Dec.(no) Jan. (no) Feb (no). and yes, finally March brings a new blog entry!

Handmade gown from Morocco.

I CANNOT believe I have not done one single entry since (gasp!) last November!!!!

You know how they say time speeds up as you get older? Well, I must be pretty damn ancient since that much time has passed without feeling either the urge to blog or the guilt to blog. (Two sides to the same coin).

Since I last blogged, we have gone to Seville, celebrated the holidays, Sabine turned 4, got sick and better, took a trip to Amsterdam, stayed cozy in the house, parties, did lots of art, reading, cooking/baking, crafting and dancing.

Cozy reading time

Oh so funny!

As my list of stuff to do just grows and grows ... post office, dishes, laundry, plan spring trip to USA and on and on it goes. I knew that unless I just sit down and do a quick entry - just to let y'all know that I am still here (physically at least bwa ha haa).

Little tuft curly-Q

Little artist

 Here are some pics of the growing girls:

Incredible to me just how much they have changed in the last few months! Leo is starting to talk.... almost entirely in French which totally baffles me. Encore, do do, oui (= more, sleep, yes) and of course, her favorite NON!









Sabine's imagination is infinite. SO interesting to hear her thoughts on well ... everything. As her language gets more complex, so too do her ideas.

Leo at Sabine's salon

Yesterday she was fixing my hair. She brushed it with a brush and then took various toys and shook them over my head. She described all the things she was adding to my hairstyle. Cars were glitter, a teapot dispensed some stars, her mini etch a sketch was the conditioner, and on and on and on.... until finally: "Voila! There you go, now you are a boy"!

We have had lots of dance club days during the cold, dreary days. We listen to everything from classical, electro, tribal, pop, blue grass, funk and more.

So fun to expose the girls to the wide variety of music available! Sabine really loves Stromae, James Brown, Micheal Jackson, Madonna, Libana and Ziggy Marley to name just a few of her favs.

Being an only child, I didn't really know what to expect by having 2 children. Allow me to say, I love the love between them. The thrill of seeing each other each morning never diminishes. The hugs, the kisses and the care for one another - lovely! Of course, there are also tears and conflict - but they are learning so much about working it out - that I rarely step in. Make no mistake, Leo is a little toughie, she can push just as hard as Sabine. And just TRY to wrench something out of her tiny grip - not gonna happen! You'll observe the serious face on Leo holding the drum, who would mess with her?

Rabbit going for a ride

Drumma gurl

Sabine's class celebrating the big 0-4

I was surprised they used real candles.

My quirky silent kid

So, my sweet Sabine is causing trouble in school.

First of all, she is not listening to the teacher today. She ignored the teacher when told to stop running in the bathroom and ignored her when told to stop playing around during the meal.  I could tell when the teacher was telling me about it, she was pretty pissed.  And I get it, Sabine is crafty and I don't mean in that embroidery kind of way.  She has a strong will and she is persistent in a way that I both fear and admire. I know that French schools are known to be strict, but I am wondering what they can do as a consequence that will even phase her? Clearly her teacher's unhappiness seemed to matter very little in this case.

Second of all, she won't respond when the teacher talks to her. This is the child who never, ever, ever shuts the hell up has not yet said one. single. word in class yet.

It has been three weeks. While she will indeed talk a great deal to the other children on the playground, she simply refuses to talk to her teacher or her assistant. She won't even say Au revoir - a very big deal for kids to greet adults in France. She seemed to enjoy the prodding and the attention the first week, so I stopped mentioning it. I thought perhaps she was "just being shy" or just taking advantage of being pushed to do something that no one could really, in fact MAKE HER DO - so, I stopped mentioning it altogether.

Thing is, it is continuing.


I asked her later (again), why she doesn't talk in class she tells me it is because she "doesn't have to if I don't want to". And, well of course she is right. Tonight I went to a book signing event and there was a woman there I didn't particularly wish to speak to and so I didn't. Why should Sabine have to? Because she is 3? Because it is her teacher? Because it is polite?

Her silent treatment can extend to non-school folks too. As we were coming home, the lovely woman at the hair salon came out AGAIN to try to get Sabine to say a word to her. I mean, she pulled out all the stops, asked her tons of questions, got down on her level, smiled - I mean, damn, this lady was over the top trying to get her to respond. Nothing. She mildly nodded when confirming that she ate lunch at school today.

 Then, I get the question, "well, doesn't she speak French?" HA HA ha aha hahhhhaaaaa! If they only knew how well she speaks French.

Do I even care? Should I care?

I am perplexed as to, what, if anything I should do.

