A House Elf

Though he is a muggle raised by muggles, Bennett has been a very helpful house elf today.  Once we put on his cozy elf outfit, he was ready to tackle a little of holiday to-dos.  I'll let him show you how he got jolly...

Though it may look like I'm sleeping on the job, my mom loves when I'm snoozing through check-out at the grocery store.  We picked up lots of dairy products and 10 pounds of flour for my dad's baking projects.  We got the good stuff~ King Arthur APF.

I helped seal and stamp dozens of envelops so that the Ham fam could spread some holiday cheer snail-mail style.  I picked up an admirer at the post office who nearly followed us to the car~ quite alarming for my mother, but I just smiled.

Playtime!

I held glitter sticks and helped my mom with some top secret craft projects.  My hat is the coolest.

So much wrapping paper~ I thought I'd end up in a box under the tree (and I'm sure I have some grandmothers who would love to have me as a Christmas gift). 

I'm allowed to hold this present because it is a gift box with no wrapping paper.  My gift holding privileges were revoked the moment I started to gnaw on the corners (sorry Aunt Foo~ hopefully it won't be soggy when I give it to you).

I played with a felt snowflake.  It'll have to do until real snow comes, and I can play in it.

We enjoyed some pictures from a classic festive book.  I'm not literate nor do I speak English so I'm still a little fuzzy about this story's plot...

Since I haven't mastered any spoken language, I may as well learn how to wish you merry Christmas en français!

Alright, a year ago if you had told me I'd be transcribing blog posts for my 16 week old tot, I think I would have gagged a little.  Maybe when he stops being so cute, I'll get back to not doing so many cutesie entries.  It's bad enough that I derive so much pleasure from dressing him up, but one day he may grow up and learn that I propped and photographed him doing silly things.  He may not appreciate it as much as others... Until I grow in the self-control department, forgive my goofy Christmas baby entries.

Knick Knacks

Knick Knack Paddy-Whack~ We had a baby shower that was sort of a one last hoorah with friends before the baby arrives (and while I'm still able to sort of maneuver through a large group of folks).  Since we have most of the essentials covered thanks to our first baby shower with Hamilton friends in North Carolina, we thought it'd be nice to beef up baby's library.  After all, no Hamiltot of ours can live in our home and not be a lover of books.  Our friends chose some lovely stories they cherished from childhood and inscribed the covers for our little one.  I'm so excited that our friends and family will have had a part in expanding our boy's imagination. 

Aunt Foo selected The Velveteen Rabbit with original illustrations and even whipped up a velveteen friend for baby.  How sweet!

Knick Knacks and Thingamabobs~ Remember Kyle's Christmas stocking?  Well, it's been sitting for months in my sewing bag waiting for its finishing touches~ the bobbles.  I had been meaning to shop for odds and ends to sew onto it for ages but only got around to it when Kyle and I went to Babies'R'Us located conveniently next to a Michael's.  Behold my handy work...

Cutie collars and beaded reins for each tiny little reindeer

Not the fanciest, but Santa now has a bundle of candy canes thrown over his shoulder with a lovely ribbon.  This was the task I dreaded most and probably could have done better if I had been more strategic.  So long as Kyle approves, I suppose it'll do.

Trinkets for Pere Noel's staff

A classy button for his skate

Hard to see but there are beads in the center of the swirls

The final product~ next time you see this jolly old fella, he ought to be transformed into a sock sack.  I'm leaving him in the capable hands of Miss Foo (see velveteen rabbit above for her seamstress skills).

Knick Knack Knock Knees~  Or what I think are knees... This baby is super busy, and he's keeping me at the doctor a lot these days.  We visited 3 doctors this week.  We went to the dentist because pregnant women are at a higher risk of having dental problems (I have experienced a good bit of bleeding each time I brush).  We learned that I should make sure to get enough fluoride, and if I get infections in my gums it can lead to pre-mature labor and a low birth weight for baby.  Next we visited a pediatrician just up the street.  We met a very kind doctor who gave us great information about the services they offer.  He sounds smart because he has a sweet South African accent (being South African and all).  The only down side was that the front office staff were a bunch of sour pickles~ they need to get a little joy working around all the children.  On a brief side note, I've worked in both daycare and the front office for a healthcare center.  Both those jobs can be pretty taxing so maybe I can be strategic about praying for these ladies and learning about where they are coming from (I might also mention that I was inspired by this blog post by Pat Harley).  Finally, today baby and I ventured to the OB.  All is looking good & like a good little man, he has been head down for 4 weeks already.  He and I are on the same page so far about his exit strategy.  I need to practice my birthing skills though before the big day...

32 weeks and still squeezing into my jeans (but just barely).

My mom sometimes talks about "LRBs" or "little round bellies".  I think we have surpassed the little part, but I'm not sure a "BRB" or a "big round belly" would work....

