This Reminds Me

Two years ago today, we were bumming around Moscow, enjoying the sites, waiting for the round of Embassy chores required to bring Julia home.  The night before, Keith had captured this image of her asleep on the train between St. Pete and Moscow.  It’s still the screen saver on his cell phone.

Oh how she loved “machinas” – cars.  And this train.  And the following week – the planes at the airport.  Anything with a motor that moved.  She used to sing a little song about machinas.

Yesterday, I asked her to bring me the keys to my “machina” and I got a ‘Huh?” in response.

Fast forward to today.  Her first-grade teacher (the sainted Ms. Jones) sent home her daily journal because her work was so good.

Translation:  “I would have made it to school, but I did not want to go to school.   Instead I went to my cousin’s house.  I went to my cousin’s house.  While I was walking I saw a fox.  The fox said, ‘Mmm?  The rabbit looked good to me.’  Then the fox took the rabbit.  He took the rabbit home.  He tied the rabbit on a rope.  The rabbit told the fox to go to a store and he did go there.  The rabbit got away.  He ran home and told his mom, ‘A fox almost ate me.  I am never going to miss school.’”

That’s an original story.  Her language skills – both oral and writing – are on par with other first graders, and her teacher is confident she’ll pass the tests required for second grade.  Is she academically where Rachel, Lois and Hananh were in first grade?  No.  But neither were Rachel, Lois and Hannah where she was physically and emotionally for their first six years.

Funny thing about education.  There’s what you learn in school – like how to spell “fox” in your journal.  And then there’s what you learn out of school – to run like a fox to show that journal to your daddy.

We are rapidly approaching our second annual Sister’s Day celebration – May 18, the day Julia came home. The last two years have certainly been an education for all six of us.  An education with not only what Julia has learned at school, but also what all of us have learned at home.   Julia wrote, “I am never going to mes school,” and I support that – because now she is not missing a family.

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