This past weekend was full of events. First, we, that is Raphael and I and the girls, officially relocated from our bedrooms for what is becoming our annual summer bedroom round robin. This is the week that the Cordes En Balade begin and we have annual reservations for all five of our bedrooms. This includes the rooms the girls and Raphael and I have been using since last fall. For those of you who've been following This Provençal Life since this time last year, you'll know that last summer we spent our nights sleeping in whatever bedroomwas not rented and when they all were rented, in the wine cellar or on a futon couch in Nini's living room. The girls had a permanent set up with their bunk beds in the corner of Nini's living room nextto the futon. And Angeline, at under a year, followed us around in the travel bed. It was unstable for the children, irritating for Niniand a nomadic life for us. And yes, we've begun it again. But so far we don't know where the girls will sleep. They are currently in the states with my parents and despite the fact that they return early next week, we haven't given much thought as to where to put them.
Our plan, well we have two actually, is to move all of us into Raphael's office. Remember the sweat box in the highest portion of the house? All five of us! Our second idea is to buy a double tent and install it permanently for two months on a portion of the Domaine that is shrouded by trees and camp for the summer. This might not be a bad idea actually. I'm already reduced to sharing a bathroom with Nini for the next two months. And while I use her bathroom, I don't install my stuff. I store my toiletries in a travel bag in the laundry room. And the girls will love sleeping in a tent every night. I insist on an air mattress, a fluffy pillow and proper sheets though.
The guests for our room, bringing the total to five rented bedrooms, that is, all of the bedrooms in the house except Nini's, weren't supposed to arrive until tonight. Or so we thought. At 9:30 last night Raphael came rushing into our living room (our bedroom is off of it) where Iwas busy organizing personal papers in order to relocate them to Raph's office today, and announced that they were on their way and would be here in under an hour. Now, besides the fact that Angeline (no she wasn't in bed yet but I was working on it) had just emptied a box of Olivia's Polly Pocket toys on the living room floor to join her puzzles, my major concern was our bedroom. And more precisely, our bathroom. I had planned the major cleaning project for this morning. I had already relocated our clothes to the cave next to the laundry room that afternoon and removed all the personal photos and other odds and ends that accumulate in abedroom with three children around. But the state of the floor was a concern and the bathroom was just scary. Not only that, after a small water leak a few months ago, a portion of the wall outside of the bathroom had accumulated a nice green coating of mold. I know, it makes you want to stop by for a visit. My plan for today was to deal with all of this including a fresh coat of paint on the one wall. Could we be any more last minute? It's hard to get motivated to move out of your own bedroom when you don't know what to do with nine months worth of accumulated stuff.
While Raphael literally threw everything; toys, my shoes, toiletries, various pieces of junk, into the cave, I frantically scrubbed water stains off the shower walls and hurridly stripped and remade the bed. Okay, the bathroom took so long that that's all I had time for. Raphael vacuumed, poorly and missing cobwebs which I removed while he was plying the guests with charm and wine in the caveau. He even, miraculously, removed the mold from the wall. The results were...acceptable. And all this for one night. Yep, that's all they're here for. In fact, as I write this I hear them packing their car to head off the their concert and then home. Oh, now that were out, were staying out for the rest of the summer. Our room is now back to being the yellow room at the bed and breakfast. And guess what I'll be doing today? A second thorough scrubbing of the bathroom and bedroom to reach a level beyond acceptable as well as painting the wall where the mold was.
Tomorrow I'll tell you about my other even of last weekend.
And later....
After being summoned by Raphael, we discovered that the guest left their stuff in the rooms. I decided to clean around the suitcases in preparation for guests tonight and then i got to the room where the only female is staying. Upon seeing her clothes nicely hanging, I thought, they may be coming back before their concert to rest and take a shower. So much for the major cleaning. It'll have to wait until this evening.
Oh, I don't envy you having to relocate with everyone, but I would opt for the tent. Make sure it is a large one with two proper "rooms" and the girls will love it. Good Luck!
Posted by: Cid | July 10, 2009 at 09:11 AM
oh my god! I would be out of my mind...you have put up with a whole hell of a lot (for love? :). I would be on the road finding an apartment in the nearest town so fast, the in-laws would be shocked into silence.
I like the tent idea. Maybe two tents. a family tent and then a tent for you guy's or the kids.
Wishing you peace, love and privacy!
Posted by: Gilbert Galvan | July 10, 2009 at 09:20 PM
imagine having a larger family and doing this... my friend at the pool was telling me about her dear friend who has seven boys- seven, each time thinking it might be a girl. be thankful that raphael helped with the cleaning:)
Posted by: Amanda | July 11, 2009 at 07:04 PM