Ouch!!

Children here in France generally study until four-thirty p.m. That's a really long day for the young and old alike. But it is so and I am grateful that at least the powers-that-be had the presence of mind to stop school on Saturday mornings.

At our little school, you want to be at the school at around 4:10 if you want to get a parking spot or if you want to chat with the other parents. You are not allowed inside the school until one of the teachers (gatekeepers) opens the gate. Some parents go and retrieve their children from their classrooms and others, like me, wait until they come out to the gate.

Today, as I was waiting for my cherub, a boy of about 7-8 walked tearfully towards the gatekeeper, brushing at some mud on his face.  Funny, I thought, you'd think that was a footprint on his face. Oy! Yes it was! Another boy had kicked him in the face. As much as this was surprising, nothing prepared me for what I and other parents within earshot heard next. The gatekeeper called to her colleague, told her what had happened and then declared "Yep, the Ritalin must have worn off".


There you have it folks!