1st Part - Normandy, France

In mid July, we took a vacation to explore the Normandy region of France and, of course, visit the D-Day beaches. Prepare yourself for a very mini and hardly expert history lesson. I welcome any corrections on my info because it is VERY possible that I am mistaken at times.

We 1st visited a small charming port town called Honfleur:
There, we began our vacation in slow fashion by having a delicious seafood lunch. Michael got this amazing fish in a wine cream sauce and mashed potatoes and loved it! After this, we wandered around the small town, Michael rode the carousel a million times, and we hiked up to the top of the town for views of Le Havre, another French port.

After exhausting Honfleur, we checked into Madame Sebire's bonafide farm, which was about a 10 minute drive from Arromanches. She had new calfs in the barn and real cows in the pasture. Michael L-O-V-E-D that. At the end of everyday in Normandy, he would ask us, "Go home to farm?"

The next day, we drove to Arromanches to see their memorial and the D-Day 360 movie. Here is the view of the town from the top. See the mulberries in the ocean in the distant? These were used as a man-made dock to unload supplies etc. for the Allies.
After this, we drove to Longues-sur-Mer, which is where 4 German artillery bunkers still stand today. You can see 3 of them built kind of into the hills here:
Despite being bombarded by Allied naval fire, they are still standing. Incredible. Here is a closeup of one of the canons:
After this, we drove to the American Cemetary, where we were in awe of how meticulously kept it was. It was beautiful, serene, peaceful, and such a great dedication to our nation's soldiers who died for something really worth fighting for, freedom:
If I am not mistaken, the walkway between these reflecting pools and the memorial behind the photographer is the exact point where American soldiers first broke through enemy lines at Omaha and penetrated the top of the beach. If not here, it is somewhere here along the cemetary that it is.

Michael at the cemetary:
From the cemetary, there was a tremendous view of Omaha Beach. There was a hiking trail that took you down there. Instead, we followed Rick Steve's recommendations and drove to Vierville where we parked...and walked 2 minutes to Omaha. I think I prefer that way!
Michael and Brian rolled up their jeans and went playing on the beach with another French family. It was a quite necessary part of the day as Michael had to be well behaved everywhere we went. So he needed that time to blow off some pent up energy!
Because one day full of history wasn't enough, we continued our D-day touring the next day at the Caen Memorial Museum. They had amazing on-site childcare with a certified childminder and lots of new, clean toys. It was like we had stepped back home to America instead of being in France. And it was FREE.

So us 4 adults had the chance to actually read the things in the amazing Caen Memorial. I won't go into details about everything we learned. But I will say that by halfway through the exhibit, I gave up and had too much of information overload! It was very well done though and we learned a lot. We also saw their very good D-day video which included German footage as well as American.

Continuing on our D-day tour, we also visited the Ranger museum in Grandcamp Maissy, which was actually very cool. It was very small...no where NEAR as big as the one in Caen or high tech. But it outlined the creation of an elite unit of soldiers called the Army Rangers whose first mission was to capture Pointe du Hoc. The trip was made really special because we were with a real live Army Ranger. Here he is at Pointe du Hoc: I learned a lot in that little museum. One special fact being that Aggie Lt. Col. James Earl Rudder was the Commanding Officer of the 2nd and 5th battalions of the Army Rangers at Pointe du Hoc. I'd seen statues of him at Texas A&M and there is an entire tower named after him...and it is just now that I know why. I hate to admit it, but there it is!

At Pointe du Hoc, Michael and Brian played in the craters that are still there today from Allied cannons:
I couldn't possibly post all the pictures we took. It was an amazing part of our vacation and we learned a lot. Stephen Ambrose's book on the D-day invasion made it even more meaningful as I learned about all the planning and execution it took to stage such a history-changing event.

Paris Plage

We took the kids to Paris Plage this past Wednesday, the 19th of August! In the summer for about a month, the north side of the Seine is transformed into a mini beach/ mini boardwalk.

There is some sand, misters, etc. It is a bit cheesy, but welcome for the kids! And this past Wednesday afternoon, our temperature high was in the low 90's WITHOUT air conditioning...so we were baking.

The kids loved the misters in the hot weather:
We are very fortunate to have this new little playgroup! There is an even balance of boys and girls and they are all within a month of each other, which makes for great play! AND they are all good kids, with good hearts, and play well together. I think we are going to find some great times ahead of us!

Here's a picture of them by the Seine:

And holding hands while walking down the boardwalk. I was pretty proud to be the adult getting to hold their hands. I love being a mom:

Love,
P

biggity biggity boudin

I made this lunch for Michael a while back.




We have boudin noir (black pudding/blood sausage) with apples, mushrooms sauteed in butter, some cucumbers (gross), and then some charcuterie (rillettes, Serrano ham and "Grandma's pate"). He loves the ham, the rillettes (some kind of fatty shredded goose meat), the pate and the mushrooms. The boudin not so much. I don't know why. It's one of those French things that looks and sounds disgusting, but is super delicious especially with the apples. Phuong and I were craving the boudin noir this evening.

