Desperate Times and Desperate Measures

When we first moved to France, I was lost on the baby aisle of the grocery store and at the pharmacy. There are so many different products for changing diapers here that I still haven't figured out exactly what product is for what! Wipes are like the really modern convenience way to change a diaper, but most people use pulled cotton with water instead of wipes and a product like "lait de toilette", "savon de toilette" or "eau de rincage" with a "gant de toilette" (wash glove). Fortunately for me, they do have Pampers and Huggies products, so I have always been able to buy wipes and change my babies the "American way"- until today...

Today I scored a spot at the local garderie for SA. The garderie in our town is a sort of "Mother's Day Out" solution for me that's conveniently located in the all cobblestone "pedestrian only" medieval district of our town. When CG was a newborn, I was slightly worried that she might have shaken baby syndrome after riding to the garderie in her stroller. :) No, seriously, it took a long time for me to become comfortable with leaving SA there, and she still doesn't go on a regular basis as there is not alot of availability for us, but when she goes, it is so nice to have a little break! Desperate times call for desperate measures sometimes. I am learning to accept the choices that I have here and trust God in them instead of always longing for the choices that I would have if we were at home in the States.

Anyway, she went to the garderie today and I had a morning to do errands that I couldn't easily have done with her. When I went back to get her, she had eaten lunch and played and had a great time. Just before leaving, she told me that she needed to go to the potty. Currently she still wears a pull up and we are continuing to work on potty training. Upon taking her to the bathroom, I discovered that she had a dirty diaper after I had pulled it down her legs! CG was strapped to me in the baby carrier and I had a couple of diapers for SA but no wipes. I send the pull ups with her, but I don't send wipes as they have told me before that they use "the gant". So, I had to learn on the spot the French way of changing a diaper. The Directrice kindly offered to hold CG, and I tried my best with just toilet paper, but, well, it just wasn't doing the trick. After trying my best to no avail, I had to ask for the use of their diaper changing facility.

Now, I have changed CG's dipaers the French way, but as you mothers know, that is a whole different ballgame than changing the diapers of an almost 3 year old. So I had to ask for directions from this woman and then use the pulled cotton, the "savon de toilette", and the gant (wash glove) and tap water. It was an experience that I would not care to have again, thank you! Can you imagine how much yucky laundry that would create? I guess that is the way our grandmothers had to do it too, but let me just say, I am so thankful for disposable diapers and wipes!

Fait a la Maison

Ok, you have heard it again and again, but let me reiterate, food is a very serious thing for the French. It is one thing I love about them,but it drives me crazy at the same time. I love that both the preparation and the ritual of a meal are seriously important to them. We sit for hours (literally) at the table together and a large part of that time is spent discussing the food. I love the time factor because you really get to know people by hanging out for that long around a table with them. And as for the conversation, I am very interested, but I sometimes wonder if we are talking this much about the food because they are French and that is what they do or if it is because we are American and they think we are clueless about cooking and healthy eating. We have some wonderful French friends who have invited us to their homes for meals, and I so love going and getting to know them and experiencing their culture with them as opposed to observing it as a tourist or expat from afar. However, I do get tired of the stereotype that most of the French do seem to have about Americans and our eating habits. It is almost ingrained into them by the media here- that we (Americans) are all fat, unhealthy eaters. I mean I actually had a lady at the lab in my town remark as she was doing one of my monthly pregnancy blood tests, that we (Americans) don't eat "crudites", i.e. raw vegetables. My blood pressure shot straight up, I am sure, as I denied this ridiuculous statement. Of course we eat vegetables! Of course we eat raw vegetables! Salad anyone?

