Bed time ... bath time???

This is where we found the kids sleeping last Saturday night. They wanted to sleep in the master bathroom (absolutely not!), so I told the babysitter that they could sleep anywhere in their room. I guess after chasing them out of the master bathroom a couple of times, Colin and Nathan finally decided on the tub that is in their bathroom attached to their room which is okay by me.

Silly boys!

Magic

It's funny how something you say to your kids can come right back at you. I'm referring to the times that I don't want to tell Colin how I did something. I'll tell him it's "magic".

Well, I found the front door's chain on one day, the chain is located very high on the door and is there to prevent the kids from going outside (they can reach the lock). So I asked Colin if he put the chain on. He said "Yes, so Nathan couldn't go outside." Then I asked how did he do it. "Magic", he says matter of factly with the slightest hint of a smile.

Botanical Gardens

Another playdate with Edward, this time at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens where there is a great little water fountain that the kids can play in.




This is a sculpture at the Botanical Gardens that Edward's dad made! Impressive!

Potty training

It's started, potty training Nathan. As anticipated, Nathan is a very eager student and wants to do everything himself. Colin is very helpful and has been doing a lot to potty train Nathan as well. This morning when Colin woke up, he woke up Nathan and then made him get on the toilet. At this point, Nathan is doing very well with the pooping in the potty too and knows not to go to the bathroom when he doesn't have a diaper on. We haven't gone full blown training, just whenever we are around the house a lot. I think that Nathan understands the concept and it's just a matter of taking the next step for us and making the commitment.

Hot-lanta

When we returned from a cool, 60-65 degree Paris, we found that summer had arrived in Atlanta, and the temps were triple digits -- yikes! First day back, I planned a playdate at Edward's house, a little boy in Colin's class. His mom, Elizabeth got a tub out to fill with water and squirt bottles to occupy and cool off the boys. Colin and Nathan immediately took their clothes off to jump in the tub. This is what it looked like!

Paris - Beer and crepes

Saturday night, June 7 -- here is Bob on Rue Princesse, a very short street where "The Frog and Princess" brew pub can be found. We didn't have high expectations for the beer but were pleasantly surprised how solid the beers were.

Prior to the brew pub, we went to a restaurant on the same street that specialized in crepes of all types. I think the name was "Crêperie des Etoiles", but not completely sure. Bob ordered a gallete with curry and chicken. Gallete is a buckwheat crepe that typically comes with more meat/dinner kind of stuff.

We hit quite a few other places in the same vicinity, too many to remember and record. We had a very good time!

Paris - Flowers

Some pictures of Colin picking flowers in Luxemburg Gardens. The flowers were little white daisies growing in the grass, kinda like the dandeloins that we find here.

Paris - Luxenbourg Gardens

Saturday, June 7 and the last full day in Paris. During all of our adventures in Paris, we noticed a lack of playgrounds and were wondering where all the kids go who live in Paris. Well, on the last day we found it, the mother of all playgrounds! This playground was so big and nice and had a sandbox area and an Eiffel Tower structure for the kids to climb. You did have to pay to get in, but it was so worth it. I think it was a good thing that we found it the last day. If it would've been the first day, then taking the kids to anyplace other than the playground would've been difficult, and provided a lot of opportunity for character building.

The mega-playground is located in Luxenbourg Gardens where Bob and I did our runs. First, I ran while Bob hung out with the boys. He decided that pushing two umbrella strollers really didn't work to well, so they spent the whole time playing in the gravel (that Parisian gravel again -- totally entertaining stuff!) Colin and Nathan are so creative, they didn't have any toys so they took their crocs off and used them as trucks, filling the crocs up with gravel and dumping the gravel in a big pile. Colin made parmesan cheese with the crocs too. He would fill up Nathan's croc with gravel and shake it ... parmesan cheese!

So while the boys were playing in the gravel, I was on my run and discovered the playground. During Bob's run, I took Colin and Nathan to the playground where they had a great time playing with Parisian kids and even met a couple of English speaking kids and parents.

Paris - Dragons

Friday, June 6 we did lots of walking, first to the Louvre, but just to visit the gardens where we found a merry-go-round. The attendants were nice enough to let the kids ride it 3 times in a row. Not exactly keeping with the image of the rude and arrogant French that Americans are suppose to encounter in Paris!

We also walked through a "Arc de mini" (my label) whereas it was much smaller than the Arc de Triomphe that we saw later in the day -- hard to believe huh! This one reminded me of the Brandenburger Tor found in Berlin because of the horses on top of the monument.


