Saturday, April 12
Lola and I woke up to snow on the ground in Iowa. We thought it was pretty cool, but my mom was a bit worried about us driving all the way to Minneapolis airport in it. Apparently one of her neighbors told her the snowfall north of our immediate area was heavier…and so we left Mom’s house at about 11am so as to allow enough time in case the driving was slow. Ironically, the snowfall was pretty much nonexistent most of the way to Mpls so we had time to sightsee and have lunch.
We were doing quite well according to schedule so while we stopped for a late lunch break we also took a quick side trip to one of the Cabela’s Outfitters stores, this one in Owatonna, which is just south of the Minneapolis metro area off I-35. Lola was fascinated at the display of wildlife there. The animals are all real (or once were, but have been victims of the taxidermist) and are in real-life poses. The variety is mind-boggling! They range from the usual bear, squirrel and deer to elk, arctic fox, buffalo, moose and polar bear - - it’s really quite amazing! They also have an aquarium with several huge tanks containing fish indigenous to North America. As Lola would say, “Very COOL!”
On our way again to Mpls airport, Lola had a package of gummi worms candy which we shared. There was one gummi she had singled out from the rest (due to it having a rather crooked body) and that worm was her ‘special friend’. She put it in her jacket pocket and saved it for later to eat. It was eaten with lots of love and TLC just before we arrived at the airport, but not before she kissed it several times and told it she loved it forever.
Dropping the car off was quite fun and painless, as was the visit to the airline ticket counter to get boarding passes. We were both amazed!! We wandered over to the security area (now, bear in mind the AirTran terminal at Mpls airport is really small and there are only two or three security x-rays and one security checkpoint person. On this particular day there was a very nice woman there who checked our boarding passes and my ID, but then said to Lola, “Oh, sorry, all bottled drinks must be either put in the trash or consumed before you can go to the gate. There is a seating area over by the windows if you want to drink your Diet Pepsi.” Oooooooooops! I had forgotten about the Pepsi, and Lola wanted to drink it, so we settled in over by the windows in two comfy chairs. Then I remembered I had not only one, but TWO bottles of water in my backpack. And so we began. I gulped my first water with no problem. I was not so fast with the 2nd bottle. Lola had been drinking her Pepsi one gulp at a time. “Mama, help me,” she pleaded, handing me the bottle of Pepsi. “You drink.” Ugh. I am not a fan of any soft drink, especially when it has oodles of carbonation. I protested, but upon her insistence, I did force myself to take one drink. Now, bear in mind by the time I was summoned to help her I had already consumed 1.5 bottles of water. That one drink of Pepsi I swallowed did it. This huge massive burp flew out of my mouth before I even knew it was there! I must have looked amazed, because Lola went into gales of laughter and actually fell off her chair! At that point the only thing I could do was say ‘excuse me’. Yes, there were people around. Yes, I was MORTIFIED. But it’s not like I could rewind time and cut the burp from the script, and it really was pretty funny, so I laughed too. Mostly I laughed at Lola laughing, which was pretty funny in itself.
We finished our drinks, a bit more leisurely toward the end, and sloshed ourselves over to the security checkpoint. The woman there told us, with a little chuckle, where to find the restrooms in case we needed them. While in the waiting area and in between bathroom breaks we played UNO. I must say, that little card game has saved us from many a boring wait in any place – St. Petersburg & Moscow airports, on the plane for a 12-hour flight to America, on rainy days at home, at my mom’s house in the evening just to relax, and now at the Mpls airport waiting for yet another flight. If anyone has written a manual on how to keep kids occupied, page 1 should feature the game of UNO.
I am so joyously happy that Lola loves to fly! I don’t know which of us is more excited when the plane begins the roll down the runway for take-off! On this flight we were relegated to the economy seats (which is where we should have been anyway) and the ride home was still ok. It was pretty good to be home that night back in our own beds. Isn’t it funny? No matter where you go or how much fun you have or how luxurious your vacation is, there really is no place like home!!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
Over the Miles
Friday, April 11
Last night Lola called Russia using one of her international calling cards. She was connected, said a few words to her grandfather in Russian, then got a very strange look on her face and handed me the telephone. “Dyedushka crazy,” she said. “Too much vodka.” Her main intent was to speak with her aunt and cousins and apparently none of them were at home. I told her we would try again today. I’m happy to say at 10:30AM CST she placed another phone call to Russia and even though her grandfather answered he then handed the phone to her aunt and she and Lola had a wonderful conversation.
