Brothers

I was cooking and looked over to see this... so sweet

Eli looks a little worried...

Aren't they cute!

{I know the Grandparents won't argue with that!!}

Allez Verts!!

Lavar plays tonight somewhere about 2 hours north of Paris.  We need a win!  Allez Verts!!

{GO GREEN!!}

Daddy, doing work

My boys

Tae and his friend Etienne

Our Waffle Thanksgiving

So I usually do pretty good with the missing home thing.  I miss my family and friends, but I love my life here.  But this Thanksgiving has been a bit of a bummer.  Just beacuse Lavar had a road trip and is gone until tomorrow morning and it is just me and the boys and I don't have too many friends here.  I wanted to do something with just me and the boys and Tae's favorite thing to eat is waffles.  So we had waffles for dinner!  {I happen to enjoy waffles myself}

Tae of course, is always my helper in the kitchen and I just let him stir it up because the waffle maker gets so hot.  I could see that ending badly.  Here are some pictures of our evening and some things I am thankful for. 

My boys 'helping'

1.} I am thankful for my hard-working, reponsible husband who always puts us first and makes sure we are always taken care of.  Love him.

Little E man following me around helping

2.} My two strong, healthy boys.  I couldn't have asked for anything more.  And to top it off Tae's teachers told me that he is doing well in school and that he is a nice boy, no problems.  Good boy Tae!

My helper, not too sure what's with the face

 3.}  My extended family.  Cousins, aunts, uncles, brothers, sister-in-law, niece, grandparents, etc.  I am soooo blessed to have such an amazing extended family who all happen to live close together. 

Where Eli tries to spend most of his time.

 4.}  That we have food on our table.  I caught myself the other day, coming out of a grocery store thing 'I don't want to have to worry about money anymore! I am done counting pennies.'  I was getting a little annoyed and then thought, 'there are people in the world with nothing to eat and I am complaining about the budget being tight?  Let's get it together!'

My French waffle maker.

 5.} The opportunity to live in France.  Some people never get to see Europe, let along live there.  I get to live here!  Experience the culture, learn another language, meet new people.  It is fun, and it is hard at times, I still wouldn't change it!

Tae gettin' ready to chow down!

 6.}  The church family I found out here.  It has helped me integrate more and the people are so nice and inviting.  It is great to have all God's people all over the world!

Tae's meal

 7.}  My church family at home.  I have been having a hard time with Eli lately and it is so encouraging to get little notes, words of encouragement, and advice from my church family back home.  I don't have a lot of that here, so it is definitely refreshing!

Eli's meal

 8.} My Salvation. 'nuf said.

He had to have some waffles too!

 9.}  Packages!  My aunt sent me a package with French study materials and some christmas presents for the boys.  Love it!  Always fun and encouraging to get!

There are no words...

 10.}  Christmas season is going to be in full effect soon!  I can't wait for the music and decorations and food!  And this year I am sure I will get a white Christmas!  First ever for me!!

In case you were wondering, Tae did finish his mountain

 11.}  Christmas vacation coming soon! Tae gets two weeks off of school coming up December 18th.  And LAVAR gets 10 days off!  Lavar has never had more than two days off any of the seasons we have been out here together.  I can't wait!

It snowed!!

12.}  We woke up to snow this morning.  First time ever for me to be living in the snow.  Beautiful.

Please Eli, pretty, pretty PLEASE!!

Okay Ladies this is serious.  My cute little 7 month old booger WILL NOT sleep.  I am at a loss.  My first son was/is an excellent sleeper.  In fact, he is such a good sleeper that we are having the opposite problem with him, trying to get him to wake up to go to the bathroom in the night.  Eli on the other hand is ridiculous. He wakes up at least twice a night and then in the morning at around 6:30 or 7:00.  I know some kids just do that, but the thing is, I know he is tired.  I know he needs to sleep more.  I just don't know how to get him to do it. 

I have always been a fan of scheduling babies.  It worked for me and it worked for a lot of other mothers I know.  It helps them sleep and frees you up a lot.  However, I do understand it doesn't fit every parenting type, and people should do what works for them.  All that to say I started with Eli from week 2 or 3 and he was excellent.  Slept through the night at 8 weeks old, totally on his own.  After that, NO problem with him.  Then we moved to France.  It took him two nights to sleep through the night again.  It was excellent.  After that, he was fine.  Then a month or so later, he started having problems.  He just wakes up in the middle of the night or very early morning.  And now to add to that, he now will not take good naps.  Like literally an hour total per day.  Which I know is not enough. 