Anyway, when you watch TV or listen to the radio in France, it doesn't take long to realize that the French are deathly afraid of becoming like America with our fast food society and large percentage of obese people. On the news, they are sure to show large numbers of grossly overweight Americans while warning of this growing epidemic in France. I mean really, we discussed this on a number of occaions in my summer French class, and it got so old (especially since I was the only American and had put on quite a bit of weight during the pregnancy). Then there is this publicity campaign on TV that encourages everyone to eat 5 fruits and vegetables every day. I have actually had people explain this to me as if they thought I have never considered this option or realized that eating fruits and vegetables every day is a healthy way for me to live personally. I can assure you that this assumption did not come from observing my lifestyle. It is because I am American, and they understand us to be Neanderthals about what we put into our bodies. Well, I admit that I do go back and forth in my interactions with them- sometimes trying to prove them wrong and convince them that some of us do actually have a healthy diet and sometimes just throwing up my hands unwilling to compete with them in their food fanaticism.

So the other day I had my friend and her 2 girls over for "gouter" (afternoon snack). This is a daily event for French children and some adults as well. So, living here, I have adopted this part of the culture for SA. It's easy to have friends for gouter (especially French ones) as I don't have to prepare a whole meal and be worried about whether or not we do it the American way or the French way with all the courses, etc. Gouter usually consists of something sweet and some fruit for the children. So, I made my grandmother's fudge pie and served it with vanilla ice cream just as she recommended on the recipe card that she wrote for me years ago. Then I saw strawberries at the grocery store for less than a euro! I thought they would be a nice accompaniment to the chocolate, et voila, our gouter!

Well, this is very American thinking! The French are very seasonal eaters. My friend commented that she usually only eats "la glace" (ice cream) beginning in spring and summer and that she had never thought of eating it in winter. So, I am laughing to myself as I bring out the strawberries! These are, of course, a spring/summer fruit. In France, where the food comes from is VERY important. The law requires all food vendors to post where the food they are selling was grown. So, I knew that these strawberries were from Spain. Last summer I had a couple of hilarious conversations with different French visitors in my home about where the strawberries came from, and gathered that, generally, the French strawberries are better than the Spanish ones in my friends' opinions. On this occasion, my friend pointed out that as the weather in Spain is not yet warm enough to naturally grow strawberries, it is probable that artificial means were used to cause these strawberries to grow. Well, I quickly comforted my friend by telling her that she need not feel obligated to eat these suspicious strawberries. My friend politely dismissed my concern but later told her daughter not to eat any more strawberries as they would eat them in the spring. :)

The conversation around the pie was also humorous as we discussed it in French. I called it a fudge "tarte" as I understand that the French "tarte" is most comparable to an American "pie" and then attempted to describe what fudge is to my curious friend. Of course then there was a debate about whether it was a "tarte" or a "gateau" (cake) and my friend explained that normally a "tarte" has a "pate" (crust). I acknowledged that usually American pies have crusts as well but this pie is exceptional as it is "sans pate" (without a crust). After this exhausting discussion in defense of my grandmother's fudge pie, my friend asked me if I make a "gateau" (yes, she used the word gateau!) every day. I told her "no" and probably appeared a little puzzled after which she told me that she has friends that do.
"Why?" I asked incredulous at the thought of making a cake from scratch every day. She responded by explaining that her friend wants to know exactly what is in the gouter that she gives her child every day. She wants it to be "fait a la maison" (homeade). And so it continues, the perpetual culture clash in my brain- an American vs. a French perspective on everyday eating.

Mission Organization- Is it possible?

I need serious organizational help! My life is spinning out of control. CG is 4 months old and I still haven't gotten into a groove. I find that the more structured time that I have, the more I accomplish. When left to myself with nothing planned, I am a disorganized mess. With no more French classes, I am leaning in the disorganized mess direction. Also don't babies change their schedules all the time just when you think maybe you have finally got it? Anyway, if I try to impose a little scheduling, I don't even know what would work best- the same wake time or staggered? same nap time or staggered? bedtimes? With D gone, there is that extra challenge with the bed bath routine as he helps alot when he is here.

