The Ayyam-i-Ha Dress

The girls have finally received the dress-ups we bought at the garage sale. Anisa has spent the last day or so changing from a mermaid, where she wanders through the house singing "under the sea we go..." and other ocean worthy songs at the top of her lungs, to a Hawaiian hula dancer to a shimmering princess complete with a pipe cleaner crown. Aside from when she has changed into her pyjamas to sleep she has not taken off her princess costume and now fondly refers to it as her "Ayyam-i-Ha dress." Here she is singing to an imaginary audience while I try to snap a candid photo. Ruhi enjoyed her hula skirt and lei but had a lot more fun flying around the house pretending to be a fairy. She also adores the library bag (horse related - of course) that we got her for school.Notice the abandoned mermaid tail on the carpet...

Bayan, meanwhile, was perfectly delighted with his first official bath toy: a boat including a captain, small vessel and some blocks. He generally uses a combination of little plastic animals, an assortment of bath friendly kitchen utensils and small pieces of Tupperware. All perfectly useful and good but now the animals have transportation. While Anisa got in on the action and enjoyed a bath with Bayan, Ruhi noticed how the scene was similar to Noah's Arc.

Tomorrow Ruhi has the day off from school as all the teachers have a training day. That works out brilliantly as we will be hastily making all sorts of preparations for her birthday party on Saturday. We are planning a bit of a circus / carnival theme to go with the fact that she will be collecting gifts (rather than receiving them herself) to be given to the pediatric ward of the hospital. Out of the blue, as we were preparing to walk to school, Ruhi said that she wanted to give lots of presents to the children in the hospital. She was very clear, very decided and very definite and has happily planned a party with the focus on having fun and games with some friends and at the same time doing something nice for someone else. I am so proud of her!

We have done this sort of thing before and some of the comments I have received have made me second guess whether we were really doing the right thing. While ultimately deciding that we were, this completely confirmed it. I hope that the children will continue to use their special days to make a difference in the lives of others. In the meantime wish me luck. I have to sort out the pinata stuffing, organize some prizes, do a bit of food shopping, make a clown face and about 16 beanbags, not to mention a fishing game and a cake that I will attempt to sculpt into some semblance of a carousel..oh yes, and also do some major cleaning outside and decorate the back veranda all in about 36 hours... that's perfectly possible - right?

At Last...

Monday evening the sun began to set and the Baha'i festive season of Ayyam-i-Ha began. We commemorated this by decorating the house with lots of flowers and are still in the process of putting up our festival figures (children in traditional dress from various parts of the world). Here are a few pictures of the children arranging some flowers. At most Holy Days I let the children each choose a flower to commemorate the occasion. We then reuse the flowers to decorate during the Holy Days and festive seasons.

Bayan attempting to water the flowers.

After decorating and having dinner we took the children outside where I had organized a number of games for us to all play together. The first was a very active virtue game I got from Linden Quolls site, the second was a treasure hunt for paper flowers and the third was a work out the hidden message game. We hit a few hiccups but had fun anyhow.

A flower hiding in the fig tree.

As the sun set we took the kids inside (in the future I think we might say the Ayyam-i-Ha prayer first) to open their presents (round one, anyway). For better or worse we have decided (I have decided and Mehran has halfheartedly gone along with it.) to give the children one gift each day of Ayyam-i-Ha. I generally try to keep the items under 10.00 each, so it is nothing extremely extravagant and most of the items have been purchased on sale (normally 1/2 price) and stored away for ages. I think that it is important to make the intercalary days as fun and festive as possible.

Round one: Ruhi and Anisa both love care bears and Bayan loves all manner of vehicles, but up until now has not had one. Here he is enjoying his first "twuck". He has hardly put it down.

In the interests of environmental conservation, especially after the wretched packaging, we use Ayyam-i-Ha gift bags which are reused year after year. That way at least there is no wrapping paper to dispose of. A small thing, but better than nothing.

Happy "Ayummy"-Ha!

