Friday, March 2, 2012

Come on, get a rhythm

Starting to get into a bit of a rhythm and routine. Which I love. I just lap it up. It goes something like this...

Luuk gets up with Louis, gives him breakfast...
7am-ish. I join them, put Louis in the shower with Luuk (every other day or so), then when they're done we have breakfast.
Luuk heads off to work.
Louis has milk and plays while I have coffee and write my journal (usually interrupted)
Louis goes to bed.
I finish writing journal/drinking coffee, then jump in the shower (minus any actual jumping. The coffee is no magic potion.)
Dressed, I open blinds and let the light in, tidy up a bit, and then do my work for the day.
Housework/writing/drawing/whatever...
If Louis wakes early, I try to keep him entertained with food/toys/tv so I can keep working.
If he wakes around 11 then we go out... first stop the boulinger/pattiser for some bread, next stop the park. 



Louis plays in the playground (honestly: just the sandpit. Even the slide can't compete with getting dirty and damp) while I read and nibble on the bread.
Home for lunch. Louis cries as we leave playground but I placate him with jam sandwiches when we get home. I have yummy fresh bread with ham/salami and cheese. So very simple; so very good.
Then we either head out to do errands – shopping for groceries, usually, to be honest – or we stay home, play together... till 1.30ish. (Later if we've gone out again.)
Bed time! For both of us. Though I read a bit, or watch some tv while Louis nods off. Nothing worse than trying to sleep while I baby is doing the same in the next room. Especially when that baby occasionally starts blowing raspberries/crying/talking/whimpering... just to mess with you.
Big long nap...
If we stayed home after lunch, then we go to do errands after the nap. It is the best time of day to shop because everything is open – the poissonerie, all the traiteurs, charcuteries, boucheries, patisseries, choclateries (danger will robinson)... ah, the temptation.
Home for a little playtime/frenchFriends time then Louis has his dinner, I make our dinner and Luuk get's home.

Louis helping with the housework (watching the washing machine - reason I now love front-loaders!)

lasagne for dinner! (Was fantastic with riccotta and emmental in the white sauce, awesomely good beef mince from the boucherie on the main street, and 'epinard' - spinach - from the fruit/veg shop on the corner.

We eat dinner, Louis eats dessert then has his bottle while we do the dishes.
Louis goes to bed and we do a french lesson.
French lesson reward: dessert and an episode of Castle.
Then, if we're very good and only watched one episode of Castle, we read in bed.

Morning is totally different if we go to a coffee group, as they tend to start at 9.30am. Louis has a short little morning sleep and then I get him up and drag him off in search of wherever coffee group is hosted. Usually get home in time for lunch and napping. But the afternoon goes similarly after that. Louis tends to nap for ages because of active morning... fine by me!

Day also gets thrown off if we're expecting a delivery, like today... it's still not here. Gr. But when it arrives we will have a printer and voila! I'll be able to send off query letters and manuscripts and other important things. (Well, once we get paper and ink...)

And so it goes. I've been tired a lot – pregnancy related I'm sure, but I can think of a few other contributing factors: culture shock, language challenges, I'm walking more than I used to, and I'm not sleeping consistently well. So I'm trying to to push myself too hard. It's great getting outdoors every day and exploring this fascinating and beautiful area... as well as trying all sorts of culinary delights as a result.

Today is Art-Thursday, and I have sketched the Traiteur nearest to our apartment, where I've stopped in a couple of times – once for dinner-supplies, once for lunch (in hope of being close enough to the council buildings to access their free wifi).

The two older guys who work there are very friendly and their food - wow! I'm looking forward to being able to try the dolmades when I'm no longer pregnant. In the meantime, the fragrant potato dish, the tomatoey Bulgar wheat, the tender and tantalising chicken wings... oh yes please.

Fortunately, I am now equipped to use internet at home, though with limited data... via my shiny new cell phone. It's such a relief to be re-connected to the world. And my blog will undoubtedly get more regularly updated. I imagine it will be one of those things I try to do while Louis is awake and either playing happily by himself, or trying to coerce me into joining him (by bringing me a selection of his toys – how can you resist, mum? - or whimpering until I put him on my lap and give him attention).

Miraculously, he is currently playing happily by himself, fishing in the railing of the sliding door with his sticky little fingers. Possibly trying to get out onto the porch. That might be the closest to outdoors he gets today, if the printer doesn't show up soon.

PS. It's the first day of spring. I think, if we do get out, I may have to buy us flowers to celebrate (and I can put them in the vase Luuk got me for valentines day... now that we've eaten all the lollies.)

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