Flags of the World and Elements

After a round of learning about Countries of the World, it was a natural organic progression to learning about the Flags of the World.

Smithsonian Handbook: Complete Flags of the World started it all for us. Some activities the kid enjoyed after learning most of the flags of the world:

• Match the countries with the flags - we do 3 to 5 at a time, to not overwhelm
• Given a flag picture, identify the country
• Flag coloring pages - given just the outline and the country name, try to color it in correctly
• Given a flag type, name a country's flag that is of that type. Example,  Serration (Qatar), Fimbriated (Guyana), Triangle (Zimbabwe), Quartered (Martinique) and so on
• Given a country's flag, identify its type as best as possible (Triangle and Fimbriated can be confusing for some)

There are printable activities at Enchanted Learning, some of which were much enjoyed by the younger child. Of course, there are many nice apps that made learning flags fun.

After decades of being blissfully uninterested about flag types, I can finally identify a few common types like Saltaire, Scandinavian Cross, Fimbriated, Quartered, Serrated, Triangle, besides the usual Tricolor, Tribar, Bicolor and Cross. Plus the typical parts of the flag like the Canton and Fly and Charge...

The toughest for me was to draw and color the flag, given a country name. The easiest, of course was to match the countries and flags. I rely on short-term memory to get through these activities, but, after a few months of no reiteration, am sure I'd have to start over from scratch and learn it all again.

Now, a while back, we studied the Periodic Table of Elements.  So when I came across this collation by Jamie Gallagher at Smithsonian.com, it gave us an idea for a wonderful activity to combine two of the kid's interest to make an extension activity with elements and flags.

Pine Mountain Observatory

Having gone there as a student long time ago, and knowing the youngest's interest in all things outer space, we had promised a trip to Pine Mountain Observatory this summer.

Weeks rolled by and summer was almost coming to a close. So, while it was still officially summer and school was still out, and before we slipped down the beastly slope of Broken Word, we managed the trip one fine weekend.

Possibly because he was expecting a lot more, it was easy for the kiddo to be disappointed a bit. And, now that the pink glasses of the student days have been replaced by the sturdy bifocals of parenthood, I felt a bit let down by the experience.

Although it is volunteer run and is a good undertaking, plus they have a wonderful school visit program, it would be nice to have special days where elementary grade school kids are the focus on-site (there is some fund-raising for this underway) - where the talk is geared towards their level of understanding and preferably presented by someone who is comfortable interacting with kids (not talking down to them), and are encouraged to ask questions.

Now that that's out of the chest, it was still a fantastic trip, almost like a pilgrimage for the little guy, especially since the astronomer pointed the telescope to Arcturus, Oggie's favorite star that week.

Since staying up late is still tricky with him, we have not done any of the OMSI Star parties, but, hope to one of these days.

The 15", 24", 32" telescopes

The gorgeous landscape

The mysterious stump figure

Comfortable camping

The towering Ponderosa pines

The Three Sisters

The looming cloud-covered Mt.Hood

First Eleven Dollars and Thirty Cents

It was a blazing afternoon, one of those rare dry-hot summer days we get here. Only so much of splashing about in the little inflatable pool helps, after which, a compulsory shutdown happens when the body just wants to vegetate.

Not the mind, though. There was a sizzling of energy as a virtual light-bulb flashed its existence over Ana's head revealing the determined look of a girl with a purpose.

Step stool and basket in hand, she went to the backyard; ten minutes later, reappeared with the basket full of plums, minus the step stool, and proceeded to meticulously sort and wash the plums, pat them dry, and count them.

"Wow, I can make 28$ if I sell each plum for 1$", she squealed, puffing up with the exuberance only a child can muster.

Bursting her bubble was a tad bit heart-breaking, I admit, but needed to be done - there is no point in raising false hopes and removing the reality. "I wouldn't pay one whole dollar for one of those tiny plums, Ana, and I don't think that is a fair price for it."

Finally, from 28$ for the basket full, the young mind shifted enough to accept $2.80, if only she can spread the word and make the sale.

A driven young girl disappeared into her room for a while and came out with a scrap piece of paper with the words, "Home Garden Plums 10c each", requesting some help with making a bigger sign to put up on the street corner.

Scary though it may be, being tough and strict comes rather easily to me at times (especially with my little girl) so I drove a hard bargain: "I'll draw the picture for the sign, but you must make the rest of the sign. And if you make at least 15$ from all your sales, 5$ of it must be set aside for charity." And we discussed a few options of which OHS (Oregon Humane Society) was settled upon as the beneficiary, if at all.

Chalk pastel plum tree came about in 5 minutes as I sipped tea, and the suggestion to throw in "Organic" and "Italian" was dutifully incorporated, and the sign was ready within 20 minutes.

"We can make a copy and put it in our front yard too!" cheeped the happy voice, eyeing the sign with a mixture of joy, hope, and pride.

How to canvass the buyers?

Not being business-minded (would have had an etsy store by now if I was), Papa was brought in to counsel the budding entrepreneuse. "Diversify. Sell apples and plums, give people a choice."

