So I guess this is where I need to step in
On Tuesday or Wednesday of last week I had gotten a head's up on a birthday party that Amelia was going to be invited to on Sunday morning for her friend Nora Rose. Since Naomi knew that I was going to be on my own that day she had discussed a carpool with Raquel, another mom who had a little boy (Noah) the same age as Amelia. This family also has a boy-Issac- that is Jojo's age so a play date for the older kids as also arranged. When talking with Raquel on Thursday morning regarding the plan for Sunday she asked about what we were going to do about the party on Saturday and with a confused look on my face I replied, "What party?" Raquel then explained that there was a party for a girl in Jojo's class on Saturday afternoon and we were probably left off the list only because the parents were operating off of an old email list and they would want to know that there was someone left out. She was worried that Jojo would feel left out if everyone was talking about it at school afterward although I kind of thought that Jojo might not really understand anyways but knew that Jojo would enjoy going to the party. Raquel graciously offered to do another carpool and take both Issac and Jojo to the party in their car--especially convenient for me as the party would start during Amelia's nap time!
Since each girl had a party and no present shopping had been done our Saturday morning activity ended up being present shopping! There was a toy store (The Grasshopper) that I had seen before near the Grand Place and that had been recommended by another mom (of one of Jojo's classmates) and I thought it would be a good outing and activity rolled into one. Luckily Dan didn't need to leave to catch his train until a bit later that morning so there was another adult to help not only on the bus there but also in the store telling the girls not to touch absolutely everything that they saw! We didn't get to the store as efficiently as I had hoped as the street surrounding the Grand Place are like some sort of Bermuda Triangle for me sometimes in terms of navigation but with only a couple of more minor casualties (a chunk of cheese and a wet pair of tights-jumping in a big puddles without boots not a good idea!) we finally arrived at the store.
The store was much bigger than I had expected but it turned out to be a good thing as it then had an area with some toys that kids could actually play with giving me more time to find age appropriate gifts. Luckily before we had departed for the toy store I had called the mom who was helping carpool and clarified about what kind of party it was...I had initially thought that it was joint part between a girl in Jojo's class and her sister and so I wasn't sure if I need to get the sister a gift or not. It turns out it was a joint party for TWO girls in Jojo's class so another gift to purchase was added to the tally! I finally picked out some nice puzzles that the distracted girls approved, were purchased and wrapped. We then we slowly extracted ourselves from the store (as Dan had departed for his train before I had gift decisions had been finalized).
Before we had left the store the girls had found some loose "jingle" bells which inspired Jojo so I was treated to a rousing chorus of "Jingle Bells" all the way to the bus stop. It was fairly loud but cute and it kept them amused on the walk so I didn't rein in their enthusiasm--luckily most of the looks we got were of amusement rather than annoyance! Once at the apartment it was a quick lunch and a nap for Amelia and then Jojo and I hastily made some birthday cards for the gifts (although they were the same for each girl) in time for her to hop into the car with Raquel and Issac.
Amelia was finishing a snack after a short nap when Omi (aka Joan aka Naomi's Mom) and Grandpa (aka Mark aka Naomi's Dad) called and we were able to do a brief Skype call and arranged for another call when Jojo would be back. Jojo returned with a gift bag of candy and a ceramic Disney princess teapot (the top of which was quickly broken-accidentally though). After a somewhat wacky dinner we did another Skype call with Omi and Grandpa and after we finished a bit of dessert Grandma and Grandpa (Dan's parents) called to chat as well! It felt a bit like Grand Central Station but both of the girls had a bit of a chat with them and after a bit of clarifying and more information from me we wrapped up the call and it was off to bed with the exhausted girls!
The wake-up call came a bit earlier Sunday morning as we lost an hour with daylight savings--yes several weeks later than when it is done in the U.S. It was thus a whirlwind of dressing and breakfast and out the door so that we could arrive at our carpools' house by 9:30 as the party was to begin at 10am! Raquel, Don and the boys were having similar adjustment pains when we arrived (they too missed the extra hour to get ready) but everyone was soon ready to go and Amelia and Noah were strapped into the car and off to their party! The older kids were happily playing with various toys, dress up clothes, and Don (Issac and Noah's Dad) but we eventually motivated ourselves enough to go to a nearby park. The weather had finally improved enough for outdoor play and although it was still cooler the sun was out and I think we were all ready to absorb some sunlight! The park as a hidden courtyard type of situation but luckily it was public rather than just for those who had a surrounding apartment. While it was definitely on the smallish side, it had a few climbing things and Issac and Jojo's imagination did the rest of the work and they amused each other for awhile by pretending to be a monkey and a lion respectively. Don had also brought a soccer ball as well as a baseball and bat. With Don's wonderful pitching aim, both Issac and Jojo had some great hits before we left the park. A bit of amusement also appeared for the adults...a resident of a nearby building/apartment was moving a couch into their place and it seems as thought it didn't fit in through the front door! Instead they had carried it over a wall into the backyard and then they tied ropes around it in order to heft it up to the 3rd floor! Luckily there were 4 of them, 3 above pulling and they thought ahead and had one below holding the couch stable to make sure it didn't swing into one of the windows on the way up. After about 15 minutes of hefting and one final big pull to get it over the rail their mission was accomplished and the other couple (and their kids) that occupied the park clapped for them!
After playing, we headed back to Issac's house and had a bit of lunch and Noah, Amelia, and Raquel arrived back soon after we did. After dinning and eating some dessert (more candy bags from the party were involved) we walked home. Amelia took a longer and late nap (although with the time change it probably felt about the regular time to her) and Jojo got to watch a bit of the new Curious George video she borrowed from Issac. It inspired her to make musical instruments from recycling and since we have plenty to choose from I thought it would make a good project. We ended up with about 6 shaker type instruments which Naomi and Dan were promptly shown the next morning- much to their surprise (an alarm may have been a better wake up call but probably not as motivating)!
After a bath, a quick phone call from Naomi and Dan, and an attempt to watch a couple of Pixar shorts the girls were off to bed. Despite it being earlier, Jojo nodded off without a problem while Amelia with her longer and later nap, had a bit of a harder time falling asleep but all was finally quite by the time Naomi and Dan arrive back from their journey! Although I didn't personally attend any of the parties, a good time was seemed to have by all and it definitely made it a bit of a hectic weekend but in a good way!
The weekend didn't truly end there though as yesterday (Monday) was a no school day (some sort of teacher in-service day) and a play date was arranged with Jojo's friend Ellen, her little sister Tiggy and their Mom Sarah. It was a whirlwind tour around the playground and shifting moods and a cooler temperature (despite sunny skies) had us a leaving the park after a bit for a bit of hot chocolate before we headed home--yum! The afternoon ended up being more of a true stay home day as Jojo woke up with a bit of a fever after her nap (as she has been fighting a cold) and while Amelia didn't wake up with a fever her mood was not ideal for an outing either!
Jojo and I are home again this morning (Tuesday) and she seems to be well on the mend! Rather than just sitting on the couch and watching me color (which is what she was all she was up for yesterday afternoon) she was finishing art projects left and right this morning and coloring new ones--hopefully pictures of all the creations coming soon as it is on my to-do-list! Here are the pictures I did take this weekend-enjoy!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
London, baby!