For the second night of Ayyam-i-Ha, we had family and friends come over to play (Ruhi wanted me to include that as the children did, in fact, play) and have tea and nibbles, including fruit, bread, cheese, nuts, muffins and our official Ayyam-i-Ha cake. Isn't it cute? Albeit the world is a teeny bit lopsided... (and don't panic Mom, we didn't eat the icing...although Anisa did try. It was really more for decoration than anything else.)

After dropping Ruhiyyih at school I took Anisa and Bayan with me to buy fruits and vegetables and later to the grocery store where we found some beautiful fresh flowers for a few dollars. We brought them home, snipped their stems and added some sugar to the water in the hopes that it would help them last at least until the fast begins. Some of the flowers were already falling off but they looked lovely floating in a decorative bowl. I am not sure what these are called, but I love the colours.

We picked Ruhi up early from school so that she could help with the preparations and she did a lovely job making some Ayyam-i-Ha cards to give out. (Seen in the background above.)

Here is a close-up of the cake. We only had it last night and already the kids are begging to make it again. Bayan and Anisa helped do the baking and Ruhi helped roll the icing and make the continents. Both the girls assisted with the decorating. They did a pretty amazing job don't you think?

Last Tuesday

I had intended to publish a post, fully aware that it would be days, if not weeks, before I might have the opportunity again. Ruhi was home from school with a cold, while Bayan had raging diarrhoea and Anisa was generally out of sorts, an indication that she too was coming down with something...sure enough, but the vomiting didn't kick in until Thursday (just after I returned from work and just after Mehran left for a dinner / presentation evening with his dad. How come he always misses the fun stuff?) Anyway, in the midst of changing nappies (diapers), supplying tissues, soothing the irrational emotions brought on by illness and fighting the feeling of an impending nervous breakdown as I teetered on the brink of insanity merely thinking about all I had to do at, and prepare for, work the next day look at what we got up to. Oh, and by the way - I was not procrastinating. No. I was merely choosing my priorities. When at home I am determined to spend as much time as possible putting the children first and spending time with them. Although, as I currently write this they are in the next room watching a My Little Pony DVD as it seems to make Anisa's tummy feel better.

So, where were we? Oh yes, Tuesday morning. I had sorted through a veritable mountain of outgrown baby clothes dividing them between piles to keep and piles to give away. The ones that we are keeping needed a home out of the way, as we are becoming desperately short of closet space. Very few homes in Australia have proper attics, like what there are in the States, instead we have a manhole leading directly to the roof: gyp rock of the ceiling covered by an ocean of fiberglass and interspersed with structural beams below the canopy of roof tiles. There is precisely enough space (as I discovered while laying planks of wood to create a mini floor on which to put the storage containers) to crawl from support beam to support beam. As filthy and insufferably hot as it was (naturally I chose to do this on a day when the temperature was at least 39 degrees Celsius, roughly 100) it was rather fun. I can't believe that we have lived here for over 10 years and I had never seen this part of our house. Not that there is anything too fantastic about the "attic", but it was fascinating to see something so familiar, without ever having come across it before.

Anisa modelling a dress, pants and a headband that she and Ruhi wore (although not as an ensemble) when they were less than a year old. Bayan, meanwhile, has discovered the joys of play-doh.

Here is the manhole, the ladder I used to get up there and the size of the containers I was shoving through that wee, little space...but I did it and without mishap, the only question is: 'How do we get them back down...?'

Up in "the attic." How cool is that? Hmmm. Not very. It was over a hundred degrees after all.

While I showered and changed (and in the future I really must remember to wear gloves while handling fiber glass) Ruhi made this delightful block castle in the front room, complete with clock tower and trees.

While Bayan slept the girls and I went fishing. I have made a set of alphabet fish with Persian letters which I contacted and placed paper-clips on and using Bayan's train we fished for the letters that the girls (Ruhi specifically) are beginning to learn in Farsi. Ruhi is getting quite good and Anisa just really loves to fish, although she has to be careful with the magnet.

