On est arrive et Encino Man

Well, we survived our Air France Airbus A330 flight back. Pitot probes and all. Thanks be to God! Our flight left at 10pm Houston time so Michael slept for most of the entire flight...as did we! Didn't feel like it though...as you can imagine what sleeping on an airplane is like.

I am ready, however, to be awake from midnight to 2am when Michael wakes up ready to play!

You know the scenes in Encino Man when Brendan Frasser is aghast at all the technological advances and everything is so new and different? THAT is what I felt like being in America. I was flipping through a Best Buy ad to check out the cell phones for when we get back. And I couldn't find a single one that didn't have a touch screen like the iphone or a keypad like the blackberries.

What happened to plain dialing flip phones? Can you not get those anymore? Are they archaic? Very interesting...the new generation of multifunctional cell phones.

Then I moved onto the pages for Wii, Guitar Hero, PS3...and other gaming things we used to have time to do. I believe we have a Nintendo Game Cube in our storage just waiting to be unleashed. Yet another moment of...oh goodness...what new things the gamers have come up with! And we won't be able to buy any of it when we get back! $50 a game? $260 a console? *GASP* We'll have BILLS when we get back! *CHOKE* GASP *SPUTTER*

Happy to be back in our apartment in France. But definitely not enjoying back in Paris again. Since arriving 4 hours ago, we have suffered through:

** Waiting for 30 minutes for our stroller at the baggage claim. Only to find out it was at the "Oversized and strange shaped luggage" area. The lady at the gate told us to pick it up at our baggage claim carrousel. And when Brian complained to an Air France Customer Service desk (who by the way...are SUPPOSED to take complaints and address them) that there was no sign indicating where strollers would be...he was told that there was an announcement. Well, us and 1 other family (waiting for a Lacrosse stick) sure missed it I guess.

**I ordered a savarin with strawberries at the boulangerie for Brian. This was the little label in front of the cake saying it was a "savarin." And even after saying the name, pointing to it, and describing it, I still got the wrong cake.

**We got to our bus stop. Had to see 2 buses completely packed go by before we finally got on a bus empty enough to fit a stroller, 2 adults, and a huge bertha sized bag and a carry-on. Sure did miss a car at that point.

But, still happy to be back I suppose. Had a great time in Houston. Will blog about it later.

Love,
P

Austin is Amazing

My Texas update so far:

Houston gets a bad rap.

Austin is AMAZING.

We spent the weekend there being "Brian and Phuong" and not "Michael's Parents." And it was not only necessary, it was pure BLISS. We stayed at Ryan and Renee's fabulous house near the Arboretum and enjoyed a weekend of being adults! We arrived around dinner time and immediately inhaled some County Line barbeque. After which, we checked out Star Trek at the Alamo Drafthouse - Village location. Our favorite theaters. PERIOD. Oh yes, and Star Trek was AWESOME.

After going to bed at 1am, we awoke to an amazing homemade breakfast spread and then the couples split up. Brian and Ryan met their friend Dave for some frisbee golf at Zilker Park. And Renee and I ran some errands for me at Target, Hobby Lobby, Best Buy, Bath and Body Works, and Barnes and NOble. And then lunch at Z-Tejas on the veranda in the shade overlooking the hill country. I mean, honestly...it just doesn't get any better. Throw in some of their wild mushroom enchiladas and I was seriously in heaven.

Then, Ryan and Renee stayed home for a good Saturday nap while Brian and I checked out the Independence Brewery.

Now, this is an event that is PURE Austin. Every 1st Saturday, Independence Brewery gives out 3 free beers for everyone who comes by. So you bring your lawn chairs and sit out in the HOT Texas sun and enjoy. ANd that we did with Brent and Tracy, some of our old grad school friends. It was SO MuCH Fun. And SO Austin! Sitting around, shooting the bull, and drinking beer. With Good Friends. And so Austin for us. We met some new grad students and hung out. Thanks go to Brent and Tracy for an AWESOME idea.

Then, we had to pick up Brian's dry cleaning and swung by the old apartment. We headed back to Ryan and Renee's where they grilled out delicious HEB fajita meat and sausages. Brent/Tracy/Dan came over too and we spent the night playing Wii. I had 4-5 glasses of wine and passed out at 11pm. WIMP. I know.

Sunday, we relaxed some more. Brian went with Ryan to play a game of pickup ultimate frisbee while Renee and I decided to hit up the Round Rock Outlet mall. After buying some very cheap and good playground clothes (for me), we went back where we chatted with their friends Dave/Jisun (who are expecting in August!). At 3pm, we left town, had some Amy's ice cream on the way, and stopped to buy some sausage at Chappell Hill.

