We're into the phase of our stay where this really feels less like an adventure and more like home. We have not done anything special this week, but it has been wonderful nonetheless.
On Monday, I showed Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have A Dream" speech all day and talked about his work for justice. There were kids who could not have cared less, but most of them were really interested. They asked good questions and actually listened to what I had to say. Those moments are rare so I have learned to savor them.
On Tuesday Jed lost his seventh tooth at school. It was a molar with a silver cap on it so it seemed like even more of a treasure. The Tooth Fairly had trouble finding us in France, though, so she came on Wednesday morning after we were already awake.
Later on Wednesday, Jed and I walked into town to pick up a package from the Qatawis. It contained packets of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix, taco seasoning, chili seasoning, candy, chewing gum, a Scooby puzzle, some Scooby magazines, and a Redbook. I cried as we opened it on the steps of the post office. We have such nice friends!
We finished out our favorite day by having lunch with Dominique and Néo (stuffed cabbage leaves for the adults) and going to fencing practice. I took a walk while Jed sparred and ended up buying a winter coat. I think that I am now going to avoid the shops until the sales are over!
On Thursday, our friend, Bénédicte, called to say that the sports coach would let Jed join his after-school group now that Jed speaks more French. He will be with Mattéo and Kylian so he should have fun. They do a different sport every three months. The one that they are doing now is hand ball. I can't wait!
My Friday mornings are another moment of calm in my busy single-mom life. I usually do something fun like laundry and grading. I was in the middle of both when the census man came a-callin' today. We had a lovely chat for about thirty minutes during which I learned that he likes his job because he gets to relieve the loneliness of the older people on his schedule. Sweet!
I picked Jed up from school at 5:00, and we walked to the bakery to buy a baguette and a cookie. The baker had sold out of Jed's favorite chocolate chip cookies so she struck up a conversation with me about how the best cookies are from the U.S. She told me that if I bring her a recipe for a good cookie, she'll make it and sell it one day in the bakery! How cool would THAT be?
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