A visit and now off to Italy~

This weekend was really nice...Stacey arrived Friday evening and we went up the street to Ashley's apartment for dinner with her and her "friend", Matthieu. They made a really great dinner and we brought wine and sat around telling stories, eating and drinking. Saturday we did a lot of tourist sites, including Sacre Coeur (and it was my first time inside, soo pretty), Montmartre, Moulin Rouge, Notre Dame, Louvre, Palais Royale, Pont de l'Alma, l'Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. Stacey loved it all and took lots of pictures...Sunday we continued with a morning in the garden at Versailles, followed by a quick lunch with Ashley and Matthieu. Then we went back to the Eiffel so she could go up it! I stayed down below and actually went to the grocery store a metro stop away. I am afraid of heights and knew I couldn't go all the way up...but sometime I'm sure I will go to at least the 1st platform. It was pretty cold, but Stacey loved the view and as she was getting off it started to sparkle...oh so pretty! At least I know the drill and timeline for when future guests want to go up....it's definitely an event including waiting in line.
It was really nice to have her here, as we were able to talk about our experiences here in Europe but also talk about life back in Idaho, people, etc. She has done a lot of travelling already so I got to learn some good travelling tips for my adventures to come. I leave bright and early in the morning from Bougival to head to the airport where I'll catch a short flight to Italy! Unfortunately the short/cheap flights don't mean short travel time...I have to catch shuttles, bus, a train...so will still be paying for those and won't get to Torino til late afternoon. But this is our plan for Italy

Arrive in Milan and catch train to Torino
We'll do Halloween and 2 days seeing what there is in Torino (home of the 2006 Winter Olympics)
Saturday morning we will get the train to Verona (home of Romeo and Juliet)
Walk around Verona a few hours, then catch train to Venice (not far)
Spend Saturday evening and night in Venice and site see!
After lunch Sunday we'll get train to Milan
Hang out in Milan for awhile, Stacey will leave me to go back to Torino and I will spend Sunday night in Milan!!
Monday morning fly from Milan back to Paris

she has picked out our hostel for Venice and a hostel for me in Milan...they are hotels with a variety of roomstyles, and she will walk me to mine in Milan to make sure it's "all good". She has done this a LOT this semester so I trust her judgement! We are still trying to get one for Venice though...hope it all works out!

So I am going to see 4 cities in about 5 days!
Stacey did a great job of planning the most economical and time-friendly way to see the cities over the weekend.

Break is going nice...I have a whole 10 days off work, so I've been getting things done for myself, and trying my best to relax.

I'm feeling quite homesick lately, though...... :/

New video of sparkles from below

A wonderful afternoon, followed by a ridiculous day

Hi everyone. Yesterday was Wednesday, and I just worked half the day, then had the great pleasure of meeting some of my mom and Harry's friends in Paris! We had been planning this for awhile and finally the day came where I could have a long visit, dinner and great company with fellow Americans! I met Jennifer and her husband Todd at le Musee Marmottan, mainly a Claude Monet/Impressionism museum, which is my favorite! Jennifer works as a lawyer in Sacramento with Harry and Todd is a lobbyist for a Biotech company (and lobbies for the support of medicine and medical treatments for cancer patients, etc). They were soooooo nice and so much fun to visit with. Right away they greeted me with a gift from my mom that she sent with them! So that was fun. I LOVED the museum, which houses all of the Water Lillies paintings, Giverny paintings, etc. WOW words can not describe how beautiful and great they are...and the paintings are much larger than I anticipated and set up in a sequence to follow. It was sooo cool to see them up close and how "blotchy" the paint is, and so colorful. And then when I walked to the other side of the room and looked back, the paintings were SO CLEAR. Wow, I loved it. I was in heaven. And they got us all "audio guides" so I learned more than I knew before about Monet and the method. Anyways....we then took the metro to the area of le Palais Royale.....wow I LOVED the neighborhood, it is soo chic and trendy and Parisian. We passed the restaurant that is featured in the movie "Something's Gotta Give" with Diana Keaton and Jack Nicholson (at the end of the film she eats here with her bf, Keanu Reeves, and then Jack comes to get her back). Anyways the restaurant looked sooo amazing inside and there was a small poster of the movie in the window. Then we walked to Willy's Wine Bar, which Jennifer had picked out before. It was so cute. So we started with a bottle of red wine and a plate of cheese and bread. Before they started to serve dinner we left to walk around the nice garden at le Palais Royale...WOW AGAIN. The boutiques had such great art, jewelry, shoes, clothes...all haute couture with pieces over 1000Euro, etc. It was so much fun, and they showed me a restaurant they had eaten at, which is a tie/jacket/dress place...that "cost me a paycheck" according to Todd. :) Anywho, we returned to Willy's Wine Bar for a MAGNIFICENT dinner, including more red wine and bread. I had steak and potatoes (but the best I've ever had with great flavor), and they ate ocotopus and lamb. Let's just say I was VERY appreciative for the company, experience, and generosity. It was also quite nice to drink glasses of wine and be with adults. :)

