Days 27-32

Wooow...I'm slipping on this daily blogging thing, but as I'm settling in, there's not as much to notice that's new & different.

Another list of things that have happened since my last post:

• I've met with fellow knitters at a tiny little tea house (quite a wonderful morning)
• I went to Pizza Night Bible Study at the American Church in Paris
• I went to see my first movie in a French cinema (Despicable Me), even if it was in English
• I had raclette for the first time, and it was delicious
• I was invited to a wonderful dinner at the home of someone I met at the American Church in Paris
• I survived another week of French classes
• I met the 3 university students staying in the apartment across the hallway from the one I'm in
• I had a bagel sandwich for lunch with a friend (it totally hit the spot!)
• I found a recipe I want to try, especially since the weather's getting cooler...
• I finally made it to the Eiffel Tower
• I finally had my first crepe in Paris
• Eldest told me that he loved me, which just about melted my heart...he's adorable when he's in a good mood :] (it did catch me a little off guard, but I think that's a good sign, don't you?)
  

Things I'm excited about:

• My dad arrives for a visit this coming Friday!
• The kids go on break, which means I get time off
• The host parents are going on vacation, which means a calm, quiet apartment :]
  
• After my dad leaves, it's only another 2 weeks until my mom comes to visit!
• Thanksgiving!
• Christmas break
  

Things I'm not excited about:

• The cold
• The wind
• The rain
• The lack of sunshine that apparently comes with wintertime in Paris
• Missing Halloween
• Missing fall football
  

Day 25

In one Saturday I saw some amazingly beautiful cars, & also celebrated my first Canadian Thanksgiving!

I woke up at a normal time (for me) of about 9:30, had breakfast & tea, then went back to my room to check my Faceboook/Twitter/Gmail & get ready to go to the Mondiale Auto, aka the Paris Motor Show!

I don't know what to expect, going on a weekend, to a car convention, in a HUGE European city, but it surely wasn't what looked, smelled, and felt like 5 million people. Somehow, though, I managed to wedge myself through the crowds, and got some decent shots, so without further ado, the autos! :]

Rolls Royce, anyone?

Smexy new Peugeot SR1

Jaguar's new electric concept...Want.

Yup...still want.

Still want. Love the green stripe on the tires!

Ferrari California, anyone?

Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano

Maserati Gran Cabrio

Maserati Gran Turismo S

I can hear Joe Walsh now...

Maserati Gran Turismo MC Stradale. Translated: Want it. Now.

And again, from the other side. Still want it.

Too many people!

Everyone's favorite Honda robot, Asimo!

Bentley's "New Continental GT"

Audi R8 GT

One more shot for the road (I know it's cringe-worthy, but I had to say it sometime!)

After a long day of battling smelly, sweaty guys with cameras, I decided to head back towards the apartment. The Canadian needed some shortening she left here because she was making a pumpkin pie for Canadian Thanksgiving, which is evidently a month before American Thanksgiving. I grabbed the shortening & headed to her apartment. She had a friend from Canada who was visiting, so we chatted for a bit, and then I was invited to stay for dinner, which was a wonderful meal.

Canadian Thanksgiving isn't much different from American Thanksgiving as far as food is concerned. The big difference was that there wasn't a turkey, but that's because there were only 4 kids & 3 adults eating, and a turkey would've been overkill. Instead, we had two delicious roasted chickens, stuffing, gravy, a casserole of layered potatoes & sweet potatoes, roasted carrots, green beans in browned butter, pumpkin pie, and apple pie. The cooking was divided between the three adults (the Canadian, her friend, & me); the Canadian handled the chicken & stuffing, and the potatoes, her friend handled the pumpkin pie & the carrots, and I was in charge of the green beans and the apple pie. And surprise of all surprises, nothing went drastically wrong! Not one thing was burned or undercooked, the pies came out picture-perfect, and the company that evening was fantastic. And we also saw the Eiffel Tower all lit up & twinkly, which just topped the evening off wonderfully.

This was all that was left over...

I told you they were picture-perfect!

Twinkle, twinkle :]

Day 14

When your alarm clock one morning is a fire alarm test, that doesn't really make for a good start to the day. The father of the family came by the apartment as soon as it started to let me know what was going on, so that calmed my fears. I was just glad that the building wasn't burning down, or something like that.

