AAaaahhh WEEKEND COMING UP

So we made it through a whole week of school, well almost the kids come out in an hour.  Samuel started French lessons in english this week at another school and will do that 2 mornings a week.  He loves it, I think mainly because he has 5 little people to converse in English with.  Benjamin is fine but lonely at school.  The two of them rely on each other for friendship at the moment which is never a bad thing.  I have settled into my new and now CLEAN house.  I can't wait for our stuff to arrive so I can put all our familar things around us.  Manu has two weeks off so is moving things, tidying things, cleaning things - you know Manu.  Weather wise it's about 6 C in the mornings and 15 C in the day, so a bit cooler than last week and lots of rainy days too.  Can't wait to have a weekend together to go out and explore.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL - click on images to enlarge

Samuel coming back from running with his class

BACK ON LINE

THE MOVE……..went well although Manu had to go to work as his boss flew in on a surprise visit for the weekend. I’m beginning to think Manu hates moving as he never seems to be around when it happens. So the house is great although I didn’t think that when I first go here, it was filthy, so I’ve been cleaning for over a week and discovered that the French love JAVAL, otherwise known as BLEACH. It’s all you find in the cleaning aisles. So my clothes are pretty much JAVALED!!!!!!!!!




SCHOOL…………went well and the opposite of what I thought. Benjamin hated his first day and refused to go back after lunch, Samuel loved his first day and flew back after lunch. Now they’re settling in and all is well. Samuel started Jujitsu which is a form of Martial Art, he loves it. His teacher is Anabel – black belt 4th dan, frightening. He also started at another school, twice a week in the mornings where all the lessons are translated from French to English which is helping him catch the language quicker and he has 7 English friends. Benjamin I fear is going to take longer to settle in – a little loner at the moment, but not unhappy I think he just needs to find his niche.



MANU…….has been working like a slave, 7am to 11pm with no break as long as the boss is here. He’s gone now so HOLIDAY and lovely groceries – I get all the leftover perishables so we have cheese, cheese and cheese. MMMmmm what’s for dinner UUuuuuuummmmmmmm CHEESE.



FRANCE……..is ok, rainy days at the moment, finding the people a mix of friendly and not, so similar to Cape Town, not my home though but I’m working on it. Hard without wheels especially when Manu works 5 days at a time, I feel somewhat isolated, this is not a big village. I went to the information office today and on the door is the weather in French and English. So they got up to Wednesday next week and after that it just says……..wet and cold days to follow. And they say the French don’t have a sense of humor.



Well that’s it for now, still waiting for our stuff to arrive and then I think I’ll be able to settle a bit better, shouldn’t be too long now, Laura is bringing it – HMS LAURA that is.

DRIVE ON THE RIGHT!

Well second day of driving on the right and I must say Manu is sitting less on my lap than yesterday as I am driving less on the pavement.  Not an easy thing changing from left to right.  Moving tomorrow so no blog for a while as France Telekom take their sweet time to move the line and you guys thought Telkom was bad, ha ha.  Pizza for supper - it seems to be the movers choice.  Not so much packing involved today though and I even had a sleep but still battling flu so used that as an excuse.  Boys to school on Thursday, nervous and excited for them but mostly can't wait to be in my home.  Stepping on each others toes in this tiny holiday pad.  Autumn arriving fast and even the locals were in hats and scarves at the park, the wind chill is hectic with Mount Blanc looming over us I'm not sure if I'm going to cope with -19C and snow, as I can't cope with 10C wind chill - to me it is winter.  But all things said, so nice to have my family together feels like we are a team again and INVINCIBLE.

Mmmmm

Chocolates my mother-in-law bought for me to ease the
 pain of living in France - it's working.

A Cafe nougat I bought in the bakery at Combloux, equivalent to a days worth
of groceries in monetary value but worth it.

COMBLOUX

So spent the morning walking through Combloux, it has an eco pool that is cleaned purely by the water plants that act as a filter around the swiming area.  The only one in France and right above the valley.  Just beautiful. 

The kids had fun in the park afterwards with slides, swings and lots of string bridges etc.  This is a childrens paradise.

SAT 28/08/10

It's such a lazy day here in Praz as it's raining again. We went to Megeve to view the market but laugh of the day - it was yesterday - so we'll catch up with that next FRIDAY. Seems like I've lost a day in the week and been cheated. Now that I am fully aware it's Saturday we are really slacking off.


Went and bought some fish from Supermarche for dinner so tonight we'll be trying Perche.

School next week and you can tell, so quiet everywhere and only local number plates - we are 74, seems everyone has returned home and left the Autumn for the locals. A lot cooler today but the trees still green and no sign of changing colour.

Starting to pack up for our move into our new Apartment next week and I am so happy to have all the boxes Manu has collected from work. Nothing like storing medicine in VERA WANG shoe boxes. Looks all very chic I must say.

Our new appartment, we are located on the far right, 1st and top floor with the ground floor only being occupied in winter for skiing tourists, so nice and quiet.  Our balconies are located around the other side and the river runs along the back of the chalet .  Also in spitting distance to play park and schools.  Click on pic for a better view.