FAMILY AND FUN - PART THREE

Even with guests, we still have a routine that needs to be followed (at least if we want to feed them!!).  Saturday is Market Day, so we bundled up (another clear but cold day) and went to the market.  Sam's taking French in school this year so was excited to practice what he's learning.  Unlike me, he wasn't afraid at all of practicing when purchasing something or selecting a hot chocolate.  His French teacher would be proud.

After getting things put away, we boarded a commuter train to Meudon, a small town in the southwestern suburbs of Paris where Rodin had a home.   It's a cute little city housing about 45,000 people.  The signs to the site were initially well marked...until they weren't!  So up, down and around til, voila, there it was!!

A tree-lined street in Meudon

The grounds were pretty and included, not only Rodin's home, but his atelier housing many of his sculptures.

A moment of quiet and solitude in this pretty place

I love when there's something to make it real for children

This was an area where you could touch some reproductions of Rodin's pieces.  It was kind of fun and something the boys enjoyed.  And it was also interesting just to see how the work looked and felt close up.

I was so disappointed in the residence.  We couldn't go upstairs where, evidently, the kitchen (which I always love seeing) and bedrooms were.  It didn't take long to browse through the eating areas and a small living room.

A little rest for the weary and...where is a Starbucks??!!!!

I'm not sure where the boys (or husbands!) were but I imagine Nikki and I were more concerned with "wish we had a Starbucks" as we sit in this pretty garden!!!!

Alas, no Starbucks, but once we got back in our neighborhood, ice cream and crepes were on the menu....

Levi is serious about those crepes!

Seriously, doesn't that look delicious!!!

Levi opted for a Nutella crepe and Sam and I shared a delicious banana split (we admitted later we each could have eaten our own!!!!) and we had, of course, hot chocolates!!!  A perfect ending to our day!!

The next day was Sunday and after church and a cafe lunch across the street from the Jardins des Tuileries, located between the Louvre and the the Place de la Concorde, we split up and Nikki, Scott and Sam visited the Musee de l"Orangerie, where Sam wanted to see Monet's "Water Lilies".  While they did that (David and I had already seen it), we took Levi to the Jardins where we found the perfect place...

...trampoline cages!!!  He loved it!  And afterwards, a treat was definitely in order....

I'm dressed more for February than April!

...chocolate/vanilla swirl ice cream cone!!!  Hard to believe, I know, but it was a little too cold for me!!

We strolled the gardens before meeting up with the rest of our gang and catching a bus to another area of the city.  Once off the bus we went through Passage Jouffroy and walked through Pain d'Epice, a really unique toy store where Levi made a purchase, a stop at Hard Rock Cafe so Sam could pick up a t-shirt and, finally, Galeries Lafayette.  Sam had really wanted to see one of our large department stores and the domed ceiling of Galeries is fantastic.  A few euros were spent (!!!) and then it was home, sweet home!!!

We packed a lot into the day,  but there was a little for everyone and that makes a good day!