Speaking of knocking knees, I am in love with Fred Astaire and delight in most of his movies.  There's a cute number (which features neither him nor Ginger Rogers) in the Gay Divorcee I'd like to share with you.  Seems like the casting office wouldn't hire any female dancers who weren't blond.  Brunettes need not apply...

A Veritable Book Nook

Today was a very languid day.  Between sunny and overcast moments, I succumbed to staying indoors all day with a good book.  Aren't these some of the most marvelous days of all?  It was a favorite pastime of mine in France especially with those books that are hard to put down.  In the states, though, I feel the burden of being busy and productive.  I rarely yield to the desire to cozy up with a good read unless it is bedtime or a Sunday afternoon.  Today I made an exception and will likely be rushed to finish some weighing tasks in the days to come, but let me tell you, it was worth it.

I just finished reading Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Prophet, Martyr, Spy by Eric Metaxas.  It was so, so wonderful (and if you want to know what I really thought about it, you can pop over to facebook and read my book review).  On a reading day like today, I was reminded of summer days and Saturday morning my sisters and I shared growing up.  It makes me miss the good old days, but I know sisters are big readers where they are.  So it's only distance that keeps it from being the same.  I also hope to instill a love for books in my son.  I daydream about Saturdays sans t.v. and each Hamilton letting their imagination run wild with books in hand.  Perhaps it's not the most ambitious dream, but I think it's a good one.  Anywho, I thought I'd leave you with a photo I found a couple of weeks ago while perusing childhood photos.  Here are the Heim girls in their element....

Stairs, pillows, dolls, pajamas, blankies, and books (at Christmas time, no less!)  We must have been a dream come true for our parents.

Book Report 2010

How I love books!  Let me count the ways!  Seriously, I love to look back at the last year at all the books I read.  If you're my friend on facebook, you can certainly read my reviews on each and every novel I took in this year (plus some).  For now I'm just going to count them down in order of my least favorite to favorite for funsies.  As if this entry weren't dorky enough, I've broken down my books into categories.

Children's Books

5.  The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket~Though the Lemony Snicket books are growing on me, this book was terribly depressing.  The reader hates to see the protagonists succumb to bad fortune over and over again.

4.  The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket~The second installment in this series was more upbeat, but it still managed to end in heartbreak.  I think these are excellent books for children dealing with loss or grieving a loved one.

3.  The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi~This book is a great adventure tale about a young girl on the high seas.  It was a bit suspenseful so probably better for bigger kids.

2.  Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll~Great imagination and full of non-sense.  It's just fun to read.

1.  The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis~I reread this in French for fun.  It's just the best story for children ever.

Plays and Short Stories

6.  Dom Juan by Moliere~This play was a drama about Dom Juan receiving judgment for his wrong doings.  I always look to Moliere for humor and complex romantic mix-ups. 

5.  After the Fall by Arthur Miller~Semi-autobiographical and probably better to see performed on stage, this play only left me wondering what happened to Marilyn Monroe to make her so troubled.

4.  Minority Report by Philip K Dick~Very different from the film featuring Tom Cruise, that's for sure.  I liked reading a bit of sci-fi for a change.

3.  Billy Budd by Herman Melville~Poor Billy Budd who is loved by all encounters misfortune while sailing on a ship.  Melville challenged me; he's got a difficult writing style.

2.  Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut~I love this short story.  Though it is an exaggeration of what a totalitarian government would do, it illustrates the intention to make equality of outcomes for every individual.

1.  L'Avare (or The Miser) by Moliere~Like I said before, my favorite Moliere is when he confuses romantic interests, and it creates humorous scenarios.  This play did that while making a caricature of a man who loves his money above all.  Kyle took me to see a stage performance of this play for our anniversary~very fun!

Non-Fiction Books

4.  Winning the Future by Newt Gingrich~A book on political position and strategy.  It was a gift from a friend who thought I'd like it.  I learned a few interesting things.

3.  Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck~This book is like an extended blog post from a roadtrip across America.  It wasn't as compelling as Steinbeck's fiction or even other blogs I've read, but a fun read.

2.  La France contemporaine~This is a text book (in French) about modern French culture put into context with brief accounts of history.  Even after living in France for a year, this book helped me learn a lot more about my European home.

1.  When Character Was King by Peggy Noonan~This is an excellent biography of Ronald Reagan.  It's not exhaustive but includes great stories about his childhood, family, career, and presidency.  I could have used a little bit more on Reagan versus the USSR, but I'm sure that can be found in other books.

Fiction Books

12. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold~Disturbing book; I question why it's so popular.  I also found it to be on high school reading lists from my hometown.  It was also listed as a favorite to many teachers.  I think Sebold could be a great writer, but the content in this book gross.  Don't read it ever.

11. On the Road by Jack Kerouac~Beatnik lifestyle and roadtrips across America.  To me it's a tale of wasted youth, irresponsibility, and debauchery.  I didn't even learn much about the post-WWII era in America or the beat movement.  I guess I'm starting to sound like a ninny, and as we approach #1 I'm sure you'll determine I'm old fashioned.

