A little bit of home in Paris

Another much overdue blog post! So we start off mid-September with a big visit from my Mom!

She arrived on the 18th during the first of a few strikes here in France. She was able to get a private cab from the airport to our house without issue. The first few days were chill acclimation for her, then we took her on a Paris tour.

Our first big outing was a boat ride on the Seine, which was amazing, and we followed it up with pizza and seeing the Eiffel Tower at night, which was a first for Hailey and the kids. Once the sun sets, the tower lights up and sparkles, which was so pretty.

Sunday we went to the market and then adventured out around the Champs-Élysées. Emery’s highlight was being called a princess at a high-end jewelry store. Once home, we cooked up a big French meal with our market spoils.

My mom spent the week going to museums and hanging with Hailey and the kids. On Friday I took a half day, and we all ventured up to our favorite place in France… Normandy. Specifically, Ouistreham, the sleepy little beach town. It was particularly sleepy this time of year, but perfect for us.

Despite the cold, we had fun at the beach looking for shells and beach glass. I also have to say, this beach is amazing, especially when the tide goes out. It is so flat, that when the tide goes out you gain another 100 yards of beach. It was amazing, and we loved running around in the shallows. By far a highlight in France for us! The kids—and Hailey—even got into the water! We ate pizza, mussels and fries, and plenty of pastries. It was a great weekend before my mom went home.

The trip went fast and we were sad to have her go, so we are already planning the next trip.
We only had a few days off before another guest arrived—my Dad!

On Wednesday, October 1st (big day), my Dad arrived bright and early. Wednesday was also my birthday, and I picked up my residence card (after a nice 2-hour wait at the police prefecture).
I came home to a wonderful dinner of fun appetizers and all the French pastries Hailey could buy. It was a super fun day and a great way to kick off 37. Hailey got me my favorite Emery and Fischer socks that I love to wear for work travel and a few special workdays. I also bought a new camcorder with some birthday money—an old Sony that is delivering all the “vibes”—and I also got a new camera, a Campsnap, which is a fun, cheap little digital camera that emulates a disposable camera. By the way, we got our last Disney trip photos developed and they were so fun! See below.

This weekend we perused Paris with my Dad and have another 15 days of fun with him here. Not sure what the next two weeks will have in store—thinking Seine boat cruise, Disney for Halloween, and maybe a few famous cafés!

It is great to have family start visiting and bring a little bit of home here to Paris. We also booked our Christmas travel back to Texas and know Hailey and the kids are looking forward to that. A few more trips planned for us this year, including another week in Normandy at the beaches and a fun trip to Reims for a small little Christmas market!

Otherwise, we continue to adapt to the new way of life, learn the language, and explore this wonderful city and country.

Until next time, au revoir!