House search update-Friday 15 May

We are looking at  2 more houses this afternoon at 1400.  Both look nice but they both have issues.  The nicest one(from its listing) is very expensive, but huge(260 m squared).  based on what we have read and heard it is our first choice but only if the owners are negotiable on the price.  We are holding out hope that because we are anglo ex-pats that they will be willing to take a lower price with the knowledge that we will take very good care of the house and be good tenants.  We have been given an ultimatum by the owners of the first house we looked at the other day(the only one which we have an interest in renting).  They did want an answer by Thursday evening but we have asked to meet the owners this afternoon(after we look at the other houses) where we expect them to request that we either accept or refuse their lease offer before we leave.  The biggest worry about this house s that there is a small, shallow pond in the backyard and Julia is especially worried about Samuel falling into the water.

It is official(for I think the 4th time).  We ned to move out of Paris and into the burbs. Went to the market this morning with Samuel in the baby bjorn.  The aisles at the market are relatively narrow. When I neared a group of women that were blocking the aisle(one with her elbow on her hip) I said, loudly and sarcastically, Pardon, and they did not move, I said it again and still no movement.  I wrapped my arms around Samuel and lowered my shoulder and pushed my way past them.

I am not happy with my reaction.  I never like it when I lower myself to the standards(?) of others.  I hate what I have allowed this city to do to me.  It has allowed parts of my character that I thought were buried to reach the surface and I am not proud of that fact.

Little things that we noticed when we in the burbs the other day.  The tables at the restaurants are not as close together.  When we weer leaving one house a women was walking down the side street with a baby in a pushchair. When she got close to our car, we ceased trying to get Samuel into his car seat and closed the door so that she would have enough room to pass. She passed and said "Merci"  something that I have not experienced on the street of Neuilly.  Did I mention that we could actually hear birds singing.

TTFN

House search

We looked ata house in Neuilly(where we currently live).  It is located in a private drive.  The highluight was a sun lit dining room and a terrace with green plants.  Unfo0rtunately the 4kitchen was in the basem5ent 5an5d the hou5se had v5ery li5ttle sto5rage space.

Disclaimer-I do know how todvz ffe spell. Samuel is  helping me type this entry.

We spent half of Wednea\sday looking at houses in Le Vesinet.  We found the perfect house. unfortunately the owners, who are American, are only planning on renting for  1 year and we cannot commit to such a short lease.  Another house we looked at was very nice.  large rooms, a sunlit room in the basement that could be used as a massage room.  Very nice garden that we would share with the owners.  Negatives are that there is a pond in the back yard which worries us with Samuel and that the terrace, where the grill would be located, is a long ways from the kitchen which would make it hard for me to grill dinner, cook something in the kitchen and watch Samuel all at the same time.  This house is not perfect but fulfills most of our needs.  We will return to Le Vesinet on Friday afternoon to resume our search.

Samuel is now chewing on the wireless mouse so the typing should improve.  During our house search yesterday we both noted how quiet and peaceful the suburbs were.  We were able to hear the birds singing.  A sound that I had forgotten.  I was disturbed by the noise that I encountered when arriving back to our apartment and leaving the metro station.  Le Vesinet is only a 25 minute RER and Metro ride from where we currently live.  So visits to Paris are very reasonable from the burbs.

Please return soon for more updates.

Picture blog

http://thechartersabroad.shutterfly.com/

The above is a new blog we have created where we can post all of our pictures.  We will post individual small pictures to the blogspot blog but we will, eventually, post all of our pictures, both old and new, to the shutterfly blog.

Moving....Soon

We are moving...either to the suburbs or back to the States.

The space above us has been renovated and this week they moved furniture into the space.  I also believe I have seen people looking at the spaces with intent to rent.  This was confirmed when we went onto the Seloger website, which is a site that lists apartments/homes available for rent/buy in Paris and apartments that sound suspiciously like the ones above us are currently listed as being available immediately.

We have tried to contact our landlord but he has been incommunicado.  Our gardienne believes that the owner upstairs bribed the management company of the building to turn a blind eye while the construction was ongoing.  We have recently learned that our neighbors on our floor have suffered water damage to their kitchen.  The water came from above.  This could only happen if the owner had water facilities installed which our landlord told us he was not allowed to do.

A lawyer that we have contacted has advised us to move as we have no contractual standing as rental tenants.

Needless to say my patience is at its end and I have no desire to live beneath students or immigrant workers who will not share our lifestyle in terms of quiet and sleep hours.  Our doctor on the 2nd floor had his cave(wine cellar) broken into last week as the security of the building has been compromised with the work ongoing above us.

Julia is negotiating with P & G to see if they will move us to the suburbs.  If not, we will be returning to the states as Samuel and our relationship would probably not survive the noise and inconvenience of our new upstairs neighbors.

Bad news....

I know a lot of you have been expecting pictures and stories from our vacation;they are coming, I promise.

But Monday morning I heard the news that a very good friend had passed away and suddenly, updating the blog didn't seem so important.

Bob Nydick was a good man and a good friend.  He leaves behind a loving wife, Cathy, and two precious sons, Wesley and Matthew.  Please pray to whichever God you worship to watch over them in their time of grief and sorrow.

Hug each other and tell each other "I love you" before you go to sleep tonight.

Vacation

Samuel enjoying the sand for the first time.
Mummy and Samuel on the beach.
Samuel on his birthday.

First of all, to Claudia.  Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

The three of us spent a week at the baby club med in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic with the assistance of Julia's friend Claudia who works for Club Med.   After a 9 1/2 hour flight we settled in to a terrific room with a fantastic ocean view.  The room was ideally located next to the baby club.

The baby club is a service provided by this club med where club staffers run a day care. The hours were from 0845-1730.  With exceptions to the regular hours available of the parents were doing an excursion outside of the club property, which we did on Wednesday when we went zip lining and buggy riding.

Samuel had his first girlfriend, according to the ladies at the baby club.  Inez was her name. Apparently they followed each other and fought over the same toys all day long.  Inez gave Samuel his first hickey when she bit him on the hand.

Samuel learned to crawl normally while at club med.  Our room had a tile floor and we think that Samuel found it easier to crawl on his hands and knees on tile than to be on his forearms and knees/calfs.

Birthday party - 15 April

The birthday boy.
Samuel's 1st birthday cake.  In the shape of his favorite toy;the inchworm that he sleeps with.