10. The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger~This was a beach read while on vacation.  It was a fairly stressful read and ultimately kind of pointless.  The movie is a bit better because they take some liberties with the plot.

9.  Beach Music by Pat Conroy~I know a bunch of folks who love Conroy and wanted to see what the hype was all about.  I think he's a good writer and knows how to tell multiple stories within one novel, but he includes a lot of violence and horror in this story.  That may not sound odd to you, but the plot focuses on a single dad raising his little girl in Rome, Italy.  They decide to return to his home in South Carolina for his family to meet his daughter for the first time.  In an effort to make the characters real, he just made me believe that he's a disturbed man.

8.  Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy~The title of this book is a bit deceptive.  Anna shares the role of principle character with Kostya Levin.  Anna carries on an adulterous romance and slowly ruins her life while Levin pursues a wholesome, healthy, and somewhat boring (I must admit) life with a farm, wife, and children.  It's a neat dichotomy, but for me the book was long and downright depressing.  I guess that's Russian lit for you.

7.  Island by Aldous Huxley~Island feels more like a dream than a real book.  A society of uncorrupted natives adhere to Buddhist principles to achieve enlightenment and happiness.  Meanwhile, the nation's young prince has become seduced by the modern world and want to introduce an advanced first-world lifestyle to his people.  It's a well written book, but I disagreed with the author's ideas on how to achieve utopia (actually~utopia can't be achieved....)

6.  Tara Road by Maeve Binchy~I've wanted to read a Maeve Binchy book since my big sister read Circle of Friends.  This one depicted everyday life for a woman born and raised in Dublin.  I wouldn't say it was excellent or bad; it simply tells about how she fell in love, got married, had a family, lost her marriage, and copes with life as a newly single woman.  I'm going to spoil it for you~she takes a trip to America and then opens her own business.  The end.

5.  Silas Marner by George Elliot~What an odd little story this is.  It feels more like folklore than anything.  An old man saves and hoards gold in his home, but by a serious of odd events, he is robbed.  In place of his highly beloved fortune, he finds a baby girl with golden hair in his home.  It's a really sweet story, and I look forward to reading more George Elliot.

4.  Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad~Somehow I skipped the mandatory reading of this one in high school.  I had learned a good bit about imperialism and colonization in Africa from history classes as well as a number of francophone novels.  This was supposed to depict the horror and heartless brutality of Europeans who left the civilized world and transformed themselves into violent occupiers.  Though these things appeared in the story, I was more surprised by how internal the telling of the story was.  It was more like stream of consciousness writing where the narrator included his thoughts continually with the progression of events.  It's a good and challenging read.

3.  My Antonia by Willa Cather~I love this book.  I don't want to give any of it away to you.  I had never heard of it before I found it on a bookshelf.  It's a great example of American literature.  You should read it!

2.  Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen~My girliness is coming out.  Jane Austen is one of my favorite writers. I prefer Sense and Sensibility over all her books, but Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy gave Marianne Dashwood and Colonel Brandon a run for their money.  It's the best love-hate relationship in literature, and if you're a lady who's never read an Austen book before~start with Pride and Prejudice.

1.  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte~This is one of my new favorite books.  Imagine a Harry Potter beginning where there is an orphaned girl being brought up by cruel relatives.  She is sent away to an orphanage where life is very difficult; there's always hunger and discipline and illness.  She grows up to become a tutor to a French girl in the home of Mr. Rochester, a manly older gentleman with a sordid past.  I will share no more with you about this book in the hopes that you will read it.  I feel like one of those children on Reading Rainbow who introduce a book to you, share a few illustrations, and then leave you hanging so that you'll be encouraged to beg your parents to take you to the library to read the last 8 pages.  Jane Eyre is excellent; of course, you don't have to take my word for it! *cue 80s theme music to change scenes*

One bonus category for you~ I did a couple of Bible studies this year.  Kyle and I did A Year with C.S. Lewis which had daily excerpts of his writing to think on.  I also did Invincible Love, Invisible War from the Amazing collection.  It is a great study for a small group with workbooks and DVDs.  It covers the many ways God wants to have a relationship with us while showing what we can learn by his character throughout the Bible.  It is a great survey of the Bible for someone who is new to reading it and desires to see the big picture.  It's also a great review and reminder of God's desires and promises for those who are more familiar with scripture.  I loved it.

There you have it.  No pictures, just a ridiculous amount of writing about what I read.  This seems like it could be a total snoozefest so I'll try to kick up the interest-factor as we carry on.  I do want to ask~ did you have a favorite book you read last year (or ever for that matter)?  What category of books do you prefer most?  I think it's obvious for me that I love fiction most.  Later bookworms!

Christmas in July!

Kyle and I loved sharing our first Christmas together last year.  We even kicked off the festivities early (as you can see here).  Part of the Heim-Milligan family tradition is enjoying monkey bread on Christmas morning (or as we call it, Christmas morning bread because it is seriously the only day of the year we eat it).  My mom sent us 2 packs of the essential Jell-O butterscotch pudding mix last fall, but the bread only calls for one pack.  We had been holding on to the other so that we could celebrate the holidays all over again in the summer like those crazy discount mattress stores or used car dealers back in the U.S.

