Gilroy Garlic Festival

For years, Damien and I have talked about going to the Gilroy Garlic Festival. We both love garlic and take for granted that the garlic capital of the world is just 25 minutes away! Well, this year my plan was to surprise him and take him down south for some fun! Because the festival is well publicized here- I knew that I had to be kinda sneaky and limit Damien's chances of seeing that the festival was coming! I knew if he saw it advertised- he would ask me if I wanted to go and I wanted to surprise him! I tried to pull out certain sections from the newspaper and even hush the kids (who knew about the surprise), but low and behold- he found out. Apparently I took the right sections of the paper out but I failed to see the little icon on the top of the front page that let him know the festival was this weekend.

Now that the cat was out of the bag, we all loaded up in the car and headed to the festival still not knowing what to expect! It was much farther off the freeway than we had first thought. Once we arrived we couldn't believe what a seamless production it was! So many volunteers, so many different parking areas, and a much bigger venue that I had first imagined. We first stopped by one of the food alleys because Michael needed some calamari. It is so strange. I sometimes can't get Michael to eat a piece of chicken- but he has never refused calamari his whole life! See, he really is Italian! Next we went and tried some garlic ice cream. I was a bit hesitant. It was almost like eating a Bernie Botts jelly bean. You know . . . the jelly beans that are flavored grass, dirt, booger, earthworm, vomit, earwax, etc. When you eat these jelly beans, even if you have never tasted earthworm, you will taste earthworm! When I first licked the garlic ice cream cone, the garlic taste was a bit overwhelming and I felt like I was eating scampi or something. Then in a few seconds the garlic taste dissipated and it tasted creamy like ice cream. I managed to take about three licks and then tossed it. Damien did the same but the kids ate the whole cone!! Who was I to judge? I actually got a big kick out of it! Knock yourselves out!

They had some really awesome attractions there for the kids. There were the traditional carnival rides and games but then there were some more creative activities for the kids. One of them was a Home Depot tent. The kids each got their own apron with their name on it and then got to pick a project to make. You could make a number of different things. Each of the kids got to pick a kit and then got to hammer nails into the pre-drilled holes of the wood. They could glue and nail their projects together and they loved it! Michael made a flower planter, Claire made a wooden boat, and Matthew planted a little flower. And the best part of the Home Depot tent- it was all free! How awesome is that! It gave them a chance to do 'big kid' stuff and they loved every minute of it! The most difficult part of the day was dealing with the scorching heat. We finished the very sweaty day off by treating ourselves to fruit smoothies (no garlic in these) and then had some awesome garlic bread, shrimp scampi, garlic stir fry, and many other garlicky treats! We were really happy we went and can finally check it off our things to do in the future. And don't worry- I am not going to go searching the Food Network about how to make garlic ice cream. Take my word for it, it tastes just like you would imagine it would . . . disgusting!

Ten Times the Fun!

With such a big family, it is rare to get all of the cousins on Damien's side together at the same time! Lucky for us, we were able to do it and even documented it! Just two days after we got home from Europe, we drove up to Healdsburg to celebrate the baptism of Gabe (Mark and Jocelyn's youngest). It was a beautiful event and when it was all said and done, we realized that all the cousins were together and we had better take some pictures.

I have a lot of pictures of the cousins. The problem is that as soon as I print a picture and put it in a frame, someone gets pregnant and then the picture is no longer valid! The latest and greatest cousin is Lani's youngest daughter, Caitlin. I took a great picture of the cousins on Easter but just weeks later, Caitin was born and the picture was out of date! So we will enjoy this picture until we get news of a pregnancy! Ten cousins together at last!!!

Going Home!

Well, we did it. Fifteen days abroad and it was time to come home. We had a great time, saw and experienced a lot but were more than ready to get back home to our comforts. Good food, our own beds, a less expensive shopping experience, sun, sun and more sun, and our life that was waiting for us at the front door. Every good adventure has to come to an end- and our end was here.

We arrived at the airport really early in the morning with more than enough time to check in and remain stress-free until our flight was to take off. Mark and Jocelyn were flying back to the states on the same morning as we were- although we were on different flights. Their flight was before ours, hence being at the airport so early! We casually checked in, scoured the airport's duty-free shops for any last minute treasures, and then boarded our plane and said goodbye to England! The flight was pretty mellow. It was much easier to fly with Matthew on this leg because we flew during the daytime hours. He could be loud and I didn't have to worry about him waking people up like I did on the way here (we flew at night on the way there). We couldn't get four seats next to each other so Michael and Claire had to sit directly behind us. They did great and we barely heard a peep out of them because they literally played video games and watched movies for the entire ten hours! Basically, we didn't bother them except to tell them to eat some of their food and not to order Coke anymore! A perk of sitting away from your parents is that you can order things without your parents hearing!

