Gone....

So the trip is well and truly underway.

A huge life change for all of us, one that was in some sort of way in the making for a while, but kept being postponed…

We left home a month ago now…

Put all our belongings in a storage unit, ended our lease and have moved into the bus.

It’s been slow so far, we have taken more than enough time to sit back and relax, driving very little each day or none at all…baby steps…The first few weeks we spent really just sorting our new life out, figuring out where things were going to live, how we were going to operate living in a small space…

I think that side has settled down a bit now.

The challenges have been few for me, I guess I’m used to living in small spaces, used to living on the move, used to no toilets or showers! I have been amazed at the quantity of things we accumulate when living with space or just having the money to spend every week with work income!

We moved in the bus with 3 tubes of tooth paste! One we had at home, one small one was bought as a travel size and one extra one…Just in case…Of what I don’t know!!! It’s been like that with a few other things, making me realize that I just have too many things, that a weekly income also means; let’s spend it on something…Well not for all, I know that I am maybe a bit of a spender…But I am also a saver, and despite the fact that I love to spend and live with lots I also enjoy living with very little and saving!

Little by little these things are going to disappear and in a few months’ time we will have a more realistic idea of how this way of living is going for us…It’s all so fresh and new still!

Rainbow Flow Mandala Weaving!

I have finished the big Mandala weaving!
Its 1meter in diameter, and the truth is that photo can not actually show how big it really is!!


With it also comes the opening of my shop on Blogger, to make it easier for all to just buy right here online and pay via pay-pal!

Artwork by Sarah Morice

Rainbow Flow, Mandala weaving;

 cotton wool and wood. 1m in Diameter.

11colours used, 2000metres of thread used!

Made in Kings Beach, Australia. 2014.

Week 035 to 040 of 325!!!

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In the bath..but washing the bath in more fun!!!

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Having fun at home!

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Posing for my Birthday Dinner Photo!

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Bracelets are Fun!

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Yummmy.....A messy face sure means a yummy treat!

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Raising a Billingual Child - The Parents!

It has now been four years that we have been raising Tullula as a Bilingual child, and so far it has been working out for her!
But how has it been working out for the parents???

So for a little overview of the situation we are in;

• we live in Australia.
• Stephen is Australian, he is a carpenter thus has never had to learn another language living in Australia all his life. He was learning a bit of Spanish when we met, due to the travels he was going to do in Latin America. Reality is that we ended up doing that trip together and with my fluent Spanish his was left aside...Who needs to learn a language when you have your own private translator! But he followed me back to France and realised that being with a French girl in France he better learn French Instead! its true that in the 6 years that we have been together he has learnt more French than he ever would of imagined, but once again; my English is perfect thus we speak English together...
• I am French, and as you see not too bad with languages!!!
• We speak English at home.
• I don't have any Family (French ones) in Australia.

When Tullula was born, we were in the Marquises Islands, and being that they are French Islands, it was natural for me to talk to her in French. I did write a lot about all that in a previous blog post

I still to this day, talk to Tullula in French 100% of the time! I may every now and then slip in an English word when we are in front of someone that's talking to her/us!

Everyone still thinks its such a wonderful thing that I do it, but they are only thinking of Tullula and the skills she is learning...And to be fair they are right!
But I don't think anyone ever actually stops to think what it must be like for me!

Speaking to Tullula all the time in French also means:

• People around us don't understand, thus cant participate.
• People think I don't speak English, so don't really engage with me, and that means I don't make friends very much, or never I could say when I am out and about at parks, birthday parties, toddler activities!
• Some poeple might even make out that I am just rude to do such a thing.
• Some may be intimidated.
• Total Isolation. At home and out.

So reality is that I am in constant isolation, out and about as well as at home...No one ever understands so its just Tullula and I all the time...
I do know another French couple, and it so nice for me to spend time with them, as its the only place where I can be myself-French interact with my child and be social all the while being understood and we become a unit all together!
If I did not have that, it would be a real nightmare...

