Sick! (Not in a Good Way)

Just like in AZ with the start of the cold weather, I am sick and it always stays to some degree with me the entire winter!!! I get colds year round even in AZ summers so winters just magnify my susceptibility! Also seeing how Mougins, France is a vastly colder than Gilbert, AZ, I think this just might be my best record yet! Not exactly an acomplishment if you ask me!

I'm pretty sure I got sick in Paris because it's colder there plus we were walking around outside pretty much the entire time! When I was having my lazy days, it wasn't too much of a bother but when school started, it became very much intolerable! I had a sinus headache that lasted about 4 or 5 days! My nose felt like it was melting! I filled up my trash can with tissues! My throat was killing me!

The only cool thing was the voice changing! It's always fun! But I was worried because I can barely speak English with a different voice let alone French! Haha one morning Nicolas had asked me a question and I answered "Pas beaucoup" which means "Not a lot" and he was like "What??? Barbeque???" Haha! :-)

Plus my mind is totally shot when I am sick! I had forgotten half my stuff for school to take to school so I was so unprepared! Something in history said J.C. and I was like "Oh Julius Caesar!" Haha that's not it... It's Jesus Christ... Haha oh and one day, I was trying to ask my friend if he could freestyle on the piano... You know like play without music just rocking it! But it came out "Are you fluent at playing the piano?" Oh man!

Fortunately, my parents are both doctors who got me some great drugs! Immunity powders to drink with water! And nasal spray which I felt really nerdy using but it actually helps a lot! Well... once you get past the feeling like you just squeezed toothpaste up your nose! Nicolas even wrote me a note to get out of swimming because I felt like crap!

So Saturday afternoon, I went down for lunch which in and of itself was pretty crazy! When I'm sick I kinda feel "drunk" in a way! I do and say the weirdest things but I don't remember much of it! I was barely able to form coherent English sentences let alone French! I remembered Abby had dropped her chair in the pool and I just went right in, got my whole arm wet, and got the chair... When just the day before I couldn't get more than one toe in! And somewhere along the way, Nicolas ate a whole spoonful of wasabi! We were eating sushi and we were just joking around and he did it! Later he drank soy sauce too cuz I told him how my sister, Bri, does that!

After lunch we were just hanging around the pool eating chocolate... For some reason, I was walking around the little basin... It was freezing but once I got used to the temperature, it was too hard to get out so I just stayed there for a while... Plus they said it's good for circulation and my legs have major issues so why not? Then we got going on the topic- "What will you give me if I jump in?" Negotiations went on for awhile... 10 euros per minute... 50 euros for just one jump...etc...But they were constantly reminding me that I was sick and I would get sicker!


Pascaline was like "You'll get the money but you'll have to pay the doctors to make you better"

"You guys are doctors so you can make me better"

"It costs more on the weekend"

"Okay... I'll just wait until Monday then!"

"You'll be dead by Monday!" Haha sounds like something my mom would say!

Finally, they knocked some sense into me... I wasn't gonna jump... But I really wanted to! So I was still hanging out... Nicolas had actually jumped in but he's crazy! I was flicking water to look at the ripples it makes... I was kinda like a kid... I was too easily entertained! Haha well somehow I lost balance/slipped and fell right in the pool! 16C/60F!!! I got up real quick and was just standing there in shock!

Pascaline whipped out her phone real quick and starting videoing all of it! She was like "Go jump in!" because I was already wet so I dived in and starting swimming! My whole body was instantly numb! Mailys was pointing out that my stretchy headband had fallen out and was just drifting in the water! I thought she was talking about some animal or creepy thing in the pool! So I looked to where she was pointing and screamed! But once I saw it was just my headband, I stopped screaming well kinda... headbands can be very scary little things! I bet you could choke someone with it!!! Okay back to the story... then they told me to swim! I tried but my body was so frozen! I could barely move let alone swim fast! Once someone came out with a towel, I got right out...


At least I was representing NY in my neon shirt!!!

Then I took the hottest steamiest bath ever! It was heaven! Eveyone thought I would get a lot sicker but it actually didn't make me too terribly worse and I progressively got better after that but like I said, I still have it but just to a lesser degree! Falling in the pool was pretty SICK :) I got some good stories to tell about it! Haha :-)

Lazy Days! :-)

So for the 3 remaining days of break, I had about the laziest days ever! I didn't put on make-up, wore PJs the whole time, and I barely got out of bed to eat! I watched movies, worked on my blog, and slept... I kinda looked like this... Abby randomly took this picture... I had gotten excited about something I read on the computer which explains the odd look on my face!


Or something like this... I wore the funniest clothing... Long sleeves, shorts, and knee highs! It was comfy though :)


One ofthe few times I left the house was Monday night we all went for a family walk...in the rain! It was so fun!!! After we got the fire going, watched old western and music videos, and just hung out!