The kids were tired. I kept telling them to take a nap but they couldn't pull themselves away from the television in the seat back in front of them. Toward the end of the flight, Michael threw up from sheer exhaustion. Now all three kids had thrown up on this trip. Yeah! When we landed, I turned around and saw Michael and Claire passed out on the plane. Of course, they fell asleep on the last 15 minutes of the flight. When we landed I walked back to wake them up and realized that Claire was totally leaning on the guy next to her (as exhibited in the picture). I didn't realize it or I would have moved her. I thanked him for being patient with us but he didn't speak English and just nodded back to me. I hope he understood what I said because I really did appreciate his patience! We got off the plane (Michael and Claire were full of 100% crabbiness), got our bags, and loaded into the car we had chartered for the 45 minute ride home. We had decided to take something more private home because we figured with the jet lag, a Super Shuttle full of strangers would prove to be more of a nuisance. We just wanted to go home!

When we got home, we all took about an hour nap. My eyes were burning and the kids were a mess. It was hard to wake up from our nap and go about our business, but Damien and I knew it was for the best. Heather had stocked our refrigerator with milk, etc. and came over that night to help out and we were so glad she was there! That night, we all slept soundly. All three kids woke up at 5:00 a.m. the next morning but I figured that wasn't too bad. We adjusted nicely to life in California and almost felt like the last fifteen days were a dream. As we flipped through the 450 pictures we had taken in Europe, we smiled at them and thought, 'Who in their right mind would take their three kids to Europe?'

The Highs and Lows of Our Family on the Go!

I must admit, the thought of going to Europe was more painful than the actual process. It was much the same when we went two and a half years ago but this time Matthew was the piece of the puzzle that made me nervous. The mere thought of taking him on a ten hour plane ride kept me up at night. But as the mother of three children and the fact that I am used to juggling- I just decided that Damien and I were going to have to be a two ring circus on the plane and just get through it!

We had a lot of highs and lows on this trip. Lows being getting used to the time change, staying up with Matthew in the middle of the night, dealing with his fever and giving him antibiotics and the cha chas that came with it, finding Claire sitting on the third story windowsill, Michael's sprained ankle, the long drive to Paris, Michael being pooped on by a fat pigeon and having to throw his shirt away, the drive back from Paris to Maidenhead, almost missing our flight to Dublin, constantly running from the rain then minutes later lubing the kids up with sunblock, Claire being stung 16 times by stinging nettles, all the cousins bickering over the silliest of things, dealing with a weak dollar and having to pay a lot of money for everything (the pound is worth two dollars and the euro was worth 1 3/4 dollars), and of course the flight back which included more throwing up from pure exhaustion. Yes, there were a few things that were rough but the lows paled in comparison to the amazing memories and times we had on this European adventure.

Some of the highs were landing in England, seeing Mark, Jocelyn and their babies, seeing where they live and what life is like for them, seeing my kids play with their cousins (they miss them very much), taking the Chunnel, hearing people speak French (we love it), seeing the kids remember some of Paris from our last trip, seeing our French friends, eating a lot of pastries in Paris, watching the kids chase the pigeons, laughing hysterically with Mark and Jocelyn over the craziness that came with traveling with five kids, Lion bars and peanut M&Ms, watching Michael play soccer with the boys from Mark and Jocelyn's neighborhood, watching Claire do a great job in including Brennan in most of what she did, seeing Matthew and Gabe play together, speaking with terrible English accents for most of the trip, being pleasantly surprised at how cool Dublin was, shopping, shopping, shopping, shaking our heads at Michael and Claire and their obsession with collecting little cartons of half and half, seeing Matthew play in the fridge in Dublin, the automatic espresso/coffee machine in our hotel in Dublin, Aer Lingus , having crumpets with PB&J for breakfast in Maidenhead, grocery shopping and discovering some fun foods and spending way too much money, seeing the sights in London which were really cool, watching the kids get scared by people dressed as statues that would move when they got close, trying all sorts of different cuisines in England, visiting High Street on our last day, finding Krispie Kreme in the airport before we flew home, and getting the bulkhead seats on the way there and back on the airplane.

We had a great time in England, Paris, and Dublin. And while we were completely exhausted by the time we got back- we were thankful for the opportunity to go and see what life is like for Mark and Jocelyn but also be able to hang out and catch up with each other. It was crazy- there is no getting around that. But the memories we created are priceless and our kids once again got a glimpse of the beautiful, giant world that is out there. I never took a plane ride until I was in the fifth grade. So far, our kids have been blessed to have seen a lot of our country- but also see how people live on the other side of the world. Goodbye, Cheerio, Au revoir for now. We promise to do it again soon. Not too soon- but you know what I mean!

