We have so much going on right now I am not sure where to begin. Is buying a new house more exciting than Julien eating his first solid foods? What about the exciting house search we conducted last week in Pennsylvania or the wonderful time we had going to Pietro's Prime and I can't forget Valentines day celebrated in a snow storm at Kimberton Inn..
I guess I will start with our trip home from February 6 to February 14. We stayed with Josh's parents who have definitely missed their calling as B&B owners. They were wonderful hosts who thought of everything, even a jacuzzi after a long day of house hunting. They also watched Julien everyday while we hit the roads searching for our dream home. It was once again a great stay at Chez Oliver.
As for the great house hunt of '08, we came, we saw, we conquered. After visiting 36 houses we finally made a bid and had it excepted. Once we get through inspections and settlement we will be the proud owners of 207 Mill Pond Drive in Exton, PA. We have to give a lot of credit to our real estate team, Christine and Clay who gave us their undivided attention for a solid week. Christine even took us out in a snow storm while she was very ill, now that is dedication! She made the process fun and kept us focused which was difficult some days.
We are super excited about our new house, it is in the perfect location for us. It is less than 10 minutes driving for Josh to Sartomer, about 10 minutes to Papa and GG and 15-20 minutes to my family. We are also within walking distance of The Drafting Room which as everyone knows is our favorite restaurant/bar. The house is contemporary in a nice neighborhood which hopefully has plenty of kids for Julien and stay at home moms for me. We plan to make some updates in the kitchen and bathrooms but everything else seems to be great, we will find out at the inspections.
Now, for the really exciting news, Julien is eating solids! We started him on rice cereal like good parents and then wheat cereal. I then bought French baby cereal which he LOVED, I got curious so I tasted it, I think they just broke up cookies and called it cereal. Today I decided to try some more natural foods and gave him bananas mixed with avocado. He loved it, he kicked his little baby feet and made piggy sounds while trying to guide the spoon in himself. He is also starting to roll over and can manage his own pacifier. The pacifier doesn't always go in straight but it does make it into his mouth. He is very verbal most of the time which is usually fun until the horrible screeching that indicated he is tired. I have been trying to teach him some sign language so he can tell me if he is hungry or tired but he seems to have his own ideas. For tired he screeches while rubbing his head or banging his head, depending on how tired he is. For hungry he whines and tried to nurse whatever is closest. He is growing up so quickly but we are trying to enjoy each day an not miss anything.
Oh yes, I also wanted to mention the wonderful dinners out we enjoyed while home. Going out is a HUGE deal for me because in Paris we have no babysitters so the best I get is take out sushi. Anyway, we went to Pietro's Prime with Josh's parents while Leslie (Josh's sister) and her twins, Katie and Drake watched Julien. The restaurant was super, the service was great and the food was wonderful. The price was steep but it was worth it. We even got to see Clay who was performing that night in the bar area. Also the entire restaurant is smoke free which is so nice! Josh and I also celebrated Valentines early with a nice dinner at the Kimberton Inn. We hadn't been back to Kimberton since our wedding but the owner was there and remembered us which was nice. We were one of two tables in the entire place, due to the blizzard conditions outside. We had another wonderful dinner with exceptional service.
We also managed to make it to my families house for a couple of great meals. Yes, all we do when we are home is eat. I hope this trend stops once we move back for good or we are going to be in trouble!
We are now trying to get everything situated on this side for the move. Our apartment hasn't sold yet which is stressful but we are hoping for the best. Josh is organizing the movers so that should be pretty easy. We need to figure out what we need for daily life for the 2 months between the movers taking our stuff and it arriving in Exton.
Hopefully the next update won't take so long and will include pictures! We are hoping to visit Champagne this weekend and next weekend Josh is running a half marathon so I will try to keep everyone updated.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Exciting News
Josh and I found out on Friday we are coming home earlier than expected. We are really excited to return back to the US after three and a half years but we are also somewhat stressed by the change of plans. We had planned to return by June 1 so now we are rushing around like crazy trying to secure movers and sell our apartment.
The good news is we were able to list our apartment in one day, luckily we had already started the process and only needed to pick a realator. We have had four visits this week and I am expecting two more today. We are praying it will sell quickly as there is a three month wait between selling and exchanging the money. We are going to have to get somewhat creative with our finances to deal with the three month wait but everything has a way of working out, at least that is what I tell myself when I lay awake at night worrying!