This past weekend Naomi and I were in London, and without the girls (they remained in Brussels with Jenee). Naomi had a conference in London Friday and Saturday, which was the impetus for the weekend getaway. I rolled into London mid-day Saturday, and we connected in time for dinner. I had the afternoon to myself, during which I put on a lot of miles on foot, and also went to the Victoria & Albert Museum, with its stupefyingly large art collections. Naomi and I stayed at a hotel just off of Trafalgar Square; a panel I read in the architecture exhibit in the V&A mentioned that Trafalgar Square (nowhere near the V&A) was the heart of London, which made me feel like we had gotten a great location, even if quite by accident.
Actually it was not so accidental. Naomi's conference was near Trafalgar Square, and we also wanted to be close to the nearby theatre district, where we saw the final production of Avenue Q at the Noël Coward Theatre. It was a cynical, humorous play with human and puppet characters, and the interactions between puppet and puppeteer were quite interesting.
Sunday morning Naomi gave me a whirlwind tour of Kings College, also nearby, and where she spent her junior year of college. The connected buildings of the "campus" were pretty wacky and labyrinthine, although there were some nice spaces. Then we met up for breakfast with Marion and Jonathan, cousins of Naomi that I hadn't previously met. The four of us next proceeded to the Picasso exhibit at the nearby (isn't everything nearby Trafalgar Square? it's the heart of London, you know) National Gallery, an exhibit that highlighted Picasso's artistic relationships to earlier artists.
We parted ways after we finished the exhibit. Naomi and I then walked east along the River Thames to the Tate Modern Art Museum, getting good views of the London Eye and partial views of 30 St Mary Axe ("The Gherkin") along the way. The Tate was large—but not large like the V&A—and the exterior clearly showed the original purpose of the building: power plant. There was a very nice exhibit of cubism, futurism, surrealism, and vorticism (whatever that is). The Picasso and Tate exhibits were actually quite complementary, which added a dimension to our appreciation.
Walking around London, I continually had the feeling that if I stayed in London long enough, I would ineluctably get flattened by a driver who didn't know that the world drives on the right side of the road, for crying out loud. Our final journey within London was from the hotel to the train station, and we made the journey on a double-decker bus. We sat at the front of the top deck, which gave us an outstanding view wherever the bus went.
What did the little girls do back in Brussels while Mommy and Daddy were away? I know that each girl had her respective birthday party to attend over the weekend, but frankly I haven't gotten caught up myself yet!
Actually it was not so accidental. Naomi's conference was near Trafalgar Square, and we also wanted to be close to the nearby theatre district, where we saw the final production of Avenue Q at the Noël Coward Theatre. It was a cynical, humorous play with human and puppet characters, and the interactions between puppet and puppeteer were quite interesting.
Sunday morning Naomi gave me a whirlwind tour of Kings College, also nearby, and where she spent her junior year of college. The connected buildings of the "campus" were pretty wacky and labyrinthine, although there were some nice spaces. Then we met up for breakfast with Marion and Jonathan, cousins of Naomi that I hadn't previously met. The four of us next proceeded to the Picasso exhibit at the nearby (isn't everything nearby Trafalgar Square? it's the heart of London, you know) National Gallery, an exhibit that highlighted Picasso's artistic relationships to earlier artists.
We parted ways after we finished the exhibit. Naomi and I then walked east along the River Thames to the Tate Modern Art Museum, getting good views of the London Eye and partial views of 30 St Mary Axe ("The Gherkin") along the way. The Tate was large—but not large like the V&A—and the exterior clearly showed the original purpose of the building: power plant. There was a very nice exhibit of cubism, futurism, surrealism, and vorticism (whatever that is). The Picasso and Tate exhibits were actually quite complementary, which added a dimension to our appreciation.
Walking around London, I continually had the feeling that if I stayed in London long enough, I would ineluctably get flattened by a driver who didn't know that the world drives on the right side of the road, for crying out loud. Our final journey within London was from the hotel to the train station, and we made the journey on a double-decker bus. We sat at the front of the top deck, which gave us an outstanding view wherever the bus went.
What did the little girls do back in Brussels while Mommy and Daddy were away? I know that each girl had her respective birthday party to attend over the weekend, but frankly I haven't gotten caught up myself yet!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Riding the train early Sunday morning
Yesterday (Sunday) I was on call, and working all day at the office. I took the train in a bit before 7 a.m., and as the train approached my destination I got up from my seat and went to the foyer by the train exit. The foyer was flanked by a large room on one side, whence I had just come, and a small room on the other, and glass doors separated each room from the foyer.
As I entered the foyer I saw through the glass door that the small room was occupied by a couple in a loving embrace (he said understatedly). I got enough of an eyeful to confirm that I actually saw what I still can't believe I saw, and then I stopped looking. The gentleman standing with me in the foyer said something in Flemish, and judging by his disapproving tone I think we had similar feelings about what was going on next door.
Now I'm much too much of a gentleman to detail here what I saw—although obviously not so much of a gentleman that I won't blog about it—but all kinds of questions arose in my shocked mind. Were these two exhibitionistic, or thrill seeking, or just supremely unselfconscious or self-centered? Was this a couple in love, or just a pair of skanks? Was I supposed to keep looking, or look away? And lastly, was this experience going to make me more likely to support or oppose the controversial plans for a railway through Madison?
As I entered the foyer I saw through the glass door that the small room was occupied by a couple in a loving embrace (he said understatedly). I got enough of an eyeful to confirm that I actually saw what I still can't believe I saw, and then I stopped looking. The gentleman standing with me in the foyer said something in Flemish, and judging by his disapproving tone I think we had similar feelings about what was going on next door.
Now I'm much too much of a gentleman to detail here what I saw—although obviously not so much of a gentleman that I won't blog about it—but all kinds of questions arose in my shocked mind. Were these two exhibitionistic, or thrill seeking, or just supremely unselfconscious or self-centered? Was this a couple in love, or just a pair of skanks? Was I supposed to keep looking, or look away? And lastly, was this experience going to make me more likely to support or oppose the controversial plans for a railway through Madison?
Wackiness, what else?
This weekend Dan was on call (working 7 am - 3 pm) so I had some quality time with the girls. Amazingly, the weather cooperated and we were able to spend most of our days outside. First thing in the morning, we headed off to a very nice park across from a historical prison which was, very unfortunately, locked! Another woman was waiting with her two children and an older woman came by every 10 minutes or so to commiserate with us that the staff people hadn't unlocked it yet since it was such a nice day, etc. etc. She had quite a bit to say actually but I didn't understand most of it. I am getting good at nodding and smiling. After maybe 30 minutes, we gave up and headed back to the bus stop to find a different park. But, lo and behold, then it was open! So, we trekked on back and had a great time. To the right is a video of the loudest children in the park being just about as loud as they can be.
I should mention that their chant, Rattletrap Car, is a book we have seen on the website onemorestory.com. It's pretty great actually. Classic children's books read aloud and with some music all on line. I think it's $40/year but if you like plopping your kids down in front of something and TV just seems too... um... mindless (Mickey mouse), annoying (D-d-d-d-dora) or violent (Bob L'Eponge), then this is a good option. Plus, as the reader goes, the particular word they are reading turns to a red font so that early readers can begin to recognize words.We went to two other great parks over the course of the weekend so I may have to officially revise my position on Paris being a better place for kids than Brussels. These parks are fantastic!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Amelia's Intervention
So for a while, Amelia has been getting increasingly difficult to deal with. (Not 100% of the time, obviously. She's still been a lot of fun a lot of the time, but when she hasn't been fun, she reeeeally hasn't been fun.) When she was contrary, she would throw bigger fits, scream louder, hit more, and do it all longer and more frequently. (I know, a difficult two year old—call Ripley's.)
