in which vivi's husband one-ups her

So, I was going to write a post about how I got a nasty cold and was sick all week, without the benefits of coma-inducing drugs, as is my want when I am sick, but then Stéph had to come up behind me and steal my thunder.

But then, this is my blog and I'll whine if I want to.

I'm not sure if I picked something up in Paris or it was just my time, but I felt ye olde tickle in the back of my throat Tuesday and by Wednesday evening I was beyond miserable. Luckily, I had a doctor's appointment Wednesday morning (French Fry is doing just fine) and he did give me a little something something to ease the symptoms, but obviously no where near my beloved NyQuil. So I basically bitched and moaned and was generally pleasant to be around for several days.

The truth is, I am really a whiny baby when it comes to being sick. I don't think I'm generally a whiny person (see: getting a giant needle in my abdomen) but as soon as I get a sniffle it is all over. And here I thought that I'd gotten halfway through pregnancy without getting sick so maybe I'd go all the way. HA!

So I was being all sick and pitiful and then Stéph had his school's end of year festival on Saturday morning. I was going to go but I truly was still feeling pitiful and I ended up missing all the excitement. Around the time Stéph was supposed to come home for lunch, I hear him come in from upstairs but he's not alone. I made my excuses (I was still in pitiful sick mode) but soon I realized I had to let the drama go - Stéph had taken a champagne cork in the eye! It was all an accident (and you can imagine that it does happen from time to time in France with as much champagne they drink) and he seemed ok but we hopped in the car anyway and headed to the hospital. Thankfully there is no permanent damage but he does have a perforated cornea (the "skin" of the eye) so he was sent home with loads of drugs. He truly took that cork right in the eye because he has no bruising at all and only a couple of small marks on his eyelid.

So guess who got to be the drama queen for the rest of the weekend? Well, I guess it's alright really since the pain really kicked in by the time we got home. At least I can report that his bedside manner is improving, making it easer to tend to the wounded when it was his turn!

halfway

Today marks the beginning of my twentieth week of pregnancy, which is also known as "halfway" (though the French count 41 weeks but they are a bit masochistic, aren't they?). Despite the fact that I feel absolutely enormous (I've already been asked if I'm having twins), I'm feeling pretty alright, generally speaking. However, after spending the weekend in Paris with les filles on what is surely my last Lost Weekend, I have learned the following things:

1) I am not "making a pig of myself" for taking the last blini at lunch or having an extra slice of toast in the morning, as I was gently reminded by my hosts K & K

2) I can no longer keep up with the crowd and there is nothing wrong with that. Sitting on the ground for a few hours may be a bit uncomfortable but following it with walking at high speeds from the tippy tippy end of the Ile de la Cité to the middle of the Marais is an awfully good way to ensure a flare up of sciatica.

So I'm limping a little today, and catching up at home may take a little longer than usual, but I have to stop beating up myself for taking longer or moving slower than usual; there is a good reason for it.

meanwhile, back in Spain

Finally, some pictures! If you remember from my last post about Spain, we spent a day visiting schools and then saw a flamenco performance that night.

The next day, we took a tour of the old town of Marbella. Here are some of the highlights:



It is believed that this chapel, which sits on the main square, was once a mosque that was torn down once the Moors were driven out. The reasoning for this is that it does not line up squarely with the other buildings on the square and it seems to point in the direction of Mecca.

There are also loads of lovely little alleys to get lost in:



Here is a section of the old wall that protected the old town:



It is thought that is was built stones from old Roman buildings. Can you find the evidence?



We also visited the ruins of an old monastery that are being excavated:



They know it is a Christian site and not a Muslim one because they have found lots of bones. Muslims always carried their dead outside the town walls.

Finally, a picture or two of the rest of the old fortifications:





Then we met the mayor in the Town Hall, had (yet another) small lunch of tapas, and then we broke up for a couple of hours. First we did a little shopping - we came home with a couple of lovely flamenco fans - and then four of us headed down to the beach. The sand was scorching hot but the water was absolutely freezing! I couldn't get in past my knees, even though Stéph and his colleague managed to get all the way in. When I couldn't feel my feet, I suspected that perhaps the end of May is not quite the right time for swimming in the Mediterranean.

Once we'd had enough of gazing at the Rock of Gibraltar, we grabbed some ice cream and wandered back up the hill to our hotel. Once again reunited with the rest of the group, we made a brief visit to a local high school, had drinks in the apartment of our host and his wife, and went to the theatre, where we enjoyed a very special musical performed by some above-average high school aged actors (I feel I can can they were above average with some authority!).

Unfortunately, the long days with insufficient meals caught up with me after the show, and French Fry wasn't having any more nonsense and made his presence known (with me nearly being sick in the street!). Our Spanish hosts found a restaurant quickly where I could order a ginormous salad and side of the tastiest cheese bread I've ever had. I was quite embarrassed but I was actually thanked by some of the others, as we would have surely stood around watching our hosts meet and greet for an hour or more before we left the theatre. I don't think we were there long enough to adapt to eating à l'heure espagnole.

So anyway, yeah, that's how I spent my thirty-fifth birthday. Not bad, all told.

Pregnancy - A French Male Perspective

Very late Saturday night, Stéph, his closest university buddies and I are seated around a table playing Uno. Doc has just stepped away to tend to her son, precipitating a break in the game.

S: (indicating my obvious roots growing in) What's all this, then?

Me: Oh, my doctor recommended I stop dying my hair.

S: Why?

Me: There's a small chance it can cause problems with the pregnancy, so we decided it wasn't worth the risk.

Stéph: Because of the ammonia used in the product.

S: But it looks awful!

Me: (shrugging) C'est la vie !

N: Isn't that crazy! You get to be ugly*, fat, you can't eat any of the good foods...

Me: (crossing my eyes and making a face) Yes, it's the most beautiful time of my life!

(laughter)

Meh, don't take these guys too seriously, they were just teasing, especially considering they are all either fathers themselves or are trying to be. But honestly, if showing my frighteningly grey/white roots (which started growing in at the tender age of 19 - no wonder I have no idea what my natural color is anymore!) and packing on a few extra pounds are the price I have to pay to bring French Fry into the world, I reckon it could be a lot, lot worse.

*ugly is a pretty rough translation when what he actually said was "moche," which isn't quite so harsh, at least in my mind. That being said, I've never encountered a Frenchie that wasn't, well, frank in their opinions, either!

French Fry is a ...

baby!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Ahem. Sorry.

First I have to say that the results of the amnio came back with no problems!!! This obviously is the most important thing. We already knew that there weren't any problems showing up on the ultrasounds (which greatly reduces the chances of having chromosomal problems since there are also physical markers), but I knew that the results would be arriving at my doctor's office today since I helpfully got a letter on Saturday morning from the lab to let me know that my results were at the doctor's office, leaving me to pull out my hair all weekend. Good times!

So I may be bald, but I'm happy to report that our son is doing just fine.

And there you have it!

I used to think I had rhythm....

...and then I saw flamenco.

As we toured through the different schools, the same thing was on all the teachers' lips: "So, you're going to see flamenco tonight, eh?" Of course, we didn't realize what the big deal was until we arrived at our destination.

Here I thought we'd be visiting some sort of flamenco tourist trap, but I couldn't have been farther from the truth. In fact, one of the teachers at our host school was the president of the flamenco association in Marbella. The venue was quite small - just enough room for a small stage and ten or so tables. The front room had a bar and a couple more tables where patrons can smoke. We were clearly the only outsiders in the place. I get the feeling that you'd have to know somebody to even know the place exists, nevermind when they're having an evening of music and dancing.

This is why everyone was so excited for us. We got to see the real deal.

And it. was. amazing.

Here is a sneak peak of what we saw. Yeah, you can make fun of Dude's powder blue suit, but five seconds after he started dancing I'd forgotten all about it. I only wish this video could actually transport you to that room - it was hot, it was loud, and while this piece was really just a warm-up, the rest of the show ended up being the most passionate and intense thing I've ever seen on a stage anywhere in my life.

Spain, Part 1

Our trip to Spain started out fine but to say we had a bit of a hiccup would be a gross understatement. The shuttle picked up Stéph, his colleague A and I in Tiny Town and got us to the airport with just enough time to spare, but we learned at the check in counter that our second leg, from Madrid to Malaga, was on a different airline and we'd have to re-check in our bags in Madrid. With an hour layover. Yes, thank you so much, Star Alliance!

So of course we left Paris a half hour late. Guess what happened in Madrid?

Well, it turned out for the best, as we were given first class seats (as fancy as you can get for a two hour flight, but still) and access to the VIP lounge for the three hour wait. Of course VIP jokes were peppered throughout the rest of the trip.