So I am ruling out time change and adjusting.  We have been here too long.  I am ruling out light sleeper, because serisouly, no one else ever wakes up until he is crying!  I haven't entirely ruled out teething.  He isn't drooling a ton like Tae did and he still has no teeth.  He is always biting his gums.  I got some gel to rub on his teeth and some French non-medical calmer thing and I am just not sure it helps.  Poor little guy.  Poor Daddy, poor Mommy!  I would say poor brother, but I am pretty sure he sleeps through most of it!!

I would love any suggestions any other parents have for teething or sleeping or both.  I don't want to get in the habit of rocking him back to sleep or have him get used to things that aren't possible to keep up.  I just want him to SLEEP!!  Looking forward to comments!!

Missing Home

I think this is to be expected around the holidays.  I think I knew it would come.  I have been doing my best not to let anything bother me and so far I have been golden.  I am an 'enjoy life where you are at' kinda gal.  But Thanksgiving is coming up, then Christmas just around the corner from that.  And this is the first year of my life that I won't be spending it with my family. 

Brother and Husband Christmas Morning

Don't get my wrong, I love it here.  I love our lifestyle and I love living in different country, learning a new language, and trying to understand a new culture.  I like trying to integrate myself here and make new friends.  But it is hard because when I look on facebook, and I see all the friendships back home that are so effortless. {I don't have to translate everything in my head before I talk!}  Friendships I have had forever.  I miss my parents.  They are just awesome people to be around.  I miss my home church, although I am thankful to have found one here.  I miss all the other moms I know in the area and the support they offer.  I miss my cousins and their kids (Tae's friends).

Other brother and his wife Christmas Morning

But this is my life.  Some people never even get to see Europe, let alone live there.  (Granted, people probably don't care to live here, either).  I am learning another language, which is a huge, huge feet.  I have so much respect for people who know multiple languages.  I am giving my kids a broader view of the world, and allowing them to understand what other cultures are like.  I am getting a broader view of the world.  It is easy to be a closed minded American because America is so huge and does so many things well.  But other cultures and ways of life have things to offer too. 

Great pic, I know!

Over all, I wouldn't change anything about my life.  I love the experience that this is offering me right now.  I don't ever want to miss home so much I am not enjoying what is infront of me.  So I am embracing the new things of this year.  Being with my family, my boys, and my husband.  Creating new traditions for the Simmons family.  It is all very exciting and I am looking forward to it.  I just have to train myself to live in the now, enjoying what the Lord has given me for now.  And I do.  Thank you, Lord!

Tae and Daddy Christmas Morning

With my brother at Christmas Dinner

Christmas Blogger Challege: Day 3!

Today I am going to talk about tips and tricks for keeping a budget friendly holiday.  This is something I try to do every year.  I kow Christmas is huge, but we try to keep it within reason for us (which is probably small for others).  It is just a holiday and we don't want to overlook the real reason we are celebrating, Jesus' birth.  I also don't want my son to be the kid that opens a gift that isn't 'as cool' as something else some one else bought him and throw it to the side.  I want him to be appreciative for every gift he gets.  So far so good because he doesn't get very many gifts, but I am proud of his attitude.  Anyway, here are my tips:

1.) Have a limit for each person.  Mine is usually 20 euros per person.  (More for the boys and Lavar) DO NOT go over the limit, no matter how cute or good that present it.

2.)  Be specific.  I used to like to spend a ton of money on presents because I thought it showed I loved that person more.  But since money has been tight for us, I realized I can be just as thoughtful with something simple that the person really needs or wants.  My dad and younger brother always like a good book.  My sister-in-law, something organizing or cute.  I get them a specific gift within my budget.

3.)  Use your change.  I know this sounds funny, but most people when they get change from a purchase, put it in their purse and don't think about it again.  I try to pay everything exact if I can.  I think you spend less money using up the change!

4.)  Be creative.  Without being cheap or unthoughtful, make some gifts.  I have made little girl headbands for my neice and cousins.  If you have a talent, use it!  Not like 'one coupon for a free hug' or something like that though.