We have created a crazy spread sheet with all the houses we are considering in the Pennsylvania. Right now we have narrowed our list down to 65 which we have broken down into three groups, most see, maybe see and safety houses. My first priority is location, I figure we can also do upgrades in the future but we can't move the house. I am partial to Malvern but there are some nice houses in Exton which is really great for Josh's commute. We also have to keep an eye on taxes which can be ridiculous in Downingtown school district.
We are headed home February 6 for one week to look for a house. If we don't find something we love we have another week planned to return and look more in March. The March trip is when we will bring the cats and Julien and I plan to stay for good. It is crazy to think we only have seven more weeks in Paris. I am a little sad but we had a good run for almost four years, it is time to come home.
Please email me if you want to get together while we are home in February. It seems a lot less urgent now because we will be back for good soon enough but we are around if anyone is free.
Sorry for the lack of pictures Josh has been traveling a lot and I don't actually know how to upload them. I think we might be able to get something posted this weekend.
The good news is we were able to list our apartment in one day, luckily we had already started the process and only needed to pick a realator. We have had four visits this week and I am expecting two more today. We are praying it will sell quickly as there is a three month wait between selling and exchanging the money. We are going to have to get somewhat creative with our finances to deal with the three month wait but everything has a way of working out, at least that is what I tell myself when I lay awake at night worrying!
We have created a crazy spread sheet with all the houses we are considering in the Pennsylvania. Right now we have narrowed our list down to 65 which we have broken down into three groups, most see, maybe see and safety houses. My first priority is location, I figure we can also do upgrades in the future but we can't move the house. I am partial to Malvern but there are some nice houses in Exton which is really great for Josh's commute. We also have to keep an eye on taxes which can be ridiculous in Downingtown school district.
We are headed home February 6 for one week to look for a house. If we don't find something we love we have another week planned to return and look more in March. The March trip is when we will bring the cats and Julien and I plan to stay for good. It is crazy to think we only have seven more weeks in Paris. I am a little sad but we had a good run for almost four years, it is time to come home.
Please email me if you want to get together while we are home in February. It seems a lot less urgent now because we will be back for good soon enough but we are around if anyone is free.
Sorry for the lack of pictures Josh has been traveling a lot and I don't actually know how to upload them. I think we might be able to get something posted this weekend.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Play group and other fun stuff
I am taking a break from cleaning our apartment to write this blog. We are getting another estimate on our apartment this Saturday morning so I have to get the apartment prepared. I have started today because we are fully booked tomorrow.
Julien and I are meeting my friend Alex for lunch where I used to work. After lunch I plan to introduce Julien to my ex-coworkers and hopefully some of Josh's co-workers. Josh is in Paris for a meeting which is supposed to end after lunch when he will go to my old building for the afternoon. Hopefully the timing works because we also have a doctors appointment scheduled at 3:30. I hope Julien is okay being out and about for the entire day. He is used to his afternoon nap but he can always sleep in the bjorn while I carry him.
On Tuesday Julien and I went to a baby play group. The play group was for "non mobile" babies so it was perfect for us. It was lovely to meet some other moms with babies the same age as Julien. I am looking forward to this weekly meeting. I was also invited to a mommy tea and a CPR class so those things should be fun.
I somehow managed to end up in the wrong building when I set out for the play date. I was across the street but the building matched the description so I was sure it was correct. I walked up and down the stairs knocking on all doors looking for the babies. Luckily it was the middle of the afternoon so not many people were home. I finally gave up after about half an hour and went outside only to look at the number and realize my mistake. I was lugging Julien in the Bjorn the whole time so when I finally showed up at the play group I was all sweaty and red in the face. Nothing like making a great first impression, but it was okay the other moms just smiled like it was normal to be drenched in sweat in 35 degree weather. Julien slept through the entire thing and then was a happy nice baby for the play date.
In other news Josh and I are totally obsessed with finding a house to buy in the States. Josh has compiled this huge spread sheet documenting every last detail we could want. We have looked at every home for sale in our price range and narrowed it down to 60 places. We plan to narrow it down further and things are sold daily but we wanted to make sure we didn't miss anything. There seems to be a huge variance in what you get for your money. We are concentrating on Downingtown, West Chester, Great Valley and TE school districts. Downingtown has the most for sale but the taxes are really high. I would love to be in TE but the houses are insanely expensive compared to other places. West Chester has the lowest taxes but it is also the furthest from our parents. I really like Great Valley too but it is somewhat expensive and has less for sale. All in all I am confident we will find something.