We always forget to buy the nuts... by December I'll get this down.  By the by, those yeast rolls were homemade by one Mr. Hamilton on Saturday night.  He's too good to be true sometimes...

We didn't go all out~our little tree stayed in its box under our bed, and we didn't plan to give each other gifts.  It was mostly to enjoy a big breakfast before church and listen to Randy Travis' Christmas album all day.  Well, surprisingly our friends provided the gifts for us.  All of France basically goes on vacation for the months of July and August.  Since Kyle and I will only be around for a bit of September, a good number of our friends wished to say goodbye to us now (even though we'll be seeing them again before the big departure).  These lovely gifts were provided by Nyanza, JP, Su, Jack Mac, and Joanne from church.

They were heavy.  Here's why:

A book!  It's all about Americans in Meuse~are part of the Lorraine region.

More books!  From left to right~a Lorraine cookbook, a Metz calendar for 2011 with all our friends' birthdays marked in it, and book full of photographs of Metz.  We have the most thoughtful friends!

Kyle continued our Christmas in July with some tasty snacks.  We bought this kind of pastry dough that is good to fill with yummy fillings (mostly cheese oriented).

A French cheese filled pocket

Pastry filled with spinach, swiss cheese, and mushrooms

There you have it.  My lactose-intolerant little self is starting to feel ill at the memory of eating so much dairy yesterday afternoon... bleh.  It was totally worth it, though.  To top off a very stellar day, we rooted for Spain in the World Cup final and had our wishes fulfilled (though after a really really long game).  ¡Felicitaciones Espana! ¡Feliz Navidad!

Hope you are having a merry July where you are.  Later friends!

A day in the life...

... of a SUPER housewife.  Well now that I'm a full-time homemaker, I thought things would be dull.  I should have learned this lesson by now, but free time always fills too quickly.  In my day to day I try to set aside chore time, reading time, and social time (though this is not everyday).  Chores range from doing the dishes, making the bed, tidying up the dorm, and manage our grocery list and calendar.  I also kill bugs because we keep the windows open and have no screens.  Soon I hope to venture to the grocery store solo~typically Kyle and I go together because it's sort of a team effort, but it'd be nice to give him a break.

My reading time is the highlight of my day~I have 4 areas of reading.  I try to keep up with the news on a few different websites each day.  I have just started reading the Old Testament in chronological order and taking notes to what God illuminates during my studies.  I have a textbook called La France contemporaine; this is so I read in French and learn more about my current home.  Lastly is fun reading.  I have a whole bookshelf full of books that have been scavenged from the GTL communal library.  In the past month, I picked up 10 books... a bit ambitious, but I'm optimistic.

Social time has been the best.  I'm sort of a homebody, and I was seriously bad about spending time with our friends on school days.  In the past week, Kyle and I had Bible study (like always) on Monday night.  On a lovely sunny afternoon Lauren and I sat lakeside and knit.  We met a funny French fella who chatted us up for a while (or should I say, "il a drague un peu avec nous").  Lauren got a bad sunburn on her legs except on the parts where her project (a cute angora sweater) covered her fair skin.

On a brief tangent, I had once been an amateur knitter as a young girl.  My aunt Pam decided to take knitting classes at a local Michael's craft shop.  Somehow or other, I was volunteered to be her knitting partner.  It was quite fun because there were limitless resources in the store.  I never completed any project; I was very bad at following through on things I started without the proper motivation (i.e. my mom's reminders).  Anywho, my great aspiration to make a knit cover to a pillow was never achieved, but I did successfully decorate a wicker basket with fake sunflowers to hold all my knitting materials...

Back to modern times~this is what I achieve on our knitting and sitting outing:

The color seems a bit muted in this picture~it's more of a Kermit the frog green (or lime green if you are my old step-mom Lane.  I mean old because she no longer is my step-mom, not because of her age....).  I call it Squiggly Rectangle.  It's still on the needle because I'm out of yarn and don't know how to terminate the project.  Help me Lauren!

Lauren and I ended our delightful afternoon with some bitter lemon beverages and cartoons!  Then there was a cookout at GTL for all the undergrad students as a sort of Independence/Bastille day joint celebration.  The food was fantastic, but those undergrads are certainly unruly and rude.  It's a bad batch-o-kids.  I didn't socialize again until Friday.  Rocky invited us to a super secret surprise birthday party for his wife, Maria!  A big group of us were scheduled to meet at la Winstub (a Hamilton favorite).  It's an Alsacian restaurant, and the food is marvelous~I had scalloped veal in a muenster and mushroom cream sauce and a huge side of roasted (hashbrown-like) potatoes.  There was also some Kir & Riesling involved.  We had a lovely time with a huge group of friends.  

Kyle, me, Rocky, and the birthday girl!

