First Day

Monday was the first day back to school, and I think I was more apprehensive than the kids. I worried a lot about how things were going to go. In my eyes, this is their first real experience in Brazilian school, since the 8 or so weeks they went last year they had a translator along with them. This is their first time to "go it alone" and figure it out.

We had a few small blessings to assist in this process. D has another American expat in his class, a little girl who has been here about 3 months longer than us, and while in 2 years the language difference between the two of them will be unperceivable, right now it is pretty big. She understands quite a bit more. She's shy, though, so I suggested to D that she translate for him and he can speak for her. The teacher has allowed them to sit next to each other, and for now the arrangement seems to be working. The night before school started, I asked D if he was excited? "I don't know." Nervous? "I don't know." Happy? "I don't know." Sad? "I don't know." Up until that point, excited? yes. I definitely sensed the apprehension. But the small experience he had in school is gone. He is in a new grade, a new building, a new classroom, a new teacher and his translator is gone. I briefly regretted not hiring a translator again, but I am certain language acquisition will be quicker and he will be independent that much sooner. He didn't meet classmates last year or make friends because he stuck like glue to his translator. I don't blame him. I am sure I would too. But I look ahead 5 months and see an amazing, settled, confident, bi-lingual boy. We are both waiting for the day.

As for M, I was actually more worried about her. She cried or at least put up a fuss almost every day last year. Most days she spent at least a portion of the day with D and/or the translator. This year he is in a different part of the school. She loves to keep me guessing, though, and walked into her class without a second thought and when I picked her up at the end of the day to go home, she started crying. I am pretty sure this is the child I will never,never have figured out. A temporary blessing for her is maternity leave for her teacher means a substitute teacher who happens to have just returned with her husband from an assignment in the US. Her English is limited, but she certainly can understand M's needs *most* of the time.

I'm not naive enough to believe we are over the hump. Things will evolve. Next week they will feel differently, and next month there will be a new element in this adjustment, but I do not regret for a moment that we are allowing them this opportunity to live and know another culture and language.