Playground yesterday

There's a playground right next to Maggie's school that the girls love to play at. We've started going there about twice a week in the afternoons. It's nice and usually filled with kids. Maggie's hater is nearly always there. It's really a shame that Maggie hates her hater, because I really like his mom. She's a total sweetheart, she's patient when I try to speak German, and her English is really good. But I think getting together would be a disaster.

Maggie's hater is only 3 1/2, and I think he enjoys provoking Maggie. Yesterday he came up to her at the playground and touched her. She gave him the evil eye and pushed him away. He pushed her back, she pushed harder and started screaming. Luckily I quickly intervened. Before this, I was trying to convince Maggie that she didn't hate the kid and that she just felt neutral about him. I think any progress I made was wiped out in that exchange.

However, it was really exciting to hear Nina converse with another little girl. They were just talking about simple things--how old they were and stuff. When the little girl asked Nina "In welcher klasse bist du?" (What grade are you in?) Nina responded "Zweiter" (which means second. Or as Maggie would say, twoth).

I was so proud of her! It's just a simple exchange and she's can say much more, but this is pretty much the limit of what I can understand, remember for a day, and then reproduce here, so you'll have to take what you can get. :-)

Two other kids from Maggie's preschool were there yesterday too, which was good. Maggie has been slow to form friendships with the other kids, and the more time she has to play with them, the better. As soon as we walked in to the playground, a bunch of them shouted, "Hello Maggie!" This happens often when I'm walking along with Nina too. A little kid on a bike or scooter will zip by and shout, "Hello Anina!" I love it!