And that was it. And it was great. And it was exactly what we needed. Austin is beautiful. Rolling hills, not so much humidity, nice gusts of wind, and beautiful trees everywhere. I get very nostalgic going to Austin because it is where we began our life. And thanks to our great friends, we had some wonderful times and made some unforgettable memories. And Austin to me...is all about relaxation. In Houston, we do things. Go to exhibits at the museums, or special events. But in Austin, it's all about eating, getting together with good friends, and hanging out. Whether that be at someone's house or at Barton Springs, or downtown. It's all about the food, the drink, and the hanging out.

Brian asked me why I get so nostalgic about Austin. I mean, he likes it too...and misses it, but doesn't have the same kind of, "OH...*sigh* I just love and miss Austin. Can we come back?" like I do. So I thought about it and it boils down to this:

Austin - is where I want to be. It's where I am who I am. The me I was in Austin...is the me I want to be. IN Houston, I am my parents' daughter. In Paris, I am Brian's wife and Michael's mom. In Austin, I was just me. I had my own job, my own life, my own friends. So it is special to me because it is where I really was independent and had loads of fun. What's not to like about that?

And Austin is where we are US. Brian and I haven't had THAT much fun together in a long time. Brian got to play ultimate, which is something he adores. I got to hang out with one of my favorite people, Renee, whom I adore. And who is so crazy in her own way that she is just so entertaining. And then Brian and I together...we have fun, we joke, we hug and kiss a lot. And it's just not something that happens so very often when we're trying to keep our toddler from destroying himself or the world.

But that's not to say we don't love our world. That we don't love our baby Michael and who is growing up to be. His little face was the best part about coming back home. But we we sure did enjoy our little weekend away.

Target Checkout People

Of course, any trip back home to the United States involves a trip to Target. This is a conversation I had with my checkout girl:

Me: I know this is a bunch of junk...but I need it and I can't get it in France!
Her: You live in France?
Me: Yes.
Her: Is it hard to find this stuff there? Or is it just expensive?
Me: A bit of both. Some things are not available there...like these Sesame street paper plates for my son's 3rd birthday party. And there is NO way they have 4th of July stuff there.
Her: Why wouldn't they have 4th of July stuff there? They don't celebrate it?
Me: Uh...why would they celebrate the 4th of July there? It's an American holiday.
Her: Oh, I mean...I don't know what they celebrate.

Apparently.

Reactions? Mine was a bit of disbelief that this girl thought the French would celebrate the independence of America from England.

Houston Gets a Bad Rap

Ok, I know I was born and raised there...so I am biased. But despite the horrid humidity, awful traffic, and horrid humidity, I truly believe Houston is amazing.

I am trying to plan things for Michael and I to do while at home and there are too many things to choose from. I found this website for just one day:
http://gocitykids.parentsconnect.com/calendar/houston-tx-usa/2009/06/04#114488

ONE DAY. Not to mention all the things I found at the very close and local library (that are free), children's museum, and zoo.

It makes me miss home to see all these great things for kids to do! And while there are definitely things for kids to do here, they are not really as cool, new, or neat. I am so excited to be moving home at the end of the year, even if it is DELAWARE. I am willing to drive to D.C. or Boston to do the cool things. I am just excited for all the exciting things we are going to be able to do in the good ole USA!

It is a great age for me to be going home with Michael! We can start going to exhibits on how things work, see planetariums, and all that fun geeky stuff. I can't wait! Although...some may argue it is an awful time to go home because well, there goes the chance to be really bilingual in French. I am happy for him to be bilingual in Vietnamese and English. Those 2 are his heritage after all. French can come later. He should have the built in ear for it!

Brian has already started feeling that our time here has passed. He is saddened by this! And while I loved our time in Paris, I truly cherish the times we have had AWAY from Paris even more. See, that's the truth about living in Paris. You LIVE for the times you can escape it. All the relaxing vacations in the countryside...all the exotic destinations away. Even Parisians don't care too much for living here and enjoy their rightfully earned vacations!

Anyways, I am so excited to be going home for our visit/vacation and for good. I am done.

Love,
P

Amsterdam!

So...my first vacation ever...away from Brian and Michael. Momentous. I know! I had fun for sure. Or should I say, "Fo shizzle?"

