This was our last day in Paris.  Our little one, not yet three at the time, had but one request.  She looked up at me sucking her thumb, took it out, and said, “‘Mama, no more ‘chuches.'”  (She could’nt pronounce her “r’s.”)  I realized then we had put a lot of grown up things on such a tiny little one and it is my hope that she will grow to love the church just as I always have.  So we threw our itinerary to the wind and made our last day a play day.  We darted in and out of little souvenir shops where I got got an “I ❤️ Paris bag” and magnets for the fridge.  Burk and I had berets, books on Versailles, and we bought Chat Noir oven mitts.  We were typical American tourists in Paris buying schlock and having a wonderful time.  My little one was immensely enjoying her “camera” that showed all the famous scenes of Paris through it (I always longed for a “View-Master” my whole childhood but we never could afford it) and she thought she was taking pictures of it all.  I got a couple of refillable Paris lighters (my favorite is a sleek Eiffel Tower that blinks and lights up when you open it) as well as some more cigars for my little humidor’s stockpile.  We did not spend a lot but we certainly got a lot in terms of pure frivolity and fun.  That is something which not often presents itself in our lives.  We were without worry and there was no one there to judge us over our treasures.  We went back to the hotel and all exclaimed over each other’s souvenirs.  Every day as I look around our home I see little remembrances of our precious time in Paris.  Some would say they are just things.  To me they are tangible memories that bring me back to this time and my heart is happy.  This was the day we threw out all the rules.  We let our almost three year old have pistachio ice cream laced with chocolate, coupled by potato chips.  It was exhilarating to let go of “the rules” and have a little fun.  We did not eat or drink anything particularly redemptive; rather we dined on la vie — frites et chocolat.