I've been trying to think of something to update about, but frankly, we've barely left the house in weeks. Did I mention the bronchitis? Did I mention that when a kid goes on antibiotics, the doctor recommends staying home from school for three weeks? Don't tell anybody, but I'm thinking of making an executive decision and sending her back to school a few days early. All of this, of course, while I'm dealing with my own case of (untreated) bronchitis and morning sickness. Actually, it's been kind of nice not having to get out of the house while I'm not feeling well!
As stimulating as our weeks-long Buffy and Doctor Who marathon has been (good parents let their kids watch sci-fi), I'm afraid the time is coming for K to go back to school. She has tolerated being cooped up at home pretty well, actually, and we haven't really been driving each other as crazy as one might imagine. She still talks about school and her friends there, and I think she'll be thrilled to go back sometime next week.
I never did write in much detail about the new school, but we really like it. She's been attending half-days five days a week since right after New Year's (except the recent time out sick). She was a little nervous to be left, once or twice, but generally was more upset about being picked up than dropped off! In fact, we had to have a serious discussion about NOT SCREAMING WHEN YOUR MOTHER PICKS YOU UP FROM SCHOOL. Once or twice it's amusing, but every day just gets old. The new system is that she gets her favorite afternoon snack only if she makes good decisions at pick-up time. Otherwise it's no pink milk for the rest of the day. Only had to enforce that once and her behavior underwent a magical change. Hah.
Her teachers are very nice and I like their attitude with the children - warm, nurturing, relaxed, reasonable. They seem to consistently speak Czech with K, which I appreciate. She's a new experience for them, since she understands Czech - unlike the other two foreign children there - but doesn't speak it.
"It's amazing - she totally understands everything I say and answers back in English!" one teacher told me. And then one day, after three weeks in school, "She talks now!!" I answered, "I know!!" - I had noticed the previous day a large increase in Czech phrases used at home and wasn't surprised they were showing up at school, too.
Interestingly, K is continuing to use increased amounts of Czech even during this extended period at home. She uses it to the Slovak and me as well as in her imaginary play. It's pretty cute. The other day I actually noticed that K was attempting to have a conversation with the Slovak ENTIRELY USING SLOVAK (/Czech). It was hard to tell because she got stuck pretty quickly, not knowing how to complete her sentence - but she was trying, instead of filling in with English. She also chewed me out for telling her Ľubím ťa instead of I love you. First time she's ever cared which language someone speaks to her.
Generally I feel like other than getting sick from exposure to germy kids, which can't really be helped, K is really thriving in her new school. She loves her teachers and has a best friend. The kids and teachers like her - every time I ask how her day was (or similar), the teachers say how involved and active in class K is. She draws and paints and comes home singing new songs.
And she's really looking forward to being a big sister...
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