The Normalization of the Domicile

Relations in the household are normalized here after the cousins from Luxembourg left and a more regular routine resumed. We've had plenty of time to get used to each other and have settled into a routine that allows me to be my young adult self without disturbing the suburban family unit too much and that allows them to distance themselves a little bit more without actually disengaging from showing the American student their world. Part of the way I can tell that this is the case is that the parents are speaking a little faster among each other and the kids have reached an even greater equilibrium in their interactions and dealings with me. Jules is a little bit more social and Clément is a little bit less social. I can deal with that.

This comfort was probably best manifest one day when I had gotten home from class like normal and Laurence was home as well from grocery shopping. She asked me to assist her with getting stuff inside the house and was courteous in talking to me, but it was pretty obvious she was distracted by anything and everything else going on in her world. I went upstairs to my room like normal, organized my things a little bit, the kids and Christian came home, and then...

Momma on the warpath.

She would not let up on any of them. It was as though the entire world was falling apart and it was everyone else's fault, because why can't you tidy your room or do your homework or get the things done around the house like I asked you? Her voice got not-French loud and Christian had to ask her to tone it down a little more than once, and her favorite target seemed to be Jules, who bore her wrath for not cleaning his room, not doing his homework, and not getting as good of grades as he should. I have never heard such "real", fast, and angry French as I did then. Happily, I was spared any of it, and in fact she was perfectly nice to me the whole time when I bothered to venture downstairs.

Momma (as I've been referring to her ever since, given italicized text above) got her drink on drank plenty of wine at dinner and restored her more amicable spirits, but I couldn't help but feel like this, indeed, is a snapshot of how regular life functions in this household. All of the newness of the student coming to stay with them for a month wore off, and so the increased politesse dulled somewhat too. I'm mostly happy for that, because it's better for my French, and it means that I'm doing something right, because I didn't have any complaints or qualms thrust at me. This is great, but I should probably keep working on improving my French speaking abilities.

In a humorous twist of fate, my best French conversing has been with Momma. Cause and effect, or correlation? You decide.