Au Cirque!

Ah les vacance! Finally a break from school so it's time to relax for a while. WRONG! Just because the kids don't have school, doesn't mean the parents don't have work. This sounds like a job for....you guessed it, the nanny. This entire week, I had the kiddos from 8:30 AM to 8:30 PM all this week! Not only that, but to keep all of us from going stir crazy, Gilles enrolled the kids in a week long circus camp. FUN!! Except, with no car, I have to walk them there and back, twice a day. My schedule you ask? Coming right up:

9:30- Walk a mile to cirque
10:00- Jog a mile back
10:15-11:45-Take a nap
11:45: Jog a mile to cirque
12:00: Walk a mile back home
12:00-1:45: Prepare and eat lunch
1:45: Walk back to cirque
2:00: Jog back home
2:15-3:45: Take another nap
3:45: Jog a mile to cirque
4:00: Walk a mile back
4:00-8:30: chill with the kids

SO, after making that trip 8 times a day (8 TIMES) I walked a total of 6.3 miles every day. Times that by 5 days a week that means I walked that route a total of 40 times. Needless to say, I AM SO TIRED!

Not only that, but I was a cool Au Paire, and thanks to Pinterest, I went out and bought some arts and crafts to keep the kids busy in the evenings. We painted boxes, suncatchers and little canvases. Also, they got some new glittery gels and some gel pins to do n'importe quoi avec. (Whatever they want with). I felt pretty awesome.

Now, tomorrow we part for an entire week of skiing! Aye aye aye aye aye....I am so freaked. I can't say that I enjoy skiing that much. I am so grateful to my lovely boyfriend for teaching me how to ski last year (otherwise I would probably be refusing to go right now) but I have to admit that skiing and I don't get a long. I don't like how fast the skis can get going and I haven't quite figured out how to stop. And it seems like this family are pretty good skiers, I hope I don't hold them back. But I am kind of eager to go for the experience. If nothing else, there will be hot chocolate and crepes!

As always, here are some pictures! Bon vacance!!


 
 
 
 
 

Let's Talk About Lice

Yes, the title is as bad as it sounds.

Steer clear everyone, quarantine the building, there has been a lice outbreak! (EW!) and what do we do?? Oh yeah, lets call the Au Pair, she will take care of it! Today I came over to find a bottle of Anti-Lice shampoo and a fine toothed comb and a note to make sure to wash the kids hair with it during their shower, then to go over their hair with the comb to make sure all the lice died and went down the drain. Oh and don't forget to wash my own hair too!!

Now I'm normally itchy on my scalp. A little TMI for you, I have very dry skin so yeah, it flakes. Now I'm worried that I'm also itching because of...gulp...THEM..

So it begins:

                                                           

Now, I'm just wondering if this is a good enough excuse to stay home from school.....

I Lucked Out

I go to a school with other Au Pairs. So naturally, we like to get together afterwards and "discuss" (complain) about the drags of being an Au Pair.

"My boy calls me names"

"My girl thinks she can get away with everything"

"The mom makes me clean up after the whole family"

Sure, I can vent about how Jonas doesn't like to wear his slippers around the house, or how Lucile is always leaving her books everywhere, but that's just normal kid stuff. In reality, I don't have much to complain about.

After having two friends that terminated their contracts with their family early due to disputes and it overall not working out, I was able to look at my job from a new perspective.

I found my family online. If that doesn't already make you weary, then the fact that I didn't even talk to the mother and communicated only with the father might. We skyped twice and during those calls I only said hi to the children, and that was all. The dad and I emailed extensively and he was kind enough to answer all my questions, but really, I was already hired when he contacted me the first time, the rest was working out the details. Naturally, this made my mom a little nervous...ok a lot. But, I was never worried. Maybe I should have been, after all I was about to go live with a family I had never met, but I felt calm about it.

What did I know about these people? Nothing. The mom was named Mariette, the dad was named Gilles. They had two kids, Lucile and Jonas. The parents know English, but rarely speak it and the kids don't speak it at all. They live in Lyon, France. Of course, through email I learned more and more about them, don't think I just jumped on a plane without a second thought, but it's still not the same as meeting them in person, you know?

This could have been a disaster. I could have arrived and realized that they were nudists (yes, I did find a family looking for an Au Pair who were a nudist family...my guess is that they are still looking for one), or that the kids were a total nightmare. They could have forced me into slave labor or not treated me right. I was taking a huge chance here.

