It’s about time…

that I blogged about our trip to Paris last October.  Not as in October 2010 – we’re talking about October 2009.  LAST October.  The October that we celebrated (2 months early) our 10th wedding anniversary in Paris while my dear mother-in-law watched the children here in Heidelberg. 

You may wonder why I’ve taken such a long time to document such a FABULOUS experience (and fabulous it definitely was).  Well, the morning after we got back from my trip picked up my unbelievably jet-lagged father-in-law from the airport, finished an R2D2 cake, decorated the community room and played hostess to a gaggle of hyper-energetic 9 and nine year old boys.  The next day was Ian’s baptism.  You can read all about it here.  We then rushed head long into the holidays, ski season, spring break and soon were beyond the point of reasonable blogging. 

A couple of weeks ago we celebrated Ian’s ninth birthday.  I have great pictures from his party, I have an interview for him to complete and I’m dying to write all about it.  I would like, however, to share a few images from our Paris trip first.  I just can’t bring myself to get THAT far behind.  (As if it would make a difference at this point, but there it is.)  So, Paris….

Here I am on our first morning in Paris in front of Notre Dame.  I love the exterior of this cathedral.  I can’t look at it without thinking about the hunchback.  (The Victor Hugo version – not the Disney travesty.)  The interior, however is disappointing - probably because it was used at one point to house soldiers and animals.  I believe at one point they beheaded all of the statues on the facade as well.  Poor church.

I love the stained glass, though.

It can’t compare, however, with the stained glass in La Sainte Chapelle.  

     

La Sainte Chapelle is without doubt my favorite church in Europe.  It truly is amazing.  If you ever go to Paris, you MUST make a stop there.  It’s kind of a pain to get to because it is in the same area as some government buildings, so there is a security checkpoint that everyone has to pass through in order to get to the chapel.  We got stuck behind some really neat person that apparently had never gone through airport type security because he wouldn’t take off his watch.  Unfortunately, he complained loudly about the whole process in English the entire time.  It’s really fun to be around people that improve our global image. 

Actually, the people in Paris were incredibly helpful and friendly.  I don’t know if this is because I spoke French the whole time I was there or if it was because nobody guessed that I was American.  (Actually this is probably because I spoke French, so I guess it boils down to the same thing.) 

We spent a day at Versailles.

Charming little place, isn’t it?  We had some fun in the hall of mirrors trying to get a picture of us together…

  

Finally we had success.

Here’s the non-mirrored side of the hall of mirrors…

We also got some great interior decorating ideas – we’ll be taking votes for our next master bedroom now…

 

Thoughts anyone?  I must say I’m torn between the large ostrich plumes on the left and the scalloped canopy on the right.  Decisions, decisions.

One of the best things about our trip is that we were able to spend eight (yes, that’s 8) uninterrupted, child-free hours at the Louvre.  Bliss!  I confess to being a total museum nerd.  I love museums.  Love them.   We still only saw a fraction of the museum, but that’s fine with me.  Now I still have reason to go back…

Our last day in Paris was beautiful.  The weather was gorgeous and we took advantage of it.  We went to the Orangerie (a small museum which houses some of Monet’s large water lily paintings) but other than that spent the day walking the city and taking in the sites.  (Oh, and we had the most DIVINE (and most expensive!) hot chocolate I have ever had in my life.)

Le Sacré Coeur…

The Louvre and the Tuileries Garden…

La Tour Eiffel…

         

L’Arc du Triomphe…

     

and the Champs d’Élysées…

We had a wonderful time in Paris.  As much fun as we’ve had traveling with our children, it really was amazing to travel without them.  I hope to do it again SOON!  Paris, je t’aime. 

Au revoir!

Dr. Acula and the Ladybug

This Halloween Ian dressed up as Dr. Acula.*

That’s right.  For Halloween this year he wanted to be a foul, blood-sucking, undead, terror-inspiring VAMPIRE.  I tried to dissuade him.  I really did.  I thought it would be fun to go Western this year (don’t you think Naomi would make a darling cowgirl???) but Ian would not budge.  (I don’t really have any objections to dressing up as a vampire – I just thought that the costume wouldn’t be very fun to sew.)  Ergo, this year I got to sew a vampire cloak.  I think he looks pretty creepy.  His makeup was better for the church party because Ben did it that night, but Ben is off partying in Phoenix and Orlando so my second rate blood dribbles had to do.  How does one make fake blood dribble realistically at the corners of the mouth?  I could NOT get it to look right.

