a big accomplishment

Since Emma has been out of preschool during the summer, my language-lover husband has tried to think of new and interesting ways to help emma keep up her Asianese.  He decided to take on the task of starting to help her learn reading the local script.  He's ambitious, that man.  I have to publicly confess my doubts.  I mean, I can read basic stuff in the local language, but not a ton.  His plan to teach her was met with a healthy dose of skepticism by me.  (Plus, I have all these images in my mind of local kids here who sit in classrooms and have to memorize by rote, hundreds and hundreds of characters...so that they can grow up to be geniuses and make their families proud and yadee, yadee, yadee.)

But, I must confess again - I have been proven wrong.  Hubby found a way to make it fun, interesting, and a special part of Emma's day with her daddy.  We made her a tower with 100 windows.  She got a special prize when she learned 50 characters, and then a big special prize when she learned 100.  

Her 50-character prize was a Leapster cartridge that teaches her how to write in the local langauge.  (technology...it's unbelievably amazing!)  It's one of her most favorite games that she has!  

Here she is, putting on her very last character for her 100-window tower:

Can you see the joy? the sense of accomplishment?  or maybe it's just a sense of relief?  Anyway, whatever it is made for a good picture!
She looked up at daddy, whose beaming face tickled her heart with joy:
Way to go, Emma!  You rock!  You almost know as many as mommy!  (Not quite, but it might not be too long!)

So what was the special prize for 100 characters?  I'll give you some clues:


Oh yeah!  A bike!  Emma thought she was getting a puppy, because we had really been talking up the prize a lot - It's something really special! You've never had one!  It will be so much fun!   - and she was sure it was brown and furry and could be named Rosebud.  

But she liked the bike too.  She especially loves her little bell.  

Ding-ding!  Here comes Emma...!