Caucus with Me
In just 4 days, Ping will be eligible to become a naturalized citizen of the U.S., but it looks like we will defer that event for about 8 more years. She will wait until her retirement and her medical care benefits vest in China before she becomes a U.S. citizen. I hadn't thought about it until just now but that is the same time that I will be fully vested, so we can celebrate together.
On the nights that Ping can't walk with us, I have been using my time with Cici to improve her vocabulary. I can usually guess when I use a word that she doesn't know, but I always ask to find out. Sometimes the word is mundane, and something that we don't even think about. Tonight for example, we talked about the meaning of "grocery store," and "groceries." We talked about "fluent" and "fluently," and also "department stores" and "auto parts stores" and "car dealers."
When a word can be used either as a noun or a verb, she always figures it out and says which is which and we use the word in a sentence or several sentences to reinforce her learning. One of her points of pride is that she has mastered the pronunciation of M & M's. Her tongue didn't want to cooperate when she tried to say the name quickly, so we practiced it over and over again while we walked.It was like the breakthrough point of learning to ride a bicycle when she could suddenly say M & M quickly and clearly.
Last night I stayed up late to watch the Iowa caucuses. Cici was curious about them and I spent some time explaining what was happening. It is what you and Mama and I do when we talk over things like college or travel or even where or what to eat. Little by little she is catching on to what is happening with the primaries, and she is ready to go with me to vote on March 6 in the Texas primary.
Education is a never ending process for the girls. It is amazing how long it takes to be exposed to a lifetime of learning that someone goes through when they are born in a particular country. When you change countries and cultures, you have to start all over again.
On the nights that Ping can't walk with us, I have been using my time with Cici to improve her vocabulary. I can usually guess when I use a word that she doesn't know, but I always ask to find out. Sometimes the word is mundane, and something that we don't even think about. Tonight for example, we talked about the meaning of "grocery store," and "groceries." We talked about "fluent" and "fluently," and also "department stores" and "auto parts stores" and "car dealers."
When a word can be used either as a noun or a verb, she always figures it out and says which is which and we use the word in a sentence or several sentences to reinforce her learning. One of her points of pride is that she has mastered the pronunciation of M & M's. Her tongue didn't want to cooperate when she tried to say the name quickly, so we practiced it over and over again while we walked.It was like the breakthrough point of learning to ride a bicycle when she could suddenly say M & M quickly and clearly.
Last night I stayed up late to watch the Iowa caucuses. Cici was curious about them and I spent some time explaining what was happening. It is what you and Mama and I do when we talk over things like college or travel or even where or what to eat. Little by little she is catching on to what is happening with the primaries, and she is ready to go with me to vote on March 6 in the Texas primary.
Education is a never ending process for the girls. It is amazing how long it takes to be exposed to a lifetime of learning that someone goes through when they are born in a particular country. When you change countries and cultures, you have to start all over again.
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