Busy as a Bee in Paris

So this is the Valentine project that Elena and I worked on one afternoon: a heart tree.
(Because Elena is always begging me to do crafts together and I don't always have time,
so I made darn sure to make time!)

Inspiration came from Pinterest, of course!

We started by choosing a romantic flower print of scrapbooking paper that we fed into our Cricket.

Elena programmed it to cut out perfect hearts.

Once the Cricket did all the cutting, Elena would simply peel them off the cutting sheet.

We punched a hole in the corner of every heart.

And cut out small pieces of twine to put through each one...

...and then each heart got lovingly hung on our heart tree.

(A big branch we dragged home on our way home from school a few weeks ago!)

And this is how we worked side by side, all afternoon until we filled our lovely heart tree!
It was so fun to craft with my little Elena!

And here it is.

A touch of Valentine's Day right in my living room!

Homemade with love by Elena and me!

Also in this series...

Lovely Inspiration for Valentine's Day

Will you be my Valentine?

Valentine I. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

Valentine II. Dress me up for a Valentine date

Valentine III. Clever and homemade Valentine's!

Valentine IV. Why, oh why, a Valentine's Day?
Valentine V. A little love story.

Valentine VI. A labor of love and a heart tree.

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A good shot of courage

noreply@blogger.com (Busy as a Bee in Paris) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:12:00 +0000

I'm back to work today, but I've still got Gabriela home sick. She's feeling a little better although still very tired. She's got a little raspy voice and it is irresistible, so is her cute smile as she watches her favorite Alvin and the Chipmunks blu-ray.

My daycare toddlers are napping. I'm weary to the bone tired and I had to peel myself off of my living room sofa and away from my book, mustering up all the courage I could find. I need a good shot of courage. A glass of orange juice, maybe?

I have two goals for today:
1. Make bread.
2. Make every room in my home a little more lovely. And all the other normal to-do stuff, of course.

That's not too much to ask, is it?
Okay. Let's do this!

P.S. This is my absolute favorite drawing by my sweet Gabi.

How do you get going when the going gets tough?

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It's here! "Heaven Is Here"!!

noreply@blogger.com (Busy as a Bee in Paris) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:10:00 +0000

Today I received in the mail, my galley of Stephanie Nielson's memoir: "Heaven Is Here" and as you can imagine I am tickled pink. I've so been looking forward to reading this book!! Have you ordered your copy yet? Pre-order at Amazon: Heaven Is Here. Due out April 3, 2012.

A galley is an uncorrected proof of a book. I was one of the first 50 to pre-order her book so I won a free galley a few months before the actual release of the book. I feel so lucky!!! But I wonder who will get my other copy???? I know who it is, but does she???? I'll give you a review when I'm finished reading. Promise!

My children have been sick and I have been playing nurse since last week. We started out with some regular runny noses and sore throats. Then Elena got the FLU. Then Elena, already weakened, got strep throat. Gabriela followed with a case of anemia and now croup (laryngitis).

I love helping my children heal when they are ill even though it is exhausting. Last night, just as my exhausted head was about to hit the pillow, Gabriela barked out the all too familiar croup cough and gasping for air and panicked cry. I went to her bedroom and scooped my 5 year old baby into my arms. Not an easy task! She's a tall girl! While sitting on the bathroom floor, I ran the hottest water possible into the tub. At the same time, I got to work on bringing down her fever. She was on fire. I undressed her as much as possible while the room quickly filled with steam and she was breathing a little more easy.

I then brought her to my bed, washed her nose with saline solution and snuggled her until I was sure the fever was down and she was breathing okay. I laid her on a makeshift bed on the floor at the foot of my bed where I could keep a close watch on her during the night.

The coughing and the gasping and the panicky crying returned after just a few minutes. Once again, I scooped her into my arms and tried to calm her. Then I told her to look at me, that I would keep her by my side and that she would be okay. She looked at me with her big trusting eyes and nodded her head. The coughing subsided and she was quickly slumbering and so was I!

I woke up around 3 am, sweating impossibly because I was sleeping in the middle of Sam and Gabriela. I put her back into the makeshift bed at the foot of my bed where she slumbered peacefully until this morning.

She has been giving me grateful hugs all day long. I am so grateful to be a mother. I am so grateful to work as a partner with my Heavenly Father to nurture and teach my children. What a powerful yet sweet influence I feel in my life as I mother my children.

“You are the guardians of the hearth,” said President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) as he introduced “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” in the general Relief Society meeting in 1995. “You are the bearers of the children. You are they who nurture them and establish within them the habits of their lives. No other work reaches so close to divinity as does the nurturing of the sons and daughters of God.”¹

P.S. NieNie (Stephanie Nielson) has been a huge inspiration to me in learning to embrace with joy my role as a mother.

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French Kids Eat Everything

noreply@blogger.com (Busy as a Bee in Paris) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 07:54:00 +0000

As the mother of picky eaters who just happen to be 1/2 French, I think I must read this book. Our own personal Babin family rule is: one meal prepared, one meal served, Mom's kitchen is not an à la carte restaurant and even if you don't like it, you still need to take a few bites. (Okay, if it really grosses them out, just one bite will do.) But this has not necessarily cured our picky eaters! I must read this book!

As a plus, Sarah Jane is the illustrator! You don't know Sarah Jane?! She is a fantastic artist! So creative, so talented!

It comes out in April but you can pre-order today at a special pre-order price!

French Kids Eat Everything: How Our Family Moved to France, Cured Picky Eating, Banned Snacking, and Discovered 10 Simple Rules for Raising Happy, Healthy Eaters [Hardcover]

“Humorous as well as instructive, this culinary adventure will change the lives of parents and children alike. . . . Karen Le Billon and her children learn that it’s okay to feel hungry between meals, turn to mindful eating, and learn the importance of enjoying one’s food.”

