Carpe Diem!

A few weeks ago on one of the rare nice days Twinks asked me if we could put up the swimming pool (glorified paddling pool would be more accurate!), which we duly did and the boys had a nice time splashing about in freezing water.
Later they took off their swimmies to get dry  and put their pants back on before playing at other things.

I went indoors to start to get things ready for the next day and from upstairs I could hear Mini-Twinks jumping on the trampoline and chatting (a very loose term) to our retired neighbours.  Imagine my horror to hear "mme Favier - regarde mon cul" (roughly translated as Mme Favier - look at my arse) - emerging from the mouth of my 5 year old, as he gaily jumped on the trampoline and flashed his backside at previously stated retired neighbour!!

Retelling the tale to some friends who believe (oh so very wrongly) that Mini-Twinks is the calmer child, it led us to a discussion about the different types of language the boys hear and are subjected to.  Our friends had difficulty in believing that he simply would not have been able to say the same sentence, just as rudely in English but the reality is that, in our house "pants" is a swear word and they boys are not subjected to bad language (except when they go on roller coasters with me, or watch Jonny English). I am not sure how they are going aquire this vocabulary - my husband laughs at the fact that I worry about this!

However, here we have a prime example of the only disadvantage of a small school where 100 children with an age range of between 2.5 and 11 mix - the amount of french swear words my children know is seriously impressive - but it is the same as everyone else.

So here we have the rub - is it better that they have a reduced vocabulary but stand out, or a ruder vocabulary but are the same as their friends?  As ever, for me it is all about balance.  They can know these words it is just knowing when it is appropriate to use them.  Clearly with our next-door neighbours it is not, but  is that is more difficult to teach them what tone and vocabulary is appropriate when we don't speak french with them on a regular basis.

July blues

Last week I was in hospital for a planned ear operation, after which I need peace and quiet - not easy with 2 small twinks running around the gaff, so we shipped them off to Scotland for the longest they have ever been sent away for - 2 whole weeks!!

10 days into it all and I have been comparing how they have dealt with it all..


Twinks (8), and  a bit more aware of life around him (and the fact that he was being got rid of) didn't talk on the phone and ignored us all - that is until he knew I was back from the hospital and then he has chattered on as normal and has even being discussing his University and career options with his Grandma and whether or not he can do it all in Scotland!

Mini-Twinks (6) on the other hand got off to a better start and carried on chatting his "random bollocks" (as his father calls them) happily.  Then we received our postcard  and then finally yesterday he sobbed down the phone that he wanted to come home and missed us all... only 4 more sleeps now!

Café Anglais

Last week mini-twinks and I went for the first time to what was called a "café anglais" in Audruicq - basically a group of people meeting in a café for an hour or so every month and having a chat in english.  Nothing shocking there - except that we live in the north of France and all, bar one other man were french.

I went expecting to  answer more questions than I asked, and I was right, although I do think several people would have liked to quiz mini-twinks in french as well (but that would have been against the rules)  to check my assertions that he was bilingual.  In all it is a mixed bunch of people with mixed reasons for being there.  A couple of people were on the town's twinning committee and just wanted to get more out of the experience.  Another man was interested in local history which is very linked to the UK and he found that he had to go to London at least once a year and felt his english was getting rusty and wanted to bring it up to scratch.  Everyone came just to enjoy some (fairly) random english conversation and a drink.  Noone broke the rules (there are only 2 - don't talk french and buy a drink from the bar) and came with ideas about what to discuss.

Min-twinks had a great time - he didn't speak much but did confide in my ear that one of the women needed to practise more!!  Roll on next month!


photo courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net image by Nicholas Tarling
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