Sorry, I couldn't help myself. Ok! My sister and I scurried away on the Thalys to visit marijuana-and-sex-filled Amsterdam. I did not, however, partake in any of the sins of the city. Instead, we spent the first day touring the Jordaan district. We enjoyed its calm and tranquil canal views and little boutiques:This is the only picture my sister would let me take of her. So here she is amongst the bikes:

And here is me, in my boatneck shirt and my moneybelt neckstrap that looks like a bra. I am proud of my paranoid tourist look:

We went by the Anne Frank house, but there was a line. So we followed Rick Steve's advice and decided to come back after 18:00 where the lines were supposed to disappear. Despite going after our most DELICIOUS dinner (with FREE gassy water and bitterbalen!), there was STILL a line for the Anne Frank house. We waited nearly 45 minutes but made it inside. It was well worth it! We got to see some interviews of Otto Frank and Miep Gies. And we saw her actual diary. Considering I did my history fair project on her in 7th grade (as my sister reminded me), it was a neat tourist attraction for me.

Please, no need for snide remarks about me doing history fair. Is it really that far fetched to know I was a super nerd in high school?

Anyways, we would be waiting in lines all weekend as it was Ascension holiday weekend. On Saturday, we waited for 45 minutes to see the Van Gogh museum, which was great. And then another 45 minutes to get into the Rijksmuseum. Here is little me in front of the Rijksmuseum:

And ordinarily, I would have been mad to be waiting in line...but to be quite honest...we didn't have much else to do anyways so it was just fine! After the museums, we took a canal cruise and nearly fell asleep. Then, we had an Indonesian ristoffel (rice plate with 10 accompanying dishes) for dinner.

We stayed in a little B&B in a chateau in the back. It was a bit strange, but it was fine. We didn't have any hot water the 1st night, but the owners got someone out at midnight to fix it for us and we had hot water the next morning! We had great breakfasts with made to order eggs, delicious moist scones, and yummy pastries.

We met 2 girls from Wisconsin staying there too who were super nice. They were coming to Paris after Amsterdam. And you know what? We saw them on the metro Line 1 going the opposite direction yesterday at the Tuileries stop! CRAZY! We both saw each other through the window of our trains, a light of recognition popped, and then we were both gone. What a coincidence.

On Sunday, we were really out of things to do. We visited the Bejnhof, which in the 16th century used to be a garden and housing for women who had dedicated their lives to God. Not necessarily a convent, but close. It was very beautiful.

And then, I am not going to tell you what we did after that but before the train. It was a very interesting mish mash of shopping/eating/ and wandering around.

My impressions of Amsterdam? Interesting...but not worth all the hype I had built up in my head! I felt the Rijskmuseum was a bit overpriced for what it had to offer. I mean, 11 euro? For only about 12 roooms of DUTCH art? Give me a break. The Louvre is like 9 euro. THE LOUVRE. With like it's gabillion square feet of art.

I particularly was not fond of the way the street/bike lanes/tram tracks/sidewalks all tended to intermix/mash with one another! For someone who doesn't really like to pay attention to where she is going...this poses a problem. Because I actually have to LOOK and make sure nothing/nobody on a bike is going to hit me.

BUT...I am a big fan of their bitterbalen. Not sure of the spelling. Imagine a hush puppy. And when you bite inside, you find mashed potatoes and a bit of beef. OH YUM. I enjoyed that quite a bit. One thing we did have on this trip is our share of GOOD food! And now, I can't fit ANY of my clothes. This trip, coupled with my London trip, coupled with Switzerland, and my general idea of eating whatever I want...has resulted in some dire consequences. It turns out, I CAN gain weight and I CAN get fat.

We did have a fun relaxing trip! It was a perfect length weekend getaway without the stress! And A HUGE thanks to Brian, who did an amazing job taking care of Michael on his holiday weekend! What a blessing it was to have a husband who allows me to have my break and to have a sister to take that break with!

Lots of Love,

Phuong

Father Son Time

Phuong and her sister Linh went to Amsterdam this weekend so Michael and I got some father-son time. Today, Sunday, we went to Breakfast in America. I had the triple play, three pancakes, eggs and sausages. Michael had a cup of yogurt, 2 of his 3 strips of bacon, one of my sausages, half a pancake and two handfuls of syrup, a third of a cup of pulpy orange juice, and a small cup of milk! Then we went to the park and he climbed up the little rope ladder and ran all over the place until he was begging for water. I guess he's feeling better.

