You are currently browsing the monthly archive for September 2009.
He disappeared for a moment and then…
It was everything we were all dreaming of…
We cleaned and rearranged the house this weekend trying to make it more inviting for the arrival of cold weather. It is so pleasant now. There were things that were driving us nuts around every corner. All the lightbulbs in the house had gradually burned out and since each bulb has a different thread, it has been too overwhelming a job to conquer. I think we were so tired of living in the dark once the sun set that we finally did it, but it had been weeks. That started an avalanche of home improvements and we succumbed to buying a vacuum cleaner too. I don’t know how I thought we’d go on living here for a year without vacuuming the rugs, but it made me so mad to think about spending another few hundred euros on yet another vacuum cleaner. Moving around countries makes you spend way too much on large appliances and electronics (because of the electrical incompatibilities) and I am so tired of throwing money into those things again and again. Anyway, the rugs are finally clean and I’d buy the vacuum all over again just to feel the peace it has brought with it.
I took the babies’ table and put it in the livingroom in front of the window and bought them some new art supplies for their birthday. They have been really happy with it and have been making lots of colorful scribbles. Eliot especially loves the markers and he has been decorating himself daily. I thought that it would be a nice bright space for them to sit in the winter.
This morning I went to the Bastille farmers market and bought flowers to christen the winter cleaning job. It is now finally livable here again. This afternoon I think we’re going to take the car and drive right outside of the city, a little past Versailles to a farm where you can pick apples, play in the gardens, and see animals. Maybe it will feel like going back to Iowa, I hope so because I’ve been nostalgic for the midwest lately. It must be the time of year.
The second day they didn’t realize we had left the room until 5 minutes before we came back, which was 10 minutes after we had left. It was 5 minutes of terror and it took the mystery out of the word ’school’. Yesterday we left them for 30 minutes and Eliot recovered about half way through but Lucas never did. When we came back he was lying limp and sobbing in the arms of one of the women, face swollen and red from 30 minutes of crying, exhausted. So, I spent much of yesterday talking about school and mommies leaving and coming back. I set up a little show about some dolls going to school with their mommy and how the mommy left and the dolls played with some toys, and then the mommy came back! There was lots of emphasis on mommy coming back yesterday. We also watched an Elmo movie about school several times and this morning again as I was getting ready. They were good this morning, I tried to keep it all light and joyful and talk about Elmo’s mommy coming back. When we got to school, I got them playing in the pretend kitchen feeding the plastic baby various plastic foods (Eliot made her a cheese hat) and then I said goodbye, mommy will be back. Eliot didn’t agree but he stopped crying right after I left the room and Lucas stopped after about 10 minutes. When I came back, I peeked in the door first and saw them playing quietly and contentedly on their own, they were happy. There is progress.
Bertram suddenly flew to Abu Dhabi last night to meet some clients for a competition he is going to do in the next few weeks. It was quick, he called me and said, “Um, weird news, I have to go to Abu Dhabi (and embarrassingly, I thought, Where is that?) tonight at 9.” He’ll be back Friday morning to spend a big boy birthday weekend with us.
The boys turn 2 tomorrow!! wow! I can’t say “it flew by,” and” I can’t believe they’re already 2″ but my little babies are growing up… and honestly, that is fine. they are magic and I have been with them every minute of it and I haven’t missed a thing. I’ve been more Mom than I knew was in me to be and they are more fun now than was imaginable last year. I love my time with them and I have lots of it.
Over the next two weeks the boys will gradually integrate into their new pre-school class. This morning Bertram and I stayed there with them for about 30 minutes as we talked with the teachers and then left all together. Tomorrow I’ll leave them there for 15 minutes, the next day 30 until we slowly reach the full 3 hours. It’s a nice system and I think it will ease their transistion, especially since everything will be happening in French and they’re pretty new to the language. Honestly though, it’s not very stressful for a two year old to adapt to another language. They are much more concerned about my whereabouts, and the way environments make them feel. They loved it there this morning, it is a bright, clean open space with caring women around and an array of new and interesting toys. It is really a beautiful environment for them and they will be very happy there this year.
We decided last minute to take the train to Cologne to visit Bertram’s parents for an extended weekend. On the train ride there, Bertram had something come up on one of his projects that needed immediate attention so he ended up returning to Paris and the boys and I stayed with Isa. We had a relaxing time, played in the Rhine, went to the Zoo, took a boat ride up the river, and saw Bertram’s sister and her daugther Louisa (whom Lucas fell madly in love with at first sight). When Bertram returned, we spent another day together there and then came back to Paris.
Paris is alive again, everyone has returned from their vacations, the kids are buzzing in and out of school and all the shops have opened up. August is a strange time in Paris, you find a sleepy, empty, quiet city. I love it in September, it is the best month; the weather is cool and beautiful.
