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Original poster

Parisian mums-any playmates for lonely child?

26 replies

rosietoes · 24/06/2010 23:08

Bonjour Paris!

The Toes family has landed on French shores, and after 1 wk DD is accosting English speaking children in Monoprix in search of playmates.

We have latched onto Bonsoir & child a few times in Parc Monceau, but if there are any other MNers around this summer with potential playmates for 4 yo, please let me know!

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Original poster
rosietoes · 24/06/2010 23:12

BTW, many thanks to Bonsoir for kindly helping us adjust to living here!

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teafortwo · 24/06/2010 23:17

Hi Rosie!!!!

Do you fancy meeting in Parc Monceau tomorrow? We will be around from 4.30 onwards... if the sun is out mini milks are on us!

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rosietoes · 24/06/2010 23:36

Hello Teafortwo!

Super great! DD will be thrilled!
Was outside EaB at pick up time today to meet Bonsoir, I guess that is where you will be tomorrow! Should I look for Bonsoir & she'll help me find you?

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darcymum · 24/06/2010 23:41

Sorry butting in but- what a glamours life you mums must lead in Paris.

teafortwo · 25/06/2010 00:03

Actually, we are at the other end of the park. DD was REALLY bugging me today to go and play on the playpark after we had spent two hours playing football and we were in a rush because we had cakes to buy for the end of school party!

I peeerr-roooohmmm-issstt her that we will go to the playpark tomorrow after school so shall I meet you there on a bench by the sandpit?

... ha ha! I feel like a spy!

My dd has red hair and I am of the very English looking, blondish and casual clothing type. If Bonsoir is around do just sit with her and I will come over and join you. She will be there before me because her school run is closer.

Original poster
rosietoes · 25/06/2010 00:04

Hello! you sound like my mum! I told her it's same life, but different things in supermarket. In fact, takes ages to figure out what toilet cleaner to buy as you have to work out the new vocab.

Can be very lonely life as well... I have child almost jumping out the window desperate to speak to child yelling from across the apartment courtyard, has left all her friends, in a new city where she doesn't speak the language and when she tried to talk to a little boy in the park yesterday, he hit her in the chest. No idea why, maybe he was frustrated she didn't understand him when he spoke to her in French.

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Original poster
rosietoes · 25/06/2010 00:06

Sorry-above was response to darcymum!

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Original poster
rosietoes · 25/06/2010 00:10

Teafortwo, I'm sure you'll spot me, very average looking, brown unkepmt bob, glasses, would blend in any other city, but not Paris where I stick out sore thumb-like!

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teafortwo · 25/06/2010 00:33

darcymum - I find that there are many great things about living in Paris. One of the great things is you can wear MandS and everyone goes "Ooooh what a lovely coat/jumper/dress" and really thinks it looks great instead of rolling eyes and goinging "soooo boring yuck - MandS"!

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rosietoes · 25/06/2010 08:24

SamCam wears M&S!
Wonder if Carla Bruni asked her where the nearest M&S is so she could do some shopping when CB was in London last week?!

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BriocheDoree · 25/06/2010 09:18

Well, we are a little stuck at home at the moment due to a very nasty bacterial throat infection (DD) but we're also around for the whole of July and not SO far from Paris that we can't come in occasionally . We will happily come and meet you in the park if DD is prepared to play with a 3-year-old boy and a rather silent 6-year-old girl (she doesn't speak, but is happy to play!)

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rosietoes · 25/06/2010 12:24

BriocheDoree, DD & I would be happy to play with boys or girls and DD will do enough talking for everyone! (she doesn't shut up!)

We would be delighted to see you here or if you tell us how, we could come to your area one day as well! I suppose we can CAT about the details. Very new to this CAT stuff.

We're away 3-10 July, but here ALL the rest of the summer.

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BriocheDoree · 25/06/2010 12:46

No, DS doesn't shut up either. It's quite an eye-opener after DD. She's more of the strong silent type!!

teafortwo · 25/06/2010 18:33

Well it was lovely meeting you in the park today Rosie. Milk fell asleep on the metro and hasn't woken up yet! I think she is sickening for something... ... sorry if we passed anything on.

We hope to see you around the place a lot (esp if minitoes and milkfortwo are in the same class next year ).

Original poster
rosietoes · 25/06/2010 19:22

Ditto T42! Hope Milk is OK, awful to be ill just in time for school holidays!

