Kenji turns 11 - Joyeux Anniversaire mon bebe..

Kenji T. Rollin turns 11 in Paris!
Dear Kenji, I love you so much.  You are going to have a wonderful 11th year filled with joy and happiness. Your growing quickly, your so bright and handsome!!! and I'm so proud of you! How exciting your back in France where you were born!  We are going to have so much fun.

What will we see and do today?

And where will this day take us?

To the Aquariam de Paris! 
The perfect pick for my nature lover.

And then off to have some tasty treats!

and then - a cozy birthday celebration at home! 
On the Menu: Dinner: Raclette (cheese melted on a special grill then poured over potatoes!) and strawberry-peach cake plus a Chocolate Fondue for le dessert!

 Happy 11th  Birthday Kenji..

- xoxo mama et papa.

dear coffee: Thank You

Dear Coffee, thank you for keeping me sane throughout all of this. I know I can count on you. Thanks for being there when I need you most!

our apartment, France on strike and snails for dinner - What do they all have in common?

Our apartment search is going very slow and the situation in France and the strike is a getting a little sticky for my taste. However Kenji and Keo are having a great time picking snails out of their shells and eating them at dinnertime. How are you?
Our apartment securing is not going anywhere at this moment. With the country shut down, nothing is working, no one is working and....there is NO GAS. I have half a tank left and still lot's of driving to do. Yikes! What am I to do? I drive up to gas stations expecting this ridiculous joke to be finished, waiting for someone to pop out behind the gas pump and say "Just Kidding Gisa! Ha! Here you go, here's your gas, now get on your way, Oh wait! -here, don't forget your Kroger sticker!! Chop Chop.
- This situation is just not amusing anymore. The first few days were kind of funny, but um.. now? not funny, little scary. This is not funny anymore..where the hec am I? 
Striking in France:
In France it is quite common to strike, in fact, the right is guaranteed in the French constitution, with the public sector having the highest frequency. The last major, long-lasting national strike took place in 1996, in a response to the 'Plan Juppé;' it lasted for over a month. Every year in France has one public sector strike, usually lasting one day.

In this country striking is just part of the process. There is little bargaining or between management and workers before things get to the decision stage. I find this very strange. At that point, management acts and the workers respond. The concept of collective bargaining does not exist in France. It is not uncommon at the national or local level for teachers, doctors, and transport workers to strike - be it long term or just for a day or so. SNCF (National French train company) strikes seem to be the ones that are the most disrupting, people wait hours for a train that was suppose to be there hours ago! And France depends greatly on its rail system. This disruption is affecting the whole country! And what is causing all this disruption? - A raise in retirement age from 60 to 62 years old and from 65 -67 for full pension access. You can read more about it here.

Apartment Search: For Rent: "A Louer"

So how has this affected our apartment search and hospital visiting? Well, I am very careful on gas and JM is on internet now from the hospital looking for what gas stations are open or have gas so I can go directly there.I really can not handle any more driving up to gas stations, waiting 30 mintues in line only to find people waving their hands  yelling "no more gas, no more gas" Seriously, I feel like I should go stock up on milk or something.
Regrading our apartment search: We have narrowed our choices to two apartments 
and luckily even though their computer systems are down they can still receive faxes. So today I faxed all the paperwork (again) and will call tomorrow morning. Then once they say YES or Oui! to us we can get our cute little key and move in! exciting!!! I was hoping to have all this done before JM gets out of hospital. We will see...it's Wednesday again already.

I have to say though, I'm kinda glad we are not going to be living in Paris for these reasons. Fontainebleu is only 40 minutes away (Blacksburg-Roanoke) and it is just the cutest most peaceful little town you can imagine. All the life of a city and the charm in security of a village. No worries of strikes there!

Could one of these windows above be ours?

 Could this be our cute rooftop view?

 

My bedroom view???

 

Our Bathroom? Look at that tub! 

Kitchen?

Errrr.. snails for dinner?  

Mr. Crayfish, would you mind going apartment searching for me please? Oh I knew you wouldn't mind! Thank you!!! And if that mean lady at the agency gives you some of her broken computer nonsense again will you pinch her for me in the you know what? Oh you will? Thank you!

"dear blacksburg" it's been a month of shared apartment living with family, it's been interesting...Last night I was brushing my teeth in peace when a second later I found myself in the corner of the bathroom toothbrush in mouth with my sister-in-law and her husband - joining right in without a bother..you gotta love it, oh the closeness...

What really seemed to get me though was, when they closed the door, and the space which is already small, got even smaller. I don't know if was me not having access to the closed door...or just being in a confined space with three people, all brushing our teeth and smiling at each other that made me feel funny...I will leave the pajama ( or sans pajama details out for now...

-Anyhow -for today, we are thankful for a warm place to sleep and food in our belly. 