After nailing the sign on a tree on our street, a copy of it was pinned to the home-made felt board and placed strategically in our front yard.

Of course, living on a quiet street does have its disadvantages in situations like these. Not much foot traffic. Not many eyeballs on the sign. But, the girl persevered, waiting patiently under the umbrella for about 2 and a half hours, with home garden plums and Jonagold apples.

After which, I felt sorry for her and suggested to leave the signs out but close up shop. "People would know to knock on our door and ask for it if they want it", I added reassuringly.

And so it was, that the next day, when she was out attending camp, an anonymous buyer stopped by seeing the inviting sign and bought 10 plums and 2 apples for $1.30. (No points for guessing this anon. buyer.)

Her first sale! And she wasn't even there. (Thankfully!)

As luck would have it, in a few days, her uncle stopped by - first time in over a year - with no inkling of any impending sales pitch, hoping to drop something off for us to deliver to somebody else. He generously bought 10$ worth of plums that she had restocked!

(The said uncle, of course, had disposable income having recently won a few hundred dollars in video poker, but, he could've easily bought just $1 worth and left it at that.)

So, there she was with her first eleven dollars and thirty cents from her little enterprise!

A short vacation intervened and sales dropped abruptly. And then, school started.

So, finally, a few days ago, the sign on the tree was reluctantly pulled down knowing there won't be many more buyers, or many more plums for that matter.

I could sense a mixture of desperation and euphoria as she clutched the beautiful sign - desperation to reach the 20$ goal she had set for herself and euphoria at having made a whopping 10$ in one sale (which seemed a highly unlikely scenario when she set out.)

I hope next year when you see a young entrepreneuse or entrepreneur with a hand-made sign and wholesome goods to sell, you'll be moved to encourage their passion.

Universe on the Sidewalk

Not another post on sidewalk chalk art... I caught myself trying to talk myself out of this post, but, it was such an imaginative and energetic activity last weekend morning(s) that the cherish-the-simple-moments side of me persevered.

There is something magical about Outer Space that captures kids of all ages, right? So, we've been reading A Look At Planets series (Mary R. Dunn), My First Look At Planets series (Teresa Wimmer), A True Book series (Elaine Landau) about planets and dwarf planets and meteor showers and asteroids and galaxies and our sun and what-not over summer, among others. Flash cards, DK sticker books,  not to mention TMBG's How Many Planets?, plus info on the web and such supplement our reading...

So when Oggie offered to lay out the universe as he knows it so far, on the sidewalk, I willingly tagged along armed with my camera and a cup of hot chai.

Besides the solar system which includes the Asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, there's the Kuiper belt at the far edge as we know it, the Horsehead nebula, and the 5 dwarf planets, and rockets and space shuttle and lunar rover and comet and asteroid Vesta,and of course probes and rockets and space shuttle, even a black hole, and "a bunch of other stuff".

Seeing that it was self-initiated and self-sustained, much like the Tide Pool on the sidewalk, with non-stop chatter about each of the things being depicted, I just limited myself to making strategic comments (followed by a "tell me about it") and smiling inwardly as I heard the ready responses.

I see the Vostock-like rocket right next to Horsehead nebula.
 I noticed a black hole that is really close to Starro. 
Makemake is right along the Kuiper belt...
Is that the Earth's moon?
I am looking for the largest gas giant of our solar system...
So, Saturn your favorite planet?

Sidewalk Chalk: Tide Pool

When I was growing up, there was a lot of street chalk art in our neighborhood - amazing 3D visuals, usually of various gods from mythology, sometimes the imaginative cosmos or nature scene... artists would be creating it right as we walked by - carefully around the work, of course.

And then there are some mind-blowing 3D Street Chalk Art masters - something I pore over on and off online and show to the kids.

Anyway, so, sidewalk chalk art being a default summertime activity, kids have been indulging in it on and off, as expected. I willingly tag along as well, assisting the kids as needed, with a mug of morning coffee in hand, and maybe a small jug of milk/lemonade and cups for the kids to help themselves in between.

We just use the low grade, cheapest-at-the-store chalks which are not as vibrant and colorful, soft and easy to apply as some special grade "Sidewalk Chalk". But we are happy with it so far as we are not doing anything too fantastic.

Ana brings along one of the Ed Emberley's Drawing books we have at home, to draw from; or just doodles whatever she fancies; sometimes writes a few words. She prefers to just draw the outline and not color in; I end up coloring in her drawings.

Og has been particular about what he wants to see on his area of the sidewalk - he makes up elaborate stories to be represented as best as we can. And I am the appointed "drawer" while he is the "colorer".

Today, he was specific about creating a tide pool scene on the sidewalk. "You draw the creatures, Mama, like starfish, a limpet family, chiton, crab, anemone, urchin and a lobster who got pushed out by the sea and got caught in a tide pool; and I will draw the background water and the mud and the sand, and a sea monster that hides in the sand."

I was, naturally, thrilled about his choice as it indicated that the fascination with tide pools from our recent study still continues.

