L’ecole – Week Three

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I was going to post on Monday that we were starting week three of school, and now suddenly today is Friday and we are nearly at the end of it! We’ve been working mostly on survival. I am happy to say that my homeschool mom career is far from over – or I can say, at least, that it has morphed into super-hands-on-homework-helper mom: translating, explaining, figuring out: here’s how you say ‘direct object’ in French; when you have a direct object in German it takes the Akkusativ case;  here you must plot these points on x,y axes and then color the ensuing picture, Yes, I believe 47 is a prime number; conjugate the verb ‘etre’; here’s how to say ‘crustacean’ in French; Latin? – who knows, you’re on your own. Good grief! My head spinneth. I am glad to say though, that yesterday was a pretty good day. I cannot say that there were no tears, because I have just had a confession that there were some upon awakening. But everyone made it through the day in decent spirits and didn’t have as much of that hit-by-Mack-truck look about them that they have had. Maybe, just maybe, we are finding the first inkling of a system in the midst of the big, tiring mess of school. They don’t really like it, but at least they are finding it. Or maybe they are just learning to be stoic. One of the biggest challenges is logistics. If Artemis leaves the house by 7:25 she can catch the 7:36 train and have time to lock her bike. She arrives back in the village for lunch on the train at 12:21, and if she hasn’t appeared at the house by 12:27 we’ve agreed that I’ll go drive and look for her, because she’s got to be back on the return bus which leaves at 12:59. If I drive her, we can leave the house at 12:53. If she’s biking, she’d better leave by 12:50. And it goes on and on — times four! We’ve got things worked out to the minute, and I’ve become a chronic watch checker. Now this is quite ironic, to which anyone who knows me well can attest. I’ve always been a believer in a healthy cushion of about 10 minutes either way. Which makes me often late, but hey, if you are 10 minutes late to my house, that’s fine too! Hope you feel the same way! 10 minutes doesn’t really show up on my radar! Until now. One day in the first week of this, as I sat with the kids around the table trying to work out the logistics and feeling my head starting to burn, one of them exclaimed, “Now we know how Papa got the way he is!” It’s an interesting thought: are Swiss people naturally punctual or are they forced to develop that way because of The System? In any event it is good for me, because I’ve been convicted the past few years of the annoyance my lateness may cause in my social circle. I really do believe that chronic lateness is the theft of other people’s time, and I want to change. So like Puddleglum I am thinking that these are the just the chaps to get me to take a serious view on life. My, will my acquaintances back home ever be surprised! We’ve got time for exactly three more inhalations of air and then I’ve got to scoot! On a completely other note, today I biked to France! Because I could! In the exactly 105 minutes that Hermes was at preschool, I hopped on a bike and rode to the pedestrian/bicycle border crossing. It took about 5 minutes. No one was there – just surveillance cameras – and so I crossed unencumbered. It’s the same small town where we often go grocery shopping; I was there by car this morning in fact; I had just never gone on a bicycle. I did not take my camera, so no pictures this time. It’s a sweet small French town complete with remains of medieval ramparts as well as examples of unfortunate French architecture of the 1970s. But a nice looking cafe in a town square where I shall return someday for coffee. It would be nice to bike there with a friend. Anyone? On another note, amidst the travails of the school start and life in general, we have been greatly encouraged by our visits with friends and family via Skype and similar media. It’s not quite like being in the same room, and yet it is so much more like it than a phone call. You can make silly faces, for one thing. Last night, as I was preparing dinner, we got a video call from Uncle Chip who after giving greetings, put on a puppet show for Hermes and kept him occupied while I put things on the table. Then we sat down to eat and put the “him” (the laptop) up on the microwave where he could be at the head of the table. Then Uncle Chip said grace for us and drank his morning coffee while we ate our dinner of soup and salad. Skypeing always makes me think of the Jetsons. We are video-calling like George Jetson! The future is now! How grateful I am for the technology that make it possible, that makes sharing our life via this blog possible, that makes your comments and encouragements possible, that makes us feel not quite so lonely, and our loved ones, though far away, not feel quite so far away. I want a life that’s got the best of all worlds, old and new: high on electronic communication, low on mindless internet drivel; high on handmade art, but also high on digital photography and photo sharing; homegrown food, but a big fridge and a good dishwasher; travelling to see the world, but being able to walk to school. I feel very blessed; I feel like I get a lot of what I want.

