Barely a Night Out in Paris...and Climbing Gates

Well, Friday was another good day...I was very busy all day working (which is the best way to be when working). I taught English again to Tiphaine's class of 4 year olds...it's pretty funny...some kids understand the concept of another language and like to repeat the words I say or sing the songs with me...and ohters just stare in utter disbelief and confusion. We split the class into 2 groups, so it's 15 minutes with each group...so obviously this is not much time for the kids to 'learn' English, however at 4 years old it's a good idea for an introduction. The other day one mother came up to me and said (in English), are you Laura? Her son told her all about the young girl that came and sang songs in English and read books...she was really friendly and I think her name is Sylvia. We talked for a few minutes, so that was nice to meet someone. Tiphaine also likes to be my little helper during her 15 minutes of English...yesterday she was showing off a little bit, as she's one of the only kids who can really speak English...but she sang "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" REALLY fast, it was funny. Lunchtime with the kids went smoothly, and Matthieu was feeling much better and in a good happy mood. I "arranged" the kids' rooms, vacuumed quickly, did a load of laundry and put dishes away. I also went on my first liquor run! Haha...before getting the kids at the end of the day I stopped at Monoprix to pick up some Vodka, juice and soda....I haven't bought liquor or DRANK it since June...so that was a refreshing feeling to make a Friday night plan with Kirsty and prepare for it. After school we drove to Poney Club (I did it alone for hte first time, and it went well, no problems with directions). We were 5 minutes late to Tiphaine's lesson and the woman in charge was REALLY rude to me about being late...I just laughed and walked away with Matthieu. Haha. There is probably no way we will ever be early to Poney Club, so hopefully sometimes we'll be right on time...but likely late a lot. I told Virginie how rude she was and she said she was going to tell her that we'll be 5 minutes each time. Anyways....Virginie showed up to poney club and let me leave for the night.....and guess what?? She said she would like to buy me a ticket to see the musical "CABARET" in Paris! I am sooo excited...and it's so strange because I've been looking at the website the last couple weeks and talking about wanting to go, but never to her...I've just been waiting til when I want to go and to decide how much I want to spend on the ticket. So without her even realizing this she offered to get me 2 tickets, and just wants to do this for me! So I am taking Kirsty and I think we'll go on a Saturday night (hopefully), so we can dress up and make a night of it!

So the night didn't go quite as planned...haha. Kirsty didn't get done working til quite late and didn't get to my studio til about 9:00...I had NOTHING to wear, so was feeling kind of blah about my attire...but we made a few drinks, talked about our week, and then picked a destination. I wanted to check out this bar I read about called "Fu Bar" on Rue St. Sulpice. Basically we BARELY had any time to enjoy the bar...haha. The issue with going out for me is that I HAVE to be sure to make the train back home, and the last one leaves at about 1:00 a.m. But we have to plan how long it takes to get back to the train station St. Lazare, etc....so we ended up spending more time FINDING the bar, but thankfully it was in a cool neighborhood with lots of people. We didn't even get a drink at the bar because we'd had plenty of mixed drinks at my house and in our water bottles, lol. So we've decided we will spend a day scouting out places we want to go to on 'party' nights, and know exaclty how to get there ahead of time...and hopefully next time we'll be able to leave earlier in the night. Anyways, so when the night began we SPRINTED to the train station when we heard it pulling up but were not successful in catching it. So, we missed a train. Then we walked around looking for the bar and practically had to turn around to get back on the metro to head home...

THEN the most ridiculous "Laura is intoxicated" moment happened. We got back to my house after walking in heels and sooo incredibly tired. I had my keys out, put them in the small side gate door, and nothing....the door wouldn't open. I kept turning and turning and I just knew I was doing it right. There is a little trick to unlocking the door and I could have sworn I was doing it right, but it wouldn't open. I could not believe it. I don't have a main gate remote with me, because we just leave them in the cars. And my key didn't work, so at about 2 a.m. I was trying to figure out what to do. I didn't want to call the house and wake them up. I was determined to get in alone. Kirsty was with me, thank God. So we decided to climb the gate, which is probably 8-9 feet tall (I realy don't know how tall, this is a guess). So first Kirsty took her shoes off and I hoisted her up, and she pulled herself up and over....but when she got on the ohter side she couldn't open the gate either! Clearly in retrospect we were really drunk. So I was thinking...Okay, I can give her my keys and tell her how to get into my studio, walk up to the house and get the remote control for the big gate... but nooo she didn't want to go into the house, and I knew that'd be too difficult anyway. So somehow she climbed back up and over to my side....so now it was my turn to get inside. I took my heels off and when she tried to hoist me up, I just did NOT have the strength to pull myself up and over the rest of the way. I was exhausted and intoxicated. So we figured out a different way...there are a few boxes connected to the gates of the neighbors and ours that are connected (like the control box). So she helped me get up to the box then it was up to me to pull myself up the rest of the way...and I slid across the top of the gate to the pillar, where I nervously and slowly lowered myself down onto another box. I was scared out of my mind that I was going to fall...the gate is really big and tall and not at all easy to climb over. Anyways I made it over in a few minutes after sweating and a rapidly beating heart. I quickly ran up the driveway with my keys, let myself in and quietly went up to the house to grab the remote for the big gate....phew.......what a relief. I opened the gate and got Kirsty inside after our socks were soaking wet from the rainy driveway. So we made it safe inside.
THEN this morning when I woke up I heard the kids and Jerome in the garage and got up right away to tell him the story and to please check the gate so that I didn't get locked out again. Well, sure enough...the stupid door and key WORKED this morning. I felt like a total fool, laughing hysterically and Jerome said "did you have 10 drinks?" haha...he was laughing at me. I realized I must have been continuously turning the key the wrong way and not paying attention to the "trick" of how I usually open the door. Wow. I still don't know how I let it get that crazy...I thought I did it the right way, but clearly no...
Apparently this is what happens after you haven't consumed liquor in 3 months.

So today I went for my jog which felt really good. I was tired so had an uneventful day...tomorrow I am either going to a museum or Montmartre, depending on the weather. I'm sort of in the mood for a museum though...I'm thinking the museum of dolls, or the museum of fashion. Something fun and different....(those aren't the true names, but you get the drift)

Ok off to babysit for the night........

Bonne Journee!!

It was a good day! Despite having to wake up a little early today, I had a really great morning...after dropping the kids off at school, I walked to a building just near their school in St. Germain where I took my test to be placed into the French course. It felt soo great just to walk around the cute little town...I found the place easily too. The exam was 30 multiple choice questions and 4 short answers to write...I did quite well, not great...BUT the woman that graded my test (as I sat next to her) decided I was in between Levels 2 and 3...3 being the highest level. So we both decided I'd start at LEVEL 3!!! haha... incredible...I don't speak French as well as I write it...but I am going to be in the top level, and if it's too difficult I'll go down to 2. But she told me that she thinks Level 2 will be too easy for me....so 3 will either be just right, or a small challenge, but I want a challenge and I want to push myself to improve my speaking and grammar. So, I'm happy about that. I also signed up to take "stretching" and "aerobics"...so I have one class each day, 4 days a week (and au pairs get a GREAT discount so thats cool)....French will be Thursday and Fridays. After taking the test I walked around St. Germain...there is a chateau, and lots of great shops and cafes...The buildings where I take my classes are all within walking distance of the children's school, so I will be able to park in one central place in the morning and leave the car for the entire morning...while the kids and I have class...and with the hour to spare each morning I will just hang out in St. Germain...so I feel relieved knowing that I won't have to drive as much during the day, and anxious to start my classes.
Lunchtime today with the kids was not so smooth...in fact it was hectic and quite dreadful....BUT I didn't let myself get upset or stressed...except by the end of lunch Matthieu was crying a LOT and was very sick...he was crying about his ears hurting and a tummy ache...so it worried me a lot and after talking to Virginie I decided we'd drop the girls back off at school and Matt would come back home with me...thankfully he fell asleep on the ride back home. Virginie had the afternoon off work, so she kept him and I was off for the day.....she and I also had a really great conversation about my classes, and other issues pertaining to the job...it was all very positive and I felt some relief from my latest stress.
I spent my afternoon at La Defense just for about 2 hours...then came home and made a really great dinner, at 6:00 pm!! Which is exciting for me, because I don't have time to make a real balanced dinner at a decent hour...during the week. So I made steak, a salad and couscous. At 7:00 sharp I went for a drive with Jerome, and it was FLAWLESS, stress free...thank God! Tomorrow I have to drive a different car because mine is getting a new part...they have an old tiny little car that I will drive tomorrow, so he wanted to show me a few things about it, and I realized the clutch is much more sensitive...we drove to the Poney Club just to review how to get there (because tomorrow I take the girls there, and it's really my first time making this drive by myself). Anyways, the drive was quick and went well....which is always nice...I ended my night doing my Pilates DVD in the studio, and it's not quite 10pm and I'm off to bed now! Tomorrow I have a long day, driving the kids around and teaching English to Tiph's class...some cleaning in the house, poney club...
And tomorrow night Kirstie and I are going OUT in PARIS! I'm VERY READY for a night out on the town...which I haven't really truly had yet...we're going to start at my studio, make a couple drinks (to save money and not buy drinks out in Paris), then go out to a bar or club...I'm finding a couple cool places to go out in my guide books, so we'll make a plan ahead of time...get dressed up, wear some heels, MAYBE buy a drink at the bar but maybe meet some guys to do that for us? Haha. Anyways, I'm excited for a night out...so I'm hoping for a good night sleep tonight! A bientot!