Catchup - June visit Home!

This year, we took a super quick trip home to Houston because Brian was going to be in North America for a conference anyways!

So I spent 2 weeks relaxing in Houston and enjoying the quiet pace of life. We did a whole lot of nothing except playing and well...playing! Our local library had a nice story time/craft hour so we went to that a couple of times.

I got to catch up with my neighbors, The Folkes, who have known me since I was born! They have an awesome pool where they taught me how to swim. Here is a picture of all of us.

Top row: Michael, me, and their daughter Kimberly who is 3 years younger than me
Pool row: Mr. Johnny, J (their grandaughter who is Kimberly's daughter), Mrs. Glenda, and Brian.

Michael LOVED the pool and would ask to go over to Mr. Johnny's house all the time.

My parents have 2 dogs. They are chihuahua - weenie dog mixes. VERY funny. Michael, of course, adored them. Here is Michael picking up Chewy:

One of our hot days, we went to the Houston Children's Museum which was pretty cool and CRAZY. Full of kids, of course! Michael had fun at an outdoor water display that showed the effects of water, pressures, waves, dams, etc. Here is a picture of my parents with Michael there:

Inside in the air conditioning, they had a pretty cool little toddler/baby play area. Michael loved this giant glo-art thing:
And there was also a little market. Check out my healthy shopper:

Lots of fruits and vegetables there! So proud of him!

Those were the highlights of our trip! Two weeks is really not long enough for a visit at home. By the time we had recovered from the jet lag, we only had about 10 days left. In that time, we did get a lot of playing done, but I wish we could have seen so much more! We also spent a day at the Woodlands Children's museum, which was interesting.

One night, we visited with my old college friend, Shane, and his new wife, Erin. A lovely couple who we wished we lived a bit closer to! We had a nice dinner on their porch of barbequed steak kabobs. DELICIOUS.

That's it! We did a lot of shopping, a lot of playing, and a lot of relaxing. The best vacation!

Ok...up next is Normandy/Brittany!

White-Boy-B-Ball

We had an action packed weekend. Full of activities and sweat.

On Saturday, we spent the day with The Daniels where we met at the splash pools at the Luxembourg Gardens. The boys enjoyed that and Michael got pretty brown. I think he gets that tropical skin from me.

Then, we went back to the Daniels apartment where they helped me eat my 3 heads of lettuce that I bought because it was a good deal (3 heads for 2 euro). Note to self: It takes a lot of people to eat 3 heads of lettuce.

Nap time had by the boys and then we hit the main event of the day - an inner city basketball court. Complete with graffiti and everything. Jonathan/Kirsten found this basketball court near their place and wanted to try it out.

Well, a pack of inflating needles, 2 mini basketballs, and 1 adult size basketball later...we found ourselves trying to make half court shots. The boys decided they needed to be up high. And when I asked for a picture, they started slapping and grabbing their dads faces:
A bit hard to see...but squint and you'll get the hint.

Michael attempted some free throws of his own:
And then I put the camera away because I was afraid I was going to get thwacked in the face with a renegade basketball.

On Sunday, Brian went for a run in the morning, came back and announced that we had to be at Gare de Lyon in an hour and we were leaving in 30 minutes. We had plans to visit a co-worker's of Brian at her husband's grandmother's house.

Her house was situated at the edge of the forest of the chateau Fountainbleau. Not too shabby!
Ok, so that wasn't her house. But it is Fountainbleau and it has a huge forest attached to it as part of its hunting grounds. And the house we went to is on the edge of said forest.

We had a great time there! They barbequed for us chicken breasts, sausages, spare ribs...the works! It tasted amazing, and I ate so much I couldn't button my pants for the rest of the afternoon.

Michael loved playing with their son, who is about 6 months younger. They watered things together, played on the swing/slide, shot water guns...played in the tent and choo choo. FUN TIMES. I would have pictures, but their son was half naked the whole time so I am not comfortable with posting half naked pictures of other people's kids on my blog. Not smart.

Then, we went to the forest of Fountainebleau and hiked up a ways and looked around. It was AWESOME.

I LOVE hiking. I am no good at it and not sure-footed at all. But I love trying to find the way to get up somewhere, making sure where I am stepping is going to hold, and climbing up not-too-difficult places. I love the lookout when you get where you are supposed to be...because Mother Nature IS that amazing. I love the quiet that surrounds you. I just love it.

Unfortunately, I didn't take my camera because that's how much I have to focus.

And Michael...God bless my little hiker! He LOVES to hike and climbs really well. No fear. When we were going down, he would turn back to me and say, "Mommy, this way. Put your hand on this rock and go down."