I will try to get some pics up soon. Today was not a very good day, but no need for details. Tomorrow night I am officially on a 10 day holiday!! Stacey arrives in the evening from Italy, then we're going to have a fun dinner with my friend Ashley and her boyfriend in her apartment. Then we'll spend the rest of the weekend site-seeing in Paris!

A bientot!

Rugby World Cup....

Shout out to my South African friend Kirsty and her Rugby World Cup Champions! I am so happy for her because she has been so excited watching her country rule in rugby the past few weeks. Last night I watched the match at home against England and saw her country win! It's cool to watch a sport like rugby on t.v., because it's the equivalent to American football...the excitement and passion of the crowd and the country is just as involved. The men that play are like these massive, muscular cave men...it's incredible! I don't understand the game entirely, but it's fun to watch. On t.v. they showed Princes William and Harry in the stands cheering for England (even though they didn't play well and ended up losing). After the match they interviewed President Sarcozy (who must have been there to support France's passion AGAINST England winning). Haha. Jerome explained to me today how happy the French are that England lost (and France got 4th). Sad though the news of Sarcozy and Ms Cecilia getting a divorce...I read that she had an affair and they separated in 2005 for awhile, so this must not be too much of a shock to them (and they probably stuck out their marriage long enough to get him through the election just held this year to make him President ---this is my theory anyway). Anyways...this is just some of the big weekend news here in Paris. And the transportation strike is over...so the trains and metros are back and going...I had a lazy weekend and did not get much sleep last night, as I didn't feel so well...so today I laid low and did not have a fun day. But I did finish a great John Grisham novel, "A Time to Kill" (one of my fav movies)...it was a great book! So now I'm starting "French Women Don't Get Fat", which my mom sent me (along with a new "dou dou" as the kids call them, aka a stuffed animal to sleep with at night, he's a cute little soft puppy). I will read the "Fat" book alongside another new novel (thanks to Carolyn's novel box she sent me). I'm going to go with one called "Birdman" because it's a murder suspense novel, and out of respect for Halloween coming up, I think it's the best time to delve into it!

Okay, off to bed to try to get a good night sleep before my last week of work BEFORE MY 10 DAY VACATION!!

