Tonight was the first "Parent's Night" at Eliza's German school. (The photo above is her on the climbing wall at school earlier this week.)
We got our class assignments, and then filed to our rooms and sat on the little chairs while the teacher went over a great deal of information.
But first......we played LOTTO.
When she first said that each Parent Pair, or Alone Parent (that was me...A. was home with the kids) should take on Lotto card, I started to get nervous. The next sentence contained words I hadn't heard before, but was pretty sure they meant the following:
"We're going to play an ICE BREAKER game."
Many of you already know how much I really, really dislike these games....in any language. I like the ice! The ice is comfortable! WHY do I have to go across the room to find who else possesses the Dog card and talk to them, when they are clearly just as uncomfortable as I am?
My Dog card matched to a young couple who were completely unzipped on what to make of me. They were visibly uncomfortable. Up to that point in time, EVERYONE I have met here has been unbelievalbly warm and friendly. And I mean unbelievably-- everyone. That I-must-be-dreaming level of warm and friendly. Classic Tanya Presentation would be exactly that: the first people I meet who give me that stunned look :-) would naturally be parents in Eliza's classroom. And they volunteered to be "Class Parents" -- so, we're off to a GREAT start since they think I'm so wonderfully interesting! ha ha ha!
I guess I don't mind being the Freaky Parent. If I'm honest, I suppose I end up a lot in that category in ENGLISH as well......
But, it doesn't end there. Not only should we get to know the other parents with a matching Lotto card, but we are to then introduce them to the rest of the room.
---- you know what? I don't even have to words to describe this ----
Skipping over the painful introductions, the grounded part of the evening was when a mother stood up (also named "Tanya") and told the class that she needed to explain about her daughter, Carolin, who is on the Autism Spectrum and has been diagnosed as Aspberger. :-) Her explanations were filled with the classic apologies-ahead-of-time, and I recognized her hopes to reassure the parents that Carolin is not yet too aggressive.
As soon as the meeting ended, I was out of my chair and across the room with my hand out to introduce myself, and to tell her about my brother, Eric. And how very much I looked forward to meeting her Carolin; for of course, I find that children on the spectrum are the MOST interesting, since they think outside the box. :-) (I'm pretty sure I said "closets" there in German, at the moment...but whatever...)
She looked stunned, too....but, in a nice way, I'm happy to tell you.
And here's ONE thing I know for sure: she won't be the "freaky" parent this year in the class....because I've already taken that label and it is stapled to the middle of my forehead.
:-) ha ha!
There was also a pretty good skirmish between two mothers regarding whether we should pack sweets in the lunchboxes or not, and it took on FULL potential for real drama. I realized at that moment that parents all over the world get into the "weeds" over the first day of school for their kids. We didn't end until 10:30 p.m.
One Vodka Tonic later, and I'm thinking it wasn't so tough, after all.
Did I say that, while every impulse inside me said, "run! run! hide in your house!" --- the thought of Eliza at this school made me feel so right about the whole thing? They begin the day with prayer.....they teach Christian Education in the classroom.....it's all about Jesus, all the time. AND, Eliza has asked me every day: when do I get to see Frau Kopp again? When is it my turn to go to school? (tears) I just want to visit Frau Kopp today!
When Eliza went for her hour of "testing" on Monday, she saw the bowl of sweets on the Secretary's desk. The Secretary told her, in German, that she could have one if she asked. Eliza DID IT. In GERMAN. I couldn't believe it....Muzzy is amazing, I'm telling you!!
.....and of course, I'm eager to meet young Carolin in September. ;-)
3 comments:
Ahhh! Love these stories!! Keep it coming, Tanya! I feel like I was there with you, your details are so vivid - and I just lived a similar experience at our first Parent Night at Addie's new school. Of course, while I was making rounds as the weird parent scaring the "nice" Connecticut parents, Scott was meeting new friends all over the place. And the only reason I'll keep trying with "these people" is for Addie :). Funny, "The Germans" sound much like "The Connecticuters" (yes that is what they call themelsves) - easily weirded out - like a Stepford resident blowing a fuse. How I miss my bold and colorful "Navy" friends! Tanya, in the end you'll be running that school by spring and they won't know what to do without you when you guys have to leave. Regardless of the bumps, watching Eliza bloom is more than worth it all, hmm?
And what would I do without YOU??!? You validate all my experiences -- how great for me to read that someone else had the "Alice in Wonderland" experience -- at home!!! And I so keenly feel the irony of Scott being the life of the party with the Connecticuters. (What a great name....) I can just SEE him in my mind's eye. Well, THANK YOU for sharing that; and you're right that the "blooming" is going to be worth it. :-)
What a great story - so well told and I love hearing your day-to-day experiences. Has the school said anything about Lars yet?
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