30 months...

Remember when you first had a baby and then that baby grew into a toddler?  People would ask how old your little one was and you would always respond with an answer in months.  No way am I just going to answer, "He's 1."  Parenting a baby and a toddler is just so much work and too exhausting to give it a simple answer that he's just 1!  "I've been mommy-ing this sweet thing for exactly 19 1/2 months."  Then as the child grows older, you start sleeping through the night again and regain consciousness, you start counting his age in years.

I was thinking about how that idea reflects our time here in France.  We have been living our lives here counting the months.  It's been exhausting and hard.  But as we turn the corner towards our 3 year mark, it occurred to me that I have stopped thinking in months and have transitioned into years. 

We certainly don't have it all together and we have not totally figured out all that it means to do life here, but we have come a long way baby. 

As we start 2012, I've been reflecting a lot on where we've been and where we are now.  I hope I can say that I think we're growing, becoming better versions of ourselves each year.  I'm incredibly thankful for the journey I've been on so far in this life and I feel incredibly blessed.  Thanks God.

Franglish

I've noticed that the longer I live here, the more I merge the 2 languages I speak.  Sometimes without knowing it was coming out of my mouth, I speak in both French and English in the same sentence. 
Example?
"Elle va à le school."
And then there are some words that are the same in both French and English.  I can't remember how to spell the right way for the language I'm supposed to be writing in at the time.

It's a weird feeling and I think it means good things about my transition. 

But it makes me feel like I'm 5 years old, all the time. 

Another school year begins!

This is our 3rd rentrée (just a French name for the start of the school year) in France.  Our first year I was so scared for our kids.  Rightly so, it was the toughest 6 months of their lives.  Our 6 year old sat through 8 hours of French with only knowing numbers, colors and how to say hello/goodbye.  It was hard for Will in some ways too but at 3, he was happy to play, glue and color.  It was a long, sad 6 months for Natalie.  Then around January she turned a corner.  She started speaking and understanding French.  She started making friends.  The rest of the year was so different and by May, we had a party at our house with 13 little French girls! 

Last year had it's own challenges.  We moved to Paris in June.  New school again.  We didn't know anyone again.  Fortunately, that summer we had become friends with a new neighbor in our building who's son was Natalie's age.  She now had a buddy to go with her to the new school.  He was new too but they had each other.  That boy ended up moving back to London about a month later but I will never forget how God took care of my little girl by providing a much needed friend at just the right time.

In Paris, we ended up with 2 amazing schools for our kids.  They are French public schools.  We had heard horror stories about life in the public schools here but we were blessed with something that was completely the opposite.  Both Natalie and Will love their schools, teachers and friends here. 

I don't know what this year will bring.  I've learned it's best for me to take each day as it comes.  (Lessons on control have been huge for me, living in France, but that will have to be another entry.)  Overall, this has been our best rentrée yet- we knew other parents, what supplies we needed, how things were going to go.  Living abroad is a funny experience.  Humbling and funny.  All of us have grown up a little more while living here. 

Here's to a great school year!

So I didn't go...

to the brocante.  Don't judge me.  I am not feeling up to running around the city just yet.  There's something about this lull before school that has me wanting to just stay home.  I know, I live in this beautiful city, but I'm not a tourist.  I am a resident and sometimes I just want to be home.  Sue me. 

I did however get a bookcase and some baskets to help organize our house.  It makes my house feel a little less cluttered and I love it.  It brought me some peace. 

We've been filling our time with parcs, reading, movies, hanging out.  It's been good.

I'm looking forward to school on Monday.  We've been out of a routine for a LONG time.  I like routine.  It also brings me peace.  ha!  Now you will all be signing me up for counseling sessions to work on my anxiety issues. 



Hope you are all enjoying your last days of summer. 

August in Paris

Whew, it's hot.  After spending 5 weeks in the land of air conditioning, I was not ready for life without it.  There are worse things but summer is not my favorite season to begin with, much less without a breeze.  We might be visiting parc andre citroen soon so we can cool off in the fountains.

My current home project is to work on making our apartment feel less like a dorm room and more like a home.  I hope I can find some cheap things at upcoming brocantes that will help add some flavor to this home.  I'll keep you posted on what I find. 

We're back!

After our 5 week "American tour" (ha!), we are back home in Paris.  We are jet-lagged and cranky but happy.  We had a great time in the states and we are so thankful for the many people who provided us with hospitality, meals, etc.  We feel really loved.    

                                           

What's the biggest difference since we arrived this morning??  We're all in pants and long sleeves!  Crazy Paris!! 

We took our first long walk in 5 weeks tonight, played at a park, got some street food and walked home in the rain.  It was perfect. 
Je t'aime Paris!

reverse culture shock?

In just a few days I will be boarding a plane to visit the states.  I'm a little nervous for the reverse culture shock I'll feel.  I wonder what things I'll notice that will feel strange, sound strange or look strange to me.  As I'm packing, I'm thinking about what's to come over the next few weeks.  In some ways I'm super excited to be in a land where I can speak clearly and be understood easily.  I can't wait to be in a place where I can go into most situations and know what to expect (to a point).  But there are things that I will miss about my home here.  I've come to love giving bisous to say hello and goodbye.  It's such a beautiful expression of fondness for another.  I will miss that.  I will also miss the simplicity of life here and the time that is spent on relationships. 

Two things I will not miss?  Men peeing in public and dog stuff on the sidewalks.