PutYourFlareOn

6 of 30 - Little Tricks

My husband always has these little tricks up his sleeve. Is it a mini pumpkin? Looks like it. It's clementine season and we have our daily dose of clementine after dinner. Good way to get some good vitamin C into Max. Tonight, Julien started cutting his clementine with a knife while Max and I peeled ours with our hands. Intrigued, Max watched wondering what his father was doing. 

Apparently when Julien was young they didn't have easy access to pumpkins like we do today. His grandfather would make homemade jack-o-lanterns for the kids out of clementines. 

This reminds me of when Julien I started dating eight (!) years ago and another trick he played with a match and an invisible string. I was impressed then and I'm still impressed now. 

Perfectly imperfect

Such is life. We all know it. Sometimes hard to admit and sometimes hard to live. I've been inspired by some of my favorite blogs to embrace the imperfection in my life. Yes, I don't make my bed. I put dirty dishes in the sink and leave them there for a couple days.

   

 As I type this entry there is a pile of laundry that's been on the kitchen table for a day or so and I keep neglecting to fold it because I'd rather do things like blog. Gasp. :) And you know what else? My husband and I fight. We're not perfect and us fighting shows me that we aren't. And I think I can admit out-loud that I am okay with that. But vow to make us better by working on my little imperfections. 

My daily pick me up

Before I became a mother, I wondered if being a mother would be for me? I really didn't question myself much after Maximilien was born due to the sheer joy I felt every time I held my baby.  I was a mama and being a mama was for me.  And even now when he's 20 months old, I still feel the joy picking up my son or seeing him play, run and say his first words.  And I know that this feeling will last well until my son is grown... even when he doesn't want mama's kisses anymore or I can't hold him because he will outweigh me.

I carried Maximilien home last night from dinner and I realized that I don't do that much anymore because he's walking everywhere now. I reminded myself to take advantage of the fact that I can still carry him now and that I should do it more often. Last night we read books before bed and snuggled and then Max says to me "kiss Mama, kiss Mama" and push his squishy cheek to my face. With his little baby hands, he pulled my face close again and again for more and more kisses.  I could feel the love exploding from my heart and washing over us in fits of giggles.  Moments like this is what it's all about...

Julien took this video of Max last weekend riding the line 14 on his way to his grandmother's house. I just wanted to share with you a bit of the joy of Maximilien. His wonderment is genuine. His smiles melt the heart. His words amaze me, though hard to understand right now. This is our life right now. And I'm so grateful for it.

Maximilien prend le métro from jagerog on Vimeo.

6 years

There is so much going on in our lives right now. Funny how good things all come at once. What's the expression? I can't remember.

Today is our 6 year wedding anniversary.  I can't believe it's been 6 years already.  Our relationship is anything but static. Time speeds ahead making its presence noticeable at each birthday and milestone. But as time passes there is one constant in my life, my husband Julien.  From the day we met it felt we had known each other forever. My hand fit within his. His arms fit around my shoulders. We each have a place in one another's neck where the sweetness is our own.  As we embark on new adventures, I am glad to have him by my side. He is my partner in crime, my lover, my friend, my confidant. Here is to 6 years, my love...

This morning as I laid groggy in bed with Max crawling around me.  Julien leaned down to kiss me goodbye and told me to be dressed when he got home. i.e. not in a tracksuit my usual mama uniform.  I'm lucky if I get a shower during the day, such is my life now. He knew this and yet he asked me several times if I had anything planned and reminded me twice to be dressed when he got home. He left early this morning to come home early tonight. Something is up? Oh yes...

I guess I better shave my legs, huh?

30 Days :: 26

:: My boys being boys...

30 Days :: 20

30 Days :: 6

Typical dinner. After the baby is in bed fast asleep, Julien and I enjoy dinner together while catching up on one of our television series.  Tonight, we had cabbage and pork stirfry and watched Smallville.

Generations

My husband is becoming a baby whisperer

Since Maximilien's arrival it hasn't always been that easy for Julien. In the beginning, Max only wanted me. He wanted me to hold him. He would only sleep in my arms. It was beautiful and exhausting. For me. Julien waited patiently for his son to "take to him".  Around  when Max was 6 weeks old, Julien took him paternity leave from work and we went on a mini vacation to see Julien's grandmother.  Max had his father's full attention for two weeks straight.  I got to sleep.  Things started to change after that. Max started to fall asleep in his father's arms. He started to recognize Julien's face though he already knew his voice long before. It was shortly after this that Max started to sleep through the night. 