"Don't Let it Bring you Down"...and Mint Tea

So it's Wednesday night, about 10:15...I should be sleeping already (since my days start so early), but I decided to blog while drinking my mint chai tea, and listening to some Annie Lennox. I began with her song "Don't Let it Bring You down" and now am listening to "Whiter Shade of Pale." It's good night time, tea-drinking music. I suppose with the change of weather, me coming out of 2 weeks of being sick, and just not having my OWN busy schedule lately, I have been a little 'down' the last few days....nothing bad, just kind of...blah. Today I worked from 8am to 1pm...so that was good, not a long day...however sometimes time goes by slowly when the children are home...they didn't have school today. So first I got them all dressed, and the girls wore matching dresses. Let me just say that these kids have AMAZING CLOSETS...full of clothes, shoes,and accessories. But wow, the amount of clothes....it's incredible. Anyways...we got dressed, then I gave Ines her first piano lesson...which lasted about 15 mintues. It's definitely too difficult to give a true piano lesson with the 2 younger kids running around. Plus Ines IS only 6....so we just did some basic stuff...she knows how to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb"...I tried to introduce to her the concept of 'reading music'...so I just showed her what sheet music looks like, and how the 2 go together (playing the piano and reading music). Anyways...the kids played awhile, watched a little Mary Poppins, I ironed some clothes, and then we played 'restaurant' again. Virginie got home at 1, and right away there were people coming to see the house (since it's now for sale). So I made a quick lunch and got out of the house...it felt good to get fresh air and walk to the station. I met Kirstie at La Defense again...her 'boss' has had free movie passes for the month of September, so today we saw another movie (while we can for free). We watched "Death at a Funeral"...or something like that..it had a different name in French (but we watched the English version). It was a really funny comedy about a funeral, taking place in Great Britain somewhere...so that was a good laugh. We both were tired and I was back home before 7pm...made a small dinner, did my Pilates dvd, and read over some French (because I'm taking my exam tomorrow morning to get placed into the French class).
Anyways....I think once the weekend comes it will give me a chance to rejuvenate, get out of the house and see more of Paris. I plan to get back into my guide book, and check out some new things...I will also workout as much as I can. I babysit Saturday night....so hopefully Friday night I can get together with Kirsty for a fun night out. I just need to remind myself of WHERE I am and how much there is to see and do...especially now that I'm feeling better. Having fun in Paris and continuing to have new experiences will make going back to work easier...I realize I need a good balance, and also starting my classes next week and getting involved in something for myself, with other adults...will also be VERY good for me.
Okay, off to bed...bonne nuit.

Italy here I come....and some other things

Well, it's been a couple days...and I've officially purchased my flight to Italy! I am going on October 31st and returning Nov 5th. And yes, my flight, roundtrip, was 53 Euro! That's about $65 for a roundtrip flight to another fashion capital of the world! I am flying into Milan, then getting a train to Torino....maybe go to Venice for a day or two...then fly out of Milan back to Paris. I hope to see some of Milan at least for a few hours while I'm there! I am very excited, as this will be my first trip to ANOTHER country, another reason to use my passport. It's great to go somewhere and have free lodging, and my travel in total should be just around 100 Euro, give or take a few, in the end. It's also really cool that Virginie is giving me abotu 10 days off work to take this trip, and have Stacey come visit me here from Italy the same week! I am starting to put everyone's visits on my calendar, so that is nice...BECAUSE I am getting a little lonely...really just on the week day nights after work when it's too late to go into the city...things like that...
Anyways...today I worked in the morning, and was free after lunch...I walked down to the main street in Bougival where I had an appointment to set up my bank account (the 2nd attempt). It was a good walk, especially after being sick and needing some fresh air. I also went to La Defense quickly to pick up a small birthday gift and card for my brother...it was a good afternoon...I babysat the kids tonight for a couple hours and put them to bed...
There are always a few bumps in the day...behavior issues, some small stresses, things like that....but now that I am feeling better it's not so bad. The parents are very busy, taking on a lot of responsibilities...even putting their house up for sale (but I just found out we wouldn't be moving til next June), so it doesn't really effect me...except that the house and studio need to be clean every day for visitors! We've already had 2 interested buyers today and they just put the house on the market this morning!!!
I take my French exam on Thursday...so I need to do some reading/writing beforehand to prepare. I believe I start my classes on Monday...and I'm ready for a change in my daily schedule.

ok gotta make a quick exit....

A new experience to add to the list

Today is a bit better, by the mere fact that I saw a DOCTOR! And it was something to write about...I actually know what it is like to live in a village kind of. I can walk to the doctor, and then walk to the pharmacy, walk to the bakery to get a croissant, and walk back home to rest. Haha. I got a better night of sleep after the most boring Friday night of my life, haha. I walked to the doctor at 9:30 this morning. I had a 10am appointment, and there were others waiting, but it was like "first come first serve" or something...and the doctor himself came out to get the patient. I got in at about 10:25...he was young, friendly, and spoke English, which was quite nice. There was not a nurse or secretary that started me off with paperwork or questions...which was different. So we went into his office, where there was an examining room next door. He 'wrote me a prescription' to get the flu shot in October, which I'm relieved about. Seeing now how it is being sick, and working with kids every day, it will be really nice to get the shot. Then I explained how my cold has been, he examined me and after looking down my throat said, "Yes, it is green and yellow...I'm giving you antibiotics." Sorry to gross everyone out. Haha. I think I basically have a sinus infection, or bronchitis...lol, he didn't say which...but I got antibiotics I will take for 5 days, and then also some nasal spray to clean my nose. SOO...afterwards I asked for the correct paperwork I needed to obtain my medical insurance and reimbursement for everything (I'm still in the process of getting French S.S. and the med. insurance, bank account, so I needed some papers signed by him). I had to pay for the appointment and medicine today, and will be reimbursed eventually. So I asked the doctor, "Is there a secretary outside that I pay" and he said "No, you pay me, right here...22 euro." Bizarre, huh? So, I paid him for my visit, said thank you, and off I went to the pharmacy down the street! Luckily my medicine wasn't outrageous either...will be anxious to be reimbursed though. It is interesting to see how other countries work in society with medicine, etc. I have never paid a doctor directly but I guess it's nice to SEE who your money is going to!
Once I got my medicine at the Pharmacy, I was automatically feeling better....it's a good feeling just to know what I have isn't serious, that I need antibiotics, and that I have them now...knowing I should feel better even by tomorrow. So I went home, took my first dose, ate lunch and laid down to watch "The Queen". I found flights online for my Italy trip and will probably purchase them tonight. I really need to buy a few things that I'm out of in the studio, and NOTHING is opened on Sundays, so I think I need to make a quick trip into the city....I will go into La Defense where there is a Monoprix (grocery store, Target type), and likely head right back home. I babysit tonight for the family....so I think we'll be viewing "Finding Neverland" on the projector in the living room, while the kids fall asleep and me too probably. Haha. If I purchase a calling card this afternoon I will likely make a couple phone calls, otherwise I'll lay low...I kind of hope Virginie and Jerome aren't out til 2 a.m., but I wouldn't be surprised because they haven't gone out in quite awhile....so my plan will be to grab a blanket and fall asleep on the couch. Tomorrow I will sleep in, and if I feel better hang out with Kirsty or Michael, but definitely this weekend is low-key....not what I was hoping for, but I am anxious to get better and be healthy! I hope tomorrow to be able to do my walk in Bougival and some Pilates, just to feel a bit more active... and this next week coming up I have an appointment to open my Bank account at the post office (the 2nd time around...ugh) and then I will be taking my French exam on Wednesday or Thursday to place into one of the courses that starts in October.
Well, I'm off to shower and go to the supermarket before it's too late.
A toute a l'heure!