Also, I can't find anything. I think that organizational genes are missing in my brain. I really would like to have a desk, of my own. Not shared space that someone else gets into but my very own space where I can set up a system that works for me. Instead I share the computer table with you know who and have a couple of baskets for my stuff next to the printer. This is not working. D has taken the desk as he is the one that does the finances- except when he's out of town, and then we have big problems because I usually act like the ostrich with my head in the sand and it has to come to the surface when he's not around. Then I am in a panic because I have no idea what my PIN number was in the US or how to access our US or French account online. This is not good. I was looking around at organizer people's blogs the other day and became very discouraged because that is just not me. I can't seem to get my act together enough to have things go smoothly. I so would like to get a schedule and stick to it, but I can't seem to figure that out. And exercise! How in the world can I fit that in with 2 children and already not enough personal time in the morning? So you mothers of more than one, and wives who work well with your husbands in managing your finances and your lives, how do you do it? I really would like to know...how to organize my time, and stuff, and get things done with 2 children at home with me.

Super Tuesday

D is in Mexico for two weeks, so I am finding myself with more time on my hands. I hate for him to be gone. It is as if there is a major piece of our family missing. Nothing is the same without him. The rhythm of our lives is totally disturbed, but in the extra time that I have, I am trying to find productive ways to spend it. I always feel a little extra pressure to be productive while he is gone which is strange- but I always envision accomplishing lots of things in his absence. Like what? you ask- like organizing and cleaning and reading and developing and organizing photos. I know, I am in serious need of a life. It really hit me today how detached from the rest of the world I am. I just found out from CNN that I could have voted today if I had known earlier. So, I go on, still detached in this little French town in the middle of the sticks. It's kind of cute in the spring, summer, and fall but a bit depressing in winter especially with D gone. SA, CG, and I went to a new park today to try to find some ducks to feed. I even bought the ducks fresh bread from the boulangerie, but there were no ducks. We saw a couple flying away, but no takers on the baguette. Oh, well, I think I may have found a nice place to run with the girls in a double jogger if I can scare one up. Maybe I'll lose like 1o pounds while D is gone. That would be really impressive!

The View

Fridays are always very reflective for me as I host our coffee talk/ Bible study group in the mornings. Have you ever watched the show "The View"? We are kind of like that group in that our conversations go from one end of the spectrum to another. Prayer was my attempt to open the study but inevitably the conversation drifted to "shamanism" and how Ezekiel's visions could have been from hallucinogenic mushrooms. After discussing this, we then turned our conversation back to our study questions and the Old Testament prophetic books which was actually our topic for the day. We are 4 American mothers but we are all from different parts of the US and come from different church backgrounds. Suffice it to say that we all have different views of the world and this makes our time together both rich and exciting although sometimes a little confusing and challenging. We do not all agree on the inspiration of or inerrancy of Scripture which is the biggest challenge for me as the leader, but we press on with our "Knowing the Bible 101" study anyway. This week we are looking at the Gospels in our overview of the Bible. I am praying that our hearts are captured by who Jesus is and how He can change our lives today! I have a new favorite song from a cd I got for Christmas. I think that the lyrics are just so visual and profound. The song is entitled "Because You Are" and it is about our topic for this next week.

Infinite Deity, humbly enframed
In a mortal, breakable body you came
To rescue our souls from the depths they were in
Because of, in spite of, to cover my sin

Master and servant, together in one
Come to redeem what our hearts had undone
Savior of all come to gather His kin
Because of, in spite of, to cover my sin

Holy, unbreakable infinite God
Ever unchanging in all that You are
Light of the world and the sun and the stars, You are I Am and I am because You are

Shepherd and pastor to wandering sheep
Gave up His life so our own we could keep
Soldier in battle for souls He might win
Becasue of, in spite of, to cover my sin

Holy unbreakable infinite God, ever unchanging in all that You are
Light of the world and the sun and the stars
You are I Am and I am because You are

Humbly forsaking His heavenly seat
Beaten and bloodied and washing my feet
Opened our eyes to what love really means
The blood on my hands is what washes me clean

Holy, unbreakable, infinite God
Ever unchanging in all that You are
Light of the world and the sun and the stars
You are I AM and I am because You are

Four Months Old!

I can't believe she's already 4 months old! Is she not the sweetest thing you have ever seen? Yes, I am looking for some comments here. :)