A couple of weeks ago, a new babysitter came over and Sabine took a shine to her immediately and talked, danced, played and expressed herself in all her enthusiastic self. So, it is not like she can't if she wants to. 

 Tonight Hicham asked Sabine why she didn't talk in school. She confirmed while she didn't like to talk during class, preferring to talk outside during the breaks. When pressed on, she said it was because she was a wolf.

um, okay. Here I thought it might be that she was introverted or sensitive - but nah, that isn't it.

Then she added, "C'est comme ca." (It's just like that).

Blog Envy and warp speed toddler time (what?)

This entry is a mini-post mostly declaring my awe and wonder at bloggers who manage to blog daily with clever quips, stunning photos of their art projects they did with their multiple children, discussions of their home makeovers, social outings and very often outside the home (paid) jobs. This daily blogging is kicking my ass already and I am only on day 4-5 and I am exhausted!

Granted my little Leo is sick at present meaning that neither of us slept well last night thus I was scraping by energy wise today, but even still. Today, I didn't even get out of my pajamas,  my big project with Sabine today was making different textures with her toys in her play-dough and am about to go to bed with a dirty kitchen. The last thing I feel like doing is sitting here now, on my computer trying to sound literate.

So, this begs the question - HOW in the hell do these people do it? How does a person keep a garden, sew clothes, raise children, keep fit, make good meals, grocery shop, keep the right size clothes in the never ending shuffle of sizes, go out with friends, read books, stay current, have a sex life AND take stunning pics to go along with their blogs daily?

I am on a quest to find my time wasters. I rarely watch tv, haven't seen a full movie in a couple of years (though I do like watching trailers) and have a pile of books waiting to be read. Is it facebook? Is it the search for the new home? Is it naps? Is it huffpost? Where does all this precious, precious time GO? I am not tryingto be ambitious here, nor am I trying to be particularly busy. I know how to say no and I know when to take it easy.

You may remember, I  wrote an entry a while back saying I was taking a break from blogging to enjoy my baby. I am glad I did that, but I want to keep records of my children's life and I enjoy this medium. I also want to garden, read, do paper mache, go to bed with a clean kitchen and of course, spend as much time with my darling daughters as I can.

So, great segway here, today I was hearing Sabine in her room saying H, H, Q O, Q O, H, Q H, H, H etc etc. I peeked in to see what the heck and she was practicing her letters with an orange marker. She has already been" writing" for a very long time now - squiggles, lines, dots etc and then reading to me what they said. That was always interesting. But this time, she was actually writing the letters. I have no idea where she learned to do it, she said it was not in school. We have practiced her name, but Sabine does not contain H, O or Q so ...?

I was curious if she really knew what she was writing, so I asked her - what sound does an H make? She said, ha. I said was is a word that starts with H? She said, hot and hat. Well, I'll be! So, obviously, she didn't learn that in her French school. She was clearly proud of herself and kept on filling the page for about 20 more minutes. 

My girl has gone from a squiggle writer to a letter writer in a blink. I know that time is something we all reflect on at least occasionally, but when you have small children, you get to witness life in warp speed. As they are pulling you into their super-speed reality, you could wonder if you are stimulating enough as you try to do it all.

ON THE Other hand, Another way to look at my faux-self hate is to consider that had I been all up in her business doing projects or dragging her around outside the house, she wouldn't have had the space and quiet to work on her letters. So, I guess it all evens out in the end. But this weekend, we are going to be planting a garden while we do yoga while wearing handmade hemp overalls and I am gonna blog all about it!

My little coquine

We know our children are growing as their shoes start getting tighter and as they can reach things they couldn't before. But seeing that they are growing emotionally is not as obvious... usually.

Today Sabine had drawn all over her arms with her markers while putting Leo down for her morning nap. I was not impressed. She knew she was about to hear all about it, but acted preemptively. Here is what she told me, seemingly all in one breath:

"It's okay mama, it's no big deal. It will wash off. I can go right now into the bathtub and it will come right off with soap. Don't be mad with me. Go sit in the calming chair and take 3 deep breaths. You will feel better."

Um, yeah, okay. Thanks, THREE year old! 

My baby is a baby.

Okay, so the most recent entry was OCT. 29th... which was written more than a month after the one before that.  It highlighted my disappointment in myself for not keeping up with my French (study or practice or even listening to French radio) and my desire to be more "efficient" with my time.

Well, yeah, that was my intention as I was basically under-slept, over-stressed with lil miss colic (that has long since passed, to the point where I cannot even remember she ever cried in agony for long bouts) and not really in-sync with my toddler.  That is putting it nicely, a hem.

drying laundry

I guess I thought that if I had more control over time, you know with calendars, plans, agendas and more orderly drawers and crock pot dinners that I would feel less anxious and overwhelmed.  Well, there was some truth to it and also some getting my priorities straightened out.

