Danke

Pig-tails.....



Hugging Emma...
Daddy pulling Emeline is her play baby stroller...Go Germany!!! This is before the European Cup Final between Germany and Spain. Sadly, Spain won, but we were still proud.

Emeline is starting to say a few words…and they are not in English. Ok, so she says Daddy and Mama in English—and I like that. She has been saying “Tschüss” which is a casual way to say goodbye for a couple of months. This week she started saying “Danke,” which means thank-you in German. When she says "Danke" it just melts my heart…

Now we speak almost all the time to her at home in English, so I am a bit surprised that she is still saying most of her words in German. However, she has two main play-mates—Emma who is American and her little German buddy “M”. I believe Emma taught her to say “Danke.” Emma says “Danke” all the time and we go crazy when she says it, because it is so sweet. When Emeline said it we all went crazy, too. Emeline has started to copy sounds, so that has led to her repeating words. Our German friends also love it when she says “Tschüss” and “Danke” and try to get her to say these words. So, I guess she is getting lots of reinforcement for the German words in particular. I am not 100% sure, but I think she is also saying “Nein,” which means “No” and “süß” which means “sweet.” Her little German buddy M probably taught her the “Nein.” I have heard her say it a couple of times, so I think she knows what she is saying and is beyond just copying. I also sometimes say “Nein” instead of “No” to her, but I am more than sure she knows what “No” means in English. I am always saying “How sweet” (Wie süß) in German—Why?? because I am from the South and Southern women say that all the time. So, she learned the “süß” from me.

Emeline amazes me. She is learning so much all the time. She also still understands some Spanish words. I was reading a Dora the Explorer book the other day to her, and she got very excited and squealed with delight when I read the word “Hola.” She also continues to understand more and more English. I know this might seem a bit boring, but the way she is learning language just fascinates me.

Yep, I am one proud mama, but I bet you already knew that!