My First Parent Meeting

Last week there was a Parent Meeting at Alethia's school.  Initially, I was hoping that Anthony would be able to arrange his schedule so that we could go together and make sense of what we could considering the language barrier.  However, the meeting happened to be at the same time as K-town Middle School youth group, so there was no way for Anthony to come.  He catches much more of the language than I do, so I was just not very confident in my ability to understand anything on my own. 

I approached one of Alethia's teachers about it (the one that speaks English, Frau Valerie), asking some clarifying questions.  She explained that the whole meeting will be in German so I probably shouldn't go, and she could get the information to me afterwards.  Well, I'm just not that kind of parent.  I know that having Alethia in German school will be challenging at times, but I want to make every effort to be just as involved as I would be if she was going to an American school, and there's just no way that I would miss a parents meeting.

So I started brainstorming.  Who could I ask to go with me and help me translate?  I decided to talk to my German neighbor (who lives below us) about it.  Her kids (now teens) both went to the same kindergarten as Alethia does.  So, she would not only know the language, but would also be familiar with the school itself.  If you know me well, you would know that this was a big growth step for me.  I am not one to go diving into unfamiliar settings by myself anyhow, but then to ask someone I don't know well to help me through it is quite a stretch for me.  However, Sebina was very nice about it and said she would be willing to go. 

I quickly figured-out that I was the only American parent in attendance.  In fact, I later found out that the other American parents from Alethia's class (the ONLY other American parents) weren't even told about it.  I guess it was only because I diligently translated the school calendar that I had received the week before that I knew of it.  

Sebina took copious notes as I sat there listening hard for a word or two that I could understand.  Mostly I felt lost and silly for smiling and laughing when everyone else did though I had no idea why.  I was glad to be there though.  And afterward Sebina patiently explained her notes to me and tried to answer my questions.  Then, she took notes about the questions she could not answer and got the answers for me.  I could not have asked for a better translator. 

The best part was at the end.  Sebina approached Alethia's other teacher, Frau Olga, (the one that speaks no English, so to whom I've never been able to speak with myself) to ask some of my questions.  I then, through Sebina, got to ask her about how Alethia is doing.  She seemed pleased to talk about Alethia, which warmed my heart.  She explained that she had assumed that Alethia and the one other American girl in the class would naturally gravitate to one another, so they had intentionally put them together for things, but that they actually prefer playing with other kids.  The other girl is shy and keeps to herself, however, Alethia is so outgoing and friendly.  I then asked, "Does that mean that she is independent or is she playing with other kids."  And Frau Olga said that she plays with other kids and seems to have made two friends in particular.  She has also noticed Alethia starting to understand certain German phrases that they use in the classroom.  And she is finding Alethia to be a good listener when she is asked to do something.  She also said that her and Alethia are helping each other when it comes to the language barrier.  For instance, Frau Olga was reading to her a book about animals and when Olga would point out the animals and use their German names, Alethia would repeat and then tell her the English names for them.  She seemed very pleased that they are able to help each other in this way. 

This conversation alone made my effort worthwhile.  It was good to finally connect with Frau Olga.  And it was wonderful to hear that Alethia is doing well.  And it was a nice experience with Sebina, whom I haven't had much opportunity to get to know.  I know this is just the beginning of these kind of experiences for me, so it is encouraging that this time went so well.  Hopefully, next time, Anthony will be able to be with me too. 

Fall Cleaning

Something about living out of a suitcase for 3 months has made us realize what we can live without.  Coming home, we have been motivated to clean-out our house and purge ourselves of the things that we don't use.

This began with our basement.  We have two storage rooms and a garage (that is not usable for parking in) that have collected a myriad of things in the four and a half years that we have lived here.  It is one of those places where when we don't know what to do with something or we don't have time to make a run to the recycling center we are just kind of like, "just stick it in the basement."  So, in the last week or so, Anthony has loaded up his Ford Explorer and made three runs to the recycling center.  It was mostly boxes left over from Christmas and birthdays.  We have also filled numerous garbage bags full of things to drop-off at the thrift store.  And our smallest pile is of things we are going to try to sell...mostly baby stuff that is still in good condition and a few 110 appliances that I have been holding on to for no good reason considering that I can't really use them here in Germany.  So, as of Thursday, we have the basement officially organized and cleaned-out.  We are no longer even using one of the storage rooms.  I am just still going through the endless boxes of baby girl clothes that I have to evaluate what to save and what to sell.

So, next we have some organizing and purging to do in our actual apartment.  I have done a little bit of this as we unpacked from the summer, cleaning out all of our shranks (closets) of clothes we no longer wear.  It feels good to unload the excess in our lives.  And we are hoping and praying for another, slightly larger but still in our price range and village, home to move to in the near future.

We first moved into this apartment before we were even pregnant with Alethia.  It has been a great home for us and where we have brought both of our babies home from the hospital to.  It has also been a great location, close to the school Anthony works with and to his office and youth room, right next to a playground for the kids, and in a great village with lots of walking trails in the woods just down the street, not to mention just blocks away from a great coffee shop and bakery and eis cafe.  However, with two additional family members and all the accessories and toys that come with them, we have outgrown this apartment and would love something a bit bigger and with direct access to the yard for the kids to be able to play outside more.  However, we are a bit picky and are thinking that it might take awhile to find just the right place.  At least we will be ready and organized when God brings the right place along.

Kann ich mit dir spielen?

A subtle shift happened in the Amor household last week.  Alethia started school and ballet and, suddenly, our conversations included Alethia's schedule.  Just like that, she has her own schedule to keep and we must now plan our own days around hers.  It is truly amazing how time flies when you are watching a little soul bloom and grow.  What was life before this little spark of passion and sass was in it?!

Alethia got to "sample" German kindergarten for a couple weeks before we left for the States, but now that we are back, she is attending regularly.  We are still deciding how much we want her to go, but we have the option of leaving her from 7 to 2 every day of the week.  That feels like a bit much for a 3 year old, when she is really just going to experience some freedom and autonomy, to enjoy the social interactions, and to learn German. 

So far, she is liking it.  We have taught her a few German phrases, like "Kann ich mit dir spielen?" which means "Can I play with you?", to help get her started.  She has about 20 kids in her class (only one other that speaks English) and two wonderful teachers, Frau Valerie and Frau Olga.  They are the Gespenst (ghost) group.  Alethia loves the giant "house" that the classroom is equipped with including a play kitchen, dress-up clothes and loft.  She also loves getting to play on the playground everyday (rain or shine). 

The Lord gave me a great gift.  The day before Alethia started at Kindergarten, we were at the park in our neighborhood.  While there, I met another mom who has a daughter in the same class as Alethia.  It was nice to talk to her about it and to introduce Alethia to another girl from her class.  I ran into that mom again today and she helped me translate the school calendar.  I feel like I am beginning to make a friend, which was not expected, and is a wonderful surprise.

Alethia also began ballet classes last week.  She goes twice a week to Miss Jenny (a very sweet German woman) with about 10 other little girls (mostly Americans).  It made my heart melt to see her all dressed-up in her leotard and tutu and dancing around.  About five minutes into it, while the class was doing their "butterfly stretch", Alethia looked over at me and, with a huge grin on her face, gave me a thumbs-up and nodded as if to say "Good job mom; I like this!"  I do not think I will ever need to worry about not knowing what she thinks about things.  She always seems to find a way of telling me with great verve.  And she loves ballet!  She has asked repeatedly to go back. 

Overnight Alethia has acquired this whole little life that is all her own.  It is strange to not be a part of everything she is doing and to know that now there are things that are just hers.