I must admit, I'm pretty embarrassed about this one. Over the course of the past week, I've been trying to remember the French words for basic household items or daily activities -- in other words, the vocabulary that I learned in 7th or 8th grade and have since forgotten. You don't usually need to use the word for "washing machine" or "drugstore" in a literary analysis of Renaissance-era poetry. But I digress.
Based on the brief description I received from the housing agency, I believed until recently that my host mother has 7 children: 4 "grands enfants qui ne vivent plus chez elle," and 3 "petits enfants dont elle s'occupe regulierement." As I was printing out her contact information a few minutes ago, it hit me. "Petits enfants" does not mean "young children" as I assumed the first time I hastily read the sentence. It means "grandchildren." My 60 year-old host mother has 4 grown children "who no longer live at home" and 3 grandchildren "who regularly keep her busy." This makes much more sense. Mystery solved.
In other news, today is that most momentous of days: packing day! This should be interesting because I need to pack enough clothes and supplies to carry me from February in Paris to July in Morocco, all in 2 suitcases each weighing less than 50 pounds. Wish me "bon courage"!
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