Creating a Calendar

We have spent much of the school holidays at home (for obvious reasons) and as much as I had hoped to be out and about enjoying ourselves I am so very glad that we have been here instead. It has given us a chance to be quiet and still and enjoy our own company as well as getting a few things done that I have wanted to do for the kids.

Ruhi and Anisa have been busy making us a 2010 calendar to put up on the wall. Ruhi went on the Disney site and she and Anisa and Bayan chose some images which they then colored in. Ruhi has been busily going through and adding important dates like Birthdays, Baha'i Holy days and feast nights. I think I will commission some artwork throughout the year and have them make a calendar from their own artwork for next year, but this has kept them busy, kept them happy and offered some great opportunities for cooperation as well as learning the dates of some special occasions.

Flash cards

For ages now I have been meaning to make Ruhi a set of times table flash cards. First of all because she really needs to learn them and has struggled a little with math this year, secondly because she and Anisa both seem to like using cards as a method of learning and you can quiz yourself (bonus for me). I have grand plans that involve constructing a special series of pockets that will be constructed from fabric and attached to the back of the car seat. We spend so much time driving to and from school that I am hoping we can use at least a little of that time for homework purposes and pockets of flash cards that can be quickly flipped through on a daily basis may not only help their learning but will also hopefully cut down on official homework time at home. That time could then be used for something else. Do I need to tell you that I already have plans for that too...hmmm, probably not. But only good plans, I assure you. Hopefully the kids will think so too.

Anyway, I typed up sets of the flash cards from 0-12 on the computer, printed each off on a different colored page and cut them out individually sticking each on a piece of patterned backing paper. I made two sets. One that shows the order of the times tables including the answer and one that will be further cut down into individual flash cards where you will not see the answer on the front, but will be able to find it on the back.
While I cut card stock and paper Bayan happily practiced his own cutting skills... with paper. He even took the following photo for me. I protested heartily, but he won in the end and I am so very glad that he did. I love his view and how he has captured the light and the depth and the colors.

How come my photos don't look this good?

Gingerbread house

With some assistance from my mini chef extraordinaire we whipped up some batter to construct a gingerbread house.Ruhi and Anisa we most obliging when it came time to roll out the dough and were delighted to use the offcuts and scraps for their own purposes. They made dolphins and horses while Bayan made 'shapes'. Everything was promptly eaten so their are no photos except for this one of the unadorned house before the kids were set loose to decorate it.Our house, as you can see, has two stories and windows this year. We encountered, as you can also see, structural difficulties involving miscalculations and more royal icing. But we won't talk about that. Instead lets talk about the excellent use I found for much of our unused Halloween candy.The kids jabbed (I mean positioned) jelly beans along the eaves and used hardened chewy candies to decorate the center of the roof and help fill in some gaps (more miscalculations or perhaps shrinkage during baking. Yes, that must be it.) Anisa color coded little lollies and Ruhi used them to make an intricate path leading up to the door.We used candy canes to make a fence and a marshmallow puff of smoke for the chimney and the kids went to town decorating the rest of the roof and environs with gummy lollies and sprinkles. Once again this dwelling will not be consumed, but will have served it's purpose well, as Thanksgiving has once again been bumped back to a later date just to make sure that everyone is truly well before we have anyone over, so by the time we are done it will have graced our table as a centrepiece for over two weeks.For the record I am not completely heartless about the deep sense of loss coming from tossing out this uneaten delicacy so I have ferreted away a few treats to be shared among the children who are joining us for our 'Thanksgiving' lunch. Fresh, wrapped, and far more hygienic plus they are sweet and sugary and are only available once a year. To say nothing of the fact that they would be far more healthy than attempting to ingest this (or any portion thereof) gingerbread house.

