The Adventures of Emma and Adrian

Last trip to the beach

2012-01-24T01:45:00.000-07:00

Okay I think this is the end of the L.A. pictures.

New Year's Eve

2012-01-21T20:46:00.001-07:00

No, I'm not behind at all. I meant to post this 3 weeks after the fact :)

Day:

Night:

Good Morning!

2012-01-18T22:27:00.002-07:00

Apple Pie

2012-01-17T22:45:00.000-07:00

Oh my sweet little Emma (with help from sweet Bob) made an apple pie tonight. She rolled the dough, ate an apple and was covered in flour by the end. It was all very cute and adorable.

and don't mind her black eye--running in the bathroom is just not a good idea.

Hanging with Abuelo

2012-01-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

snuggling and racing

Did I mention the perfect weather? Because it was perfect.

Where a kid can be a kid

2012-01-10T01:27:00.021-07:00

Or the place that probably gave my son Croup. I used to hate public places like this. They scream GERMS. But the kids had a blast and I got to see my good friend Brooke!

This was the most Emma could handle.
The car that takes your picture and b a r e l y moves.

Oh ya, we're dancing.

lots of hugging going on. These two soul sisters LOVED taking pictures of themselves.

So Adrian got Croup about 3 days after this and I don't really think it came from good ol' Chuck E. because there were a lot of family members sick so he probably picked it up from someone else. Either way, Croup sucks.

The Zoo

2012-01-09T01:10:00.001-07:00

Or The Elephants because seriously that is the main reason I wanted to go. Ya, fun for kids, family time, blah blah blah. I wanted to see the finished elephant exhibit that they have been working on forever.

Emma pushing her cousin Vicky around.

YAY elephants!

the fam

Adrian's favorite place to be

weirdest animal award to the Otter (creepy little guy)

One of my other favorites, the Tortoise

Can you spot the snow leopard or white tiger (can't remember which)?

regular tiger

Cali

2012-01-09T00:48:00.001-07:00

Our vacation to L.A. couldn't have been better. The weather was amazing. Our family was amazing. It was just a perfect trip.

This is one of my favorite parks--nice big lake, ducks, great playground, always an ice cream truck around and super close.

We went more than once.

Our little cutie buying her own ice cream.

And yes, Bob cannot wait for vacation days so he can grow out his beard.

Christmas catch-up

2012-01-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

First this Emma opening her present from her Nana (Bob's mom). She LOVED her doll. It was her first Christmas present and it was a great one to start of with.

Adrian also loved his bag of balls to play. Unfortunately, he opened his at like 2 in the morning when he wouldn't go back to sleep so I didn't take a picture but he still loved it.

Next, here are the kids at our ward xmas party (waaay back on Dec. 10th). My favorite is that Emma found one of her nursery teachers and got him to dance with her. That girl is not shy at all!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T01:35:00.000-07:00

Christmas Eve

Christmas morning (before church)

afternoon

the Feast

French style roast chicken, pork ribs, and rib roast--best Christmas dinner ever.

Christmas week in L.A.!

2011-12-26T00:57:00.001-07:00

It's been a crazy week with our crazy kids but we've managed to squeeze in a ton of fun.

The first few days we spent getting the kids settled in, finishing Xmas preparations and enjoying everyone's company. On Tuesday we finally headed out to downtown. We did some shopping and had lunch at the home of the french dip sandwich.

You want a good french dip? This is the place.

We had some carolers Wednesday night along with my good friend's family over for dinner.

Emma could not resist the urge to join in.

Thursday morning Bob got one of his Xmas presents-- a tour of Dodger Stadium.

Doesn't he look happy?

Friday, we went up to the Buenaventura mission in Ventura.

Saturday morning:

we took the kids to the beach. Seriously, a perfect beach day.

This face is just awesome.

I don't normally dress her like a mime but it was too warm for her cardigan so

she ended up in all black by the time we got out of the car.

Christmas Lights

2011-12-02T08:15:00.001-07:00

This is our 4th Christmas living in UT and we've never gone to see the lights at Temple Square. We finally went last night with Andy and Kricia. It was only a little cold, not crowded, and way fun.

Don't you love our little reflective baby.

My favorite pictures . . . and 1 outtake

2011-11-30T21:34:00.001-07:00

All of these pictures were taken by my friend Naoma. Check out her blog!

This totally captures their relationship

poor guy just couldn't take it anymore (at least my hair looks good)

This is totally their personalities right now.

Magic Words

2011-11-28T22:58:00.000-07:00

So Emma asked for some water and our across the street neighbor asked her "what's the magic word?"
Emma replied "bibbidi bobbidi boo". She just said "yup, I guess that is a magic word."

Emma also uses bibbidi bobbidi boo to open and close the garage door and turn me into a variety of animals throughout the day and sometimes into a nice mom.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

Even though we missed our family this year, we got to spend Thanksgiving with our always awesome neighbors. We cooked up a feast (Jaslyn made 2 turkeys in different styles!!), ate, watched a movie and had a really great time.

These two cuties played, cried, and barely ate. In other words, they acted like 3 year olds.

These two are just so handsome.

Our hostess and her helpers

Adrian loves him some pie. It must be genetic from both sides of the family.

Sweeeeeet potato pie

2011-11-23T22:29:00.001-07:00

Bob made some sweet potato pies for Thanksgiving.

One for us and the rest for our nice neighbors.