So we arrived in Marbella rather late on our first day, and were collected by our host J, driven to our hotel where we dropped off our stuff, had a quick powder of the nose and headed out on the town. We made a brief stop at the Museum of Contemporary Engravings (a brief description here and the Museum's website here [Spanish only]) and made a quick tour of the town before meeting the rest of the group and enjoying the first of many meals made up of tapas.

Our first full day in Marbella was mostly made up by visiting several schools. This was the third and last year of the program (much to my and Stéph's disappointment!) and this year the Spanish hosts decided to concentrate on their varied and diverse programs for the handicapped and learning disabled.

For about ten years, Spanish law has dictated that schools must do all it can to integrate students with learning disabilities, handicaps and severe disabilities into their regular schools. This is something I'm used to from growing up in the States, but I'm sad to say that it is still a revolutionary idea for the French. As we visited classrooms for children with severe autism, study rooms for children with speech impediments (much like the class I was in back in first grade), another classroom for children with mental retardation, all under the roof of one elementary school, Stéph and A were completely fascinated.

After a complete tour of the enormous elementary school (which was easily double the size of our school in Tiny Town and it was not the only school in Marbella!), we visited a middle school and also received a tour of the classrooms for those with learning disabilities. They have started an amazing program for children that will not be able to continue their education in the traditional way - the director recently got involved with the local theatre and now the teenagers work on sets and costumes for upcoming productions and let me tell you - their work is outstanding! They had a proper costuming room and scene shop and have the help of local carpenters who give them the chance to apprentice and learn their craft.

Then we visited a class for children with severe handicaps. These children will never be able to live on their own, and yet here they were in school with their peers. In their class, they had a kitchen, where they learned to wash up after meals, a large bathroom to better learn hygiene, a small bedroom to practice making their beds, and a classroom area that doubled as a kitchen table for lunch time. Again, the French were flabbergasted and one even said, "We have a long way to go."

Just as an aside, I have never, not even once, seen a severely handicapped person in the four years I've lived in France. I'm not the first person to make this observation, but it is as if the French are ashamed of their handicapped. Children with disabilities receive "education" in an institution and seem to have very little contact with their peers outside of a family setting. I truly hope this changes in the future and that the French will eventually adopt something close to the Spanish model. Our hosts told us that it wasn't easy in the beginning, but ten years on their hard work is truly paying off.

Since our visit was an education conference, I did want to make a point that it wasn't all beaches and tourism! I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn about yet another country's education system, especially one that truly strives to integrate children with handicaps into everyday life.

Next time - yes, we did touristy things, too!

Edited to add: I've just realized (thanks to a comment, thanks PMF!) that I may be misrepresenting something. There are some classes in regular schools available for minor learning disabilities. I oughta know, since that's what Stéph taught at a middle school level (called SEGPA, info in French) for five years before going back to primary school. These are children that will go on to apprentice and eventually work blue collar jobs. They won't take the bac and many may even drop out at sixteen. However, children that just need extra help in writing, speech therapy or the like would need to see a specialist outside of school.

needles coming from every direction

Yesterday I had an amniocentesis.

This is kind of a controversial subject, so I'm not going to go too much into the Whys and What Ifs. Despite the fact that French Fry looks terrific in all his ultrasounds, the blood test came back with enough of a risk factor that we decided it was appropriate.

I have so much confidence in my doctor that I'd been pretty relaxed about the whole thing, calling it a glorified gender test, ever since we made the decision, but yesterday morning was hard. It was a mental hurdle to get over, that's for sure. I made sure to practice some deep breathing and I stole the mantra of another amnio patient I found online: "I trust in my doctor, I trust in my body."

The procedure was done in my doctor's office, which also happens to be in a clinic. Stéph was with me the whole time and kept me from wigging out. I couldn't look at the needle - and I have no problem with needles but I knew this one would be huge - and I didn't take a local anesthetic, either (not that one was offered!). I think the the alcohol solution on my tummy was worse the the needle - that stuff burned! When it was over, I burst into tears. I think this was more of an emotional release than anything else.

After that was over, we went upstairs to the maternity ward where I laid down for an hour. I wonder what it says about our bed that I found the hospital bed to be rather comfy? Anyway, we went back downstairs and had another ultrasound. I had a moment of panic when he turned on the heart monitor and we didn't hear anything for about ten seconds, but other than that all seems to be well.

We went home where I stayed in a mostly horizontal position for the rest of the day. This was interrupted by a quick visit to our local nurse because I had to get a shot. Since my blood type is A- and Stéph's isn't, I have to get a shot to protect French Fry in case his blood type isn't the same as mine (which I find totally bizarre but that's the magic of nature). The last time I had to get this shot was after my miscarriage and it was delivered through a vein in my arm. Not this time, oh no! So I got a needle in, erm, both sides of my torso yesterday, if you catch my drift.

I'm still taking an antibiotic and a medication to keep my uterus from contracting, so we're doing everything possible to keep French Fry right where he is. To tell the truth, I had some uncomfortable moments yesterday but that may have been from the unfortunate side effects of taking an antibiotic than anything else.

We also think we may know whether French Fry is a boy or a girl! My doctor felt pretty sure but still advised that we wait for the results of the test, since it is 100% accurate. So, if you haven't placed your "bet" in our baby pool (see left sidebar) yet, you still have about a week to make a guess!

Pictures and stories about Spain are coming soon!

¡Hola!

We are back safe and sound, though a little worse for wear. Our program was so stuffed to the gills that I noticed on Friday night that my feet had started to swell and by the time we were in the shuttle home from the airport yesterday my hand had started to swell as well. After a four hour nap yesterday afternoon and staying awake for a couple of hours to eat some take out before crashing for another eleven hours, I'm feeling a little more human this morning.

That being said, je ne regrette rien, as they say. The Costa del Sol is an amazing area and I'm so glad to have discovered it, even if it was in this rapid fire way. I have so many good memories and can't wait to share pictures and stories, but first I need to find a balance between getting to the grocery, starting laundry, going through the papers that need to be turned in to the school and resting, as the swelling keeps threatening to return. Bear with me and I'll be back to share very soon!

odd

I've come to terms with the fact that check out girls at grocery stores don't pack your groceries for you and that bag boys flat out don't exist in France. I'm a little O/C anyway, so I welcome the chance to pack my own groceries. I bring my big French basket and a large plastic reusable shopping bag with me and go to town, happily making sure that bread isn't squished at the bottom and separating the cold things from the pantry things to better facilitate the putting away of things when I get home.

But something has been bothering me about the way the French pack up their things in line. I see quite a few shoppers doing as I do with their reusable shopping bags (little plastic bags have pretty much gone the way of the dodo in these parts), but there are still those who simply stack their items back in their cart. Then, if you were to follow them out to the parking lot, you'd see them packing them in bags they've left in the trunk of their cars. This seems particularly odd during inclement weather.

This is a really small, nitpicky thing, but it always makes me tilt my head like a confused dog when I see it. A chacun son goût, as they say.*

Meanwhile, preparations are in high swing for our trip to SPAIN. I've spent the morning hunting down delicious goodies to bring to share with our fellow conference-goers, including bouchons de champagne and biscuits roses de Reims. Then it's packing and such for the rest of the day. And certainly no sleeping tonight. SPAIN!

*Literally "To each their own taste," or "To each their own".

on a lighter note

On Monday we went out for lunch. We chose a brasserie here in Tiny Town and sat on their terrace under a tree with a big canopy of leaves. It was so lovely there in the shade with a light breeze that I didn't want to leave.

Until, towards the end of our meal, a tractor-trailer filled with hogs pulled up at the stop light about fifty meters from our table.

Yeah, sorta lost my appetite after that!

three years

I've been dreaming a lot about my mom lately. Usually, there are two scenarios in which she shows up in my dreams: either I need help or advice or I meet her (and Dad, too) in some kind of transitional place, like an airport. It's never a shock or surprise to see her in my dreams. It's only when I wake up that I realize that I got to spend some quality dream time with her. Whenever I see her in the airport dreams, I give her a nice long hug, like the one we shared when I said goodbye before moving to France. That was the last real hug we shared; I'm glad it was a good one.

Today marks three years since she died. It fills me with even more sadness that she died in May, a month that was once full of celebrations - our birthdays are a week apart, plus Mother's Day.

I often think back to our last telephone conversation. Her health had been steadily fading but suddenly in this conversation she agitated and excited as she urged us to start trying to have a child as soon as possible. She was concerned because of my history of PCOS and her own history - it had taken her and Dad three years to conceive. In the end it took us two years. Both she and Dad were anxious to become grandparents. They would have been good ones, too. But above all, she knew how much I wanted to be a Mom.

I miss her so much. I need her now more than ever.

meanwhile, outside my womb....

Oh, hello. So I did promise to talk about things other than the petite frite, so let me share what else has been going on.

