6 months later....

I didn't mean for 6 months to go by, but that's what happened. This blog started as a way for me to document my kids' voyage through bilingualism and by not writing, I'm missing out on so much and I don't want to forget.

So here goes.

Suzanne (aka Suz aka bear) is 11 1/2. Suzanne was an early talker; speaking English and French before she could even walk. She started collège in the international section in a public school here in Lille. She's amazing. And totally annoying. But mostly amazing. I think the annoying part if par for the course. We're lucky to have the international section in the Lille school system. Her experience in grammar school was amazing. The English teacher there challenged her, often using her as an assistant to valorize her bilingual-ness. And it worked. Suzanne has gone through the first semester of collège with flying colors. The problem is that the English is too easy - and this is where we come up against the wall of French education. The literature teacher doesn't get what being bilingual means and rather than teaching up to the kids, she teaches down. I know that not all of the kids are bilingual, but they all had to take a test to get into the international section. Therefore, they all have a certain ability. So the teacher could be offering them short books rather than focusing on the Gruffalo - a wonderful book, for a 6 year old. But I digress. Collège remains frightening for me. Imagine an American middle school experience - awkwardness and hormones and all - but without any of the fun. That's French school. And it kind of sucks. But since she doesn't know anything different, it's all good. And, she's made an American friend. She's had lots of English speaking friends in the best, but it's her first American friend. And she's loving it...they talk about pop tarts, Halloween and Costco. Suzanne is an artist, she's intelligent, kind and creative. If she doesn't have a pencil in her hand, or a book by her night table, she's lost. Unless there's a cat...then she drops everything to cuddle with the cat.

On the way to school one morning - she has to be there at 7:55 most days so we bring her to make sure she actually gets there - I asked her if she wanted me to leave her on the corner so the other kids wouldn't see me. She said, "mom, why would I be embarrassed of you? you're my mother...". Then she added something that made me so proud to be her mother, "those other kids should be embarrassed because their parents aren't as cool as mine." Let's hope those awful hormone surges don't overtake the sweetness.

Max (aka beastie aka monkey) is 8. I struggled with Max to speak English, but when he finally started, he came up with complicated words. He continues to be structured and complicated. He also changed schools this year, starting the international section of the public grammar school. Max is one of those "smart kids" so sometimes it's a little hard for him. But something clicked last year and he decided that he didn't have time for kids who weren't nice to him, mocked him for crying, and didn't understand his lego and pokemon obsession. So my little boy went out and got himself new friends who accept him for who he is (it was borderline harassment for a while there...). At his new school, it's like he's always been there. He came home the first day with a few friends, including 2 bilingual English kids. Max is a mega reader now. It started out slowly, he knew how to read but refused for a while (that's also how he learned to speak). Max has a slightly obsessive personality and over the summer he started reading series of books. I handed him a Magi Tree House one day, but he wasn't interested. Once we got started, he read it alone in English and he was off. He read 30+ Magic Tree House over the summer but had to stop because we couldn't find #44. When we were in the car over the summer, I explained the Civil War to the kids in light of what happened in Charlottesville. And Max piped up in the back seat, "I know about the Civil War from Magic Tree House number....".

So there you have it, my bilingual experiment is on going.
As for me, the kids and I still only speak English together. I try to help Suzanne with her homework in French but she finds it hard and lapses into English which is funny. And they both correct me now which is humbling...