5.)  Coupons!  I have never done black Friday, so I am not good at that, but there are always good coupons out there for different things.  20% off Bed Bath and Beyond or Borders.  You can always google coupons for whatever deals you want to find.  If you get the gift for cheaper, don't buy more to supplement to get the gift up to the allotted amount.  Take the deal and you saved money!

I am very frugal and planned during the holiday season.  I think it can be enjoyed and at the same time not break the bank.  After all, how can you enjoy the holiday if you are stressing over money issues!!

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!!

Okay, so I missed day 1 of the blogger challege over at Aly's blog, but I thought I would join anyway, because I LOVE CHRISTMAS!  I think I am ambracing Christmas more this year because we are away from all my family and friends back home and in the Bahamas, and it is the first time we are having Christmas as a family, just us 4.  I am doing my best to make traditions and make sure it is super enjoyable for Tae, I know he misses family too.  So the topic I chose to write about is Holiday Traditions!!

I chose this because as my family has many of our own, my family being my parents and brothers, our family, Lavar, me, Tae, and Eli have to start some new ones.  I going to post some of my ideas and we will see how much of them I actually do this season.  I have a tendency not to follow through...




1.)  December 1st is decoration day!  I am getting everything ready this week and next Wednesday we are going to wake up late, have a ymmy breakfast, listen to Christmas music, drink hot coco, and decorate the house!  It won't take much time, but I want to do it as a family and have fun doing it!  {We chose Dec. 1st because Lavar doesn't have practice til late and Tae doesn't have school.  It just happened to be the first day of December!}

2.) Christmas Movie.  Lavar doesn't really like my family's Christmas movie {A Christmas Story} Boo!  So we have to find a new one.  Lavar suggested Chronciles on Narnia I was thinking the Grinch.  We haven't decided the movie, but we are going to put it on the lap top and cuddle in mommy and daddy's bed with lots of pillows and watch our Christmas movie!  Can't wait!!

3.) Christmas Lights.  This year it happens to be in Lyon where they have this huge lights display.  But I figure that is something you can do every year, no matter what country you are in!

4.) Gift on Christmas Eve.  Perhaps pajamas?  Maybe a cool pair of Spiderman Socks (just saw some today) Something to get us in the Christmas spirit!

5.) Christmas dinner with friends.

6.)  Christmas Breakfast.  Probably one of my favorite traditions.  After we open up all our presents, my parents went in the kitchen and made everyone breakfast.  Yummy eggs over easy with toast and bacon.  I want to continue that tradition and I am pretty sure I won't get an argument from Lavar!  We will just have to change up the breakfast a little bit.

That's it!!  I hope I get to them all.  I love Christmas, but my biggest wish this year is for my son to have a wonderful time full of memories that will last him a lifetime.  I want him to feel loved through the times we spend together more than the gifts.  {Quite frankly, there won't be that many!}

I look forward to reading everyone else's traditions!!  Maybe I will steel a few!

Eli's Crawling! Or scooting, or whatever you would call this...

Eli is crawling!!! Sort of.


I am going to take more video of him crawling from above so you can see how he does it.  It is like a froggy hop-scoot.  It is cute and funny.  Enjoy!

Okay, I gotta do something about this...

Okay, so I am not an organized person.  I don't have a lot of things together.  The problem with me is that I want to have it all together, perfectly, and be organized, but it just isn't in me!  Here is the schedule I would like to keep:



What I would like to look like...

 6:15 ~ Wake up & Bible study
7:15 ~ Shower (yes, I have to schedule my showers, otherwise I don't get them!)
7:30 ~ Get the boys up, breakfast, and get Tae ready
8:15 ~ Begin the walk to school
8:45 ~ Get home, feed Eli solids, and put him down for a nap
9:00 ~ Study French
11:15 ~ Leave to get Tae from school
11:30 ~ Lunch
1:15 ~ Back to school

1:30 ~ grocery shopping, cleaning, or other odd jobs I need to do

3:00 ~ Eli's second nap

4:15 ~ Get Tae from school

4:30 ~ play with the boys a bit
5:15ish ~ start dinner
6:00 ~ Have Tae clean up
6:30 ~ Bed time ritual
7:30 ~ Boys in bed!!  My RELAX time
9:30 ~ Bedtime for mommy!



