Snow In Paris

By Tuesday, the snow had rolled into Paris.  I am still very protective of Liam so being super cold walking around all day makes me nervous he will get sick.  I have also been battling a cold since we arrived a month ago (wow! a MONTH ago!).  Bobby and Amelie are not as easily hindered. They decided set off inspire of the snowy cold weather to the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie (Science Museum with the fun hands-on kid play area).  The metro entrance is right by the museum so they did not have to be out in the cold for very long.  However, instead of going straight to the museum, they detoured to get a fun picture in front of the Eiffel Tower while it was snowing.  Once finally at the museum, they got to explore areas that we didn't get to see as a family when we were there the previous week in addition to allowing Amelie to burn some energy in the kids area (which was a lot less crowded on this day...go figure!).  They went into the Planetarium and the da Vinci exhibit.  They had an entire day of fun daddy/daughter time.  Liam and I stayed home. I was able to do schoolwork and work around the house...don't worry...I like being able to check things off my todo list!

This looks like a lot of fun, right?!

On Wednesday, the snow was still around, but we all needed to get out of the house.  We went to story time at the American Library.  We often run late to events, but we were actually out of the house on time.  What we did not factor in was that the sidewalks (and streets but we don't travel on those any more) were covered in ice and snow.  Pushing a stroller (both of us have one mind you) through the snow is very difficult work.  I must have had cabin fever as I could not hold it together.  I laughed almost the entire 1.5 hour walk to the library. At the last minute, we decided to change our route because we thought it would save time.  However, the metro line that we rode had a bazillion stops and was fairly crowded.  The benefit was that it let us out near the Eiffel Tower at the Trocadero Garderns.  The American library is a block away from the Eiffel Tower on a little side street.  I love that every week we will definitely be seeing and walking under the Tower.  I also love walking in the neighborhood and seeing the Tower peeking around the buildings as we walk.  The drawback for today's walk was that the marble tiles and steps through Trocadero gardens were covered with snow/ice sludge.  I wore black boots that have absolutely no traction.  There was actually a point on an inclined plane that I could not walk up...Bobby had to come pull the front of the stroller so that I could skate up behind it.  Luckily, this is a highly touristy area so we fit right in as silly Americans!  Liam had not been out in the snow the previous day like Amelie so he wanted out of the stroller in the worst way.  We finally gave in and allowed them both to play for a while.  The sun was shining and although it was cold it was not bone chilling cold.  Isn't the sun an amazing thing?!  Amelie and Liam squealed and played while I snapped as many photos as I could.  Amelie and Bobby threw snowballs at each other as this was one of Amelie's greatest desires for the winter...to make a snowball.  

Making snowballs from the snow on the bench and lobbing them at each other.

He likes posing for pictures...for a second.
See how beautiful the sky is?  The sun is out and it makes all the difference!

We did make it to the library for the last 5 minutes of story time.  At this point, they were working on the craft activity. The craft was making a leprechaun hat.  We stuck around for an hour or so longer, after everyone left, and read books and played games. Another family with children close to Amelie and Liam's age came in, and we had a fun conversation with them.  (Any conversation that is more than a sentence with another adult other than each other is fun for us at this point! Haha!)  We are glad that we have become members of the library.

Amelie picking out the books for the coming week. 

Liam contentedly reading in a chair.  They also have a little nook under the stairs with a little chair and stuffed animals in it.  He likes to go in the cubby and read there too.

It's a blurry picture, but they would not stand still and it was too cute not to share.