FrenchWards: Les Marathons de la Vie

Bon matin amis!

TGIV!

Automne has arrived and it is hot and steamy here in the Beaujoulais. It has been raining but seems to be averaging 70 degrees F. Great for the skin, weird for the season.

Most of my updates are of the domestic nature. Both kids finally have bikes. Micah's is purple and says "100% pour les filles". Jasper's is very big. He was set on gears in the front and the back. The fellow at the shop disapproved of the size; doesn't follow protocol. Alas, we followed American protocol, which is more of the Honey Badger nature, we takes what we wants.

We also installed some swings on the, up until now, empty swing set on the property. Good times for about 10 minutes. Now they sit in the rain lonely.

Jasper started his tennis lessons. He likes them, though they are "too easy". I disagree.

I have started my "French class" and my art class. I include quotation marks because while I thought this would be a language class, it is more a culture class. I may have mentioned that there are many emigrants from Morocco and Algiers here. This class seems aimed toward helping the women assimilate into the French culture. I am unsure of what is generally known or not known. We are going over some language, things like the days of the week and family names but all of these women speak French what seems to be fluently. Mind you they also speak "arabique". So, I don't know if they are unfamiliar with the french alphabet or if they can read in arabic or what. There is an age range from young to old and there are women who wear burkas and who don't. It is pretty interesting, the subject material a little easy, like Jasper's tennis class, but ultimately, I am pretty into it.

As for art. I have never taken an art class in my life so why not take one where I can barely understand the instruction? Pretty smart non? The other 3 women taking the class have had quite a bit of training I think, judging on their sketches of the bulldog statue. I will include my sketch in the photo section. I am proud of it but I think perhaps I should not be.

On other exciting fronts, Bob completed the "Run in Lyon" marathon. He got almost the exact same time that he had with the Top of Utah marathon that he ran 2 years ago. I think he was hoping for better. I am proud of him. I think he will be running the Beaujolais marathon in November. I will abstain from writing anything judgmental or smarmy about his choices as he reads this blog.

While Bob was running and running and running in the rain and running, etc. the boys and I went to the Museum of Miniatures. This is a museum full of props, costumes and paraphernalia from actual movie sets. And then there are the 2 floors of miniature rooms and scenes and silhouette art. It was a very cool museum. I have to include some of the millions of pictures I felt like I needed to take there.

I had my own sort of marathon trying to obtain my residency permit this week. Unlike Bob's marathon, I failed to finish. I will have to try again. I, however, won't make the same mistake of getting up at 6 am, riding the standing room only train to Lyon, standing in line for 2 hours with the other 500 people, getting a ticket, waiting in the waiting room with my hungry kids that joined me with Bob at 9, just to be denied. I'll just get there at 9, skip the line because I am a scientifique and bring all the stupid paperwork. I won't have to almost cry. I won't have to go to the mall of shame and eat McDonalds with my children to make up for the miserable morning they were forced to have.

I may have failed on the residency permit and parenting but we did get to discover the awesome park, Le Parc de la Tête d'Or in Lyon, which includes an African zoo and was overall delightful. We also attended a little soiré at a cafe for other hapless souls whom decided to take sabbatical in France. The kids got to meet other kids that actually spoke English and we got to exchange stories with others who were fumbling around having a good time living la vie français.

Other big news is that we have finally secured a car. It is a little sad to give up the motor free life but overall it will be a nice addition to the family. The 2 week fall break is coming up. Micah wants to go to Paris, maybe we will. Otherwise we feel that we are in a deficit of local castle exploration. We also want to check out the Massif central. It includes cliffs and rivers and caves and dormant volcanoes.

We continue to not know French very well, all of us. I continue to be frustrated that we are not learning more quickly. I am especially anxious about the kids' lack of French, especially Jasper, because alas that is how it can be being the first born. I have high expectations for him, then I remember that I can't even remember my name half the time, who the heck am I to judge? I will keep forcing myself to believe that it will happen, for all of us. I like to think that the frustration is born of concern. There are many lessons we are (I am) learning here, most of which have nothing to do with France. I hope that I will learn them well enough to keep them with me when we return home.

Alors, enough waxing philosophique, here are some fotos. I hope that you like them.

Bonne Week-end!!