I was also awaken out of my zombie like state when the girls came in to my room begging me to take them to Cannes because they are too little to go on their own! At first I wasn't feeling very inclined to go but the girls would not take no for an answer... The bus ride there was a trip! So we all got on, payed, and got our receipts then a few stops later, this lady just storms on and passes the driver to pay and just plops herself down at the back of the bus. So then the bus driver has Abby go up and he said that one of the little girls hadn't payed. So we all got out our tickets to show him but then he told Abby because that lady hadn't payed, it was "her duty" to pay for her. I really didn't see why he was picking on a little girl and why he couldn't get the lady to pay for herself! Abby just gave him the euro. I told her she shouldn't have because the guy's an idiot! I couldn't stand up for her at all because I can't speak French in a coherent manner that would suffice for this situation. It was definetely and absolutely ridiculous! Abby was not too happy and you could definitely tell she was upset... Finally, I told her to stop the negativity and gave her a euro... It did suck but when someone is going on and on, it is uncomfortable and tiring for everyone around.

After that it ended up being way fun! We went to McDonalds where this little girl was going around begging which was pretty sad. We walked over to the little play area by the beach and they have these cut-outs all over the place! Captain Jak Sparrow... The girls were a little short :)


Mailys is taller but Sophie jumped and hung on!


All the girls wanted to go on the merry-go-round and so I kinda played mom by watching them, holding all their stuff, and taking pictures...








I think we know what she is aspiring to be... Sophie the Truck Driver!




Check out the little Ferrari! Remind me of Cars... Again with the Disney movies! :) "Luigi only follow the Ferraris!"


And the Cinderella pumpkin carriage...









Best Friends!




I was actually pretty surprised at how fast this thing could spin!


Sophie had given me her bag to hold... And I got a tad curious about what a 10 yr old would need in her purse...


A Barbie dress because you just never know when you are gonna find a naked Barbie in need of a pink ball gown! :-)


An old check book of her parents where she had taken the liberty of writing herself a check for one million dollars/ $100 000 000! Haha


I think it was too much stimulation for one day so I was really happy when I got back home, got in my PJs, and got all toasty and cozy in my bed again!

All the days kinda run into each other so I don't remember when this was... Actually I think it was after break but it's all in the same category... Random! Okay so... Abby had picked some flowers and gave them to me...


One night Carter just comes into my room and shows me this app on the iPad...


It's like this Robot thingamajiggy and you can make it talk and such... Carter absolutely love it!


He would have me type things for it to say like names and stuff... For one, he wanted me to put "Alyssa is weird"... But instead I had it say "Alyssa is awesome! Carter is weird!" Haha his reaction was hilarious! Just like that lightbulb like "Hey! That's not right!"


He really did get a huge kick of it! His face would just light up and he would have the cutest smile when he made it say something funny!


Pascaline and Mailys found a porcupine somehow... We kept it in the back for awhile but I don't know if it died or what happened...

Some will flip and some won't... Oh well!

I don't know how this got started but it ended with Abby having a pen in her hair...


Silly Bandz have been the big crazy with the chil'en lately! Mailys had just bought a ton so put them all on my floor and showed me um...


It's more impressive when you see them all on her wrist! Haha obsessed much?


My lazy days wer definetely very refreshing especially due to the fact that at the end of it I would have to face school! I absoutely love France but the one thing that has been just a total terror is school which of course was expected but it does drone on and on... I feel so out of my element and it is for a long time. I am trying to think of classes not as a history class or a chemistry class but just as all French class... I'm not here to learn the historical dates, philosophy regarding Candide, or properties of water! I could care less about all of that... I wanna learn French! I try of course but with little avail. Sometimes going to school just feels completely useless especially when it's raining! I don't mind rain as long as I'm not in school! That's the worst! :-/ Plus I think it's totally dumb to have to go back from break just for Thursday and Friday! No teachers really do anything! Mine as well just make it a nice even 2 weeks but then again having a week and a half is a lot better than just one week! :)

Not So Happy Halloween :-/

Okay so I have finally *big sigh of relief* finished the Paris pictures! I ran into so many problems and now I'm way behind on my blog (It's after Thanksgiving and I just barely have my Halloween post up!)!! I actually have a lot of posts ready but I know it gets overwhelming if I do them all at once so I'm taking it slow! Okay...

I didn't go to bed until 2 am the night before but like a good little girl I went to church! I'll have a post all about my church adventures soon but I do absolutely love it!! It was raining all day! Right in the middle of sacrament, you could just hear it pounding on the roof! Haha it was terrible!!! I actually like rain  lot as long as I don't have to go to school but if I can just be hanging out and  have it there, then I'm good. I went straight over to the Ashtons :-) I hadn't eaten dinner, breakfast, or lunch so I got there and was starving! Stasha was so nice and she made me tomato soup and salami grilled cheese! My mom always made me grilled cheese so it made me happy :) I talked a lot with the adults and played a lot witht the kids! They like to climb on me a lot! I feel like their jungle gym! They started putting on music and I had to get up and start dancing! They all made fun of me... I blame my brothers for my bad dancing skills!

