M is for Mama 15

[Red Hair, Black Dress]

I've been to Paris and even from the 1st ride the Metro was great and easy to navigate. Now it was only 2 adults, we had guidebooks for Paris we'd studied before landing. We planned where we wanted to go and the times, with wiggle room, and we paid attention to the the maps in the Metro. It wasn't hard to get around, but the trick is to be prepared. The Metro and the trains run on time and don't wait for anyone or anything, but there is always another one in a few minutes. 

My conversational French is entry level, although if you speak slowly to me I can usually understand about 75-80%, and I can read signs, maps, menus, and newspapers. Mr. Dress' French is Oui, Non, Bonjour, Bon Soir, S'il vous plait, Merci, Combien. He got around just fine. Smiling and please/ thank you work wonders.

Be polite, be courteous, be respectful, do not let your children run wild/ make a scene. Don't be the ugly, complaining, know-it-all tourist.  In my experience  many more French people speak/ understand English than you'd think. If you're disparaging their country, they'll understand you. 

 

[Alisamer]

7 hours ago, indianabones said:

The chateau itself wouldn't be too interesting for kids, but Trianon has farm animals and the grounds are very park-like. Plus, there are ice cream stands around the grounds. Back when I lived in Paris I took the kids I was nannying to Versailles (but again, not inside the chateau) and they had a blast. Definitely more child friendly than the Louvre.

Oh for sure more child friendly than the Louvre. Maybe it's just because I was at Versaille on a very gray drizzly day, but it seemed no more child friendly than any park anywhere, to me. But a sunny day with ice cream stands? I could definitely see kids enjoying that part. We saw Trianon but didn't see the farm animals - but again, gray cool drizzle all day. We did rent a golf cart and zip around the grounds that way, which was fun. 

As for the Louvre, it's amazing. Just incredibly amazing. But I'd think older kids would enjoy it more than younger ones, and even then in small doses. Like, I love love art. My degree is in art, I took art history, and I was blown away by the sheer number of masterpieces just randomly hanging around in the Louvre (particularly the two much larger DaVinci paintings people were zooming by on the way to see Mona Lisa). But after a morning at the D'Orsay, quick visit to the Orangerie, And then the whole afternoon in the Louvre I was DONE. And whoever designed their maps for the Louvre (at the time I went) needs a fish to the face because we never found some things we were looking for, and it took like an hour to find the way back out from where we ended up. Without my sister having Rick Steve's directions to hit the highlights we'd have been even more lost, I think.

I hope if these nitwits take their brood of children to the Louvre they hire a guide or something, or we'll be hearing headlines about "American toddler found napping by a Bernini sculpture in the Louvre, his twin brother was located in another wing trying to climb an Egyptian statue".

[SassyPants]

Abbie is an attractive lady. I wonder why she continually posts photos of herself, especially when she’s holding one of her little boys, with such unfavorable faces? Does she not look at the photos before she posts? Or is someone else posting for her?  She perpetually looks aggravated.

14 minutes ago, Alisamer said:

Oh for sure more child friendly than the Louvre. Maybe it's just because I was at Versaille on a very gray drizzly day, but it seemed no more child friendly than any park anywhere, to me. But a sunny day with ice cream stands? I could definitely see kids enjoying that part. We saw Trianon but didn't see the farm animals - but again, gray cool drizzle all day. We did rent a golf cart and zip around the grounds that way, which was fun. 

As for the Louvre, it's amazing. Just incredibly amazing. But I'd think older kids would enjoy it more than younger ones, and even then in small doses. Like, I love love art. My degree is in art, I took art history, and I was blown away by the sheer number of masterpieces just randomly hanging around in the Louvre (particularly the two much larger DaVinci paintings people were zooming by on the way to see Mona Lisa). But after a morning at the D'Orsay, quick visit to the Orangerie, And then the whole afternoon in the Louvre I was DONE. And whoever designed their maps for the Louvre (at the time I went) needs a fish to the face because we never found some things we were looking for, and it took like an hour to find the way back out from where we ended up. Without my sister having Rick Steve's directions to hit the highlights we'd have been even more lost, I think.

I hope if these nitwits take their brood of children to the Louvre they hire a guide or something, or we'll be hearing headlines about "American toddler found napping by a Bernini sculpture in the Louvre, his twin brother was located in another wing trying to climb an Egyptian statue".

I am sure some of the H’s will hit up the Louvre. Maybe AH, the girls and Simon, leaving Shaun, the oldest boy and littles to do something else? I hope they don’t drag twin 2 YOs and a young 4YO to the museum. 

