Friends

Absolutely LOVING having my friends in town.  Margaret came Monday night and Tuesday and now Hannah, Kelly, and Laura are here for the weekend.  Love that I have such wonderful people in my life who are willing to make quite a big trip to come and see me for just a short amount of time.  I am truly blessed to have each of these girls from all corners of the country in my life.  We went to Square Market today for lunch then to see Lucy at Lily Jane (which we all spent money that we didn't need to...as per every visit I have at Lily Jane), then a quick trip to Target in Spring Hill before heading home.  Kelly and I made macarons tonight (well, attempted to anyways) and hopefully will be able to enjoy them tomorrow.  Mom made delicious homemade enchiladas, guacamole, and margaritas accompanied by a homemade blueberry/peach pie.  Yummy.  Couldn't have asked for a better homemade meal!! 

Last few days in Belgium

Chloé took all the group photos, so as soon as I get back to Paris I'll post some photos with me actually in them!  The last few days at the beach were spent mostly indoors, as it was chilly and windy.  We went one day to fly kites, and of course the girls chose the papillons.  The most impractical kites ever made, but with all that wind nothing was keeping them out of the air.  

Violynne teaching Marie-Césare how to fly her kite,

Violynne, Louise, and Olivier

Marie-Césare was interested at first, but she quickly realized it was a little hard work to keep it in the air so she let Violynne have her kite and she played in the cold, wet, sand.  Clemence let go of her kite accidentally at one point which resulted in me getting a little exercise for the day.  I forgot how hard running in the soft sand was and how far that kite went in the blustery wind.  

The chilly weather gave us lots of time for eating...especially picking up some delicious Belgian chocolates.  

Chloé didn't get out of her pajamas until it came time to cook dinner that night.  Roast chicken and potatoes for a cold day was perfect.  After dinner we put all the kids to bed and the adults stayed up to watch a movie...in French.  At one point we all looked around the room and laughed out loud as we were all piled up on the couches with blankets and popcorn like little kids.  Marie-Césare did not sleep well that night and woke me up 3 times.  I was exhausted the entire next day.  Luckily it was another rainy day so we didn't do anything.  I went with the boys and Franck to see Harry Potter 2, even though I hadn't seen a Harry Potter movie since the very first one.  I don't really like Harry Potter, but I jumped at a chance to get out of the house for a little while with the boys.  While I was gone at some point, Marie-Césare had heard Justin Bieber's Baby.  So now she was walking around the house screaming, "Baby, Baby, Baby, Ohhh!!!" There was a purpose in me not letting her listen to that song.  I knew that those would be the only words she knew, and I didn't want to hear them 24/7.  Well, I held out as long as I could.  The rest of the week we heard, "Baby, Baby, Baby, Ohhh!!!"  

The next day we went to Clown City in a neighboring city, De Panne.  I went along just for fun, Chloé told me I wasn't needed but I thought it was more of an arcade/game place.  No.  We walked in to hundreds of screaming kids and parents and giant slides and climbing apparatus'.  I couldn't believe a place like this existed.  There were sweaty kids and people hitting each other everywhere.  We found a cramped table beside the lego area and kids were throwing legos at each other and hitting them over the head with them.  There were no staff members around like there would be in the States.  'Every man for himself' was the attitude there.  

Clown City

The kids had a good time but they were all hot, sweaty, tired messes by the time we had to go.  The last day the beach was beautiful so we had a little bit of time to fit last minute sunshine in.  That last day Marie-Césare wasn't afraid of the water and we got in very deep!  Deep enough to where she had to hold my hand because the waves would knock her over.  Louise was starting to shout my name instead of her mother's...which I'm not sure was a good thing.  We rode on the boogie board and buried Tim in the sand.  We bought pastries on the beach (yes, that's right...instead of ice cream they walk around selling pastries) and ate true Belgian fries for lunch.  

Burying Tim...A summer tradition.

Fries on the beach.