I had decided a long time ago that when Lola is 12 we are going back to Russia to visit everyone. I will be so honored to meet the people who helped raise her until she was 5 and went to the orphanage.
Last night Lola called Russia using one of her international calling cards. She was connected, said a few words to her grandfather in Russian, then got a very strange look on her face and handed me the telephone. “Dyedushka crazy,” she said. “Too much vodka.” Her main intent was to speak with her aunt and cousins and apparently none of them were at home. I told her we would try again today. I’m happy to say at 10:30AM CST she placed another phone call to Russia and even though her grandfather answered he then handed the phone to her aunt and she and Lola had a wonderful conversation.
I had decided a long time ago that when Lola is 12 we are going back to Russia to visit everyone. I will be so honored to meet the people who helped raise her until she was 5 and went to the orphanage.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Spring Break Part 3
Thursday, April 10
The workmen next door are still installing the toilet. At 9am, just like clockwork, the pounding begins. I hope they are done soon. This morning we received a phone call from my cousins about Uncle Don’s condition. They said his lungs had filled up with fluid during the night and he had refused any procedure to clear them or to place a ventilator on him. He told his family he was ready to go and at this point it was just a matter of time. My mom was beside herself and I offered to drive her to Sioux City but she said she would rather remember Uncle Don the way she saw him on Easter Sunday a few weeks ago rather than fighting for every breath in the hospital. My cousins said at this point there was nothing left to do but wait.
The weather wasn’t exactly cooperating much - - it had gotten quite windy and cold and there was threats of heavy rain turning to sleet and eventually to snow. The plan was for Lola and I to drive to Omaha to spend the day with Dawn and go to the Henry Doorly Zoo (my favorite zoo) and perhaps to the Offutt Space Museum. But because of the weather and Uncle Don’s situation we thought maybe we could compromise and meet Dawn halfway in Denison and have ‘brunch’ at a restaurant there and at least have a chance to see each other. I begged Mom to come along since she needed to have a little break from the stress of her brother being so ill.
The winds were quite heavy driving to Denison, but we made it and that little stinker Dawn now has a cute little new car! She got the Honda Fit. It’s adorable and she is well overdue for a new car, since her last one had been plugging away (and not always happily) for the last fifteen years.
When we returned home from brunch we received a phone call that Uncle Don had passed away. From what my Aunt Margaret indicated he was at peace and was joking with the family till the end. In fact, when Aunt Margaret went in to have a private moment with him (as did each of his daughters) she told him she would see him later in Heaven. He replied “Just make sure you don’t bring some old geezer!”
My mom is now the last living child in her sibling group. There were five in all, with the age range from oldest to youngest being about 17 years, I think. Uncle Don was the youngest…
No specific date was set for the funeral, and my mom insisted that we return to Atlanta as planned, even though I tried to tell her we would stay with her for the duration. She assured me she would be fine and she was not going to make us change our flight schedule (I have found in my mom’s older years she is becoming a woman of opinion, which is quite refreshing in comparison to her younger years of being accepting and at times almost complacent about most issues. It really makes for interesting conversation now!)
So the plan was for Lola and I to return home to Atlanta on Saturday by way of Minneapolis and that was that. No argument.
The workmen next door are still installing the toilet. At 9am, just like clockwork, the pounding begins. I hope they are done soon. This morning we received a phone call from my cousins about Uncle Don’s condition. They said his lungs had filled up with fluid during the night and he had refused any procedure to clear them or to place a ventilator on him. He told his family he was ready to go and at this point it was just a matter of time. My mom was beside herself and I offered to drive her to Sioux City but she said she would rather remember Uncle Don the way she saw him on Easter Sunday a few weeks ago rather than fighting for every breath in the hospital. My cousins said at this point there was nothing left to do but wait.
