Aller a l'eglise (to go to church)

Sunday is our day to aller a l'eglise (go to church). We attend the Mormon church in Mellun. It is about a 25 minute drive from our house. The members there have been so warm and welcoming. A few speak a bit of English, but overall we are the minority. Last week after church the kids were especially discouraged. They spend all week at school trying to concentrate and understand a foreign tongue and then to go to church and not comprehend what is being taught is just too much. Somehow I think prayers were answered because today when we arrived at church they had headsets ready for translation. We each put on our little earphones and someone translated the meeting for us in English. Ahh to comprehend! After the meetings today they had a church luncheon. Everyone brought a dish to share. They cleared the chairs away from the chapel and it was transformed into the "lunchroom"!

Sharing a meal is a wonderful way to break barriers and get to know new friends. Everyone stayed long after church to eat, visit and relax together. We tried lots of new food and were very uplifted by our church experience today.

Escargot (snails)

I was grocery shopping today and came across an interesting delicacy. Snails in a jar. Really they looked quite pretty with their striped shells all packed in a clean jar with a cool label. Just add a little butter, cream and seasoning and voila! you have a meal fit for a king. I wonder if Louis the XIV had a favorite sauce for his escargot? We have lots and lots of escargot living in our backyard. There are so many varieties with interesting shell patterns. I'm not sure if you can eat your mere garden escargot, but if you can we are in for a feast one of these days.


A funny snail story happened this week to Lilly. She found a snail and a BIG slug for her bug catcher. On Monday she took them to school for the sac a surprise. The kids try to guess what item you have in the bag. They were all happy to have a "class pet", so Lilly left the bugs at school overnight. Her teacher was worried that they might die before the next day because there wasn't much air. She barely cracked the jar before leaving Monday night. Next morning she was amazed to find that both bugs had escaped! They must have pushed and pushed all night long. I never thought a snail and a slug could conger up an escape plan, but voila! they were gone. Lilly's teacher found the snail on the wall almost up to the ceiling. The slug was more sneaky and still remains missing!

Marche Nordique (Nordic March)

A beautiful fall morning. It was the perfect day go "marching" through the forest of Fontainebleau. The forest is huge and very dense. You really don't walk alone and it's always best to take a map so you don't get lost. I have wondered a time or two when I have ventured out on my own if I should leave bread crumbs along the path. But then again I don't want to attract the wild boar or foxes that roam the forest. There are countless walking groups that take excursions. I have joined a Nordic walking group. They meet two days a week and walk in the fashion of cross-country skiing. It's amazing how using poles can enhance your work-out.


We are lead by an instructor. Everything is in French so I try to listen, but mostly I'm just watching and following the group. She does warm-ups and then starts us walking. Today we went through some steep rock formations and had a wonderful view of the forest. My good friend Tifiny was there to walk alongside with. It was the perfect start to the day.

Figue (fig)

Last Saturday our new friend Sandrine invited us for a BBQ. We offered to bring dessert (I figured that would give me an excuse to go to the bakery). The evening was delightful. Our new friends are a Danish/French couple with two children. They also invited another American family and a German family. It was an international event. The kids ran wild in the backyard, playing soccer, swinging and coloring. After dinner we opened two delicious boxes from the bakery. Sandrine cut up fresh figues (figs) picked just that day from their fig tree. It was the first taste of this delicacy that my kids have had. Not an instant favorite, but a new delight to try again.

Sandrine has a very funny story about their figs. She and her husband moved to this area just a few weeks before us. Her boys were thrilled about the figs and decided to have a "fig sale". They picked a basket and set up shop in front of their house. Neighbors were willing and stopped to purchase a fig or two. Shortly after the local gendarme (police man) came and told them they had to stop. In France you must have a license to sell. Sandrine said, "they are just a couple of boys selling figs!" But alas the sale ended. Luckily the tree didn't stop producing figs so we could enjoy the fruit.

sport

Today all of the kids had "sport". This is the equivalent of physical education in the USA. Because the schools are limited for space everyone has to go to a different location for "sport". Spencer, Olivia and Clara walk to the INSEAD campus. It is about a 1 mile walk each direction. I guess they figure this way everyone is assured a complete workout! Lilly has "sport" at the local fire station. She has to walk about 1/2 mile each direction. I was the parent helper today. Every child wanted my help getting their shoes on and off. They all had a lot to say to me, but I felt practically mute in my response. Once at the fire station the kids go into a big old gym. This is where the firemen play basketball and do gymnastics. The kids line up and do a series of stretches and then they run around the gym one time. The teachers divide the children into groups and then they take turns doing various activities: Jumping on the mats, climbing wall ladders and jumping through hula hoops. Everything is done "IN LINE". No wonder these kids come home tired after a day of "sport".

