"The way does not lead to happiness; the way IS happiness"

I think the nightmare is ending. I THINK. It seems as though the charges have stopped, and that is a very nice thing.

In addition, I saw T's play last night which was fantastic! It was a short montage of a bunch of small scenes that took place on a train platform. He was with his real life ex-girlfriend (he is 11) and she was a super irritating worry-wart who kept freaking out while he was calmly and patronizingly responding to her nonsense. Hilarious and well-played! I was proud :)

Yesterday, I also had the kids help me with a bunch of stuff while babysitting, which was sweet because they did it and they seemed to have fun (thank you, Tom Sawyer)! Annnddd I got two of them to eat stuff they don't like (fish and peaches)!!!! I had to promise not to tell their parents because they don't want to set a new precedent, of course, but I was DELIGHTED! Haha I'm such a mean babysitter... but I was surprised to realize how much I care. And here I thought I was so cool and distant -- hahaha. WRONG.

I'm almost finished reading a fantastic book about a teenage girl who does a high school report on homelessness in France and in the process befriends a girl that she ends up trying to take care of. SO GOOD.

OOH! And I forgot one of the best parts of the day. I came home from a short trip to town (phone store, bank, then to La Brûlerie for iced tea) and the parents of the Host Mom were here visiting. I sat outside with them for an hour or so talking about all kinds of stuff (mostly listening, but TOTALLY HAPPY to understand like 98% of what was happening) and of course we talked about My Future. The grandma said something like, "Well, you'll just have to marry a French boy and stay here!" and I said, "I would like that very much, but you'll have to start looking for me and let me know if you find someone." And the grandpa who is a short donut of a man with a thick pepprecorn handlebar mustache and laugh lines like tissue paper around firefly eyes said, "Oh a girl as mignonne as you will have no problem" and touched my chin like I was five and part of their family, and it made me LAUGH like you wouldn't believe.

What can I say? I'm a sucker for sweet talk and old French men with mustaches :) Haha if he had a bicycle, a little cap and a baguette tucked under his arm I would be lost.

Today I'm going to be productive! I have stuff everywhere that isn't packed or organized, I don't even know what I'm going to be able to take and what I have to leave, so I need to figure that out. I have to finish (start?) the gift for my host family, and I have class this afternoon. I also need to go buy stuff for my picnic tomorrow with school.

YAY! I feel happy and full of hope! I'm soaking up every bit of French goodness that I can, and making the most of every single minute. :)

J'adore la france.