Hey Presto! and the Great Wall

When I arrived for my lesson today my Chinese five year old's mum warned me that he was being naughty. Well I discovered that he had discovered the phrase "Hey Presto!" and he decided to keep making the sea shells we were sorting disappear under a yoghurt cup on his head. I was impressed though that he had grasped how the phrase is used and that he knew it - not sure from where. He is looking a bit more closely at words to recognise letters he knows but he proudly showed me how he can already write the letter e from his Chinese lessons and told me all the different ways of pronouncing it. Does make me realise how much he is having to take in learning how to write in Chinese and English simultaneously. His mum also told me they had had an early celebration of Chinese New Year this past weekend. I may plan another lesson on the symbolism of it all for him this week.

For today's lesson we looked at the Great Wall of China. He asked me if people had fought on it and I said yes and that the most recent was when Japan invaded China in World War II. He wanted to know what invaded meant and when I tried to explain he retorted "I don't think the Chinese would listen to the Japanese!" OK. From the Great Wall we went to Egypt and the Nile, which I told him was the longest river in the world, to which he asked if it went all the way from Africa to China, um no not that long. He said he was going to make a river that long. To end the lesson I promised he could paint a cardboard circle I had brought for shapes. I had forgotten he had spotted a Captain America shield on Pinterest and wanted to paint it like that. I was tasked by him to paint stars. I was a little slack though and he promptly brought this to my attention by saying "Katy we're running out of time and won't get done". I think I say this at times but it was funny having it said to me.

Mondays end late as I go on to teach French to my Chinese ten year old and then have a lesson ending around 7.30 with my form four (had called him form three but forgot he is now form four - eeeek, O level looms). Had to help my form four with studying for Travel and Tourism. We went over various marketing strategies. I don't envy him having to learn all of these terms and definitions. The drive home was a little hairy as it is finally raining heavily and we had cars doing crazy overtaking.

I did personal training where I'm house sitting today. I could have had it in the pool so I can exercise without putting weight on my ankle but it was a little chilly so I chickened out. Instead I did a lot of tummy work with a Pilates ball. Who says you can't get a work out not standing up? The two dachshunds came bounding up and put wet noses on my face as I lay on the yoga mat. Tomorrow it's back to more physio on the ankle. In the last session the physio ended saying she didn't want me walking on my ankle lots over the weekend but she went and opened a cupboard in her office that had  a pile of crutches in it - I seriously for minute thought she was going to give me a pair!