Hola
We live in a very Spanish, Mexican, Latino, or whatever you want to call it, neighborhood it makes it easier at times to decline door to door solicitation but on the other hand it makes it harder to get to know you’re neighbors.
Our neighbors that are to the East of us have three little girls and the mother stays home. The oldest, I just learned, is in preschool 3 days a week, and missed entering kindergarten this year because her birthday is in October, and then the next two girls are 3 and 1.
Eden is in love with the neighbor girls. She wants to always say hi if she hears they’re outside or if they’re outside as we leave or come home. She’s said hello for a while but the wanting to socialize and talk to them for longer periods of time startedรย a couple weeks ago when the oldest was playing with her while Jon was outside doing whatever, Eden realized she found a friend and now wants to see her whenever she can.
The one delima is I had never spoken to the mom and didn’t know how much English the mother knew. Today I talked to her and she knows a little, but not much. She joked that I needed to learn Spanish and she needed to learn English. She will be taking a class soon at the community center she said, or at least that’s what I got, and she invited us to come use their pool if the girls ever wanted to come over. Though I think she may have meant swings, but they could have a small pool back there.
Anyways, I’m thinking I should try to learn some Spanish, so I can hopefully understand her a little more or help her find the English words. Also if the girls are going to play together a little they won’t be able to understand the other girls easily, and I should make an effort to help them.
I do feel happy that the barrier has been broken. We’ve always said hello and waved, but never really spoken.
It happened because I had our front door open to cooler air and Eden saw the girls outside. Unfortunately they were leaving, and not just playing, so by the time she got her sandals to me and on they were in the car. When they returned Eden and Lilah were both for goingรย outside and saying hello, so I talked to the mom, or Hortencia, and explain how my girls love to say hi. The oldest daughter invited the girls to play in her house but I declined, one because the mom hadn’t offered and I didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable and two because it was Eden’s nap time.
Lilah is set on us picking a time to play with the girls. She wants to play on their swings that she can see from our backyard.
It’s nice to get to know your neighbors a little more. Even if there wasn’t a language barrier I’d probably be shy and it just gave me a good excuse to not know them well.รย Now, with friendly girls, they leave me little choice but to meet new people.
March 14th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Maybe you can find out what the dad’s name is. I learned his name when we first moved in, but I haven’t used it and lost it. I’m pretty sure it’s Jose, but I didn’t want to guess and be wrong.
March 14th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
It can be hard to get to know your neighbors. We are trying to be more friendly and outgoing with some of the people who live near us. Baked goodies always seem to help us break the ice.
March 15th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Knowing your neighbors seems to make a neighborhood feel so much more neighborhoodily. We feel so at home here because we do know our neighbors so well. Too bad we’re moving (again) soon.
March 15th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Why don’t you and the girlies learn Spanish together? That sounds like prime homeschool material to me! ๐
March 15th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
I took Spanish in high school.
I did terrible and got a C with the help of my friend. I would have failed without her help because it was so hard for me to pick up.
I can’t roll my r’s and that is so crucial to speaking the language. Jon has tried to teach Lilah a little Spanish. He was doing some on-line thing and I’m sure I could try to teach them, I just worry about those we speak Spanish too being able to understand us.
They’ll probably think “What is this white woman trying to say?”
March 15th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
“What is this white woman trying to say?” ๐ That’s great!
I can’t roll my r’s either! Nick went to Colombia, South America on his mission…so he’s awesome at spanish. Too bad it hasn’t rubbed off on me or the kids. ๐
March 16th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
I’m always charitable when people try to speak English who are obviously just learning. I expect others would be just as charitable to me.
March 19th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
[…] today our neighbor from next door came by to ask for another neighbor boy’s glove that had been tossed over into our side […]