Inspiration and Independence

 (This store, Diwali, reminded us if Tiffany.  We had to take pictures.)

On one of our bus rides, the girls spotted a ballet store.  Coco was smart enough to write down the address and map out how to get back there for us.  After seeing the Opera House and everything, I guess they were inspired.  Plus, they missed going to ballet.  We walked back to the store, which was close to St. Germain de Pres, and tried on pointe shoes.  Araceli wasn't quite as inspired because she found out on our way to Paris (in Dallas) that she won't be able to try out for Nutcracker next year due to missing a rehearsal this year for Paris.  Sad, but that's the way it is.  Life is full!  In any case, we had fun indulging the girls' passion for dance, and seeing more of the Latin Quarter on our way.

 And of course, discovering another Amareno Gelato location!

 View out the girls' bedroom window

 Space is at such a premium in Paris, we were lucky to have a spacious apartment to relax in.  Every night, we meant to go to bed early, but we had too much fun sitting around talking about the day and planning the next one, and we never got home until late anyway.  The living area had two comfy couches and a big chair that everyone wanted to sit in.  The old people (me, Coco and Bill) practically hobbled in every night and crawled to the couches.  Bill has a thing with his ankle that needs surgery and Coco got trampled on the Metro by a rude woman who stepped on her toe and probably broke it.  This woman just clobbered her!  The toe was black and blue for the duration of the trip.  (We found out after we got home that it was broken.  Poor Coco!  I can't believe she got around so well!)  Me, I was just slightly pregnant.  I think all the crepes and gyros made the baby grow by leaps and bounds!  Aching muscles notwithstanding, I was so happy to have my little Tzipporah with me, kicking away in there.  The girls were always trying to come up with a French middle name for her.  Louvre?  Seine?  Notre Dame?  Eiffel?  Anyway...

Shopping!  This is the store across the street.  From the minute we stepped foot on French soil, Araceli's bold, indomitable spirit came out.  She wanted to go out alone, explore the streets, buy things, and do it all on her own.  She felt like she could conquer the city, and I'm sure she could have.  She reminded me that Coco and Bill turned me loose in the city at 14 to live on my own with only a Metro map to guide me.  That's true, and the city seems MUCH safer today than it was back then.  On our street was a high school as well as a preschool.  Every time Ari saw a kid with a backpack alone, she pointed it out.  "See?  I could do that."  Indeed she could, and the only thing that would distinguish her from the French kids is that she would be the only one not smoking.  I hope!

Since we felt so very safe on our little street, I did let her venture out by herself and with Golda and/or Ruby to browse a shop, buy a crepe or pick up gelato.  This trip was meant to expand their worldview, not to stifle them, and I wanted to give them the gift of independence that my parents gave me.  Of course, I did watch them from the window most of the time.  One night, Dad said, "Well, let's let Golda and Ruby take the Metro down to the Eiffel Tower and check out the action."  Even though that's exactly what I was doing at 14, I couldn't imagine letting them go on such a big excursion alone at night.  Fortunately, they didn't want to and settled for a jaunt to the pizza place down the block.