I know that this entry is so incredibly cliche... but I haven't ever written about it and so it is original to me.

I did get some new tools and resources to help bring some order to my mental space. I got a new smartphone - which I actually do use to keep me more organized. I got the huge Galaxy Note 2.  I basically read too much greedy greedy about apple to continue to want to support them, even though I use an imac. But I am really satisfied with my phone and the huge screen (and the pen super useful in the kitchen to scroll a recipe w/o touching the screen).

What I use daily to keep my head from spinning is basically Astrid and Digical. How I use them to help me with parenting is when I find an activity I want to do with Sabine online (and omg, there are so many, many, many amazing blogs/sites/ideas - infinite really) I attach the link or page with Astrid's super handy webclipper online and make it a task with a deadline and post it to my calendar so each day I spend with Sabine we already have at least one thing planned. Kudos & thanks to all those moms who share their brilliance with the world. As a side note, the ones I don't use immediately but want to in the future are stored in Springpad (another great webclipper/bookmarking tool for us visual people).

making a fort.

I have also signed up for this really cool play challenge and recommend anyone who has kids to do it as well. I wish I could say we have done them all each day as is the intention of taking on the challenge. Hell, I haven't even opened up all the emails - but that will be addressed in part 2 of this entry entitled: My baby is a baby!  So, check it out and be inspired!  You can find it on this INCREDIBLE blog: http://handsonaswegrow.com/

We did the fort as one of the challenges suggests a couple of weeks ago. We brought flashlights and toys in and Sabine still talks about it.

Part 2: My baby is a baby!

the "reading chair"

A few weeks ago, Sabine hurt herself and I went in to pick her up and saw our reflection in the mirrors on the door of the armoire.  Because I am usually hauling Leo around and because Sabine is usually busy I don't often really pick her up.  I mean, we snuggle and stuff, but that is on the bed or in the "reading chair" (our obnoxiously huge 80's lazy boy hogging up half the living room, but providing some of my most favorite mama memories).

I feel this whimpering, damp child in my arms but what I SEE is this long-legged, big kid clinging on to me and I wonder (as all parents do), "Where is my baby?".  It all does happen so quickly, I know you have heard it all before. And so too have I. But it is when you have the epiphany yourself do you wish you had understood when someone tells you to "enjoy it because it goes by so quick". You're like, yeah yeah. I got all chocked up and after putting a calmer Sabine down, I rushed into the bedroom to see little, tiny baby Leo still tiny and I cried tears of gratitude right then and there.



So precious each moment.

So precious this time.

So, yeah, I am not studying French. I am studying my small children.

I am not powerwalking with Leo in the jogging stroller, I am holding her in my arms as we swing with the lullabies in the background.

I am not talking with as many friends as I think of and love and miss immensely, as I am deepening my bond with my baby and toddler.

I am not keeping my house that clean. Instead we hired someone to help so that I can spend time with my treasures without feeling pressure to scrub the toilet.

I am not watching movies. I am reading books with the 2 most important people in my life.

Except for a bit of volunteering, I am not enriching myself with much outside of basking in baby.

This time is fleeting, I can never get it back.  I cannot pick it up later like sewing or start over like French.  It is now, these little ones growing into big ones who shriek, "I CAN DO IT!  And she can do it, I know.  And I get to be apart of it.  So precious this time, so fleeting.

So, if you haven't seen many blog entries lately, that is why.  No apologies, no regrets.  This blog will always be here.  My baby is a baby will not.  Happy Valentine's Day.

Just like starting over!

I wrote the following entry a couple of weeks ago and have occasionally come back to it for editing and finishing.  Ah the life with a busy toddler and a tiny baby!  Well, it is true, my screen time has diminished vastly since I used to sit at the computer during naps.  Well, now when everyone is napping, I try to as well.  Well, at least the pictures are current!
 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Leo!

Now that Leo is with us and we are getting to new this new little sprite and new ways of living.

6 weeks old already!

So, at the moment, I am motivated by the variety of (for lack of a better word) projects I am attempting to delve into.  Many of them are rediscovering and some of them are new and exciting.  And honestly, since it has been so long that I have been using or studying French, I would say that I am REdiscovering something NEW again.  I have really lost so much in the way of communication.  I have been told it will come back, but still I have taken one step forward and at least 10 steps back in the last few months.  I am disappointed in myself - all the hours trudging through cold and rain in Paris to get to classes, hours spent in classes, at home studying with software, reading French books in the car, listening to Coffee Break French on walks - etc etc.  The other day, I couldn't even remember how to ask someone what they did yesterday!  Pathetic.  I have been so focused on birth, babies, driving, toddler stuff (next entry on that!) and so on - that I just completely dropped French.  Completely.  So, gotta get back on that horse. (Cheval!)

