Just Call me June Cleaver

I know, I know, I am far from that quintessential 50's housewife, but I sure feel like one. Certain conditions of living in the Pays de Gex have made me feel like I'm literally tethered to my house and to my kids. First of all let me say I know I am extremely lucky to have this house and these kids. I couldn't love my family more. HOWEVER, one does get tired of cleaning up the kitchen 3 times a day, 7 days a week, picking up toys constantly, and even cooking. Here are the culprits.

First condition: lack of healthy to-go food.Getting take out used to be a treat (fish tacos, sushi, pizza, Mexican, Thai), but here there are almost no take-out options and even fewer affordable options. And in most French restaurants, loud toddlers are not welcome.

Second condition: kids coming home for lunch. Etienne gets dropped off at 8:30 am, then picked up at 11:30 am, then dropped back off at 1:30 pm, then picked back up at 4:30 p.m. So in the morning slot, I can either go grocery shopping or go to the toddler group (but fitting both in is really hard). Xavier naps in the afternoon, so I had to force him to wait until 1:30 to nap. But most of the time I am "stuck" at home in the afternoon. It's just not worth it for him to skip his nap. Believe me we've tried it.

Third condition: lack of a job. Everyone tells me they need English teachers, but because I'm not French I can't easily teach in the public high schools. Swiss schools are more willing to hire non-Swiss people, but not necessarily non- EU people. So I definitely need to get my paperwork done for my French nationality this summer. I recently contacted GRETA, an adult school that has language classes, and was told they would love to hire me if only I had a social security number. I called the social security office and guess what? I need a job first that can at least guarantee 40 hours a month, which GRETA cannot.

On the bright side, I do get out of the house on Tuesday evenings to teach my English and French classes at CERN. And I have also been going to step class on most Wednesday nights. I just really hate housework. I honestly enjoy cooking, but it becomes a chore when you have to do it all of the time with no break. And I know I should just consider myself lucky to be able to spend so much time with my boys when they are little. And I do. At least I don't have to wear pearls and high heels while cleaning and take Denis's coat and briefcase at the door when he comes home.