working dads… tribute to them

So I was thinking about this recently and forgot to write my post. so here we go.

I’d like to pay tribute to working papas, dads and husbands. I think they deserve a little bravo because you know what? We hear so much about working mums, stay at home mums, but actually never ever about the dads. Maybe because they don’t need recognition, maybe because they don’t even care, but somehow I feel like somewhere on THE internet, there should be a place where we thank them.

Nearly 8 months after delivering our amazing little baby, I feel like I am more able to take a look at what happened in those last months in our lives. I’m sure in a few years it will be even better, but by then I will have probably forgot about the intensity of the experience. Which is a good thing. The brain is a very clever machine! Even mine, yes!

AND now I just turned 30, I feel like I might be even better at articulating my ideas. Which is BS but because I tend to view the good sides of things, I focus on the wisdom that apparently (or hopefully I should say) fills you with age, instead of the wrinkles.

So here we go. I am sitting right now on my porch, in the “sun” (we are in Portland. Sun right now is behind a curtain of clouds and I’m starting to feel really cold BUT I’m wearing sunglasses to warm me up) writing on my blog while baby is napping. pretty perfect, not a usual situation, but I try to make this happen as much as possible before going back to work. And I feel grateful!

I feel grateful that my husband understands how important it was for me to stay with my baby, without making me feel guilty once about it. He could feel jealous, or get depressed about work, or not wanting to wake up in the morning. no. not one time he said anything bad about this situation. I picked a great husband, so that helps, but still. Well dont for becoming the strong man of the family, for bringing the meat in the hut every night, and for making us feel safe and covered for the future! Thanks for being consistent and not asking yourself so many questions about life baby the universe or your hair color, because if it was 2 of us doing that, it would be so much harder!

I am sure that what I describe is only valid for my own family. But I feel like men and women do have certain common traits, and I have notice that the main one is that men do not ask themselves as much question as women do. They act. They move a lot. They experience things differently. They don’t wonder. they just try, hit or miss, and go to the next thing.

sometimes I feel like a feminist because I just love women and their aptitude to multitask and just give so much of themselves to people around them. But men are awesome. Even if they STILL have to figure a way to tidy their clothes, think about using the vacuum, or just generally communicate, they do so much. They try so hard. They are strong, and fascinating. I just love you my dear husband. thanks for being so supportive, for dealing with my maniac attitudes and constant existential questions. Because life will not be the same without being able to hide in your strong arms…

First time parent’s school

So I was trying to nap this afternoon, while Baptiste was enjoying one himself, and I could just not switch off! You know when you are in that state between being awaken and asleep, and you think about random people in your life, random event, random ideas… It’s always quite interesting I find.

Anyway. As a first time parent, I suddenly thought that actually it would be GREAT to have a school for parents. classes for first time parents, but also for other ones who need to be refreshed on stuff, or have to deal with teenagers :). because it is FLIPPIN (I changed the word I used previously… not pretty) HARD to figure out by yourself what you are supposed to do! ok so everyone tells you “oh darlin’, you’ll get it, you will know what is good for your kid, you will just figure it out”

Well no you see. you kind of do but I keep asking to myself, and to my husband questions all the time about the most stupid thing “do you think I should put cream on his butt? do you think he is too warm? too cold? too cute? not cute enough?” and regularly I’m telling myself “STOP! you psycho!! stop this craziness!!”  but it is hard. I feel like until I have another kid (which I cannot even think about right now just because I still haven’t had a full night sleep after 5 months..) I will not be able to take it easy and relax.

