I had my first french lesson this week. We are learning to count and write numbers.  I still find it quite odd on the numbers once you hit 70.  There is no number for 70- rather it is 60 plus 10, 60 plus 11, etc., Then 80 is quatre-vingts, or four 20's.   The teachers response to the number 99 ( four twenties plus nineteen) was that it is all quite logical.   I need to learn how to write numbers as well because anytime I need to write a check it takes me at least 5 minutes to figure it out.  The french have such pride in their language.  It's funny- I think they prefer that you attempt to speak french then revert to English because they can't take hearing their language butchered.

One afternoon @1:30 while Luciana was at gymnastics class, I decided to sit outside her gym and work on my french homework- just writing in a notebook my two verb forms and practicing writing numbers.   A Frenchman came up to me smiling and rattled off something I couldn't get at all.  I said I didn't speak french and he replied " I was just saying about how impressive it was that you were working so hard in the middle of this sunny day"  (keep in mind french have a 35 hour work week and often have a long break for lunch from 12-2.   During these times nearly everything shuts down).  I showed him what I was doing and he sat next to me, corrected all my homework and took off on his bike with his tennis racket.


I went to the grocery store the other day and grabbed what I thought were the sausages I normally get. When I got home I noticed that it said Andoulliette and it looked a bit odd.  I chopped it all up, added potatoes and onions and served it up.   Kids told me it was a bit different but still ate it all.  I googled it after dinner and turns out it is pig's intestines.  I will never tell them. On second thought, I will at just the opportune time.

Alex had his first field trip at school.  They went to Il de Cite- visiting Notre Dame and took a cruise on the Siene.  He also had to bring 5 euros.  As part of the field trip, he had to order either a crepe or ice cream in French to a street vendor.  Alex had been practicing all week.  I told him that I was going to Paris that day as well and his advice was for me to watch for pickpocketers and to wear a jacket in case it rains.

A boy from Olivia's class has been emailing her all week.   He is from Korea.  It is obvious he has a crush on her and its fun that she is letting me read everything and asks for advice. I hope that we will always have this close trusting relationship because I have a feeling that I am going to have my hands full with Emilia.  I found her flirtatiously wrestling a boy who is two years older than her in the playground.  All giggles and throwing her hair back- Lord help me!

Chris joined me this week for another of my Paris tours. We went to Le Marais.  We had come here as a family last weekend, visiting Bastille.  Going on a guided tour was much better.  We learned of of its historic significance as it was located within the kings passage from the Louvre to St. Vincennes.  It is interesting as you walk through the narrow crooked streets- you will find mansions or hotels particuliers still intact.  One which we saw is now the Musee Carnavelet.   Le Marais is also the location of Place des Vosges. Henry IV built the square.  He wanted uniformity and all the homes facades were to be identical.  Victor Hugo lived in one of the apartments while he wrote Les Miserables.

One of the oldest building- built in 1506.  Today is rented out as an apartment.

A hotel particulier owned by Catherine Henriette Bellier 1654.  The king hired her to "initiate Louis XIV into manhood" when he was around 14. She was obviously paid quite well!

One of the original walls enclosing all of Paris- now a playground for the high school. 

A church wall where Louis XIII and XIV hearts were once buried.  When a king dies- there bodies are buried in St. Denis but they choose where they want their hearts to be buried. 

The only statue of Louis XIV that survived the revolution.  It is now in the courtyard of Musee Carnavalet.

Place des Vosges

Chris took off for the states early today and asked the kids what they wanted him to bring back from Chicago.  Alex said Mac and Cheese, Luciana said her friends Zoe and Sophia and Emilia said a piece of her friend Blakely's hair....anyway I caught the kids this morning all dressed in black pretending to be ninjas.  They had tied the hose to two trees and were trying to make Luciana a human catapult- so I decided we better get out of here and drove into Paris.  I took the kids to A La Mere de Famille.  It is the oldest candy store in all of Paris- dating back 250 years.  Of course- we bought way too much chocolate.

We then picked up a friend of Olivia's and went to Jardin d'Acclimation.  We went there our first week in Paris and the kids had a great time again...It is a bit expensive but with Chris away it makes it easier to entertain 4 kids- or in todays case- 5 kids!

Kids are always singing songs in French. I found many videos on my phone that I assume were directed by Olivia. I am sharing a few below. It is funny because Emilia and Alex have the best accents. They are always correcting me with my "r" sound. Luciana says a few things in french at random moments and mostly to herself. I asked Luciana who her friends are at school. She replied, "Eleanor and the girl with the blue jacket. And the girl with the gray coat loves me too. The boy with orange coat is not nice to me" She can't seem to get the french names yet!