The weather wasn’t exactly cooperating much - - it had gotten quite windy and cold and there was threats of heavy rain turning to sleet and eventually to snow. The plan was for Lola and I to drive to Omaha to spend the day with Dawn and go to the Henry Doorly Zoo (my favorite zoo) and perhaps to the Offutt Space Museum. But because of the weather and Uncle Don’s situation we thought maybe we could compromise and meet Dawn halfway in Denison and have ‘brunch’ at a restaurant there and at least have a chance to see each other. I begged Mom to come along since she needed to have a little break from the stress of her brother being so ill.
The winds were quite heavy driving to Denison, but we made it and that little stinker Dawn now has a cute little new car! She got the Honda Fit. It’s adorable and she is well overdue for a new car, since her last one had been plugging away (and not always happily) for the last fifteen years.
When we returned home from brunch we received a phone call that Uncle Don had passed away. From what my Aunt Margaret indicated he was at peace and was joking with the family till the end. In fact, when Aunt Margaret went in to have a private moment with him (as did each of his daughters) she told him she would see him later in Heaven. He replied “Just make sure you don’t bring some old geezer!”
My mom is now the last living child in her sibling group. There were five in all, with the age range from oldest to youngest being about 17 years, I think. Uncle Don was the youngest…
No specific date was set for the funeral, and my mom insisted that we return to Atlanta as planned, even though I tried to tell her we would stay with her for the duration. She assured me she would be fine and she was not going to make us change our flight schedule (I have found in my mom’s older years she is becoming a woman of opinion, which is quite refreshing in comparison to her younger years of being accepting and at times almost complacent about most issues. It really makes for interesting conversation now!)
So the plan was for Lola and I to return home to Atlanta on Saturday by way of Minneapolis and that was that. No argument.
Lola's Contribution
Prevet, this is Lolita mama crazy
Lolita, you are lucky Mama is a little crazy. Life is more fun. Be happy Mama is not skoochnee (boring).
I love Scooter. He is my boy friend
Scooter crazy bekaz mama crazy LOLA NO CRAZY LOLA GOOD
Yes, Lola is good and crazy
NO NO NO NO NO !!! $ o, ok, , k ok k good night borp)
Yes, that was Lola exercising her typing (and spelling) skills. Please note the ‘borp’ at the end (burp).
Lolita, you are lucky Mama is a little crazy. Life is more fun. Be happy Mama is not skoochnee (boring).
I love Scooter. He is my boy friend
Scooter crazy bekaz mama crazy LOLA NO CRAZY LOLA GOOD
Yes, Lola is good and crazy
NO NO NO NO NO !!! $ o, ok, , k ok k good night borp)
Yes, that was Lola exercising her typing (and spelling) skills. Please note the ‘borp’ at the end (burp).
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Spring Break Part 2
Wednesday, April 9
We had hoped to sleep late on the days we visited ‘Baba’, but each morning it seemed that something happened to cut that wish short. Yesterday morning at 9am we awoke to hammering and other tool-type noises in the vacant condo next door to my mom’s. We found out they were installing a new toilet. Lola was so funny - - she was a bit indignant that her sleep had been so rudely interrupted, yet she didn’t wish to get out of bed and get dressed……10 o’clock came and we had planned to visit the Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend, Iowa and had hoped to leave sometime that morning. I was trying to get Lola up and coherent and my mom walked in and said “Lola, if you get up now and get dressed and ready to go I’ll give you twenty dollars!” I have never seen a child wake up so fast. I scolded my mom for ‘bribing’ her, but my mom told Lola later that she had planned all along to give Lola the money so she could add it to her ‘camera fund’. As of this upcoming Saturday Lola will have a total of $118.00 saved. She has been saving all her money from allowance and Christmas for the sole purpose of buying her very own digital camera. I must say I’m impressed at her determination.
We drove the 80 or so miles to West Bend to see the Grotto. It really is an amazing spectacle. Here is an excerpt from the history of the Grotto taken from the website www.westbendgrotto.com
“Paul Matthias Dobberstein was born in Rosenfeld, Germany on September 21, 1872. He received part of his early education at the University of Deitsche-Krone in Germany. When Paul was 20 years old he immigrated to America. On coming to America he entered the Seminary of St. Francis near Milwaukee to prepare for the Priesthood. It was there that he began to show signs of unusual artistic ability that was to characterize all the waking hours of his earthly existence.
