Language acquisition: this is what Daniil and I are all about, along with the essential task of bonding and loving. The poor kid, his Mama narrates everything he does, asking him to name every object and repeat, repeat, repeat.
In fact, he's not a poor kid at all; Daniil relishes his new vocabulary as it gives him power. He's got probably 50-60 nouns under his belt at this point, everything from body parts--all of them, believe me--to barnyard animals to more sophisticated people, places and things including sunglasses, umbrella, zinnia, and watermelon.
We're running low on adjectives--big, small, tall, and short--but what more do people need, really, other than a palette of colors? A strong verb trumps an adjective any day.
Just today I taught Daniil the key verb: "want". Up until now, he has expressed wants in Russian and the objects of his desires in English, such as "hoechesh banana," "hoechesh pee," "hoechesh eat." Last week I taught him to say "banana, please," "pee, please," "eat, please," a step forward into both manners and English only. But now, as of late this afternoon, my son can express his will powerfully and directly in a complete, unequivocal sentence to anyone he meets.
We're running low on adjectives--big, small, tall, and short--but what more do people need, really, other than a palette of colors? A strong verb trumps an adjective any day.
Just today I taught Daniil the key verb: "want". Up until now, he has expressed wants in Russian and the objects of his desires in English, such as "hoechesh banana," "hoechesh pee," "hoechesh eat." Last week I taught him to say "banana, please," "pee, please," "eat, please," a step forward into both manners and English only. But now, as of late this afternoon, my son can express his will powerfully and directly in a complete, unequivocal sentence to anyone he meets.
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Daniil was sitting in his car seat, having just endured long rides in a shopping cart through Stop & Shop and CVS. "Hoechesh ice cream," he said several times over, as I loaded grocery bags into the car. I decided to gamble, betting Daniil would hang in with me for yet another English lesson given the strength of his desire for ice cream.
llllll"Repeat after me," I directed, turning around from the front seat so that he could see my lips as well as hear my voice.
llllll"I," I said in a strong voice, pausing and pointing to myself.
llllll"Want," I said, nailing that final "t".
llllll"Ice cream." I playfully sing-songed this noun, one Daniil already has under his belt (pun intended).
llllll"Ice cream." I playfully sing-songed this noun, one Daniil already has under his belt (pun intended).
llllllI repeated this simple sentence several times over, waiting for him to repeat each word after me. At first, Daniil slipped other non-sensical syllables inbetween "I" and "want," but eventually he got it.
llllll"I want ice cream!" he exclaimed with a confident smile.
llllll"Yes, moy mishka. Your desire is my command. Let's go get us some ice cream."
l
Desire. The cause of so much good in the world, the drive that propels us to explore and accomplish and pursue our deepest dreams and imaginings. And the cause of so much suffering too, especially when our desires aren't heartfelt or consciously considered, but driven by Madison Avenue or by our own unconscious needs for quick fulfillment or escape. May I teach Daniil how to distinguish between the two.
What do I most desire today? The patience, wisdom, humor and/or insight to respond to Daniil in ways that always leave him feeling intact, honored. Even when he decides to whip out his penis in the middle of our living room and pee in his Home Depot tool box, as he did just the other day, may I never lose sight of this boy's soul. Even in the midst of the most exasperating situation, may I have the eyes and heart to see this as an opportunity to teach Daniil a vital lesson about how to get along in the world. And to teach him about a Mama's love, even when she has to set complete, unequivocal limits.
l
Desire. The cause of so much good in the world, the drive that propels us to explore and accomplish and pursue our deepest dreams and imaginings. And the cause of so much suffering too, especially when our desires aren't heartfelt or consciously considered, but driven by Madison Avenue or by our own unconscious needs for quick fulfillment or escape. May I teach Daniil how to distinguish between the two.
What do I most desire today? The patience, wisdom, humor and/or insight to respond to Daniil in ways that always leave him feeling intact, honored. Even when he decides to whip out his penis in the middle of our living room and pee in his Home Depot tool box, as he did just the other day, may I never lose sight of this boy's soul. Even in the midst of the most exasperating situation, may I have the eyes and heart to see this as an opportunity to teach Daniil a vital lesson about how to get along in the world. And to teach him about a Mama's love, even when she has to set complete, unequivocal limits.
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You are a beautiful, patient, loving, hilarious mother! I imagine how happy that little puppy dog must be when he wakes up knowing you are there for him every single day.
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