As you can probably imagine, the language barrier is the foundation of most of the familial conflict around here. To give you an idea of what our conversations sound like when we're all trying hard to hurdle that barrier, here's an approximate reproduction of our ride home from school via the bagel shop today:
Mommy: Zenebe, you have the hiccups!
Daddy: Drop me off here, I'll run in and buy the bagels and you can drive around the block and pick them up.
(Daddy exits stage right.)
Z: Hi-kaka.
M: Zene, do you have to go kaka?
Amare: 'Hicaca' [is] Sidamigna [for] 'blocks.'
Z: No kaka.
M: Oh good, because we have to drive to the house for you to kaka.
A: Amharic [for] 'blocks'….. ummmm…..'metaweha' - 'blocks'; 'hicaca.' Blocks, Mommy!
M: You want to play with the blocks at our house?
Z: No blocks.
M: 'Hicaca' sounds like 'hiccups' and you've got the hiccups.
(Mommy fakes an overly dramatic hiccup.)
A: Ah yes, 'hiko' [in] Sidamigna!
(Zenebe hiccups.)
M: Daddy hasn't come out with the bagels, so we'll drive around the block again.
Z: No, no blocks!!!!!
And here are some gratuitous photos of the boys wearing their new sunglasses (which they both were during this conversation) because they are 'veeEErrrrry' cool and they have only come off their heads (at our insistence) while sleeping, eating or bathing.
A and Z are officially tied with J and E for the cutest pair of brothers in the Midwest!
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