Language School

When we got in the van to come home from church last night, the children numbered off in Spanish.  K reiterated for about the hundredth time that we need to learn to count in Russian.  Marina asked me to test her Russian.  I obliged with the six or seven phrases from our long-ago Russian language tape (following dialogue spelled phonetically):

Me: Ya tibia lu blu
Marina: Uh....'I don't speak Russian?'
Me: No.  'I love you.' Try this one, 'Ti u stal eye a.' feminine form. Either means 'You are sleepy,' or 'I am sleepy.'  Not sure.  Just know that we have said this to the kids at bedtime since going to Russia, so I thought she would get it.
Marina: It means, 'I have no idea what you are saying.'
Me: Um. No. We are all giggling by now. 
Me: Let's try a short one.  'Spasiba.'
Marina:  Spicy!!!!

Well, the child flunks Russian, but she gets an A+ in Texan.  She did know how to say, 'Hold my hand' in Russian and she knew what 'Das vu don ye,' meant, but that was the extent of her linguistics.  She asked in her thick Texan draw, "Maw----ma, when we go to Russia, how will I say, 'I didn't grow up in Russia.' Honey, I don't think you will have to say a thing--it's gonna be crystal clear.