The Tablet of Ahmad

Over the last few days (whenever we have felt up to it) Ruhi and I have been working on making a decorated prayer sheet for The Tablet of Ahmad. We were taking about the importance of prayer and how some prayers are more powerful than others when she decided that she wanted to memorize this Tablet. So we printed a copy, in light grey ink, from the Internet and traced over the words with a fine felt tipped pen. We then dug out the scrapbooking supplies, measured up the quotes and boarders and began decorating. Because the paper is so pretty we mostly used offcuts from where portions of the prayer fit to embellish the Writings.While Ruhi carefully measured and cut Anisa was busy creating virtue cards (more on that later). Here she is with the latest creation. She added a handle, something that I have never done, nor ever thought to do, but there you have it. I love the ingenuity of children.

And here is our completed Tablet of Ahmad. Ruhi has been saying it every morning while I say it for them before bed. I hope that Anisa and Bayan will, eventually, pick some of it up too.

The beach

It has been a couple of days since anyone has ah "tossed their cookies" so to speak. And it has been over a week since we have left the house. Mehran, desperately wanting to take the kids somewhere, thought that perhaps we might try the beach. I agreed as the kids have been so disappointed because we have had to keep putting off our plans for Thanksgiving and the chances of us coming into contact with anyone at the place we were going was very slim. So we piled in the car and lethargically headed off to get some fresh air and sunshine. The kids had a blast wading in the surf and playing in the sand. Bayan found endless stones to throw and Mehran even squeezed in a nap while sunning himself on a rock . While it certainly lifted our spirits and seemed to do no end of good, Ruhi began projectile vomiting again this evening. And so, without further ado, we return to square one.

Feeling defeated

By a vicious cycle of vomit and washing. By mountains of laundry, stacks of dishes and constant housework that never ends.

By my lack of enthusiasm and energy for everything.

Making an effort- a fun menu for lunch: vegetable spring rolls (for the few of us fit to eat them), fruit salad in a rockmelon bowl and a collection of stories from around the world...

but mostly- feeling defeated.

Gastro

Defined:

Gastroenteritis often involves stomach pain or spasms, diarrhea and/or vomiting, with noninflammatory infection of the upper small bowel, or inflammatory infections of the colon.[1][6][12][13]
The condition is usually of acute onset, normally lasting 1–6 days, and is self-limiting. (No kidding.)

Should you develop this delightful disease here are some of the perks you can expect to experience:
Nausea and vomiting
Diarrhea
Loss of appetite
Fever
Headaches
Abnormal flatulence (fun)
Abdominal pain
Abdominal cramps

As fabulous as all that sounds I assure you it is much. much. WORSE!

Mehran brought it home on Saturday evening. This is a man who, in the entire time we've been married (nearly fifteen years) has never vomited once. Not once. Not even when we got food poisoning at a picnic. He credits his 'guts of steel' with the fact that he survived the extremely unhygienic conditions of a refugee camp in Pakistan. I can't dispute that. But not even his past exposure to rancid, fly covered, meats and the like could prepare him for this bout of Gastro. The man who never vomits... vomited. Violently. A lot. The condition is highly contagious. Highly. Which meant that I, the vomiting queen, was next. Anisa caught it shortly thereafter. Unfortunately Mehran had brought home a big bag of fresh cherries and had let the children indulge before bed. The result of this was Anisa waking in the middle of the night to hurl copious amounts of cherry vomit all over herself and her bed. Which I got to clean. At 3:00 am. In the midst of my own perfectly enchanting symptoms. Bayan was the next to succumb. His strategy was to throw up and then cry for food. To throw up and then cry for food. To throw up and then...do you detect a pattern here? Not sure that Bayan did, but his was the swiftest recovery. Ruhi held out the longest. We thought that maybe she would not catch it, but not only did she catch it, she caught it with flair and extravagance. She would aim for the toilet but would wind up covering walls and floors. The only thing missing was for her head to start spinning around. The frustrating part is the minute you think you might actually be on the mend someone starts throwing up again. It is diabolical I tell you. Diabolical.

Starlight

star bright, first star I see tonight.

I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish

I wish tonight.

We noticed the perfect wishing star while getting ready for bed this evening and inspired by The Princess and the Frog made some fervent wishes by the window. I loved how Tiana (who also happens to be the first African American Disney princess) was not opposed to wishing, but unlike the spoiled Charlotte knew that wishes alone can not make dreams come true. A lot of hard work and determination is also necessary. But wishes are a wonderful place to start...