Not that I never relax, I do actually often. I’m just never sure if what I do is right or wrong, and that’s where a school for parents will be awesome. you would have awesome parents who have raised amazing kids (shit but what is amazing kids??) and who could tell you if you are going in the right direction. which now I am writing it sounds terribly absurd, wrong and stupid.

but instead of your mother in law, or books written by freaks who try to make money out of your sudden insanity and lack of sleep, you would have recognized successful parents giving you objectives and useful tips on what to do with you baby… and if you pass the final exam you can have another one. 🙂 eheh…or at least just tell you to relax and reassure you. I think that’s why I take advises badly sometimes, because people keep telling you what you should do, but no one actually say hey you’re doing awesome! keep on the good work. or very few. actually the people who tell me that are the people I see very rarely…great

I mean before the baby, you go to 7 classes (!!) at the hospital explaining how to give birth. you do it (you should get also a diploma for that). and then that’s it. bye bye luv’and good luck. great. GREAT! 🙂 so I don’t know… just an idea. anyway. maybe one day it will happen who knows..!! 😀

life, oh life, ohhhh life!!

WOW!!! It’s been nearly a YEAR I did not post anything… since March 14, 2011, that’s crazy! time for an update!

so baby Baptiste is here now. 5 months old in 4 days. I just can’t believe it. He will be going at uni in no time! no Im just kidding 🙂 he is changing and growing all the time though, which is both very fascinating, but also makes me realize how little I change, or I learn everyday. which is terrible! I guess I learn other type of things… like how to be a mum!

anyway, because I have been away for so long I am not going to summarise what happened in the last year. instead I will just share some thoughts I had lately, because yes I’m obsessed with my baby but I still think 🙂

on Motherwood: I thought that I was asking myself too many question before. I thought I was multitasking. I thought I was indecisive. I thought I was impatient. crazy. hated routine. would get suicidal if sleep deprived. well I was so wrong. Motherwood has taught me one thing, is that first you can change, and second you can push your limits much further than you think. when you don’t have the choice, you just deal with things, adapt yourself, or try to, and get on with it! so easy to write this kind of things I love it!

on sleep, kiss and more.. I never realized that they were so crucial. but they are. if you lose track of those two things in your couple, you are dead. that’s why having a kid is so hard! it takes a while to adjust but I believe you clearly have to. it’s like drinking water. as simple as that. again, I love the theory. I’m not saying it’s easy, once you’ve been with your partner for a while.

on sport / moving your body / shaking your ass: unbelievable. I mean seriously I don’t understand how people do live without exercising. it has this crazy magical effect on me that makes me wonder woman. after an hour of sweating, I feel rejuvenated, fresh, sharp, and oh so positive. it’s like a mind shower.

on 2012: for the first time, I have no idea what I am gonna do with this year. I feel like I have a new beautiful notebook, but no pen. actually I have too many ideas, too many wishes, I seriously need to prioritize and get on with them little by little…

on carpe diem/ appreciation/ being grateful: I realised recently that I always thought that   my moto was carpe diem. but actually it’s not anymore. because it is freakin tiering and unrealistic to carpe diem, the way I see it anyway, which means making sure everyday is awesome, full of surprises and joy and love. because who can do that?? So my new moto is to be grateful. which is also very hard. BUT it makes more sense. appreciate what you have, realize how lucky you are to be here, I think that’s more important than spending so much energy making everyday a new year celebration 🙂

voila! that’s it for today!

How to make the most of 3 months…

Oh my dear blog… have badly neglected you for the past few months, I just did not know where to start from anymore! So I am now listening to my favorite songs list from previous post, and will share with you some highlights from the past few months.

So for those of you who followed the Robert’s adventures through this blog, you probably noticed that Portland (yes daddy, Portland, not Denver :)) have brought to us lots of joy, well as a result of this well-being constant feeling, now we are pregnant! I am a little more than Adri, but he is totally part of what is probably about to be the craziest and funniest adventure of our life.

Now I think about it, I felt pretty miserable for the first 3 months, which probably explain me not posting anything very exciting, as it would have been a lot of “I’m tired, it’s raining, I feel sick, oh and I also feel fat” but NOW I feel totally back to normal. It’s great to be able to go out for (soft) drinks with friends again, playing pool, go to concerts, hikes, snowshoeing! It’s reassuring to see that you can still have a normal life AND produce a baby at the same time 🙂

Sometimes it is tough to go to work and start at 8am in the morning with 25 problems to solve, but I do recover during the week-end and sleep 11 hours EASY. I have never enjoyed week-end so much. My question though is WHY the guy who decided that humans should have a week-end stopped at 2 days?? it should have said half half!! I can’t believe such a bad negotiator was in charge of such an important deal… anyway.