London

One last place we had to visit before we made the long trip back was London. London is about one hour away by car from Mark and Jocelyn's house. Because our kids had spent so much time tied down in cars or on planes, we opted to take the train into downtown London. After we all got to the train station (Jocelyn had to drive us in two trips) we loaded on a train that brought us into downtown London. The kids loved being able to move around and had a great time eating Kinder Eggs and playing Ro-Sham-Bo. Matthew even got in on the action and felt pretty cool by trying to play along!

Our first stop was at Buckingham Palace. It was really an amazing sight and there were lots of police/security around the premises because the Queen was having a tea party that afternoon. Michael benefited from the increase in security because he really wanted to meet a Bobby. When he approached them, they were very very friendly. They could tell that he thought they were cool and they offered to let him wear their hat! How nice! It really made this trip memorable for him. After we had a little photo opp, we continued touring the outside of the Queen's home and checked off #1 on a long list of 'Things To See'.

On this long and unusually hot day in London, we saw a lot! We saw Big Ben and were surprised to learn that it is actually connected to Parliament! I had no idea! We also saw "The Eye" which is a giant Ferris Wheel where you get a bird's eye view of all of London. We didn't ride it because the line was really long and the cost per adult was about $40. That is nuts! After touring this area, we made our way over to the London Bridge, which is really called Tower Bridge. It was painted light blue which is apparently the Queen's favorite color. Could you imagine saying, paint that light blue and having it done? I could use that power for at least a few days, um I mean years!

When we got to the Tower Bridge, the gray clouds had left and the heat and sun were intense. We bought some popsicles for everyone and hoped to revive everyone for the long trip back to Maidenhead (Mark and Jocelyn's town). It worked for the moment but everyone was exhausted. We were on day #13 of our vacation whirlwind and we were tired. A lot of traveling, a lot of walking, a lot of sight seeing. It was time for the vacation to wind down and time to get back to a more focused and relaxed way of life. Everyone was tired and it was showing. We did make it back to the house in one piece and one by one, we gradually slowed down until we were all fast asleep.

Dublin, Ireland

We took a flight from England to Dublin just after dinnertime. It was pretty hectic getting to the airport and then getting through the labyrinth that is Heathrow on top of that! To add even more stress- we thought we were on the verge of missing our flight and knew that Air Lingus' policy was that if you miss your flight- you lose your money! Ahhhhhh! Thankfully, we made it and off to Ireland we went!

Our hotel was really cool. Finally- we were in a place with tons of space where the kids could stretch out and run around! On our first night- we headed into downtown Dublin to get our first taste of Ireland and try and get some food! We ended up at TGIFs (I know, pathetic. But we knew the kids would eat the food there!) and had a leisurely dinner. It was really late when we finished so we headed home and promised to see the sights in the morning.

We were up pretty early and on the go for a day of adventure. Unfortunately for us, the rain followed us from London and Paris and pretty much dumped on us. We would walk and enjoy the sites and then next thing you knew- we were ducking under awnings hoping for some protection from the heavy rain. It was crazy! Mark and Jocelyn had been to Dublin before so they helped us navigate through the tourist area. There was some great shopping, although we didn't do much because the kids were cranky! We had a great Italian lunch and continued our scenic tour through Dublin.

The town was beautiful. It wasn't like we pictured Ireland to be- rolling green hills and terrible food, but we realized that was because we were in the city, not the country. The lively nature of the streets, the pedestrian only areas, the great store fronts, and beautiful architecture made our trip there wonderful. We were especially fond of the Temple Bar area and hope to go back one day! It was a short trip, but we had a lot of fun and I know that Damien and the kids really enjoying being in a place where they are from. Oddly enough- I was the only one on the trip who was not Irish. But don't shed a tear for me. I am fine just the way I am! Grazie!

Quick story: On the last night, Damien and I were sleeping in the bedroom and the kids were in an adjacent room in our hotel room. It was around 2:00 a.m. when we were startled awake by a bright light disrupting the total darkness. Damien jumped out of bed and found Claire, still asleep, walking into the hallway of the hotel. Claire had woken up, walked to the front door of our room, unlocked the dead bolt, and walked out in the hall. ALL WHILE STILL SLEEPING! Seriously, Claire. Sleep walking out of your hotel room in Ireland? We were shocked. So Damien brought her back to her bed and took one of the tables from our room and put it in front of the door so she couldn't get out. In the morning we asked her where she was going and she casually answered, "To the bathroom." When will the madness end?