This last week we've had something of a heat wave (for May, anyway), with highs reaching about 26°C (right around 79°F). Sounds like heaven, doesn't it? Except that we don't have air conditioning and our apartment faces full west, meaning it turns into a nice little hot box every afternoon. One afternoon I'm sure the bedroom got up to 85° when Stéph opened the shutter in the bedroom thinking he'd let in more air but only let in a total beat down of afternoon sunshine. Otherwise we've managed to keep the place livable through a complicated schedule of opening and closing shutters and clever use of oscillating fans. I am so very happy that we've got rain coming - not that the weather hasn't been gorgeous and we did manage to get out and enjoy it, but I was afraid that the temp would just keep climbing.

Since I can't stand the heat of the office in the afternoon (thanks to two computers running when Stéph is home all day), I've been retreating to the much cooler downstairs and camping in front of the tv. I'm very happy to report that I've finally got my knitting mojo back. I've finished a sock (yes, just the one, but I'm casting on the other one tonight!) and I'm also working on a gift for a little girl that was born three months ago, which means I am terribly behind. I'm also going to start cross stitching again with two or three projects in mind.

We are also starting to think seriously about what we need to bring to Spain. Stéph came home from work yesterday and said that they got a message from the Spanish hosts that we are expected to bring bathing suits for an afternoon at the beach. Besides the fact that I have a deep desire to apologize in advance to the people of Spain, I also need to go buy a bathing suit, since mine no longer fits. I'm embarrassed to say that I look like I'm about two months further along than I am so it looks like it's going to be a maternity suit for me. At least if it has little babies and crap on it, I'll look more pregnant than fat, right? Right?? *sigh*

the third month

Ok, even I'm getting sick of hearing about my pregnancy, so let me tell you about the last month and we'll move on to other things, mkay?

Week ten: Broke out the Supa-Fat jeans today. Bought these jeans in the States and by some fluke ended up with jeans a size bigger than what I needed even at my heaviest weight. Still ridiculously large but super comfortable. These should do me for a couple of months (I hope!)*. Stéph and I work out how to turn the office/guest room into French Fry’s room. (End of the week) I look like I’m six months pregnant. I don’t want to leave the house. Ever. /weep

Week eleven: Received first set of baby clothes from MIL. They are impossibly tiny. Morning sickness has shifted to morning/afternoon. Had a couple of nausea-free evenings but it’s really fluctuating right now.

Week twelve: Stéph asks if I want to go to Spain next month but wants to know if morning sickness will be a problem. Wait, lemme look in my crystal ball… Then we have the shower incident.** Weekend in Paris – my last?***

Week thirteen: Surprisingly a quiet week, considering I just wanted to get to Friday and my OB appointment, knowing I was going to come home and call my grandmothers with some good news.

*The Supa-Fat jeans still fit, and I still have to wear a belt when I go out of the house. Yay, Supa-Fat jeans!

**The Shower Incident: On the morning I went to the Préfecture to get my residence card, I thought I'd take a shower before eating breakfast so my hair could dry a little before I left. Big mistake. The shower itself was fine but as soon as I got out of the shower, I caught a whiff of something that French Fry didn't like, so it was dry heaves sans respiration for me. Good times. So yeah, breakfast mandatory first thing in the morning.

***When I got home from Paris, Stéph was all, "Okay, you've had your fun, it's time to stop these weekends in Paris for French Fry's sake." What on earth does he think we get up to, anyway? I'm trying to negotiate another weekend next month with my jailer husband, so we'll see. I'm very conscious of the fact that I have six more months to be selfish before it stops being all about me!

Next time: Something (anything!) unrelated to pregnancy.

French Fry baby pool

Just for fun, I've created an online baby pool for French Fry and you're all invited to participate. Winner gets bragging rights - and maybe a prize, but by the time French Fry gets here I'm not sure I can be held accountable. There is also a permanent link in the sidebar to the left with the game name if you want to check up on the game. Good luck!

PS - Yes, both Stéph and I have guessed the same gender but I swear we have no inside information - it could be a couple of months yet before we know!

on toxoplasmosis

After my last post, I received several comments and emails about toxoplasmosis. I was kind of surprised at first, but then I realized that since I'd wanted to put a lot of info in that post, I didn't really go into details, preferring to let the diary format stand on its own. Now I can see that it seems like I'm still floundering around, wondering what my body is doing/has done.

I've been aware of toxoplasmosis since my first pregnancy, which started last November, thanks to three different pregnancy publications (two in French) and a couple of pregnancy websites (one of which is in French). I found out that I was not immune from my very first blood test and set out to avoid everything under the sun that could potentially harm the baby, from cats to dirt. I find it very strange that I had never contracted it in the first place, since I got my first cat at 14 and had another cat as an adult. One of my favorite sayings of my Grandmother is "Nobody ever got into Heaven without eating a little dirt first" and I reckon I've probably ingested enough in my lifetime to fill a flower pot.

The irony about toxoplasmosis is that if you're not pregnant and contract it, you probably won't even notice it. It only becomes dangerous when you are pregnant, so it's best to avoid cats (and then if you have a cat, it's best to let someone else clean the litter box), shellfish (in order to avoid that one shrimp that was undercooked), unpasteurized cheeses, smoked meats and fish, any meat that hasn't been cooked all the way through, and fruits and veggies that haven't been carefully washed. Of course, some of these are not good during pregnancy anyway. Once you've contracted toxoplasmosis, your body develops antibodies which protect your unborn child - you're considered immune.

Now, whether or not toxoplasmosis caused my miscarriage, well, it's hard to say. I had a blood test two days before I miscarried that said I did not have toxoplasmosis, but the detailed test that was done a couple of months ago confirmed that I caught it before this pregnancy. There is a relatively short amount of time between the time I miscarried and became pregnant again, so who knows?

The good news is that I'm now considered immune and can relax a little bit with the vigilance. I may even partake in a bit of seafood when we get down to Spain, if my Super Pregnancy Sensors indicate that it seems alright (believe me - they are real!). Of course, that doesn't mean that I can indulge in the really good French foods - stinky cheese and foie gras are right out. Guess I'll have to wait for Christmas before I get to taste those delicacies again!

the first two months

Wow, I am completely overwhelmed by your response, thank you so much for your good wishes! And just to answer Nina's question, yes, we do call him French Fry around the house. I started calling him that immediately and eventually Stéph chimed in as well. It will come in handy in the coming months when we pick a name, as we won't be sharing French Fry's name with friends and family until he's born (and will likely remain French Fry here on the blog!).

Since I couldn't say much about what we were going through, I started keeping a short diary from week to week. In order to better preserve it and to share it as well, here's what the first two months were like:

Week three: Operating on the assumption that my cycle is regular and doesn’t have an extra week (har har), I strongly suspect that I am pregnant. Take the test two days after my “missed period” which results in a farce worthy of a bad sitcom. After seeing a very faint second line, I march into the bedroom where Stéph is still sleeping, turn on the light and ask how many lines he sees. After declaring him blind for only seeing one, he finally grabs the box for the pregnancy test and confirms that he’s not looking for two lines in the test window, but two lines in total. Hilarity and pregnancy ensues.

Week four: Blood test confirms that I’m knocked up.

Week five: My first appt with the Dr. First ultrasound – baby’s in the right place but we can’t hear the heartbeat. Dr suspects that I am not as far along as we think and asks me to come back in ten days for another ultrasound to confirm the pregnancy. Meanwhile, the second blood test comes back positive for toxoplasmosis. Rather – I have the antibodies associated with tp and it seems I had tp recently but before this pregnancy. Second test is ordered for more details.

Week six: Second ultrasound, this time Stéph is with me. We hear the heartbeat for the first time and I nearly burst into tears. Dr confirms what we discussed in last appt that I ovulated a week late, putting me at six instead of seven weeks. Dr wants to see me one more time before we do our declaration, making this pregnancy official. Still waiting for results of detailed tp blood test. Dr suspects that toxoplasmosis caused miscarriage in December.

Week seven: As Stéph says, it’s going better because it’s going worse. Morning sickness is taking the form of making me want to vomit if I don’t eat something every couple of hours. The mornings are perfectly fine, but by late afternoon the nausea starts if I’ve been sitting in front of the computer too long or forget to have a snack. By evening I’m freaking sick of eating and am choking down biscuits (not proper southern biscuits, unfortunately) just before bedtime. Detailed test confirms that tp happened before this pregnancy.

Week nine: Third ultrasound. This time FF is movin’ and shakin’. I think he’s shaking his booty while Stéph says he was waving ‘bonjour!’ Dr gives us the papers for starting our declaration. Later in the week, I swear I hear my breasts scream in pain. Regular monthly blood test comes back positive for tp antibodies again but with “no significant increase.” Still no talk of taking medication*. How did I get tp in the first freaking place, I’d like to know. Bought my first piece of maternity clothes on eBay – a black skirt (though it’s not the first maternity clothes in my possession, as Doc has given me some of hers).