Je suis malade, encore!! I am still sick....

Oh la la...(that's how one would say "oh no!!") Well, this night officially stinks. I was supposed to go to Versailles tonight to hang out with my new friend, Michael, but through the words of advice from Virginie and my better judgement, had to cancel those plans and am staying home SICK tonight. I am really bummed, and I feel crappy. Headache, coughing, gross nose,and I almost feel a toothache coming on strangely enough, which would contribute to the headache I am sure. My body sort of feels flu-like, minus an obvious fever and the upset stomach. I suppose I just have a really bad cold that does not want to go away. Thankfully I have a doctor appointment tomorrow at 10am to fill a prescription, which means I can get some cold meds or antibiotics if this is a sinus infection. Wow, almost 2 weeks now...I didn't think I'd be spending my weekend sick in bed. I had the afternoon off as well today, but had to come straight to the studio, close the blinds and crawl into bed. I maybe slept an hour, but it's difficult to sleep....my head feels better when I'm in an upright position...laying down I can't breathe that well and my nose is more congested. Yeah....no sleep this week. Dammit. Due to all this I haven't been able to exercise this week, so I just feel like a chubby sick blob. Lol.
Work was work...had its good and bad moments this week. My patience gets tested often, but I know its just more difficult when I'm ill. Today actually I taught English to Tiphaine's class for 30 minutes! The teachers are looking for mothers to 'teach' English to the kids...so it looks as though I will go in each Friday morning to sing songs, play little games, read little books, etc. Her class are 4 and 5 year olds so it will be fairly simple concepts, vocab, etc..mainly an introduction to English...Tiphaine definitely knows the most English in her class. I might do the same for Ines' class as well. The girls are very proud of this. It was cute.
In other good news it looks as though I will be going to ITALY! My Delta Gamma sister, Stacey, is studying there this semester....and it is working out that Virginie will give me a week off from work while the kids have their Fall vacation. The family will go back to Pyla with some friends (where I spent the summer), and instead of me going along, Stacey is going to come to Paris for 3 days, and then I am going to Italy for 4 or 5 days! Yahoo!!! She's already booked her flight, and I will book mine this weekend I think. She lives in Torino (where they had the Olympics recently)...I'll stay at her apartment with she and her roommates, then we may be able to go to Venice for a day or two. I will fly into/out of Milan, and take the train to Torino. This is great, I didn't even ASK Virginie for time off work as I assumed I'd just go to Italy for a weekend....but she told me I didn't need to go to Pyla since she'll be on vacation as well. So I don't feel any pressure or anything...and so I may be having a 10 day vacation (and I DID tell her I'd still need free days when my family comes to visit, and that I didn't want to have this replace those days and she said no, not a problem). There are 2 very inexpensive airlines in Europe, so my flight should cost around 50 euro I think, roundtrip! I will also have to pay for a train ticket and shuttle as well, but all in all, it will be a reasonable price...and free lodging with Stacey!
My OTHER Delta Gamma sister from UCR, Courtney, is coming to see me in mid-December!! And we MAY be taking a weekend trip to Morocco, if we can stay at her mother's friends house! If not we may do a small Europe trip...so I am happy to be making a couple plans and to put on the calendar friend and family visits!
Okay, must lay down and rest my head.....pray I get better, I really don't feel well and this job is not condusive to 'sick days'........

Two more

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4ij3aY2lMU

this is just funny

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8j0RNLw-Ug

my fav song on her new album

My outfit to the concert...hah. Living alone makes for a difficult time of having pictures of me in Paris! And the only full length mirror close to me is in the house garage! But the black and white stripes went along well with Gwen's theme...

You-Tube videos of Gwen's Paris concert that I was at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxDTbITrmnc

the badass opening..."Sweet Escape"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtKmCVjw8_8

this happened at the very end, I was pretty sad it wasn't me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK7XlajkRPk

more songs...i love youtube! listen to Gwen talk!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmpobRnniZ8
talking to the crowd, telling us Paris is her fav!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4ij3aY2lMU
and when she went into the crowd

Gwen's concert was incredible!

Hello everyone! It's been a busy couple of days, and I am STILL SICK. I can't seem to boot this cold, it's a stubborn bug. I suppose it is due to the germs I'm exposed to with the kids, and Matt and Ines are also coughing and sniffling, so I think it's just taking longer to lose...however I have a doc appt on Saturday anyway so if I still have the cold I will have him check it out to make sure it's nothing more. Anyways!

Gwen's concert was Monday night at an arena called Bercy! Once I was inside at my seat it felt like being at an arena in Seattle or Portland or Sacramento...I felt like I was just at a show in the States...the arena and the crowd, etc were just like something we'd see in the U.S. Anyways...I had a normal seat (no, Carolyn, that you-tube video is not mine, unfortunately). I had a good seat, not great and not bad. Which was fine because the floor was standing only, and you know me...unless I'm right in the front, I'd rather not stand in the back with a crowd of people! Funny story...when I first walked into the arena to get my seat, I was basically stalked by an employee to help me find my seat (which I TOTALLY could have done alone, it was so easy to figure out), but she chased after me to 'seat me', and then had the audacity to demand a TIP! WOW i was so turned off by that, I gave her about 30 cents, as that's all I had in change...and when she proceeded to help others WITHOUT demanding a tip, I glared at her until she saw me...then saw her ask someone else for a tip. Wow, I guess I haven't exerienced THAT at a concert yet in the States. Whatever, she was wearing an ugly 1970s flight attendant style uniform, so at least I looked better than her!

So the show was the exact same show I saw 3 months ago in Seattle, which was absolutely fine, nothing was very different...Gwen wore the same outfits and the songs were in about the same order I believe, and she even said some of the same things. She spoke in English, but commented on wishing she knew more French...she said a few short phrases in French, like "Ou sont les filles?" (Where are the girls?) She looked even BETTER than she did at the start of the summer, wow she is in GREAT shape and her abs made me want to kick myself for looking like crap at age 22, when she's 37....she looked awesome.

