added a link to the right and will try to update the pictures every once in a while. I don't want to insert all of them in the blog, but wanted them to be accessible, so there you are.

Day 13: or The Day I Made Fajitas, Sort of

Since I arrived, I have been cooking dishes I am not very familiar with. I enjoy trying new things and improving my cooking, but cooking for 6 other people puts the pressure on. When I make something up at home, if I don't like it, oh well. Here, it is dinner, not an experiment and they are usually quite hungry. So I was happy when they wanted me to try my hand at a Mexican dish.

Only thing is, we don't really have the ingredients for it. I grilled chicken breast with peppers and onions. We had found some Mexican seasonings, so I threw some of that in there. It was... interesting. The tortillas were actually pretty tasty. The salsa was bland, but that wasn't a shocker. They also bought cheddar cheese just for the occasion. Yum. They don't have pinto beans here, so red beans it was. No sour cream to be found, but they did have avocados. It was a hodge podge of sorts, but in the end, it tasted good. Not necessarily Mexican, but good.

Back to the salsa. It was your garden variety mild picante sauce. The 16 year old can't handle spice, so she inquired about the level of spiciness. I said, there wasn't any, I couldn't taste it, just tasted like tomatoes, onions and belle peppers. A little too sweet for my taste. Apparently, I was wrong. The other girl tried it, and quickly said "actually, it is kind of spicy. Oh, quite spicy." Oops. I'm telling you I couldn't taste it. I'm not sure who has a warped view of spice, but we definitely don't see eye to eye. I put The Kid to bed again. Tonight went smoothly, once I could get him to sit down at least. An easy day. It was in the 50's, but cloudy. The girls and I decided to find an indoor pool to swim laps in. Seeing as how my left foot is not allowing me to run on it, I was happy to hear someone wanting to find alternatives.

French Word of The Day

Boudin.


So, they say it all French like, but it's still just boudin, well without the rice. When she was telling me that they had some in the fridge and I should grill it, I said "We have boudin" they way any Gulf Coast resident would say it. She of course corrected me thinking I was unaware of the food and just mispronouncing French. I explained myself, and was happy to try this variation on a delicious Cajun treat. Thing is, and I don't think this will be the case very often, their's ins't as good. I know, shocking. I think it has to do with the spices, and by think, I mean I know. I LOVE spicy food, love it. And they just don't use much if any here. Their's tasted great, but what can I say, it's not preferred. 

Day 12: or The Day I Built A Castle

Today, being my 12+ hour day, went by rather quickly. The one thing The Kid has difficulty with is being on time, and walking with any discernible speed. So, days when we are able to go at our own pace are quite nice. We had built a castle last week, but due to the cleaning man coming, it was demolished. We decided to rebuild it on a table in the play room, so that it would have a little more staying power. I really try to not let my control issues get the better of me, but somehow I ended up making about 95% of the castle. I also think The Kid started to notice that my structures always managed to be a little sturdier. He decided to fulfill the design role. Worked out nicely in the end.

I told him last week that my two favorite Disney movies were Sleeping Beauty and The Little Mermaid. I don't think he particularly cares for them, but when he is trying to get me to watch a movie, and he knows the chances are thin, he slyly recommends one of those two. I give in, more for his attempt at being cunning than anything else. So today was Ariel's turn. I had to go downstairs halfway through to make dinner, but by the end of the movie, half the house was humming the tunes to random Mermaid songs.

Dinner was boudin blanc, mashed potatoes and homemade apple sauce. I think I did pretty well, but seeing as how I was making things I've made many, many times, would have been pretty sad to be sub-par. None the less, success. Well, almost. When I was first here, the cooking was difficult, but I am definitely getting into the groove of things. Now, it is trying not to dirty every single dish in the house. I couldn't make more of a mess. The kids help with the dishes and the items they use, but I do all the pots, pans and cooking things. I try to get everything to at least a presentable state before the parents come home. Usually I am still cleaning, but it at least doesn't look like a war zone. 

Tonight, the mom is travelling for work and the dad is working late, so pressure was slightly off. But I did have to get The Kid to sleep. I read two books, had him in bed and was just about to leave, when the night light didn't turn on. It appeared to be plugged in, would flicker, then face. Uh oh. If the parents were home, it would be a much smaller deal. But these is one of those situations that could set a kid off when he is missing his mom. As he is crying, I promise to fix it, and if I can't, his dad will. I could just see his dad walking in at 11:00 after a long day of work, The Kid still stubbornly awake. But as I walked into the 12 year olds room, he informed that it needed to charge. What? But it was plugged in. I go back into the room, and ACTUALLY plug it in. Boom, light. I'm just glad it was the kids who saw this and not the adults. I have no problem looking like a fool in front of them. But adding unnecessary stress to the parents is the exact opposite thing I'm supposed to be doing. 

The Kid is asleep. The kitchen is clean. That's a wrap.

Oh and it's 52' outside, at 9:30 at night. Where am I, Texas? Oh wait, it's cold there...

Happy Birthday Granddaddy Kirk. Miss you, love you.

Day 11: or The Day I Decided Electric Water Boilers Are Actually Pretty Darn Handy

Man that's a long title...


So today was like any other Tuesday, took the kid to his morning class, coffee with another au pair, and then home for lunch. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the only days I cook lunch, and I pan fry fish for him. I of course enjoy my baguette sandwich and couldn't be happier. I believe the speed in which we run out of ham has greatly increased since I moved in, due solely to my sandwiches. Delicious.