*I had forgotten at the time, but it seems that once you've contracted toxoplasmosis, you're thereafter immune to it, so it's normal that I would still have the antibodies. It wasn't until the secretary reminded me at my last appointment when I asked why I didn't get another perscription for a toxoplasmosis blood test that I remembered.

Next time - month three and where we go from here.

PS - I started the second trimester yesterday. Woo!

a confession (and an introduction)

The time has come, my dear readers, to make something of a public confession. These last two months I have been keeping a secret from you. This is certainly the hardest secret I've had to keep in my life, but it is neither unusual nor particularly negative in its secrecy. I can only hope that the introduction of a new character here in the DfF world will make up for it.

Ladies and gents, I give you French Fry:



French Fry is currently gestating in my lower abdominal region, as he has these last thirteen weeks, and plans are being made for his appearance outside my body sometime in the beginning of November. I should note that while I do refer to French Fry as "he," we don't know yet if he is a He or a She. I just prefer "he" to "it." And while it looks like French Fry is doing the Funky Chicken in his first photo sent out in the world, this is only because he moved around so much during his most recent photo session (yesterday) that this was the best of the lot. A baby that can't sit still? Definitely my kid.

As most of you know of our struggles, you can imagine how thrilled we are! I hope I won't bore you all to tears about our impending parenthood, and if nothing else I can shed some insight into what this process is like in France as opposed to what I remember from the American experience (albeit anecdotal since I never had a child there).

Next time I'll have more about what I've really been doing these last couple of months.

It's May! It's May! The lovely month of May

That's right, it's May, arguably my favorite month of the year. There is a bunch of stuff going on this month, personally and nationally. Such as:

Yesterday was la Fête du travail, or Labor Day. This is the only day of the year that anyone can sell lilies of the valley on the street without paying taxes on them, and while it has often been children or the poor who find the flowers in the forests to sell, loads of people are now in on the act, from charities like the Red Cross to folks with a bit of extra land looking to make a few extra bucks. Labor Day is also traditionally a huge day of manifestations in the larger cities in France, and yesterday saw plenty of folks from labor unions to retired groups taking to the streets. Lots of people faire le pont, or "make the bridge" and take today off, since the holiday took place on a Thursday, resulting in a four day weekend.

Next Thursday is Fête de la Victoire 1945, or WWII Victory Day. Another national holiday, there are usually parades and wreaths laid in front of the memorials found in every town, from the largest metropolitan city to the smallest village, remembering those who died during World War II. Next week, Stéph and a few other teachers that live in Tiny Town will represent the school at the ceremony, and of course I'll be tagging along. Also, the school will be closed next Friday so they can faire le pont as well!

In addition to May being my birthday month (woohoo!!), Stéph and I will be heading off to SPAIN!!! in just a few weeks, where I will be participating in my official capacity of translator (even though most of the people from the other countries speak French but nevermind). I haven't seen the schedule yet but it seems that at least one meeting will take place on the beach. Try not to weep too hard for me and my hardships, friends!

Finally, the whole country is commemorating the huge manifestations that took place forty years ago in France which are simply referred to now as Mai 68. Many Americans will remember that 1968 was a turbulent year, with political assassinations and students protests. This was also true in Europe and especially in France, where student protests often turned violent and at one point the government was on the verge of collapse. When I asked Stéph what finally changed because of Mai 68, he sarcastically said, "nothing." This is the question that many French people are asking themselves this month. In my opinion, since the student protesters of 1968 are the ones running the country today, it seems like they're extra proud of their protests and are patting themselves on the back this month. You can read more about the events of Mai 68 here.

weekend adventures

This weekend, BFFs Antipo and Ms Mac were reunited and I crashed the party. Well, in my own defense, I was invited...

Friday, I hopped a bus to Troyes where the ladies picked me up and we hit the road further east to bring a trunk-full of food and loud laughter to Doc's house. It was already shaping up to be a gorgeous weekend and after taking Ms Mac on the champagne tour and stuffing our faces, we had a lovely stroll around the village. Doc and I picked up the girls and I had a good snuggle with my goddaughter before we piled back into the car and drove back to the luxury villa known as Chez Antipo.

Saturday was Girls Gone Wild (Paris edition) and started with Antipo, Ms Mac and I jumping on a train to Paris and heading directly to L'Oisive Thé, our dear friend Flare's dream come true / teahouse. For two hours we dined on amazing, creative salads and had some delicious carrot cakes for dessert. Then we went shopping, where I may or may not have bought a couple of things (depending on whether or not Stéph is reading) and then we retired to our evening destination for fish & chips, fruity drinks and singing Summer Lovin' at the top of our lungs. She was there, as were they (as well as this week's special guest!), our favorite teahouse owner joined us and I even got to meet her. Unfortunately, Antipo, Ms Mac and I had to leave relatively early before our train turned into a pumpkin, but a night out like that only comes once in a blue moon and it may be a long, long time before we see anything like it again.

Sunday we managed to crawl out of bed at a decent hour and get our things packed up and out the door in order to go have breakfast at Breakfast in America, where I could satiate my craving for (real) bacon and pancakes. We got there at the perfect time and only had to wait a few minutes for a table. By the time we were ready to leave, the hipsters were lined up down the block waiting for a table and we received not a few dirty looks through the window as we took our sweet time (I'm getting ornery in my old age!). From there we hotfooted it to the train station, where I made my train with ten minutes to spare, after giving Ms Mac and Antipo great big kisses and thanking them for such an amazing weekend.

I discovered that Tiny Town was having a festival as Stéph was driving me home as the main street was blocked off and we had to dodge some barriers in order to get back to our street. This turned out to be very lucky as I was just too tired from my weekend adventures to even contemplate making anything for dinner and there was a kebab truck parked right at the end of our lane. The truck was still there at dinner time as the vendors were packing up and moving on to their next festival. Just as I had taken the food, it started to rain and it hasn't stopped since. That is the perfect metaphor for this weekend - a few days of sunshine in an otherwise dull and gray world. As we all get back into our normal routines, I'm sure we'll be reminiscing about this weekend for a long time to come.

something to sing along with

Here's a little something to keep you in good music while I'm gone. This is Adele, who is among the new wave of blue-eyed soul artists coming in from England. Don't know if this has hit stateside yet, but I hope it does, it's a lovely song. Here are some lyrics so you can sing along.



Have a great weekend!

good for another nine and a half years

Isn't it funny that when you're gearing for a fight, it never comes? I was so ready to fight tooth and nail for my ten year residence card that when it went so smoothly, it was kind of a let-down.

Tuesday morning I got out the door as early as I could manage and made my way to the Préfecture in Troyes. Parking was a breeze and there were only four people ahead of me. After waiting about fifteen minutes, it was confirmed that my card was ready and I was sent to the cashier's line. Another five minute wait and I had the "stamps" totaling 70€ in my hot little hands and headed back to the other counter to get my card. I waited for the person that had meanwhile taken my place at the counter to finish his business, and then I stepped back up and turned in the stamps. After lots of sticking and stamping, I signed a paper and I got my card. In and out in forty minutes.

But just in case you thought I was going to get away scott-free, I saw the date of expiration. Turns out it took effect from the date I started the request for the card - six months ago. Yep, that means my ten year card is good for nine and a half years. *sigh* Silly bureaucrats...

Of course, next year I'll be eligible to start the process of asking for French nationality, and that's a whole other kettle of fish!

As a side note, I'm going on some adventures tomorrow and I'll be back Sunday. Have a great weekend and I'll tell you all about it when I get back!

and then everything happened at once

Um.... hi. Remember me? Yeeeeeeah.

I know, it's only been a week, but if feels like forever. To be fair, the last week was so uneventful that there really wasn't anything to write about. Stéph's second week of Spring Break was filled with sleeping in, goofing around on the computers, Stéph having bridgework done (and now we're poor again!), reading in bed, occasional walks, and one typical French lunch lasting the requisite six hours. See, I summed it up in a sentence - posts weren't necessary, were they?

*sigh*

And then two very exciting things happened. First, Stéph came home for lunch, like he usually does. We ate, he caught up on one of his computer games, and just as he was relaxing on the couch before going back to work he nonchalantly says, "So, how would you like to go to a beautiful seaside town in Spain next month?" Turns out Stéph has been chosen to represent the French contingent in the international teaching group he's been working with - the same one that sent him to Romania in October. Last time, his colleague brought her boyfriend to Romania and this time I get to go. Of course, I won't be lounging on the beach, as I'll have to sit in on the meetings as well, but there are still touristy things to do and SPAIN!!! I am SO EXCITED!!