Anyway, a conflict was building between Amelia and the caretaking trust (me, Naomi, and Jenee)—and Amelia was winning. We decided that we were not being consistent in the way we disciplined Amelia, and this gave Amelia a window (or maybe a garage door) through which to push or exceed boundaries of acceptable behavior. Last week we launched Operation Strict Discipline, which largely consists of the timely and consistent administration of timeouts, and things have been steadily improving. One of the ironic (but not surprising) aspects of this improvement is that, not only is Amelia behaving better, but she is happier as well. As are we all!
Anyway, a conflict was building between Amelia and the caretaking trust (me, Naomi, and Jenee)—and Amelia was winning. We decided that we were not being consistent in the way we disciplined Amelia, and this gave Amelia a window (or maybe a garage door) through which to push or exceed boundaries of acceptable behavior. Last week we launched Operation Strict Discipline, which largely consists of the timely and consistent administration of timeouts, and things have been steadily improving. One of the ironic (but not surprising) aspects of this improvement is that, not only is Amelia behaving better, but she is happier as well. As are we all!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Purim Spectacular
Yesterday (Sunday) we went to the Purim Spectacular put on by the girls' school at a local community center. (Purim is a Jewish holiday commemorating the story in the Book of Esther, a story about a defeated genocidal attempt against the Jews in ancient Persia.) Each class—except for the youngest ones, including Amelia's—put on some kind of act for the families and friends in the audience. JoJo's class did a line dance number, and it was extremely cute. The kids were dressed uniformly, and they executed their moves with pride and concentration. In other circumstances, I would have simply felt it was cute and left it at that; but that was my girl up there, and my heart swelled with pride. It was great!
A number of the classes had nice routines, although I thought a few were pretty lame. Mostly the show was in French, but one class performed in Hebrew, and another in Flemish. JoJo said she had a good time performing, and also watching the rest of the show from the side of the stage.
After the show there was a buffet. Despite the fact that the buffet was arranged in two reception rooms, it was absolute chaos: throngs rushing the buffet tables, and very limited seating once you had your food. After lunch, we adjourned to the play areas. In one of the reception rooms there were a number of game and activity stations, in addition to the buffet area. One of the stations had a fish tank filled with candy. You picked a card, which connected you with a kitchen utensil; then you used the utensil to acquire a single scoop of candies. The utensils ranged from a butter knife (worst) to a ladel (best for the unskilled) and whisk (best for the skilled). The woman operating the station rigged it so that each of my girls got the ladel. Another station had face painting, where JoJo got her face turned into a butterfly.
In the entrance hall was erected an inflatable bouncy castle. Both girls did a bunch of jumping in there, but Amelia took it to a whole 'nother level. She frequently came to me for water, and ultimately drained my supply. Shortly after that, I noticed she was missing. (There were three exits from the bouncy castle, and it was hard to watch more than one at a time. Classic!) Eventually I found her wandering around the auditorium, in search of more water. I wish she had just asked me!
The show was nice for the parents, and what came after that was obviously more for the kids. When we eventually decided it was time to head back home (this determination is highly scientific, and heavily tied to Amelia's mood), Amelia had a most excellent meltdown. She calmed down by the time our tram arrived, however, and she slept almost the whole way home.
A brief note about Purim tradition and the Purim Spectacular: People often get dressed up in costumes for Purim, but I only saw several little kids and one adult who did this. In fairness to the event, all the school kids except the youngest where in the show, so they were dressed appropriately for the show, and not for Purim per se. Also, the next day (today) the kids got to dress up in costume for school—JoJo was a fetching Queen Esther, and Amelia was, um, Minnie Pearl or something. Another tradition that was overlooked at the Spectacular is the hamentasch—a triangular, filling filled (is there a less repetitive way to say that?) pastry—which was sadly missing from the buffet tables. On a different note, we were assured by another family that the food at the Purim Spectacular (and school-related events in general) was legitimately kosher. This was not the poorly-informed understanding we had achieved at the school fundraiser dinner, but I think our current, slightly-better-informed understanding is probably correct.
A number of the classes had nice routines, although I thought a few were pretty lame. Mostly the show was in French, but one class performed in Hebrew, and another in Flemish. JoJo said she had a good time performing, and also watching the rest of the show from the side of the stage.
After the show there was a buffet. Despite the fact that the buffet was arranged in two reception rooms, it was absolute chaos: throngs rushing the buffet tables, and very limited seating once you had your food. After lunch, we adjourned to the play areas. In one of the reception rooms there were a number of game and activity stations, in addition to the buffet area. One of the stations had a fish tank filled with candy. You picked a card, which connected you with a kitchen utensil; then you used the utensil to acquire a single scoop of candies. The utensils ranged from a butter knife (worst) to a ladel (best for the unskilled) and whisk (best for the skilled). The woman operating the station rigged it so that each of my girls got the ladel. Another station had face painting, where JoJo got her face turned into a butterfly.
In the entrance hall was erected an inflatable bouncy castle. Both girls did a bunch of jumping in there, but Amelia took it to a whole 'nother level. She frequently came to me for water, and ultimately drained my supply. Shortly after that, I noticed she was missing. (There were three exits from the bouncy castle, and it was hard to watch more than one at a time. Classic!) Eventually I found her wandering around the auditorium, in search of more water. I wish she had just asked me!
The show was nice for the parents, and what came after that was obviously more for the kids. When we eventually decided it was time to head back home (this determination is highly scientific, and heavily tied to Amelia's mood), Amelia had a most excellent meltdown. She calmed down by the time our tram arrived, however, and she slept almost the whole way home.
A brief note about Purim tradition and the Purim Spectacular: People often get dressed up in costumes for Purim, but I only saw several little kids and one adult who did this. In fairness to the event, all the school kids except the youngest where in the show, so they were dressed appropriately for the show, and not for Purim per se. Also, the next day (today) the kids got to dress up in costume for school—JoJo was a fetching Queen Esther, and Amelia was, um, Minnie Pearl or something. Another tradition that was overlooked at the Spectacular is the hamentasch—a triangular, filling filled (is there a less repetitive way to say that?) pastry—which was sadly missing from the buffet tables. On a different note, we were assured by another family that the food at the Purim Spectacular (and school-related events in general) was legitimately kosher. This was not the poorly-informed understanding we had achieved at the school fundraiser dinner, but I think our current, slightly-better-informed understanding is probably correct.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Antwerp Zoo
Today we all went to the Antwerp Zoo, including Jenee. We took a train to Antwerp, which is 30 or 40 minutes north of Brussels. The train station was reportedly beautiful, and it turned out to be as advertised. A lot of the station has the feeling of being outside, except it's actually under a glass ceiling many feet above. There are multiple levels of tracks, so if you enter the station from one of the lower tracks (as we did) you see this very large, open view of the beautiful station.