It was a great last day at the beach, but we dusted off the sand around 4, got in the car, and drove 45 minutes to a beautiful farm in the countryside where we were meeting some more of their friends for a weekend of relaxation.  Their friends had a daughter who was 10, Victoria.  She was a very quiet, sweet girl who seemed to enjoy hanging out with the boys instead of Marie-Césare....can you blame her?  That's quite an age difference.  

We had a delicious dinner Friday evening outside our farmhouse overlooking the horse pastures and the beautiful sunset.  Saturday was rainy (I learned that it rains A LOT in Belgium) so the girls went to Bruges for some shopping for the day.  The guys went to a war museum.  Bruges is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is considered the "Venice of the North."  I now know why.  The city was old and beautiful...with small winding streets and brick buildings.  

Streets of Bruges

Victoria and Marie-Césare

As the day wore on, the little girls got tired, so we went to a Seapark there in the city to keep them a bit occupied.  That's honestly the last thing I would want to do in the beautiful city of Bruges, but it turned out pretty good.  We went to see the dolphin show, which was more impressive than expected.  

Our farmhouse

The most beautiful view

Not scared at all of the animals on the farm.

We arrived home after our rainy afternoon of shopping and trudging around through the Seapark and we looked like wet, soggy, dogs.  Even though I had an umbrella and my rain jacket, you couldn't help but get soaking wet!  Their friend cooked a delicious fish dinner and knowing that we had a long car ride back to Paris the next day and I had a 14 hour flight home early Monday was great incentive to get in the bed early. 

My flight home was good, although a lot longer than the flight to Paris.  Maybe I just wasn't filled with anticipation like I was on my way there....but those 10 hours to Dallas seemed to draggggg by.  The food was decent and I thought they were going to drown us in all the beverages we were offered.  I can't imagine why they would want us to get up and use the bathroom but they sure didn't have any reservations about it.  In Dallas I stopped to buy a sandwich and turned to the vendor and said, "Merci, Bonne Journée!"  Just out of habit....let's just say he gave me a very strange look.  By the time my dad and Beverly picked me up in Nashville it was 3:30 am my time...and my eyes sure showed it.  I was hit with a blast of hot southern air as we stepped out of the airport.  So hot and humid it almost took my breath away.  I have spent this week seeing my family and friends, and spent Friday shopping in Nashville with Laine and mom looking for grove dresses and college things.  Saturday afternoon the Flynn's came over for lunch and it was so good to see everyone.  Toni's daughter Kerry is going to be an au pair in London next year and she was able to come and see everyone before she left!  I also got to see my precious and most favorite little cousin Landon...and Melanie of course!  I enjoyed spending every moment with them, and it was so good to see how he has grown so much...just in the past year!  I can't believe he is going to be 3 in a week!! 

As most of you know, my grandfather (dad's dad) died early Sunday morning.  He hasn't been well for some time now, and it is so wonderful the way God's timing worked out.  I am so thankful that I was able to go see him this past week at the hospital, and am even more thankful that I am here during this time.  It has been a blessing in so many more ways than I can count.  I appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers, and know that nothing goes unnoticed.  

As per the previous post, the next day we all woke up around 6 for breakfast.  It was a beautiful day so we gathered all of our belongings to prepare ourselves for a full day at the beach.  During this time the 'soup man' came by.  Very similar to an ice cream truck, but without all the colors and instead of children running after him there are parents and grandparents running after him with pots and pans waving in the air hoping to get a taste of the soup of the day.  You have to bring your own container, as the back of his van is simply giant pots...the simplicity of a food truck.  

We ended up having a very sandy morning at the beach.  There was sand in my bathing suit, my hair, my bag, my ears...yuck.  I couldn't wait to get home and take a shower.  The girls and I played in the waves all morning...they just couldn't get enough.  The water was pretty dang cold but I toughed it out and dealt with my frozen legs.  

The tide goes out in the middle of the day and comes back in each evening.