Windsor Castle

After relaxing at Mark and Jocelyn's house for a day (no rest for the weary), we decided to take a day trip to Windsor Castle. The castle was just a short 20 minute drive from their house and the kids were ecstatic over the idea of going to a real castle! I was really excited but I was also freaking out a little bit because in order to get our group of nine to the castle- Damien would have to drive there. It was his first foray in English driving and was enough to scare me half to death! Picture driving not only on the other side of a car, but on the other side of the street!! Not to mention the insane round-a-bouts! I tried to stay quiet and Damien just followed Jocelyn the best he could and somehow- we made it!

When we arrived at the castle, we were curious to see if the Queen was in residence there. Apparently she either resides in Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle and you know where she is based on the flag flying atop the castle. Well, as we rounded the corner to the castle, we quickly learned she wasn't there. The kids could have cared less and were more amazed by the site of the castle! They loved it! We paid to enter (residents of England don't have to pay) and toured around the magnificent rooms. Damien and Michael were in awe of all of the swords and weapons while Claire was fixated on a doll house that was made for one of the past King/Queen's daughters which featured working electric and plumbing. It was very very old but still completely impressive. We made our way through the castle via the abbreviated version- thanks to the kid's short attention spans and had a wonderful time.

Afterwards, we were able to take a picture with one of the guards. Michael thought this was pretty cool and we all gathered around for the photo opportunity. We left the castle grounds and entered the adorable town of Windsor. It was so cute! We ended up eating just outside the castle at a restaurant which was the oldest tavern (hundreds of years old) in Windsor. It was the only time that we actually ordered English food and you know what? It was delicious! We did a bit more sightseeing and then headed back to Mark and Jocelyn's house for some rest. We needed it from all of the traveling in Paris but also because we would be leaving for Dublin, Ireland in just one more day!

Hopital Cochin

Our last stop in Paris was the hospital where Michael was born. To me, this was the most important part of the trip. We pushed the visit to the tail end of our journey because the Chief of the NICU was out of town and we really wanted to see him and have Michael say hello. By day four of our Parisian tour, we were tired and the kids had very little patience left. But as we had done in the days before- we carried on!

Michael was born in a hospital called Hopital Cochin. It is an amazing hospital and has been touted as the Premiere Neonatal Hospital in all of Western Europe. Seriously . . . how lucky are we that we ended up in this hospital? By the time I had checked into the hospital in April of 2001- I was in rough shape. Had we gone to another hospital, things really could have been worse. I will never forget the night I arrived at the hospital to be checked out. My first reaction was that the hospital looked old- really old. The outside of the hospital looks more like a business building than a place where sick people come to get help. The inside didn't look much different from the outside either. Basically, we went into this expecting to see a hospital similar to that in America- which was really not the case! Nevertheless, the medical care was exceptional and we feel very blessed that we ended up in Hopital Cochin.

Michael was really happy to see Professor Moriette. We have shown him numerous pictures from his birth and Michael knew that Professor Moriette was a huge part of Michael's eventual recovery. The last time we visited, Michael was a little timid when we met all the doctors again. This time, he was confident and proud of these amazing people and walked right up and gave them a hug. He told me before we even left for Europe that he was going to say to them, "Thank you for saving my life" and he followed through with promise. I know that the doctors really appreciate us bringing Michael back to see them. We all grew so deeply connected to one another and it was hard to leave the NICU back in July of 2001. When we did leave, I said to Professor Moriette, "How do I thank you for saving Michael's life?" and he replied, "Give us updates on how he is doing and maybe come visit one day." Well in seven years, we have been back twice and we send Christmas cards and general updates to them about twice a year. When Michael was born we asked them to help him. To please try and make him better. They followed through with their end of the bargain- it was only fair that we followed through with ours.

The last stop of the day was to show Michael where his last place in the NICU was. At this particular hospital, the NICU is divided in different rooms that basically indicate how the baby is doing. For instance, when Michael was first born, he was in Le Bleu. This room is for the sickest of babies and was a very hard place to be. We were surrounded by a lot of sadness and tragedy. Michael spent well over a month in this room. The next room was Le Rose. It was the next step for the babies who didn't need such intense monitoring. Lastly, your baby would stay in Pédiatrie. This was the room where full term babies who had minor trauma during birth would go and stay for a few days. For Michael, he was able to move to this room once he wasn't on such severe oxygen support. He spent about three weeks here before he was strong enough to fly home.

Before we left the hospital this time, we got our picture taken with Michael right outside of Pédiatrie. For a brief moment I was overcome with emotion. During Michael's initial hospitalization, we took a lot of pictures of him. This particular picture taken in 2001 is of me and Michael on the inside of the NICU and Damien on the outside. The above picture was taken in exactly the same spot. What a wonderful feeling it was to be able to take a picture as a family on the outside of the NICU together. Oh, how much we have grown. God is good. We are so thankful for the many blessings in our life.

