Most of my working days start in the afternoon when I pick up the 3-year-old boy from the school after 4 pm. (Yes, I have no more need to sleep early and wake up early, which gives a chance to spend more time with H in the evenings.) After the school the kid likes to be a lot in the parks, so we mostly go home around 6 o'clock just to cook and start eating before the parents come home. And usually the parents also pick up the 1-year-old little sister from the nursery, so I really am mostly in charge of the big brother only. Sometimes if the parents cannot make it on time, I will also pick up the sister and start feeding both of the kids before their parents arrive. Cooking food and simultaneously watching after two little kids is one of the biggest challenges I have in this job. On day I needed to get the kids to bed, too. Feeding and bathing them went surprisingly smoothly (since the little sister is easily cranky if tired) but getting them to fall asleep was a bit more difficult. I had been told beforehand that they first let the girl fall asleep and then they put the big brother to bed because otherwise the kids like to play together in the common room. But the little sister didn't stay quietly laying in bed if I was not with her, and if I let the brother to be alone outside the room, he started to cry after the parents. Eventually, I took the boy and hold the sobbing child in my lap while watching the sister trying to fall asleep. I sang many kid songs both in English and in Finnish, also to prevent the kids from speaking or playing together. After half an hour the sister fell asleep and I read books and washed dishes with the brother and then somehow managed to convince him to go to bed even though the parents had not come yet. All in all, I was quite happy how smoothly the first full evening with them went.
 |
| This is what I see every day when I head home from work. |
The boy doesn't still often understand what I am saying because I have decided to use only English with him. There has been a couple of times when I was very close to explaining something in French (because of a more difficult situation) but I could still avoid it. But I can already see some progress after just four weeks. I am happy he now understands the words "mommy" and "daddy" since he couldn't really get it on the first days when I told that they come soon. And he likes to repeat things since the first week, as well. Yesterday was the first time he replies to me straight in English by saying "yes" in stead of "oui". I was so happy! On Wednesdays we get to practice his language more because I work full day from 8:30 am until 7 pm.
 |
| One day we went to see a puppet show with another boy who also has a nanny speaking English. We met them once in the park and right away we thought it would be fun to have play dates for the boys and we have met them a few times afterwards. The boys get along well and I like talking to the other nanny. It's almost like having a colleague and besides, we are almost in the same kind of life situation. |
 |
| This mölkky box is used as a toy box in a tennis club where "my kid" started this week. French people really like playing the Finnish game Mölkky. |
So my life is very different now than it was last spring. I also have more time of my own outside work, too, which has made it possible to try to find more social life and hobbies. This week I became a student again! I wanted to get some new motivation for learning Vietnamese and tried to find a course or a teacher for me. Finding a course would have been maybe better since it's also more social but it was easier to find a private tutor. On Tuesday morning I took a tram to the 13th district of Paris where I spent one hour with a Vietnamese person who luckily speaks English. I hope I get some more courage to use the language and also to develop my pronunciation and vocabulary. I'm looking forward to the next Tuesday.
I got to be a student also for a second time during this week. I had talked with H already for a longer time that we should go to some dance lessons. He wanted to take West coast swing classes so we finally googled where to find swing dance in Paris. Yesterday evening we met at Intensive Danse where they were supposed to have teaching for swing and Lindy hop before a free dancing night. The lesson was only about Lindy hop but we enjoyed it very much! The music and the dance moves made me feel like being in an old movie or something. We hope that the small amount of participants doesn't prevent the evenings continuing in the future. The teacher was very nice as well, and Thursday is perfect for us since neither of us has any other plans for it nor do we have to wake up early on the next morning. And boy, it felt good to dance and be on a dance class again! It's fun to learn something new!
I got more active on the web page Conversation exchange again, as well. I think I have more time and energy to meet new people and practice languages. Possibly I'll find new friends from there. I have to say that I finally start to be a bit excited about my life in France. I'm finding my own things here and everything seems more enjoyable than some time ago. (I still don't see myself living here for years and years. But let's say that I might be okay staying until the next summer...)
 |
| One part of my life is to go once or twice a week to throw back all the balls that fly over the fence from the school yard next to our garden. |
 |
| We have been married for over a month with H now. The below drawings show how each of us pictured our wedding. |
Ei kommentteja:
Lähetä kommentti