School Lunch

Actually, we only buy the desayuno for E, but I love these menus. So healthy and delicious. I wish I could eat with the preschool.

Dientes Dulces

One day, E came home with this award.

He apparently won a game for his "Habilidades de mouse" - abilities with a mouse - during clase de computacion. Yes, this is 21st century schooling here!

It also came with a huge bag of candy. After he got one lollipop, the rest went into the ever-growing bag of candy that I keep hidden under the sink.

I don't even think that's all of it. I think I threw some out or gave some away, and of course he's eaten some. It is just astonishing how much candy kids receive here. During calendas, at concerts, for holidays, and now at school.

Much of it wouldn't interest E - it's chilesalada or chamoyada. In addition, I'm pretty reticent about commercial Mexican candy, after seeing a news report a few years back about high levels of lead. I'm planning to keep a few pieces to pacify him during our travels home, and leave the rest to a local orphanage.

Patriotism

Every Monday morning, all of the students at E's preschool get in a big circle and do a ceremony with the Mexican flag. A group of four girls carry the flag around in the circle while the other kids stand and salute (Trivia fact: did you know that Mexicans salute with their hand on their chest rather than their forehead? I had no idea!) and sing the national anthem and recite what I can only assume is something akin to the Pledge of Allegiance. Mondays are the days that the kids all wear their dress uniforms, so they all look extra good doing this.

I have a feeling that if E's preschool in the US had the kids do this I would find it a bit creepy and filled with right-wing undertones, but here in Mexico I find it utterly adorable.

Pobrecita

One of the things I've realized here is that I have issues about being seen as the "poor mother." Sending him to school in pants with holes at the knees is a real trigger. Not sending in materials that the teacher requested is another.

I think this existed in the US - I always tried to keep his clothes new, showered him with too many toys - but I didn't really realize it. I was able to defend against it, but here I've had to really face it.

Language Learner

One of the great pleasures of parenting is watching how your child learns and grows. It has been amazing to watch E's use and understanding of Spanish grow in our time here.

Every day, he seems to be absorbing more, using new words, asking what words mean in the English, or what the Spanish word is. At the same time, he is developing in so many other ways - learning the alphabet in Spanish, writing letters and words, wanting to learn to read. It is truly amazing. His school seems to be making all the difference.

I'm seeing how E learns language best when it is in context.

"Te amo" with a hug and a kiss.
"Ahorra" each time we rush across the street, avoiding oncoming cars.
"No gracias" to each vendor who walks up to us at an outdoor table.

Of course, there's a good bit of repetition in these situational cues, but I see how this mirrors how he learns new words in English. I sometimes call him "my little tape-recorder." He'll repeat a phrase he's heard us say - exactly - to see how we react. Do we affirm or correct him? When I notice him doing that now, I offer the definition of the unfamiliar word.


I've tried other techniques - offering the vocabulary, explaining the grammar, rehearsing responses - but it sticks fastest if it is contextual.

He seems to have turned a corner recently, and now he uses Spanish as often as English, and interchangeably. With kids who speak Spanish, he uses it easily (though not always correctly).

We hope he will be attending a bilingual immersion school in September, and I'm now thinking I should really try to keep up our Spanish in the interim. A new challenge!

Feria De Mezcal

One of the classes of older kids at E's school made big posters for each month listing the major events that occur to celebrate. I can't help but wonder if any school in the US would ever have a poster commemorating a Celebration of Bourbon or a Microbrewery Festival. Maybe in Portlandia...

Lil Swimmer

The one thing that E latched onto before our trip here were pictures of preschoolers at swimming class. It has since become clear that he thought he was going to swimming school, where that is all he would do all day. And it's even clearer that is his idea of heaven.

In fact, swimming is a part of the national standards for preschool, so many schools offer it. E goes to a class weekly for 45 minutes.

Several weeks ago, we visited a balneario, and it was apparent to D and I what a difference this weekly class was making. He could really swim without floaties for the first time.

Last week, D visited E's swimming school, and I went today. It was amazing.

That's E pushing the blue foam disk.

The school is dedicated to swimming, and it has a completely separate pool just for teaching children. They start with tiny babies and teach skills carefully and sequentially.

The pool is about 2 feet deep in the center, with edges that are only 3-6 inches under water, and a deeper part that is about 4 feet. The teacher-student ratio is supposed to be one to five, or but sometimes is one to three. They have tons of toys and equipment - noodles, rings, slides - to aid with learning.

E's teacher patiently tried to help him do a back float over and over again, all while putting up with him splashing water in her face.

I watched another teacher take a crying baby who didn't even want to shower and give her enough confidence and enjoyment that she climbed on a foam platform and slid into water over her head, smiling the whole time.

Is this kind of swimming school a Mexican or is it something they have in big cities in the US? Well, based on our experience, they should have them everywhere.

Ready for School

It doesn't look like uniforms are going to come in time for us to feel like its worth spending the money for them. In the meantime, 3/4 of E's pants now have holes in the knees. At the Soriana last night, we picked up some clothes that resemble the uniforms. The other kids wear white or gray polos with navy blue pants. Confirming people's comments, he wears a size 6 here. E was excited about new clothes - a fashionisto through and through - so agreed to a photo shoot before school. Can you believe what a little man he is?

School Shopped

After two days of pounding the pavement, we went with the first school
we looked at. It is just two, short blocks from our house, a pleasant
walk through our little parque. I found it because they had papered
the neighborhood with signs, including the one I saw at our grocery
store. It was a colorful, active place with kids playing and running
in the courtyard. The staff was helpful, and Elliott was chomping at
the bit to play with other kids.

Here's the weekly schedule:

Lunes: Danza
Martes: Educacion Fisica
Miercoles: Natacion
Jueves: Musica
Viernes: Gimnasio

Hopefully, that will keep him busy and tired!

How could we not choose the school with Spiderman on it? (Enlarge
photo to look at the window on the right.)

Super Shopping

Here's our $100 (American) cart full of school supplies, bulk paper products, and international ingredients (ground pepper and Parmesan, most importantly).

Rules

Contemplate this: one of the classroom rules at E's new preschool is
"No decimos rosarios." That is, no saying the rosary.