Stein Suppe

So today I told the kids the story of "Stone Soup" - a folk tale of a soldier who is hungry, makes it to a village where no-one has enough food to share, so he makes Stone Soup.... and everyone ends up contributing some food to make it just a bit better....

Anyway - my son said "So they made Stein Suppe"? (not sure of the spelling....)

It took me a moment to remember that Stein in German is Stone..... and that Suppe is Soup. I haven't been doing a LOT of German with the kids - but apparently some of the words are sinking in!

German

Just thought I'd mention that Mike has been doing some German with them... And today we listened to a kids story in German (with a book, a noise to turn the page....) It is one designed for kids learning the language. It was pretty good - he/we had the jist of the story at least....

Doubts

I have to admit that I get huge waves of doubt every so often.... Most recently seeing the brochures for the local French-Immersion School's kindergarten in the library, and seeing the (same) school's big sign on the road that they are accepting registrations (which means they aren't full....) for the fall. If I wasn't homeschooling, I'd want them to be in immersion (and as French is what is available.... it would be French....) - so it gives me waves of doubt. I had the same waves of doubt when Bravo registered Zulu (my grandson) for French Immersion Kindergarten.... and even just when the even closer school had the signs up for registration in (English) Kindergarten.

Yet I'm sure that homeschooling is right for our family. I know that Mike will teach them German, so the 2nd language will happen (maybe not fluently like in an immersion....) I know my son will be happier at home, and they are both doing well at home. It is just hard to be sure.

But, it is hard to find support in some ways. Fortunately, my husband fully supports this - I know some people have to do it without spousal support. My mom is against it, the older kids think we are nuts, Mike's siblings are against it (haven't mentioned it to my siblings, I don't think.) My dad is good with it, I believe. So when doubts happen, there aren't many people to talk to about it.

German!

Forgot to mention - Delta asked me to read more from "The House at Pooh Corner" (which has very few pictures - it is like the original Pooh stories by A.A. Milne....) And I read several pages to him. Will do the next chapter soon.

And, just talked to Mike (via Email...) - and he has agreed to teach the kids German as a part of their homeschooling. He is fairly fluent, having lived there 7 years. French is the more common 2nd language here in Canada of course - but really no-one in the house knows it at all (even though I took 6 years of it in school...) The advantage of doing French would be that most of our movies here (DVD's) have French as a 2nd language track.... where for German we would need to find other resources.....

In any case, I'm going YEAY! Not sure when he is likely to start with them on it - it may be quite a while, as I'm sure he is going to have to think a bit about how to go about it. (hm, he wouldn't go for the talking to the kids only in German back when Delta was a baby... lol) Funny thing is none of the older kids know any German (except swears, I dare say) even though their mom is German, and Mike was fluent in it....

More

Ok - Yesterday....

Delta had group violin lesson - they are getting ready for the spring concert next month.... Looks like he is a little behind the other 3 kids that were there yesterday - they have started learning the "Monkey song" (basically a 4 note scale on each string...) - and he hasn't in indiv class actually touched the strings or even played the open string... sigh. In group class he is good at the open string practice. So he just played the open string while the rest played the notes.... He is really close though, he is practicing holding his fingers over the strings like umbrellas.... Oh - and at the concert he is going to get a little medal for 50 practices in 70 days!!!! (that I get to pay for....)

Did a bunch of running around in the car, at one place the kids and I were in the car alone waiting while Mike got some stuff in a store I just can't walk around in - so I pulled out the reading cards. Delta did much better at blending the words - and I got to make him more cards! Echo is doing good with her sounds - can't blend at all yet, but that is ok....

And - we got to visit with Mike's ex'es relatives (ok, kind of wierd)... one, Charlie's "Oma" lives nearby. Her sister is visiting for about a month I think - and only speaks German. They had Delta saying phrases - and "Oma" said that he would probably pick up other languages fast. (Not that I think he knew what he was saying....)

That was about it....