[JDuggs]

1 hour ago, SassyPants said:

I am sure some of the H’s will hit up the Louvre. Maybe AH, the girls and Simon, leaving Shaun, the oldest boy and littles to do something else? I hope they don’t drag twin 2 YOs and a young 4YO to the museum. 

I think this is the type of situation where the babysitter will stay behind with either the five or three youngest boys. I’m assuming that Abbie was upfront with the babysitter that her role was babysitter first and tourist when appropriate.

[Giraffe]

@Red Hair, Black Dress mentioned many French speak English or at least understand it. I’m going to be very disappointed if there isn’t at least one post about how indignant she is that no one spoke English when she needed them to the most. 
 

(I know she’s fluent in Spanish but it doesn’t mean she’s automatically respectful about the language barrier she will pose. I really hope she gets lots of people fluent in English who suddenly “forget” all of it)

[0 kids n not countin]

1 hour ago, Giraffe said:

@Red Hair, Black Dress mentioned many French speak English or at least understand it. I’m going to be very disappointed if there isn’t at least one post about how indignant she is that no one spoke English when she needed them to the most. 
 

(I know she’s fluent in Spanish but it doesn’t mean she’s automatically respectful about the language barrier she will pose. I really hope she gets lots of people fluent in English who suddenly “forget” all of it)

Surely Jesus has her back in terms of any language barrier issues that are sure to arise...🙄

[Baxter]

Abbie's babysitter is Jennifer Flanders' daughter. She's been to Europe before. I think at least a couple times so you would think she would know what she would be getting into with Abbie's family. Still I feel badly for her because no one deserves to be stuck on that trip with Abbie's family. 

[SassyPants]

11 minutes ago, Baxter said:

Abbie's babysitter is Jennifer Flanders' daughter. She's been to Europe before. I think at least a couple times so you would think she would know what she would be getting into with Abbie's family. Still I feel badly for her because no one deserves to be stuck on that trip with Abbie's family. 

I don’t quite thinks it “responsible” of A/S if they are leaving the babysitter with all the youngest kids while they and older ones have fun and enlightening experiences in a foreign country. Does she speak French? I think one of the parents should always be present with the kids, especially the younger kids. This is not Tyler, TX or this babysitter’s home. And I don’t think I’d want her taking all those young kids out to a park or what not, alone, in a foreign country. What a nightmare situation for that girl.

[Baxter]

8 minutes ago, SassyPants said:

I don’t quite thinks it “responsible” of A/S if they are leaving the babysitter with all the youngest kids while they and older ones have fun and enlightening experiences in a foreign country. Does she speak French? I think one of the parents should always be present with the kids, especially the younger kids. This is not Tyler, TX or this babysitter’s home. And I don’t think I’d want her taking all those young kids out to a park or what not, alone, in a foreign country. What a nightmare situation for that girl.

Oh absolutely Abbie and Shaun are completely irresponsible. That many small kids in a busy unfamiliar city seems like a recipe for disaster. But at least they didn't get some girl from their church who views this as her only chance to go to Europe and then she spends all her time wrangling the kids and doesn't see much. Rachel has been there before on actual sightseeing trips. I believe she also like 19 or 20. 

Now, I believe that Jennifer Flanders is a more organized person than Abbie so this will be a very different trip for sure. I think it would be hilarious if Rachel went home and told her family all about the horrors of traveling with Abbie's family and what a bitch Abbbie was, if that caused Jennifer to have a falling out with Abbie. But it's doubtful. Jennifer would probably just tell her some stuff about having a heart for Jesus and to suck it up. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

1 hour ago, Baxter said:

Abbie's babysitter is Jennifer Flanders' daughter. She's been to Europe before. I think at least a couple times so you would think she would know what she would be getting into with Abbie's family. Still I feel badly for her because no one deserves to be stuck on that trip with Abbie's family. 

I can’t believe I didn’t put 2 and 2 together. I feel like an idiot. I know Jenny and Braggie were longtime friends. I knew Jenny posted that her daughter was going to Europe. But it still didn’t click. Man I feel dumb. That girl will have a very different perspective on Braggie after 6 weeks in Europe with her. I hope she tells her mom about all of Braggie’s shitty behavior. 

[noseybutt]

49 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I can’t believe I didn’t put 2 and 2 together. I feel like an idiot. I know Jenny and Braggie were longtime friends. I knew Jenny posted that her daughter was going to Europe. But it still didn’t click. Man I feel dumb. That girl will have a very different perspective on Braggie after 6 weeks in Europe with her. I hope she tells her mom about all of Braggie’s shitty behavior. 

In the form of daily prayer requests...