Red Red Wine

Thank God for a couple girlfriends, Friday nights and red wine. This week was another up and down journey....including stepping in dop crap (I swear there is dog crap everywhere and expensive gorgeous dogs everywhere....apparently no law about cleaning up after your dog). I of course managed to step in the dog doodoo in my Nikes moments before my aerobics class, so I got to do it barefoot. I had another lecture with Matthieu about wearing his seat belt and think finally by Monday there will be a true baby carseat in my car for him to be strapped into. He is not understanding the concept of sitting still with your seatbelt buckled. I had some hours free during a couple days, but due to the Transportation Strike, I didn't go into Paris this week except for one morning to grab a coffee and send a letter. The strike did not effect me too much, other than just leaving for school earlier with the kids to avoid any traffic (and it wasn't too bad for us). The weather was clear and sunny but getting pretty cold, like Fall. We walked to the St. Germain en Laye chateau one afternoon for lunch (instead of driving back home). It was a perfect day for the picnic, but the kids are not the best at walking longer distances.....they take their precious time, meander off, stop to stare at walls, etc. And I had the joy of getting into an argument with a French woman on the way to the chateau....Matthieu told me had to go pee, and that means NOW, so I grabbed as we passed the busy square and cafes, and walked him to the nearest alley just to avoid him going potty in total public. Well this crazy witch came roaring up to me shouting that this was her house and how dare I let him pee in front of her house. Now, granted, I agreed with her and wouldn't want someone peeing in front of my house, BUT she was totally inappropriate about it. I had the 3 little kids with me who looked terrified and confused. It was broad daylight and she was screaming, and I was trying to HELP Matt not go potty in front of a huge crowd. And also in France, many times what looks like alleys and big brick buildings don't really look at all like someone's HOUSE, so I didn't even know it was a house....MY BAD! I told her I was sorry that I didn't know and she said "ISN' IT OBVIOUS?" And I wanted to say, "NO because I'm AMERICAN and we don't have houses that look like this, SORRY!" I said to her, should I let him pee his pants? blah blah and on it went.......finally I picked him up and carried him to a different corner, basically in public, and let him go......I really wanted to avoid him having an accident because the aftermath of THAT would have been worse then the argument with the lady. Wow, she was a real piece of work.........talk about slightly incompassionate and not caring...she could have been way more pleasant about it than she was. Whatever

Last night after putting the kids to bed (Virginie had a dinner party with all the parents of Matt's class, so I was in charge of the kids), Ashley and Kirsty came over and met for the first time. The 3 of us drank wine, watched the Rugby match (France lost to Argentina and got 4th), laughed and talked mostly about our jobs, and then watched "The Best of Cheri Oteri" DVD. It was a good way to end the week.......although I drank and ate too many snacks that do not go along with my weight loss plan...
Today and tomorrow I don't have any big plans, as I also don't have much money to spend in the city....I believe the strike is mostly over (because I can hear the train again running next to the house). So I'll go see some stuff in Paris maybe with one or both of the girls....but no big 'going out' plans...I have sleep and running to catch up on, as well as preparing for my DG visit and trip to ITALY. This holiday starts on Friday the 26th and it could not come at a better time...as I really need a break from everything. Ok, I'm off to start my Saturday..........

p.s. Aunt Judy, I got your message the next morning....hope we can talk soon though!!

ShOuT OuT VIDEO from the Kiddies

Cabaret and kid-free weekend!

Bonsoir. It's Monday night here, 8pm, and I'm just chilling out in my studio before I get sleepy. I had a good weekend....Friday night was a long night of babysitting, so Saturday morning I slept in (a little). Tiphaine knocked on my door at 9:30 asking me where the tattoos were....Ruthie sent us a package with gifts for the kids, including some temporary princess tattoos for the girls. So I helped her find them, and she was the last member of the family I saw until today at lunch time! I gotta say, it was a nice break for 2.5 days. I went for a jog in the sun in Bougival and got some little things done around the house. Kirsty came over in the late afternoon and we got all dressed up together for Cabaret. The family left town for the weekend so we used the house kitchen to make a big dinner (at least big for us). We made steak, couscous and veggies and had a glass of wine. It was cool just to take our time making a good meal and being dressed up. After consuming a few drinks we headed off to Paris....and of course ended up sprinting in our high heels to make it to the theater on time! Our seats were high up, but the theater was very small and intimate. The play was great...the actors were great and had amazing voices. It was all in French, so I didn't get EVERY small detail of the story, however I understood the basics: sexual, 1930s Germany/Nazis, an American writer, a Cabaret....haha. Anyways, it was really good and a fun thing to experience the French theater. I made it home okay this time without having any door or gate trouble...making it inside safe. I slept in Sunday, went up to the house to do some ironing for the kids, then headed into Paris again to have coffee with Kristi (the other au pair). We hung out for about an hour and a half and visited over coffee, so that was nice. Then later last night Ashley came over to the house to have a glass of wine, we watched the rugby match on t.v. and just visited. And yes, France lost the rugby match Saturday night, and South Africa won last night (so Kirsty was very happy I'm sure...since that's where she's from). Anyways, Paris had great spring-like weather this weekend, which always contributes to a happy frame of mind. I had a relaxing and enjoyable weekend......

