[Milkshakes all around!]
When I picked up the children from school yesterday, Elsa's teacher waved me down and said he had something he wanted to show me. I got out of the car and he proceeded to push play on a video he had taken during class. It was of Elsa - tutoring a fellow classmate (a native Spanish speaker) on her letters and sounds in Spanish!!
Elsa's teacher was amazed. He said he mentioned to another parent that 'there is this girl who just moved here from Africa, and if she is tutoring the other kids we really need to push more help at home' (something to that effect).
I was so proud of Elsa! My smiled beamed! How is one little girl so very amazing? And smart? And confident? She has been in school for a month and she is already tutoring in Spanish! She is brilliant and I feel honored to be her mother - not just because she is brilliant, but because there is something very special about her.
As way of celebration, I took the girls and got them milkshakes. Then we dropped Lorelai off at gymnastics and Alexandra at her guitar lesson. I used the one on one time (Elisabeth was there, but you know...) to chat with Elsa. She opened up all about her memories of Gambella, where she originated from in Ethiopia. I explained to her why she came to America - how her mother loved her so much that she wanted her to have food, and go to school, and have doctors if she is sick.
I texted Donald after Elsa and I had been chatting a while, "Are you recording it?" he asked. Oops...hadn't thought to do that. So I hit record on my phone and had her recap a little of what she had told me. Here is that video. She is getting a little bit fidgety - as we had been sitting and waiting for Lex to get out of guitar. Also, you'll notice a red star on her forehead, she earned that at school for good behavior. Watch to the end - her reaction when she finally spots Alexandra coming out is priceless!
