Observations upon babysitting

Month old French kittens in the jardin. There were 4, but only 3 are in this photo because mama cat wasn't letting me too close.

Misty, don't be jealous, dear; I'm not cheating on you with French kitties. I promise!

Exams are over and life at the Alliance Française is going nicely! I am meeting amazing people (e.g. a Hungarian law graduate, a Jordanian woman raising kids in France while her husband completes medical training here, a Chinese film director, a Mexican computer programmer, an Irish nurse, etc.) and learning, even if not 100% enough to understand this culture. Nonetheless, for the second time since in France I accepted an offer to babysit. I understood the kids much better than the first time. I marvel at how much in these past couple of weeks I am grasping more and more; language acquisition is a phenomenal process. Query: are little kids this thrilled when they become able to convey new ideas in their mother tongue?! As my French improves, it is like an image on television slowly coming into focus, or like tuning a viola and finally hitting the right pitch.

So, Saturday night Geraldine and her husband went to a concert in Paris, I looked after their five-year-old Hortence-- Ok. I appreciate cultural differences in naming, and as Shakespeare aptly observed (see Romeo and Julliet) a rose would smell just as sweet if named something else...but!?-- and her twelve and thirteen-year-old brothers Ambroise and Gregoire. Though not an au pair-- thanks for incessantly asking-- I must have some "expertise" to share, having now babysat for two French families; thus, some observations:

(1) "Cacao" is evidentally universal. So is "Nesquick."

(2) Dora (la exploratrice) is also universal. BUT...um...chers français, my Dora speaks English and Español. My Dora does not speak Français! Hortence was adorable; when her maman introduced us she was initially shy, but then we discovered we had Dora in common. Then, after her parents left she would not let me out of her sight and wanted to be BFFs (best friends forever). Until....

(3) Well, let's just say that all five-year-olds are the same:

Me: "à ta chambre?" [To your room?] "Tu es prête à dormir?" [Ready to sleep?]

Hortence: "Non! laissez-moi tranquille" [Leeeeeemee alone!]


*Her eyelids get heavy, but she keeps fighting sleeeeeep*


Me: "Mais, c'est mieux dans ta chambre!? Vas-y!" [But it's better in your room! Go along!]


Hortence: "Non!"


*She proceeds to fall asleep on the living room couch with the Dora blanket.*