Today I didn't have to drive the kids to school, so I had some time to myself this morning....it was a pretty good day all around, and I got my stretching class + a jog in...so yay! This week will be busy, but I also get a little free time so I'm glad about that. Okay, I'm getting sleepy so off I go for the night........ Bisous

sleepy in Paris...

Hi everyone reading this....it's Saturday morning here, about 10:30, and I'm listening to some Pearl Jam on my laptop...just ate a breakfast consisting of Quaker Oats, rice cakes and confiture (jam...apricot today). I'm sitting in bed, lights still down....of course my goal was to sleep in BUT I woke up at 9:30 after going to bed around 1:30....I babysat last night. I worked 13 hour days this week...Thursday and Friday actually. So, I've been tired needless to say. And unfortunately didn't have much motivation this week to 'blog' or journal. But thank goodness for the weekend! My plan today is to clean my studio and go for a good jog + some Pilates or something like that. I REALLY need to buckle down on this weight loss mission by at least starting my consistent workouts, and less sweets. I got 3 workouts in this week, so that's good. At least I'm STARTING to get into the right frame of mind. I seem to be better on the weekends (which you would think would be the opposite), but when I'm not working I get to do the things I WANT to do, keep myself busy in my own way and I've been eating less on the weekends. Hey, at least I'm acknowledging my weaknesses, right?

Tonight is CABARET in Paris! It will be a good time...I think Kirsty is coming over here later today to hang out and get ready together, and then we'll head into the city early enough to maybe get a drink or dinner before the theater. And then maybe we'll go out after too....we'll see! I'm just excited to get dressed up my own way (I seem to be trying to dress like the Europeans, and sometimes it's just not me...I want to do my own thing). Haha. I'm sure those of you that have been to Europe recently will know what I mean...I can pull off the cute scarves around my neck and the fun sweaters, but the skinny jeans and flat shoes, you've got to be kidding me. I think I'd just really like a fun pair of boots though...they are really in fashion now and everyone has them. Anyways

This week was busy....but the same as always. I had class, and they all went well. The kids were good one minute, misbehaving the next. I had good driving days and bad driving days. I laughed at times and was frustrated at times. I had 2 afternoons off work, but did not go into the city.......which is why I'm happy for the weekend. But right now my main concern is getting a workout in. I need to start taking better care of myself, which will make me feel better about lots of aspects in my life right now...meaning, when I'm healthy and in shape, I feel less stress and can enjoy other things better.

Tomorrow is Sunday and I'm sure I will sleep in hopefully most of the morning. The family is leaving town today to see Virginie's brother in Lille, and they will return tomorrow afternoon...which means I can sleep in without interruption. I will probably go up to the house to get ahead on some ironing for the kids. Tomorrow will be a relaxing day. I might go into the city to meet KRISTY (the original American au pair) for a coffee. She got another job with a different family in Paris. I've also been spending some time with Ashley (the new American au pair that replaced Ashley). She lives right up the street and our kids are friends so we did lunch together twice this week, and walk to class together, etc. She is really nice and has lots of enthusiasm, etc. So anyways, its nice to have someone in the neighborhood. She already had a few friends in the city and is dating one of the guys, so she's not always around Bougival, but it's fine.

I found out I am getting 4 days off in the first of April to go to Ireland with my dad and Carolyn! I'm thrilled! They will be here for about 10 days and then we'll go to Ireland...it's cool I get this time off work to travel a little. I can't wait to see Dublin and the countryside. I have my Italy trip coming up too so I'm sure tomorrow I will do some more research for it!

Okay, off to start my day.......

