Hello Virginia Beach!

Goodbye Columbia. Goodbye Arlington. Goodbye Clarendon, Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. Goodbye Teta and Jeddo's house. Goodbye Folkestone Way. Goodbye friendly Starbucks, Afghan cuisine and Corner Bakery. Goodbye Georgetown and familiar streets. Good day December 24th, 2014. We are headed to the Beach. Hello Virginia Beach; here we come again!

When we first discovered VA Beach, JR was still young; very young. It was Christmas 2010 when we found we could get a room at the beach during winter for a fraction of what it would otherwise cost us in the high season. With no family that celebrates Christmas in town, we decided to head there for a mini-vacation. It was a good decision.

Although the drive took a little longer than we expected, the destination was worth the journey. It was quiet, secluded, deserted. The hotel was empty. The staff was friendly. And the room upgraded. For under a $100, tax included, we got an ocean view, balcony, king room with a whirlpool! We also got a lot more than that. We got a chance to be away from the crowds, the noise, the errands, the usual. We got to discover a new town, lay back, do nothing and forge for food!

While we had planned our drive and our stay, packed the diapers and the potty seat, the snow suit and the swimming suits, the eight grain milk and the healthy treats, we did not think about our meals. It had not occurred to us that life changes pace on Christmas Day! The hotel restaurant was closed, as were all the other restaurants in this otherwise bustling town. The pharmacy was closed, the convenience store was closed, even the gas station store was closed. People were on holiday! We had no food, but we had phones and internet. We looked around. A few miles down the street, we found a Starbucks; breakfast was taken care of! A few miles further we found a supermarket; our worries were over, or so we thought! They were cleaned out!!! We managed a sandwich for lunch and picked out cold cuts and fruit for dinner. A day old loaf of bread, some water, and a few packaged snacks lay in our basket, and a first-ever tantrum lay in our future.

Up until that day JR had been an angel of a child, relatively speaking, so we did not see it coming. We were not prepared, we were not armed. We had a bag full of groceries and were headed to the car, that's when it happened. She saw something and beckoned towards it. We took her there. She played with it. We watched her. She grew more fascinated by it. We grew impatient. She wanted to stay longer. We wanted to go. We came head to head for the first time. She threw herself on the floor, raised her voice in a scream and made her eyes well up with tears. We were dazed; what had just happened? This is a girl who usually leaves when asked once. She was now having a complete fit over being asked the same. She had to be carried out the store and calmed down in the car. We had come to see a new side of our little one, a side we will grown more familiar with over the years. But that was not the only surprise that JR had in store for us on that trip.

It was later that same day that JR took her very first steps, holding on to the wall heater with one hand and to the ottoman with the other. We were not watching at first, she had been standing by the balcony door looking at the water drifting in and out. When she had come closer to the bed, that's when our attention got diverted from above her head level towards her. She had actually taken a few steps and was bound on doing more. Back and forth she went steadying herself on whatever she can grip: the blanket, the curtain, the glass, the couch, the desk. She squealed in delight at her new-found ability and we cheered her on. It was definitely a year of firsts! It was on New Year's Eve in another hotel room in Arlington, the Hyatt, with Grandma watching that JR took off walking unassisted. She was five days away from turning One.

Virginia Beach was good to us in 2010 and so we returned in 2011. We roomed the same hotel and dined at the same hibachi restaurant, but we had wisened about Christmas Day meals and came prepared. In 2012 we were all set on doing it again but when my due date drew closer and my bed rest condition grew worser we moved our winter getaway a little closer. Instead of logging the four plus hour drive to the Beach we decided to head out for a couple of hours to Charlottesville. December 2013 was spent in Beirut surrounded by family and friends. And here we are with 2014 almost done.

The hotel is again the Courtyard Virginia Beach Oceanfront/North. The room has a balcony and a view. The rate is still under a $100. The upgrade is coming. The fun is beginning. The drive has not yet started, but we will soon depart. Good afternoon Beach; it's good to see you again.

Pumpkins in the City

It was a warm Fall day. We had checked out of the hotel and were waiting to head back to Columbia. Grandma and Grandpa had preceded us in their rental and we had times on our hands. The kids and I decided to take a walk around Arlington, and "see what we can see," and with a kid's eyes we could see a lot.

We saw the fallen leaves, the broken branches, the wilted flowers. We saw bottle caps, candy wrappers, empty bags of chips. We saw lost mittens, hairbands, and even a shoe. There were airplanes above, ledges aside, water beyond. Then there was the pumpkin patch.

