let's play catch up

I am going to update you on the past week. I am sorry to not have written. My days are full, my energy levels supernaturally overflowing, my mind racing, my heart growing.

The highlights first, details to follow:
1. Friday: signed up for the GRE test that I will take tomorrow morning. I'm going to Graduate school. Hopefully.
2. Saturday evening: mexican food and a long chat filled with laughter and muffled explanations of American ideals and nonsensical colloquialisms with my new Au Pair friends Jessica and Francesca. I tried to find the homeless man I met, Steve, to give him a cone of cookies and cream gelato--comparable to the real gelato found in Italy, according to Francesca--but he declined my offer. I guess he wasn't as hungry as he said he was.
3. Saturday night: saw "Nights in Rodanthe" with Francesca. It was definitely a chick flick. I have nothing more to say about that.
4. Sunday morning: the most intense Yoga practice I've been to yet. I think I broke myself, or at least my arms. Laetitia so kindly offered her book to me for a bit of reading and relaxing. I am sure you have heard of "Eat, Pray, Love." It is a light read and quite refreshing. I am always interested in the minds of other people. I like being "on the inside," you know. And, Laetitia is, as they say in France, "trop gentil, elle" (too kind). She is always pleasant, literally. Have you ever met someone like that? No matter what happens in life, for better or for worse, she is always a pleasant person to be around. I have so much more to learn from her and I have so little time left! I am the better for having spent even one afternoon with her and her children as well.
5. Sunday afternoon: church with Francesca and Jessica. Both girls are Catholic and after the service we sat with some of the church members and discussed the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism. Divine discussion. That's all I have to say about that.
6. Sunday evening: went to P.F. Chang's with both Jessica and Francesca, shared a delectable array of Chinese delights and headed to the IMAX theater to see "Eagle Eye." Incredible film. Loved it. Furthermore, it has been months since I have laughed so hard, and I have Jessica to thank for my sore abs now. When we left the theater, her eyes were bulging from their sockets, her face a perfect picture of excited horror. She had never before seen or heard such a feat of Hollywood. She was amazed by the quality of film, but also a bit disturbed at the enormity, in fact, of the theater and the entire effect of the movie. Once again, my tour-guiding skills at their finest.
7. Monday: school with Milan. I am more and more impressed with him as the days go by. His tennis lesson was outstanding and he is going to play for the local tennis team now. I am so proud.
8. Tuesday: Finally fixed the month-long phone problem with Verizon. We now have working phones. Telecommunications companies hate me, I'm quite certain. And, school with Melvil was excellent. He is engaged in a special project that requires him to present his life in France to the class next week. Between his "My life in France" and Milan's "Make and label a bee" project, we are quite the construction sight here at home. I am more impressed with these kids every day.
9. Wednesday: my day with Domino. Again, we headed to Bluebird park just around the corner, and then into town for storytime at the library. Today was a special day, though, because Jessica joined us at the park and accompanied us to the library. I was honored to be able to introduce her to the childhood songs like, "Peanut, peanut butter...and jelly!" that I know so well. We spent the rest of the day beach-side with the kids. I think this afternoon is forever engrained in my mind as one of my favorite times of my life.
With Milan and Melvil sporting tricks every two seconds, Domino parading her sand-scrubbed face for the west coast to see, Jessica laughing hysterically at the boys' futal attempts to conquer the waves, and my pants continually falling down accidentally, we had quite the afternoon. We danced on my patio to Jason Mraz, drew on the chalkboards as professionally as we could, and laughed the hours away. I wish you could see the joy exploding from their lives the same way I do. They are certainly what I would call "must-know" people.
10. Today: cleaned house while I prepared the first batch of Pumpkin spice bread of the season. French people don't eat pumpkin, can you believe it? I have never been so taken aback. However, it was a success with the kids, and I think Laetitia liked it. We are bustling with projects here, as the boys attempt to complete their respective assignments, and I have found a new pair of sunglasses. Yes, remember the sunglass incident in France? Problem almost solved.

I am still thinking of you, don't you worry. I apologize for my sporadic posts and lack of photos. I will soon relieve your imaginations with actual sights to see. And, don't worry if I don't post every day. Rest assured that I am doing fine, and that I am loving every moment (yes, every) of my time here.