The kids and I ate ours up!

waaay better than pumpkin pie

Family pictures

2011-11-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

We took some family pictures down by the train depot. These are two of my favorites. I haven't gotten all of them so I'm still hopeful there is at least one of all of us that looks good. (hopeful but not too optimistic)

Just in time for Fall

2011-11-14T22:28:00.000-07:00

25 ways to Tie a Scarf

Tamales

2011-11-12T01:09:00.000-07:00

Oh ya, my mom is in town. These aren't actually tamales but chuchitos but really they are just so good. Bob asked my mom to make them while she was here and they were both in the kitchen having fun.

Here is my contribution to the effort:

Hey, keeping them out of the kitchen totally counts as helping.

Disney on Ice

2011-11-11T21:12:00.000-07:00

I took Emma with 2 other moms and their daughters to Disney on Ice. It was awesome! Emma had soo much fun. She was starstruck watching the different characters especially The Incredibles and all of the princesses (of course).

My Snow White with her blankie and friends.

Bob's Birthday Day

2011-11-11T20:56:00.001-07:00

Bob's birthday tradition of eating breakfast at Mimi's Cafe makes everyone happy. I get a pumpkin spice muffin and he gets bread pudding. Later that day we got dumplings from our favorite chinese restaurant.

The next night I made him Dobladas de Pollo and Texas-Style Blueberry Cobbler. Delicious!

and yes, all birthdays around here revolve around eating awesome food.

Happy Birthday Bob!

2011-11-05T06:59:00.002-06:00

I hope today is as fun, awesome and wonderful as you!

Laughter

2011-11-03T20:28:00.001-06:00

I love hearing kids laughing in my home. These are some of Emma's preschool/neighborhood friends. And they were cracking themselves up while eating lunch today.

Stuff from today

2011-11-03T20:24:00.000-06:00

Bob saw a bird trying to take apart my wreath. Seriously bird?! My wreath is not your new nest.

Adrian is walking around like a champ. Unfortunately, the only video I have of him walking includes Emma falling down in the background while jumping on her bed. She fell pretty hard and started crying. Needless to say it is not a good video to post (except maybe to AFHV.)

This is Emma's first attempt trying to take a picture of me:

her eye

Bob has been busy the last few days/weeks. He only came home for a little while today before going back to work. But while he was home, the kids took advantage to snuggle with him.

I love that their arms are all intertwined.

Total Steal!

2011-11-02T20:15:00.002-06:00

Jo-Ann's has all Fall/Thanksgiving stuff 70% off. Seriously, great deals!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T20:15:00.000-06:00

proud of her painted pumpkins

Snow White with the Poison Apple and the Witch

a beat-up French rugby player with Snow White

with one of her favorite neighbors, Peti

enjoying the spoils of her night

Hope you had a Happy Halloween!

Halloween Parade

2011-10-27T20:00:00.001-06:00

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-25T22:22:00.000-06:00

My brain is mush.

2011-10-24T08:21:00.000-06:00

I spent/wasted so much time looking for lost things last week.

-3 birthday cards (sorry Brian, Christian and Andy)
-purse (at least twice)
-my neighbor's mail (delivered wrongly to my house. I swear I put it in my car)
-Emma's DVD sleeve (found late last night after 48 hrs of searching)
-new credit card
-cell phone (this is a daily search)

I also went to the store 5 times in 6 days last week and I forgot mustard every single time!

I did however find a watch that had been missing for 6 months.

I don't know if it is just sleep deprivation or what but I'm just going to blame the kids.

Before/During/After

2011-10-15T22:03:00.000-06:00

BEFORE:

yuck

DURING:

some serious hard work

totally bored little girl being kept away from the fun in the kitchen

AFTER:

TADA!!!!

So awesome!

Homecoming Parade

2011-10-08T15:54:00.001-06:00

First, we had breakfast with the Jensens. Then we walked over to the least crowded parade I have ever attended. The kids had so much fun. They got tons of candy, prizes and attention from the performers. They got high-fives from dozens of people including Brandon Davies(!!) and Emma got to pet a llama.

...

2011-10-08T15:35:00.000-06:00

Emma with her favorite person in the whole world at Griffith Park.

hanging out in his sister's cool set of wheels

This was a few weeks ago at a picnic with friends. Emma and this girl played like best friends.

He loved the homemade ice cream.

The Birthday Party

2011-10-05T22:48:00.001-06:00

My cousin Abe

Bob chopping the smoked pork shoulder and smoked chicken he smoked for 5 hours.

My cute mom

The hammock was very popular with the kids.

my aunt Rosita

This is how Adrian spent a HUGE chunk of his party.

The Barbie car was also a huge hit with the kids. I gotta get the picture of Adrian just hanging out in there for over an hour.

Cake 1: Chocolate

Cake 2: Flan!!

made by my awesome Aunt Lupe.

totally unintended and last minute but I put a candle in the flan and let Emma blow it out. She loved feeling part of the action.

party people

You know how we do :)

awww

Opening presents is always a production with kids.

Adrian and Bob both scored some major Dodgers gear.

Everything about this picture is awesome.

Good times.

Birthday Weekend

2011-10-02T21:23:00.001-06:00

Adrian turned 1 on Friday. We flew out to L.A. Thursday night (awful flight--crying kids, throw-up . . . don't ask ugh). And Friday we took him to the beach:

The birthday boy!

Emma had a blast chasing birds and rolling around in the sand.

I was seriously cleaning out sand from her hair and ears for 2 days.

Step 1 to remove handful of sand out of his mouth: Rinse with water

Step 2: Dry

And of course step 3: put more sand in mouth as soon as possible.