Gaspard and Tim

In Belgium, they have these things called cuistax.  You rent the cuistax for 30 minutes or an hour or whatever and they are various types of go-carts, bicycles, push cars, or 4-wheelers...for kids of course.  You can also rent a 4 or 6 seater contraption so the whole family can join in on the fun and you can ride around town.  A small park across the street boasts an outside "track" where kids can safely ride around and around without having their parents follow them around.  Benches provide a good place of rest and relaxation for the parents.  Marie-Césare of course chose this horse number, but quickly realized that pedaling is hard work.  

That afternoon I also discovered cuberdon.  Cuberdon is a candy made only in Belgium.  The basic one is purple in color, has a funny cone shape to it, and is somewhat gummy.  The lady at the store said that they date back to the 19th century and are made of sugar, Arabic gum, and gelatin.  It has a hard shell on the outside and the inside is gummy and chewy.  It doesn't sound so good for those of you with lots of cavities, but its actually quite tasty.  The ones I bought are blackcurrant, which is one of the most typical flavors, but they come in many flavors now.  

That night for dinner we hopped into the car and headed to a small restaurant in the middle of nowhere.  It was surrounded by beautiful dunes and sat on the ocean.  It wasn't fancy, but a great place where the parents could sit outside and watch the kids play on the beach.  The older girls played keep away with the boys and I played in the sand with Louise.  She is so fun to play with, and an overall pretty good baby.  She understands both Flemish and French as a baby, and they are beginning to incorporate English into her vocabulary.  

Baby Louise

One of my favorite photos of the trip.

Louise loved the crab and duck sand molds.  I bet we did them 100 times that night.

The food was delicious...all the adults had shrimp croquettes and white wine and the kids stuck with spaghetti and apple juice.  The croquettes were nothing as expected, but had quite a spicy punch with mostly a mashed potato base.  Franck always chooses an excellent complementing wine and this was no exception.  

Since we were in a new place, I laid down with Marie-Césare each night until she fell asleep.  It was great quiet time for me, so I quite enjoyed it.  On this night imparticular, she gave me her "doudou chinois" and said I could sleep with him.  I felt very satisfied as I drifted to sleep and it was as if I had won the children's doudou lottery.  

The beach in Belgium?

We set off on our journey to a small town called De Haan, Belgium Friday afternoon around 4.  I wasn't sure how long the trip was going to be, and didn't want to be that annoying child who asked, "How much longer?" 50 times over the course of 30 minutes...so, I kept my mouth shut and just was along for the ride.  Chloé is a pretty new driver, she hasn't had her license very long and even though she has it, it doesn't mean she is an excellent driver.  All Parisian drivers are pretty much crazy...and I haven't ridden with one that doesn't go from 50 km/h to 0 km/h in 5 seconds.  That's just their way of driving.  The interstate was  just as interesting, as every time we passed a big truck we would slow down until we passed it....but there are no rules on their interstates.  Well, there are but no one really follows them.  There aren't cops every 10 miles like here in the states and its like Atlanta, if you actually go the posted speed limit, you will get run over.  

We arrived to meet their friends who were staying in the apartment just across the hall from us and I was relieved to immediately find out they both speak English.  I was prepared for a week of solid French, and although it didn't differ much from that...it was still nice to know that if I couldn't explain myself in French I could revert a bit to English if need be.  Olivier and Violynne have 2 girls, Clemence who is 7, and Louise, who is 2.  We were all so tired so we ordered pizzas for dinner and practically went straight to bed.  I shared a room with Marie-Césare, Gaspard and his friend Tim slept in the same room, and of course Chloé and Franck.