The zoo is right next door to the station. Entry is rather steep: 18.50€ ($24) adult, 13.50€ ($17.50) 3–12, free for < 3. I did not even try to exercise my French—in Flanders, speaking French is not generally appreciated, to put it mildly. We got a fair ways into the zoo before we saw our first animal, but then things got rolling: flamingos and other birds, lions, jaguars, panthers, tigers, camels, donkeys, a hippo, elephants, apes, monkeys, giraffes, and more. To me, the hippo and the elephants were among the more exciting animals, because we don't have them at the Vilas Zoo in Madison. The hippo was in a pool with only a small part of its back showing, and we couldn't even tell which end was which. Amelia insisted on watching the hippo longer, which was good because the hippo eventually raised its enormous head for a while.
In addition to having a reasonably impressive faunal collection, the zoo was also sort of a European garden, or series of gardens. There were topiaries, statues, garden paths. From the human perspective, I think this fusion of zoo and European garden was well done. From the animal perspective, I think it was mixed results. Some animals had clearly inadequate space (the lions being among these, but the cats are scheduled to get a much improved space in the forseeable future), but others seemed to be all right (the elephants were in this category, and when we saw them they were fraternizing in a very playful way with each other).
We had lunch in the principal food station inside the zoo, a burger place where we sampled mediocre hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, and fish sandwiches. A serving of a side of kethcup was an extra 0.70€ (90¢)! But honestly, all things considered, I only felt gouged at the gate, not at the restaurant. After lunch, we spent some time at a nice playground next to the restaurant (and still inside the zoo). Then we returned home, except for Jenee, who did a little more touring in Antwerp.
The zoo is right next door to the station. Entry is rather steep: 18.50€ ($24) adult, 13.50€ ($17.50) 3–12, free for < 3. I did not even try to exercise my French—in Flanders, speaking French is not generally appreciated, to put it mildly. We got a fair ways into the zoo before we saw our first animal, but then things got rolling: flamingos and other birds, lions, jaguars, panthers, tigers, camels, donkeys, a hippo, elephants, apes, monkeys, giraffes, and more. To me, the hippo and the elephants were among the more exciting animals, because we don't have them at the Vilas Zoo in Madison. The hippo was in a pool with only a small part of its back showing, and we couldn't even tell which end was which. Amelia insisted on watching the hippo longer, which was good because the hippo eventually raised its enormous head for a while.
In addition to having a reasonably impressive faunal collection, the zoo was also sort of a European garden, or series of gardens. There were topiaries, statues, garden paths. From the human perspective, I think this fusion of zoo and European garden was well done. From the animal perspective, I think it was mixed results. Some animals had clearly inadequate space (the lions being among these, but the cats are scheduled to get a much improved space in the forseeable future), but others seemed to be all right (the elephants were in this category, and when we saw them they were fraternizing in a very playful way with each other).
We had lunch in the principal food station inside the zoo, a burger place where we sampled mediocre hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, and fish sandwiches. A serving of a side of kethcup was an extra 0.70€ (90¢)! But honestly, all things considered, I only felt gouged at the gate, not at the restaurant. After lunch, we spent some time at a nice playground next to the restaurant (and still inside the zoo). Then we returned home, except for Jenee, who did a little more touring in Antwerp.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Babblicious
We've been in Brussels less than two months, and JoJo is already bilingual! But you may be surprised what the second language is: "JoJo language." She regularly babbles to herself, and occasionally Amelia joins in. It's a language that JoJo invented which is not consistent over time. The phonemes sometimes sound more like English, sometimes more like French, and sometimes more like Hebrew. The meanings of the sounds/words are pretty much what JoJo capriciously decides they are in the moment.
So that's the "what." The "why" is presumably because she was aurally confronted with sounds of babbling (to her) at school and around town, and so she decided to respond in kind. She enjoys speaking in JoJo language, whether anyone else is listening or not, and it's pretty cute to see.
So that's the "what." The "why" is presumably because she was aurally confronted with sounds of babbling (to her) at school and around town, and so she decided to respond in kind. She enjoys speaking in JoJo language, whether anyone else is listening or not, and it's pretty cute to see.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Disney on Ice
Today JoJo and I went to see Disney on Ice (Princesses). Frankly I wasn't looking forward to it, 'cuz it's not really my bag, but we thought JoJo would have a good time. In addition, we were meeting Isaac, one of JoJo's classmates, and his dad at the show.
Originally Isaac's mom was going to get seats for the four of us, but they didn't have that many contiguous seats available. So she got seats for her two attendees, and Naomi got seats for me and JoJo. The web site Naomi worked through was in French, and bizarrely the resulting electronic receipt was in Flemish! We couldn't understand much of that receipt, except we did understand that our two seats were apparently not adjacent to each other—something that Naomi definitely did not understand when she made the purchase. (We took it up a bit with the ticketing company, and they said, "The only solution is to take your daughter on your lap during the show.")
I looked on-line for the location of the venue (Forest National), and where to pick up the tickets, which seemed to be around the corner from the venue. When JoJo and I got there, we headed around the corner for the tickets, looking for an address that turned out not to exist. I was pretty annoyed about that, and we turned around to go back to the venue. There, there was a ticket window that was easily located, and I wondered why the web site for the venue and ticket window was so needlessly confusing.
Our friends had their own difficulties finding the place, but all four of us were seated (JoJo in my lap) before the show started. By a small miracle, one of our two non-adjacent seats was next to their two seats, so we were all sitting together. And the JoJo-on-my-lap arrangement, while not my personal preference, was honestly best for her, since it gave her a better view of the show; Isaac was on his father's lap for the same reason, so we ended up with an extra seat (plus the additional extra seat, all alone, further down the row).
Our seats were literally in the last row, four rows behind Bob Uecker (well, where he would have been). But the view of the show was fine, if not close. The first half consisted of choreography around one or usually two key songs from a given Disney princess movie, including Mulan, The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and Snow White; the second half was basically the entire story of Cinderella. By and large, the songs had been skillfully translated into French. I noticed two accidental spills on the ice, but on the whole the skating was pretty good (not that I have an eye for this sort of thing). I think JoJo liked the show a lot, and she certainly recognized a bunch of characters. Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Goofy made appearances too.
After the show we waited a while for our bus, and crammed into it along with a lot of other show-goers. Near our stop, the bus suddenly stopped, and the bus driver got out to fill out some paper work, and he gave some of it to someone who appeared to be the owner of a car parked on the street. If I understood what transpired (and I think I'm right, but at the same time I don't really have confidence), the parked car should have had its side mirror folded into the vehicle to make room for a bus on the narrow street. If this is correct, then one aspect of this event that's notable is that the bus driver is apparently empowered to effectively give tickets. By the time the bus driver got back on the bus, there was a long line of cars stuck behind the bus, and we bus riders were certainly ready to move on again.
The four of us continued to Isaac's home for dinner with the two complete and reunited families. Two sets of parents, two 4-year-olds, two 2-year-olds, and a whole lot of chaos. But it was fun!
Originally Isaac's mom was going to get seats for the four of us, but they didn't have that many contiguous seats available. So she got seats for her two attendees, and Naomi got seats for me and JoJo. The web site Naomi worked through was in French, and bizarrely the resulting electronic receipt was in Flemish! We couldn't understand much of that receipt, except we did understand that our two seats were apparently not adjacent to each other—something that Naomi definitely did not understand when she made the purchase. (We took it up a bit with the ticketing company, and they said, "The only solution is to take your daughter on your lap during the show.")