Bob wearing his France rugby jersey. One of the highlights of his trip was going to a rugby bar and watching the game live with other rugby fans with Claw and Brian. Pictures of Adrian's bday party to come soon.

and as a side note to all my L.A. peeps. We love all of you but this was such a short trip there was no way we could see anyone so we stuck to just hanging out with family. But we'll be back soon for a longer trip!

Homemaker of the Year!

2011-09-29T09:35:00.000-06:00

that's right, this L.A. girl canned peaches!

What the what?!?!? I know what your thinking--"Wow, Maria you are amazing. You got mad skills." And yes I am feeling pretty amazing but alas I can't take credit. I did it with 2 of my awesome neighbors because let's be honest I had no idea what I was doing. Luckily they are canning pros so I went along for the ride. It was fun and crazy with up to 7 kids including 2 babies. So ya I have now canned peaches. Just don't ask me to start making my own clothes and we should be good.

Starting Them Early

2011-09-24T07:50:00.002-06:00

Emma playing the mom:

It wasn't until this picture that I realized she was actually pretending to wash real glasses. This could have ended badly.

Frustrated because she dropped the sponge she was using.

Later, I found these yellow gloves in her room filled with crayons. Her response was "but mom that's how I carry my stuff."

Never Boring

2011-09-24T01:00:00.001-06:00

We are finally into a decent routine with these kids. Now that routine involves very little sleep but still we're doing pretty well.

Seriously though, there are days I am so tired I just lay down on the floor in the middle of playing with the kids and fall fast asleep. I usually wake up with either Emma or Adrian (usually Adrian) hitting/jumping on my face. Yesterday, I woke up with stickers all over one side of my cheek. That's when I know it's time for a little caffeine fix. Not that I'm complaining. I have a job I like and both kids are at a super fun stage right now.

Adrian--
My almost 1 year old little buddy. This kid is the best. He absolutely loves all of us. He cries his little heart out every time I drop Emma off at school. He follows her around and when he gets close to her-- he stands up and hugs the living daylights out of her legs. He's always trying to kiss/slobber/bite her legs and it totally freaks her out (and cracks me up). When Bob comes home, he gets the biggest smile and will squirm out of my arms to reach him. When he's tired, he looks for Bob to hold him and cuddle. And me, well that's a given. He loves to mess around inside the fridge and you can always distract him with a cracker. The other night I swear he said "Here ya go" while handing me a toy and then said "Thank you" when I handed it back. Obviously he was just repeating sounds but it was pretty cool.

Emma--
Emma just finished her 3rd week of preschool. The first week she came home telling me all the rules. Something tells me she was hearing them repeated a lot. Yesterday, she came home telling me she got trapped in the bathroom! Oh, that kid. She is super super fun right now. She loves to play pretend. She is the mommy or the teacher or Diego/Dora. I am always the baby or the student or the injured animal she needs to rescue. It's pretty fun until we need to be in public and she's yelling "Emma stay right there while I go look at these clothes" and other adults are looking at me like "that woman needs to put her kid in check". She is still totally into the princess stuff. She wears a princess dress everyday after school. Today she brought me "soup" for my lunch (plastic beads in a pink bucket) and insisted she was not a chef or waiter but a "cooking girl who cooks".

So ya totally fun.

11 months

2011-09-10T10:49:00.002-06:00

Reunion

2011-09-09T07:29:00.000-06:00

We hosted a study abroad reunion/BBQ last night. It was so fun to see everyone again. I am telling you these are the best kids ever. They are so nice and fun and interesting. And of course, they love the kids. Emma had a BLAST! She insisted on wearing her fanciest princess dress for the occasion. It really was great.

Cooking with my kids

2011-09-07T07:30:00.000-06:00

Snow White "mincing" mushrooms like Tiana from The Princess and the Frog. Ya, we watch a lot of princess movies around here.

Little guy taking advantage that no one is watching to grab everything he can reach from the fridge.

She didn't cry at all . . . but I did.

2011-09-06T14:58:00.000-06:00

Waking up in the morning.

She was so excited (and so was Adrian but he didn't know why).

Is this the cutest preschooler you have ever seen?!?

The answer is yes (unless you have your own kids and then you probably think they are pretty cute).

Going up the stairs

Saying hi to her teacher

At the end of her school day, she came running as soon as she spotted me. I needed that big hug.

The Y

2011-09-06T00:05:00.001-06:00

Well, we finally climbed the Y. It was actually pretty fun. And I was impressed that Emma walked all the way up. Once we were headed down, there were some tears. She kept slipping on the rocks and at one point fell down and scraped her knee. So I carried her part of the way but honestly, she did great for such a little person! Adrian, of course, was carried by Bob and fell asleep on the way down.

Once she saw the Y, she wanted to run straight to it. We had a little trouble getting her to understand we had to stay on the trail.

Can you spot Bob's office?

Some cute pictures with animals

2011-09-03T18:05:00.000-06:00

Petting Zoo:

Haircut

2011-09-03T17:56:00.000-06:00

Now that is one handsome fella.

Makeup time

2011-09-03T17:52:00.000-06:00

Emma found some blue lipgloss we gave away at her bday party--

yeah, I think she missed her lips entirely.

Nap time

2011-08-23T07:41:00.000-06:00

Emma hates taking naps. Only if she is absolutely exhausted (like after a day at the pool) will she even consider taking a nap. Which is probably why this picture cracks me up so much.

Yup, that's her asleep on the kitchen floor.

Poor little girl, between Adrian and Millie they kept trying to wake her up. Millie kept sniffing and trying to sit on her. And Adrian kept trying to crawl on top of her and hit her with a coloring book.

Hey there!

2011-08-22T08:24:00.004-06:00

Hey you!