What's not to love about that? Not only does he find his own way, being independent and brave. But he turns around to make sure I am ok and to let me know how to get down too in case I need help. If Michael is the only child I am able to have, I thank God that he gave me someone who is so easy to love and someone I am so proud of to know every day.

Mommy on the Phone

Tonight, about 30 minutes after Michael's bedtime, I hear the doorknob jiggle to the living room. This indicates that my Michael is looking for his parents.

So we get up...and go get him...My Michael who really never gets up in the night. We have this conversation:

Michael (holding about 4 stuffed animals): Michael want to sleep in Mommy's bed.
Mommy: No...you have to sleep in your big boy bed. Are you scared of something?
Michael: No. Mommy talking.
Mommy: Is Mommy talking too loud? Is it keeping you up?
Michael: Yes, I can't sleep. Please no more talking.

I think this means no more phone conversations with Kirsten after Michael goes to bed. Got it. My son, telling me I am too loud. Sadly, he is not the 1st person to complain of this, and he will not be the last either I suspect.

He regressed today. He peed in his pull up this morning and then peed in it again before dinner. SIGH. 15,000 steps forward, 2 steps back.

Also, I am deleting my post saying I am on a hiatus. I am obviously not on a hiatus. I am just being lazy about blogging our visit home in June, the trip to NOrmandy, and wandering around Paris with the parents. I have to pick out pictures and refer to notes.

Love,
P

Have to

I have to post this. I have to because I want to!

Now, if you don't care for photography at all, DO NOT READ THIS POST. If you do, continue.

I have some readers who, very much like me, are struggling to learn more about how to take good pictures. Who would have thought a little black handheld box would be so difficult? The longer I take pictures and the more I fiddle with settings, the more I realize how much I DO NOT KNOW.

Here's my newest realization:
DSLR - you cannot completely trust its metering. You can use it's meter as a guide, but in the end, it is YOU and your artistic eye that determines what exposure is best.

It's aggravating. So, here is an example:

In Aperture priority, I took this picture of Michael on Omaha Beach...the camera set it up to be "well exposed." Well, I disagree. This picture is too DARK:
Angrily, I threw it in manual, exposed it to be 2 bars too bright (over exposed) and I like the results much better. Maybe a little blown out in parts? But overall, a well lit image!

I prefer it much more to my previous "correct" one.

So for those who have a DSLR, I challenge all of us, to quit using Aperture priority or Auto and throw the dang thing in manual.

And then, do what all professional photographers do...doctor it in photoshop! Cheating, but this is what sells lately.

Ok, that's it. Discuss if you want. Disagree, don't disagree? Post results of your manual vs. camera determined exposed shots. Whatever. Just wondering who is willing to talk to me about this. That's it. I am thinking it's going to be 1 person. 2 Max.

Some things worth blogging about

So I know no one should be reading but I have to blog so i don't forget.

Last week, while The MOM was still here, Michael started peeing in the big boy toilet. For real.

On Saturday, we went to Fountainbleau and then out to our Indian place for dinner. When we got back, MIchael was standing by the bathroom door screaming, "Michael has to go pee pee in the big boy toilet." He is doing the antsy gotta pee dance so we let him in there and lo-and-behold.

Pee pee. In the big boy toilet. Since then (that would be a week), he has had only 1 pee diaper (we were out and about and he had A LOT to drink at the water cooler in the doctor's office).

And today...he did a poop in the big boy toilet. A POOP.

But I don't think he knew what he did. He told me he needed to go pee so I said OK! Go do it! Then, he comes to get me in the living room and says, "Mommy?" and looked all confused. So we went to look and there it was. Poop with his pee.

And we had to tell him that he made poo poo in the toilet. He really wasn't aware.

So imagine his surprise to find out he gets an ICE CREAM bar after doing THAT in the toilet!

When am I going to get the guts to change to pullups??? Or full on underwear???

Ok...back to my blog hiatus. I say this...but I wonder if I actually mean it.

Teasers

Believe me when I say that Brian has an amazing eye for landscape photography. That's Mont St. Michel to the right, the dark figure:

Mont St. Michel

I prefer the pictures with people in them. Brian and Michael at Omaha Beach, France:


So you see...pnb photography - is just phuong nguyen besancon photography right now. But I hope one day, it will be Phuong and Brian Photography too.

Arrival

Brian's parents have arrived! And we haven't seen Michael since. Well, when he gets a bump or bruise, he still looks for mom. But other than that, my purpose has been served!

The parents arrived on Thursday and they unpacked and played with Michael. Michael and Grandpa took a nap. Grammy and Mommy went shopping until we came home and took a nap. Then, we went to the Eiffel Tower for a picnic! What a 1st day!

On Friday, The Parents took Michael to catch the Tour de France roll through. So Brian and I have been here ALL alone in the City of Light. I was by myself the WHOLE day yesterday.

