Category Archives: Alina month-by-month

Alina´s 1st school review

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So we had our first review with Alina´s teacher yesterday.  All the children were having it.  It was quite insightful.  Even though there were no surprises, we know our little daughter, it was also strange to hear some of her characteristics spoken out loud.

Firstly Sylvia (teacher) is very happy with how she is getting on.  Alina is relaxed and happy there, participates in all the activities, and is doing really well with German.  We asked if there was any favourite activity, and it seems to be singing, dancing, and reading.  While she is happy to paint and make things, having seen her artwork, my daughter is not “that way inclined”….like her mother and father before her!

Sylvia was very impressed with her German, she says that Alina is talking to her in German, even repeating phrases that she may have heard only once.  The Catalan teacher says she understands everything and is speaking well, and thought that Spanish was her first language!  Sylvia definitely felt that languages is Alina´s very strong point.  I am so impressed with how she has fitted into a school where they speak two languages she did not know (German fully in class, and 2 mornings of Catalan with another teacher).

Another thing Sylvia commented on is that she is perfectionist.  We also knew this.   She likes everything to be just so…including the helm of her tights.  She gets nervous around new situations, and but once she is familiar with it, she relaxes and enjoys it.  She likes plenty of encouragement…the Leo in her?

Alina is an observer….she takes everything in before she commits or passes her judgement.  She is very independent and likes to do things for herself.  This means she is also slow at doing things…and she will not be rushed.

She eats well, even things that she does not love, she will try to eat.  She likes to finish her food, but if she says she is done, she is done.

And then the area of concern….friends.  Alina, while fitting it (no bullying or being bullied),  is perfectly happy to play by herself.  All the time.  While there is one girl she plays with on occasion, she does not really have friends…and this does not bother her at all.   I knew this.  And yet i found it hard to hear.  My daughter is reserved.  Happier in the company of adults she knows, her baby brother, or just by herself.  Even kids she knows, she will not make a huge effort to integrate with.

There is no doubt she takes time to warm up…to all adults and new situations…but she does warm up.  She is quite shy initially, which given her aura of confidence, this can be seen as aloofness at times.  Sylvia said it was important for us to arrange more play dates and encourage her to hang out with kids.  She also said she needs alone time with us…something we also knew (i have a half day with her during the week while i leave luca at school),  but it is good to have it reinforced.

Sylvia said she has a strange mix…she is timid, but yet with a very strong character.

All in all, I think the above is very accurate.  My daughter is happy and kind, but also reserved and nervous.  She is gifted at languages and not so gifted creatively.  She is polite and does not misbehave, and is happy to toe the line unless it is something she is really uncomfortable doing.  Alina is a perfectionist, independent, and advanced but also really needing praise and encouragement.  She can be a bit of a loner, happy with her books.  She likes to be in her comfort zone, and needs time to warm up to new people and new situations, but will try anything (that does not seem scary!).  She can be self conscious.  She also loves having fun.

My Princess is nearly 3 and a half, and in many ways she really does remind me of my Granny Garvey at times.  I am so proud of my happy, independent, thoughtful, easy, little lady.  Of course there are always areas that we need to help and encourage her with, but overall the review went very well. We are incredibly lucky.

alina in the park, jan 2012

 

Back to school today

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I now understand the millions of parents who are glad when holidays are over! Today is January 9th and after 3.5 weeks with mum and dad, luca and Alina went back to school. It was great!!  For me.  They definitely struggled a bit in the morning.  It went something like this….

Both kids had to be woken up at 8, and while luca only cared about getting his milk, Alina had real trouble getting out of bed. She spent 5 minutes trying to convince me it was still nighttime, and then I got the “I don’t want to go to school”. Dressing was also not that easy, but nor was it too hard.  Getting the clothes out with her the night before has definitely made things easier, but i slipped in a pair of tights into the pile – tights that are a bit big, so they wrinkle, so she wont wear them.  Luckily other pink tights were found and we moved onto the kitchen. Alina ate breakie, luca said “um, yummy porridge”, and ate nothing much.  Washing teeth was hard work…alina does not like the floride toothpaste, so we had some tears and luca would not open his mouth.  But we prevailed.  Then It was putting on coat time and the fun really started! While tim was getting the pram downstairs I was running after luca, and Alina was sitting in the coach, shoe and coat less, insisting on watching something…by now we were nearly late. With both in tears, 1 feeding off the other, we got them strapped in and out the door. Just outside Alina realized she was actually excited about going back and seeing her teacher and friends. And luca realized what was happening and the crocodile tears came, interrupted with pleading sounds of “papa?” and “home?”.

Alina walked in fine, no problem saying goodbye, although it was still too early to get much smiles or chat from her! Luca was sad, but also happy to see his teacher coco, and his friend Todd. He had stopped the tears before I left. In fact I got a big kiss and hug from both.

All that was left was for me to walk home and get into bed for a while! It was a nearly unimagineable luxury!

I admit that around lunchtime the house felt a little too quiet, and by 3.30 i was really looking forward to collecting them, but I was also rested and ready for action. Now lets see what the rest of the week brings.

Alina hates the wind and cold

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Today it is 18 degrees. Not bad for January in Barcelona. So with our 2 we headed to the beach. Admittedly it is windy at the beach, but in Alinas case, you’d swear we were in the Antarctic. Boots, tights, 3 layers and a warm coat were not enough. She needed a hat, wanted her hood pulled up, requested the scarf be wrapped around twice, and basically all visible skin was covered. Then after all that, she hid behind me to block the wind. And after flying the kite for 10 minutes, requested we get out of the cold!

It’s amazing. She is half Irish, half Belgium but hates the wind on her ears, or in her face. Even when it is not that cold! The water in her bath has to be hot, and she her lips turn blue at the swimming pool (all the other kids are fine!). Feeling the cold reminds me of my Granny Garvey a bit, but she lived in Ireland so had an excuse :-)

Our little girl turns 2

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Alina is 2 today, and yet it seems like she has been with us so much longer. What a year we have had, in particular what a 6 months. Our little daughter went from been an only child to a big sister, and there is no doubt that it was a hard thing for her. And us all!!
So where is she these days…well she took her first step on her 1st birthday, but now she is running around the place – mind you she is still like her mum and is quite clumsy!

She talks!! Not just in one language but in 3! And we hear she understands Catalan too. Ok so she mixes things up ….she still says “si” for “yes” in any language…but in general she is quite good considering she is exposed to 3 languages every day (i speak English, tim Flemish, and loida (nanny) Spanish).

In the last year she has also started guarderia (nursery). She goes 3 hours per day to the Playhouse in Gracia, which uses Montessori. She loves it! Add l love it too as there is a fantastic teacher:pupil ratio and they speak english and catalan.

Another big change is that now she has “friends” – Sayen, Elia, Sofia and Gaby have all become her good friends (and admitedly sometimes enemies). Which is great as I get to hang out with the mums – Arianna, Suki, Amy and Bettina too. She is so much happier when there is someone her own age to play with – and it gives us parents some peace too!

As I said in a previous post, she has also become much more certain of her likes and dislikes – there can be tears when we give her rice for lunch when she wanted pasta, or toast when she wanted cereal! And as for trying to put on a dress or shoes that she does not want to wear – seriously life is just easier sometimes letting her pick.

She loves music – every morning she puts on her CD