....daylight savings arrives here

Yep, that's right.  A full 2 weeks after the U.S.A.  Don't know why really, I should probably do some research on that in case the kids ask.  So now it is officially Spring to me.  Once I loose that hour in the morning but the evenings stay light, we have officially turned the corner on the seasons.  Another thing about DLS is that here, much like my beloved Seattle, it will eventually stay light until about 9:30 p.m.

The other thing that gives it away is the Easter candy displays!  Yeah!  And this year I am treated to a different kind of adventure.  Not so many bags of jellybeans and malted milk balls here.  But man, they love their chocolate.  They also have the Easter Chicken.  The chocolate chicken is almost more abundant than the rabbit.  Here they use the chicken more as a symbol for Easter because (so I have read) the egg symbolizes (re)birth.   Don't fret, Peter Cottontail, they love you too!

Looks like a whole army of chocolate rabbits!

And,  My Oh My, so many new choices of candy to try this Easter........most of it chocolate based.  Now don't get me wrong, I like chocolate but really don't crave it.  Samantha is a choco-holtic however and I think if she could she would "sample" every new variety of Easter yummy available.  I am kind of sad that it doesn't seem I will be able to get my hands on good ole jellybeans.  And for me it's not just any jellybeans, but the ones they label "spice" jellybeans.

I think my addiction started with these because my Dad always liked spiced gum drops.  I also think I recall somewhere in the foggy depths of my brain, friends of my parents (The Davis family in Arizona) having a dish of these out and getting to choose which color to sample.  This was a big deal because I was probably about 4 or 5 and usually only got the colors of jellybeans my older sisters didn't like!

We are also being treated to a Spring display of blooming bulbs.  They are all putting on their Easter Best right now.  Not only does it look wonderful but you'll be walking along and smell the Hyacinths before you even see them.

Poppies, pretty poppies....

Every afternoon when I walk to meet the kids at the bus stop, there seems to be something new blooming and so far (**fingers crossed**) Max's allergies seem to be okay.  Maybe a little increase in sniffles but seems to be overall unaffected.

The kids are slowly embracing the "Frenchie" way.  They have French lessons everyday and I am sure will be plotting together in French to take over since Mom and Dad have to clue still.  Patrick and I are supposed to be getting French lessons and I guess by the s-l-o-w-n-e-s-s of the arranging of these, we are learning a "French lesson".  No one seems to have a sense of urgency here....unless they are driving!!  (I will cover some "driving lessons" in a later post...but Oh La La what a mess!!).

One of the things we are all enjoying is the fresh bread.  Occasionally I will stop and pick up a baguette (or two) on the way to get the kids.  Thursday I was planning on feeding the Fam lasagna and thought some bread would go nicely.  I stopped at our local Paul's bakery and in "Frenglish" asked for one baguette (these things are about 2 feet long, so one would do).  The guy says "okay, deux" and before my brain could convert a way to respond, I am paying for two!  Not a problem, this wonderful bread is roughly .80 a piece.  Turns out it was a good thing that he knew this crazy American needed more than one baguette.  The kids get off the bus hungry every day and since we aren't eating dinner until around 7:00 p.m., I let them snack at 5:00 p.m. when we get back to the apartment.  Max spotted the bread sticking out of my backpack and asked if they could have some.  Sure, why not....  So Max takes one baguette, extends one end to his sister and they split it and start munching away!

One baguette down......

Some of you may have heard that our Square D assigned "relocation expert" (again, not going to get into it right now, but our "expert" has become tarnished in our eyes as we are learning about things for ourselves!) called us about 2 weekends ago to let us know that there had been complaints about the dogs barking.  From the conversation, she made it sound like our downstairs neighbor was complaining about excess barking.  

Now I will admit Morgan's voice can carry and when one dog starts barking the other seems it is their duty to "help".  But we had been in the apartment for only 3 weeks and still lacked some furniture and rugs so the sound carried.  We went and purchased a spray collar for Morgan so that when she barked, the collar's attachment puffs out a mist under her chin and around her face.  It was affective not only for Morgan, but if Einstein was standing near Morgan, the sound of the puff of mist made Einstein stop!    