You may say to yourself, "Self, this does not a whole week make."  You'd be correct in assuming that I didn't simply do chores, read, and hang out all week long.  I have found a new weakness.  Cartoons, cartoons, cartoons!  I spend a good amount of time on Cartoon Network's website watching episodes of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and clips of Adventure Time.  On top of that, Making Fiends on Nicktoons is a hit~I remember watching it when it was just an online thing.  Lauren also indulged my new obsession; she and Michael have Netflix.  In the online library is a whole host of old Nicktoons~we watched Aaahhh! Real Monsters and Ren & Stimpy last week.  I'll leave you with a clip from Adventure Time~it makes me so so happy.

First last day

Since I work at two school on different days of the week, today was my first last day of two.  It seems like the moments one wants to savor most vanish within the blink of an eye.  To say that my last day with some spectacular children went by too quickly would be an understatement.  I thought it fitting that today's theme should be American Independence Day since the little ones will be experiencing liberty from school in fewer than 24 hours.  They saw their first School House Rock video, experienced a live banjo performance (my sweet husband took a long lunch break to entertain the little ones), and learned that their fete nationale is not too different than ours.  I shamelessly provided paper and hearts for them to make notes about what they liked best about English.  These are most treasured items that I'll have to put in book form when we return to the US.  Kyle's mom, Susan, sent me tons of beautiful paper hearts for Valentine's day, but I was unable to use them at the time due to an unexpected and highly debilitating migraine.  Thankfully I found new life for them at the fin d'annee.

I also made brownies from scratch to share with my teachers.  They were all a bit too shy with them~I guess they are trying to stay lean for swimsuit season.  They surprised me with gifts!  It totally shocked me and was so sweet.  Behold my new treasures.

Never mind the juice, Bibles, and Speedo resting on juice~ the little flower candle holders are my new treasures.

Up close~fleur et bougie

As I mentioned recently, they think I'm a big book dork at work.  They gave me "A daily positive thought" so I could have something to read everyday to remember them.  It's a beautiful little book.

I also have SHOW & TELL from Tuesday that I have delayed posting...

Lukas from Marly drew me a profile view of a cute gal with bangs.  I have a weakness for anime kids~my little sister was one, and she ultimately went to a fantastic art school for college.  This is Lukas' first contribution to my collection despite me begging him for something for ages.  I love it.

Goodness, I wish it weren't over.  I'm going to miss the little ones so so much.  I counted it up; there are 157 children to miss.  Le sigh....

T-9 days to Summer

In just a little over a week, I'll be chanting no more pencils, no more books, no more teachers' dirty looks.  This little ditty has no better application than in France where the teachers scold their scholars more harshly than I've ever seen and where children spend the better part of 10 months in the classroom (minus Wednesdays for the elementary schoolers).  Summer has arrived~the sun is up before 6am and doesn't set to slumber until 10pm. It's time we were free to enjoy the bliss of this season.

What next?  That's the hot topic around these parts~where are you planning to go & what are you planning to do?  Right now... I have no clue.  It's a funny thing.  I was talking to my friend Sarah earlier today about how since I finished college, each year there has been some major transition in jobs and/or housing.  Anybody who looked at my resume would think I was a commitment phobe, but I seriously would love some career building, root planting, gainful employment.  How do I keep finding myself on the job market?

Being on the hunt for a job is very different now that I'm married, too.  Kyle is making the final lap earning his double masters degree in electrical engineering/optics.  He's Mr. Degree times 2!  Naturally, everyone (including me) looks to him to see what move the Hamiltons will be making next.  Don't get me wrong~I'm very proud of him, and I know hands down that his career opportunities are excellent.  I'd say it provokes two very strange reactions in me.  First, lazy Leah says, "Great, he'll find a job and I can stay home and do the dishes and grocery shopping.  I may even learn to whip up a few dishes.  I'll be the perfect femme au foyer, as the French say."  It may not sound lazy, but deep down I know I'll get sucked into Regis & Kelly the moment Kyle departs for his nine to five in the morning and lose many a productive hour for nothing.  On the flip side to this, I get this strange feminazi voice in my head that says, "I, too, can be an upwardly mobile contributor to society.  We are DINK material in the Hamilton household."  I definitely don't want to feel that I'm competing with my sweet husband to land a stellar job to impress other people.  There has got to be something in between.

Ultimately, the best solution would be for Kyle to find something he loves to do in a place that doesn't feel like Narnia under the rule of Jadis, and I can find a position to keep me occupied and bring home a little more bacon.  It's my pride that pops out and tells me that I have to have an equally impressive endeavor as my husband.  I think it stems a bit from this year where 9 times out of 10, folks love to gab with Kyle about his studies and research.  Then when asked what I do, people are less than impressed with a part-time English teacher at elementary schools.  The follow up question is always, "do you like it?"  To which I try to give as brief a response as possible before my audience has completely zoned out.  It was a tough pill to swallow, but people find teachers boring.  Kyle's current occupation is like rocky road ice cream in the world of conversation, and sadly, my job is vanilla.