Of course, what about the water and the sand. "But, we don't have brown, Mama, so that's why I am going to color the mud purple and the sand pink."

And, then further out, away from the tidepool, is a family of hammerhead sharks swimming about looking for food to eat...

If we start early enough in the morning, we get about a couple of hours of cool shade to work under; after which it gets pretty bright and hot to be drawing on the sidewalk where there are no mature trees to offer the shade we need.

I know we need the rains and it has been an unusually long spell of hot and dry weather for my neck of the woods, but am glad for the dry days when we can be outside on weekends, drawing to our hearts' content, until it gets washed off and we can start over again another day.

Summer Berry Picking

Berry-picking is a much-enjoyed summer activity. The kids ask for it when they are in the mood and we head over to a farm and pick as much as we can afford.

While there is this romantic exchange among the kids of living in a farm, all this berry-picking and back-yard gardening is certainly impressing upon them (at least Ana) the hard labor that is involved in producing food for our human consumption. Ana has been asking for a guinea pig, a dog, a few chickens, and a pony. So rather than dismissing it as idle talk, we had a serious chat about what she thinks it involves to keep them and take care of them. Just those handful of animals. And, what sort of work day she expects to have living in a farm, working in a farm and going to school.

Incidentally, both the kids have been asking, Why do kids have to go to school, Mama? Well, that has to be its own post someday. Kids can be home-schooled, of course, but, I think Ana's main concern has been more along What is the point of learning about so many things, Mama? which again is material enough for another separate post.

Anyway, moving on, most of the picked berries get frozen to be enjoyed throughout the coming year. In fact, we just have one last half-gallon bag of strawberries leftover from last year's berry-picking adventure. Some get made into fresh berry pies. Some get made into jams. Some squishy, ripe berries get made into smoothies right away...

We picked my favorite Marionberries. Thorny as the bush can be, it did not deter Og. Shouts of, "I found big black juicy ones here! Come and look, mama!" echoed around the open farm as Og led us to the ripest berries for picking.

We also picked Blueberries. There were two varieties, not sure of the names. Again, Oggie was a much more enthusiastic picker than any of us. It seemed like one could just hold the container underneath a loaded branch and gently shake the branch for all the ripe berries to fall in.

Ana was interested in the golden raspberries much more than the others. They were honey-sweet and quite ripe. Best enjoyed as-is right away.

We didn't pick a lot of juicy red raspberries from the farm this year as our backyard bush manages to provide just enough for our enjoyment for now - a small basketful every few days.

D, our official pie-man, made Marionberry Pie, much like last year. I'll have to admit, he is a much better pie-baker than I am.

We are half-way through summer and am looking forward to the second half. We don't have any specific plans. I am usually torn between offering fun outdoor activities and quieter and more laid-back pace doing what we are in the mood for during summer. While part of my mind strongly leans towards Simplicity Parenting, part of my mind also wonders how that equips my children to cope with a future that today's world is headed towards... There's always a balance that can be struck, and that is what I am constantly  working towards, I guess.

Falls Creek Falls

"What would you like to do on Mother's Day, Mama?" queried the 7 year old a week before the celebration.

As my mind rattled off the traditional mundane things like, have a nice warm breakfast made for me by someone else, take a long and uninterrupted bath, sip a cup of tea with my current book in hand enjoying the backyard bird songs while sprawled out on the grass... I heard myself say out loud, "A hike would be nice", adding quietly, "to a place we've not been to before, and is not a long drive, and a picnic lunch packed to go, with me taking my time to stop and photograph whatever catches my fancy rather than hiking up and down business-like as if in a hurry..."

Mother's Day mid-morning found us geared-up and heading out to explore Falls Creek Falls, WA. The thundering falls pouring into the pool was quite a sight (and sound).

The trail had quite a bit of elevation, and after the suspension bridge it got quite tricky with tree roots. Ana managed it fine, but Oggie needed a ride on Papa's shoulders for about one-third of the way, on and off, especially where the path got rather narrow and steep.

Along the creekside trail there were paths to get to the flowing water which was still icy cold and stays that way throughout summer.

Thanks to the time difference, I was glad to be able to call my mom the previous night and have a usual chat. It was nice to hear her reassuring words that none of the little minutiae matter in the long run, and that the bonds and affection is all in the mind (and the heart), and as long as the hearts and minds feel together, no physical distance matters.

I hope as she grows older Ana will feel the same connection with me that I feel with my mom - to be able to talk briefly long-distance and hang up the phone knowing how much she is cherished.

Magna Doodle

I didn't have Magna Doodle as a kid. It entered my life seemingly innocuously a few years ago as a present for the kids thanks to D... er.. Santa. It has given me, um... the kids, countless hours of fun.

Bah, I might as well come clean. Yes, I love it. Have loved it since that first little strawberry shortcake one Ana had till this larger-than-my-laptop-screen one that Oggie can't seem to get enough of. And it seemed about time I accepted and acknowledged it duly. Why else would I dedicate a whole post for it, right?!

Initially, the physics behind it fascinated me, but nowadays, just doodling on it feels like a much-needed relaxation technique.

