Raising A Bilingual Kid: And Learning Right Alongside Him Every Step Of The Way!

raising a bilingual kid learning alongside them every step of the way capirotada enchiladas language juanofwords

This past weekend we went to Dallas for a few days.  We were there for the Blissdom 2013 national conference, and while it was everything we had expected and a lot more (there were mixed drinks at some of the tabletop booths so ya se imaginan…), what really made the trip extra special was something Edgar said at Anjelica’s aunts’ home.  We were staying with them while we were in Dallas.  One, to not pay for a hotel.  And two, because you already know in Mexican families if you don’t stay with family that’s just as bad as turning your back on us.

So there we were.  It was late on Saturday evening.  We had already come back from the conference and we were exhausted.  One of Anjelica’s aunts was making capirotada – if you’re not familiar it’s very similar to bread pudding – and we were all sitting around the table talking.  Then Edgar started asking questions.

Edgar:  What is that?

Anjelica’s Aunt:  Capirotada.

Edgar:  No, what is that?  What is that ma?

Everyone:  Capirotada. Capirotada mijo.  It’s capirotada.

Edgar:  But how do you say it in English?

Anjelica’s Aunt:  Capirotada.

Edgar:  Yeah, but in English… what is the word for that in English?

Anjelica’s Aunt:  How do you say enchiladas in English?

Edgar:  En-chee-la-ttas.

Anjelica’s Aunt:  Pos hay está, in English you say ca-pee-ro-ta-dah.

I haven’t been able to stop laughing at that exchange.  It reminded me so much about some of the many language barriers of my own that I’ve had over the years.  For the longest I called one of my parent’s friends everything else but her real name of Calletana.  It was such a tender moment that I had to recreate it in the videos below:

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