This is what happens when I pick up Xanthe from preschool:
"Xanthe! Hello! Tell me all about preschool!"
"We played play-doh we played house we pretended we were moms we got out all the toys and we put them away and we went upstairs and we went outside and then it was my turn to swing...(ten minutes elapse, she's still talking)...and my teacher said we have to bring the show and tell bag and we learned about the letter B so we could go outside and my friends could play and...Then she sings all the songs they sang at school, followed by a chat about what they didn't do and what they could have done at school.
This is what happens when Freestone comes home from first grade:
"Freestone! Tell me all about first grade!"
"Good."
"Tell me your favorite thing you did today."
"Nuffin."
"How are you liking the French program?"
"I hate it."
"What do you hate about it?"
"The French."
And this is from a boy who has always been more loquacious than most. I'm reading a great book called The Wonder of Boys, which says this kind of sparse interaction is completely normal for boys. All I really know about Freestone's school day is that Jakey has warm mac n cheese in his lunch box. I know this because Free brought home a paper titled, "My favorite thing about school." It was a drawing of Jake's lunch.
Saturday, Freestone was rolling around under the kitchen table trying to kick people. Suddenly, he said, "Mom! Levez-vous!" (stand up.) Not only did I stand up, I jumped up and cheered. Those two words answered all my questions. The French is permeating a few brain cells. Freestone is listening. He is learning. School isn't too bad. He's comfortable enough with it to show off a new skill. No amount of interrogating could have elicited as much as those two unsolicited words. Just like the author of The Wonder of Boys says, the way boys do things isn't worse and doesn't have to be changed. It just has to be understood. Boys require patience in so many ways...but they're worth the wait!
8 comments:
I love that he whipped out a French word for you. We have yet to hear anything exept Bon-jour and avoir. He learned these from the hooked on french pkg. we purchased. I hope something is sinking in. :)
Levez-vous packs a lot of power! Glad he is learning so much even if you have to wait to hear it:) Glad Xanthe likes her preschool.
So should I read that one? So impressed you are toughing it out in the French program! Oh, and I have the same sort of conversations with Matthew.
I'm impressed you knew what Levez-vous meant!
Hey, I'm planning on the park tomorrow!
I am so glad you did this post. Everyday Cade comes home and we have the same conversation as you and Freestone. The only thing he will tell me is that they ring a bell at recess. I would love to borrow that book when you are done.
I am so glad you did this post. Everyday Cade comes home and we have the same conversation as you and Freestone. The only thing he will tell me is that they ring a bell at recess. I would love to borrow that book when you are done.
my boy, bransen is in freestones class! I ask him if he likes it every day and he just says, "it's weird." I'd probably think the same thing if I were in the class too! Your blessing day looked like a great day too! congrats!
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