The "boardwalk"

The next morning I woke up and went across the hall for breakfast.  We decided their apartment would be our breakfast place because they had a 2 year old girl, Louise, who woke up at 6 am anyway.  I discovered Speculoos "butter" which has the consistency of peanut butter but the delicious taste of Speculoos cookies.  Its like a 5 spice kind of cookie and I have seen the spread but never really thought to buy any.  Oh my goodness.  That was my absolute favorite part of the day.  I could have eaten 10 pieces of bread with that stuff on it....or better yet, just with a spoon.  But I kept my manners and stuck to 2 tartines.  Olivier gave me a brief history lesson during breakfast of Belgium, and all the problems that they are having as a country.  Who knew such a small country could have so many problems? They basically don't have a government right now, and the country is so divided based on the French/Flemish cultures and languages.  Where we were staying in the north is considered the "Flemish" part of the country so if we would go somewhere and speak French, a lot of times they treated us differently or were rude.  I found out I had better luck just speaking English!  

After breakfast we went and bought some paper for making "Flowers by the Sea."  I have never seen this before in the states, but Violynne said it was very popular in France and Belgium.  Kids go buy paper and things for making flowers, which also comes with a book/tutorial how-to.  They are pretty elaborate flowers, but fairly easy to put together.  After you have a handful of handmade flowers, you make a store on the beach.  Most every family had a store, and you line your flowers up so potential buyers can come buy your flowers.  Except you don't pay in money, you pay in shells of course.  The beaches there are similar to Florida beaches, but they are littered with shells.  Kids go out and collect shells, and trade shells and flowers all day long.  Its a pretty neat concept, not to mention it makes the beach beautiful with all sorts of brightly colored flowers everywhere!  (Anddd...it keeps the kids pretty busy.)

Clemence making a deal with a buyer

Marie-Césare negotiating handfuls of seashells with a neighboring flower store

That night, the kids and I had dinner prepared by the parents, then the parents went out for dinner while I put the kids to bed.  I didn't mind at all because by the end of the day on the beach I was exhausted from the sun anyway.  The next day Marie-Césare woke me up around 8 and we went right to breakfast and to the beach to profit from the sun.  I got some great color on my legs and arms despite being covered up from the cold weather.  It didn't get warmer than about 75 while we were there and it was very windy.  That didn't stop us from getting in the water.  I played with the girls in the surf for a little while then kindly convinced Marie-Césare to venture out a little further.  She was scared, like she was in the pool, but I held her hand the entire time and we walked out into water that came up to about her waist.  She didn't like it at first, but once she saw Clemence and I laughing and enjoying the waves, she forgot all about her fear and was splashing around all over the place.  We found lots of crab shells from where they had molted, as well as some pretty great shells to take back to show mom.  They were both covered in sand from head to toe and rolling around in it as if it was chocolate.  Was I ever like that?  I hate sand.  It was all I could do to sit in the sand and play.  I hate how it gets in all your things (including your bathing suit), I hate how it sticks to you, I hate how 3 weeks later you find sand in your room.  Gross.

Taking a watermelon break

We at lunch on the beach that day in all of our sandiness and skipped naps.  Skipped naps?  We were all exhausted by bedtime.  I'm pretty sure we were all knocked out by at least 8:30.....which made for a very early morning the next day.......

I'm coming home.

Hellooooo everyone! And that's a hello this time instead of a bonjour!  I am officially home in the US of A and back on a semi-normal sleeping pattern and caught up from jet lag.  I was picked up at the airport by my dad and Beverly at 8pm (3am my time....) and was greeting my weather so hot and humid you needed a knife to cut through the air.  It literally took my breath away.  After saying "Merci, Bonsoir!" to the vendor at DFW airport who handed me my sandwich and a few "Ouis" and "Pardons" along the way...I have somewhat adjusted to completely speaking English.  I have been busy seeing all of my family here in Lawrenceburg, but as soon as I get a chance I will get to blogging about my beach trip to Belgium with the family.  Overall we had a great week, but lets just say Marie-Césare and I were ready for a good break from each other.  Going to Nashville tomorrow with mom and running a few errands.  SO enjoying home and very excited about seeing extended family this weekend and my dear friends who are taking time out of their busy lives and schedules to come see me the next weekend....Laura, Hannah, and Kelly!! YAY!!!  I know these 2 1/2 weeks will pass so fast but am so excited I have had this opportunity to see everyone!!  

