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Wednesday, January 04, 2006

it's not child's play

God my life in Paris is sexy and glamorous.

I'm back to wearing a Harry Potter backpack as I totter down the street with four other bags and two tiny children.

I'm back to having my clothes pulled at, my face rubbed at with dirty hands and my purse full of cookies and crumbs.

I'm back to making wolf noises, throwing chicken nuggets in the oven and making funny faces in the mirror with a child perched up on my back.

This afternoon I was walking down the street with my hand to my ear, miming a cell phone, screaming "Where are you? I'm on le Rue d'Auteuil!" To the little girl who screamed "I'm on the next street, I'll meet you in a second and we'll take the metro together!" Back to me. Half the people that passed us couldn't help but stare and laugh.

If there's anything good about this job, it's that everyday I'm forced to let go and become more down to earth.

When I arrived at the apartment on Monday, after not seeing the kids for two weeks, they both screamed, smiled and cheered. The young girl jumped into my arms, then dragged me to her room to show me her christmas gifts, and then swung me in circles as we danced around the boy's room.

"I forgot that you were here, but as we were heading back, I remembered that Gillian would be there when we got back, and I was really excited!"

Her small French face, which I've seen turn to a horrible frown on various occasions, was beautiful and beaming. All of a sudden both of the kids seemed adorable. It didn't matter that they've made me scream more than I ever have in my life, they were ecstatic to see me.

Today I worked ten hours straight with them for the first time. But I came out alive. The tantrums are growing shorter and my patience is growing longer.

I'm making an effort not to sweat the small stuff. I'm reminding myself that I'm human. I'm taking more walks, eating better, sleeping more and re-discovering my passion for coffee and it's effect on me.

I've made a conscious decision to enjoy my time here. To frequent brasseries for overpriced cafe cremes, to look in boutiques I can't afford, to eat fattening pastries and walk the Seine as much as possible. I don't want to embrace the French culture, I want to make love to it.

I also plan on taking more deep breaths. I stress myself out too much. It's time to play.

5 Comments:

Blogger daringtowrite said...

Just a note to let you know I'm still here and enjoying your posts.

10:50 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

oi gill
i was just thinking how it will probably be interesting for the kids to read your little entries when they grow older. For them to realize how much more lied behind their childhood nanny.

andrew

5:16 PM  
Blogger Gillian Young said...

Wenda and Schuey...glad your both reading, even laughing.

Andrew...I've often thought the same thing, as well as the fact that the children of our generation will be able to get a very real outlook on their parents younger lives through their blogs...strange thought.

5:14 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey Gilly, It is amazing how much alike our lives are these days...you poor young thing.

8:52 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

That was me btw. Kate

8:52 AM  

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