Naomi wanted to be a ladybug this year.  Very appropriate, I must say.    Naomi has an uncanny ability to locate and capture ladybugs in the least likely places.  She also, unfortunately, tends to shower just a little bit too much love on them.  This has a detrimental effect on their longevity.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said, “no Naomi, that ladybug is not sleeping…”  Anyway, I was kind of disappointed at her costume choice this year too (I really wanted to try my hand at a fringed vest) but in the end it was a good thing because ladybug costumes are pretty darn easy to make.  Besides, even if ladybugs and vampires have nothing in common, at least they are somewhat color coordinated.

   

I had a really hard time getting Naomi to smile somewhat normally.  I think we must be entering THAT phase.

 

She actually has antennae.  For a long time she called them “Hannah Montanas.”  I don’t know where she came up with that name – she’s never even seen the show.  They’re a little more visible in this picture:

 

So there you have it.  Happy Halloween from Heidelberg!

*Apparently Ian was telling everyone he could at the church party that he was Dr. Acula at the church party and enjoying the puzzled looks on peoples’ faces when they didn’t get the joke. 

A Beautiful Ballerina

This year’s preparation for the annual dance recital was a little rough.  For one thing, Miss Ariana (Naomi’s teacher) tore her ACL and had to have it repaired, so the semester started later than usual.  Then there was sickness.  Then there was a trip to Spain.  Finally there was that Volcano in Iceland….

Why would a volcano in Iceland affect a kindergarten dance recital?  Well, when everything you purchase is shipped by plane, and all of the flights to Europe are cancelled for a week, things get a little backed up.  We were waiting for mail for weeks.  Unfortunately so was CYS (Child Youth Services).  The costumes for the dance recital never came. 

Here are the girls practicing before the recital…

                               
As you can see, there was a serious lack of uniformity.  The girls were very sad not to have their costumes.  The moms were devastated.  At least I was.  What’s the use of living vicariously through your daughter if there is no gold embroidered satin leotard and no tutu? 

                                                          

Fortunately, through some whim of fate, the costumes for the Kaiserslautern and Ramstein programs arrived in time for their recital (which was before ours) and they graciously let us borrow them.  Between the borrowed costumes, leftovers from previous years and some creative draping of fabric, the dance recital was saved.

Doesn’t she look beautiful and so grown up?

                              

Love the posture here.  She must take after her mother.

                              

Here’s the whole group lined up right before their performance…

                               

The performance was a smashing success.  Really, is there anything more adorable (Yes, I just used the word adorable here and I’m completely justified!) than a group of 5 year old girls dressed like princesses, dancing with looks of intense focus on their faces and smiling like they’ve just won an Olympic gold medal when it’s all over?  I sure don’t think so.  

Thank you Miss Ariana!  We love you!

                                                       

World Travelers

So.  Much has happened.  I guess you could also say that so much has happened.  Read into it what you will.  In any case, I’m irreparably behind.  Today the topic of my blog is two world travelers I know.  They are 5 and 8 years old.  Here they are in various locations across Europe…

In Italica (near Seville) with a feline friend…

                              

A gladiator in Italica’s impressive Colosseum…

                             

A gladiatress (?)

                              

In cat heaven in Nerja, Spain…

                             

On the beach in Nerja…

                                                        

Playing at another beach near Nerja…

                            

Visiting a Spanish hilltop town near Nerja…

                             

At the Alhambra…

                                                   

Rescuing donkeys in Nerja…

                             

In front of Mont St. Michel in Normandy, France…

                                                     

On the D-Day beaches in Normandy…

                                                   

At a German bunker in Normandie…

                            

At the American Cemetery in St. James, France…

                           

And that’s it for tonight.  I’ve really wanted to blog more.  I’m trying to figure out a new approach.  Hopefully I’ll be back soon!