Our next destination was the Arc de Triomphe which meant walking down the shopping district in Paris. We did stop at the KidGAP to get socks for the kids because it was a little cool and windy that day, and we forgot to put socks on the kids -- their feet were so cold!

At the Arc, the boys were only interested in playing in the gravel. Parisian gravel must be different than the American stuff! While Bob, Danni and I were admiring the Arc, a Japanese tourist taking pictures wanted a picture with the boys, it was very odd but I didn't care. Our kids get so much attention, they are just so cute! (But I'm not biased at all!)



Interesting fact that I read about the Arc de Triomphe. When it was first constructed, it is so big that someone flew a bi-plane through the Arc! Amazing!

Next stop was the Museum of Modern Art. Once again there was so many steps in the museum so we only took one umbrella stroller in, the one that Nathan was sleeping in. Nathan slept through the whole museum! Colin on the other hand really enjoyed the museum until a guard scared him when he got too close to a painting. Colin said no more museums after that.

The featured exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art was by Peter Doig. Bob and I really enjoyed his stuff!

Then it was back to the Eiffel Tower where I got another crepe, mmmmmm! My favorite! However, the French pronounciation of crepe sounds a lot like a combination of cripe and crap. Colin felt it was necessary to proclaim to everyone, "Mom's getting a crap", over and over again. Of course, Bob probably had a hand in encouraging him!

Time to go to Notre Dame which Colin liked a lot better than the museum ... probably because there wasn't any security guards yelling at him! While we were in Notre Dame looking around, Nathan started talking about seeing a dragon. I really don't know what that's all about?? Maybe he can see things that adults can't, [insert scary music here]. More than likely it's just the inside of Notre Dame reminded Nathan of the castle in the movie Shrek where the dragon lived.



Then we saw a smaller church but just as beautiful as Notre Dame. Nathan said no dragons were in this church.

For dinner we went to a fondue place right next to the one Bob and I went to last time we were in Paris ... 10 years ago! The kids wouldn't try anything until dessert came. Nathan kept saying, "I don't like cheese", which is completely bogus because at home he eats cheese all the time! However, when the chocolate fondue showed up, Colin and Nathan ate more than they have the whole trip -- bananas, grapes and apples dipped in chocolate. YUM!

Paris - A very long day

Thursday, June 5 was a very long day with lots to do for the Sandage's. It started with Bob and I going for a run in the morning before the boys woke up. We ran along the Seine and past the Eiffel Tower, about 6 1/2 miles in all. Pretty good for being on vacation if you ask me!

Then all of us set off for the Louvre. Inside the courtyard of the Louvre, Colin and Nathan found a big fountain that was spraying water on the sidewalk. They thought it was very exciting to get wet by the water coming from the fountain.


Through another set of arcs in the courtyard and we could see the pyramid of the main entrance of the Louvre. I personally thought it looked really cool, the contrast of the modern glass pyramid and the old building surrounding the pyramid. Really an amazing site.


Navigating the Louvre itself was quite an ordeal with two umbrella strollers. There were stairs everywhere. A single level was not quite level and had numerous places where you had to climb 4-10 stairs here and there. Once again we picked a travel destination that was not stroller friendly (refer to Spring Break trip to San Fran).


After seeing the Mona Lisa and looking for the bathroom (I think there is only 4 bathrooms in that huge place!), we decided it was time to go get some lunch.

We ended up at the Great Canadian Pub, what a great name, but not so good on the pocket book. Your basic bar food at really outrageous prices.

After lunch, Bob and I tried to nap with the kids in the hotel rooms while Danni had some time to go back to the Louvre and take it in without the distractions of carrying two umbrella strollers up and down all the steps. While Danni was still out, Bob and I took the kids to the Luxembourg Gardens, a really pretty place with lots of statues, trees and flowers. Nathan took a nap in the stroller while Colin looked at the flowers.


For dinner we decided to go to someplace where the kids would eat for sure, La McDonalds! It was a treat for them and a break from the peanut butter granola bars. Then we took another boat ride to Eiffel Tower to see it at night all lit up.


At first just the big flood lights came on, then at 10pm (a late night for the kids!), the tower started flashing and it just sparkled. It was truly amazing!

Sparkling Eiffel Tower Video

Sorry about the chatter on the video, I took it with the camera.

Paris - Eiffel Tower

Wednesday, June 4 -- Eiffel Tower! After getting a late start (due to the room party the night before!), we took off for the Eiffel Tower. Decided to take the train which was a double decker train, very exciting for the kids. Nathan was telling everyone "going Eif Tower!" It was so cute, but then again what doesn't Nathan do that isn't so cute. Waiting on the platform for the train, we meet some really nice people from Canada. One spoke French and was able to tell us the correct way to pronounce the name of the river "Seine" which sounds a lot like "sin" to me.

