Oh, la vie...2 days in...

I don't know why it has been more difficult for the twins to get through their jet lag this summer. Perhaps because they are more aware, more excited, they have more expectations? They remember friends. places and things to do? Phew...it's been exhausting. I finally resorted to Melotonin tonight - an old trick that we used on Zelda as a blind toddler getting used to her interior clock. They finally fell asleep before midnight. Christian and Manu were here for dinner this evening on our lovely terrasse. We have an apartment on the 5th floor in the Marais. Across the street, we play "Rear Window" aka "Fenetre sur Cour" - watching our French neighbours in a Hitchcockian sort of way as they leave their windows and shutters open until the sun goes down at 10pm or so. There's a woman with an amazing library across the way - she seems like an editor - always at her computer. There's a gentleman in a lovely "maison" - duplex in the city - with potted plants and always a guest for dinner on the balcony. Two full days have passed and the twins are adjusting - Creed remembers everything: every word, almost every nuance in French and when he doesn't, with frustration in his voice he says: "Maman, I don't understand you!" He has a sleepover this Friday with his "ami", Vermeer, the son of my dear friends: Elsa and Laurent. Elsa and I were in clothing design school together so many moons ago and have known each other for over 25 years. I spent the afternoon today with Laurent who I have known just as long - even before they were married. We have a tradition of doing the newest boutiques and streets in Paris where things are happening. Sooo...la vie. The twins have been sleeping in...tomorrow morning I will wake them and try to crash a Haute Couture show at the Palais Royal. Who could refuse them? More on that later. This morning we took the metro for the first time since last summer and Zelda went nuts. She loves it and hates it - at the same time. The love comes from the adventure, the sound, the movement. The hate...well, where's the train??? She is impatient and doesn't like unexpected transition. Thus, while waiting for the metro on the quai of the station Republique, she swung her cane and hit a woman in the eye. Oh yes, Zelda - making friends with the French. At least the woman was wearing glasses and was sitting quietly as she meekly scowled and smiled and accepted my apologies as Zelda refused to say "Excusez-moi, Madame...je suis desolee." So, then ... Zelda wasn't exactly through with her reign of terror...we went to Joue Club as I had unwittingly promised them the night before: Go to sleep and we'll go to Joue Club, Ha! Creed chose his Legos and Zelda played with keychains until the time came to leave the small boutique into the grand gallerie where the shops were gathered. Zelda ultimately threw a fit - the metro? Yes? No! Legos? No! Yes! As she listened to the echos in the gallerie, she again swung her cane and WHACK! into the knee of the security guard of Joue Club. "Oh la, ca fait mal!" - Yes, sir: it really does hurt! AND again, I apologized and dragged her off to the metro. Once underground and happy as a ... who knows what...we took two trains home to our station, arrived at the appart and waited for our beloved nounou, Malou, to arrive so I could escape into the anonymous streets, friends, cafes and rendezvous of this fair city that I adore.