Muguet (de mai) = Lily of the Valley

Monday was a looong first day, even though I only had 3 hours of class, it was unbearably hot and felt like forever, I dont know how people with a full 10 hour day did it!

We got the date for the french bac, the written test is Monday the 21st of June (every student in France who is also in the year 'première' will take this test at the exact same time, on this day, from 8am - 12pm) , and the oral exam starts the week of the 28th of June. My history teacher said the oral exams could take three weeks, but other teachers say one week. The officials who oversee the exams, pick a letter out of a hat and then whoever has a last name that starts with that letter goes first, and then we all pass in alphabetical order. If they pick the letter G, and they exams take three weeks, I may not even be there to take my exam :)

Monday afternoon I took a long walk around the neighborhood and then sat by the pool, it was very sunny Monday - Wednesday, and then Thursday and Friday it cooled off and got pretty cloudy.

Wednesday was Victors return date, Claire couldnt stop smiling the entire day! :) They went to meet him at the airport at about 7:30 pm and we ate dinner at about 8:30 - midnight. Théo, Marie-Pierre, Eliane, and two of Victors closest friends ate dinner with us.

Today is May first. In France, it is the only day all year (this is what I was told) where nobody works, and if they do work, they have the right to ask for double what they are usually paid. It is also the only day where anybody can pick Lily of the Valley flowers and stand on the side of the street and sell them to passersby, so thats what I did this morning! Yesterday Victor, Laura and Michel went to pick a bunch of flowers in the woods while I still had class, when I came home I helped put them in bouquets (french word! :) ) and today I met up with Ingrid and we sold our flowers on the main street of our neighborhood for 2 euros a piece! It was incredible how many kids, and even some adults, actually sold the flowers, there were kids on every street corner! I made 28 euros in about 1 and a half hours! Then Ingrid and I decided to stop and dropped all the rest of our flowers off with Victor and his friends. The flowers are supposed to bring happiness (bonheur) to everyone who buys them.

Claire and Michel left this morning to go biking for the weekend because Victor is having a 'welcome home party' with his friends. Its tonight, and I invited Ingrid because I dont know many of his friends. I made a hundred chocolate chip cookies, and finally finished the bag of chocolate chips!