After I had collected myself & had breakfast, the former au pair for the family (the Canadian) invited me to have lunch at her place since our first attempt at lunch didn't work out very well. I took the approximately 20 minute walk to her apartment, and she prepared a nice lunch of sauteed carrots & zucchini, fish, and a wild rice pilaf. After the meal, there was cheese & crackers, then an apple, and then coffee. I wish we could've talked longer, but she had to go to work, so I came back to the apartment & took a nap, which I hardly ever do.

I woke up in time to have a cup of tea before I picked up the kids from school. There's another au pair girl who picks up her kids from the same school as mine, and she's from Louisiana. As usual, I got Youngest first, we waited for Eldest, came by the apartment, dropped off his lunchbag & bookbag, and then headed to the park. Cue meltdown.

I've mentioned that Eldest is into Pokemon cards. We were already on our way to the park, when he decided that it was a huge deal that he bring his cards with him. I said no, because we were already out of the apartment, and at first he just pouted. Then, when he realized that I had said no, he returned inside, though just in the entryway of the building. He kept asking, I kept saying no (deciding to stick to my guns). His father was passing through on church business, & Eldest tried to convince his father to let him go get his cards. Thankfully, the father asked me what I had said, and again, he backed me up, agreeing with how I responded. The father went back upstairs, and then soon, Eldest went upstairs as well, and sat crying at the doorstep. He finally came downstairs with me (the kind secretary offered to keep an eye on Youngest while I went to sort things out w/ Eldest), and we all went to the park, though he was crying all the way.

Once we got to the park, he was still angry, but did get up & move around. Several times, he tried to snatch a snack from the bag I take to the park, but I wasn't about to let that happen. Manners always come first. That's how I was raised, and I'm not about to let up on that. The third time he approached, I think he realized why he didn't get a snack before, and asked politely, though still mad. After that, his evening got much better, and everything went pretty smoothly.

Dinner for the kids was ham tortellini, salad, tomato slices, & yogurt. I just had a salad, but that was because I attended the young adult pizza night that the American Church hosts every other Tuesday. I'm glad I went, because I met two students (one from Illinois, one from Hong Kong/London) who were in the small group I joined, and who happen to live nearby. I got to pizza night late, but it was still a pleasant time, and I'm looking forward to the next one in two weeks.

After pizza night was finished, my two new friends & I walked to the nearby metro stop. Before we parted ways, the one from Illinois mentioned something about the "nuit blanche," which is evidently an all-night art/museum crawl around Paris the first Saturday of October. We all agreed to meet at Les Invalides, and then see what the night has in store. So the Illinoisian (?) hopped on the metro, and Asian/British girl & I walked on, and we eventually both wound up back in our respective apartments.

Day 3

Today was a slow day. I woke up at 11 again, and realized that I probably needed to find an alarm clock. After a good-morning Skype call with my dad, I ventured out a bit and made it to the nearest Monoprix (a grocery store). This Monop', as it's called, was pretty small compared to American grocery stores, and while I managed to find some shampoo that I like, my search for an alarm clock wasn't fruitful. I returned to the apartment, I had lunch, knitted just a little bit, and then left to pick up the kids from school.

Today was the same schedule as yesterday, but Eldest tried to convince me that his mom said it was ok for him to take his Nintendo DS to the park. Now, neither his mother or father had said much about the DS, so I told him that I hadn't heard that it was ok for the DS to leave the apartment, and a tantrum ensued. He cried, he stomped around, he pouted. Then, he went to his father's office, and explained the situation. Fortunately, his father told Eldest (and me) that I was right to say no. Each child gets 20 minutes of play on the DS during the week, and an hour on weekends, so Eldest used his 20 minutes after we returned from the park.

[Side note: The building that I'm living in has an elevator, which is a rarity in Paris] The kids & I were waiting for the elevator after we had returned from the park. The door opens, and in the elevator is the former au pair girl, the Canadian. She stayed with this family for two years, so the kids were happy to see her. While I prepared dinner, she helped me by making sure the kids take their showers. She stayed for dinner, but had to leave soon after. It was great to meet her in person, and she was very nice, which is a good thing. :)

After the father came home, I ventured out & met up with another au pair girl, from Spain. She has a few American friends, so I met all of them while we hung out in the Spanish girl's apartment. One of her American friends is from DC, while the other two are from California. These girls were all very nice, but my interests don't really line up with theirs. I have no problem with people who smoke, but I don't. I have no problem with people who drink, but I don't really drink (yes, I did abide by the laws of the legal American age). These girls aren't bad people, but all they seemed to talk about was who they were going to hook up with, which, if you know me, is definitely not something I have any interest in. These aren't judgments, though. During the daytime, I'd definitely join them again. Then again, any friends I can make would be helpful.