Probably a little more accurate. {Including the hair}



But instead, my day looks like a mess of those things.  I know there can be a balance, but for some reason, I feel like I function better with a schedule.  I hardly ever get up when I want to, like maybe 3 times a week, if I'm lucky.  Most of the time, I hit the snooze which Lavar hates.  I am lucky to get up before Eli, who seems to have an alarm clock built in. 

I just don't know what to do.  I am always tired.  I cannot get up in the mornings!!  I try to go to bed at a decent hour, which usually ends up to be about 10 {enough plenty for normal people}, but it is never enough for me.  UGH.  What can I do to feel less tired?  I don't drink sodas, I never eat out, I am a realtively healthy person, although I could stand for some more excersize in my life.  I am just so frustrated, but I function so much better when I can be on a schedule and not tired.  I get so much more done.  I just don't know what to do.

So, I don't really know who reads my blogs, but I would love some suggestions!! What do you guys do?  Any suggestions on how to not be as tired?  Maybe I need to start jogging or something.  I would love to hear from you!

Karaoke Night!

So the other night was family night in the Simmons house. Basically mommy had been trapped in the house all day and decided we needed a break. So we went out to get some pizza and drove around town for a bit waiting for it to be done. Then when we got back home, that is where the fun began... Karaoke!! (Tae loves it and yet, Lavar did get into it. You'll see.)

Told you! :)

DJ Daddy

So handsome

Even Eli chimed in!  (not really)

Tae is a natural star!  haha

yep, had to get on the chair. (might have been mommy's suggestion...)

And I take the pictures.  So no pictures of mommy being silly or hitting Mariah Carey high notes.  Lavar sang to Celine Dion and Bob Marley, Tae sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow, a house favorite, and mommy sang Killing Me Softly.  We all sang eachother's songs too.  Overall, it was a fun night!  I love my family!

Faux-Thanksgiving Weekend

Oh my goodness, so handsome!

This weekend was Thanksgiving weekend at the church that we are attending. We were able to find this church through GBIM (Grace Brethren International Missions) who connected us with a church in Lyon (a little too far) and they connected us with a church here. It is funny because the few other basketball players that we know who are believers and lived in St Etienne have attended this church. I didn't even talk to them before trying it, so I thought it was a pretty funny coincident!
Anyway, it was great. I made two pumpkin pies, which turned out okay, but the crust was a bummer because I bought it premade and I think it is supposed to be used for tarts or quiches. (I know, I know, Dad) But they still tasted good and I didn't get any leftovers, so that must have been a good sign. The sweet potato casserole was a huge hit. I think because it is so sweet. I didn't use my grandma's recipe, which is one of my favorites, because I couldn't find it, but this one was good too.

It was really nice fellowship and fun. I didn't get to use a lot of French because I was sat at a table with all English speaking people. Which is good for Lavar. But my friend Lydie was there and she told me in French to always speak in French! I got a little scolding... Overall it was fun. I just have a few pictures, not many, I have got to get used to taking more pictures!!

Tae grubbin

Eli in a big boy high chair!

Eli just couldn't hang



Handsome



Handsome!



Proud Momma

Today is the first day that Tae is staying full day at school!  Ever!  I am a little torn about it.  After all, I am a stay at home mom and I stay home so I can be with my kids and raise them.  But now I am sending Tae off to school full days?  So part of me feels a little guilty about it.  Then, with the help of my always sensible husband, I started to think it through.  First of all, Tae needs to go to school.  He is a social kid and loves to be around people and have friends.  To keep him home would be torture for him.  Second, he needs to learn French.  It is the only way that he is going to feel comfortable here and be able to make and maintain friendships.  Not to mention that it will be awesome when he is older.  Thirdly, he wants to go.  He likes his classmates and enjoys whatever it is they do there.  Anyway, all that to say that the good out way the bad and it will make it easier to make things fun for him at home.  Like I said, today is the first day, so we will see!

French school is very family centered.  Or at least I think that is the reason.  It could be that the teachers don't want to work as much.  But French school starts at 8:30ish and goes until 11:20.  You take a break from 11:20 to 1:20 and then the kids go back.  So you get a nice little break to have lunch as a family.  Then they take a nap at school and stay until 4:20.  Then you come home for the day.  So the good part is that I am not leaving him all day.   He does get the nice little break.  But he loves it.  He loves his friends and teachers. 

