Toddler's Tour of Paris and Back to Reality

Paris was a nice change of pace. We really enjoyed travelling by train as we had a compartment to ourselves, could move around a bit, and I was able to nurse the baby! We had an apartment style hotel which worked out really well as D and I slept on the sleeper sofa and the girls took the bedroom. We had a kitchen which was wonderful, and the hotel was situated right next to a mall with a grocery store in it and a Haagen Daas store! After getting the girls fed and settled down for the night, we were able to eat take-out (KFC one night and Chinese the next)! This may not sound like a treat to ya'll, but it was for me!

In town I decided to go with the baby carrier and one lightweight travel stroller. This didn't work that well at the Musee D'Orsay, but at least I got to walk by Van Gogh's, Monet's, Renoir's, and Degas's paintings even if I didn't get to really look at them for long. SA was over the edge after our embassy appointment, long lunch (not long by choice), and after we finally kicked her out of the stroller so CG could have a nap. D kept asking me if I was "soaking it all in", but it was hard to thoroughly "soak in" Paris when one is worrying about babies in the wind and rain along busy streets and being smushed like a sardine on the Metro with my 3 mo. old strapped onto my body. The "big "ole clock" at D"Orsay and the "big 'ole wheel" were the highlights of the trip for SA. The large ferris wheel was located in the center of the city next to the Jardin des Tuileries and near the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, and the Champs-Elysees. We had a lovely view of the city although it was a bit windy and chilly.

We did a little shopping (one kids' store) and never made it to Starbucks, but we had a nice mexican/ french style lunch on Saturday. I had a great margarita! There is only one mexican restaurant where we live, so it was good to get my fix of mexican food before heading back home to the boon-docks of France. We finally gave up on the Metro again as it took too long with SA insisting that she climb up and down all the stairs and having to carry the stroller with CG in it (we gave up on the carrier too). Taxis are more expensive but alot easier- especially when there is luggage involved. It was a short trip but probably as much as this stress case mama can handle right now anyway.

Sunday morning as we were getting ready for church, SA turned up with 6 more flea bites on her back. This morning she had 4 more. Yesterday, I spent the day taking the car to be repaired, waiting for the plumber again (but this time he did come!),and shopping for flea bombs and formulating a plan. I will have to bomb the whole house this time and then wash all the linens in the house and SA's clothes again. I hope that will be the end of every flea, flea egg, and flea larvae and pupa. But we will see...