Just A Regular Day

Sometimes there is so much contentment in those everyday sort of plain days. Yesterday was such a day. Just the usual new routine of breakfast, laundry, Proverbs reading, homeschooling, lunch and then an outing. Our outing was groceries and the bakery followed by the playground. We headed off to the small playground staged around a nearby fountain, only to get there after school had been dismissed and so it was swamped. Not only that, but on the rules for the play space it states no running - seriously! So everyone was in agreement that we should go instead to the larger playground at the Tulleries. So off we went, with the older three munching on baguette. We had been going to get a treat at the bakery, but alas a little Miss needed to learn a lesson in obedience so no macaroons this time. I was so tempted to let it go, but life lessons need to be taught and instilled while they are young.

It was a very weary mother that pushed the stroller and shepherded the young ones to the playground. Since it was nearly 5pm the daily tasks had done their usual draining and all I really wanted was to flop on the couch. But keeping these healthy and active children cooped up in the apartment seemed akin to torture. For all of us! So when I saw Starbucks, I was rather pleased. See the cappuhinos that you get in the park and just about everywhere else have no lid, no lid equals scalded hands and fingers or gulped caffeine, neither of which is rather enjoyable. Starbucks & McCafe both have lids - its the simple things really that matter after all :-)

So in we went, and I was a bit disappointed that the lady switched to English on me, until then I thought I had been doing rather well since everyone would keep on going in French after speaking English to some other tourist. So my bubble head got popped. Anyways, out of Pike place so we splurged on a cappuchino and then proceeded to wait for over 10 minutes. Someone had snabbled my coffee! So they made me a new one and the guy was all impressed that all four children were all mine since he was one of five and according to him and the lady behind the counter (who was your typical Starbucks snob) no one has more then 2 these days. So he handed me a venti instead of a tall after hearing that we were heading to the playground. He said I deserved it - ha! Then 2 of the 4 decided that if we didn't find a loo posthaste that there would be puddles on the floor so up we went on the scary elevator that had no walls and into the loo they all went (I am so thankful Helper is old enough to take Monkey in for me) and after all that Monkey decided she "had imagined it" so out we all went, by now with a screaming arched back sausage and our whole entourage left. I felt like turning around as we walked out the door and saying "you may now return to your regular programming!"

The children simply love the Tulleries. We spotted the boat man, whom we had been informed was only there on Wednesdays and the weekends- but he obviously didn't get that memo. Unfortunately I wasn't prepared with the euro coins I would need for them to do that, so we made plans for Wednesday afternoon instead. Then to the playground we went, with about 100 other children, all with their Nannies and better dressed then I was and their outfits must have all cost at least 100Euros.

We only lasted 20 min.




In order to get home the fast way we had to walk through the middle of the set of for the PAD. Picture this, carpet laid on the ground, covered art displays in peaked tents, potted topperaries, plush chairs and couches for them to have drinks on and the line up of gorgeously apparelled rich art peoples. women in evening gowns (at 6pm) Men in full tuxes or suits. Shawls draped across the ladies arms, gems glittering in the setting sun - and us. In our play clothes and children all gnawing away at hunks of baguette, while Sausage fussed in her stroller and threw chips all over their gorgeous carpet as we walked inbetween the 2 tents to the gate. Yup we aim to make a scene everywhere we go.

Until the next adventure :-)