What Phuong Gets Done in A Whole Day With No Michael
Got some bloodwork done
Went to the cinema at Chatelet to get tickets for tonight's movie of Harry Potter
Went shopping a bit for myself - bought 2 things
Went shopping for a friend who had a baby - bought 1 thing
Grabbed some takeout for lunch
Had lunch, watched Mamma Mia (don't do it...).
Took a nap.
Cleaned up the kitchen, washed dishes
Did a load of laundry
Tidied up the living room
Called 2 medical institutions to deal with insurance/credit issues in the USA
Bought a map for our trip to Normandy and stationary to make some cards
Picked up my bloodwork results
Read a little more of my D-Day book
Missed Michael, surprisingly!

That gets us to 6:15pm when Brian came home!


What Phuong Gets Done in a Day WITH Michael
Feeds Michael breakfast
Park time
Bought food for dinner at the grocery store
Lunch
Nap
More Park time
Maybe pick up dry cleaning
Start cooking dinner and picking up the house

Brian gets home around 7pm.

What a difference!

But BOY do I miss my Little Buddy! Paris is not Paris without my Little Buddy. It was SO lonely! I have no one to point out to me all the motorcycles, or to tell me that bus 83 just went by, or to ask me for ice cream. The metro is quiet now without Michael running through the hall yelling, "FAAAST CHOO CHOO!" I never realized how much I associated Paris with Michael. And how weird it is to not have him here with us! This is our nuclear family's home!

Brian, on the other hand, is just fine. He is happy for the alone time. I am too, but I miss my little boy who is having pizza and apple juice with his grandparents and making happy memories of his own!

Love,
P

Parc des Buttes Chaumont et 14 juillet!

Guess what? Brian had another holiday this weekend! Bastille Day gave us an opportunity to "fait le pont" and make a long weekend by taking Monday off as well!

Yesterday, we took the opportunity to sleep in, watch Wall-E, and explore another small park in Paris, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont.

Would have never guessed that pirates of the 19th century served Japanese, Italian, and French cuisine all at once did you? Well fear not, you can get it at Parc des Buttes-Chaumont:

A more standard park picture. Here is the gazebo at the top of the park:

It provided some nice views of Sacre Coeur, but that was about it. It was windy up there so we stopped to cool down, explore the gazebo and eat our lunch of beef jerky, Tyrell's chips, fruit compote, and cookies. I wasn't super prepared. Michael eating and playing in the dirt ring:

And picture of Mommy and Michael at the pond in the park:

They also had a waterfall, but it's barely something I would mention in this blog. But I did, so there.

All in all, an interesting venture to the 19th and the metro stop called "Ourcq." Doesn't that just sound like a place where you pop out of the metro stairs and find yourselves staring at an army from Lord of the Rings? Luckily, it was just the 19th and not Saruman and his forces.

On Sunday, I did a photoshoot at the Luxembourg Gardens and Brian and Michael met me afterwards! I know it is a touristy place, but I love this place. I love it. I've loved it since I first saw it and couldn't tell you why. It's just my place. And on Sunday afternoon, it was hot, sunny, and beautiful:

Michael rented his first boat Sunday! He picked out a boat with a fish on the sail:

He loved pushing it around the pond, but he was more impressed with getting to hold a gigantic stick: Then, my little photogenic son sat down to pose for a picture. Do NOT ask me why I did not pull my reflector out for this one. Would have helped a ton. I love it anyways:
And Michael took this picture. I love sharing a hobby with him!

I Can't Live...With or Without You. ~U2~

SO we celebrated our anniversary officially this weekend!

Short Version

• Friday - Had an amazing meal at Au Petit Marguery. Ate steak, lobster, and had an amazing dessert that was like creme brulee but with berries inside. It was like warm melted ice cream with berries inside and a caramelized crust.
  
  
• Saturday - Saw U2 live in concert at Stade de France. Freakin' amazing. Played everything we wanted to hear...except Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses. Really awesome to see so many people (50000+) singing the same songs from all different generations.
  

LONG (VERY LONG) Version

On Friday, we went to our local Michelin rated restaurant, Au Petit Marguery, and dined like kings. It was honestly, one of the best meals I've ever had. This place just keeps topping itself every time I go, and its combinations are so delicious. It's a bit old fashioned with stuffy waiters and the such, but has been in business since 1900 so you can't really complain.

We both started with a baby green spinach salad, topped with girolle mushrooms and sliced fresh truffles. Gorgeous. I loved it, Brian thought it had too many vegetables. Uhhh...it SAID it had spinach in it on the menu.

Then, Brian got a nice beef steak smothered in a sauce reminiscent of boeuf bourgignon. I decided to forgo the before dinner aperitif, dessert, and post dinner coffee for the extra money to get the lobster.

