Screaming at the Maternelle

This will be the third year that I've taken Chloe to school here in France. She's a real trouper because once again she's changing schools. There was nothing wrong with the last one, except, I just wanted her to attend a Catholic school like I did. It's another opportunity to pick up some religious instruction. Chloe's excited. She's a shy little girl so it takes some time for her to make new friends. She's feeling great knowing that even if her old friends can't go to the new school with her, most of her friends (all boys) live in the apartment building across the street. I have got to get this girl some little girlfriends!

This morning when I dropped off Chloe, she gave me a little smile and said, "Don't worry about me, mom, I'll be fine!" So off to her new classroom she went. Another point of adjustment, parents don't meet the new teacher on the first day of school. Further, parents don't even accompany their kids to the new classroom either. Although I experienced this back in Chicago when Chloe attend the Lycee Française, an all-French school, I still find it strange.

Jillian, on the other hand was another story entirely. She started maternelle or pre-school this morning. While I was allowed to accompany Jilly to her classroom, the morning was a disaster. I learned when Chloe was that age, you have to prepare your kids for school. I did this all summer by taking her to school and letting her get excited by the prospect of doing new things like a "big girl." I would have thought that there would have been a least one day of adjustment so that the kids could get used to the classroom (something we did back in Chicago), but uh huh - the French will have no such behavior. As a result, we had a room full of crying three year olds. Heck, even when Jilly started at the garderie (daycare) they made me go through a two-week adjustment period. Each day, I would leave for 15 minute intervals and by day three I told them, "Enough already - are you going to take her or not?"

It actually made me really mad because as I was leaving, I could hear Jilly crying, "Mommy, daddy, don't leave meeeeeeee! I usually have the strength of iron during times like these, but I have to admit, it really got to me. Then I got mad all over again at Philippe for moving here. In the States you can offer up suggestions without making the teachers feel like you're ursuping their power. Here, whenever I offer my advice concerning my children, it makes me look like the wicked witch of the west and frankly, I hate being put in that position. Trust me, I'm there often.

I called my mother about the day's events and her response was, "Well, it looks like you're getting your payback!" Then I remembered. When I started kindergarten, I cried every day for about three months. Every morning my mother walked me to the classroom and while she shoved me through the door, the teacher would be pulling me through at the same time. Eventually, I settled down. I have discovered that if I get Jilly to school before the crying kids come, she doesn't cry. So all I can say about the crying is, "Like mother like daughter." And, the promise of a great birthday present never hurts either.

End of the Summer

Well, the end of the summer is definitely upon us. I can feel it in the cooler temperatures and see it the weakened sunshine. The kids are back from their vacation in Lyon. I'm glad to see them after five weeks. I was starting to think my in-laws were taking over guardianship. However, it also means that I won't be getting very much work done this week while they are at home. They don't start school until next week.

My friend Liz Ryan of WorldWIT said in a recent article that she loves when her kids are out of school for the summer. For her it makes things easier because her schedule is less regimented. I admire her so much because I simply don't know how she does it. She runs a busy organization and has five kids!

However for me, the opposite is true. Having a regimented schedule is the only way I'm able to keep everything together. My two kids have the energy of five kids. Add working on the business, housework and running behind a dog and cat, and my hands are full.

Personally, I can't wait for them to go back to school because then things get back to normal. And I feel guilty for admitting it too. It's okay though because we enjoy our weekends together. But during the week, I desperately need to have order so I can feel like something's getting accomplished.

Shopping for School Supplies

When you were a kid, didn't just love shopping for school supplies? I know I did. I guess it was just fun to get new things. I loved picking out pens, paper and crayons. I think my favorite items were really cool notebook organizers. One year I had a really cool Charlie's Angels lunchbox.

This year the tradition continues. It's now time to buy school supplies for Chloe and Jillian. So this morning I'm off to Auchan at La Défense. The kids are still on vacation. I would love to have them join me for this rite of passage, but if I were to wait until they return at the end of the summer, there would be people everywhere. As I've mentioned in earlier posts, sometimes the French just take all the joy out of shopping.

This year is a real milestone because it's the first year that I will be doing the shopping alone. The first year we arrived, the school year had already begun so we found what we could for Chloe, and everything turned out okay. Last year, Philippe did the shopping, but I never like what he picks out because he can be so cheap. One day last week he wanted to go shopping with me. I was in the school supplies section picking out crayons for Jillian when I heard him say. "Fify cents for 10 Bic pens? Heck, I can just get Chloe some pens from work!" I turned around and looked at him and said, "My God man, you are really C-H-E-A-P thrifty!" So when Philippe offered to go shopping with me this morning, his day off, I told him no way! When asked how I would decipher the 40-odd items on the list, I told him I'd manage.

So I was off. It was helpful having the list. Chloe's switching to a new school this year, thankfully, and at last, administrators behave in ways in which I'm accustomed. They actually know what it means to give parents a list of supplies BEFORE school starts. However, I must admit, I've never seen so much stuff in my life. The specificity is unnerving. When I was a kid, it was simply buy pencils, notebook paper, pens (preferably black or blue) and a backpack. Here, they tell you the size of the notebooks, how many pages it should have and what color.

I found all of the items - except for the blotting paper for the fountain pen. Honestly, how many eight-year-olds have you seen writing with fountain pens? Not that many I suspect. I'll take that back. When I was 11, I had a nun who had a particular fondness for the writing instruments. Maybe they share the same thinking, that fountain pens force you to improve your penmanship. If that's the case, I guess I'm for it because I used to have beaufitul handwriting. Now, I type everything because my handwriting looks like a doctor's prescription.

Ninety minutes later I'm on my way home out of the store with four really large Auchan bags. Next stop is H&M Kids. There I picked up some really cute cargo pants, jeans and tops for both girls. One last stop to Orchestra for skirts. You see, neither of my girls likes wearing dresses or skirts but I buy them any way. Eight bags later and some really empty pockets, I'm walking home. I'm kinda despressed too because for the amount of money I spent, I could have made a killing at Target!

Philippe couldn't believe how much shopping I did in record time. The secret of course is going very early in the morning before the shoppers start arriving. No word yet on what Jillian really needs for preschool. No surprise there. So I just guessed based on the things purchased for Chloe at that age. I guess I'll find out in the next couple of weeks. Something tells me that this is going to be a very interesting year!