On the intersection between Fort Meyer Drive and Lee Highway there lies an island. Its primary purpose is to split traffic in two directions and allow for pedestrians to cross, but today it was our playground. In celebration of Fall someone had taken the time to turn this otherwise ordinary section of the road into a pumpkin patch and had left it there well past Halloween. That was not good for the pumpkins, but it was great for us.

When she first spotted the pumpkins, JR asked if we could take a look, so we did. Then she got closer to them. She examined the find: some were painted, some had eyes, some were round and others were losing their shape, there were orange ones and there were yellow ones. She kicked one around, it fell over. She squealed, Yousef jumped back. Then she asked if she could touch them. I did not see a reason why not. Actually, I saw many reasons why not but I decided to shed caution to the wind and allow for some fun; the hotel was close by after all and we had my parent's apartment at our disposal if we really needed it. So, I let her at it.

She proceeded slowly at first, hesitant, unsure of what she will encounter. She gently touched one pumpkin and it felt soft to her touch. She turned another one over, it was rotten. She looked for a stick and tried to poke a third; the stick went through and a light went off in JR's head: this could be even more fun, especially when you equate messy with fun! She looked at me for permission and seeing how I was enjoying watching her as much as she was enjoying what she was doing I nodded in approval.

Proceed with caution at first

There then followed the giggles and the laughs as she set the stick aside and dug in with her hands. She was almost up to her elbows in pumpkin gutting out the one she chose. Handful after handful came the seeds and the strings.

It's more fun by hand

Jannah-Rae showing Yousef her findings

JR explains to Yousef about the seeds

All the while Yousef stood there watching, unsure of whether he wanted to attempt the same or just observe. He was keenly interested in what his sister was doing and squatted attentively watching her every move and listening as she narrated to him what she was doing and what she was discovering. At one point he found a stick and probed the pumpkin with it but when it came back orange and fuzzy he let it go. His comfort zone is still in need of expansion and he was just content to live the moment through his sister.

Twenty minutes and many seeds later, the pumpkin was finished; JR had removed all the insides, squished the outside and gotten her science lesson in. Deciding not to leave the pumpkin in the  middle of the sidewalk, she returned it back to the patch. She hoped that someone walking by would notice her carved pumpkin and wonder what had happened to it.

The day was getting older and it was almost time to go. Jeff appeared in the distance so we got all cleaned up and ready to leave. Wondering what we had been up to, Jeff looked around. JR pointed at her pumpkin; it had a story to tell. Sitting there on the side, the pumpkin unknowingly had served a great purpose: it had allowed us to soak up some sun, enjoy what nature could be found in the midst of the city and let our curiosity go free. There is a lot to see when you go out to see what there is to see. 

JR, and the fun is complete

Our City, Our Country

Jannah-Rae is learning about buildings in school this week. The unit covers things like what is a building used for, what color would you paint your house, and what is your favorite building. They are reading books about building a house and experimenting with constructing their personal building using a variety of art supplies. The segment is due to end with the children building gingerbread houses and decorating them with candies.

I had always wanted to build, with wood, plastic, or paper, but I was never good at it. I do not have a creative bone in my body and I never did well in art class. I can copy other people's work satisfactorily and color inside the lines, but I could not think something up or draw imaginatively. And while my dad was skilled at artisan woodwork and at one time made a living out of crafting the tiniest details onto pieces of solid wood, that talent did not transfer over to me. Instead, I grew fond of the kitchen and express my creativity there. But with two little ones who still think I know best, I thought I would step out of my comfort zone and put JR's lesson into practice:

"Get me the baskets of books, Jannah-Rae," I asked. "What for, Mama?" she replied. "We are going to build a city!" I beamed. And with that we set out to work.

First, we sorted out the books by height and width; we had to get them just the right size so they would line up. Then, we looked for those that could be part of the scenery: a book with the night sky filled with stars and a cat looking at them served as the sky, one with tiles on the cover was put down as the house's base, and another with green grass and a lamb sitting in the bushes served as the backyard. Soon, JR's imagination was running wild and Yousef's lining up skills were going with it. She put together a main house, a play house, and a dog house. She made a barn for Yousef's animals and put up roofs for his people. She constructed a garage that I thought was too big for the car, but she didn't: "over here you put the tools and here you drive in the car far enough so you do not get wet when it's raining!" And also had a train station. Suddenly, JR shouted "we are building a country!" (If only it were that simple!)

The country then shifted its composition. Soon, the train station was gone, replaced by a boat house. The people now owned a car for short drives and a boat for longer ones. They lived on a lake. The animals no longer needed a barn and instead just hung out in the backyard. There were ducks on the roof and people inside the house; the door was gone. JR introduced the castle and claimed it an extension to the house. The country was versatile and dynamic. Every time JR got a design idea she implemented it on the ground, building up and out, adding people and people and animals, landscape and embellishments, shifting structures and removing some altogether.