Anything magnetic works, and that's the best part for me and the kids. Ana used to write "messages" for us with the Melissa & Doug™ Wooden Magnetic Letters that somehow always littered the floor near the fridge or dishwasher rather than adorn the said appliances.



When Oggie discovered he could use the Tow Truck from one of his wooden "puzzles" for drawing on Magna Doodle (as it has a little magnet to tow the other vehicles in that puzzle set), it didn't take him long to draw an Octopus with reasonable likeness. (Looks more like a spidery bug, but, Og insisted it was an Octopus, apparently, the missing legs/tentacles are behind him).



Ana had a lot of practice drawing and writing on Magna Doodle saving paper. Of course, the trouble was, if it was something particularly well-executed (in her opinion, at least), she wanted to "save it" - i.e., not erase it. Which was a bit of a problem.

"Mama, can you draw a rooster?", "Can you make the rooster run?", "How about a Polar Bear?" "I want a spider, with a web", "Is this a pollywog?", "Can you show me how to do a caterpillar?", "Can you write the letters? How about start with A?", "Can you draw a hexagon?", "How about a Brachiosaurus?", "I want to draw a silly face and angry face"...

Over the last year, I've spent quite a chunk of time drawing on the Magna Doodle for/with Og, and it hasn't gotten tiresome at all. So far.

Laying in bed this past weekend, with our temperatures hovering around 101°F, Oggie and I could only moan and whine till that latest dose of Ibuprofen allowed us to sit up in bed and try to find something to keep us distracted from our temporary agony.

Besides the Monster Trucks (Mark Todd), Little Blue Truck (Alice Schertle, Jill McElmurry), Cars & Trucks and Things that Go (Richard Scarry) that kept him entertained (and my throat abraded), Magna Doodle and Ed Emberley's Animals kept his spirits up.

I like that there are some shapes that came with it - circle, triangle etc., making it easy for a toddler to make a composite image without much effort.

Ana is slowly outgrowing the Magna Doodle, what with Mama's stash of various Wood Accents, Stencils, and Rubber Stamps offering fresh set of activities to explore. But, before Oggie outgrows it as well, I wanted to jot it down here.

Kids Activity: Feltboard

Felt boards are a wonderful toy/tool that can be used for storytime or independent play, its benefits attested by parents and teachers alike. Considering that these felt boards have been well-loved and well-used at home, I don't doubt its merits.

The simpler the toy, the more complex the play, I remember reading somewhere.

These felt boards are easy for parents to make at home with just a few readily available materials. A 20x32 inch foam board cut in two makes two good-sized felt boards for small hands, 20x16 inch each. Felt fabric is usually under $2/yard, and being quite a wide bolt, quarter of a yard is more than enough for covering the foam board; and small pre-cut 9x12 inch or so rectangular felt pieces are available in various colors for making the shapes.

Items Used: Felt fabric in various colors, foam board, glue, scissors, tape, sandpaper (optional)

1. Measure and cut a large piece of felt fabric to cover a foam board, fold the edges and glue/tape the felt fabric to the foam board
2. Cut out small felt pieces in various shapes for the play; optionally glue on a piece of sandpaper at the back of these so the pieces stick better on the felt board
3. Can also cut out pictures of favorite things from magazines and glue it on to felt fabric and cut around to make the felt pieces to play with
4. Let children use their imagination and make creatures, machines, and things with these pre-cut felt pieces, or even tell a story

I went with a double color - blue and green with a horizon - so blue can represent the sky or ocean, with green being land or forest/jungle... Ana chose teal blue with green, whereas Oggie liked the more royal bright blue with the green for his board. But a solid single color felt fabric covering the foam board would be fine too.

Initially, geometric shaped felt pieces in various colors worked well for Og - a square or rectangle with a triangle on top became a house or a barn, a rectangle with two circles at the bottom edge became a car... and as he got comfortable with arranging/rearranging the felt pieces, animal shapes like penguin, pig, lion etc. came about from other pieces I had pre-cut and kept handy.

The kids each have their own felt board, with plenty of felt pieces to play with, along with some googly eyes and maybe even some yarn. The sand paper at the back helps hold the pieces - stick firmly - onto the felt board if they pick up the board and tilt it. But, even without the sandpaper, felt pieces stay put when flat on a work table. And can be easily picked up and moved around to change the scene/story.

Ana makes up stories about fairies and snowman and such, "decorating" each of her characters with care. Oggie leans more towards assembling cars, trains, animals etc., and talking about them as he builds.

There are felt board kits available - with themed felt pieces like Fairy Tale or Nursery Rhymes which can be used by parents for creating a magical storytime session with the very young.

The more a toy does, the less a child learns.
The less a toy does, the more a child learns.

Tillamook Cheese Factory

About a decade ago, when we were new in town, before the kids were anywhere in the horizon, I remember visiting the Tillamook Cheese Factory casually, as an aside, when we were exploring the Three Capes Scenic Route, right after a wonderful day at the Oregon coast.