This afternoon we went to Ile Saint Louis and to Berthillon ice cream. For my money, Amarino is better, but atmosphere wise, Berthillon wins. Of course, it stunk like Paris where we were, but Michael wanted to sit on the river and watch the boats. He got raspberry sorbet and loved every bit of it.

I had white chocolate ice cream and ate faster than he did.

Yesterday he was hot and did his "I just want to curl up and watch TV" routine. We tried to go to the park at Luxembourg gardens and fly the kite again, but it wasn't very windy, and he just wanted to eat snacks - cherries and Teddy Grahams.

I don't know if he had a fever or was just dehydrated since he feels so much better today. That didn't stop us from having a couple of duels with the foam epees that Phuong bought us before she left, but he wasn't really himself. We had to go to Amorino at Place Contrescarpe for some much-needed ice cream for the both of us.

Friday was fun though. We went to the park just south of Luxembourg Gardens (the picture below is actually from Saturday morning at 9:30 - nobody in sight!) and flew the kite Phuong bought us. Michael loved it - he ran the whole length of the park with it. Then we went to Ira's for some lunch - Ira is a very good cook - we had Dorade (whitefish) with a creamy-wine sauce and baked leeks/olives/tomatoes - very good, very fancily arranged. Then we went back to park. There wasn't any wind, but he ran up and down the length of the park with his little "Cars" ball, kicking it the whole way.

Found One!

Tried this recipe yesterday from Rachel Ray, Creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom soup:

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/soup-stew-choup-recipes/creamy-wild-rice-and-mushroom-soup/article.html

Not bad! We are enjoying it quite a bit! It is pretty simple and it really only took 30 minutes (not including the simmering time...but I don't count that because I don't have to be there...I just have to wait).

I have ALMOST everything I need for Chicken Curry in a Hurry (Thanks John/Kelli!). Just have to find mustard seed!

Up for dinner tonight is a Wild Mushroom Marscapone tart recipe that is from the Favourite Recipes from the Books for Cooks bookstore! I am excited to see what it tastes like! I think I am developing a taste for Wild Mushrooms. Yes, with capital letters there too.

This afternoon, Michael and I had an orange juice and a coffee (respectively) at a cafe. It was super fun! He's such a little grown up now. And my friend Kirsten dropped by this morning with Ella and we had a nice morning/chat/lunch (takeout Chinese). WHAT a wonderful Friday!

Nope, not a typo there. It is Friday because tomorrow is a holiday for Ascension. And in France, if you're gonna have a holiday on a Thursday, Friday is a bust too. OBVIOUSLY. It's called: "Faire le pont." Have the holiday on Thursday, but make a bridge to the weekend by including Friday in it as well. In short, take a 4 day weekend. I like it. I mean, what's not to like?

And my sister gets here tomorrow!! WHOOP!

That ended up being a long post about almost nothing.

Beautiful Day - and First Bonafide pee in a Toilet

So we had amazing Paris weather today (well until about 8:30pm). We awoke to sunshine and afternoon highs in the 60's.

First things first, we grabbed the ping pong paddles and Michael and I played in the park. Then we went to buy birthday presents and had lunch at McDonalds (no judgement please) where Michael had 5 high school-aged French girls cooing at him and waiting for his marriage proposal. A guy their own age came by and gave up when he realized he had no shot against Michael.

Then, we came home and both passed out for a nap.

When we woke up, we ran to another park for Oliver's 2nd birthday! It was great fun to see everyone at playgroup and EVERYONE WELL! No sick kids! A miracle after this winter. We all went back to Laura's and had cake and homemade Pizza. Yum yum.

Brian came home early from work and we went to an Italian place for dinner. Then we came home and Michael took a bath.

And this is where it gets crazy.

Right before he started to pee, he said to me, "Michael needs to pee." And he did a little bit. Stopped. Then said, "Pee in big Boy Toilet."

So we hurriedly grabbed the toilet and he sat on it. And peed. Unfortunately, he doesn't know how to hold his junk down so we got pee all over the floor. And almost all over us. But it still counts right?

**Might I add...we are not the kind of parents who have been potty training our kid since age 7 months. In fact, we didn't even want to bother with it until August when we are done with all our traveling. And really, we don't push it now. But he's started to do it so here we go, whether we like it or not!**

Love,
P

You Have to Blog the Hard Moments Too.

Ever since we got back from London, Michael has told me this twice:

Michael: Horse Song. Boston.
**Mommy sings Trot Trot to Boston song from Wee Sing Silly Song**

Michael: Uncle John Aunt Kelli live in Boston
Mommy: Yes, they do.
Michael: Michael live in Boston with Uncle John Aunt Kelli
Mommy: Where are Mommy and Daddy going to live?
Michael: Paris
Mommy: So you are going to leave Mommy and Daddy in Paris and live with Uncle John and Aunt Kelli in Boston?
Michael: Eh.

