Paris has decided to go back into rain mode, which makes it a bit tricky for me to go out and get pictures of some of the things I want to talk about. So I'm taking a moment to again plead for some sort of feedback, mostly about topics. Drop me a comment, email, Gchat, whatever. Do you like reading about the historical ladies? I have all those posts already written, actually, but I was thinking of doing similar ones on three other iconic French ladies of history - Eleanor of Aquitaine, Joan of Arc, and Marie Antoinette - who were left out.
Do you like the arrondissement posts and when I talk about specific locations/things?
Do you prefer my (relatively few recent) posts on my daily life here, like the food and such?
Okay, moving on to other things. I am better now from being sick, but have a sore throat that doesn't want to go away. At this time of year that's pretty good, for me!
Not a lot is going on in my life at the moment. I'm doing some babysitting and piano lessons but other than that don't have very much to do. Next weekend I will be spending three days in Toulouse, where a close friend lives - I'm so excited! It's one of the few big places I haven't been to in France and it's supposed to be beautiful. We also might do a side trip to another exciting place, we'll see. The the first weekend in November I'll be doing a short two day jaunt to the Loire Valley region to see the medieval capital Angers, small town of Balzac fame Saumur, and tiny town of royal fame Fontevraud l'Abbaye. That is one of my "history nerd" trips, but I've heard the towns are lovely so I hope to have some nice pictures for you.
People inquire about the kids I watch, so here are some short updates on them:
15 year old D is in the equivalent of 10th grade, the first year in French "high school." She's generally rather difficult but continues to work on her music and is excellent with the little ones. Her new English teacher asked if she ever lived in England because she's so proficient with the language.
L, almost 14, is the one who spent some time in NY this summer, and he's in his last year of "middle school." His English improved tons while there and he's now super enthusiastic about learning it - even scolding his older sister when she speaks to me in French instead of English. He's also very taken with my dad's university, already planning to study abroad there.
J, 11, is now in his first year of "middle school," though at his school the middle school and high school kids are all together. He's advanced enough in English that he has free time during the practice sessions twice a week; he's not required to go. He's still very interested in cooking, and is a big help with the little ones when I babysit.
M, 4, now goes to the little kid section of J's school. They start school a year earlier than in the US, so this is her second year in full-day school, and she really likes it. She knocked out her two front teeth recently, and though it was a bit traumatic for her she looks super cute and is enjoying that. Now that I'm not watching them all the time like I used to her behavior has improved remarkably!
O, almost 2 and a half, is now at the "big kids" section of his daycare, and from what I can tell he's very smart. He was already talking a bit when I met him at 13 months, used full sentences by around 16-17 months, and now pretty much talks normally, with a more limited vocabulary. He potty trained over the summer, which makes my life a lot easier! He figures things out extremely quickly, but also has gotten a bit of attitude the last 6 months or so - he's not as easy as he was a year ago but he's very funny.
The little ones now have a full time nanny as opposed to an au pair, because their mom now works full time (she only worked part time while I was their au pair). They seem to like her.
That's about it for life here, for now!
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2 comments:
Hi everyone, this is Angie's mom. When her father and I leave comments, Angie says they don't really count for feedback, because we're her parents and it's a given that we would do that. She wants to know if that audience out there - YOU! - actually appreciates her writing, her time, and her efforts in research. Are you just being bullied into reading it by one of us, so you can say "yes, I read it", if asked? Or do you say, "Gee, I wonder what Angie's been up to today?" and check the blog?
If you read the blog and it leaves a smile on your face, or you finish a blog and say, "That was interesting, I learned something today", take one minute and leave a comment. Angie often spends hours writing these things for you.
My only problem about the blogs is that the site won't record my vote at the end. It leaves a check when I select my choice, and the color there changes, but the next time I go to the post, the vote isn't there. Do any of you have that problem too? Angie put that in so you don't even have to write anything and can still leave some sort of response. If you are being deprived of your vote too, let Angie know!
Sorry this is so long, but I want you to know it's easy to leave a comment. You can be anonymous if you want to, or use OpenID, which includes many online memberships including Google, facebook, yahoo! aol, myspace, flickr, and livejournal, among others. For me, the hardest thing is to read the silly writing below, to prove I'm not a robot. But if you can't read it, you can change to one you might be able to read more easily. So please give it a try, and leave a comment for Angie!
Angie, I do enjoy your blog and try to keep up with it. It has been interesting reading about the women in history. Since I will never get to France, it has been nice to learn something of the history, as well as the geography.
Incidentally, one of the subjects on Jeopardy tonight was French history. The only question that was familiar was about Joan of Arc.
Have fun in your trips.
And Marilyn, I am glad to know you have trouble with those words that show you aren't a robot. I thought I was the only one who had that trouble.
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