Maybe I should have cleaned rather than blogged because now Julien is awake and needs my full attention. He is teething and sometimes not the happiest baby. I put him in his crib for a nap but I have been up there three times in ten minutes so maybe a nap isn't going to happen right now.
Julien and I are meeting my friend Alex for lunch where I used to work. After lunch I plan to introduce Julien to my ex-coworkers and hopefully some of Josh's co-workers. Josh is in Paris for a meeting which is supposed to end after lunch when he will go to my old building for the afternoon. Hopefully the timing works because we also have a doctors appointment scheduled at 3:30. I hope Julien is okay being out and about for the entire day. He is used to his afternoon nap but he can always sleep in the bjorn while I carry him.
On Tuesday Julien and I went to a baby play group. The play group was for "non mobile" babies so it was perfect for us. It was lovely to meet some other moms with babies the same age as Julien. I am looking forward to this weekly meeting. I was also invited to a mommy tea and a CPR class so those things should be fun.
I somehow managed to end up in the wrong building when I set out for the play date. I was across the street but the building matched the description so I was sure it was correct. I walked up and down the stairs knocking on all doors looking for the babies. Luckily it was the middle of the afternoon so not many people were home. I finally gave up after about half an hour and went outside only to look at the number and realize my mistake. I was lugging Julien in the Bjorn the whole time so when I finally showed up at the play group I was all sweaty and red in the face. Nothing like making a great first impression, but it was okay the other moms just smiled like it was normal to be drenched in sweat in 35 degree weather. Julien slept through the entire thing and then was a happy nice baby for the play date.
In other news Josh and I are totally obsessed with finding a house to buy in the States. Josh has compiled this huge spread sheet documenting every last detail we could want. We have looked at every home for sale in our price range and narrowed it down to 60 places. We plan to narrow it down further and things are sold daily but we wanted to make sure we didn't miss anything. There seems to be a huge variance in what you get for your money. We are concentrating on Downingtown, West Chester, Great Valley and TE school districts. Downingtown has the most for sale but the taxes are really high. I would love to be in TE but the houses are insanely expensive compared to other places. West Chester has the lowest taxes but it is also the furthest from our parents. I really like Great Valley too but it is somewhat expensive and has less for sale. All in all I am confident we will find something.
Maybe I should have cleaned rather than blogged because now Julien is awake and needs my full attention. He is teething and sometimes not the happiest baby. I put him in his crib for a nap but I have been up there three times in ten minutes so maybe a nap isn't going to happen right now.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Back in Paris
We had a wonderful time in Pennsylvania for the Holiday's. We received way too many presents and ate entirely too many cheesteaks and soft pretzels. We stayed at Glenda and Mikes for over two weeks, we managed to use all three of their guest rooms and keep their dishwasher running daily. They were lovely and gracious hosts, as usual.
Julien was a terrific traveler even with a four hour delay on the way to Philly. He seems to be doing better with the baby jet lag this trip. He is still fussy through the night but nothing like coming back from California. He had so much fun at home and was spoiled rotten by his grandparents! The poor baby is already bored here with only me and the cat's for entertainment, Josh is in Spain for work.
Josh and I were able to go out on our own quite often thanks to GG and Pappa. It was nice to have some time to see our friends and to shop without lugging the baby around in his Bjorn. The Drafting Room has a lot of our money but it was worth it for the good times.
We started the great house search of 2008. Christine took us out to look at new construction because we would have to start building now to be ready in the spring. We saw a lot of beautiful places but nothing that was absolutely perfect. We thought there would be some price incentives because of the housing market but there wasn't much where we were looking. We also went to see a couple resales to see what was available in our price range. We feel pretty confident we will be able to find something in the spring when we are more prepared to make an offer. Now, we just need to sell the Paris apartment and we will be good to go.
It was hard coming back to Paris after spending two weeks at home. I have had such a great time living in France but I am ready to move home. We are starting the exit from Paris and while I am somewhat sad to leave such a beautiful city I am more excited about our future in Pennsylvania. I will miss the travel but the daily life is much better for me living near our friends and family.