Lilly has been a pretty good sport herself this week. She seems to be the one who struggles the most with our move. This afternoon on the way home from school she said, "I think now that I know what France looks like I'm ready to go back home to Salt Lake." We are all hoping she changes her mind so we can continue to see more of this beautiful place.

Brocante (junk sale)

Last Sunday (Sept. 9) we had the village Brocante (junk sale) in front of our house. The entire Rue du General de Gaulle was blocked off and everyone set up shop. It's funny how we all love to go through someone else's junk. French treasures seemed so much more exotic. The brocante started at 7am and didn't end until 5pm! It was a bit of a social event for the village.



My brother Paul came to visit for the weekend. He was on business in Switzerland and popped in for 24 hours. We loved having him here. He was able to attend Spencer's first big soccer game, dinner at the home of Christoph Loch & Ingela Bjork, church and a walk through the brocante. The kids had a great time showing Uncle Paul their new corner of the world. He has dubbed all of the girls "prissy pink princesses". Lilly cried when he had to go.

Anniversaire (Celebrating 18 years of marriage at the Eiffel Tower)

Yesterday marked 18 years that Taylor and I have been married. Yikes! Are we really old enough to be married that long? We have had a great life together through the years. I never would have guessed that we would be celebrating our anniversary on top of the Eiffel Tower with our four fabulous kids overlooking the beautiful sights of Paris.

Actually it wasn't a planned anniversary outing. We have been so busy getting the kids into school and figuring out our life here in France that both of us forgot it was our anniversary. In the morning on the way to school we realized that it was September 5th and that's our wedding day. The kids have half days on wednesday so we dubbed the trip a "family anniversaire". Now that's amour! (true love)

LA RENTREE (Back to School!)

Voila! Today marks the first day of French school. Spencer, Olivia, Clara & Lilly are all beginning a new adventure. The three older kids are in a French public school with an Anglophone section. That means 75% of their school week is taught in French and 25% in English. Spencer is in the college (middle school) so he does not actually start until tomorrow. We made sure everyone had new school clothes for La rentree. (After all, we are living in France and we want to be fashionable!)







Olivia and Clara anxiously awaiting the opening of the big metal gate. French schools are very strict about when the school doors open. Everyone waits outside on the sidewalk until 8:20am. At that time the big metal gates open and the children can enter the school yard. On the first day of school parents are allowed into the school yard to help the children find their name on class lists which are posted on the outside of the school. At 8:30 the bell rings and students go into the school for class. No Parents Allowed! It is good-bye and GOOD LUCK!





The Ecole Internationale is exactly that. A very international school. There were probably over 25 new families from all over the world just beginning at this French public school today. Luckily we have had the opportunity to meet some of these families. It made waiting at the gate not so intimidating.
(Mark, Alison, Olivia, Clara, Thomas, Kate)


We were told it would be very chaotic trying to read all of the lists. It was crowded, but not necessarily chaotic. The children gathered in groups in front of their class signs and then waited for the teachers to come take roll and introduce them to the classroom. Clara was lucky enough to get the best teacher in her grade, Madame Buisson. Olivia has a split teaching group. Both girls knew at least two people in their classes. We gave hugs and then said, "au revoir!" Away they marched into the school.


After the older girls were off to class we took Lilly to the CAB where she will attend pre-kindergarten. Yesterday she had an orientation so there were no big surprises as we arrived at school. Here she is in the coat room putting on her slippers. At least we know she will have cozy warm toes during the school day! Lilly's teacher is Madame Elisabeth and she speaks very little English. Lilly speaks very little French so we are crossing our fingers that they will be able to understand one another.