We have discovered a ton of nice and yummy restaurants. Seriously this city is a paradise for foodies. And the service is out of this world. It is probably due to the importance of tips but still… I am still amazed with the waiters super smily attitude, you do want to become their friends. And I love the fact that you can fin non pretentious places, with unbelievable food. Places where you feel welcomed, where you feel at home, but just more delicious 😀

We have also spent 4 great days with friends in Washington State, rented a wooden house in the middle of nowhere, by the river, surrounded by sun and snow, so relaxing and beautiful. We discovered that snowshoeing was not just for grand parents, but as I am unable to ski, a great option to feel disconnected in nature, surrounded by giant sequoia  and deep powder.

We realized that we were in one of the rainiest (in the winter) part of the US (and world??) but that you can still do things when it rains. However, today we may have pushed it a little, and we got very scared. We went for a hike called Angel’s rest (??!!!) and when arrived at the top, rain/hail/super strong wind started. scary. When lightnings started, and we were in the forest surrounded by trees which were throwing  their branches at us, walking in mud, I nearly started crying… But we got through it, and actually it was kind of exciting… 🙂 Next time though, we will definitely check the weather forecast more carefully 😀

But let me tell you. after such an afternoon, coming home, listening to corn popping in the microwave and watching a movie is just the best thing in the world. I love chilling when I feel I deserved it 🙂

Happy songs day! Because we all need feel-good music don’t we?

Hey!

Comment ca va? how is everyone?

I guess everyone is kind of hibernating right now. I thought I will share some of my favorite feel good tracks with you, to pump up your day, and mine at the same time 🙂

MGMT – Weekend War because its universal favorite time of the week

Chromeo – To shake it like you never shaked it

NY, because in my heart I\’m a gansta, because I listened to it 1000 times in London, because of all these goodparties..

Somewhere over the Rainbow, our wedding song, its soft, it\’s light, and that\’s how lifeshould be

While my guitar gently weeps, I didn\’t know I liked yukulele so much before listening to this version

Zouk Machine: les paroles m\’ont certainement rendu un peu feministe des l\’age de 7 ans..

all you need is love, for this ads that I loved when I was a kid, so much colors!

Vampire Weekend, if you have trouble to wake up in the morning. This WILL make you jump

Memories, because it makes me feel like I am 16 again anywhere

traveller, kid loco. Deep breathe, close your eyes, you can be anywhere you want with this song…

Bob Dylan, because nothing seems complicated after

Breakbot, perfect for breakfast, am, pm, clubbing, holidays…

Mooglie! Disney! it\’s true though. Il en faut peu pour être heureux!

Florence and the Machine: This voice is insane

enjoy 🙂 and have a good day!!  

waahhhwwuwuwuu I miss Christmas!!

But first happy new year everyone!

Yes! I don’t like this feeling post-Christmas when you look at some Xmas lights left in the street and think “oh seriously can’t you remove those, it’s not christmas anymore” and then you realise it was just 10 days ago!! ohhhh …

I’m sure though that I am not the only one feeling the same. You know this panic of “ok ok so whats next now. oh shit Valentine’s day??? seriously??” and you think ok maybe I should book my next holiday, but I just came back and I’m broke! orrr I should go to the gym maybe to make myself feel good! but its super crowded…-excuse of course-

TELL ME I’m not by myself. I probably feel this way because I’m on my bed, flu-ish, Friday afternoon, my house is very clean (at least on good thing- yes I am clean too of course I dare you!) I don’t really want to start watching a movie because I don’t know what to choose, I can’t get myself starting a new book because too much pressure on this poor book. DAMN IT. why AM I ALWAYS SO indecisive. 😀 however I could tell you straight away which Ben&Jerry flavour I would get… eheh…eheheheh

anyway. I would love to be all perky and yepee, and oulala life is so WOOONDERFUL and I feel like a tropical bird flying in the breeze on the ocean, but no.