We started a new routine that in the mornings when Max would stir Julien would go and get him, change his diaper and bring him to our bed so I could nurse him. All three of us would lay together until Julien's alarm would go off and he had to get up to start his day.  This morning moment is one I enjoy so much as I often watch my husband sleep while holding Max's little hand. Max is the blood link between Julien and I.

Another new routine we've started recently is that Max is put to bed by his father.  As you may have remembered Max isn't having it when Mama puts him to bed for the night. Since Max is currently taking three naps a day (crazy!) with his last one starting around 5pm and he wakes around 6pm  we've pushed Max's bedtime an hour at night so that Julien can come home and have that time with him. By 8pm, Max is bathed, fed and sleeping.  Julien has gotten so good at putting Max down that he doesn't even cry anymore and welcomes sleep.  It is truly amazing. Every night there are high fives of appreciation given as Julien and I know that this parenting thing is something we were both meant to do. 

As easily as things are coming along for us now the thought of having a second child is being talked about again.  Though Julien has been talking about it since Max was two weeks old, I've only been verbalizing my feelings seriously about it for the last few days.  Thanks for all your thoughts on the matter in my last entry.  I really appreciate all of you taking time to write to me and it has given me some perspective.  I have decided to just listen to my body and my body says it's not ready. I was physically stronger when I became pregnant with Max and today I don't feel like that.  And I would like to spend some one on one time with Max before a sibling is born to make sure he's ready too.  He's my first. My special boy.  I know having a second baby will be amazing but it is going to be different.

It is sweet that my husband is ready for another child.  It warms my heart to know that he wants a large (maybe even larger) family like I do.  I still sometimes see my husband as that young guy I met in English class 7 years ago.  Carefree. Raving it up guy.  And yet he impresses me with his natural parenting skills everyday.  Babe, I hope you're reading this today... you're the best. I love you.

Driving in Paris

I don't do it.

While picnicking with a friend today she invited me over to visit her at her apartment next week.  I thought to myself that this could be a good opportunity for me to drive there with Max. She lives in the suburbs of Paris and it wouldn't be considered actual Paris driving. 

I mentioned this to my husband and he thought it would be a great idea. Any mention of me driving is a great idea to my husband, he's been trying to get me to drive since we got our Twingo right before Maximilien was born.  But the thing is Paris drivers are crazy.  It seems like complete anarchy the way they drive. There are no lane markers and what is this crazy priorité a droite?  But having a small baby and living in the city sometimes the public transportation just isn't possible.  And every time we go on our big road trip to Belle Ile en Mer Julien is always the one to drive. 

So, tonight after mentioning that I might take the car out to see my friend who lives in the suburbs Julien offers to go out with me TONIGHT to drive a little.  He is that excited about me driving.  I looked at him and saw visions of him being one of those front seat drivers yelling , "Non, par la, PAR LA!! and cringing at every move I'd make. He's done it before a long, long time ago when he was trying to teach me how to drive stick. Anyway... I pushed that image out of my head and told him that we'd do it another time. So the conversation ended like this:

Note: Julien and I speak to each other in two different languages. Me English, him French. Always has been like this. Totally throws everyone off but it works perfectly for us.

Julien (eyes aglow) :  Ne t'inquiete pas, Je vais m'asseoir derrière avec Maximilien et regarderai Smallville sur ma PSP.  Ce sera comme si je n'étais pas là. -  Don't worry, I'll sit in the back seat with Maximilien and bring my PSP and watch Smallville. It will be like I'm not even there.

Me: "Yeah, right!! I know you, you'll be watching my every move. If I don't turn properly I'll hear it right away"

Julien: "Non, ma cherie....je serrerai les fesses si tu fais une betise. - I'll just squeeze my butt cheeks if I see you doing something wrong.

Yeah, yeah... so we'll see.  In August all the Parisian are gone on vacation so I think we'll be doing some night driving to practice  and Julien will have buns of steel from all the squeezing.

This is what playtime with Daddy is like...

This is what playtime with Daddy is like..., originally uploaded by PutYourFlareOn.

 

At our house, we're all about the bathroom humor.

At our house, we're all about the bathroom humor. on Vimeo

Listen carefully after I ask Max if he's feeling better?

That my friends, is the man I love, farts and all!

He's done it again...

Julien on Pont de Bercy
Originally uploaded by PutYourFlareOn.

Yet another thing my husband has done that's made me swoon, giggle and love him even more. 

I love you, honey!

Let me introduce you to my husband...

someone needs a haircut!
Originally uploaded by Putyourflareon ^^.

What can you have for breakfast, lunch or dinner?

