Paris: NOT Overrated

My husband has been into cycling and the Tour de France as long as I've known him. I used to join him to watch it on TV every year when we were newlyweds. Then, life got a little busier and I haven't been a regular viewer. But for three weeks in July, it's playing in the background somewhere in the house when he gets home from work and on the weekends. The years I watched it with Adam, we got the English commentators. Then we quit cable and I think all he could find online were French (or a variety of language speaking) commentators. We've been along for the "ride" (heh) as Lance Armstrong dazzled the world then fell from grace; I watched Floyd Landis win, then have his title taken away. Then Alberto Contador won and ... you guessed it, his title was stripped. It's a fascinating international sport full of competitiveness, fanfare, intrigue and cheating. Adam loves it because he loves cycling himself. I loved watching it because of the literal tour through France. The scenery was so spectacular it seemed unreal to me. 

When we moved to Europe, we figured we'd wait until next year to plan a trip to Paris to see the final stage of the race. But then we decided to just go this year. With not much planning, we went. And it was wonderful!

On Saturday morning, we left at 7 am and drove the three and a half hours to Paris. This was a picture I took of the countryside on the way there. It was rainy and gloomy most of the trip.

 A week or so ago I found a listing on Homeaway.com for 100 euros for a night. It's a small apartment in the 17th arrondissement that slept four. Good enough! Here's the place.

Grocery Shopping in Luxembourg

Eating good food is very important to me. It permeates every part of my life. If I'm eating well, chances are I'm a happy camper. If I'm not, it becomes a top priority for me to figure out how to improve it. Eating well has a different meaning for everyone, but for me it means eating plenty of home cooked food with the occasional sprinkling of restaurant/fast food indulgence. That's why, when I got to Luxembourg four weeks ago, I knew I had to tackle grocery shopping right away. While grocery prices in Luxembourg are comparable to Seattle grocery prices, eating out here is more expensive. So, I didn't feel like I had a lot of wiggle room to get dinner wrong. Or breakfast. Or lunch. Also the linchpin for making hangry kids turn happy: snacks. Lucky for us, Europeans are all about good food! And we are holding out as long as possible until we go to McDonald's. We just know there is too much good food to be discovered here ... we're not quite ready to sully it with the worst burger in America.

The first thing that gave me heart palpitations when I moved here was pre-cooked, pre-skinned, pre-packaged beets. I love beets so much and have always been sad they take so long to prepare. Four weeks in, I am sick of beets. Thank you little package! 
 
This was my first grocery store haul.  I was running on fumes because of jet lag, but I was proud that I got it together in time for a decent first dinner in our apartment.

Not in America

It all started with the pirate ship playground. It's one of the first things I saw when we came into Luxembourg City on our house hunting trip. Adam parked the rental car and we were headed into the city center to get some lunch. Across the street was the behemoth ship and I went over and took a picture to send to Adam's parents who were watching our kids. I knew they'd die with excitement to play on it when they got here. After I got over the shock of the ship, I saw the slide. It was at least three stories high. And my America alarm went off. "That would never fly in America."

It was at Sienna's school during the morning of the doctor check up. I went just because I didn't know what they were going to do and I didn't want Sienna to be uncomfortable. The doctor check up was fine, nothing different than what we'd just had when we registered here a couple weeks ago. But then I went back to her classroom and all the kids had stripped down to their undies. They were ready for their check ups! "That would never fly in America."

It was house hunting and finding that each and every place we looked at had doors and windows that opened into nothingness, even several stories high. There were glass barriers up to my waist but that was it. "Do these have child proof locks on them?" I asked. The real estate agent didn't know what I was talking about. Also, screens? Are there no bugs here? So far there actually aren't that many bugs getting in the house ... or flies. And absolutely no child proof locks."That would never fly in America."

School Ends, School Starts

The kids finished preschool and kindergarten in Seattle in June.

Mr. Nobes charmed his teachers everyday with his sweet, calm personality and winning smile. He is such an amiable kid (when he is at school). This is the only picture I got of him at graduation; the rest were videos of the kids singing adorable songs. One was some kind of chant about the bible? "B-I-B-L-E the bible is the book for me!" Cracked me up.  Their graduation theme was Mexican fiesta and we had a delicious pot luck feast afterward. Teacher Joan and Teacher Bonnie will be greatly missed! They are some of the sweetest, kindest ladies ever.
It was a remarkable year in kindergarten for Sienna. Although I loathe all the graduation fanfare for small people our society engages in, I realized it's kind of cute when it's your own kid. I tried to check my bad attitude at the door and just enjoy the spectacle. Let us try and forget that Noah spilled his dinner of Cheez-It party mix all over the floor before the show even started. Party on.

 

But seriously, I think this girl is ready for high school. She learned so much this year, I was practically watched the brain wrinkles settle in with my own eyes. (Kind of a gross image.) Here she is with her darling friend Simone. I was grateful she had a great little group of friends in her class. That always makes going to school so much more enjoyable.

Swim Caps, Sneakers and Swim Suits

You wanna hear about my day?

Here goes.

I woke up at 5:30 am to run for an hour. Adam left for work soon after I got back. Then I showered and ate breakfast and got the kids up. Amid the usual morning getting-ready chaos, I remembered to do the two things I committed to memory right before I fell asleep last night: pack them a morning snack ("something healthy, NOT chocolate" recommended Noah's teacher) and take their measurements.

We went to school a little before 8 am. For Noah it's more like 8 am and for Sienna it's more like 8:15. Sienna's teacher doesn't really come out of hiding until 8:15 and I can't get inside the school because the main doors are locked, so we wait near her outside door and try to look natural. I talk to both of the kids' teachers about what's coming up. Is today water sports day? Is it pool day? Yesterday was sports day. Noah's class is doing pool day today. Sienna's class does pool day tomorrow. Where does that leave water sports day? And is there still a sports day on Friday? I feel like there is. I still have no idea.

After I drop off the kids, I drive about a mile up the street to the shopping mall I spent several hours at yesterday. I get stuck in construction traffic for a bit and am annoyed. But then I look out my window and see a crumbling old building, just one of many that add to all the charm here. I take a picture just as a tractor is going by. This place is so quaint. I don't want to be too annoyed to remember that. Behind me is the very modern Bertrange Commune. This center of community, which is like every other community center in Luxembourg, has a commune (where you go to register in your town and take advantage of many other services), an old Catholic church, a children's school campus, and shops. It's a very lovely mix of old and new and I love driving through it. Someday I'll walk around the shops. But today! Today, I must go to the Belle Etoile mall to find three things: swim caps, sneakers and swim suits.

I was told by another ex-pat that Noah will not be allowed in the pool unless he is in Speedo-style swim shorts or briefs. I have to find them before they go swimming this afternoon. The children will not be let into the pool without swim caps, either. Must. Find. Swim. Caps. And sneakers. Both Sienna and Noah are about to bust through the toes of their sneakers. Plus, they need them for sports day. So help me, I will find the sneakers.