Having made small batches of cheese at home, primarily to experiment with plant rennet (vs. animal-derived rennet), the process was not entirely new to me. However, I was bowled over by the magnitude and commitment to quality, in addition to the fact that Tillamook Cheese Factory primarily uses plant-derived rennet for most of its cheeses, especially their award-winning medium-sharp cheddar, a favorite at home.

And they state clearly when they use traditional rennet: "Our unique flavor profile of Tillamook Vintage White is a result of using traditional rennet."


Since that visit, our family has consumed many a loaf of excellent Tillamook Cheeses, valuing its wholesome goodness. And, we've suitably impressed visiting friends and family with this particular local attraction.

So, when we were heading back from a wonderful day at the beach near Bay Ocean Spit this weekend, we seized the opportunity to introduce the kids to large-scale cheese-making at the Tillamook Cheese Factory. They were suitably awe-struck. At least, Ana was, for sure.


She helps pick out the cheese these days during the shopping trips and recognized the wrapper and loaf, as well as the familiar brand name. To see the large blocks cut into the standard loaf size and travel along the conveyor belt, finally emerging wrapped and ready to go must've been quite a thrill.

The added attraction was the cheese-tasting, and the luscious Tillamook Ice Cream, of course, in impossibly addictive flavors!

Fairy Houses... in the backyard!

I believe in fairies. I believe in fairies. I believe in fairies.

What better way to invite the fairies into our lives than build a house for them to stay while they visit the human world?

Sure, there are many important tasks that keep these magical beings in Fairyland, but, every once in a while, fairies have tasks in the human world too. How else would our blossoms bloom and our garden smell sweet?

So, Ana and I have been building and maintaining fairy houses in our backyard. It is a work in progress - adding knick-knacks and furniture as the season changes, replacing worn foliage, replenishing berries as and when they get consumed...

Our initial inspiration came from Barry & Tracy Kane's Fairy Houses ... Everywhere! But once the little five year old fairy-phile got into the spirit of it, there was no stopping her. Ideas, ideas, more ideas... some easily implemented, some saved for another day...

Eager to see if they noticed and stopped by, we camped in our backyard overnight after our first set of houses were ready. Sure enough, first thing in the morning, when the irrepressible spirit of the five year old sent her sprinting across the backyard to check on the houses, she discovered a sweet little note from the Garden Fairies thanking her for the wild nature houses and the grapes and berries and currants she had set out for them to relish.

Rose Festival Junior Parade 2010

Unlike last year, when Ana was a bit clueless, this year she couldn't wait for the Rose Festival Junior Parade. She was looking forward to it so much that I was desperately hoping for the weather to co-operate.

It was a stormy day with brief sun breaks. In fact, right when the kids were slated to assemble at the starting point, it poured and poured. Thankfully, the collective appeal must've reached the sky, for, a dry spell prevailed for the duration of the walk.

Ana's school got acknowledged/awarded for having the most bikes and scooters in the parade, or something like that. She walked around beating her little lollipop drum, face painted, wearing the "fairy skirt" I had made for her.

Much like last year, Ana's school supported and encouraged participation in the Rose Festival Junior Parade. The effort and enthusiasm of the fellow parents jolted me out of my inertia, and Ana's excitement helped me get into the spirit of things. I am not sure we'll make this a tradition but, as long as she wants to participate, it is only fair that we help her be in the parade rather than let the parade pass by.

Blue Corn Grinding

Ana's School had a fantastic program last week, just for parents. Children worked hard and were quite thrilled to share their presentation with us. The three classes came up with a production each, in their own unique way.

One of the classes, with slightly older kids, managed to learn about Brainstorming, Storyboard, Characters, Costume-making and related aspects hands-on, which culminated in an original story being acted out for us in full splendor. Their teacher did a fantastic job, and it was clear the kids took pride and ownership in their presentation. It was a simple story set on the beach, with turtle, crab, whale, palm trees...

Another class taught us about The Water Cycle bringing to life the Rivers, Clouds, Sun and other entities, in their charming way. I was awe-struck at the children's enthusiasm and energy, which clearly reflected their teacher's.

Ana's class told us the tradition of Blue Corn Grinding by the Hopi Indian via a beautiful song with dramatic interludes. The farmers plant the blue corn, the sun blazes down, everything is dry; then come the rain showers making the corn plants grow green and tall; and finally the little ears of corn with their tassels waving above are ready to be harvested; the corn is then ground in a traditional mano and matate.

Much like the Ammikkal and Kuzhavi I grew up with, a matate (muh-taa-tay, as best as I can gather) is a large, usually flat, stone on which the corn/grains is placed. A mano is a smaller stone or rock which is rolled over the matate to break down the grains into a powder.

The Blue Corn Grinding Song evokes such wonderful feelings, it is hard to describe. And I admire her teacher for helping the students learn about the tradition, appreciate the song, and play the parts they felt comfortable with, to tell us the story.