This is why we came

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Here at last is a post about our sweet sweet nephew Adrien. He is now eight months old and a couple of weeks ago was his baptism. His parents saved the ceremony for our arrival, and that fact alone made it very special. IMG_0025 Apollo with Adrien who is chewing on the top to his bottle. He is teething these days, but is such a good natured chap that he doesn’t complain much. Just chews on everything. Adrien’s parents asked Zeus to be his godfather. He is very honored at his role in his nephew’s life and got to pray over him at the ceremony. DSCN5163 “Hey, Dude, can I chew on that paper?” DSCN5162   Even before the water was introduced, Adrien grew fussy and agitated at all those people staring at him. Then we added water… DSCN5199 …and the result echoed nicely off the old church walls. DSCN5191 DSCN5193 Such a crying fit is quite unusual for him; he is normally such a happy baby. His parents had asked to sing a song, which I did just after the water bit, and I am pleased to say that it soothed and calmed him right down again. IMG_0002 Here are the parents and godparents on the church steps just after the event. Adrien is looking quite pleased with himself, all of the fussies forgotten. IMG_0012 Afterwards we were invited to Adrien’s house for a lovely meal. IMG_0019 Brothers together. My boys can never get over the fact that while Papa is older than Tonton, Tonton is quite a bit taller. It’s perplexing when you are small, but it gives Hermes hope. Hermes, by the way, LOVES Adrien. When we were planning this trip he would talk about him and all the things he would do with our new cousin. He would explain that while he was not the boss of everyone (as he must rather often be reminded) and that Mama is the boss, and Papa is the big boss, and that when she is the babysitter, Artemis is the boss and the others are also sometimes the bosses, he, Hermes, is the boss of Adrien. We let it slide. His happiest face since we got here has to be when holding Adrien for the first time. Yesterday after church, we swung by for a few minutes to say hello to Adrien and his parents, and it felt so normal and informal and casual. He was finishing up his vegetable puree and we ooed and awed over it like a bunch of monkeys. He looked at us, quite taken aback. I told him, “yeah, we’re kinda weird, but too bad, you can’t choose your relatives.” So yeah, this is a big part of why we came – to do life with family, to hold our new cousin, to celebrate special times together and ordinary times too. IMG_9041

The Land of Nopipaal

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Because of his recent introduction to the concept of many languages and cultures, and because (I think) he is constantly being reminded and corrected of the new way things work here, Hermes has created the Land of Nopipaal. He and I went there one day on the train in the dining room. We started talking funny and calling each other on our finger phones, and we suddenly realized that we were speaking Nopipaal! Only Hermes really knows the intricate culture of Nopipaal, but from questioning we gather that everyone looks a lot like Mama and Papa and his brother and sisters. Every so often he will tell us how to say things in Nopipaal language. Last week, riding on a longish car ride, he told us some new words. To say “Nopipaal” in Nopipaal language for instance you say Su-maaaal-LAH. The word for “house” is loo. Fool-ee-WAH-zoo means “pokey mountains.” He is keeping us amused, and it is good for him to be in charge of something. Zoooo-WAH! (That means goodbye.)

