An Interview with les enfants

Just partaking in some random interviewing...we have our own language, one in which neither French nor English is used. It's called "blah blah blah". We use it when one of us can't understand the other, so we resort to this language, one we ALL KNOW. Then the kids sing some songs for our enjoyment!

Today was fairly ordinary...but pretty great. This morning I got a long, wonderful 'letter' via email from Ruthie, in which she told me all about whats been going on with her family, and she included a long letter that Maria wrote to Matthieu..! It was great! So now Maria and Matthieu can be 'pen pals!' They are both almost 3 years old...so it's perfect. We will most definitely reply to her letter. I made the kids a picnic today for lunch...hot dogs, fruit salad, and a cookie. They ate in the backyard, then I made my own lunch...then Virginie came home as I was eating. So she got home early, and ate my fruit salad with me and said it was "tres bon!" We cleaned up the dishes then went to "le prefecture" which is some type of government office where I'm applying for my "carte du sejour" which will replace my VISA when it expires. OBVIOUSLY this was the 3rd time we've been to this office and once again, more b.s....so I will return there on Monday. Guess where it is? Right ACROSS THE STREET from the Palace of Versailles, in Versailles, about a 10 minute drive from the house. So I got to see the palace AGAIN, and I will go back on Monday now to tour and explore the palace, and then stop by the Prefecture for the paperwork. Virginie and I had a good laugh about the b.s. of paperwork required for these legal things. She was quite irritated with the people in the office, so it was funny....me (an American) and she (French) bullying up against the snobby women in the office, we were like a team, then walked away laughing about how ridiculous some things are. Anyways...she told me in the car, "This is how it is with the French: we say we are going to do something, but we rarely do it when we say...so we ALWAYS have to call and check on it again, and again...until it gets done". This is definitely NOT the case with Virginie and Jerome however...they are extremely efficient in getting things done when they say. Anyways...

I had an appointment at the post office at 2:30 to open a bank account there for my paychecks. Virginie told me I could go alone and take the car! So today was my first day driving 'toute seul' with the car and it went so smoothly. SO LIBERATING! To drive in France all by myself, playing some music, and not getting lost once! It was great...I went to la poste, parallel parked in a tiny spot (as they all are) and opened the account, then I drove to Monoprix and purchased a few cleaning supplies for the studio, walked over to "la coiffure" (the hairdresser) to look at prices, got back in the car and made it all the way back home without making one wrong turn! Sounds simple, but the neighborhoods here are very similar, with many windy turns up the hill and its easy to take the wrong direction. SO needless to say, it was fun and felt good to know my way around and run a few errands.

I'm tired tonight, and I work all day tomorrow and Friday...so I may not blog in the next day or two...not sure. Want to get some rest before my long 4 day weekend! Can't wait! Email me if you want, it's really great to talk to everyone, you don't seem so far away!

Au revoir!