april in paris: day five

Okay. Boyar seems to be the only one on schedule so far. He woke up and got ready for the day while we all struggled to get going. I put one load of laundry in the dryer and started another in the washer. He went down to the patisserie and returned with a chocolate eclair (filled with chocolate), pain au chocolate, pain au raisin, some other pastry, and an apple pastry. Made some tea and we had a little continental breakfast before venturing off to Versailles. Looked at the map more carefully today and discovered there is a Metro stop closer to the apartment than the ones we have been using. We walk towards it (St. Francois Xavier) but we -- okay, I -- decide we should walk to the RER at Invalides. It is a sunny, glorious day, and we are fresh and energized! We make it to the RER station and get our tickets, then wait for the train with the rest of the tourists. It only takes about ten minutes before the train arrives, and we pile in. We get seats and settle in. I watch the scenery go by for a while, then snuggle up to my husband's shoulder and just as I am getting cozy and drifting off ... we arrive at Versailles.

We get out with the rest of the hordes of tourists and shuffle on out of the station. We walk by a flower clock which I can best describe as looking like something that inspired the big Mickey Mouse planting of flowers that greets you when you enter Disneyland. We cross the street and follow the flow of the tide toward the palace. We turn on our iPod/Nano/iPhone devices and do as the podcast tells us. Or, at least, we try. It's a bit confusing, but we figure it out and make it through the various rooms -- war room, peace room, Hall of Mirrors -- and then head out to the gardens. We pay the extra fee (weekend fountain show and music) and march on down. Just another glorious day of sunshine! We listen to the podcast and stroll along ... fountain with the frog/people ... colonnade ... orange juice vendor ... petit venis (Little Venice) cafe and Grand Canal. We stop for panini (which are on long baguette-like bread but are pressed in the panini grill) and eat our picnic lunch along the Grand Canal, feeding the ducks and getting splashed a bit in the process. I'm glad I wore sunscreen, because it's hot out here! It's good to get something in our stomachs, although that does not do much for our feet. We continue on with the podcast tour ... Petit Trianon ... Grand Trianon ... glimpse of the Temple of Love from a distance ... glimpse of the sheep of the Hamlet (I think) also from a distance ... return to the main gardens to watch the fountains in full-blast mode. The horses-with-Louis XIV fountain is very impressive, as is the frog-people one. More photos in the glorious sunshine. Incroyable!

We trudge our way back out and decide to eat in Versailles. Mika wants to eat at a creperie, so we set out to find one. We go to the square and come across a boulangerie/patisserie called Darras that is very busy, and I decide to get some macarons and a baguette (so we can eat the smelly camembert from our first night). It is quite busy in there, but the lady is very pleasant and helpful, especially with my little "my son is allergic" note.

We find a creperie, although it's not the one in the guidebook, and it works out fine. The waiter suggests we sit outside, so we end up being a bit cold and smoky, but that's okay. It adds to the experience. The food itself was so-so, but the prices were also pretty inexpensive, so that was about what we expected. The kids wanted dessert crepes, too, so we splurged and had those, too. We ordered one for Mika with chocolate and bananas ... but it arrived sans chocolate and I had to go inside and ask for the chocolate ... and the waiter came back with the plate drenched in chocolate sauce, peered under Mika's Paul Frank hat at her smiling face, and even took off her hat and put it on his head and did a little dance. It was very cute.

Walked back towards the station and passed by the creperie that was in the book. Oh well. It didn't look crowded, so who knows if it would have been any better? Got back to the station area and looked at postcards, then checked out (visually) the "McCafe" which seemed to sell only coffee and pastries, and the Starbucks -- the only one I've seen so far, so I was a bit disappointed that they had one here at all! The interior looked just like any other Starbucks, even though the exterior looked more French. They had a huge chocolate cookies & cream ice cream cake and a white donut drizzled in chocolate, which looked quite good, and Miles jokingly said, "Yeah, but do they have Lemon Loaf? What? No Lemon Loaf?!!!" Too funny. I am glad I find my kids' humor so amusing. We left French Starbucks without buying anything and got on the train. Fell asleep on the train ride back. Got to Invalides RER and then used the same ticket to get on the #13 Metro. When we got off, there were four burly official looking guards who checked out tickets -- thank goodness we all still had them on us! Walked back and looked at the Velib bicycle kiosk, since Miles is very interested in those. Did not rent one since it was pretty late already. Walked back past the Pagode on Rue de Babylone, past the many closed businesses, including the one with the cool bathroom sinks. Stopped at the little market and got some milk, ground coffee, and Lu Petit Ecolier with cream inside for take along snacks. Came back "home" and settled in. Got the laundry into the dryer. Boyar made coffee. Mika wrote postcards. Miles read his book. We had our macarons for dessert, as well as some of our baguette and another quarter of the camembert (still half a round to go, and this is only a 3 - 4 inch round!). The kids drank their Geni soda, which they really like. They did not like the milk, which tastes like pure cream -- it's organic whole French milk, not the non-fat American stuff they are used to!

