Crepes, Barbies, and Make-Believe

Recipe for a fabulous day? 1 cup sunshine, 1 cup English language, a single 3 year old French girl, and a pinch of make-believe.

 I visited K's house today in order to spend some time with her daughter N.
K speaks English fluently (her husband speaks it a pretty well also) but she still has the normal French accent absent of the 'th' sound, 'h' sound, full of liaisons between words ending and beginning in vowels, etc. My role is half babysitter/half English teacher for her 3 year old little girl. This morning was the first attempt for all three of us see how the idea would work out, whether N. would catch on to speaking English with me, or whether her 3 year old self would get fed up with the non-French speaking stranger in her house.

During the first thirty minutes of the morning N. gazed at me non-stop. Then, while her mother was dressing her for the day, as if she'd made up her little mind about me, N thrust a socked foot in my lap, pointed and said, "Voyez les petits coeurs la?" (See the little hearts there?). "Yes I do see the little hearts. They are pink. They are pretty." From that moment on N. and I were friends. I'm sure it helped our meeting when I threw her up into the air a few times and tickled her tiny feet a bit. We played with her doll house and the little plastic family that came with it. Many make-believe adventures were had! Over the course of the morning she picked up, "Again please." "I'm here." "Where are you?" and "Take." She repeated tons of other things and even showed off the numbers (1-5) in English and the primary colors.

For lunch, K. taught me how to make crepes without measurements (flour, eggs, skim milk, butter (if you want it), (a bit of sugar or vanilla also if you want) - then mix and mix - if consistency isn't thin and soupy add more milk till it is). N. and I split a regular crepe and one with Nutella. For the actual meal K. served up plates of ham & cheese crepes with green beans and bacon on the side. It was scrumptious!

After lunch N., K., and I played with Barbies, blocks, and a 'My Little Pony' horse, but soon it was time for me to be at University for the day. We made plans for me to come back on Friday for the afternoon and dinner. Then it was off to four hours of class to complete my long, but amazing day.

I thank the Lord that He has blessed me with good classes and professors this semester, french friends, and  this French family that seems to be taking me under its wing. I can see now that I will be sad to go in May.

~Tam in Toulouse