So today’s my birthday! Yay! I’m 21! I got up at 10:30 and after going to the bathroom a minute later the kids were at door giving kisses and saying “Bon Anniversaire Ereen!” Salome even drew me a card. She’s so sweet. Actually, the boys did too, but they didn’t finish theirs until later in the morning. When I went upstairs to make my coffee and toast David was singing “happy birthday” in English. It was so funny because he was yelling and so out of tune. We all had breakfast together (well David and I did). The kids had already eaten, but were still in the room. The rest of the morning was spent in pjs with Salome burning her a CD of American music off my computer. She really wanted my “cool English songs” before I left. At noon Geraldine got home from work and started baking a cake. She said it was for Noa’s bday though (which happens to be tomorrow). At lunch we all ate together outside. It was really nice out. We had chicken and coucous with really good sauce. When we finished it was just me and Salome at the table talking. I didn’t realize she was distracting me. Geraldine, David, and the boys came back out a minute or two later and sang Happy Birthday, once again in English, and presented me the warm cake right out of the oven (which I believed was for Noa). It had 17 candles on top (Geraldine said it was all the candles she could find in the house.) and it was so good! It was covered in confectionary sugar on top. She handed me two envelopes. The first had 300 euro (my July paycheck) and the second had another 50 euro (for my bday). She said she would have bought me something but she didn’t know what I would like. She figured this way I could spend my day off shopping. I kissed her and said thanks. Y’all I love my French family! They are too nice.

I left the house about 1:30 for Paris and knew exactly what I was going to do with the money. I headed to Montmartre (where Sacre Coeur is) and found the street of artists. I found one after searching forever whose work I really liked and asked her to draw me. She took over an hour doing my portrait, but it turned out great! So many people walking by said “wow”, “it looks great”, etc. It came to 40 euro, which I knew, but that’s what I wanted for my bday. I know have a priceless souvenir of my 21st bday in Paris.  The only thing is she marked the date on the bottom as July 31st and not August 1st. Oh well. It’s not the end of the world. The other thing is, she wouldn’t let me smile. I had to keep a still face. The picture still looks great, but I feel like I look sad in it. Today definitely wasn’t a sad day.

When I left I headed to the Royal Palace Gardens (just for you mum) and took a few pictures. Next I went to a cafe and ordered an “American coffee”. It was so good. I bought a pair of sunglasses, just like Geraldine’s very chic Chanel ones for 10 euro. (Mine obviously are not from Chanel.) On my way home, I saw a man wearing a Red Sox hat on the metro, and not only was he wearing their hat, but also a Red Sox tshirt. Is today my birthday or what. It was so nice seeing that. All you ever see is Yankees’ stuff here in Paris. It was nice to see a little Boston today. The man and I talked for a good 10 minutes on the metro. He’s French but he lived in Boston for 3 years a while back. His English was good and his little son that was with him was so cute.

When I got home I showed my family my portrait and Salomé loved it. She said “c’est toi..tellement!” (It’s you…really you!) She was so cute. David was in the process of making fruity cocktails for their dinner party and Geraldine was getting prettied up. When their dinner guests arrived, David called me outside and handed me a glass of champagne for the toast. They all toasted (like 8-10 people) for me, for my birthday. It was so sweet. When dinner rolled around…not till after 9, I ate with the kids inside (there were two extra kids tonight “Laurice and Sage”). I didn’t mind though. I liked having a low key night. Overall it was a really fun birthday. Yay, I’m 21!

Pictures: My cake (what’s left of it), card, and portrait. Picture of me is at the “butte” of Montmartre.