The Markets

For about six months I have been going to the weekly farmers markets in our area. And I am loving it. I don't know why I never went before, but bless you Martha for getting me hooked. You can find all kinds of fabulous, fresh, produce usually at much better prices than you get in the stores and generally without such harmful sprays and pesticides. Not only that there are generally heaps of stalls where people are selling secondhand goods everything from books (be still my heart) to clothes, toys, furniture and every item in between. You never know what you will find and that is half the fun.

I have found some fabulous books for the kids as well as for me. I have even found clothes, brand new, with tags still in tact and all for only a couple of dollars. Here are a few of my favourite finds. A marble maze (Bayan adores this), a water play area and a very special vase (no photos yet) that I have special Ayyam-i-ha plans for.

Perks

One of the nicest things about doing movie reviews is that it gives the children a chance to see that there are many ways to look at a subject or film and that you can really find a lot of things to talk about, some rather unsavory. It trains them to look at a film and not only watch it, but see the parts that are not nice or are inappropriate and to comment or think about them as opposed to just letting it sink in and settle into their subconscious disguised as something acceptable, even though it's not. Another perk is that from time to time, and I must admit fairly frequently recently, I get free passes to preview screenings. The last two weeks in a row I have been able to take the children with me (as I have scored two 4 person passes) something that we rarely do, not only because of the expense but largely due to the lack of quality films out there today. These were both G rated films and Bayan also got to come to see his first films in the cinema. I was a little worried about how he would go sitting still for a little over an hour and a half, but he did great and it was nice to have the kids with me as opposed to dropping them at the grandparents while I did this on my own. The girls loved it as they have been able to come a few times now and are getting to be very good about picking out parts that they think should go into the movie review. Thank heavens for my little helpers.

Stealing the Show

We have the advantage or disadvantage (depending on the situation, the circumstances and your point of view) of living in a relatively large, highly Persian, Baha'i community. Our Feasts are generally much the same and there has been an on-going issue about how we don't hear from many (most) members of the community during consultation. Many people don't feel at ease to voice their opinions in front of so many people and some are worried about what others may think. But not Bayan. Oh, most definitely, not Bayan. When I stood up to help make an announcement he came too. When I sat down he grudgingly followed, but only to whisper insistently that he needed to "have a talk" too. I nodded encouragingly, as you do, but insisted that he wait as someone else was speaking. He did not interrupt the announcement that was underway but neither did he sit down, despite my efforts and the efforts of his little friend who went up to the front of the room and tried to take his hand and help him have a seat. Bayan frowned deeply, wagged his finger and venemately shook his head while standing humbly and resolutely beside the person who was speaking.

As that person finished, the chairman stood up, faced the assemblage and opened his mouth to speak. Que Bayan, who still stood patiently waiting behind him. "Listen," he began "you should use your manners." As the chairman quickly regained his composure, Bayan proceeded to tell everyone how important it was to be nice to each other; I glanced back to see how people were taking this and was impressed to find that the entire congregation, who-only moments before had been on the verge of collective narcolepsy (like in those commericals where everyone's batteries suddenly die) -had suddenly come alive. People were leaning out of their seats and straining forward to catch every word that he said. Not understanding much at all, they watched wide-eyed and grinning as Bayan continued to talk, informing them that if they have an accident or catch on fire they should go to the hospital and there the doctors will give them a needle in their finger. For emphasis he pointed to his finger and held it aloft. He thanked them for listening and with a satisfied smirk came and sat down. He did not receive a standing ovation, but the thunderous applause was enough to ensure that two minutes later he had another "announcement."

Oh, how I love this age.