So I was making a photocopy of my passport so Stéph's boss could order my plane ticket under my maiden name (by the way - I never did change my last name on my passport, though I changed it legally in the States before I moved here, anyone know if there is a problem with this or if I need to change it before it expires in 2012?) and it suddenly occurred to me that my récépissé for my carte de sejour is going to expire next week! Last time we went to the Préfecture to get my card it wasn't ready yet, so in order to avoid that fiasco again I called and actually got a real live person who told me that my card is actually ready to be picked up! This means my ten year residence card is very nearly in my grasp!

I also asked if Stéph had to be there with me to pick it up, and she said that as long as he signed a declaration that we live together that he shouldn't have to be there. That paper is what held up my card in the first place and should be in my file so hopefully we won't have a problem as Stéph won't be able to come with me this week! I won't go down without a fight, however!

While I'm thinking about it, has anyone received their ten year card recently and can tell me how much they had to pay for the "stamps" when they picked up their cards?

P.S. SPAIN!!!

memelicious

As promised, here's the second meme that evil Mrs B is forcing me to do under penalty of death:

Two names you go by:
1. Vivi, which is not my real name, but I like way better than my real first name's natural nickname, which I always secretly hated, but never had the courage to tell people that. Whew!
2. My real name. Yeah, right, not tellin'. (No, it's not Vivien.)

Two things you are wearing right now:
1. my blue and red flannel house jacket. Very cozy.
2. Track pants. Yes, I changed when I got home!

Two of your favorite things to do:
1. knit
2. run around Paris like I own the place

Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1. For the next two weeks to pass smoothly and quickly (but still taking some time to have fun as well!)
2. For the dollar to climb back out of the toilet

Two favorite pets you have had or have now?
1. Calliope, my cat. She was a good one and I miss her very much.
2. Nosferatu, my blood red fighter beta fish from college. He didn't last very long, but fish are awesomely easy to care for. Oooh, maybe we should get a fish...

Two people who will fill this out:
1. Oh, no you don't.
2. Apparently, memes come here to die.

Two things you ate last night:
1. tuna fish sandwich
2. a salad with homemade mustard vinaigrette

Two things you ate today:
1. Lentils and pork chops at the in-laws'
2. vanilla yogurt and biscuits for a snack

Two people you last talked to:
1. Stéph
2. My MIL

Two things you're doing tomorrow:
1. trying a new recipe
2. cleaning something, surely

Two favorite holidays:
1. Christmas - I'm glad we don't have the same problems with it in France than in the States (saying "Happy Holidays" means you're a godless heathen!! WTF?!)
2. Halloween - Though I do miss all the fun of Halloween in the States

Two favorite vacations:
1. Chamonix, Christmas 2003 - my first vacation with Stéph (awww!)
2. NYC, Summer 1997 - Les Miz, MoMA, Chelsea, amazing food, good times

Two Favorite Drinks:
1. alcoholic - whiskey sour
2. non-alcoholic - a well made smoothie (which can now be found in Paris! hooray!)

Birthday:
May 23 - it's coming! Hooray! Party time, people!

So, as I said before, memes come here to die. If you'd like to swoop this one up, please let me know you've done it and I'll link you here!

Update: Gillian's gone and done it!
Another sucker reader has done it! Thanks, laanba!

a conversation

Late Sunday morning, at home

Me: Well, you've got one week of vacation left. If there are things you wanted to get done during vacation, we better think about scheduling them in now.

Stéph: Tomorrow we could go see my mother and then go shopping after.

Me: *faints*

...and scene.

Yes, my husband volunteered to go shopping with me. I guess he is capable of getting cabin fever! So, no official menu this week. I've made a preliminary menu but whenever Stéph comes shopping with me, he always finds something he'd like to make instead so I'm sure our menu will be very different by the time we get back.

Also, the evil Mrs B has tagged me for another meme, so I'll attack that when we get back.

Hey, I woke up on the right side of the bed this morning! I hope you were greeted with a nice Monday as well.

yet another seven things

Stéph is on Spring Break and we're not going anywhere, so unfortunately there isn't much to write about, unless you want to hear about our spring cleaning adventures (today we cleaned dirt behind an appliance). It's a good thing my buddy Mrs B tagged me for the Seven Weird Things meme. Of course, I've done it before, but what makes you think that I'm only limited to seven weird things? Here's another seven:

1) I cannot stand the sensation of being breathed on. I have to adjust my arms just so, so I don't breathe on them when I'm trying to go to sleep. This can make cuddling kind of challenging sometimes, too.

2) My mom used to give us milk and diet coke (in the same glass) when we were kids. Can't speak for my sister but I loved it. That doesn't mean I'd try it now...

3) Warning: Grossness Factor High I have a problem with excessive ear wax. I used to have to have my ears irrigated by a doctor when I was a kid, and then once a semester in college. I do it myself at home with a kit now. Stéph says we could start a candle factory.

4) I HATE hot weather with the heat of a thousand suns (pun intended). Yes, I grew up in Florida. Yes, Carolina summers are not much better. I simply was not built for summer.

5) I mentioned this one in my 100 Things About Me, but who reads those anymore? I very seriously wanted to be Rockette when I was a kid (this is not totally random since I'd started dancing at six and was a pretty decent tap dancer). It wasn't until I realized I would never be tall enough that I let go of that dream.

6) I like my freckles. I never understood why some people want to get rid of theirs.

7) Last week I downloaded EverQuest and that's what's been sucking my life through the computer ever since. Yep - gamer nerd girl lives!

As usual, tagging people leaves me with hate mail, but if you want to do it, let me know and I'll link you here!

dun cut it all off

After two months of using my fancy "We Can't Believe You Still Have Hair" shampoo and conditioner, I finally came to the realization that the only thing that would bring it back to life was to cut if all off. This morning I went back to Tchip in Troyes and did just that.

This time, my visit was much faster than last time. There were only three or four other clients there and I saw my stylist almost immediately (as opposed to the hour I had to wait last time). Again, the upselling was pretty harsh - when I told her what I'd been using, which I bought there, she actually said, "Oh no, she told you to use the wrong thing, you really need to be using this [presents products which total 50€]." Yeeeeah. I'm not even half way through the products I bought last time, so I'll just continue using that. After all, I have seen a little bit of improvement, however small. I did opt for the fancy shampoo treatment which brought my grand total for a shampoo/cut to 25€, still a bargain in France no matter how you look at it.

As for the cut, I couldn't be happier. It's probably the best cut I've had in this country since I moved here. She knew without me telling her that if she cut it too short it was draw up - a first!! - and it ended up being the exact length I wanted. Plus it will look good if I let it air-dry curly or blow it out. Very, very pleased, I am! A good coiffure experience for so cheap? I must have won the hair lottery!

menu plan monday - week seven

Last week's new recipe, Penne Arrabiata, was excellent, but if you make it as written, it is super spicy! Too spicy for Stéph and really at the limit for me. I'll make it again, but next time I'll cut the amount of red pepper flakes in half!

Otherwise, this week is full of oldies but goodies. Stéph's Spring Break has started and he'll be stepping up to the stove Tuesday night.

Monday
Lunch I was planning on running errands in Troyes this morning, but a) we woke up to snow and b) I think most of the stores I want to go to are closed on Mondays! I think Stéph and I are going to grab something out for lunch today.
Dinner ravioli and veg (whatever looks good at the grocery!)

Tuesday
Lunch Mom's Meatloaf, veg
Dinner crêpes maison (homemade crepes, filled with ham & cheese for dinner and Nutella for dessert!)

Wednesday
Lunch Meatloaf (leftovers), veg
Dinner chicken & mushroom spinach salad

Thursday
Lunch chicken curry (recipe at the bottom of this post)
Dinner steak hachée, veg

Friday
Lunch meat cannelloni (not made fresh, to be honest! I saw some fresh meat cannelloni in the grocery last week which just needs sauce and throwing in the oven for half an hour. We'll see how it is!)
Dinner Free night (leftovers, pull from the freezer or eat out)

Saturday
Lunch chicken noodle casserole (based on this recipe)
Dinner surimi salad

Sunday
Lunch chicken noodle casserole (leftovers)
Dinner tuna sandwiches

For more recipe ideas, be sure to check out I'm an Organizing Junkie.

romance on a country road

On my way to Troyes this morning I saw the following on a sign in big, bold letters:

SANDRINE
VEUX-TU
M'EPOUSER ?

which means "Sandrine, will you marry me?"

I hope that

a) she will say yes, and
b) she didn't drive off the road when she saw it!

a poorly chosen april fool's joke

Stéph ended up staying home sick on Tuesday. Today, just before Stéph went back to work from his lunch break, he told me that his replacement on Tuesday played a very nasty April Fool's (or Poisson d'avril) joke on Stéph's students. Apparently his replacement was a very young guy and thought his prank would be innocent enough. Basically he told the kids that Stéph wasn't coming back for the rest of the year.