He completed his studies for the Priesthood at St. Francis Seminary and was ordained there on June 30th, 1897. For one year he served as chaplain for the Sisters of Mount Carmel hospital in Dubuque. Then when the Archdiocese of Dubuque was divided and Sioux City jurisdiction was formed he was appointed the pastor of West Bend Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church and remained there in that capacity for the rest of his life. During fifty-seven years he was counselor, instructor, and leader to the parishioners of St. Peter and Paul's.
The story of how the Grotto came into being is as moving as are the scenes it portrays. It is generally told as a fact that as a young seminarian, Father Dobberstein became critically ill with pneumonia. As he fought for his life he prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary to intercede for him for the grace of health. He promised to build a shrine in her honor if he lived.
The illness passed, the student completed his studies and after his ordination he came to West Bend as Pastor in 1898. For over a decade he was stockpiling rocks and precious stones. The actual work of giving permanence to his promise began to take shape in 1912. The designed purpose of the Grotto is to tell in silent stone made spiritually eloquent, the story of man's fall and his redemption by Christ, the savior of the world.
It was his purpose that others might see in the beauty of stones the beauty of the Creator and by being charmed and attracted by his work learn to imitate the virtues of the Mother of our Saviour. Father Dobberstein used a vast collection of minerals and precious and semi-precious stones in the building of the Grotto. Petrified wood, malachite, azurite, agates, geodes, jasper, quartz, topaz, calcite, stalactites and stalagmites are but a partial list of rocks gathered, purchased or donated for building of the Grotto. The many offerings of visitors have aided substantially to create this artistic wonder.”
We spent about an hour at the Grotto and Lola was quite impressed by all the different types of materials used to create it. She was astounded to discover it was all done by one man!
When we returned home my mom had not yet heard from my Aunt Marg about Uncle Don’s condition so she called the hospital. We were told he had been transferred to Sioux City to one of the hospitals there. My mom was quite upset by this news so I called the hospital in Sioux City and found out he was in ICU. I was transferred up there and my cousin Ellen came to the telephone and said he had had a rough couple days, but he seemed to be better and was joking around with everyone. She promised to keep us informed and would let us know more later.
We had hoped to sleep late on the days we visited ‘Baba’, but each morning it seemed that something happened to cut that wish short. Yesterday morning at 9am we awoke to hammering and other tool-type noises in the vacant condo next door to my mom’s. We found out they were installing a new toilet. Lola was so funny - - she was a bit indignant that her sleep had been so rudely interrupted, yet she didn’t wish to get out of bed and get dressed……10 o’clock came and we had planned to visit the Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend, Iowa and had hoped to leave sometime that morning. I was trying to get Lola up and coherent and my mom walked in and said “Lola, if you get up now and get dressed and ready to go I’ll give you twenty dollars!” I have never seen a child wake up so fast. I scolded my mom for ‘bribing’ her, but my mom told Lola later that she had planned all along to give Lola the money so she could add it to her ‘camera fund’. As of this upcoming Saturday Lola will have a total of $118.00 saved. She has been saving all her money from allowance and Christmas for the sole purpose of buying her very own digital camera. I must say I’m impressed at her determination.
We drove the 80 or so miles to West Bend to see the Grotto. It really is an amazing spectacle. Here is an excerpt from the history of the Grotto taken from the website www.westbendgrotto.com
“Paul Matthias Dobberstein was born in Rosenfeld, Germany on September 21, 1872. He received part of his early education at the University of Deitsche-Krone in Germany. When Paul was 20 years old he immigrated to America. On coming to America he entered the Seminary of St. Francis near Milwaukee to prepare for the Priesthood. It was there that he began to show signs of unusual artistic ability that was to characterize all the waking hours of his earthly existence.
He completed his studies for the Priesthood at St. Francis Seminary and was ordained there on June 30th, 1897. For one year he served as chaplain for the Sisters of Mount Carmel hospital in Dubuque. Then when the Archdiocese of Dubuque was divided and Sioux City jurisdiction was formed he was appointed the pastor of West Bend Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church and remained there in that capacity for the rest of his life. During fifty-seven years he was counselor, instructor, and leader to the parishioners of St. Peter and Paul's.
