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.
Today is the Bastille Festival here in Portland--it's one of the largest French festivals on the West Coast. This is the second year it will be held outside the Portland Art Museum. It might rain, but we'll attend anyhow! I'll be back to share photos on Monday, but in the meantime, here are a few links for the weekend:
Read MoreBonjour! Oh my, it's been too long since I've posted here, and I'm sorry. Even when I'm not writing, I'm constantly thinking about what I can share with you next--resources that would be helpful, thoughts to help us sort out family life together in this messy world . . . so merci for staying with me through the quieter periods. Today's post simply has some fun and informative weekend links, but I'll be back next week with more about homeschooling in French (along with some of the English resources my family uses too). I'll also be posting some of my children's favorite French iPad apps. In the meantime, read on:
It's been months since I last shared some weekend links, mostly because I avoid posting content unless I think you'll find it relevant or insightful, and I just hadn't come across many good articles online. But with the New Year, there's a lot of fresh, motivational content out there--content about recipes, parenting, humor, and bilingualism, so read on!
Read MoreBonjour les amis! We are solidly into summer and my family is spending this week on the coast of Oregon. I love the Pacific panorama here and the unexpected gifts of the sea. (We spotted a seal pup on the sand today!) Have you had a summer family getaway yet? I hope this weekend gives you an opportunity to put your feet up and soak up the season's gifts. Here the some weekend links that I collected to inspire, enlighten, and entertain you:
Read MoreYesterday my children had a French playdate at our home, and afterwards my mother-in-law dropped off some homemade Thai food. Later, my husband arrived home early and made dinner for some students who stopped by while I was planting raspberry canes in the backyard. Quelle bonne journée! I hope you have some equally lovely moments this weekend as you make the jump into June. Enjoy these weekend links I compiled for you:
Read MoreI'm so grateful it's Friday! We've had painters working at our home all week, painting the trim, the doors, the hall, and the entry. (We used to do our own painting, but it's quite the challenge once you have preschoolers about.) We slept elsewhere for a night, and had to sleep with fumes and restless cats the other nights (the interior doors were removed for painting), so we're intensely grateful that our home is once again a place of peace--now with a few fresh coats of paint.
How was your week? Did you encounter any April Fools' gags? (I enjoyed reading about April Fools' Day Traditions Around the World on a recent post from Maria at Trilingual Mama). In France, April 1st is called Poisson d'Avril, and vintage postcards from this day are quite entertaining:
Read MoreThe weekend is here! We had a busy day at the Children's Museum today (pictured above), but I'm thinking of taking my children to see the Rose City Classic Dog Show here in Portland tomorrow. (I've never owned a dog, nor do we have enough room for one, but my children would love the show!) If we go, I'll try to post a photo or two on my Instagram account. In the meantime, enjoy these links I've collected for you!
Read MoreBonjour, mes amis! I hope your hearts are full and your Christmas was memorable. I didn't plan to take a break from writing this past week, but ultimately it seemed best to focus on the significance of Christmas, family time, and sleep!
My family celebrates Christmas somewhat atypically: my parents and siblings haven't exchanged gifts for years; instead, we focus on quality time together over slow meals and a neighborhood walk. Yet in my husband's family, everyone buys gifts for every child, and all gifts are opened at once in a flurry of noisy excitement. The difference in family celebrations is amusing, but I enjoy the contrast!
Read More