Ya, I'm just hanging out in my cool panama shirt.

hahaha, of course you can borrow it!

Yup, it's about nap time. How did you know?

Okay, see ya later.

10 months

2011-08-21T15:31:00.000-06:00

So I'm a little behind, what else is new?

Here's our handsome fella:

Peaches!

2011-08-20T15:30:00.000-06:00

We love it when our peach tree is finally ready to be picked.

I love this picture. Greedy and Grumpy is what I will call them :)

and yes, there's a peach cobbler in the oven right now.

When family visits

2011-08-10T20:03:00.002-06:00

the kids have a blast. Here are some pictures from my mom and sister's visit before Emma's bday:

Phoenix and Adrian having a stare down with Millie as the referee.

Emma with her tickets from the arcade.

Seriously, who doesn't love mini golf?

Adrian and Tony having some fun.

at the aquarium

coming home with loot from the aquarium (tia Claudia sure knows how to spoil her).

Bob grilling for the family. Warning: The next picture will make you very, very hungry.

Oh ya, that's some good grilling right there.

I have a love/hate relationship with our yard. I hate the water bill and the maintenance but I love how much room we have to play. I also love summer evenings when everyone can just hang out and enjoy themselves.

Birthday Party Extravaganza!!

2011-07-30T21:37:00.001-06:00

Today was Emma's Ice Cream Birthday party. My mom, sister and Tony all came out for the festivities. And between us all (Bob, Andy, Kricia and myself included) we made this party happen. Everyone was go go go all day. I could not have pulled it off alone.

First: The cake

I made it myself and it took forever! And required lots of encouragement from anyone in the vicinity of the kitchen.

The set-up: cute ice-cream bowls the kids got to take home, 3 big tubs of ice-cream from the Creamery on 9th, lots of toppings, and a handy plastic tablecloth to contain the mess.

a little banner made with some crafts Rita got for Emma

The piñata!

We had some delicious salads and fruit for some light munching.

Our friend, Heather, who is soo awesome with Adrian.

yum, yum, yum!

Piñata time!

Swinging like a pro

The craziness that is opening presents. You can kind of see her leg sticking out underneath that gift.

And yes, I forgot to buy candles for the cake. So, she blew out an Ikea candle and didn't even care.

with her cute friends

One of the kids accidentally threw her shoe on the roof and this is how we got it down. Always an adventure around here, I tell ya.

There wasn't one picture where we all looked good so here are all of them.

Seriously, a great day but I am exhausted!

Summer is the best

2011-07-21T16:40:00.000-06:00

Emma making a pizza for dinner.

This is the face she makes when you tell her to smile. The shoulder action is what cracks me up. It's how she thinks a princess is supposed to smile.

Swimming at our new pool (I wish). Bob took the day off so we could go swimming and we had a blast,

. . . especially Emma. Her swimming lessons have really paid off. She isn't terrified of the water and actually knows that she has some skills to rely on.

This is how Adrian spent most of his time at the pool.

Too bad he woke up in the worst mood. Luckily, snow cones make anyone feel better.

Feels like summer

2011-07-17T07:33:00.000-06:00

After "Mommy and Tots" swimming lessons with Emma

We set this little area up for Emma when we had guests and not everyone fit at the table. Now she likes to eat all her meals and snacks here. It's pretty cute but her mess just extends everywhere now.

My handsome fella enjoying his corn on the cob. Nothing says summer like eating in your bathing suit.

Had to get a picture of her fancy sandals that get worn everywhere.

9 months

2011-07-13T16:25:00.000-06:00

Our sweet boy is 9 months old!

Adrian is our sweetheart. He always has a big smile. He started crawling July 2nd and nothing gets in his way. He absolutely adores Emma and wants to do everything she is doing. His 3rd tooth came in and the 4th isn't far behind. And . . . he is finally sleeping through the night!!! aaahh sweet sweet sleep

4th of July weekend

2011-07-04T15:41:00.001-06:00

My parents, Christian and Rosita came for the weekend to visit and play.

Emma LOVES dancing with her Abuelo

and Adrian loved all of the cuddling and attention.

Saturday we went to watch the hot air balloons at 6:30 in the morning.

Then after breakfast, we went to the Freedom Festival. It was hot and crowded but we had fun being together.

This little guy started crawling on Saturday. The first place he headed was the bookshelf (just like Emma).

Saturday night we had friends over to watch the Stadium of Fire fireworks. Lots of fun : )

Sunday we barbecued after church and then spent the afternoon playing in the yard.

and Monday morning they left :(

What my memory looks like

2011-06-29T16:08:00.000-06:00

Parenting. Illustrated with Crappy Pictures

Am I laughing because it's funny or because it hits a little too close to home?

Visit from Nana

2011-06-26T14:48:00.000-06:00

Rita came to play with the kids on Wednesday. She picked flowers with Emma and brought the kids toys and princess dresses :)

taking his nap

our tent city ;)

picking flowers . . . and Millie is back!!

always fun to have a visit from Nana.

Home Sweet Home

2011-06-21T05:15:00.000-06:00

We're so happy to be home. Bob and I have both had the "wake up from a deep sleep and try to figure out where you are" moments and we all look a bit disheveled but there is nothing like sleeping in your own bed.

We did come home to a wild looking yard.

We've gone out of town for weeks at a time before so I wasn't worried about an overgrown yard. But apparently it has been really raining and our yard is good proof that water makes plants grow.

The kids are having a great time rediscovering their toys. They are super jet lagged and are sleeping at weird hours and worse are waking up at awful hours. Yesterday they were both up at 3 a.m and stayed up. Today they got up at 4 a.m. and are currently making me crazy.

