Homework

I cannot believe how time flies, but I won't belabor it. Every day there is some curious, funny or heartbreaking thing I could write about, but somehow I never do.  Tonight, however...

Having three children who speak primarily Chinese, while I primarily don't, certainly has its frustrating moments. It's like adopting three kids who then proceed to maintain their language without any assimilation. I haven't been through anything like that before, it's pretty weird! Add to it that two of my children are being educated in the language that I don't speak, read or write...I sign their homework every night but have NO clue what I am signing. Other than the math, it could be completely wrong, and I would still cheerfully sign! Tonight Crystal brought me her homework but was quite adamant that I couldn't just sign it, I had to do something else. Ah, but WHAT?? I tried and tried to understand but we weren't getting too far. I repeated everything she said, which sent her into gales of laughter (it always does) but still I wasn't any closer to knowing what I needed to do, other than signing my name wasn't going to cut it. She even wrote out what I should write...in Chinese characters. huh? So we resorted to our last option which was calling our English speaking staff. First one then the other got on the phone (after having a little discussion themselves about how to explain what was needed! lol). Eventually I got it...Crystal was supposed to write the Chinese from dictation, and I was supposed to verify that she had not copied it from the book. I get it! So I did verify with the other kids that the passage had indeed been dictated while she wrote it down. But we still had the dilemma of me writing in Chinese what was needed. The translator suggested I just write it in English and trust that the teacher could figure it out. But Crystal and I found another option...she wrote the phrase in pinyin (English letters rather than characters), and I copied it into her lesson book and signed my name.
Another hurdle cleared. :)