Poisson d'Avril

We like any excuse to eat chocolate, so we were very happy to learn that in France April 1st involves chocolate.  Children are given chocolate fish and instead of saying, "April Fool!" after pulling off a trick you say, "Poisson d'Avril!"

Part of the fun is to tape paper fish on people's backs without them knowing.  Lillian took this to a whole new level one night while I was making dinner.  She made no secret of what she was up to...and she had to ask for tape.

Look!  My Daddy bought me a chocolate fish bigger than my head!

museums and sights

After we found an apartment, there was a lot of bureaucracy and paperwork that had to be dealt with so that we could actually rent it.  Hurray for Pierre for his patience and his fabulous French.  While we were waiting for everything to shake out, we had some time to explore.  The girls enjoyed most of the museums most of the time.

 Musee de la Decouverte in the Grand Palais

Mathematicians

(Pi)erre in the Pi room

Musee de la Decouverte is a science museum in the beautiful Grand Palais.  There is lots to see including a planetarium.  We did not see the planetarium, but we have a family science pass and we will be back.  Each day, about 40 different experiments are done to explain basic scientific facts or principles.  We sat in on a lecture about l'ecole des rats.  The audience was all families, but the scientist was all business.  He talked about the rats, their brains, their ability to learn and cooperate, and many other things for over thirty minutes.  There was the rat, the maze, and a few videos, but everyone was expected to sit and listen. And everyone did.  The experience seemed very French because in a North American museum I don't think that kids would be expected to learn in such a structured, lecture format.  There would be hands-on activities and the kids would actually be moving around during the thirty minutes.  Lil and Sylv managed to sit through, but were ready to move.

When we first arrived the weather was beautiful.  We left wintery Ottawa and within days were wearing shorts.  Now, it has cooled down and is a bit rainy and I believe it is warm and sunny in Ottawa.

When we first arrived Sylvia was very excited every time she saw the Eiffel Tower.  She became quickly jaded.  When I pointed out the top of it to her the other day,  she said, "Why is everyone always showing me the Eiffel Tower.  It is so boring."  She does enjoy seeing the whole thing up close.  She can see the top of it from her school.

 Our girls are in the trees.  Shortly after this I made the mistake of telling Sylvia that she couldn't take her shoes off and no, she could not have any more chocolate.  This sent her into a record breaking tantrum.  The thirty minute walk home was brutal and it took a long run the following day for me to fully recover.  I thought I might never recover, but now it has been a couple of weeks and it seems like a distant memory

 (I guess my memory is not as good as a rat's)

 Our first visit to the Louvre.

Sylvia and I learned about Egypt and Lillian and Pierre tackled Greek and Roman antiquities and the Mona Lisa.  Sylvia had read a Magic School Bus and was telling me all about canopic jars and other Egyptian facts.

 We visited Jardin des plantes and the Arenes de Lutece, a Gallo-Roman amplitheatre

L'Institut du MondeArab is a very cool building and it is free to take the elevator up to the top floor for a view.  The mechanisms on the walls of the building open and close depending on the amount of light.

view from l'Institut du Monde Arabe

Don't forget to wear your orange shorts and t-shirt if you go to l'Orangerie.

Books, chocolate, and wine = temporary sanity

Moving to Paris might seem like a great idea.  Obviously, we thought (think) so...However at times it can be a bit stressful.  Pierre actually has a new job, the girls have a new school, and everyone here speaks French.  To top it all off, we have moved all of our belongings across an ocean.  I have been spending my time amusing electricians, appliance deliverymen, and others with my French.  Yesterday I visited Castorama, the closest thing to Home Depot in our neighborhood.  I asked brilliant questions like, "Where can I find the things that you put under furniture to protect the floor?"  Except, my sentences were probably less grammatically correct.  It did work and now I have some "patins feutre" and "patins glisseurs" to protect the floors.

I have much catching up to do to get this blog to the present, so today I am going to cheat a bit. One of the first things we did when we arrived here a to get museum passes to the Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay.  We also got library cards at our local library and joined the American library.  My sanity depends on having a book in hand and, unfortunately, a French book just won't yet cut it.  We rely on books when we need to chill out and I figure that the library fee was a small price to pay for family sanity.

To keep out spirits high we have also been indulging in lots of chocolate and lots of cheap wine.  I fine a lot of delight in finding wine for under 5 Euros--or 3-- that I bought at the LCBO for much, much more.

Today was Wednesday and the girls have the day off of school.  We had a nice morning.  The girls played nicely and the electrician actually showed up...without the right part and he will be back tomorrow.  In the afternoon the wheels fell off and there was much screaming and sister hitting.  I decided it was time to head outside.  We went to the Eiffel Tower and bought some ice cream.  It solved all of our problems and our stress for a little while.

 Mickey thanks for the old Owl magazines.  We are now huge Max Finder fans!

 Lillian in her happy place

Sylvia has been enjoying the kids' programs.  She saw the sign that said, "Unattended children will be given a puppy and espresso," and was overjoyed.  She told me I could have the espresso.

When we were getting ready to leave Ottawa and I was talking up Paris, I apparently promised the girls that every Friday they could choose a pastry to have for dessert.  This bribe has not been forgotten.

Sylvia's choice

My choice

Guess who likes to have her picture taken?

Guess who likes to read?

Mmmm!