— PATRICIA WELLS, AUTHOR OF THE PROVENCE COOKBOOK

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Valentine V. A little love story.

noreply@blogger.com (Busy as a Bee in Paris) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:41:00 +0000

“I am satisfied that happiness in marriage is not so much a matter of romance as it is an anxious concern for the comfort and well-being of one’s companion. Any man who will make his wife’s comfort his first concern will stay in love with her throughout their lives and through the eternity yet to come.” President Gordon B. Hinckley

Source: pigtailsandmohawks.com via Maria on Pinterest

A little love story: What my Valentine did for me on February 2, 2012.
Yesterday Sam had a recuperation day off of work from his recent business trip to the United States.
He planned on working on the bathroom downstairs that we have recently "gutted out." Joy.
His plans got foiled when he realized something went wrong in his floor installation and he instead spent the morning tearing up his recently installed ceramic tiles. Double joy.
Seeing I was busy, he emptied the dishwasher and heated up leftovers and called us to the table for lunch. My children were home from school. Remember? No school Wednesday's in France. We were all together as a family. True joy.
In spite of having already emptied the dishwasher and prepared lunch, he quickly got up before I finished eating and loaded the dishwasher before I could.
We went shopping and the kids were noisy and laughing in the back seat. It was mostly happy. ;)
I had an appointment at 8pm, in a town 26 kilometers away from home that I'm not familiar with at all. And we don't have a GPS. Yikes!
He refused to let me drive alone late at night without a GPS. And then he lovingly volunteered to drive me there.
He took us out to dinner so I wouldn't have to cook and to save time since we'd all have to go as a family.
We had been there once three years ago. I co-piloted with a map on my cell phone and Sam vaguely remembered. And so along we drove while the kids laughed up a storm and made funny faces at people as we cut through Versailles. We arrived on time! And without getting lost!
We waited in the car for the Bishop to show up. He was late. He was lost. He called and wanted me to explain to him how to get there! Um....
In a desperate act of desperation I passed the phone to Sam, who desperately tried to push the phone away from me because he was not that much more familiar with the area than I was.
He then patiently took the phone and co-piloted our Bishop street by street, landmark by landmark until he finally pulled onto the street and parked behind us. I was floored at my husband's cool and collected calm and skill!
My husband is amazing!
Sam then entertained our children in the car while the Bishop and I visited a family in need.
One hour later, we were on our way home.
And I was feeling so grateful to have such a wonderful husband, who is always ready to serve me.
Sometimes, when the imperfect me criticizes him for being grumpy, and asks him if he has anything positive to say, he will often respond by softening up and telling me how cute or pretty or perfect I am.
How can I do anything but love a man who loves me so?
How can I do anything but be in perfect adoration of him who loves and lifts and elevates me and fills my heart with warmth and lovely flutterings?
I was feeling pretty in love with mon amour last night.
We may or may not have held hands and made googly eyes at each other on the drive home. (Only at the stop lights, of course.)
And that lovely glow has carried onto today.
In fact, I'm pretty sure I love him even more than that day 12 years ago, when I first said "yes." Oh, but in an even more profound way. Yes, we have our troubles, but it's those small acts of kindness that keep our romance alive and our loving growing ever deeper and stronger.
And this is what my Valentine did for me on one very ordinary February day.
The end.
And to be continued...

These are some of my favorite people: President Gordon B. Hinckley and his lovely wife Marjorie Pay Hinckley. One of the happiest, most beautiful couples I've ever seen!

And so to this beautiful quote, I now make the following adaptations (not to replace the earlier one, only to add to it!):

“...happiness in marriage is not so much a matter of romance as it is an anxious concern for the comfort and well-being of one’s companion. Any woman who will make her husband's comfort her first concern will stay in love with him throughout their lives and through the eternity yet to come.” President Gordon B. Hinckley

Also in this series...

Lovely Inspiration for Valentine's Day

Will you be my Valentine?

Valentine I. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

Valentine II. Dress me up for a Valentine date

Valentine III. Clever and homemade Valentine's!

Valentine IV. Why, oh why, a Valentine's Day?
Valentine V. A little love story.

Valentine VI. A labor of love and a heart tree.

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Valentine IV. Why, oh why, a Valentine's Day?

noreply@blogger.com (Busy as a Bee in Paris) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:24:00 +0000

For Americans Valentine's Day is a big deal. But why? A French friend of mine asked me this and so thus, I've made it the inspiration for my daily post. I'll attempt a feeble answer, though I can only speak from my personal experience. What about you? Do you know why Valentine's Day is such a big deal in the U.S.?

For me Valentine's Day began in elementary school and is synonymous with the following images.

Conversation hearts...

Source: google.fr via Maria on Pinterest

Tear along the dotted line Valentine cards for each and every one of my classmates and one received from each and every one of my classmates.
Along with lots of candy, of course...

Source: google.fr via Maria on Pinterest

Cinnamon hearts...

Source: google.fr via Maria on Pinterest

Pink frosted cookies.
And an excuse for a school-time party...

Source: everyday-is-a-holiday.tumblr.com via Maria on Pinterest

When we are young, it starts out being a day of friendship and kindness.

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Source: familyfun.go.com via Maria on Pinterest

And when we grow up it becames a day of love.
And of romance.

Source: google.fr via Maria on Pinterest

A day to declare love...

Source: Uploaded by user via Maria on Pinterest

A perfect excuse for a girl to receive flowers from her beau...

Source: marthastewart.com via Maria on Pinterest

The official day to celebrate love or rekindle a flame with a romantic date or get-away.

