So for the first time in my life, I was wrong! I know... I know... It finally happened but I had a good run :-) It was such a great day!!! One of my best by far! Who knew? One of the days I was most terrified ended up being a memory-filled, amazing day!
Thursdays I have PE for 2 hrs in the morning but I got to skip that and sleep in! Many people told me I had to look especially cute on my birthday (My reply-"So I don't look cute every other day???" Haha) so I got up and gave it my best effort! Everyone is all fashion-y at school and I'm about the epitome of comfy clothing! Yeah for T-shirts! But that day I got some compliments so I considered it a success! I had a Hot Fudge Sundae PopTart for breakfast! My mom sent them from America and I've been rationing them but this day definetly called for some thing special! Then I took the bus to school and I made sure to only listen to happy upbeat songs! :-)
Everyone was really nice wishing me Happy Birthday and I would just respond wishing them a Happy Thanksgiving! Even though they don't understand the importance of the holiday! I had kinda confused some people because I said on FB "My birthday is February 29th!" just because it only happens on leap yrs so I would only be 4 yrs old and I could also skip it this year but it really is Nov 25th. So when I got there, they were like "Is it really today?" Haha!
Then I had English class... So my teacher had found out it was my birthday/Thanksgiving so she started planning this big party with food and music! Everyone loved it because it's better than work but I didn't like being the reason for it so I just considered it a Thanksgiving party even though there was a "Happy Birthday" banner. Haha so the very first thing she makes me do is get up in the very front of the class room and then she had this girl who sings opera sing the Happy B-Day song and then the whole class did it normal! If that wasn't embarrassing enough, the teacher made me tell my "thoughts" about having a birthday! This is all I had to say: "Thank you... Uhh... It doesn't feel any different than 16... Umm... I don't know... I'm just glad it's Thanksgiving"!
Haha after it was better because it was just food, eating, people singing and playing instruments. There actually were some really talented people in there! The teacher asked me if I could sing! No stinkin way! I am more of an appreciator of music! The food was pretty good. There were some odd things that I couldn't eat. Someone, the teacher I believe, had attempted to make a pumpkin pie but it kinda turned into a sorry excuse for a dessert but hey... she tryed... I made sure as to not eat a lot so I could prepare myself for dinner! As I was leaving, she gave me a big hug and said "You are so beautiful and so bright and I like you very much"! Haha I kinda noticed... You threw a huge party in my honor. Amel was like "She's got a crush on you!" Haha creepy!
Then I went to Math class! We had a test that day which I thought was so unfair considering it was my birthday! But I took it and it was really easy! I actually liked getting into "math mode"! I know... I am a nerd but when I am confused or lost, it is just something logical that I can do... well when it's in English! Haha it's easy math but a lot of the time, I am not sure if I am exactly answering the right question. Plus we have to write out the answer in sentences which of course is a challenge for me!
I skipped French that day and just took the bus home at 12:30. The weirdest thing happened... I was crossing the street at the Val de Mougins and I had my iPod in... And after I had crossed this guy on the other side yelled at me saying "You shouldn't cross the street listening to music. You can't hear the cars." At least that's what I understood... I was just like shaking my head and saying "OK.Oui." just trying to get out of there. And then he's like "You want a drink? I'll buy you a drink? We got wine, beer, blah blah blah." I was just like "Non merci"... Haha weird much???
When I got to the house, this was on the fence...
I was in the kitchen for pretty much the rest of the day!
I also helped blow up some balloons! We decorated the salon with a bunch of Happy Birthday stuff and it made me so happy! Haha :-) Sophie had a good quote right about here: "I have teenage hormones. Abby said that teenage hormones make you yell at everyone all the time and I yell at everyone all the time so I have teenage hormones!" Haha she is too funny!!!
Stasha was so awesome! She had gotten all the stuff to make a great dinner and she rocked it! I had fun talking to her and just hanging out. Amel came over at like 4 and she helped cook...
Amel liked making the rolls...
Yummy rolls!
Stasha with the pureed pumpkin which looks gross but would turn into something amazing!!
I was jumping up and down with excitement and just generally freaking out! I was just so happy to be having any Thanksgiving even if it wasn't exactly "American"! I was allowed to speak English all day so I totally took advantage of that. I was quite the chatter box! :)
At about 6:30, we celebrated my birthday! I had to wait in my room for about 5 minutes. All the lights were off and I waited at the top of the stairs and they started singing Happy Birthday and I went down... My family was all on Skype (minus Josh playing Turkey Bowl and Nate who is in CA but JerKee had come from Cali). The candles were all lit. It was so amazing!
I blew out the candles and made my wish!
This cake was so gorgeous!!! Pascaline had gotten it from this really nice bakery called "Jean-Luc Pele"! It was chocolate rasberry with macaroons! The kids had eaten most of the macaroons before I ever got to it but I did get to eat the thing that says "Joyeux Anniversaire Alyssa" which was like this almond fondante. I just know even the b-day cake I had when I was little with a real barbie inside and the cake was her dress could not even top this amazing cake!
Because we had a big Thanksgiving dinner and pumpkin pie to prepare for, we didn't really eat any cake... But that was good cuz it made for good leftovers!
Read my ginormous French birthday card!