Sabine wearing her baby like Mama.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beyond French, my other obsession is getting organized, writing schedules, planning toddler activities, creating week-long menus, exercise,  and using my time more effectively.

___________________________________

I am happy to revisit the previous paragraphs (couple of weeks later) with a bit of optimism - as we are finding our rhythm a bit more.  I must cut this admittedly weird entry short, but damn it, I wanted to post it so I could cross it off my list!  (and quit thinking about it).

As I think things have settled a bit more, I should be able to blog more - something I really love doing.  I have much to share, particularly around toddlerdom and new ways of parenting a very expressive (a hem) 2.5 year old.  Book reviews coming soon!  

Strange morning (true story)

Today was a very odd day.  I should really say, morning since the bizarreness was put to an end when we finally (!) returned through the doorway at 12:30pm.   I woke up exhausted having slept like shit and could just tell that things are going to be off-kilter. 

That is also one of the interesting things of life in a big unpredictable city.  You gotta be firing on all cylinders to maneuver through the metropolitan landscape -particularly a foreign one .  If not, strangeness can ensue.  Some of the strangeness is self-imposed and some of it is unexpected/uncontrollable.  Today, I had self-imposed some minor agony on myself when I agreed to loan our pac-n-play to a fellow French student whose daughter was coming for a visit, with a baby.  Today was delivery day.

Before leaving, I  realize that I cannot bring Sabine to her play place AND carry the pnp with me.  It is much heavier and cumbersome than I anticipated.  I will have to return home to get it to bring it to class.  I drop Sabine off, go home get the damn thing and head to the bus stop.

After a while, I see the bus (happy me) and it is coming fast down the street.  So fast, in fact, that the driver chose not to slow down and pick me up (enraged me)!  Under a normal, non pnp-carrying day, I would have walked to the metro.  At a steady clip it takes about 8 minutes.  But today, I barely had the energy to make the decision to continue waiting.

So, I keep waiting.  Then a woman shows up to wait for the bus.  I always use this quality one-on-one time to practice my french.  I mean, they are stuck there - and have nothing better to do either ... we talk about random stuff, buses, drivers, the moon, pronunciation, etc.  The bus comes - bringing me to the metro and as soon as I hit the bottom step of the platform, the metro doors shut and off it goes.  I miss it by about .005 of a second.  I get on the next one which brings me to my class and then I walk the 5 blocks to the class carrying this heavy, huge thing dodging the obstacle course that is the Paris street.  I arrive 30 minutes late.  The teacher, whom I LOVE beyond measure, laughs and says, well at least you arrived after me this time!

Sadly, as I had not slept well the night before, I could barely comprehend what was going on around me.  The words coming out of my mouth were all garbled.  I knew this class was going to be a wash.  After the class, I do my marathon rush back to pick up the kid.  I am supposed to pick her up at noon, but the journey can take up to 40 minutes even when the stars aline and I get all the metros and buses I need immediately.  This has happened, and let me tell you, there is a little rush of victory when you show up at a bus stop and the bus pulls up within a minute.

This brings us to self-imposed strangeness #2.  Because today after class, I decide to very quickly stop into the bakery and get a chunk of raisin bread for Sabine.  On Thursdays when I pick her up, she acts as though she is starving and I didn't feed her breakfast.  She will repeat, "mange" (eat) "pomme" (apple) "banane" (banana) and any other kind of food word that she knows at a faster and more fevered pitch until the tears come and she has a total melt-down.  So, even though I fill her up before leaving and only about 3 hours has passed, she simply must eat almost immediately upon pick-up.  But don't you know, Hicham has taken all the cash out of my wallet and left me with his credit card (I lost mine last week) and there is a minimum of 10 euros to use your card!  So, as the line behind me begins to grow, I have to quickly decide what else to buy at lightening speed.

If you ever go into a French bakery, you will see the French at their most efficient.  They do not think about what they are going to buy.  They are not at all like they are in the cheese shops where they taste, discuss and ponder their purchase.  They say their order (not having even glanced at the offerings, because they KNOW), the lady gets it (and it is ALWAYS a lady), they have the correct change usually, and they are out the door in 10 seconds.  See, me even being there was putting a cramp in their style as I looked for something healthy for Sabine and then (gasp) didn't have the cash to pay for it and then had to peruse the glass, shelved counter to as fast as I could find enough stuff to buy at a bakery that would cost 10 euros.  Why didn't I just say, oh pardon me, and leave instead?  I have no idea.

