Life seems to never really get any less busy, does it? For us at least, the busy-ness shifts. One moment, I was up to my eyeballs in nursing babies and not sleeping, then I blinked, and we are now running around with two school aged children, and we are about to give the third a taste of French school, too. Also, I have started school (for December only) and the merry-go-round that is life keeps tilting and whirling us, usually with a great deal of laughter and happiness.

Recently, we hosted family members for five nights, here in France. Their visit was joyously anticipated, and was very much enjoyed and celebrated. We miss them. It was not without its little bits of tension - four boys between the ages of five and seven and a half will create that, especially with two little girls tagging along behind. ;p It was delightful to play tourist with another family, and it was a pleasure to hear of their travels in other places in France. It would have been lovely to have stowed away in their luggage, and shared their apartment in Paris with the view of the Eiffel Tower... Perhaps we'll check these apartments out on another trip to Paris, one of these years.

Attending my intensive French class is both what I was expecting, and also very different, all at once. The class runs for three weeks this month, from 8:30 - 12:15, Monday through Thursday, and from 9:00 - 12:00 on Fridays. There are students in my class from Russia, Bulgaria, Venezuela, Columbia, United States, China and Thailand. All of these other students are working on at least their third language. I am the only one working on my second language.

I didn't realize that when I started the class I was actually becoming quite ill. I sat in class the first couple of mornings, convinced that I was not meant to be there, because I could hardly comprehend or retain anything... Fast-forward a couple of days, and I virtually passed out on the sofa at home after Thursday's class, and slept (more or less undisturbed) until Saturday afternoon. With a late start to the day Monday, I was amazed and so happy that my brain was working, that I was remembering the French I once knew and could understand and participate in what was going on. It has just been getting better and better since then. :D There is still a bit of "real world" stress for me when using French outside of the classroom, but I'm getting over my reluctance to make mistakes in front of others, because if I don't practice, how will I learn, right? Most people are really more than helpful, and listen attentively, and reply a bit more slowly than they otherwise would. However, when I am with my little Margo, 85% of my attention is still on her, and not on the languages around me.

I am enjoying this class, and the commute, while tiring, is a lovely little stretch of "alone time", during which I read, or listen to my iPod, or just stare out the window. We are trying to figure out if there is another stretch of time where I can take a class again. I am learning a lot, the instructor is excellent, and my classmates are interesting and fun people to share this learning experience with.

Well, I survived. And I am still excited. And still bemused that I volunteered to wake up early, in the dark of night, leave the house still in the dark of night, and arrive in Toulouse (via train) before 8:00 am, for the next three weeks. I managed to buy a train ticket, buy metro tickets, figure out the transfers from line A to B, and arrive on time, with a side stop to purchase a coffee because I slept in and hadn't eaten nor had coffee before we left the house at 7:00 this morning. Yay, me!

Today was a short day for the intensive French course that I am taking. We had a brief orientation around the campus, then a written and oral exam for placement purposes. The exams went well enough, and served to forcibly remind me that it has, indeed, been 17 years since my last french class at the U of S, and I have forgotten way more than I have retained. (Reading children's books out loud is not enough to retain any knowledge of the passé simple, and so on.) I also learned a new phrase today - tomber dans les pommes. It is a colloquial phrase for fainting/passing out. And I am left to ponder why colloquial phrases are used to test one's level of French knowledge. I knew all the words, even the verb tense for that phrase, but what it meant??? I was at a loss. *shrug* I have tried to be mindful of the English phrases and colloquialisms that I use with non-native English speakers. I will be much more careful now.

Lloyd is enjoying learning all these turns of phrase and other bits of idiomatic speech that he comes across while listening to the radio and so on. Perhaps I should encourage him to post them here...

I am looking forward to achieving a greater level of competency in French. It will be nice to say more than some simple phrases, and it will be wonderful to converse about more than just the weather. And using the correct verb tenses will be a bonus, too. ;)