My Chaos -

I get restless or I start to feel closed in and there are times when no matter how many projects we are currently working on, I need to do something like re-arrange furniture or clean out a closet. Sometimes it even becomes too much of whatever sounded like a good idea and never gets completed. This is one of those times. I was restless and caged and feeling a little moody and sorry for myself one day this week... I got the brilliant plan that re-arranging the scrap room would make me feel better. The original configuration was just something that was built up on and never fully planned out. This time I measured and drew and planned and this grumbled about maybe needing to just pack it all up and say to hell with it all. (OK, 2 minutes after that I was thinking that was a nutty idea - as if I could give up scrapbooking). There are only so many ways to change this room around and it turned out just being a basic mirror image of the original way with a couple of changes and some purpgin...

It was great that they both happened to choose and wear these 2 shirts to school on Tuesday! It was perfect - a definite echo of what is said in our house all the time...

On the walk up to school... Waiting to go to class - my big 5th grader! And my not so little boy... Putting his stuff away... He told us that his new teacher is sooooo sweet! Gotta love new backpacks... They are so stinkin cute with their haircuts and matching shirts!!

I am NOT a beer drinker at all, but I thought I'd try it. I had it on good word from mom that Belgian beer was good and since she liked it even though she had never been a big beer drinker either.... I didn't like it... and neither did Bryan! LOL!

I've decided that Brugge was my favorite part of the trip. It was so pretty and just relaxed. I didn't feel like I needed to rush to do anything. Our carriage driver/tour giude was awesome and reminded me of Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof. He let Bryan not only get behind the reins, but let him sit on his horse as well. Bryan was in heaven. He loved it! Yes, we had a meltdown while on vacation, but in his defense, he had been on the go constantly for a week and I think it was just catching up to him. It was a quick meldown and before I knew it, he was back to his usual curious self.

This was our last excursion while in Paris. It was my dad's idea to go see Sacred Heart - I'm glad he did too. I went to 2 different Sacred Heart Catholic schools growing up, so it was neat to go see this one. It is a gorgeous church on the outside. I didn't go inside with everyone, but dad said it was beautiful on the inside as well.

Eiffel Tower. This is what Bryan wanted to see most of all. Finally we made it. It was windy and cool that day. The Eiffel Tower sure is TALL! We went all the way up. I didn't really like spotting the green nets for what??? For some one who accidentally falls OFF??!! It was very cool and Bryan, bless him, loves to conquere fear. He is afraid of heights, but he was going up there and nothing could stop him. He spent the frist few minutes hugging the walls, but eventually went to the telescope thingy. It was funny once we got back down, we were sitting there waiting for mom to come back out of the gift shop and watching the quite annoying and persistent guys hawking their little trinkets. It was amazing...like something out of Wild Kingdom... all of the street vendor dudes looked up all at the same time (there must have been a dozen of them standing in front of us), it was like the smelled something...suddenly ALL of them took off running full speed! A couple of seconds ...

There were HOARDS of people crushed all around these 2 ladies. I got as close as I could to the Mona Lisa, but by the time we got to the Venus de Milo, I was too tired to fight the crowds. I got the best shot I could of her. It's a shame that there is glass on the Mona Lisa now, but then again... I heard a couple of weeks ago, some idiot went and try to throw a glass of some kind of drink on her. From what I understand, he didn't have a reason, he was just nutty. Bet the curators are grateful for that glass!

I just thought this one was funny!!! OUCH!! How cool is this??!! I want this balcony right outside of my scrapbook room, overlooking the pool - LOL! There is something very endearing about this statue. From my view, I see the love of father for his baby. Dum, dum brings me gum, gum!!

These are just a few of my favorites of the paintings we were able to see. I just love the vibrant colors from this first one - it was the first thing that caught my eye even before I recognized the subject. I love how she's kneeling, seemingly lost in thought; in prayer and totally oblivious to the angel in her company. OK - I took a picture of the title and artist of this painting, but it didn't come out at all. I just really like it. For some reason, it reminds me of the story of King Arthur and the Lady of the Lake. I don't think that is it at all, it's just the story it congures in my mind. It was very cool to see that the museum allows art students to come in and set up their easels and work on class assignments based on these classics. This was just one of the many students we saw.

Some of the ceilings inside the Louve.