We strolled up to Richmond Park again today. As we spied on a family of deer, Justin sneaked up behind us and pleasantly surprised us all, most especially Lennox-the-dad-magnet. Out on a lunch-time run, Justin met us there (he works a few blocks away) to exercise his his body and his father/son time. He chased the boys around the gardens before we bid him adieu for the afternoon.

We're feeling fall these days. Most of the Thames ducks have flown away; the weather is pleasantly cool, so we're wearing pants almost daily; and my favorite: the leaves are turning colors and letting go of their branches. I love this season. ---SM


Above: Justin and the twins run in Richmond Park

Whenever I visit the Czech Republic, I can't help but notice the significant celebration of saints going on. A very Catholic place, Prague, especially, is fraught with Gothic cathedrals and statues of saints up and down Charles bridge and plenty of other places as well, all breathtaking.

This time around, however, the saint I celebrated most---whose statue has yet to be made---was my mom. She watched the boys for four days and three nights so that I could join Justin for the weekend following his work week in Prague.

Sainthood secured!

The weekend's was one of the most memorable return trips yet. We did little sight-seeing (Vyšehrad being about it) and a whole lot of visiting with friends---most of whom I hadn't seen in five years or more. I felt like I was at my home away from home catching up with everyone, eating svickova, kenedliki, golash, and a variety of homemade dinners and baked goods. We visited three homes---each one offered saintly hospitality, as well as a Harvest Festival---complete with Czech dancing, more baked goods, and carnival rides for the kids.

Our stay concluded with the saintly theme continued as we (a) visited the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and got a warm welcome, and (b) the Pope made a visit to the country. Thankfully, Justin and I drove out of Prague just as the pontiff arrived, and we were passing through Brno just before his arrival there, as well, so we were able to escape the crowds.

I'm not sure I can think of another time or place, until today, where an entire freeway was closed so that scores of tour buses would have ample space to park. Freeway traffic actually was diverted through the middle of town so that the 200,000+ people who came to see the Pope would have a place to be. I would have liked to have seen the Pope, but another time perhaps. Saintly, indeed. ---SM

Last weekend I was messing around with my new camera and captured some great expressions classic to each boy.

I caught an intense "choke-hold" on accident, and I nearly dropped my camera to rescue Lennox just to make sure that he could still breathe.

He was fine.

Truthfully, the "choke-hold" is Kellen's term of endearment. Grant does something similar where he squeezes Lennox's cheeks really tightly to the point of shaking. It's scary.

Thankfully, Lennox is pretty resilient, but we have had some serious talks about softer touching.

Have I mentioned that I love little boys in pj's? ---SM

It's lunch time.
Kids are eating sandwiches.
Everyone is munching.
The house is relatively quiet.

Grant says, "It's dark in here."

I turn around and see Grant in sunglasses, as serious as his sandwich.

"For you it is, Grant," I reply.

And all of us in the room crack up laughing. ---SM

We all had a better sleep last night and pushed on through our Parisian holiday. We visited Versailles and Notre Dame cathedral, and while the boys staid the course, there were a few detours along the way, including:

1. Kellen said his legs were "broken" while touring the Versailles State Rooms and literally collapsed on the floor. Since no strollers were allowed inside, and I had a line of people behind me, I told him I'd give him a piggy-back ride. However, just as he climbed on, a docent very quickly approached me and demanded that all children be carried in the front and not on the back. Then she followed me until I exited to make sure I followed directions. Sheesh.

2. The lines to the ladies' loos were long everywhere we looked. Two stalls in each? Are you kidding me? While the women waited in line, the men breezed on by, so my mom decided to call the twins "men," and venture into the bathroom that rightfully belonged to them (since it was the boys who had to go). "Look straight ahead," she told them seriously, as she passed several men. I think she meant that for herself, but regardless, I'm glad it was she who volunteered to lead the way!

