stop her before she volunteers again

First off, thank God for women (and men) who volunteer.  Without them the world would stop spinning (or we would be camping out at away games, cancel outdoor ed, EX ed, pretty much all ed, be eating TV dinners, and wearing the same clothes from the 70s). 

To my lovely wife and all of your like minded friends thanks for doing everything you do.

But why oh why did you say "yes" we will take a French kid for 2 months.  This isn't an exchange--no one in my family is going to Chamonix.  He is not part of an official exchange program (although his mom runs the French side of the Sisters City Chamonix exchange program). 

So we have this French kid staying in our house for 2 months.  He is a nice enough kid I guess.  He walks the dogs and does dishes when asked.  He doesn't ask for anything or seem to expect anything.  Actually he pretty much does nothing from what I can tell. 

I can usually get anyone to talk.  Not this kid.  He says it isn't a language problem, so I guess it's his personality but check this out.

At dinner last night I asked him if he wanted seconds.  He said "uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, ....................... I don't know".

In an effort to get him to talk about something I gave all the kids homework.  I asked them each to pick a meal they would like to have for dinner---daughter immediately said pesto and garlic bread, son said schintel, and French kid after a day of thought came up with ' uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I don't know.'

I asked him how school in France differed from school in Aspen he said 'uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh uhhhhhhhhhhhh uhhhhhhhhhhh I don't know'  I followed that up with come on give me something and he said 'uhhhhhhhhh school in Chamonix has fewer windows'.


yup so pretty much he sits in his room or sits in a corner and says nothing.  There is another French girl here from Chamonix here right now and when asked if they would like to join us for dinner she said no way.  When we asked the family he stayed with before when he came two years ago as part of the sister city program if they would like to hang with there old exchange student they also took a pass.

My wife is exasperated with him.  My son is pissed because kids at school think he isn't being 'nice' to the French kid--of course none of them want to hang out with the French kid either cause --well aside from breathing he doesn't do much else.

Bottom line---wife please don't volunteer anymore.