I stay up to finish reading The Little Prince and write down some notes on our trip, and ... here we are. I think I've caught up enough so that I will have some bon memoirs instead of non memoirs by the time we get back. I have no idea what we are doing tomorrow (or I guess it's today, since it is now 1:40 am, French time) except for making breakfast and seeing more sites in Paris. I asked the kids to read The Little Prince, which Mika did, and I think it is a really good book for kids. Hopefully, they take away something from it that grown-ups do not, or something that they will process as they become grown-ups. It made me feel reflective about this trip and my family, who has tamed me, and whom I have tamed. I think about the glorious Parisian sunshine, and how the sunshine of Oakland will now remind me of the sunshine I felt on this trip, and the happiness and warmth I have experienced here. I hope the kids and Boyar will someday feel it, too.

Good night.

april in paris: day four

One word: chocolate. This is how we began our day, which was just a wonderful, wonderful way to start the day. Took the Metro to the Tuilleries station, emerged into the glorious sunshine and walked over to Angelina on the Rue de Rivoli. Ogled the fancy pastries and then went inside. Sat down in the belle epoque style salon with not-very-comfortable-but-very-French-looking furniture. Miles ordered a croque monsieur, Boyar ordered the "Angelina Breakfast" which had bread/jam, a pastry, an omelet, coffee ... and maybe something else. Mika had the Choc Africain cake. I had the Mini Macarons -- cafe, vanilla, dark chocolate, caramel. And -- Mika and I had the L'Africain hot chocolate. To call it "hot cocoa" does not do it justice. It is hot chocolate, like a liquid candy bar, thick and luscious, served with a side of chantilly (whipped cream). I enjoyed it thoroughly, but it was definitely thick. Super thick. It was served in a pitcher, and Mika didn't even manage to finish her one cup. I gave my last cupful to Miles ... who chugged it down, to my utter amazement and amusement! The waiter was very French and very nice, speaking in English to us and making us feel very welcome.

Tore myself away from the place, once again emerging into the glorious Paris sunshine. We crossed the street and strolled into the Jardins de Tuilleries, where we found a few chairs to sit on and soak it all in. The tulips were in bloom, looking Easter perfect, and everybody was enjoying the weather. Everything seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. We decided to walk up the Champs d'Elysee to the Arc de Triomphe. Stopped at the Place de Concorde with its gold-topped obelisk, walked by the Petit and Grand Palais which were built for a world fair, the Nike store, and Laduree. Then we made it to the Arc. Zipped up to the entrance, since we had our Paris Museum Passes (yatta!) and started up the stairs. The young woman ahead of me got dizzy and had to pull over to the side ... and I contemplated joining her, but my kids were still full of pep and I had to keep going (since I was in front of them). Finally made it to the landing! Woo hoo! What? Are you serious? This is just the mezzanine? Sigh. More stairs to go. After I have a sip of water. Want some, Mika? Miles? No? Okay. Several more stairs, and we emerge -- once again -- into the glorious sunshine, this time with a view of all of Paris. In spite of the ominous, vaguely medieval-looking railing, it was very cool. We could see the Sacre Cour at Montmarte, the Notre Dame cathedral, the Invalides, and of course, the Tour Eiffel. More photo ops. Then, down the stairs.

