Outdoor Kid Smell and Sunshine and Rambling.

It was hot yesterday. Like 65 degrees hot. You know you have lived in Paris too long when 65 degrees feels hot. And the sun was shining. And it was awesome.

Paris...in the summer/spring/fall...just can't be beat.

Winter is for those who truly like cold weather. And rain. And self-loathing.

So yesterday, Michael and I had a SSD...or otherwise known as a Standard Summer Day. We woke up, ate breakfast, and immediately went to the park for 2 hours. Then, we came home, had lunch, and Michael had his nap.

When he woke up, we went to another park for the rest of the afternoon. I took him running (or in yesterday's case...wheezing while trying to run) with me in the Luxembourg Gardens. Then, we played the rest of the afternoon at Le Poussin Vert, which is the kids playground you have to pay to get into. While there, I heard this funny exchange at the sandpit between 2 kids. The girl was about 9 years old. The boy about 11.

Girl: Hello, where do you live?
Boy: What?
Girl: I'm from Glasgow.
Boy: Ok.
Girl: Do you live in Paris?
Boy: Yes.
Girl: Where do you go to school?
Boy: I don't go to school. I go to school at home. We home school.
Girl: What's that?
Boy: We don't go to school. We have school at home. We home school.
Girl: That's WEIRD.

I have nothing against homeschooling. I just thought this Irish girl was funny for saying out loud something an adult would keep to themself.

After a SSD, Michael had that Outdoor Kid Smell. You know it, where the top of their head smells like sweat and sunshine? That's my goal for the summer. Michael has to get that Outisde Kid Smell or it hasn't been a good summer day.

Today, we went to gymnastics where a very nice friendly French woman gave me information for a very nice school in the 6th where there is a ratio of 2 kids per adult and they actually interact with the kids. They hire professional musicians to come in for music days and take them to theater plays, parks, etc...I am going to look into that too!

What was even more incredible is that this French woman not only recommended the school to me, but she wrote down all the information for the school (address/directrice name/telephone number/name) and called the school to see if there was space for Michael in the fall. She gave this all to me when we came back to pick up our kids from gymnastics.

I don't talk much about the differences between France and America. Maybe I should since we are nearing the end of our stay. But in general, people in Paris, on the surface are quite cold. But really, honestly, they are wonderful people when you share a common bond with them. It can be a shrug on the bus and a knowing glance when someone is being discourteous to others. Or unhappiness that the bus is REALLY late. But they are nice. VERY NICE. And it just takes a little more effort on your own part. Learn the language. Find that bond. And make sure they know you share it. And you are GOLD.

Last week, I confessed to this French mom that I found it hard to raise a 2 year old. That I wonder if I am being too strict. That I doubt myself a lot. And this week, she does this incredibly sweet thing for me.

When you are foreigner...it's the incredibly small things that make the biggest difference in your life here. I don't think I will ever forget what this woman did for me.

I am done now. I just started typing and couldn't stop. Typing diarrhea.
P