TV fame plus etc...

Well, here in Besancon our fame continues to grow... The TV crew only emailed André Tuesday about the show (whilst he was 'training') being on that night so we didn't get to see it live but the link to the show is at:

http://jt.france3.fr/regions/popup.php?id=c25a_1920&video_number=1

It is somewhere in the middle of the show - watch the whole thing to get an idea of how I feel every time I turn on the TV.... or you can just skip to the part where we are featured, from approximately 12 minutes 50 seconds to 15 minutes 35 seconds.... it will only be up for a week so catch it while it's hot!
(we just heard the link isn't enough--to the right of the video, you have to click on Mardi 18 Novembre to see the specific day, then scroll to the right time frame)

Let me digress a bit (you are shocked I am sure) to say something about André's 'training' - you are probably all wondering - why is Rebecca also not being blessed with the opportunity to learn about the origin of the car??? Well, we had thought that, since we are both in the country on a visa, we would both be required to attend the same workshops etc... The first day he had a training we both had check ups beforehand and after that we headed over together to the Center for the Help of Strangers (i.e. foreigners) for the first day of orientation. There we were told that I need not stay, or return ---- ever. The reason for this is simple, I am not a wage earner. Apparantly, France is not very interested in making sure I learn the language (André had to take a language test, if he hadn't passed they would have required him to take 100-300 hours of lessons, free of charge, until he could pass) or learn about their culture etc.... Granted, I don't have any desire to take the classes (especially once I found out it consists of 16 hours of Power Point presentations), and no one to take care of the children if I had been required to take them but still, it's the principle of the thing! I said to André - this should be called the Center to help Strangers who can help our bottom line. Yet another example of how valued those who raise the next generation of our children are....


Anyway - in other news André finally bought some French electric hair clippers and gave himself and the boys a cut. He has been the barber for our family for some years - we are too cheap to pay for retail haircuts - at least André is, I would pay rather than take the chance of accidentally shaving their heads. I only remember my mom ever cutting my bangs as a kid - I don't have the 'cut your own hair' tradition in my family. Of course, it does make it simpler to be a person who has long hair - Callie has never had a haircut at all (except that ponytail Zander chopped off a few years ago) and I haven't been in a salon since before Griffin's birth. The boys can't get away with this kind of tress neglect. On the other hand, André grew up on homemade hairdos - it is obviously a genetic predisposition - one I will let him carry the torch onward with. This way, also, if they look bad, I can just blame him. Anyway, here are the boys with their new shorter locks - I always hate it at first (love longish hair on them) but then it grows on me. Good job Dad!

Another aside- this is a typical sight during a French lunch break.... Open live electrical wiring hovering over a dangerously deep chasm that has been opened up anyone??? I imagine industrious french workers realizing that the clock has struck 12. Hey, we need our break - we'll just leave this here for later... (OK - there is a little box around it but, come on - do you see how fun that looks??? And it is right on the way to school and back. Kids were fascinated.

Today we hung at home, reading books, playing Legos, doing crafts and, of course changing wet pants and doing laundry. An opportunity I have been waiting for did arise. Olivier asked us for help. Turns out Claire's teacher will be out of school doing a training tomorrow so she doesn't have class. Can I watch her for the day so Olivier and Nadine can go to work? Well, of course, I have to say..... NO! Argh! Any other day of the 60 or so school days before this I could have done it - but tomorrow is a field trip for Griffin's class and I am the chaperone. So much for reciprocation! Guess I will watch her in the afternoon - but still...