Spilled out onto the ground floor and visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier before we climbed back underground to the Metro. Back towards Tuilleries, this time all the way down to the Louvre. Made it out to the street after a few attempts to find the Louvre's Metro entrance that we read about in the guidebook, then crossed the street and entered at the Richelieu entrance. No line. Awesome. Turned on our podcasts and did the tour: Venus de Milo, Winged Victory, Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Coronation of Napoleon, Michelangelo's Slaves ... lost in the Egyptian Antiquities ... fell asleep on a bench while my family moved on, deserted among Egyptian artifacts ... where, oh where, is the sortie sign? ... French sculptures, pyramid, sortie! Back outside. Sunset over the Jardins Tuilleries. Back underground. Metro back to the light blue #13 line, exit at Duroc. Everybody is hungry. But all the stores are closed! Even Shopi is closed! We go to the tiny market next to Shopi and grab a few items to cook for breakfast -- frozen potatoes, eggs, drinks -- and rush back to the apartment. I check to see if the little red restaurant is still open, and thankfully, it is. Boyar takes our groceries upstairs while I take the kids to the restaurant. "Bon soir -- trois?" the gentleman asks. "Bon soir -- ehhh, quat, s'il vous plait?" I attempt. Fortunately, he understands. "[Some French words that I do not know] ici?" he says, and I reply, based on context: "No, [we are not all here], my husband is coming now." "Upstairs, big table!" he says, English. We go. I look around, and find the Big Table, which we share with a gentleman and two women who seem to be British. They are friendly enough and we catch some interesting conversation they are having about Avatar, The Wire (and how you must see it with the subtitles because the slang is so heavy), and how the man used to live on Corsica (when he chimed in on Miles's comment about how Napoleon supposedly died of arsenic poisoning when he was in exile on some island).

We have the canard and mashed potatoes and beef entrecote and mashed potatoes. My canard has some nice crispy skin and good flavor. This place is all about simple, down home food, which suits me just fine! I eye the desserts the other people at our table are having; would love to try the tarte tatin, which they say is quite good. We excuse ourselves after we eat, in relative silence (mostly because it is all relative and they are quite chatty while we are quite tired). Speaking of tired, I am quite tired now. But I will go on. Got back to the apartment and did some laundry. Used shampoo since I didn't notice the guy had finally come by with some laundry detergent. Okay, I've gone on long enough. Good night.

april in paris: day three

Where to begin? Let's begin with ... a late start. I think the kids had some snacks for "breakfast," which was at about noon. Decided to get a Paris Museum Pass and headed out to the Musee Rodin, which is a little walk up the Rue Vaneau, then a left on Rue Varenne, and there is the museum, right before you hit the Boulevard de Invalides. Entered the sculpture gardens and were met by The Thinker. Took a ton of pictures, some with the Invalides and/or the Eiffel Tower in the background. Icons of Paris, all in one place! Pretty amazing. It was nice to see how the kids viewed the artwork, and how interested they were in it. Not the way I would look at it, trying to analyze it like I learned how to do in art history class -- but just through a child's eyes, just seeing what they see, being drawn to what interests them, finding humor and amusement, beauty and disgust. What was so fantastic was ... they were actually interested. I am so glad we made this trip!

Finally got past the Thinker and Balzac, then I went to check out the cafeteria, since I was very hungry (and I'm sure the kids were, too). Got some baguette sandwiches, which hit the spot. Outside for more picture taking of sculptures. Miles was fascinated with the Gates of Hell. Boyar took a picture of me by a fountain -- I hope he remembers me like this, always. Mika took photos of many of the sculptures, while I hovered at a distance. Eventually made it inside the actual museum, where there were more photos taken and lessons learned in bronze casting and a brief history lesson about Victor Hugo and Camille Claudel. Saw "Hanako" who was some Japanese woman whose name may not have actually been Hanako. Saw "The Kiss" and many others ... too many to name or count.

Crossed the street to take a quick tour of the Invalides. Ha. Not so quick. The Invalides was actually very interesting, if a bit morbid (with Napoleon's tomb, among others), and there was quite a display of medieval armor and weapons, all they way up through WWII items. I was impressed by the intricate details on the suits of armor, and thought they were reminiscent of the Japanese armor -- which they actually had there! Japanese armor was from the 1500's, French versions were from the 1600's, so who knows? Perhaps there was some influence there. In any case ... we eventually extracted ourselves from there and walked a bit more to the Musee d'Orsay. It was the night where the museum is open late, so we were not in a big hurry. Turned on our Rick Steve's podcasts and ventured inside ... only to find that the Impressionists had been moved around for renovation, which made for a very confused podcast tour. It was still good, though. Saw more Rodins, some Renoir, Degas, Monet, Manet, Pissaro ... and much, much more! Overwhelming. Tried to eat in the Orsay restaurant, but seating was very limited and we decided to just eat in the cafe instead since we were hungry again.