So now I must say, I am so proud of him.  On a few occasions I have seen kids in his class, these are 3, 4, and 5 years olds mind you, with a doudou (remember that post?), and a BINKI!  A binki??  These kids are not even toddlers anymore, they are kids.  They have teeth.  And they can't go to school without a binki and a doudou?  Today Tae walked back to school after lunch and right into that classroom.  He went to his teacher who showed him his nap-time bed and he said "bye, mommy!" and was ready to be back at school.  No binki, no blanket, no doudou.  He is such a big boy.  As I was trying to prepare him before he left that the other kids were going to have those things (I didn't want him to see them and think he needed them), he just said "ya, but I'm a big boy, mommy.  I don't need those things."  Wow.  I must attribute most of this toughness to Lavar.  He is an excellent dad.  I know most people that see him in action think he is too strick, but we are raising an eventual man, not a boy.  And this eventual man is going to conquer the world. 

{Sorry if I offended any moms out there who let their older kids have binkis.  But seriously, it might be time to give it up... :)}

Tae has a friend!

Today Tae had a friend come over and play!!  Yay for friends for Tae!  However, it was a little touch and go...

As much as I do love our life, the traveling and seeing other parts of the world, there are down sides.  One is that we have to leave our awesome awesome family and friends and move to a place where we barely speak the language (or not at all) and we don't know anyone.  It is difficult to say the least.  When you have to translate in your head everything you want to say before you say it.  And when you work so hard to do it and think you got it just right and they just stare at you.  Yep, that's the best.

So Tae has seriously been the ultimate trooper.  He goes to a school where he can't understand anything and didn't have any friends and he hangs in there.  He doesn't cry when I leave and he is smiling when I pick him up 3 hours later.  I don't know many adults who would manage the same.  Well, with all the moving we have to do all the time, Tae doesn't have very many toys.  And it is okay, I don't want Tae to have a ton of toys or anything, but he seriously has nothing.  Like it is a little embaressing (for me).  I love that it is fine for Tae and he never complains, but when friends come over and they are like, 'This is crap.  I'm bored already.'

This is kinda what happened today.  Etienne came over.  He is a sweet kid, don't get me wrong, but after like a half hour he just wanted to watch TV.  I am thinking (total mom-like) 'Oh my gosh, I have to make this fun for him or he will never want to come over again.  He is Tae's only friend!!'  So I am down on the floor racing cars, building towers and knocking them down, trying to interest Etienne is something without truly succeeding.  I called my mom on skype, he thought that was funny for a second.  Then we were in the guest room and I threw Tae on the bed.  Yep, that is what Etienne liked.  Being thrown onto the bed.  So needless to say, that was my workout today!

I am so happy that Tae doesn't really know the difference.  He has never said that he doesn't have enough.  He asks us to buy him stuff all the time, but he never complains about what he has.  (I am sure that comes later in life)  I want him to appreciate what he has and be thankful to who gives it to him, I never want him to be a snob about toys and presents.  But the toy chest needs a little upgrade.  Now all I have to do is convince the husband.  He seems to think Tae is completely fine...

Tae on life after death

So we were walking home from school yesterday and Tae ran across the street without me.  There were no cars, thankfully, but it scared the crap out of me and made me mad because he knows better.  He just thinks he runs things...  Anyway, I was explinaing to him that he could get hit by a car because he doesn't always see things that Mommy sees.  He could get really hurt or even worse, die.  Here is kinda how it went:

Mommy: "Tae, you cannot do these things by yourself.  You have to wait for Mommy.  What if a car hit you?  Mommy wouldn't be able to have you anymore."

Tae: "Okay Mommy.  Sorry, Mommy.  Mommy?"

Mommy: "Yes, Tae?" (kinda annoyed tone)

Tae: "If I was gone from here though, I would be with God in heaven."

Mommy: "Well, um, ya, but um, Mommy wants you here."

How do you answer that?  Heaven is a better place to be.  But selfishly I want my baby with me.  Loosing Tyson this summer has brought a whole new outlook to our lives.  Always thinking about what is ultimately ahead of us.  I am so glad that my 3-year-old is realizing the same things.  Love you Tyson.

