I'm about a month behind in posting. But I refuse to apologize (not that you were asking me to!). Because lately I have realized I'm not really posting because more than ever before in my life, I am living more in the moment. Part of the reason is that we live in a city where if we want to do something, we can - with very little planning. And that is lucky, because the other part of why we're living in the moment is because we have no time to reflect on what we've done or even plan ahead on what is to come. I'm traveling to Zurich regularly for work, leaving Mike to get it done at the house, which really means very little time for much else.
But even with all of that said, we have done some pretty cool things in the last month.
In mid-July, my parents came to visit, blending very nicely into the life we've built here and finding some time to enjoy London too. In fact, they came home some nights and told us about tourist things in London we have yet to see, or perhaps will never see!
My mom stayed for two more weeks than my dad, allowing me to travel for work with much less guilt than usual and finding plenty of time to play with the kids. And then there was Paris. Yes, that's right, we (me, Mike and my mom) did Paris with two kids under the age of three. And let me tell you - I'm not sure Paris was ready for us.
Just some highlights.
We had to take two pack and plays because the apartment we rented didn't have a bedding option for the kids - and they are both too little to just plunk down on a big bed and hope for the best. So, getting to the Eurostar train station in London wasn't so bad, because we had a car service pick us up (money well spent). Getting from the train station in Paris to the apartment near the Arc de Triomphe? Hysterical and a sight to be seen.
Imagine three adults with two rolling suitcases, a big double stroller stuffed with children, two pack and plays (approximately 20 pounds of awkward each), a backpack and an over the shoulder bag, realizing that there is no lift from the Eurostar level of the train station to the Metro level.
Now imagine that same group of us finding that the turnstiles to get onto the Metro are frankly too skinny for even a rolling suitcase to go through, let alone a stroller.
And now, picture the unloading of children, breaking down of the stroller, shoving of suitcases through the small opening, rebuilding of the stroller, reloading of children, re-rolling of the suitcases...only to find that we had to carry it all down about 30 steps to get on the train.
And that was just the beginning. There were tons more steps, some battling with my mother about who would carry the heavy things - during which at one point a young french woman stopped to offer her help, in French. It was very kind. And when we finally emerged from the Metro, after a transfer of course, into the sunlight, we paused, set down our myriad of thingsin exhaustion and just laughed.
But of course, the adventures continued. RC had a blowout within the first 4 hours in Paris (when we had dropped off our luggage and were buying time until the apartment was ready) and we had no extra outfit. So we were the classy Americans having lunch with a naked (diapered) baby who at one point stuck his hand in my mom's goat cheese and may or may not have smeared it on a window.
We were the family that upon entering Jardin de Acclimation had a little one (CC) have a total meltdown causing us all just to pull up some bench and wait it out, as other happy families passed us with knowing looks.
We were the family who, in that same park had yet another blowout (RC) which meant I was changing him on a blanket in the middle of this beautiful grassy area laughing while he crawled around stark naked and I wrapped up all of our now disgusting things in a bag. That time we had an extra outfit.
We were the fascinating group trooping both to and from that park with the stroller popped up into a wheelie because the front tire got a flat...twice.
We were again "that" family, when on the last day, while Mike happily watched the last stage of the Tour de France end, my mom and I took the kids to an outdoor eating area for pizza only to have CC throw a piece of baguette at the people next to us (no clue as to why) and RC to slap his hand on the top of the pizza box with Mike's to go pizza in it, causing it to drop to the ground, open and the pizza to land face down on the cement. He ate it anyway.
But I don't want to mislead you. We had a fantastic time.
The apartment we had rented was great - perfect for what we needed. It had a bedroom for me, Mike and RC. A large foyer that had a bed in it for my mom, and a side part that was perfect for CC's pack and plan. [Here, I would like to put in a plug for Gro Anywhere Blinds - a genius darkening shade with suction cups all around that made a little foyer into a bedroom for CC!]
We found a slide in view of the Arc and CC played happily in the middle of Paris. Oh, and of course, we were standing right by the Arc!
We had a lovely lunch at Martha's Cafe (regardless of the naked baby) and CC practiced saying "bonjour" and "merci"...which continued all weekend.
My mom and I got to go out on the first night and see the Eiffle Tower glitter. She had her first glass of Kir. We had a fantastic dinner. We got to experience Paris at night.
Saturday was amazing - We went place to place on the Batobus (genius for families, great way to get around, and totally affordable); experienced a rain storm while sitting on the covered patio of this little cafe right near Notre Dame and exited to blue skies and sun; actually strolled through Notre Dame with two sleeping children (couldn't have planned that any better!) and ended the day laughing and playing outside of the Louvre.
My husband and I got to go out on the second night for a glass of wine, giving us precious time to talk...in Paris!
Sunday we got to ride a little train to the children's park and - after the meltdown - we had a great time playing, listening to Rowan imitate the peacocks, eating lunch in a quiet little chinese garden and just generally being joyful. And Mike got to ditch his family (my words, not his) and experience the last stage of the Tour de France - a dream of his.
Even Sunday night, while we got ready to leave Paris and packed around two sleeping children, we even had time to just sit and laugh together as adults about the trip. And, more importantly, to schedule a car service to come get us the next morning so we didn't have to do the metro trip all over again!
The trip taught me that we're capable of anything really (as long as my mom comes!), but it also reminded me again what Mike and I have said (and say almost daily) when we decided to move to London. It isn't about the destination, it is about the journey. Thank goodness, because most often, the destination is where we end up having to pause for diaper changes, bottle warmings and meltdowns!
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