I looked on-line for the location of the venue (Forest National), and where to pick up the tickets, which seemed to be around the corner from the venue. When JoJo and I got there, we headed around the corner for the tickets, looking for an address that turned out not to exist. I was pretty annoyed about that, and we turned around to go back to the venue. There, there was a ticket window that was easily located, and I wondered why the web site for the venue and ticket window was so needlessly confusing.
Our friends had their own difficulties finding the place, but all four of us were seated (JoJo in my lap) before the show started. By a small miracle, one of our two non-adjacent seats was next to their two seats, so we were all sitting together. And the JoJo-on-my-lap arrangement, while not my personal preference, was honestly best for her, since it gave her a better view of the show; Isaac was on his father's lap for the same reason, so we ended up with an extra seat (plus the additional extra seat, all alone, further down the row).
Our seats were literally in the last row, four rows behind Bob Uecker (well, where he would have been). But the view of the show was fine, if not close. The first half consisted of choreography around one or usually two key songs from a given Disney princess movie, including Mulan, The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and Snow White; the second half was basically the entire story of Cinderella. By and large, the songs had been skillfully translated into French. I noticed two accidental spills on the ice, but on the whole the skating was pretty good (not that I have an eye for this sort of thing). I think JoJo liked the show a lot, and she certainly recognized a bunch of characters. Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Goofy made appearances too.
After the show we waited a while for our bus, and crammed into it along with a lot of other show-goers. Near our stop, the bus suddenly stopped, and the bus driver got out to fill out some paper work, and he gave some of it to someone who appeared to be the owner of a car parked on the street. If I understood what transpired (and I think I'm right, but at the same time I don't really have confidence), the parked car should have had its side mirror folded into the vehicle to make room for a bus on the narrow street. If this is correct, then one aspect of this event that's notable is that the bus driver is apparently empowered to effectively give tickets. By the time the bus driver got back on the bus, there was a long line of cars stuck behind the bus, and we bus riders were certainly ready to move on again.
The four of us continued to Isaac's home for dinner with the two complete and reunited families. Two sets of parents, two 4-year-olds, two 2-year-olds, and a whole lot of chaos. But it was fun!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Belgian TV
The category is, things you won't see on TV in the US. Some answers are below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS0ABou7idA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1eKUWVwKOk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFfA5dvZheA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsRFWjz4a9g
There are two ads I keep seeing for Iran too but I can't find them on YouTube. One says they're the biggest saffron exporters in the world and the other says they're the biggest pistachio exporters in the world. I keep thinking I'd love to see how ads like that play in the US!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS0ABou7idA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1eKUWVwKOk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFfA5dvZheA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsRFWjz4a9g
There are two ads I keep seeing for Iran too but I can't find them on YouTube. One says they're the biggest saffron exporters in the world and the other says they're the biggest pistachio exporters in the world. I keep thinking I'd love to see how ads like that play in the US!
Ixelles and the Brussels Children's Museum
So the various neighborhoods here are called 'communes' and we are officially in Ixelles. While it is still a part of the city of Brussels it is some how a different political entity...for example, we had to register with the Ixelles office that deals with immigrants rather than there just being a general office for the whole city.
While I'm not entirely sure if this is really more cost effective or efficient it does mean that there are 'commune' services meant for those in this particular neighborhood. I realized that this was a good thing when Jojo and I were out mailing some postcards (one of her stay home days within the first few weeks of our arrival) and we took the long way home i.e. instead of heading directly back down the block to get to our street we went all the way around the block. While I wasn't really expecting to find anything I was pleasantly surprised when I spotted a window behind which looked like a lot of books and a nice children's area. Although there was absolutely NO sign stating that it was a library, after taking a peek in the first set of entrance doors I correctly deduced that it was a library, that of Ixelles! While the children's section (in a separate room from the adult section) is only open when school children would be able to attend i.e. late afternoon/early evenings and weekends, it is really great that it is literally right around the corner!
I returned later with Jojo thinking that it would be open but there was a brochure or sign that hadn't been properly updated and it turned out that the children's section wouldn't be open until later that afternoon. I did sign myself up for a card but I still have to pay almost 8 Euro (for the year although I won't be here that long) if I want to check anything out--I still have to go back and take a better look around and see if it would be worth it i.e. there are some English language books and there may be Cd's or even DVDs!
We returned yet again that day once Amelia was home from school and with Dan's presence we were able to sign both of the girls up for library cards which are free although there is a 10 book limit per child. While my sister (a children's librarian in Wisconsin) I guess was aware that European libraries are not as well funded or supported as U.S. equivalents, I was completely shocked when both the adult and children's librarians started writing out everything by hand for the library cards! The check out system will be familiar to those of you used the library about 15 or 20 years ago (or think of your elementary school library check out system) where there is a slip of paper in the book that is stamped with the due date and there is another slip that is pulled out and put in an envelope with your name on it and filed away until you return the items!! While I knew that the girls and I enjoyed a very nice public library system in Madison I had no idea just how good we really had it!! Not only is there an electronic check-out system in place (now with self check out machines as well) with the ability to check up on your account online and renew books but I am also able to check out mp3 books to download onto my player with my Madison library card--as am I still currently doing while here in Belgium!! While I still can't fully believe it, I am trying to get over the fact that a large, even capital city like Brussels doesn't have better technology for its public services!
Another community location that the girls and I visited within the last couple of weeks is the pool! While it isn't too far away, with shorter legs doing the walking, the bus (2 buses really) is our mode of transportation. The first time we went when I hadn't been there before, the bus that was supposed to drop us off right near the pool was unfortunately taking a different route for some reason and so we got off at the temporary stop and had to ask directions to the pool. Evidently the Ixelles pool isn't a frequented hot spot as the first two people (adults) I found didn't know where it was but then I asked some younger looking kids and they directly me exactly where I needed to go!!
It is a very large indoor space with a shallow end where the girls and I hung out in which was roped off from a deeper section and there was still space for those who wanted to do laps! It was only a few Euros for Jojo and I to get in (Amelia was free). All around the perimeter of the pool were little individual changing rooms...a bit tight for an adult and two kids but we eventually got changed and out to the pool area where we where promptly informed by the lifeguard that "bonnets" were required. As we didn't have swim caps, he generously went to a little closet and pulled out some for us to wear for the time being--although they were very loose, it was a heck of a lot better than not getting to swim! They must be obsessed with hair or obsessed with not wanting to get in the pool as men aren't allowed to wear swim trunks--speedos or form fitting swim shorts only!
We all returned last week as the girls were out of school and went swimming Wednesday morning-this time armed with new swim caps! I think that they worked out nicely even though Amelia is very particular about her hair and didn't want it tucked up under cap (only a bit was sticking out as it isn't very long)!