[Giraffe]

1 hour ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I can’t believe I didn’t put 2 and 2 together. I feel like an idiot. I know Jenny and Braggie were longtime friends. I knew Jenny posted that her daughter was going to Europe. But it still didn’t click. Man I feel dumb. That girl will have a very different perspective on Braggie after 6 weeks in Europe with her. I hope she tells her mom about all of Braggie’s shitty behavior. 

And that she and Jenny actually see it as shitty behavior!!

[JermajestyDuggar]

24 minutes ago, Giraffe said:

And that she and Jenny actually see it as shitty behavior!!

Braggie is good at always portraying herself as a martyr. Therefore if she acts like a total shithead, Rachel might give her a pass because she works so hard for the lord 🙄

[SassyPants]

Well, there’s the confirmation. The babysitter was hired to “stay with the 3 littlest kids, during nap time, so that S and A can take the bigger kids out and about.” AND “today, we took the 5 oldest kids on a food tour.” So she’s actually a liar. She left that sitter with the 5 little boys. How old is Theo? 8? Maybe today he and Honor are still jet lagged and napped, but later in the trip? No way. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

I have a son the same age as Theo. I think she could have taken him on a food tour. But maybe he’s tired. Poor babysitter gets to sit in the hotel room all day and wish she was sightseeing. 

[SassyPants]

7 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I have a son the same age as Theo. I think she could have taken him on a food tour. But maybe he’s tired. Poor babysitter gets to sit in the hotel room all day and wish she was sightseeing. 

Maybe she thought that the 3 little ones would sleep, leaving the 2 older ones to play together? I hate giving her the benefit of the doubt because she presents as so narcissistic and myopic that her putting others first seems very unlikely. I hope she brought those kids something to do, but on a trip like this, that would be hard. And, again, she rarely thinks of anyone’s needs beyond her own (and her wants).

[JermajestyDuggar]

6 minutes ago, SassyPants said:

Maybe she thought that the 3 little ones would sleep, leaving the 2 older ones to play together? I hate giving her the benefit of the doubt because she presents as so narcissistic and myopic that her putting others first seems very unlikely. I hope she brought those kids something to do, but on a trip like this, that would be hard. And, again, she rarely thinks of anyone’s needs beyond her own (and her wants).

At least there’s probably a tv. In French, lol.

[SassyPants]

Wonder if they are paying her beyond airfare and food? I can’t imagine being in Paris and being cloistered in an apartment with 5 little boys, some of whom who are bouncing off the walls. I hope that they have a house with a yard when they visit southern France. 

Her parents dodged a bullet. Hey, we’re going to Europe for 45 days in the Spring. Want to come and help with babysitting? Ummmm, dad and I have  appointments, and 55 year HS reunions and colonoscopies and root canals. Sorry we can’t help this time. LOL!

 

[TuringMachine]

The boy in the back is clearly standing on grass though? Regardless are you seriously trying to tell me you thought the "stay off grass" didn't apply to the tree in the middle of a fenced off grassy area? Who do you think you're fooling Braggie?

Spoiler

 

[Ozlsn]

The "inside the fence" was probably a clue there Braggie, sheesh.

On 5/5/2023 at 8:53 AM, JermajestyDuggar said:

At least there’s probably a tv. In French, lol.

Hopefully they get cable with the Euro channels too.

[anachronistic]

This may be just because I'm an American, but I always carry cash. You never know where are will need it. I don't know if they thought that France was a cashless country or what, but who the heck does not get cash when they go to a foreign country? It's not like they won't have time to use it up or they are visiting a place with a very specialized currency.

[SassyPants]

I think they use those 10 kids to further their entitlement. She is constantly using her number of kids, the ages of her kids, the sex of her youngest kids to mitigate all of their behaviors and entitled decisions made. Melt downs? They’re little and tired; messes in a restaurants? Lots of little kids; Trouble in the park? Little boys need to run and climb…those kids are her biggest excuse for everything, while simultaneously being golden tickets and attention magnets.

 

[SassyPants]

Day whatever- mentions how she never wanted to have kids and certainly not 10 kids. 

Also, it was date night in Paris. And of course, she has a huge smile in that photo. 

People who do not care for kids, should not feel obligated to have any kids, let alone nearly a dozen.

[Hane]

8 hours ago, anachronistic said:

This may be just because I'm an American, but I always carry cash. You never know where are will need it. 

Always a good idea. Before leaving for Reykjavik, I got some Icelandic kronor because we were going to be arriving on a Sunday.

[Bluebirdbluebell]

15 hours ago, TuringMachine said:

The boy in the back is clearly standing on grass though? Regardless are you seriously trying to tell me you thought the "stay off grass" didn't apply to the tree in the middle of a fenced off grassy area? Who do you think you're fooling Braggie?

  Hide contents

 

This reminds of Jill R. It's also dig at the French, based on America's obsession with flawless sod.