We are now almost finished with outfitting the apartment and our stuff has arrived from N.C. so the noise is less resounding now.  The dogs are much more comfortable with their surroundings and I think they know now that we are here for a while 'cause all nice cozy furniture we bought for them is here.

Einny and Morgan on their couch

But as we go about day to day, we are beginning to suspect the source of the "complaint".  We really don't think it was the neighbor because they have a dog too and probably know from their own experience all the trails entailed with settling in.  We are beginning to suspect the guardian (building landlord) as the source of the complaint. 

Here in France, each building has it's own guardian and then there is a head guardian for the whole complex (makes me think of dorm mothers!).  Our guardian is an older woman (mid-60's my guess) and seems to be afraid of dogs.....and even less fond of large, black, overly happy dogs.  Morgan is all Lab when it comes to sense.  That is to say, she has NONE!  She tries to walk up to everyone (and to our dismay, moving cars) she sees not realizing that she weighs 70+ pounds and can look intimidating. And strangely enough, we are not as worried with this realization that it was she, and not the neighbors, who complained.

We have learned (and read) from many sources that in France (a) it is damn near impossible to get fired from your job (hmmm...may be why customer service sucks....) and (b) it is unheard of to ousted from your rental.  Patrick was told by someone he works with that there are stories of people not paying their rent for months on end and not being evicted and I met some other English speaking moms who have been in Paris for longer at a "mixer" 2 weeks ago who said "Bhaa, just do what you want!  The French are blowhards".  So we are not as worried and make an effort to keep the dogs far from her if she is out when we are.  That is the only concession we are going to make......that and the bark collar.

We made another pilgrimage to Ikea yesterday for some lamps and odds and ends.  Who knew the sold plants!!  Awesome!!  So I started my own tribute to Spring on the apartment ledge.  Still a long way to go, but it's a start.

Balcony ledge

Happy Gerber daisies and ivy

Look Margrid, I found a French Hydrangea!

Samantha has a playdate with a friend from school today at 2:00 p.m.  We rented a car this weekend for our Ikea pilgrimage, so we are going to take her there and Max, Patrick and I can run some more errands while she plays.  The little girl's mother is VERY British and has invited us all in for "tea" when we arrive, but hoping we can get some more errands done while we have a car and I really want to take the dogs for a run in the park.  Here's hoping........

....we had sun all weekend! Spring is making itself present!

Still a little chilly, but the sun has made an appearance and seems to be happy staying around.

The trees by our Tram stop

This weekend we didn't have an real plans except a used book sale sponsored by an American Help Line here in Paris.  Being that I have had moments of almost needing to call a help line (**wink**) since I have been here, I thought that was a cause I could get behind.  All the books were English language books and there were a ton of them.  People were encouraged to clean their bookshelves and bring them with them to the sale so there was a good selection.  We all found some books and the price was right!  1 Euro each!

The book sale was held in a space in a law office that was down by the Eiffel Tower, so we decided to stroll around and get some lunch.  We passed a couple of places with the traditional French offering but turned down a side street and found a Chinese place.  We decided to give French Chinese a try.  It was a neat little place where you picked out what you wanted and then they heated it up for you.  The French don't do spicy, so everything was tasty but "tame".  Thankfully for Patrick they did have the little jars of hot pepper sauce on the table.

After lunch we walked down to the Eiffel Tower and people watched for awhile.  Since the sun was out, there were plenty of people to watch.  You can tell the locals though, they were still in their down coats and scarves.  I have decided the French have a different internal thermometer.  They wear huge coats and scarves and then go into heated stores and leave them on.  Patrick and I are immediately shedding layers as we walk through the doors since the inside temperature is set to "tropical".  But not the French...they continue to walk around in full winter clad fashion.  So I am sure some locals were looking at the crazy Americans in their shirtsleeves thinking "oh poor things, they don't have proper fashion".

Sam sans coat!