Source: gabbagabbagorg.tumblr.com via Katie on Pinterest

That said, as a married woman, Valentine's Day has not always fulfilled my lofty romantic expectations because my husband is French. Yes, he is très romantic, but he doesn't fall for this overly-commercialized date. He's made efforts, but it's just not his thing. And so I've come to terms with it. It's just one day after all. And he certainly makes up for it all the other days of the year...

But a girl can always dream....

And what about you? What does Valentine's Day mean for you?

Also in this series...

Lovely Inspiration for Valentine's Day

Will you be my Valentine?

Valentine I. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

Valentine II. Dress me up for a Valentine date

Valentine III. Clever and homemade Valentine's!

Valentine IV. Why, oh why, a Valentine's Day?
Valentine V. A little love story.

Valentine VI. A labor of love and a heart tree.

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Valentine III. Clever and homemade Valentine's!

noreply@blogger.com (Busy as a Bee in Paris) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:03:00 +0000

Source: paperandtype.tumblr.com via Maria on Pinterest

I HEART a good play on words and the ingenious use of cute objects, especially when it comes to Valentine's! Having grown up in the United States, Valentine cards are close to my heart. Not just for a sweetheart, but for every friend that makes life a little sweeter. I have happy memories of every single February 14 distributing and collecting Valentine's day cards to and from classmates through all my elementary school years!

I thought these ideas below were just so clever that I might just make a few for my sweethearts! Remember, click on the link below each image to reach its source. Here's to hoping you'll be lovingly inspired! Happy Monday!

Source: shaunayounge.blogspot.com via Maria on Pinterest

Source: make-it-do.com via Maria on Pinterest

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Source: familyfun.go.com via Maria on Pinterest

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Source: Uploaded by user via Maria on Pinterest

Source: mommybydaycrafterbynight.blogspot.com via Maria on Pinterest

Source: tumblr.com via Maria on Pinterest

Source: bhg.com via Maria on Pinterest

Source: lilluna.com via Maria on Pinterest

Source: dandee-designs.com via Maria on Pinterest

Also in this series...

Lovely Inspiration for Valentine's Day

Will you be my Valentine?

Valentine I. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

Valentine II. Dress me up for a Valentine date

Valentine III. Clever and homemade Valentine's!

Valentine IV. Why, oh why, a Valentine's Day?
Valentine V. A little love story.

Valentine VI. A labor of love and a heart tree.

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Valentine II: Dress me up for a Valentine date

noreply@blogger.com (Busy as a Bee in Paris) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:45:00 +0000

Source: tumblr.com via Maria on Pinterest

My new motto is: A girl can always dream, can't she?
And that's what these outfits are all about!
Let me explain:
My husband is not a Valentine kind of guy and we have never been on a Valentine date but maybe this will be the year! And this is what I would wear....
Because I'm all about getting dolled up for my hot hunk of a husband!
Especially on Valentine's Day!

Source: polyvore.com via Maria on Pinterest

Source: allthingschic.net via Maria on Pinterest

Source: lookbook.nu via Maria on Pinterest

Source: shabbyapple.com via Maria on Pinterest

Source: polyvore.com via Maria on Pinterest

And if all else fails, a pair of red shoes or red lipstick will just have to do the trick!

Source: awear.com via Maria on Pinterest

Source: thewildfleur.com via Maria on Pinterest

Source: hermuse.tumblr.com via Maria on Pinterest

Source: zsazsabellagio.blogspot.com via Maria on Pinterest

Source: theberry.com via Maria on Pinterest

Source: i983.photobucket.com via Maria on Pinterest

How about you? What will you wear for your sweetheart on Valentine's Day?

Also in this series...

Lovely Inspiration for Valentine's Day

Will you be my Valentine?

Valentine I. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

Valentine II. Dress me up for a Valentine date

Valentine III. Clever and homemade Valentine's!

Valentine IV. Why, oh why, a Valentine's Day?
Valentine V. A little love story.

Valentine VI. A labor of love and a heart tree.

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Two things I do to keep my children trilingual

noreply@blogger.com (Busy as a Bee in Paris) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:06:00 +0000

I realize there are many of us in the world that are raising a multilingual family. But in our day-to-day life, we don't run into that many. People often marvel at such a feat, but it has become so natural for us: just a normal part of every day life. But as I stop and reflect and observe, I realize that there are so many little things that I do during the day, in an effort to keep my children trilingual. Here are just two of them: reading and eating, two of my favorite things!

1. Reading. I love to read and always have. I also love children's books. Long before Alex was born, I started collecting them, thrilled I would be able to share them with my little ones one day. And that's the way it's always been. I love the stillness and the vivid imaginations that come alive as I read books to my children. Nowadays, they read to each other! They go to bed with piles of books that we hear fall with a clunk one by one off of their bunk beds after they've drifted off to sleep. Sometimes it makes us a little bit crazy, but hey, they're reading, we can't complain!

Books are language made alive with images and stories. My children love books. My children love language. Alex (10 1/2) has now started reading for pleasure in English and Elena (8) won't be slow to follow. Gabriela (5) is discovering the world of letters and words, no matter the language. They have an avid thirst for reading books and they are thus filled with language.

Our Wednesday afternoon tradition, since there is no school on Wednesdays in France, is to visit our local library. The second we're back in the car, they are already reading their books. I have to peel them out of the car and then they go straight to the sofa. To keep reading their books. I love it. Aren't they beautiful? And, by the way, looking at this picture of them reading reminds he of just how much I love being a mom. A multilingual mom!