But you know what Fred Astaire taught me?  Vanilla, vanella, chocolate, strawberry. Oh, let's call the whole thing off!  With that, I'm looking forward to a real summer.  A summer of reading, writing, exploring, traveling, jogging, and who knows what else.  And until the break begins, I'll happily enjoy my last few hours with my little messins et messines.  With that, shall we SHOW & TELL?  Yes please!  This weeks theme~geometrical images in color!

Pauline made me another doodle image with her colorful collection of pens.  It reminds me of a black light poster my high school boyfriend had.

Margot~a third grader~sketched me this little wonder.  It looks like a daisy, or une paquerette (in French!)

Auriana never disappoints.  She provided me with some slick snail shells and something that looks like a diamond treasure one would find in a Nintendo video game.

This last treasure is a bit different.  I have earned the reputation of being a bookworm among my students and colleagues.  One of the teachers at my school told me she had 2 books in English that she'd like to lend me for the summer so that I have plenty to read.  They say to never judge a book by its cover, but I could hardly resist with at least one of these... 

Can you see the 1980s personages dressed in period piece costumes or were you too distracted by the clouds on the cover of Plainsong?  I can just imagine my minifeed on facebook reading: Leah is currently reading "The Bastard" 

No thank you.

I think one of my rules of life will have to be to never read a book with cleavage on the cover UNLESS it is Gone With The Wind.  If there are other exceptions, please notify me.  Otherwise I'm only picking up things that look like Plainbook... I mean, Plainsong.

Happy Wednesday.  Hope all is well in your world and you are enjoying occupational bliss.  If you are looking for work, I feel for you.  If you are looking to hire a short girl with a BS, 3 years in the professional world, and international experience, I am completely, utterly, and totally at your disposal in October.  A bientot....

Departures/Arrivals

As the semester at GTL ended, many of the students have packed their bags, made their way to airports, and taken the long flight home to their native lands.  The end of the semester meant two things to me.  First~Kyle would be done with classes for good (if not for a very long time).  He has just started his summer internship at GTL; come September we'll hopefully celebrate the completion of 8 years dedicated to studying, working, and living all things Georgia Tech.  You'd think after all that time, Kyle would have taken a liking to our football or basketball team.  Alas, I'd rather him be into music than sports.  Anyways, the second end of semester joy~many of the folks departing leave a plethora of goods behind which are free for the taking.  Last week all I could think about was visiting GTL over the weekend and hopefully find some good books to read.  So far the communal bookshelf has lead me to Jane Eyre and Heart of Darkness.  I consider those good finds.  It has also received (to my great relief) my copy of Anna Karenina and Sister Revolutions.  Anna Karenina is only a few degrees better than Madame Bovary in my opinion... that's not saying much.  Sister Revolutions is an analysis on the French & American Revolutions; I figured it'd be a fun read for someone else around these parts.

I had made a summer reading list for myself.  It was based on everything that Sawyer has been spotted reading in LOST.  Silly, I know, but I've always regretting not actually completely Watership Down in my 7th grade target class.  It was mandatory, and I found I didn't mind slacking and getting C's on the exams in place of reading (what I considered) a senseless book with talking rabbits.  Oddly enough that same year, I had no problem becoming completely absorbed in Animal Farm~perhaps I prefer speaking farm animals who have totalitarian leanings... I was peculiar~what did I know?  So the complete list of Sawyer books includes:
    * Watership Down-Richard Adams
    * A Wrinkle in Time-Madeleine L'Engle
    * Bad Twin manuscript-Gary Troup
    * Lancelot-Walker Percy
    * Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret-Judy Blume
    * Laughter in the Dark- Vladimir Nabokov
    * The Fountainhead-Ayn Rand

Since I currently own none of these books, I may have a very similar experience as James Ford.  So long as the books at Tech are free, my selection will be limited to that which people brought on planes to this foreign land.  Here is what I found last weekend (I was a bit greedy but didn't know if the selection would be so good down the road):

 

 (from left to right): My Antoina by Willa Cather, The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler, North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, Island by Aldous Huxley, After the Fall by Arthur Miller, The Minority Report by P.K. Dick, and Billy Budd by Herman Melville

So in addition to my new used books, a few new people arrived in my life this week.  I have seven new students in my classes for the month of May.  I rolled into town for a very special occasion~Foire de Mai which is like a county fair back in the states.  The fair is walking distance from my school; the ferris wheel always catches my eye to and from work.  I can't wait to ride it and all the other rides.  I anticipate a special date on the horizon with Kyle.  We've never been to a carnival together before so I'm pumped.  Anywho, my new students are the children of the carnival workers.  They come to my school every May and are reunited with friends. It blows my mind that this is how they live~touring France year round and being the sort-of new kid at school every month.  At least they do it as a group.

Supposedly this a picture from the Foire de mai, but those folks look like Americans.  Why was the photographer behind a fence?  Creeper...

