Media today 145

Listening: Dimiter Inkiow, Griechische Sagen III, 0 - 36:00; Ich weiß was, Albert E. erklärt: Beim Kinderarzt und im Krankenhaus, 0 - 16:00. Viewing: Let's Play Minecraft - Part 2 - Zu Besuch im Wüsten-Dorf (30 min.); Part 3 - Unser neues Traum-Zuhause! (18 min.)

A few days ago while reading Das große Mammut-Buch der Technik we came across this image: 

J asked about the falling winged figure on the left, and I gave him a thumbnail account of Icarus. He mused for a second, then pointed to the angels on the right and said that they were probably going to rescue Icarus. When the Icarus story came up in the Greek myths today, he listened with great attention — it really is fabulously written and narrated — then brought up the matter of the angelic rescue again. We agreed that there was probably a version of the story where the boy is saved by angels.

For my part, I couldn't resist pointing out to J that Icarus should have listened to his daddy, but in my defense I will say that my main motivation was less parental-moralistic than linguistic, since it was a chance to use the subjunctive with a double infinitive:

"Tja, der Ikarus: Er hätte auf seinen Papa hören sollen, nicht wahr?"  

Later we also looked at some Icarus art:

The doctor audiobook was also timed serendipitously, J himself just having gotten over a brief illness. At every turn he was interrupting and saying: "Das ist mir auch passiert!" "Genau das habe ich auch erlebt!" etc. His vocabulary for vomiting is pretty impressive, and he enjoys trotting it out. Meet 'em where they are, I say. 

Total audio 2015: 35.49
Total video 2015: 63.01
Age 5.7.28

Brandenburger Tor

I was delighted to discover that Lego makes a Brandenburg Gate kit. 

We got it as a gift over the weekend and put it together this morning.

Media today 144

Listening: Dimiter Inkiow, Griechische Sagen II, 28:00 - 1.20; Ich weiß was, Albert E. erklärt die Werbung, 16:00 - 47:00; Ingo Siegner, Der kleine Drache Kokosnuss: Schulausflug ins Abenteuer, 0 - 19:00. Viewing: Die furchtlosen Vier (87 min.); Let's Play Minecraft - Part 1 - Jede Menge Holz vor der Hütte (28 min.)

We did not actually do this much listening today; somewhere along the line I neglected to record a session, so I just added it here. 

Total audio 2015: 34.57
Total video 2015: 62.13
Age 5.7.27

Media today 143

Reading: Roger Hargreaves, Mister Perfekt, Miss Purzelbaum, and Mister Schlampig. 

Media today 142

Reading: Roger Hargreaves, Mister Sorge, Mister Krach, Mister Groß, Mister Aua, Mister Dämlich, Miss Sturkopf; Wieso Weshalb Warum, Wir entdecken Deutschland (skipped around); Kathryn Lasky, Die Legende der Wächter 1. Die Entführung, loc. 1277 - 1340 (kindle edition).

This is the reading we did over a travel weekend, May 23-25. J still really really enjoys the Hargreaves stories and laughs like a loon. This are all repeats; I will be purchasing some new ones in the coming days.

Media today 141

Reading: Wikipedia, "Äskulapstab," "Hermesstab," "Eherne Schlange"; Kathryn Lasky, Die Legende der Wächter 1. Die Entführung, loc. 1158 - 1277 (kindle edition); David Macaulay, Das große Mammut-Buch der Technik, 111-113 (airplanes & flying machines; wings of a passanger jet). Listening: Dimiter Inkiow, Griechische Sagen II, 20:00 - 28:00; Ich weiß was, Albert E. erklärt die Werbung, 12:00 - 16:00. Viewing: Herrscher des Olymp: Die Götter der Griechen und Römer (41.30 min.); Benjamin Blümchen, "Benjamin Blümchen als Lokomotivführer" (26:00).

The Wikipedia entries because J asked about the origins of the staff of Asclepius symbols on ambulances. 

Then he wanted to draw some.

