Settling in to Paris

September 9-September 15, 2019

Day 15 Monday, September 9:  We wake up and thank God for this day and the days behind that we have had safety, protection, so many signs to know that He truly has been going before us everywhere.  I am thankful and my heart is full.  Carson gets an ache each time she sees a beggar.  And of course there’s no shortage.  I’m glad she feels that.  She purchased a new backpack on the street earlier, so she packed up her old one with snacks, water, a daily devotional Nan left behind, a blanket and a note she wrote.  She was sure she would find the perfect person for this bag on the way to the Chunnel, but we were in a rush to get there and didn’t see anyone in the tube.  So she carried it on the Chunnel all the way back to Paris.  When we arrived at Gare du Nord and walked outside, she saw the recipient.  She went up to her, gave her the bag and had a few words.  The lady was very appreciative and what’s more, a passerby was so moved he stopped to say how awesome it was.  So what did we do?  We went across the street to McDonalds to have lunch!  Of course we’ve eaten at McDonalds many many times (every Thursday morning with our Breakfast Club for years), but this was Carson’s first hamburger;)  We were stalling to hear from our landlord and we finally did.  So off we go to our final stop…Le Marais in the heart of Paris…one of the oldest sections of town filled with tiny cobbled streets, shops and brasseries and boulangeries and patisseries and fromageries…you get the picture!  Full of life and overflowing out every door with every type of person imaginable.  Every time we get to a new location, I have butterflies.  Not the love type of butterflies but the scared to death what have I done who do I think I am to make a decision about a place for my children to sleep from a world away knowing nothing, nothing, nothing about where we are going or what we are doing.  That kind.  Today was no different.  We hoisted our 4 big bags up 2 floors to a tiny, circular staircase that wasn’t quite wide enough for me and my backpack at the same time.  Thankful for Lois, our landlord’s employee, who helped us.  This building is almost 300 years old.  That’s a lot of living.  It was probably once a big house, then subdivided into single rooms, then years later the rooms were joined up to make apartments, and toilets and teeny tiny showers and efficiency appliances were added to modernize the apartment.  But y’all, it’s going to work for us!  I have a bedrooms with a desk and windows that open onto a courtyard.  The kids have a cool loft with lots of nooks and crannies.  We have an open living room with a little kitchen that overlook this street full of life.  I can even crane my neck out to see the kids go get a baguette across the street.  So we spend the day unpacking and trying to settle our nerves about the whole situation.  I finally get the kids down to sleep and I stay up late pouring over guides about France and wondering what we will do next.  I’m tired, nervous and thankful.  I know I’ll have to rely on God’s strength and at the same time I feel so blessed just to be here.  

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Day 16 Tuesday, September 10:  Today we have plans!  I met a friend on Facebook thanks to an English Speaking Mom’s group and we are meeting them at Luxembourg.  Yayyyy!  We wake up late….or a normal time for us now:/. We scrounge some breakfast, we try to get work and school done and wait with excitement for 1pm!  Finally we start our trek to Luxembourg, about 45 minutes walk…which we need after all the baguettes. We met the McLaughlins at the boat pond.  Betsy, the lovely mom, had printed out a scavenger hunt which we did with the kids in teams…the 2 boys, Will and Geer, and the girls, Carson and Edy.  Then we had a crepe, because when in Rome…. We finished with some playground play.  It was so nice to talk to someone else from the US who was doing something crazy.  They are actually here for a whole year!  Their son had heart complications at birth and has had multiple surgeries. He is stable now and they are fulfilling a dream with their family this year.  So cool!  She was a wealth of information and encouragement for me, and we can’t wait to see them all again.  This day, we walked 5 miles.  Not Moxie, but not bad either. 

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Day 17 Wednesday, September 11:  This is the day before the day that Daddy’s coming!!!  We are all eager to see Edgar and he gets in early Thursday morning.  But we also have a few plans this day.  We try to get a little school work done, drop in at our landlords restaurant for a coffee and a Chocolat Chaud (hot chocolate), that was too chocolatey for my kids, so I had a coffee and 2 Chocolat Chauds (emoji of laughing tears on a rolling ball round lady inserted here…that would be me).  Off we go on the Metro for a new adventure.  Did we get on the right line headed the wrong way?  Yes.  Did we recognize our mistake and quickly correct it?  Yes.  Did we see the 3 most adorable, albeit scary, Chow Chow dogs playing in a dog park on the Seine?  Yes!  How did you know?  And finally, we made it to the American Church in Paris where I saw a starting date for a children’s choir.  We had no idea where/what/when/who, but it all worked out.  This is a beautiful church in the creme de la creme area of the 7th, near the American University, the American Library, and in the shadow of the Tower Eiffel.  This seems to be the place where the expats and US politicos gather.  It’s beautiful, full of wide boulevards and white table clothed dining rooms.  Anyway, the kids are nervous (well, Geer is nervous.  Carson is just hoping they can get her mic-ed up).  I tell them to go in with an open mind.  It’s a small group in a kind of fancy Methodist theater hall with wood floors and a wood stage and wood walls and a grand piano.  The teacher is amazing.  She immediately grabs their attention and for one hour, these children are rapt with her piano and vocal skills and they read music and sing along in preparation for next Sunday’s performance.  I’m in the back, watching the warm-ups and wondering what in the world are we doing.  And do you know what happened next?  No, you don’t.  But, she started their music piece…”God is so good…God is so good…God is so good, God’s so good to me.”.  This is OUR SONG!  What?  How!  Chills covered my body and I recognized again that God is good, HE is with us, going before us.  I relax a little.  The kids had fun.  And another BOY came in at the end.  I think he may be a friend of Geer’s before it’s all over.  So next, we go to the American Library, sign up (who cares what it costs, we need to speak English at some point during the week and we are sponsoring….something worthwhile I’m sure!!!). This was so fun.  Kids both got books, we made plans to attend some of their many kids events and Carson caught on the September Vogue.  Priorities people.  We jet set back home where we walk over to A la Ville de Rodez, a boutique shop that carries many French charcuterie products, cheeses, wine, accompaniment.  The owner is so nice, he helps us select some meat and cheese and he’s so busy that we insist on waiting (we’ve got nothing else to do) and in between customers he brings us more and more samples!  So, we drop our paycheck here and go home happy:)  We think Edgar will like our selections.  We go to bed anticipating Dad’s arrival.  I can’t sleep afraid I’ll miss his call and how will he get in if I miss his call…