Ruhi has been asking to make a volcano, today we finally attempted it, and attempted and attempted. Either we have weak vinegar and dysfunctional baking soda, or the recipes don't work well 'down under'. We finally worked out that if we omitted the flour, tripled the baking soda, halved the vinegar and then added more after the initial eruption it worked better, although not quite what we were hoping for. Also, the size of the container appears to be quite crucial.
Adding the food coloring.
Demonstrating that both attempt one and two had failed and that neither eruption had made it beyond the rim of the bottle.
Third time's a charm. Some form of success. In light pink, as I was seriously beginning to think that we were just wasting that red food-coloring, not to mention the soda and vinegar.

Some activities are best discovered and enjoyed as 'hands on'.

Today, I am throwing caution to the wind, bringing a plastic bucket (just in case) and we are going to experience a perk of teaching. Toys R Us has elaborate, costumes at half price. I am planning a unit on professions for the youngest classes and these dress-ups with accessories will be perfect (vet, firefighter, nurse, chef, teacher, police officer, builder etc). I am going to buy them and use them at school. I won't be able to do the same unit again for another year or two and in the meantime the children can get some use out of them. And I may be able to get a fair bit of the money back through tax. I think. How good is that? Plus I also need to get a bit more fabric for Ruhi's birthday party, which we are having next week, on the last day of Ayyam-i -Ha. The games, menu and decorations are planned, they just need to be organized. The only 'obstacle' left is the cake... oh, and thoroughly cleaning up outside. I just keep telling myself: "There is still time." Though exactly where it is, that I am not sure.

Where There is a Will...

there is a way...

Sigh...

In the process of merely putting dinner on the table I was called by Ruhi to help alleviate the cause of the 'technical difficulties' (Bayan) she was experiencing on the computer (twice), compelled to comfort Anisa who was quietly sulking in her room because "nobody loves me" and (more to the point) someone (yours truly) would not let her use her use her Fifi the Flowertot cup at dinner (for numerous, perfectly legitimate reasons), forced to clean up tiny glass shards that had exploded into the carpet when Bayan smashed our good mirror onto the floor. Don't ask. He was quite jovial as he repeatedly exclaimed "Bwoken. Bwoken."

Ya think? While I was attempting to entice Anisa to the table, she was curled up on her bed still dressed up in her 'pooh bear the bumble bee costume', Bayan was on the table (not at, on) busily helping himself to the tadiq (the golden crust on the persian rice). I was just in time to catch him as he tried to climb back off and nearly fell, having pushed the chair away as he went. In the process he spilled his water across the table and narrowly missed drenching the rice that was now full of fist holes. He had, at some stage, managed to fling enough rice around the room to provide an excellent sticky carpet for me to walk on as well as a hearty invitation to the hordes of ants we have around the place. Sigh. And where on earth is Mehran? I am beginning to think that I may require some serious electro-shock therapy if I am to make it through the rest of the evening. Oh dear, someone sounds unhappy - do excuse me I had better go make my appointment.

"Hepping"

Bayan is famous for wanting to be involved in whatever activity the rest of us are doing. To that end he is forever insisting on "hepping" (helping) - bless him. He will often confiscate the vaccume cleaner from me right in the middle of a cleaning job, will thank me for adding a dish to the sink and instantly toss it onto the counter again, as apparently it interferes with his preferred dish washing process, a process that generally involves lots of water and bubbles and will inevitably concluded with both of us, the counter and floor all drenched and dripping...but at least he is trying to help.

He loves watering the plants, especially the eggplants, which-as we are all aware- I am desperately eager to harvest.He also has a panache for spritzing things with my spray bottle. This is actually a handy skill as he not yet mastered the concept of confining his artistic impulses to paper or other acceptable mediums, and consequently can assist in cleaning up - at least when it is water soluable.