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BriocheDoree · 25/06/2010 20:23

Could be worse, DD has been ill this week and has missed both school play and school day trip to jardin d'acclimatation.
BTW if you have been to jardin d'acclimatation yet, you MUST GO.

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rosietoes · 25/06/2010 20:36

On the list of things to do this summer! Hear it's fabulous, there is a train and fountains to play in if it's hot.
(DD has been with grandparents in 2008, while I enjoyed a bit of child-free time.)

Any other recommendations for summer in Paris? (any of them air conditioned?)

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teafortwo · 25/06/2010 22:28

It is in walking distance of my place... give me a call and we can join you if we are around!

So... Go to the science and industry museum - it is lovely! Also the Orangerie with Monet's big water lily paintings inside is really so so lovely for children and you can fall into Tuileries after and browse WH Smiths too if you have time.

Spend a day at Jardin de Luxenburg (take a swimming costume so dd can play in the paddling pools), the Pompidou centre is great too! Jardin de Plantes is really nice and the museum and lunch inside Paris Mosque is good fun. The zoo is rather old fashioned and all the big animals have been moved out (thankfully for them) but dd likes it a lot.

Notre Dame followed by ice cream on Isle de Louis is fun as is hanging out in Le Marais and eating too much cake and drinking too much tea in a kooky cafe whose name I can't think of but will tell you as soon as it comes to me.

My dd likes to take paints and sit by the river painting sometimes too. It is very nice.

You could go rowing on the rowing lake in the Bois de Bologne!

Bonsoir assures me that a visit to Bon Marché is the most fun you can have while still wearing clothes but... it seems a bit pishy poshy for me so I have never been... I really should one day... when I am in a brave mood!

The Bagatelle is very cute and the roses will be in bloom right now. Also try to get a timetable of summer music in all the parks. We really enjoy the concerts and I think you will too.

And that really is just for starters...

Bonsoir · 27/06/2010 06:26

Definitely go to the Jardin du Luxembourg - the adventure playground is fabulous and there are pony rides, toy boat sailing, swings, puppet shoes, a merry-go-round. It covers the full spectrum of clichés (in the best possible way) of Parisian childhood and your DD will find lots of English speaking children there - always lots of tourists.

The annual summer fairground at Les Tuileries is now up and running - my DD adores it.

Shopping in Le Bon Marché is heaven, but not for the next month or so (sales). When it comes to shopping for next season's clothes for your DD, I highly recommend BonTon - there is one shop just off rue du Bac, but a much bigger and better one on Boulevard Beaumarchais, at métro St-Sébastien-Froissart.

You can take your DD out to lunch at Ladurée on rue Royale, where they have a great children's menu as well as lovely food for adults.

Themasterandmargaritas · 27/06/2010 07:26

Nairobi just doesn't have the same panaché.

frakkit · 27/06/2010 10:57

If your DD likes Kapla I know a fab place that does workshops! You just ditch her there and go sit in a cafe round the corner

Aquaboulevard if you can bear it being busy and wearing a swimming cossie.

I also agree jardin de luxembourg is wonderful!

The Musee de Rodin also has a lovely garden.

teafortwo · 27/06/2010 11:13

Frakkit - I am confused in August will you be back in Paris for good or just to visit?

frakkit · 27/06/2010 11:17

Visit

Maybe back for good next August please please please

Original poster
rosietoes · 27/06/2010 22:48

Ah, Musee Rodin...
When I was a student (sigh) way back when, I was semi-adopted by a British family who were with the embassy. (Long story-my student host family were awful crazy difficult.) The Brit family had a flat in a maison particulier next door to the Musee Rodin, and the garden of this house was even larger & more fantastic. The garden was so-o beautiful, I still have dreams about it.

DH and I went back to visit the place in 2008, and Lord Whoever-who-owned-it who had leased flats in it to the embassy had died and left it to his daughters, and the concierge died, and now this BEA-U-TIFUL house is empty and the roof has holes in it.

I cried when I saw it because it was a magical house. For me, a little untraveled American from rural nowhere, it was so very chic and cosmopolitan. Emmanuelle Ungaro rented a flat in there. Princess Michael of Kent came to stay in the guest flat once and we tried to 'run into her accidentally on purpose. (sigh)

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Original poster
rosietoes · 27/06/2010 23:24

Sorry! didn't mean to sound smug in that last post! it wasn't my house, I was just a poor student who slept there sometimes, but the mention of Musee Rodin evokes powerful memories. I don't think I can go back to Rue de Varenne.

But other places sound great! Love the idea of children taking paints near the river and making pictures!

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