Now, Stéph's class is made up of eleven CM1 kids (fourth year, around eight and nine years old) and twelve CE2 kids (third year, around seven and eight years old). The older kids eventually figured out it was an April Fool's joke, and one or two heard Stéph's name mentioned in the hallways in reference to something that would be taken care of today.

But the smaller kids, well, they took it as fact. Some of them became so upset that they went home crying! A couple of parents even called to school to see if Stéph was ok because their children told them that their teacher was dying! In the end, the director of the school had to visit the children this morning before class started to let them know that Stéph was ok as they were still upset!

Though I have to admit that I'm proud of the fact that Stéph is the kind of teacher that his students would be driven to tears if anything happened to him, I felt awful for those children, and would like to smack around that replacement for his poor taste.

In other news, Stéph and I ended up making the apple pie together last night. I always enjoy working with him the kitchen, plus it makes the work go much faster!

in which everything that could go wrong did

Stéph's birthday yesterday was kind of a bust. I've had a couple of nights where I haven't slept well and it all came to a head yesterday as I felt like I'd been walking through jello all day. I could not clear the fog in my head no matter what I did.

My plan was to actually have a "Fun with Fruit Part Three," as I was going to make another dessert in honor of Stéph's birthday with some more fresh fruit. Unfortunately, I didn't keep a close enough eye on the fresh raspberries I bought and didn't discover that they had all turned until I took them out of the fridge to start baking. This was at 4:00, an hour before Stéph got off work.

I panicked. I wanted to have something for him when he got home, so I decided to make my old standby - apple pie. Stéph loves my apple pie. So I ran to the store, grabbed some Granny Smith apples and some ready-made pie crusts, and rushed home.

Only to discover that my only pie dish was at my in-laws' house because I brought an apple pie for Easter supper.

At that point, I gave up. I kind of fell apart when Stéph got home, but I did have a present wrapped up for him and he was super gracious about the whole thing. I still owe him an apple pie, which I'll make as soon as I get my pie dish back.

menu plan monday - week 6

Man, am I whooped! We had the Daylight Saving "Spring Forward" this weekend and I am really feeling it today. It took me a whopping hour and a half just to come up with a menu for this week. It's ridiculous how much difference an hour can make!

In other news, if you haven't stopped by since last Monday, I totally messed up the date for Stéph's birthday. Actually, it's not that I don't know the date, but I counted on my fingers instead of actually looking at a calendar and totally missed. So today is actually his birthday! Be sure to stop by again later for a special birthday post.

Without further ado, here's this week's list (which finally is a steak hachée free week! Yes!!). Thanks as always to Laura for hosting every week.

Monday - Happy Birthday Stéph! (for real this time)
Lunch leftover knacki pasta (see last week's MPM for the recipe)
Dinner Chef salad (bumped from last night)

Tuesday
Lunch Couscous and merguez (see below for more info)
Dinner turkey & onions, veg (veg will either be carrots, green beans or salad, whichever I feel like making at the time!)

Wednesday
Lunch Penne arrabiata (new recipe for me)
Dinner cheddar veggie omelette

Thursday
Lunch minced meat bricks (see below for more info)
Dinner Italian breaded pork chops, veg

Friday
Lunch tater tot casserole (based on this recipe)
Dinner Free night (leftovers, pull from freezer or eat out)

Saturday
Lunch tater tot casserole (leftovers)
Dinner chicken & onions (see the bottom of this post for recipe)

Sunday
Lunch salmon, potato pancakes (recipe from one of the magazines that Mia sent me)
Dinner chicken salad sandwiches

Couscous and merguez
This is a North African dish that is very popular in France. Here, couscous isn't just the semoule, like it is in the States. It is also a spicy sauce with veggies and chickpeas. My version comes from this recipe. You only need a couple of soup ladles for each meal so you can freeze a lot for future meals. I made a fresh batch two weeks ago and put six future meals in the freezer. I serve it over couscous and with merguez.

Minced meat bricks
This is a recipe I just sort of made up. Bricks are are very thin, unsweet pastry that comes in large round sheets of ten. (I can't actually find a link for this, you'll have to take my word for it!) Typically, food is rolled up in them and they become crispy when baked or fried. I make a mixture of ground beef, mashed potato and parsley, put a heaping spoonful in each brick, fold them up, brush on a little olive oil and bake until golden. It's not the healthiest meal in the world, but I haven't made these in ages and I kind of have a hankering for them!

fun with fruit, part two

Blueberries have a special place in my heart. For as long as I can remember, there has been an enormous blueberry patch at the family farm in North Carolina. This thing is so enormous that it easily gives us gallons of blueberries in good years, and still more than Grandma can use on her own in the dry years. Of course, actually picking blueberries was always an adventure for this child of the suburbs, as there were spiders! And chiggers! And beasties! (Oh my!) But you try telling my Grandma that you only brought back a handful of blueberries because there were spiders and see how far that gets you.

Anyway, blueberries always make me think of North Carolina, and when I found a little package of fresh blueberries at the store this week, I had to buy them. But what does one do with a cup of blueberries? Why, make blueberry muffins, of course.



This recipe is super easy to follow, but beware with the crumb topping. It is delicious but if it's not fine enough, it will weigh down the muffins and keep them from rising. Also, the recipe makes enough crumb topping for about ten batches of muffins. Just so you know.

I have a hard time regulating the temperature in our easy bake oven, so some of the muffins came out a little crispier than others, but there were all delicious. I would definitely make these muffins again!

fun with fruit, part one

This week, when I went to Grand Frais, there were lots of fruit choices. I am so sick of winter apples that I kind of went a little crazy and bought several different kinds of fruit with no particular ideas about what to do with them. Yesterday I had the idea to make a strawberry shake with my fresh strawberries, but we don't have a blender, just a little electric hand mixer. Soon, the idea of a fresh strawberry milkshake took over my brain and I thought I would die if I couldn't figure out how to make one, so I just went for it.



I'm happy to announce all went very well indeed.

Strawberry Milkshake by Electric Hand Mixer

(Serves one)

Clean and chop five large strawberries. Just cover with milk and mix until smooth. Add vanilla ice cream and mix until it reaches your preferred consistency. Pour into a tall glass and enjoy!

I liked it so much I had to make one for Stéph when he got home. Considering the fact that he's not a big fan (milk is for kids! bah), he drank the whole thing and proclaimed it to be good, which is high praise indeed.

Hm, I do believe I still have some strawberries left...

Also, apropos of nothing, Stéph's birthday is not Sunday, as previously reported, but Monday. Yes I know my husband's birthday but apparently I don't know how to read a calendar. That's what I get for relying on counting on my fingers...

those crazy revolutionaries

Last night, a friend of mine in the States emailed me to ask if I could translate the info she found on a possible ancestor in the link on my last post. I was going through it this morning and when I got to the date, I very nearly just told her that the revolutionaries made up their own months and years and left it at that (this was before coffee, after all), but my curiosity got the better of me. Lo and behold, the French Republican Calendar.

This new calendar went into affect September 22, 1792, the day after the monarchy was officially abolished. This day became the first day of the First Republic and the first day of the Republican year. This became year I, as they preferred to number the years in Roman numerals. But much to my surprise, it wasn't enough to simply rename the names of the month, but they overhauled the whole system of time.

They kept the concept of twelve months, but split them up into four seasons, with each season's names ending similarly - the autumn months end in "aire" - and each month was named after Latin or French words to describe the time of year; Vendémiaire, from the Latin "vindemia,' or grape harvest, ran from the end of September to the end of October, for example. Then it just gets weird.

Apparently, the revolutionaries were also obsessed with the metric system. Each month was made up of three ten-day weeks called a "decade" with the days of the week called "primidi" (first day), "duodi" (second day), etc. Since this didn't result in a perfect 365 days, the days that were left over were tacked on to the end and proclaimed to be national holidays, celebrating Virtue, Labour, Convictions, and so on.

But the obsession with the metric system didn't end there - then the clock got involved. The new Republican day was made up of ten hours, each hour being made up of one hundred minutes, which in turn were made up of one hundred seconds. Of course, they had to futz with time in order to make this system work, but new clocks were created to follow this new system.

My favorite thing about the Republican calendar is that instead of celebrating the Saint's Days (a practice that is still common in France as people often celebrate their "name day"), the revolutionaries had an animal, tool, mineral or plant for every day of the year. (Yay, my birthday falls on the celebration of Garden Angelica!).

Thankfully, this system only lasted for thirteen years before it was chucked out in favor of the boring old Gregorian calendar. The Roman Catholic Church was re-established in 1801 and the old days of the week were the first to reappear. Eventually the rest of the Republican calendar was thrown out the window as, I can only assume, the French came to their senses.

I hope you've enjoyed this little history lesson as much as I did. It's the quirky trivia like this that makes me truly happy!

decapitated ancestors

I found this through This French Life:

Do you have an ancestor who was decapitated during the Revolution? You can find out by checking out Les Guillontines, a website that listed all those that were condemned to die, deported or imprisoned during the French Revolution.

