Hey, sorry it's been so long. I had some issues with logging into my account, but all is well.
So we started school again as usual and school is getting better and better. I'm understanding more and more, my grades are going up and it's getting easier. There have been ALOT of tests since we got back, including one of our big exams (which in france are scattered out throughout the year instead of at the end of the year, like in Canada). On Friday me and Amarande did our big poem resitation and I am so increadibly proud of it, and we got 20/20!!!
This week there's only 10 people left in the class, because almost all of 3emes and 4emes (grade 9s and 10s, including Valentine, Amarande's sister) are on a 1 week exchange to Britain to improve there English, so it's actually very nice and peaceful. In Art Plastique (art... ish) we have to make a sculture, which attaches to our body and grows outward until it meets with our parnters sculture (I'm with Amarande) who has the same theme, but different sculpture and at the end both sculpturse have to be 1 meter long! Our theme (Me and Amarande) is 'Flowers' so my sculpture is a bunch of different sized flowers which attach together (made out of metal wire) and then latch on to flower cuffs that Ihave on my wrists. This will then attach to Amarande's sculpture which is one giant flower around her waist, with lots of little bamboo sticks that come out with flowers and gardening tools on them.
I believe I explained that in the worst possible way, but wish me luck for the presentation next monday :)
On Saturday me and Amarande biked to the chateau Beauregard and walked through the beautiful spring gardens ( it was atleast 30 degrees and I have actual TAN LINES! On the 5th day of spring!!!!!) and then took a guided tour through the castle. The castle is famous because it has an amazing room with 327 portraits which tell the history (great battles, alliances and tragic deaths) of France until the death of the genius who created them, and the 5600 Delft tiles which, all hand painted, show an entire army! The current owners of the castle have also put in a 'dog' gallerie' which has tons of portrait pictures of famous dogs, such as the president's dig, the queens dog (one of them) and much, much more.
Yesterday (Sunday) we got up early and Me, Amarande and Valentine (on her last day) went to Nadine's school and babysat about 15 children between the ages of 1 and 5 and played games outside, did some coloring and ate a big bouffé lunch. Finally when we had finished at 4:00 (I made 10 euros :) we went and had a quick look around the carnal of Blois. everyone was in costume, confetti littered the streets and the parade was amazing!!!!
Anyway, I have homework to finish so talk to you soon :)

Hello again.
So yesterday we got back from Villard de Lans (Grenoble). I had the best time there! We went skiing (Grenoble is completetly surrounded by mountains, and Villard de Lans is perched at the top) which was fantastic! It was about 15 degrees on the hill and the snow was perfect and at the end of the day we could take the ski route all the way back to the house.
Amarande's grandparents are the sweetest people and grow all of their vegetable and keep their own chickens and rabbits. Her grandmother definately didn't think I ate enough, but the food was so great that I couldn't refuse seconds even if I tried!
On the weekend we went into Grenoble and met up with Maggie and her exchange student Marta and went shopping and had a TON of fun! We also went to the museum of Grenoble and saw some beautiful art work.
Later on we met up with all the cousins and did a grant performance of different commercials to the parents which was pretty hilarious and at the end everyone insisted I play my violin for the family so I played the third Seitz, which went well.
On our last day in Villard de Lans, me, Amarande and Fabien drove to La Grotte de Choranche which was amazing! It's a huge cavern inside the mountain with stalagmites over 100 000 years old and stalactites over 3 meters long! Inside the cavern we saw a light show which was fantastic and then the Olm, which is an animal from the prehistoric era that live in the water and looks a bit like a snake with no eyes. The car ride back was fine; we listened to music, played games and stopped for lunch and leter for gouter at some nice little places.
School starts again on monday and tonight I'm cooking dinner for the family (shepherds pie and lemon pudding) which I hope they like and tomorrow we're going to the family day (which is once a month) at church. :)