After we returned home and had a lunch and Amelia had a nap, we headed out to the Brussels Children's museum where we were scheduled (thanks to Naomi being the middle person) to meet one of Jojo's school friends Ellen (and her mom and little sister as well). Like the children's section of the library, the children's museum has very limited hours as though children who aren't enrolled in school yet wouldn't want to go--I find it quite strange. As a result, when it is open, I have been told that it is typically quite packed! Sarah, Ellen's mom, arrived a bit earlier than the girls and I did and said that they were initially turning people away! As she had arranged to me us there (and hadn't written down my cell number) she didn't want to just leave, she hung out a bit and then the women at the front desk finally let them in as some people had left and/or they looked cute/pitiful enough to be let in!
We didn't find Ellen and her crew until about a half hour after our arrival due to the fact that I had also failed to write down Sarah's cell phone number and I didn't realize that there would be 3 different floors to explore--and of course Ellen was on the top floor! Anyways, we finally connected and the girls had a great time playing before Ellen and her family had to leave. The current theme (as I guess it changes periodically) was Red. As such the create your own story room had pictures/scenes from stories with red in their title like "Little Red Riding Hood" and there was an area on health and what read mean in terms of your body (i.e. blood) and a red cross play ambulance. I was impressed by the number of things to do as well as the extent to which they made the red theme work with all their areas of exploration! As a bonus, the girls also were able to get their faces painted which we did just in time. We kept seeing kids with their faces painted walking around but didn't see where it was happening, but near the end of our visit (15 minutes before closing time) we finally spotted the room where there was a very patient young woman putting various designs on cheeks and noses and foreheads (as some wanted to look like a lion). Jojo wanted a butterfly and a ladybug but I couldn't remember the word (if I ever knew it) for ladybug so she got a butterfly instead which she seems satisfied by and Amelia quickly followed suit.
I think that everyone enjoyed themselves despite there being lots of people and we didn't really explore everything so it will have to be someplace that we return to at some point!
While I'm not entirely sure if this is really more cost effective or efficient it does mean that there are 'commune' services meant for those in this particular neighborhood. I realized that this was a good thing when Jojo and I were out mailing some postcards (one of her stay home days within the first few weeks of our arrival) and we took the long way home i.e. instead of heading directly back down the block to get to our street we went all the way around the block. While I wasn't really expecting to find anything I was pleasantly surprised when I spotted a window behind which looked like a lot of books and a nice children's area. Although there was absolutely NO sign stating that it was a library, after taking a peek in the first set of entrance doors I correctly deduced that it was a library, that of Ixelles! While the children's section (in a separate room from the adult section) is only open when school children would be able to attend i.e. late afternoon/early evenings and weekends, it is really great that it is literally right around the corner!
I returned later with Jojo thinking that it would be open but there was a brochure or sign that hadn't been properly updated and it turned out that the children's section wouldn't be open until later that afternoon. I did sign myself up for a card but I still have to pay almost 8 Euro (for the year although I won't be here that long) if I want to check anything out--I still have to go back and take a better look around and see if it would be worth it i.e. there are some English language books and there may be Cd's or even DVDs!
We returned yet again that day once Amelia was home from school and with Dan's presence we were able to sign both of the girls up for library cards which are free although there is a 10 book limit per child. While my sister (a children's librarian in Wisconsin) I guess was aware that European libraries are not as well funded or supported as U.S. equivalents, I was completely shocked when both the adult and children's librarians started writing out everything by hand for the library cards! The check out system will be familiar to those of you used the library about 15 or 20 years ago (or think of your elementary school library check out system) where there is a slip of paper in the book that is stamped with the due date and there is another slip that is pulled out and put in an envelope with your name on it and filed away until you return the items!! While I knew that the girls and I enjoyed a very nice public library system in Madison I had no idea just how good we really had it!! Not only is there an electronic check-out system in place (now with self check out machines as well) with the ability to check up on your account online and renew books but I am also able to check out mp3 books to download onto my player with my Madison library card--as am I still currently doing while here in Belgium!! While I still can't fully believe it, I am trying to get over the fact that a large, even capital city like Brussels doesn't have better technology for its public services!
Another community location that the girls and I visited within the last couple of weeks is the pool! While it isn't too far away, with shorter legs doing the walking, the bus (2 buses really) is our mode of transportation. The first time we went when I hadn't been there before, the bus that was supposed to drop us off right near the pool was unfortunately taking a different route for some reason and so we got off at the temporary stop and had to ask directions to the pool. Evidently the Ixelles pool isn't a frequented hot spot as the first two people (adults) I found didn't know where it was but then I asked some younger looking kids and they directly me exactly where I needed to go!!
It is a very large indoor space with a shallow end where the girls and I hung out in which was roped off from a deeper section and there was still space for those who wanted to do laps! It was only a few Euros for Jojo and I to get in (Amelia was free). All around the perimeter of the pool were little individual changing rooms...a bit tight for an adult and two kids but we eventually got changed and out to the pool area where we where promptly informed by the lifeguard that "bonnets" were required. As we didn't have swim caps, he generously went to a little closet and pulled out some for us to wear for the time being--although they were very loose, it was a heck of a lot better than not getting to swim! They must be obsessed with hair or obsessed with not wanting to get in the pool as men aren't allowed to wear swim trunks--speedos or form fitting swim shorts only!
We all returned last week as the girls were out of school and went swimming Wednesday morning-this time armed with new swim caps! I think that they worked out nicely even though Amelia is very particular about her hair and didn't want it tucked up under cap (only a bit was sticking out as it isn't very long)!
After we returned home and had a lunch and Amelia had a nap, we headed out to the Brussels Children's museum where we were scheduled (thanks to Naomi being the middle person) to meet one of Jojo's school friends Ellen (and her mom and little sister as well). Like the children's section of the library, the children's museum has very limited hours as though children who aren't enrolled in school yet wouldn't want to go--I find it quite strange. As a result, when it is open, I have been told that it is typically quite packed! Sarah, Ellen's mom, arrived a bit earlier than the girls and I did and said that they were initially turning people away! As she had arranged to me us there (and hadn't written down my cell number) she didn't want to just leave, she hung out a bit and then the women at the front desk finally let them in as some people had left and/or they looked cute/pitiful enough to be let in!
We didn't find Ellen and her crew until about a half hour after our arrival due to the fact that I had also failed to write down Sarah's cell phone number and I didn't realize that there would be 3 different floors to explore--and of course Ellen was on the top floor! Anyways, we finally connected and the girls had a great time playing before Ellen and her family had to leave. The current theme (as I guess it changes periodically) was Red. As such the create your own story room had pictures/scenes from stories with red in their title like "Little Red Riding Hood" and there was an area on health and what read mean in terms of your body (i.e. blood) and a red cross play ambulance. I was impressed by the number of things to do as well as the extent to which they made the red theme work with all their areas of exploration! As a bonus, the girls also were able to get their faces painted which we did just in time. We kept seeing kids with their faces painted walking around but didn't see where it was happening, but near the end of our visit (15 minutes before closing time) we finally spotted the room where there was a very patient young woman putting various designs on cheeks and noses and foreheads (as some wanted to look like a lion). Jojo wanted a butterfly and a ladybug but I couldn't remember the word (if I ever knew it) for ladybug so she got a butterfly instead which she seems satisfied by and Amelia quickly followed suit.
I think that everyone enjoyed themselves despite there being lots of people and we didn't really explore everything so it will have to be someplace that we return to at some point!