2. Food. Did I mention I also love food? I mean I love eating. And I love sitting down at the table for a family dinner. And I love eating foods that are representative of our culture and heritage. One of our all-time family favorites are Mexican tacos. Corn or flour tortillas, grilled steak, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, salsa, cream, grated cheese... Is your mouth watering yet? We love it. Our children love it. And they thereby feel all the more concerned with the Mexican part of their heritage when we eat tacos. "I eat spicy foods because I'm part Mexican!" "I love tacos, Mom!"

But we also eat French food: quiche, soufflé, raclette, tartiflette. And when Papa travels to the United States for work he brings us back little treats like Jelly Belly's and Nerds and Goldfish crackers or Pepperjack cheese. Somedays we eat hamburgers. Other days we enjoy something more exotic like Chinese or Indian food. The world opens to us during our family meals. And this is normal because we're an international family.

And just a little tidbit about these family meals. They are lively. Never a dull moment. Elena is the family clown. She keeps us laughing, Alex keeps us informed and educated and talks our ears off! Gabriela endears us even when she plays the picky eater. We crack jokes and laugh. It's noisy. Sometimes it's more than Papa and Mama can handle, but mostly it's a joy to be at the dinner table and talk together. Practice language. Tell each other about our days. Practice multiple languages. Because we maintain our language rules even at the dinner table! English between Papa and Mama. French between Papa and children. English or Spanish (depending on the time of the month) between Mama and the children. Like I said, never a dull moment!

And I've said this once before, but I'll say it again. Raising a multilingual family is a lifestyle choice and I love it! Yep! I love being a multilingual mom!

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Valentine I. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

noreply@blogger.com (Busy as a Bee in Paris) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:51:00 +0000

Source: Uploaded by user via Maria on Pinterest

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..."
by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Source: etsy.com via Maria on Pinterest

As you prepare to say I love you to those you love most, here are a few ideas to help...
How many ways can you say I love you? Let me show you a few creative ways!
P.S. If you like the ideas and want to use them, you can click on the link below each picture to learn how.

Source: Uploaded by user via Maria on Pinterest

Source: shop.lovemaki.com via Mareike on Pinterest

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Also in this series...

Lovely Inspiration for Valentine's Day

Will you be my Valentine?

Valentine I. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

Valentine II. Dress me up for a Valentine date

Valentine III. Clever and homemade Valentine's!

Valentine IV. Why, oh why, a Valentine's Day?
Valentine V. A little love story.

Valentine VI. A labor of love and a heart tree.

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Will you be my Valentine?

noreply@blogger.com (Busy as a Bee in Paris) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:22:00 +0000

Wouldn't it be fun to have 14 days of loveliness in prelude to Valentine's Day? For the next two weeks, I'll be featuring, with heart: lovely ideas for deco, flowers, homemade hearts, cookies and cupcakes and other goodies, crafts, photography, homemade Valentine's Day cards and even pretty, romantic Valentine's Day outfits to wear on a date with your sweetheart. Hope you'll enjoy!

Deco ideas...

Source: coralcafe.blogspot.com via Maria on Pinterest

Flowers...

Source: etsy.com via Maria on Pinterest

Homemade hearts...

Source: handmade-guru.ru via Maria on Pinterest

Cookies and cupcakes and other goodies...

Source: weheartit.com via Maria on Pinterest

Source: gypsypurplehome.tumblr.com via Maria on Pinterest

Crafts...

Source: ontobaby.com via Maria on Pinterest

Photography...

Source: conflictingheart.tumblr.com via Maria on Pinterest

Homemade Valentine's Day cards...

Source: dandee-designs.com via Maria on Pinterest

Pretty, romantic things to wear on a Valentine's Day date...

Source: weheartit.com via Maria on Pinterest

Love, love, love...

“The trouble with the world and the trouble with you and me is that we don't love each other enough. And if we do, we don't bother to show it, or we don't bother to say it. If the world is to know love, it has to be in your heart and in mine.”
― Marjorie Pay Hinckley, Small and Simple Things

Also in this series...

Lovely Inspiration for Valentine's Day

Will you be my Valentine?

Valentine I. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

Valentine II. Dress me up for a Valentine date

Valentine III. Clever and homemade Valentine's!

Valentine IV. Why, oh why, a Valentine's Day?
Valentine V. A little love story.

Valentine VI. A labor of love and a heart tree.

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40 before 40!

noreply@blogger.com (Busy as a Bee in Paris) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:42:00 +0000

Some are fun, a few might be a tad more serious. Many are silly, some will take you into the sweeter depths of my soul. Here's a random list of 40 things I'd like to do before I turn 40. This year I told myself was my year to learn to dream. I'll give an update or two from time to time!