It is a decision that I am glad I made. My lobster was from Brittany and flambeed in cognac. Served with a tarragon cream sauce (which actually had a nice seafood broth base) and fresh steamed vegetables. It was surprisingly light and AWESOME. They brought me 5 utensils to eat with it.

• A 3 fat pronged fork. A claw cracker. A spoon with a dent in it. What looked like a long handle with a very itty bitty tiny little 2 prong fork at the end of it. And a knife.

The guy brought me my lobster first and halfway through it, I realized I didn't have my cream sauce and vegetables. So when he brought that out, I had already eaten half of my lobster.

Since I have never had lobster before, we had a conversation with our waiter:

US: What do we eat?
Waiter: Everything
US: Everything? Eyes too?
Waiter: Yes. Everything?
US: The shell too then, right?
Waiter: OH no! Not the shell.

Then he saw the look on my face and realized I was joking. After this little discussion, he was no longer a stuffy waiter and was very friendly with us. When he brought out my little lemon water dish to clean my fingers, he made sure to tell me, "It's not for drinking." Then, he gave Brian an extra cup of Cognac after dinner. When we walked to the door, he noticed us from the back of the restaurant and ran up front saying, "Oh! I want to make sure I say good night to le monsieur et madame." He walked us to the door making sure to give us a big smile and many wishes of goodnight. I hope we made his night as much as he made ours!

On Saturday, we saw U2. Now, we know it was just like any other big concert venu, but we've never been to a concert where everyone was just SO PUMPED about the music! At one point, you could hear the lyrics totally clearly and on pitch from the ENTIRE Stade de France, which is about the size of Kyle Field all the way around. It was amazing.

They played everything we wanted to hear except Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses. But that's ok. They're old and probably needed to go to bed.

Some interesting points:

** They had some strange space theme going on. They had video feed from the people on the International space station and interviewed them. The Edge asked them what kind of food they ate. And the Drummer asked them if listening to music in space was different than on earth.

** They sang to a Burmese woman who was elected president in 1990 but was under house arrest now. So she wasn't there. But they sang to her anyways. Then they had people walk out on the stage holding a popsicle stick with a cutout of her face placed over theirs. Like a mask. THAT was weird.

** The light show and effects were awesome.

** At one point, Bono showed people a number they could text that would offer money for one of his charities. So lots of people opened up their cell phones and the stadium was dark with all these small illuminated specks of light from people's phones, like stars. It was pretty cool and then they sang, "One."

** Interesting mix of people. The very young people (25 and under) knew all the words and songs to their 2-3 most recent albums. The old people (like us) were excited about the older songs. So it was interesting to see who was super pumped about what.

** I think I am using the word "Pumped" a little too much in this post.

** We were super lucky with our seats. We had a great view and were not too high up. Our seats were right near the exit to our section. Our section was right near the exit to the stadium. And our exit was the closest to the RER train station. Why does this matter? Because we did not want to be waiting 30 minutes to get on a train in a line about 10000 people deep.

** While their newer songs were just fine, they saved all their awesome older songs until the end. Tells you something!


Best part too? We had friends sit for us both nights!! So we had free sitters and peace of mind to know that Michael was with people he knows and with moms who knew what to do in case of emergency!

This has been our best anniversary yet.

Love,
P

Seven Years...TODAY!

Bah Humbug on Valentine's Day! We never celebrate that, but instead celebrate how much we love/adore each other on our ANNIVERSARY!

Today, marks 7 years. How do you post about all that happens in 7 years? I won't even try. I just know that after 7 years, I know I married my best friend, and it was the best thing that ever happened to me.

I am SO glad Brian called me back after getting a door slammed in his face instead of a kiss goodnight at the end of our first date.

Instead of posting old wedding pictures, which I am sappy enough to do. I am going to post pictures instead of us on our honeymoon, IN PARIS. We started our marriage in Paris so it is not wonder our family began in Paris as well.

Brian and I on top of something. I think it's Arc de Triomphe. I, personally, am quite entertained by Brian's hair.
Me with Tour Eiffel back there:

Brian gazing lovingly at a picnic we bought for ourselves on Rue Cler:

Brian on a gutter at the hotel we stayed at on our honeymoon, Hotel des Grandes Ecoles. It's about a 15 minute walk from our current apartment and I go by from time to time just to peek inside:

Me, at my most favorite place in Paris: The Luxembourg Gardens:

Us, in Versailles! An awesome Asian couple took this picture for us where the wife kept yelling at the man to make sure he framed it right with the landscaping etc. Well, he sure did:

So Voila! Not much has changed between us except that our love has gotten much deeper and we now have much more face fat.

Love you, Brian!

Phuong

Summer in Paris

As many of you know, I am ready to come home. But I am NOT ready to come home before another glorious summer in Paris! The Parisians leave, and we are left with a calm and quiet city. Bliss. It is awesome right now. SO calm.

