During this particular international move, we are handling things a little differently than the move to France. For going to France, we had a short house hunting trip when Dan was on a work trip to Toulouse and I came for a short visit without the kids. I visited houses, apartments, and schools, then we decided which ones worked for us. Then, without seeing any of it, we brought the kids to France with everything decided. Because that's how the lives of adults and kids ultimately work.
Given that the children had never moved before, they were not happy about this arrangement. In fact, they wouldn't have been happy had we involved them in the house/school choices either. Of course, after a year or two of resisting life in France and exploring Europe, they finally settled into it. Here are the things they do now, without thinking anything of them:
- Going to the bakery to pick up pastries and bread (on their own)
- Going to the market to buy their favorite cheese (it's still sharp cheddar)
- Listing "cocoa mass" when required to make an ingredients list for a chocolate bar (Alex was told later that level of detail was not necessary, "milk chocolate" would suffice)
- Traveling the 17 km to school by train/bus/tram/walking (on their own)
- Arriving in a foreign country and figuring out how the metro system works
- Recognizing specific types of art and specific artists (Picasso, Matisse, VanGough, Degas, Monet, Magritte, Kandinsky, Münter, Rodin, Renoir, Vermeer, Dali, Warhol, Mucha, Escher, Calder, Černý, and all 4 of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Renaissance Artists)
- Spelling words in a British manner while typing them on a French-layout keyboard
- Talking to our neighbors in French
- Sitting down for a 2-hour dinner at a restaurant (3 hours is a bit much, they go home on their own if it lasts that long)
- Ordering food for delivery on a French website
- Understanding which activity involves wearing all white, with a red bandana
Overall, we had an amazing time living in France and are sad to leave. Thanks to everyone who helped to make our stay here amazing!
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| Kroboths Toulouse Airport Departure |
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