Last Tango in Paris
Well, our last day, not last tango. We did not have big touring plans for our last day, which was last Sunday. In the morning, we visited the children's park in the Jardin du Luxembourg, as we had done every day except Saturday. Then via Metro we went to Gare du Nord, our train station, to put our big bag in a locker (easier said than done), and then to meet Nicholas and Vincent for lunch nearby. Nicholas was one of my next door neighbors in the 1978-79 school year, when my whole family lived in Venon in the Grenoble region during one of my father's sabbaticals. Nicholas is a few years older than I, and in 1978-79 I was best friends with his younger brother Benoit, who was my age and in my class at school. We had a very nice lunch, first mostly in French, then mostly in English, and it was nice to catch up on Nicholas and his family, as well as to discuss a variety of random topics. The last time I saw Nicholas was around Bastille Day in 1995 (which was a cool time to be in Paris), so there was a lot to catch up on.
Amelia basically slept through lunch in her stroller, and JoJo mostly was quiet and relaxed or made drawings. Amelia woke up just in time to leave, and she ate a late lunch from a doggy bag on the train. The train ride was smooth enough—when the girls got antsy, we set them up with a DVD on a laptop. We didn't have headphones for them with us, but we kept the volume low, and our 5 neighbors in our compartment didn't indicate any annoyance about hearing the Wiggles.
Paris was a lot of fun for us, and by and large the girls did great. Amelia got some kind of yucky schmutz-y thing going on in her eyes, and she clearly was unhappy about it. But the over-the-counter cleansing and treatment agents we got made her unhappier still!
We ate a lot of Italian in Paris—the kids like the pasta, and so do I. We also ate a bunch of crepes, at restaurants and from stands. It was kind of fun watching the crepes get made, which you could do at the stands. The crepes were good, but the one waffle I had was grossly inferior to the ones I've had in Brussels.
At one of our meals JoJo turned to Amelia and said, "Qu'est-ce que tu fait?" ("What are you doing?") It was the most complete expression that I had heard from her in French, and I was very impressed. She seemed pretty pleased with herself when I commented on it.
I will end this post with the rock that JoJo found in Jardin du Luxembourg. She found a rock and remarked that it was the biggest rock she had ever seen. I wasn't too wild about carrying around a big rock (she sort of has a collection), but then I saw the rock, which was about the size of a AA battery (and also strangely shaped). I asked her if she had really never seen a larger rock, and she confirmed it. I guess her vast quadrennial experience was not as vast as I thought, and I smugly pointed out larger rocks. Yep, Daddy proved he's more wordly than his 4 year old.
Amelia basically slept through lunch in her stroller, and JoJo mostly was quiet and relaxed or made drawings. Amelia woke up just in time to leave, and she ate a late lunch from a doggy bag on the train. The train ride was smooth enough—when the girls got antsy, we set them up with a DVD on a laptop. We didn't have headphones for them with us, but we kept the volume low, and our 5 neighbors in our compartment didn't indicate any annoyance about hearing the Wiggles.
Paris was a lot of fun for us, and by and large the girls did great. Amelia got some kind of yucky schmutz-y thing going on in her eyes, and she clearly was unhappy about it. But the over-the-counter cleansing and treatment agents we got made her unhappier still!
We ate a lot of Italian in Paris—the kids like the pasta, and so do I. We also ate a bunch of crepes, at restaurants and from stands. It was kind of fun watching the crepes get made, which you could do at the stands. The crepes were good, but the one waffle I had was grossly inferior to the ones I've had in Brussels.
At one of our meals JoJo turned to Amelia and said, "Qu'est-ce que tu fait?" ("What are you doing?") It was the most complete expression that I had heard from her in French, and I was very impressed. She seemed pretty pleased with herself when I commented on it.
I will end this post with the rock that JoJo found in Jardin du Luxembourg. She found a rock and remarked that it was the biggest rock she had ever seen. I wasn't too wild about carrying around a big rock (she sort of has a collection), but then I saw the rock, which was about the size of a AA battery (and also strangely shaped). I asked her if she had really never seen a larger rock, and she confirmed it. I guess her vast quadrennial experience was not as vast as I thought, and I smugly pointed out larger rocks. Yep, Daddy proved he's more wordly than his 4 year old.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Trekking the Third Day in Paris
Yesterday we set out with our most ambitious walking plan yet. We headed west from the hotel, toward the Eiffel Tower about three miles away. Our first stop was a bit past the half-way point, by the Hotel des Invalides (formerly a hospital and retirement home for war veterans). There was a little playground, and then we went to a nearby cafe for snack.
The cafe was situated on a corner, across the street from Les Invalides grounds, and across a different street for the Rodin Museum. We went to the museum to visit the grounds but not the interior exhibits, because we thought that would play better with the girls. I had made my peace with paying full price just to see the grounds, but it turns out the grounds were free! JoJo went around the grounds with Naomi while I hung out with Amelia in an area with a few sculptures and gravel on the ground. The gravel was apparently fascinating, and trumped anything Rodin did. Nevertheless, I still toured the grounds after Naomi and JoJo returned. I was feeling grateful for the free entrance to the grounds, so I had purchased the audio tour, and it was pretty interesting. Then we lunched at a cafe on the grounds, and—still feeling grateful—I even got drinks (but no 5.50€ demi-liter of Evian). The Rodin Museum was an unqualified success for us, very enjoyable for everyone.
We continued on to the Parc du Champs de Mars, the big park with the Eiffel Tower at one end. We stopped for a while at a playground, and then continued on to the main event. The Eiffel Tower is awesome and beautiful, I think, and the closer you get to it the more awesome and beautiful it is. The strut system is so airy and graceful. It was an exceptionally beautiful day, too, with the sun so bright that at times it was hard to keep your eyes open without sunglasses, and temperatures were warm enough that jackets were optional. And since it was Saturday to boot, it was a perfect recipe for crowds at the Tower. We went all the way to the top, with a wait of around 30 minutes for the lower elevator, and about 45 minutes for the upper elevator. The paths the elevators take through the guts of the structure give you an up-close appreciation of its design and execution. At the top, the 360° view of Paris is pretty tough to beat, needless to say, with many, many well-known sites easily identified. At 324 m/1,063 feet, the Tower is by far the tallest thing in the Paris region, so as you look down you have this sense that the whole city is laid out before you for your personal perusal.
JoJo liked the visit to the Tower, and her favorite part was probably purchasing a snow globe of the Tower on the second level. Amelia slept for most of our visit. At one point, I carried her sleeping in her stroller over a turnstile, and I had to turn the stroller sideways until she was literally horizontal on her side (and not strapped in). Naomi called my maneuver "heroic," but "assinine" could have probably been just as apt, given that we later were able to get Amelia—still asleep in her stroller—to pass under a turnstile, and with a lot less drama.
There was almost no wait for the elevators down the Tower. At the base, we watched an all-girl brass marching band (with a guy passing a blue cowboy hat), and a group of breakdancers. We next proceeded to the Trocadero, for final excellent views of the Tower, and marched toward the Arc de Triomphe. Before we got there, we stopped at a brasserie for dinner, and then resumed our walk to the A de T.
A straight line connects La Defense (in the west), the A de T, the Place de la Concorde, and the Louvre (in the east). You can see from one end to other from under the A de T, but from the regular sidewalk on Champs-Elysees we could not. We were sufficiently beat at this point that we did not worry about consummating this virtuosic touristic feat, and instead we got a cab back to the hotel. It had been a long day, but any day that includes a visit to the Eiffel Tower is a good one.