We said 'au revoir' to Paris with a promise to return again. We don't know when that will be or even the circumstances surrounding it. But one thing we know for sure is that Paris is no longer a place of sadness for us. After an amazing visit and after creating priceless memories there- we left Paris feeling whole, renewed, and healed.

Paris Disneyland

Traveling through France with five children was at times a little difficult. While for the greater part of the trip the kids did amazingly well, there were times when more than one would melt down at the same time leaving us all looking at each other to see who would laugh first and take us away from the insanity! In an effort to escape some of the insanity and give the kids a chance to have some fun, we took them to Paris Disneyland. This was Damien and my third time, Michael and Claire's second time, and Matthew, Mark, Jocelyn, Brennan, and Gabe's first time to the Parisian House of Mouse. Paris Disneyland is very similar to Anaheim's Disneyland. Same kind of layout, same rides, same kind of song and dance. However, in the areas that Paris Disneyland differed from that of Disneyland- there were enormous differences! For one, our Disneyland is much cleaner, more organized. The lay of the land in Disneyland is more compact than that of Paris Disneyland. And the food? Don't go there! While we had a great time in Paris Disneyland, you just can't get that same whimsical feeling you get in Disneyland.

The drive to Paris Disneyland was about 40 minutes from downtown Paris. Not bad especially for the adults who loved having the kids all strapped into a carseat/seatbelt and unable to paw at us for attention! A major downer for us was the weather. In England and now France, the rain stalked us. No sooner did you take off your jacket to enjoy a sun break did you find yourself retreating for shelter from a crazy rainstorm! We bought all the kids rain ponchos, Mark bought the giftshop out of umbrellas and we did the best we could to stay dry (which is hard to do with heavy winds whipping the rain at you sideways!). Nevertheless, we had an absolute ball.

We rode all of the crowd favorites and even made it over to Walt Disney Studios Park (kind of like Universal Studios) to watch the kids freak out on the tram ride where you think you are going to be taken out by a rock slide or drenched by a waterfall. In spite of the weather- we had a lot of fun. There were plenty of characters for the kids to gawk at and a great parade where Claire was tickled pink to be so close to the princesses. She was calling out their names like crazy! Cinderella, Snow White, Ariel!!!! And believe me, it didn't stop there! We also went on Space Mountain which I assure you is SOOO much better than the one in California. Basically, this Space Mountain goes upside down and cork screws in the pitch black dome. If there is one thing I could import from Paris Disney to our Disneyland- it would be their Space Mountain.

We ended the very long and soggy day on It's A Small World. Somehow when you ride this ride in Paris, the meaning of the song seems a bit more poignant. Matthew loved this ride and was even trying to sing along! It was awesome to be able to go to Paris Disneyland with Mark, Jocelyn, and their kids. A memory I am sure none of us will soon forget. It was a welcome departure from the foreign speaking world and brought us all back to something very familiar. The kids had so much fun and we did too. Sure- we had been there before, but we took away something new this time. A great memory with family that we will hold forever.

It's a world of laughter, a world of tears.

It's a world of hopes; it's a world of fears.

There's so much that we share, that it's time we're aware.

It's a small world after all.

Michael's Angels

It is amazing the strength you can possess in a time of crisis. All alone in Paris seven years ago, Damien and I were blessed with strength that was surely given to us by God. The surmounting stress, the life-saving decisions we had to make for Michael, and the feeling of isolation eventually grew to be a lot for us to handle. It was during this difficult time that we took comfort in the people who reached out to us. The ones who could see us struggling to stay afloat that helped us to safety. Some of these people were doctors, nurses, nuns, and US embassy employees. Others were the parents of other premature babies in the NICU. However we were connected, these people became our family of sorts. Providing us with a safe place to talk, acting as a support system, and ultimately making it possible for us to support Michael and deal with our situation in a positive healthy way. We call them our friends- our family away from home, but I think that they are angels.