For some, it is an exciting experience.  Savannah was delighted when she found out I had been to the city of her namesake.  I got to tell her a little about a beautiful place on the Georgia coast with some of the best food and loveliest churches in the world.  For Lola, the transition was hard.  I met her last Thursday in the teacher lounge much as I had met Alexandre last Monday.  She was in tears and distraught about being displaced.  I admit, she walked into a class of 4th graders with a lot of personality.  It had to be intimidating for sure.  She won't participate in English, but I found she likes to draw in class.  I convinced her to show me some of her drawings during recess; she lit up demonstrating how she writes her name in big bold letters and then tries to connect them to make an image of a girl or anything that comes to mind.  I'm excited about seeing her come more out of her shell in the coming weeks and being a friend to her.

Including three 2nd graders that arrived in my mixed 2nd/3rd grade class, I have 10 new students total.  I didn't count them before because the 2nd graders are just along for the ride~ no grades for them in English class until next school year.  My grand total is 150 students.  I pray that I can remember all the new names while maintaining my daily struggle with recalling all the other right first names at the right moments.  What a challenge!  Thanks be to God for there being so many boys named Hugo~I have 8 of them.  If there were more diversity in first names, I think I would have given up a long time ago...

Shall we SHOW & TELL?  Yes, yes please!

 

 This is truly a first.  Auriana decorated a paper towel for me using her scissors and gel pens.  She did this in class while keeping up with the work.  I must not be giving them enough to do...

Cassandra used ripped old school printer paper to write my name while holding 2-3 markers at once.  The purple thing reminds me of a Snorkle from that awesome childhood cartoon.

I always forget what these things are called, but Marine made me this out of fine card stock.  It makes it hard to fold easily, but it'll last a long time.  Some of the answers are "you are a rainbow" or "you love Enzo" or something mean involving bathroom activities.  They must really think of me as an overgrown 4th grader instead of a teacher.  Won't lie~it's pretty funny.

Alors, hope you are having a happy Monday.  Congrats to Miss Foo who made it through her first round of auditions with the Shakespeare Tavern.  Show them that frailty, thy name is NOT Miss Foo (sorry to ruin a perfectly good Hamlet quote...).  Friends,  I'm happy to share that Thursday will be my first day off from school to celebrate the ascension of Christ into heaven.  Living in the Moselle region is glorious.  I bid you adieu for now friends!

Saturdate

Rather than spending a sunny weekend in Paris, we improvised a lovely date day Saturday.  We are having the most glorious weather you can imagine here~sunny, clear blue skies with temperatures in the 60s.  Believe it or not, there is no trace of ash in our skyline.  It's a mystery.  Kyle had to accomplish a good bit of studying as well as prepare a cheat sheet for his upcoming exam.  I took the opportunity to dedicate my afternoon to lovely reading so as to not distract Kyle from his studious efforts.

Would you believe me if I told you that's his thinking face?

Hizzle Cizzle

It gets worse the closer you get.  I only like talking about random variables when hypothesizing Lost theories...

Kyle rewarded my good behavior with a Coke!

The view from my cozy couch at GTL.   Told you~ no ash here!

Keeping it classy with Jane Eyre and Braised Chicken flavored ruffles.  Even french snacks are so chic.

This was a lovely way to pass the afternoon, but we were on to more serious date related activities for the evening.  We returned to our abode for a fancy salad.  You know I'm in the kitchen preparing dinner when it's a salad.  I found these awesome jars of salad mix~sun dried tomatoes, feta, herbs, and lots of olive oil.  Throw in some olives and hard boiled eggs, et voila~ fancy European salad.  Kyle is so sweet; he kept telling me it was a great salad as to not discourage me from further esculent experiments in our kitchen.  I think it's working~ I'm going to make pigs in a blanket today using pate feuilletee and saussice de strasbourg (that is, puff pastry and hot dogs... it's so regal sounding in French). 

I should note that this day was special because I insisted on Kyle choosing a shirt for me to wear.  He instinctively selected my most plaid garment as well as one of his own.  His Scottish love for tartan textiles is in his blood.  You'd know it even if you didn't know his last name is Hamilton.  (On a brief side note, Hamilton is also the maiden name of C.S. Lewis' mother.  I hope through some genealogical miracle that he and Kyle are related...)  It just makes the day so much better when you're in plaid.  It inspired me to look up quotes where I could easily insert the word "plaid" in the place of "glad".   I added the best one to my facebook account, but I'll share some of the less than charming examples I came up with...