Don't you just want to pinch those chubby legs?

Yup, we all look a bit disheveled.

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T00:54:00.000-06:00

to Bob and my Dad!

We love you!!

Day 32--Paris, je t'aime

2011-06-18T15:28:00.001-06:00

So, what do you do on your last day in Paris?

1. See something historic

This is Bob's favorite church in Paris, Saint Etienne-du-Mont

Sainte Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris, is buried here.

In that little box to the left is a piece of bone from her finger.

2. Go for a walk (even if it's raining) to an open air market.

3. Have a delicious meal

...sooo good

4. Have a little play time

5. Go to the Eiffel Tower

Sometime today, I realized I did not have a picture of myself in front of the Eiffel Tower. So, after the kids went to bed, I went to the tower alone. Normally with kids, it's a 15-20 minute walk. Without kids, it took me less than 5 minutes. I even stopped to give someone directions.

(so frustrating--my flash would not go off for this picture!)

So, there you have it. Our trip is done. We go home tomorrow! We've had a wonderful time. Although I could get use to the world traveling life, it's probably time to get back to our normal life. :)

Day 31--Back in Paris

2011-06-17T11:54:00.002-06:00

So, Day 29 was spent in our Geneva hotel with a sick little girl. Emma woke up with a fever just like Adrian's from a few days prior. So, we spent the day watching American cartoons dubbed in French, drinking lots of fluids and trying, unsuccessfully, to get Emma to take some medicine. You should have heard her scream and cry. Seriously, the people in the adjoining rooms must have thought I was torturing her.

Day 30--We took a flight back to Paris. Fortunately, Claire and Olivia (2 of the students) were on our flight. They helped entertain Emma while we waited in the tiny, French-bound airport so that was really nice.

Day 31--Rainy day for doing laundry and starting to pack. We did go out for a little while to visit the Latin Quarter and do a little antique shopping/browsing.

Then, we went to Saint Sulpice Church (Paris' second biggest church, made famous by the DaVinci Code, or as Bob insists, because it's where Baudelaire was baptized).

Jacob wrestling with the Angel by Eugene Delacroix

St. Michael slaying the Dragon by Eugene Delacroix

Day 28--Fondue because it's fun to do!

2011-06-14T15:29:00.001-06:00

sorry for the cheesy joke . . . get it "cheesy" joke. See what I did there. You know its funny :) maybe I should hurry up and go to bed soon--

at Parc La Grange with Ligia and the kids

Juan Diego with his momma

Emma had a blast. There was an elementary school group at the park with probably 100 kids. They were mostly bigger than Emma but she had so much fun even if it did make me a bit nervous.

We were worn out.

My presents when I woke up. Bob got me chocolates at his favorite chocolate shop in Geneva. They were heavenly. Seriously, the best chocolate I have ever eaten. EVER.

Walking to dinner. Can you spot Emma?

At our last dinner with the students. The program ends tomorrow :(

soooo good

standing in front of Jet d'Eau

Day 27--Geneva

2011-06-13T15:53:00.000-06:00

Waiting for the train from Lyon to Geneva

playing the harmonica for change . . . it was a long wait

just hanging out in Geneva

flower clock in the Jardin Anglais

watching a clock show. I took video so I will upload it later.

This is how Emma spends most of her day--picking up leaves, flowers, stick, whatever she can find.

Reformation Wall: Guillaume Fare, John Calvin, Theodore Beza, and John Knox

playing in the Parc des Bastions

and finally dinner with my cute cousin Ligia and her family. I didn't get a picture of the baby because he had gone to bed but here is a picture of her with my babies. It was so nice to have a home cooked meal and an evening with family.

Day 26--Adventures in traveling

2011-06-12T23:39:00.002-06:00

I have always wanted to pull the emergency lever in buses, trains, planes, etc. but in real life you never get the chance . . . except today. Oh, did we have adventures today.

Adventure 1:

I woke up at 1 a.m. next to a red, hot, and sweaty baby. He was really hot, running a high temperature hot. So what to do? His thermometer and baby Tylenol are back in Paris. So as I undressed Adrian, Bob ran downstairs to the lobby to ask about 24 hr pharmacies. Of course at 1 a.m. the metro isn’t running and the only 24 hr pharmacies are in downtown. By the time Bob came back upstairs, Adrian’s body temperature had gone down. He was still warm but not super hot and he was still sleeping so we decide to wait until morning when the metro is running. Our hotel isn’t in the best part of town (super sketchy) and Bob running around at 1 a.m. was just not a good idea. At 7 a.m. his temperature was back up. Bob gets out the door to get him some medicine. First 24 hour pharmacy = FAIL. In the States, 24 hours means you are always open. Apparently that is not the case in Europe. But the first pharmacy had the name of another 24 hr. pharmacy that they claimed was open. 2^nd 24 hr pharmacy = FAIL. But they had the name of a third 24 hr pharmacy that they claimed was open. Can you guess what happened next? Bob went to FIVE 24 hr pharmacies and they were all closed. He ran around for 2 hours and covered probably 6 miles on foot with no luck. When he came back, I had given Adrian a bath and his temperature had gone down again. Now this wouldn’t be too big of a deal but we had to travel to Geneva today, with 25 students on a 2 hour train with a sick baby. This was not going to be fun. Luckily Bob ordered taxis to take all of us to the train station. Adrian cried the entire taxi ride. Once we got to the train station and got all the students settled (really they got themselves settled—such good kids). Bob started calling the phone numbers of the pharmacies he had saved on his cell phone. One was open. He took off and told me he would be back in 1 hour. Our train was scheduled to leave in 1.5 hrs. Not a huge window for error but it was our only option. An hour and 5 minutes later Bob comes back with medicine!!!

