We were driving downtown to get a guacamole/poblano/can-you-say-yum burger on Saturday afternoon when Caroline piped up from the backseat:

"Mommy? What if Chloe is Spanish and I can't understand her?"

David and I looked at each other as if a sudden alien invasion had overtaken our brains and scrambled the meaning of her words. "What??" I said stupidly with a confused expression on my face as I turned to see her in her little princess booster seat in the back. "What if Chloe is Spanish and I don't know very much Spanish and what if I can't understand her when she talks?" Caroline explained with a pained and tense expression on her face. She looked at me, pleading with her eyes that it not be so.

Then I got it.

To be fair, we do live in a fairly multi-cultural area and our kids have friends with a variety of backgrounds, cultures and languages. We somehow never thought to point out that children speak the languages that they hear. I guess she thought it was a bit like red hair or freckles or skin color.

After a bit of explanation, she was reassured that she would not go through life stymied by a language barrier between her and her dearly loved little cousin. She relaxed and giggled and said "Well, I didn't know!"

Now she does.

But just to be safe...

Hola, Chloe!

too bad I can't think of the spanish word for funny right now

Hola, Caroline (y Parker, tia Stephanie y tio David)! Thank you for all of the poems and cards! I cannot wait to meet you!

xoxo,
Chloe