牛年的第一天週一,我跟一個 ABC 媽媽自願到留留的學校講 Chinese new year. 今年我們除了講新年的習俗和慶祝,特別加了一段 Chinese 101 (認識中文字).去年我們講的是 Chinese zodiac (十二生肖).在網友 AB 的 blog 上看到製作卡片的主意.覺得很適合跟"認識中文字"的主題放在一起.講完中文字後讓小朋友動手寫出"牛"和"年"這兩個字. 週日晚上趕工做卡片,我拉老公下水,他負責切洞,我再用金色的筆畫框,寫上金色的 2009 和銀色的 year of the ox. 貼一張"福"的金色貼紙.在內頁框下看不到的地方寫好牛年兩字的拼音 "Nu", "Nem" 便大功告成.卡片的紙本身有橫條的 texture (照片照不出來), 帶到學校後居然被一個媽媽誤以為是買的,這樣應該算成功了.
小男孩的班上最近在練習 make a speech. 用之前寫的 I have a dream 來練習.每個小朋友站上 I have a dream box (其實就是 podium) 對全班 deliver his/her dream. 一個高年級的老師自願幫忙錄影. 練習的項目有 voice projection, expression/intonation, good sentence flow, and eye contact with the audience. 留留在車裡,教室外不斷的練習,還規定我等他用 Thank you 結束後要鼓掌. 中間有一次我說 It's great! 留留糾正我 "You should use more expressions!" 非要我重說一個很有感情的 It's great!
Before I forgot, 本週的滑雪教練 Joe 平日是小學老師,他特別跟我們說小男孩 very creative and has very good leadership. 聽說他"帶領"(= 慫恿)同隊小孩一起在 chair lift 上面大唱他平常在學校編的歪歌. 小男孩回家後說"A kid in my class said I was the best skiier. I said thank you, you skiied very well too!" 哇,又是一個 mental development milestone, 現在留留除了大方接受稱讚,也懂得稱讚回去了! Way to go Bennett!
Dear Malia and Sasha, I know that you've both had a lot of fun these last two years on the campaign trail, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn't have let you have. But I also know that it hasn't always been easy for you and Mom, and that as excited as you both are about that new puppy, it doesn't make up for all the time we've been apart. I know how much I've missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey. When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me-about how I'd make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn't seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn't count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that's why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation. I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential-schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college-even if their parents aren't rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity.
這週留留回家時多次提到坐他隔壁的小女孩 A 的種種行為,我知道他對這個小女孩很感冒,跟她每日交手肯定很不舒服. 週一放學後去羅賓森家 play date, 週四去貝利家 play date. 這兩個 play date 的 intensity 完全不同,週一他在羅賓森家"練團",回家後仍然活蹦亂跳,然而貝利一家活動力旺盛.爸爸去接他的時候他們跟對面的鄰居一邊架一個網子,人手一棍在路上玩 hockey.當天還沒回到家在車上就睡著了. 週五放學後我們走了幾英哩去圖書館,他借了些 Beatles 和 Bon Jovi 的 CD. 跟留留邊走邊聊這一段路走的好開心! 留留週五睡前跟爸爸媽媽說 "Thank you daddy. Thank you mommy. You are the best parents ever!" 趕快把這句話記下來,以後等他進入青春期氣的七竅生煙的時候拿來鼓勵自己用.
週一是 Martin Luther King Day. 班上有許多相關活動,包括畫 Dr. King 的肖像.寫 I have a dream. 讀 King 的生平,當年在種族隔離下的公車事件和暗殺事件,和一本他妹妹的書. 留留小朋友也有一個夢. I will be a good example. (看完以後不禁懷疑前幾天幫忙擦地板是否是"幫助老人(=媽媽我)" 的一部分?)
今天貝利家的 M 來 sleep over, 三點鐘接小孩的時候讓他們在 play ground 裡面玩一會兒.
這中間還有段小插曲.玩了一會兒 M 跑來找我, "A said I am a loser!" 他媽媽不在, he is mine today. 我問他" Do you want to know what I think?" 他點點頭,我說 "I don't believe it at all. You are so not a loser." 沮喪的 M 瞬間微笑了起來,很高興的跑回操場玩去了.又過了一會 A 跑來找我 "Are you Bennett's mom? Bennett hit me!" 我安撫了一下小女孩,又跑去讓留留冷靜下來. 這個 A 是全校皆知的問題小女孩,看到她的時候不是在跟人吵架,就是又哭又鬧.她跟 M 起了爭執,罵了 M 以後,留留去關切, A 做出揮拳動作,留留於是反擊,也做出揮拳動作,不料輕輕的碰到她的手臂.我在做義工的時候看過多次這個小女孩的失控行為,也聽過幾個家長的抱怨. M 在場我暫時沒說什麼.打算明早跟兩個孩子吃早餐的時候跟他們討論一下遇到這樣的事情怎麼做比較好. 我們離開學校已經快要五點鐘了,帶兩個小孩去 Applebee's 吃晚餐,一人買一個氣球做的帽子.回家後讓兩個在玩具間玩了一會,他們要求看 Tom and Jerry, 我幫他們蓋個小毯子,一人給一杯 hot coco. 七點半左右貝利媽媽打電話來,我才知道今天他們家的哥哥也去朋友家住宿.貝利爸爸出差不在家,貝利媽媽說這是她九年來第一次一個人在家過夜.我強烈建議她點個蠟燭泡個澡,愛泡多久泡多久.
(1) 才說好本週五讓貝利家的 M 來家裡 sleep-over, 今天三點在 carline 接小男孩放學時, G 的媽媽跑過來 "They want to do a play date! Let me email you after checking my calander!" 游泳完回家後查 email, A 的媽媽寫信來找小男孩到他家 play date. 週一開學,今天才週二呢!已經有三個玩樂活動等著了.原來寒暑假是設計讓媽媽休息的呀! (2) 今天在游泳學校有一個有趣的發現,原來在這個游泳學校可以看到矽谷各家私立學校的制服!之前怎麼沒發現這件事情. (3) 太雞婆,多管閒事了一個人的網誌,對方大約有些不爽,卻把好幾個我的意思誤會啦!算了別解釋了,大家都別浪費時間吧! (4) 小男孩的三人樂團正式成軍,他已經講了好幾次,看起來現在這個樂團愈來愈多創作.聽說今天的創作叫 "Aliens rock!" 他唱給我聽,裡面有句歌詞叫做 "We are aliens and we rock!" 我一下子心虛了起來,因為背地裡偷偷叫他們這群小孩 aliens 已經好幾次了,沒想到英雄所見略同呀!
