The Secret Language

This question is more for the parents out there. How would you like to have a secret language you could use to talk about things in front of your kids without your kids knowing what you were saying.  Wouldn't it be great! Apparently that is how English is used here sometimes.  This is what happened at Ikea this past weekend.  I was on the edge of a play area in the cafeteria watching Lucas and Annalise play.  Annalise was playing with a little girl close to her age and this little girl also loved Lucas and kept giving him hugs.  The little girls dad was standing next to me and we had exchanged a few smiles as we watched our children play together and I had heard him speaking Swedish to his daughter.  I always have to explain to Annalise that the other kids don't speak English and I think he told his daughter that Annalise didn't speak Swedish.  Suddenly his wife walks up and in beautiful fluent English he says motioning to his daughter, "Her meal comes with an ice cream but I don't think she needs it."  I laughed and asked him and his wife if they use English when they don't want their daughter to understand what they are saying.  They said that many parents use English in this way in Sweden.  I think it is so hilarious but also very useful!  When Ray came back from refilling his drink I shared the story with him and he said we could use Swedish in this way but we would not be able to say very much.  Hopefully soon Annalise will be in preschool here and then she will know Swedish.  We keep hearing that since Annalise is so young it will probably only take three or four months for her to learn Swedish.  One thing that has been difficult is that children don't speak English.  Ray and I are having no difficulty communicating.  None.  Everyone and I mean everyone speaks beautiful fluent English; even if they say they only speak a little are lying.  We had been told this but it still surprised Ray and I a little.  The only people that don't speak English are small children.  That means that the little kids we meet at the park and the library that Annalise wants to make friends with look at her a little weird once she opens her mouth and starts talking.  I try to explain it to her but she acts as if her feelings are hurt.  She asked if the kids just don't like her and I told her that is not true but she is only three and some things are hard to understand  Right now she is on the wait list for preschool but it could take up to three months.  We will see what happens....