We just returned from our holiday trip to Paris, France.  Romantic? Idyllic?  Pleasurable? 

Not with kids. 

We’d just arrived at our rented apartment, signed the paperwork, and received the key when I hear a cry of pain from the kids’ bedroom.

“Mooooommm!!!  Annika fell off the bunk-bed!!”

Fudge.  (My exact word)

The first hour in the city of lights and my daughter manages to break her leg.  One stinking hour. Needless to say many of our plans were shot down as it was extremely difficult to get around town with an invalid, especially a city with as many stairs as Paris has. 

Her sister, Eva, was upset because of the lack of attention, and she immediately became a pain-in-the-craw to everyone around her.  Her brother, who hadn’t seen either of them in five months, quickly lost patience with the screaming, fighting and whining.  We’d only been there a few hours but I could tell he was ready to send us home.

While Annika was getting her cast and ‘crotches’ (her mispronunciation) at a nearby clinic, I took Eva out shopping on Rue Cler right next to our apartment.  It was like night and day getting Eva by herself, she literally blossomed and I started to enjoy the city through my daughter’s eyes.

She skipped along the street, managing to avoid the ever-present dog doo-doo, and pushed her nose up on the glass windows to peer in at the boulangeries, pattiseries, toy stores, florists and so on.  She entranced the people so much that she was given a free ride on a mechanical horse, given free samples of candy and was told how ‘mignon’ or cute she was several times. 

Really? 

I saw their point when we visited the florist and Eva picked out some pink tulips (PINK, Momma!!!).  I had my hands full with Christmas dinner so Eva happily carried the bouquet down the cobble-stoned street.  Her cheeks matched the hue of the petals due to the cold, but she whistled all the way back to the apartment. 

I tried to remember that rare moment later on during tantrums in the Louvre, in front of Notre Dame, at Euro Disney, in the airport…

Print Friendly