Daddy Cool #FêteDeLaMusique
For the fourth year in a row, Sound Policy did a live gig outside the Coolin' pub in Paris' 6th arrondissement for the fête de la musique. For the fourth year in a row, the weather was rotten.
I've made every effort to attend again and again whenever I've been in the country, but this year I thought Small Fry would prove my ultimate excuse.
Instead, La Moz extended her role babysitting, and I went off to video this:
And like all those other years, we got home way too late. Except this time we had to get up with the baby at 6am. 3 hours of sleep? True rockers.
I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes #WetWetWet
Before, it is 23 degrees. During, it is 21 degrees. After, it is 28 degrees. What am I?
Answer: one of the really wierd summer thunderstorms to have come through Paris over the past few days.
The sort of summer storm that turns the sky green with dark, boiling and bubbling clouds. The first drops of rain come just a few seconds before the first sheets of rain that soak you in seconds. And then afterwards it's even more humid than before. Maybe just an hour later, the streets are dry, it's boiling hot and you are wearing ALL the wrong clothes.
For the most part I managed to avoid the downpours...until yesterday. By the time I got home I looked like I'd just come out of a shower fully-clothed. At least the rain is warm so I don't think this one will result in a summer cold. I should really write 'summer' cold, as it's been the oddest summer I've ever had....
Biding my time #NextTimeI'mGoingToACafé
These days, getting Small Fry to look like this is hard work. Teeth No. 1 and 2 are boldly making their way into the world and leading to a very girny baby with stinky nappies.
That's how I found myself slouched in the hall catching up with facebook on the phone while the baby slept...no way was I going to wake that pretty little sleeping thing up.
When the cat's away #Homemaker?!
Well, when the cat's away, the mice should really play...except tthat last night it was El Puma playing his gee-tar all night at band practise while I did this:
- Last night's stir-fry dinner
- El Puma's stir-fry lunch today
- Satay sauce to be frozen for a future meal (as I had the ingredients out for the stir-fry anyway)
- Small Fry's future hake and pea lunches for freezing plus one for lunch today
- Steamed fingers of carrots for Small Fry's snacks
- Apricot purée
- A jar of apple purée
- And one beer as a reward
It's a full-time job this!
Free Flow #OhDearCan'tWashUp
This was what our sink looked like at 6pm...having washed the dishes at 8am and not added any water to it all day:
El Puma had to come home with two bottles of sink deblocker and eventually it shifted. All rather strange as it blocked from one day to the next rather than building up over time. Thankfully it's sorted and just meant a longer-than-usual washing up duty for daddy.
Splat #AddingUpThisWeek
I love those doorway bouncer things where you strap in the baby and it bounces around using its tippitoes. One of my earliest memories of my littlest sister was her in one of those (I also remember holding her for the first time, trying to teach her to crawl and her first steps pushing a rolling wagon thing). When we were in America, Momma B kindly gave us hers and it's been attached to our bathroom door frame pretty much ever since.
Being at home alone has meant strapping Small Fry in myself, which I don't always find that easy. It requires angling his body in so that his legs go either side of the 'seat' and his body doesn't get tangled in the various wires, all while making sure I don't drop him until the strap is done up. It's just as much of a hassle trying to get him out again but I think there aren't many shortcuts.
Well, today there were two of us at home and four hands, so I thought he may as well have a wee jumping session. Now that he knows what it's for, Small Fry was eager to get on with it, and as soon as we got him into the seat he started trying to bounce. I was still trying to get his arms through the right wires while daddy was sorting out the straps, and I'm not quite sure exactly how it happened, but I guess the system was no longer under tension as we tried to manoeuver the baby. I suddenly heard the brackets come off the door frame, and as they are made of metal and quite heavy, I instinctively shut my eyes and turned my head away. Part of it certainly knocked me on the head and it took daddy's glasses off, but when I opened my eyes, the most important thing was that Small Fry was spreadeagled on the floor, face first, and clearly in the midst of a silent scream. Shamefully, as my eyes were shut and my sense of self-preservation turned me away, I have no idea how he got there. In theory I had him by the waist and El Puma had him by the arms, but somehow the bracket falling moved the supporting wires (or whatever, who knows) and the baby face planted on to the join between the hall and the bathroom.
Of course I got to him right away, both of us parents horrified at our incompetence, and even more so once we realised the poor little guy was hurt from landing on his head. He's got track marks that lead to a nice little bruise. We got ice on it and he got a feed and to be honest we find him to be a sturdy little thing. But still, quite a week.
At least he'd all recovered by lunchtime in the park (although the bruise and the egg were just starting to come up)
Scorchin' #TanLines
Hello 30 degrees. You came out of nowhere, but you are very, very welcome.....except when I've got a ton of walking to do and forget that hands attached to buggy handles burn.
A bump and a snort #Outtakes
Another set of firsts yesterday. We were at German toddler group with me kneeling and Small Fry nestled between my legs for support. Just then, one of the little girls took some of her first steps and we all turned to applaud. Which is when I heard an almight 'clunk' and the hiss of air passing through teeth as the adults all grimaced. Sure enough, Small Fry had somehow twisted himself when I wasn't looking and keeled over on to his head. He vocalised my ineptitude quite strongly, but I suppose it will only be the first of many bumps to the head...especially if we stay in France. This is what still passes for a fun spare-time activity:
I thought I was making up for it later by having a good play and tickle with him, although apparently it got a bit intense. I know this because he vomited. Also from his nose. It was like one of those things you see on 'You've Been Framed'. Poor guy. He was a bit bemused by the whole thing. Maybe all these activities are tiring him out as that's the third night he's slept right through. Not that I recommend a bump to the head of course.
Stick to the cute stuff #ZZZZZ
I can't believe it. Small Fry s l e p t t h r o u g h t h e n i g h t. Unfortunately, both his poor father and I were too tired to celebrate, despite the full night's sleep. What irony.
We put him to bed as usual at 19h30 last night and managed to stick to our self-imposed early night (when it became clear that SF was still going to wake at 4am even though he wasn't going to get a feed, the only solution that enabled us to function well the next day was to go to bed earlier). When I finally heard him gurgle and begin the first sounds that develop into "FEED ME NOW" cries, I couldn't decide if it was around midnight or 4am. Turns out it was 5.59am. He did a w h o l e n i g h t. I know many parents whose young 'un slept through the night from just a few weeks old, but for us it's a big deal. No promises that he'll be able to manage a second in a row, but we are hoping.
Maybe it was all that extra sleep, but today he attempted a range of acrobatic turns before finally succumbing to the land of the afternoon zzzzs. He can turn himself on to his back and get back on to his front, but usually only one of them in the available cot space. I must have gone in at least 10 times to right him from a face plant into the mattress, face plant into the bars, face plant between the bars, face plant between the bars and mattress (somehow), face plant with his legs stuck through the bars, face plant with his arms stuck through the bars, face plant traverse, failed face plant due to the side bars etc etc.
Why can't he just stick to the cute stuff?:
Summer Firsts #AboutTimeToo
Finally, finally, the sun has come out. So here are our summer firsts:
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| First ice-cream |
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| First picnic in the park |
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| First rosé champagne of the summer (thank you mothers' day!) |
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