Paying Attention

Our Sunday dinner time conversations generally go something like this:
"Luke, what did you talk about in Primary today?" (Primary is the kids' sunday school class at church)

"Um . .. Jesus" (Smart kid -- always a safe answer).

"What did you learn about Jesus?"

"Um . . .. " (Shoot, foiled again).

Today, however, we were treated to a 4 - year- old rendition of some teachings in our church known as the Plan of Salvation. (The short real version is that it's a basic outline of the fact that we are children of our our Heavenly Father who lived with him before we were born and after we die we'll be judged and go to what is essentially Heaven -- split into 3 areas based on how you lived here on earth. For more details, go here).

"Luke, what did you talk about in Primary today?"

"Well there's this mean guy who wants us to be mad and not happy."

"Oh, you mean Satan?"

"Yeah. And there's these 3 places. And you go here and then here or here or here." (Said while drawing imaginary map in the air). "And if you go here, you get to live in a really big house." (Pointing to top space on imaginary air map).

If that isn't clear, I don't know what is.

Calling all decorators!

Our bedroom needs help. I've done most of the other rooms -- painted the kids rooms, even done the basement (well, sort of). Our bedroom is still with stark white walls, unmatched furniture, and the same plaid quilt I've had since college. Eek. So this is the summer to redo it. Anybody got any good sites/suggestions?

I really like fairly simple styling (ie Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, Anthropologie). I'd prefer not to pay their prices. I really, really like the block color/silhouette-y look of a lot of the bedding out right now. I like the idea of black and white with some color (a la Pottery Barn pic below, but I don't think Ken will like that a whole lot). I like the green quilts -- maybe a darker brown/khaki wall behind the bed with a lighter cream on the rest?

From Pottery Barn - go here

Another Pottery Barn suggestion - also in green and yellow.

Above 3 from Anthropologie -- the top is my favorite, I think. And on Sale! Go here.

Another nice one here from Pottery Barn -- and I think it comes in green. Check it out here.

Paris Pictures (finally!)

I'm finally getting down to the computer to post some pics of our oh-so-fabulous trip. Here you go!

Day 1:

We got off the plane into rainy, rainy Paris. We mostly walked a really long way down the Champs Elysses in the pouring rain, ate our first (of many, frankly!) chocolate croissants and found Luke the requisite matchbox car (a Peugot, which he can now say with a perfect French accent). We had dinner at a fabulous restaurant called La Gare in an old train station and ate our first (again, of many) molten chocolate cakes.

Me standing in front of the Arc de Triumph

We also started our chocolate tour -- here is a store fron of a place called Laduree. Fabulous macaroons. Big long wait so we didn't get to sit down for some hot chocolate like we wanted to.
Day 2

Really beautiful day, sunny finally. We went up to Montemartre to one of my favorite places - Painter's Square. I love the atmosphere up there quaint little streets, fabulous little shops, beautiful artwork, great people watching. We walked down to Moulin Rouge and basically traipsed all over the city and hit a few more chocolate shops.

Day 3

We went to the Musee Dorsee, the impressionist museum in the morning. This is my favorite museum in Paris. I had forgotten what a beautiful collection they have -- rooms full of Monet, Renoir, Degas. I especially love the Van Gogh collection -- he's always been one of my favorites. We then walked around by Notre Dame and saw Saint Sulpice (another huge, beautiful cathedral - now famous to us from the DaVinci Code). I think this was one of my favorite things of the whole trip. We ended up there right during a Catholic Mass, which they were singing. It was the most beautil thing -- this gorgeous prayer being sung in French in the middle of this centuries old cathedral. We then saw something neither of us had seen before -- Saint Chappelle, the chapel inside the old palace and next to the Conciergerie -- parlaiment turned prison and site where Marie Antionette was kept prior to her execution. The chapel was absolutely breathtaking. Surrounded by huge stained glass windows it depicts bible scenes. We ate dinner at the absolute best restaurant we'd ever been too - roasted veggies topped with goat cheese, this fabulous monk fish dish and, of course, molten chocolate cake for dinner. Then we walked around down by the Eiffel tower at night and took a boat cruise of the Seine.

Saint Chapelle

Ken and I on the boat cruise



Day 3:

We had planned on seeing the Catacombes but they were closed - for renovations. How do you renovate centuries old graves, seriously? Ken was pretty bummed but we still had a great afternoon -- finding more chocolate shops, eating more crepes (one a day!) and wandering around the city. That night we ate with Ken's work folk. On the most expensive street in Paris. When you looked out the window you could see the Eiffel tower in the distance and all the designer shops below -- Chanel, Dior, Hermes, etc, etc. Evidently all of the design studios for these companies are in the buildings above. Some great window drooling!

I'm evidently extremely excited about that crepe

Ken and I after our very ritzy dinner (notice the Bulgari sign in the background)

Phew! That's it for now. I've got some more pics of our weekend in Utah I'll hopefully get to eventually as well.

When You're a Boy, The World Is . . .

Your bathroom.

Exhibit A:

While on a walk on a not-private trail with Mommy and Evie and a stroller, you decide you need to pee. You immediately:

A) Quietly and politely tell Mommy and wait till you get home to use the toilet

B) Do a potty dance, but make it to the bathrooms at the nearby park

C) Discretely use an off-the-trail neighboring tree as an impromptu "potty tree"

D) Drop your drawers smack dab in the middle of the trail and let it all fly.

Correct Answer: D. While Mommy looks frantically around to make sure no one sees while hoping that the next person on the trail assumes it came from a dog, not her 4-year-old.

Exhibit B:

You are not having a good day. Your 4-year-old cousin is over and you're alone in the basement. You then:

A) Quietly and politely watch a movie while trying not to wake the baby

B) Play with cars without fighting. No one cries.

C) Run in circles, wrestle and pummel each other all without jumping off the furniture or breaking anything.

D) Decide the basement trashcan (small, white, on the counter and NOT empty) looks like the perfect place to relieve yourself. And encourage your cousing to do the same before he leaves for the night.

Correct Answer: D. Though if you are a good test-taker you will realize than the others are false because they could never happen. At least he told me about it before he went to bed (I think the story started out with a little giggle and "Hey, mom, one time I peed in the bucket in the basement.")

Photo via Flickr.

We're Back!

We had a lovely, lovely, lovely time. It was absolutely wonderful. Ken has the camera still (as he's in Munich for the next several days) so I'll post pics and a bunch more about the trip when he gets home. But basically we slept in, ate nothing but chocolate (seriously - pan au chocolat for breakfast, street nutella crepes for lunch, plus a daily visit to at least 2 fabulous chocolate shops on our self-made chocolate tour of Paris), walked around a ton and ate fabulous food. I'm still giddy.

Ken's mom was wonderful enough to come watch the kids while we were gone. They had a great time (and who wouldn't with a week of grandma). However, the first couple of days after grandma leaves are bound to be a little rough, right? 'Cause Mommy is never as nice or as fun or cooks you as many good treats. Luke's been a little bit of a disaster. I've carried him kicking and screaming to his room at least 3 times in the past 2 days -- something I haven't had to do in a long time. And that kid is heavy. Oh well, it's bound to get better.

On the bright side, Ken's sister Kendra came into town last night to visit so we've had another fun filled day of playing outside, lunch at Chuck E Cheese and a trip to the zoo to see the spring animal babies. Here are about a million pictures. I'm sure there will be a bunch more tomorrow!

Scrunched up baby smiles

Luke looking tired but happy on the lion statue

Look how close the wolf came! The kids were a little freaked though.

Farm Animals

Chicken #1 (Kevin)

Chicken #2 (Luke)