Procrastination. It's a problem for me. It's why I didn't even
think about trying to get a Christmas card photo while we were here until about two weeks ago (very little success). It's why I'm posting about our apartment the night before we leave Paris, when it should have been one of my very first posts... and I took the photos months ago, even. sigh. Nothing like leaving it to the last minute!
Anyway... hopefully better late than never.
Our building is located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. It's a wonderful location and we love our neighborhood. We have a metro stop right outside our apartment door, 5 different buses in close proximity, a grocery store across the street, a bakery right nearby, and lovely Rue Cler just a block away.
Our apartment is on the first floor, right above a book/stationery store. (I wish I had taken this picture when they were open.)
Lucas waving to me from one of our four front-facing windows.
Eva going out the front door. {Photo by Jill}
Our apartment dates from the end of the 19th century and has so much potential. It's got great bones. Unfortunately, it has been furnished piecemeal and on the cheap -- a little here and a little there, and most of it is IKEA from about 10 years ago. We have tried to spruce it up during our visits, but our improvements never seem to last. The darling upholstered chairs we bought at the flea market have since been thrown away.
When my parents visited in 2002, Mom brought some floral and accessories from her store for the apartment. We bought things at the flea market, too, and while she was here, we arranged many, many cute things on the mantels and walls.
The whole apartment was recently repainted and we were told not to hang anything on the walls. The red toile wallpaper that Marc hung in the master bedroom was stripped and now it's back to bare walls. Most of the things that Mom brought have disappeared. It's so sad. But no one from BYU seems to care, and even the other Study Abroad directors don't seem to want to make any improvements to speak of.
Entryway. When the weather turned cold, our coat rack was majorly overloaded. The tiny video screen lets us see who is ringing to be let into the building, and unlock the doors for them if they are invited guests.
Old armoire in the hall that houses the canister vacuum, a couple of tablecloths, and various shopping bags. Shopping caddy to the left. Ferns, flowers, and containers supplied by Mom in 2002 (some of the few things that survived).
W.C. (water closet), at the end of a long hall. The French really seem to be into colored toilet paper. And lightly scented. While it's annoying to have only one toilet, it is kind of handy to have it separate from the bath/shower. But it is kind of annoying to have to go to a different room to wash your hands. Also, the toilet is so old that it never looks clean, even when it is (I promise).
One view of the tiny kitchen. Small, European-size refrigerator. One small cupboard for pantry supplies. Easy-bake oven whose temperature fluctuates wildly. Gas stove whose lighter no longer works. Good thing I got over my fear of lighting matches! Cupboard doors that you can't close all the way or you can't open them again.
Another kitchen view. I can't wait to get back to my garbage disposal!! But at least we have a dishwasher now, I used to spend a
lot of time washing dishes here. Really, really hot water, due a small in-kitchen water heater. Tiny table with two chairs.
view from the kitchen window
A section of the dining room ceiling. Sometimes I sit in there, or in the family room, and just stare at the ceiling. The moldings are that beautiful.
Dining room/guest room. So classy. Married couples
love to sleep on bunk beds... our guests were very gracious about it.
Bookshelf in the dining/guest/cello practicing room. Flowers courtesy of Mom circa 2002.
The bathroom. The ceiling has been redone since our last stay, and now looks really nice instead of daring you to remain in the room. The mirror on the medicine cabinet is too high for the kids (or my mom) to see into without standing on a stool. The shower surround has sliding glass doors that collect water in the troughs and are nearly impossible to clean. Joy.
Another view of the bathroom where you can see our drying rack and the new washer that was installed just prior to our arrival! (We also have a dryer not visible in this picture.) Another thing you can't see: the bidet hiding back behind the shower. Never used it, in case you were wondering.
The desk in our bedroom. Always covered with Marc's laptop, books, receipts, student papers to grade, etc.
I could swear I took a picture of the new bed Marc bought with charcoal velvet upholstered headboard, but now I can't find it anywhere.
view from our bedroom
The one and only closet (and we consider ourselves lucky to have that!). Marc, Michelle, and Max's hanging clothes, two old rugs, an old iMac that may or may not work, warranty information on all of the apartment's appliances, and various other things like some sad little Christmas decorations and electrical stuff in the bins on the shelves.
The kids' bedroom. Max on the top bunk in a queen-size bed, Lucas in a queen-size bed sitting underneath, Eva on the separate twin. The boys didn't love sharing a room with Eva, but she really loved being in with her big brothers. Nighttime fears gone!! (Crossing my fingers that they will stay away when we get back home.)
Family/living room. The remaining items left from Mom's contributions and the chandelier we bought at a flea market in 2002. (Incidentally, the only light fixture in the whole apartment. All others are dangling bare bulbs.)
The family room. Lucas and Eva playing on the computer we brought from home, because there isn't a viable one in the apartment. That was a major pain. I guess I never took a picture of the broken red couch that has been needing a replacement for at least two years.
I love the windows and the geraniums!
View from the family room, looking left.