So, carrying a giant bag of bread with nuts, a piece of quiche, a raisin bun and a chocolate bread, I left the bakery.  Wouldn't you know that by the time I got to the cross walk, the guy BEHIND me in the bakery was already in front of me?  Oh la la - all he bought was a baguette.

So, I get to the metro and again, just miss it!  I, inevitably start eating whatever I touch in the bag of carbs and butter.  When I metro arrives, I get on - but at some point it stops and we are all directed to get off and wait for the next train.  Everyone is pissed and grumbling.  This takes another 5.4 minutes.  I am starting to really panic now.  I still have to get out of the metro, get on a bus, walk to the play place and get Sabine and it is already 10 after!  Well, at least I am not hauling that damn pac-n-play anymore.

Amazingly, at the bus stop, the bus I want actually arrives within 2 minutes and within 7 minutes I am walking up to door of the play place.  After I walk in, I hear Sabine tell one of the ladies that she has to pee-pee.  I step back so she can't see me.  She pees, and I hear her say, "wow! super!" in her most Frenchie accents (wah-ow soup-air).  The lady says, there is someone here.  I wish I could say she runs over to me all smiles, but no - that is rarely what she does.  She gets out her biggest sad face, starts to pretend cry and shuffles over to me and says, "mange?"

Ripped up paintings on sidewalk

Example of unexpected strangeness.

Why would someone do this?  I know there is an artist who sells his paintings like this, not sure why though.

Sabine growing up! (and wearing underwear to prove it)

Short and Cute Sabine and her puff (hair)

Well, well, well ... it has come to this - a weekly update!  Well, I am not going to fail on my 2012 resolution at this point, so Sunday night: me blogging!  If you have no idea what the hell I am talking about, I decided to challenge myself for 2012 in new ways, including blogging at least once a week.  Read all about it HERE.

"Sabine, where is your puff?"

So,  Ironically - due to the time, I am already failing on one of the other resolutions: to go to bed earlier.   So, sorry to you my dear reader, but this entry will be short, but cute!



It is funny because Sabine's vocabulary is just exploding and I have said a few things around her that she has picked up unexpectedly.  Like, puff.  I was calling her hair puff to Hicham and then one day, I asked her where her puff was and she put her hands on her hair.  Another time, I said in my southern accent, "oh child" and now she spontaneously says it.  She also really likes words that end in CK, like sick, suck, truck or yes - that one.  And then one day, I said "Darn it" and she repeated "Damn it!".  I was like, "No, Sabine.  Darn it!  Darn it!"

The thing about being surrounded by people who do not ever say "Damn it" but rather, "Merdre" - is that the finger of blame can only be pointed to mama.  

This past week we have not gone really anywhere -thus the nature of this entry.  This week has been all about going potty on the toilet.  Oh yeah, baby!  Sabine is basically now potty trained.  Getting to the potty to do number two is still a work in progess, but that is apparently to be expected.   I did the three days in the house with no bottoms on and the little potty in the livingroom approach.  Sabine had already been using her potty for a few months when it was in the toilet room (if you know France, you know the toilet is kept in a tiny room of its own). She used it once and while, but nothing regular.  She knew it was there and often would hoard books in the toilet room and sit there and read.

Sabine in her new undies :)

But then I decided to take this potty training thing seriously for a couple of reasons: One is that she was on vacation, meaning that she did not go to her morning play place.  Two was that she is almost two.  I read somewhere that waiting too much past two and resistance to potty training goes up.  So,  I say, IF they show signs of being ready, (Being able to pull up/down pants, holding it, using language) then go for it!  I mean the resistance thing makes sense, who wants to get up from doing a puzzle to pee when you can just sit there and pee in your chair and not stop what you are doing?

This intuitively makes sense to me.  There are a few other windows that make sense to me regarding transition.  Such as, getting kids to sleep in their own bed (not necessarily own room) by 6 months. And, introducing bottle nipples if you are ever going to offer pumped milk by 3 months.  Of course, these are only guidelines, but I like being guided on stuff that I have no idea about!  I am a huge fan of expert books, websites and so on, even if I don't do or like what they say, it gives me food for thought.

But the truth is,  "Becoming the parent you want to be" has been the utmost useful book of my entire motherhood journey.  I also love "Super Baby Food".   Okay, wow, that was a tangent.  But the point is that, I wanted Sabine to be potty trained as soon as she was ready and she showed all the signs, so why postpone?

