The week in review

A lot happened in the last week and I have a feeling there's more like it on the way...

Tuesday - brought two house showings... one a potential offer. And a counter-offer from the below our asking price - a counter-offer that was still too low.

Wednesday - had us in a pseudo bidding war with the second couple saying they were going to make an offer of a certain amount (20K more than the other offer) but that they couldn't officially do it until they heard back from their contractor - so how did we hold off signing with the other couple without losing the sale??
In the end it was a moot point - we spent 4 hours in the emergency room with Julia because her high fever was back and she was crying, lethargic and generally not well at all and we were worried (and she had red spots - she tends towards red spots). They thought she had a Urinary Tract Infection and that she would have to stay in the hospital on antibiotics through an IV and that she would be there until 48 hours after her fever broke...!!!! In the end, 3 urine samples and a blood test later, they let us take her home on the condition that we returned the next morning for another urine sample and blood test.

Thursday - hospital with Julia, and she was okay, they decided it was viral. Marc and Stuart both sick, took Stuart to the doctor (virus). Found out that the other offer (20K more) was a no-go - we think the guy was trying to force us into waiting and possibly losing the first offer so we'd take less. Took first offer and signed a "compromis" to sell our house.

Friday - Stuart up for 2 hours at 3 am complaining of stomach pain. Do we go to Paris? Yes? No? Somebody decide? Tracy at lung specialist first thing. Not a good report from one of the tests, she now has to go for a histamine test where they will pump her full of histamines and see if it provokes an asthma attack. Doesn't that sound like fun? Appointment took a hideous amount of time, we rushed to train station and made train to Paris with 4 minutes to spare, all in foul humour. Arrive in Paris in middle of torrential downpour and foolishly struggle to get to hotel by Metro (I know, we're idiots, but I grew up in Montreal where they have these neat things called ESCALATORS in the metro!)Spend the evening at the base of Sacre-Coeur church in Montmartre watching the kids ride the carousel and ducking into a cafe for ice cream when the skies opened up again.

Saturday - everyone much better it appears - except Tracy who is on major allergy suffering (it only took 6 hours to figure out it was actually a cold!). Through occasional rain showers visit the Eifel Tower (line up was 2 hours long so we didn't go up) and took a Bateau Mouche along the Seine, did a little shopping at Printemps and Galleries Lafayette before heading back (another downpour) to the hotel and dinner at the adorable little restaurant next to it where they served Marc his Terrine Maison by bringing a ginormous terrine and letting him cut off what he wanted. Things we will miss.

Sunday - Headed off to the Champs Elysees for Marc to make his meeting with some people over from Canada (the reason we were in Paris in such poor health). The sun was out, so the kids and I headed up the Champs Elysees for a look at L'Arc de Triomphe - Stu was pretty impressed, there is a smaller one in Nancy that he had been through a couple of weeks before. Cafe au lait on the Champs Elysees... who could resist? Met up with Marc, walked some more, had lunch in a little resto just off the CE and played in a playground as we headed back towards the Louvre. Julia passed out and was carried through the Tuilleries and the rain started again so we headed back to our hotel to catch a cab to the train station. Upon asking the boy (Stuart kept saying he looked like Prince Charming in Shrek 2 - the hair!!) to call us a cab were told :

"Well it's raining. That's a problem. You can't get a cab in the rain."

?????

"it's raining and we don't call a specific cab, we call a taxi rank and they won't get out of the car to answer the phone when it is raining so you can't get a taxi."

Welcome to FRANCE!

In the end I pushed enough that he called (only to prove to me that he was right and that we would get no cab, damn North American that I am) and guess what? GOT US A CAB.

Home again home again, thank goodness we're back!

Monday - No school in the afternoon. Two cranky hot kids. Wicked allergy attacked for Tracy and asthma kicked in. This is why we are leaving this country. have to remember that when I have doubts.

And that is all that happened. I think. Now I can't remember ;-)