Julien was a terrific traveler even with a four hour delay on the way to Philly. He seems to be doing better with the baby jet lag this trip. He is still fussy through the night but nothing like coming back from California. He had so much fun at home and was spoiled rotten by his grandparents! The poor baby is already bored here with only me and the cat's for entertainment, Josh is in Spain for work.
Josh and I were able to go out on our own quite often thanks to GG and Pappa. It was nice to have some time to see our friends and to shop without lugging the baby around in his Bjorn. The Drafting Room has a lot of our money but it was worth it for the good times.
We started the great house search of 2008. Christine took us out to look at new construction because we would have to start building now to be ready in the spring. We saw a lot of beautiful places but nothing that was absolutely perfect. We thought there would be some price incentives because of the housing market but there wasn't much where we were looking. We also went to see a couple resales to see what was available in our price range. We feel pretty confident we will be able to find something in the spring when we are more prepared to make an offer. Now, we just need to sell the Paris apartment and we will be good to go.
It was hard coming back to Paris after spending two weeks at home. I have had such a great time living in France but I am ready to move home. We are starting the exit from Paris and while I am somewhat sad to leave such a beautiful city I am more excited about our future in Pennsylvania. I will miss the travel but the daily life is much better for me living near our friends and family.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Home for the Holidays!!
We are counting down the days until we leave for Pennsylvania, two more! I am so excited to go home for Christmas, I can't wait to see our family and friends! We are keeping busy here in Paris. I am working on a couple Christmas presents that need to be finished before we leave and trying to get all our stuff organized for the trip. We also have to give lots of extra love to our poor kitties who will spend Christmas alone.
Julien is being a super baby, he is sleeping all night (other than waking to eat) and napping during the day. He is really starting to notice things around him. He can grab his toys and loves looking in the mirror although I am pretty sure he doesn't know what he is seeing. Josh's coworkers bought him a toy that he lays on and things dangle in front of him, he loves it! He is able to hold his pacifier and get it into his mouth which is great for me! He is growing so quickly, he is almost 15 pounds now.
Last night we went to the Champps Elysee to see the lights. They were amazing but it was so cold! Julien was all bundled up so he was warm except his little eyes were exposed. He was so interested in all the lights and everything going on around him. He usually sleeps in his Bjorn but last night he was wide awake and looking everywhere. He kept turning his head from side to side to see everything, it was so cute. Josh took a million pictures of the lights from all different angles. We were going to ride the ferris wheel but it was just too darn cold. It was great to get out of the apartment even for only a few hours. I am really starting to get stir crazy here!
I think we are tentatively planning to go to Brickside (in Exton) on Saturday December 29. Our friend Clay will be playing live. We still have to verify a baby sitter but we should be able to work something out. If anyone wants to come by we will probably head over sometime around 8, I believe Clay goes on at 9 or 10. We probably can't stay much past twelve but it will be great to get out AT NIGHT and see our favorite guitarist in action.
I am not sure how many posts we will get up while we are in the US. Probably not too many since we will be visiting our biggest readers. We might post our Christmas letter in case we missed anyone or had the wrong addresses. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and we can't wait to see you all in a few days!!
Julien is being a super baby, he is sleeping all night (other than waking to eat) and napping during the day. He is really starting to notice things around him. He can grab his toys and loves looking in the mirror although I am pretty sure he doesn't know what he is seeing. Josh's coworkers bought him a toy that he lays on and things dangle in front of him, he loves it! He is able to hold his pacifier and get it into his mouth which is great for me! He is growing so quickly, he is almost 15 pounds now.
Last night we went to the Champps Elysee to see the lights. They were amazing but it was so cold! Julien was all bundled up so he was warm except his little eyes were exposed. He was so interested in all the lights and everything going on around him. He usually sleeps in his Bjorn but last night he was wide awake and looking everywhere. He kept turning his head from side to side to see everything, it was so cute. Josh took a million pictures of the lights from all different angles. We were going to ride the ferris wheel but it was just too darn cold. It was great to get out of the apartment even for only a few hours. I am really starting to get stir crazy here!