I don't have any French heritage on my side of the family, but I couldn't resist looking for my married name. And yes, there are three guys listed, but our family name is not especially unusual in France - it's not a "Smith" but I still see it from time to time - so there's no telling if they're really related. I couldn't help looking for my friends' names, too. I've found more than a couple. Is your family name listed?

menu plan monday - week 5

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand we're back. It's funny, even though I put the weekly list up on the fridge so we know what's coming, I'm really liking having these menus searchable through my blog as well. Since I make my weekly plan sitting in front of the computer, I have most of my tools at my fingertips. Maybe next week I'll purposefully do it downstairs so I can flip through my cookbooks instead.

This is another weird week since today is a national holiday and everything is closed. I actually already had today's lunch and dinner and tomorrow's lunch planned since I knew I wouldn't be able to pop out to the store today. Sunday is Stéph's birthday, but once again he doesn't want anything special (grrr). I'll be making one of his favorites anyway, plus I'll be looking at desert options during the week.

Y'all have a great week and be sure to check out I'm an Organizing Junkie for more menu ideas.

Notes: Breakfasts for Stéph are waffles, for me they are a bowl of cereal with milk and a cup of coffee or tea. Each lunch includes a piece of bread (bought fresh everyday) with cheese and a glass of 100% juice with no sugar added. Snacks will include seasonal fruits, carrots, cornichons (small pickles) and cheese and bread for Stéph. My "dessert" is a plain yogurt, cereal biscuits and a glass of 100% juice with no sugar added.

Monday
Lunch Tomates farcies (stuffed tomatoes) and rice
Dinner salmon and green beans

Tuesday
Lunch Tomates farcies (leftovers) and rice
Dinner Potato frittata and salad

Wednesday
Lunch Basil chicken pasta (based on this recipe
Dinner potato frittata (leftovers) and salad

Thursday
Lunch soft tacos (Old El Paso kit) (yes, we have Old El Paso in France!)
Dinner soup & sandwiches (bumped from this past Sunday)

Friday
Lunch leftovers
Dinner mushroom ravioli and carrots

Saturday
Lunch chicken & broccoli stir fry
Dinner steak hachée, green beans

Sunday - Happy Birthday, Stéph!
Lunch knacki pasta**
Dinner chef salad

**knacki pasta recipe: This is one of those recipes that is super simple but much loved. This is something Stéph's mom used to make and he loves it so much, he asks me to make it every once in a while. Knacki are small, thin sausages that are nearly identical to hot dogs. Basically, you throw some cooked pasta, cut up knackis (or hot dogs), and some cubed ham in a casserole. Sprinkle some cheese on top and throw it in the oven until the cheese is melty or golden. I add a bit of flavor by cooking the pasta in broth and I think this helps keep it from drying out too much as well.

Happy Easter!

Oh dear, I've done it again, haven't I? I get distracted by other things and forget about blogging. Well, to be honest, you haven't missed much.

Yesterday we made a suicide run to Troyes around lunchtime in order to dash through a couple of shops. My father-in-law's birthday is coming up so we had to go grab his gift, plus run into a bookshop for Stéph, plus dive into the grande surface mega-store for one thing I needed. Normally, making this sort of shopping run the day before a major holiday is madness but we were super lucky and were headed back home in under an hour. Then I spent about two hours all afternoon slaving over my Famous Apple Pie, which will be shared among family today.

This past week also marked Stéph's introduction to Peeps. The hilarious part is that I called from the other room, "Hey, do you want a peep?"** and then realized what I'd said and burst out laughing. Yep, we definitely bring the class around here at DfF. Oh, but I should also say that he liked the peeps just fine (the marshmallow ones, thankyouverymuch).

This morning we woke up to a fine dusting of snow on cars and rooftops, but with clear blue skies and sunshine. Since we were supposed to have nothing but clouds and the threat of snow all day, I have no idea what to expect for the rest of the day. In any case, we'll be spending most of the day in Troyes with family, stuffing ourselves silly. Here's hoping the Easter Bunny brings you something special this year!

**"peep" sounds like "pipe" in French - which is slang for fellatio!

happy fridge

Our fridge makes me smile every time I go near it. Not only do the most recent baby announcements make their way there (by the way, you can click on the photo to see who's appearing on the Baby Hall of Fame these days), my weekly menu finds a place, and a very special comic strip that my Mom sent me right before she died has a place of honor on the side. The drawings on the bottom are from school. Once a week, Stéph presides over an "études" (studies) class for kids that stay after school until 6:00, when their parents can pick them up. A couple of weeks ago, two young students that didn't have any homework drew pictures for Stéph instead. While I can't wait for the day that our own kids' drawings will appear on the fridge, these always make me smile when I'm in the kitchen.

What do you keep on your fridge?

Updated to add: I forgot to mention that I finished my charity blanket! Go check out Tricot du coeur to take a look!

another weekend in the big city

I'm not doing a Menu Plan Monday this week because a) I haven't had time to actually make a list for this week yet and b) I don't know when I'll do it because I'm so dang tired. I'm so dang tired because I've just come back from another whirlwind weekend in Paris.

I like to go to Paris every once in a while to remember how terribly out of shape I am, but also to catch up with friends and get some badly needed culture. Hey, living out in the country certainly has its perks, but a wide variety of cultural events ain't one of them.

So Friday I took a train into the city (and you can hear about my train adventures on Episode 126 on the Katia & Kyliemac Show) and had some girly slumber party time with Kyliemac. Saturday we met up with Katia and had delicious smoothies and wrap sandwiches (honestly - To. Die. For!) and did some very serious people watching (which you'll hear about in a future episode) before retiring to the Coffee Table Studio for silly shenanigans.

Sunday was the real reason for the weekend in Paris (the rest was a clever excuse to come into town early!) - the Salon du Livre, or book expo. Stéph and I have gone every year I've been here but one, and as we're both big readers and are descended from big readers, this is a big deal for us. This year the Salon is somewhat controversial as the invited honored country is Israel, in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of their becoming a state, and many Arabic countries (some of which also happen to be Francophone countries) have boycotted in protest. Despite the fact that a large protest was scheduled for Sunday, we didn't hear a peep of opposition. We did have a very exciting surprise waiting for us inside - Raymond Feist was there and signing autographs! Stéph had all his books but one (that are available in French, I should say: notably the fantasy classic Magician and its associated trilogy) so after a little cajoling he got in line and met the author. Afterwards I think he was disappointed that he got a little nervous and he thought of some questions that he would have liked to have asked, but he was still very happy about having met him and having one of his books dedicated to him.

After that it was the long drive home. I think next time Stéph will go back to taking the train both ways - a little less exhausting when you've got to work the next day. Nevertheless, it was another lovely weekend in the City of Light; many thanks to my hosts (and to the weather for not being too terribly crappy this weekend!)!

when mail makes everything better

This has been one of those weeks where I feel like everything is spinning out of control and it's everything I can do to hang on. I can't concentrate (when I really need to, even worse!) and some random, kind of scary stuff is happening in the background that I can't tell you about yet but nevertheless has me wanting to just shut down and sleep until all the bad things just go away. Yes, I'm totally a grown up, why do you ask?

Well, just like any immature dingbat, I find that presents make anything better. Back when I started blogging about my cooking woes, Mia offered to send me a few cooking magazines to help me broaden my repetoire, and how can you refuse a kind offer like that? Well Mia took the concept of "care package" to a whole new level:



Not only did she send me some cooking magazines, but she included Easter candy (peanut butter cups! blue peeps!) and YARN. Socks that Rock yarn. In a gorgeous colorway. I want to hug it and pet it and call it George.

So let me take this opportunity to say Thank you so much, Mia! This arrived exactly when I needed it most!

menu plan monday - week 4

I have to say, I'm quite pleased with myself that I've managed to keep this up for four weeks in a row. It's been great to go through the other posts and get ideas. This week is relatively easy, since I'm planning on going out of town this weekend and Stéph will be joining me on Sunday. I'm planning to make a nice big dish he can eat while I'm gone, which was his request. Other than that, nothing too taxing or new recipes - well, new to me, anyway!

Notes: Breakfasts for Stéph are waffles, for me they are a bowl of cereal with milk and a cup of coffee or tea. Each lunch includes a piece of bread (bought fresh everyday) with cheese and a glass of 100% juice with no sugar added. Snacks will include seasonal fruits, carrots, cornichons (small pickles) and cheese and bread for Stéph. My "dessert" is a plain yogurt, cereal biscuits and a glass of 100% juice with no sugar added.

Monday
Lunch chili, rice, carrots
Dinner chef salad

Tuesday
Lunch chili (leftovers), rice, carrots
Dinner chicken & onions, steamed green beans

Wednesday
Lunch Carbonara (see below), salad
Dinner steak hachée, steamed green beans

Thursday
Lunch Mom's meatloaf, couscous, veggies (to be determined)
Dinner pasta, Dad's ragu sauce (from the freezer) (hey, it's Mom & Dad day!)

