a little update

Never a dull moment with Marie.

She likes to do things by herself, but many times she cannot!  She is only four!

There are fresh, giant cherries ( the kinds with the seeds ) but she is not allowed to eat them unless I cut them up for her.  This morning I am drinking my coffee, she

grabs a cherry, tries to dip it in my coffee, and then offer the coffee dipped cherry to the family cat.  She noticed that I was not letting her do this, so she decides she wants her own "'coffee" AKA hot chocolate.

  I begin making it for her, but then of course she wanted to pour and stir in the chocolate powder herself.  So I gently hand her the spoon, next thing I know she has poured in 3 heaping spoonfuls, there is powder all over the carpet and blanket, and she is on her hands and knees licking the chocolate powder off the rug.  O la la.   Then she starts complaining about her throat hurting---not understanding that you cannot just eat the chocolate powder alone like that!    






Lions and Princesses

In my last blog, I spoke about my four year old interpreter, Charolette.  Marie attended Charolette's birthday party this week!  It was princess themed.  All the little girls were to come dressed as princesses! Marie loves her "Lion" costume that was passed down from her older brothers. She wears it often around the house. The morning of the princess party, Marie decides she does not want to go to the party in her dress, but rather the lion costume.   So she does.  Typical Marie!




my routine
It typically varies from day to day. I always babysit/play with Marie from 5-8 every night when she gets home from school. Sometimes this includings setting the  table and or giving her a bath! Then around 8 ish we eat dinner. After dinner I help clean up the kitchen, as Marie goes off to bed. Normally she does not end up going to sleep until around 10.  The nightly routine takes much longer in France. It is not just a quick bedtime story then lights out...but rather a few stories and some bonding time with the parents.  My good friend, Christina is currently an au pair in Florence, Italy and she said it is exactly the same there. A very late dinner every night and then a long bedtime routine! Perhaps it's a southern Europe thing.    Her nap time at school lasts a long time, however. She definitely gets plenty of sleep!

During the day, I do about one hour of housework.  After that I usually go out and walk in the town! I enjoy looking at all the little shops, reading in the park, ect. I still have not discovered everything Valbonne has!   When it gets a little warmer, and when the film festival is over, I think I will begin going to Cannes more often. That is where the beach is!

On Wednesdays kids do not go to school. So Wednesday's and Saturdays ar my busiest days. I play with her from about 10-2,then we have lunch, she naps, then I watch her again in the evening!

Tuesdays I go to Marie's school.

So you see, I am working very hard while I am here! :)

Tonight, Christine and Christophe are going to a friend's house for dinner.  In the US, that means get there around 6, leave around  8, and bring your kids.  In France it means NO kids, arrive around eight thirty, and be home around 2 am.   

I cannot help but to be so excited to start my NEW job at Taylor Elementary when I return home!  I will have one month, and then school starts!  I spend a lot of my free time in France reading music teacher blogs and getting ideas for my own classroom and students.    What an exciting time in my life this is.    I have never been out of Cleveland, TN for longer than 2 weeks.   I am learning so much and growing a lot.   In my free time when I go to the city, I am not "glued"' to my phone because I do not have wifi, 3G and cannot text.  I am really  'by myself'.  I have time to reflect, think, and pray.  It's easy to get distracted in the busy activities of every day life.  

While I am still not "homesick"  there are many times where I wish a certain person could be here with me.  I wish that my Dad could have seen the view of Cannes with me as we walked up the Castle,  I wish that my Mom could spend the afternoons with me walking through the boutiques in Valbonne,  I wish that my brother could have experienced the Film Festival with me,  I wish that Sarah was here to go to the beautiful sea with me,  and I wish that Spencer could take all the lovely walks I take around the French country side with me. 

bon journee

leah