Hit and Run

The last 2 days have been pretty good....I've had both afternoons off work, so that was nice. I didn't do too much though during my free time, ran a few errands and went for my jog tonight. Yesterday I had aerobics, which was good. I was 15 minutes late, so I only got 45 minutes in. At school there was the annual "police everywhere giving all the parents parking tickets" day...so I got a 35 Euro parking ticket for being in the bus' spot, along with 6 other mothers. I'm not kidding when I say probably 30 cars got tickets. Apparently this only happens once a year....the police KNOW that there is NO WHERE to park along the 4 schools in this neighborhood....I mean, it's just neighborhoods, and some places require this "disk" you have in the car to set the time and can only stay for an hour...some places are for buses (even though they never park there). Basically it's all about parking quick for 5 mintues just to walk the kids to class......otherwise we have to park a mile away and the kids walk so slow, it takes 20 minutes to walk to class. SOO I didn't feel too bad about it, called Virginie and they will pay the ticket, knowing how awful it is...and I guess we'll buy this clock disk thing to keep in the car.. whatever. Not my deal really, I just have to get the kids to school safe. Speaking of which, today I almost got hit by a car!!!! Yep, I was getting the kids in the car, thank God they were all seated w/belts attached...I was putting Matt's shoe on, the car door was open as I was standing outside the car, and out of nowhere a car drives by quick and HITS THE CAR DOOR HARD AND FAST....scared the crap out of me, although I didn't realize what happened until a woman near me kind of shrieked and people came to ask if we were okay. The car kept driving, never stopped....I'm SURE their car had a knick in it....I think the door is okay, it seems to be.....but thankfully I wasn't standing 6 inches further out, as I would have been hit too........anyways, I used this as a great example to explain to the kids on the entire way home how dangerous the cars are, whether inside or out, and how careful and calm we must be in the car (since they like to play a lot in the car, etc...which I keep trying to fix.....) But I think they were shocked too.......

I am officially on a mission to lose some weight.....so cheer me on! I have my first trip in 3 weeks, and visitors will be starting to come in about 2 months so this will be my first major deadline......Don't worry, not planning anything drastic, just to get back to where I was about 2 years ago and approximately 10 pounds less......so we'll see. I've been jogging/walking, and now the classes are kicking in.......right now I can still jog after getting off work just as the sun is going down, it's a little chilly but not terribly cold. Once the real cold kicks in, I'll start jogging in the afternoon while the kids are at school.....

Well, I need to do a small worksheet for my French homework for class tomorrow.......
"Cabaret" on Saturday!!!!

A Sunny Weekend

Hi everyone. I know it's been a few days since my last blog. Same story...busy, too tired and not in a big 'blogging mood'. But it's now Sunday night at 9pm, and I'm getting ready for bed. Friday night I had dinner with the family because Virginie's parents came to town and I wanted to see Madame and Monsieur to say hello. I spent the remainder of night watching a movie and falling asleep early. Saturday night Kirsty and I attempted another night out in Paris...same story again, weren't real successful in finding a hotspot, but we still had fun having a couple drinks, sort of 'dressing up', and meandering around the city. Today I woke up fairly early and headed into the city to Musee Picasso, in the Marais. It's a great neighborhood, and the museum was interesting. A LOT of his work was on guitars, and then faces of course. It was cool to see the art. I took a couple pictures and bought a postcard. There is a nice garden just outside the museum. It was also the first Sunday of the month so admission was free! Musee Picasso is near the Centre Pompidou (where I was last weekend) so I headed that direction after the museum to go to the top of the building to see a GREAT view of Paris and take pictures. It was a clear sunny day and the view was spectacular. I could see everything! I then sat in the street area of the Pompidou and watched this 'street entertainer' perform for a huge crowd. He HAD to have been in the circus, a trapeze artist, or whatever they're called....he was probably in Cirque du Soleil or something. He balanced on ropes, balls, did headstands and handstands and balanced on one hand, etc. It was pretty amazing. He also didn't wear a shirt so I could see all his muscles working hard to keep him balance! I'm sure he is one of the few people who actually MAKE MONEY in the street with this talent.

My first 2 days of French class went well. The instructor is probably 26 or 27, a cool young girl. There are 12 of us in the class, half are other au pairs like me, and the other half are women...wives of men who work here. They are from Spain, Belgium, London, the Czech, Russia, and America. There is another American from New York...a girl my age. She is quite odd though... and not to be mean, but her French is much worse then mine, which makes me feel better...haha. I'm not intimidated to speak in class. The level is just right for me, challenging me but I can sufficiently follow along and respond correctly. I still have to buy 2 small books (hope they aren't expensive). We just will have little easy assignments to do. And we engage in fun, interesting conversations about France, etc. The building is about a 6 minute walk from the kids school, so that's great.

