Mangos

I went to two different grocery stores on Sunday (often I have to go to three) and guess what? It's mango season!  This aisle (that's my cart just sitting there abandoned in the middle of it) is FILLED ENTIRELY WITH MANGOS!  Sadly, it is filled with so many types of mangos that I was unable to choose one and left this store (called Lulu) with not even one mango.  (And I really like mangos in my smoothies.)

When I went to Carrefour later in the day, I was not quite as surprised to see an entire aisle dedicated to mangos, but did not buy one there either because I had Lulu with me and she was sleeping in her stroller (yes, I know she's three-and-a-half and probably shouldn't have a stroller anymore but whatever) and so I was holding it tipped back on two wheels and shopping for produce is impossible to do one-handed here because EVERYTHING has to go in a plastic bag and then get tied up and weighed.  Despite my best efforts, I need to return to Carrefour no later than tomorrow afternoon (I forgot garbage bags!) and I will at that time purchase a mango (or seven).  Perhaps we will have a little taste test?

(And yes, I felt like a huge goober when I took this picture.  But I just couldn't stop myself.)

My Ego

Since Tommy discovered his love of red, and I became creative in outwitting his outfit choices, there is a guy in my life whose words keep coming back to me:  "Laura, not letting them wear what they want is about your ego."  It was my good old dad who said that.  So all day today whenever I look at my daughter I will remember as I cringe that this feeling is thanks to my own ego and nothing else.  

I have decided however that I will mention again that rainbow doesn't match with rainbow.

Another funny story about Lizzie is that her teacher (Miss Lillie) is going home to Ireland and this is her last week at school.  As we discussed this yesterday in the car, I learned that my daughter has decided that Miss Lillie's teacher/leaving gift should be 'sparkly nail polish.'  I will let you all know how this goes -- given that I have already purchased a lovely gift for Miss Lillie and do not really want to buy her something she will never use.

Too Much Hot

So I don't know if any of you follow the weather here, but if you do, you've seen some high temperatures.  My strategy is to look at weather forecasts in celsius so that I don't actually know what they mean.  I have figured out that anything higher than 40 is hot but otherwise I just don't really want to know.  People here are too lethargic to complain about the heat in a grammatically accurate and acceptable manner, so it is common to hear people say simply, "too much hot."  (Yes, these people are grown-ups.)

So last Wednesday, the nurse at school called me to tell me that Tommy had vomited and that I should go get him.  (This was after Lulu was out of school for two days -- remember the hives? -- so I was less than thrilled, for both our sakes.)  By the time I got there, he was in fine form and returned home to play Lego for a solid three hours.  He never even asked to watch television, that's how fine he felt.  His teacher emailed me to ask how he was doing, and I replied that I suspected that he had become overheated.  She said that she thought that's what had happened as well.

Imagine my surprise and frustration, then, when about one minute after I sat down with my friend Leigh and a glass of wine (it's Friday here!), I received a call from the school nurse this afternoon at 4:30.  (Tommy does "Book and Cook" club on Thursdays, so he takes the activity bus home from school later than normal.)  She explained that he had a headache and felt like he was going to vomit and could I come pick him up?  I said I thought he was just too hot and could he please just take the bus?  But then she put him on the phone and he had to leave to vomit.  So I put my glass of wine in the fridge and drove to school.  I should note here that I had only had - literally - two sips of wine OTHERWISE I WOULD NOT HAVE DRIVEN and my poor kid would've just barfed on the bus the whole way home.  When I arrived, he was obviously feeling quite badly.  He was pale and sleeping (so I took some time to interrogate the poor nurse about his symptoms and what she suspected was wrong with him), and when I woke him up he vomited again.  Then he vomited some more in the car but I have been around the block my friends and I brought a bowl with me (none of this leaky plastic bag business in my car, thankyouverymuch) and I had the AC on high which mostly covered the smell and we made it home.  He vomited for, say, another hour and then at 6:30 a switch in his little body flipped and he started begging for food.  I let him have a piece of buttered toast and then we started the bedtime routine and he is now sleeping.

But you know what? I am pissed off, and that school is going to hear about it.  Whoever heard of little kids playing outdoors in 45 degree heat, even if the playgrounds are covered? Why can't they go in one of the gyms?  There MUST be a better way and I am dedicating myself to figuring out what it is.  I don't think my kid (or any kid, for that matter!) should have to suffer from heatstroke once a week.

House Tour 2: up the stairs and Tommy & Lulu's room

Tommy and Lizzie's room isn't finished yet - they still need some wall decor and Tommy needs some new sheets and and and. BUT they seem to really like it in there and play happily for long periods. The scene here quickly deteriorated as Tommy wanted to play Lego and Lizzie wanted to play hair salon. (You can see that there's a balcony beyond the dresser, and our room has a door onto the same balcony. The kids door is locked.)

"Parents, Poetry + Punch"

This morning Eli and I went to Tommy's school for "Parents, Poetry + Punch."  Tommy was very excited; so excited that he woke up at 5:30 and showed up in our room already dressed (we picked his clothes out the night before as they were asked to wear 'nice attire' and Tommy wanted to 'dress like Daddy').

My kids are funny

When I picked up Lulu yesterday her teacher stopped me to tell me about her day. It seems our Lulu is learning from her melodramatic brother, because when it was time to tidy up the toy room and go outside, Lulu informed Miss Olivia that her heart had been broken when forced to part with her toy. (Tommy loves to tell me that his heart is broken when I am asking him to do something horrible, like wash his hands before dinner.)

Tommy informed Eli and me this morning that he has different priorities now that he is six and not five. I have no idea if he knows what he was saying but it made us both laugh. (As far as I can tell his priorities are exactly the same.)

House Tour 1: entry & nook

These photos show the front door and the room on the other side of the wall that the brown mirror (in the front door picture) is hanging on. It's off the kitchen and it was hard for us to figure out. But we are happy to have the table. This room is furnished entirely by Ikea and likely we will leave the table and bookcase when we move.