By the way the writing on the card means "For your birthday, we are all at your side"
Then I opened my presents...
I had picked out my presents at the mall the Saturday before so I knew exactly what I was getting. My red jacket and the brown cozy sweater! Gotta prep myself for winter!
All the chil'en watching...
It was such a special occassion we even had Champomy which is fizzy apple juice/ Martinelli's!
And then there was just a box from my parents...
I opened the box and there was a bunch of styrofoam and I put my hand and I start feeling around and I find the card. I was like "Where's the thing???" Haha so I just opened the card...
and my presents was inside... I'm smiling cuz I'm almost starting to figure it out...
Ane then it really hits me...ATICKET HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!!! Oh my gosh!!!! You can not believe how excited I was! I starting jumping up and down!
I was getting hugs! And I even started crying! Joyful tears of course... My family is terrible at surprises! They always blow it before but they had done it! I found out that all the adults here had been on it!
To make it even more crazy, I had been talking to my mom about buying my own ticket home... She had gone along with the whole thing. Just earlier that afternoon, I was talking to Stasha about that and she thought I knew about the surprise. I hadn't asked my mom for anything so I asked her what I got she me, she just said "Moms have a way of knowing what you need"... That's when my hopes of getting a ticket were shattered. I don't need a ticket. I want a ticket. I thought it would be socks or something! Haha my sister even played her role well! She texted me "Can Jess use your snowboard?" I was just thinking "I need it!" There were so many things that seemed normal at the time but now all make perfect sense...
I was still in shock hours after! I was smiling ear to ear and questioning everyone! "You knew??? The whole time???" They had known for so long! Haha so when I was sad and crying, I am sure they all just wanted to tell me but they stuck to it. They always made sure to check the mail before me! Haha it ended up being the greatest most amazing surprise I could ask for!!!
Amel couldn't stay for very long because her step-dad was being a jerk so she had Thanksgiving to-go! Haha :-) It was funny seeing her reaction to pumpkin pie! "It's so weird!" I think the taste and texture are just unfamiliar to her. I went to take her home and I got out to give her a hug and Nicolas got out and was like "There you go in the front" "What??? Drive??? No! I can't!!! Its''s too scary!" But he was completely serious, so I got in the driver's seat of the Mercedes seat, adjusted my seat, and I was driving for the first time in months! I told Amel "If I die tonight, you'll know why!" Haha it was so scary! The roads are smaller and there is more manuevering involved but we made it back to the house with minimal damage done to people and the car. I asked if it was legal and Nicolas was like "Uhh... I don't know" Haha but I guess it's no big deal! I have my license in the US but I did't know if it worked here. Total adrenaline rush! And it felt really good to drive after so long!
I was supposed to eat with the kids but they were all done by the time I got back and there ain't no way I was gonna eat Thanksgiving dinner by myself so I ate with the adults! We all went around and sad what we were grateful for and do you know what? I have so much to be grateful! I could go on and on... But the things that have recently been huge in my life is my family who love me so much and made it an absolutely amazing day! I don't think I stopped smiling the whole time! Friends can come and go but family is always there and that's really who was all there... My family :-) That family being... my real family in Arizona, my extended family: the Ashtons, and the people that become your family: the Hussons aka my French family!
Then we ate! Turkey that was so juicy! They don't have frozen turkeys here so ours was fresly killed! And I thinked that made it so amazing! Green beans as Dave put it were "like candy"! Haha fancy apple juice called Champomy which is just like Martinelli's! Delicious rolls! And the oh so amazing pumpkin pie! They don't have canned pumpkin here so we had to actually had to cook pumpkin to make it mushy and then puree it. I think that made it so good especially with whipped topping! It was like heaven! I think just eating something so American made me really happy!!! :-) Here's one before we cooked it...
I was totally stuffed! It was all good! It wasn't the same American get-up but that was no big deal! We all kicked Thanksgving French style this year! :)
Later the kids were making Thanksgiving hand turkeys, I had just turned 17 but oh yes... I really wanted to do it! All the children in my family are all grown up so we don't ever do fun holiday crafts like that! My hands were of course bigger than all of theirs but I thought it was so fun! I get all sentimental about memory moments like that! This is how it turned out...
This one looks normal...
...this one on the other hand! Haha I'm so big compared to the chil'en!
I was wearing my cute new sweater!
Nicolas was just a tad bit tipsy and he was saying some wacky things! And then... what's new??? He went swimming! The pool was 13C! Later he was like "I payed for the pool. I am gonna use it at least once a month." Apparently he is going on Christmas too! Haha he is so crazy!
After everyone else had gone to bed or left, Nicolas and me were watching music videos and just hanging out. He fell asleep pretty quick and started snoring! Haha I fell asleep too at like midnight. Then I woke up at 3 and went to my bed but didn't fall back asleep until 5. My new sweat did this to my arm... It felt funny...
I tried to get up for school but that was completely impossible! To be honest, after having such a crazy high-energy day, I am surprised I got up before noon! Haha so I didn't make it to any of my classes the next day which I absolutely had no problem with!
I had such a great birthday and Thanksgiving! I had been so worried but I couldn't have asked for a better day! Everyone all pitched in to make it very special for me and I was beyond happy to be going home for Christmas! I still have shocks were I can't believe this is real! :-)
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