Ferme ton bec

Whew.  I am absolutely exhausted.  

It has been a good week but has been full of so many playdates, parks, recipes, coloring, baths, and meals that I don't know how anyone could be a stay at home mom.  I think I would absolutely pull my hair out.  Not to mention Marie-Césare is apparently at an age where she likes to talk a lot.  Yesterday I had to tell her to ferme ton bec for just 5 minutes!  Just SHUT UP!  ha!  If she wasn't talking to me she was talking to Gaspard and if she wasn't talking to Gaspard she was talking to herself and if she wasn't talking to herself she was singing a song. Bahhhhhhhhhh!!!!! You all know how much I love the silence and I'm the only person in the world who listens to their iPod at level 2.  

Wednesday night after Lila had gone home and we met Manon and her older brother at the park we had Gaspard's birthday dinner.  We went to La Maison Mère just off Rue des Martyrs in the 9th.  It has been featured in several American food magazines and is noted for its mash-up of American and French food.  I have passed it several times but its just a little out of my every day price range so I was certainly glad to go there with Franck footing the bill!  The menu had quite a variety of different cuts of steaks...including a T-Bone.  A Cobb Salad, Spare Ribs, and a Bacon Cheeseburger were among the few to make the selection.  And they even served French's mustard!  Of course everyone wanted to know what it tasted like...but didn't try it.  Its definitely a place to go in Paris if you are feeling a little bobo and in the mood for a burger and a glass of wine.  The restaurant had a New York "meatpacking" district feel and was very crisp, retro-bistro, and young.  So what did I choose?  The ribs....of course! I didn't have any while I was home and instead of order the huge massive T-Bone I thought I should go with the lesser of the two.  They weren't quite as good as Tennessee normally does 'em, but they were good enough that all that was left was a pile of bones!  

I love going out to dinner with the family although Marie-Césare is normally less than agreeable and it is past her bedtime.  But we really sit down and talk amongst each other and its those moments like that where I am so glad things have worked out with such a wonderful family.  Chloé always takes time to ask me if I still have friends here and if things at my school are going well.  She asks if she can help me enroll in any activities or do anything in Paris.  And she shares stories of her travels with work.  Franck always wants to know about my love life and an American's take on the French, the friends I've made, and the "cool" places we like to go on the weekends.  Sometimes we forget about our separate lives in the hustle and bustle of the week....but it is really nice to know that they really do care about me.  And I know that if I needed anything here that they would drop everything at the drop of a hat, and that is a good feeling.  I love being included in their family birthday dinners and anniversaries, and even Didou officially announced me as part of the family. I have no reservations about going into this year, and I am excited that I already know the ropes.  Not saying we won't have bumps along the road, but the beginning of this school year will certainly be easier than the last!  

Thursday Manon's brother called and asked if we wanted to go to Jardin du Luxembourg that afternoon. Of course!  Any reason to get out and expend some of her energy is a-okay with me.  Although Luxembourg is far, going with Manon was good because there was always someone to occupy the time. I didn't realize Manon had an older brother, but I will say that he was quite cute.  I think he is a little younger than I am...but it was good to sit and practice my French for a couple of hours while the girls played.  You pay to get into the play area there, but they can pretty much run free and its safe.  

I had asked Chloé before she left if there was anything I could do for her that day.  She asked if I could roast the chicken that was in the fridge and I gleefully obliged.  I love when we roast chickens because they are delicious!  They have a rotisserie over their cabinet and all you do is flip a switch and voila!  80 minutes later you've got a crispy bird!  

Sooooo....we get home from Luxembourg, tired and dirty and I open the refrigerator and pull out the chicken.  I get out all my ingredients to put on the chicken, open the paper and this is staring at me....

I've worked quite a bit in the restaurant business and have dealt with some pretty large chunks of cows, pigs, and various sorts of seafood but for some reason I found this to be so gross.  I think chickens are gross anyways....they're so dirty and after watching the movie Food, Inc. I really try not to think where my chickens come from while eating them.  This made that pretty near impossible.  I immediately chopped off the head and pulled out the innards.  Not really thinking that someone would need the head for any certain reason I threw it in the trash.  Popped that bad boy on the rotisserie and left it to cook.  As soon as Franck walked in he asked, "Maggie, where is the head?  The meat on the neck is my favorite part!"  Um, gross.  I apologized and told him to blame it on my American-ism.  We don't eat feet and heads normally.  We had a good laugh during dinner about it.  

Today we didn't do much of anything.  Thank goodness.  I felt bad for the kids but I let them watch more tv than I probably should.  I was just over it.  This afternoon I pulled Marie-Césare away from the television and we got out her craft box and just went crazy.  Glitter, paints, markers, stickers...you name it, we did it.  She also got dressed up in her new princess robe Didou made her for her birthday...isn't it pretty!?! And those are the "high heels" my mom and Pat sent back with me for her birthday...one of her most favorite presents!  

I took them to the train station this evening to meet Chloé and Franck.  They are going to a small town near Lyon for a friend of Franck's birthday.  Monday I will pick her up at 4:30 and start another year!  Tomorrow I am doing laundry, a little bit of grocery shopping (haven't eaten here in a week), and resting!  Sunday there is a big au pair picnic on the Champ de Mars (if the weather allows), Monday I go take another placement test at my school for this year, and Tuesday (if FedEx will allow it) I'll pick up Taylor at Gare du Nord!  Wahoo!  So weird!  Yet so exciting!  I also am hoping to see Alison Filbin (sorority sister for those of you who don't know her) while she's here on Tuesday.  She's here for a quick visit with her boyfriend and I must make time to see her!  Busy but fun times ahead!