Back to Work and School

After being here for a bit more than a week, Pierre started work and the girls started school.  Sylvia is in Maternelle --grande section (Kindergarten) and Lillian is in CE1 (grade 2).  The schools are around the corner from each other and the courtyards are connected.  Sylvia's is the old Ecole de Filles and Lillian's is the old Ecole de Garcons.  Sylvia thought it was very funny that Lillian was going to the "boys" school until she realized she would be joining her there next year.

Both principals were very kind and more laid back than I had anticipated.  Lillian's principal had visited Ottawa a few times and had friends who live in Gatineau.  They had big official books where they wrote the girls names in beautiful script to enroll them into their school.  We were asked all sorts of questions:  Age?  Profession?  This is when I first realized that I was "mere au foyer."  It is very clear that parents are expected to toe the line and that the school is in charge.  There is no talk of collaboration or parents knowing their child best.  There is a hall monitor at both schools who makes sure that the parents enter and exit through the correct doors and do not dilly dally.  I was kindly and firmly told which doors to enter and that the first week I could walk Sylvia in and then I would need to drop her at the door.

Both schools go from 8:30-11:30, have two hours for lunch, and return from 1:30-4:30.  About 3/4 of the kids stay for hot lunch.  Next year the girls will stay for at least a few day, but the relaxed lunch has been a good way to ease into a new language and a new school.  They also have every Wednesday off.  This is true for all Paris elementary school.  Daycare is provided at the schools if you need it.  I believe high school students go to school Wed. and Sat. mornings. 

The girls seem to be rolling with the program.  Sylvia is making new friends without too much talking.  Lillian is doing her best to ignore everyone.  Maternelle is much like kindergarten in Canada and the academic expectations are not too daunting.  CE1 on the other hand is serious business.  Lillian has homework, about 15 folders, and is learning all sorts of important and weird facts.  Last week she was classifying flora and fauna, working on multiplication, and learning where the landmarks are located on a map of Paris.  Her French grammar book is quite terrifying.  She is enjoying the academics...but not the homework.  Lil's class swims every Thursday.  Everyone wears swim caps and the boys must wear Speedos (This is the case for all men and boys in all Paris public pools).  April break is coming up and the girls and I will have two weeks with no school.

A victorious start to school and work!

Jardin d'Acclimatation

 Looking for apartments involved lots of walking and lots of waiting for the girls.  They did find taking the metro very exciting, which helped.  We thought we needed a little break and headed to Parc d'Acclimatation.  It is every kids' dream.  There are swings, play structures, small roller coasters, a petting zoo...and more.  The girls were in heaven and keep asking when we are going back.

 Growing girls.

 I've taking up smoking and lost 100  pounds.

 Some words of wisdom about jumping on the trampolines.  I missed taking a photo of the warning not to smoke on the trampolines--true.

 That guy is strong and can make the swing go terrifyingly high.

 Some not so babyish climbing structures.

 We found the Enormous Crocodile.  He is not sizzled up like a sausage, but living here.

Even better than the Dragon Wagon at the Carp Fair!  When things warm up a little bit, there is even a splash pad!  The girls have a two week break coming up and I'm sure we will be returning here.

I'm told it's time to start blogging

We have been here a month.  We are in our new place and semi-unpacked.  Last week we managed to get all of our appliances installed...and gas and electricity, too.  It was an exhausting experience.  I am working on my mere au foyer (stay at home mom) vocabulary.  I know a lot of new words about appliances and different cleaning product. I even managed to get someone to come and take the doors off of our large fridge to get it inside our apartment--small, sweet victories.  The large store where we bought our appliances has several different divisions that don't communicate--e.g., online, delivery, the actual store.  I had to talk to several people on the phone and visit the store before our fridge made it into out kitchen.  Everyone was very kind and patient with my poor, rusty French.

The other excitement was that our first night here the breaker would jump every few minutes and throw us into darkness.  The electrician came and fixed the problem...or seemed to.  He is coming back tomorrow to finish the job.  When I told him that maybe he could come Tuesday morning because that's when the gas guy was coming, he was shocked that we didn't have hot water and took out his large wrench, pushed a few buttons, and turned on our gas.  He is my knight in shining armor.

We spent the first two and a half days looking at about 12 different apartments.  The girls were very patient.

Most of our spare time was spent finding play structures and parks.

Most of these were considered too babyish.  It isn't quite as convenient as having a park across the street.  We do miss Lindenlea Park.

Sylvia was impressed by the Eiffel Tower at first.  She became jaded quickly, "Why do you keep showing me the Eiffel Tower?  I used to think it was exciting, but now it is just boring."  She does like to see the whole tower, but the top of it, which you can see from her school, no longer cuts it.

I still can't figure out how to get photos from my phone to the blog, but with my real knight in shining armor, Pierre, I am sure we will figure it out.  These first photos are from before I had my fancy phone.

Paris--looks like we've made it

Yes, we made it. We have now been here for about a week and we are making progress. The one thing that is slowing us down is the inability to get internet access at our temporary apartment. We will move into our long term rental at the end of the month. It is on the 8th floor. Watching the movers bringing our belongings in through the window should keep us amused until we remember that All of our belongings need to fit in the apartment. We have also managed to sign the girls up for school. We have meetings at both schools tomorrow, which should be interesting. I am writing from a new phone that I don't know how to use. I hope to add photos soon.