Total audio 2015: 33.27
Total video 2015: 60.44
Age 5.7.22

The week in L2 media, May 14-20

Viewing: Let's play Minecraft, five episodes (70 min.)

I've been away on a trip.

Total audio 2015: 33.15
Total video 2015: 60.18
Age 5.7.21

Media today 140

Reading: aus Wikipedia, "Boas"; Martha and Charles Shapp, Let's Find Out About Snakes (sight translated); Kathryn Lasky, Die Legende der Wächter 1. Die Entführung, loc. 1158 - 1171 (kindle edition).

Media today 139

Reading: Kathryn Lasky, Die Legende der Wächter 1. Die Entführung, loc. 1070 - 1158 (kindle edition). Viewing: Let's play Minecraft, Episodes #025 - #030 (84 mins).

Total audio 2015: 33.15
Total video 2015: 59.08
Age 5.7.12

absichtlich

I've been consciously working on absichtlich / unabsichtlich and related words for several months. J knows what it means, but this morning was the first time I heard him use the word independently and spontaneously. 

Vocabulary walk & talk 6

Today we took one of our standard walks, over to the local hospital, where there are large service areas and waiting rooms to explore, as well as elevators and winding staircases. However, today we had a mission. J wanted to show the hospital our resident physician, Dr. Brausefrosch. 

Some of you may recall Dr. Brausefrosch from Janosch:

He retired from that clinic a couple of years ago and came to live with us. Anyway, we took him over to the local hospital. Since Dr. Brausefrosch is a Very Distinguished Person, we use the formal address (Sie, Siezen) with him. In addition to that, I had my little notebook with and we practiced the following:

Previous material:
jemanden einholen
dicht auf den Fersen
vom Fleck kommen
Was hat das für einen Zweck?
Woran liegt es denn, dass
ein Mittel gegen etwas
sonderbar
es kommt darauf an, ob
das hängt davon ab, wie 
das hängt von ___ ab
die Kräfte gehen einem zu Ende
von mir aus können wir
gewohnt sein + Gen. 
gewöhnlich
wegputzen
dann und wann
wie am Schnürchen klappen
uns gegenüber (on the street)
nicht lange fackeln
ganz danach aussehen, als würde es
Ich weiß nicht, worauf du hinauswillst.
Was hältst du von _____?
jemanden gut leiden können

New material:
jemanden abhängen
darstellen / dargestellt werden (in works of art)
öffentlich 
ganz an Dir liegen
einen schlechten Ruf haben
für etwas zuständig 
von Grund auf
von Natur aus
neulich
Was soll das eigentlich?
auf jemanden Rücksicht nehmen
rücksichtsvoll
verkehrt
Vorurteile hegen 

Then we came home, and Dr. Brausefrosch and J took care of some sick animals. 

Media today 138

Reading: Kathryn Lasky, Die Legende der Wächter 1. Die Entführung, loc. 979 - 1070 (kindle edition). Listening: Lewis Carroll, Alice im Wunderland, ch. 7 (16 min., twice).

This was the chapter on the "Mad Tea-Party," currently J's favorite (he wanted to hear the whole thing twice and would have requested another if there had been time).

As I've mentioned before, the German translations of this story are linguistically very successful. For example, the Mad Hatter's song in the German is the following ditty sung along to the melody of "O Tannenbaum":

O Papagei, o Papagei!
Wie grün sind deine Federn!
Du grünst nicht nur zur Friedenszeit, 
Auch wenn es Teller und Töpfe schneit. 
O Papagei, o Papagei ...

On which the Dormouse ("Murmeltier") puns: O Papagei, o Mamagei, o Papagei, o Mamagei...

Total audio 2015: 33.15
Total video 2015: 57.44
Age 5.7.11

Media today 137

Viewing: Let's play Minecraft, Episode #020 - #026 (80 min.), "Herobrine ohne Beschwörung" (6:30). 

Total audio 2015: 32.43
Total video 2015: 57.44
Age 5.7.10

sich an etwas gewöhnen

All of a sudden J has started to use this idiom a lot. In terms of rep training, more or less right on schedule.