Source: etsy.com via Maria on Pinterest

Take my son Alex to the Pompidou center in Paris.
Drive by myself in the heart of Paris. Not. I'm not that crazy. But if I did, it would have to be without Sam. No offense, mon amour.
Lose the extra pounds I've been lovingly carrying around since I started bearing children. Just 2.5 kilos, that's not too much to ask, is it? What? It means I need to cut down on bread, butter, cream and chocolate???
Assume my womanhood and femininity and hold my head tall, my shoulders square and my back straight, if you know what I mean. In other words, quit hiding the ladies between a rounded back and shoulders.
Get dolled up every. single. day. Make-up, even if it's just lipstick. Hair not just brushed, but styled. Body not just clothed, but dressed with care. Not necessarily the latest style, but classy.
Get rid of every pile and stack in my house. One by one, if necessary, but no more clutter!
Make to-do lists and prioritze every single day.
Be part of something intellectually creative that will profoundly change my professional life.
Buy myself sexy lingerie.
Make my own foie gras.
Learn to make macarons.
If there is another baby meant to come to our family, this would have to be the year.
Take an online photography class and decided what kind of camera I dream of having.
Start making enough money from my blog to donate to a noble and worthy cause.
Double my readership by the end of the year.
Get Alex and Elena's paperwork done so they can officially have their French citizenship.
Learn to use the public transportation in Paris. Just saying it gives me anxiety.
Wax my legs. Without screaming.
Start my family history and geneaology. Meaning, dig into the archives of Peru and Mexico.
Go to the top of the Eiffel tower with Sam. And kiss him there.
Spend a little more time in Paris. With Sam.
Go on a 30-day no sugar diet. Just to prove that I can.
Do a strictly natural 10-day cleansing diet.
Finish unpacking the boxes in the garage attic that never got unpacked since our move to Paris 6 years ago!
Become more politically savvy and internationally aware.
Laugh every single day.
Finally decorate the inside of the lovely shutters that I picked up for 20€ at a flea market in town that have been hanging (undecorated) on my living room wall for several months now.
Finish paying for our sofa.
Finish paying for our computer.
Remodel our three bathrooms.
Learn to make food that's not only delicious and nutritious, but aesthetically pleasing and a veritable feast of colors to the eyes.
Learn to play one song on the piano.
Become French. Oh! I don't know if I'm ready for that one yet!
Take voice lessons.
Help Elena make a homemade purse out of a sweater.
Teach Gabriela how to make a tomato salad.
Start saving money to go back to the United States in 2013!
Re-do damaged driveway, old porch, missing doors closet entry, paint deplorable stairs and add a hand-rail and finish the unfinished wall in our master bedroom.
Develop true spirituality: “True spirituality makes you loving and grateful, and forgiving, and patient, and gentle, and long-suffering. True spirituality breathes reverence into every act and deed.” ― Marjorie Pay Hinckley, Small and Simple Things
Learn to be happy today. Every. Single. Day. “The trick is to enjoy life. Don't wish away your days, waiting for better ones ahead. The grand and the simple. They are equally wonderful.” ― Marjorie Pay Hinckley

P.S. Happy weekend!

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My Mexican roots (recent photos of my parents in Mexicali)

noreply@blogger.com (Busy as a Bee in Paris) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:01:00 +0000

I may be Busy as a Bee in Paris (an American living in a suburb of the city of lights), but I've got diverse roots from other parts of the world. Born in California , but my heritage extends south of the border to Mexico and Peru. Raised in the United States, but my heart also belongs to these Latin American countries. Today some might even say I'm part French. I'm a cosmopolite by definition.

And yet, although my heart beats to the rhythm of the USA and I live in Paris, France, Latin blood runs through my veins. Sometimes I feel trapped in a culture warp, like I don't really belong anywhere. And other times I'm reminded of my rich heritage, like when my mom gets to go home to her country after several years of absence. And I for one, know how wonderful that can be! These first photos of her trip to Mexicali, B.C., make me feel happy for her, because my homesick heart knows there's no place like home!

The home my mom grew up in, in Mexicali, built by one of my uncles, Manuel.

Calle Nigromante 2081 Colonia Constitucion Mexicali, Baja California.

From left to right: My cousin Israel's son, my aunt Martina, her husband Pedro, my dad Eduardo, my mom Irma, my uncle Hugo and his wife Rita.

Another view of my mom's childhood home.

My mom with a neighbor she grew up with, who used to feed homemade flour tortillas, hot of the griddle, to my mom and her siblings.

My mom Irma, my uncle Ramon, my aunt Olga.

My mom Irma, my aunt Olga and my aunt Martina.

And yet another view of my mom's childhood home.

A painting of my mom on her wedding day that hangs in her childhood home.

My dad Eduardo, my mom Irma, my uncle Ramon and my aunt Olga.

My parents both look beautiful in all these photos, but my mom is just glowing. I'm happy that I get to live the experience vicariously through these precious photos that I discovered on Facebook this morning! The wonders of modern technology and the more profound purpose of modern day social networks allow us to "keep in touch" in spite of the distance that may separate us. Alas! It makes my heart grow even fonder!

Okay, enough of the melancholy, bring on those tacos! I want to see some pictures of delectable street vendor Mexicali tacos! Have a fabulous time Mom and Dad!

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jinky art

noreply@blogger.com (Busy as a Bee in Paris) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:07:00 +0000

Jinky Art. Not sure how she does it! White magic? Because I'm pretty sure her photography is made with a generous sprinkling of fairy dust! Her photography is simply magical! And yet so real! What an ar-tiste! She's got more than just talent, Barb Uil has a gift! What do you think?

I think between the bubble sisters and the swing sisters, I can't decide which photos are my favorites! Which are your favorites? I also think I'd like to attend one of her workshops!

Source: jinkyart.com.au via Maria on Pinterest

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Our home language project update

noreply@blogger.com (Busy as a Bee in Paris) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:42:00 +0000

Last Saturday marked the end of our two weeks in Spanish. (The children and I switch from English to Spanish on every 15th day.) I called an executive decision to extend our Spanish 15 for another week. The vote by my children was unanimous. The reason? The last English period ended on December 24th - a Saturday. With all the hustle and bustle and the excitement of Christmas, seeing family we hadn't seen in a long time, participating in activities that took us out of our norm, and mingling with a lot more people than is usually the custom, we didn't make a whole lot of progress on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day went about the same. I think it wasn't before Wednesday that we were able to drag our feet into the new change and to top it all off, Alex was gone on vacation with a friend from Monday to Friday. We thus extended our Spanish period one week. Tomorrow we'll change back to English.

All this has brought a few things to my attention about the mechanics of switching from one language to another, which usually goes pretty smoothly for my children and me. Well, smoothly is perhaps a very loose interpretation of the reality of things because we usually stumble through Saturday and Sunday before we've made the total switch by Monday. Or Tuesday. It's mental gymnastics that demands an awful lot of concentration and sometimes some blood, sweat and tears.