After a crazy and long weekend, things settled back into a relatively normal schedule.  Tae went back to school on Thursday and I went back to going to bed early and getting up early.  I like life with a schedule though, I am a little bit of a control freak.  We got a package from Momma!  Thank you thank you, Mom!  We love packages, but this one had something special in it.  A Camera!!  So I have pictures!!  I guess it was in her best interest to make sure I had a camera, so she could have pictures of her grandbabies.  Here is the first picture I took.  This is how Lavar feeds Eli... And yes, Eli is wearing his Bruins shirt.  Represent!



Look at those chunky legs!  (Eli's, not Lavar! haha)



Lavar had another home game on Saturday.  They lost.  Again.  Ugh it has been a rough last couple of games and Lavar is playing well, but his team needs to actually win.  It is a whole new ball game when the game is your job. I mean when he lost in college, it was like 'Ya, that's a bummer.  Okay, let's go out!"  Now it's like "Oh man, how were your stats?  What is the team's rank?  We have got to win the next one to be here.  How will this affect his contract next year."  I don't particularly like it, but Var is living the dream.  So you live it Baby!!   



Tae and his best (and only) friend, Etienne.  They listen to the huddles during the guys timeouts.



Um, so cute.

I can't stop taking pictures of him!

Those lips and cheeks!  Funny boy!

By the way, little side not.  I have to give Tae a lot more credit.  The kid is smart.  His French is improving.  He is already counting to 7, can say 'hello' 'goodbye' 'thank you' 'you're welcome' 'my name is Tae' 'mouth' 'book' and many more.  He picks up French words when people say them, sometimes.  He is doing really well.  I think it will happen faster than I will even know.  He just can't be taught French.  (Because that would mean that he doesn't know something.  Oh no, that could not be true!) 

As for me, my little French update.  After church yesterday, we were eating lunch at the missionary's house.  There was another couple there who are getting married this coming summer.  They are both French.  She offered to tutor me, but only if we speak entirely in French.  Super! That got me so excited.  Then there was another friend I met, also at church, who is an American studying at the university.  She suggested that I take a grammer course at the college.  I have never actually taken a French class, so I would LOVE to.  So Lavar and I talked about it and we are going to make it happen!!  It is every morning for 3 hours and I don'tt hink I have do that, but maybe 3 days a week.  That is what we are shooting for.  Nothing is set in stone for that, but in the works.  So I am excited and hopefully this will help me make some progress!! LOVE IT!! 

Teaching Tae French...

This is what it is like teaching Tae French. I used to think that this part of the show was a little silly and exaggerated, until I started trying to teach Tae phrases... It is seriously almost exactly the same. Hilarious. I will try to video Tae doing the same thing. French is tough, people!!

What a CRAZY weekend!! (Emergency room inculded)

I haven't written in a while.  Sorry for those of you that read it!  It is partly due to 2 things.  One is that I don't have a camera to take pictures of what we do, so I have nothing to post and I don't want to write boring posts!  Two is that I have been away all weekend at a friend's house, at the base of the French Alps.  Yep, beautiful!

Tae is on fall vacation for the last week or so.  We were a little bored at first, but then on Friday we packed up and headed out to see some wonderful friends, Eric and Emily Joldersma and their kids, Jack (8), Eva (6), Maizlynn (4), and Van (1).  Yes, you counted right, 4 kids.  But they are an incredible family and it is always fun to be around them.  Lavar met Eric and Emily when they were living in St Quentin in 2005, back when they only had 2 kids.  They are one of the few people that we know who are believers and are just wonderful people to be around.  So Friday we got there in the afternoon and Tae and Eva totally hit it off.  They had so much fun playing together.  We went to Eric's game that night.  He has been playing for 11 years, this being his 12th.  They lost, but it was kinda close, but still a loss and that always stinks.  We didn't get home until 1 in the morning I think.  Kids to bed, us to bed.  Finally.

Then Saturday we got up and the kids played and played inside and outside, they have a great yard.  Once again, Tae loving it.  Then it was time to get out the costumes.  They have a bunch from years prior, so Tae got to choose! How fun!  The first night he chose the Flash.  We have been really into The Justice League, so it was an obvious choice.  The Flash was funny and making jokes like "say it to my face!"  Which Tae/The Flash thinks is really funny.  Well come to think of it, Tae wasn't anywhere to be found, all night.  We got corrected a few times on that one.  So we loaded into two cars and headed out.  We went to a freind of Eric and Em's.  ~Little side note, this family is amazing.  Such a great example and something to look forward to.  They all are fluent in French and English.  Can just switch whenever they want.  Even the 4 year old.  Obviously, not the 1 year old!  :)  But it is so cool!  Someday, someday...~