The audio clip is not of the best quality. What with joy-filled parents murmuring their awe and restless little siblings calling out their names, the kids on stage probably felt overwhelmed. But here is a short clip anyway:



Ana was one of the 3 corn plants. Her role was to just lay down in prostrate position till swallows bring the rain clouds (played by Ana's spunky little friends), "Swallow tells glad news, bringing dark rain clouds"; then, slowly stand up tall as the plant grows when the song says "Green and tall the corn grows, green and tall the corn stands". Ana was in her own world, waving and dancing, pretending being a corn plant. And, her costume was terribly simple, as the idea was to hint at, rather than create a true likeness of a corn plant.

(Cropped and isolated Blue Corn Plant Ana)

As always, I was very impressed with Ana's teacher. She is a talented musician, a Montessori student taught by her Montessori mom, always enthusiastic about sharing the Montessori materials in her class with us. The Blue Corn Grinding Song is rare and precious and am so thrilled she brought it to us so beautifully that day with her children - especially since it has a special place in her heart as it was taught to her when she was little by her mother.

Creature Feature with Steve Lattanzi

Steve visited Ana's School again. And this year, Ana mustered up the courage to touch some of the reptiles that Steve said was OK to pet and feel. The rubber-band on the muzzle probably helped with the baby alligator. Last year, she curled up and inched away as far as the limited space allowed.

Albino Burmese python aka Banana/Popcorn snake was the highlight. But of course, with a hissing King Cobra, barking Gecko, vigorously rattling Rattlesnake, a baby alligator, West African Gaboon viper, and a few more I can't remember the names of, it is hard to tell which one wowed the kids the most.

In his unique style, Steve started off the presentation with safety precautions during the show - kids behaved like pros which was awesome - and went on to emphasize that it is not advisable to take creatures from the wild, and not to approach them with too much curiosity assuming they are friendly.

Venom is injected, Poison is swallowed. A difference I didn't discern until Steve mentioned it -in the context of animal defenses. Some are lethal, but most are not.

Thanks to Steve's joke about Peter Pan complex when the handful of grown-ups in the room were enthusiastic about touching the animals, I had an excuse to hang back and tactfully conceal my revulsion to the reptilian form... I am okay with looking at most of these from a distance, but something about the tree lizards that I grew up with in India, inside our walls, falling off the wall as it was too fat or the wall paint was not compatible with it, I start trembling just thinking about them.

I liked that he impressed upon the kids that these wild creatures are only 'dangerous' when we try to cross paths and get too curious, dangerous to us because of their built-in defense mechanism that protects them from their enemies... and that , if left to themselves, they'll probably avoid us as best as possible.

Play After Play

Thanks to the Calendar Fundraiser this year, Ana's school was able to bring an awesome theater event for the kids: Play After Play!

Melanya and Marc, the duo who make up Play After Play, have incredible bios. And from what I have gathered, they held the group of 60 kids spellbound with their unique style of storytelling that incorporates music and movement and interaction. And the folktale they shared was from Patagonia. Reminded me of Eth-Noh-Tec performance Ana and I enjoyed a while back.

In the play session after the Play, kids are invited to tumble and roll and "play like animals", but with safety and kindness, led by the duo with poise and grace.

For parents like me (and D), this is extremely fortuitous: with today's demands on life, such experiences for the kids take a back-seat while we go about meeting the Food-Clothing-Shelter needs.

As for Ana, she couldn't stop talking about it on our drive back from school - not so much the exact details, but, when every other word in her sentences turned out to be some synonym of "fun", I knew it must've been a good experience and has made a lasting impression.

First trip to the Portland Art Museum

I kept putting it off as I thought Ana might not be ready, but, turns out *I* wasn't ready to take this first step with Ana, really.

But, over the Winter Break, as we pored over art reprints at home and did some art work ourselves, I found myself feeling ready to take Ana to the Portland Art Museum.

The snowfall had stopped, the chillness was refreshing, and to make the day more memorable, Ana and I rode the bus to explore the Portland Art Museum.

I didn't want to explain the paintings or make it a possibly boring experience for her. So, I let her guide me. I stopped where she stopped. Answered whatever she wanted answered, as best as I could. And was glad that, that particular day, Ana was in the discovery mode. She spent more time looking at Asian and Native American Art than their American and European collection - possibly because of the layout of the museum and the order in which we visited the permanent collection.

I was surprised when she asked to go back and stare at one particular exhibit - Raven to Sun Transformation Costume - in the Native American exhibit. Not sure why, she seemed fascinated with it. I wonder what was going through the 4¾ yr old senses and imprinting on her brain...

She did have a few questions about the nudes - paintings and life-size sculptures - but, mostly curious about why it is there... and of course, she stared at a particular female nude painting (I forget the artist) asking about her feather hair decoration and pretty sandals, not worried about the rich surrounding in which the lady in the painting stood, simply wondering what happened to her clothes and then convincing herself that it depicted the middle of her dressing ritual and that she was getting to the clothes when the painting was done....

"This room is full of baby paintings, Amma. I think babies like Oggie made these art", she stated with certainty.

"Hm... you think so? The canvas is so big, and am not sure how babies can reach to the top and paint...", I was trying not to sound dim.