I’m sure it will get better soon. I just would love to go for a walk, bare feet, rolling down a fresh grassed hill, laughing at myself, but the reality is that the sky is super grey right now, and it’s freaking cold!!

So if you have an idea of something funky and unusual to do this week-end, please let me know! ahah 😉

(the real me will be back soon. I need these days once in a while to feel super good afterwards :P)

by the way, my obsession right now: this machine to peel apple. If you dont have it, go

 

and get it please it’s just awesome. It’s 20 box, but a real good investment! (if you dont like apples with skin like me.. :P)

second obsession: cottage cheese + rasberry. I know rasberry are not a winter fruit. I promise I just do it sometimes as a treat. with almond and agave syrup. and white chocolate (otherwise it will be too healthy come on)

 

And finally I nearly forgot highlights of my holidays in France for Christmas:

Spending time with my familly, sharing cute presents (I’m talking about the one I got for them obviously..eheh just kidding), having tea+cookies with my grandmother, going to the market with my mum and spending hours choosing cheese/bread and other “victuailles”, laughing with my sisters, eating crepes with our friends, partying with Adri’s familly in this beautiful house we all rented for the week end in the middle of nowhere. taking naps. going for walks in the countryside. feeling like a tourist in my own country and discovering new places like Nimes or Tarascon. beautiful!

France, sometimes you annoy me, but mostly I love you 🙂

Let’s swap Christmas gifts for Charity donations!!

Hi!

So here I am between phone calls, and emails, trying to figure what to tell to people when they ask me what I want for Christmas, and trying to figure what they want, which is actually easier sometimes…

Well, I have this feeling that actually I really do not need or want anything right now, first because I am spoiled yes I agree on that point, but second because I do think that (putting aside presents for kids), we do not need this 10th pair of gloves, this cooking book that we will open once every 6 months, or this jumper that does not fit. I really think it would be great to change all these gifts into tailored donation for each person you are making the donation on behalf, and then send them a nice card explaining why and what to do next if they want to follow-up on their action!

What do you think? Am I crazy? Like just within my family, if all the presents we were exchanging were used toward people who really need the money, it will make a difference.

So in case you wonder what I want for Christmas, that’s what I really want 🙂 Money given to any kind of charity that tries to make things change. I have discovered a great website that helps understanding better this world too, called http://www.jumo.com/ but it’s pretty simple to find a charity nowadays and make a donation.

Autumn Rocks Baby

Hello!! 🙂

Sunday morning, very grey outside, feeling quiet lazy, but thinking of my friends & family, and thinking that I should make sure to keep this blog as updated as possible! I started with so many posts, and I cannot just let it go 🙂 I am the one who left so really I am the one who need to give news…

I though that it was unfair to give so many details about summer here, but no credit to Autumn! So today I will try to give you my impressions of first autumn in Oregon, because I found it beautiful, colorful, and it deserves a post for sure! Please see below a little surprise I have made for you, that will hopefully show you briefly what I am talking about…

Autumn Rocks

We were lucky enough to be able to share some of it with ou dear french cousins who came to visit us for 10 days. Because both Adri & I were working at that time, we made sure that they would have plenty to do during the day, and they did!! So really during they stay they experienced few nice things that are available around/ in Portland in October/November:

– Halloween (of course:)) Pumpkin pie (mmm), pumpkin carving (which we did not do this time but planned to..:(), unbelievable garden/houses decorations, Halloween party & games, and Zombie walking all over the city 🙂

– Food: Well, you know…it’s getting cold, and rainy, and you feel like you need some energy (sugar), vitamins (chocolate) and protein (burgers) so we did make sure that this box would be ticked. Every day. Every meal 🙂 I did gain weight obviously after 10 days of indulgence but it was worth it! I think it’s all part of the “getting into winter hibernation” process.