But thank heavens that is not how it turned out. In fact I couldn't have imagined it turning out better than this. I really lucked out. I got a WONDERFUL family and I am so grateful.

They provided me with my own apartment and furnished it too. I have dishes, blankets, cleaning supplies, toilet paper and towels. When my bathroom flooded, they came over every day to change out the towels until they had someone to come fix it. When my lights when out they changed the bulbs.

They have so graciously included me in everything they do from visiting their grandparents house for the weekend, going out with friends and even taking me to a relaxing spa day, their treat. They even planned a trip to Paris for me so I spend a weekend in that wonderful city.

Anything I need from the store I just have to add to the grocery list. Whether it be a baguette or shampoo. They make sure I have enough money for lunch after school, and that my Metro pass and my phone bill is paid every month.

As for household chores, I'm expected to pull my weight. I don't feel like I do anymore work that I would if I were another teenage girl living at home. I empty the dishwasher, do the laundry, wash dishes and occasionally vacuum the floor. They never make me scrub the place from head to toe nor do they expect me to clean up after the children. As Mariette told me once: "Au Pair is not cheap labor."

They are always extremely nice and kind. Whenever I go out of my way to do something extra they always thank me for it.

And they take time to get to know me. They are always asking how my family is, how Connor is and even how are my friends from school and church. They ask about my hobbies and interests and make me feel a part of the family. I tell them about my day at dinner and I get teased when it's no surprise I choose the chocolate moose for dessert (they don't even ask me what I want any more) or when Gilles has to pull all of the long blonde hair out of the vacuum brush.

They help me with my French and are willing to learn some English. They are patient when I try to tell stories and I don't exactly know how to say it in French. The kids laugh at me when I can't pronounce "cuillère" or "accueil."

When I have friends come to stay with me they are very accommodating and welcome them into their home. And Gilles helped me plan out my next trip to Paris in April. Mariette and I talk fashion and go on shopping trips, Gilles and I watch "How I Met Your Mother" after the kids go to bed. Sometimes on the weekend we play Wii or board games.

So when me and the others get together over coffee (or hot chocolate) it's nice to let off steam about how sometimes our kids drive us crazy, but really I am very lucky. Some of these girls and quitting because their experience is so bad. But not mine, I can't believe how awesome my family is. 
 
 
 
 
 

My life in a List

Making : A bucket list (or adding to it anyway)

Cooking : Nothing, I can't cook to save my life
Drinking : Water with lemon syrup
Reading: A Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Wanting: A familiar hug
Looking: For some black combat boots, as mine are falling apart

Wasting: Time wandering around the city

Listening: Riptide by Vance Joy

Wishing: I had a friend here to share France with

Enjoying: Having my own apartment

Waiting: For my soldier to call me

Liking: The authentic Mexican restaurant I found, it's not Chipolte, but It'll do

Wondering: Why my downstairs neighbor is yelling so loud...There's not a match tonight, is there?
Loving: Living my dream
Marveling: At the fact I live in FRANCE
Needing: to do my laundry/clean my room/do dishes
Wearing: Connor's dog tags
Noticing: The differences between us Americans and the French

Bookmarking: 100 indoor activities to do with kids
Giggling: When I say something wrong in French
Feeling: Grown up, independent and yet still young

(Quick thanks to the Lovely Harmony who let me steal this from her blog. Click HERE to read her list.)

New Years 2013

I had a blast this New Years, not only did I spend it in France, but I spent it with a fellow American which was AWESOME :) It was so nice to have someone around who finally understood what I am going through and experiencing. Most of our conversations started with "Have you noticed how....?"

My Chere amie, Didi, was scheduled to arrive on Monday. I got home from Christmas at the grandparents Sunday night and was not feeling well at all. I think after two kinds of snails and some meat that was probably still breathing as I ate it, my stomach had enough. I started throwing up Sunday night. By 3AM I finally called Didi and advised her to change her ticket date if possible because I was SICK! Just my luck!! I finally got some sleep and wouldn't you know it, by the morning I felt fine! But, Didi had already changed her ticket so she arrived the next day. It was all just as well, gave me some time to recoup.

We had a blast. We spent the first day playing scavenger hunt with my ward and then we went home and got ready for the Masquerade ball. I tell you what, us Mormons know how to throw a party! Some of the music they played here would not have been allowed at a typical LDS dance, but I wasn't going to complain (I'm a sucker for a good bleeped out Thrift Shop song). Man did we get down!! Since the metro stops at 12:15 in the morning and don't start again until 5:00 am, everyone partied until 5AM!!! Including us. There were people there from all over! about 120 people total. It was so fun to meet new people and get to practice my French. Around 3am I started a conversation with two lovely gentleman and one taught me how to correctly cooked potatoes (all in French too!!). We talked about all sorts of stuff, comparing the US to the Congo and France.