Adventure 2:

So excited to be going to Geneva, we get on our train. Now trains have different cars. Some trains have cars you can walk between and some don’t. In this train you can’t walk between the cars. No big deal this is our train and some students get in one car and some get in others. We get on and get comfortable. Emma even takes off her tights and shoes. I open my bag and give Adrian toys . . . just as we find out we’re in the wrong car of the train. Our train apparently splits and half of it goes one place and half of it goes to Geneva AND we’re in the wrong half!!! Mad scramble to get off this car and into the right car ensues! We barely make it on. Breathing a sigh of relief when I remember I forgot something in the other car. No big deal. We find out the split doesn’t happen for a few more stops. At the next stop I notice the amount of time the train is stopped is plenty for me to get off, retrieve what I left behind, and get back on. I decide I’ll do it at the next stop. Seriously, I’m not even stressed there was so much time at the last stop. At the next stop, I jump out, RUN to the other car, retrieve lost item, and the doors start to close. I barely make it out of the wrong car and run to our car and start pushing the button to get in. Bob is on the inside pushing the button to try to open the doors. At this point I am panicking. Can you imagine me left behind some random stop with NO money and NO I.D. in FRANCE??!!? What the heck would I do? I don’t even speak French. Oh it would’ve been a disaster but without hesitating for a second Bob pulled the emergency handle. It opened the door automatically and I sheepishly got back into the train. Now of course the alarm is going off and the conductor has to come back to see what happened. Bob explains and the conductor uses his key to turn the alarm off and we’re on our way. Of course, we had no idea that when the train does split it does it at a station and they give you like 10 minutes to switch trains just in case. Oh and what did I have to retrieve? Emma's plastic bracelet that cost like 1 euro.

Oh well, live and learn.

And Adrian is feeling much better :)

Day 25

2011-06-11T13:38:00.005-06:00

Started the day off right--at the mall. The kids and I hung out at the Part-Dieu mall for a couple of hours while Bob did research in the Special Collections at the Municipal Library of Lyon. Then, we had a delicious lunch at Auberge Rabelais, the oldest restaurant in Lyon. It was wonderful! Next, Emma played and played at a little park right behind the restaurant. It amazes me how she just goes up to other kids and starts playing with them. Inevitably, I overhear the parents explaining to their children that Emma is speaking English. But it never stops them from playing with her or her from having lots of fun. Then, we were off to Place Bellecour and Rue de la Republique to do a little shopping. So many stores to pick from but of course I can't resist the prices at H&M. Got a new pair of black flats (less than 10 euros!) because mine are just done. I also got Emma a new pair of pink flats (less than 8 euros!) because her white church shoes are just done, too. She was so happy to have new "princess" shoes (obviously, pink with a bow must mean princess) that she put them on the second I got the tags off.

Day 24--Hotel day

2011-06-10T13:00:00.001-06:00

Plan A:

Leave the hotel with Bob and the students to the metro. Get off the metro one stop before they do and spend the day with the kids shopping, eating, playing in a park and then meet up with Bob in the afternoon.

Plan B:

Since Emma REFUSED to get dressed this morning, I decided I would let her rest then we would head out to lunch, go to the grocery store for water and fruit and still meet up with Bob downtown in the afternoon.

Plan C:

Watch french cartoons all morning, leave the hotel at 11 a.m., have lunch at McD's and let Emma play for an hour, walk to grocery store and beg the crying child to just walk back to the hotel, have dinner at the chain restaurant next door to the hotel and spend most of the day indoors.

Sometimes kids (and moms) just need a day to rest.

Day 23--Lyon

2011-06-10T01:57:00.001-06:00

kind of an exhausting day of traveling but totally worth it to be in Bob's favorite city

Have I mentioned how sweet and great these students are with my kids?

Seriously. Kenny also helped carry my luggage while we were walking to the hotel so I could carry Emma.

Emma "skating" in the sandy dirt.

Doing what he does best--teaching and carrying a sleeping baby.

Bob's Lyonnaise salad, his starter during a wonderful meal we had with all of the students. I ate with Emma asleep on my lap and Bob ate with Adrian crying/trying to grab his fork throughout the meal. But it was delicious.

Day 22--Impressions on prayer

2011-06-08T14:34:00.002-06:00

Today, we took the students with Professor Jensen and an Art History Study Abroad group to Auvers-sur-Oise and Giverny. In layman's terms, we went to see Van Gogh's last residence and Monet's house where he painted the water lilies among other things in his beautiful gardens.

The wheat fields where Van Gogh painted

The Auvers Impressionism "museum"--I use the term loosely (fun little place though)

Monet's flower garden. We visited his house, flower garden, and, of course, the water lilies. I told Bob that Monet might be might my favorite artist on pure principle. I find the tortured artist trope played out. Monet built this beautiful, tranquil home where he continued to produce art and live peacefully for many years. No debauchery or craziness.

Then we had the awesomest crepes! Emma's had raspberry ice cream, raspberry coulis, whipped cream, and fresh raspberries.

Mine--Normand caramel and apples.

It was a really great day until . . . my bag was stolen.

