Paris: A Kid's-Eye View

During the first year of our marriage Spencer had to spend a few months in Paris doing research.  I was working full-time but was able to take a couple weeks off to visit him and take Paris by storm.  I have been very grateful for that early excursion during this trip because it has meant that I can slow down and enjoy helping the boys enjoy Paris.  This fact became clear on today's trip to the Eiffel Tower.  Both boys enjoyed the train ride there and Eliot was adamant that he wanted to go to the top.

 

Getting to the top involved more waiting around than I think he was expecting (even though our early arrival actually meant that the lines were really very short) and by the time we reached the summit, as they call it, he was ready to head back down.

 

I tried to point out this landmark and that, and Peter enjoyed seeing all the tiny cars and buses, but Eliot's face in the picture says it all.  We were on the next elevator down.

 

Here we're enjoying a nice morning stroll through Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise (by the way, my inability to get the accents to work on this computer is sort of annoying me).  The significance of visiting the graves of people like Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, and Moliere, to name a few, was totally lost on the boys.

 

Exiting the cemetery it was the bright yellow maple leaves that caught their attention.  Eliot even brought one home with him.

 

Peter's favourite part of the trip so far has been watching the traffic, and there is certainly plenty of it to watch.  He knows that we stop when we see the little red man and go when we see the little green man and he is always ready to remind us to go.

 

One thing that the boys and I can agree on, Paris doesn't mess around when it comes to public water fountains.

 

The canals are close to where we are staying and the boys and I took a walk here the other day.  They loved it because of all the leaves and sticks and the opportunity to toss both into water.  I loved it because it's a pretty spot and the place where 'Amelie' skips stones.  So everyone got something from the outing.

Jet lag

We have been getting up at 2:30 am, or rather Eliot has been getting us up at 2:30 am (I could easily sleep until 4:00) which makes for pretty long mornings.  There isn't much to do with little boys before 9:00 am, so we have to keep them busy in the apartment for quite a while, and bored boys are dangerous boys.  We've been watching a lot of Peppa Pig on YouTube.

 

One of the things that has captured Eliot's fascination is our washing machine.  It is a washer and dryer all in one and Eliot thinks it's pretty cool.  To be honest, I think it's pretty cool too.

 

Eliot is absolutely taken with the self-cleaning public toilets.

 

A brief visit to the Musee Carnavalet.

 

Wandering the street of the Marais...

 

...and coming across a park with a slide!  Jackpot!

 

Today was Spencer's first work day so the boys and I were on our own.  I took them to le Jardin des Tuileries.  I had told Eliot that it was a beautiful park, which meant that he was disappointed when there wasn't a slide in sight.  The big fountains made up for that, along with the glimpse we caught of the Eiffel Tower.

 

Stretching our legs on the grounds of the Louvre.

 

 

Eliot has discovered Paris's one drawback:  sticks are hard to find.  He was lucky enough to come across this one floating in a fountain outside the Louvre.

 

 

 

 

Peter was pleased with just about everything.

 

Having a peek inside the Louvre.  We didn't go inside on this trip as everyone was getting tired and hungry (remember we'd been up since 2:30.)

 

The boys thought the glass pyramid was pretty neat.  Eliot is looking forward to going inside.  We'll need to work a little more on his and Peter's museum skills first.  A children's museum should be just the thing.

Getting to Paris

The boys have been looking forward to our Paris trip for a while.  We had several milestones, if you will, leading up to the trip.  First it was Grandpa, Nana, and Uncle Hugo's visit, then it was Daddy getting home from a trip that he was taking, next it was Halloween, and finally for the month of November we had our countdown chart.  Eliot loved the idea of the countdown chart and made or commissioned several in addition to the official one in the centre.  We coloured in the top of the tower the day of our departure.

 

Peter had fun trying on some of our hats and mittens.

 

Both boys enjoyed helping me pack.  As a result, it took a little longer than it otherwise would.