House Tour

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At long last –thank you for your patience – here it is: a photo tour of “our” house for this year. Apple House is what Athena and I decided to call it long ago, but we keep forgetting and just call it Pommesrats. Pum-RAH. Anyway, here it is ~ notice our car with Swiss plates. It’s nice to have them, but I almost miss the quizzical looks we got while driving around with our Washington ones. IMG_9902 To the right of the house (from the street) are the steps leading to the front door. Bella is demonstrating how they work. IMG_9904 On the porch (I’ve always wanted a porch!) at the top of the stairs hangs a greeting: Welcome. IMG_9907 This is the front door handle – isn’t it cool? IMG_9653 Here is my family showing what you will see when you go through the front door. I made them do this. Zeus and Hermes are standing by the door to the kitchen. Athena is sticking out of the dining room. Straight ahead is the bathroom. Artemis is in front of the door to the living room and Apollo, barely constraining his enthusiasm, is by the door to our bedroom and to the stairs to downstairs. IMG_9909  Here is the kitchen. No, Wait!…Hey guys, c’mon! We’re doing a tour here! IMG_9900 Ah yes, that’s better. IMG_9922 If you go through the French doors onto the balcony there are some herb pots that my father-in-law sweetly planted for us. We’ve been enjoying the fresh basil in everything. IMG_9925 The herb pots are guarded by a Watch Fox who is missing a front paw. I found him and his brother lying in the tall grasses by the side of the house. I like them very much. IMG_9926 Back inside, into the Dining Room. Here is the buffet of Great Aunt Lina. She passed away in the 1970s, and Oh my, there’s quite a family story there, but I will save it for now and just tell you that I am very grateful to Tante Lina because we are also using some of her plates, dishes and an armoire. I just love this buffet, but strangely, most of the Swiss people my age don’t. They are so tired of all the history and old antiques that are all around them that they want everything new and modern, and they think pieces like this are old and ugly. I like some modern furniture, but I find that so much of it lacks soul. This buffet sat in two pieces down in the basement of Zeus’ parents’ house for 30 years. In all the time I’ve know him, I’d never seen it put together. Now it has found a home again for a bit, and it’s perfect to put our minimal table linens and craft supplies in. But I digress… IMG_9895 Here is the other side of the Dining Room. The bookshelf in the corner was left by previous renters and the table and chairs were Zeus’ parents that they kept in the attic when the got new ones. I have to admit I like it less than Tante Lina’s buffet, but it’s fine. The table has Very Sturdy Legs! I have an urge to recover the chairs with some funky print – and Tata said I could – so maybe someday when there’s nothing to do…HA! Hey! Who left their computer on the table??! IMG_9897 Continuing clockwise around the main floor, we reach the single solitary bathroom. It is teaching us a great deal about Sharing and Turn Taking and what constitutes a Real Emergency. I did not choose the shower curtain. IMG_9899 This is the living room, or salon, if you want to be speak French. The furniture is almost all loaned from either the parents or their friends. The kids are playing chess as the table has a beautiful inlaid wood chessboard. IMG_9916 Here’s another corner, which is where I am sitting right now, with my computer on the little table. IMG_9917 Here is the one piece of furniture not on loan; I made it! I believe I have mentioned all the spare wood stashed in the attics and sheds and cellars of this house. One day I was wishing for a coffee table and hunted about amidst the wood. I found this wooden top already put together in the cellar and then realized that the day before I had seen something like short table legs in the attic! Zeusy had just bought a power drill at Ikea, et voila!  It will not win any design awards, but it does the job – holds the coffee and the lego projects – and it didn’t cost a cent. IMG_9912 And here is my Sweet Sparrow come all the way from America with me to keep me company. She’s on the table looking at me right now. IMG_9914 A little corner of felted happiness. IMG_9918 I found this fabric at Ikea; it’s sort of a modern take on traditional Switzerland, and I couldn’t resist. I am going to make a wall hanging. IMG_9920 And the last room downstairs: the master bedroom. Someone had better iron those sheets! Oops, though – won’t be me! IMG_9921 The stairwell. This is actually looking down from the landing at the top, which I’m sure you figured out all on your own. The front door is to the right just at the bottom of the stairs. I am sensing this would be a great place for a large interesting piece of homemade art. IMG_0178 To the right at the top of the stairs – the Boys’ Room. IMG_0179 And the Girls’ Room across the way. They will probably be mad at me for posting this with their beds unmade. Hey, it’s just reality, folks. IMG_0181 That pretty much wraps up our tour. I will save the laundry room for another time and to see the attics (one has become the Electric Train Room!) you will have to come to visit us in person.  Before you go, pause to enjoy the bouquet of wildflowers by the front door. IMG_0105 And pass under the watchful eyes of another Watch Fox. IMG_0107 We are so grateful for this home for this year – it suits us and we suit it, I think. When we took possession, our landlady said she was happy that there would be life in the house once again. Ah yes! I thought, We’ve got plenty of that!  We pray for God’s blessing on these four walls and on those who live here and for all who will come visit. Merci d’etes venus et a bientot! Thank you for coming and see you soon!