Well, one part of me is happy because he loves his relatives and that's great. And it's great that he has all this confidence to leave his parents and go live somewhere else. At age 2.5 years old.

But of course, the real part of me thinks, "Jeez...it begins THIS early about wanting to have other "cooler" parents than you?" and "What did I do wrong? I play with him, I feed him, I spend time with him...what else can I do?" "Did I discipline him too much?"

So I am sad. At 2.5 years old, my firstborn son is content to leave us. And he's had this conversation with me twice now...so I know he means it. Being a parent means getting your feelings hurt...I know this. But I am surprised it happened so early. And what do you do?

Right now, I just bury my head in my hands and cry. In private. And on my blog, apparently.

Wine

This is the wine we are having tonight (Saint Joseph - 2006 - Les Pierres Seches):
http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Daily_Wine/0,1142,5872,00.html

We had it the other day in London (brought it from France) and it was really good. And it only costs $26 here. I'll do my best to find all those notes, especially the shaved vanilla. I'm not betting any money on it though. I hope it lives up to its 91 points whatever that means.

While I'm Bragging

I'm going to brag about Michael for a while. I normally don't...and focus on things he could do better like not talk in 3rd person about himself. But today, I am going to brag about my "little buddy."

• He loves family anything. Family hugging, family dancing, family wrestling.
• He can dominate puzzles. Right now, he can do a 25 piece puzzle meant for 3 year olds and up. Now, he has been working on it for about a week or 2. But he does that. He works on it and he gets it. ALMOST entirely on his own.
• He's fiercely independent. If he can do it by himself. He wants to.
• He's an amazing hiker. Yup. I mean, he's no grownup. But he does pretty well for a 3'1" tall kid!
• He's observant. He sees how you do things and mimics it. I know it's standard toddler behavior. But I'm pretty proud when he knows his battery operated train is out of batteries so he goes to where the new batteries are and gets a new one. And it's nothing I've shown him, he's just seen me do it.
• He recognizes some of his letters and some numbers.
• He knows some colors.
• He knows some Vietnamese songs I sing to him. And some French ones. And some American ones.
• He can turn on the CD/DVD/TV all by himself. He knows which disks go where and how to operate each thing. And some of the remote keys too.
• He can take off his shoes/coat/zippable sweater. And he can put on his clothes. Almost always backwards, but at least they are on.
• He can count from 1-10 perfectly. 1-20 with some mistakes.
• He can almost do stairs all by himself.
  

What made me think of this? We were reading Go Dog Go. There's a page where the dogs are skiing off the mountain and he told me they were sledding. And I thought....gosh, I totally crashed and burned on sledding. But I remember Michael went with his dad and he loved it.

And not only that, when he got to the bottom, he started going back up the snow covered hill all by himself. He did not even wait for his dad. Michael was nearly halfway up that hill by the time Brian had gotten the sled and started himself. And I was really proud because it took bravery, independence, and confidence to do that and think that he could. I know because I looked at that same hill and thought, "Oh brother, how am I going to make it back to where we were sitting?"

I was just going to list a few things, but that turned into a lot. No comments necessary. I know this is a mom bragging post, but I felt like I needed to do it. I focus on how Michael can improve all the time, and I don't want him to grow up thinking that he can never be good enough or that I only notice the bad. I seem to have that effect on the people I love.

Me.

Michael's Monkey

Michael has a pet monkey. He LOVES this monkey. He does all sorts of things with his monkey. For example, today, Michael read to his Monkey, "Where's that Monkey?"


It's just too funny and cute. Brian noticed yesterday that Michael plays with this monkey like girls play with dolls. Except he shows the monkey how to do boy things like play choo choo, play ping pong, jump on the couch, and watch TV. Just to name a few!

Yesterday, I caught him showing his monkey how to drink from a squirt bottle. He puts his monkey next to him on the couch and looks at him. Then says, "See Monkey? You do it like this. I show you. You put the water in your mouth." And then proceeds to drink. He gives monkey a drink and is satisfied with the learning that has taken place.

Just too funny.
P

Rachel Ray

Do not fret, I have many installments of You Vote ready in the wings. I just have been posting about other things instead. But when there is a lull...you can bet there will be a You Vote. And the next subject will be: Fashion.

Rachel Ray.