 

The taxi came to take us to the airport and the boys couldn't contain their excitement.  If our trip had consisted solely of riding around in that taxi I think the boys would have been satisfied.

Traveling is fun, but the boys were disappointed to find that it also involves a lot of waiting.  Fortunately this was the view from our gate.

As far as Peter was aware, this was his first time on an airplane.  He had a hard time understanding that he needed to stay in his seat with the belt buckled.  These things are hard to grasp when you're just a little guy.

Eliot, our veteran traveller, got settled right in and was ready to check out the entertainment options.  For much of the trip he watched an old Donald Duck/Chip and Dale cartoon that had him in stitches.

 

Peter enjoyed some of the entertainment options as well, though he had a little trouble getting the headphones to stay put.

Both boys enjoyed tucking in to their meals.

That last leg between Kuala Lumpur and Paris was a doozy and we were all happy to arrive.  The boys got a kick out of riding the covered escalators at Charles de Gaulle.  Our taxi was waiting to take us to our apartment and the boys had another thrill, the taxi had windows in its roof! 

We arrived in Paris early in the morning, so after we had unpacked and settled into our apartment we went out and did some exploring.  We rode the metro over to the Hotel de Ville (pictured above) and then walked over to Notre Dame to have a walk through.  It's fun to see the things that interest them.  We had to stop and watch the metro train leave, and pause to examine the various traffic signs.  Walking through Notre Dame and admiring the gothic architecture I told the boys that we were going to "see what there is to see" to which Peter responded hopefully, "like cars?"

 

We stopped in for a patisserie which was a hit.

 

This is Peter's new Smile For The Camera Face.  He was thoroughly enjoying his pain Suisse.

 

  

The day we all knew was coming

The trouble with baby curls is that they can't last forever.  Like everything else in childhood, you have to eventually let them go.  Peter's curls have had a good run.  They've stuck around for at least a year longer than originally planned.  They have been much-loved.  But they were not without their down sides.  For example, combing them out every evening had become a major thorn in everyone's side.  It often consisted of me, bent double, following Peter around the apartment with a comb in his hair while he screamed for someone, anyone, to save him.

Then there was the heat.  As the temperatures climb it becomes more and more uncomfortable for Peter.  Heat rash is looming in the near future (our approaching trip to the Northern Hemisphere notwithstanding.)

So, the time had come for Peter to have his first haircut.  Bear was brought along for moral support.

We chose Wednesday morning so that Eliot would be in school.  We weren't sure how much attention Peter would need from one or both of his parents.  Turns out Peter was all too happy to be perched on the booster seat with the fun apron draped around him.

It started out with a comb through which was quietly received, though with a definite look of concern.

Then came the first cut.  Not so much as a whimper from any of us.

Peter sat quietly and still throughout the entire cut.

In fact, for much of the cut he could barely suppress a smile.

It was clear that he was happy with the proceedings.  Perhaps he was thinking how nice it was going to be to run outside on a windy day without getting hair in his eyes and mouth.  Maybe he was looking forward to lying down on the floor next to his beloved trucks without fear of having his hair stepped on (accidentally and otherwise) by Eliot.  Then again, he could have been thinking how pleasant swimming was going to be now that his hair wouldn't be getting caught in his armpit any more.  Whatever the reason, he was beaming.

Clippings were kept for posterity, of course.

And then he was done!

To top it all off he was rewarded with a lolly!  Next we drove Daddy to work and then Peter and I ran a few errands.  It was funny to see how his whole demeanor seemed to change.  You know how it is after you get a new haircut and you walk out of the place with a spring in your step?  You're ready to take on the world because gosh you look sharp.  That's what Peter was like.  It was pretty clear in the way he carried himself that he felt like he was the big man on campus.

Then bedtime came.  And my baby was back again.

The next day we were still getting used to Peter's new look and learning new things about him, like the fact that a vein pops out on his neck when he's worked up.  I'd almost forgotten that he had a neck.

One thing is for sure, short hair or long, he's still our fun little Mr. Boo.