The story of how the Grotto came into being is as moving as are the scenes it portrays. It is generally told as a fact that as a young seminarian, Father Dobberstein became critically ill with pneumonia. As he fought for his life he prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary to intercede for him for the grace of health. He promised to build a shrine in her honor if he lived.
The illness passed, the student completed his studies and after his ordination he came to West Bend as Pastor in 1898. For over a decade he was stockpiling rocks and precious stones. The actual work of giving permanence to his promise began to take shape in 1912. The designed purpose of the Grotto is to tell in silent stone made spiritually eloquent, the story of man's fall and his redemption by Christ, the savior of the world.
It was his purpose that others might see in the beauty of stones the beauty of the Creator and by being charmed and attracted by his work learn to imitate the virtues of the Mother of our Saviour. Father Dobberstein used a vast collection of minerals and precious and semi-precious stones in the building of the Grotto. Petrified wood, malachite, azurite, agates, geodes, jasper, quartz, topaz, calcite, stalactites and stalagmites are but a partial list of rocks gathered, purchased or donated for building of the Grotto. The many offerings of visitors have aided substantially to create this artistic wonder.”
We spent about an hour at the Grotto and Lola was quite impressed by all the different types of materials used to create it. She was astounded to discover it was all done by one man!
When we returned home my mom had not yet heard from my Aunt Marg about Uncle Don’s condition so she called the hospital. We were told he had been transferred to Sioux City to one of the hospitals there. My mom was quite upset by this news so I called the hospital in Sioux City and found out he was in ICU. I was transferred up there and my cousin Ellen came to the telephone and said he had had a rough couple days, but he seemed to be better and was joking around with everyone. She promised to keep us informed and would let us know more later.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Spring Break
Monday, April 7
I had booked airline tickets for us to go visit my mom over Spring Break. This was the first time Lola would meet her new ‘Babushka’. I booked this flight through AirTran on March 5 for departure on April 7. OK, that is about a MONTH in advance. I have normally flown Delta in the past because they have non-stop flights directly into Omaha. It was also very convenient since my friend Dawn lives in Omaha and I always visit her for a couple days before or after I drive to Iowa to see my mom. However, this time the flights to Omaha on every airline was upward of $500.00 round trip per person - - a fare I consider outrageous, gas price increases or not. Instead, after much research, I decided to try flying AirTran to Minneapolis for the wonderful price of about $200.00 round trip per person. Since it is a necessity to get a rental car I figured a couple extra hours driving time was not bad in comparison to the money we would save.
I haven’t flown AirTran for quite some time, but in the past the experience wasn’t all that different from any other airline. However, when Lola and I arrived at the Atlanta airport on April 7 to check in and get boarding passes we were told there were no available seats left on the plane. Eeeeek. Whaaaaaat?? We were then instructed to go through the security checkpoint and on to the departure gate anyway (and of course they checked our luggage to go on the plane whether we had seats or not??!! So, like, what fun is our luggage going to have in Minneapolis without US??) to see if they could get us assigned to either 1) seats on the plane for our scheduled flight or 2) seats on the next flight out. So, while we were standing in the unbelievably long cattle-queue for the security check, I tried to call AirTran’s 800 number to see if they could assign us seats, to no avail. A man standing in front of us told me he had the same problem with AirTran overbooking seats on his last trip and he and some other passenger had been assigned the same seat. How encouraging. Once we finally made it to the gate (about fifteen minutes before the flight was to depart, I might add) we were assured that plenty of people on our flight were willing to give up their seats so all we needed to do was wait until they called our names. About ten minutes later they called us over and gave us each a boarding pass. And to our surprise, when we got on the plane we were seated in the business class seats. That was next to heaven for Lola - - not only did she get a ‘first class-size’ seat, but also one at the window.
Thankfully the rest of the trip, car ride included, went very smoothly. We arrived at my mom’s house about 3pm on Monday.
Lola was a little nervous about meeting my mom, but they seemed to bond quite easily. Lola absolutely loves her new ‘Baba’ and is quite anxious to go back again for a visit, preferably in the summer. It amazes me how quickly Lola has lost her ability to adapt well to cold weather, considering the winter temperatures in St. Petersburg, Russia…I guess I was the same when I moved from Nebraska to Florida back in 1996. We will have to see how Lola holds up to the humidity and heat of “Hotlanta” this summer.
