Firsts

Yesterday at recess a third grade boy had a football.  It was not exactly like, but similar to, this:

(I was going to describe it but we have google images for a reason.)

He threw it at me (I missed) and wanted me to throw it back.  Before I knew it, I was playing catch.  At recess.  It was the first time in my life that has ever happened.  What can I say?  I'm a late bloomer.  Also, I wasn't all that good at throwing or catching but I was at least as good as my playmate and I'd like to think we both improved as the game went on.

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I took a fifth grade boy to "the ranch" which is the name of the classroom that the aides use.  He was very skeptical and suspicious and it was clearly his first time being called out of class like that.  He's fairly new to the school, from Venezuela by way of Florida.  I chatted with him in an attempt to win his trust as we walked down the hall.  The lesson I was teaching him was how to spell laugh.  I felt like apologizing to him on behalf of the entire English language.  I don't know why we spell laugh that way.  You would think the people that brought the world peanut M & Ms would be able to spell laugh somehow that makes sense.

I acknowledged that my son cried when he was little because he had to learn English.  (It's true.  It was Braeden.  He has trying to spell some nonsense English word and just broke down in tears and asked, "Why do I have to learn English?!?".)  My little fifth grade friend asked me, "What was your son's first language?"

I said, "English."

He raised his eyebrows in dismay but hopefully it made him realize we all have had struggles with words like laugh.

I asked him how to say laugh in Spanish.  He told me and wrote it for me.  I tried to say it and he told me I was saying it wrong.  I tried again and again.  He told me not to roll the R so much.  I tried again and he just shook his head.

I thought maybe it was time to stop criticizing me and get back to teaching him to spell laugh.

He had it by then though.  So I emerged as the slow one from that interaction.

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Adam is conducting sacrament meeting on Sunday for the first time.  He said all he can think about is how to say it in Finnish.  He told me the entire welcome and it sounded melodic and burbling like Finnish does to my ears.

I will be disappointed if that isn't what comes out of his mouth on Sunday.