Erin was right: 3rd grade is hard!

I've been looking for that magic bean, the one method of learning portuguese that is going to make it click for me. I'm starting to think that there is no such thing as magic or clicking... On the down side, portuguese is difficult and I have days where I am so frustrated about my lack of understanding and progress. On the positive side, there are moments of glory when I realize that I actually am learning - when I understand a whole sentence said on a TV show, or when the check out lady at the grocery store asks me if I have a number, and I can give her an answer without receiving that scrunched-eyebrow look that is so very familiar (and often followed a few seconds later with an ... ohhh... )

I'm starting to think that there is no one method that will get me to learn, but rather the more methods I employ, the more fully I will learn. I'm trying everything I can think of: I took a class, study from a text book, listen to an audio lesson, watch TV/movies in portuguese, read/translate children's comic and story books, play games on line, and I recently bought a book of cross-word puzzles and word searches. I tried watching children's shows, but most of them on the Barney level, which is what I need these days, make me want to stab myself with a fork... or stab the TV, or maybe Barney. Anyone else have suggestions? (stalkers out there?)

I'm also starting to think that there's no "click." I keep waiting for the moment where I'll all of a sudden be able to understand what people say and be able to respond (in more than 2 year old speech...) But I'm starting to think the learning process is less like stair, or a series of times when you just get it, and more like climbing a hill - it's a gradual accruing of knowledge and understanding.

If you're praying for me out there, pray for patience. I have more empathy for kindergardeners and other early learners these days; as a famous teacher once said: 3rd grade is hard! Excuse me while I go read "A Princesa e o Sapo."