Long story short...

we're getting our car!

After a nearly 3 month battle with our insurance (it's considered an 'accident' that comprehensive insurance will cover), E is finally on the road now, driving back from Scotland.

Basically, it went like this: insurance WAY underestimated our car (it's worth 10,000, they were putting it at 5,000). Their argument was that replacing the engine would cost more than the car was worth (yeah, at the price they were putting our car anything would cost more!). Wait a minute- the engine? Why do we need to replace the engine? We weren't even sure the engine was completely damaged- when we left the car, it was the oil tank with a big hole from a rock. Sure, we drove about a mile on little or no oil, but we in no way knew if the engine was shot. Anyway, it took 3 months for them to reevaluate our car, and for us to agree on a settlement- they 'total' the car, give us the money and then we can get it fixed at our own expense. Since the car is in England, we can 'total' it and get it fixed and still keep it insured in FrancE. I know, it's complicated. So, we got a check for 5600 euros. The mechanic in Timbuktu, Scotland was able to patch the hole with his fine machinery (something that could have been done 3 months ago), he has been running the car the whole week to make sure the engine is okay, and it's fine! So, for 200 euros + E's travel expenses (about 200), our car is 'fixed' (we are going to have a mechanic look at it here in France), and we have a little money to spare. 3 months for that. All I know is, when he brings that car back with all our stuff, it's going to feel like an early Xmas (think a WHOLE HUGE BAG of knitting yarn!!!!, clothes we haven't seen in months...) One thing I will mention is HOW NICE and HONEST the mechanic has been. He not only did the repair, he filled our car up with gas, he cleaned and vaccummed as well. E and I both said that even in the remotest of towns in France, you wouldn't find that type of mechanic. We brought him a box of chocolate as a gift.

I am just hoping E makes it home safely without any trouble. 

So, we've been having a low key weekend. Actually, any weekend is low key since we've started working. The weekends mean one thing: RELAX. Our weeks are so crazy that we really want to spend time as a family vegging out on the weekends. Gab had a bday party yesterday at one of his best friend's, and Louise crashed it. When we showed up to drop Gab off (a friend pointed out that in the US, parents stay at parties and here the parents leave and then come get their kids and stay for a little cake and a drink), Louise, in typical Louise fashion, started to take off her coat. I told her that it was Gab's party and that we were going to leave. The mom, who is this sweet, sweet woman from Ecuador (their son speaks fluent Spanish and Italian because his dad is Italian!), said "Oh, she can stay too, Alessandro knows Louise too." So, she crashed the party. And, they got gobs and gobs of candy in 'Speedairmann' bags (they pronounce it the French way), and they were on a sugar high the rest of the night. 

AS for me, well, I've got a cold (AGAIN). This is the third time I've been sick since going back to school, and I am reminded of the first time I came to Paris to live in 2001- I was sick literally the whole winter because my immune system just wasn't used to being on the metro or in the big city. I guess on maternity leave, I was cooped up in our apartment and didn't catch all those winter viruses last year, so my body needs to get adjusted again. That's the only explanation I can come up with, but I'm getting really tired of it. Anyone have any natural remedies to boost the immune system?

Alice is on the mend, she's feeling better, but still congested and wheezing a little. I'm going to try and convince our doctor that she needs to see a specialist, but you have to be diplomatic about these things.

Going off to knit a little now- I'm on a knitting kick and making the kids some hats...

Comments

[Nicole]

When I was leaving the maternity ward in February to go home to a sick husband and child, I freaked out since I was breast-feeding and couldn't take any medicine. The sage-femme, who had given me really good homeopathic advice on medicines all during the pregnancy, told me to take royal gelee, extrait des pepins de pamplemousse and or-argente-cuivre. It worked like magic! My husband's cold dragged on for a month and I never got more than the sniffles. I've also used the grapefruit extract (mixed with hot water and vodka) for gargling when I had a sore throat, verging on strep, and avoided getting sick.

[hotel ecuador]

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