Electives

Middle school is coming soon. I'm not ready for it. I would rather we stayed in preschool where little miss Haana is 5 years old and can sit on my lap. And yet, here we are!

Some of us are very excited about middle school. We've had a tour of the school, the teachers seem really nice and driven! In 6th grade they get to decide on 2 electives amongst 8 choices. This has been a subject of much debate lately. 

Little miss Haana's original choices were orchestra and karate. My preference was art and karate. Why? Miss Haana is so good at art, if she doesn't have art an electives perhaps she would not have enough time in her week to practice art, and it will just fall to the side and be forgotten amongst busy school work. This and the fact that she has been part of an outside school orchestra since last year, one that is quite good. I don't want her to drop out of that one since it challenges her more,  so taking orchestra at school seems repetitive. I also wonder if it will be too simple for her; she's been playing violin for many years now and many other children will only now be picking up an instrument. 

Miss Haana wanted to take orchestra because many of her friends are taking it. Also it seems like a middle school thing to do, if you know what i mean! Elementary school didn't have a school orchestra. Initially she wanted to even drop the city orchestra she's been part of since last year. I was horrified at that possibility, so I talked to her violin teacher and had him convince her she should stay in the out-of-school orchestra regardless of what elective she takes at school. This strategy worked! 

Then i recruited Dad to talk her off the school orchestra ledge and choose art in stead. This was successful too, initially. She chose art and karate as her first 2 choices. 

But then, her friends who chose orchestra received emails from middle school to come for instrument fittings. And now little miss Haana wanted to choose orchestra again! All her friends were being so fancy going to instrument fittings! The orchestra room is so cool with instrument lockers! The school even has sound proof rooms for private practice. It must seem all so... grown up! So middle-school-y! 

Little miss Haana was very remorseful now. One day last week over dinner she was feeling really bad over all this. She wanted me to email the school and ask them if she can change her elective choices. I suggested it will be better if she wrote that email herself, it will indicate initiative on her part. And so did just that. She looked up and found the counsellors' email address, composed an email to request the change and sent it without asking for my help. Later she emailed the orchestra teacher too, and now we have a slot next week to go to the middle school with her violin. 

All is well in little miss Haana's world. And since she promised she will spend time every week on her art work at home, I'm cautiously optimistic! :)

Miss Haana Won the Art Contest

Little miss Haana won the school district's Art competition!

Her Art work will be put up in the school district soon! So proud of her :-)

Someone likes my hugs

Yesterday at night when I was cuddling up with Bobby boy he asked me for a puchhi (kiss). Is he kidding? No child of mine has ever asked me for a kiss. It's always been the other way round, I'm filling them up with forced hugs and kisses while they try to squeeze away from my grip! 

I did as he asked but probably went a bit overboard. A few seconds later he informed me "that's too much, mama!".

Back to reality for me!

Artist

Little miss Haana's art work for nationwide competition for creativity - Reflection just won the best in district award and is now going to compete at the state level.

So proud of her!!

Here is her artwork.

Who Do I Love More

I asked little miss Haana today if she thought I love her more or bobby. She said she thought I love Bobby slightly more. 

Hmm, I said resisting the urge to tell her, she's proven that she's totally mad by saying I love her any less!

But in stead I said, "But you have a big advantage over Bobba"

What?

"I don't need to change your diapers! That's huge!"

I don't think she appreciated that though! Hmm..

New Year

This new year's eve, at the final countdown, we wished each other happy new year. Little Bobby boy screamed "Happy New Year!!! Its my birthday today!!" 

No idea where that came from!!

Just Another Work Meeting

Bobby had been a germ magnet! Last several months he's been gathering new germs with a cadence of what seems like every other week. 

Last week Bobby did not go to his play school, he was under the weather. So it was a week of juggling work, while caring for him and not getting enough sleep. 

Here's what happened one afternoon last week:

It was late afternoon. Bobby and I had had our lunch and it was time for his nap. I put Bobby to sleep and headed into my meeting. He was ok for sometime, but then I heard him cough. More coughing, almost non stop for sometime. Poor thing i thought. I came back and picked him up. Poor thing was tired of coughing and crying. I picked him out of his crib and sat with him. Put vicks on his back and feet and on his little baby nose. Then i told him he needs to go back to sleep. He didn't want to go back to crib and wanted to stay on the bed.  So, i put pillows all around him, covered him with a blanket, set baby sleep music on the speaker and told him to go back to sleep. After this I headed back to work. I had another meeting to get to. 

For some time it was all quiet in the house. Then after about 30 minutes, i heard a door close. Then, i heard another door open and close. Then another voice in another room. Then, some shuffling... soon the little boy emerged, looked me in the eye from the study door, and ran away. I continued talking in my meeting and pretended i didnt see him! More noises came from another part of the house, and soon the boy came strutting back. This time i was intently talking to a collegue. That's when Bobby came to the study and said "Mumma, i have poopoo". "I have poopoo Mumma", he repeated, just in case anyone on my meeting had not heard it.  I was deep into a conversation, so in stead, Bobby proceeded to play with the curious looking buttons under my desk. I have recently gotten a stand up/sit down desk, so the buttons under the desk are all curious play things for him. Suddenly, while i was in my work conversation, i noticed my laptop was not charging anymore. Then, it started charging again but my monitor went dark suddenly. Then it came back momentarily, only to go dark again. The badmaash boy was under my desk turning buttons on and off. Soon, the boy decided to sit on my chair behind me, but in that process hurt his leg. It was time for me to go off camera and speaker, and wrap up my meeting!

Just another regular work meeting with a twist!