Now the question is, will she by age two, make it to the potty to do number two?  Her birthday is next Saturday, I will let you know next Sunday night ... but earlier :)

Keeping it real update

Ridiculous.  This much time passing and no entry.  Not for lack of thought, believe me.  However just to fill you in on the highlights.  Yes, I am going to make a list.  Lame, I know.

1. Sabine's vocabulary is growing everyday.
French words vs English words

Banane (banana)                 cheese
Pomme (apple)                     some
pain (bread)                         go
d'leau(water)                        shoes
Assis (sit)                            jacket
chat  (cat)                              book
chien (dog)                        munch (lunch)
touch pas (don't touch)      gorilla
dohor (outside)                   moon
la (there)                              cup
lapin (rabbit)                      again
encore (more/again)             jump
yourt (yogurt)                      hello
pousette (stroller)                 car
hibou (owl)                         phone

Sabine and papa

She speaks a lot of French words, even though I speak to her in English all day.  For one thing, Hicham reads to her tons every night before bed.  She also spends 3 hours on Tues and Thursday and all day on Wednesday at her "Stop and Play" place.  I am just so darn happy with this place.  She is also very happy to go there too.  I know she enjoys all the socializing which is what is basically for.  This is not a place intended for full time working parents, it is designed for stay-at-home moms.  France is really big on socializing from a young age.  Kids start school here at age three.  If you want, it is possible to wait until they are 5, but nobody does - except maybe foreigners.  I am also really pleased that they are willing to work around our non-animal eating lifestyle.  She eats lunch there on Wednesdays and even naps there.  It is great.  Which brings me to number 2.

2.  Since Sabine has a place to go, I have resumed French classes.  They too are going well.  There is one woman in the class who is getting on my last nerve.  She constantly barks out the answer, not allowing the others to respond.  She translates loudly nearly everything the teacher says thinking it is making her look smart.  And she speaks incredibly LOUDLY when doing so.  The majority of the class is American and over the age of 40.  Without big mouth (who is about 27) the class would be perfect.  The teacher is wonderful.  I cannot say one bad thing about her.  She is creative, dynamic, spontaneous, flexible and constructive.  All things that French teachers, in my experience, are incapable of.  I just wish she would shut that big mouth up.  Great segway to number 3.

soaking oats/nuts

sprouted quinoa

3.  My big mouth and filling it up with my new obsession.  Soaking beans, grains and flours before utilizing them.  I intend to write a big ass blog entry about it because it has sort-of taken over my life as I learn about it and experiment in the kitchen.  I have been sprouting wild rice, chick peas and soaking oats.  At the moment, there is in the oven baking, some pumpkin muffins which had soaked for 24 hours before cooking.  To sum up WHY, well it seems that much of the nutrients and minerals are unavailable in many foods unless we soak them - and easier to digest.  Obviously, this will be a post for you to look forward to and for me to write - but at present, I am still researching and experimenting before I share all my findings.  So far though, it is fun as hell!

3.5 We have been on the lookout for a new winter jacket for me.  It has been a fool's errand.  Women's cold weather wear in France has one thing in mind: looking good but not feeling good.  They are thin as shit, basically good for a nippy fall day.  In contrast to the heavy duty wonderful selection for the men, waterproof, down, etc.  And, surprise, women's are more expensive too!  I am not sure what I will do - maybe get a guys' jacket.

4. Living room is largely done!  Painted and pictures up.  That too will be an upcoming post.  I am very excited to show you the transformation really.

It is hard to believe she was ever the size of that bear! 

 6.  Sabine is just growing so fast, it blows my mind. In my effort to discover new and interesting things for Sabine and I to do together that are both fun and stimulating, I often read homeschooling blogs - a rich resource of great information.  They make me wonder if I shouldn't homeschool Sabine, but I know that I probably won't - but would rather find her a really cool school to attend.  (Unfortunately private more than likely).  But anyway, when I read these blogs - sometimes I feel like such a loser!

I know it is never good to compare yourself to another (like what is the point, we all are different) BUT, I do read blogs of moms who have large families, garden, bake bread, home school, keep the house clean, sew, can, volunteer, take incredible photos, (often all while pregnant and/or with a young baby) and much much more and still blog like every single day ... I am like, HOW IN THE HECK?  Seriously, how? how? how? 

