11.21.2008

Random Bits

I keep repeating myself... I am the President of the Redundant Redundancy Company. I'm not just a customer, I OWN the company. My employees keep saying, "Uh huh" or "Ok, Mommy" and yet make no move to comply. I repeat my instructions until I get an "I know! I know!" and I put my hands on my hips and say, "Well, if you KNOW, then you should DO IT." Hands on Hips is SUCH a MOM thing... I guess it's official.

I imagine God doing the same to us, except, I'm guessing, without the edge in his voice... "Hey, why don't you try this, or do that..." And we sit there half listening saying "Oh, ok, good idea." And we make no move toward it.

And now I am totally sidetracked because Habtamu wants to learn division RIGHT now, and he's not ready. My voice kept rising and rising, trying to get him to count 2 groups of 4 as 2 and not 12 or 8 or any other random guess. He's really got to learn his multiplication tables 1st for division to make sense.

Yordi was just in the bathroom for a looooong time. She was singing at the top of her lungs. I heard "Cock-a-doodle-dooooooooooooooooooooooooo" and a bunch of other random English words tossed in. Cock-a-doodle-do is what they call Corn Flakes... because of the rooster on the front of the box. You should have seen the mayhem when they didn't have the rooster, but some famous person. "No Cock-a-doodle-do?" "Yes, it's the same cereal." "No Cock-a-doodle-do?" "Yes, it's the same cereal." "No Cock-a-doodle-do?" This was a couple of months ago, so they understand the ways of the world better!

People have asked if they still speak in Amharic. I have to say, "No. Never." They speak in English, they think in English. They try to think of Amharic words, and Yordi can sometimes come up with it, although, we wouldn't know if it's the right word or not! Habtamu can't think in Amharic anymore and knows it. He says it ruefully. It makes me sad that we couldn't keep it for them. I know, I know, there are some Amharic speakers and we could have found an Ethiopian community, blah, blah, blah... the truth is, we only barely have the band-width to do the things we are doing now. If we were those super, high-powered, and possibly experienced parents, we'd do everything exactly right for the kids. We are just normal human parents, though, and stuff falls through the cracks. I suspect it is the same for every parent. And I don't have time to kick myself for what I'm NOT doing, when there are so many things I AM doing. You all understand, I bet!

7 comments:

Katherine said...

I've heard of those super, high powered, do everything right for their kids parents... I don't know any of them, but I've heard they're out there!

Oh, and to answer your question from a LONG time ago, regarding the cheap cereal in a bag? You were asking if there was any non-sugared stuff because all you could find was the sugared stuff. Well, I happen to know now, after looking last time I was in that aisle, that the non-sugared stuff are in boxes, not bags. They're kind of to the right of the bagged stuff.

Anonymous said...

Every parent of a foreign born adopted child I have ever talked to says that their child forgets their original language very quickly. I think they do it because they are trying so hard to learn the new language, but also because they want to fit in where they are.

I asked my girls if they dream in English or Hindi. Both of them said mostly English, but that sometimes it was Hindi when they dream about someone they used to know. They also have a hard time coming up with words when I ask them, but sometimes will tell me a Hindi word for something without the pressure that comes from being asked. :-)

I hope that once they are really good with their English that we can re-learn Hindi with Rosetta Stone or something. I think it would be great for them to be fluent in their native language.

Ryane said...

The snow flake arrived earlier this week. I love it! I am going to put a string on it and hang it on the tree.

Thanks so much.
Ryane

Anonymous said...

Well, AS one of THOSE parents who doesn't everything right I must tell you...okay, I couldn't do it without laughing. :) Lisa

Anonymous said...

shoot, i even screwed up my joke...AS one of THOSE parents who DOES everything right...anyway

Katherine said...

Good job, Lisa!!!

Anonymous said...

From what Ken tells me, once they've learned the language, even as an infant, it leaves mental marks in their brains. Those marks are guides for learning the language again as an older person. Without having learned the other language early they might not be able to actually discern the difference in some important sounds needed. So, I'm thinking even though they are focusing on English now, they will be able to pick up their old language or another similar one if they want to later.

I think perfect parents are a myth. :) And what kid could live up to the example?