Earth to Wal*Mart Associate

As usual I was stopped by a random stranger at Wal*Mart this week and questioned about Ephraim.

First I was asked if I was totally surprised when "they gave us a boy since everyone always gets girls". That question I was prepared for because I have been asked that quite a few times. I explained that Ephraim was actually Vietnamese, not Chinese, and the wait for a little boy was actually not as long in Vietnam as was the wait for a little girl.

Next, the clerk asked me if Ephraim was his Vietnamese name. I've been asked that question several times too, so I gave my pat answer that Ephraim is an Old Testament name, and the name is significant to us because Ephraim, the youngest son of Joseph, was given the double blessing by his grandfather, Jacob, the patriarch of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Finally, I was asked Ephraim's age and whether or not he was talking yet. When I said he wasn't yet speaking, I was assured that he should start talking soon, and once he learned English he'd then know two languages. I nodded and kept on moving without really taking the time to think about her statement. A few minutes later it struck me. This lady was assuring me that when Ephraim began speaking, it would be in *Vietnamese*, and he could learn English when he was older. Huh?!?