After the standard 2-3 unbelievably hot weeks of 85+ degree temperatures, the weather calms down and we get lovely highs in the upper 70's. And sun. Glorious sun!

We take advantage of it! After 2 years of living here, I have discovered these small paddling pools in the Luxembourg Gardens near their sandboxes. I am so sad it took me until NOW to find them!

So Michael and I did that on last Friday and TODAY (in the morning before it becomes a MUD pool of sand at the end of the day):

*Please ignore the quality of the pictures. They were taken with my 6 year old Canon Point and Shoot*

Michael LOVES it and it's not too deep so I don't have to worry much! Here is his delight at threatening to splash me:

Luckily, the boy did not follow through.

So we piddled around there today and wandered to the 2nd paddling pool, where Michael met another American: Lucien and his mom Mindy:

Lucien is 3.5 years old and his family is from Seattle. Arrived about 6 months ago and are living in Paris for 2.5 years total. Hmmm...sounds familiar! I am happy to make a new friend, even if I am leaving soon.

Anyways, time to pack up and go home for lunch...but on the way out, we hear a marching band playing. Gotta check that out at the pavillion!

Michael LOVES bands so we watched their whole concert. It was a group from Arkansas! Being a band nerd, it made me very nostalgic to watch it all. Yes, I realize being in band was (is) super dorky, but I really enjoyed it when I was young.

So we watched them play everything (even a rendition of Stars and Stripes), and headed home for lunch. Which I then realized we don't really have anything for lunch. So Michael and I ate lunch at our local cafe where he had a hotdog/french fries/orange juice/ice cream. And I had rack of lamb, green beans, and salad. Yup, that's right. RACK OF LAMB at my local cafe just 4 doors down from my place. I sure am going to miss the food in Paris. A LOT.

I think you will start to see a very wistful nature to my posts as I realize I am about to leave a pretty fabulous life to embark on another fabulous life! :o)

I love my life.

Karstyn and Empathy

Michael has a new friend. She's got curly blond hair, is great at talking, and is a Virgo! Well, I think...she was born in September.

We had our playgroup on Thursday afternoon at Andrea/Paul's place. She's got a balcony (IN THE SHADE!) that the kids can play on! So we had ice cream and played with buckets of water and their small plastic outdoor slide.

Karstyn's the only girl in our 6 boy playgroup so it is SO interesting to see the difference. Karstyn plays with water buckets calmly and keeps the water INSIDE the biggest bucket. Oliver's throwing water out, and Michael is pouring the water as fast as he can, which makes huge splashes everywhere.

Karstyn watches and says, "You guys are making a mess. We should be neater."

What a difference a girl makes.

Before leaving, Michael runs and gets Karstyn and says, "Karstyn, you ready to go?" Karstyn says yes and the 2 start to jump up and down excitedly screaming. It is awesome.

Then, while we are walking down the cobblestoned street, they hold hands and laugh together. It is absolutely precious to watch as a mom.

Then, Karstyn and Oliver came over on Friday for our 4th of July craft. And Karstyn plays with Michael's shopping cart because really...who can pass up a good shopping cart? SO I leave Michael's room and leave the kids to have fun.

3 minutes later, I hear screaming...go into Michael's room...and find Michael holding the cart possesively while Karstyn is on the floor screaming.

I can kind of guess what happened in the middle there.

Karstyn is wailing and on the floor upset. And this is when Michael realizes the ramifications of his actions. He watches her and starts to look upset and he asks me, "What happened?"

"Well, this is what happens when you grab toys that other people are already using. It makes them very upset and is not a good way to share your toys. Especially when you are hosting playgroup. I think you should tell Karstyn you are sorry."

So Michael...with very much worry in his eyes...takes the cart over to Karstyn and says, "I'm sorry Karstyn. I am sorry. Here is the cart."

It was very sweet, even if I told him to do it. But he meant it because he looked her in the face and tried to give her the cart (which I did not tell him to do). My little boy with a big heart that he's just learning how to use.

And then 5 minutes later...we had another explosion. This time about a lawnmower.

DID WE JUST NOT GO OVER THIS MICHAEL?!?!!

Yahtzee

I rolled two sixes with my first roll.

Then with my second roll I threw a 3, 4, 5 making a small straight.

But I took it off the board.

Then whilst Phuong was saying, "what are you doing ..." I rolled out 3 sixes "...retard?!".

That's right the best Yahtzee you can get. The in yo face Yahtzee.

That just happened 30 seconds ago.

--Brian

Michael has had 3 bonafide phone conversations today, without much prompting from me.

First up: With Kirsten, Jonah's mommy:

Kirsten: HI Michael. Are you having fun at the park?
Michael: Eh
Kirsten: Are you playing in the sand?
Michael: Eh. Up high, sky, birds
Kirsten: Ok. Are you having fun?
Michael: Eh.