The Paris crowd was INCREDIBLE...I was sooo impressed and in awe at the passion and energy of the crowd. Even before Gwen came out a song came on in the arena that EVERYONE hear knows (by Mika I think) and the entire arena started clapping in unison and then proceeded to do the wave for about 10 minutes...and when Gwen was out everyone sang the "woo hoo" from "The Sweet Escape" in unison several times to cheer Gwen on, or singing her songs loud or clapping or screaming a lot for her backup singer, Gail Ann Dorsey (who has an amazing voice). Anyways, Gwen almost came to tears once or twice in reaction to the crowd and talked about her world tour and everywhere she's been so far, and that Paris had to be the best crowd. I think my jaw was hanging a couple times in awe of the crowd...it felt like everyone there was friends and were all in agreement how great the concert was or how Gwen was amazing...I also got jealous once again when she went into a part of the crowd that I was not in...and when she brought a kid on stage at the very end to give a hug...unfair how many times I've seen her and been right in front and never seem to get that lucky! I will do whatever it takes to meet her in person once before I die! Haha :) It was funny though because I'm almost certain I was the only person at the show who could sing all her songs, word for word...mainly due to the language factor...I'm sure the girls next to me were thinking "wow, her English is really good, she's singing everything!" Ha...pretty sure they didn't know I was Americain, or they figured it out by the singing.

Yesterday was NOT a good day unfortunately....the children misbehaved all day, and with me being sick with a cold, it just made for a bad day...therefore I went to bed around 9pm. On the other hand, the day of the concert Ines asked both her parents if she could go with me to the concert (she loves the songs I play them)...so that was really cute. I totally would have taken her too if they'd let her go...tickets are expensive of course and she IS only 6 years old, and it was a school night..Jerome and Virginie laughed and liked the idea, thought it was cute...Gwen's show is quite kid-friendly and is a spectacle to see...so yesterday I attempted to entertain Ines by making some Gwen posters with her picture and playing her music at lunch...but when the kids were not behaving well it put me in a less-entertaining mood.

I felt better today, but not great...coughing and the nose...ugh. I went into Paris this afternoon (Wed afternoons off work) with Kirsty (the au pair from Versailles). We went to La Defense and saw a movie at the cinema. We saw "A Mighty Heart" with Angelina Jolie. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS FILM. It had more significance for me since 9/11 just passed and I remember the story well. Angelina does an incredible job..I'd say Oscar worthy. Anyways...it was nice to do that for a few hours...and now I'm here typing, relaxing and getting ready for bed. I really hope this cold is gone by Friday. It is not fun at all working all day when I'd rather stay in bed and get better.

Low Key in Pareeeee

*A photo of Matthieu..this is a garden at a chateau in St. Germaine (where the kids have school). We walked here one afternoon for a picnic during their lunch break.

*Me at Versailles....photo taken by my new friend Michael. The chateau is in the background.

I had a relaxing weekend in Paris. Friday night I went into Versailles to meet Kirsty for a drink. There is a great neighborhood in Versailles with pubs, cafes and restaurants...lots of young people hang out here on weekends apparently. We could hear the fireworks from the chateau, but the buildings blocked our view...Versailles is a great "little" town...very walkable with lots of shops, markets, etc. We drank cold cider, it was quite tasty. We visited for about 2 hours, and then I took the train back home before it got too late. Saturday I slept in a little bit, then went for my regular jog in Bougival. I made a big lunch to fill me for the day, then headed back to Versailles to hang out with a new friend I made, Michael. We walked in a new part of the garden I hadn't been to yet...and the chateau's garden had a lot of people in it...sitting on the grass, some people on canoes in the lake, taking photos, etc. The chateau plays music that we could hear from even so far away. It was a beautiful day. In fact this whole weekend Paris had great weather. Clear sunny skies, highest was 78 degrees, which is great for Paris! I received a package from Carolyn and Carly, which I LOVED! So I spent Saturday evening watching DVDs they sent me...Sunday I tried to sleep in but just couldn't do it, so I got ready fairly quickly, visited with Jerome and Virginie for a few minutes and then went into the city to attend church (mass) at NOTRE DAME! I decided not to go to the local church today because it requires me to drive and park, and I just didn't feel like doing that...and I kind of wanted to get a coffee in the city anyway. I went to the 11:30 mass at ND, and it was spectacular to attend. There are about 5 masses on Sunday, and I attended (unintentionally) the International mass, with the choir. WOW the choir was unbelieveable. I have never heard voices like that in person...opera voices. And they sang in French..and it was definitely NOT Lady of Lourdes style music. Haha. No offense, Ms. Ausman. The priest was African American (as was the one I saw in Pyla this summer) and he spoke in French, English and Spanish...but most of the mass was in French. It is the exact same order, etc. as a mass in the U.S...just the language difference. At this International mass they have programs with the readings in English to look at. The singing was very prominent...which made mass a little over an hour. A lot of incense was also used at the alter...often giving it a 'smokey' appearance, and I could smell the incense from back where I was sitting. Visitors can be in the church while mass is going on, they just have to stand to the side...so that was interesting. It's definitely more of an 'experience' than the optimal place to attend mass, so I will only return for mass there if I have company or want to see a special service.

Side note: I am still battling the cold, and toward the end of mass when I was standing in line for communion, I almost FAINTED! It was so bizarre, I got dizzy and stumbled and had to hold onto the chairs so not to fall. I didn't get light-headed or hot or pale, as when you faint...but it was like my equilibrium was off for about 10 seconds...I think it was a combination of my ears popping a lot (from blowing my nose...ugh) and heat (the church was a little warm) and hunger (I hadn't had food at this point). Anyways, thankfully I didn't faint, felt fine and left after communion to get a snack and return home.

I didn't stay in Paris this afternoon, despite the nice weather. I really wanted to clean my studio and hang some pictures because I don't have a lot of time during the week. I also went for my jog again before dinner. I plan to spend Wednesday afternoon in the city to see more things I haven't seen yet.

GWEN STEFANI MONDAY NIGHT!! TOMORROW! WOO WOO!!! You better believe I'm wearing some sexy jeans and my black boots and cute black shrug! A good reason to get dressed up, city girl style!

Also, a friend of mine from Delta Gamma in Idaho is studying in Italy this semester, SO it seems as though she will be visiting me for a weekend in October, and if we can find another good weekend I will fly to Italy for 2 nights and visit her in Torino! This is great, because we both have apartments to crash at...a.k.a free lodging ......can't beat that! So, I hope it works out, I'd really love the chance to see Italy at a low fare.

bonne nuit

Hello and goodnight! I had a long day with the kids, but it wasn't so bad! Still have the cold, but it's getting better. I took the kids for a picnic at lunch.....there just happens to be a massive chateau and garden just down the street from school, so that's where we picnic-ed! I went to St. Lazare and Place du Havre for about 2 hours (put on some hot jeans and heels merely to people watch and grab a coffee)....then returned home to go for a 35 minute jog, make a quick dinner and shower, then babysat for about 2.5 hours....and got to call some friends from the house phone!

When Virginie and Jerome arrived home they were in good spirits and we discussed some 'business' and laughed about the kids...apparently last night when she tried to put Matt down for bed he was saying "pas toi! pas toi! Laura! Laura!" He was whining and asking for me to put him to bed and not her..ahhh that was cute! So we had a good laugh over that...and today Tiphaine basically "hailed a cab" all by herself....well she actually did exactly what you'd do to hail a cab, but to tell a car to stop so we could cross the street! It was sooo hilarious, I wasn't even planning to cross the street right at this point, but out of nowhere a car stopped, I looked over and saw Tiph's hand in the air and realized she had 'hailed a cab' and the car actually stopped for us! I started laughing and looked at the people in the car, they were laughing too as we both realized Tiph did this all on her own! She didn't even realize how funny it was until after the fact.....but we got to cross the street without any problems!
Okay I'm off to bed
Bonne nuit!

Some Shout-Outs!!

Just want to give a few shout-outs!

Shout-out to the Switzers! Glad to see you joined the blog crew. I did in fact get some great OTC meds for my cold, and I feel much better today after a good solid night of rest. Hope you'll keep up on the blog and stay in touch! I'm enjoying the red wine here and learning how to cook!

Shout-out to my biggest blog fan---GMA, WASSUP? Yep, that's you Grandma! I heard you look forward to every new blog so I'm glad it's a form of entertainment. I love you dearly!