We hung out a lot on their new couch. And they got their TV working while I was in Paris so the kids love that... Stasha and I talked a lot about the holidays, traditions, and stories!



 And how they compare in France!

Halloween... Well... It is definetly celebrated to a great lesser degree here. I was utterly disappointed! Halloween is by no means my favorite holiday but I've enjoyed it very much so it stunk that France just really didn't care much... It was a sorry excuse for a holiday.I'll list why...

Reasons Why Halloween Is Not Nearly as Good in France as It Is in the US

1. You have no clue it is Halloween!
~The stores aren't decorated. The schools don't do anything special like "Boo Grams".  There aren't Halloween movies or shows on TV. Me and my sister used to watch all those Disney movies like Halloween Town High and Hocus Pocus etc...for the whole month of October. There is zero decoration!!! I had forgotten it was Halloween until the day of!
2. Trick or Treating is impossible!
~This is due to a number of reasons... The houses are gated in and you usually have to be beeped in on an intercom or walk up a hill or some awkward thing. It isn't very time efficient. The US especially in the suburbs of AZ it was so easy to go door to door. You are there and back in a matter of seconds! If you planned it well, you could get a whole pillowcase full of candy! I don't think the French like the idea of just giving out free candy too. They don't understand the spirit of it. Even if they wanted to, it was raining all day so a total no go.
3. Costumes are very basic and boring
~The little kids will dress up but they always have to dress up as something really traditional and typical Halloween like a witch.


There was millions of those I heard at the little get together in the old village. [Abby-rocker girl, Sophie-Devil cheerleader, Sam-Frankenstein, Carter-A skeleton] In the US, we dress up as inanimate obects, catch phrases(my friend was the "Holy Cow"), celebrities, and just funny and random things. A witch would never win a costume contest. We have evolved past that!
4.No candy

~So even though there wasn't trick or treating, you would expect at least some candy cause welll... it's Halloween but no... not here. They are all health nuts and the idea of giant bags of candy is upsurd!
5. There is no Halloween spirit
~I think this is the all-encompassing factor in why France sucks at celebrating Halloween. Houses aren't decorated all spookily with cobwebs, witches, ghosts, etc.. I had friends who would go all out! Candy corn is everywhere! House are decked out! Scary movies the whole month! There aren't haunted houses or mazes here. Nobody even cared!!!

The snowman pumpkin is hilarious!!!

As you can see, I'm very bitter about this. I love Halloween and I feel like it was so rottenly represented here. This pictures is exactly how I feel France's attidude about Halloween is... Disregard the caption at the bottom. It's not important and I think you all understand "Non merci"! Well then again Ashlee is reading this... She's blonde! It means "No thank you!" ;-) You're welcome Ash!!!

 I just kinda laughed because the French are the ones missing out. American Halloweens rock the socks off of anyone. I missed my family traditions and just the memories of it all. Carving pumpkins! Making cookies! Trick or treating and trading with my sisters! Roasting pumpkin seeds! My parents saying they needed to check my candy and they would eat a quarter of it! Watching Halloween movies! Haunted houses! This was my first holiday away from home and it was hard. It made me miss my sis because we always spend Halloween together. We fought to no end but thats not what I remember. I remember the good times.

Candy corn in non-existent in France!

Okay back to the rest of they day! They were having company that night so they had cleaning time. I got to supervise the children cleaning their room. Reminded me of my sisters when we were little. We had assigned jobs and we always fought to be the supervisor. We had a bunk bed and the supervisor got to sit on the ladder and point to what wasn't done and boss the others around. Haha they were good cleaners though and they got down pretty quick! I was there pretty much all day! I started tiring after a bit with the disappointment of Halloween, the kids, and sleep deprivation so I just had to go upstairs and just go on the computer and chill!

Pascaline, Nicolas, and I went back to the house and it was just us there. This is where my day started to turn around. We put on the floor heater! Oh yeah!!! Keeps your toesies all nice and toasty! Haha I love it! It kinda sucks up a lot of energy so all the lights went out later because of it. I ate some salmon salad but had to pick out the tomatoes and give um to Nicolas! We watched a James Blunt concert on the TV. I liked that because it was language neutral. They are so nice! And we watched the rain! It would just randomly stop and we would be like "Oh it's tired from falling all day so it's just taking a nap!" Haha :-) The fire was going on but Nicolas caused some loud explosion or something with gas. I only heard it from upstairs. Haha so the fire got put off for a bit... I was also talking to a good friend who made me feel a lot better :-) That so helped turn my night around!!!