Someone...please please please help me. I have tried 3-4 recipes from this woman, all of which take more than 30 minutes to prepare...and taste mediocre to awful. I keep trying her recipes because...really...She's made an empire of herself. You can't make an empire of yourself without being able to live up to your recipes/concept! So I keep trying her recipes because I KNOW I am bound to find a good one!

So please help my search if you can. I know I've got some readers who are Rachel Ray fans out there! Post a link to your favorite Rachel Ray recipe in my comments section and help me out!

Otherwise, I am going to have to relegate her magazine to the TRASH bin. Not even recycle. Straight up TRASH.

Sorry to offend any fans out there! I really am trying to like her because I like her idea of the 30 minute meal and her combinations do sound good in the recipe! They just don't work for me when I actually try to do it! It's GOT to be me...not her!

THANKS!
Phuong and family

London - Part IV

On Thursday, May 7th, the boys left super early (around 7:50am) to pick up the rental cars at Marble Arch. After masterizing how to drive on the wrong side of the car on the wrong side of the road, they arrived to pick us girls and the kids up at 9:10am. We were READY!There were harrowing close calls for Brian in the passenger seat. I think I heard..."STAY IN YOUR LANE!" a good number of times from Brian to John. We got a little lost and John stopped an elderly couple in a neighborhood to get directions to Windsor Castle. This British guy's directions ran something like this:

So you're going to go out over there and turn right.
Takes you right into the village.
At the roundabout...veer left. There's a hotel there.
You'll cross a set of railroad tracks.
Don't worry if you miss them, there will be another set.
Then, you'll run into the river and you won't be able to go straight anymore. So you take a right.
And then, there you will be at the castle.

So here Brian and Michael are at the entrance:

We got to see a changing of the guards, which was pretty neat. Way cooler than at Buckingham palace, because as you can see from the picture, you could get up really close. After tripping over the ground bar of a barricade and nearly knocking over 2 older women, I was able to get Michael up close so he could see the band and the action. He really was very interested!

Then, we toured the castle and the chapel. We learned lots of things. Well, at least those who were able to listen to the audio tour did. There were some of us who were trying to get a hungry infant out to feed them outside. And another chasing a bored toddler around. Those of us, did not get to listen to the audio tour! :o) Let me tell you how annoying it is that there wasn't a simple exit sign. We had to go through all the rooms to find the way out...only to discover there was a very easy way that was not marked.

We learned though from John/Kelli that King Henry VIII's armor was 52 inches around the waist. And nearly 90 pounds. That's like him wearing ME when I was in middle school.

Here's our family picture after we made it through the rooms:

Then, we grabbed paninis and some good shortbread at a cafe and ate quickly in the car. We were planning to go to a nice green park and eat, but our sandwiches were hot and we didn't want to wander. Of course, on our drive out, we discovered the green park, not 2 minutes away.

Next, up, a drive to Stonehenge! It is very funny. The drive up to Stonehenge. You see a sign for the turn off. So you turn off. And you drive for a while. And then there's a hill. And then...VOILA. There it is! In your head you're thinking... "La la la...nice English countryside...la...la...la...WHOA. STONEHENGE!"

And for 6.60 pounds, you can cross underneath the road and see stonehenge from this view without a fence obstructing it:

And get this picture of your son, behaving in front of it:

And this picture of your son, pulling out the post that holds the guard rope up. He explained to me that he was trying to get to Stonehenge to "stand on the big rocks."
The 2 "World Heritage" workers nearby didn't seem to mind too much that there was a toddler ripping apart their "barricade." It reminds me of a quote I heard Bill Cosby say one time, "I can conquer any country with an army of toddlers."

We got a nice family picture nearby too...also included in the 6.60 pound price.

As you can see, this 6.60 pound price is a big deal to me. Mainly because as I explained...you can see it very well when you come up the hill. Just a very small flimsy nylon fence separates you from it. You could easily just walk up to the fence, FOR FREE...and take a picture. Also, they are having in the works a plan to put the road that goes up to Stonehenge underground, make you park 3 km away at a "state of the art" tour/welcoming center and then get trained into Stonehenge. Hmmm...I'd rather save my 6.60 pounds and see it the way I just did.

Either way, it was still very cool. And afterwards, we explored a town called Salisbury. No, we did not get steak there. Instead, there was a little French market in town! Brian bought some cheeses, pates, mousse de canard to share with everyone. I didn't understand considering we LIVE in France...but it ended up being quite nice because 1) We got to see John's disgusted reaction to Roquefort, and 2) We got to share a little bit of French culture with everyone.