So at this party, everyone spoke French.  They could do a little English, but mostly all French.  Then they made me speak French... And I did!!  I did, all night I was speaking in French.  I was having conversations with people! I think this had to be my most encouraging moment in France yet.  I was able to enjoy a party that was in an entirely different language!  I am not saying I am fluent, I am just saying it was a huge step and it gave me confidence to keep trying.  It is still very difficult to understand a lot of what they were saying, and these people were very nice to me to help me out, but still I did fantastic.  I am so happy!  It was fun, but then it got late, and then later, and then even later.  It was past 2 in the morning when we ended up leaving there.  It might not sound that late to some of you, but for me, that is late! 

The next day was Halloween.  We got up and hung out and cleaned the house and got ready for yet another party.  This time everyone was coming to the Joldersma's house.  So another night of speaking French.  Except this night was a little different.  For some reason, nothing was coming out right, I couldn't remember my French vocab or verbs or conjugations!  What?! I was practically fluent last night!  Man, my brain only has room for one night a week of French speaking, I am pretty sure.  Hopefully that capacity gets bigger as time goes on, because I was 'un peu retarded' on night number 2.  I almost forgot.  Tae was Batman on night number 2.  Batman, apparently, is very serious.  He doesn't smile a lot and does not joke around!  The costume was a little big, but he was LOVING it.  I mean, he was really Batman.  Once again, Tae w

as no where to be found. I think Batman and Darth Vadar (Eva) even saved the world a few times.  Busy night!

So Monday comes and we are relaxing and chillin and when it came time to go, Tae wanted Eva to come spend the night with us.  So we thought that would be fun.  Then Jack wanted to come too.  So great!  Then litle Maizy wanted to come but once she was told Mommy wouldn't be there, she kinda changed her mind.  So we headed out with two other kiddos in tow for a slumber party.  There is a reason why Lavar and I are only having two kids, and it was reconfirmed.  Not because their kids aren't great, they are.  Once again, it is a capacity thing, I am maxed out with two! 

Well the next morning I get a call from Eric saying Em got sick last night.  Throwing up.  And that everyone might have been exposed to it so keep a look out for it with the kids.  I didn't mention anything to them because I didn't want it to be a mind over matter type of thing, like 'oh ya, now that you mention it, I am sick!'  So we proceeded to have a very fun morning.  We went to this play place that had blown up bounce things, and trampolines, and race cars, and laser tag!  The kids did it all.  And had a blast.  But then, you know, got hungry!  So we headed over to KFC for some lunch.  Here is where things went down hill.  Tae and Eva were playing and it might have been a little too rough and although I told them to calm down, Tae must have tripped or something and he landed on his neck on the pole of a chair.  I was in the middle of getting the food so I kinda took him and told him he was fine.  Then he wouldn't stop crying.  Then he wouldn't stop crying.  He kept saying how much it was hurting.  He wasn't shutting his mouth or talking really.  We tried to sit down and eat,  but he just wouldn't stop.  It made me a little worried because he has been hurt before but he will always settle down.  He just could not settle himself down.  So I called Lavar and he said to bring them home.  Once we got home I called Em who informed me she was on her way to pick up her kids because she didn't want them to start throwing up.  After Lavar looked Tae over and calmed him down, he said he was fine and that he didn't need the doctor.  Well, I decided to take him anyway.  I just knew that he was going to be in a lot of pain and at the very least, get some pain medicine.  So our first time having to go to the emergency room for Tae, AKA Captain Catious 2, was in France.  Nice.  Anyway, we got there and he got checked out and they said it was fine but to just watch if he has a fever to come back.  And gave us some medicine.  I am so glad we did because after our friends went home, Tae was eating dinner complaining about his mouth and jaw hurting.  So I was able to give him his medicine and put him to sleep.  The next morning, with some rest, he was a different kid.  So I felt good about that.

Yesterday we had Tae's first basketball practice.  I will write about that later.  He loved it though.  And then today, school has started again!  Crazy crazy.  I kinda like the structure that school offers us though.  Kids up at 7:30 and in bed by 7:30. 

In other exciting news, I got a waffle maker!!!

I will write again soon.  I am also getting a camera soon, so pics of the boys to come!