Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Thank you strange video algebra man

I'd like to bake this man brownies right now:
 
For all of you with mathy kids, feel the pain of my terribly Liberal Artsy child who was in tears last night over the first chapter of Honors Geometry homework. The book was no help. I tried Khan Academy and could not even find this covered (I admit not really knowing HOW to find it there).  Stumbled on this guy's video and all was wonderful in the world. I hope to find a video for every chapter. This is going to be a looong year. Once she gets it, she gets it. But getting it can take a while. I think it does not help that one of her idiosyncrasies is that she cannot tell time on an analog clock. Sigh.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Postcards from Paris

I like to think of this post as how to go to Paris with my crazy family and avoid the hassels of air travel, being trapped in a toilet, the Euro/dollar exchange rate, the risk of dying from eating hazelnuts that are everywhere and in everything, and oh, jetlag.


Enjoy!
Pre-departure popcorn. What is up with my kid?




Our little street in the 7th


Built in 1899, around the same time all the plumbing was updated


Our teeny little Parisian kitchen


Original tile floors


Two blocks away
At night, it twinkles:


Me, getting all artsy, with the Eiffel Tower. We only looked this day as there were about  million people in line.


Shopping at Picard, the frozen food only store. This is all I could find that didn't have nuts.


One of many million metro trips


My no flash so they're all blurry shot of the kids and the Mona Lisa.




About now we're looking for a bathroom.


Raining, and glad we aren't out in it.


Braided waiting for yet another toilet


William rocking his statue pose. He announced he'd never seen so many pee pees and boobies in one place.


Um William, that one there's about to get you....


She was not amused.


About now William's feet fell off from walking


Let's take the train to Versaille.


A special note to McDonalds: this system is neither easy nor fast.


Two bathroom trips later and we finally reach Versailles.


He built this place.






It was Les Grands Eaux (fountains) day, complete with music and water and 8 million people.


Catherine knew all about this one.

Sometimes what she knows scares the crap out of me.















This is the lady that turns on the fountains at Neptune's Basin.


There you go. William wanted to know where the special effects were. I reminded him we weren't exactly at Disney World.


After Versaille we went to dinner. This is where our car caught on fire. Weeee! I don't have any car on fire photos because I was sort of fleeing.


We obviously survived. Now the gratuitous let's win the orthodontist's summer distance travelled award!


Squished in a boat.


You can pretend all you want you're at the beach, but the water is more dangerous than sharks.


We went. It was closed.


The Feast of the Assumption parade began.


Lots of people.



More ice cream.


A Wallace fountain, originally created to give Parisians more drinking water. But don't drink from this one. Please


Catherine quite liked this place. It gave me claustrophobia.



I love all the old doors.



Finally we got to the top of the Eiffel Tower.


Someone could use some ChemLawn.


Daddy wanted to visit the Paris sewers. There's no one here but us.  I wonder why.


Are those rats?


He had a great time. I thought I was being slowly poisoned by methane gas.


A poop sloop.


How the hell do we get out of here?


Yes that's toilet paper. God yes it stank!


Sea of Poo. I kid you not.


Fresher air at the Museum of Natural History.


Welcome small children!


And strange man.


This entire place was built around the turn of the 19th century. Everything, everywhere, is old old old.




Back to Versaille to see the grounds with 800 friends.




Uh oh, someone needs new windows. I know a place were I can hook them up with some Marvins....


Can you sense my sheer and utter exhaustion? And what is is with my kid and naked people?



We should do this with the yard.



Or this.


Run Catherine to see the Trianon palaces and Marie Antoinettes house. I'll collapse here on a bench.




What? Another metro?


Run free children!


Daddy not understanding the no flash = blurry photos rule


Yup, here too


ok just stop now


Army Museum.


Guns


more guns


Do you spot a trend?


Metro jazz hands.


She seemed so much bigger on TV.


Museum of Arts and Trades. Everything you've ever wanted to know about how stuff works.


And since there was no one here but us, obviously Rick Steeves hasn't told the world yet it exists.




John's got the camera again. Can you tell?


He loves him some telephones.





We've finally found the toilet. Celebration!




 






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