Alexis in Auvergne...back on Friday

 Day out learning about the region's volcanos 

We are all missing Alexis here and can't wait to have him back home on Friday after twelve days away (longest time away ever). 
Luckily we've been kept up to date via dear Mr B's emails and photos, which have helped a lot.  They've done so many things and visited so many places, I think the children will need this up coming long Easter weekend to recuperate before going back to school next Tuesday.
One of the activities Alexis was really looking forward to do was climbing.

I can't remember if Mr B told us that this wall was seven meters high on ten.  Alexis(in orange) is holding the rope and I think it's Jeremy (best friend) who's climbing.


Monday night, Nicolas, a storyteller came and presented three tales from the region
Peti - Peta, L'histoire du curé and le champ du diable....can't wait to hear about them from Alexis

Here's Nicolas, kind of cute for a storyteller

And of course, they been leaning a lot about volcanos, visiting them (don't worry mum, they are extinct)

What an amazing school camp, lucky children, great guides and amazing teachers, I think Alexis is going to come back with such wonderful memories and an  obsession for volcanoes which he was already keen on before he left.




Roll on Friday.... and getting ready mentally to say goodbye to Charlotte who's leaving for ten days to Spain and then Gabrielle at the end of April, who's off to Germany with her class for four days, now that's more reasonable.
I bet that the girls will never get round to sending any postcards, unlike Alexis who has send four letters/postcards so far, making Mamie and Papy, Grannie and and Alain and I very happy (guess who will be getting a very big Easter egg this Sunday?) 

Le Canard Enchainé...What Marie Kate always reads

I was lucky to have my camera at hand to get this shot of MK reading the  *Canard Enchaîné the other day
Her favourite column  that she always reads, is Le Journal de Carla B (Carla Bruni). You know when she's reading it because of her constant giggling.
She also loves to watch Le Petit Journal presented by Yann Bathès and as we are in the midst of the French presidential elections here, she has been watching Yann interview the different candidates. Last night it was François Hollande's turn to be grilled, tortured and teased by Yann and by gosh he's excellent and what he does (Yann I mean).  Anyhow, Marie-Kate asked last night if by the time she's grown up, would it be possible for Nicolas Sarkozy to still run for president, because if it was, she'd vote "tout sauf Sarkozy". 
This morning while eating breakfast and listening to the radio, she moaned on about the presidential campaign being useless because she hadn't heard any ideas just  polemics, her final words were "c'est nul".


She certainly is forming her own political ideas early, it's a shame that Mr Mélenchon (left front) refuses to go on the Petit Journal, because I think Marie-Kate would really have liked to see this candidate....  by the way she wasn't in least enamoured by Mr Hollande's  performance last night. 




*French weekly satirical newspaper that features investigative journalism  and leaks from sources in the French government and French politics and business a long with some jokes and cartoons

21 km trail still in the Vexin

Sunday morning, Alain and I ran for 21 kilometers for the first time ever and it was amazing.

We left in the quite early, and boy it was colder than the week before (3°c), Alain laughed because I chose to wear shorts, but after the first couple of kilometers I was glad I did.

Oh and those socks, Alain has some too, really helped me during the effort.

 We ran through some lovely countryside and some pretty villages in the Vexin, first La Chartre a small hamlet, then after a little hard uphill running, we got  to go down the GR2 (I love descends) which takes us through a forest.  Still on the GR2, we cut across Oinville (really pretty village) and then up again, but worth the effort, as we had amazing views of The Seine Valley, then onto Seraincourt, another typical Vexin village, oh so pretty. After Seraincourt we had a couple of kilometers that was tough on my legs (even with my socks!) but overcame that mentally and reached the highest plateau realizing I'd left Alain behind. I waited and admired the view and noticed we'd almost reached Gaillon sur Montcient, because of the golf course below, there were hoards of golfers. Alain told me later that a lot of them come from Paris to play here, and I can understand why.  

The last leg of the run was fantastic, because we knew we'd done it, yes us, who three or four months ago couldn't run more than three or four kilometers without nearly dying.  

We even managed a sprint at the end.  

Our goal was to finish between 2h18 and by the latest 2h30 but we managed it in 2h10.

