different names for the same thing: Girls just want to have fun

Well, after last night’s drama, we let the kids sleep in as late as they wanted. We were all exhausted and a bit traumatized. It took me forever to calm down, I am afraid. But, today is a new day and we had a good one!
The apartment manager called this morning to get the full story on last night’s happenings. She is British, and so we were able to communicate effectively. She is super awesome and totally on our side. I guess this has been an issue for along time. So, we felt much better. Every time we want to come or go, it will be 8 flights of stairs for us for the next 4 weeks. :)
Lori called and invited Hayley and I to go shopping with them for Mercedes' birthday. So, we went shopping and Dave took Dillon and Mali over to the Tuileries Garden.
They had a great time. They rode the ferris wheel and a few other rides. Dillon got to do some shooting, which always makes him happy. They explored the park and sat by the water. Then, they went to “Angelina’s”, a famous tea house near the Louvre. We had read about the amazing hot chocolate in our books and so Dave went to check it out. He said it’s definitely something the girls need to experience, so we’ll be going back. :)
Lori, Hayley, Mercedes and I had a fun time on our shopping trip. We went to a few shops near our place and then over to the Latin quarter to find a place that Lisa had recommended. It was a successful trip for all of us. We stopped at a Creperie and had some lunch. We shopped a bit more, then headed home.
~I have to mention that the past 3 weeks as Hayley walks around with me, or Dillon, or Dave, no one has hit on her at all. But, today, walking with Mercedes, a few steps back from the adults, they have received a lot more attention from the opposite sex! We will not be letting them out of our sight.~
Dave got dinner for us from the bakery and we watched some “Lost” for awhile. Then, we headed out with the Thompsons to the Eiffel Tower. We were to meet up with the Smarts who are here in Paris for the day. The trip over took much longer than we expected, and so we were late. We found them in line and the four girls – Hayley, Mercedes, Brooke, and Kyla had a fun reunion. We ended up running into the Amarals (the girls’ soccer coach) as well. It was great to see them! Dillon was so happy to see Matthew and have someone his age to talk to. Hayley loved talking with Alison, too and we got caught up with Sharon. It was just fun to see so many faces from home in Paris!
It was not so much fun for the other kids. We were supposed to meet and get ice cream, but since we were late, we didn’t end up getting on the train until 11:30pm. We took the RER train, much nicer this time. Everyone was exhausted and had almost given up on the idea of ice cream. But, when we got back to our neighborhood at 12:15, our gelato spot was open and hopping with people. CRAZY!! So, we got the kids their gelato and everyone was exhausted, but satisfied. Long night, but good day. It’s been so great having the Thompsons as our neighbors again.

I also just wanted to thank you all for your comments. It is so fun to share this experience with our friends and family. It will be great to go home and have everyone know what we're talking about when we reference our trip. Thanks!!