Tuesday, September 7, 2010

La Rentrée

We are back on the blogging trail after taking a little summer break! Last Thursday marked La Rentrée in France, and for all practical purposes it is more of a beginning of the year than January 1st is. Most families come back from a 4 to 6 week vacation, and then head straight into school and work. It can mark quite a change in the weather. From sunny and warm to cool and cloudy. Our deserted quatier (neighborhood) is now full of people once again, and we are reconnecting with our acquaintances and friends.

This also brings a new beginning in our family. Matthew is now attending Maternelle. He cried the first few days, but in typical Matthew fashion he "decided" to be a big boy and became much more confident this morning. Claire started the half days last year, and had a very hard time. It was difficult to send her. However, by the end of her time there she was much more confident and had two little friends that she enjoyed playing with. Although it was difficult, it was a great experience. This year she hasn't cried one bit, and she is quite proud of the fact that Matthew is going to class with her former teacher. Four year olds must attend class all day. This means that she goes to class for 3 hours, has a two hour break, and then goes for another 3 hours. Wednesday is a break day for the preschool to elementary ages in France, so they only go 4 days a week.

Because of going to school, the kid's French speaking abilities have grown much more in these 4 days. Claire had lost most of her French in the States, but she is finding her way once again. Matthew has been interjecting so many French words into English sentences. Last week, he stopped at a toy store window and said, "Mommy, just a minute! I want to "regarde" something. Regarder is the French verb "to look". It was cute.

Anyway, we are enjoying this new start. It means we have a lot more on our plates, but having a regular schedule again feels great! Below are some pictures from the kid's first day of school.


First day of school!!!


Matthew with his daddy.


Then we went for ice cream on Friday to celebrate their first two days of school. You can see what their favorite flavors are. Claire is such a girl. She loves chocolate, and Matthew really isn't a chocolate fan.

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