This had to happen eventually....

I believe my nomination for father of the year took a major hit today.

Before anyone panics, Samuel is fine.  As for me, I am not sure.

There is not easy way to admit it other than just write it.  Samuel fell off the couch today.  It is about a 12 inch drop onto a hardwood floor.  He is fine.  The floor is fine.

He was taking a nap on the couch while I worked on the computer and the next thing I knew I heard a loud thud.  Samuel had silently woken up and rolled off the couch.

Okay, start the cyber yelling. I deserve it.  I am seriously disappointed in myself. I know these things will happen but it is disturbing when someone puts all his trust in you and you let them down.

-Dave, AKA bad dad

Samuel's room

These are pictures of Samuel's decorated room.  It is a safari theme.  I know the pictures do not show a great amount of details.  If you want to see the details you should come for a visit.

Same day(continued)......

Samuel has been napping since he ate his lunch.

While were at the Carreau this morning we saw our first christmas display.  Tacky christmas items in Paris?

While we were walking home we noticed 4 women and their children passionately staring into a store front.  As we walked past we saw that the store was being converted into a toy store.

The weather is nice today so when Samuel awakens we will walk to a store called La Ferme(the farm) which supposedly stocks american and british items.  We have been to the two best known American stores in Paris and they are well stocked but exorbitantly priced.  A snickers bar cost 5 euros.  Ouch!

-Dave

Good day and bad day......

Apologies for not posting updates of our daily activity.  Will try to be more diligent in the future.

Samuel and I went shopping this morning.  first to Monoprix where we were able to find evaporated milk for making pumpkin pies for American Thanksgiving.  Had the usual incidents of people being rude.  I have developed a retort which i hope is keeping me sane.  When someone does something terribly rude;this morning Samuel and I were standing in front of the butter section and a woman came up and stood directly in front of us, so close that the back of her head was in Samuel's face.  She did not immediately take anything off the shelf and move on.  She stood in front of us for at least 15 seconds.  When something like this happens I tell Samuel not to worry he will not grow up to be a Parisian.  I say it loud enough for the person to hear me.  Unfortunately, I have to say it English.  Hopefully, soon I will be able to say it in French.

I know it is immature to do what I do but I need to let the frustration out and pushing people would just end up with Samuel and I in jail.  I do feel better for having vented.

The rest of the morning was very good.  We were out for only 45 minutes and we went to Monoprix the Carreau(an indoor covered market) and the florist.  We were able to do all this and be out less than 45 minutes.

I was assertive at the Carreau:something I usually am not when dealing with the French, when the vendor started to give me small potatoes when I had asked for 'plus grande". We need plus grande as we are attending the American Church's multicultural couples Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday and we have volunteered to bring mashed potatoes and .........drum roll ...................... Jello Salad.  Yes!!!!!!!!

Samuel is hungry.  Time for apple.  Papa will also have to change his shirt.

Will post more later today.

TTFN

-Dave

Guy Fawkes, the French version

Above are pictures taken during the Standard Athletic Clubs Guy Fawkes celebration.  I am very depressed that Samuel's first exposure to fireworks was in celebrating an English holiday observed in France.  I will never be able to live down the shame. ;)

The club did their best to stage a proper event but the mostly French staff was lacking in experience.  The bon fire was small and poorly designed.  It was 9 pallets stacked on top of each other, with paper stuffed between the pallets.  They attempted to light the paper with long matches.  Unfortunately it was a cold, wet and windy evening.  As they lit one spot, left to light another, the previous spot slowly died. Eventually someone threw a flammable liquid onto the embers and the bonfire was ignited.  According to my British wife a faux pas of major importance was observed as the Guy Fawkes effigy began to burn and fell off the bonfire onto the ground.  Very, very bad manners.  

The club is a very nice club.  Tennis courts, soccer pitches, swimming pools, a nice clubhouse.

Unfortunately, it is located in Meudon, a suburb south of Paris.  It has no nearby train, bus or RER service.  If we wanted to be join we could only attend events on weekends.  They do offer kids play and exercise classes during the week but Samuel and I would not be able to attend.

The club did offer fireworks after the bonfire.  The fireworks themselves were better than I expected(but my expectations were very low). However, for some unknown reason, the fireworks were set off to a soundtrack of what sounded like a Madonna dance-mix.  Very distracting and disturbing while watching fireworks with children running around.

We spent part of today decorating Samuel's room(Thank you, Beth & Bob).  Pictures will be posted soon, not only of Samuel's room but of the apartment as we are almost moved in.  

-Dave

Samuel is our kid, we cannot deny it.

I left Samuel on his activity mat for a few minutes while I went into the kitchen to prepare his lunch.  When I returned to the living room Samuel had rolled of the mat onto the hardwood floor.  Somehow he had managed to take his fuzzy bee book with him.  He was laying on his stomach, pushing himself up on his elbows giving all appearances of reading the book.  He had also managed to take off one of his socks.

Samuel's first solid food.....

On Saturday November 1st, Samuel had his first real food.  Rice cereal, not sure if I would classify it as real food but our pediatrician does.  The bottom picture above is of the 1st.  The feeding was about as successful as we could have hoped.  Samuel took in about 2 teaspoons of food, we think.  It is difficult to tell how much he actually takes in as you can see a great deal of the cereal remained on his face.

The top picture above is of Julia feeding Samuel today(Sunday 2/11).  The feed went much better today.  First, Samuel took his first bottle from Julia without complaint.  Then he ate all of his rice cereal. It was not much, only a 1/2 teaspoon of rice cereal mixed with 1 ounce of formula but he ate all of it and drank 8 ounces of formula also.  We think he heard the doctor the other day and he is making a concerted effort to take in more calories.

Julia spent most of Saturday steaming and pureeing carrots, potatoes, butternut squash and then freezing it in ice cube trays so that we would have quick, easy meals available during the week.(For any P & G folks reading this, yes, there is a spreadsheet schedule for Samuel's meals.)

Julia and I had date night last night.  We went to a restaurant in the 14th.  Good atmosphere but pedestrian food.  If anyone has a favorite restaurant in Paris we would love to hear about it. The only item we ask is that it be near a metro station as the RER is unreliable on the weekends and we don't want to be stranded with Samuel with a babysitter.

We also have spent a good portion of the weekend hanging pictures on the walls.  The apartment is definitely looking and feeling more like home.  The guest room looks especially nice if anyone is interested in visiting.