The last time we returned to Paris, we met up with a lot of people to say thank you and introduce to them a walking, talking, healthy Michael. The last time they had seen him- he was a four pound baby being wheeled out of the hospital in an incubator preparing to take a long flight across the Atlantic. How times change. This trip we made just a few appointments to see friends. We met up with the Cassagne family for lunch just outside of Luxembourg Gardens. Back in 2001, Marie Cassagne was born three days after Michael at 25 weeks 4 days gestation. Day in and day out, we prayed for her and Michael. In many ways, their struggle was the same. So fragile, so small, so many things that could have gone wrong. We befriended their parents Jean Marc and Karine and soon the four of us found strength in each other's fight. We knew what the other was going through. We could speak the complicated medical language and understand one another. For months- we helped each other up when the other was down. This emotional ebb and flow permanently bonded us beyond the shared experience of having premature babies. We were going to be friends for life. Our babies, little Michael and Marie, had never met each other. They lay just a few feet from each other in their own respective incubators and struggled to live and bless our lives. We joked with the Cassagnes before we left Paris the first time that Michael and Marie would one day be married. From that point on, we referred to them as the other's fiancé. Our trip to Paris this time was the first time both of our children understood who the other was. Although Michael and Marie don't speak a shared language- they somehow get by with gestures and touch. Michael wasn't afraid to go over and put his arm around her. However, you could tell that he was a little shy because he thinks she is pretty (and she is!). By the end of the afternoon, they were paling around- pushing each other in a stroller and just having fun. To think that there was a time where neither family knew if they would survive . . . and now look at them. Our little miracles.

After lunch that same afternoon, the Cassagnes and our big group (our family and Mark's family) met Dr. Christine Mayou and her family in Luxembourg Gardens. Dr. Mayou was a true blessing to us when Michael was born. She kept a high level of professionalism but also was able to relate to our situation and help us make some very important decisions. When Michael was first born, he was on life support. Having been incubated (used a breathing tube) for almost three weeks, the doctors really wanted him to transition from intubation to another form of oxygen support. This step really needed to happen. One of our options was giving Michael a dose of steroids. We knew that these steroids would most definitely get Michael off the breathing tube- but we knew it might come with a serious price. The studies weren't out yet but there was a pretty strong chance that the steroids would cause bleeding in the brain which could lead to cerebral palsy. What do you do? Do you try and help your child get off the breathing tube (which needed to happen) or do you help them by giving the steroids to ensure this happened? We were so torn and emotionally spent. That is when we talked to Dr. Mayou about her opinion. She told us the statistics and the pros and cons. Then we asked her a difficult question, "If it was your son- would you administer the steroids?" Her answer was no. And that was that. We then decided that we needed Michael to muster up the strength to become extubated and after a few days- he did it! Dr. Mayou's advice was so instrumental in Michael's eventual recovery. When we saw her that day in Luxembourg Gardens, my heart wanted to burst because I care so very much about her. She feels the same and we make sure to keep in touch through email and letters. Every year she sends Michael a birthday card and even called us to come see her as she traveled through San Francisco the same year Michael was born. She is an amazingly brilliant, honest, compassionate woman and we are so blessed to have had her as a part of Michael's recovery. When we visited with her that afternoon, she told us that studies have now shown that there is a direct link from the steroids to cerebral palsy and that they DO NOT even offer the steroids as an option anymore. We both hugged her and thanked her for her brilliant advice seven years ago. And I swear in that moment, she got tears in her eyes and looked over at Michael and said, "He is perfect."

It was fun to not only be with our French friends, but to introduce them to Mark, Jocelyn and their kids. It kind of validated our experience in Paris by sharing it with our family from home. Not many of our friends and family have been able to see Michael's hospital or understand much of our situation because in so many ways- it is just too surreal. Damien and I took great pleasure in having our friends meet some of our family which I am sure helped them understand us better. The gorgeous afternoon in the gardens was spent eating ice cream, sailing mini sailboats (courtesy of Mark) and just sitting in a giant circle admiring the beauty of the day as well as the beauty of human kind. These wonderful French people let us into their hearts, into their lives, and we will never be able to thank them enough for the gift of their friendship.

Back in 2001, there were just a few of us. Now seven years later the Cassagnes have two girls, Dr. Mayou and her husband have a young boy and a little girl, and we have three children. While a lot has changed from seven years ago- none of us will ever forget the experience that bonded us all.

Bonjour Paris!

Ahhhh, the city of lights. So glad to be back. It has been three years since we last visited Paris. Back then, Michael was four years old and Claire was two. It was a great trip- more like a pilgrimage back to a place where we experienced the highest and lowest points of our lives. That trip was all about healing and giving Michael his first glimpse since birth of a city that will forever be a part of his beginnings.

Thankfully, we returned this time to Paris on different terms. After grounding ourselves in England for a few days, we drove into the city and positioned ourselves in the most familiar part of the city to us- the 14th arrondissement, which is near the hospital where Michael was born. We stayed at the Best Western Bretagne Montparnasse and it was a delightful little hotel. As expected( like most hotels in Europe) - the rooms were a little on the small side but were comfortable and nice.

The last time we were in Paris, we packed our week long stay with visits and appointments so that we could see the people that helped us four years earlier. This time, however, we didn't stress ourselves out and just booked up one afternoon with some of our friends and doctors. Mark and Jocelyn had already been to Paris so we didn't have to do the whole tourist thing. We all just wanted to make a real vacation of this mini-trip and relax and breathe in the beauty of Paris.