Big shout out to a blogging mama I am now a fan of, who has not one but TWO amazing and current blogs!  Check them one, this woman is my inspiration! Her family of eight is gorgeous, her breads are perfect and did I mention that she is homesteading?  Get a cup of coffee and a muffin and prepare to get a glimpse into a family who are keeping it real. 

http://8ofakindfamily.blogspot.com/
http://delightfullearning.blogspot.com/

The world is a playground

block building

Sabine turned 22 months today.  Her room is filled with stimulating toys for the purpose of creating, moving, matching or building.  Along with her books and stuffed animal friends, it would appear she has enough stuff to keep her going and entertained all day, every day. 

threading beads

We do keep ourselves pretty busy - both in the apt and outside/in the world.  But sometimes, ya just want to change it up.

There are, I discovered, some very cool websites (particularly blogs) providing inspiring ideas of new ways to stimulate and play with a toddler  - and many of them are so basic and simple, that you just wouldn't really think of doing them.  It is weird, but I think I can forget that toys (objects of discovery and/or fun) are seriously all around us. 

Another thing is making sure that Sabine gets exposed to activities that I wouldn't necessarily be drawn to because I don't like it.  Math for example.  I am much more open to letters than numbers.  Except for counting to 3 firmly when I am being all serious, I don't usually include numbers in our conversations.

All that said, there are incredible resources: books, magazines and websites overflowing with cool things to do with a young toddler.  I recently got the book "I Can Do It" by Maja Pitamic.  I really recommend this book.  It is perhaps a bit more geared towards somewhat older kids - but not all of the activities.  Also, it is good to get read her ideas and then tailoring them to your own kids' level.  It is a Montessori book.  The cover says it all, "Play and learn activities to help your child discover the world the Montessori way". 


The chapters are: Life skills, developing the senses, language, numeracy and science.  It is a full color book with large font making the reading of it pleasant and quick. 

Recently we did the "pouring"activity as suggested in the book.  Sabine already knows how to pour water from the bath.  But this activity, something that I would likely not have thought of, was absolutely enthralling for her. 

 We used dry black eyed peas first and then incorporated quinoa.  She was all into it, doing her serious face and then looking up and flashing one of her "aren't I cool?" looks.

She also enjoyed (not mentioned in the book, but as I say - you can improvise once you get the basic idea) choosing which measuring spoon to use and which cup.  She basically changed up her tool about every 3 seconds.

A TRAY is highly recommended for this task!  (Hindsight 20/20)

This kept her contentedly busy - and learning stuff too!

PARIS-DEHLI-BOMBAY (Pompidou Exhibit)

About a week ago, we checked out the very cool "PARIS-DELHI-BOMBAY" exhibit at the Centre Pompidou.  It was (sadly over now) asking and showing, "What is India today"?  50 artisits came together for this HUGE exhibition which explored the following themes: politics, urban development and environment, religion, home, identity and craft.

Sabine in a mirror exhibit

Sadly, I didn't take as many cool pictures as I should have ... being somewhere like this with a toddler is pretty intense.  She doesn't really 'do' the stroller unless we are moving at a fast clip.  A few people have asked me how we can take a toddler through a museum? Well, actually it is more like she takes us.  She pretty much sets the pace.  That is why it is intense, she doesn't just sit in a stroller passively rolling by the art.  Oh no, little miss thing is exploring the scene on her own terms - and I get to follow behind her.   Often times, we will look at a piece together and as she points to different aspects, I will sometimes put words to what she is looking at.  OR, I will ask her questions about it.  (Isn't that bright?  Is that a chair or is it a table? Etc.) 

I can see that some people would prefer that she not be there.  Just like on airplanes, some adults think that children don't belong in the real world.  (What?  Children want to visit their grandparents on the other side of the country too?)  Of course, this anti-kid mentality largely exists only in the 'first-world'.  You go to places like Turkey, Thailand, Guatemala and kids are everywhere and included in the minutia of daily life.  I can say this with first hand experience, not hearsay.  Kids are not 'better' behaved in said countries either, they are loud, curious, high energy and you know, kids.  Yet still, these societies aren't bothered by the younger set ... nor it seems to do they glorify youth (at least as we Americans do).  Maybe there is a connection there.  Elders are revered and kids are included - sounds balanced to me.  Anyway....

The best museums are the ones like Quai Branly or the Pompidou because there is a variety of types of expression there.  Statues, huge installations, masks, video, animation, abstract art, BIG paintings, music, furniture, anything really that can be imagined!  It is fun to take her and more to the point, it is good that is she is getting used to these settings - because we enjoy museums too much to stop going.  It is also very important to me that she gets regular exposure to art and expression - and learns how to enjoy someone else's vision of the world and beauty (or ugliness). 

