Guess what? Yep! It rained!

I got up this morning at 11. I slept in because I didn’t get to bed last night till 2:30ish. For lunch we had sausage and rice. It was really good and filling. I love when I have filling food because then I won’t snack in the middle of the afternoon like I’m accustomed to. People just don’t snack here, so I’m trying to stop to fit it more….haha….assimilation is the key! Well after lunch, I put Noa down for a nap and played with Salome for a little while. We played hangman (both in French and in English) for literally an hour or two. We were trying to pass the time till she had to leave to go to a friend’s birthday party. During this time, Sacha fell asleep on the couch and before Geraldine left for work she told me to go ahead and let him sleep but when I put the kids to bed tonight, he can stay up an hour later like Noa because he rested this afternoon. She also told me that David fell asleep too, so that when Salome and I come in the house (we were on the deck) to be quiet. We all laughed because the 3 boys were sleeping and the 3 girls were up and doing stuff.

Salome left around 2 for her party and Katja called just about that time to see what time Noa got up from his nap. I told her usually around 3-3:30 and that afterwards we could go to the park. She asked me if I had been outside recently because it was raining. I didn’t believe her because Salome and I had been outside for two hours after lunch, but nope, she was right. It had begun to rain. She then proceeded to invite Sacha and Noa (et moi!) over for the afternoon for a play date. I told her that was a good idea and that the boys would love to, once they woke up. I told her I’d see her around 4 because I’d have to get the boys up and dressed, etc. Well once the two of them woke up and I told them we were going over to Tom’s house, they darted up stairs quicker than lightning to find their clothes. They were so excited. David, who was awake by now, but unaware of our afternoon plans said he’d never see the boys want to do something so fast before. Sacha explained to his dad that we were headed over to Tom’s. David said no at first, because he hadn’t realized Katja and I had already arranged it. He thought we were all just going to stop over. I explained to David that’s why Katja had called earlier and that Noa was invited too. He said that was really nice of me to organize the play date with Katja and made both boys give me kisses and say thanks for arranging a rainy day play date.

David left a little before we did for work (p.s. he bought a new motorcycle so he goes to work again everyday in Paris but not till mid afternoon), so we were going off Sacha’s directions on how to get to Tom’s house. I had never been to the house before, so all my trust was in Sacha. I was a little worried after our 2 lefts and a right that we were getting ourselves lost, but to my surprise, his 5 year old brain remembered the way correctly.

(OH! Here’s a funny story: Lucy (Tom’s mom/Katja’s host mom) accidently did the laundry the other day (because Katja had the day off) and didn’t check the kid’s pockets before throwing everything into the wash. Well, she failed to see Zoe’s cell phone (which Katja uses…just like me (I use Salome’s cell phone)) and it drowned! HAHA….Katja said that when Lucy explained the story to the kids Zoe almost cried because it didn’t work, but Katja (trying to make things better) announced “well at least we know we’re the cleanest family on the street. we’re so clean we even wash our cell phones”.) Anyway, because of this story, the cell phone that Katja normally uses doesn’t work, and so I couldn’t call her today on the way to their house if we had gotten lost, so needless to say, I am very happy Sacha’s memory served him well.

When we arrived, Katja said she had just made crepes and offered all of us some. We of course accepted. They were really good too. I’m thinking I’ll have to make them sometime this week with the kids since they’re really only flour and milk. How easy! I had one with jelly and then had to finish Sacha’s crepe with Nutella afterwards. They were really good and the boys were very appreciative. Of course the 5 year olds secluded the 3 year old all day, so Noa stayed downstairs with us. It’s ok though. We made some very unique plaster of paris figurines. They dried within an hour, so when that was done, we painted them. When the 5 year olds finally came downstairs after a while of hiding themselves in Tom’s room, they were jealous to see our animal figurines painted and bedazzled. Oh well, they want to be too cool for the 3 year old? That’s fine, we’ll be too cool for the 5 year olds. (We just really felt bad for Noa.) Actually, the boys were really bad today. Tom and Sacha were acting “too cool” for their nannies and really getting on our nerves. They were being rude and unappreciative of having a play date. And they were mean to Noa the whole time.

When we got home at 7, Salome was just getting home from the birthday party. I gave the boys baths and they fought the entire time. Noa became a terror. He threw things and tried to hit me so many times. For dinner we had left overs from last night, so that was easy, but dinner was a diaster. Noa dumped the entire bag of Parmesean cheese on his pasta (on purpose) and it was a mess. The entire bag y’all! Can you imagine! It was bad. Sacha was badmouthing his brother the whole time and Noa said “ta gueule” (shut the f*** up) in response the entire meal. I don’t know where he learned that word from but I know that it means and I know to never say it. Everytime Noa said it Salome smacked him, which I was very happy about, because I wanted to, but I couldn’t…because he’s not my child. But if he were….that’s another story. Oh my gosh, he’s 3….how do 3 year olds learn words like that? It baffles me.

After dinner Salome took her shower and went to bed. The boys got to stay up longer, so while they watched TV for an hour, I brought a basket of laundry upstairs to fold while they settled down for bed. When Geraldine got home, she put the two boys in bed, and I finished the laundry. She started making dinner for herself and I came downstairs to blog and then head to bed. Katja and Valentina are heading into Paris tomorrow morning at 9. I have to work in the evening, but not till 5. I figured I could still go with them and leave the city early to be home on time. I want to go to church, but Valentina’s skipping, and at the same time I really want to skip too. It’s so much better sightseeing when you’re with other people. It’s more fun, and you have someone there to talk to, and take pictures with, etc. However, I’m going into Paris Monday because Jessica Head, Grant Reeves, Jacob Morrison, and Jessica’s brother (friends from AU) are going to be in Paris. They’re only here for 3 days and they’re arriving tomorrow afternoon. I told them I’d meet up with them, so I don’t know if I want to go to Paris tomorrow and Monday, but at the same time, who am I kidding? It’s Paris! Of course I want to go! I haven’t decided what I’m going to do, but I’m going to head to bed now (it’s 11:30) in case I want to get up and go with the girls in the morning.

Pictures: The boys eating their crepes, and me (with my second one!)