Little Boys, Engaged in This Community

Typical afternoon.

Drew is out. Weekdays he's at his study lab. Today's Saturday, he's at a group for faith-seekers.

I'm planted on the couch drinking deeply of 1 quiet hour with my Father & his word ...then emails and now writing this for you (hope you like it?)

Mike is napping in his tent. Jon is napping in his crib.

Titus is sitting on our bed reading books and talking to himself in Chinese.

This means OUR PLAN IS WORKING.

The plan:

Put the kids in Chinese preschool.

Why:

So they can speak Chinese.

So they can make friends.

So they can be socially normal little boys, engaged in this community.

So they can keep up in Chinese elementary, middle and high school.

So they can still have friends as they grow up.

So they can be socially normal young men, still engaged in this community.

(and --nice bi-product --I don't have to homeschool them, whew!)

Do Note:

We've never heard of any expat kid completing even Chinese elementary school, but we're shooting for it. Titus has no idea that he's a pioneer.

There's no ESL equivalent -- CSL? -- Chinese as Second Language. There's no Title 1, special ed or remedial courses. You just have to keep up or fail.

In urban China, it's pretty impossible for kids to have friends unless they are in school. After preschool, kids make friends with their classmates. And that's it.

P.E. class with Mr. Qu.

Celebrating Titus' 3rd birthday in September.

The fall show. Can you find 艾泰德 (Titus)?

January open house. Parents witnessed a morning in the life of a preschooler.

And Titus wasn't participating. Ugh.

Milk break. Milk packets are heated in a bucket of hot water, then milk is squirted into tin cups.

Mrs. Zeng leads the students in one of their many little songs with actions.

Titus is back by the piano, wearing a navy and red coat.

Titus' head teacher, Mrs. Zeng, is absolutely brilliant with the children. She's endlessly patient about communicating with Drew and me.

Titus is very happy to go to school. He's not doing awesome (you saw that participation issue up there) but he's fine (kind, polite, has friends, eats his lunch, obeys his teacher).

All in all, stellar experience, but not sure if we can hack it in 1st grade...and through the next 14 years.

Here goes! Gulp.