That is why this India show was particularly awesome.  It exposed in all these different themes, manifestations, interpretation, art forms, materials and textures, objects and ideas: INDIA.  That being my favorite country (and Nepal) it was incredibly wonderful (and of course tragic at times) to see. Oh India, land of contrast, Oh India. 

Sabine getting her shoe tied, with Paris in the background

Believe me when I tell you, these photos don't even begin to do justice to the amazing and thought-provoking exhibit that was "PARIS-DEHLI-BOMBAY".  However for a very thorough viewing of the exhibit firsthand, check out this video.  PARIS-DEHLI-BOMBAY exhibit video link  Enjoy!

Paris Techno Parade 2011

Here we go, wee!

Interestingly, I had no idea that dancing down the street was a for real fantasy of mine, until I did it today.  If you know me, you KNOW that dancing is extremely important to me.  At times, I have claimed it as my religion.  Movement is sacred, sharing rhythm with strangers is intimate, being open to the spontaneous shapes your body will make is art, letting go of self-consciousness and instead being in touch with deep consciousness is brilliant.  Dancing can be all of these things, or more - or optionally less.

I miss dancing in clubs.  For a variety of reasons, it is just so very rare that I do it.  We try to go to outdoor music festivals as much as we can so that we can include Sabine, but there is something really fantastic about stepping out into the night, looking good - ready to shake your thing! I miss funk shows and afrobeat shows and Rusted Root shows.  I haven't seen a good blues band live in years.  This saddens me deeply and profoundly.  Part of the reason is I have been invariably disappointed when we have gone to live music shows in Paris.  While it is true, maybe all 'big cities' are like this, but clubs in Paris just get incredibly SATURATED with people.  It gets so crowded, so hot, so repressive that I just can't stand it.  Or maybe we just went to the wrong places.  Of course, you can do a quick google search and read about how Paris' night life sucks because the entire city is getting gentrified by people who want to sleep. 

Really.  Damn, when I think back on Cat's Cradle, Mosaic, the American Dance Festival, ANY North Carolina outdoor music festival - I just kick myself for taking it all for granted.  All those shows - affordable tickets, space to move, easy parking, door limit, air conditioning or windows, open and free people and a special bonus, bathrooms with toilet paper and soap!   

Sabine's ear protectors. 

Okay, well it is easy for me to feel sorry for myself - like anyone when we reflect on what we don't have rather than what we do have.  And well, Hicham and I did get to check out some cool shows this year, just not as many as I would have liked... boo hoo, right?  

But today,  all of that brings me to THE 13TH ANNUAL PARIS TECHNO PARADE!  It is an outdoor electronic music festival/parade.   To be clear, techno means a lot of things - there are many kinds of techno, it doesn't ALL sound like videogame music. I like some techno quite a lot, it can be soulful - especially when there are vocals.

from one of the floats

The festival starts off with dancing workshoops, dj's, art expos, etc and then there is the parade.  There are 20 giant floats (very slow going) containing 150 musicians, DJ's and dancers from all over France that waft down three miles of Paris streets as their minions follow behind and dance/walk/clap/take tons of photos of each other.  There are also people standing on the sides of the streets watching the parade old-school style. Confetti fills the air at various intervals as well as, hilariously, smoke machines. 

Sabine got all dressed up for her first rave party by sporting a PINK winged, furry, unicorn/Pegasus ensemble that I ordered in the states for this halloween.  Not that there is trick or treating here anyway, so I figured, fuck it - this is festive and where else will she get to wear this?  And let me just say, that Sabine loved wearing that thing.  She was just pleased as punch looking at herself in the mirror with her little costume.  

A lot of people took (or tried) pictures of the little pink unicorn. Unfortunately for all the people who happened to zoom in on her while I (vs Hicham) was holding her, because I was moving, jumping - all kinds of shaking and making ridiculous faces too (I discovered later) - so I probably ruined their entire shot!  Hicham took some pictures of Sabine and I - and let me tell ya, you ain't gonna see them .... ever!


Anyoldway, it was really, really cool to dance my ass off down the street to some funkadelic tribal drumming, jazzy number which was blasting out of one of the techno trucks.  Sadly not as many of the attendees danced with as much exuberance ... .  Well, I came to dance and so that is what I did.  Also, sadly not as many were dressed up for a dance party as I was expecting, here are a few pictures of the beauties that did.  Enjoy!  (And as always, for a BIGGER view, click on the picture).  


Here we go!  BY THE WAY, PLEASE CLICK ON THE "READ THE REST" TO SEE THE ENTIRE SERIES OF PICTURES!

fabulous coordination

beauty

Everything about this picture is great.  Everything.

There were some people who were really into this look...