There was some chaos when we got off the charter bus. We realized about an hour after we had gotten to the apartment that neither of us had brought up our things. (Panic) I ran back to the street to find the stroller sitting there with the Baby Bjorn and kids' jackets but no bag. (Major stress) I start calling the bank to cancel my cards and Bob goes out to the street to see what he can find. We realize that among the things missing is Emma's blanket. The initial shock comes slamming back. We are reaching some serious panic levels when we decide to say a prayer. We thanked God for our many blessings and asked him to help us comfort Emma. We prayed specifically that if it was possible we want to find her blanket. The monetary things can be replaced but her blankie would be a serious trial for her. Bob goes to give Adrian a bath because he was really fussy. After a few moments, I suggested he go look in the metro and surrounding streets to see if he can find the bag. He leaves and runs into some of his students. He talks to them for a few moments. They were really sweet and even offered to buy her a new blankie. Bob starts walking down streets, carefully choosing where he would cross, what streets to walk down and then he sees it. 200 yards away on a random street he sees my bright purple bag with Emma's blanket sticking out. Everything of monetary value was taken and even some things that only matter to us (including Bob's work folder with receipts and exams) but Emma's blankie was there. It may not seem like a big deal but it is to us. Our prayer was definitely answered and we are very, very grateful.

Day 19-20--El Prado

2011-06-06T16:56:00.003-06:00

Chocolate con churros--best breakfast ever!

in front of El Prado

in front of the statue of Goya

Puerta de Alcala

playing at el Parque de Retiro

she got sooooooo dirty

Bob conversing with Don Quixote and Sancho Panza in front of the birth place of Cervantes.

Me enjoying my tortilla :)

Oh wow! We had such a good time in Madrid. The Prado was amazing. It is the only museum I can think of where they expressly prohibit taking pictures. It completely changes the museum experience. Instead of crowds of people angling to take their picture in front of a masterpiece or trying to get the best shot, everyone is just admiring the artwork. It was such a different experience than the Louvre. My favorite was Durer's Eve . Then we took a long walk to the park, where Emma got to play/get really dirty. We were able to do everything we wanted in such a short amount of time. We even got to eat most of the Spanish staples we were craving. It was also fun to actually understand the language. Now to do laundry before our next little trip :)

Day 17 and 18--Madrid!!!

2011-06-04T13:04:00.001-06:00

Soo excited to be here! We are having a blast.

So, last night we arrived late and still went out to walk around Plaza de Cervantes.

Let's see, it was 10 p.m. and little old ladies, families with young children, basically everyone was out walking around. We had a delicious dinner of tapas, cured ham, croquetas, and grilled calamari. It was so fun!

Today was nearly perfect. We started off in Puerta del Sol, which was covered in some kind of tent city of protestors.

Then, we made our way to Plaza Mayor

...where my little Emma enjoyed her calamari and pineapple juice.

On to the Plaza de la Villa, where Bob found the Torre de los Lujanes, where Renaissance King Francis I of France was temporarily imprisoned.

La Muralla Arabe, Madrid's oldest city wall, and the Catedral de la Almudena in the background.

Me and my Emma enjoying the grounds at the Palacio Real.

Jamon, Jamon

El Oso de Madrid

Day 15

2011-06-02T05:02:00.000-06:00

Going on a date!

An Art History professor is currently doing Study Abroad here in Paris with a group of students and she offered to babysit one night so Bob and I could go out alone. She has four kids, the youngest of which is 3, so it was perfect. I was expecting some major tears even before we left but Adrian took to her immediately and Emma was easily distracted with popcorn and a movie. :)

Bob and I probably had the best meal of our lives. The service was exceptional--friendly, knowledgeable, happy to have us, all around awesome! The food was divine (can you say that about food?). It really was soo soo good. Apparently, the beef I ordered is only available for 2 months out of the year. Even the veggies were amazing. Bob said "I had never eaten peas until I ate these." Silly but they were good. And of course, it was great to have dinner alone. No kids, no stress just the two of us . . . talking about the kids but still it was nice.

When we got home Adrian was sound asleep and Emma was playing Angry Birds on the professor's iPad. Perfect night.

8 months

2011-06-01T07:03:00.001-06:00

Day 13-- In Bruges

2011-05-31T06:26:00.003-06:00

longest day of my life . . .

It started at 6 a. m.with 8 transfers to get from our apartment to Bruges-- 3 metros, 2 RERs and 3 trains. It ended when we finally got home at 11 p.m. (this time it only took 5 transfers).

Bruges is a beautiful, picturesque city and we had a good time.

Minnewater lake

tons and tons of horse drawn carriages for tourists

Lunch! There was some serious drama that may or may not have involved a long hunt for food, rude waiters, us walking out of a restaurant, and finally being greeted warmly by an Italian waiter at this overpriced (but, hey, everything is overpriced in a tourist town) restaurant. Seriously, the nicest waiter ever totally rescued our day because we were done by this point. We even came back later to use the restroom when the mean lady at the tower wouldn't let Emma use their restroom.

my handsome fella

my two handsome fellas climbed to the top of the bell tower

Conclusion--nice little town on a nice warm day.

Day 11

2011-05-28T14:31:00.000-06:00

Today was the day Bob and Emma have been waiting for:

Castle Day!!!

Blois:

Chambord:

Day 10

2011-05-28T13:52:00.001-06:00

oh my goodness . . .

Mont Saint Michel was awesome

Bob, Emma and some of the students

This cute girl (Rachel) was so nice and indulgent to carry Emma around. Lots of the girls were more than willing to help out with our very spoiled children.

Notice anything unusual? Yup, they're looking at it backwards.

Emma with our means of transportation. Yes, it's a giant pink bus with what might be the nicest bus driver.

No pictures of me with wind blown hair, wearing Bob's rain jacket and looking as frazzled as ever.