The week with the kids was the same........good, and difficult too. Nothing new to report in that department. Virginie bought me 2 tickets to see "Cabaret" the musical here this weekend! I am sooo excited. So I am taking Kirsty, the girl that lives in Versailles. We are excited to dress up for a true night out in the city...theater, dinner, drinks. So that's my big plan for this coming Saturday.

And in 3 weeks Stacey from Italy is coming to visit! And just after that I'm flying there! So I need to start thinking about Italy again, planning a few things, etc. I also started reading a 'new' book for me, "A Time To Kill"...one of my favorite movies. I just finished a book called "Swimming" and didn't really like it, but read it all anyway. So now I'm happy to be engrossed in a new book that I don't want to put down!

Okay, off to do a few things before bed. Good night.........I MISS ALL OF YOU

French Jazzercise

Why hello there. It is 8 pm Wednesday night, and I'm getting ready to head off for dinner Beatrice's house to meet their new au pair, Ashley. Yesterday I had my first aerobics class, where I was wondering if I was even in the right class when it first began. There were older women AGAIN (I am the only 20-30 something...def the youngest). Ughh...BUT it's not too bad. I definitely worked up a sweat, along with the instructor who had 80s style JAzzercise attire on, along with a couple other women. Yep, the shiny black tights, hot pink leotard and leggings. Haha. no joke. And the music started off with the theme song to "Shaft"...followed by more American music, including R. Kelley. Haha. It was quite a sight. But halfway through it I realized I will stick with the class, as it challenged my flexibility and got my heart rate up. Today I'm even a little sore in the legs. So that's good! I spoke with the instructor, who's a really nice lady and she knows now that I'm a student and American....for me I have to WATCH almost everything she does, as I'm still learning the "exercise lingo" in French. Haha. But it was fun.
Today I worked half a day, and took the 2 little ones to "gym" this morning. It's like the YWCA, and there are tons of gymnastics equipment set up in a big obstacle course for all the little kids to play on. The moms just follow them and help them climb and balance, etc. There's even a handsome guy that works there and plays with the kids. But...I won't go there. Lol.
I had a hair appointment today (just darkened it again...it gets light SOOO fast, ugh). I either want my hair DARK or blonde....I imagine in a year maybe I'll be back to blonde. I'm not sure. It'll take awhile to go all the way back to blonde, so I'm not thinking about it yet. Anyway, I got my bank account all set up, and officially turned in all my paperwork to get my health insurance...so soon I'll get reimbursed! Yay!
I went for a mini jog and did Pilates, then called my brother Chris to wish him a Happy Birthday! Yep, he's not quite 30....haha!!!
Then I went upstairs to help shower and feed the kids with Jerome. It was actually fun...he and I laughed about a few stories, including what I consider "old"...and the types of guys I date, and rugby, and we both laughed about the kids being difficult when it comes to eating, etc...anyways, I made their "puree" (vegetables), cleaned some dishes, put them in their pajamas and now I'm here. I have dinner in 15 minutes, so I'm off for the neighbor's house. I am hoping that Ashley and I "click" and can become friends and hang out soon!
Tomorrow morning I start my French class. wish me luck!

A demain!

