Bilingual is a must! But how?

I absolutely LOVE living in a bilingual home! Learning Spanish is by far one of the greatest accomplishments that I have done in my lifetime! I never thought I would learn another language. I was horrible at Latin in school, then I took 1 semester of Spanish because a friend was and I got a D. I am not good at languages, well I thought.

I was given the amazing opportunity to go to Peru for 2 months to help missionary friends with some administration work. While I was there I decided Cusco Peru was where God was calling me. So I went back to the States at the end of the summer and fundraised for 4 months. In January of 2005 I moved to Peru for a year. I knew NO Spanish. Well, everyone knows gracias and agua, but that was about the extent of it! I got a tutor for 3 months to learn the basics then I remembered why I didn't like studying a language...its HARD! Since I had the basics I stopped studying and learned the rest from friends, church, taxi drivers, restaurant workers, etc.

Come to find out, the reason God called me to Peru was to meet my husband...who didn't speak any English! How hilarious is it that I was called to marry a man who only spoke Spanish when I got a D in Spanish? I think you could say thats pretty ironic!

Santi has a mother and father who both speak Spanish so it should be easy for him right? We plan on only speaking to him in Spanish at home. Apparently it isn't as easy as that. Nolan and I have many Spanish speaking friends and hardly any of their kids speak Spanish. And if they do speak Spanish they don't speak correctly. They are unable to conjugate verbs and switch from present to past and future, something any child over the age of 5 should be able to do.

I was reminded of this again yesterday when I was speaking with a lady who has an 11 and 13 year old. Violetta is from Mexico and doesn't speak English. Her children grew up here in the States, but only knew Spanish until they went to school. Once in school they learned English and over the years have lost the majority of their Spanish even though their mother can not communicate to them in English. This is the story we have heard over and over. Nolan and I both worked with an English as a Second Language program at church for 2 years and we were told time and time again how children do not want to speak Spanish once they learn English. I know that living here in the States the kids hear English more out and about, but in their homes they only hear Spanish. What is the deal? Are the embarrassed of Spanish? I cant imagine not being able to communicate with my parents!

I want my family to be different! I want my child to be proud of both sides of his family! I want him to speak Spanish proudly. I want him to be able to go to Peru and visit his grandparents and speak to them normally. Im not sure why the other children have failed to keep up with their Spanish though, so Im not sure what I need to do differently. How can I ensure Santi not only learns English but Spanish as well? Im at a loss! I don't know what to do! I only know that speaking Spanish is very important!