Back

It feels good to be back! These two pictures more or less summarize the past two weeks and a half. Boxes and sunny skies.

The move went well if we don't take into account the four movers who got stuck in our elevator while on their way up to get started. They were stuck for over an hour - a nightmare! Especially given the size of the elevator - it really is tiny. It got us really worried. I didn't dare to take the elevator for the rest of that day, neither did the kids... and one of the movers who got a real scare. Taking the stairs instead - nine floors in one building and five in the other - resulted in sore legs and a lot of laughter the next day: given my broken toe I didn't know which leg to limp with first.
But all in all the move went really well! Even the unpacking went smooth, though "where is...?" was a much heard question the first couple of days. But as a matter of fact, I believe we never moved this well organized. There's a learning curve, so much is clear.

As we didn't want the kids to spend their entire vacation between boxes I took them to the seaside. The weather was great, we got a nice tan and got well rested for what is this school year's last term already. I can't believe how fast time went by - there's so many things I want to do still before summer vacation!

I'd better get started!!

I'll be back soon!

As of tomorrow we'll be cut off from all internet and phone services until... we'll be reconnected - that's literally what the phone company has told me - which can take up to two weeks...
I hope to be back sooner, though.

See you all then?!

All about light

This post is all about light...

About how it won't take us long to take all the light fixtures down in our apartment for the simple reason there ain't any. Bare light bulbs is what we have, with a few exceptions, even after close to four years. And you know what? I think I like our bare light bulbs...

This post is also about how I broke my right foot's little toe Thursday night, because I didn't want to turn on the light so I wouldn't wake up the kids. However, I forgot about the stack of boxes (still folded and empty) in our hall way and the rest you can guess. I packed my foot with ice after applying some arnica and went to bed hoping that it would feel better in the morning. It didn't. My timing couldn't be any better. Oh well, I guess I'll survive - the doctor said I still could do everything (except for the marathon on Sunday - but that wasn't in my planning anyway), it only would hurt the first couple of days. When I left the orthopedist's office an old couple was on their way in - the old man, slightly bended and walking with a cane, looked at me while I wobbled out and joked to his wife how people were all alike when entering that building - we both started laughing out loud... and right he was...

If only I would have turned on the light last night, I thought...

Tze move

Things are a bit crazy right now. I'm supposed to be packing, but instead I've been running around like crazy, bringing kids to and back home from birthday parties, not to be missed gym classes right before competition season starts and doctor appointments.
M. hasn't been hearing very well the last couple of days, so we went to see her pediatrician who referred us to a specialist. She's had this before, and I know it's probably something minor, but I want it to be taken care of as soon as possible.  As if bad hearing weren't enough, the poor thing came home with head lice. We never had them before but the schools never seem to be without them. Luckily, we caught it (them?) early. I kept her home from school yesterday morning, so we could do the necessary while running loads of laundry. Sheets, pillow cases, her hooded sweaters, towels... The last thing I want is those critters moving with us...



In between,  I spent quite an amount of time on the phone to arrange for our move and all things related. I need to do as much as possible now as we'll be cut off from all our phone services, internet etc. for about two weeks. TWO WEEKS! Can you believe this!? And we're moving to a place on the same block - in Paris! This must be something French - we've moved around quite a bit and never were without a phone for longer than 24 hours... except for in France. Just for reference: since I met K. I moved six times! That's an average of  every two and a half years... It's a drastic but effective way to get rid of excess stuff. So, let's go do that right now!

A life in boxes...

Science project show

"Today was our science electricity project show. I completely forgot to remind Mama & Papa (they had had the invitation a while ago) - so they didn't come but it still was fun. Some people's circuits broke down just that day... Lot's of people commented on mine!! I'M SO PROUD!!" 

                              ~ M., 10 years old

I still feel miserable that neither one of us made it to M.'s science project show - she so much deserved it for us being there. I forgot about the show when I made the appointment to go in to sign our new rental agreement and K. had meetings all day. When I realized I'd missed it, I felt like I could kill myself. 

I'm so proud of my little girl, of her project, of the grown-up way she dealt with the fact we didn't come to see her. Next week she has an art show and you bet I'll be there!!

A quick word about the cat: M. learned about parallel circuits in science class and got an assignment to build something around /in/with a shoebox, two or three light bulbs, two or three switches, electrical wire and a battery.  M. wanted to build a cat nightlight. We were lucky to find a cardboard papier mâché cat at the crafts store. The head had to be cut off in order to insert the eyes/ light bulbs and all off the wiring and then patched together again (once made sure everything worked correctly). The battery and switches went neatly under the box. It wasn't an easy project, but definitely a fun and interesting one - even K. and me learned a thing or two about parallel circuits...
We are so proud of our little girl...