The next day I tried to sleep in but no go :P we were up and out by 1pm and touring around Lyon with some other people from down south who haven't been to Lyon before. It was fun to go to all the tourist monuments again and this time I had company.

The day after that Didi and I went on a shopping spree at the mall. I indulged myself with a new sweater, cardigan, tights, black pants, earrings and tights. All necessary, of course ;)  We had a good time and even got hit on some Abainians who I swear their only ambition in life is to hit on people at the mall.

Then we went out on a hunt to find a french thrift shop which was pretty much a bust, we only found one and I made it out with a new sweater too so I guess it worked out.

We also stayed up late one night watching old Mary-Kate and Ashley movies on YouTube. "Getting There" and "Passport to Paris" (Of course). SO CHEESEY!!! I can't believe I once idolized these girls lol their acting was actually pretty terrible. But I was young, so I'll let it go.

We also went out with Mariette and Gilles one night to a Lyonnais resto, I got to try some strictly Lyonnais cuisine...Cow Stomach and blended pork intestines...Yum. It was so nasty I couldn't swallow. Everyone got a kick out of my face. Lets just say, it tasted how a zoo would smell. Imagine my pain.

Didi and I also went to a Cinema Museum that had actual props from old movies. Pretty much all of them were American made films but way to Scy-Fy for me to recognize. I knew a few, however, like props from X-files and even Daniel Radcliffe's Wand from Harry Potter!!! Surprisingly there was only one prop from Star Wars. With all the aliens there, I expected there to be more.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

It was a fun New Years, busy though, I haven't had time yet to make my New Years Resolutions. I will for sure though when I get around to it.

Abby

French vs. American Christmas

At my high school teacher's request, I have thought about it and put together a little compare and contrast of what I think some of the biggest similarities and differences are between an American Christmas and a French Christmas in the way of traditions.

I made this list based on the traditions my American family normally observes, and the traditions I took part in with my French family, although I tried to throw in some that "tout le monde" (aka, everyone else besides these families) probably observe as well. Obviously the traditions I am used to are not going to be the traditions that everyone else does, and same on the French side. The ones I took part or didn't take part in this year doesn't mean that it's the same for every family in France. Just throwing that out there.

So, I came up with a list. We will start with the differences first.

America = Green
France = Red

1. Stockings are hung over the chimney with care.

No stockings were hung at all. Granted, the family doesn't have a chimney, but I didn't see any stocking of   any sort. Instead I was told that one would put slippers under the tree and Pere Noel puts little toys inside of there.

2. Traditional Christmas food item: For Americans it's Egg nog, n'est pas? 
This is strictly Lyonnais (like Utahn or Idahoan) but everyone here, and I mean EVERYONE eats Papillots. They are wrapped chocolates of n'importe quoi (assorted chocolates). Nothing particularly special about them (except that they are yummy and addicitng) but since they were created here, everyone eats them. At parties, in homes, at school. Just my family went through six packages. If you think about it, that's a package and a a fifth per person. I count this as a difference because these chocolates don't exist anywhere else, therefore it's not a tradition in the States. 

3. The biggest meal is Christmas Day, and it's HUGE. Typically, turkey, potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, rolls, greenbean casserole, what have you. Dessert is usually some kind of pie.You eat until you have to loosen your belt, and then you eat some more. The host spends all day in the kitchen making sure everything is perfect and there are a lot of helping hand if they are lucky.
Here, the biggest meal is Christmas Eve. And by biggest, they mean longest. It wasn't big at all. It was very small, but it dragged on and on and on. We started with an aperitif (appetizer of sorts): Wine (or fruit juice for the non-drinkers), peanuts (always there's peanuts), Foie Gras; pretty much geese  puree...HUGE tradition here in France, I was offered it more than once. I tried to eat it as many times as I could but eventually I just had to start say no. And then there were snails. I ate two kinds of snails. Sea snails: They are raw, rubbery and have the taste of all the nasty smells of the ocean. And the I had Escargot. They were cooked in a lot of basil and garlic thank goodness, and I managed to eat three (the kids had 11 each!!) and they were ok, as long as I didn't think about what it actually was in my mouth, I was ok. But, I think I will skip out on the next  round. THEN, we went to the dining room and ate.....a slice of steak and green beans. THEN, we had a  salad THEN, followed by the famous French cheese. THEN, we had dessert which is another tradition, a buche or basically a cake that looks like a Swiss Roll. They come in all kind of flavors, but luckily for me, mine was chocolate. THEN, as if cake wasn't enough we had a cafe afterwards. The whole thing lasted just about four hours. ZZZZZ