The only touristy thing we wanted to do was to see the Eiffel Tower. More specifically- my kids wanted to go and chase the pigeons (which were the hit in all of Europe) under the Tower. Figures! You fly them across the world and nothing captivates their interest like some dirty birds! We took the Metro from our hotel to the Eiffel Tower and as expected were overwhelmed by the site of it. I swear- no matter how many times you have seen it, it is just as spectacular as the first time! As we walked closer to the Tower, we noticed that the French police had cordoned off the area under the tower. What? I couldn't handle the suspense of it all and inched as close as I could to find out why there was so much fuss! Apparently, there was a suspicious bag underneath the Tower and they didn't want anyone going near it. We took heed and crossed the street and paid for our disappointed kids to ride the Merry-Go-Round. About half way through the ride, we were stunned by the sound of a huge explosion. We all screamed, okay the kids and I screamed, and waited to find out what had happened. Michael started crying because he was so happy that someone didn't blow the Eiffel Tower into little pieces. Word spread quickly that the police had the their equivalent of the 'Bomb Squad' come and detonate it. We all agreed that we shouldn't tempt fate and go under the now unrestricted area and waved goodbye to the Eiffel Tower from across the street. Wouldn't you know that we came all this way to see it and then couldn't get near it? Oh, Paris- you keep us guessing!

That night, we walked by 'Michael's hospital' and then got some pizza from a place Damien and I frequented seven years ago. We walked a block with our pizza to a little quad where we could all rest our feet and enjoy our dinner. It just so happened that this absolutely stunning Pantheon of sorts was just behind us. That is one reason I love Paris (and other European cities for that matter)- you can be walking down the street and turn a corner and find this! I don't know if the kids appreciated its' beauty but the picture of them eating pizza with it in the background is just amazing!

The Chunnel to France

After a busy day celebrating the 4th of July, we tried to get some sleep (tried being the operative word) but didn't do so well. 6:15 a.m. came a bit too early for all of us to rally and get out of the house. While we did leave on time, everyone was grouchy and tired. I managed to get Matthew and I dressed without fuss but when I went to wake up and dress Michael and Claire the drama began. The day before at the party, Michael was running and playing nonstop. At one point, he told me that his ankle hurt but because he was running around like crazy- I disregarded it. Well this morning, Michael's ankle really hurt him and was so swollen- I couldn't put his shoe on. I couldn't believe it! Wait! Strike that. Yes, I could totally believe that we were going to deal with more drama abroad! So shoeless, Michael rode to the Chunnel station with the rest of us.

The Chunnel (which takes you under the English Channel to the northern part of France) was better than I could have imagined it to be. It is similar to a ferry where you drive onto a vessel and park your car only on the Chunnel you are kind of locked into a section of a freight train. You can get out of your car but basically reside in the same area. You can look out of the window and actually see when you go from above ground to below. The ride (once we started moving) was about 20 minutes and a nice chance to stretch our legs and let the kids (mostly Claire and her cousin, Brennan) run around for a little while. Michael hopped around and did the best he could despite his injury.

We had to drive about two hours from their house to the Chunnel station and then drove another three hours to get to Paris. It was a long day but well worth it once we snuggled into our hotel. A quick story . . . we stopped at McDonald's for some dinner and afterwards the kids played on the play structure. Michael was tickled to hear people speaking French and he seemed to perk up after having a rough day. He was trying to talk to a little girl who was playing near him but was confused that she wasn't understanding him and vice versa. Then he turned to me and Damien and said, "If I was born in France, how come I can't understand her?" So cute. He thought that he would just automatically pick up on the language piece of it. Gees. If only it was that easy. We wouldn't have had such a hard time understanding the language seven years ago!!!

4th of July in England?

Okay- the first night in England went a bit like this. We all hit the pillow and were out within two minutes. We (Matthew and I) slept from 10:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. when Matthew decided it was time to wake up and hang out. Yes, my eyes were burning and I was a bit delirious- but Matthew and I sat in Jocelyn's kitchen wide awake from 1-5:00 a.m. in the morning. What a way to bring in the 4th of July! At least I won't forget it anytime soon!! Matthew got up at 9:00 a.m. but thankfully Damien let me sleep until 11:00 a.m. Damien and Matthew woke me up and that was when I noticed that he was burning up. After taking his temperature I realized he was 103.6 degrees. Great. What is with my kids being sick when we are abroad? I swore in that moment we were cursed! After a heavy dose of medicine (and a lollipop)- Matthew made a comeback and it was time to get ready for a huge 4th of July party Mark and Jocelyn were throwing for his work friends and their neighbors.

