ESL

   Oh you don't know what that abbreviation is? English as a Second Language. People who come to this country as a new person for the most part goes into this class at school to help them with their English. I think its time we adopt what other countries do to foreigners. Give them a translator for three months and then let them do it on their own. They will fall behind for a little bit but if they really want to get it they will pick it up and be successful in all they do.

     Most of my family thinks it is very unfitting to teach Nastya Russian. "We live in America she needs to know English not Russian". This is what they tell me and they do it over and over and over. To me it is offensive and the attractiveness of them repeating the same line gets really old. Why does this country say that it is about different cultures and yet we have huge massive in tolerance's as much as Russia is against black people and Ukrainians are just as against a Russian/Ukrainian not speaking their language. Sorry but last time I checked America DOES NOT have a DECLARED, official language so until they do Russian will be my child's first language. She already picks it up from the neighbours and Pasha and I when we have non speakers.

The Terrible Two's

     Who ever thought of that phrase? She is two, and when our children start to become their own person they start to use their own mind to make choices for themselves. Nastya is talking so much more, she starts to tell me when she has a problem. Its always late but it is the point. Getting a little attitude is inevitable and it is sometime funny and other times not needed. Her favourite phrase is mmm no in full English. Where did she pick up on that one. Well that is all me....Oops I think I forgot my own lesson.

     She is starting to become a little spoiled and have the only child syndrome. Do you have that problem and if so how do you deal with it? I just explain to her its not correct and if she keeps acting like that she will be punished for it. She doesn't like to go in the corner so she understands to listen.

It Always Happens For a Reason!

     You know that phrase " It always happens for a reason"? Is that even true. When I said I got a job I was super excited and couldn't wait to start and earn some money. I worked for 2 months and then my employer notified me that she is having her poor friend take over so she can get ahead in life. I am all for that but my first thoughts were okay everything happens for a reason and it will be okay. I paid off five debts and its not so bad. However my thoughts are now that did she do it knowing that her friend was going to take over? SO now when I do a nannying job I will have a contract so that doesn't happen. So now I am back but, due to the summer coming and having things be super busy I still may not be on a lot.

     Few topics I will be covering are: Nastya's English, New dog, please and thank you's, full sentences, potty training, colours, animals, the zoo, the wild animal park, and the exchange student.  

Train Ride

     Since we live on the coast we have lots of great amenities close to our hands. One is the train that goes all the way from LAX airport to Down Town San Diego. Every time we go to the park the train passes by and Nastya just loves it. For months she has been asking to go on the train and so this past weekend we decided we would go and take her on a train ride. Tickets for her are 5 dollars and that is any where. We decided we would go to Solana Beach thinking it would be almost the same as a a car ride. It was only approximately 15 minutes.

 Train station behind them!

     Nastya had a wicked time in the train and around town.

Long Time No Write

     I know it has been a while since I have been writing. Lots of new places and things to write about. Some little updates and I will go into them more with a post for each. My job has ended. Nastya is talking in English more and more, however she mostly communicates with Russian. We finally got our new puppy named Spot. Potty training is in the very near future and Nastya is talking in full sentences. Please and thank you on demand is awesome! Sewing projects in the works, and a new baby to the extended family. A few pictures to peak the interest.

A Day of Firsts

     A couple of weeks back we had some mother daughter time and it was a ton of fun. I made a special breakfast of chocolate pancakes, bacon and eggs. Boy does Nastya love bacon. We went to the park and ran some errands. One of the errands was to go and pay the cell phone bills and right next to the phone place is a Starbucks Coffee. Okay I'm not really a fan of Starbucks however it was convenient. I let her have a vanilla bean frappuccino with whip cream. She enjoyed that just as much as Charlie enjoyed the candy from Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. She was floating through the air and was a little bit in shock that it was all for her.

     The second first was Papa bought her some cotton candy and she was in heaven again. How it melts in the mouth from the warmth of it and just tastes so sweet and decadent but you know it will be going to the bad side of the weight loss program. She had so much sugar that day I was surprised she didn't have any sugar high or withdrawals. When Pasha brought the cotton candy in first she had no clue what to do with it until I showed her that you eat it.

 I think the cotton candy is bigger than her head.

Yummy!

  Oh my goodness it is all for me?

Whew!

     Nastya is a very shy little girl. When Nastya meets new children her age it is hard for her to warm up to them at that second. She will hide behind me or not want to be put on the ground with them. It takes her about 3/4 days to warm up fully. The first thing that is hard is the language barrier. When it is older children she has no clue as to what they are saying to her or asking her to do unless they show her or I translate it. A prime example is my neighbours daughter loves Nastya and wants to play with her since they are the only girls on the block. She will tell her to throw the ball but Nastya just looks at her with a blank stare on her face.

     Its the look of being lost in a store or a place you have never been to. Nastya is not fond of babies either, but since I started to nanny she has become fond of the little four month old Liam. She tries to help feed him and today I caught her playing with him. She was telling him yes yes yes and ah-goo (its a Russian cooing word). Until now she would not get close to any baby...okay it has taken 3 weeks to get her there but she is and that makes me proud.

Nastya being so big and feeding Liam.