I did learn that my Uncle Don, my mom’s brother, was in the local hospital. He has been battling emphysema for years due to smoking and any semblance of a cold he contracts transforms itself into a serious illness. Apparently this time he had an infection in his lungs and it had caused some complications. My aunt had advised us that any visitors at this point just makes him more tired, so we decided to stay home. We are hoping to hear more about his condition later.
I had booked airline tickets for us to go visit my mom over Spring Break. This was the first time Lola would meet her new ‘Babushka’. I booked this flight through AirTran on March 5 for departure on April 7. OK, that is about a MONTH in advance. I have normally flown Delta in the past because they have non-stop flights directly into Omaha. It was also very convenient since my friend Dawn lives in Omaha and I always visit her for a couple days before or after I drive to Iowa to see my mom. However, this time the flights to Omaha on every airline was upward of $500.00 round trip per person - - a fare I consider outrageous, gas price increases or not. Instead, after much research, I decided to try flying AirTran to Minneapolis for the wonderful price of about $200.00 round trip per person. Since it is a necessity to get a rental car I figured a couple extra hours driving time was not bad in comparison to the money we would save.
I haven’t flown AirTran for quite some time, but in the past the experience wasn’t all that different from any other airline. However, when Lola and I arrived at the Atlanta airport on April 7 to check in and get boarding passes we were told there were no available seats left on the plane. Eeeeek. Whaaaaaat?? We were then instructed to go through the security checkpoint and on to the departure gate anyway (and of course they checked our luggage to go on the plane whether we had seats or not??!! So, like, what fun is our luggage going to have in Minneapolis without US??) to see if they could get us assigned to either 1) seats on the plane for our scheduled flight or 2) seats on the next flight out. So, while we were standing in the unbelievably long cattle-queue for the security check, I tried to call AirTran’s 800 number to see if they could assign us seats, to no avail. A man standing in front of us told me he had the same problem with AirTran overbooking seats on his last trip and he and some other passenger had been assigned the same seat. How encouraging. Once we finally made it to the gate (about fifteen minutes before the flight was to depart, I might add) we were assured that plenty of people on our flight were willing to give up their seats so all we needed to do was wait until they called our names. About ten minutes later they called us over and gave us each a boarding pass. And to our surprise, when we got on the plane we were seated in the business class seats. That was next to heaven for Lola - - not only did she get a ‘first class-size’ seat, but also one at the window.
Thankfully the rest of the trip, car ride included, went very smoothly. We arrived at my mom’s house about 3pm on Monday.
Lola was a little nervous about meeting my mom, but they seemed to bond quite easily. Lola absolutely loves her new ‘Baba’ and is quite anxious to go back again for a visit, preferably in the summer. It amazes me how quickly Lola has lost her ability to adapt well to cold weather, considering the winter temperatures in St. Petersburg, Russia…I guess I was the same when I moved from Nebraska to Florida back in 1996. We will have to see how Lola holds up to the humidity and heat of “Hotlanta” this summer.
I did learn that my Uncle Don, my mom’s brother, was in the local hospital. He has been battling emphysema for years due to smoking and any semblance of a cold he contracts transforms itself into a serious illness. Apparently this time he had an infection in his lungs and it had caused some complications. My aunt had advised us that any visitors at this point just makes him more tired, so we decided to stay home. We are hoping to hear more about his condition later.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Bullies are Everywhere
April 4, 2008
This morning when dropping Lola off at school she got out of the car and loudly stated “Brrrrr! Oh, my GOSH!! I’m not cold, I’m FREEZING!” One of the carpool attendants heard her and said “Wow, Lola, did you learn to speak English overnight? That was fantastic!”
It amazes me at how the school faculty and students don’t think she can speak much English at all, yet at home she talks a blue streak. Every day I hear a new word she has discovered in one of her classes, as well as other words she may have learned at home from me. I chuckle to think that one day she will be in class, and blurt out (in perfect English) the answer to a question the teacher asks. Won’t they all be surprised?~! I wonder how many jaws will have to be prodded up from the floor!