Because I have break until Thursday, I decided to Skype my family since I wouldn't have to wake up early the next day for school. I would chat with friends on and off. Then I Skyped my friend Ashlee... Well sorta... I can't see her face but we can talk and she can see me. Next, I skyped my family for so long! One of my best friends, Sami, and her entire family were there. I consider them family. We had some good laughs! I got to talk to my mom. We hadn't talked in a while so it made me feel a lot better. She can always make me feel better no matter what. That's a mom for you! Unfortunately, I didn't get to talk to any of my siblings. They were partying it too hard. I guess Lane went trick or treating. She's 15! What a punk... I also got to say hi real quick to the Powells! Well half the Powells-Jenn, Brian, and Macie. Our families have been friends forever. They are so cool! Carli is Elena's age and Spencer is my age and he is one of the coolest kids I know. I miss them so much!!! So with all this Skyping hour after hour passed and I ended up not going to bed until 6 am... I don't know how I did this because I had gotten very little sleep the night before because of the trip. I guess I was that desperate to talk to my family. Haha my mom wasn't especially happy with me but I think she was glad to talk with me. It was a holiday so it kinda called for it! I was on break so no big d! I slept in until 11 the next morning.

So all in all, it wasn't a completely terrible Halloween but definetly not my best!!! It was a pretty good day but not a great Halloween! Oh and I didn't show you my costume!!!

Because I went straight to the Ashtons after church, I was wearing my skirt all day and I was wearing leggings because it's cold so when I got back home, I put on knee high socks. I hate cold feet! And I just took of my skirt so I was wearing Sophies and leggings. I put on a Tshirt and got my big sweater and a scarf. I looked ridiculous I bet... What was I??? Hmmm.... I was WARM!!! :-)


My face is classic in this one!


The holiday of candy and this was all I ate... Candy from the stash... Pitiful I know!



I was telling my brother, Josh, how sad I was and he said the sweetest thing that made me so happy! He said "Ahh buddy I'll make sure next year is amazing for you!" Woo hoo! I got that to look forward to! He is such a great brother! I miss him like crazy! :)

Even though they stink at Halloween, this is pretty cool! You gotta admit!


So as one last laugh... My brother's friend made this I believe! :-)

Homeward!

Schedules are pretty meaningless for us... It's just kinda we go when we go so we said leave at 10 and it was closer to noon... Haha a 9 hour trip!!! It seemed like we had less stuff going back even though we had gotten souvenirs and such! The ride back was very similiar to the ride up. It rained. We stopped a lot. We slept. We didn't do much! Haha Mailys would give me a dead arm a lot when she would fall asleep on me but it's too cute to move!

We stoped at a gas station for lunch. We ate this shredded carrot thing that I've never had until coming to France but I like it! And sandwhich meat and cheese! And for dessert, a Kit Kat! Haha it was my first here! I think it tasted different than American but still good! Kits Kats are my absolute favorite candy!

On the way back, we stopped at the medieval village of Pérouges! The weather wasn't the best but it was cool nontheless!

The pavement was totally just stones that stuck out a lot! Kinda felt like a massage on your feet! I'm so very glad I did not wear my Stilettos that day! I had even thought about it...Haha :-)

We saw this and they were like "Good picture!"

Haha and they were like "Do they have anything like that in the US?" and I'm always being sarcastic about stuff like that! I said "Oh yeah!!! It's just like home!!!" :-)

So apparently, there is this speciality of Pérouges called galette!


I had never heard of it! I saw one and I was just like "It's pizza!" but it isn't really... It has this sweet dough/ crust and then it is covered with this sugar stuff!!! Ahh it's so hard to explain! It looks like cheese but it's not! And it isn't really served warm! It was delicious though!

This was Mailys's portion!

Along with some hot chocolate! Haha this was kinda like our dinner! It gave Mailys a stomach ache later! Poor thing! The waitress server lady was dressed in this old apron and costume... all part of the environment! :-) This set us back a little bit but it was so worth it! :-) I think we all got a sugar high because none of us were tired... Most of us were just up and kicking up until we got back at 11:30!
It started raining pretty bad. It didn't seem like we slowed down one bit. The rain drops would just pound on the car. I didn't even know how the drivers could see the road but tha's France for you! I've seen very few accidents but I've seen a lot of almosts! Drivers are just more aggressive here.

 I did however see a car explosion on the way back. It was this truck and it was just sitting in the middle of the highway. The cab was just in total flames. I've never seen anything as crazy as that. The driver is burnt to a crisp no doubt if not dead... So sad!

I was happy to be back! It had been a fantastic week but I missed the Ashtons a lot! They are like my family and I just missed chilling! Vacations are great but always feeling like a guest! Living out of a suitcase! I can only handle so much! I got that "It feels so good to be home!" after a vacation feeling! Haha well...this is my home after all!!! :-)