Laowai

Bea has started school, but it definitely still feels like summer here. It’s been hot, hot, hot since Bea and I got back from the U.S. I shouldn’t complain too much because we’ve enjoyed some great swimming – it was especially nice to swim with Bea alone. Normally I can’t interact with her much because I’m keeping such a close eye on Claire when we’re in the water. We’ve had those kind of days when you pine away for the evening when a delicious cool breeze comes over you. 

Bea was surprisingly low key and maybe even a teensy bit excited about the first day of school. She did great… other than her German class. The kids have to take German (not to be confused with Swiss German) class once a week at a separate building. She was supposed to be in a class of four kids which is typical. But – she ended up being the only one to show up on the first day. It was very un-Swiss for people not to be there. Anyway she told me that she didn’t have fun at all and she acted angry about it for a good bit after. 

I have big hopes for this school year. Bea is still not really doing any talking at school even though we know she understands everything her teacher says. All we can do is wait and hope that she will surprise us one day. In the meantime I look for little clues that make me feel she had a good day at school and I try to be positive. At then end of the day, when I peer into her snack container and find it empty I somehow feel good about the day that she has had. 

A hot day at the pool: