"Je suis la!", and other updates

The days seem to be slipping by faster than ever -- I ran into Geraldine at the school drop off this morning and she reminded me we have just 18 days left in France! How did that happen?

There is no big news to report -- the week is happily just full of work and school and laundry and life -- but I do have a few fun updates.

* Maitresse Maud mentioned that Katie spoke French spontaneously in class Tuesday. And just what were the first freely spoken (i.e. not prompted by Mama or Daddy) French words out of her mouth?

"Je suis la!" (I am here!).

I don't know if that is incredibly deep and meaningful (some kind of existential awareness of her place in the universe) or simply a response to the roll call. At any rate -- we're pleased with her progress.

* Both girls have been singing a LOT these days, both songs that are recognizable, as well as those they make up. Today, at lunch, Livie was sweetly singing one that started like this:

"On your birthday, it's hard to be twins..."

I tried to get her to expand on that thought, but she slipped off into another song about how you have to be kind to Santa. Ah, the brain of a nearly five year old...

* I had a great talk with Jack's teacher on Friday. She said that she and the whole class would be so sad to see Jack leave -- that he has really become a remarkably integrated part of the classroom fabric (or something like that).  She also said they would all -- ALL -- cry when he left.

She also mentioned that she thinks he will be VERY bored in school next year, as he is easily picking up concepts that are difficult for any student, whatever language they speak at home. In some cases, I think she will be right. For example, his class here has blazed through the past, imperfect, future, and conditional verb tenses... and he gets it! I don't think they even start some of those until next year at his French immersion school. Of course, there will also be a few (several!) gaps... he still hasn't learned how to conjugate "ir" or "re" verbs (something they hadn't started in Canada when we left but had already finished here), and who knows what else. I am sure we will encounter many of these gaps when we return. Thankfully, he seems to pick up these concepts so quickly.

And the best thing of all (even better than him bringing home a good mark on a test none of us even knew was coming up, which also happened this week) is to listen to him speak French with his friends. It just comes so naturally... so easily... so fluently. I don't know when or how or in what context he will use the French language later in life... but I do know he has a fabulous grounding in it at this point, and both John and I feel that is such a wonderful gift (especially since the process of learning it was so much fun).

* John and I had petit-dejeuner at our favorite cafe this morning. The topic of conversation -- just how the heck we can come back to Burgundy some day. Yes, it is going to be hard to leave and you can expect some emotional and possibly pathetic postings (very pro-France) over the next 2+ weeks!

* Here's just one of the things I'll miss... how French people seem to touch each other more than North Americans. I love the French cheek-kiss thing (faire la bise), and every time it happens I feel like this is a very sane and wonderful society. The owner of the restaurant in Nuits-St-George where we go for galettes every two weeks or so came out when we stopped by with Mom on Monday, and before I knew it, he was kissing my cheeks and then Mom's before explaining and apologizing that the restaurant was closed for a private function. A cousin of Franck's who lives in our village (and who we see at the school drop-off) nows greets me with both a warm bonjour and a quick cheek kiss. John gets a handshake -- it seems that men only kiss men who are family or very old friends -- but otherwise, it's kisses all around. Jack's friends kiss me, my friends kiss me, I kiss my own kids... what a wonderful way of life.