"No silly! They put it on the floor so babies can paint the whole thing and then hang it up. I think that's what they did. Maybe we can bring Oggie's painting to hang up here", she declared with enthusiasm.

We were staring at Modern Art!

She was a bit disappointed that she couldn't actually do any art project there even after I tried to explain the purpose of art museums...

Now that the first step is taken, I hope others will follow, making it an enriching experience for both of us... I know I have a lot to learn and it would be nice to learn some of it through Ana's eyes... Thankfully, I am not an art snob and I hope that helps Ana's experience.

*picture courtesy http://www.portland.com/portland/attractions/portland-art-museum/

Eth-Noh-Tec: Kinetic Storytelling

When I was little, I remember going to a few Katha Kalakshebams - storytelling performance of interweaving music and narration from Hindu mythology.

I used to sit there in rapt attention, jaws hitting the floor when fearsome asuras were quelled by virtuous beings right in front of my eyes - well, mind's eyes at least - while the narrator/performer (Kripananda Variyar, the only one I can recall) unfolded these images in my head through their words and music...

Life took its course and I wasn't a kid anymore and going to katha kalakshebams and other discourses took a backseat.

But today, thanks to her vivacity and talent, Vishaka Hari has brought back the magic for me! I adore her musical interludes - being a trained classical musician her rendition is powerful and evocative; at the same time, her sense of humor and her effort to bring the magic to today's high-tech generation makes her presentation more accessible and enjoyable across generations. Well, seems so to me - at least from the DVDs I have, as I haven't had the opportunity to see her in person.

Enough reminiscing... on to sharing a beautiful experience...

Ana and I were front-and-center at a fabulous story-telling performance by Eth-Noh-Tec, a duo from San Francisco - viz., Nancy Wang and Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo - who are absolutely incredible!

Just as a teaser, to give an idea of their style of interlacing music and movement, drawing the audience into telling the story, and their crisscrossing narration complementing each other, here's a short snippet.

We heard three stories from China and Korea. The young and the not-so-young in the audience in the small library were laughing, bouncing, interacting, and most of all, thinking! We learnt a few words and a song in Korean (which I promptly forgot) thanks to Eth-Noh-Tec's power of engagement.

A special Q&A session at the end was great - for, one of the pre-teens asked, "So, are these stories true?" to which they replied, in an ever so elegant way saying, "You see, it was so long ago that it is hard to tell... However, there is some truth to all the stories we hear..." and they went on to distill the essence of the stories which we all took away with us.

Ana and I absolutely enjoyed Eth-Noh-Tec's storytelling! And, we wouldn't miss the opportunity to see them up close again! Their work is inspiring!
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p.s: Since the show, Ana has asked me to retell two of the three stories over and over (even on the drive to and from school) and sure enough I incorporated what I could take away of Eth-Noh-Tec's style of narration and it has been an educational and entertaining experience for me as well as for Ana.

Here's a short intro to their first story:

Strike, strike at the root of penury in my heart...

A mother's work is never done...

Kids will be kids.

And along the way, they give meaning to their mother's life - an immeasurable sense of fulfillment that only compounds as they get older.

Meanwhile, the mother discovers new reserves of strength, patience, and courage driven by her fierce need to foster and defend her cubs...

I know, I know... it is l-a-t-e for me. Ana and Og are in bed. But, my mind is rewinding and playing back little accidents in the last few days since we got home... Ana being a baby herself doesn't realize when she is playing rough with Oggie and accidents seem to be happening all at once these past few days. Mostly, these accidents seem to happen when my x-ray vision fails to kick in - when I am in the kitchen getting a meal ready, or in the bathroom getting the job done as fast as possible...

Being on guard at all times is draining me fast...

But, such is the price of parenthood whether we like it or not, and we scoop it by the handfuls, smiling, begging for more.

Learning not to panic when seeing blood should be a required training for mommies. Blood oozing from their children, I mean... we all know mommies are worse than zombies and can drag themselves up from the depths of nowhere for their kids.

I admit I fall apart just a bit when I see Ana or Og really hurt, physically hurt - just the first few minutes when the stunned mind races to make sense of how it happened and exactly what happened... Usually, a sensible part of my brain somehow directs my limbs to get ice and place it carefully, apply pressure and stop bleeding, check eyes for uncharacteristic dilation, reach for the neosporin, fill out the right dosage of Ibuprofen at the sight of inflammation, and even give some arnica or bella donna as needed...

But somehow, I fear that presence of mind might desert me and I might do the wrong thing and jeopardize their safety by not giving proper first aid.

Oggie fell hard the other day and cut his lip with his teeth bleeding all over his chin and shirt. Ana started trembling. She just happened to trip him. By accident, I am sure. And today, he hurt the back of his head on a sharp corner and has a ½ cm gash on the back of his head. All that blood got me so terrified. Possibly because it happened on my watch, when I am alone and solely responsible for the kids' safety. Ana had too much energy and she didn't back off when I asked her to, riling Oggie up enough for it to get to unsafe levels...

