Wake-up call

A few days ago, while sitting at the kitchen table after school, Lotte put up a grave face and began to tell, "Mummy, today at school we learned about [......]". We could'nt understand the last word. Asked her to repeat it. "We learned about [.......] in the park behind our house. You have to stay on the path. If the children do not stay on the path and go walking in the woods, they can get killed".

?

Bombs. The [...] word was 'bombs'. This is one of those moments where as a parent you have to think FAST. Luckily, having read the newspaper the day before, we remembered suddenly that there was going to be huge campaign in Norway for land mine victims in Cambodia a few days later. We were able to explain to Lotte that this was in a different country, that there was no need for her to be afraid. At first she didn't believe us, because this was told at school! The ultimate truth...... But after a bit of persuasiveness it seemed like the best option to believe us. We also took contact with the teacher and explained what had happened.

This is a perpect example of how Lotte gives meaning to the parts and pieces of spoken language which she is able to pick up. It is like this giant puzzle with holes in it, where she needs to fill in the gaps in order for her to give meaning to the story. Needless to say, this is not always on par with reality. Even though we know this, we let ourselves get fooled again and again, because Lotte is excellent at hiding that she has not understood. No matter how well Lotte is doing, stories like these are essential to make us understand that we have to stay aware of this, and pay attention.

Imagine what this idea about bombs in our neighborhood could have meant for Lotte, if it had been allowed to develop in her head over time. Ever so glad she is the gabby, talkative type and wears her heart on her sleeve!!

The Road Not Taken

A poem, by Robert Frost, that I should have put in the blog a long time ago..
For us, it describes the choices we have made for Lotte. Her CI, the languages we were going to use, what kind of school and many other decisions, big and small..
Thanks Jodi for reminding me..

Shown below, the glass picture I had made for my wife, based on the poem.
........................................................................................................................

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveller, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference

 

...Robert Frost

English lessons!

School started for Lotte with English homework already from the second week.
Kids with cochlear implants tend to have problems with their working memory, due to a lack of language interactions at an early age. That means that new words usually do not linger after hearing it once. It has to be repeated many times. I actually compare it with a computer hard disc that is not yet formatted.

Well, formatting for Lotte has begun. Can't remember how many times we now have counted from 1 to 10 in English, but she thinks it's great fun, she understands what it means (probably because of her own understanding of two languages, that the same thing can have different names). Saying "three" is probably difficult for all children, but the lack of two front teeth really doesn't help! Otherwise she seems to pick it up, and remembers more quickly now (after a week) what the numbers are called.

Until now she thinks it is a great game, so we hope it will continue that way :-)

--- Mous ---

And to all readers out there.... just be patient.... Lotte will one day start writing to you all...
How cool would that be !!
--- Cloggy ---

Bedtime ballerina

Lotte had gone to bed and was allowed to read a bit before falling asleep.
Suddenly I heard Vivaldi's Four Seasons and wondered where that came from. In her bed, Lotte was lying on her pillow, playing with a little musicbox.

When you open it, a little pink ballerina will do her pirouettes. Lotte was carefully following the ballerina's movements with her index-finger, totally oblivious of the fact that there was music involved.

I went into her room and put one coil of Lottes CI to her head .
You should have seen the sun and the stars that came through! That smile said more than a thousand words, and will probably be one of the most beautiful ones I will ever see.

O, blissfull motherhood........

Mous

Sisterly love....

Today another change in time became clear. It is not that Lotte and her sister quarrel a lot, because they don't. But whereas before the reason for quarrelling mainly would be because of misunderstanding or lack of communication, we now see (or more accurately: hear) a shift to quarrelling because of Lotte becoming more and more able to be verbally argumentativ.


I'm virtually allergic to hear my kids quarrel, but in this case it's like music to my ears!

Mous

Restroom conversation..

Today the kids and I went to the cinema.

Lotte and I went to the bathroom before the film started. She went into the one next to me. Doors closed (both booths entirely closed as well), and we had a conversation!
Even though the acoustics were lousy, sound from far away and no eye-contact, she understood perfectly well what I was saying and would answer all my questions!

Mous