Frenchy

Bonsoir! It's Monday evening here, 5pm. I have the afternoon off work, so I just ran into La Defense for an hour or so, I'm blogging now, and within the hour or so I'll be off for my jog. It's been a good last 2 days. Yesterday was Sunday, and I SORT OF slept in (til 10a.m., but I was up til 2 a.m. babysitting the night before). I got ready for the day and went into the city with my guide book. I headed to Les Halles, another 'district'. First I saw St. Eustache, a pretty old church, and took a couple photos. Then I walked down Rue Rambuteau. I seem to get REAL lucky when I pick a street to exit the metro. Like Rue de Rivoli, Rue Rambuteau is a great street to see a few sites AND have people around, cafes and restaurants and some inexpensive shops. I didn't realize how great it would be! And luckily it was a really pretty day...some clouds, but sunshine and in the upper 60s. I also made note of the fact that it was Sunday, and all the cafes, restaurants, and many shops were OPEN. It's nice to find these places and remember them...because many stores, cafes are closed on Sundays. So I'm glad to know this. My destination was Musee de la Poupee, just off Rue Rambuteau. It was a museum of dolls! It was fun to discover, because it's a real simple museum, inexpensive admission, and very small. There was not a line, and probably only about 10 women with children inside. It was perfect because I didn't have the energy for a big museum. I saw an original doll made in 1805, and next to it was Barbie, 2005. The museum had displays in every room, showcasing the oldest and newest dolls, with history of how dolls represented babies, women, and children. It was fun just to see how the making of dolls evolved, and how they represented what was "acceptable" during a specific time period. There was also a room showing the different kinds of materials used throughout the years to make the doll's body. The last room was full of Barbie and her many characters and careers she takes on. Anyways....the museum was so small that I was out of there in less than an hour. I then walked back down Rue Rambuteau, to Centre George Pompidou....it's an incredible building, basically built "inside out". All the pipes are on the outside of the building, in different colors, and there's a large tube escalator on the outside that goes all the way to the top. I went inside just to see the bookstore...which I LOVED and made note of...I want to return there to purchase some cards, post cards and notebooks. It had really unique and fun art, etc. I may go there again soon to see the museum inside. Next time I will go all the way to the top roof where there is supposedly a great view of the city and Eiffel tower (I forgot to do this yesterday). There are also artists and musicians that play outside the Centre, where there's a big courtyard to sit in. There are lots of fun shops and people here too. So I'm glad I discovered this district and will definitely return on Sundays when I just want to be outside or have lunch.
I was pretty tired by 3pm, so I headed back to Bougival...where I took a 2 hour nap! When I woke up I did my Pilates, made some dinner, and went to bed early. It was a good Sunday.

Today (Monday) was my first "stretching" class in St. Germain. I dropped the kids off at school, parked the car, and walked to the class. I can tell I'm REALLY going to like walking around St. Germain. The "gym club" is in a great location, on a cute, very French street, with cobblestones and all. St. Germain has SO MANY shops, mostly expensive. And there are places to get a coffee or croissant. So I know I will enjoy spending my mornings here, even in between my class and getting the kids for lunch, I will like walking around. "Stretching" was an enjoyable class. Not what I expected in the sense that I am THE YOUNGEST, BY FAR, in the class. Haha. I didn't realize there would be women in their 60s taking the class too. But there are a few younger women there too....maybe late 30s. But yeah, there are not any young women in the class. Oh well. The class is similar to yoga, and I felt really good afterwards. The stretching was both easy and difficult, and I think if I take it for the whole year I will be more flexible afterwards. It's one hour a week, so I can definitely handle it. The instructor is closer to my age, and she seems cool.

Tomorrow morning I have my Aerobics class, which I'm excited for as well. I'm pretty sure there will be some younger people in this class. I have French on Thursday and Friday morning...teaching English to Tiph's class Friday. I have a hair appointment Wednesday afternoon, and I'm having dinner with the neighbor's family on Wednesday evening. Beatrice invited me to have dinner at their house to meet their new au pair, Ashley. She is from the U.S. and so we'll meet Wed night and hopefully if all goes well, she'll stay with the family all year and I'll have one more friend! So this week should go well, and I'll see how the new routine will work with my classes, etc. I am still in the process of getting my bank account, and then I can get my health insurance and be reimbursed for my doctor visit and pharmacy...ahh can't wait to get some Euro back! haha.

Ok, off for my jog before it might rain!

p.s. yesterday at George Pompidou, I was slowly walking outside, gazing at the art and shops, when I heard a man say to me, "Ca va?" I looked over and this 40 some year old man, with a smile on his face but creepy eyes was talking to me...and said "Ca va? Tu veux un cafe?" I smiled kind of oddly and said "non, merci". I heard from Kirsti that this has happened to her before too....random guys literally hang out in crowded places asking girls they don't know if they want cafe or a drink...they are probably harmless, and sure if the guy was young and attractive, MAYBE one would say "yes". But I don't know....I was weirded out. Then he saw me again outside when I left the bookstore and creepily said hello again...he was just standing there looking around for girls! Strange....or is it not? Maybe it's just me....haha.