Annika always starts her questions with this. She started doing this sometime earlier this year, although I can’t really pinpoint when. I think she regularly interrupts people, so if she starts with “I have a question” then she can ask the question when she knows the person is listening. She interrupts me when I’m reading or when I’m listening to a podcast, and since I don’t do well transitioning from task to task, she is probably used to having to get my attention before asking, otherwise I say “what?” Or I don’t even hear her.

Tonight she is thinking about starting school with her new teacher, Ms. Ching, and her new class. She doesn’t know everyone in her class and it’s really stressing her out right now. She is going through all of the people she knows and telling me about them: “I know Gabe is in my class; I think Titus might be and I know him from Hmong CLAnD, and Amiliya is in my class… I wish I knew where my other friends were.” She keeps saying “I’m so nervous.”

I can sympathize. I always feel the jitters at the beginning of the school year. I have a bunch of new students, a new school for half the day, and I want to do well. It’s pretty similar to her feelings.

She keeps talking to me about it as I’m writing, then she keeps asking me “are you done writing?” Like I can write while she’s telling me all about everything. I should just finish up and get her to get to sleep. We’re going to the Fair tomorrow but she is NOT sleeping yet.