Media today 136

Reading: Kathryn Lasky, Die Legende der Wächter 1. Die Entführung, loc. 903 - 979 (kindle edition). Viewing: Let's play Minecraft, Episode #017,  #018, #019 (43 mins). App: "Alice im Wunderland" by Teknowledge Software/Story Time for Kids. 

Total audio 2015: 32.43
Total video 2015: 56.17
Age 5.7.9

Media today 135

Reading: Kathryn Lasky, Die Legende der Wächter 1. Die Entführung, loc. 856 - 903 (kindle edition).

Regarding the character of Aunt Finny (who is not in the movie) J said: "Ich weiß nicht, ob sie gut oder böse ist." It really is very difficult to tell, but one has the feeling that it's going to be one or the other.

Night mumblings

My wife just went in J's room to give him a kiss as he is sleeping. He stirs an mumbles: "Wo ... bist du ... du ... Blödian."

Media today 134

Reading: Kathryn Lasky, Die Legende der Wächter 1. Die Entführung, loc. 761 - 856 (kindle edition). Listening: Ich weiß was, Albert E. erklärt: Wie wehrt man sich gegen Mobbing, 32:00 - 42:00 (end); Albert E. erklärt die Werbung, 0 - 12:00. Viewing: Let's play Minecraft, Episode #021 and #022 (30 min.)

Total audio 2015: 32.43
Total video 2015: 55.34
Age 5.7.7

Media today 133

Reading: Kathryn Lasky, Die Legende der Wächter 1. Die Entführung, loc. 660 - 761 (kindle edition). 

Vocabulary walk & talk 5

I made sure to get a short walk & talk in before J's school this morning because I wanted to work on some material from the bullying audiobook. 

Practice with previous material
absichtlich
sich versöhnen
sich vertragen
jemanden ausstoßen

New material
jemanden ausgrenzen
sich von anderen ausgegrenzt fühlen

Well said / gut gesagt 2

J about one of his owls learning to fly:

"Nur zwei Stufen noch am [sic] Üben, dann wird er flügge." ("Just two more stages of practicing, then he will fledge.") 

Media today 132

Reading: Kathryn Lasky, Die Legende der Wächter 1. Die Entführung, loc. 524 - 660 (kindle edition). 

J likes to read this story in the company of his owls. 

The story is also improving. The episode where the new recruits get brainwashed (moon-blinkered, mondwirr gemacht) is very inventive. 

Media today 131

Reading: Kathryn Lasky, Die Legende der Wächter 1. Die Entführung, loc. 312 - 524 (kindle edition). Listening: Roald Dahl, Charlie und die Schokoladenfabrik, 2.13 - 3:13 (end);  Dimiter Inkiow, Griechische Sagen II, 0 - 20:00; Ich weiß was, Albert E. erklärt: Wie wehrt man sich gegen Mobbing, 0 - 32:00. Viewing: Geschichte aus der Bibel - Josef (28 min); Die Zehn Gebote: Mose und das Geheimnis der steinernen Tafeln (1:26).

Today on our way to Hard Labor Creek we saw a little cotton processing facility in Bostwick, GA, and picked up a little piece of cotton lying on the side of the road.

I've made references to the old south, cotton, slavery, and the Civil War before, but today I explained it all at some length. 

Then, when we got home, J wanted to watch the Moses film. When I asked him if it was because we had talked about slavery, he said no, the Moses film "just happened to occur to him." But I wonder, because I first explained to J about slavery in the context of the Moses story.

Like with the friendship audiobook and the one on advertising, this one on bullying occasioned a lot of interruptions and narrative from J about what goes on between him and his friends at school. It all seems pretty harmless at this point. Not that I was expecting anything else; the situations depicted here are a few years off. But I want to prepare for them and have language for them, and this audiobook is excellent for that.

Total audio 2015: 32.21
Total video 2015: 55.04
Age 5.7.3

Vocabulary walk & talk 4

Today J and I drove to Hard Labor Creek State Park to see if we could see any snakes. Zischli and Wischli came along: 

As well as Schnubi (around J's neck):

Unfortunately we didn't see any snakes, but I had my notebook and we practiced a lot of words and expressions.