The rest of family is back to work and school.  Samantha has a playdate with a girl from school this Sunday, so we are planning to rent a car next weekend so we can go directly to friend's house  and make another pilgrimage to Ikea.  I also hope to squeeze an outing for the dogs in too.  The girls really need a good run and hopefully we can take them down to an open area and turn 'em loose!

That's all I've got for now.....except some more pictures......

RER stop on the way home from the Eiffel Tower

River taxi

Max insisted I take a picture of
his Metro pass....

The boys at the Tram stop

....some more thoughts and photos

So as I have said before, I am having to walk the dogs about 4 times a day.  Not bad really....  They are getting the swing of it and know what to do and have even started to stroll back home after conducting "business" instead of yanking me to death.  The one thing they really need work on is proper elevator manners!  Morgan loves the elevator.  I don't know if it is because she has learned this is the way out or if she likes to look at herself in the mirrored walls.  She runs right up to the doors and pokes them with her nose as if to say "I am here.  Open".

"Open, open, open"

That would be okay if we were the only ones using the elevator, but alas we are not.  Last Sunday, as I was returning with the girls from their morning stroll, Morgan walks up to the elevator doors in the lobby and stands there.  The doors opened and we were greeted with a scream!  There was a man and woman in the elevator and apparently the lady had never seen a dog before (that's what I'm guessing).  Imagine that!  So after much "excusez-moi", "pardonnez-moi" and "les chiens sont agréables (the dogs are nice)", we parted ways.  Hope that French lady gets over her trauma!

Einstein is still unsure about the
"moving room"

The other nice things about going for walks with the girls is Spring is starting to show up and everything is starting to bloom.  Isn't there a song about springtime in Paris?  Here are just a few of the early bloomers we have seen on our walks.

Even the weeds in the grass are kinda pretty.........

Of course, even the most common things here in Paris have to be pretty.  This is a picture of one of many tiles set into the sidewalk outside the Hotel Regina by the Louvre.  Not a great picture, but pretty mosaic tile.

.....some random photos

Last time my post was a little negative.  Today I thought I would remedy that and just post a few pictures of some everyday things that are lovely here.

As I go to the supermarket in the neighborhood, I am greeted by this view.  There is a florist right next to the market and seeing it always makes me feel better!

Pretty flower...and not too expensive!

Then as you are leaving the market, there is a local bakery right at the entrance.  It is a chain, but there stuff is yummy and they have better service (so far.....) than the privately owned bakeries I have been in. But no negative posts today....I will save the story of the burned bread from the private neighborhood bakery for a later date........

I'll take one of everything, please!

Since this bakery doesn't sell burned bread, they occasionally toss their "rejects" out to the waiting crowd.  Nope, not a crowd of people but these guys.

Some of the fattest pidgins I have ever seen

All made out of chocolate

On the way to meet the kids bus in the afternoon, I pass a gourmet chocolate shop.  I have not been in, yet, but often pause to admire their window display.

Yep, a chocolate high heel!

That's all I have for now.......see not everything is negative.  There are some really lovely things and not just the tourist things.  Everyday I see something new and remember that's why we came....to experience the differences.  Viva La France!

....just some random thoughts

Random Thought #1:  I don't know if I have mentioned that Saint Cloud is HILLY!  When we want to go to the tram to get to Paris or points beyond, we take some stairs that are close to the apartment.  The stairs end right at the street we need to cross to get to the tram.  Nice, huh?

This is the first part of the stairway

This is the middle part

And these are at the end
Kinda pretty, huh?

Well, after you get done running your errands or going to visit places (which you have walked to and around) this is what the stairway turns into.......

What!  

OMG!

Do they EVER end?!?!

Home stretch....breathing optional

That is why, after only a month, we call them the Stairs of Gloom!  Also, Patrick climbs these everyday coming home from work......in the dark.  OOOoooweeeeOOOoo!

Then you come down the street and turn the corner........

To the apartment building

....and have to climb up this hill (okay, halfway) to get to the entrance to our building!  I should be loosing weight by now, right?  Doesn't feel like it yet.....