Thanks Aunt Judy for my letter and newspaper clippings! Got them today in the mail and laughed pretty hard about the cat "terrorizing" Pullman! I swear to God I think it's Fraidy! If they find out his owners are from Uniontown, then it's true I raised a bully.

Okay on with the daily blog....today I really do feel better, my cold is not all gone, but I got a good 8 hours of sleep and was energized this morning. I'm still taking my cold medicine, and hopefully I'm good to go by Friday night. I had a busy and productive day with the kids...taking them to/from school (I must say I lose my patience sometimes with the little one...he doesn't obey very well all the time and when it comes to doing naughty things involving the car, I get irritated quickly and am not so fun...like sticking his head out the window even though it's parked, or unbuckling his belt, or running into the street) I guess I forget he's not quite 3...I just want him to behave a little better...I'll work on that. I need to work on my patience too...I got irritable fairly quick today with him, and he still managed to disobey throughout the day. However I realized tonight that he hadn't taken a nap and this definitely contributed to his crankiness and whining (even Virginie said so). Anyways, I prepared a game of "restaurant" (thanks for the idea Ruthie!) for lunch....I made up menus and set the table, and made a sign for the door saying "Restaurant Laura...Bienvenue". I was the server...and took their orders. They ordered drinks, an aperatif, a main dish and dessert. I looked for everything I could make that was in the fridge and was hoping they'd go for the more elaborate things, but no...they ordered hot dogs and chicken nuggets. Oh well! It was a fun game for them. I made a poster with Matthieu and then we played with the play-do type activity that my sister sent him for a gift. We made a turtle, a gift box, and a ball of green and purple goo....lol. Ines had her first day of gymnastics....it went well. I got done with work at 7 and attempted to go for my brisk 30 minute walk, but realized it was chilly and since I have a cold and also got a little tummy ache during the walk, I cut it down to 20 minutes and returned home.

Tomorrow I have the afternoon off (about 5 hours!) which is enough to go into the city for a cafe and maybe see something new. I have to 'babysit' in the evening for about 2 hours, so I can't plan too much...I just got some poster-type butcher paper for my walls, so I can hang those and tape my photos from home, etc. I'm excited to give my walls some color. Well, I think that's all for now. I am going to start some decorating, read from my latest novel and go to bed shortly...

p.s. Too bad about Britney Spears bombing her comeback...wow, it was terrible! I watched it on YouTube...think it's time she be a stay-at-home mom or "quelque chose comme ca"

and Ms. South Carolina Teen USA, did you see her response to the question about "why can't so many Americans locate the USA on a world map?" omg...how embarrassing!

A Cold in Paris

(In honor of September 11, I post a photo I took last Saturday at the track meet SEAT DecaNation that I went to...our flag was flying right above my head. Thoughts and prayers to the Wullenwaber family in memory of Luke, and the Randall family, with Mooch in Iraq.. today)

Hello everyone. It’s been a couple days…I haven’t been wanting to write every night, and I’m sure that’s how it will go often. Especially during the work week, some nights I don’t get in the studio til 7:30 or 8 and I just want to do nothing before I go to bed. Sunday I had a lazy and relaxing day in Bougival. I went for a good walk, finding out how to get in good 40 minute walk right here in the neighborhood, with a big hill included! I should do that about 4 times a week and I’ll be golden. Monday was my first day driving the kids to school alone, and it went very well! The trip each way is 15 minutes…and it’s not like driving from mom’s house to St. Stans! It’s basically a 15 minutes commute. I drop the kids off, return home, pick them up for lunch and go home, take them back to school and come home, go back again at the end of the day…so there will be a lot of driving in my future. However, some of those trips will be eliminated when I start my French and Aerobic class…I will stay near their school in the morning and not have to drive back home. And sometimes if it’s nice weather I will bring a picnic lunch and we’ll eat lunch at a park near the school…so it won’t always be a lot of driving. I still have a few more aspects of driving here to get down…like the ‘round-abouts’ and letting the person on the right have the right-of-way, getting used to narrow roads and bikes, etc. But all in all, it’s good. The only real part of taking the kids to school so much that I don’t like is the PARKING! There is not a parking lot for the school, and there are about 4 schools in this area…so lots of cars on every surrounding street, so it’s a game of chance if I get a good spot. There always is a spot somewhere though…it’s just crappy when it’s so far away from the school. Not crappy for me to walk, but for the kids it’s like dragging them to school…sometimes I just have to say “au revoir” and walk quickly to get them to come…haha. Lukily there are a couple times during the day I can ‘park illegaly’ for about 5 minutes just to drop them off. It’s interesting because we (all the kids and mom’s) stand outside the school gate until it opens, then I have to walk each child to their classroom. Actually, we saw bye to Ines at her building, and then walk over and I take Tiphaine and Matthieu right to their class. I help them hang their bag and they also wear these adorable little ‘painter’s coats’ (if you will) over their clothes when they are in class…I suppose to protect their clothes from any stains. So I make sure they have those on, and then they’re off! Tiphaine has been giving me a kiss on the cheek to say goodbye. It’s pretty cute. I think I am the only au pair at this school…at least a young one, because everyone else appears to be the mother of the child, and not an au pair. But they all seem friendly, and I guess I fit in. The teachers know that I am an au pair so they realize who is picking up the kids…

Unfortunately the last 2 days I’ve been sick with a cold. I have not had a good night of sleep, as my throat is itchy and my nose runny. Ugh. It makes the morning difficult to get ready so early. Today I kind of ‘scrubbed out’ but still managed to look cute somehow. Lol. I went to the pharmacy after taking the kids to school and bought some cold medicine so I hope that kicks in soon. I didn’t have to work this afternoon after the kids’ lunch, which is great. I had originally planned to go into the city to play today…but it’s a little chilly and with my cold and lack of sleep, I opted against the fun. I think it’ll be really difficult to work if I’m not feeling well or so tired. So hopefully I’m rested up for tomorrow’s full day of work. At least at the moment I’m not having to WORK hours after hours because I am just driving the kids to school. It will be more hectic when I start my classes, as I’ll have less time to prepare their lunch. They start all their ‘activities’ this week and next week as well…like gym and dance. So I’m lucky to have this afternoon free, and Friday as well. I just want to feel better!

Before going upstairs this morning for work, I checked my bank account and didn’t like what I saw, and am REALLY upset at the cell phone company I’m currently using for an Intl phone. They have made a few mistakes with my billing, etc, AFTER I’d been on the phone and was under the impression it was all set and fixed. So, that + being sick made me upset when I went upstairs. Virginie and Jerome are very understanding when things come up that make me stressed, so luckily I talked to them for a minute…of course they can’t resolve this issue for me. I had to wait for this afternoon to CALL the company and of course, LEAVE A MESSAGE…ugh. Internet in the house was down this afternoon as well so I couldn’t email them, or my banker in Lewiston, which I am hoping to do to solve this. Anyways, after saying bye to Virginie and Jerome this morning and taking the kids to school, I came back home and there was a BIG BOX for ME in the kitchen! It was from my sister! She sent me a few goodies (can’t WAIT to watch SNL: The Best of Cheri Oteri DVD) and then there were gifts wrapped for each of the 3 kids. It was so cute, I displayed the gifts on the table in the living room so they’d see them when they got home for lunch. They were very excited and happy to get princess crowns and wands, nail polish, stickers, and an animal art project type activity for Mattheiu! They loved it all…CARS stickers and Disney princess stickers. And the girls have never had nail polish, so I told them they had to wait to ask Virginie if they can use it. Hehe. Anyways, that was fun for them and I told them they could have a little party with the princess crowns with their girlfriends.

