Back to Basics (blonde)

Today was great.
I had a hair appointment in Paris. I'm starting the process of going back to blonde. So today was a "ballyage" day...a.k.a. highlights. I am pleased with it considering there's not many ways to get around that awkwad in-between period....it'll take a few times before I'm back to blonde completely, but so far so good.

I had a lunch date with Nico :) He was only in town for the afternoon before seeing his family in Corsica...so we had lunch and a movie. He makes me laugh and is pretty dang cute...so it was nice. We talked a lot and updated each other on life (since it's only every couple months we see each other). FYI, he's an 'interest' and that is all.........he travels too much and is rarely in Paris, but we will stay in touch and spend time together when possible...even in the States because he travels there every month!

I booked my free train ticket back to London for this Saturday! It's Ashley's birthday, and so we're going for one night, and are staying with my DG friend Ashley who is studying there. Our other DG sister is coming for spring break, so we're all hanging out this weekend in London! Free train ride, free lodging.........plus a dance club Sat. night + sight seeing!!! Yay!!


P.S. a new development: I am returning home to the States on May 14th !!

Les Miserables

Was f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s!!!!!

I can't describe it in words, and I hope most of you already know the actual play/story.........SO I'm not going to actually write about it. But seeing it in London was amazing. The actors and their voices were incredible. It was clearly the best of the best out of all the times I've seen Les Mis.

My seat was PERFECT (theater wasn't very big anyway).

I had a great time and am so thrilled I made the wise decision to spend the pounds and go!

Quiet After the Family Leaves

Hi everyone. Sorry it's been so long since my last post, but my family was here for about 12 days! Aaron arrived on my birthday, the morning of the 16th, and we took the train an hour away to Tours, where we did some white wine tasting in Vouvray, and ended up 'hitch hikin' in the wine country along a road with old stone walls and little chateaus. We had some great sauerkraut for dinner, and the next morning did a mini tour of old Tours...which was really cool! Aaron and I spent a couple days site-seeing in Paris, and once he knew how to use the metro and get around on his own, he ventured off into the city when I had to work. He also came with me into St. Germain to pick the kids up for school, so that was neat to have someone see where I work and what I do.

The rest of the family (Mom, Harry, Megan and Andy) arrived on the 21st. I had Tiphaine and Matt with me and we met them at the hotel. It was really cute to have them with us at the cafe (they ordered apple juice) and then we walked all the way up the Champs Elysees. Matt was mainly interested in skipping the cracks on the pavement and trying to pick up loose pavement from the Champs Elysees. Tiphaine and Megan got along great, and it was actually quite nice to have all those extra hands to help me with the kids! The day before Aaron and I had taken all 3 into the city to ice skate. It was fun, but a real challenge...although I think it's good for the kids to see what big city is like in Paris and to experience more culture than Bougival and their school can offer.

I then had about 5 days free from work, so we did a LOT of site-seeing, and I got to see in the inside of Versailles for the first time! It was gorgeous, but almost too"gawdy", all decked out in gold...but it was great to see the Hall of Mirrors. Friday night we had a big French dinner and red wine at Willi's Wine Bar (my favorite hang out spot). A few of us even purchased some of their art posters, so I'm excited to have that in my home in the future.

Saturday night we went to the Paris St. Germain vs. Monaco soccer match at the Park des Princes in Paris! It was REALLY COOL to see that, even though it ended in a tie. It was a great experience to be in that environment of crazy fans in a big stadium.

Monday night we had a dinner with the family at the house in Bougival. It was really nice to all sit around and visit and for my family to meet the parents. We ate "raclette" which is like cheese fondue, on top of a baked potatoe with ham.

Well, there are more fun details and if I think of them and have time to write more, I will! I have to go for now......but soon I'll write about my Les Miserables day in LONDON!!! IT WAS FANTASTIC!

La famille!!

My mom and everyone else arrives in 2 hours! I've had a great time so far with Aaron, so the next 6 days are going to just be as exciting. I can't wait to see my sister, Harry, Andy and MOM! It's weird.... it's been 7 months!

We've had fun, adventures, and yesterday was a real event taking the 3 kids into Paris. Today I'll have Matt and Tiphaine in the city to meet everyone at the hotel, then the Eiffel tower.

Well, this is super short because I have to get ready for the day....if I don't blog again for another few days its because of all the excitement and plans.

Thanks everyone for birthday wishes and gifts! I'll write more soon!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone back home! I hope you all have a good day. Unfortunately here in France it's not really celebrated....and if it is, it's just for "adult lovers", so I was told. So the kids have never done anything special for today. The parents even looked at me strangely when I asked if we could make cards and buy treats. So that was odd and disappointing. But thanks to my dad and Carolyn, I had fun heart stickers for all the kids to wear on their shirts today. And Ashley bought them little heart suckers....so we celebrated a little bit at lunch time.

