Many Little Things

November has been an oddly busy, crazy, satisfying month thus far, and it looks like it will end with a wonderful bang! I was so excited/relieved to post the pictures and stories from our trip at the end of October, and we have just been busy "living" in November.

We had a winter's worth of wood delivered to our doorstep early this month, and dumped outside the garage doors. As Lloyd and I hauled it all inside and stacked it, Margo was helping, too. She's find the smaller logs, and lift and carry them and stack them. She would then start to pick up all the bits of bark and other small pieces and put them in a bag. Then she'd dump the bag, and go back to trying to lift the larger logs. All the while, she was exclaiming, "I'm really good at wood!" LOL!

Most of our wood...

The comfort from a fire goes soul deep...

The boys have been completely enjoying school this month, and Riley's French has improved tremendously, and he has lost his shyness and reservations about speaking it. YAY! He also crashed head-on with one of his buddies on the playground, and ended up with this:

Ouch!

Carson has always enjoyed school, and continues to do very well here. His pronounciation is spot-on, as always, and now he is speaking with a soft southern accent and cadence. Seriously. Cute.

Margo has decided this month that she is, indeed, capable and willing to use the toilet all the time, every time, all day long, and we will be having a potty party in her honour tonight or tomorrow night, to celebrate her new grown-up status as a Big Girl. (I am almost overcome with happiness! LOL!)

Lloyd is rocking the English teacher gig, and he puts a great deal of effort and imagination into his classes. If he ever decides to quit practicing law, he could have a fantastic career as a teacher. (He laughs at me when I say that, though!)

And I have a new student ID card - the first in 9.5 years. I am registered at the Institut Catholique de Toulouse (ICT) for an intensive French class, for the month of December. If this goes well, and it works with our family schedule, I may register for another month in March. I am so excited by this, even if means that I have to be dressed and out of the house to catch the 7:25 am train into Toulouse to make it there for 8:30 am classes, daily! Quelle horreur!! ;)

As well, we have been planning for company, which arrives today!! YAY! One of Lloyd's brothers and his family will be staying with us for five nights, during their month long exploration of France. It will be fabulous to see them here, even if the craziness from four boys (ages 5, 5.5, 6, and 7.5 years) and two girls (ages 8 months and 2.5 years) will be loud and overwhelming at times!! :) I am hoping for good weather, and planning lots of fast, simple, and fun meals.

I have also been helping my sisters (Hi Laura & Meghan!!) book tickets to come stay with us over the February break! It will be so wonderful to have live-in babysitters, I mean to see them again!! (Just joking girls, you know I love you and miss you and am looking forward to exploring this area with you!! :D)

Life is busy and crazy, and soft and satisfying, all at once. I'll leave you today with some pictures from our walk around town the other day.

A view of the bridge into town, over the Tarn river.

Chickens in a backyard, right in town.

A tree on a rooftop!

I don't know what this place is, I'm assuming a
private residence or apartments, but it is impressive.

Leaves scuttling across the sidewalk...

Oh, yeah. And I got all my hair cut off, too!

It's so liberating!