View from the family room, looking right.
The view straight ahead, tonight. Farewell, Eiffel Tower!
Tomorrow we leave at 7:00 a.m. for home.
Jessie and I saw this car in the temple parking lot.
She changed her tune when they wanted her to swish some purple liquid in her mouth to show where she needs to improve her (our) brushing habits. She just couldn't bring herself to do it, and they finally gave up. Then she had to get x-rays. Whoa, Nelly! That's when the screaming began, and they had to get out the big guns (the dentist himself). No cavities, though, so at least there was some good news.
- After picking Jessie and her girls up at the airport on Friday, we met Jill, Hannah, and Tasha at McDonald's. We never go to McDonald's, so it was kind of funny to meet up there, but even Lucas, Landon, and Whitney went off and played while we talked.
- Jessie spotted this license plate on the way home and with lightning reflexes got a picture of it for Max. It's just the kind of geeky thing he appreciates.
- Eva and Bella have been sleeping in Eva's bed together, heads at opposite ends. I'm not sure when the trundle bed lost its appeal, but it's pretty cute to see them snuggling up together. We have to keep going in to tell them to stop talking and go to sleep -- last night I started walking down the hall for about the 5th time and Eva saw me coming and flopped down on her pillow as fast as she could, eyes closed. It's exasperating, but funny.
- Jessie and I went to JoAnn's to get some fabrics for a lap quilt she wants to make. We saw a girl wearing these slippers in the store and thought it was too funny. She wasn't wearing pajamas, just regular clothes and fuzzy slippers. Oh, and she had an up-do. (I pretended to be taking pictures of cute Fiona to throw her off the scent...)
- The girls love playing at the top of the stairs. This is the scene I came upon yesterday. I love it.
- I think I've made peace with my hair. After feeling physically ill for a couple of days and then trying about 5 different ways to style it, I think I've finally found something I can live with. My boys told me I don't look frumpy. I know Marc doesn't love it, but my Young Women like it, so that's something. At least I don't feel like I look like a grandma anymore!
Jill was cracking me up with her pen woes. She bought a bunch of new ones, but they weren't writing and she had to keep scribbling to get the ink to flow. (I hate when that happens.) The funny part was her holding them up and saying "Scorn! Scorn!" I might have tried to get video of that, but she made sure I was only taking stills...
Sadly, the Land Before Time marathon never really happened. She watched part of one and then came out to sit with us and ask a million questions. Then she wanted to invite a neighbor over to play, which presented a whole new set of problems. (e.g., Eva was yelling and when I asked what the problem was, she said, "Sammy said I was four! I'm not four!" I explained that she would be four next month, but apparently that was irrelevant. Sammy just looked at me and shrugged in bewilderment.) Eva really needs more experience with playdates...
I worked on my birthday thank you cards and still managed to feel like I accomplished something, even with all of the interruptions. And anyway, Creative Friday is at least as much about reconnecting and laughter as it is about accomplishing things. (But accomplishing things sure does feel good, too.)
Holy cow, this is a bad picture of me. I was having a really ugly day -- one of those days where nothing could salvage my face or hair. (Why does that happen?) In any case, if it weren't for the tradition, I would not be posting a photo of us from this week!
Marc and I had both seen this product at Costco and been intrigued. Could it be good for our kids who are notoriously bad about eating fruits and vegetables? Could this nutrition boost help them not to get sick quite so often? I decided it was worth a try, so I shelled out the $30 for it yesterday.
1. Airport kiosks for surfing the net! Okay, so I've seen them before, but I've never investigated them. They're not really that expensive, and it's a good way to kill some time during a long layover.
keyboard in working position
keyboard "put away"
3. I don't think this requires any explanation.
4. Bella can turn anything -- and I mean anything -- into a toy. She engages in independent play better than any of my kids ever did. I so wish she could teach this skill to Eva.
5. Kudzu. Jessie informed me that it is nicknamed "the vine that ate the South". She had explained it to me, and even showed me pictures from a Google image search, but it was still shocking to see it in person. It just covers everything like a blanket. Wild.
6. Jessie is fortunate enough to have multiple climate zones in her van. I never thought anyone would want the temperature to be lower than me! It was kind of a happy moment to not be the hottest one around, and I savored it, knowing that a miraculous event like that was not likely to happen again.
7. Some seriously cute packaging that stopped me in my tracks at the grocery store.
8. Jessie might possibly be tiring of the hairless cats. (Or it may just be postpartum hormones.) I never thought I'd see the day. (But I would completely empathize.)
9. It's truly amazing to me that, of all the books that have been written, and all the books that I have read, a book can come along that feels this fresh and ground-breaking. So creative that there is honestly nothing else like it. It makes me feel hopeful. As does the character Oskar who says things like "Jose!" (As in, no way.) I loved it so much.
I haven't got much time to post tonight, so I thought I'd just leave you with this beautiful object... Denise, Mom, and Jessie and I saw this in Wal-mart over Thanksgiving weekend.