On evenings when I am in a raging hurry to get dinner organized and on the table I can always count on some "hepp" from Bayan. He adores adding, mixing, stirring and flicking, not to mention tasting. He even tried to fill the canneloni tubes with a favourite concoction of spinach, cheeses, egg and seasonings, a task both deceptively tricky and beautifully satisfying.

Making turkey drumbsticks for Baba with a wonderful little helper. As time-consuming as the help can be I certainly hope it lasts. And, by the way, thanks Bayan.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Mehran's aunt and uncle (his aunt being 10 years younger and his uncle being 4 years older than Mehran- just so it doesn't sound so wierd) recieved the best gift a couple could get on Valentine's Day. The long awaited arrival of their first child. A little boy named Daniel. I am so happy for them. Both mother and baby are doing well and I can hardly wait to see them, although I may have to. As of today Bayan has taken over for Sneezy Dwarf and in true form has rapidly developed a runny nose and has somewhat lost his appetite. He is currently running around the place armed with a spray bottle and is joyfully spritzing the walls and furnishing for me. We will see how he is come Sunday and may make a trip to the hospital or we may wait until they are settled at home. Mehran is probably happy to wait as (I am sure) the older the baby is when we see him the less likely (so he thinks) I may be inclined to want another. Poor Mehran...doesn't he know babies are perfectly delicious whatever their age.

In other valentine's news we had a delightful visit from friends who brought cupcakes to share. Anisa and Ruhiyyih both eagerly tucked into their cakes. Ruhi wanted to know if she could eat the love-heart decorations on hers and I said "Yes. They are edible." Anisa, who was already merrily crunching away on hers, added with gusto: "Yeah! They're incredible!" I don't think she intended to rhyme but it was really cute.

Homecoming

After a fairly wretched day at work I arrived home to the sound of Bayan joyfully heralding my arrival by banging on the window and squeeling in delight, lots of enthusiastic hugs and kisses from Anisa and a pile of presents that Ruhi ran off to collect. Ruhi had written a note (To Mum: mum here is some candy for you. Love Ruhi) in which she wrapped partially eaten candy teeth (I got two. That was lucky because she and Anisa were able to each have an extra tooth each. I won't go into extra details. The less you know, the better.) and a flower she found on the way home from school. Wanting to get in on the gift-giving action Anisa quickly presented me with a princess she had colored in, a picture she had drawn and a pink, play-doh, tree (that missed the photo-op).

How did they know it was exactly what I needed?

Giddy-Up

I finally got organized and arranged for Ruhi to have riding lessons. She had her first lesson today and took to it like a fish to water. She was absolutely wonderful. She chose a helmet, got right on the horse (whose name was Oscar, by the way) and by mid lesson was trotting around the paddock. It was wonderful to sit back and watch her shine. And it couldn't have come on a better day. I discovered, later this evening, that school had been rather rough today and that the friends she normally spends time with had all but deserted her. Despite everything she was confident and enthusiastic and even while I was trying to help her strategize solutions or options for what she could do during lunch and recess tomorrow she was busy focussing on the positive and only wanted to talk about horses and riding. I am so proud of her. Schoolyard society is not always pleasant to deal with and I love that she has something that she really loves and that she seems to excel at. Something good to focus on, something positive to outweigh the negative. I hope tomorrow is much better.

In the meanwhile here are some snaps of the lesson.

Surf and Sun

We took the kids to the beach late Sunday afternoon. The sun tends to be awfully intense here, so I find that (even on scorchingly hot days) the beach is often one of the last places that I want to be. Yesterday was warm and sunny without being overly hot and the beach was perfect. The place we went to was fairly rocky in parts and consequently was, aside from a few lone individuals fishing from the rocks, mostly deserted. The children had a wonderful time wading in the surf, collecting rocks and making mermaid calls from their "shellephones". There were no shark warnings and the box jellyfish had the decency to keep their alarmingly poisonous tentacles all to themselves. What more can you ask for?