I know, I know... I also grew up with a sibling and things are not going to be sugar-and-spice-and-everything-nice all the time, but, under no circumstances should a mother be expected to remain collected, cool and smiling when she sees her kid spurting blood.

So, I naturally reprimanded Ana right away for not heeding my words and allowing for this to happen. I hope I caught myself just in time before my words could inflict a sense of guilt in her tender mind. As I went about trying to administer first aid as best as my muddled mind allowed, I remained oblivious to my poor little darling. Catching her pale and quivering little body, I managed to calm down soon enough to assure her that I knew she didn't mean for Oggie to get hurt, and that I am not mad at her and that there are no consequences to worry about, and that I would be shattered if she got hurt again like she did before... but, she can try to help make Oggie feel better by distracting him while I hold the ice against his head.

At this point, CS, if you are reading this, thank you so much for your call - for letting me know I don't have to feel alone, and that I can call upon your generosity 24/7 till D gets back. You know I am not a phone person, not because I am impersonal, I prefer face-to-face... I've had many sour experiences with words on the phone taken out-of-context and misinterpreted as the other person could not see my face when I said it, so I've shied away from phone chats with people who haven't had a chance to know me intimately...

I bow low before the mighty moms who tackle their kids 24/7, keep them owwie-free, present nutritious meals, find stimulating activities and remain calm and collected at all times. They must be truly gifted.

Haunting the Bloomington Park and Memory Garden is all we do for outings these days... surprisingly, kids just seem so happy and comfortable staying home, rediscovering their bookshelves and toys, and all that space, that I don't feel the need to drag them places just to prove I can *do* stuff with them all the time...

Ana has been to the Children's Museum a few times in the past, she enjoys it, but, at this juncture, finding herself back in her lair, given a choice between staying home and keeping herself happy and heading out to the Zoo/Museum/<insert stereotypical kid's :fun: place>, she has consistently voted for staying home. And that just suits me fine as I know when D gets back, being an outdoors person, it could be his bonding ritual with the kids - *if* he can spare the time...

Am rambling, aren't I? Time to hit the sack, I suppose... But, these few lines, which I remember repeating in school when I was young, kept ringing in my head for some reason and urged me to ask for strength and grace as I grow with my children in this lifetime:

This is my prayer to thee, my Lord -- strike, strike at the root of penury in my heart.
Give me the strength lightly to bear my joys and sorrows.
Give me the strength to make my love fruitful in service.
Give me the strength never to disown the poor or bend my knees before insolent might.
Give me the strength to raise my mind high above daily trifles.

And give me the strength to surrender my strength to thy will with love.

--From the Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore

Bye, Bye Magic Mirror...

Appa is Here!


The first ten days or so since our arrival in Madras, D was on webcam from Portland every day, coming up with silly things that would make Ana giggle gleefully. One such silly thing was to claim that he has a goat in his tummy. When Ana challenges this, he would come very close to the webcam with his mouth open as Ana knows that's the way to the tummy, and then, when he was close enough he would quickly thrust a picture of a goat in front of the webcam as he moved out of the way, thus convincing her that there is a goat (more precisely, a goat picture) inside his tummy. Precious!

As Ana was high on travel excitement and associated novelty she didn't really show any signs of separation anguish then.

However, as we hopped from town to town, spending days at a stretch where we couldn't do the webcam, she struggled with uprootment issues and started bawling uncontrollably (sometimes for about an hour at a stretch), repeating the same set of phrases, drawing from the stories we've been reading every night, almost as if afraid to say anything different as it would not convey her exact feelings to me.

"Amma, I am very sad because I miss my Appa"
"Amma, I want to be in Portland with Appa"
"Amma, I want a Magic Mirror like Beast gave Beauty so I could see my Appa"
"Amma, I prayed to Vishnu for one wish to see my Appa now 'coz I miss my Appa"

The heartrending cries every night for the last four of the six weeks here has somehow melted the Divine Planner's heart enough to arrange for D to be with us here!

This was such a remote possibility that I never encouraged any hope. I kept reassuring Ana that we will see Appa when we get back to Portland, and that he misses her terribly too... and I had asked him to call us on the phone as often as he can...

But, every day, I was crumbling internally, cursing myself for traumatizing her so.

I am sure Oggie missed his dad in his own way, but, he seemed to manage fine with all the attention he has been getting everywhere.

When D confirmed his arrival a couple of weeks ago, we decided to keep it a secret as we both were dying to see Ana's surprise and happiness when she came face-to-face with her Appa who is supposed to be waiting in Portland for us to come back.

Ana was speechless!

All she managed was a tremulous "Appa!" filled with disbelief.

She clung to him the whole ride home with the widest dimpled animated smile I have ever seen on her face.

Now, D's arrival has changed the dynamics of our trip a bit. He is on an official visit, so he cannot stay with us or go back with us, and has to work every day. Plus, he won't arrive until a few weeks after we reach Portland.

But, for now, Ana's rapturous elation is highly infectious and I am thanking the Gods for hearing her doleful wails and alleviating her distress.