21 January 2011

Resolution Update


So far the year has been rolling along. The kids are set with swimming and skating and the older has expanded her ceramics class to include another 90 minutes of art/drawing. She is very happy with that and I'm anxiously waiting until T2 is old enough to join her.
I haven't found them recorder lessons yet, but on the other hand, they have both added speech therapy to their week: we had checked speech therapy out for T2 last year, but found the therapist useless (after two visits, she was still "testing"). Instead we took T2 to have her adenoids checked, discovered they were enlarged and dealt with that situation.

In this case, T1's school teacher had said she noted a few issues, that T1 was vastly improved from last year, but that we might want to consider having her speech checked and proferred the name of her own child's speech therapist (I sometimes wonder whether all German children actually require speech therapy? Is that the sign of a language that is actually too difficult for its own speakers?)— that is, logopädin.

When we brought T1 in, there were some issues that were a result of grammar mixing between English and German, but there were also some issues that are the result of not clearly hearing and understanding certain word endings. While we were there, we decided to set up another appointment to determine whether T2 also had issues, or whether it is the resurgence of the adenoids and a week later we had the answer: some real issues with certain Germanic fricatives and sibilants. So now they have a weekly appointment each and we are on the waiting list to have 1 appointment moved to allow them to be there at the same time. Sigh. And T2 is off to the doctor today to see whether he cough and snuffles need to be treated or whether she will be back on what the ENT prescribed last year to treat the adenoids.

So I think that is their week pretty well laid out: until the therapy visits hit a single day there's not even space to attempt music, so we are booked.

My yoga started yesterday and although I thought the class was fine and well within my abilities, today I can barely bend my legs or turn my head, so that's a good sign:). Next week my once a week writing class starts and the B1/B2 Brucken (bridging) class (4 days a week) starts a few weeks after: all is stacking up. I also have a few cooking classes scheduled.

So, the resolutions have been scheduled and are proceeding as planned, which can give me a sense of satisfaction/ order.

Anything else I attempt will be extra and I'll need to see if there can be room for it. I think our "free time" winds up being swallowed by unscheduled but expected add-ons: two hours today at the doctor for 1 child, two days over the last week for the TüF (inspection) and the then required brake work and re-inspect, and so on.
An afternoon picking up a "registered " for gift and the opportunity to make that lunch with a friend, another lunch with someone whose company I enjoy who was showing me the ropes on some work I'm thinking of undertaking: activity seems to expand to fill the space that we have for it!

2 comments:

fiona said...

I am seriously impressed! You sound so organised. I am only at the stage where I want to start 'thinking' about looking for a pottery class or something that I can do in the evenings. Still not sure if my German is up to it though, but then I think when I did it in the UK, there wasn't really much need for anything greater than small talk.

I'm now halfway through A2, I would love to get to B2 at some point, and I'd love to hear how you find it. Good luck with all your endeavours!

G in Berlin said...

Good lord- that's not a class for me! That's a class for the kids! I can barely manage to get my eggs in a row: all I have wanted to do for the last three years is learn to sew and I still haven't managed it! What I am amazed at is that I have managed to pass the B1 and yet I still feel like I know no German at all. How does that work?
You know who is coordinated? Fiona at Living in the Land of Chocolate. I live in awe of her. I want to grow up to be her.