4. Santa is a big thing. Christmas Eve the children are buzzing with excitement waiting for Santa to come. Me and my family we check NORAD often to see where he is in the world. Pretty much without a fuss, the children go to bed early, or if they have cool parents, set up  a fort downstairs on the couch with full view of the chimney in hopes that they might catch a glimpse of Old Saint Nick. 
Pere Noel exists. You talk about him, you hear about in in songs, there's a whole history, but when it  comes to the night before it was almost as if he was all but forgotten. He isn't the one that brings huge or expensive toys or fills your stocking with a bunch of candy. I didn't feel the excitement, the pure infantile joy of the magic of Santa. While that is good in some ways, as not to distract from the true meaning of  Christmas, it was kinda sad. 

5. Presents are opened Christmas morning. The children sit on top of the stairs and wait until their sleepy parents get up and grab their cameras. Then they rush downstairs to see what present Santa has brought. Then one by one presents are passed out from under the tree and opened. Generally, we tend to receive a TON of presents. 
Christmas presents are opened Christmas Eve after dinner. They are not under any tree, they are placed on a table (the grandparents didn't even have a tree where I was at). Everyone sits down and one person passes out all the presents to each person. Each person got about two or three presents. Almost as if there was a silent "GO" everyone opens their presents at once. I was too busy opening mine, I didn't get a chance to see what everyone else got. 

6. In my family it is tradition for the first born son to read "T'was the Night Before Christmas." at 19, I probably have it memorized. 
This wasn't read here. Maybe because it doesn't exist here or it's just a tradition not observed in my family or what but there it is. 

7. Decorating the tree is a family matter. Every one is there, everyone participates. Each ornament has a special meaning as it has been collected over the years. Each kid receives a new ornament each year that describes their current interest or like. I know this isn't the same in every family: I've seen picture perfect trees in windows with matching ornaments and lights, and I've seen trees like mine with an Elmo ornament from when I was three, Champagne glasses with the year my parents were married written on it, and my dad's model train ornaments. But, I grew up with that being a huge tradition.
The mom decorated their three foot tree by herself. The ornaments were cute and probably homemade but didn't look very personal. I was actually pretty dissapointed that I missed out on that tradition because it's probably the one I look forward to the most. There isn't anything like pulling out my gingerbread choo-choo train and picking a place where I can always see it. 

8. Christmas Eve is reserved for Jesus. As a religious family, we spend Christmas Eve reading the birth of Christ out of the bible and just being a family. It's reverent and full of the spirit. 
Jesus wasn't mentioned once. And I know it's because my French family isn't religious at all so that would make sense, but I missed it. 

9. Christmas PJ's. Every Christmas Eve we get to open our Christmas PJ's (As I type this, I am wearing my Nightmare Before Christmas PJ's from last year). My family likes to play Boolah Boolah with them and hide the PJ's somewhere in the living room and chant quietly and then loudly until the person finds them. 
No PJ's. 

Ok, I think that is long enough. I could go on but I'm afraid you guys will stop reading. This has already begun to be a long post. Sorry about that.

Alors, similarities:

• Christmas is about family. I spent it in a small village with the ones who are closest to the family. It was quiet and small and calm and not commercialized at all. Very down to Earth I think
• There was plenty of "Joyeusx Noel" and "Joyeuse Fetes" to go around
• All the children has a Christmas recital of some sort. I went to a choir recital of Lucile's in which they sang Christmas songs and it was adorable
• The malls are crowed as heck during the holiday season
• Starbucks has their holiday drinks
• Santa/Pere Noel
• Work parties
• Christmas decorations. I saw a lot of lights on apartments and houses
• Travelling to family members houses or more commonly to the grandparents house
• Nativity scenes 
• Catholic Mass

That's all I can think of...Again this is just what I have observed. Mais en effet, these are just thing's that I have observed. It's not going to be the same if you were to talk to the other person to write a blog about this.

Kind of cool to read about though, non? 

Et toi? What are some of your traditions?