Summary

C left to go home on Friday after spending 3 weeks in our home. I need to summarize how the Julie McCoy school of entertaining went because it has been spinning around in my head and I need some closure.

I wanted to take in a french student because I was fortunate enough to live with a wonderful family in Avignon for 3 weeks during my sophmore year of college. During the day, the 8 of us that were there, met for french lessons in the morning and then could spend the afternoon exploring. Nights and weekends were spent with my host family. They introduced me to the whole family at a rockin' family dinner, took me into the mountains and to historic sites. I knew I wanted that opportunity for my own kids some day and I hoped I could return the favor to some french kids. So fast forward 20 years and I am able to offer my home to a french student for the first time.

At first, I was nervous because, since I am still a 'kid', I couldn't believe another family was trusting me with their 14 year old. Then I looked in the mirror and remembered I was 41, and thought I am probably an adult by now. We exchanged emails with C and her family for a few months before she came. She sounded up for anything that we were going to throw at her. The girls and I brainstormed on places that we could take her, that would be fun and meaningful. I did not really receive any 'direction' from the People to People program on what was expected of me. I just figured she needed to hear a lot of english and see what an American family is about.

My girls had a great time playing tourist for the 3 weeks. We went to Water Wizz, Heritage Plantation, Plymouth Plantation, Chatham Fish Pier, out to a nice family dinner, mini golf, go-karts, NH (Story Land and Attitash), horse back riding and the beaches and pool.

I could have done more.

But many things were boring.

Yup, that's what she said amongst other things.

Water Wizz was the one place I made her pay with her own money. (That was another thing, I didn't know how much she came with and how much I was suppose to pay. I got $150 a week for having her. After seeing an email she sent (in french) to her family, I got the idea that she was horrified that she spent that much and was apologizing to her parents). The most fun thing at Heritage Plantation was the Carousel, museums were boring. At Plymouth Plantation, K, B and I were having fun going in and out of the little homes in the old english village and listening to some of the 'settlers' speak. We would walk into a house and she would say, "Oh look another house, it is the same, I will sit outside."The fish pier was "smelly" and half way through she went to sit in the truck instead of watching DH manuever his boat in and unload the day's catch. She went to the final day of the town Rec program with K and B where there were big blow up bouncy things, burgers, games etc... K said she mostly sat and read her book.

Her favorite thing of the whole trip was going to Story Land.

That and horseback riding. I think she would have been happy to have slept in the barn with the horses and hung out there for the 3 weeks.

So I am wondering,
are most 14 year olds from France a little immature?
unappreciative?
too young for this type of experience?

Or were my expectations wrong.

I repeatedly told my girls that if they ever went to stay with another family and told them things were boring I would kick their asses! They couldn't understand why she was bored either. They were having a blast!

I am actually feeling a little guilty for not taking her to Boston, to a band concert in Chatham, to Provincetown, but honestly when someone does not appreciate the hoop jumping I was doing, it just didn't seem worth it.

She even had the nerve to tell me that my house was messy. Um yeah, I moved in a month before you got here and it's summer, so who wants to put stuff away in a sweltering house when you could be at the beach?

It wasn't all negative. She and the girls got along great. She taught them some french. She made a cake one night. She did ask if she could help a lot. And her english improved enough to know when I was being sarcastic. And she seemed really happy with all the pictures (600) I took of her adventures in America.

Will I do this again, yes, of course. Will it be next summer, probably not. Will I find out more about what the expectations of me as host family will be, you bet. I am mostly happy for what my girls got out of the experience: an older sister, a contact in France, and the realization that being appreciative goes a long way.

Parlez vous francais?

First, tomorrow is the big school committee election! I will be holding my sign (with my posse), waving at people and smiling all day tomorrow in front of the polling place. I will admit, I am a little nervous!

Anyway, tonight I went to a friend's house to meet with 2 lovely people from France about having some french children stay at our houses during the summer. I sent out an email to some friends to test the water to see if anyone wanted to come to this informational meeting. One of my good friends who reads my blog religiously, but only comments via email wrote, "I would be afraid to bring anyone into my home with a moody husband, a teen who has mood swings like a woman and a nine year old with a mouth like a truck driver and a psycho for a mother". Hmmm, not a good enough excuse Corinna! I could kind of relate to what she wrote. My fear is that a kid from France would find Cape Cod rather boring. Not much city life here, no drinking at the age of 12, we pretty much go to the beach and read in the summer.... Why would anyone want to come here?

I wonder if the family I stayed with in France had these same doubts. I stayed with the Nougier's in Avignon when I was a sophmore in college for 3 weeks. They were the loveliest family with 3 kids. 2 of their kids eventually came over to the states and stayed with us for a bit of time. We stayed in touch for many years after and then sadly enough, lost touch. It was definitely one of the best experiences of my life! So yes, I will open up my home to another child, whether this summer or next, because I believe that living in another culture is one of the best learning experiences one can have. It is not only great for the child from abroad, but opens up your own childrens' eyes to what is beyond our state. So, the laundry may be all over the kitchen table and the dishes piled in the sink, but that child will feel all the love an American family has to give and remember the experience for a lifetime.