Here's a few things I've learned that help us make the switch effectively, although not necessarily flawlessly.
1. I choose Saturday to switch because we're all home (no school, no work) and we're in a more relaxed state of mind. Usually.
2. I also conciously choose the weekend to switch because I know that Saturday is followed by Sunday and we are normally together as a family on Sunday as well.
3. Being together as a family is important in making a cohesive change.
4. The mental gymnastics involved to switch from one language to another takes closer to two days than just one. Hmm... Perhaps closer to three.
5. Since we're usually together as a family, it's slightly less embarassing when one of us starts speaking in one language, only to be corrected by another member of the family: "It's English today!" I mean honestly, to an outsider that just must seem too weird.
6. It's not that I'm embarassed of being a multilingual family, it's just that I'm embarassed of how strange it must seem to be in France, speak to my husband in English (because my husband and I only ever speak in English), turn around and speak to my children in Spanish, only to realize I'm supposed to be speaking in English or vice versa. I trip and stumble over my words and when the cashier has finished ringing up our groceries (because Saturdays we make grocery shopping trips as a family), I turn around and speak French with an almost undetectable accent (I'm not bragging about my French, I promise, it's just what I've been told!).
7. At this point, the cashier is trying to be discreet but I can practically see the eyeballs trying to force their way out of their orbits. Some people will actually ask (which is quite a relief because then we can explain), but most don't (much to my dismay because they are probably just thinking what a weird family, why don't they make up their mind what language they speak?!). They can't possibly know that we have a well thought-out, intelligent, organized, disciplined, brilliant plan. And that our children are trilingual!
8. In order to make the switch we rely enourmously on the strength of the group in those first two days. If all goes well during the weekend language switch, the rest of the two-week period, flows like a stream on a breezy summer day.
9. When we make mistakes, our shared purpose creates a special complicity between us and we laugh and tease each other, but we keep trying until we get it all right in the right language.
10. If there are many other people involved, our interaction with each other is limited and it's therefore that much more difficult to make the change.

Being a multi-lingual family is definitely something that not only makes us unique, but creates stronger bonds between each member of the family. We share something that is unique and that we have to work hard at together and this creates a special complicity. Being able to communicate with each other in different languages, is also an adventure in the culture of each language which is intricately tied into every word and phrase. This in turn, adds new dimensions to each person's personality and magnifies the dynamics of our family personality and culture. Our family language project has been in full force for nearly eleven years now and there is no turning back now. It's so engrained into who we are as individuals and as a family that it feels as necessary as the blood that runs through our veins or the oxygen that gives life to our bodies. To deny us of our multi-lingualism would be to deprive us of our family destiny. The proof is in the pudding: just ask my kids if they'd like to speak just French and you will hear their indignant and adamant little voices proclaim that they want to speak French and English and Spanish! They are proud to be trilingual and you can see it shine in their eyes!

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What makes your heart move?

noreply@blogger.com (Busy as a Bee in Paris) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:46:00 +0000

What makes your heart move?
This blog I just discovered makes my heart move.
Leila's blog: food and books for a sweeter life.
I think I'm in love.
It's written in Swedish, but I use the translator to read it in French or English.
On the other hand, the photography is delectable and you don't need a translator for that!

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It's a good day!

noreply@blogger.com (Busy as a Bee in Paris) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 10:15:00 +0000

Images source: http://www.leila.se/

It's my day! and I feel loved!

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Indian take-out for my birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Busy as a Bee in Paris) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:38:00 +0000

Tomorrow is my birthday but we celebrated it this weekend. This is my last year of the 30's!!! Next year I will belong the 40's club. {Sigh.....} (By the way, I'm going to be coming up with a list of 40 things I want to do before I turn 40 that I'll be featuring here on my blog.) When Sam asked me what I wanted for my birthday dinner, I quickly replied, "Something that I don't need to cook!" I was craving Indian food and an exotic fruit salad and he gave into my every whim. I also requested no birthday gift because I wanted money to shop the French winter sales: les SOLDES!! My birthday was just perfect: surrounded by my four favorite people, a walk in Versailles and Indian take-out in the comfort of my home!

"There is nothing like staying at home for true comfort."~ Jane Austen

Click on photo to enlarge.

1. An apartment building in Versailles. 2. Rue de Satory. 3. Exotic fruit salad to appease my birthday cravings. 4. Homemade earrings from my daughter Elena. 8. Elena pointing out cherries at a fruit stand in Versailles. 6. Indian take-out to appease my birthday cravings. 7. Gabriela. 8. My ice cream birthday cake. 9. Alex. 10. Sam opening up a battle of sparkly Champomy. 11. At the Délices de Agra, Indian restaurant on the rue de Satory in Versailles. 12. Smiling birthday girl. 13. Elena. 14. A walk in Versailles. 15. A flower stand on the rue de Satory. 16. Elena drooling over the pastries in Versailles.

P.S. This is Gabriela's birthday drawing that she gave me. I LOVE it!

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RECETTE - Galette des Rois

noreply@blogger.com (Busy as a Bee in Paris) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 08:49:00 +0000

Voilà la recette pour celles qui veulent faire une galette des rois faite maison aujourd'hui! Elle est ultra-simple! For those of you who want to make a homemade galette des rois today! The recipe is super simple!

Source: frombatoparis.blogspot.com via Maria on Pinterest

La Galette des Rois

Crème Patissière (Pastry cream)

3 jaunes d'oeuf (egg yolks)
100 g. de sucre (sugar)
25 g. de farine (flour)
1/2 l. de lait (milk)

Mélanger et mettre 3 minutes au micro-ondes, mélanger, remettre 2 minutes, mélanger, remettre 1 minute jusqu'à épaissir. Mix and put in microwave for three minutes, mix, put back in for 2 minutes, mix, put back in for 1 minute until thick.

