Bye-bye summer

School begins again for Kenny and Peter this coming Monday.  We're trying to gradually ratchet down their currently very late bedtimes.  My theory is that the most effective way of doing this is just to wake them up earlier in the morning (possible), instead of trying to force them to sleep when they're not tired (impossible).

The beginning of the school year, or rentrée in French, is much more relaxed here.  No letters from the school at all, no school supply lists, nothing, which makes me think I've missed something.  But after talking to a few other parents, that's the way it is, though you may get a letter from the teacher the first few weeks of school asking you to buy a few things.  But there's no monster back-to-school sales, no massive lists, nothing like that.  In Peter's class last year, he needed some thin-soled slippers, kind of like ballet slippers, which they wear in a gym/dance type class, and also an art smock, and some tissues.  That was it.  For Kenny's class, there was nothing, though I'm inclined to think that was because the teacher was not as engaged.  He's getting a new teacher this year, and I'm happy that Peter is staying with the same teacher, whom we've been very happy with.  Last year she was very involved, arranged a parent potluck, and even sent Peter a personalized letter during the summer thanking him for the stuffed animal Peter gave her the last day of school.

My in-laws just left a few days ago after their visit.  We really enjoyed having them here, did a lot of day trips in the area, and the boys miss them tremendously.  I think our favorite trip with them was to the Signal de Bougy, a  huge park area up in the hills west of Nyon with playgrounds, animals, views, picnic areas, and also an adventure rope park where the kids were roped into harnesses and were able to clamber through the trees, and then descend again via ziplines.  They loved it, and next time I'm going to be up there in the trees with them!