My Worst Nightmare

This is only up during the Holidays 

     What a WEEK! I am so happy that it is over and I can start this next week fresh and new. This has been the most stressful week since I arrived in Paris almost two and a half months ago. It is such a long story that I’m just going to jump in and describe my week. Sorry to all of you who are reading this story for the second time.

      

     I spent a good amount of my free time looking at school for next semester. I need more French classes since the ones that I am taking are not helping me enough, and I have the time to work on them. I am also going to try to apply for a Communications Internship for next semester while also attempting a few online classes. Hey, I might as well work on my major when I have time right. J Also, because I am still in the process of getting into the French governments system I will need to have a medical checkup which I pay for with stamps.

     I also hear the Utah got a really big snow storm this week! It's funny, while living in Utah I'm not a big fan of the snow. Now that I'm away from it, I miss it very much! Although, I don't miss driving in the snow!

     Thursday was without a doubt the worst day I have had in Paris. This MAJOR event set the mood for the week, and it didn’t get much better from that.

Beautiful Brittany 

     I have been a bit cross with the kids lately. They have been having a hard time listening to me and it has really gotten on my nerves. Well this day was the KING of all days. Every time we go to the metro I try to hurry and collect there metro cards, before they lose them, but Daniel always wants to play with his. I was focused on getting them through and on to the train as quickly as possible, and Daniel was playing with his metro card on the escalator. Right as I was reaching up to get the pass from him, he lets it go and we all watch as it slides all the way down the side of the escalator to the bottom! There is no turning around to get it, and as soon as we get to the top I have to move so I’m not in the way of those behind me. I go around and stand on the other side of the railing next to the escalator with Daniel right beside me, and I'm trying to see if I can lean over to see the pass. I can't.

     Now, all of the following is happening at the same time: I look up to see Aimée standing at the end of the escalator, looking down it. I turned to talk to Daniel, explaining how this is exactly why he needs to listen to me the first time. The train pulls up and a big group of people get off right where we were standing. There are people all around the Metro; some getting on and some getting off. As soon as the train has pulled away and the people have cleared out, I look up to see that Aimée is gone.

Someone in France has an interesting
sense of humor. These are on a lot of statues
around Paris 

     I have never felt such terror in my life than I did right at that moment. Of course the missing metro pass seemed unimportant now, as I am searching the station for Aimée. I realize after a minute or two that she must have gotten on the train.

     I drag Daniel through the station (and I should mention that I am also towing two very large backpacks) to the ticket/information counter where I ask if they speak English. I know there is no way I'm going to be able to pull out the vocabulary to explain what has happened. Of course, they do not. SO I have to talk to them through Daniel (who is six). As soon as Daniel told them we have a missing girl, the man is on the radio describing Aimée with the details that we are providing him.

     Next, I called Cecile. There is nothing worse than calling the mother of the children you are caring for and telling her that you lost one. I explained what happened and she tells me that in an event like this they told Aimée to go to the next station get off and wait. Again because of my poor French, I then pass her to the controller and they talk for a minute. The only thing I’m left with when I get the phone back is “stay calm, and keep me informed.”

     I stay calm. I don’t need to freak out. It won’t help anything, but I am losing my mind. I LOST ONE OF THE CHILDREN!

Booth on the Champs-Élysées. I don't know what they
are, but they are really good!   

     In the meantime the man has turned off his open sign and is on the radio with several controllers trying to locate her, asking me lots of questions. Daniel was very good to answer them all and ask me when he didn't know what to say. Finally, the guy gives me the thumbs up and says they found her. She was at next stop. When she noticed I wasn’t there she had gotten off to wait for me. Keep in mind, she is eight years old. They told me to go pick her up, but that I was going to need to talk to the Police.

     I call Cecile to tell her that they found her and that the police might call her to confirm that she can go with me since they weren't sure if she was trying to run from me. We waited about a half hour for the police to come (they would not let me talk to Aimée until they came) and after answering a lot of question I was finally able to take them both home.

     While we were waiting the lady at the booth told me that Aimée did exactly what she was suppose too. She got off the train at the next stop and went straight to the booth and told them she was lost. I was so proud of her.

     At this point I am exhausted. From the time I lost her until I found her was about 10 minutes. From the time I got to her until she was allowed to come home with me was about 45 minutes.

     Aimée didn't cry or have any problems. She just told me what she did. While she was looking down the escalator a group of teenaged boys came up and asked her if she has lost a Metro pass. She said yes and they gave it to her. She had the pass and thought that I had gotten on the train so she got on. By the time she realized that I wasn't there, she had to make the decision to get off. So all was there and all was OK. It just took a lot of work to get it right.

     I was still really stressed. Mad at myself for letting this happen and worried about what Cecile was going to say when we got home.

     We started working on homework as soon as we got home. The first thing Cecile did when she got home was give Aimée a hug and the second thing she did was come give me a hug. She said that it could have happened to anyone and that it was all OK now. It was something that we all needed to learn from.

