Happy New Year everyone. I hope you have all had a fabulous time over the festive period.
Christmas at our house this year was unusual in that I had two whole weeks off work. This is absolutely unheard of. Papa also had a week off so we got to spend some great quality time as a family.
Spending such a concentrated amount of time with our daughter was amazing for both of us. We have been bowled over by the progress she makes every day. The new tricks she learns and shares with us. Little life skills and personality traits.
On Poppette's last day in nursery prior to the Christmas break, her nursery nurse told us that she had said 'banana'. I'm not sure why I was dubious (particularly as it is one of her very favourite foods) but I reserved judgement until I heard it for myself. Which I did when Poppette asked for a banana one day when we were sitting in the living room. There was no mistaking it although her pronunciation was more 'nana'. She has since gone on to say it several times.
Not only this, but she now says Daddy and Papa continually ... hundreds of times a day. She also says Mama but not quite as often. I have a sneaking suspicion that its because my littel angel knows she has Papa totally wrapped around her finger and that if she says his name there is no way on God's earth that he will refuse her anything :-)
I am also very excited to say that I have come accross my alter ego. A Belgian woman raising her young son in her non-native English. It's such a boost to meet people that are taking on the same challenges and hopefully we will be able to inspire and support each other on this bilingual journey. This Belgian maman has been kind enough to review the French vocabulary listed on the "Le Langage Enfantin en Français" page listed at the top of my blog so I have updated it accordingly.
Oh, that is exciting! It's so much fun when the kids start to talk. Aleksander just started for real last month, and I love to hear him naming everything and repeating what I say. Just watch what you say! ;)
ReplyDeleteAnd why is it that children name their fathers sooner and more frequently than their mothers? Aleksander definitely said Dada before Mama. And he said Daddy clearly much sooner than Mama. Go figure!
How wonderful that you got to spend so much time together over the holidays!
Hi Kate, great to hear from you. So glad all is going well with Aleksander.. I have been keeping up to date with your blog although I have found that I am not finding nearly enough time to write my own blog as I would like at the moment!!!
ReplyDeleteHello, my friend from French club pointed me in the direction of your fab blog. Are you on twitter? I'd love to hook up follows with you. I'm just starting out on the road teaching my toddler French and have just been creating a little resource section on my own blog, MotherWifeMe.com. Main reason being, I need all the motivation I can get if I am going to do this. So, I would love to create a little network of non-native bilingual parents teaching their kids French for myself, or become part of an existing one! I am at @motherwifeme. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteGreat blog i discovered through blogging carnival.
ReplyDeleteI think the p sound is easier for kids. This is why they often say papa before mama.