an adjustment period

It would appear that the start of first grade is quite an adjustment period.

I suppose it would have been for Max and Lucas as well, but I just don't remember. Maybe because I had another little one at home to distract me at the time.

She couldn't wait for kindergarten to be over so she could move on to first grade. She couldn't wait to get a lunch box so she could take her lunch to school and stay all day. I was similarly excited.

But now that it's here, there have been quite a few mornings where she hasn't wanted to go to school.

Maybe she needs more sleep – maybe she's just a little tired and cranky. Maybe her little cold is getting her down. Maybe she misses having lots of time at home (I could certainly understand that).

Maybe that big backpack weighs more heavily on her shoulders than I thought.

Even more surprising to me than her school reluctance is the way I miss her when she's gone. (Not enough to keep her home, mind you!) Especially when she goes to play with a friend after school, then I feel as though I've hardly seen her all day, and it is such a stark contrast to having my little buddy around all the time.

But then she starts whining about not wanting to clean her room or practice piano and I remember what it's like having a constant buddy all the time.

I tell you, motherhood is perpetually perplexing.

not quite wordless Wednesday

{horrible photo I snapped from my car}

I don't know if I could ever buy anything from this boutique, no matter HOW cute it was! Seriously.

two things

1. Eva has been having an OCD-like compulsion to wash her hands.

She washes her hands like a surgeon scrubbing in for surgery.

She washes her hands for far too long, and sometimes multiple times in a row.

She has developed rashes on her wrists and fingers from too much hand-washing.

She has been banned from hand-washing until her skin heals, and is only allowed to use a bit of hand sanitizer for the time being.

It's completely counter-intuitive to tell your child not to wash her hands.



2. She has her first loose tooth.

My kids get their teeth late and lose their teeth late. She has been waiting for this for a long time.

Still. My heart hurts a little bit that my baby is leaving this stage of childhood behind. Soon she will have those big, awkward permanent teeth. Soon she may no longer be 100% cute.

How can you simultaneously be anxious for your children to grow and be more independent, etc. and yet want to hold them back, to keep them small for awhile longer?

This motherhood gig is perpetually perplexing.

Day 3 of summer cold

Why is it that quite often when I'm healthy, I'd like nothing more than to lie down and read all afternoon; yet when I'm sick and can't do much else, I am restless and wish I could tackle all kinds of projects around the house?? It's a real conundrum.

laid-back Tuesday

On Tuesday, we followed a very laid-back schedule. We decided to go to the Musée Marmottan, a smallish museum in the 16th arrondissement which is a former private residence (read: mansion) and houses a large collection of Monet's paintings. It's a lovely museum and doesn't get a lot of tourist traffic, both of which have great appeal.

{Photo by Jill}

Lucas didn't want to go with us, so we left him at home and took Max and Eva with us. Eva fell asleep on the way (sweet mercy!) and so we meandered to the museum in peace and quiet. We passed a small park that had a monument to La Fontaine (writer of French fables).

This illustrates Le Corbeau et Le Renard (where the fox flatters the bird by praising her singing voice and, when she starts to show it off, snatches the cheese that drops from her beak).

Will I ever tire of architectural details? I think not.

Sadly, photos were not allowed in the museum. We were disappointed, but after checking our purses and coats, we decided it was liberating and we could look and walk around unencumbered.

We asked ourselves questions, such as:

How in the world was Monet so very prolific?
Did he paint very fast or was he just dogged in his work?
Did his wife or friends ever wish he would stop painting water lilies?
How can an artist exhibit so many techniques and styles across a body of work?
How cool would it be to be friends with Manet and have him paint your portrait?
Why do we never hear about Berthe Morisot, a female painter who was one of Monet's contemporaries? (We saw some of her work and decided we were fans.)

After leaving the museum, we went to a nearby park, which is how I bribed Eva to accompany us to the museum in the first place. She was in heaven, and so were we. It was a beautiful day, pleasantly cool, and we had a great bench to settle into.

Jill wrote postcards. I read some more of The Count of Monte Cristo on my ipod. Max played with Eva.

She invented a game where she prances around and does "karate" with Max.

I am smitten with this photo of Jill.

On our way home, we spotted this cafe with silver chairs, lavender tables, and lovely upholstered chairs to coordinate indoors!

Max was so good to play with Eva, hold her, calm her, etc. We all got pastries, but she didn't want any. Seriously, who says that?? (I got a Congolais, which was a pyramid-shaped coconut treat that looked delicious but was not very good and sat like a rock in my stomach.)

I love the interaction of my children.

In all, it was a great day. Not hot, not rushed, and not too much negotiation necessary!