Walked out of the museum at about 9:30 pm. Took a stroll along the Seine, with me trudging along about fifty paces behind everybody. So tired. Legs will not walk any faster. Suddenly, Mika runs back to me to get the camera -- which I don't have -- and the Eiffel Tower lights up in a frenzy of disco-inspired chaser lights, like a giant string of Christmas tree twinkle lights on steroids! Very exciting, especially for Boyar! It was fun to see the Tour Eiffel's flamboyant p.m. persona, and to feel the carnival atmosphere of the area at night. We rewarded ourselves for our long walk with chocolate crepes, hot chocolate au chantilly, a cappuccino and cafe allonge. In the chill of the nighttime air, it was the perfect snack. After our dessert, we continued walking and made it back to a Metro stop (Bir Hachiem), where we bought a carnet of "t" billets and went back to our place on the Rue Vaneau.

april in paris: day two

Breakfast at the little patisserie/boulangerie around the corner on Rue de Babylone. Boyar and I had pain au chocolat, Mika had a brioche au chocolat, and Miles had a pizza-like flatbread. Had little cups of espresso that I don't think were what Boyar thought he ordered. It was very good though, and felt very French. A man and his toddler daughter had stopped by on the way home from swimming lessons, and he struck up a conversation with us. He was from the Presidio in the City, and lives here now. I asked him for some recommendations, which was helpful. He said the little place across the street was good, and that's where we ended up at tonight for dinner. Very cozy and felt very down home. Simple and French. I ordered a paté so that the kids could try it, but I ended up eating most of it. Wait, I skipped from breakfast to dinner. Backtracking. After breakfast, we bought some sandwiches to go, then got on the Metro for Rick Steves' podcast Historical Walking Tour of Paris. Started at the Notre Dame cathedral, which was very impressive. The day was a bit overcast, so that added to the ominous feel of the gothic architecture. After Notre Dame, we went for ice cream at Berthillon where I thought I was getting a scoop of "poire" but ended up also with a scoop of "peche" when Boyar asked about it, and this was a very good thing : ) Both flavors were really good. Walked back along the same little street and went to a fancy cookie shop, which was beautiful, and also a place called Pylones where I got some cute wallets. I figured this would be my souvenir, and maybe a couple of birthday presents. Got a cute one for Miki. Also stopped at a blown glass shop that had adorable animals that the kids bought, along with lots of cool jewelry (which I looked at but did not buy). Took a picture of a couple of guys posing by the Berthillon truck that was parked outside; very nice and appreciative, they offered to take our picture, too, but then a car swerved by and I thought - no, that's okay! We are standing in the street! Cars drive fast even on these little tiny alley streets. (Boyar: How do you know they are a couple?) After ice cream ... onward to the Left Bank part of the tour, which was confusing but interesting. Walked through the Latin Quarter, which had things like a "patisserie tunisien" (which, I think, means Tunisian pastry shop) and lots of "ethnic" food. This is the "artsy" area of town, according to our podcast. Ate our sandwiches in the little park with the oldest tree (acacia) in Paris, and watched the pigeons trying to get food. Went across to the Saint Chapelle and Palais de Justice, but we did not go inside because the lines were long and I did not want to wait. Walked up to the Pont Neuf bridge and over to the Louvre. Impressive from the outside, we'll probably go there tomorrow (since it is supposed to be rainy).

Eventually found the Metro and figured out how to get back to Vaneau; walked up to the Bon Marche and the Saint Germain area, which I really liked. Nice shops, not as touristy. Almost ate at a place that was in the Access guide, but it was very, very empty and seemed dubious. Went into a store called Bathroom Graffiti, which had those cool Pantone chip items, like folding chairs, and Hello Kitty items and a t-shirt that said "I'm not a tourist, I live here!" and some cool headphones. Miles was looking at these ones with a big star on the outside, which seemed really cheaply made, and the salesclerk showed him some other ones by some Swedish company that looked very cool and had a better length cord than the one Miles has now. Although I had been discouraging him from buying new headphones (since Boyar had just bought these for him for his last birthday), I let him go ahead and get these because they made him so happy and he had been moping around for the past hour, and he said he would pay with his own money. As soon as he told Boyar about it, he had buyers' remorse. It was actually pretty touching. He said he did not feel happy if it made his dad upset. I am guessing that there are plenty of kids who are actually happier when they annoy their parents, and I am relieved that this is not the case with our son (at least not at the moment). Things seemed to smooth over, or at least I am hoping that's the case, since Miles is pretty happy about his new headphones. By this time, Miles was now happy (because his headphones made him forget he was tired and hungry), Mika was eating her leftover half-sandwich, and Boyar and I were famished and tired. Went to the big La Grande Epicerie across from Le Bon Marche and checked it out. It was very late by this time, and it was pretty slim pickin's. Almost bought some roast pork, but then I realized it would be about $20 for one pound ... which seemed a bit high to me. Mika found a bottle of Coke with her name on it. Literally. Pretty funny. It was some special edition bottle with the singer-Mika's name on it, but since it looks the same as our Mika's name, we bought it anyway. She also wanted chocolate mousse, which we got from the refrigerator case.