My new friend Joanna

     I explained the whole story to her later and she was impressed with how quickly I responded, how Aimée knew to get off at the next stop, and that the police wouldn't release her too me until they had spoken with Cecile. It was all very well done. She went on to tell me about things that have happened when she was watching the kids. I am so grateful that everything worked out. It was the scariest thing that has ever happened to me. 

     It was two days later that I picked up the kids again. It was the first time since the lost child incident. Before we started going I pulled them both aside and explained the rules for our journey home. No running, make sure you can all ways see me, no playing on the escalator, and most important stay together. It was a successful trip.

     This has been a big week full of lessons on listening for the kids. And for me to know to NEVER let my guard down. This could have turned out much worse than it did. I also realize that I don't really know what to do when the kids get hurt or sick. I’m surprised it was nothing that Cecile and I had ever discussed. Now I know. I know what to do and the kids know what to do.

     Sadly, the week isn’t over yet.

     On Friday I was warming up some macaroni that Cecile had made for the kids the night before, and the oven mitt slipped and I ended up grabbing it with the wrong side of the cloth. It was the thinner side of the cloth. I have been burnt before, but nothing like this. I imminently ran my hand under cool water for 15 minutes, and it felt fine. I kept making dinner, but after 5 minutes the pain came back. For the next hour and a half I was switching between cooking dinner for the kids, taking care of them, feeding them, cleaning the kitchen, putting them to bed, and having to run to the sink every 5 minutes to give my hand some relief.

Champs-Élysées Christmas Market 

     It was all four fingers that got burnt, and it got to the point that I thought I was going to pass out from the pain. I thought about calling someone to come help me. By the way this whole time Cecile and Alain were at a play and were unreachable. Not that I would have called them. If it were one of the kids, then yes, I would have tried to call them, but I'm a big girl and I can handle pain.

     My hand felt like it was on fire. There was nothing that I could do to make it feel better, except stand with cool water running over it. I had no pain medication, and no way of getting help. The first 10 websites I looked at said that if it was still painful after 30 minutes, then a trip to the hospital was needed or there would be permanent damage. Meanwhile, I am calmly getting the kids down to bed and cleaning the kitchen. Then I stood in my bathroom with cool water running over my shaking hand, trying to find anything on the internet that would help. It had to be house hold stuff that I could easily find. The website called earthclinic.com had a lot of home remedies. The number one thing for burns was aluminum foil. I thought that was very weird, but was very desperate and decided to try it. As soon as it was wrapped around my fingers the pain was gone. I have never seen anything like that! In the morning there was no pain and all I had were blisters. I am so happy that I didn't have to call the emergency room.

There was a whole booth of things made out of Chocolate.
There were tools, scissors, and camera's, all out of
Chocolate! 

     To top off my week, while the parents were out last night Aimée came to me at 9:00 pm to announce that she was sick and had thrown up. That was the cherry a top the end of a very bad week.

     This week was also drama filled with my family. I’m sure those of you who are friends with my mom heard most of it, but the biggest was that my dear sweet dog lost an eye this week. She is no longer in pain so that is all that matters. I can’t help but think that I was very close to that same conclusion 3 months ago, and I ended up recovering with no side effects. Sending love to my one eyed puppy.

     I also missed my brother in his first High School play! He was Nana in Peter Pan. It’s been hard to miss the little things.

     On a less depressing and gross note, I had a wonderful time seeing Paris with my Friends. After all that drama, it was nice to see them and tell them about my mistake! Well everyone except Sara! And it was her birthday! The day we were supposed to meet she got sick, and I felt so bad for her. It’s not fun being sick, especially since we work where we live. I did get to see a movie this week and that was a new experience.  

     I went with Brittany to the American Church in Paris yesterday, because they were having a Christmas craft market. It was really nice and interesting. It was weird to hear so much English. We talked with a lady who is from Michigan. She said that her and her husband were going to be moving back home after living in Paris for 14 years. He is going to be retiring and they can't afford to live here anymore. She says that once you experience living in another country especially Paris your life is never really the same. Home is never really home anymore. Yet Paris will never fully be your home, and you just wonder in this in-between space. I feel that way, but she made it sound more negative then I think it really is. I don't think I will be the same because I have learned so much about who I am and what I want. Home will always be Utah, but I think I can also make a new home. I feel lost, but not in a bad way. I feel like things will never be the same, but I'm not scared of the future anymore. I know I can be happy anywhere.

     Today after church I met up with Emily as she introduced me to her friend Joanna. I have been so lucky to meet wonderful people! The three of us walked a lap around Paris. I was so tired when I came home, but it was so fun! On the Champs-Élysées they were having a BIG Christmas market that looks like it will be up until Christmas. There was food, hot drinks, amusement rides for the kids, soap stands, toy stands, jewelry and hat stands… it was very fun. We loved it so much that we missed our chance at getting into a fun art exhibit that was what we had originally planned. I’m so excited to go see the street at night while it’s decorated!

     Well thank goodness this week won’t be as hard as this last week, and it’s Thanksgiving! I’m doing something with the family (they don’t celebrate it here for obvious reasons) and I’m so excited to show you all the pictures and stories. Whew! So happy this week is over.