Scenic Routes: Today with Remy

Today was Remy's first day of 'school' in California.

He and Skip had to get to the High School early in the morning (740), so Remy could get a visitor badge and lanyard, and then he went with Skip to his first two classes of the day. We're doing standardized testing this week and next, so there is an odd schedule, and lunch went from 11 to 12. I showed up at school at 1145 to get Remy, as Skip's entire afternoon was going to be an exam.

I will confess that hosting an exchange student is rather exhausting at the beginning. Mentally exhausting, rather than physically. I feel like I have to formulate everything that I say into short, direct present-tense non-complicated sentences and questions. And that is difficult for me, because i usually pepper my conversation with obscure words and non-standard idioms. Remy is still getting his feet under him, so he's a lot of listening, and not a lot of speaking. I'm happy to let the silence hang in the air, but I don't want it to get awkward.

So I thought that a good way to spend some time would be to go to Starbucks, and have our patsor/barrista take care of him for a while. Whoopsie. It was a slow day at Starbucks, and he had gone home early. So I took him home, and did a very, very bad thing. I let him go online and check his facebook. We're not supposed to be allowing internet access to our students because it causes them to revert to French Thinking, but I was just kind of tired, I needed 15 minutes, and he just seemed so very, VERY happy to be checking in with his mom online. Maybe this can just be our little secret, ok?

Then I stuck him back in the car, and we headed off to Nate's school.

Nate was so proud to show Remy around!

But then it was time for him to go back to play, and we were off to Kelly's school.

Kelly was suddenly the most popular girl on campus, as all her classmates suddenly had to talk to her about something pressing... oh, Kelly I have a question... and WHO IS THIS that is walking around campus with you???? I love how very transparent 12 year old girls can be.

Then it was time to go grab Skip from the end of his exam, and we went back to Kelly's school, so Remy could peek in on a class or two.

But first... let's scare Remy's mother!

Kelly was catching up on a science experiment that she had missed yesterday:

And then Skip spotted his old guitar/social-studies teacher, who invited him to join the guitar class for a few numbers.

We picked up Skip's buddy Cole (who was coming over for supper), and I dropped the boys off at the house.

And then I went and grabbed Kelly, and we went off (back) to the high school to watch her friends compete in the district track meet.

We had Toni and Ken (and Carrie and Cole) over for supper to meet Remy (Carrie has quite the crush on Remy. As do all of Kelly's friends, I think), and then we played in the back yard.

I sent these photos to Remy's mother. I hope she trusts that we're taking good care of her son.