Kept looking at other restaurant menus on our way back, wanting so badly to find a restaurant that seemed to welcome us. It is then that I found I had a hidden talent: deciphering French, even though I really don't know any French. It is very handy to know words like "tartare" (raw) and "cheval" (horse) -- especially when they are on a menu. Together. We kept walking, and found ourselves back in our neighborhood at the little red restaurant. Ultimately, eating here was perfect for us -- nice, friendly and very French. No CPK or Pasta Pomodoro tonight!

I amused myself with the realization that we ate all three meals from one block near our apartment: breakfast and lunch from the patisserie/boulangerie, and dinner at the restaurant. Supporting the Vaneau-Babylone economy!

Okay ... very tired ... everybody is asleep ... time to join them. Au revoir.

april in paris: day one

We got lucky and managed to get four tickets to Paris for spring break, using our frequent flyer miles! C'est bon!

*****

Arrived in Paris via Air France 83 -- Business Class provided more legroom than needed, especially on the bulk head row! Food was very good and plentiful on the flight. Had some wine at the encouragement of our flight attendant, who seemed puzzled and shocked that we were not drinking any. He was very encouraging about it, and said, "Try a few. Few, few, few, then many! Like me!" I have the menu somewhere ... we started with an amuse bouche that was a small paté tart with a grape slice and almond slices on top, then there was a salad and a fish terrine (which I was surprised that Miles liked), then we had our main course (chicken, fish, beef or risotto)(we had the chicken and the beef), dessert trio and gelato (caramel macaron was incredible!). Since the flight attendants were not sure about the nut content, we were cautious about the food on the plane -- which Mika got to enjoy, unfettered! -- but we did decide Miles could try the macaron and the lemon tart. We all tried to sleep in our fully extending chairs, with mixed success. Boyar seemed pretty good. I slept for a bit then woke up and Mika came over to say she couldn't sleep. I gave her my seat, and then I went to hers and tried to sleep with her books, game boy, Miles's DS, Miles's book, and her crocheting all in the seat, too. No wonder she couldn't sleep in this seat! Miles was resting but not asleep; he finally dozed off just before the "morning" and slept through breakfast service (Miles and I got ours later - French toast w/vanilla and berry sauce).

Arrived and got our bags, no customs check (!!!), and then I decided we should take the train so that it would be more of an adventure, rather than the recommended cab. I think it was the right decision. We made our way, with the help of the Tourist Information desk, and got onto the RER. After a few minutes, one of the young men on the train stood up with his accordion and started playing. With the backdrop of the industrial outskirts of Paris flashing by, he played some Parisian sounding tunes as we watched, intermittently, and I asked Miles to film him. If I had the Euros change, I would have given him something, but I didn't have it. Boyar didn't realize that he actually had the money, and he thought I had the money. The guy moved on to the next car. I filmed the graffiti, since I thought it looked cool. Got to Paris. Figured out the Metro transfer. Got to the Vaneau metro stop. Took a wrong turn and ended up at the Bon Marche ... which is how we knew we took a wrong turn. Got to our place. Met "Michael" and gave him the Thin Mints. He is from Michigan, and seemed happy to get the cookies.

Got settled, then walked around for a couple of hours ... which felt like four ... but we managed to stay awake and in good spirits, even though we were tired. Saw the Invalides, the Tour Eiffel, the Seine and its riverboat tours -- all in their sun-drenched glory! Walked back through the Rue Cler and went into the cheese shop (which was stinky and overwhelming), picked up a roast chicken (which was on sale for 10E), some potatoes Dauphonois (which were tart and tasty), some Camembert (which was stinky and tart and meaty tasting) ... followed up with a baguette and a quiche at a boulangerie on another street ... and some drinks and toilet paper at the local convenience store near our apartment. Boyar and I prepped dinner in our tiny kitchen, and we all had a good meal. Miles really enjoyed the cheese (as did Mika) and ate about half the baguette. Showered, played Bananagrams, and went to sleep.