Random Thought #2:  After we moved in, we received the word that domestic animals (yeah, you people with cats who live here...get your cat inside so it quits taunting my dogs!!) were no longer allowed in the park in the middle of the apartments!  Well that threw us for a loop.  One of the reasons we rented here was because we were told the dogs could go out there (the other reason was because the kids were supposed to be going to the American School down the road......but are now going to the British School...oh well!)  So now I walk the dogs about 4 times a day.  They are getting a routine and doing very well, except for the other morning they tried to chase a loose cat and I had to grab a parked car to stop!!  The place I take them to is down the street from the apartment on the way to the Stairs of Gloom.

From the top of the park I can see the Eiffel  Tower

Down on the left side is the end of
the street and the
Stairs of Gloom

 It is a nice walkway with green space so they can do their "business".  In France it seems no one cleans up the dog poop so there are lots of interesting smells for the girls (just be careful stepping into the grass!).  Beside the apartment building in the picture there is an area about 75 yards long and 40 yards wide where I let them wander and smell and eat grass and do what dogs do.....  They are always on the leash because there is a road right  on the other side of the grassy area, but they have learned quickly to do their "thing" with the leash on.  Einstein is terrified of cars and car noises, so she stays close if I decide to walk them on the sidewalk on the street side.  However Morgan, big dumb Lab that she is, tries to go up to MOVING cars!  Freaks me out!  My dog is going to get hit by a car while on her leash!  DUMMY!  So I usually just walk them up to the end of the park and turn them back to go down the other road because it is a dead end and has very little traffic.

Random Thought #3:  So often during the day when I walk the dogs I see this guy.  Pretty sure it's the same guy everyday.  It seems his job is to spend all day walking up and down the street and the Stairs of Gloom picking up trash.  He is definitely NOT picking up dog poop, though!  No one does!  The thing is, since the road is a dead end, there really isn't that much trash.  But yet, there he is everyday.....wandering around.

Guy in yellow....is that really your job?

Random Thought #4: It has been sunny here for the past 3 days and people are everywhere.  I have been going to one of the only major shopping malls I know how to get to because it is off the big Metro station.  The place is huge and every time I go I see stores I somehow missed last time.  To get from the Metro station to one of the wings of the mall, you have to go out and cross this enormous plaza by the Grand Arch.  The past couple of times I have been it has been around lunch time.  So the French are famous for their leisurely lunches and recently have also been soaking up the sun.

This is the Grand Arch (huge) and all the little black specks
are people sitting on the steps having some lunch

People everywhere

Random Thought #5:  As I go about my travels looking for things I need to set up house, I have noticed something you wouldn't dare see in the United States.  I guess because of all the nude statues and works of art here in Paris, the human body is not so taboo as it is in America.....it's either that or the model they used to make all the mannequins here in France was way cold when they cast her form because you can't pass a woman's clothing store without seeing..........

Someone please get this lady a coat!
She must be freezing!

That's all I've got for now.......  It's Friday and the weekend is here so I am sure I will have new things and adventures to report soon!

.....Bus 360 hates me! I will never attempt to ride it somewhere I am not certain AGAIN!

THIS IS A LONG RANT!  Sorry

So for the second time in a month I have attempted to take the bus that stops close to the apartment.  The first time I attempted to take it home from the grocery store.  I had Samantha with me and we saw that Bus 360 had a stop across the street from the store and decided to get on and let it take us home.  Well, we passed a couple of stops that we recognized and then the bus turned and kept going!  It dumped us out at LaDefense, the huge Metro station!  So a trip that should have taken and hour to an hour and half ended up taking about 3 hours.  And the whole time Max was home alone in the apartment expecting us back after a short while.  As a side note, Max was totally oblivious to how long we'd been gone when we got home!