Next Monday I’m going to see Gwen Stefani in concert! I’m incredibly excited, obviously. The kids actually are loving her songs that I play them, so they know I’m going to her concert and want to come with me! Lol. I’m not sure what I’m doing this weekend, but most definitely getting out of the house and exploring, as long as I’m feeling better. My mom recently sent me a ‘book’ type thing with 50 Paris City Walks…so I can take my pick and go for a fun walk in Paris and see more sites and neighborhoods. Well, right now I am sniffling in a Kleenex (une mouchoir) and watching t.v. I have 5 channels on my t.v., so I watch the news and the rest are American programs and movies, all in French! I watch Friends, Will & Grace, Desperate Housewives and ER all in French. Actually, I really just have the t.v. on for background noise in general…I listen to a cool radio station in my studio. It plays cool French music, modern, some reggae, and then a whole variety of American music. Sometimes I listen to c.d’s too, or my iTunes on my laptop. Despite not having ‘company’ here right now in France, at least I have a variety of entertainment! Well I’m signing off for now and resting.

A bientot

Venting

So the last couple days have been fine...nothing majorly exciting. A little blah, in fact...I guess I'm just saying this because today (Sunday), I'm feeling blah. A little homesick...just in the sense that I want to talk to some of my friends and can't really (until I find a calling card)...or they find one and call me. It'd be nice if I had a best friend here, or a boyfriend I guess...someone to go for a walk with and talk, or go for coffee with on a more regular basis. It's a little weird seeing all these pictures of everyone back home on facebook, going out at night, or just knowing that they talk every day and hang out! Haha. I know that's not what I want...I don't want to live that college-type life anymore, and that I REALLY AM happy here, and having fun being independent and seeing amazing things. My whole thought process has already changed quite drastically I think...meaning, I don't really care what others think of me. I CAN'T! Like...it doesn't matter what people in the States think of me, or how I look, or what I'm doing..because right now they don't really know me...in a weird way, we are disconnected. And as far as Paris goes, I can't care what others think of me....for the most part, I see someone for one minute, and then they're gone...disappeared on the metro, or walk right past me, or leave the store..whatever it is, life is very fast here. Which I realize is also going to make it difficult to meet MANY people enough to become friends. Life is just fast here. So I just have to be more bold...try to make friends in my class I'll start in October, or go to a pub or cafe that I like often...etc. I think if I can just make a few good friends here, I'll be okay....and it won't be so strange seeing photos of everyone back home and thinking "wow, they're all together and I'm alone." I know this is totally worth it for me, and I'm not crying about all this...even though the last 2 days I've wanted to a little bit. At least I can start looking forward to some visits in the next few months...I think starting in December or January I'll start seeing a familiar face or two! And actually...I AM liking life here so much, I'm wondering how it'd be possible for me to stay here next year, after my job is over....part of me really wants to stay longer, so I have to start doing research. However, if I return to the states I know I will want to go to a bigger area, or one where there are sites I have not seen yet....perhaps the East coast...who knows. Maybe California though, lol. It's far enough away that I don't have to stress over decisions yet!

This morning was my last time driving with Jerome...it's Sunday, but I wanted to get it over with today and not have to do it after a day of work....it all went well, until the end I guess. I feel fairly confident in getting to places...I'm sure it'll take a week to really have it down without second guessing myself. But today just toward the end of our driving session, I was caught in between a person on a bike and a car...And I tried to get around the bike, but Jerome got kind of 'mad' (not mad, but u know what I mean) that I didn't just stop and wait for the area to clear before I advanced. I HATE BIKES! I really can't stand driving with a biker next to me...it's awful, especially on the roads here in France, which are narrow...and it wasn't like I was about to hit anyone, but I just get nervous with Jerome sitting next to me..kind of being treated like a first time driver, when I've been driving for about 6 years in the U.S.A. I guess it's the foreign country, the language that makes me feel like I'm learning how to drive all over again. Anyways...since I haven't been in the most chipper mood the last 2 days, having Jerome be kind of irritated with me made me feel like crap...and this just happened about 30 minutes ago so that's why I'm venting right now on the blog. I'm not too worried about it...it was just an honest mistake...I'm just not used to driving on narrow roads with cars and bikes on both sides of me. And the situation makes it easier to 'freeze up'. I shouldn't be driving anymore with the parents...tomorrow is my first morning driving solo with the kids, taking them to school, etc. It'll be a little test to see if I can make everyone on time to class, etc. I'm only working a half day though...so I should be free after lunch. I will probably go into the city tomorow afternoon just to get out of the house and see if I can meet anyone new...not sure where I'll go to.

Yesterday was a decent day...I went to SEAT DecaNation, a professional track meet at a big stadium in Paris. It was pretty cool! Like a summer Olympics track meet, with 8 different nations..the U.S.A REPRESENTED! It was pretty cool to see the U.S. team there...I took some pictures...both men and women won in different running events. I sat right behind the high jump. I had a great seat. It was PERFECT weather...70 degrees, clear skies and sunny. The crowd was a typical crowd...lots of cheering, you would have no idea you were in France. I mean it seemed just like going to a Dodger game in California or a track meet in Washington. The crowd roared everytime a French person won or competed...It was awesome to see the 1500 meter, 100 meter dash, hurdles, the Steeple, etc. A few times the Americains beat out the French teammate at the last minute. I was about the only one cheering but it was cool! After that I met Kirsty near Notre Dame. (Not KRISTY, but Kirsty) She is an au pair that lives in Versailles. She works for a friend of Virginie...she is 19 years old and from South Africa. She is white and speaks English (similar to an English accent, but it's a South African English accent, actually...) She is really sweet, and cool. We had a small dinner and then came back to Bougival where we had some wine, visited and watched a movie in my studio. So it was a good night. We will definitely keep in touch. She only lives about 10-15 minutes away by the train...but we are both busy during the week so I think we will meet up maybe a couple times a month...we'll see. she actually lives just after the first of December...to back home and start school. SO it will be a friend to have for a few months here...and then she'll go :( But hey, maybe I could get a visit to South Africa out of it later in life?
Today I am not really doing anything...not going into Paris. I want to clean the studio, organize some things, catch up on reading and probably go for a walk later...and make a good dinner. Otherwise I'm laying low...I want to plan a little weekend trip for this Fall...so I need to start researching. Either going to London or Italy probably....a friend from Delta Gamma back in Idaho is studying abroad this semester in Italy, so it'd be great to be able to stay with her for a weekend...and if I go to London I'll have to find a cheap place to stay for a night. But since London is sooo close, I think it's definitely feasible. Okay... off to start my non-eventful day.

Au revoir

Hurry up, and WAIT, and then have a ridiculous day!

Wow, where to begin! Well first I'll start with the positive things that occured yesterday and today. Haha. The kids technically started school yesterday, but it was simply an 'orientation' type day with the parents. The children just played for about an hour in their classroom with the other kids while the parents met the teacher, picked up papers and got everything 'lined up'. I went with Tiphaine to her classroom and met her "maitress" (teacher) and it was fairly simple, nothing major. But it was pretty funny to see the other children. Some were calm and nice like Tiphaine, carefully watching the others and playing quietly. Then there were about 2 children, one boy and one girl, who completely stood out from the others. They were both VERY loud and obnoxious, and quite 'bizarre'. The funniest part was watching Tiphaine's facial expressions as she watched the boy acting very strange, and in awe of the girl acting like a crazy monkey or something. Tiph's mouth dropped to the floor practically and she looked so confused by these kids. It was REALLY amusing to see her reaction to the 'weird ones'. This is a new school for the kids so all 3 of them will be making new friends. We were only at the school for a little over 2 hours, and then Virginie went to work so I stayed home in the afternoon with the kids, and it was a fairly routine day.

TODAY, was the REAL first day of school, and it was really cute taking the kids to school. Ines was so brave walking to the class by herself, both Virginie and I teared up!! I felt like I was her big sister taking her to the first day of school. We then walked Tiphaine to her classroom, where she gave her mom a kiss goodbye, and then ME a kiss on the cheek goodbye! It was so cute...I said "See you at lunch Tiphaine!", and off she went. Both girls were brave and not nervous at all. Then we took Matthieu to his classroom. He was difficult for about 2 minutes, and then just quietly walked into the classroom and sat next to another little boy (who was crying). Virginie and I were shocked that he did so well leaving us. Sooo the first morning went very well.