Taking a while to get moving this morning. Slept till about 7 am, when the city noises started up (and the upstairs neighbor turned on the TV). Kids continued sleeping till Boyar woke them up at about 9:30 am. He is out and about, foraging for a patisserie or cafe for us to eat breakfast. I better get dressed before he gets back! Oops -- too late! Au revoir!

starts with a "j"

I am looking for a book to replace the one that my daughter borrowed from a friend ... and misplaced. We saw it recently in the living room, but now nobody can find it. Including me, and I am usually pretty good about finding such things. The book is a little bit obscure, so I'm not sure I'll be able to find it in a store, either, but it's worth a try. I scan the bookshelves at the Walnut Creek Barnes & Noble, but do not see it. I come across two store clerks chatting, and decide to ask them for help finding it.

Me - (in my super-polite voice) Excuse me, hi, I'm wondering if you can help me find a book -- the title is something like one thousand and one cranes, and it has a pink cover.
Fifty-ish woman clerk - Oh, is it a Japanese folk tale?
Forty-ish woman clerk - (clicking away at the computer) Yes, I think it is ...
Me - No, it's not ... it's actually in a modern setting ... it takes place in --
Fifty - Oh! There is that Japanese folk tale about the crane who pulls out her feathers and weaves it into silk ...
Me - (still in super-polite voice) Oh, yes, and the crane turns into a woman ... no, it's not that story. It's in a modern setting ...
Forty - Isn't there a book about Sadako and paper cranes?
Me - Yes, there is, but this is a different story ...
Fifty - Oh, yes, Sadako ... isn't she the little Jewish girl who folded all those cranes while she was imprisoned during the Holocaust?
Me - (now in trying-not-to-sound-shocked but still polite voice) Ummm, no, Sadako was Japanese, and she got sick and died after the bombing of Hiroshima in WWII ...
Forty - (jovially) Ha ha! Well ... same war! Ha ha!

Wow. My eyeballs bugged out of my sockets, then popped back in, while steam shot out of my ears and my jaw dropped to the floor, and my tongue rolled in and out of my mouth like a party horn blowout. Oh, wait, that was just the invisible cartoon version of me that flashed in my head. The real life version of me -- old, jaded and tired -- managed to just super-politely get out of there and get a gift card.

UPDATE: My daughter found the book. It was in her bookshelf.

manly man

“Hey, Mom. Can you buy me some Axe?”

And, with that, I was officially initiated into the world of teen-parenting. I had been dreading the day I would hear these words. I had known this day would come, since I had heard that Axe was the deodorant-of-choice among the boys at my son’s school. Still, I was caught off-guard that this was happening so soon.

I remember when he was just a baby! Well, actually, that’s only in my more lucid moments. Sometimes I think back to when he was just a baby, and I can’t seem to remember much. I decide this is not the time to get sentimental – besides, it is an excuse to go to Target. I love shopping at Target.

I get a bit woozy standing in the deodorant aisle, inhaling a smorgasbord of manly aromas. Somehow, I remain conscious enough to notice the tiny writing on the labels: “Sharp Focus: Stay dry, Stay focused on her,” “Dry Action: Approved for Hot Encounters,” “Dark Temptation: As Irresistible as Chocolate.” Wow. Apparently, this Axe is powerful stuff.

I pick up one of them and take a whiff. Whoa. Definitely not that one. How about this one? No, not that one either. This one is actually repulsive! A guy would have to stay focused on her as she was running away from the smell of Axe! I warily smell the one touting its dark temptation, since chocolate is pretty irresistible to me. Fortunately, I am strong enough to resist.

I finally settle on one of them: the blue one. The writing on the label is hard to read, and I am hoping my son doesn’t notice what it says. It smells relatively more subtle than the others … or at least that is what I tell myself as I add it to my shopping cart.

When my son gets home, I non-chalantly tell him I got him his Axe. “Thanks, Mom!” he says, cheerfully. “Can I have a snack? I’m hungry.”

What a relief. He may want to smell manly, but he’s still my little boy.