Thursday, November 18, 2010

Paris

We all knew this was going to be a long trip, all of us but Holden apparently. While looking at the screen on the airplane with the map showing the flight plan, he says, "just so you know we are basically going to the other side of the world." "Yes Holden, Paris is quite far away but this is where you wanted to go, remember." "Mom, you could have talked me out of it."

Good news, I'll work that angle next time.

With the roundabout way some of us (Nate) had to take getting here, we are off to a slow start. It's ok, it has allowed the kids an extra few hours to slay the jet lag dragon which turns them into monsters. We filled our little kitchen this morning with a trip to the market picking up the most amazing produce, bright red tomatoes and huge juicy berries along with baguettes and Boursin. The kids are in heaven with their pain au chocolat. While eating them this morning, Holden, again dramatically, exclaimed "ah, this is the life.". Little does this boy know, he truly lives a charmed life.

Bundling up is so foreign to Finnley, he hates the socks, the hats, the scarves and coat process. It's like wrestling a small elephant to get him out the door. By the time this is over, one of us will be broken, if I were you I would put my money on him winning. Imagine the looks as he runs around jardin du Luxembourg barefoot and coatless in the middle of winter, the only thing more shocking in France would be if I dressed the children in color.

We have conquered the Louvre. It's massive and we covered it. Ok, not really but it sure felt as if we did. The up and the down and the up and the down of it forced us to stop waiting for elevators and just start carrying Finn AND the stroller up and down them all. So what if I am skipping the gym this week, we've got the work out covered.







We ask Holden to keep a journal as we travel so that even though he may not "officially" remember the places he has been, he has a personal journal logging his travels complete with drawn pictures and descriptions as well as photographs and souveniers. As he was working in it this evening he said, "I am drawing the Mona Lisa, it is obviously the most famous painting ever, it's guarded so closely." He was constantly asking Nate to take photos of the hieroglyphics from the Egyptians so that he could study them when he got older. I never realized that to a child the Louvre is mostly about death and naked people. "Mom, the art here is kind of strange, they really like naked people, and everyone is dying." Out of the mouths of babes.

Both of our children are such troopers, we haul them places WE want to see and they come along with very little complaining. I'm so very grateful for how well they do considering their circumstances.

PS. At dinner tonight Finn stripped off his shoes and socks. I'm telling you, by the end of the week he will be running half naked around a cafe.

3 comments:

Jocelyn said...

LOVE these pictures SO much. SO MUCH. Every one of them, but particularly the one with Nate & Finn. To die for.

Do you ever just think to yourself..."I'm in Paris. Freaking Paris." Sometimes I think that for you. Love it.

Also, loving that you have Holden keeping a journal. You're right -- he'll really appreciate that in the future.

alicantina709 said...

ohhh so jealous. i am missing europe greatly and would love to run around in paris again. i think that it might be awhile before we get to go back.

i laughed when i read about finn stripping off his socks and shoes. max refuses to wear his anymore. i wonder what will happen when we go visit some place and it is cold. i fear that we will have the same experience as you.

when you get back and settled in let me know. would love to have you all over once we move into the new house (dec 1st!).
christine

alicantina709 said...

ohhh so jealous. i am missing europe greatly and would love to run around in paris again. i think that it might be awhile before we get to go back.

i laughed when i read about finn stripping off his socks and shoes. max refuses to wear his anymore. i wonder what will happen when we go visit some place and it is cold. i fear that we will have the same experience as you.

when you get back and settled in let me know. would love to have you all over once we move into the new house (dec 1st!).
christine