Friday
Lunch meatloaf (leftovers), couscous, veggies
Dinner (Vivi gone) hachis parmentier (see below)

Saturday
Lunch (Vivi gone) Stéph fends for himself!
Dinner (Vivi gone) hachis parmentier (leftovers)

Sunday
Lunch Vivi & Stéph have left the building!
Dinner soup & tuna sandwiches

Recipe for carbonara: This is a super simple and easy French version of the Italian dish that Doc gave me shortly after I moved here. In a large skillet, cook 200 grams of lardons (small pieces of bacon). Drain and add a carton of crème fraîche (sour cream). When this mixture reaches your preferred consistency, pour over cooked pasta. Serve with shredded gruyère (or your preferred cheese topping).

Recipe for hachis parmentier: This recipe greatly resembles shepherd's pie but for the love of all things holy, never tell a Frenchman that! Brown a pound of ground beef (or a combination of beef and pork) with a chopped onion, herbs de provence, salt and pepper. Pour mixture into a large casserole dish. Cover meat with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle top with shredded gruyère or emmental cheese. Bake until the cheese is melty and golden.

For more menu ideas, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie!

we went out!

Yes, it's true! We left our house and socialized with other people! Can you believe it?

Last week, Doc invited us to join her and Marc at a local restaurant that was offering a complete steak frites dinner for a very reasonable price. It was so reasonable that even Stéph couldn't refuse! (har har) Anyway, it was a great excuse to get away for half a day and visit with friends (and give me a break from cooking, yay!).

Stéph and I talked about it over dinner and we honestly can't remember the last time we went out to a restaurant to eat. We know we ate out with some of his colleagues just before the Christmas break, but just the two of us, eating out? Nope, no idea. So thanks, Doc - that was a much needed treat!

Vivi learns an important lesson

This morning I had an early morning appointment in Troyes, so I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone and do the weekend grocery shopping before coming home. Now, you'd think after three years I'd understand the French's shopping patterns better, but no, I waltzed right into the grande surface shopping center without a care in the world and it wasn't until I'd rolled my shopping cart through the electric gate that I realized my fatal mistake: everyone in France goes grocery shopping on Friday mornings.

It was so bad that at some intersections is was like sitting at a four way stop sign, only with the less-than-impressive queuing habits of the French. Twice I exchanged a laugh and a snarky comment with another shopper as we narrowly inched past each other in the overcrowded isles. At least I hit the cash registers at a lull; when I had waltzed through the electric gate, I had a hard time telling those standing in line from those still shopping. Of course, the cash registers are a whole other story, as they total no less than thirty and maybe half of which were actually manned by the time I got there. I hope the cashiers came back from their breaks shortly after, knowing the tidal wave of customers that would imminently hit.

Wow, I have certainly turned up the snark here lately. I must be hanging out with them too much. (I'm also super sleepy from having to get up early so please excuse my cringe-worthy grammar - I can't seem to form proper sentences today.)

finally!

Things are finally falling into place for my ten year residence card. As some of you may already know, when I moved here spouses of French nationals were eligible for a ten year card after two years of one year cards. That changed right before I was eligible, so I had to wait an extra year. Another thing that changed for us is that because we don't live in the agglomeration of Troyes (or what we might call "the greater Troyes area" in the States) we have to go through our Mairie, or Town Hall, where they send my paperwork to the Préfecture in Troyes to be processed.

Alright, now that we're all caught up...

Last September I went to the Mairie with all my papers like a good little immigrant to start the process of having my card renewed/applying for my ten year card. I turned in everything they asked for, and a couple of weeks later they called saying that they wanted additional documents - a copy of Stéph's ID card and a written testament that we actually do live together as man and wife. At the same time I had to sit down with the head of the Town Hall so he could assess my French and see how I was adapting, all of which went fine. So that all went down in October (and now that I've typed that I'm sure I blogged about it at the time). Finally, I received my récépissé, or temporary card, that expired at the end of December when we would have to go to the Préfecture and pick up the shiny new card.

Still with me?

Now, I know I didn't blog about this because of all the other drama going on at the time, but we went to the Préfecture during the last week of December and after waiting for over an hour we were finally told that the card wasn't ready because they still hadn't received the extra documents and the letter from the head of the Town Hall here in Tiny Town. Stéph immediately knew that it wasn't the Town Hall's fault, as the Préfecture receives documents from all over the département so mine were probably just sitting in a big pile somewhere which means they were at least two months behind. Then the lady told us that we'd have to renew my récépissé, which I could do immediately, but I hadn't brought an extra photo, we didn't have enough change to take a photo in the photomat there in the Préfecture, and the office was about to close for lunch, so if we left to make change, we wouldn't be allowed back in. So she told us I could turn in the récépissé at my Town Hall with a new photo, "but you'd better hurry so you don't miss the deadline!"

My card has been in process for three months and we'd better hurry? Nice.

So last month I called the Préfecture to see if my card was ready, even though I hadn't gotten my récépissé back yet. After trying to call everyday for two weeks, I finally got through and was told that my card was not ready, but it should be ready by the time my récépissé expires at the end of April. Well, at least I knew that my répécippé had been created. The next day I stopped by the Mairie to see if they had it, and they didn't.

So. It's been a few weeks and I had a few errands to run around town today so I thought I'd stop in and see if it was there, and lo and behold it was. I am once again a legal alien with proof. (Ok, I was always legal but it still feels better to actually have the papers in my hand!) Now we just wait for the end of April for the next dance...

menu plan monday - week 3

Last week I tried a new tuna melt recipe (click on the link for the recipe). We quite enjoyed it, even if our easy bake oven only really toasted the outsides and left the centers kind of mooshy. Still, I will definitely use that tuna salad recipe for cold sandwiches this summer, it was really good!

You might have noticed that last week we had mac & cheese and this week we're having Stove Top stuffing, neither of which are readably available in France. We are quite lucky because our guardian angels, aka Michel and his beautiful wife Hannamari very kindly proposed to send me a care package in December and how could I say no? A couple of months later (which was my fault for hemming and hawing over what to ask for!) we received a box with Stove Top stuffing, mac & cheese, onion powder, Catalina dressing (that's for a cold taco salad recipe that I can't wait to make when the weather warms up a little!), Italian dressing mix and they even sent us two of everything, plus they threw in a couple of boxes of Cracker Jack, which Stéph enjoyed very much. Thanks again Michel & Hannamari for your kindness and generosity!

If you're interested in reading about why we eat the way we eat, please click here.

Notes: Breakfasts for Stéph are waffles, for me they are a bowl of cereal with milk and a cup of coffee or tea. Each lunch includes a piece of bread (bought fresh everyday) with cheese and a glass of 100% juice with no sugar added. Snacks will include seasonal fruits, carrots, cornichons (small pickles) and cheese and bread for Stéph. My "dessert" is a yogurt with no sugar added, cereal biscuits and a glass of 100% juice with no sugar added.

Monday
Lunch mushroom ravioli, carrots
Dinner chef salad, with cooked chicken, hard boiled eggs (deviled eggs if I'm feeling up to it!), tomatoes

Tuesday
Lunch chicken & broccoli stir fry (see below for recipe)
Dinner steak hachée, steamed green beans

Wednesday
Lunch tater tot casserole (based on this recipe)
Dinner chicken gyro sandwiches (based on this recipe)

Thursday
Lunch chicken & broccoli stir fry (leftovers)
Dinner mushroom omelette

Friday
Lunch tater tot casserole (leftovers)
Dinner Free night (leftovers, out for dinner or pull something from the freezer)

Saturday
Lunch chicken & onions (recipe appeared last week), stove top stuffing
Dinner steak hachée, steamed green beans

Sunday
Lunch salmon, potatoes
Dinner soup & grilled cheese sandwiches

Chicken & broccoli stir fry
Prepare rice (I steam ours for 30 minutes, always comes out perfect!), boil three or four frozen broccoli bunches for a few minutes until they are cooked through but still firm and then cut them down to florets, chop an onion and cube two chicken breasts. In a large skillet, sauté onion and brown chicken, add rice and broccoli, mix together and then add soy sauce. I don't measure the soy sauce; I just add a good slug and stir well, and when that cooks off I add another good slug and mix that in. Serve hot and eat!

For more menu ideas, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie.

finishing touches

Tricot du coeur is winding down now with one month to go and I'm happy to report that I'm down to the finishing touches.



Not the best picture in the world, but it's all seamed together and I'm just adding the border. Looks like I should get this bad boy done this week.

Today is windy, rainy and cold - a perfect time to turn on the internet radio and mess about with a nice big chunk of knitting.