Today I decided, once again, to take Bus 360 to the kid's bus stop to meet them after their first day of school.  Well, again I passed streets I recognized and then some I didn't but I was sure it would turn and go back toward the direction I needed.  I researched the line and saw that it stopped at the hospital and the kid's bus stop is right there.  Well guess what ~ it took me beyond our town of Saint Cloud and into the next one and their hospital!  Okay, I am supposed to meet the kids at their stop in about 10 minutes and know I am not going to make it!  I called Patrick to get him to call the school and perhaps call the driver and tell them I was about 15 minutes away but I was coming!!  Patrick attempted to call the Prefect's cell phone but it went straight to voicemail.  I jump off the bus at the stop I KNOW and trucked it down the hill to the hospital.  All the while I am hoping that the kids are okay and not too scared.  I was scared, so of course they would be, right?  WRONG!  I get down to the stop and they aren't there!!  I speed walk (and those who know me know I don't "speed" anything!) to the apartment and find their book bags outside the apartment door, but NO kids!  WHAT!?!

So off I go again....into the elevator....down to the lobby and I see Samantha!  Partial relief!  "Where's your brother",  I near about scream at her.  "He was following me, but I don't know where he is now", she tells me.  CRAP!  Back up the street and who do I see......MAX!  Okay, full relief!  They were happy and immediately started telling me all about school and how they "just walked home when they didn't see me at the bus stop"!!!!  After about 5 minutes of how cool the first day of school was they looked at me and said "I thought you were going to meet us".  Just a question, no worry, no fear, no anxiety!  WOW.  When did they grow up?  Today was the first day they had ever seen this bus stop and they had walked with Patrick JUST THIS MORNING and now they can find their way home!?!?!  I can't find my car in a parking lot ~

So all is well that ends well even if my blood pressure is still dangerously high and I will probably be sore tomorrow from the "power walking" up and down hills!  (Yep, St. Cloud is like Seattle or San Francisco - HILLY! Oh Joy!)  The kids even asked me, "can we just walk home everyday by ourselves or do we have to wait for you?".  Oh the shame.......  I promised myself tomorrow I am walking the way I know tomorrow and you can bet I will be there EARLY!

Samantha ready for first day of school!

Max refused to photographed!  We will try again later!

.....we explored

Sunday we decided to get on the bus and just take it 'til we saw something interesting.  While we saw lots of shops, most places aren't open on Sunday, so we took the bus to the end of the line and walked around.  Found a cafe and since the children were cranky and in need of the potty, we decided it was a good place for lunch.  Lucky us!  We actually had a waiter with a sense of humor!  He joked around with kids and generally made it a most pleasant lunch! 


After we finished, we walked down to the Carrousel and Tuileries Gardens.  There was a small playground there and we decided to stop and let the kids play.  Unfortunately, while climbing one of the structures, Max lost his new cell phone.  After a fruitless search, we walked on to the Musée du Louvre.

Looking straight up

Through the side

Since it was already 3:30 p.m. we just went into the common area under the glass pyramid.  We did find out that if the kids bring their passports, they get into the exhibits free!  Under 18 is free with proof of age and all others are 10 Euro.  Not too bad if you make a whole day of it and with the size of the Louvre you need about 365 days to get through it.  In the common area you can see some of reliefs that were on the buildings as well as access a shopping plaza.


After looking around for awhile, got on the Metro and came home.  


Today, Monday 2/28/11, the kids and I went in search of a Orange (one of the mobile services here) Store with a clerk who spoke English.  After two failed tries, boarded the Metro for a different shopping area and there found a clerk who spoke English! YEAH!  Got Max a new phone with temporary service for now.  


We then purchased some school supplies, since the kids start at the British School tomorrow.  I wasn't sure what they would need exactly, but didn't want to send them empty handed, so purchased notebooks for each as well as pencils, easers, highlighters, etc.  Samantha is raring to go!  Max is ready for school, but I think the idea of the uniform is still chaffing a little.  I will try and get a picture tomorrow, but may be unable as the fury of Max is not to messed with in the morning!  Patrick will walk them to the bus stop in the morning and then catch the train to work and I will meet them in the afternoon for the walk home......at least until they say "Oh Mom, really"!  Hard to believe they are getting to the age when I can embarass them just by being there!