My Toddler Took Me Back to Spain Today

Outside our first ever Spanish Bull Fight! 

In 2006 I studied abroad in one of the most amazing countries on earth: Spain. I could easily write pages and pages of how much I love that country, it's people, it's history, and it's language. Not to mention another entire novel about the experiences I had living and traveling with some of the coolest people I've ever known! 

But... I will not bore you with all those personal stories here in this blog. (Though I am sure the core of my readers, having known me since 2006, have heard quite a few of them!) 

But something reminded me of Spain today that I didn't ever expect: My toddler. 

I was sitting and just chatting with my sweet little girl who is quite verbal these days. Her language has exploded and it seems she is learning new words and concepts by the minute! But despite her clear genius-level vocabulary and knowledge of the english level.... I suppose she doesn't understand everything I ask of her or talk to her about. Our conversation reminded me of many, many times while living in Spain and struggling to learn the language when I just... pretended... and it usually didn't go well. 

I have this fear of not-fitting in I think. I never wanted to appear to the Spaniards as an American. Or if it was too glaringly obvious that I indeed was a foreigner, I wanted to at least have them think I was perfectly fluent, or at least fabulously competent in their language that there need not be any concern in my alien status. 

A few scenarios come to mind... I thought I would share one, even for comedy's sake. 

My parents came to visit me during my time in Madrid. It was a very special treat! 

With my parents in Granada, Spain visiting the famous Alhambra. 

I wanted to take them out for a great Spanish dinner while in Madrid... but nothing touristy because... remember, I was a LOCAL in my mind, not a tourist! So I of course brought my dear, wonderful friend Lauren along. This is girl was one of the best things about Spain. She is such an awesome girl and I was SO thankful and SO lucky to have met her and gotten to do all things Spanish with her! 

Lauren and I at San Gines for some late (maybe middle of the night) churros for her birthday! 

So she and I took them to a restaurant we had frequented and really enjoyed with a waiter who we knew would take care of us! We dazzled them with our knowledge of the city and of the people. We explained the customs, the food and so on. And we chatted with our server in our most impressive Spanish... to of course impress my parents who didn't speak a word of the language. But... needless to say pride comes before the fall. 

We asked our server to bring us a number of things off the menu that he would recommend my parents try... the food came and we enjoyed. Then... he brought out a plate of what appeared to be small pieces of raw meat. He then spent a few short moments explaining to us the gist of the entree and our instructions for it. Lauren and I listened, smiled and nodded accordingly. 

He walked away. 

Of course my parents look at us. 

"What did he say?"

Well, I started. Having clearly heard the word "Caliente" (hot) and "esperar" (to wait) I interpreted his entire explanation. "He says the meat is still hot and we need to wait to eat it"

Mom: "That looks raw. I'm not eating it"
Me: "I assure you this is normal. just try it"

So Lauren and I and my Dad ate the chewy, red, meat pieces. 

Back came our waiter with the hot plate that he had explained we needed to wait for in order to cook the raw meat. He just stared at us in disbelief that we had just devoured a plate of raw meat. 

And there was that fall that pride always promises! 

I wish I could say those moments were rare.. but they were plentiful... I had a reputation for nodding and agreeing despite not understanding what I was nodding and agreeing to. 

So what does this have to do with my toddler? Well... nothing ground breaking, but I was reminded of it while chatting with my little talker this afternoon. 

So as I was sitting and chatting with her about a very important topic: The potty, I asked her a number of important questions to determine whether or not we should venture into the world of potty training. 

I asked her:

"Lucy, dearest, would you like to try to go pee-pee on the potty?"

To which she replied: "Pee-pee on da potty"

hmm... was that a yes? 

I then asked her: 

Lucy, my sweet, would you maybe, perchance, care to try to go poo-poo on the potty. 

To which she replied "Poo-poo on da potty"

Again... is that an affirmative? 

So I asked her another question

"Lucy, my love, do you think that this would be a good time for us to try to use the potty and be all done with diapers?"

And her final response consisted of : "diapuh"

Child of mine... you don't understand me do you?

I stopped and just chuckled to myself. This child really doesn't know what I'm asking her. She just repeats what I say... maybe just to repeat or maybe to learn... or maybe, though I doubt it, to appear to understand and fool me in to thinking she understands but she really doesn't. 

I wonder if in her head she realizes she doesn't understand so she just repeats what she hears... or if she doesn't have the ability to realize her lack of understanding. Maybe she repeats to learn more. Whatever it is... I doubt it's same pride that humiliated me throughout the nation of Spain so long ago. 

Just some musings that I thought I would share :) Hope you got a little chuckle!