They don't stop saying funny things as they get older

Benjamin : "Hé, maman, tu savais que les gens qui ont achété la maison de Dominique sont naturistes ?"
[Hey Mom, did you know the people who bought Dominique's house are nudists?]

Moi : "Heu, quoi ?!"
[Uh, what?!]

Benjamin : "Bah quoi"
[What.]

 

Moi : "Ca va dire ils se promenent sans vêtements !"
[That means they're walking around with no clothes on!"]

Benjamin : "Ah, non... naturophage."
[Oh, no... naturophages.]

Moi : "Ca veut dire qu'ils mangent la nature !  Naturopathe ??"
[That means they eat nature! Naturopaths?]

Benjamin : "Ah ouais, c'est ça." 
[Oh, yeah, that's it.]

And one from Noah... 

 

Driving in the car today, Noah and I were talking about fried food. I told him at state fairs in the US, you can get fried Oreos. Or Mars bars. Or fried Twinkies. 

 

Noah: What's a twinkie? Isn't that your smallest finger?

And just like that...

 no more regionals for Noah. His gym teacher called me to come pick him up after he twisted his knee at the end of gym class. Off to the emergency room, where the doctor "un-twisted" his knee, and told him no sports until he was cleared by the orthopedic surgeon.

Championnats de l'Aisne

 The boys swam in the departmental championships this weekend at Château-Thierry. 

Notable "first" this time - both boys were in the same series, next to each other, for the 50-meter backstroke. 

On the first day, Noah came in 3rd in 200-meter medley and qualified for regionals in 100-meter breaststroke and 50-meter backstroke. Benjamin qualified for regionals in 50-meter backstroke.

On the second day, Benjamin finished 3rd in 100-meter backstroke in his category, 2nd in 200-meter backstroke in his category and 3rd all ages, and qualified for regionals in both.

Noah came in 3rd in 100-meter backstroke in his category and qualified for regionals in 100-meter backstroke, 50-meter breaststroke, and 50-meter freestyle.

 

Benjamin diving

Benjamin in discussion with the coach

Noah, 3rd in 200-meter medley

Benjamin, backstroke

Noah,3rd in 100-meter backstroke

Benjamin, 3rd in 100-meter backstroke

Noah

Benjamin, 2nd in 200-meter backstroke

 

 Unfortunately, Benjamin was sick and couldn't attend, but Noah had a great swim meet today. He finished 3rd in 50-meter breaststroke, 50-meter backstroke, and 400-meter freestyle, and improved his 400-meter freestyle time by 45 seconds!

 

 

PSAT at Aix-en-Provence

Figuring out how and where to take the PSAT in France can be a challenge, particularly when all the snotty private schools in Paris refuse to allow "external" students to take it at their school. 

Fortunately, a lovely private school near Aix en Provence allowed Benjamin to register to take it there, so Benjamin and I hopped on a train and spent the weekend in the south of France.

IBS of Provence, in Bouc-Bel-Air, near Aix-en-Provence

While Benjamin took his test, I strolled around the center of Aix-en-Provence.

I didn't let the anti-vax protesters on the other side of the fountain spoil my view.

When Benjamin finished his test, we had lunch and then visited local aqueducts.

And a local nature area.