The cafe was situated on a corner, across the street from Les Invalides grounds, and across a different street for the Rodin Museum. We went to the museum to visit the grounds but not the interior exhibits, because we thought that would play better with the girls. I had made my peace with paying full price just to see the grounds, but it turns out the grounds were free! JoJo went around the grounds with Naomi while I hung out with Amelia in an area with a few sculptures and gravel on the ground. The gravel was apparently fascinating, and trumped anything Rodin did. Nevertheless, I still toured the grounds after Naomi and JoJo returned. I was feeling grateful for the free entrance to the grounds, so I had purchased the audio tour, and it was pretty interesting. Then we lunched at a cafe on the grounds, and—still feeling grateful—I even got drinks (but no 5.50€ demi-liter of Evian). The Rodin Museum was an unqualified success for us, very enjoyable for everyone.
We continued on to the Parc du Champs de Mars, the big park with the Eiffel Tower at one end. We stopped for a while at a playground, and then continued on to the main event. The Eiffel Tower is awesome and beautiful, I think, and the closer you get to it the more awesome and beautiful it is. The strut system is so airy and graceful. It was an exceptionally beautiful day, too, with the sun so bright that at times it was hard to keep your eyes open without sunglasses, and temperatures were warm enough that jackets were optional. And since it was Saturday to boot, it was a perfect recipe for crowds at the Tower. We went all the way to the top, with a wait of around 30 minutes for the lower elevator, and about 45 minutes for the upper elevator. The paths the elevators take through the guts of the structure give you an up-close appreciation of its design and execution. At the top, the 360° view of Paris is pretty tough to beat, needless to say, with many, many well-known sites easily identified. At 324 m/1,063 feet, the Tower is by far the tallest thing in the Paris region, so as you look down you have this sense that the whole city is laid out before you for your personal perusal.
JoJo liked the visit to the Tower, and her favorite part was probably purchasing a snow globe of the Tower on the second level. Amelia slept for most of our visit. At one point, I carried her sleeping in her stroller over a turnstile, and I had to turn the stroller sideways until she was literally horizontal on her side (and not strapped in). Naomi called my maneuver "heroic," but "assinine" could have probably been just as apt, given that we later were able to get Amelia—still asleep in her stroller—to pass under a turnstile, and with a lot less drama.
There was almost no wait for the elevators down the Tower. At the base, we watched an all-girl brass marching band (with a guy passing a blue cowboy hat), and a group of breakdancers. We next proceeded to the Trocadero, for final excellent views of the Tower, and marched toward the Arc de Triomphe. Before we got there, we stopped at a brasserie for dinner, and then resumed our walk to the A de T.
A straight line connects La Defense (in the west), the A de T, the Place de la Concorde, and the Louvre (in the east). You can see from one end to other from under the A de T, but from the regular sidewalk on Champs-Elysees we could not. We were sufficiently beat at this point that we did not worry about consummating this virtuosic touristic feat, and instead we got a cab back to the hotel. It had been a long day, but any day that includes a visit to the Eiffel Tower is a good one.
Comment on Notre Dame
Just a small comment on our visit to Notre Dame... As we wandered around inside, I tried to point out to the girls the "windows that told stories" and the windows that were just pretty. There were some cool models of the building itself and of course lots of candles that Amelia liked quite a bit. I found myself unable to tell Josephine the whole story of Christ as described in the stained glass but I did hope she'd recognize some figures from other stories she's heard ... wherever. On the way out, I was pushing Amelia in the stroller and Josephine was walking beside us. Josephine kindly pushed the door open but then Amelia said no she didn't want to go, she wanted to stay. Wow, I thought, she really liked the windows, the architecture (the candles, maybe) "do you want to go back in" I asked? "Yes," she said, "this time, I want to open the door myself."
Pompidou and circumstance
On Day 2 of our visit to Paris, we went to the Pompidou center and I had the nutella crepe I had been craving. I got a sugar crepe for Josephine and Amelia to share but I was stunned when Josephine said she didn't like it. She must have gotten a bit without sugar, I don't know, but anyway, more for us! The Pompidou Center had a great children's exhibit with transparency machines (yes, overheads) setup in all sorts of ways with lots of shapes and patterns and materials that you could project onto nearby screens, patterns and surfaces. It was very hands on and interesting. They also showed a few short movies created with similar techniques which the girls enjoyed. One was from an African-Canadian called "Black Soul" that was very powerful but difficult to explain to a 4 1/2 year old. On the upper levels of the Pompidou were fantastic views of the city (which paled in comparison to the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower but at the time they were the best views we'd seen) and an exhibition of modern art. I gave Josephine my camera and told her she could take photos of any piece of art she liked. These photos will be posted shortly. There was a special exhibit from a private collectors that included a number of pieces from Africa and also Robert Mappelthorpe. I'm sure all the grandparents are happy to know that Josephine didn't seem to notice the Mappelthorpe pieces.
Josephine's favorite parts of the Pompidou were the escalators. Amelia was asleep after the movies in the children's exhibition so she missed much of the fun. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and visiting the park, where Amelia had her unfortunate experience in the carousel as related by Dan in an earlier post. She was all strapped in and happy as a clam until... who knows what... then she couldn't get out fast enough. They had to stop the ride and I had to run around and take her, her strewn mittens and sloughed sneakers out of there to regroup. Amelia had a tough afternoon actually. She wanted to go in a play park but it cost money and was closing in 15 minutes. So, I asked if we could go in for free and the answer was "non!" Then there was the carousel. Then she wanted to ride the ponies. We tried that twice but each time she was too scared to get tied into the saddle. Then, finally, we said she could ride the swings (again, for a price) but some sort of not-listening-sufficiently-to-the-rules type catastrophe occured and we took her out. She nearly stripped naked right there in the park she was so upset. Don't ask me why but Amelia's typical reaction to not getting what she wants is to start taking off her clothes. I think she knows that it gets a pretty good reaction from the adults around so it works for her. Things got better from there -- we had a nice pasta and pizza dinner and everyone went easily to sleep.
Josephine's favorite parts of the Pompidou were the escalators. Amelia was asleep after the movies in the children's exhibition so she missed much of the fun. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and visiting the park, where Amelia had her unfortunate experience in the carousel as related by Dan in an earlier post. She was all strapped in and happy as a clam until... who knows what... then she couldn't get out fast enough. They had to stop the ride and I had to run around and take her, her strewn mittens and sloughed sneakers out of there to regroup. Amelia had a tough afternoon actually. She wanted to go in a play park but it cost money and was closing in 15 minutes. So, I asked if we could go in for free and the answer was "non!" Then there was the carousel. Then she wanted to ride the ponies. We tried that twice but each time she was too scared to get tied into the saddle. Then, finally, we said she could ride the swings (again, for a price) but some sort of not-listening-sufficiently-to-the-rules type catastrophe occured and we took her out. She nearly stripped naked right there in the park she was so upset. Don't ask me why but Amelia's typical reaction to not getting what she wants is to start taking off her clothes. I think she knows that it gets a pretty good reaction from the adults around so it works for her. Things got better from there -- we had a nice pasta and pizza dinner and everyone went easily to sleep.
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