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Finally I’m finding a moment to write and let you all know that we are safely ensconced in our house on leafy Greentree Road here in Bethesda, MD. We miss you and many of the niceties and excitements of Paris, but we are also very happy to be home. Who wouldn’t be, with hurricanes to prepare for and candidates like Sarah Palin to get to know???
But just so we don’t get too France-sick, there’s this: two days after we arrived home on August 4, a huge moving truck pulled up in front of the rental-house just across the street. Being a neighborly American, I went out to greet the new family. “Are you my new neighbor?” I asked the father. “Yes, I am Joel—enchante,” he answered. And because I have lived a whole year in France, I now know how it sounds when a Frenchman says “enchante,” and indeed, the new neighbors are Joel and Sandra of Caen and their three children Leo (8), Nina (6), and Max (2). How wonderful! How convenient! They, like us, have put their kids in the ordinary American school—but it’s a different school than ours because of an odd division of school areas. But with Leo and Nina (who also speak Spanish) to play with, who needs French classes?
To keep in touch with you all, it’s my plan to continue the blog I wrote in English for our friends in the US while we were away--but now I’ll have the exercise of rendering it in two languages. I, at least, will have some French instruction anyway—I’ll be participating in the French/ English Conversation Club that was established by Marianne, my Vincennes counterpart, while she lived here. But this project will have to wait a little while until I’m really settled in my new job. I was finally successful in finding the part-time post I wanted in the public schools, but I’m surprised to find myself teaching 2nd grade MATH and science and social studies rather than reading and writing. But I work only in the afternoons, so it should be possible to do some poetry teaching in the mornings, and I’m following up some homeschool leads already.
Daisy is delighted to be among old friends in her new 4th grade class—and there are FOUR other French-speakers to keep things lively at school too. For the first time she’s required to recite a poem each month, but after all the practice with Madame Kahan, that ought to be easy. But with the math, there’s a lot of catching to do to succeed in the advanced class. She has joined a girls’ soccer team, is now officially a Swordfish (?) and is keen to play goalie; she’s continuing her piano lessons and gymnastics, and both of us are returning to her (fairly nontraditional) Girl Scout troop.
Duncan is the very oldest child in his kindergarten class and we’re thrilled that he has the same excellent teacher as Daisy had. On the first day he reported, “Oui, j’entend qu’il y a quelqu’un qui parle francais, mais je ne sais pas qui…” In fact there are two other francophones in his class. After school he needs plenty of action because recess only lasts 30 minutes in an American school, so he’s also doing gymnastics once a week and tae kwon do. He’s taking it very very seriously, along with an intent to train for the 5K Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. Fiona enjoyed buying him real running shoes and Daisy her real cleats. She's a sucker for sports gear, just like I always overdo it on the stationery supplies for school. : )
Fiona had hoped to work a little less upon returning to American time zones, but so far due to yet another Accenture reorganization that’s not really working out. Luckily this is somewhat offset by classes at her old yoga center as well as regular cycling.
Yesterday we all went to visit some kittens at the local Humane Society and chose one we liked called Garbo—but even if we approved as an adopting family, Garbo will not come home until AFTER Duncan’s birthday party on Saturday. Inspired by all the color, action and Silly String at the Mardi Gras parade we saw in Nice last March, Duncan has planned a Birthday Battle for which the weapons will include Silly String, shaving cream pies, Oobleck and water balloons. No kitten should have to live through that!
As Garrison Keillor tells me every morning— Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.
Heidi, Fiona, Daisy and Duncan
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Finalement je trouve un moment libre pour envoyer de nos nouvelles : nous sommes encore installées dans la petite maison sur la rue arborée Arbrevert à Bethesda, MD. Vous nous manquez et les amusements et particularites vincennoises nous manquent également, mais nous sommes aussi tres contents d’être chez nous. Qui ne le serait pas, quand il y a des hurricanes dont a faire des preparations et une candidate comme Sarah Palin a faire le connaisance??? |
