Truly dancing through Paris

Through summer vacation, getting the kids off to schoool, and everything in between, I've completely been neglecting my blog. Today I'm off on my whirlwind tour of France until Monday, the 8th. I know I should be looking forward to all the good eats and possible adventures but I'm rather apprehensive, it keeps getting harder and harder to leave Doug and the kids to fend for themselves. Not that Doug can't handle it, but it's 10 days with no mommy, and no kids like that.
Cecilia has been overwhelming the two of us lately with all her "wants", she is constantly asking for something, a new toy, new shoes, new movies. Wherever we go whether it be the supermarket or Target, she believes she deserves to get something. She is truly in a "me" centered world. And I don't think we have ever been excessive parents with her. Yes, she has a room full of toys and dolls but I know plenty of people whose kids have a lot more toys than Cecilia. When I told her I was leaving to France, her first question was: "are you going to bring me something?" No questions about why or how long. The only other question was "why can't I go too, you took me when I was a baby?" I was almost comforted by this question. At least she had some other interest than acquiring more "stuff."
We've decided to put her in a soccer mini-league to help her learn some athletic skills as well as (hopefully) some concentration. In typical fashion her main concerns were 1. "winning the soccer trophy" and 2. wearing the "right" clothes. I succumbed to buying her the right clothes, though hesitated, because she did look rather ridiculous in her plaid bermuda shorts. I've never bought her sportswear because I'm such a sucker for nice clothes. Alas, in this situation it was only appropriate. Soccer is not the most feminine sport but I figure she can always take ballet later. I need something that will wear her out! And she's going to take violin as well. Keeping my fingers crossed on the concentration there.
I'm off to pack--my least favorite thing in the world. It just makes me anxious. I hope to take lots of pictures and come back with lots of stories about the French. Stay tuned.

Marcelo's First Trip to France May 2007

Since I did a post on Cecilia's first trip to France, I thought it only fair that I do one for Marcelo too. He was only three months when we took him for the first time. He was always a calm baby--until now when he's starting to get into quite a bit of mischief. I had forgotten what a baldie he was. He does have some hair now, a strawberry blonde tone. This trip was in May 2007, he went again in November 2007. Little boys are definitely completely different than little girls, it is hard to explain, but as a mother you simply feel differently towards them. Something I haven't quite figured out is that it was instinctual for me to speak to Cecilia in Spanish from the time she was born. Not so with Marcelo, somehow his blue eyes and pale skin remind me so much of his father that I speak to him in English! I have to correct this or he will never learn Spanish. Cecilia spoke only Spanish until she started going to school and now she prefers English. I have her in Spanish camp for one month and I do think it is helping. I do miss the days when she thought I spoke no English and would translate whatever my husband said. It was so sweet. We have to decide when we'll introduce French as well. Hopefully when they are a bit older we can spend some summers in France.

on the airplane

with Martine from Paris

with my father on a Parisian bridge along the Seine

the watermill in Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue

lunch at a cafe in Isle

Cecilia's First Trip to Paris July 2004

Cecilia's first buying trip to Paris was in July of 2004, at which time she was 6 months old. She behaved very well and let my father and I do all of our antique buying without interfering. Many dealers just fell in love with her and showered her with adorable gifts, like the rattan chair she is sitting on in the last picture. Like a good little tourist I had to take pictures of her with the Bateau Mouche on the Seine, with the Eiffel Tower, and Notre Dame Cathedral.
One of the best stories to have come from this trip was meeting Etienne Montigny. On the plane on the way over, we shared a central aisle with a couple who also had a baby, a little boy named Etienne who was a few months older than Cecilia. He was going to France to meet his extended family for the first time. We talked for a while and I took pictures of Cecilia's first flight experience.
Three years later, Cecilia started school at the Growing Place, a local preschool at the Methodist Church. She quickly began telling me about her favorite friend, Etienne. Soon enough we were invited to his birthday party, a few blocks away from our house. Once there I began to join in the French conversations since the majority of the guests were French. Emmanuelle, Etienne's mother, asked me how it was that I was fluent in French, and I began to explain that I am an antiques dealer and go to France 3 or 4 times each year. She paused and replied, "You know I've heard this story before, we were on a plane once..." Immediately we realized that our kids were the babies that had flown side by side and we had had this same conversation on that Air France flight to Paris! What a small world, and the chances that Etienne and Cecilia now got along together so well.
Here they are Etienne's Fourth Birthday Party at Merrie Christmas Park. They are still good friends and hopefully will be for a long time. The Montignys will be in our Cottage Living entertaining feature scheduled to print in January 2009.