I have had moments, not long ago where I have felt like its all just too much for me...I get tired of being isolated, of not being understood by the poeple around us, by being left out of social groups!
Knowing that if I was to just switch to English all would be easier at home as well!
Yet, I really love the fact that Tullula is doing so well, and I love the fact that she CAN speak French...And I really want her to be able to live in France later on in life!

So I have to just accept the situation I am in...
In all fact I hate it...The Isolation is not easy to wear.

That's my isolation, but what about Stephens??? He has a home where the two other poeple that live in it, speak French. A language that's hard to learn and goes to fast to understand!!
He cant participate in what we are saying, he does not know what we may be up too...So he switches off...Normal I guess...Sure Tullula talks to him in English and then we are all able to participate in a Family unit, and once the topic is know to all, he is sort of able to understand what I may then have to say in French...But how frustrating it must be at times for him as well?!!!

 Its funny as at times it makes me think that we are sort of like a divided family...
All for the sake of raising a child that will be fluent in both French and English!

I sure hope she will thank us someday!!!

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Feeding the Fish!
This feeding session ended in Tullula telling me not to look!
She had over fed them...

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Relaxing.

At the Markets with me, playing a game that we are all relaxing at the beach!!

Buying shoes at the shops!
But I cant stop laughing, she has rubbed the stamp from her nose onto her nose! Now its all red!
And she is there, pround, happy to be trying on shoes and even swaying her hips to Madonna in the shops speakers! (ok I was singing as well).....

African Handbags!

I am so exited to finally have finished making these bags!
After I was just about to be done I realised that they would be even super duper better with an adjustable strap...So some shopping around...an order placed, and the adjusters finally arrived a couple of days ago...Eagerly I finished sewing them!
In time for the next Market I will be at this coming Sunday
Lucky me...And How lovely they are!
I love them all...How many hand bags can a girl have after all???
Never too many would be my answer.

So They come in 5 different colours and the insides are a one tone cotton lining, and the lining is different every time, some yellow, red, blue or green...All to mix and match the outsides of course!

They close with a magnetic snap button and have an adjustable strap!
I think they really should mark the re-opening of my etsy shop!

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 She was a bit stuck with the wobbly steps today at Gymnastics!

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So silly pose when I go to pick her up from day care!

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What a silly girl she can be at times!
Full of beans and happy as can be to make me laugh!!

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It has been very windy here lately!!

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I know I have said this many times before, but I truly love a sleeping child!!!
Asleep she looks so peaceful, so beautiful and like a little angel come to warm my heart!

Until she wakes up and the nagging starts, the tantrums and demands fill the air with noise that I so desperately wish would stop.
I can admit that I do miss living alone and the peace that there was- or great music playing-once I walked into the small units I lived in!

But when she is asleep, I have that peace and my child asleep in her little bed.
Bliss....

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Some one is having a very lazy morning, or actually was that day??

And it was all of us..Windy, rainy Sunday!!

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Reading a morning story!

What a funny face she has!

"Je peut pas" ....

Unfortunately its not the kind of words I would prefer to be hearing from Tullula...
The reality is she often says it now in frustration and it stops her from talking further at times!

"Oh.....JE PEUT PAS".....its often followed  by a "I can't do it" (exact translation of "je peut pas" actually)
As she might be throwing herself on the ground, giving up as all is too hard!

It has been over 4 months that we are now back from our trip to France and the reality to be expected is that English has once again become Tullula's first language and only having me to practise her French means she is not getting much of it once more...I am still only talking to her in French exclusively, and its been interesting to notice that she will switch to French when addressing me where ever we are...Clearly meaning that she has no problems swapping from one language to the other!
Yet its the vocabulary that's the difficulty, she forgets words in French and it has sort of become a stutter as she tries to find her words and if they don't come she gets frustrated and its all over!