Day 9

2011-05-27T13:51:00.003-06:00

Yesterday we went to Bayeux to see the Bayeux tapestry. It is a 1000 year old tapestry, 70 meters long. It depicts the battle of Hastings. Obviously, you can't take pictures of something that old/valuable but we did get some nice pictures of the cathedral and the little town.

Then we went to the American cemetery in Normandy. Unfortunately, Adrian fell asleep so I stayed in the bus with him and didn't get any pictures. I stepped out for a few minutes just to quickly look around. Then we went to Pointe du Hoc. It was a key strategic point for the Germans that was attacked during D-Day. The German pill boxes (bunkers) and bomb craters are still there. This time both kids were asleep but I sent the camera out with Bob.

Okay, so when I stepped out to look around at the American cemetery, it was cold and drizzling. I had Adrian all wrapped up in a blanket, cuddled in my arms. As I approached the memorial, I could see the military police staring at me and becoming a bit agitated. (There are a lot of military police out because of the G8 summit currently meeting in the region.) I realized that I probably looked pretty suspicious, as I was walking by myself with a large bundle in my arms. Luckily(?), as I got close to the memorial Adrian woke up and started crying. The police looked quite relieved at not having to take me down. :)

Day 7 and 8

2011-05-25T13:57:00.002-06:00

Bob had to teach yesterday and today so the kids and I were on our own. Yesterday, we did a whole lot of nothing but today we ventured out for the first time alone. We walked about 1/2 mile down to a shopping district that has what Bob calls the French Target. 2 thumbs down. It sucked. So we went to H&M and it was awesome. Got some cute bows for Emma and cheap sandals for me.

Dessert tonight and the first baguette I've bought on my own.

This is the apartment we're staying in. We think it's pretty swell :)

Tomorrow we're going on a field trip with the students!

Day 6

2011-05-23T15:16:00.002-06:00

So, I should probably explain what we're doing in France. Bob is a French professor and is leading a group of students that are currently on Study Abroad. He is doing the final 4 weeks of the program; so, we are here for that time. We feel very fortunate and are thrilled at having this opportunity. Traveling with small children always takes a little more planning, patience, and understanding but our kids are doing well.

Today, we took a trip to Montmartre

Bob and le petit monsieur in the metro

In front of the metro entrance

Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart Basilica)

Wallace fountain (drinking water fountains found throughout Paris)

Eiffel Tower

Bob got this cute, little marshmallow girl for Emma.

She wouldn't eat it at first because she liked it so much.

Once we got home, she (and I) gobbled it up!

Marcel Ayme emerging from the wall

Au Lapin Agile (famous cabaret)

Amelie's cafe--Cafe des Deux Moulins

Moulin Rouge (we actually ended up here because it is right next to Amelie's cafe)

That tower just keep popping up everywhere ; )

Day 4 and 5

2011-05-22T12:14:00.000-06:00

Yesterday (day 4), we moved into the apartment. We spent the day getting organized, washing linens, making beds, washing clothes, grocery shopping and getting ourselves settled in.

Today, we went to Versailles (after church). Seriously soo cool. We went to the gardens and ran around for a bit. Bob had packed us a nice lunch so we ate by the Grand Canal. It was jam packed with people enjoying the afternoon. All in all a good day :)

Day 3

2011-05-20T14:59:00.001-06:00

The Louvre!

Winged Victory

of Samothrace

The absolute craziness that is trying to see the Mona Lisa

The best shot I could get. It was pretty cool to be there and see it in person. It is definitely not the atmosphere but rather the knowledge that it is the most famous painting in the world that kind of takes your breath away.

I thought this was pretty cool. I guess you just get special permission to do something like this.

Venus de Milo

Francis I of France

Going up to the pyramid designed by I. M. Pei

resting and relaxing outside

The very necessary afternoon nap. Bob says we were out for 2 hours.

Notre Dame

I didn't take many pictures inside because Mass was going on and seriously pictures do not do justice to the beauty of the cathedral. It is stunning.

Joan of Arc

view from a bridge on our way to get ice cream.

Day 2

2011-05-19T16:59:00.000-06:00

This was at noon:

So we got a bit of a late start but we still managed to do everything we wanted.

Afternoon snack:

Doing hair to go out for dinner

View of the Arc de Triomphe from the Champs Elysees

Picture taken by Adrian

(or by a nice passerby while Adrian slept in the stroller)

at Place de la Concorde

Place de la Concorde

(this is my fountain by the way)

view of some tower (haha)

taken from le Pont Neuf

Day 1

2011-05-18T18:17:00.000-06:00

We left our house at 1 p.m. and arrived at our hotel at 1 p.m. the following day.

You could say it was a long day. ha ha.

The kids were actually pretty good on the airplane. Emma was really happy she got her own grown-up meal.

poor little thing. At one point she told Bob "I want to sleep in a bed."

Poor thing was done by dinner time. The waitress was so sweet to her and was really excited to hear we live in UT. She told us how much she loves visiting the national parks and has been to an impressive number of states in the southwest. We had a fun first day just walking around. We ate Greks sandwiches for lunch, ice-cream for a treat, and Crepes for dinner. We walked a lot and took a boat ride down the Seine. From the shuttle driver to the random people who smiled at the site of our little munchkins, the French have been friendly (yes friendly not just polite) and helpful. A little boy from another table at dinner even came over to tell us that Adrian was cute and when he saw Emma crying came over to give her his teddy bear. So all in all a good day. Now if we could just get them to go to sleep (it's 2 a.m. here).

Princess party and visit from Abuela

2011-05-15T16:31:00.000-06:00

Emma was invited to a princess party:

And we had a little visit from Abuela and Christian this weekend: