Tuesday, October 9, 2012

English Lessons

Yesterday, Ma Fille came home from school and played a tricky monkey on me. 'Oh, Mommy! I have so much homework tonight. I'm really worried that I won't be able to finish it!'
'Oh, no! Really?' I assumed it was another French history lesson or an epic poesie to put to memory.
'Yes! I have to learn the numbers to 100! In English!' She thinks this is hilarious. And like her father, has a tendency to continue with a joke way past its expiration date on funny. It's genetic, I guess.

Then the Middlest and I walked over to the pharmacy to buy lice deterrent spray and pink eye drops for the Littlest. (I've never had to deal with les poux and I don't want to start now.) We do our best talking on these little walks. Plus I get some hand holding which I greedily sneak whenever I can.

He had had his first English lesson of this school year and when his teacher asked the class,  in accented English, to take out their English notebooks he was the only one who did it automatically. Which made everyone turn and look at him, the usual in these English lesson situations. 'Oh, watch Rowan. He knows what to do!', they chorused.
He told me that they picked out English names for themselves and he chose Sam. His best friend in Ireland's name is Sam and he said that this way he can feel close to him. He suggested other names to his friends too; Matthew for Matheo, Josh for someone else, and for another one, Harry.

The thing I thought was the sweetest though, was that two of the children chose the Middlest's name, Rowan, for theirs. To them, he's a living, breathing, running, screaming, jumping example of an English speaker. Even if he rarely utters a word in his langue maternelle while he's at school.
I think it made him feel good. He smiled up at me with those oversized front teeth when he told me, our hands swinging. It made my night, that's for sure.


12 comments:

  1. I can't wait to squeeze those sweet tricky monkeys this weekend :)
    P.S. You will warn me if there is a lice outbreak though, won't you?

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  2. Oh my goodness, so much happiness here. You have some wonderful tricky monkeys, Aidan...
    Bisous (et à bienôt!!!!),
    H

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  3. I just love your header! Is it new, or have I simply failed to notice it?

    I'm so very happy that the littlest one isn't being picked on for his English - quite the opposite it seems. Reading your post I really feel the loss of moving away before the boys start speaking... such a blessing to have the opportunity to learn two languages!

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  4. Bonjour Aidan. I have missed reading your posts. I must have skipped a couple. I, too, love the new header, by the way. Very creative and très, très cute! What a fun story, and how lucky your kids are, to be able to communicate in two languages (I think their classmates realize that too!) My son is very proud of his French ancestry even though he does not get to use his French very often with his friends :-) Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)

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  5. This is so sweet! I love that your English speaker got to choose another name.. in English. how fun. I wonder what i would choose?! And that he's the only one that knew what to do (of course). I can't imagine being a little one and learning a language that early... what an opportunity for his classmates in English and him in French. Can't wait to meet you this weekend!

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  6. Yea, Rowan!! Keep it comin'!

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  7. So much fun, reading your blog gets me very excited to throw my kids to the wild in the schools. And along the lines of naming, my neighbors are getting a parrot and naming it a combo of my kids' names since we're leaving. so we'll be remembered:)

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  8. Oh that is too sweet! What a gorgeous bunch of tricksters you are.

    Is the header new? It's awesome. Me love.

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  9. A very sweet post, I love when you wear your Proud Maman hat.

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