D-Day

So today is my 42nd birthday. I find it interesting that exactly half my life ago I was also in Paris celebrating my 21st birthday. I went to a cafe with friends and had cake, a big splurge as I never had or spent money back then.

Today in honor of my birthday, the city of Paris is pulling out all the stops. The first item on the agenda is a transportation strike- subways and buses will not be running. In response, the kids' school is closed, lest the students show up and the teachers can't. I like that the transit system warned us of the strike- they stated the day it would take place, so alternate plans could be made.

So, we're having an "in day". Q has been quite sick the past couple of days, so we're taking it easy. Well sort of. The little monkeys are assembling a 200 piece puzzle, they are actually hard at work, while I catch up on emails and blogging. Sean was secretly hoping his class would be cancelled, but no such luck. He has been busy taking a 20 hour per week French class. No more wandering about town in his pajamas all day.

Looking ahead, I suspect that in 21 more years, we will have returned to Paris and I'll be celebrating my 63rd birthday. I'll be toting my grocery cart on wheels to and from the grocery. Monday afternoons will find me hanging out with neighborhood women watching a matinee. I'll be wearing sensible shoes as I join a group for a tour of the Louvre. But wait, this is what I'm doing now.

Really, I'm just thrilled to be here. I thank my lucky stars (and my husband) for the gift of this experience.