When we found out that the Chateau would once again be available over Easter, we gathered up a group of friends and headed back to the Loire Valley. Spring had not yet sprung and it was still cold, but luckily it was dry most of the week. The cold didn’t stop the kids from playing outside almost non-stop or the Easter bunny visiting. We failed to get many photos and this one of our Easter feast is the only photo of the entire group.
Two weeks ago we received the bad news that our landlord won’t be renewing our lease and that we need to be out by July 15th. We really don’t want to leave the river, this nice old house and this convenient neighborhood. We considered squatting, which is acceptable in this culture, but just couldn’t picture ourselves actually doing it. I was pretty freaked realizing that we had just 90 days to find a new place in this country with a shortage of housing and get moved in. Luckily, it looks like we’ve found a place in the nearby town of Leidschendam. It’s not on water, but has an interesting water feature. More details later...
It was so exciting watching Veronica perform on stage. She wasn’t a bit nervous about speaking, dancing and singing in front of 350 parents. Her part was surprisingly funny and her comedic timing was spot on. I was especially proud when she and Mungo sang their duet of “Guess We’re in Love.” While Mungo sang in his monster voice, Veronica sang in her lovely voice. It was hard to believe such an incredibly professional production could be pulled off by a bunch of 10- and 11-year-olds. 
This year’s 4th/5th grade play was The Rocky Monster Show, a comedy based on Young Frankenstein and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. As a member of the after-school drama club, Veronica was entitled to audition for a role in the play. Surprisingly, our beautiful blonde daughter was cast as Elsa, the Bride of Frankenstein. As you can see, she was completely transformed during the hour she spent having her make-up and hair done. She had to spend about 10 minutes on stage in the closed coffin, then another 5 minutes asleep on stage. Here you see her being awakened by Mungo, the Frankenstein monster.
At the beginning of the school year, I was recruited to be the US International Representative at our school. Besides greeting new American families, I was asked to find a way for the US to participate in the school’s International Festival for the first time. Not surprisingly, it was Jimmy that came up with a unique way for us and a few other Americans to be part of this annual variety show. He wrote a script for an old-fashioned radio show complete with news, jokes and singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame. He wore a tux as the MC and was in charge of audience participation. Veronica was a co-anchor and the straight man for jokes. Ashlynn did an Ovaltine ad and lots of special effects. And I did the travel report, which concluded with water being poured over my head to simulate a rainstorm in Yellowstone. It was pretty silly, but we enjoyed performing and luckily the audience seemed to enjoy it. I won’t give away what Jimmy’s already plotting for next year, but will say he’s threating to include a pie fight, which will be a good way not to be invited back the following year.