The afternoon was spent running errands and resting the useless appendage that is my left foot. For dinner, I was going to use roast chicken we had and mix it with pasta. She had recommended I make a gratin, but the timing wasn't allowing it, so I steamed some green beans and we had small potatoes as well. In France, and I think most of Europe, they have electric water boilers. They are pitchers they heat up water on a hot plate at a rate much faster than a pot on a stove. It is great for tea, but they use it to jump start the cooking process. Unlike Texas, where tap water is a mild room temperature, the water is frigid coming out of the tap, so making pasta takes forever. Anyways, they may seem frivolous, but really they are just awesome.


After dinner, I spoke with the mom about vacations. They have 2, two week breaks. One in February and one in April. They will be skiing in the alps one of the February weeks, and will need me at the house the second week. They plan on going to the States for the April break, but aren't 100% sure. Since I have a dear, dear friend visiting me while I'm here, I needed to ask would I be able to make sure to at least get 1 week off in April. Weather wise, it will be so much better than February. She said that would be fine, and then she asked if I had any interest in going with the to the Alps? Umm, let's think. Yes, yes is the answer. It is not official, she thinks there will be room, but if not, thats ok, but I am pretty pumped that in a month I may be skiing the alps. And by skiing I mean slowly, slowly descending the mountain. So my day ended on a positive. I just hope it happens.

Day 7: or The Day I First Went To The Pâtisserie

Today was a good day. I woke up and took Jeremy to school. I had to let the cleaning guy in the house so I waited for him then went on my walk to the town shopping square. It was gross and drizzly but I had to drop off boots to be repaired so it wasn't an option. I have decided that music on walks can really improve my mood. i don't think I'm revealing some shocking news, but I believe that I am more affected by my music choices than most. On my way, my copy of Elvis Presley's Yellow Rose of Texas/ The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You came on. A) how awesome is it that Elvis sang Eyes of Texas? B) It made me feel close to home. Now I realize that I have been gone 7 days, and that is not a long time. But I know that in a couple of months, when the crawfish boils start, I will start to miss home. But like the songs says, the eyes of Texas are upon you, you can not get away. Some non-longhorns may think I'm being cheesy or too Hook em Horns about this. But that's not what it is. Follow that song up with Lord, Have Mercy I'm a Country Boy, and Tom Petty's Won't Back Down and I'd bet most of you would feel pretty good too.


On my way home, I stopped at the Pâtisserie. After the shoe repair guy, I decided to try some more French at the shops. I went to the little store and bought shampoo. Boring. Then I made it around the corner to the little shop of heaven. Now I'm not a sweets fan. Appetizers or dessert and I'm going to pick fried, cheesy things every time. But French pastries should not be taken lightly. I went in, and being that it was almost lunch there was a bit of a line. I decided on a swiss and ham baguette, and a pain au chocolat for the walk home. In France, chocolate croissants are not called chocolate croissants. They are pain au chocolat, which translates to choclate in bread. Whatever frenchies. Anywho, I ate my croissant and resisted skipping home. And it was only .80 euros, which is $1 usd. Crazy town. And the sandwich was 2.80 euro, or $3.60. Great deal.


I just made myself some tea and am considering popping Lonesome Dove into the DVD player. Which reminds me that my host family has LD on vhs. Can you believe it?!? Seriously, how many french families do you think own that series. Gives them a little bump in the points if you ask me.

Day 2: or The Day of Luggage and Quiche

It's a Christmas miracle!! I seem to have avoided Jet Lag. Not sure how I did it, and I'm sure some of you are thinking that an awesome person such as myself should expect to be exempt from such lame things. And you would be right. A nice way to start out my trip, that's for sure.


I woke up this morning around 9:00. We wanted to leave for Paris around 10:00, so I wanted to make sure and not be the one holding up the group. I sat next to Jeremy in the car, the 5 year old, and he proceeded to tell me all about his Lego catalog. His English needs work so I asked him all sorts of things about dinos and pirates ships and what not. These toys now a days are getting pretty fancy. 


In France, Sundays are free for museums and monuments. In other words, the lines are crazy town. We were going to visit Sainte-Chapelle, but the line was hours and hours long, so we went to Notre Dame and climb the 400 steps to the top (read: brutal). Nice view though.

After the walk down, not brutal, just dizzying, we walked around a bit and had lunch at a little restaurant named Fourmi Ailée. I had a jazzed up Quiche Lorraine, and it was delicious. I ordered well. Then we walked a bit more and drove home. The blue sky started to show during lunch, and the sun helped the mood. I love sunshine and was a little worried that going without it for 6 months would be a problem, but if I can just get a couple of days like today, I'll make it through just fine. 

My luggage came around 9:00 tonight, so I have been unpacking and trying to make my room feel more like mine. Yesterday seemed like I was just visiting, with my one little bag, but today it seems more obvious that I actually moved here. I have my Harry Potter book next to my Lonesome Dove, which I think pretty much sums up who I am as a person.

As a side note, I'd like to congratulate TCU on a Horned Frog victory, it's nice to see one Texas team not totally collapsing like a cheap tent (Which I have actually had happen to me).

Au revoir de Saint-Nom.

Oh My, It's Happening

I am leaving for the airport in an hour. France. It's happening. I am moving to France for six months. I'm not quite sure what to expect and I have no idea what's going to happen next, but I am excited. I'm not going to count this as the first post. It's more of an intro of things to come. See y'all on the other side.