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.

First tooth

Samuel's first tooth has broken through,

Pictures to follow.

Standard baby picture