Purposeful family living - with a French twist
Bonjour! I'm Michele Cherie: francophile, teacher, writer, runner, wife, and mama to five children. I'm a non-native French speaker from the West Coast, USA. My husband and I recently relocated our family to Alsace, France. IntentionalMama shares our bilingual journey and resources for a culturally-rich family life.
As a non-native French speaker in America, I find that using French with my children provokes amusing responses from others. Never mind that I'm a certified French teacher--when family members first heard me speak to my children, they stared at me like I'd walked into the room dressed as Marie Antoinette with her signature wig. Some of my in-laws hadn't even realized I knew French, apparently.
Read MoreNearly three years have passed since my husband and I last went on a couple's getaway without a newborn baby along, so this last weekend was refreshing! FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) invited former major league baseball player José and Michelle Alvarez to speak to more than a hundred of us coaches & spouses. Located at the Skamania Lodge in Washington, the weekend included impressive meals and some free time to enjoy the pool and spa. An honest look at one's marriage is so crucial for couples! Here are the thoughts this weekend stirred up in me:
Read MoreWe are blessed to live in an age when technology brings the world's citizens into more closely linked relationships than ever before. Tied by technology and travel, we are realizing the increasing impact that each person can have. As parents, teachers, and mentors, we need to influence children to be peacemakers.
5 life lessons that influence children to be peacemakers:
Read MoreMes amis, do you vaguely remember the film Le Ballon Rouge (The Red Balloon) from your childhood? I recently watched it again with my children and was reminded how heartwarming it is. Honestly, it's the perfect little film for February, especially if you love Paris, childhood nostalgia, and stories with magical realism.
Read MoreDon't you find bilingual families fascinating? I plan to feature a bilingual or multilingual family once per month here at Intentional Mama because we have so much to learn from their experience. Families with French as their minority language will be the focus, but Spanish and other languages will find a place here too.
Here's where you come in, dear readers: First, if you or anyone you know might be willing to be featured, please leave a message for me below or email me at michele@intentionalmama.com. I know people can be leery of sharing information online, so I can definitely leave out names and locations if that's a concern.
Second, what questions would you like to ask parents who are raising bilingual children? What are your doubts and concerns? What resources or information would you love to find?
Read MoreHave you ever returned from a trip with a desire to live differently? International travel in particular is a catalyst for life change. It provides a view of life rearranged, of priorities and resources altogether different from those at home.
I was blessed to be able to study and travel abroad frequently in my twenties. In Sri Lanka, I observed women sewing shirts priced higher than their annual salary. In Jordan, a family prepared me a meal so savory and generous that my stomach will never be so full again. In France, I grew accustomed to a life in balance, where Sundays for most families consisted of a noontime meal, a nap, leisure time outdoors, and a quality movie on national television.
Read MoreWhether you'd like to be a more frugal foodie or if you'd simply prefer fewer trips to the grocery store, there's a solution that you'll love: find a local farm to support, and in return you can take home a weekly share of the harvest. My family joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program four years ago, and now we associate summer with delightful weekly visits to our farm. (It feels a bit like having a zoo membership, due to the animals we get to observe and feed!)
I'm so grateful that my children will grow up with memories of a family farm and an awareness of where their vegetables are grown (besides those from our small backyard garden). And how long would it have taken otherwise for my four-year old daughter to have discovered that she loves artichokes?
Read MoreThe best stay-at-home mama moments are often the hours spent with my children outside. Today my daughter begged to find an indoor play area, but ultimately we went to a tiny park where my children left the play structure to climb a nearby ridge. The ridge led into an undeveloped housing project of paved streets and empty lots. I followed my children up the hillside and we squatted to inspect mushrooms, then smiled at a terrier and his owner. Our amble led us to another small park where eight young boys played informal football with no adults in sight. I was glad to see them outside.
In his book Last Child in the Woods (which I reviewed here), author Richard Louv highlights how seldom children play in nature anymore, and how structured playgrounds do not provide the same kind of learning and stimulation as a natural environment.
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