3. Versailles gardens charges a separate entrance from the palace, and they are arguably not worth that fee. I'm sure the English palaces have spoiled me, and I'm sure the French would disagree. But really, the incredible thing about the gardens is how expansive they are, and that view is available from atop the palace. Maybe I just picked the wrong season. Also, over the loud speaker was announced a spectacular "fountain show" that shouldn't be missed, but it was disappointing, amounting to nothing more than a few water sprays. The announcer did say some of the fountains would not be running and others would not be seen in full effect due to water conservation. Huh? Then why make it sound so amazing?

4. The boys, of course, enjoyed the flocks of pigeons (Lennox was going wild) and some stone barriers in front of Notre Dame---used to block cars from driving too close---far better than the architecture (imagine that?!).

But overall, Notre Dame was grand----more grand than I had imagined. I have seen many-a-giant-cathedrals, but I have to admit that this was as big a deal as tour books make it out to be. To top it off, Mass began as we and hundreds of others toured the church. I tried to imagine people touring my chapel while I was trying to worship---a distracting thought---but then again, I was glad they didn't close the place.

And I never realized the enormous stained-glass windows actually could open. Tiny square windows were propped open in several areas, making the stained glass scenes a little off-kilter but still as beautiful all the same.

Tomorrow we are homeward bound. Although Paris was not the most romantic city my first time around, it certainly was entertaining, and I'm glad we were able to have taken the opportunity. ---SM


Above: Grant asked me to take a picture in front of several statues like this one because he immediately recognized the swords the men were holding and identified with them. Versailles has hallways full of these historic men bearing arms, and in each, Grant looked for some kind of soldier in them. Those were his favorites.


Above: Kellen adds interpretation to a statue in Versailles' gardens.


Above: The golden girl inside Versailles. I liked this statue and the others like her. She gracefully handles this heavy load, reminding me of my own stroller and the hundreds of stairs I helped carry it up and down this trip.


By the end of our visit to Versailles, Justin had to get a little creative to keep the kids interested.


Above: A tired family ready to pack it in after our visit to Notre Dame.

Today is brought to us by little sleep, stuffy noses, and lots of tissues everywhere, and the very clear notion that Paris is not at all stroller friendly.

We woke up this morning tired, tired, tired. Justin was off to work pretty early, then Mom and I decided most of our day would be about taking it easy. But really it was Mom who made it easy because I was a mess.

She made breakfast in the form of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from the food we had packed from home. Truthfully, they were delightful: just enough protein, sweetness, and fiber to start the day right.

Next, we leisurely packed our stuff---we were moving across town to another hotel---while the boys danced to music videos in their pjs. We got out around 11-ish and journeyed about 5 minutes' walk toward the Metro when I realized I had left Justin's suitcase at the hotel. Mom stayed with two boys while Grant and I headed back to the hotel, got the roller bag, then Grant told me his legs were broken and he needed me to carry him. It was all I could do to get him not to have a tantrum right there on a very busy Paris street. So, I told him, "Grant, would a little sugar help you out?" He nodded, and I gave him a cough drop. He smiled and suddenly his legs were on the mend.

By the time we met up with the group, he asked, "Mom, can I have a little more sugar?"

We just made it past the Opera house when, as we turned around to admire the architecture, Lennox worked his way out of his seat belt, stood up, fell out of the stroller and flat onto the asphalt. He recovered, thankfully, and long story short, we had guardian angels watching over us in so many forms today.

Many people helped us find the station and then carry our behemouth stroller down, no joke, five steep sets of stairs to the train. But the hero award goes to an older gentleman who exited at our stop with us, appearing slight but steady, then carried up this time both Lennox and the stroller another flight of stairs, then took both on an unbalanced ride up the escalator, then waited for all of us when we could not exit the Metro station.

The doors, you see, allow individuals to exit but only sometimes are there places where wheelchairs and strollers may exit. If those doors exist, one has to call on an intercom to convince a French speaking attendant to let one out. Today the attendant did not answer. So after everyone had exited individually through the doors, I broke down the stroller with all the stuff inside, including the backpacks, suit cases, etc., and handed them through the doors to the same man who also carried the stroller up an additional set of stairs without saying one word to us. He just took over like Hercules and we accepted his strength.