On Friday, May 8th, we woke up early, got out of the house...and were rewarded with an ugly rainy London day for our tour of the Tower of London. We stood in the rain for our Yodem tour, which was cut short, for...you guessed it...the rain. We all gathered in the Royal chapel for a little bit of history and warmth. And then explored the Crown Jewels afterwards. Pretty impressive. The world's largest diamond, at 530 carats, is there in one of the sceptors.

Anyways, we exited the Crown Jewels display only to be greeted by GORGEOUS sunshine and practically clear skies. BLAST IT ALL! But we ended up thanking Brian in the end for getting us out of the house early because the lines were 4-5 times longer than when we got there in the morning!

We got some pictures outside by the exit of the Tower of London with the Bridge of London. I know it is a bit dark, but I don't have my monitor calibrated yet to fix it:

Playing with Daddy outside the Tower of London

Afterwards, the girls spent the afternoon shopping and stimulating the London economy while Bryan and John explored Camden Market with Eden. Brian took Michael to Hyde Park and played with him like a good dad does with his son!

We all met at home and dilly-dallyed too long and missed a dinner out. On Friday night at 8pm, it is hard to find a family friendly pub environment to eat dinner in! So instead, we got this super cute picture of us girls in our scarves outside of our flat:
And pictures of us crammed into red photo booths:

We got lucky and found a pub near us who did an incredible favor for us and gave us takeaway. She put it all on plates for us and it was still hot (our fish and chips and pies and hamburgers) when we got home. So we enjoyed a nice dinner all together for our last night. All we had to do was take the plates back when we were done.

On Saturday, we all woke up, packed, cleaned, and left. And now, we are adjusting to life after vacation. BLAH.

Love,
P

London - Part III

Wednesday - may 6th: We got another early start to our day at 11:00am and had breakfast at The Waffle House - Patisserie, which was neither our idea of an American Waffle House or a French patisserie. It was delicious all the same!

We took the Rick Steves City Walk, led by our fearless leader and his pensive wife:

Some sights along the way...I like the red buses in this picture that Brian took:

My favorite English tea:

And a very interestingly named tavern:

This interesting fountain palace that resulted in a fun, albeit wet, stop for Michael:

Little Eden even joined in on the fun. We purposely sat her on a dry spot with no water so that we were sure she wouldn't get wet.

But then the wind shifted and she got COMPLETELY soaked!

Brian decided to get some World's Strongest Man Silhouettes

And a Brother's High Five Pose:

After having fun there...we found St. Paul's Cathedral:

Which was kind of strange because it's in the middle of all these business building so it seems a bit weird and out of place. And then, inside, you have to pay to see the church. WHAT? That just seems wrong to me.

We continued with our walk and ended up at the Tower of London:

only to find out that there were no more tours for the day so we would have to pay full price and not get any tours. So we opted to walk across the Tower Bridge:

And sit and play in a green park overlooking the Tower Bridge:
Of course, a game of steamroller was a must:

And pictures of all of us enjoying some down time with our kids:

While we were there, we changed 4 diapers total. Michael pooped once. Got changed. Went to tackle Uncle John. And while hovering over Uncle John's face, did another poop. Eden did not want to be left out so she did a pee diaper and then a poop one.

Ahhh...the great outdoors!

5 days down, 2 more to go! Tomorrow, will be Windsor Castle/Stonehenge (lots of pictures too) and then our last full day (Tower of London/Shopping...not so many pictures).

P

London Part II

On Monday, bank holiday in England, we barely made it out of the house in time for the changing of the guards at 11:30am at Buckingham Palace. Did I mention we were on vacation?

Anyways, here is the best we could do, in the rain, and behind crowds:Michael met a pair of horses. He told me about the black horse that was dirty because it had boogers all over it:

I got a whistle blown at me for wandering too close. I should have known I was too close when I noticed that I was wandering through horse poop.

After this, we took a pretty long walk along side a park. Michael decided he was too tall for this barrier:

We ended up at Covent Market Garden where there was an antique market and various artists. Bryan and Katie haggled and got 5 pounds off their cute painting and we paid sticker price for a photo of Trafalgar Square.

After this, we decided to split up to do shopping. Brian was pretty antsy to go to Oxford Circus and shop so he lit out of there pretty quick! Who would have guessed it was BRIAN who would be so anxious to shop in London?