I think we are tentatively planning to go to Brickside (in Exton) on Saturday December 29. Our friend Clay will be playing live. We still have to verify a baby sitter but we should be able to work something out. If anyone wants to come by we will probably head over sometime around 8, I believe Clay goes on at 9 or 10. We probably can't stay much past twelve but it will be great to get out AT NIGHT and see our favorite guitarist in action.
I am not sure how many posts we will get up while we are in the US. Probably not too many since we will be visiting our biggest readers. We might post our Christmas letter in case we missed anyone or had the wrong addresses. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and we can't wait to see you all in a few days!!
Friday, December 14, 2007
Quick Update
We finally finished our Christmas letter, now we just need a picture with Julien paying attention. We are going to try tomorrow and if we can't get him looking at the camera we will just go with one we already have. Hopefully we will get them in the mail Monday!
I spent all day yesterday baking Christmas cookies which is rather challenging with a baby. I did manage to bake them while he was napping and/or in his swing. I had visions of him needing my attention and me burning all the cookies. Baking always makes me want to be back home in a real kitchen. I have become quite talented at using the washer as a counter and cooling cookies all over the apartment. I have even mastered turning the cookies to accommodate my oven's "hot spots" but oh how I long for next Christmas, hopefully in a larger kitchen with a calibrated oven!
We are headed home next Friday for 16 days! I am so excited to go back to the Pennsylvania and see our friends and family. We really want to see as many people as possible while we are home so please email me, genevieve.oliver@gmail.com with your availability if you want to get together. Josh needs to go the office a couple days but besides for that we are free.
We have started the process to move back to the states by getting an estimate on our apartment. It was lower than we hoped but I guess that is the way it goes sometimes. We plan to put our apartment on the market in Janauary, hopefully selling it quickly so we can start looking for a house in Pennsylvania. Our plan is to be back in the US by June of next year. It takes at least three months after the buyer has secured financing to do the transfer of an apartment in France. I can't wait to find the perfect home in the US where Julien can grow up and have wonderful memories.
In other news it is really cold in Paris which makes going outside less than desirable. I bundle up the baby and he is fine but then we get in a shop and it is too warm so he freaks out. I am not really coordinated enough to get off his outer layers while he is strapped on me in the Bjorn. Taking him out of the Bjorn is not a possibility as there is no place to set him down. We had quite a scene in the Monoprix yesterday but luckily it was in the morning when it is mostly other mom's shopping so I didn't get too many evil stares. Speaking of Julien I hear him stirring in his crib, I think we will have a little "tummy time" then lunch (I have learned lunch before "tummy time is not a good idea!).
I spent all day yesterday baking Christmas cookies which is rather challenging with a baby. I did manage to bake them while he was napping and/or in his swing. I had visions of him needing my attention and me burning all the cookies. Baking always makes me want to be back home in a real kitchen. I have become quite talented at using the washer as a counter and cooling cookies all over the apartment. I have even mastered turning the cookies to accommodate my oven's "hot spots" but oh how I long for next Christmas, hopefully in a larger kitchen with a calibrated oven!
We are headed home next Friday for 16 days! I am so excited to go back to the Pennsylvania and see our friends and family. We really want to see as many people as possible while we are home so please email me, genevieve.oliver@gmail.com with your availability if you want to get together. Josh needs to go the office a couple days but besides for that we are free.
We have started the process to move back to the states by getting an estimate on our apartment. It was lower than we hoped but I guess that is the way it goes sometimes. We plan to put our apartment on the market in Janauary, hopefully selling it quickly so we can start looking for a house in Pennsylvania. Our plan is to be back in the US by June of next year. It takes at least three months after the buyer has secured financing to do the transfer of an apartment in France. I can't wait to find the perfect home in the US where Julien can grow up and have wonderful memories.
In other news it is really cold in Paris which makes going outside less than desirable. I bundle up the baby and he is fine but then we get in a shop and it is too warm so he freaks out. I am not really coordinated enough to get off his outer layers while he is strapped on me in the Bjorn. Taking him out of the Bjorn is not a possibility as there is no place to set him down. We had quite a scene in the Monoprix yesterday but luckily it was in the morning when it is mostly other mom's shopping so I didn't get too many evil stares. Speaking of Julien I hear him stirring in his crib, I think we will have a little "tummy time" then lunch (I have learned lunch before "tummy time is not a good idea!).
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