Language... and babies

“Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


Of course, this quote is a little extreme (he's German, it's only natural), but I have found, through my time here, how completely and utterly fickle English is, among other unfavorable adjectives.

• I before e, except after c, except for deity, beige, height, and about 30 other words that you simply have to memorize when you learn English. 
• Free can mean no-cost, or a person who is not incarcerated or enslaved in some way. Spanish has word for each ('gratis' is no cost and 'libre' is free when meaning uninhibited)
• GH makes an F sound. PH makes an F sound. TI makes an SH sound.
• The one you have probably already heard: we park in a driveway and drive on a parkway.
• Don't even get me started on pluralizing words. Goose and geese, man and men, potato and potatoes. In Spanish you add an 's'. If the word ends in a consonant, you add an 'es.' THAT IS IT.

Although I am still so proud to be from America, I can't help but feel more and more embarrassed that I am not truly bilingual, when so many people CAN speak OUR impossible language. Not only is spelling ridiculous in English, with practically no method, but we also have homonyms and homophones. In terms of pronunciation, there is basically no way to know for sure how to say a certain word. With Spanish, every letter has ONE SOUND. AMAZING. I am loving speaking this simple and beautiful language more and more every day. 

In other news, my sister had her baby!!!! The e-mail my sister sent me:

Born 11/24 at 6:27pm. 8lb 1 oz monster 20.5 inches.  Big girl auntie Shelagh.

~Stacey

I could not be more proud and I am so insanely excited to meet my niece, Adelyn Molly Croteau, on July 2! Until then I will be listening to John Mayer and Stevie Wonder on repeat in her honor.

Excuse the lame Youtube video, please.