Day 18 Thursday, September 12:  We wake up, we talk to him, we wait, we hang out the window, we hear from him, we wait, we watch.  He’s finally here and the kids run down to escort him in.  They’ve never been more excited.  Like Santa Clause but better.  Edgar had a sleep aid on the plane (Geer heard me say that Edgar has a sleep aid, and he said, “Oh really, what’s her name:)!) but somehow the jet lag does a number on everyone.  We walk around to show him our hood, walk to the vast Bastille market and sit down for breakfast at the cafe across from our apartment.  Back in the room, he’s wiped out.  So he naps and the kids do school work.  We get going again and walk some more, have a great dinner at our landlords restaurant, get the chance to talk to them and finally have our first of many glaces while Edgar is in town:)  In McKee tradition, we want to watch a family movie.  We choose Karate Kid (why, Netflix, can’t you show the original? Who is Mr. Han?  What was wrong with Mr. Miagi??). Edgar gets through the intro song and we get through half.  Good night moon.

Day 19 Friday, September 13: What did we do?  I have no idea.  Oh, yea!  We got up and Edgar was still out cold.  We tried to wake him (not something you really want to do often).  He didn’t move, so we left him there.  When we finally get him up, he can’t believe he’s slept until 11!  So, baguettes for breakfast?  Oh yes.  We have school to do, so we struggle through that while Edgar works and falls asleep periodically. Then we take off on foot again.  We walk through the I’ll Saint-Louis, one of the oldest Paris neighborhoods, surrounded by the Seine and neighboring Notre Dame.  We walk and walk and walk, through neighborhoods, along the Seine, through the Louvre entry and back to Les Halles where we revisit some of the places we saw 7 years ago when we came.  We end at the Les Halles forum mall to buy Geer a soccer ball.  We find a park for Edgar and Geer to kick around a little and then we head home.  We had planned to eat falafel, but it was closed.  So we search for something reasonable that we will all like and end up eating Asian, in the basement of a street shop.  And it was delicious.  More glace to end the day and we finish The Kid…

Day 20 Saturday, September 14:  Edgar and Geer go for breakfast and bring us back a spread.  After school work catch up, cards, reading, etc., we are ready to head out.  This weekend is Fete des Jardins, with special features at many gardens and parks.  We head to Parc Monceau at Edgar’s suggestion and it was perfect.  This park was less touristy than some of the others, but big and beautiful.  Geer found some kids to kick the soccer ball with, Carson made a friend on the playground, and I met a nice young lady who offered to teach me French!  Instead of using the metro back, we walk.  This day we logged 6 miles!!!  On the way home, we stop for a late afternoon snack of Croque Monsieur and Croque Madame with fries, and a little wine.  This energizes us until we get home for a quick rest.  Then of course we need more glace.  

Day 21 Sunday, September 15: We had planned to try out Hillsong Church in Paris, which offers a bilingual service at 10.  We weren’t sure what that meant, but we got ready and took the 50 minute long walk to the church, which was in a performing theater.  Everyone was very welcoming and we took our seats early, the place was maybe 25% full.  But by the start it was packed.  Songs were in French (captions in French and English) and in English (captions in both).  The Australian lead pastor’s words were translated into French from the stage, and the Canadian guest speaker’s sermon in French was translate into English from the stage.  The interpreters were amazing…carrying the same tone and inflection and passion that the original speaker had.  It sounds confusing, but it worked.  We all loved the message on shining your light.  We are lights in our world if we are children of God.  Are we shining in a bright room at church only, or are we shining in dark places as well?  The 50 minute walk there took 50 minutes back and we were ready for a yummy brunch and we had one!  The boys rested and followed along with football.  Carson and I walked around le Marais.  Much of Paris is closed on Sunday, but this Jewish area is closed to cars but open for business.  It was bustling with people enjoying the sunshine and shopping up a storm.  Finally, for dinner, we got that Falafel and it was delicious.  The kids have been waiting to eat this until Edgar came and I think they really enjoyed it!  It’s different, for sure, but they are learning to be open to try new things and this was no exception.  We tried glace at Grog for our last night, and it was the best yet.  Sadly, we said good night knowing Edgar would leave before the sun rose on Monday.