Lessons on how to fail.

Cafe by our house

Probably the most interesting thing about our trip here is how we have evolved out of our daily lives of routine only to develop new ones.  Instead of going to buy gas we go buy baguettes.  Instead of wading through Target we maneuver through farmers markets.  But one of the truly great things about it is that we have been almost forced together.  We live in what most would consider a tiny apartment, we have one bedroom, we don't know anyone here and thus we are entirely dependent on each other for everything.  For peace and quiet, for food, for sleep.  And I'll admit that even I was a bit concerned that this was a recipe for disaster if not a couple months of discomfort.  But to my complete surprise it has been great.  The kids seem to have left there earlier held hostilities towards each other and recognize each other as the only friends they are going to get here.  There is no TV, no video games, very little entertainment aside from the brief session on an iPad.  And by some miracle with all those crutches gone they do what I have often thought they were missing.  They play, they make believe, they make up games, they color, they catch bugs, and subsequently kill said bugs.  I know it's easy as parents to allow your children all these wonderful distractions that they have.  Heaven knows you take my iPad away and I feel like I have lost my right arm.  But I have learned that perhaps what makes children so unique is there ability to find fun and entertainment in everything around them.
This week Austin began nagging us about getting another baseball app for the iPad.  He initially wanted a free one, then a 99cent one, then a $4.99 one.  So we told him we would not give him it but he could earn it by taking a test and getting 100% on it.  Todd wrote the test.  It was not an easy test.  It had about 30 problems which included calculating circumference, long division, multiplication, and more.  All things Austin can do but for him to get 100 on that test would have been a miracle.  I gave Todd a disapproving look because I knew he was setting him up for failure, something Austin does not do well.  It normally involves anger and tears.  I decided I did not want to stick around to see how it would go.  So I announced I was going running(I know chicken.)  When I came home to my shock it was calm, no one in time out for having had a melt down, no one crying.  "Did you pass?"  I asked trying to hide my surprise at the prospect.  "No I got an 87%." "But it's alright I can do it again tomorrow."  It was a good lesson for all of us.  I learned it's ok to let your kids fail, I think you always want them to succeed, to protect their confidence, you want them to win, be number  one, and accomplish everything they want.  This is not however, how life always is.  And especially given this one sweet child does not do failure well, teaching him how to deal with that was more important than teaching him he could succeed.  Because eventually he will but first he had to learn how to deal with defeat.

This post has become a parenting book...for those still reading sorry.


Our landlord came by yesterday to grab the rent.  He brought his son who speaks about as much English as we speak french so it was really "fun."  I was cracking up because I realized that (and I do this too) when Todd was speaking he was speaking English as if it was not a language he knows.  It's like he was having to think of each word(in English).  It was so funny in fact I left to room so that I did not burst out laughing.  I don't know how language works in your brain but it's a funny thing.

Today we all walked to the Rue Cler and got some things for a picnic.  We stopped at a store Todd had found that sells American products, mostly food.  The two things I think that are not here at all that we actually would miss are syrup, and peanut butter.  They also had all manner of Soda and it seemed they had a preference for the strange fruity stuff like Cherry 7up, and Grape soda.  We walked over to the park and ate lunch while the kids ran around a monument which we don't know what it is there for.  The kids ran around played Princess, one of the girls acts like she is Sleeping Beauty who is sleeping and the others run around trying to revive her.  Austin kept looking around to make sure no one was watching, she was finally revived when her twin slapped her with her jacket.  We made our way lot the playground and they played around.  Todd decided to throw a tennis ball at Austin and Jackson who were on the "spider web" play structure.  They were about 15 feet up in the air so I reminded him if they broke something it was one him.  Thus started a 20 minute war between them.  It was funny because Todd was remarkably accurate with his throws so he was hitting Austin who was in a full sprint from about 40+ feet away.

Playing King of the Play structure...my 5 children.

If you can make a parking spot, it's a parking spot, you can seriously park like this it's amazing.

So boys have a baseball stadium, with a outfield wall(pillows) and fireworks(iPad) should you hit a home run:)

"The Real Taste of America"....complete with flag.

We have really only 3 weeks left here and then we are moving to Italy for a few days before we go to Croatia.  I think we will all miss this(what's not to miss.)  But we also are starting to miss home.  I think when I get home I will be the most chatty person you have ever met.  I feel like aside from our visitors my conversations have been really short.