I wanted to cry but I knew I wouldn't be able to breathe if I did because I was so stuffy-nosed.

We made it to our hotel, took a long nap, and after work, Justin joined us for an evening at the Eiffel Tower where this time Justin and I lugged the stroller up and down Metro stairs and it was so nice to have him help us. Mom, Kellen, and I ascended to the top of the tower while Justin, Grant, and Lennox rode the carousel across the street. Strollers aren't allowed up the tower unless you carry them on your back and we all knew that wasn't happening today. ---SM


Above: Grant on the carousel across from Eiffel Tower

You know those signs that say, "Will work for food?" Well, my sign has always read, "Will work for travel. No children included."

I never did and still don't look at the message of that sign as discriminatory in a negative way. It's merely discriminatory in a way that both the parents and the children can both appreciate.

So, where did I find myself today? In Paris of all places, for my very first visit, complete with three children by my side!

Had I traveled from the U.S., I can promise you it would have been sans kids. Since we took a two and a half hour train ride on the blessed Eurostar (I say "blessed" because that meant I didn't have to drive the six hours to Paris and Kellen and Grant loved the train until K said, "This train is taking for a long day!"), I was practically shouting the words to the song, "We Are a Happy Family." (Emphasis on shouting?)

Upon arrival, we were a ratio of 3-3: three adults to three kids. Then we took a stroll outside our hotel room and dropped Justin off at work, passed a union workers' protest---complete with hundreds of French Police in combat uniform, and walked on to the Louvre and Arc de Triomphe.

I don't think I've ever walked through a museum based on the institution's map highlights, but I did this time. In a quick couple of hours, we saw the Ms. M. Lisa, Winged Samothrace, Venus de Milo, The Wedding Feast, about 5 closed bathrooms, and a whole lotta stairs because our giant stroller didn't fit into many of the elevators. My muscles have never felt so good.

My mom said the Mona Lisa was smaller than she imagined, but I have heard people say that so often over the years, that I actually had in my mind the painting as a miniature. So, in my eyes, the Mona Lisa was larger than I imagined.

Overall, we had a grand afternoon. Lennox lost his right shoe at the corner of one of the "rues," but I spotted it a half block away and Mom ran back to snatch it back. Thank goodness---it was the only pair of shoes I packed.

Justin came home from work late and snagged us a great eat-in dinner: a french salad with a base of lettuce and tomatoes topped with fried sliced potatoes and garlicky roast meat.

But our night may begin to turn sour. Runny noses are upon us all. ---SM


Above: This is how much two three-year-olds and one one-year-old love the Louvre: Lennox throws his legs in the air like he just don't care; Grant can't hardly stay awake; and Kellen is just plain relieved to be outta there.

I watched a really great documentary last night about the anniversary of 9-11. I cried a little bit as I listened to the surviving families talk about the little things they missed about their lost loved ones, and I got to thinking about the everyday things about my family that mean the most to me right now.

On September 11, we spent part of our day at Richmond Green, enjoying the sky, the field, the birds, and each other.


Above: Kellen is happy to run and be free and take part in what's going on. He is the one who poses for the most photos because he likes to be in the middle of the action and not miss anything. It's probably the same reason why he boasts daily, "Mom, I didn't take a nap today. I don't like to sleep." He doesn't miss a beat.


Above: Lennox loves his shoes and will sit perfectly still to put them on. Alternatively, he loves to take them off and often starts with the right one. Sometimes he stops there and sometimes he goes for the left, too. Mostly, it's a miracle we haven't lost one yet.


Above: Grant loves to be a tough guy and often calls himself a worker. "Yup, I'm a wuh-kuh," he says daily, in a deeper than usual voice. But he's also the ultimate soft guy who is sensitive and loving and very touchy.

My mom is the memory queen. She takes so many photos because she loves every moment of life, especially as she sees these cute boys grow up. ---SM