They were expecting around 60 people to attend the 4th of July BBQ. I had to laugh at the irony of the people of England helping celebrate our country's Independence from them. But they all showed up and enjoyed themselves so much. Mark and Jocelyn pulled out all the stops and had many of America's favorite pastimes. Potato sack races, balancing an egg on a spoon race, wine tasting, a soccer game, and a bouncy house. The kids had an absolute blast and really enjoyed getting to know some of the local kids who were really nice well-mannered children.

After we had eaten- and then eaten some more- it was time for the fireworks. Being as it doesn't get dark in England until about 10:30 p.m. - they started the firework show early. There is no law in England which prohibits the sale of fireworks. And I am not talking about sparklers or smoke bombs. These fireworks were worthy of a town gathering and didn't disappoint anyone at the gathering. They were amazing fireworks. I couldn't believe that anyone could just go and buy these! Let's just say I was happy Damien wasn't setting them off because one false move and I am sure he could have lost an arm or something.

After a long day of fun activities, we were all beat! Matthew (who was jet-lagged and pumped full of Tylenol/Motrin) had had it. The fireworks were just enough to push him over the edge. Besides, we all needed to go to sleep because at 6:15 a.m. the next morning, we were leaving the house to drive (and take the Chunnel) to Paris, France. I kept thinking in my head, Are We Crazy?- but I just had to keep moving on despite my tired mind and body telling me to do otherwise. Let's just hope Matthew lets me get a little more sleep than last night! Ha, I know better than to be so optimistic about sleep! Sleep, sleep? What is that?

England . . . Ready or Not- Here We Come!

Just over a year ago, Damien's brother Mark and his family moved to England for his job. For just over a year, they have been trying to get us to go out there and alas, we are going! We are spending just over two weeks there and plan to visit three different countries! They have two young children, added to our three- makes five kids under seven traveling around Europe. Sounds like fun to me! Let's go!

The idea of packing for myself and the kids for a 15 day European adventure was less than appealing. Added to the stress I feel when going to Europe (a la Michael's birth) and worrying about something happening to one of the kids was enough to make me crazy! But somehow, the packing got done, I wiped Safeway out of their Children's Tylenol and Motrin, got preventative antibiotics should the kids get sick, and had enough snacks to feed the entire economy section of the plane. Feeling good and organized with a few days to spare before our flight- I relaxed and tried to enjoy the down time. Big Mistake. I let my guard down and what do you know? Matthew and I got ear infections the day before we were supposed to leave! Wonderful! He started fevering and couldn't sleep restfully. And for those of you parents who have given small children antibiotics- one of the most annoying side effects are the cha chas. Think for a second . . . a small fevering toddler on a plane, ears hurting from the pressure, repeated diaper full of cha chas, and ten hours to sit in one area. Hmmm. Suddenly my enthusiasm and bright cheery outlook was nowhere to be found.

Flight day came and we pulled it together. The packing was done, the house was organized, we had a full day of antibiotics in Matthew, and the car was here ready to take us to San Francisco International Airport. We all strapped into the car and just like that- we were launched! Damien and I have taken the kids to Europe before. Three years ago- we took Michael (then age 4) and Claire (then age 2) to Paris. It wasn't the most relaxing of trips, but I have absolutely no regrets about taking them. I kept trying to tell myself the same thing with this trip. It would be fine- our kids are troopers. We had to check in really early at the airport but better safe than sorry. Lucky for us, we were able to get four seats in front of the bulkhead so Matthew had some space to move around during the flight. Up, up, and away we went on our very own National Lampoon's European Adventure. Who knows what it would bring, but we were doing it!

The flight was pretty good. Damien and I didn't sleep a wink (but I did get to watch 27 Dresses), Michael and Claire each got two hours of sleep, Matthew napped here and there and slowly but surely- we were inching our way to England. Poor Clairey got sick when we were close to landing because her little body was so confused and tired. I felt bad for her. But she handled it well. Moving on- Virgin Atlantic was awesome! Everything from their service, to the food, to the in-flight entertainment was high quality. In everyone seatbacks, you had your own personal television where you could watch one of many many movies or TV shows or play video games (even play against other people on the plane). Michael and Claire were so content playing games and watching movies that we barely heard a peep out of them (except when Claire barfed). Matthew did well, too. He was quite squirmy at times, but between me and Damien- we were able to handle him. All in all, the flight wasn't bad. A welcome relief for us. Now, we just had to focus on trying to get the kids adjusted to the eight hour time change. Jocelyn and Brennan picked us up and whisked us to their home where we let the kids run around for a few hours before we all succumbed to a 2 hour nap. Jet lag on your own is hard but dealing with the kids battling jet lag at the same time was a little crazy. But we are crazy. Needless to say, we were happy to make it their home in one piece and settle in.