End of Year

The school year is officially finished and while I am so thrilled to have some time that I can devote to the children, our home and family in general I am surprised to feel a sadness as well. There will be quite a few changes occurring at my school and some wonderful staff will be leaving to fill new roles, try new schools or simply retire. Ruhi summed it up really well when she said sadly "Oh, Mum. I'll never get to see the year sevens again." Well, never say never, but I know what she means. I will definitely miss our deputy principal as he has been wonderfully helpful and super supportive. Also this is the first year that I have actually enjoyed teaching the year 6/7 age group (12-14 year-olds). There were a few issues (there always is) but for the most part they were a really great group of kids. And I will miss them. Plus the children (my own this time) are growing up so fast. I can hardly believe that Ruhi is essentially a year 4. How is that possible? If only there were a way to stop time. Just for a little while...

Happy Birthday E.!

A beautiful little boy has just celebrated his first birthday and to help him commemorate this special occasion we were invited to join his family and friends in a most magical spot.
We thought we were late, but we turned out to be early. Very early. No matter - the children were barely out of the car before this place began, once again, to weave it's magic spell. While we waited the children quietly amused themselves with fallen branches and bits of nature. Bayan locked me in a eucalypt fortress (for my own protection from his "shark (sharp) teeth"), and constructed a restaurant, while the girls whipped up a menu and they all created a store filled with delectable treats.Ruhi even found King Triton's trident. It is wonderful what you can find if you only take the time to look. Before long friends began to arrive

and the party was on. We had a beautiful, gourmet, lunch that featured, among other delicious things, some amazing sundried tomato, basil and chicken wraps (I think I may need a recipe here, or at least a full list of ingredients...seriously. So good.) and then while the birthday boy enjoyed lots of cuddles the older kids got busy exploring the rose garden and surrounding areas.

Bayan and his "best friend" J. amused themselves with an empty concrete well of sorts (mercifully there was no water and neither needed to be fished out.) They then dashed over to a metallic structure (art form) and happily posed for the camera.Before being joined by the rest of the gang... almost. A. was conspicuously absent, but I did catch up with her on the lawn where she was only too willing to show me her latest treasure.Speaking of treasures, there were more to be found...in the trees. Heaps of acorns that Anisa and A. enthusiastically gathered and stealthily deposited in Haleh's purse. Ruhi found some fabulous leaves and the boys found a branch swing that the kids all enjoyed until some kill-joy parents made them come down for - you know - safety concerns.

To soften the blow J. and A.'s dad provided a distraction by allowing the kids to chase him across the immense grounds. Which was most delightful as it gave other parents a temporary rest and enabled them to sit for a moment and enjoy the company...and snacks.

D. and A.'s dad brought a guitar, so we had music and many Baha'i songs,before taking the kids back to the storybook trail that they so very much wanted to see again.They played briefly in Mowgli's tree house, but mostly enjoyed being together and using their imaginations to create cook stoves, campfires and restaurants where they prepared such fabulous foods as chicken and rice, pizza, chicken and rice, soup and chicken and rice. Did I mention chicken and rice?

Bayan remembered Ruhi's skills at catapulting pebbles from the plants and devised his own method to show J.

Anisa paused from her culinary preparations long enough for me to snap this quick shot that shows her toothless grin something that I have been wanting to capture before her adult teeth appear. I love her smile and find the gaping hole so very endearing. On the long walk back some little legs got tired. It was a good thing that Dad was close by. Fathers can be so very handy.

On the way

to school this morning we were forced to take a detour. There had been an accident and the road going up to the school was blocked in both directions. While we took a back route that wound it's way through a thick eucalypt forest the girls decided to say some extra prayers (for those involved in an accident) as the prayers finished and as we neared the crest of the hill we were forced (delighted) to stop the car so that a koala could cross the road. I desperately wished that I had brought my camera, but alas I did not. He ambled along so slowly there were plenty of potentially fabulous shots. There were no cars behind us so we had the chance to sit and admire him as he shuffled into the bush. The girls were completely smitten, Bayan was entirely thrilled, and I was grateful for the timely reminder about what it is that makes country living so special. There may be twisty streets and steep hills (and the possibility of accidents- though they may happen anywhere) but there is an untamed beauty and peaceful tranquility that is sorely lacking in other parts. There are very few places on earth where you can pause on your way to work or school to watch a koala cross the street and I love that my kids are getting a chance really see some of what makes Australia so special.