Happy Thanksgiving!!

This week was another busy one for the Archers. On Monday, Henry had his first day of preschool, or "kindergarten" as they call it here. After we packed his lunch it was off to start a new chapter his life. He did not hesitate to join in the play activities with the other children. After I took a few minutes with his teacher and the school administrator, I left for home (although we live next door). Since it was his first day, he only stayed for 2 hours, so I walked over to pick him up at 11 AM. He was so proud when I picked him up. He kept telling me "Look Mommy, this is my school!!". We then walked home and shared the lunch I packed for him. The next morning he could not wait to go back. He stayed for a little longer, but I still prefer to pick him up before lunch, he is a good lunch date.

On Tuesday night we had the opportunity to see the Mannheim Adler Eagles. A friend of mine is married to one of the players, so we sat in the "family" section and enjoyed all the VIP perks. At first, Henry was a little overwhelmed with the 15,000 screaming fans, but by the end of the game, he was screaming along with them. The people of Mannheim take their hockey quite seriously. I would not want to be a hockey referee for all of the money in world. It was fun to hear the fans chant cheers in German (even though we had no idea what they were saying) and to watch Henry enjoy the atmosphere. During game breaks they played music, just like in the states, and during one game break they played "Old Time Rockn' Roll", so Henry felt the need to get up and dance. He stole the show for a moment.

On Thanksgiving morning we packed up and drove to Paris for a long weekend. Our trip was uneventful and we were ready to start exploring as soon as we put our luggage down!! The first evening we walked to the L'Arc de Triomphe. It was only about 4 blocks from our hotel and was a spectacular welcome to Paris. From there we strolled up and down the streets, did some shopping, took in the sights and had a bite to eat. We were pretty overwhelmed and tired, so we called it an early night and headed back to the hotel.

The next day we bought a 2 day subway pass which we made good use of. The only complaint we had about the subway (and Paris) is that they are not stroller friendly. The entrances and exits to the subway were primarily steps (and a lot of them), so John and I ended up lifting Henry in his stroller up and down steps several times a day. By the end of the second day we had it down to a science. Anyway, on the second day we took the subway to the Eiffel Tower. It was a bit windy that day, which made it very cold, so our trip to the top was somewhat abbreviated. We did however stay long enough to take in the magnificent sites the landmark had to offer. I posted some pictures below.

After heading back to the hotel for a warm up and a quick nap for Henry, we were off again to Boulevard Haussmann, a popular shopping area. The Christmas window displays are quite extravagant and a popular attraction for families and children. They exceeded our expectations. Henry enjoyed the displays very much and hated to leave. After more walking and dinner, it was time to head back to the hotel again.

On Saturday we decided to visit the Louvre. We went early and were glad we did, by the time we left it was quite crowded. Like the rest of Paris, it was a bit overwhelming. Our first stop was, of course, to see the Mona Lisa. I had a perfect plan to take Henry's Christmas photo there, but I would have had a difficult time removing the roping that kept visitors 15 feet back and asking everyone else who was there to see it to step aside while I got the perfect shot, never mind the 4 security guards on each side of the painting. I guess I will have to think of another plan. Any suggestions?? We quickly toured other displays and exhibits before having to leave, but we plan to return again before our time here ends.

After another quick nap and bite to eat we walked to an area where Paris was having their Christmas markets. They were so crowded it was difficult to see what was being displayed and since Germany is known for their grand Christmas markets, we decided not to spend any extra time there and headed to another shopping district. This time we went to Avenue Montaigne. The streets were lined with trees filled with red lights making it feel like Christmas. As if we needed another reminder that we were no longer in Iowa, these shops were it. As happy as I am to be pregnant, I was a little disappointed I could not partake fully in the shopping experience. We still looked through the stores, the doormen were very accommodating helping us through, stroller and all. I posted a picture of Henry in Louis Vuitton shopping.

On Sunday we headed home. We passed Disneyland Paris on our way home. There was a steady stream of traffic heading there, even on a cool November day. We will have to include that in our next visit. Enjoy the pictures below. Love and miss you all.