What I have learned in France thus far:

• Assume France has everything that America has. Don't ask questions such as, ''Does France have a stock market like the US?'' Because your response will be, "of course.", accompanied by a look filled with 'what a stupid American you are.' (With saying that, realize though France does not have readily avalaible peanut butter though, since it is considered a foreign food)
• The way to get a 19 month old to stop misbehaving is far different than you get an extremely active 4 year old to stop misbehaving. When trying to get a 19 month old to stop trying to claw you to death with overgrown nails, you must try to restrain her, and distract her by leading her to another toy. Thank God for the short term memories of toddlers. When trying to stop a 4 year old from running into the busy 8 lane street, don't say you will call the police and he will never see his family or toys again when he is in prision, for he will think this would be fun. After all, he is in a way almost attempting suicide by trying to run into traffic, so of course by threatening that he will never see everything you assume he loves again will not phase the little devil. You must instead try to make him feel superior to you in another way. He must also think you are a stupid American as his parents do, and enjoy the opportunity to teach you French words. So you must say, ''Samuel, what is (car, red, shoe, ect.) in Francais?'' and he will gladly grab your hand and teach you, without realizing that, in fact, the American is not so stupid after all, though she just saved the devil. (Editor's note: I don't really think this child is the devil, but it makes the story more entertaining.)
• When a beggar on the train mistakes you for someone who knows French, it feels like a huge accomplishment. When passing out cards that beg for euros, there is a French and English side. The beggar judges you on your appearance and mannerisms and hands you the card with the language he believes you speak accordingly. After receiving countless English side up cards, and being offended due to all of my efforts to not appear foreign, I finally got one French side up! So at least to a homeless, jobless beggar, I appeared French, and for that, I am happy.
• When trying to keep all the children from getting hurt, you usually end up with more boo-boo's than if you had not interfered at all. This morning Samuel shut Elsa's fingers in the door. While trying to console the screaming Elsa, and keep the terror from doing any more harm, I began a pushing contest to shut the door and keep Samuel out. In the process, his elbow got caught and thus I had 2 screaming, hurt kids. Whoever knew how dangerous doors could be.Well in the process, a newly returned Benjamin looked on between watching his hours of Bakugan on the computer and decided to take the opportunity to run to his showering mother and tattle on the horrible pain I was inflicting on the kids while trying to avoid injuries. Thanks Benjamin. I then realized I had no reason to defend myself to Sandrine, for I did nothing wrong. Therefore, I let her deal wth her screaming kids, and I retired to my room to read.
• It takes an army to raise these children. On top of the parents, there are 3 people hired to care for the kids, with that alone, adults outnumber the kids, 5-4. Then in addition, Sandrine's mother and J-F parents help out a lot, bring the score up to 8-4, a ratio of 2 adults to every kid. And even with all of that, the job seems impossible. The kids run the house, so in reality it feels like each kid gets 2 adults to command. For this experience alone, I do not think I will be having kids any time soon. Family life, is appearing to look far better from the outside.

XOXO,
Mandy

PS- Disney was fun!