The Thinker

I had this conversation with Noah the other day...

Noah: Je pense trop aux choses. (I think about things too much.)
Me: Oh? What do you think about?
Noah: Comment fabriquer des avions. (How to make airplanes.)
Me: Oh?? You think about that??
Noah: J'y pense plus maintenant. (I don't think about it anymore.)
Me: Why not?
Noah: C'est interdit à l'école. (It's not allowed at school.)

Oh.... guess we are not talking 747s here.

Master Chef

Two of our very own Master Chef's latest creations, made sans recipe, of course!

Our Future Novelist Does Pathos

This is the note Benjamin left for us the other night (with original spelling):

Laise moi dormire j'ai besoin de me reposer une longe rout ou devraisje dire (ça continue) une longue aventure matent loin d'ici quand j'aurai 20 ans. Je vous aime tous. Et Noah je te fais confiance pour que tu change vite pour maman et papa.

In English:
Let me sleep I need to rest a long road or should I say (turn over) a long adventure awaits me far from here when I will be 20 years old. I love you all. And Noah I trust you to change quickly for Mom and Dad.

He changed his mind later and said this adventure would be when he is 10, not 20.

I'm not really sure what to think of this...

Night Sky

With little in the way of nighttime light pollution out here in the country, we get some beautiful night skies. This one was amazing, with the full moon lighting up the clouds.

I am a Seel!

Noah's K/1/2 class had a show for the parents on the last day before fall break. They made us apple cake, and sang "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" in French and in English, and did a little skit in English where the kids were animals.

Noah was a seal.

He said, "I am a SEEL, and I clap my hands! Can you do EET?"

He had practiced at home, and I told him to say it with proper American pronunciation. He replied, "But that is how the teacher says it!" And he would not be swayed, he pronounced it with a great little French accent during the show.

Siiiigh.

Bed Time.

I don't make them sleep on the floor under their beds, I swear... Notice how Noah's dinosaur is sleeping on the top "bunk."

Noah left me a message... it says "BING"... no idea what that means...

Pierrefonds again

I have no idea what this "Paris chez nous" is all about...
if there is anything I *don't* want, it's Paris "chez moi"!!

I also took Lara to Pierrefonds, our favorite / closest tourist spot. I thought I knew it inside and out by now, but I was wrong - they changed the entrance door, and so I know we missed a room or two, but I just couldn't find them at all.

We decided not to take this way into the castle.

View of the castle from inside.

You know you've been here too long when you sound like a Frenchman.

And I mean that literally. When you sound like a French MAN.

My friend Lara, who was my roommate when I did my junior year abroad a few too many years ago to mention, came to visit this week. It was great to catch up with her! While she was here, we visited the Dragon's Lair, a limestone quarry at the front lines of WWI used by the Germans and the French alternately and for several months, they both used it at the same time.

The conversation when we got there went like this:

Me: Hi, we are here for the visit in English.
Employee: Yes, are you the ones who called yesterday, and again this morning?
Me: Yes, my husband called...
Employee: (nodding) I recognized your voice!

Oh dear.

I suppose there are several possibilities here. Perhaps I sound like a French man, or perhaps Frédéric's picked up more of an American accent when he speaks French, along with a more feminine voice. I'm not really sure which of us should be more offended. Or flattered?

In other news....
The neighbor came over today and brought me some pear, pear/green tomato/apple, and green tomato jam. She made sure to tell me that she doesn't use a lot of sugar, but she does put in a hint of moonshine.

The Physics of Swimming

So, as most of you know, Benjamin is participating in swim team for the second year, and this year he's on the competitive team. And Noah is doing another round of swimming lessons.

As Noah came out of lessons Monday, we had this conversation...

Noah: Did I swim good?
Me: Well, you didn't get off the wall.
Noah: Oui. Mais c'est parce que je risque de couler.  [Yes, but that is because I might sink.]
Me: No, you wouldn't.
Benjamin: Noah, quand je nage sur le dos, tu me vois couler ?  [Noah, when I'm swimming on my back, do you see me sink?]
Noah: Non, parce que les grands ne coulent pas.  [No, because big people don't sink.]
Benjamin: Noah, ta tête peut pas couler. Plus on est lourd, plus on flotte. Ta tête est lourde, alors, elle flotte. [Noah, your head can't sink. The heavier you are, the more you float. Your head is heavy, so it floats.]
Noah: Non, mais toi t'as 7 ans. Moi, j'ai que 5 ans. Tu crois que c'est assez gros, ça ?! Non. [No, but you are 7. I am only 5. You think that's big enough?! No.]

(He did manage to get off the wall tonight, though, and he came home afterwards, so I guess he didn't sink. Whew.)

(And Mom, it is a good thing you are coming soon, they desperately need someone to make them speak more English!!!)