For Ladies:

I've been a wicked girl," said I: "But if I can't be sorry, why, I might as well be PLAID!
Edna St. Vincent Millay

Let the wife make the husband PLAID to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave.
Martin Luther 

A woman whose smile is open and whose expression is PLAID has a kind of beauty no matter what she wears.
Anne Roiphe

Just silly:
Bluegrass is wonderful music. I'm PLAID I originated it.
Bill Monroe

I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be PLAID to make an exception.
Groucho Marx quotes

The great secret of happiness in love is to be PLAID that the other fellow married her.
Henry Louis Mencken

I'm PLAID I don't have to explain to a man from Mars why each day I set fire to dozens of little pieces of paper, and then put them in my mouth.
Mignon McLaughlin

 On Life:
I suppose what makes me most PLAID is that we all recognize each other in this metaphysical space of silence and happening, and get some sense, for a moment, that we are full of paradise without knowing it
Thomas Merton

Be PLAID of life because it gives you the chance to love, to work, to play, and to look up at the stars.
Henry Van Dyke 

Foodies:
I don't like spinach, and I'm PLAID I don't, because if I liked it I'd eat it, and I just hate it.”
Clarence Darrow

“Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea! How did it exist? I am PLAID I was not born before tea”
Sir Philip Sidney 

There you have it... the less desirable PLAID quotes.  Back to date business.   My salad certainly couldn't fill us up.  We needed dessert and headed to our local McDonald's to satisfy our ice cream craving.  A little over a year ago, this McDonald's burned to the ground, but we never learned if there was criminal involvement.  They rebuilt and incorporated super modern decorations to make this McDo very trendy (here's a news article if you are interested and can read French).   The McFlurries are pretty good, too!

Thankfully, it no longer looks like this...

Still no ash, inside or out.  Just happy cups of glace italienne (soft serve in French).

M&Ms were a good choice!

I can really get into plaid, salad, ice cream dates.  We topped off the evening with our friend Peter and his girlfriend Cecile.  The fellas jammed on guitar and banjo, and we enjoyed beer and wine until super late at night.  No pictures from this segment; it was our first time meeting Cecile.  I have yet to snap a shot of someone to put on my blog in our first shared social event.  May I never be "that girl". 

There is still a glimmer of a hope that the Hamiltons will come to visit us, but it's no guarantee.  Hopefully we'll get to see them soon and share some stories with you.  A plus et bon dimanche!

Hooray!

The wee-ones have returned from their vacation and thankfully so has their art.  I should note that I haven't seen many of my students at my big school since February 8th.  Talk about a month of Sundays before returning to their English studies.  Well, without further ado, I give you the highest complement I've received from a French student...

I feel just like Barry White.

This image crafted and provided by the lovely Yeliz indicates two things to me.  First, I have failed each and every child in the grammar department...although, the spelling is quite good.  Second, I have at least succeeded in the area of showing the little ones that I care about them.  This was especially evident today each time a class period ended; I was pursued by at least two children per class so that they could inform me of something special from vacation, an English word they had picked up, or even get in one of my notorious secret handshakes.  Much to the other teachers' chagrin, I break professionalism by instructing my students in the fine art of "pounding it".  It's my responsibility as their liaison to all things American, right?

In all seriousness, it was a true delight to return to work.  Though I despise lesson planning and I dread administering a huge test for my 5th graders in a few short weeks, I love having a routine and seeing my treasured students.  I've backslid in my quickness at remembering their names, and for that I feel ashamed.  I kept returning to prayer today to recall Sabrine's name or Marine's (there are two~a 5th grader & 4th grader.  I often forget both their names on the same day...).  I should remember that the names I often forget are the ones' which rhyme (Sabrine, Marine, Laurine, Louane, Melanie, Danae...okay, so perhaps not all of them rhyme).  For the boys it's simple; when in doubt just say Hugo or Edgar and at least someone will respond.  

Since the weather has not been so cruel, I enjoyed a stellar walk to GTL after I was done at the elementary school for the day.  I'm reading Through the Looking-Glass and had plenty of quality time to enjoy it while Kyle was in class.  What I'll call the Student Lounge at GTL is where this all went down.  I'm not sure whether I ought to be astounded or completely underwhelmed that the student population here is very similar to what you'll find in GT Atlanta's Student Center.  The Tech fellas (to over generalize) aren't always smooth operators when it comes to social skills.  One of our acquaintances here just today fell in this category.  While I was reading on a nearby sofa, he was listening to some tunes while being active on his laptop.  His listening pleasure was enhanced by his loud humming.  I spent a good ten minutes on one page in my book (likely with glazed over eyes) trying to figure out what he was listening to.  My efforts were futile as his humming, though varied in pitch, didn't communicate any melody I had ever heard.  Thankfully I had my iPod with some Fleet Foxes waiting in the wing to remedy my reading time.  I should note that all Tech boys don't fall into this category.  For example, my sweet husband Kyle is incredibly knowledgeable when it comes to computers, and thus necessarily very dorky.  However, he is quite sociable and not an ounce inept when it comes to other people.  He's really quite kind.  

Kyle has me engrossed with something on a computer during summer vacation (notice my bathing suit and sunglasses are on and there is sunshine outside).  He's probably blowing my mind with some kind of brilliance.

I'm happy with the balance of French children's education as my occupation with a few things from home to keep it real (am I too white or female to say that?).  Thank you GTL for being like the real thing.  Happy March to the readers!  Hasta luego!