Where are we?

The last few days of the boys' vacance de printemps (is that close?) have flown by. Friday we went on a buying spree, combined with visits to some new parts of town (for us). Betsy had seen some promising craigslist ads, so we went over to the 13eme arrondissement. It's a direct 6-train ride, and near Chinatown where Calvin and I had visited last week. We were enticed by rugs, but ended up making offers on several other things at a moving sale - bookcase, dining table, curtains, and a chair. Tomorrow after the boys are at school I (Chris) will head over, meet the "man with a van" to load it up, and bring it home. After we left there on Friday, we were intent on visiting a toy store that I fondly remember from a previous visit. First, we walked past the Gobelins tapestry factory, then stopped for lunch at a lovely sunny cafe, eating outside. Calvin's theme of the last few days seems to be flirting shamelessly while sitting at cafes - I think he's really French! - and I realized after a while why he kept turning around in his chair, to look through the window and smile at the lady inside. After a lovely lunch, we found the toy store with Betsy's reconnaisance help, but they were closed for two weeks. Ah, la France!

We walked through the Mouffetard, a classic scruffy student-quarter market area, and found a fallback toy store. This occupied us all happily for a while. The shopkeeper, like many we've found in Paris, was so eager and happy to share his various wares that it was infectious. We found a couple of workbooks with puzzles to help learn French, and a couple of those cheap foam airplanes to fly at our next destination, the Arenes de Lutece. These "ruins" from the Roman era are one of only two surviving structures dating back that far in Paris. We had a very nice time basking in the sun, assembling and flying our airplanes, exploring the arena, and plaing ice-cream shop in the playground. Carter's fascinated that when the arena was first rediscovered in the 1860s, having been lost for 1800 years, they used it ... to park buses.

By this time, we were getting a bit worn out from the walking and sun, and we had an appointment back in the 7eme to look at some smaller sale items. We met our seller at her apartment, and while I bought some small tables and lamps and such, the boys talked her out of some small handle sacks from jewelry stores. They were very funny - it was hard to tell them not be beg and cajole, sinc ethey were excited about such small things. She and they were pleased to make the deal.

By this time it was time to get home and start dinner, so we headed that way. By the time we got home and chilled for a few though, I sure dind't feel like cooking, so we went out with Betsy to the Malaysian place they'd eaten with Marilyn the previous week, while Carter and I were at the PSG match. It was very yummy - we'll probably drag visitors there, so be warned. Cooking lesson - mango makes everything better.

Our weekend was filled with French study (Betsy and Carter), markets, errands, and meeting new friends. Saturday afternoon and evening we went to visit Monica Bose, a former EPAer whose husband has been transferred here. The boys hit it off with her girls (6 and 1.5). We spent hours at the Trocadero, Calvin and the girls in the big sandbox, and Carter talked his way into a pickup soccer match with all French boys and played 'til he was ready to drop. He had a blast, then when we got back to their apartment, he and Tuli camped at the computer while Calvin and Koli played together and separately. Calvin saw a Fisher-Price bus like his old one, and was briefly quite sad that he hadn't seen his in so long (and won't - it's long gone). So he reminisced for a while and enjoyed it. We had a lovely dinner, then got home pretty late - so much for getting back to the school schedule.

Today we went to the market, then came home and made lunch. Another EPAer (actually, two-EPAer family) is moving here in July, and are here for a week's vacation and investigation. They came over mid-afternoon, and Carter and Calvin really enjoyed playing with their 6 and 3 year-olds. We planned to have an afternoon in the Champs de Mars, but about 10 minutes after we arrived, the storm clouds rolled in, and we unsuccessfully raced the rain back to our apartment. So instead of park and picnic, it was toys and quiche, but we managed to have a nice time. Tomorrow, I watch their boys while they go look at apartments.

So that's it for the vacation. The boys are ready to go back to school, even if they're a bit anxious about starting again - too close to starting over. They will get back into it quickly though I'm sure, and I will be able to clean this place up and finish some last major errands before starting language classes in 10 days.

(Hey, if anybody's actually reading this, please let us know. It's been a bit harder to find the time to post lately and I think I need some recharging enthusiasm.)