Second up: Jonah, Michael's friend

Jonah: Hi Michael
Michael: Hi Jonah
Jonah: I am having coconut flavored yogurt.
Michael: I want lunch.
Jonah: I am having coconut flavored yogurt.
Michael: I want ham.
Jonah: I am having coconut flavored yogurt:
Michael: Bye Jonah
Jonah: Bye Michael.

Third up: Daddy

Brian: Did you go to the park today?
Michael: Square Scipion
Brian: Did you play in the sand? Get wet?
Michael: Eh.
Brian: Are you going to eat lunch with Mommy?
Michael: Michael watch too much TV
Brian: Do you want to play blocks with Daddy? We can build a castle.
Michael: Eh
Brian: Tell Mommy to get the wood blocks out and we can build some when I get home.

Exciting times at The Besancon household. It's only 1:00pm. Who knows what the rest of this hot day (high at 30 degrees C) will bring.

Michael at 2 years and 8.5 months

For the Record

Just need to post some things so I don't forget.

on Monday, June 29th, Michael undressed himself completely, picked out something to wear by himself, and then put all his clothes/shoes (except those tight socks) on by himself! Way to go my Little Buddy!

Something else happened that was a first and now I have forgotten. Bollocks.

Yesterday, Michael "liked to party." I put this in quotes because...have you seen Talladega Nights? There's this scene where John C. Reilly is talking on the phone with Will Ferrell. Here's the exchange:

JCR: Say, how do you turn on the stereo at the same time as the TV?
WF: Why would you want to watch TV and listen to the stereo at the same time?
JCR: Because I like to party.

Michael turned on an Alabama CD while he was watching his Numbers DVD. And so I asked him...do you want to listen to country music while you watch your video?

"EH."

He likes to party. It's official.

Musee du Albert Kahn

Today, our family visited the Albert Kahn museum. It is a small museum with a very cute garden which has a Japanese section, French section, and English section. So it is diverse!

I am posting a round of pictures to show how I have a difficult time taking pictures in direct sunlight. Also, to show what happens to your skills when you haven't picked up a camera in over a month. They start to suck.

Anyways, a very nice French lady took our family picture on one of the bridges in the Japanese part of the garden:

Here's the red bridge we were on. You can see it in this pic with Brian and Michael. Michael was NOT in the mood for pictures. Yes, it does happen.

So, I'm lovin' the red bridge and try to get a cute picture of Michael on it. I get him situated in the middle, like I like. And he makes this face:

After which, he decides to look super cute. But then I cut off his feet in the picture and am a little underexposed for his face:

And then he shoots me a huge smile and his face is in the sunlight and the rest of him is in the shadows. Hrmph. I don't think I'm ever going to get this even exposure I am looking for. But I am super thankful that Michael look so happy!

Of course, the Japanese gardens are so peaceful and beautiful. Got this pretty fun reflection picture of Brian and Michael wandering out to the pond. I think there were about 4 goldfish total so there was no need for feeding their fish.

We hiked/walked around the rose garden, English garden, etc. Michael found some little strawberries to pick:So we had a great time wandering around a smaller, lesser known garden in France! It got hot so we went home.

This trip came after a Sunday morning market trip.

Now, I am going to take pictures of these PILES and PILES of Fresh basil they sell here in the summer and post them one day. But this is one of my favorite things about France. There is a produce vendor at my market who grows these INCREDIBLE INCREDIBLE basil plants. We're talking some leaves as big as your entire hand. And he piles them up...probably about 2 feet in height, 2 feet in depth...just gorgeous, fragrant basil.

And it's 1.50 for a HUGE bushel. From one bushel, I usually make about 2-3 batches of fresh pesto (about 1 cup each). I freeze it and use it in the winter when I can't get these gorgeous mounds of basil. And I am a HUGE pesto fan. HUGE.

So tomorrow, Michael and I are making homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh basil leaves and batches of homemade pesto. Michael loves to cook so I am serious when I say that Michael and I are going to be doing this!

I am so excited. This, and Mara des bois strawberries are my 2 favorite parts about summer.

Speaking of summer...the strawberry season is short this year. Last year, it lasted from about May - September. This year, while we see strawberries, we are getting Gariguette ones, which are a bit more sour. And some mara des bois...but not that many. I probably should check with my berry guy to see if he has any from Perigord, a region in France known for strawberries.

But CHERRIES are the king this year. We are getting gorgeous cherries and lots of them too.

And I WILL blog about my USA trip because we've got some fun pics of Michael there.

Love,

P

You Vote

Topic: Sushi

Option 1 - USA: Many different types of rolls. All with different sauces, combinations, fishes, exterior shells. Different types of seafood too (like crab, eel, etc). Usually no combo menus with teriyaki skewers.

