Living Legends Post #2:: a dream revitalized

I have this dream for my kids to grow up having at least some familiarity with Spanish and ASL, besides English.

Spanish is incredibly useful and also so beautiful. I love to read it out loud so I can pretend I actually speak the language - even my roommates (who all served Spanish-speaking missions) said I sounded halfway decent the one day we did morning scriptures in Spanish. I should revive my "simulated foreign language housing" idea for my apartment so I can keep learning that one. It'd be great if my kids could learn some of this one while they're young and it's easy. It would be great if my husband could help me out in this one ... I couldn't take them too terribly far on my own, just yet.

ASL. Kids can use their hands at least three months before they can speak. I say, the earlier they can actually tell me what they want instead of screaming, the happier we'll all be. Also, this is another beautiful language, and really a pretty easy one to learn, too, at least conversationally. I've been teaching my little cousins ASL, and they think it's a pretty fun game. Sometimes they even remember what I've taught...

I'm also a little biased in the ASL department because I grew up with a deaf friend who was always feeling left out of things. How hard would that be? Kids have it rough growing up without having actual communication barriers. I wish I'd have known a little more when I actually lived around her and maybe could have made a bigger difference in her life.

When I was little, I told my dad that I was going to learn every language in the world - even Portuguese (the most exotic language my little mind could imagine at the time). He said, "Oh, really!" and tucked me into bed.

It appears the idea never really left me...