you like that song, don't you?

Yes, I like all 4 of those songs.
There is something about French 80's music that intrigues me. I have always enjoyed 80's music, but it was never my favourite. But apparently French 80's is my new music preference this month. I'm sure this obsession won't last long.

In other news, Valentin is growing so fast! I didn't see les enfants for almost 2 weeks because they were on vacation, which meant I was also. He is 2yrs and 3months, and is no longer a baby, but a little boy now. He is talking; normally his own made-up language, but occasionally he'll throw in a French word, or repeat me when I say a funny word in English. He likes when I say "bye-bye", and is always repeating that. The other day I was pushing him in his stroller, and he was holding his winnie the pooh stuffed animal, speaking loudly about nothing in particular to the" dou-dou" (French for stuffed toy, or favourite child belonging) as we are walking down the sidewalk. I am crossing the road, and suddenly he throws the animal roughly onto the street and yells loud and proud, "BYE-BYE DOU-DOU!!!!". He also proceeded to remove his little running shoes from his feet 3 times and chuck those on the groud as well during the stroll. I didn't notice until I was a block past. Basically the entire stroll was just me bending down and picking things up. Good thing is super cute.

please don't throw yougourt at me

The youngest child that I au pair for is 2 years and a bit. He is at that age where he can longer be controlled. shit, because I'm sure it would have been so much easier last year for the previous au pair. He couldn't run, just waddle, and he would be spoon fed, and didn't feel the need to be like his older sisters etc. But that has all changed. He runs, everywhere, he throws food all over the table (and at me) and he refuses to eat in his high chair, so he eats at the table with his sisters but just smears all of the food on the table (or on me). Of course he is still adorable, but just not as tame.

A few weekends ago we went to the "Bon Marche" which in English is translated to "bargain". But, there is absolutely no bargain to be found within those fancy French walls. It was also the first department store in Paris AND was designed by Gustav Eiffel, the same guy who designed the Eiffel Tower. Beside the Bon Marche is La Grande Epicerie, which is a large fine foods from all over the world grocery store. Also no bargain to be found, but it is beautifully laid out and the colours and selection of food and accessories is perfect (if you are rich, or just feel like browsing). Peanut butter can be found in the American section for I think around 6euros, for a small container. That would be about $10 Canadian.

ranger la chambre!

This is NOT Julie Andrews. As jealous as I am of French children, I am so pleased that I was able to watch Disney films in the original language. This is just embarrassing in French. Je suis désolé French Mary Poppins.


Why do I envy French children? Because they....

1. have European Citizenship
2. are always well dressed
3. can eat pastries for breakfast
4. sound adorable when they speak in their little French voices

I was singing "Spoonfull of Sugar" to the kids while we were tidying up the toys, and they were complaining because I didn't know the words in French. So to make everyone happy I started singing it in a made-up kind of Italian language, and they joined in. I'm glad the parents didn't come home while we were doing this, as I am supposed to be teaching them English, not fake Italian mumbles.

chim-chiminey

Had a very nice brunch today with my French guy. It was at a little cafe that serves bio-food. (organic). Literally everything they serve is organic. We sat outside on the patio, it was a cool but sunny autumn day. Inside the restaurant are shelves stocked with bio-confiture (organic preserves). Such as apricot jam, pepper, olive pate. yum! We both ordered bio-jambon, on bio-pain, with 3 bio-mutards. There was Dijon mustard, mustard seed mustard (thats not the real name....), and purple mustard. The purple mustard I had never tried before, but it was exceptional. I have to go buy some. We also ordered a flask of wine. It was only 1pm, and I had to work at 3pm. Bad idea. No worries though, the booze wore off before. Although I'm sure when I arrived I smelled like wine. The one time I'm not carrying gum in my purse! C'est domage. Maybe the espresso I had after gave me bad enough coffee breath that it cancelled the wine????

We were cold from sitting in the shade on the patio, so went to warm up at Place de Vosges (one of my fave parks). I unrolled my scarf and we layed down together on that in the sun. But this damn nosy pigeon stared at us the whole time from a distance. He perched his ugly feet on the fence thing, and just sat there for 10 mins glaring. Finally he moved, but then began to circle around us. What nerve he has. Then I went to work.

Je vous present....the "patrol pigeon".

Le cupid (the youngest of the 3 kids I au pair for) was sick today. With I think the same thing I had. He was being so cute! He was kind of groggy from the medication and not feeling well I think. But surprisingly he was in a great mood! So we had a little photo shoot. He was talking to himself and roaming around the house playing, and I followed him around with my camera.

I am finished work for the day, and have wandered up to my room on the 7th floor.... where, let me remind you, I have only a bedroom to myself. No toilet or shower. A bed, desk, TV , laptop & wardrobe, and my clothes etc. I share a toilet with a few other people on my floor. And my shower is on the 4th floor in the families apartment. It is a private shower for my use only. The sink on the 7th floor is too old and dirty looking to use. This building has to be over 200 years old. All the rooms on the 7th floor are just "chambre de bonne" which basically were used as a bedroom for all the housekeepers of the nice apartments below, in the 1800/1900's. I guess things haven't really changed that much....except the fact that I have a TV maybe. Anyway, the point to this explanation is that after work I was feeling the need for a facial, so I immediately coated my face in a mint-julep mask. Looks like toothpaste. After completing this I realize that I have no way of washing this off in the privacy of my room. Uh oh....stranded. Either that or embarrassment. The hall way and stairwell is surprisingly busy on a regular basis. "Merde." Still haven't decided what I will do. But in the meantime....

My face may look like this....

.... but the view outside my bedroom window looks like this.

"Chim chiminey, Chim chiminey, Chim chim cher-ee"

I don't mind staying here a while with my mask on, listening to Indian music. It is the perfect autumn night, warm enough to have my window open to enjoy the view and let in fresh French air, and cool enough to have no insects! Bon nuit.

tele marketing & au pair

I am a fille au pair for 3 wonderful little monsters in Paris!
Les enfants: Clementine - 6, Anais - 5, et Valentin - 2 (deux filles et un garçon....)
I have just started this week. This job is still shiny and new, and les enfants are very well behaved. I have nothing to complain about....yet.
So I am preparing dinner, and les enfants have just finished taking a bath. La mere told me earlier that day that I could be expecting a delivery of groceries to the house. Anyway, the doorbell rings. I'm in the midst of making some kind of dinner that required me to get my hands dirty, so I awkwardly answer the door, and of course les enfants come running to see the company. They are nude. The man is trying to explain something to me, but I can't understand. I see that his shirt say "Tele market"....and he is holding a clip board....and he is asking for the le monsieur ou la madame of the house. A telemarketer I think? Boring.... So I try to tell him, sorry we are not interested, thanks, come another time. Meanwhile, Clementine the talker is telling this stranger all we have done today and that la mere is bringing pizza for dinner tonight etc.... et Anais is running around the hallway nude, running between this dudes legs, stepping on his feet etc.... et Valentin, I'm running after him so he doesn't attempt the stairs. The telemarketer seems really disappointed that he can't come in, and that les parents are not here...."domage" he says. I wonder why he is so stressed.... there are some neighbours he could go sell to. But I am persistent, "nous ne sommes pas intéressés"....we are not interested!

During dinner that night .... le pere, "did the grocery delivery come tonight?
"No, but there was a persistent telemarketer at the door tonight" - moi
"Tele Market is the name of the company we order our groceries from...."
embarrassment - moi
"I guess we will just have to order pizza for the rest of the week" - le pere

....luckily, the guy came back later with the groceries. relief.