It was hard to get up this morning!! Might have had something to do with the aperol spritz, 2 x bubbles & half a bottle of rose last night. AND while the hotel is beautiful, it was a VERY tiny room, and tinier beds, and none of us have been sleeping that well. I'm in with Johnny in a smaller than queen size, K4 is with Syd in a smaller than double, and Jess is on the floor.

After a slow start, we packed our bags, took them to the luggage room, said a fond farewell to the very lovely lady at reception, who I did like very much, got some breakfast from a cranky boulanger who didn't seem to like us very much, and got back on the metro to the Louvre.

It was raining all day today, which made the Metro stairs extremely slippery. Of course, just as Jess was joking about falling down them, she slipped and smashed herself down to the bottom. The lady behind us squealed, and everyone ooooooh'ed. Jess got up fighting, and shouting that she was alright. After 5 mins of working out the damage, she'd hit her arm, her back in 2 places and gave her head a jolly good whack. I reckon she'll be sore tomorrow. She still has a headache 13 hours later.

On we trudged.

The Louvre is immense! It is said that it would take a week to do the place justice. We had 3 hours to see as much as we could, without blowing the patience of the kids. I have to add that my feet are ACHING at the moment! So, I didn't mind when we called it quits.

We saw a bunch of great Italian paintings. There were LOTS of boobs, and even MORE penises. Syd came to me saying she couldn't believe how immature K4 was being. Apparently he was counting "1 penis, 2 penis, 3 penis...". Lol, pretty funny. Aaaand also true.

We were really trying to beeline to the main "Big Ones", and enjoy the journey along the way. So we finally found the Mona Lisa. I'd found an educational tour of the Louvre for kids online before we went, and Syd was giving us some background as we went around.

Johnny was marveling that a few of the works were as old as 98 AD. That's pretty old. Older than K4 anyway. ;-)

As expected, the Mona Lisa room was packed! The sheer amount of the crowd was as impressive as the ML is small. She's a lovely piece, but there are others equally as beautiful in the surrounding rooms. But anyway, we marvelled, and oohed and aahed, and jammed down the kids throats about how civilised and fabulous she is, and how lucky they are to see it in person.

And, then we moved on.

Just to note here that there is a spectacular painting directly opposite the Mona Lisa which deserves equal adoration. She's very lucky she gets to spend her days looking at it. Their view is much less interesting. They get to wonder why she has no eyebrows on her porcelain perfect skin.

On to see the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and Venus de Milo, and finally the Egyptian Antiquities. Syd had been VERY excited to see these. She promptly eyed up which sarcophagus would fit each of us, and had us buried in no time. Clever duck. <insert rolled eyes here>.

Now I could tell you that we left after this, because we had to pick up our bags, and then journey out of Paris, to a hotel closer to Disneyland. And technically, we did. But not after a wee misadventure. So, pretend I didn't tell you this, because I'm still a bit mortified it happened. But all's well that ends well, right?

Sooooo, back to the Metro we went.

It was VERY busy, and there were HEAPS of people around. The train stopped, and we were waiting patiently for a very large number of people to get off. I'd just put my foot on the train when the doors started closing. I leapt on, dragging Syd behind me. They closed on my arm, and while I had hold of Syd, the doors had shut pretty tightly on my arm, so I pushed her back and let go, so she didn't get hurt. Jess & Johnny were still standing there with her. The doors had shut, and there I was moving away from the platform, on the train without them! <HORROR!!>

I shouted to Johnny that I'd meet them at our station, Gare de Lyon. He was shouting that he'd meet me on the next platform. I wasn't too worried, because K4 was on the platform with them. I figured, I'd just meet them at the end. We'd talked about it, and had played out what to do if this happened. I'd be at the front of us, and Dad would be at the back.

Then, I turned around to move back on the train, patting myself on the back that my super paranoid pre-planning was worth the effort. And there I was K4, standing next to me, asking where the kids were. Turns out he'd run up to the next door. OMfreakingG!!!

The kids were ALONE, in Paris, in an EXTREMELY busy metro stop!!!! Did I mention ALONE?!?!!

Oh, geez, I'm still a bit horrified by it all.

Anyways, because both RESPONSIBLE adults were happily making their way back to the hotel, leaving their defenseless kids to fend for themselves. :-O

I got off at the next station, and made K4 get off at Gare de Lyon.

It was a VERY long 5 minutes wait, as I hoped and prayed and kept my fingers crossed that the kids had got on next train, and stayed where they were at the same door. OR that they'd stick their heads out and shout at me to get back on the train. We have 1 SIM card, and I didn't have it, nor any way to contact K4, or the kids. <Freaking Out Badly About Now!!!!!!!!!>

The next train came through, I had stood perfectly still, like a good freaking out Mummy, and when the train came to a stop, I couldn't see them anywhere!!!!

I actually don't know what happened next, they probably came out of another door, but they magically appeared together, and we leapt back onto the train. Lots of hugs and relieved kisses all around, and very quiet hyperventilating from Mum.

Then journeyed another 5 stations to a very concerned looking K4. The look on his face when he saw the kids was priceless.

It turns out that Jess was laughing that they'd been left on their own, Syd was fine because her siblings were with her, and Johnny was concerned, and trying to work out what the next plan of action was. So, between them, they had the courage, and the brains to work it out.

And we will NOW stick to the plan EVERY time we get on and off public transport. I get on in the front, K4 gets on at the back. And NOW I can breathe.

Except, now that I've thought about it all over again, I'll probably have nightmares.

Never mind Liam Neeson in Taken, it's K4 & Juanita in Leave Them Behind. <OH THE HORROR OF IT!!>

Anyways, back to the hotel, and then Gare de Lyon again, to spend the next 1.5hrs working out how to get to our Best Western in Val d'Europe. We got there without mishap, and the hotel is SPECTACULAR. Each kid and adult has their own bed, with plenty of room. The desk staff are super friendly and again helpful, and the decor is quirky.

Also got the washing done. Winning!!!

We treated ourselves to dinner out, pho at the local Vietnamese, and now we're watching Terminator 2 in French. Well, some of us are, some of us are sleeping off headaches from throwing themselves down stairs in the Metro.

We'd better get a good sleep tonight, because we have DISNEYLAND TOMORROW!!!! SQUEEEEE!!! Soooooo exciting!!! <3

14,000 steps and some VERY sore feet.

Photos to come tomorrow. Love to you all. XXX

Oh, so for those of you who are wondering, Rocky is well and living his best life. I think he's sleeping on the bed, and being taken for long runs. I believe Lingo is going to go for joint custody when we get home. I think Rocky will be trying for full custody, from what I'm hearing. XXX