Day 5, Friday

I know, I got a day ahead of myself and said Thursday's post was day 5 when in fact it was day 4.

I am writing this Saturday night as I am stuck in Paris...

At this point, I don't think I can clearly recall details from Friday because I am writing this in the middle of a travel day that will forever be etched in my mind.

Friday was a relaxed morning with Mahaela getting a bath, which she really enjoys. She just played the whole time I got ready. Bill and Aubrey did their morning pastry run. We all went out for lunch at the Happy Grill. I call it the Bulgarian Applebees. It is a chain that we hadn't gone to before. The food had been described to us as food that American's like, done in a Bulgarian way. It was good. By now, we have the dining out mastered. M. played outside with Bill and Aubrey while we waited for our food to come, then we ask for the check right away. They never bring the bill until you ask for it...you could be completely done with your coats on and they still won't bring the check. So we were in and out fairly quickly. Bill and M. went back to the apt for naps and Aubrey and I shopped for souvenirs.
Rosi came to say goodbye. She did not have our visa yet as it was being picked up by someone else. They planned to give it to us on our way to airport. Seems a little risky, but it worked out fine. We had dinner in a nice traditional Bulgarian restaurant. I managed to not really cook all week and we got our fill of Bulgarian food. We had stopped by a really nice bakery/pastry shop and picked up dessert to go. Beautiful desserts, $6 for all 3! I think that is what makes the food so fun--it is so cheap, too. The US would have charged $6 a piece for these elegant desserts.

We got back home and had some wind down time. M. was harder to put down--bigger fit than she had been having the last couple nights.

I can barely even recap any of today...too exhausting. M. had lots of fits. She does much better with Bill and he has been amazingly patient with her. He has put alot more effort into entertaining her--he's always the fun one. I can't feel bad about this. She responds poorly to all of us. We just have to get through this tough time. This day was probably the most physically stressful day she has had besides her surgeries and she was exhausted tonight. She still had the energy to come after me like a raging bull to give me a swift slap, which I was able to dodge, which made her even angrier. There isn't anything I can do that doesn't make her want to slap at me. She is either pulling me to her (pulling, like tearing at my clothes) or pushing me away, or slapping me. If she is walking on her own, she does not want to hold my hand, will slap me if I try to push her or guide her from behind, and will have a complete rage if I pick her up. It is exhausting. All the while, she is charming. On the plane, she sat the entire time. She is content to remain in her seat, buckled up.
We are now in a Paris Radisson hotel because of plane malfunction. No luggage. Here will all sit in our complimentary men's white undershirt. Lovely. I like how the lady called it a nightshirt. Paid 10 Euro for more diapers...
Our dream of seeing our kids and all our family at the airport tonight has vanished...
Leaving 12 noon from Paris. Praying this attempt to get home works this time!