Bordeaux

I’m currently in between European trips and have over-volunteered myself for Halloween-related activities because apparently I’m a masochist. I’m determined to be more active in the boys’ school - I’m going to help set up a booth at the Halloween carnival tomorrow, and am bringing a big bag of supplies.

I got back from Bordeaux Monday - it was a real nail biter; I returned Monday afternoon but the BF left for a business trip (first time ever) Sunday morning. Thankfully our intrepid babysitter just happened to be available to fill in the gap; but I had to be on time to pick them up from school Monday. Had there been any delays we would have been screwed. But I got home, lay down for an hour and then went to get them. It all worked out.

Bordeaux was great - I haven’t been to France since I went to Paris in 2005 to chase a Craig’s List relationship. I really, really like it there. It’s so damned civilized. I love how everyone greets each other (“bonjour madame!”), I love how you’re allowed to linger in restaurants, I love how old and pretty everything is. The best thing, though, was as the sole French speaker in our band of seven, I was made the group interpreter, and it was very empowering. At one point I managed to hold a conversation with the organizer’s stepdad who didn’t speak a word of English; I love languages! 

I won’t be so lucky next week in Budapest! Thankfully our American pianist has deep roots in Hungary and speaks the language. Not that everyone didn’t speak English last time we were there, anyway. 

Here are some France highlights:

Pumpkin patch!

Had a fun day with the donor sibs at the pumpkin patch today - came home and made jack o’lanterns and roasted pumpkin seeds. I’m going to try not to eat them all tonight!

Spoke too soon

Well, Theo started peeing the bed again. Sigh. So I put him back on the alarm...which he didn’t seem to need, since as soon as the alarm was on he stopped peeing the bed. At least I think so - today I found pee soaked underwear and PJ pants shoved in his drawer. Double sigh.

The few nights I had Bobby on the alarm were pretty disastrous. He peed 4-5 times a night, with me getting up to help him change each time, leaving me exhausted and cranky the next day all week. When Theo needed the alarm back it was kind of a relief - B is back in pull-ups for the time being; I am not optimistic that the alarm will be successful for him. He has a similar attitude about this that he did with the constant pants pooping - that it doesn’t really matter because he can hide it, that I’ll just clean it up anyway (even when I had him cleaning his own poopy underwear). Is it a defense mechanism? Is he afraid of failure? Do I just have to wait until he decides to do it, like he did with the pooping? Am I raising a rebel type child like I was (am)? Can nobody be the boss of him? 

In the meantime, I am leaning in and trying to be present for this holiday season - the house is decorated for Halloween, I’m plotting a Thanksgiving menu, trip to Florida to visit my sister over winter break is booked, I’m volunteering at the kids’ school Halloween carnival and making monster Rice Krispie treats for Theo’s class bake sale. I’m trying to make your childhood fucking magical, dammit! (J/k)

This weekend I had a rare creative parenting moment by dragging the kids out into our neighborhood for a geocaching session that was largely successful - we found three out of four. We also touched a lot of garbage and got minor heat stroke. But hey, we had lunch, learned about our area, used our brains, and spent time together. Win, win.