Lola has been having occasional ‘bully’ issues with a girl in her homeroom. It seems this girl could not keep her hands and feet to herself and Lola seemed to be on the receiving end more than once. After I was certain not to be an over-reactive mother I finally addressed the situation with Lola’s teacher yesterday. The negative behavior and hitting stopped immediately. When I went to pick Lola up from school yesterday she said “Mama, ‘Bad Girl’ (I won’t use names in this case in order to protect the guilty) today stand by teacher, sit by teacher and no talk.” I told her it was because I told the teacher about ‘Bad Girl’ being mean to her and it should not happen anymore. Wow, the smile of relief that came over Lola’s face was amazing. I reminded Lola that teachers here in America are there to help her and if she has any problem and I’m not there she should always tell her teacher. I realized that was a pretty foreign concept to her. I figure in the orphanage the children don’t really have anyone to go to if they are victims of bullying. The teachers are much too busy or discouraged from helping and there are no moms to report the problem to. So, I imagine in many cases these orphan children must learn to deal with the bullies the best way they know how, or in some cases become a bully themselves simply for the purpose of self-preservation. At any rate, Lola was quite happy the problem was addressed by her teacher and now hopefully she can stop being bothered by this girl.
Of course, after much pondering prior to my reporting all this to Lola’s teacher I thought maybe this ‘Bad Girl’ may actually want to be Lola’s friend but perhaps lacked the social skills to deal with a student who is different that she is. I thought maybe we could invite this girl over to the house for a play date and see how it goes. I want so much to take the Christian stand on things and give this child the benefit of the doubt, but since I don’t know her or her parents I feel inclined to be somewhat cautious. The teacher did tell me this girl has always been a bit of a problem and abusive to other students and the next thought in my mind was - - - is this little girl the victim of abuse at home?
For now the ‘Bad Girl’ is under a tight rein. All I can do at this point is pray for this girl and her family…
This morning when dropping Lola off at school she got out of the car and loudly stated “Brrrrr! Oh, my GOSH!! I’m not cold, I’m FREEZING!” One of the carpool attendants heard her and said “Wow, Lola, did you learn to speak English overnight? That was fantastic!”
It amazes me at how the school faculty and students don’t think she can speak much English at all, yet at home she talks a blue streak. Every day I hear a new word she has discovered in one of her classes, as well as other words she may have learned at home from me. I chuckle to think that one day she will be in class, and blurt out (in perfect English) the answer to a question the teacher asks. Won’t they all be surprised?~! I wonder how many jaws will have to be prodded up from the floor!
Lola has been having occasional ‘bully’ issues with a girl in her homeroom. It seems this girl could not keep her hands and feet to herself and Lola seemed to be on the receiving end more than once. After I was certain not to be an over-reactive mother I finally addressed the situation with Lola’s teacher yesterday. The negative behavior and hitting stopped immediately. When I went to pick Lola up from school yesterday she said “Mama, ‘Bad Girl’ (I won’t use names in this case in order to protect the guilty) today stand by teacher, sit by teacher and no talk.” I told her it was because I told the teacher about ‘Bad Girl’ being mean to her and it should not happen anymore. Wow, the smile of relief that came over Lola’s face was amazing. I reminded Lola that teachers here in America are there to help her and if she has any problem and I’m not there she should always tell her teacher. I realized that was a pretty foreign concept to her. I figure in the orphanage the children don’t really have anyone to go to if they are victims of bullying. The teachers are much too busy or discouraged from helping and there are no moms to report the problem to. So, I imagine in many cases these orphan children must learn to deal with the bullies the best way they know how, or in some cases become a bully themselves simply for the purpose of self-preservation. At any rate, Lola was quite happy the problem was addressed by her teacher and now hopefully she can stop being bothered by this girl.
Of course, after much pondering prior to my reporting all this to Lola’s teacher I thought maybe this ‘Bad Girl’ may actually want to be Lola’s friend but perhaps lacked the social skills to deal with a student who is different that she is. I thought maybe we could invite this girl over to the house for a play date and see how it goes. I want so much to take the Christian stand on things and give this child the benefit of the doubt, but since I don’t know her or her parents I feel inclined to be somewhat cautious. The teacher did tell me this girl has always been a bit of a problem and abusive to other students and the next thought in my mind was - - - is this little girl the victim of abuse at home?
For now the ‘Bad Girl’ is under a tight rein. All I can do at this point is pray for this girl and her family…
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