My Spanish Angel

Good morning ladies and gentlemen. I trust your holiday shopping and preparations are going well. Last night, at the insistence of CWGIII, we put out Christmas lights. Well, at least on his little cabin. That didn't seem to be too big of a hassle. I love Christmas lights, but I can't stand taking them down in the bitter cold of January. We wrapped the porch posts and outlined the side facing the road. He has one of those prelit grazing deer, a bell, and a "Feliz Navidad" sign. It looks quite festive out there. Thanks Aunt Carla for helping out with donating part of the lights. The rest I got off the clearance table at Fred's and Dollar General, so not too big of an investment. Couldn't find a "Merry Christmas," so "Feliz Navidad" will have to suffice. However, my son is getting some Spanish instructional CD's for Christmas, so it's kind of theme-related.

Yes, CWGIII wants to learn fluent Spanish. I suppose he shouldn't have too tough of a time with it. He said his first word at 3 months, believe it or not. And it was "book." I remember taking him to work to show him off at 4 months and the girls couldn't believe he could say "good." They said he was just cooing, until I said, say, "Good juice." And he said "Good jooo." It was obvious he was mimicking my mouth movements and sounds, whether or not he knew what he was saying. He hasn't stopped talking since. Such words and phrases as "facetious", "obsessed", "evidently", "eventually", "realistic", "in my estimation," and "by my calculations," have crossed his lips in the recent months. And I just sit in amazement that a seven-year-old is talking to me like a grownup. What are they teaching in schools these days? Or is it because he lives with a writer and a salesman and is an only child? Could be. Childen repeat what they hear, I have to remind myself. Boy do I need reminding. It's like that new country song I heard the other day, "I've Been Watching You," by Rodney Atkins. They watch us when we slip up, and they watch us when we do good.

But really, his language skills are coming along nicely. And I must brag, he's been a straight-A student this year so far. Charles and I were talking about this last night when he was telling me about a young boy that graduated college in one year. His name was David Bahn, and the story ran in the January issue of Kiplinger's. I promised CWGIII at the first of the school year a $100 if he made it the entire year without anything lower than an A. I might have to pay up. But at that, if he does it every year, $1200 is a small investment for a valedictorian and free ride to college. Some of you may disagree with this method, but in my house bribery is not a dirty word if it gets positive results. We just use it sparingly. (Mama don't have that much cash to dole out regularly anyway.)

Someday maybe he'll be bilingual or multilingual. Someday he may be an ambassador or maybe even President! Yes, I have big dreams for my little man. But for now, I'm content to watch him bask in the glow of a prelit reindeer and smile as he turns to me and says, "Now we can get a whole bunch more to cover the whole house." Sigh. The joys of motherhood.
Tags: Christmas lights
plans
vocabulary
Feliz Navidad
Holiday