Then the hell began. WITH ME!

Virginie and I returned to Versailles for the 4th time for me to go to "le prefecture" (a government office) to get my 'carte du sejour', which replaces my VISA. She waited with me for 90 minutes, and my # still hadn't been called, so she had to leave me there alone so she could pick up the children for lunch. (Yes, the kids come home for lunch time) I was disappointed I couldn't go with her because 1) I didn't want to stay at the prefecture longer, and 2) I wanted to see how the lunch time routine goes since I'll be doing it alone normally, and to see how the morning went for the kids.

Well, I ended up waiting for an additional 2.5 hours until I was completely finished. Let me tell you....it's similar to the DMV in a big city in the States. Lots of #s being called, when mine was called I thought I'd be done, but NOOO after I turned in my papers I had to wait another hour for the 'okay' on the papers, THEN go to a different office to make a doctor's appointment (required), THEN return to the first office to get my Passport back. After the first go-round, I realized I needed to be aggressive and take the innitiative to make things happen so I could leave. I had to basically interupt 2 of the workers to get me help. THANK GOD I figured out how it all works and even if I upset other people waiting in line, it's imperative to get in and get out...otherwise I would have been there ALL DAY. So in total, I was at the prefecture for 4 hours. I had NO IDEA this morning that that's how my day would go. (I also observed some very strange foreigners in the prefecture...I think something illegal was going on, as did other employees in the building...I'd explain but it's not necessary...at least that entertained me a little bit)

After the prefecture, I walked to the station (I didn't have my train pass with me since I'd originally gone in the car with Virginie, so she gave me money for a train ticket). On the way to the station I HAD to buy a snack, as I was starving at this point. Inside 'la gare' (the station) I tried to purchase a ticket in a machine, and sure enough the machine ATE MY MONEY. And wouldn't give it back...so I had to wait another 10 minutes for a man to help me and open the machine, return my money. Then I went through the gate to get to the train...all to realize I needed to use the restroom but it was too late...there aren't any restrooms once you go through the gate. GREAT. So I patiently waited for the train, when my cell phone rang. It was a man from the bank to discuss opening an account here (per Virginie & Jerome's instructions, to deposit my pay checks)...so as I was speaking with him and trying to comprehend everything, I ran to the train after WAITING FOR IT, AND OF COURSE I MISSED THE TRAIN BY 1 MINUTE!!! Damn phone call!!! So I had to wait another 30 minutes. It was a LONG day.

The first time I've been really frustrated I suppose, but I blame it on the prefecture. At least now I think most everything is in place. There are still a couple more 'buisness logistics' to complete, but it's all going to be okay I think.

I arrived at home just in time to vacuum the childrens' rooms and 'arrange' them, then Virginie and I left to get the kids. (Matthieu had stayed home in the afternoon after lunch, as he "had a cow" at school and V decided to bring him home....for the pre-school age children it's optional to stay at home in the afternoon or stay at school). I drove the car this afternoon just to get used to driving to school. It will take a couple more times to get everything down, but it went well.

Side note: the children go to a private Catholic school (but it's not VERY traditional Catholic, as they only study Religion once a week and there is not a church they attend). The mothers ALL dress nice, wear Chanel glasses and cute shoes. It's quite a site. But everyone seems very friendly and the children are just the average kids, except with very nice clothes. Haha. The classrooms are very similar to what one would see in the States. Nothing out of the ordinary, with little desks, toys, posters on the wall, etc. The teachers look the same...casually dressed but nice looking, very friendly and energetic, etc. They know I am the kids' au pair and that I'll be the one taking them to school every day (I walk each one into their classroom every day). Today Tiphaine had to bring photos in to her class of everyone in her family...so she insisted on bringing a photo of me too! It was cute. She asked if she should refer to me as her big sister, but we agreed to just call me the au pair that will live with her for a year! J'adore Tiphaine!

A little of this, a little of that

Hello!!!! (As Ines likes to shout) It has been 2 days since my last blog. Je suis fatigue. (I am tired) I had a busy, eventful and pretty great 4 day weekend. You all know about my day of museums and memorials...On Saturday I got kind of 'dressed up' in a cute dress and spent the day at Victor Hugo's house (SO great to go inside it). I loved his apartment...11 rooms! Technically...It was very pretty, and so neat to see where he wrote. In the end I purchased a small book of love letters that he and his wife wrote each other spanning 50 years. I ate lunch at Cafe Hugo, walked to H&M and bought an umbrella for 5 euro, just in case it rained (and it didn't). My day Saturday was fairly long, with lots of walking and some metro hopping, just getting more used to the city, etc. I ended my day fairly early (by dinner) and returned to the studio. I had a nice meal and went to bed fairly early (since Sunday I woke up really early to catch the Louvre when it opened). Yesterday, (Monday), I slept in which FELT GREAT! When I woke up I exercised for about 30 minutes, then got ready for the day. I also cleaned the studio a little bit, vacuumed and started a load of laundry, then I was off to the city! I went to La Madeleine first to do a little gift shopping. I was 75% successful...my goals were:
1)find the specific shop I was looking for
2) purchase the small gift I wanted
3) find la poste
4) mail the gift

I got through #3 without failure, but OF COURSE the post office was busy and after waiting in line, I realized it was too expensive to buy the envelope/box I needed...and so I left. Thankfully today I found a store with cheap envelopes so I HOPE it works. I will find out in a day or two when I return to the post office. I enjoyed walking around the Madeleine and seeing all the shops and cafes...definitely a fun place to hang out (and there's a great little restaurant I want to eat at, but I prefer to wait until I have someone to eat WITH, as this place was trendy and I just didn't want to go in alone that day). The weather yesterday was not optimal for a day at the park, so I WENT to the park just to see where it was (Bois du Bologne...a MASSIVE park, miles long with lakes, paths, and a horse track)...I didn't stay there long because it wasn't good weather and hardly anyone was there except for a few creepy ones...and I could tell I didn't enter at the best location. So I will most definitely return on a weekend (when they say its the most fun) and probably wear my workout clothes so I can jog along the paths and maybe rent a bike or a canoe for the lake! Then I went to Avenue de la Montaigne, which is the home of many 'haute couture', like Chanel, Dior, Escada, D&G, Cavali, etc...I took pics, but was way too intimidated to enter any store...I'd rather do that when I'm with a friend I think...it was fun to see though and easy to get to! After that
I went to the Champs Elysees again (because they are both on the west side of the city), where I picked up a ticket I purchased a few days ago. There is a 'track meet' here on Saturday, a BIG ONE, with professional athletes competing, called DecaNation, or something like that. Anyways I bought a cheap ticket because I thought it'd be a cool experience to see professional athletes run at a stadium in France! So I picked up the ticket, and then took a pair of my eyeglasses into a shop to be adjusted because they've been bothering me..haha...too tight on my head! Then of course I returned to my favorite cafe/restaurant and had an 'aperatif' for 4 euro (a martini, of course). By that point I was tired and ready to return home. I had FULL days this weekend, so my evenings were early.
Today I woke up early and went to Versailles, where ONCE AGAIN, the SAME FRENCH WOMAN was totally rude and turned me away for the 2nd time in a week (I am trying to turn in some paperwork so I can get my "carte du sejour", which replaces my VISA). Anyways...I was REALLY irritated, she turned me away and just started talk to the man next to her, not even giving me the time of day. I honestly couldn't believe it. So I left and called Virginie...and we'll try again Thursday. Apparently this is how some of them work here....don't really care about being friendly and helpful..??? I went to the gardens of Versailles and walked around the chateau, but did not enter (because I didn't have a lot of time and didn't want to waste my money on just an hour in the castle). I met up with Kirsty, a different au pair, an au pair for a family friend...she is from South Africa, is white and speaks English! (an English accent). She is 19 years old, and has been with the family since January, in Versailles. Anyways, she met me at the chateau and we walked around for an hour and visited. She is really friendly and fun to talk to...she leaves in December, so I assume we'll meet up a few more times before she goes (she isn't right in Bougival so we won't see each other often, but a little bit I think).
After Versailles I returned to Bougival to run a couple errands and get my hair colored again. It's darker now...but not quite as dark as I'd like it to be...since it fades in the sun. But that's ok! It's better than before (especially after the summer sun). I liked the girl a lot and think I'll go back to her and we both decided we'd go darker next time :)
Tomorrow the children start school! And for the first day, it's "mommy and me" during the morning, so Virginie is going with the kids to their classes, BUT since she can't be in two places at once, I will go with Tiphaine (I think) to her class, and be the stand-in mommy! Haha. I suppose I just need to pay attention to what information the teacher gives and maybe we'll do an activity or something? It should be fun to see how a French classroom works....although I may not comprehend EVERYTHING the teacher says, but I'll do my best. I think I might even dress up a little bit just for the hell of it....I need an excuse to wear my dressier clothes anyway, and it'd be fun to get dressed up for their first day of class.
I'm tired...must finish this blog for now.
P.S. I might go see Cabaret this fall at the theater! And also, there are a LOT of good looking men here, however it's difficult when I see them on the metro or in the street because one minute they're there, and the next gone! In the city life happens so fast, I don't think I can MEET anyone just on the street...and the metro-they just dissapear like THAT! So I might go out this Friday night to a bar or club (listed in one of my guide books) and just wing it...go alone, look cute, and see if I make any friends...haha...wish me luck!

