Tears, tables, and artichokes

Both teachers said that the boys were very tired yesterday, and we thought seriously about keeping them at home today. We sent them, mainly because Louis has his first swimming lesson with his class this afternoon, but also so that Maman (arriving today at 13h30!) can pick them up from school and see the teachers.

This morning, I saw Sacha into his classroom, and watched him pick out his card with his photo on it, and place it next to his name. Mme Bonnot, Louis' teacher, told me how she had spoken to the headmaster about Louis, and told him how interested he was by everything, and how keen he was to learn. She is very pleased with his progress.

Last night, we took them to the little playground opposite our house for a few minutes after school, to blow the cobwebs away.


For Louis'  homework, we had to do the addition tables for the numbers 1-5. Louis knows the tables in English, but still has to count up on his hands to "translate" the numbers.He had to learn the French for the numbers 12-15.  He read a little to me : it is amazing how his reading in French is improving.
Sacha joins in when we go through the days of the week and the months of the year. I think that by this weekend we'll all have them off pat.

They saw both parents on Skype in the evening, which proved to be a bit emotional and there were tears even from Louis. But food is a great comforter. And source of amazement. They enjoyed their fish kebabs  but were wide-eyed when they saw us tucking in to our artichokes. "Come on! When do you get to the heart? What's all that stuff that you are throwing away? Can I have a taste?" They decided that they like artichokes.

Perhaps if I had been quicker on the draw I would have drawn a metaphor with learning French : you keep going with the leaves, sometimes there are nasty bits, but when you get to the heart you have arrived at the best bit, you can speak to people.....but then, perhaps not.

Lost in Translation

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I forgot to add that the boys and Joséphine spoke pure Walthamstow together ! However, Joséphine is a very good rôle model of a bilingual child for them. Come on, boys.

Sacha’s bedtime tears were averted last night with the promise of an exceptional viewing of Andy Samberg’s « I Threw it On The Ground. » I shall not be posting the link.  Unfortunately during the holidays the boys found me giggling at the screen (your link, Matthew, I think, or was it Denis’ ?) and insisted on seeing this most unsuitable song. They haven’t forgotten it at all, I’m afraid. (« In his butt ! Ha-ha-ha ! »)  and now whenever anything is accidentally dropped, guess what they say.  In broad Chicago. I'm so, so sorry, Maman/ G.G./Nana. As the rapper says, you can’t trust the system.

On the way to school we sang "Pomme de Reinette et Pomme d'Api."  ("Pooh! Carpet carpet red! Carpet carpet grey!") It does lose a little in the translation, I had to agree.

Here is Louis, with Andrew, the little Texan in his class.   It was their first day.  Imagine what they will be like when they have gained some confidence.

A visit from Joséphine!

Last night, we took the boys to play in the "aeroplane park" round the corner, then after homework played "Snail Trail" to learn colours and numbers. I am so glad that I kept a lot of the games that I used to use for teaching English to little children at home : most of the games can easily be used for teaching French to English grandsons. We only had 4 players, but needed 6, so Nana and Tony were roped in in absentia to make up the numbers. Well done, Tony, you came in second.

Louis came home from school last night with a comment from his teacher written in his notebook : "Louis is tired." We are doing what we can to help them to recuperate from the Spanish trip. Louis had to make up the homework he missed, so I have been feeding it in by dribbles.

Today, Wednesday, there was no school. The boys slept in until 8h45, then we got ready for the swimming lesson, which went very well. They are in the same class, and they soon understood  that if they didn't understand the instructions, they could take their cues from the other children. "We don't even need to speak French! " Hmm.

Gestures are a great help, and they boys are learning fast. Sacha over lunch gave us a tremendous imitation of the face his teacher pulls when she doesn't understand him, complete with Gallic shrug, raised eyebrows, and puffed out cheeks.
After lunch, came the long-awaited visit from Joséphine! They haven't seen one another since the beginning of the year. She has grown in teeth and inches, and is now the perfect little French girl. Agnès, her mother, is very pleased with the school that they have found for her in Nantes, and she has adapted to the French system very easily.. They were all enchanted by this reunion, and had  a good scream together.We took them to the Arboretum, where there is a nice playground.

 Then back to the house for tea in the garden.

For the final homework session, François heard Louis read, and I went over Sacha's songs with him. He enjoyed the attention, and had understood A LOT. I shall reassure his teacher that all her lovely lessons are not falling on stony ground.

Playdates!

When  I dropped off the children this morning, Gaelle, a mother who had also accompanied the children to the picnic, invited the children to play next week! She has a boy in Louis' class called Hugo, and one in Sacha's class, Adrien. I  was delighted, as they are lovely children.
Tomorrow, Joséphine from Walthamstow, who now lives in Nantes, is coming to play in the afternoon. I wonder which language they will be speaking....

The interview with Sacha's teacher went very well. She gave me some of the little songs and poems that he is learning, so that I can tell him what they are about. She says that he loves talking to her in English, and apparently recognises her authority as he is always calm and well behaved, which is not always the case with the teaching assistants! He is beginning to have contact with the other children, especially a little half-Polish girl. He repeats words and phrases very well when he is asked to. But the teacher is worried that he is spending the day not understanding anything. I, however, have noticed that he understands much  more than he lets on, even though he is not yet speaking in French.. This morning, he gave me a hug, then walked into the classroom and SMILED at the teacher before giving her the obligatory morning kiss! What progress from the sobs of the first two days.

2 Africans

As they were so tired last night, we decided to do shower and pyjamas BEFORE supper. This was a good ploy, and I think we might continue with it. As their dressing gowns have not yet arrived, François tied their new blankets "like Africans." Apparently this is wonderful.

Galérie Sonore au parc du Pin

                                                                                   The children arrived back in Angers at 11 o’clock this morning.

We picked them up from the station, had a drink, and had to be at school for 11h45, as today was Louis’ class picnic !  I had got special dispensation for Sacha to join, as I had volunteered to accompany the group. They said goodbye to their Dad, and we lined up ready to go. The programme was that we should walk to the Parc du Pin, have a picnic there, then go to the Galérie du Son in the grounds of the park, where the children would be given a music lesson. However, we had not walked very far before it began to pour with rain, so we went back to  school and had our picnic in the large gymnasium.
After lunch, the rain had become a light drizzle, so we walked to the park. Here is a link to the Sound Gallery, a very beautiful little château.. You can see some of the instruments and activities that they offer the children.                                    
http://www.galeriesonore.fr/a-propos/le-lieu

We had a quarter of an hour to spare, and so the whole class rushed to climb the climbing structure in the grounds. Sacha joined in too. Then we went into the chateau. We were taken to the African room, and the children had what amounted to a rhythm and movement lesson. Louis was chosen to play one of the instruments, rather like a xylophone. Sacha stayed with me but concentrated hard for the whole hour.
It was nice to see the other children trying to make contact with the boys, putting their arms round them and  trying to make them talk. They both had a good afternoon, even though they were so tired from their trip. Back at school, François and I went for a meeting with Sacha's teacher, and all went very well. I'll write about that tomorrow!