– Nature colors: sounds horribly cheesy, but seriously I have never seen colors like these before on trees and forests! Everything becomes yellow/orange/red and the whole city / surroundings look like a painting. What is more, snow is starting to fall which is I think pretty awesome…And our dear cousins went to the ocean one day…and walking in the snowy mountain the other. I have to admit shopping only comes third in this case!!

– Launch of the football season / NBA 🙂 went to see two basketball games already, and start to follow american football too and it’s so cool to discover new games!!

Now I understand…

…what it feels like not to have any time or energy to exercise, meet up with friends, breath and chill out. And I will not be judging anymore those who have to wake up early in the morning to go to work, those who are checking up their email until late, and those who feel stressed out at work! because for the last 5 weeks, I feel like all the principles that I had about how easy it is to find the balance with work and life is falling into pieces 🙂 And even if I do feel that I will probably get it back at some point, right now it feels really strange…:)

So I really used to have a job that will allow me to go to the gym /have lunch with friends/ go for shopping every lunch. You get to that point where you don’t actually really understand how it could be different, but you kind of know that you are lucky in a way and should really enjoy it until it last. Well know I understand when people don’t have breakfast, drink a lot of coffee, look older than they should, and feel like their job is the 80% of their life.

Right but I need to get the balance right again because really this is not right. And I am sure I will!!! It is SOOOOO weird though looking at my previous post and thinking “ok so life can really change from one day to the other” and your view on it too by the same occasion. However, 2 things that I really hate and that push me to make sure I fight to get control again over the whole thing:

– My dark circles

– Being shocked when I realise its thursday and it feels like a monday. Like time is just not flying, but it’s actually flashing, disappearing.

So anyway. Just wanted to share my concerns with you. Just wanted to let you know that all of you who have complained to me before about feeling tired, drained, and me advising going to pilates or doing meditation, well I am SORRY! because now I get it!!! Me little social butterfly always looking for new cool bars or organising 3 barbecue a week I GET IT!! my fridge has been empty for the last 2 weeks and I could not care less. which is not good I know!  but ill be back. I WILL BE BACK.

je vais me coucher maintenant, parce que ca n’est pas tout de prendre des bonnes resolutions encore faut il les tenir 🙂

Very Useful concepts…

-NBA games: I went to my second games last night, to support the Trail Blazers, and seriously, it really cheer you up! These tall guys rock!!! Watching a live event here is not just about sport, but also about “inventive” ways to advertise, entertainment (like actual circus show, dances, singing) and happy/chilled/crazy supporters! You can actually go with your family, and even your grandparents to the games, and it won’t be dangerous. You find every single kind of food/beer available on the planet, brought to your seat, and if you are lucky enough get a chance to come home with your pix+ Ronald Mc Donald/ the mascott/ 2 hot cheerleaders. I mean we are talking serious return on investment here. If you have issues, feeling stressed out, you will feel so much better afterwards. Especially when you team is winning obviously… 🙂

– Thanksgiving: Haven’t experienced that just yet, but isn’t it a GENIUS idea to actually have 2 celebrations around Christmas time, so you can spend one with your partner family, and the other one with your family. Or Your family then friends. Or friends and friends. whatever! but you get to eat twice great and lots of food as well as nice drinks. Genius.

– Halloween. I don’t think we actually really launched that properly in Europe yet and it is such a cool things for kids…and me!! seeing your whole city dressed up as zombie/pumpkin is actually pretty awesome.

-Netflix: You pay 8$ a month and then are able to see absolutely any movie you wish HQ on your TV. Yes it requires a TV/ or computer, but no more ads, no more crappy download, just pure cinema. so cool. And Hulu, same for TV shows. brilliant, easy, efficient. Too much ads though…

That’s all…right now 🙂