Un bon chocolat chaud

A wet but warmer day. After taking Alice to school, we enjoyed our morning french lesson with Olga. For the first hour we practise conversation and try to tell her the events of the week, and we discuss what we could have said etc. The second hour is more formal and structured. We always have a bit of a giggle though. Olga seems to want us to do some evaluation or test next week to see what level we're at.

After lunch, M and I did the weekend shopping, then called in to buy more gravel to try to keep on top of the mud (literally). We always ask for one of the healthy young (younger than us anyway) strong assistants (usually male but I'm trying not to be sexist) to help us lift the two big heavy sacks into the car. As we thanked him, he said "bonne journée" and whilst I usually reply with a "vous aussi" I was wondering how I might say "same to you" as I thought I heard the lady at La Poste say something like that to me this morning when I collected a parcel. I asked M what he thought. He said it was silly to say it back to them as they weren`t going anywhere!! Oh dear. He seemed to think it meant the same as "bon voyage". Yes folks, that`s the level of our french! He now knows it means "have a nice day"!

We checked out the offers at Lidl and we came away with a radio controlled weather station! One of my impulse gadget buys. I spent the next couple of hours trying to set it up, which involved tying the anenometer to a fence post with string and gaffer tape. Not the most elegant, and to be honest, it's not working too well at the moment! I know it needs to be a lot higher, but there's no way I'm going near the roof, and M wouldn't even get out of the door! The other measurements seem to be working though :-)

We all went to the church opposite Alice's school this evening to hear the children sing some Christmas songs. Alice wanted to take her Christmas hat, but I wasn't sure what is usual or acceptable here. I told her to keep it in her pocket and only put it on if others were wearing one - and not to turn on the flashing lights on it! The church was locked when we got there, and everyone was waiting outside until the door was opened 5 minutes before the start. Alice went out the front with all the children, but she was a bit tearful until her own teacher arrived (far right in photo). Alice pulled the hat out of her pocket, and her teacher put it on her head. Then she was all smiles. Oh dear - flashing lights too! The only christmas hat in the church! She really seemed to enjoy it, dancing at times - especially to her favourite song "un bon chocolat chaud". It was lovely at the end when the children received a standing ovation. I'm pleased I didn't shout "encore!" because the locals were shouting something quite different! (which may have been "bis!")

The photo is the whole school, with very few absentees - but notably Nicolas.

Other than Alice's hat, there was no indication that it's Christmas. Only one song was 'Christmassy' - "Noel en Russie".

Whilst we were at the concert here in France, J was playing in the annual GCOS concert at home in Guernsey, with Mum and N in the audience. I think this is the first time I've missed the Christmas concert :-(