Frangipane (Almond mixture)

100 g. de beurre fondu (melted butter)
100 g. de sucre (sugar)
1 oeuf (egg)
100 g. d'amande en poudre (crushed almonds)
100 ml. de crème patissière

Tout mélanger et ne rajouter que 100 ml. de crème patissière. Congelez le reste de la crème patissière pour une autre occasion. Mix all ingredients and only add 100 ml. of the pastry cream. Freeze the rest of the pastry cream for another recipe.

2 pâtes feuilletées (pie crusts)
1 jaune d'oeuf battu (beaten egg yolk)

Tartiner la frangipane sur la première pâte feuilletée et rajouter la fève, ensuite étaler la deuxième pâte feuilleter par dessus.Tartiner le jaune d'oeuf par dessus. Mettre sur du papier sulfurisé et au four préchauffé à 180°C. jusqu'à dorer. Spread the frangipane on top of the first pie crust and add the lucky charm, then lay the second pie crust on top. Spread the egg yolk over the top. Place on waxed paper and in preheated oven 350°F. until golden.

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New Year FHE

noreply@blogger.com (Busy as a Bee in Paris) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:03:00 +0000

This year I decided to start the year right with my little family and to kick off with all our dreams and goals. I got the idea for this FHE from Shauna at My Mix of Six: New Years FHE.

In the morning, I pulled out piles of old magazines (the Friend, the Liahona, and a few decorating and cooking) and called the children to the table. We then spent a better part of New Year's Day morning cutting and pasting and talking about our goals and dreams. It was so fun! Then I helped them write their goals in French on the back of their collages. We used big square scrapbooking paper. I was only able to scan a portion of each one but here they are!

Alex dreams of having a dog and learning to draw comic book style. He wants to work hard in school and go on more bike rides with his dad. He'd love to take up basketball again and wants to write letters regularly to his three older cousins who are serving missions!

Elena is a girl after my own heart because almost all of her goals included learning to make something homemade! But she would also love to take piano lessons, keep her room tidy and have her own pet goldfish! Aie aie aie! Lots of talk about animals!

Gabriela wants to eat lots of tomatoes, lots of clementines and strawberries, play with tape and participate more in Primary. Oh! She also wants to learn to make a tomato salad and have a bunny (not pictured). Aie aie aie, more talk of animals!

Here's me! I'd love to keep up our trilingual efforts in our home, talk on the phone more regularly with family, invite my children's friends over more often, keep up my blog and organize my time more wisely. I'd also like to put my garden back in shape in the spring and pray and be closer to my Heavenly Father.

Sam sent me his goals in a private email the following morning!!

In the evening we did the lesson that Shauna mentions in her post: Using Time Wisely. I shortened and modified it to meet the needs of my children. We talked about priorities and fun things to do. The salt and rock experiment (also explained in the lesson Using Time Wisely) was a huge hit with my kiddos, especially Alex, and they still talk about it every day and apply the principle! I'm so excited about this! It's going to be a great year - I can feel it!

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Bilingual babies' vocabulary linked to early brain differentiation

noreply@blogger.com (Busy as a Bee in Paris) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:43:00 +0000

This scientific study is quite simply fascinating (and even breathtaking) for all of you fellow polyglots interested in raising your children multilingually!

Bilingual babies' vocabulary linked to early brain differentiation

Bilingual Babies' Vocabulary Linked to Early Brain Differentiation

ScienceDaily (Aug. 29, 2011) — Babies and children are whizzes at learning a second language, but that ability begins to fade as early as their first birthdays.

Babies and children are whizzes at learning a second language, but that ability begins to fade as early as their first birthdays.

Researchers at the University of Washington's Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences are investigating the brain mechanisms that contribute to infants' prowess at learning languages, with the hope that the findings could boost bilingualism in adults, too.

In a new study, the researchers report that the brains of babies raised in bilingual households show a longer period of being flexible to different languages, especially if they hear a lot of language at home. The researchers also show that the relative amount of each language – English and Spanish – babies were exposed to affected their vocabulary as toddlers.

The study, published online Aug. 17 in Journal of Phonetics, is the first to measure brain activity throughout infancy and relate it to language exposure and speaking ability.

"The bilingual brain is fascinating because it reflects humans' abilities for flexible thinking – bilingual babies learn that objects and events in the world have two names, and flexibly switch between these labels, giving the brain lots of good exercise," said Patricia Kuhl, co-author of the study and co-director of the UW's Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences.

Kuhl's previous studies show that between 8 and 10 months of age, monolingual babies become increasingly able to distinguish speech sounds of their native language, while at the same time their ability to distinguish sounds from a foreign language declines. For instance, between 8 and 10 months of age babies exposed to English become better at detecting the difference between "r" and "l" sounds, which are prevalent in the English language. This is the same age when Japanese babies, who are not exposed to as many "r" and "l" sounds, decline in their ability to detect them.

"The infant brain tunes itself to the sounds of the language during this sensitive period in development, and we're trying to figure out exactly how that happens," said Kuhl, who's also a UW professor of speech and hearing sciences. "But almost nothing is known about how bilingual babies do this for two languages. Knowing how experience sculpts the brain will tell us something that goes way beyond language development."

In the current study, babies from monolingual (English or Spanish) and bilingual (English and Spanish) households wore caps fitted with electrodes to measure brain activity with an electroencephalogram, or EEG, a device that records the flow of energy in the brain. Babies heard background speech sounds in one language, and then a contrasting sound in the other language occurred occasionally.