Yesterday I had a list of things to do after I dropped Marie-Césare off at the Atelier at the Jardin d'Acclimitation.  Franck had asked if I could spend the afternoon with Gaspard, and I wanted to say no, but I didn't want him to stay at home alone all day....so of course I agreed.  We went to see Kung Fu Panda 2, in 3D, and I hadn't seen the first one but the second one was pretty cute anyway.  We got a pizza and ate it at the house, and I tried to convince him to come to Galaries Lafayette with me to return something, but he just didn't want to go.  Can you blame him?  So, we met at the metro afterwards and he came with me to pick up Marie-Césare.  We were a little early so I bought him some ice-cream and we sat down on the park bench to wait. We walked over to the Atelier to pick her up and the woman said it would be another 45 minutes.  I asked why of course and she said the teacher was a bit late and they wanted them to get their money's worth.  Okay, thats great, but could you at least have let us know!?!  Since we were there early the parents got to watch their dance.  In the morning she went to a gardening class and in the afternoon was Oriental dance.  She was the smallest one in the class, but kept up pretty well I think....

On our way home I saw this guy with car keys in hand walking around to different white cars that I guess looked like his trying his key in every door.  It was so obvious that it had been so long since he used his car he didn't remember where he parked it!  So funny...and so French.  When the key finally worked, he let out a sigh of relief and hopped in.  

Today I took Marie-Césare to the Atelier this morning for a cooking class and perfume.  She's making a banana and Carambar (which is like a Sugar Daddy) cake and some sort of flowery perfume this afternoon.  I'm anxious to see what we come back with.  I am glad to be in my apartment during my time off today cleaning and packing before our trip.  I have packed for my trip home as well, because we will return from Belgium Sunday evening and I have to leave my apartment at 7 am Monday morning for Charles de Gaulle airport!  SO excited about seeing everyone.  This will most definitely be my last blog post for awhile, probably until I am at home seeing all of your faces.  Love you all!  

Forest Creatures

Today wasn't an epic day in the history of babysitting, but one to like just the same.  During her art class I went around and bought things for our picnic at Parc Monceau...cherry tomatoes, a baguette, ham, strawberries, juice boxes, chips, and chocolate.  Your typical French picnic.  After class we headed up to the metro, bags in hand, including my new little houndstooth cooler my mom sent me for my birthday.  Worked out well on this particular occasion!  We laid out the cloth and had our spread....enjoying every bite.  

I brought a couple of cornichons just for her, and she was so excited to see them.  More so than the chips!  I tried to convince her to close her eyes and we enjoying the warmth of the sun and breeze in the trees, but she just wouldn't cooperate to take a little nap.  So, I (so intelligently) have downloaded 2 episodes of Dora the Explorer on my Iphone and she will watch those even if they are all in English and she can only understand bits and pieces.  Win!  She fell right to sleep.  

She slept for about an hour and then we just sort of laid around for a little while.  Not in a hurry to go anywhere or do anything.  It was great!  And the weather was perfect!  

We of course rode the carrousel (which she immediately pointed out was the same as Monsieur Victor's in Provence) and the new tarif is 2 euros!! 2 euros!?  For 2 minutes of going around in a circle?  That's pretty steep I believe.  Then of course we found the ponies.  But of course she got to ride the biggest because she was the most experienced....she was so proud!  

I leave you with this image tonight.  Marie-Césare is scared of shadows in her room and her books with sorcerers in them we have to hide at night...but she can stand THIS thing in the next room over?!  Pleassseeee.....I am never sleeping on their couch again.  I will never be able to sleep with this thing looming over my head.  Not to mention its gargantuan.  

I don't know what the fascination is (or the "theme" much less) is over dead animals but that brings their count up to 4.  There is another forest creature in the dining room, plus the 2 flamingos in the corner.  Don't forget the flamingos.