And I was so close...

Yes.
After nearly a year living here without the need for prescription medicine, and with a mere 2.3 weeks left, I was forced to go see the doctor. Even though I still don't have health insurance (stupid french bureaucracy).
You heard right! I just started treatment for a sinus infection that has been going on really longer than necessary. And who wants to ride in a plane for like, 15 hours with severe sinus pressure,? Or who wants to be "that person" violently blowing her nose in a small confined space? Not I!
So I got the number of the S's doctor (Sa's godfather). Unfortunately he is on vacation, but I managed to get an appointment this very day with another doctor. The meeting was brief and painless (although when we entered the room Am (who had been SUPER well behaved up until that point) started bawling, because I think she was afraid the appointment was for her). There was a little confusion because of my lack of social security card thing, but I just ended up paying full for everything, which didn't turn out to cost much more that 50 dollars or so (meds included).

Let us hope the 1+ weeks of antibiotics make all that horrible head pressure disappear before my flight (which is in only 16 days!).

UH OH. Its already tearing me up to think of leaving Am. I love that little girl so much! We get to spend all day every day together this week. But I think that just makes me more sad at the prospect of leaving her! I knew I was attached...but I had no idea how much!

Also - Sa and Lu and I celebrated the 4th of July...by going to see the tour de France! It was pretty fun. We stood on a bridge for 2 hours in the sun, and thanks to my handy dandy 50+ spf and reapplication, yours truly did NOT get sunburned. There was a caravan that comes before the riders, throwing out peices of candy and key chains and really a bunch of pointless swag. I ended up procuring quite a bit of said swag for the girls:
1 water bottle
1 package of madelines
1 package of peanut butter stick snack things
1 red tour-de-france cap
1 weird green cloth disc thing (really, what IS that for?)
1 package containing 3 multicolored pens
1 double sided poster
2 key chains
1 small packet laundry detergent (exciting, i know)
1 packet grenadine syrup (ok - the french LOVE putting syrup in stuff. They put it in water, soda, BEER. It is highly common to see people out drinking a bright green aperitif)
1 packet nesquick
1 newspaper
1 around the neck blow up phone holder thing...i think?
1 magnet

(among other things).

And then, of course, we saw the riders. We were SO CLOSE I could have reached out and touched them! Plus, I think a bunch of them stayed at the hotel next to the house (since its kind of the ritziest one in Rouen). Then I went the next day while the girls were at school to see the depart. pretty cool. Here are some pictures!

(oh and yes those are pirate ships in the background of some of those pictures)