Happy Surprise 30th Birthday to the Most Wonderful Husband

Tomorrow is my husbands 30th Birthday and this last weekend I threw him a surprise birthday party with all of his friends. My husband is an amazing man. Always thinking about how he can be a better father and a better husband. He constantly checks in with me to make sure that he is being all that he can be and to make sure that our marriage is full of life and love. He is selfless and humble. (Probably pretty embarrassed that I am writing such wonderful things right now) He comes from a background of hardship, coming to the US at 9 years old after living as a refugee and before that in a country devastated by one of the worst dictatorships in history. But today he is a successful engineer, owning a house in one of the most expensive places in the nation, and able to support his family so his wife has the opportunity to stay home with his children. What amazing accomplishments he has made in his first 30 years. I look forward to being apart of the next 30 years and watching what else he can achieve. How lucky I am to have a married such an amazing man. To him I say I love You more than you know and Happy Birthday!

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Introduction to Paint

This was sinky's first introduction to paint. I believe children are never to young to begin an artistic journey. I would have started earlier, but busyness and laziness sometimes set in. Right away she went for the paint. She grabbed it, squished it in her hands and looked at it. She then put her hands down on the paper and noticed how her hand stuck to the page for a few moments. She wasn't so sure about that so she went back to what she new. Exploration by mouth, of course I stopped her, but not without some swipes of beautiful red paint on the face. She spent some more time hitting the paper and watching the effect. Soon she realized that art can be made in more places then on paper and the sensory experience began. She rubbed it all over her legs. She was fascinated by how different her legs looked in red. After many moments of this she was ready to be done with art and into water we went for another experience.

Academy of Sciences, San Fransisco Ca

We visited the new Academy of Sciences in San Fransisco where Stinky was fascinated by all she had to see. Here she is looking into the biggest coral reed tank in the nation. The look of learning is a fascinating thing to watch. To be in awh of the world around you. We as adults take for granted these moments. Moments that as children we once had but are now to busy to take time to experience. This picture reminds me to stop and experience.

It's Simple But Loads of Learning

I set out two bowls with large polished glass. Some were colored some were clear. Stinky was initially very interested in how the rocks felt, what they tasted like and their weight. After her initial exploration into the proprieties of the rocks she began throwing them behind her. What happens? She looks behind and notices the rocks and their positions. She continues to throw them each time looking behind her. One rock accidentally hits the side of the bowl and she is intrigued by the sound it makes. She repeats and tests out this new theory. If I throw it against the same place will it make the same noice? Yes it does. Now she in intrigued by this new idea. She begins picking up the rocks in the other bowl and throwing them into the first bowl. The rocks continue to make the sound. But what about the rocks that she threw behind her? She throws another rock behind her and it doesn't make a sound. She continues this exploration for a few moments and then poses another question. What makes these bowls make sound? She begins exploring the bowls. She lifts them up, dumps out the rocks and then bangs them together. She eventually decides she is done for now, but maybe she will come back to this another time. She has learned cause and effect, weight, proprieties of objects around her and most importantly she has spent a little time asking questions and testing her hypothesis.

I hope I win! Food can never be too fun.
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To The Fowl Mouthed

Yesterday I was in a restaurant with my daughter and husband. I noticed something that I had never really noticed before. The people sitting behind me were communicating in fowl language. F this and F that with a few other choice words thrown in. I had never really noticed this before perhaps because I had never had a child with young ears sitting with me. One day these young early 20 somethings will be sitting here feeling the same way as I. Offended and upset that their child is having to listen to this. I never spoke in this manner with my friends but husband said in his early days he did. But he entered a clause "I always looked around to make sure their weren't children around." It is partly the responsible of these people to be considerate, but partly the responsible of their parents to teach them to be aware of those around them and what considerate means. I hesitate to turn around and ask them to pick some different words, perhaps they don't know how to talk in any other way. But really all those around them would enjoy their meal so much more without their language. What do you think should I politely ask them to stop or attempt to distract my child and try to enjoy my lunch?