One happy mermaid.
Bayan watches on as Ruhi develops specialized skills in navigating some slippery rocks near the shore.
Bayan has just recovered from learning a very valuable lesson: salt water is not delicious. It tastes even more unfortunate when it is mixed withn seaweed and sand.
One final picture that Anisa wanted me to include for everyone to see. Hope you enjoyed the peek as much as we enjoyed ourselves.

Bargains

After a hectic morning involving swimming lessons and a birthday party next door, the kids and I headed across the street to a garage sale. There we found a glass vase (for a dollar), a couple of chocolate molds (50 cents each) which I have fabulous, Baha'i activity, plans for and a pretty, little, fairy container which will be a perfect intermediary for the tooth fairy (as it is the perfect size to hold a tiny note and a small treasure.) Mehran had gone over first thing in the morning and come back with two outdoor chairs and four costumes (two hawaiian, one butterfly fairy and one mermaid) which we have put away for Ayyam-i-ha. Ruhi, while browsing through an assortment of odds and ends, found the most beautiful unused pencil (for one dollar, and even woke up early this morning to ask if we could use it to do some maths and art together) meanwhile Anisa located a fluffy, pink, bejewelled, Angel fairy, broach-like, pin. Imagine that.

The Illustrious Eggplant

In the past few days I have given away well over five kilos, have experimented with vegetarian eggplant burgers (interesting), have made a huge batch of khoresht - e - bademjan (Persian eggplant stew, an old favourite, mostly) as well as a massive eggplant parmesean which, sadly, will not be making an encore appearance on our table. While not the most delicious thing I have ever tasted I didn't think it was quite so heinous nor nearly as repulsively disgusting as Mehran and the children made out. Bayan, who can hardly speak, made himself quite clear with his repeated proclamations of: "Yucky! YUCKY!". Oh well. Now I know what not to make. I project it will take at least a few weeks for me, singlehandedly and alone, to nosh my way through the leftovers and by the end of it I am quite certain I will never want to lay eyes on an eggplant again. Not that I will have much choice...look what is still rapidly flourishing right outside the door... brilliant! Not that I am complaining. I am very grateful that we have enough to eat, and a wonderful variety too, and am entirely mindful that many do not...hmmm, there's an idea of what could become of our abundant eggplant harvest, or perhaps Mehran will develop an eggplant franchise. Either way, I am not sure how much more of this good thing I can stomach, literally.

The Joys of Gardening

This is what has become of that patch of dirt we were faced with last october. Not too shabby considering that a). this was our first attempt at growing vegetables, b). my track reccord with individual plants is less than stellar - to put it mildly and c). we are contending with the Australian sun in the middle of one of the worst draughts on reccord. To illustrate this point take a peek at our macadamia tree. It looks like someone left it too long in the oven and it actually burned. Seriously. Look at the tips of the top leaves. They are, well, charred. Anyway the tomatoes and basil are both flourishing. The broccoli was doing well, until I noticed (today) that a massive army of tiny, white, spider-like insects, have taken up residence and are doing unpleasant things to it's leaves. We have a solitary stalk of corn that, despite the odds, survived an ambush by slugs. We are unsure exactly what animal got to the baby carrots, radishes and cucumbers as the tracks are somewhat unfamiliar. Mehran swears it was a rogue possum with an insatiable vegetable fettish. The jury is still out. On the brighter side our eggplants are thriving.

Before dinner the girls came out to help collect ingredients for salad. They worked together to find the elusive red cherry tomatoes which were hiding in between the wild mass of vines belonging to the larger tomoatoes, these were apparently mismarked, either that or they originated from the same source who sold Jack his magic beans.

Notice the horse ears. (Note to self: I must make those enquiries regarding riding lessons.)

Bayan got to play in the soil and enjoyed one of the finer things in life: getting dirty.

He also helped gather tomatoes.
Anisa found: "THE MOST GINORMOUS BASIL LEAF IN THE WHOLE WORLD!!!"

Here is the harvest:

Here is the salad: Yummy!