So we get to the Eiffel Tower and just stand under it looking up for a while until one of our new friends from Canada mentioned that we should get in line that it's not going to get any shorter!


We were a little concerned about Nathan at the top because he seems to not like heights recently. Fortunately, he was all about the boats that he could see, and didn't seem to be bothered by the heights.

Family photo at the first level of the Eiffel Tower:


Family photo in front of the Eiffel Tower:


Nathan, Colin and Danni playing in the dirt:


Danni and Nathan making friends with a horse:

Took a boat ride back and tried to see the inside of Notre Dame but it was closed. Maybe tomorrow.

Before going out, I gave the kids some melatonin in their OJ again to help with the jet lag. At first Colin didn't drink all of it, so I told him it was "magic juice". "OK" he says and drinks it right up!

Then Bob and I went out, first to La Gueuze, a beer bar. I know, not exactly following the old saying "when in Rome ...". We had some good beer, they offered a lot of lambics including some pink beer that we saw a couple of guys drinking. Apparently Parisians do not have any masculinity hang-ups about drinking pink beer --good for them! Of course, I had to have some too. Very sweet, but yummy!

Time for some action. Bob and I headed in the direction of our "old hotel" where we stayed the last time we were in Paris. About 10 years ago, on one of our weekend warrior escape deals, we basically stayed on Atlanta time, slept all day and partied all night. Without the address or map or any directions we found "Hotel Eugene" and the Irish Pub across the street. Ah, the memories!

Next blog, a very long day!

Paris - Room Party

The first night we were in Paris, we went to bed at 8:30pm after a long day of traveling, no naps (for anyone!), and a previous night's sleep on the plane where Colin was the only one to get more than 4 hours of sleep. So I thought we would be good to sleep all night through.

Well, at 2:30am Bob woke up to the sounds of little boys, our little boys talking in the next room. He opened the door between the rooms and found Colin, Nathan, and Danni all sitting on the floor having a little picnic. Turns out the boys woke up starving because they didn't eat enough for dinner. We offered dinner to them, but they didn't eat it. So after a snack of almonds, bread and peanut butter granola bars, I slipped some Melatonin in their OJ to make sure they went right back to sleep. The stuff worked too ... they slept til 1pm the next day.

A side note on the peanut butter granola bars. I brought 2 boxes with me from the states and good thing I did! Colin and Nathan decided that they weren't going to eat anything from Paris, so they basically lived off of those granola bars all week. It will be really nice when our kids decide to eat more than the usual stuff.

Next blog - the Eiffel Tower!

Paris - Travel Day

We took the kids to Paris for our summer vacation. Nathan is no longer doing naps and that was our milestone for doing an European trip. Just figured it would be so much easier to coordinate things if we didn't have to worry about Nathan's nap!

So Monday afternoon, June 2 we head to the airport for our big trip. I was a little nervous about an over-seas plane trip with the kids but it went fairly well. Would have been better if Nathan's bear was in the carry-on luggage though. Colin was the first one asleep -- naturally. At first I had Nathan lay down on the floor, I've seen other people do that before on Delta. Unfortunately we were on Air France and the flight attendants said that was not safe. Then Nathan settled down in the seat, grudgingly because he really liked it on the floor, and the flight attendants said we had to have his seat belt on. When I tried to do that, Nathan got really upset and then he was screaming and crying for the next hour (at least it felt like an hour to me). Probably felt like two hours to the passengers around us. He finally wore himself out and fell asleep.


Some of the cute things that Nathan was saying (when he wasn't crying) was "airport is moving", and "sleeping on airport". For some reason he confused airplane and airport.

After the plane landed, it took 4.5 hours to get to the hotel. First the umbrella strollers were lost (then found), then we had issues figuring out the trains, getting tickets, using a credit card to get the tickets, just to name a few of the obstacles. Finally we were on the train.



All was good until we arrived at our station and discovered all these stairs that we had to go up with the kids and luggage and strollers. Not fun, but we managed. Good thing we had Danni with us to help out.

In the hotel we cleaned up, resisted a nap and went on a boat ride so Colin could see the Eiffel Tower. He was so excited, and thought it was very cool.


We really didn't have time to walk around, but I thought it was important to at least see it. However, we didn't explain this to Colin until the boat was pulling away from the tower and he couldn't understand why we were not getting off the boat. He was so mad and didn't want to talk to us the whole boat ride back.

Next blog, party in the hotel room.