I often tell her to calm down and just say it in English, but she does not...She will ask me how to say this or that and continue...There are times when both languages are mixed and its done in such a natural way that I dot point it out and I don't know if Tullula actually notices!!!

I have noticed myself trying to use a more simple vocabulary, a more simple speech to use with her...But reality is I have to stop, as if I don't use the right words how will she learn?
And after all its good for me too to practise proper French!

The very sad part, and I hate to have to admit this...But I have noticed that Tullula has been also struggling a bit with her English...When she talks she has no problems, her speech is clear and she has all the right vocabulary, but she has a tendency to stay on one word for a bit at times before she moves on...Like a broken disc...And we sit there waiting for to to spit it out, say what she has to say....Its a bit strange...I truly believe that its due to her Bilingualism Brain!

One day when I picked her up from Day Care she ran to me as she does for a hug...then went back to the little girl she was playing with and said to her:
"You want to see my Mummy? Sheeeeeeee's Different!!!"

I sat there thinking what's that supposed to mean?? Now I am different?? What is my daughter trying to insinuate?
And I realised that it was because I speck French to her all the time, not like the other mummy's, making me different from the vast majority!
Ok, I can deal with that!!!

I have mentioned how the Topic of raising a Bilingual child often comes up, and the interesting part is that whats most spoken about is the child!
Well there is a lot that can be said about the parent as well.
But that will be for the next chapter!

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An afternoon treat by the beach..

So yummy and relaxing!

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So apparently the garbage stinks!!

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This is one of the advantages of having a patient child. I can attend my yoga class and she will sit there quitly, entertaining herslef as she waits for me! A whole hour...

021/344.....The Alphabet of a Bilingual Child!

And the learning has started!!

It sure is a bit tricky to be teaching a Bilingual Child the Alphabet!
I have been telling her the Alphabet in French, and of course we often sing the "ABC" song in English...
But its letter recognition that I find a challenge!
As "A" for "Apple" is not "A" for "Pomme" (apple in French)...So I do then say a French "A" word.
I confuse myself so I think my hesitations and pauses must be confusing to her too!
Why is "A" for apple not "A" for pomme the same word in different languages???

We have been having quite a few "Why oh Why" questions, but not too many challenging ones yet, and I am not looking forward to this why one...

Its tempting to maybe just stick to the Alphabet in one language, but then does that mean that I would not be trying to teach her to read in French? Should I be pointing out from now that French and English are very different?
Or maybe it can be held off a bit until she actually has more understanding of what the Alphabet actually means....
I am about to face another challenge in what it takes to raise a Bilingual child!!!

What have you done?
What has worked for you?
Any advise for me?

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All Little girls love their stickers!!

And after a Birthday, there are many stickers...

4th Birthday!

What an afternoon we all had!
It was full of excitement and fun for the 4 little kids that came to Tullula Birthday Party yesterday.
As usual we did it in a local park, and I think we got very luck that the table I had originally in mind was taken, thus we had to migrate under the trees, and what a pretty spot it was!!
How could I ever of wanted a roof when trees are so much more charming.
We set up and after a busy morning non stop preparations we sat to wait for our guests with an Ice coffee in hand...And one by one they came, four in total for a 4th Birthday!

As you may already know, this year we did Christmass for the first time, and I can now say I will be preparinf for Tullula's Birthday way ahead of time...There us little time from the 24th to mid Jan to get orgernised and work and life distractions...And after spending the end of the week baking, and Saturday after work, remaking the main cake, I was out of ideas or too tired to think of games...But we were by the lake so a swim was a must and that's game enough! I had planned the Drawing themselves, and that was fun.
There was also a playground, so the children had a ball!
As for the parents I made sure they ate and ate all the cakes, biscuits, lollies, fruit that was displayed!

Now that its all done and dusted we can start focusing on the rest of the year and relax a bit!
Hmmm...Thats after I have cleaned up that is.....