Saddle Sore

There's not much room left in the back seat of a Citroen C5 when you have two car seats installed.  I sat on one cheek, between James and Juliet, for about an hour before I discovered that you can force your entire buttocks and thighs between the car seats if you really push and squirm.  After that I was much more comfortable.  The trip to Saint Malo took about four and a half hours, with a half hour rest and rejuvenation stop.  Matt sat in the back for the second half of the trip.

I am always impressed with how much people in France support and affirm families.  At the rest stop today, the restrooms were very clean, and there was a separate room for changing babies' diapers.  Outside was a play area with a slide and jungle gym, for ages 2 to 12.  There were families with young children at almost every table in the dining area.

Tonight at our restaurant in Saint Malo, there was an entire room just for babies, with a changing table, a microwave to heat up baby's dinner, and some space in case your toddler needed to be calmed down.

In Levallois where the kids live, a magazine comes out quarterly, listing all the classes, activities and special events that are family friendly.  Matthew tells me that the lists are amazing:  classes for every sport and many hobbies, events put on by the local government, festivals, parades, etc.  I'm not sure if France is going through a population growth spurt but it seems that everywhere I look I see babies, babies, babies!  And people smiling at them and at their parents.