Une tartine!

This is usual dinner conversation at our house. Hubby comes home from work, we discuss the days happenings and I usually ask, "What would you like for dinner, dear?"  "Une Tartine, please!" he responds. 

Quick, quick! Type in your dashboard widget to see what Tartine means in French!

Yeah, so he wants a slice of bread for dinner! A slice of bread!?

But in France, La tartine isn't just toast, my friends...  A tartine for breakfast sounds good to me. Toast? Check! Nutella? CHECK! Yummy in my tummy? Mmmmhmmm.  But my husband has taken me on a tartine adventure let me list off a few that come to mind:  tartine de saumon et créme fraiche, tartine de filet de thon au muscadé, tartine tartar, tartine au thon et whisky, tartine chorizo et basilique, tartine beurrre au sel de guerande et confiture de maman, tartine au jambon et fromage, tartine a l'ail and the list goes on and on.... your little desk widget is getting a lot of use, non? :)

A couple nights ago, I had a hankering for some peanut butter.  Good old Skippy creamy peanut butter to be exact.  Be careful buying peanut butter here because the French version has no sugar and talk about serious tongue stuck to the roof of your mouth too! Anyway, I made myself a tartine au beurre de cacahuéte et bananes. Side note: I hadn't discovered peanut butter and banana sandwiches until one late night of studying my last year in college and I happened to see one of my residents in the scholarship hall making herself a PB&B sandwich.  So, I toasted myself a few slices of Pain Polka and spread the peanut butter on the warm toast and sliced bananas.  J was looking over my shoulder unsure of what I was doing? I asked if he'd like one and he shakes his hadnsome French head and said "non, merci" in a very dismissing way.  The French are very much against the idea of peanut butter. As my husband says, they have Nutella, why do they need peanut butter, too? I took a few bites as my husbands curious look turned to I-wish-I-could-have-a-bite look.  I offered it to him and he took a large bite and smiled and muttered mouth full of PB&B, "Pas mal!" Je vois que tu comprenne bien la concept de la tartine, ma cherie"

To Bises or not to Bises?**

**To kiss or not to kiss

 As you know the French kiss when they greet people they know and don't know.  I'd say in the last year I can't remember the last time I shook hands with someone in France.  When I was an exchange student in Besançon in '98 I hung out with a lot of exchange students from different European countries and some Asian countries. We never did les bises.  We shook hands if we met someone new. I felt comfortable with this because this is common practice in the States.  My second stint in France in 2000 (the year I met J) I started to hang out with more and more Frenchies and still instinctively held out my hand when I met people.  I learned from J that handshaking really isn't done especially at our age. It used more when you greet older people for the first time or business contacts, colleagues, etc... Everyone our ages does les bises even good guy friends will instinctively gives kisses when they greet each other.

Tonight, we went to a apéritif dinatoîre* at our friend, Nath's apt, and comme d'hab* I was the only Anglo there.  About an hour into the conversation or so someone realized that I had used a le instead of a la and a de instead of a du (because those of us who speak French or have studied know that this just happens sometimes). The guy I was talking to came to me while I was filling my champagne glass in the kitchen to ask me in a low voice if I were French? Mais non! I responded. He just stood back on his heels and look at me. We had that oh-so-familiar exchange of where I was from and Comment ca se fait que tu parle si bien le francais et patati et patata* and he stated that he thought all Americans only shook hands and were not comfortable kissing. This is exactly what he said.  Well, of course I set him straight and said we love to kiss but it's just a question of habit that's all! We don't greet one another with kisses more often with handshakes or hugs, if we know the person well.  I love little culture exchanges like this.

J said that I used to do the cutest thing I would stick my hand out to shake and pull the person towards me slightly to do les bises. It must of been in my transitional phase from hand shaking instinctively to doing les bises naturally.

 

*Apéritif Dînatoire - Before dinner drinks with heavy hors-d'oeuvres that take the place of dinner, very social setting and mobility for invitees to mingle, drink et manger!

*Comme d'hab- or Comme d'habitude, meaning like usual or usually.

*Patati et Patata- could be interpreted as how we'd use blah, blah, blah or and so on.

 

Love is...

Love is when your husband comes to bed early because you want him to.
Love is when you're friend takes the day off to play with you on your birthday.
Love is when you cat gives you kitty kisses when you are sad.

Love is when your husband agrees to re-arrange the kitchen at 10pm and you change your mind a hour later and he doesn't get mad.

Love is when he tells you that you're beautiful first thing in the morning.
Love is the laughter amongst good girlfriends.