Option 2 - PARIS: Abut 8-10 sushi rolls available. All are just rice, seaweed, and a small piece of fish. The only thing that changes is the fish inside. Lots of sashimi options. And you can get combo menus with sushi/sashimi pieces with rice, salad, soup, and teriyaki skewers of meat.


I prefer Option 1. I really miss the spicy tuna roll or any roll with crispy fried tempura anywhere on it. I don't care for the combo menu with teriyaki skewers because if I'm out to eat sushi, I want sushi.

Which do you prefer?

Wheelin' and Dealin'

So...I am in "want" of an oval blue Le Creuset dutch oven.
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/c211_2/index.cfm?pkey=cckwlceazr&ckey=ckwlceazr

It is $248 at Williams Sonoma (after you calculate in the 8.25% tax).

Right now, at BHV during sales, it is 97 euro. That's about $135. That's nearly 50% off US prices.

So do I get it?

Do I?

Points of interest:
1) I already have a Le Creuset. It is larger and perfect.
2) I have in my mind to use this smaller one for shepard's pie during the week. My friend Laura does it in hers and it's so cute and perfect for a small weeknight meal. Maybe even a chicken. Or a small roast.
3) I realize I already have one and my consumerism is not good.

But it's a good deal. I know TJ Maxx Home Goods Store has them...but I don't live anywhere near one and I've never seen it. So I am content to buy mine in France. Where they are made.

So would you buy it?

Stress...

So I subscribe to a weekly newsletter from babycenter.com. It tells me what my 2 year old is doing and what to expect. What I may have problems with and how to cope!

In my latest newsletter, I read:

"You think your life is hard? Imagine being plunked down in a foreign land where you're not fluent in the language, you have to figure out how everything from a doorknob to a toilet works, and you're one-third the height of everyone else. "

WAIT UP. Did I subscribe to the wrong newsletter? Why are they describing my experience as an expat?

Then, I read:
"Being a preschooler has its stresses. "

Whew. So it WAS a newsletter about my preschooler. Just funny how well it described moving here. Although, I am sure to have some people chime in to say that I am most decidely NOT "one-third the height of everyone else."

You Vote

Today's Topic: FASHION

Option 1: Wear mostly black. Throw in some white/beige/gray for some variety. It is a very slimming look and really narrows down what you're wearing for the day.

If you are a girl, wear lots of opaque black tights. Especially with skirts, even in the summer. Especially with skirts and knee high boots in the winter. Bring this outfit out as soon as temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Wear black and brown together. It IS OK.

If you are a boy, wear very skinny jeans. The kind that are legging tight. Preferably very acid washed if possible. And a snug sweater with a scarf. Don't forget your man purse. And if you are wearing a suit, make sure it is FITTED.

Option 2: Wear color. Any color you want. The brighter, the better, especially if living in Texas.

If you are a girl, flip flops are king and can be worn with anything. Workout clothes can be worn to the grocery store if need be. Think - casual, comfortable - Gap/Jcrew/BR.

If you are a boy, wear slightly baggier jeans with tennis shoes. If dressing up, khakis and a short sleeved polo is the required uniform. Suits are worn to be cut very wide. Think Brooks Brothers or Jo S Banks.

WHAT WOULD YOU PREFER?

Me, I am undecided. I am a bit of both.

The Houston city girl in me likes to dress up. Been doing it my whole life so I like the slimming look of black and looking nice. But the Austin lover in me loves wearing flip flops and being casual. Working out and being able to shop for dinner without people staring at you for being in workout clothes at Franprix.

Brian: For casual clothes, he's definitely American. But for dressup clothes, he's getting to be European. He is starting to like slimmer cuts (including the pants), which makes for a challenge for his *slight* pear shape. :o) Brian, don't be mad at me for saying that. I am pear shaped too.

Clean

While traveling along the road of "Stay at Home Mom," I realized...it may have benefited me to have taken a Home Economics class somewhere in my education.

Now, I am sure I never took Home Economics because it was regular credit (instead of GT or AP credit), which in turn would have hurt my ever so important GPA.

I realize, today, that I may have been short sighted. A home economics course would have proven to be quite useful for me. Well, it would have saved me some time googling things on the internet like "how to remove calcium deposits from sinks."

I have come upon a realization during my constant path of self-evaluation...that although my apartment is tidy and organized. It really is not, what you might call, CLEAN. Now, it's not dirty either. It's just not CLEAN.

So I ask you. I pose you this question. What exactly makes a house clean? Is it that there is never dust on the baseboards? Or mildew growing in the space between the tiles in the showers? Or calcium buildup in the sink area? What makes a house CLEAN? And how do you obtain this? Do you have a monthly schedule on when to do the heavy duty stuff? How do you keep your bathrooms/tiles/sinks looking like new?

I need some help here. So if you have some tips. Send them my way in the Comments section.

Thank you for helping me further my housewifery education.

Love,
P