The sun is shining and I'm trying to do last minute preparations for my family visit! Yesterday I also purchased a train ticket to London! I am going for the day on Feb 27th to see "Les Miserables" and I'm SOOO excited! Because I want to travel more before leaving Europe, I decided London was not at the top of my priority list, so I'm going over and back in one day on the chunnel....so maybe I'll see a site or two, but the main point is to see my favorite musical, Les Mis! It's a dream to see it in London too. I'll go the same day my family leaves Paris...so it works out nicely!

Thanks to everone that has sent me cards in the mail this week....and Aunt Judy, I got your packages! I am opening everything on Friday night I think....so thanks in advance! Saturday I'm waking up early to meet Aaron at the airport and then we're going to Tours for the weekend. It'll be a memorable birthday and I'm so glad to have my brother here. I am really looking forward to the next 2 weeks.
(thanks mom, Harry, dad and Carolyn for the birthday money as well!)
I love you all and am so grateful to have such great support while I'm here!!)

Big kiss from Paris........the city of love, is it? No Valentine for me here....but that's alright. :)

Pretty in Paris

Hi fellow stalkers. ; ) I know it's been awhile...but that's just how it goes. Let me first say HOW PRETTY the weather has been the last week. CROSS YOUR FINGERS it lasts for my family's visit! It has been in the 50's (sometimes warm, sometimes cooler) with clear sunny blue skies. It really makes Paris and my mood go up in the beautiful factor. Haha. I love it. So I'm thinking positively that it will stick around at least another 10 days! Say your prayers.

All is fine here. The same work life....going to class, driving the kids a lot, playing new games and singing songs, dealing with temper tantrums and disobeying from time to time....but generally everything is good. Tiphaine fell down yesterday on the pavement and really sliced open her chin. It was not a pretty sight, but thankfully there were lots of moms around to help with First-Aid kits. Matt is still behaving the best of the 3 I think lately....although he still has his "terrible 3" moments. Ines and I are playing the piano more together...she has successfuly learned and memorized 'Mary...", "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," and the Middle C scale! We play "do re mi" sometimes too. Last week I made the girls little blue "tutu's" with toole Virginie bought. They turned out cute...it was a trial run, so maybe we'll do it again with 2 colors. They are really cute though. Last weekend I babysat 2 nights in a row until 2 a.m. So....needless to say I was extra sleepy on Sunday. Saturday I walked around the Seine, took photos and bought myself (and gifts) cheap artwork....it's everywhere, and the paintings are really pretty, so I'm excited to now have a little collection that I can eventually frame and hang in my "Paris/European" room that I will have one day in an apartment or house.

My brother Aaron arrives on Saturday morning!!! I am so excited to have family here. Virginie and I will meet him at the airport, and then the 2 of us are headed off to the train station, where we'll get a train to Tours. We are staying one night and wine tasting for my birthday! We will go to Vouvray probably and walk from wine cellar/vineyard to another. It's been a lot of fun planning the itinerary for my family....Mom, Harry, Andy, and Megan will arrive next Thursday...so I have 12 days of visitors! Thankfully I have a good amount of time off work, and the days I have the kids I can take them with me to Paris. yep, Virginie told me I can take them with me, Aaron, and everyone else to join in on the Paris activities (just 2 days that I have them)...so that'll work out nice.

I also am planning my last 5 months here (OMG, 5?!??! goes by so fast)...and carefully planning my days off that I can squeeze in some travelling. SO I will update everyone when I have fun info about my upcoming trips!

Hold on to your boots!

Hi everyone. Another week in Bougival town....did lots of driving and fending off the heavy winds this week in Paris. I only went into the city once on Thursday....saw a movie. The weather is not pleasant enough right now to walk around outside and be adventurous. Today I took the kids to poney lessons and forgot to bring Tiph's riding boots...but thankfully enough she happened to be wearing her rain boots (galoshes) so she wore those during her lesson. Too bad they weren't tight enough and as she rode the poney the boots kept falling off her little feet. She was crying and looked so sad, so I felt really bad.....but she was a strong little girl and made it through. Then we went home and I gave her a hot bath because her feet were cold.

Thanks to my friend Ruthie back home I have a new activity to do with the girls...make ballerina tutu's! Yep! Virginie bought the toole and elastic yesterday so either this weekend or next week we'll make fun tutu's for them to play in. Matthieu has been a good little boy lately....and Ines is smart and feisty. Haha.

No big plans this weekend, except Sunday is the first one of the month so maybe I'll go to a museum or two for free! hoping for nicer weather so I can workout or something. My brother arrives in 2 weeks, on my birthday!! yay!! Can't believe it's almost Feb 16th~ I'm excited for 12 days of family visits.....we have some fun stuff planned.

Ok, i'm off to bed.... bonne journee to everyone back home. I miss you all