Ich bin wieder da! April 16, 2011

In other words: I’m back!

I’ve been away from my blog for far too long! It all had to do with the cold that wouldn’t quit, Aleksander teething, PER traveling almost every week…. I didn’t even have the time to get the rest I needed to get better or to keep my house in some semblance of order, let alone time for myself and things I enjoy like blogging! But I’m back, I’m better, and I’m ready to start writing again!!

Despite the neverending cold and exhaustion that came along with it, I’m happy to say I’ve done a pretty good job keeping up with our German   Some days I just didn’t feel like it, but I’m always glad when I persevere.

Now that spring is finally here and we’re having some beautiful weather to go to the playground, I’m needing to learn new words again! Der Spielplatz (playground), die Schaukel (swing), and die Rutsche (slide) are three big ones. We’re having so much fun being outside.

Aleksander still isn’t talking, but he sure is walking! A couple of weeks ago, he made the big change from preferring to walk instead of crawl. And then he just took off like a shot! I can hardly keep up with him sometimes! I wonder what people think if they hear me calling after him, “warte mal! Komm mal her!” (wait up! come here!) Tja! (Oh well!)

No! February 23, 2011

Sometimes speaking German with Aleksander has a greater effect than just passing on my second language. It often makes me so much more aware of what I’m saying in my native language.

Warning: the following contains a grammatical discussion!

Of course there are things that we don’t want Aleksander to do. He shouldn’t throw things or play near the oven or chew on puzzle pieces, etc. But I can’t say “no” all day long. I try to tell him what I want him to do instead of what I don’t want. I say, “be gentle” an awful lot. But I also end up saying “don’t throw” or “no chewing.”

Somehow, these “negative” phrases don’t sound as negative to me in German as they do in English. Why is that? Perhaps because, even though I have become a fluent speaker of the language, I still don’t attach as much emotion to the words. But I think it is also the grammar that is used in the German. You don’t actually say “no” in German. And you don’t actually address the listener directly. In German, you just use the negation word nicht and the infinitive. For example, nicht werfen or nicht kauen. For me, it ends up feeling a little softer than the English equivalent.

Word of the Day December 14, 2010

Finally! I sat down at my computer this weekend with my list of words to look up. Of course, the words are all centered on the world of babies.  Some words you might expect, like bottle (das Fläschchen) and high chair (der Kinderstuhl). There were words I was pretty sure I knew but wanted to double-check, such as blueberry (die Blaubeere or die Heidelbeere) and waffle (surprise! die Waffel!). I also had to check on the names for the shapes that go into Aleksander’s sorting ball. And then there were all the animals and automobiles that come up in his English books. As I looked them up on my favorite online dictionary (dict.leo.org) I stumbled on some other words I didn’t know, like baby tooth (der Milchzahn).

It’s a pretty random list so far. But I’m trying to keep all the words organized by theme: food, bath, bed, body parts, toys, animals, etc.

As I was making my list, I had the idea of posting a word a day here on my blog. I’m hoping it will inspire me to continue building my list. Of course, that was Saturday, and I already missed the posting for Sunday. Alas! I’ll try to do better….

And it may help a reader learn some new words, too. My mom (who does not speak German but has a general knack for languages) has been trying to find ways to learn some German to use with Aleksander, or at least to understand some of what I say to him. So maybe she’ll get on board and learn a word a day!

Once I figure out an efficient way to do it, I’ll post the growing list on the blog, too. Until then, we’ll all have to keep track of the words ourselves.

If you missed the first few words, they were:

die Windel, -n = diaper

die Badewanne, -n = bathtub

Gleichgewicht November 29, 2010

Gleichgewicht is the German word for balance. Literally, it translates as “equal weight.”

I never really thought much about this word before. I just used it as I would any other word. But when Aleksander first started to stand, I gained a new appreciation for the word. Now that he’s doing the “hand-holding walk” (and looks more like a drunken sailor), I’m reminded of it again. After all, one of the keys to his success to have “equal weight” on his feet!

It’s funny how a new perspective can give you insight into something you take for granted like a simple word. Aleksander gives me such new perspective on a regular basis.

In looking up the word, it turns out Gleichgewicht also means equilibrium. Well, that makes sense, right?

I find I’m almost constantly having to find my equilibrium when it comes to Aleksander. He changes so quickly and so often. After a few weeks of craziness with his schedule, it seems he’s finally settled back into his routine of taking two naps a day. Whew! So not only do I get a rested baby – not to mention a little extra rest in the afternoon for myself – but I also don’t have to think about changing our German time.

However, I do have a new challenge. Well, it’s not new really. It’s something I’ve been aware of for months, but I really need to do something about it! I need to put more time into learning new vocabulary. There are so many words I want to use with Aleksander that I just don’t know. Simple things like the names for shapes or even some toys. And I can’t keep calling everything a Dingsbums! (thingamajig) I even have a little notebook to jot down the words I need to look up. But is it ever nearby when I need it? Of course not! Maybe I need a new strategy…. Any ideas???

Words of comfort October 27, 2010

Today has been a little rough. My husband is away on business all week, so I’m a little frazzled and cranky without having my usual back-up (not to mention today is our anniversary!). And I think Aleksander is getting tooth #8, which makes him a little cranky.

Still, we’re chugging right along with our German afternoon. But then when something happens that upsets Aleksander, I sometimes find myself switching right back to English.

Why is it that I feel more able to comfort Aleksander in English?

I soothe and coo at him in English to try to stop the tears. It isn’t because he can’t be soothed in German, though. There have been plenty of times when he’s fallen or hurt himself or gotten upset over something when I’ve continued with German and soothed him just as quickly as I would in English. I try to reassure him and sing a little German lullaby. It seems to work pretty well.

So it isn’t about Aleksander. It’s really all about me. On the one hand, it has a lot to do with my state of mind. When I’m feeling tired myself, I slip so much more easily into English in any circumstance. But when it comes to giving comfort to my little one, it goes a lot deeper than that. I was never comforted in German as a child, so it can feel somewhat awkward to me. My instinct is to comfort Aleksander the way I was comforted. I guess it feels more genuine that way.

So does it matter? Is it okay to switch to English for a few moments, so that I can offer more comfort my baby in a more powerful and meaningful way?

First words October 6, 2010

At 11 months, Aleksander is just now starting to speak his first few words. So far, he says Daddy (or “dada”), dog (which sounds like “dat”), and hi (a big “haaaaaaaaa”).

So are these first words English? At first I would say yes. But just now writing them out, I’m not sure there isn’t some German in there, too! He says Dada whether I speak English or German to him. That makes sense, since I still refer to his father as Daddy even when I speak German (just with a German accent). The word dog is obviously English. The German equivalent Hund sounds nothing like “dat”. But the “haaaaaaaa” could be both English and German – maybe even more German? The German word for hello is hallo. Could he be combining the two? Or perhaps he’s really going for the German? After all, I generally say “hello” when speaking English, not “hi”. So his adorable, sing-song “haaaaaaaaaa” sounds more like the German to me.

Maybe I’m just hearing what I want to, though. Just wanting confirmation that some of the German is seeping in. I suppose, however, that it’ll be a while before we hear him speaking more words and are able to tell what is English and what is German.