Practice with previous material: 
reichlich weit
verschnaufen
dicht auf den Fersen
Woran liegt es denn, dass
wohl oder übel
Das haben wir nun davon.
Es ist nun einmal so.
Man kann nichts dafür. 
Du kannst dich darauf verlassen.
Nachdem die sechs Wochen um sind,
nicht in Frage kommen
auf gar keinen Fall
sich an etwas gewöhnen
wild auf etwas sein
sich trauen
jemandem etwas anvertrauen

New material:
Mumpitz
für den Fall, dass
in den Sinn kommen
die entgegengesetzte Richtung
schalten (= verstehen)
schonen (die Umwelt)
sich abstützen
versessen auf etwas sein
wittern
Es gibt kein Mittel dagegen.
Es liegt daran, dass
Was hältst du von ________?
Worauf willst du hinaus?
Wie sollte man sich jemandem gegenüber verhalten, 
      der...

Media today 130

Viewing: Let's play Kung Fu Panda, episode 10 (16 min.) and 11 (21 min.).

Total audio 2015: 31.21
Total video 2015: 53.10
Age 5.7.3

"Alles neu macht der Mai," 2

Happy May greetings from Jamie and me!   

Alles neu macht der Mai        

Alles neu macht der Mai,

macht die Seele frisch und frei.

Lasst das Haus, kommt hinaus!

Windet einen Strauss!

Rings erglänzet Sonnenschein,

duftend prangen Flur und Hain:

Vogelsang, Hörnerklang tönt den Wald entlang.

Everything is new in May

Everything is new in May,

The soul is refreshed and free.

Leave the house, come outside!

Tie a fresh bouquet!

The sun is shining all around,

Meadows and groves are fragrant:

Birdsong, horncalls

Sound throughout the forest.

Media today 129

Reading: Kathryn Lasky, Die Legende der Wächter 1. Die Entführung, loc. 227 - 312 (kindle edition). Listening: Roald Dahl, Charlie und die Schokoladenfabrik, 1:39 - 2.13.

I guess what bothers me most about the Lasky story is the morally completely simplistic portrayal of the brothers. Soren is good, Kludd is evil, or so cleary proto-evil that one does not have to spend any time thinking about him as a character. I prefer a bit more complexity. 

Total audio 2015: 31.21
Total video 2015: 52.33
Age 5.7.2

Extended adjectives

J just used his first extended adjective construction that I can recall: 

A: Warum brauchst du die Tasse?
J: Damit ich die nicht gebrauchten Pinsel weglegen kann.

Correct ending too!

Animal pen pals 3

Several puppet pen pals who have promised to visit, haven't yet. This morning J was wondering where they are and wanted to write to them. So we did:

Liebe Silke,

Wo steckst du, du verspätete Kobra? Du solltest bald kommen!

Alles Liebe,

Jamie

Lieber Fritzi!

Wo steckst du, du verspätetes rotes Eichhörnchen? Du solltest bald kommen!

Alles Liebe,

Jamie

Lieber Gustav,

Wo steckst du die ganze Zeit, du verspätete Ratte? Du solltest bald kommen. 

Alles Gute,

Jamie 

Gustav has been promising to visit for a very long time now.

Well said / gut gesagt 1

J volunteered this morning: "Wenn man zu viel Kuchen isst, dann kann es vorkommen, dass man sich übergibt."

Media today 128

Reading: Lewis Carroll, Alice im Wunderland, ch. 7 ("Die tolle Theegesellschaft"). Listening: Roald Dahl, Charlie und die Schokoladenfabrik, 1:39 - 1.43. Viewing: Es war einmal das Leben, "Das Abwehrsyetem" (26 min.), "Das Herz" (26 min.), and 3 more episodes (78 min.).

We've been reading, listening to, and watching Alice in German for several years now. We read tonight's chapter along with our pop-up version of the story.

Total audio 2015: 30.47
Total video 2015: 52.33
Age 5.7.1