Language transition

Big sister has been her two weeks now, and her English is improving, I see her confidence increasing and it's getting easier to communicate. I got a call today from her government and U.S. History teacher asking how well she understands English.  We talked about how she seems to be struggling a bit with the vocabulary and how I have been trying to help her. She is going to send home a quiz tha big sister took where she didn't answer all the questions; those she did she got right, and she would like me to go over the others with her. I told her I would be more than happy to do so and to do anything else that might help my girl succeed in school, I asked what they were going to be discussing next and it will be the amendments to the bill of rights. So I am going to go over the constitution and the bill of rights for her to try and make it as easy to understand as possible. I wonder if I can find a translation of it in Korean? That might help.... 

She is being more interactive with us however. We sat and talked quite a bit this evening while little sister is at grandmas not feeling well. Hopefully she feels better in The morning and goes to school. Particularly since we have plans to go to a water park this weekend we want to make sure everyone is healthy.

Oh my about that, trying to get a swim suit was fun. Big sister is quite modest when it comes to swim suits and we had yet to find one here that she liked. So we looked online and found one with a skirt bottom and got a rash guard for on top. Went to try and use her card to pay but it seems as if they may be only atm cards. Luckily we were able to use some funds to get it covered so it can ship and arrive on time and that will give us time to figure out how to get big sister her funds so she can reimburse for the swim suit, and so that we know how to make sure she has funds for when she wants to go and do things.

It's a learning experience!

Now she has started to read Harry Potter and the sorcerers stone. That's a fun read! 

First week of school

The first day, we got big sister on bus just fine. Now, here, the first few days the buses run late, and poor big sister was released to go out to the bus, and the bus was not there. She didn't know where to go or what to do. She called me, and I tried to help, but I do not have international calling on my phone, so I could neither text nor call her back. Problems! She got home, but they put her on a bus with three other students. She was upset. She had had a rough day. No one had talked to her, she was sad. I told her I understood that it was hard, that I remember being in Japan and how different it was, and I at least had people with me that spoke English. I got on Facebook and appealed the s group I belong for kids to talk to her the next day. One of her classmates said they would, that they had thought about doing so but didn't because she looked nervous. Another girl of her same age volunteered to meet us at school and show her around and introduce her to friends. 

I showed big sister the pictures of the girls she would meet the next day, and I think she was encouraged.

Next day I drove my older daughter, for now to me she is not just big sister but my eldest child, to school the second day to meet the girl. She seemed friendly, I felt better, wished my girl a better day and left before I became an embarrassment. 

She came off the bus and it was wonderful, a great big smile. She had such a better day. Happy and much more animated and interactive than before. We hung out with my neighbor for a while, she even went shopping and got a treat. 

Next day was even better, she had made more friends, a boy. Now this worried me a little, because she is not allowed to date, but I was glad because she was so happy. He asked a few things, that led to a conversation about how fast American boys move sometimes, and being careful about what you say and what you do. I told her if her text her and she wasn't sure about the meaning  would help her interpret. Turns out the boy is another exchange student.

Thursday was another happy day, and the. Our local representative came for our orientation. Went over ground rules. We talked again about being with boys and out with friends. 

Today was Friday. Yay! Again happy off the bus, she has made friends in almost every class now.  She is talking more.  I helped her a little understanding something they did in class. We had spaghetti and she had two helpings (yay for food she likes!) then after dinner we played board games. Little sister was a big cheat, and way too excited so had to be calmed down a couple of times.  The. We put together a puzzle, one of the big floor puzzles that are easy but a good way to calm down for a hyper six year old.  Then little sister had a nice bath. The. Off to bed for little sister while big sister chatted with her new friends.

Now both girls are in bed after a long fun day, and a mostly good week, and I have some things I wish I had known or done before I had begun.

1.  I wish I had thought to introduce her, or find someone to introduce to her, that would be on her bus with her, a bus buddy. It would have made that first day better maybe.

2. I do wish little sister was a little older for her, because the. They could go to school together. Yet I am glad that little sister is so young, because she immediately loved her big sister and big sister loves her and is relaxed round her.

I am glad we have done this. Big sister is a wonderful kid and makes our family bigger. As time goes on I can see myself getting rather attached to her. It will be fun to watch her open up.

First impressions

Husband and I made it early to the airport to pick up big sister. Little sister was so excited. The delta ticket counter would only issue us one adult pass to go through security to meet her at the gate, but said I could take little sister with me. Husband was sad, he wanted to be at the gate too, but said it would probably be best if I went. So off little sister and I went to go meet big sister. We were very early. I made sure we were at the right spot. Little sister amused herself by sending messages to dad on the iPad. Finally it was time! The airplane taxied up, the ramp was connected, and people wee beginning to deplane. Little sister held out her sign, I held up our banner. More and more people came off the plane. No big sister. So I began to worry I was somehow at the wrong gate. Then, our comes big sister! We said hi, she did not want to hug, but that was okay. Let husband know we were together. He asked for a photo, which big sister shied away from. The. We met him out in the main lobby, and she avoided his hug too. "Ah I don't get a hug?" And I told him not to feel bad, I didn't either, but that it's not really a way they greet in Korea. We got her bags, she had two checked bags that were not that large. 

I thought she would be hungry, but turns out she was only thirsty, so we got little sister a kids meal, because little sister loves them, got big sister a big drink, husband got a big drink, and I got a frosty. Yay frosty.

Little sister talked and talked to big sister. We sang along to frozen. Big sister didn't, but I would guess that if she has seen frozen, she would have seen it in Korean so would not know the English words. 

