The little moments...

It has been a really rough start to the school year. Our chaotic summer didn't really do it's job getting us the R&R we needed to tackle another school year. So as we returned to school and all the changes that come with new classes, new students, new grade levels, and new administrators, we just haven't found our groove and settled into our routine.

So as the anniversary of 9/11 is upon us and the death of a dear friend's father just occurred, I decided it was time to stop and recount the little moments that have made our start of the year so amazing. It is in those little moments that we garner so much happiness, so here's about a few of our little moments...

It all started during our Eid break (here: it's called Idul Fitri).  Eid is the time of year when all Muslims celebrate with family and friends as they mark then end of Ramadan. Our week off was therapeutic as we worked, rested, relaxed, and spent one refreshingly busy day cooking for our friends. What a joy it was to spend hours on Epicurious.com finding delicious recipes for an Italian feast. And then... to have our kitchen to ourselves again was such a dream. We could cook at our heart's content and our helper, Yanti, would prep our work by doing all the cutting and washing up! It was so fun to prepare a feast for those who appreciate good food. From the pasta to the breadsticks, red sauces and great vino (NOT from Indonesia!) a wonderfully therapeutic evening was had by all.

Then, it was time to prepare for Xavier's 8th birthday party. For me, party planning is a great thrill. Even better is planning a kids birthday party. It's a thrill to the Nth degree. But as a stay-at-home, a September birthday party was just another fun party to plan. As a nomadic teacher, birthday party planning is far more complicated. It requires planning in the summer so you know what kind of favors to pack. You also have to ask A LOT of questions like... where do you get a good cake in Surabaya? Or find specialty printing paper? Or how do you get pizza delivered when you don't speak enough Bahasa Indonesia? It's complicated. And poor Xavier could sense it. So, three days before go-time, Xavier asked, "Mama, is this party going to be fun?"

I had to kick-it into high gear... and fast! We came up with some fun age-appropriate games like Dino-Pictionary and Rob put together one of his exhausting treasure hunts that got the kids running upstairs and downstairs while completing some challenging activities. The obnoxiously loud party ended with some delicious homemade dino-cake (filled with Nutella butter-cream frosting as per Xavi's request) and a pinball competition. While we waited for the parents to descend on our abode, we tossed cups and plates into the kitchen where the lovely Yanti washed and put away. With the kids upstairs tearing up the play room, Rob and I were able to put our house back together again.

By 5:30, all the kids were picked up Rob and I were able to sit down to a cocktail with some friends.

As I write this, people around the states are waking up to numerous 9/11 remembrance specials, activities, and stories. As I write this blog, my friend and her family are grieving the loss of their patriarch. As I sit here typing away on the computer I hear the sniffles of two tired and sick kids on the couch and I think to myself... thank God for the little moments! 

Little Moments & Xavi's 8th

Little Moments & Xavi's 8th, a set on Flickr.

Here are a few things that have made us smile over the past few weeks...

...And 7 special kids come together to help Xavier celebrate a special birthday.

Anouk celebrates!

What a surprise we had yesterday! After a rather chaotic week at school, we walked into the house and low-and-behold, my mom was sitting in an arm chair. What the...? Shock and surprise hit me like a 10-lb. brick. The kids, acting totally unfazed, said, "Hi grandma" while my mouth was hanging to the floor.

What a gift.

Grandma and grandpa travelled over 9,000 miles to surprise Anouk for her 6th birthday party which we celebrated today. If you've ever helped with one of my kids' birthday parties... you know I put a lot into every little thing. But as a working mom, some things have fallen to the wayside a bit. With grandma and grandpa helping out this morning, I could put on my "Martha Stewart" cap and do some really spectacular things. Here is a recap of Anouk's 6th birthday celebration.

With extra support for the birthday setup I slept in a little bit. Once we were all up and fed, it was all hands on deck as we transformed our house to a garden wonderland. As grandma put the finishing touches on the gift bags, papa and grandpa walked in with our super cake. The cake was made by Igor's Pastry (owned by a family in my class). They made a teapot to look exactly like the birthday invitation. They even made "cup" cakes to match. As a gift, they included delicious mixed fruit and apple tarts. Wow! We quickly started to brew the tea and the girls began arriving.

While the little tea goers were showing up, others were at the coffee table coloring their own designs onto paper teapots. Once all the beautifully dressed girls arrived, grandma began her important job as butterfly tattoo artist and I was face/hand/cheek painting. It was on the last cheek painting that we heard the first, "I'm hungry" comment so all the girls were whisked away to the dining room which we transformed to an outdoor garden. They sat on pillows on the floor and drank tea while eating tea sandwiches (really just cucumber or pb and j) and fruit salad.

Once lunch was finished, it was time to get the girls up, moving, and working off all of those sweets. This also allowed the cleaning crew to come in and tidy up the dishes so we could serve cake (another perk to living in a developing country--house staff LOVE overtime!). It was then that papa gave us the first clue which started us on a whirlwind adventure around the house--upstairs, downstairs, outside--with a few tasks to complete along the way. At the end of their adventure, the girls followed the clue to the spare bedroom where there was a paper parasol for each little girl.

At that point, the party was nearly over! It was time to move back into the dining room to sing a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday," eat some cake, and be on our way.

After all was said and done, we had 4 tired adults, one thrilled birthday girl, and one boy fascinated to see all of his sister's loot (he was at a friend's birthday party while his house was taken over by little girls in party dresses).

Happy birthday Anouk! You are one lucky girl!


Love, Mama

Anouk's 6th

Anouk's 6th, a set on Flickr.

A VERY Good Year

When you look back on your life (even if you're just in the middle of it), some years jump out as "amazing" or "blah" for a variety of reasons. Hiking Machu Picchu culminated my high school career and culminated a great year; Moving to Kenya with my new husband was an amazing year; Having my kid diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome was a very bad year; and teaching with Maureen Carpenter has been a professionally brilliant year! The story I will go on to tell you will explain more...

Maureen and I were on the verge of wrapping up our inquiry unit about water. Students were exploring how "Living things need water to survive and people have a responsibility to care for it." It was during our final planning that we realized we hadn't actually gone in-depth about our responsibility to care for water. Then, a shock of brilliance crashed into the room and the 2nd grade water project was born.

Maureen and I returned to class and asked the kids, "How do you get water?" The answer was a variation on, "I walk to the Aqua jug and fill'er up!" To help our students learn empathy for those people who do not have immediate access to water, the 2nd grade students role-played the water journey of people in different countries around the world: Kenyans, Brazilians, Indonesians, Americans, and Europeans. Here's their story...

Kenya: "We walked several kilometers with a heavy backpack. In one hand we carried our water bottle and in the other hand we carried a pillow which was like carrying a baby."

Brazil: "We walked about a kilometer to reach our water source. After filling our water bottles, we had to run back to our classroom due to an unforeseen problem like a war or natural disaster."

Indonesia: "Our water was dirty. We had to filter it, but still, one person in our group died because of a water-borne disease." The sign around his neck says, "I am one of 1.4 million children who die every year because of water-borne illnesses. What are you going to do to help children like me?"

America/Europe: "We were able to drink as much water as we wanted. All day long. 

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To learn about how this project affected their life and inspired two teachers to make a difference. Watch the video.

On April 28th, water on our campus will be a commodity. When people want to fill up their water bottle at our school, they will be required to pay 10,000 Rp. (about $1). All the money will be used to buy a water well in Cambodia. We are seeing change... one child at a time!

This has been a VERY good year!

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