The boys? They are adjusting slowly and a not always with a smile on their face. I didn't realize how savage my children were until lately. Were they this rambunctious in Blacksburg ..(I can hear everyone nodding their head).. or do we all have major cabin fever? Above captures a rare moment when they are quiet and peaceful, tending to their own interests, in the hallway of our current apartment where they can have some space to call their own. Can't you just see the glowing halos above their heads?! Oh this precious moment between two little brothers.

JM's Hospital stay:

JM is in the middle of his first full week of overnight exams. He went in on Sunday and will be out this weekend. Up until now he has had full day exams or 2-3 day exams but no over night stays. This is the first of many to come...The process has started, the initial exams are pretty much over, this is what we have been eagerly and patiently waiting for -and now here they are - knocking at our door..and we don't want to answer :(

The exam this week is for his heart. Monday was a tough day for him, the tests they ran were not pleasant and he was out of it when I spoke to him that evening. Tuesday we were able to visit him. Today he had more exams and tomorrow we will visit again. Next week he will have two one day appointments with Dr. Lozeron and Dr. Samual.

How does he feel JM? He sounds great, he is sad not to be with us this week though, he misses us..He looked fine, he was goofy as always and making jokes. 

Luckily we've been distracted here at home with family and a prospective apartment that is so close to belonging to us that I can smell it! I feel like a cat trying to chase a mouse. How can their computers be down for 3 days already? And every time I call to see if their computers are up and running she says "oh no Madam, I thought I already told you that yesterday!"

I will end this long post with a picture taken before JM went in on Sunday,

Good night and hugs and kisses to all..

france "a la campagne" (french country side)

 

One of my favorite things to admire while out and about are the beautiful and quaint windowsills of France. The faded shutters,the ornate iron balconies, the tall french windows... just look!

Beauty. Simple beauty. 

 Keo will start French public school soon...all in French, not one word of English!

So far, his French language consists of:

"Je veux" - "I want"

"Bon Bon" - "Candy"

Bon chance Keo!

pretty simple things

In this time of chaos and uncertainty, I'm stopped in my tracks, in my mind, by this simple, little, perfectly topped strawberry. Have you ever seen anything so perfect? I'm certain that strawberry shortcake is going to pop out from behind it at any moment! ..Life is still sweet.

Do you know what these are?

Chataignes! It's chataignes hunting and gathering season. (Chestnuts?)

  Finding your food in nature, Kenji's specialty, yum!

Hunt, Gather, Eat... Happy Halloween?

We're doing a lot of scooby-doo watching on the computer lately...What does scooby-doo have to do with this picture of this innocent man at the cafe this afternoon? You tell me.

This is what my conversation with Kenji went like today:

Kenji: "Mom! Look at that guy over there! He looks just like the kinda guy from scooby-doo."

Me: "Which guy Kenji?"

Kenji: "The guy! You know, he looks like the guy at the end of scooby doo... the bad guy, the guy who get's caught at the end and his mask get's yanked off... and, and the mystery gang say "Old Mr. Hinkley!?" and then he says "Well if it wasn't for you meddling kids I would've gotten away with it!"

Me: "What is it exactly that makes you think of him being a scooby doo bad guy? 

Kenji:  "mom, just look at his shirt and sweater, it's exactly what the secret bad guys wear in scooby doo, and he has that mad kinda smirk on his face!"

Me: "Oh..."

I'm not sure how to introduce this picture above. I've got bitter sweet feelings about it.

Last Sunday we took the kids on a river boat ride. The boat ride we took offered a dinner on board. 

Oh - Look what's on the menu! ..Petunia.

Kids special. great...

But actually the sign also says, translated: "The Cruise of the Exploring Petunia". How fitting. So, we went on the boat ride, Petunia's boat ride, enjoyed ourselves and our little dinner, and honored Petunia on the Seine River.

-----------
We have a rough week ahead. These pictures, posts keep me somehow grounded and in touch with you, a place to show the funny things and beautiful things France has to offer.
Jm goes in for one week starting Sunday. Will post with funny things I am very sure to find at the hospital.

Hugs to Blacksburg.

dear airport acres

 

dear Dehart Street...

and dear Sashi...

dear house, car and boat, grass and trees...

dear messy airport-acres porch..and happy door..

 dear lazy days,

and happy garden children,

dear garden tomatoes...

and garden plot..

~Thank you

Hugs and Kisses 

bonjour!

Simbad in Paris!

There are some things in Paris besides the delicious chocolate pastries, that I instantly want to  devour and shove down into my secret inspiration vein. And I want to do this before anyone else around me can lay their eyes them. It's a very selfish feeling. An "all mine, no one else can look at this" kinda feeling.