A few miles down the highway and big sister was asleep. Well, I would be too if I had been her.

We get home, and start settling in, little sister takes on the role of tour guide. I ask her if she likes spaghetti, and she says yes. Which is good, since that is dinner. She rests while dinner cooks though little sister really wants to hang out with her, but we let her have some time. 

We then have a nice dinner, the four of use. I give her the questionnaire I was recommended in the handbook to fill out. The. We all put our dishes in the dishwasher, and then get ready for bed as it is way passed little sisters bedtime. Big sister settles in as well. I worry little sister will keep big sister up, and maybe she did.

In the morning I see big sister has slept on top on the comforter using the extra blanket as a cover. I show her that there is bedding under the covers that she can sleep with. 

We have pancakes for breakfast. Then she asks if she can shower now, and a I show her where the towels are. She asks if she can use the little kid shampoo, and I go and get the adult shampoo and conditioner and body wash from upstairs. I let her know we can go to the local store so she can have her own.

I do my morning routine while big sister showers, and when she is done showering I am done with my stuff. I go up and have a shower too, and the. We get dressed and get ready to register for school. We go early, first stopping to get toiletries, before we go to the high school and get her registered.

Registration takes some time, and sadly some of the really neat classes are full. But we get her into English, and the right math, and history, and a science, which are what the exchange program requires, then with the help of the guidance counselor we pick out some other classes. We get her schedule, and then go and find all the classrooms, meet some teachers, get her a locker. By this time little sister is done with the excitement of bing in the high school and wants to go to her school. 

After we get all the schools seen, new teachers met, it is nearly two, and time for lunch, so we head home and have sandwiches. Big sister does not want mayo on her ham sandwich just mustard. No cheese either, maybe she is lactose intolerant. I should ask, I have not yet. I ask her if she wants to go out today and get her school supplies or go tomorrow, and she says tomorrow. Does she want to do anything, or just rest around the house, and she wants to rest, which I am okay with, so we rest. Big sister and little sister end up playing together, having a 'birthday party' for one of little sisters toys. Little sisters idea I am sure. Big sister is good with little sister, and seems to feel most comfortable around her. I let the. Have some space, though I pop in every so often. Little sister says they are thirsty and gets a drink, one each for both of them. A little bit before dinner they watch Peter Pan together. Big sister falls asleep on the couch. I let her rest there while little sister and I have dinner, though at one point I went and added a blanket to her and she stirred, so I asked if she wanted to eat or nap. And sleep was the choice.

I wrap her food, and husbands food, up so they can eat it later as husband is at work untill nine thirty.  If she wakes when he gets home I will see if she wants to eat then. 

Big sister is tired. It is a new environment, she has had a long trip, jet lagged, so it's to be expected. I plan on letting her take it slow this weekend. I showed her a Catholic Church we can take her too on Sunday and have found out what time. Little sister wants to go to our church though, so if husband works Sunday I shall have to find her someone to take her with them. 

All in all I think it is going well. It's hard to be away from home. It's hard to be away from family. It's hard to do both and be in a foreign country.  It will take some time for her to acclimate, but it can happen and we will have fun. 

Until the next update. 

The start of a new adventure

I am starting this blog to memorialize our new experience, both so we can look back and remember how it felt to Host a Foreign exchange student for the first time, and so that anyone curious about hosting can read an account from Host Mom perspective.

A little about us.

I am a Stay at home Mom, I cook, I clean, arrange activities for my kid and miss her terribly when she is out of the house.

Husband works full time, he will be starting a new job with better pay in September (Yay!)

Daughter, who I shall refer to as Little sister, is six. Bright funny and loving, she loves people and is very excited to meet her big sister.

Our foreign exchange student, I will refer to her as big sister, is from South Korea. we will learn more about her as time goes by, but from her essay she likes animals and kids and playing the piano.

A couple weeks ago I came across a post in one of the facebook groups I belong to, looking for families to host a foreign exchange student. I was sitting at the table, and I saw that one of the countries that was sending out students was Korea. I asked my husband "how would you feel about hosting a foreign exchange student from Korea. He said that it sounding like it could be fun. So I contacted the poster and got the ball rolling.

Later in this process my Hubby asked me "which Korea? North or South. and I laughed, and replied South Korea, I don't think Kim Jong Il wants to expose the youth to new ideas." Thats about when he realized it was a silly question. He was not alone though, I got asked that a couple more times as we told people our plans.




I read through a couple of essays, and while both girls (we knew we wanted to host a girl as our spare bed is in our daughters room) were intellegent and personable, felt that one fit us a little better than the other.


We passed the background checks, which took no time at all, and got to see pictures of the girl we will be hosting along with pictures of her friends and family. it makes it a little more real! We also set up a time to have our local rep come out, which was just a day or two later. He came out, we chatted for a while. Went out to get pictures of the outside before we lost daylight, than back inside to take pictures of the living areas. He was very friendly and while we didn't have many questions, he answered the ones we asked.

Not long after, a couple of days maybe, we knew she had been accepted to our local high school, and the interviews with our references had been held. Got a call with a flight for her, asked if she could come a little earlier since the day of her flight was the Saturday before school would start, and now she arrives on the Wednesday before, allowing us to all go to the School Open house.

I am now working on my welcome banner. I have little pendant cut outs to hang in her room to welcome her as well. Tomorrow we are going to go on a family outing and spend the night out, and then the next day go pick up our new family member!  Here is the banner 😊