For example, a sound that is used in both Spanish and English served as the background sound and then a Spanish "da" and an English "ta" each randomly occurred 10 percent of the time as contrasting sounds. If the brain can detect the contrasting sound, there is a signature pattern called the mismatch response that can be detected with the EEG.

Monolingual babies at 6-9 months of age showed the mismatch response for both the Spanish and English contrasting sounds, indicating that they noticed the change in both languages. But at 10-12 months of age, monolingual babies only responded to the English contrasting sound.

Bilingual babies showed a different pattern. At 6-9 months, bilinguals did not show the mismatch response, but at 10-12 months they showed the mismatch for both sounds.

This suggests that the bilingual brain remains flexible to languages for a longer period of time, possibly because bilingual infants are exposed to a greater variety of speech sounds at home.

This difference in development suggests that the bilingual babies "may have a different timetable for neurally committing to a language" compared with monolingual babies, said Adrian Garcia-Sierra, lead author and a postdoctoral researcher at UW's Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences.

"When the brain is exposed to two languages rather than only one, the most adaptive response is to stay open longer before showing the perceptual narrowing that monolingual infants typically show at the end of the first year of life," Garcia-Sierra said.

To see if those brain responses at 10-12 months related to later speaking skills, the researchers followed up with the parents when the babies were about 15 months old to see how many Spanish and English words the children knew. They found that early brain responses to language could predict infants' word learning ability. That is, the size of the bilingual children's vocabulary was associated with the strength of their brain responses in discriminating languages at 10-12 months of age.

Early exposure to language also made a difference: Bilingual babies exposed to more English at home, including from their parents, other relatives and family friends, subsequently produced more words in English. The pattern held true for Spanish.

The researchers say the best way for children to learn a second language is through social interactions and daily exposure to the language.

"Learning a second language is like learning a sport," said Garcia-Sierra, who is raising his two young children as bilingual. "The more you play the better you get."

###

Co-authors are Maritza Rivera-Gaxiola, formerly a UW research scientist; Cherie Percaccio, a postdoctoral researcher and Lindsay Klarman, a research technician at the UW Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences; Barbara Conboy, a speech-language pathologist at the University of Redlands; and Harriett Romo, director, and Sophia Ortiz, assistant director, of the Child & Adolescent Policy Research Center at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

The National Science Foundation Science of Learning Program grant to the UW's LIFE Center, a multi-institutional program, funded the study.

For more information, contact Kuhl at 206-685-1921 pkkuhl@uw.edu or Garcia-Sierra at 206-221-6415 or gasa@uw.edu.

12 days of Christmas: #12 (Epiphany: Wise men and women still seek Him)

noreply@blogger.com (Busy as a Bee in Paris) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:49:00 +0000

For my final curation in this collection of 12 days of Christmas, I've decided to end with the Epiphany, the celebration of the wise men's visit to the Christ child. Here in France it is celebrated on January 6 with a galette des rois: a warm almond cream pastry with a symbolic charm hidden inside. Other kings' cakes are made throughout France, but here in the Paris area, the galette des rois is traditional and is sold with a golden paper crown.
He or she who finds the charm symbolic of finding the baby Jesus, gets to be a king (or a queen) for a day.
Do you celebrate Epiphany? On what day and how? Does this day have a special meaning for you?

Source: frombatoparis.blogspot.com via Maria on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Maria on Pinterest

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What I love about the wise men is the humble and reverent adoration for the Christ child when they finally find Him after a lengthy travel period, in often adverse conditions and traveling no faster than the speed of their camels. They planned their travels, followed the constant brilliance of the star and perservered for many days and nights until they finally found Him. Then, overcome with a sense of humility and joy, they fell to their knees before offering their precious gifts and humbly adoring Him, the greatest gift of all.

A gorgeous 5-minute video depicting this scene can be found here: The Wise Men Seek Jesus.

Wise men and women still seek Him. Do you?

Source: google.com via Maria on Pinterest

Also in this Christmas series:

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12 days of Christmas: #11 (New Year's Eve Celebrations)

noreply@blogger.com (Busy as a Bee in Paris) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Christmas wouldn't be complete without New Year's! An integral part of the holiday season, New Year's Eve celebrations allow us to say good-bye to the old year and welcome in a shiny new one, full of prospects for good resolutions, prosperity, health, love and blessings! So between prepping food, cleaning my house and generally preparing for a small New Year's party in our humble abode, I've been scouring Pinterest for inspiration. Granted, my table won't look anything like these masterpieces illustrated below.... but a girl can always dream can't she? And isn't that what the New Year is all about? What are your dreams for this coming year?

Source: sayinghellooo.tumblr.com via Maria on Pinterest

Source: simplyseductive.blogspot.com via Maria on Pinterest

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Source: finaartandpaper.blogspot.com via Maria on Pinterest

Source: studiodalu.com.br via Maria on Pinterest

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Source: letsentertain.net via Maria on Pinterest

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Source: pepperdesignblog.com via Maria on Pinterest

I wish you all happy prepping for the New Year celebration! What will your table look like this year?

Also in this Christmas series:

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12 days of Christmas: #10 (Christmas in Paris)

noreply@blogger.com (Busy as a Bee in Paris) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:35:00 +0000

Homesick or not, Paris is Paris and every hopelessly romantic lover's dream is Christmas in the city of lights, even better with snow! These photos are part of my Pinterest collection and evoke for me the very essence of a wintry Christmas in Paris! Enjoy!

Source: i685.photobucket.com via Maria on Pinterest

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Source: etsy.com via Maria on Pinterest

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Source: parisperfect.com via Maria on Pinterest

Source: bing.com via Maria on Pinterest

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Source: aballetblog.tumblr.com via Maria on Pinterest

Also in this Christmas series:

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