Day 65: or The Day I Had Cobbler

I had big plans today. Well not big, but plans. But after 8+ hours of walking in Paris, I was tired. Those plans became rest and relaxation. It was a nice day though. The boys even went out on the trampoline for a bit, and the laundry was hung outside for the first time all year. It's a good sign that better weather is just around the corner. Yay!


Lunch was simple. It was a "use whats in the fridge" day. There was a mix of leftovers and veggies and some sort of tuna dish. It was all healthy because the mom is quite conscious about what goes into every meal. I looked at the table thinking, "no wonder they're all skinny". Not in a negative way about the food, it was just a very typical spread. Then comes the dessert. We don't have desert during the week usually. Sometimes cookies or something one of the kids wanted to whip up, but on the weekends, there's always something. Today was no different and we were treated with a cherry, fig, cobbler of sorts. In case you aren't aware, cobbler is my favorite dessert. Well, cobbler a la mode is technically my favorite but let's not split hairs. All in all, the lunch was good, and very French.


The rest of the day was spent planning and researching for future trips. London is just around the corner, and then it seems the April vacation is right after that. I'm only 2 months into this thing but I'm already feeling like I'm running out of time for all my trips. Got to make the most out of the time I have.

Day 64: or The Day I Saw Kanye

I woke up this morning and headed to the train. I had planned to go into Paris and look at some vintage stores for awhile. I went in with another au pair and randomly ran into two of our other au pair friends. It was one of those small world moments. We hadn't discussed it at all, but at the same time, we walk into the same store. We hung out and walked around for most of the afternoon. It's Paris Fashion Week and we decided to stop by one of the tents and see some of the action. Every few minutes a car would drive up and a "celebrity" would be ushered inside. I didn't recognize most of them and could only see the tops of many of their heads. But out through the crowd walks Kanye. The people went wild. I got about 2 feet away and was able to snap this picture. He was pleasant enough and took a couple of pictures with people. He was the only one to walk through the crowd and not straight to the door, so I'll give him that.

After the show I went to see Zoe for a bit. We sat and talked for a bit before we both had to meet up with other people. I've only seen her twice since I've been here so we decided we need to actually make a plan next time. Making it up as we go hasn't been working too well. I met the other au pairs and we headed back home. We stopped in Saint Germain and had a glass of wine before I was ready to head home. It was a long day but it was one of those days that makes you feel like you're taking advantage of your surroundings. There was no forgetting I live in France today.

Day 63: or The Day I Met The Fish

Today was a nice day. The Mom took the kid to school and all I had to do was let the cleaning guy in. My one little task was thwarted when he called and said he couldn't make it. With that, my day opened up. I did a little laundry and sat in my room with the window open. It was chilly, but sunny. The day went by quickly and before I knew it I had a house full of teenagers again. The 14 year old has basically the whole girls soccer team over on Fridays because the house is right next to the field. The entryway is impassable from all the shoes. Dinner was easy and the night was topped off by the arrival of the new family pets. 5 fish to go in the new fish tank they got for Christmas. They were all very excited. I on the other hand, was at a normal excitement level regarding fish.


I went out with the other au pairs, which was a nice break. We went out locally instead of in town which made it a mire manageable evening. I was home by 2:00, which is positively early by France standards. We were at a local Irish pub. I always end up at Irish pubs in France, but they tend to be the most in line with my kind of bar. I met a couple new girls and had a good time. I also was able to not spend a week's pay, which can happen in Paris. Nice little Friday.

Day 62: or The Day of Cupcakes and Frosting

Today, the 12 year old became the 13 year old and we had cupcakes in celebration. I made a butter frosting that was tasty but turned out pink rather than the requested red. For dinner we had pasta and veggies. One of the girls always has to comment on the food. She does it with her mom's cooking too, so I don't take it personally. She just has a way of letting you know what she would do differently. It's not always negative, but it has a way of annoying me.


It has gotten chilly here again. All I can think about is the time when I go out without a coat, scarf and pair of gloves. The days are getting longer and it isn't dark until almost 7:00. It's also light when I get up, which is a huge improvement. Mentally, getting up in the dark is grueling. My body just can't adjust. At home, March means warmth is coming and crawfish boils are starting. Here not so much, but I do appreciate the slight changes. Some of the plants are beginning to show life again, so I'm hopeful that soon it will look like the spring I've heard so much about.

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 60: or The Day I Made Tofu

I was given a tofu recipe tonight and I think I pulled it off pretty well. I've never cooked tofu before and apparently you don't find it much over here. Since it was a special thing, I had to make sure not to screw it up. It turned out pretty well if I do say so myself.

The Kid and I worked on English today. He hates reading but loves for me to read to him. And loves to draw but hates to write. The key is for me to trick and distract him into doing it. I've been working with him every week but his teacher told the Dad that it seems like he's not getting enough. Of course this looks bad on me, yippee, so I made sure to cover all of my bases tonight. This resulted in a screaming fit as the mom walked in from work. He wanted a movie and I didn't give in. I was actually happy to get caught having a "fight". At least she sees that I don't let him walk all over me. The kid is a crier, plain and simple. He is a good kid, and I really do like him, but he abuses the tears. It was bedtime when they started and he was refusing to go upstairs. I was just relieved when the Mom walked in because it meant that the fight would soon be over. He doesn't ask or cry about TV time with her. It was a brief, 5 minute hiccup in an otherwise nice day. 

Day 59: or The Last Day of Februaury

Today was the first day back to routine. Woke up and took the Kid to school and spent the day taking care of little things that had fallen by the wayside over the break. Being the last day of the month, it made me realize that I'm 1/3 of the way into my time here.  In some ways it feels like I've been here much longer. The fact that less than 2 months ago I hadn't met the family seems beyond odd. But then I think about the fact that I have been in France for 2 months. A 2 week trip can feel like a long time. I also realized that time flies, so I need to start making sure I'm not wasting it. This weekend was a good start. Now I just have to think of what fun place I want to visit next.