Are you smarter than a 1st grader?

I'm not.

I was happy to learn that they don't start reading here until first grade. I remember thinking to myself, "Good. This way Alex won't be behind and he can start with the basics." As you can see from the page above, it is not too basic...and this is page 10! The frustrating thing is that we will be sounding out words together and I'm never quite sure if I'M doing it right. What's a mom to do when she can't even help her 1st grader with his homework?

At this point, Alex definitely knows more French and speaks better than I do. He talks to the neighbors, my French tutor...even a repairman that we had one day. There are plenty of times when I am speaking French when he will correct me or tell me what a word is in French.

For example, the other day we were walking to school together. On the way, a boy stopped us (about 10 or so) and asked me, "On est vendredi?" I was confused because translated word for word he said, "One is Friday?"

I thought I must have heard him wrong so I said, "Quoi?" (What?) He repeated the same thing over again. At this point I turned to Alex and said, "Help me! What is he asking?" Alex, shaking his head at me, turned to the boy and said, "Oui, c'est vendredi." (Yes, it's Friday)

As we continued walking he calmly and rationally explained to me that when you ask someone in French what day it is you say, "We are Tuesday?" or "One is Thursday?". Good to know. I'll try to file that away for the next time that I don't have my 1st grade helper.