One day later, I feel it a little still in my legs, but can't wait to go for a run tomorrow, and as for Alain, he cycled to the train station this morning, it's all down hill, but tonight he's going to suffer coming back up I think

April fools day, poisson d'avril

Mr B, Alexis' teacher has got a good sense of humor and can you believe that we fell for one of his tall stories yesterday, on April Fools Day.  He send us all (parents) an update titled "Bonne Nouvelle" about what they have been up to and he said that the class and been up in an hot air ballon. When Alain read out the mail, I though, that was a little dangerous, excited ten year olds crowded into a hot air ballon...but as the letter was sent after the supposed flight, I just felt relieved that obviously all had gone well.

It wasn't until Alain scrolled down through his mails and found another email from Mr B titled "Nouvelles" that he (and then I) realized he had played an April fools joke on us and we were duped. I wonder if any other parents fell for it too... 

Alexis' letter from Auvergne

This letter may our day on Saturday.  Alexis is having a great time in the Auvergne and this letter shall be kept safely forever my me.
If you can't read French though, Alexis does mention the fact that the tomato soup wasn't good... now that's the fussy Alexis we know and love.

Alexis' class in Auvergne .....What French children get to eat when on school camp

Ok all is not great when it comes to eldest son at the moment, but will get through it.  What is great though, is to receive a mail from Alexis' teacher telling us all what they have been doing, and eating....There were even some photos and this one is of Alexis.
On the subject of eating, Alexis is a fussy eater, he doesn't like onions, can you imagine that? He's not fond of vegetables (courgette, aubergine ....) but loves salad.  I was a little worried about him going on this school camp, for the sole reason being, would he eat properly, even onions if he had too.  It seems that I didn't need to worry, because this is what they have  eaten so far

Ce midi : c’était salade de tomates et mozzarella , poulet riz safrané et éclair au chocolat

Lunch     tomato and mozzarella salad, chicken and saffron rice and for dessert a chocolate eclair .....Alexis is in food heaven with food like this

Ce soir, nous avons mangé une macédoine de légumes mayonnaise , une délicieuse pizza avec  sa salade verte et en dessert un cône vanille chocolat.  

Evening meal   mixed vegetables with mayonnaise, a delicious pizza with green salad and a vanilla and chocolate ice-cream cone

And last night

Salade composée avec du thon , pâtes à la bolognaise, œuf à la neige 
mixed salad with tuna, pasta bolognese and for dessert île flottante (floating island).....still in heaven


It's 9 am here and I'm  hungry after typing their menus out, I wish I were ten years old again and could eat what they have...yummy.  

Banned from Facebook

 Today as a last resort,  I have blocked access to Facebook on Oliver's computer, in fact, I've blocked him from quite a few sites and he has limited internet and limited computer time.  He can only use his computer between 6 and 7 in the morning and 17h and 19h in the evening (week days) On Saturday he has a little more time and Sunday just a couple of hours early on.  Why would a mum be so cruel?  Well for the simple reason being that Oliver just doesn't work, can't be bothered.  He's in terminale S, last year of high school, like 2nd and last year of sixth form and he doesn't work.  Why?  Because he has decided to put all his eggs in one basket and sit a couple of competitive entrance exams for some (expensive) business schools here in France, ones that don't look at your school reports and just base their choice on how well you do in the written and oral exams.  To be honest I'm furious with him and his attitude towards working hard and I just can't get through to him, and boy we have been trying for years.

He got a warning this term for lack of work, that's an understatement!  He thinks it's unfair, because he is above the average in terms of grades ( a tiny bit) and that's thanks to his English marks.  
Anyhow, we are feeling kind of lost in a thick blanket of fog, never imagining this outcome, he doesn't care, he just wants someone to pay the fees for one of these schools that he'll get into, because that's something he really wants and so what if it's costs someone a hell of a lot of money. Spoilt brat attitude.


Oh yes, there's one term left, Oliver says there's no point in working now, because no-one counts the final school report, unbelievable, I'm just lost for words.
I'm now awaiting Charlotte's teachers remarks on her report, please let this one be more positive, can't possibly be worse.....