Have just done the school - rentre shop; for 5 children, and not counting the textbooks (tomorrow) and the second lists (which are given when the 2 oldest restart college), or clothes or shoes (don't ask!) it has come to a cool 400 odd euros. That is 3 at college, one at Primaire and a 4 year old whose complex little list entailed items such as "colle, marque cleopatre, pot avec pinceau, transparente" and detailed the width, make and number of felt tips and crayons. Have done 4 hypermarkets in search of Cleopatra, dragged the partner from his office to help in the search, and taken to imbibing large amounts of chilled Ros (the cheap stuff as can no longer afford the better bottles) to wind down at the end of another hectic afternoon steaming Gironde with the lists. There has to be a killing to be made doing this for the parents; ah oui, Fabien is at St Cyprien, in the 6: we will deliver everything - labelled - for you tomorrow afternoon..... Oh yes, also haircuts, 2 sports kits, a tablier and the school bus forms and cheque to squeeze in before Monday. Incidentally, 4 are at private school, one at a state college; his preliminary list was as hefty as the private schools. Morals: marry/date/befriend Monsieur W H Smith or a shareholder in FNAC or Carrefour send the kids to Toulouse international where all they need is a laptop; see that as a one-off or tax-deductable or an investment Buy a Chateau so that one does not have to resort to the cheaper wines when one is broke and in need of refreshment Go into the rentre business PS. A Kway is one of those flimsy waterproof jackets that folds in on itself.
