Playroom

The hotel (which had a very nice restaurant where we had breakfast every morning and a delicious dinner two nights) was well equipped with a playroom, with toys. Ben was very happy building things there, and with the grownups taking turns playing with him, we were able to have relatively civilized meals. Even more thrilling, there were other kids in the hotel who also spent time in the playroom. Ben's favorites were Maité and Vincent, from Belgium. Maité in particular was very fond of Ben and liked hugging him. Ben was thrilled to have big kids "like Josh" playing with him.

Sand

There was also sand to be dug, although you couldn't dig very far before hitting the stones. Ben was happy to be able to use his bucket for a purpose other than carrying balls and cars around the room.

Beach stones

When the tide was in, we could still walk on the beach, where Ben was particularly fond of the stones. He liked picking them up and also throwing them into the water with his daddoo. He liked carrying his new French backpack, loaded up with a bucket, shovel, and ball, so he was ready for all playing opportunities.

Walking the Bay

We all liked walking out on the sand when the tide was out. The water that was left was shallow and warmed by the sun. Ben was quite fascinated by a buoy, "number nine," which we walked out to visit a couple of times, and then would see floating when the tide was in, and sitting on the sand when the tide was out.

Beach

Grandpa Bill and Grandma Jan took us all to Crotoy, in the Baie de la Somme, for a nice relaxing seaside vacation for a few days. It's a cute town on a tidal bay that stretches out forever when the tide is out. It was windy and a little chilly, but absolutely beautiful and we all had a very nice time. We stayed at a very picturesque seaside hotel, Les Tourelles, the big red building with turrets that you can see in one of the pictures. We all had seaview rooms.

Party!

Grandpa Bill and Grandma Jan had a cookout at their house, and invited their friend Cheryl, who they had been at the national humanities center with, and who was living in the same apartment building in Paris, along with her kids. Ben absolutely fell in love with her son Josh. Josh played with him and talked with him all through the dinner. The fact that there was a big kid who was interested in playing with him was just amazing to Ben. Cheryl offered to have Ben over the next night to hang out with her and Josh so Ben's parents could go out to dinner and have an evening on their own in Paris (an amazing luxury, as they had been out to dinner without Ben a total of one time before then). So Jessica and Andy went out on Bastille day to have a nice steak frites dinner at L'Entrecote (where the only questions they ask is how you want it cooked and what you want to drink -- they only serve one dish, which is very yummy) and to take a walk through the 6th with the crowds watching the fireworks, and Ben had a fabulous evening playing cars and drawing and getting to strum Josh's guitar and eating macaroni. We are all very grateful for a wonderful evening. Each time after seeing Josh, Ben kept picking up the phone and asking us to "call Josh." He made a huge impression on Ben, who is probably Josh's biggest fan.

Lunch at the zoo

We all had crepes for lunch at the zoo, and Andy took a bunch of pictures of Ben as he talked and sang and checked out the world.

More Paris

Not everything was playgrounds, although Ben might have liked that. We also visited the Tuileries, although the playground there was very poor, and after one walk around the grounds we went off to richer pastures (so Ben could use his new pail and shovel). Ben also enjoyed the Jardin des Plantes, where we took in a small playground and visited the zoo, where Ben was fascinated by the monkeys. The Parc de Bercy, within walking distance of our hotel and Grandma and Grandpa's, was also fun for a wander, a bit of playing in a playground, and a ride on a carousel. He also rode carousels at the Jardin des Plantes (varied rare animals) and the Eiffel tower. He finds them a little scary but quite fascinating, and we generally chose an animal that didn't move up and down. At the Eiffel Tower carousel, one mommy had a little dog who refused to wait with her friend and instead ran around with the turns of the carousel, hoping to jump up. The Jardin de Luxembourg was also fun beyond the playground. The fountain with boats was fun, as was playing ball on the bit of grass that people were allowed to use. We also picnicked there a couple of times. Ben, who is a connoisseur of rocks, also thought that the rocks at the Jardin de Luxembourg were of a very high quality and collected several to ride around in his cars at the hotel room and at Grandpa and Jan's.

Kids' Park Again

We went to the playground in the Jardin de Luxembourg at least three different times, even though it was in a different part of town from where we were staying (thus the varied outfits in these pictures). Luckily there was a direct bus, and riding the bus was fun in itself. Ben also got a chance to take both the subway (an old line and a new one) and a taxi in Paris, completing the transportation trifecta. Along with the vehicles, the playground also includes bouncy animals, a merry go round mysteriously shaped like a sombrero, lots of climbing structures, slides galore, and seesaws of many varieties, several designed for more than two. Everything is meticulously labeled with little birds which tell you what structure is appropriate for what age, but of course the kids of the appropriate age generally find their assigned things boring and go for those for bigger kids.

To Paris Again

July 10, Ben and his parents flew off to Paris to visit his Grandpa Bill and Grandma Jan (he refers to them as Grandpa and Jan). It was nice to be there in the summer, when we could all hang out outside, both in Bill and Jan's little yard, and other places. Ben's absolute favorite place in Paris is the "kids park" in the Jardin de Luxembourg. It's probably the best playground he's encountered, which is why it charges an entrance fee. It includes several vehicles to climb on, including a long train, a car, and Ben's favorite, a truck.

'iam's house

In a wonderful bit of serendipity, we ran into Liam and his parents in the Target parking lot yesterday morning (it was a rainy morning). They just got back from a trip to Sicily. They invited us over for a (yummy) dinner at their new house. Ben and Liam were very excited to see each other and had lots of fun playing. Ben was particularly impressed with Liam's (real) piano, as well as his mini guitar, ride-on tractor, saxophone, and school bus. Ben and Liam created two music ensembles -- the experimental group "hot glove music", in which Ben plays piano with oven mitts on and Liam plays the guitar with a wooden toy, and the more rocking "band on the run," with guitar and sax.

Climbing to the next level

Ben has decided that Daddoo's knees are not quite high enough, and is going for his shoulders.

I climbing!

Ben is very interested in climbing lately, and likes to pretend to climb the walls (I am a little worried he will figure out a way to do it). What he can climb more easily is his parents. I think perhaps he is in training for the circus.