We met up with J&K and B&K&E around dinnertime and had fish and chips at a good pub near Oxford Circus. After filling our bellies full of grease, we went home and the boys decided to watch About a Boy and sit in the living room while having a farting contest. It was SO incredibly smelly that us girls watched the movie from the dining room. How is it that they got the comfortable seats near the TV and we were relegated to the living room? HOW?

The next morning, Tuesday, we got out to enjoy a full English breakfast with eggs/sausage/mushrooms/tomatoes/beans/toast/tea at Cafe Diana. Which, not surprisingly, was devoted to Princess Diana and was plastered with pictures of her and also letters from her thanking them for the bouquets of flowers they had sent her for her birthday.

After this, we walked through Nottinghill to shop at the outdoor produce market/area: Portobello Market Road.

Here's a pic of a building lined Nottinghill:

The kids fell asleep from sheer boredom during our long walk to Portobello Market Road:

We bought fruits and vegetables for the kids, stopped at some tres chic boutiques and popped over to the Travel Bookstore with the blue front, made famous from the movie Nottinghill with Hugh Grant/Julia Roberts.
Baby Eden decided to bedazzle us with her amazing walking abilities. This girl is too cute for words:

Michael got a treat for being patient while waiting for us to shop:

And when we got back, Brian got pictures of their matching outfits. Thanks Besancons for bringing/buying us these Kinsler jerseys!

In the afternoon, Eden took a nap at home while Katie and Bryan generously straightened up the flat. Team Besancon Paris and Boston decided to visit the Churchill Museum and the underground command center (War Cabinet Rooms) of the British government during WWII. Very cool.

This night, us girls watched the kids as Brian, Bryan, and John went to a pub to watch the ManU v. Arsenal game. We got delicious Italian takeout and the boys enjoyed a night out!

When they came back, we had:

GAME NIGHT. We watched Brian and Bryan duke it out in a very exhilirating game of Memory. As John (the Master Memory Player) called it, a competition between getting zero and zero. It was INCREDIBLE how much these 2 guys forgot where pieces were. Considering I am no Memory professional, I am saying this from john's point of view.

Also, I played Connect 4 with Brian. The first 3 games, I lost in like 30 seconds. And when I finally got my act together, I did beat him in the last game. BOOM. Roasted.

4 days down, 3 more to go!

Love,
P

London - 1st of Several Installments

On Sat. May 2nd (Happy birthday MOMMY!), our nuclear family hopped on the "fast choo choo...go underwater," otherwise known as the Eurostar bound for London.

We arrived at 84 Inverness Terrace around 1:30pm and checked into our 2 story, 3 bedroom flat. We threw our bags down and headed to Hyde Park to check it out and the Princess Diana Memorial Playground (PDMP).

Upon arriving, we found a huge line into the playground. With a bouncer. For a playground. Does anyone else find this as wrong?

I guess I can undestand since it was Saturday after all around 4pm on a sunny day in London. So we decided to play in the grass with our balloon and explore the lake.

Michael loved playing with the balloon. And then when it popped, he loved getting sprayed in the face with Brian's spit when he blew through the balloon end. And of course, running around always is fun for Michael:

After this, we went to Tesco and M&S to buy groceries for a dinner at home and breakfast. And we waited until John & Kelli Besancon and Bryan, Katie, and Eden Thomason arrived! Around 9:45pm, we sat around eating pizza and horrible nachos and catching up/talking. It was a great 1st day!

The 2nd day, Michael got up around 7:30am and by 9:30am was going crazy. Since everyone else was still asleep, we went back to Hyde Park (it's just a 5 min walk away) and went to the PDMP! It was early and there was no line. So we went to town.

First up, the pirate ship:

Michael enjoyed climbing up the ropes, but it was a bit anticlimactic once aboard. So Michael was climbing back down fairly quickly:

Then, there was a huge tree house, so we did that:

Brian decided to do the kids' slide and found out he basically was the length of the slide...and according to this pic, the width as well:

After which, there was a teepee land...so that was at least worth a stop:

And Michael decided that Indians most definitely did this inside them:

After this, we went back to the flat to meet up with everyone else and left around 11am for the Rick Steve's Westminster Walk. We saw Trafalgar square:

Westminster Abbey:



Some horse guards:
Big Ben and Parliament:
And ended up at the London Eye:

Michael could spot this carrousel on the ground after being up in the eye. Kid's got my vision:

After this, we walked along the cold, sunny, and windy River Thames to do the Jubilee walk and headed home for a nice calm dinner at home!

That's 2 days. Only 7 more to blog! So I know you will be checking back every half hour for more...I know it.