I love some things so darn much it hurts, my eyes get this raw aching feeling just staring at them. I feel my eyelids peeling back to get a better look and I don't know if they are going to stop! I seriously have no control over them and I worry I must look like some psycho mad American women out of a horror film just standing there. AND then I remember I have my camera on me. I take my pictures and run out of the store with my loved images in my hands and my eyes back to normal. 

This chocolate sign below spoke to me. It said "take a bath with me.." I loved this sign so much I wanted to cover it up with a blanket for only my eyes to see. ....Weird no?

                                                 Oh Happy Colors, Happy Faces.

"French Plate Princesses meet Peruvian Princess"

Happy French-plate princesses, are you inviting me to have a tea party? I think so!..Can you be my new friends? Can we meet in the garden for tea then, pick some innocent zucchini? Can we play Apples to Apples after dark? Have a wine tasting party?  Oui?

 

Something about French cursive writing above and below that is extremely inviting and kind "join us for tea, eat your quiche, step inside and have a baguette, drink this chocolate sign"

Very happy Keo in magical toystore

Dear Friends, it has been more than a few weeks now that we search for a place to call home. I am still not sure to go with the one I have in mind. I'm tired of searching, of getting excited only to be disappointed by the fact the apartment I love is 6 flights of stairs high, or only available in December.. Why don't they tell me these things over the phone? *note to myself " don't assume the apartment is available asap even though the ad says available asap, and always always ask what floor it's on and if there is an elevator." Having a small bit of grass for the kids is a bit lower on my list now, but I still very much need 70m2 + to live in and Kenji NEEDS his own room desperately . He is soon to be 11, and Keo is just being Keo at full force . Sensing Kenji needs some space. He looks bigger these weeks too :)

Baby boy...born October 26, 1999 in Fontainebleau, France

J'adore Paris

 Crunch. I look at this and take a bite out of it.

 As Mackenzie would say "it's the Leaning tower of Paris" in the distance.

Une Madam, serious madam, w/ glasses, hat, coat and as always, cigarette.

I don't know how to quite explain it. I feel like everything I have been taught.. and everything that I have taught my own kids has basically been thrown out the window. This is just one very very small thing for example.-- Why, she has no helmet. The mother drove in and out of traffic bouncing around the outside of our car, in front of buses and in between minis all the while her baby bunckin in basket. And no one looked twice.

-I love my handy camera.-- reminder to myself : don't leave home without it.

 OK. Jean-Marc and I are looking for an apartment to rent. We have been looking for 2 weeks now. We started looking in Fontainebleau, and then started to look in Paris....well, this is what we found..in Paris. Here ladies and gentlemen we have a "very comfortable apartment, good condition, kitchen,water closet with wood floors, 6th floor with elevator, nice view" sounds great. ---Oh, wait, does that say 12 meters squared? ...Perfect, just enough to put my toe in. 

So we headed back to Fontainebleau where the space of meters sqaured is a bit larger and the price a bit smaller. Here is my checklist:

- I need a F4 (meaning 4 pieces as they say, meaning 4 rooms not counting bathroom and kitchen.

-I would like it to be on the first floor for easy access for JM after op.

-I would like this apartment on the first floor to have a small garden/yard for Kenji and Keo to play in, that can be 12 m2 thank you.

-I would like the kids to have their own room and JM to have an office...that would be an F5 though if I were to count in a living space. Asking for a bit much here.

-I would like it to be furnished for the short time period we are here. Kitchens as you  may or may not know are not furnished. What does that mean?????Means no stove, no oven, no fridge, no cabinets, nothing, nada, not one thing except a kitchen sick. A  very naked kitchen.

-I would like this furnished apartment to be close to town since finding a parking space is impossible. So, I need this place to be close to the schools... but more importantly to shops, bakeries and art galleries!

-And lastly, something under $1200/month. good luck to me.

I think that is all I ask. That's my checklist. 

So far? ...still searching.

But- I have seen:

-A very beautiful third story apt. with a breath taking view. ..Maybe another time...I truly fell in love with it.

-A very elegant 1st floor apt, although it looked more like a wing of the Napoleon Chateau. Huge, gorgeous, museum like, original artwork on the ceilings, just imagine!!!

-and a very old charming french house. Very cute but very old and unfurnished, needed a lot of fix up. maybe another time again.

(deep sigh....) I will find our house. I know it's there somewhere, somewhere out there waiting for our little family to move in,

And to finish off this long post, I introduce you to the small black bunny of Paris. You will find him bouncing around town into and out of small places! He catches you by surprise when you least expect it.  I've seen him twice now and along with some other interesting things that just are there with no reason. Like a secret society!!

Good night friends, still missing you, still missing  Blacksburg, our routine, our very furnished and spacious home. 608 Dehart Street.

 Night Sashi, Simbad, Petunia.

Kisses.