conversations with anna

Anna can be a little fussy. She likes to wear shirts that have pictures on them. She doesn't like to wear Marta's handme down underwear. And she doesn't like to do "boring" things.

She usually enjoys doing "boring" things once she gets started, but before that, it takes some diplomatic language to get her going. She didn't want to go to the singing class at the Folk Music Barn because it was "so boring," but once she got there she loved it.

She thinks kindergarten is "boring" too. Our conversation yesterday went something like this:

Us: But why don't you want to go to kindergarten?

Anna: Because it's so boring.

Us: But what about your friends?

Anna: I don't have any friends.

Us: But what about Markus? Didn't he hold your hand once?

Anna: No.Markus is friends with Joonas.

Us: But what about little Pihla?

Anna: Pihla is friends with Mimi.

Us: But what about little Mia? You're friends with her right?

Anna: No. Little Mia is friends with Hanna.

Us: But what about big Mia?

Anna: Big Mia isn't friendly.

Us: What about Alja?

Anna: Alja is friends with Villu Illimar

Us: But what about Villu Illimar? He's you're friend too, right?

Anna: Ha! Don't you know? Villu Illimar can't even talk!

According to the teachers, though, Anna has a lot of fun in kindergarten. She never cries when we leave her there. She's always in a happy mood when we come. Maybe kindergarten isn't so "boring" after all.

minyazawhat?

I really don't want to be one of those parents who pigeonholes his or her child early on and then is immensely disappointed when little Johnny decides to be a bartender instead of an astronaut.

Still, you notice things about your kids. You notice that they take to some things more than others. And I think Marta enjoys learning new languages. She speaks two languages natively -- English and Estonian. We have been to Spain twice (and there are plenty of Spanish speakers in New York) so Marta has learned Spanish as a second foreign language.

She has actually requested Spanish computer games so she can learn. She also sometimes has requested to watch Mary Poppins in Spanish (and also in French a few times too). I've taught her some Italian. The only word she usually remembers is "bambola" (doll).

Now, in school, she is learning Russian. This presents a challenge to me, because I don't know Russian. She's running around yelling, "Minya zavut Marta," and asking me questions that start with "Kak" that I don't know how to answer. But that doesn't hurt her exuberance. I was worried Marta was only interested in playing with her friends and being a comedienne, but it seems there is some student in her. She is finally happy to be learning something. I am happy too.

beatles

"You should wear your hair like this, Issi," Marta pushed my hair in my face. "Then you will look cool, like The Beatles."

I was surprised that she even knew who The Beatles were. Then I remembered that Martha-Liis, her babysitter, is a big Beatles fan. Martha-Liis, or Maša, is only 15 years old.

"You know, I saw one of The Beatles once, in concert," I told Marta. "Ringo Starr."

"Who was the one who got shot?"

"John Lennon."

"But why was he shot?"

"Some crazy person shot him. And, you know, it was a long time ago. I was only one year old."

"But did the man who shot him go to jail?"

"Yes, he did, Marta. He's still in jail."