Little Miss Museum...Part one of the Weekend

Where to start?! It is only Sunday evening, day 2 of my four day weekend and I've already seen so much! And all in good time....both Saturday and Sunday were fairly early nights. I did not stay out late at all and was back in Bougival by dinner time. Which is sort of nice for this weekend because I'm doing a lot, and could use the extra relaxing and sleep time. Anyways! I'll start with today (Sunday), first. I woke up at 6:30 this morning (after a night of not-so-great sleep). My plan was to be on the train by 8a.m. so I could be standing in line for the museum before opening at 9. C'est parfait! It worked like a charm. I was total tourist today, in my yoga pants and tennis shoes and Idaho tee shirt (GO VANDALS!). It took 35 minutes from Bougival to Musee du Louvre. C'est pas mal. It was great because the metro stops RIGHT INSIDE THE LOUVRE! And guess where I was...RIGHT UNDER THE GLASS PYRAMID inside! It was pretty great. Today is the first Sunday of the month so museums are free...so I was inside quickly and grabbed a map. (side note: I've discovered it is a really good idea to go straight for the main attraction, or whatever it is my heart is set on seeing) Nonetheless, in order to avoid major crowds or lines I went right for the Mona Lisa. She was not hard to find, and of course there were fabulous sculptures all along the way to her. I really loved the Italian paintings. Sooo much history and religion in all those paintings. And some of them are WALL SIZE. One must wonder how many months or years painters spent creating these. The Mona Lisa was in a huge room, and she was all alone on a wall, the only painting on this wall behind a glass casing...a crowd of people were crowded in front of her, so I took my time just looking at how SMALL she is (probably 18x24 or something...smaller than a regular size poster for sure)! I wonder...why is she sooo famous? I am going to read up on Mona Lisa. I did get the audioguide and so I got a little info, but not enough. It is very interesting how dark the painting is and how the colors subtly blend together. Anyways, I HAD to take a picture of the handsome guard standing in front of her. HOW CRAZY would that be to say your job is to GUARD the Mona Lisa? Wow, talk about a top dawg. I took a few pictures of her (pics are allowed in the museums, generally without a flash of course). After Mona Lisa (la Jaconde, en francais) I looked at more Italian paintings, then Italian sculptures including a few Michaelangelo's (but I need to go back and spend more time w/Michael). I really liked the wing of the Louvre with Mona Lisa and Italian art. The Louvre itself, the building, is FABULOUS. It is a definite MUST SEE when visiting Paris. It's amazing how huge and immaculate and clean and wide and open it is. I loved it. I saw Greek sculptures and antiques, and Napolean's apartment, which is amazing. Did you know that the Louvre was used as a HOUSE, a CASTLE for some of the kings and other royalty to live in? Wow, talk about unnecessary....it is so incredibly large. But not nearly as intimidating as I thought it'd be. Sure there are a lot of people there, but because of the way the building is structured and so open and wide, it doesn't feel crowded. As I was in certain halls, and especially with Mona Lisa, I was imagining "The Da Vinci Code" in my mind...now I want to see that movie again! I really like the Louvre itself. The art and sculptures were wonderful, and I will go back to spend more time....but I know the Louvre will not be my favorite museum here, as the art is not necessarily my style and I can't stare at one sculpture for 5 minutes...it's all a matter of taste in art and interest. I definitely appreciate it though.

Since today was 'free museum' day I wanted to get 2 in, and not stay at one all day. I was seeing today as sort of a "foot in the door" intro to how the museums work, etc. So after about 3 hours I went to the Musee D'Orsay. MY FAVORITE, (I think most definitely). Having been raised on Impressionism thanks to my mother and seeing these paintings so often growing up and hearing stories about them, I came to small tears when I walked into the top level with all Impressionist paintings. (side note: once again, I knew what I wanted to see most in this museum and went there first...it definitely makes the trip better when you don't have to worry about time or lines and just get the most important stuff done first) To see Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir, Degas, Cezanne, Manet, etc in ALL ORIGINALS was magnificient. And some of the paintings are LARGE, so to see the actual paint up close like that is wonderful. And with Impressionism often times its best to stand further back to really SEE the image, then to walk up close when it becomes blurry and you can see the paint blotches. The colors, the dancers portrayed, the 'water lillies', ohhh to die for! And for the paintings done in pastels, those are in rooms that are darker with dim lighting and the air conditioner is set at a colder temp...so that's interesting to know a little about 'art restoration.' There are so many paintings in Orsay, it's definitely a place I want to spend all day in. There was also an exhibit of photography that I liked, called "Le Main" (the hand), portraying all original photographs that feature hands....of famous historical people...it was quite interesting. D'Orsay is in a newer museum, in an old train station that was restored and converted in the 1980s, and there is a GIGANTIC train clock inside that's really cool. The building is wonderful with great lighting for the art. The Louvre and D'Orsay are just across the Seine from each other, a 10 minute walk...so a definite MUST DO and CAN DO in one day. I plan to spend a day at each place separately, now that I know what I like and prefer. I won't do the audioguide at the Louvre, but I will do the audioguide at D'Orsay because I really love those paintings. I packed a light lunch and ate it in the 'garden' outside the Louvre. I almost feel at home at these places....it's funny. :)

After D'Orsay, I went to Pont d'Alma, the location along the Seine where Princess Diana was killed in a car accident. It just happens to be the 10th anniversary of her death this week, so it was nice to go there now. There is an unofficial memorial for her at the Statue of Liberty gold flame. There are pictures, flowers and notes all over the statue in dedication to her. It was bittersweet. I took a few photos and read some of the notes...some in French, some in English. This location is splendid, with a great view of the Eiffel tower just on the other side of the Seine. The tunnel where she was killed must have been just below me. This location is full of great cafes, and one of the streets just there has tres fabu shops: Dior, Chanel, Gucci, Prada. Sooo this makes sense as to why she would have been at this location on that fateful night. It'll be a good place to show my guests...historical and also fun and trendy, with a great view.

After this, it was almost 5pm and I was ready to head home after a long day of walking and museums. I caught the metro and train and was back home in 20 minutes...I went up to the house and got a few items to stock my fridge and make myself a little dinner. Virginie and Jerome came downstairs a couple hours later to chat with me about some logistics, goo and gah over D'Orsay, and laugh about Idaho's senator Craig and the football game vs. USC!

Okay...I still have to write more about yesterday, Saturday! We'll see how far I get...as I'm kind of sleepy.