Paris day 2

Livvy at Luxembourg Gardens

Even though we didn't get to sleep until after midnight, we all woke up very early. Our room was just too darn hot to sleep in. There was no air flow whatsoever. It was a pretty awful night for all of us. We were on the fifth floor and there was a lot of work going on outside in the morning. So we went to the hotel breakfast, which was a joke because there was no cheese or fruit. At least the coffee was good though!

That morning, we walked to Luxembourg Gardens and then took the train to Sacre Coeur and did a little bit of sightseeing. It was surprising to me how far spread out Paris was. Even with Michelle's knowledge and experience, it took a long time to get anywhere. But Sacre Coeur was, of course, amazing.

We had lunch after that at a mediocre restaurant. David had beef bourgignon for the first time and enjoyed it. I had quiche that was pretty decent. But Michelle's chicken was unexciting, and we sat for 20 minutes waiting for water on a hot Parisian day. I did a Google review of the restaurant and got a snarky response back. But I wasn't in the least bit impressed. They even served my brie cold. How dare they?!

Afterwards, we brought the kids back to the hotel for a rest. Then we took a very nice boat ride on the Seine for an hour. It was a great recommendation by Michelle, and I recommend it too. It allowed us to see some things that we otherwise didn't get to see. It was also easy for everyone and a bit cooler on the water.

We had another very hot night ahead of us, and not in a good way! Alex noticed some heat lightning and pretended to be scared of it. That made Griffin genuinely afraid of the lightning. So then Griffin wanted to sleep with me, but it was Alex's turn this time, so. So I ended up letting all four kids sleep in my bed. That was fun for me!

Since nobody would really sleep very well, we had agreed to leave Paris early, even though we could have stayed for part of the day and visited the Louvre. Not seeing it was my one disappointment, but maybe I'll get to go back someday without the kids (or with bigger kids). And I certainly enjoyed what I did get to see, and I enjoyed being in Paris with my sister and my family. It was a really good trip; money well spent. Simply walking around lets you see so many things worth looking at, pretty much anywhere you go.  Paris is a must-see city for anyone at all interested in traveling. 

Archangel Michael defeating Satan

Sacre Coeur with the GoPro

Le Panorama: Where a sweet French-speaking customer told Michelle that she is the beautiful aunt,
and that our kids are the kids of a king's choice--two boys and two girls.  (Right on both accounts!)

On Pont Neuf

Handsome man enjoying a somewhat breezy boat ride

Eiffel Tower from the boat ride on the River Seine

I'm pretty sure I got less than 2 hours of sleep on this crowded bed.
I love these kids, loved this trip to Paris, and would do it all over again if I could.

My sister and me (and Paris day 1)

There is nothing beautiful in the same way that my relationship with my sister is. That is to say, my relationship with my sister is uniquely beautiful. Part of that stems from the possibility that she knows me better than anyone else, and she understands me very well, so it is easy to talk with her honestly and without fear of judgment. Part of it is simply our history together. We have had ups and downs in our relationship, but we have always, always come back together, and we always will no matter what. Knowing that. Knowing THAT is one of those things that makes our relationship uniquely beautiful.

I love my sister. (I love you, Michelle!!) I love her so much, and being away from her has been part of what has made this past year so difficult.

She is here with me now!!!

And we're in Paris together, all seven of us. And Paris does NOT disappoint!

Driving here was actually quite easy. We left at 0400, which wasn't quite early enough to avoid about an hour of traffic. We arrived at about 0940, straight to a parking garage near our rooms in the 9th arrondissement. As soon as we pulled up to the garage, David and I switched places, and it was a good thing. I probably would have bumped the car four times on the way down to the spot. We had a short walk to our hotel, where they were trying to put the kids in their own room. I told them that was a safety concern because if, God forbid, there were a fire, they would be locked in their room. It took a while, but they figured out how to accommodate us, fortunately.  While I was fixing this minor issue, a drunk man was vomiting on the sidewalk outside where David, Michelle, and the kids were waiting.  Welcome to Paris!

We first went to Notre Dame de Paris. How completely incredible. Historical cathedrals and churches are undoubtedly my favorite things to see. Some people start to feel uninspired after seeing so many, but not me. I often wonder, "Was this built as a demonstration of power?" (I think that is likely.) Then I wonder, "Were there instances when the work was done, even by a laborer, because a man loved God?" Some of the artists' renditions of Christ crucified or the Virgin Mother make me think that there was at least some passion associated with the work. Perhaps that passion was a result of the man's faith in God. Sometimes the buildings display some of the tools that were used to create the cathedrals. It's hard to imagine how difficult the labor was. But it's easier to think that the men believed in the project they were a part of than to believe that they were forced into the work. I think working in it and seeing it come to life would be encouraging, but most cathedrals took so long to be built that few people would see them from start to finish. Those are my thoughts as I visit these historic buildings.

After Notre Dame, we ate dinner and the kids had ice cream. It was much later than you would think, and I felt a bit guilty for making my kids hungry all day. The only thing they'd had was a chocolatine that Aunt Michelle had bought when we first got there. Dinner was Italian food and nothing special, although David did enjoy his tiramisu very much.

The kids were excited to see the Eiffel Tower (thank you, Little Einsteins), which we saw after dinner. There was a playground near it, which was fortunate because the kids had been cooped up in the car during the drive and shushed in the church. Sadly, Lilly experienced her first instance of being bullied. There was a very large black kid who hit her in the face. His dad saw it and didn't do anything about it, so I gave him a dirty look and he moved his kid away. But a couple of minutes later, he let the boy come back, and he pushed Lilly so hard that she fell. She didn't get hurt. Then the dad really wrestled with the kid, who was just overall being bad. Maybe the boy had special needs, I don't know. It didn't look like it, but that doesn't mean anything necessarily.

If he didn't, it seemed apparent to me that he needed a good smacking. He wasn't responding to whatever discipline he was getting, clearly. I've heard the argument that it doesn't make sense to hit someone in order to teach them not to hit. But I argue that it's my God-given duty, and that it actually does make sense because it teaches the children that I have the authority to do something that they do not have. A lesson on authority is a good lesson. I'm not a very judgmental mother. Usually I believe that parents are doing their best and want the best for their kids. But this man wasn't doing enough. At the very least, he should have been vigilant enough to prevent his son from bullying someone a second time. But then again, so should I.

Of course, we didn't dwell on that episode, and Lilly fearfully got back on the slide once and then again fearlessly after that.

We enjoyed the Eiffel tower, skipped the merry-go-round because it wasn't a good value for four kids, and took the train back to the hotel.

I don't know how it happened, but we didn't get the kids to bed until about 12:15 a.m. They were exhausted! And so was I!!