She built, Yousef populated and together they tipped over the fragile structure.

We put the walls up again, and again they fell down. We laughed and planned. We shifted our final plan for the country to match what we had on hand. For about an hour we played with our books and our folks until JR got frustrated with Yousef putting too many trains in the stations, too many animals in the barn, and too many people on the roof top. She kept directing him at where to put things, and he kept ignoring her. They were both relentless in expressing their wills, until she gave up on instructing him and moved on. It was time to stop rebuilding. With a thud the the house, the city, and the country came tumbling down; but the kids stood strong. They had just as much fun breaking down their construct as they did putting it up.

"Just use your imagination" has been the phrase in our house lately, and this activity has put that phrase into wonderful practice. Jannah-Rae had her fill of imaginative play, showed such curiosity and creativity wondering how the people were going to get in when the main house did not have a door, where they were all going to sleep when the tent was not big enough, and where will they go.

Bringing Summer Indoors

Summer this year has been anything but predictable. One day would be scorching hot and the next it would be pouring rain. In either case, though, JR and I would find ourselves confined to our apartment looking for amusing activities. Once I exhausted the arts, crafts, pretend play, homeschooling, and media entertainment options I went on the search for something new. It came in the form of a $2.99 toy from the grocery store. 

While really designed for outdoors, I saw no reason why JR and I could not adapt it to indoor playing. Paired with the sink on the front end and the shower, or a cup, on the back end, we turned the foam pumper into an indoor toy. And with that, we spent many hours trading spots in the shower splashing and getting splashed. 

  

JR the Gardener

With Fall half-way through, it is nice to have a reminder of the wonderful days of Spring. While Falls comes with its own array of planting opportunities, JR and I do not have enough room to cater to these wondrous blooms. Instead, we still gaze at what is left from our Spring harvest- basil and mint - and look forward to next Spring when we can plant again.

 

This was the first gardening year for JR; well of course it was, the girl only turned two this year! But she seemed to know what to do right from the start: Scoop out the dirt with the shovel first. Decide the shovel was not worth the work. Ditch the shovel for hands. One at first, then two at once. Add water. Make mud. Play in the mud. Then add the seeds. Add more dirt. Make more mud. Then, ask Mama to clean up! Is there any other way!

 

It was so much fun watching her engage in this nurturing process. She was careful with the positioning of the seeds and made sure she put enough, although sometimes she put a little too much! Once the pot was completed, she moved it to the side, and took out another and began her work again. Several pots later, our planting was done, and it was time to "watch" the plants grow.

 

Every day for weeks, JR would wake up in the morning, fill her little water pitcher up and water her plants. What joy it was to see the first strawberry bloom, grown, and ripen. Then the mint, the basil, the parsley and cilantro made their entrance. At harvest time, JR made sure she cut some up for Mama's kitchen and some for her play kitchen; after all she wanted to make dinner for Baba.

 

 



JR showing off her garden.

 

Busy watering.

 

 

Preparting for harvest.

 

 

Tasting her crop.

 

 

Returning the plant to the sun.

 

Cleaning up.

Apple "Tea" Party: Favors

Every good hostess knows you should not send your guests home empty handed. A party favor is a wonderful way to conclude the event, say good-bye, and leave a lasting memory.

 

For her first Tea Party, Jannah-Rae strung together a teapot cookie cutter and a bag of camomile for her guests.

 

 

 

At her Lemon "Tea" Party, the guests each received a personal lemon cake, and its recipe, to take home.

 

 

 

 

 

For her upcoming Apple "Tea" Party, Jannah-Rae decided to put together an apple basket for her friends. The process of assembling the gift baskets served as both our activity of the day and our art project. The final result was arrived at after a small demonstration, a little frustration, and much collaboration. With steedy encouragement and a small snack, JR actually put many of these baskets together herself.

 

 

 

 

To put these gift baskets together, JR and I scouted our favorite grocery store for fruit baskets. We got lucky and they gave us a handful for free. Next, we visited our craft store for the apples and pipe cleaners. We could have also bought the green grass there, but we already had that on hand from left-over spring packaging. 

With some paint and creativity we set on our task.

It was a beautiful Fall day, so we spread out on our covered patio to enjoy the sun and watch the people while we worked.

With a pair of scissors, I poked holes through either side of the basket for the pipe cleaner handle. JR was frustrated at fist at not being able to string the cleaner through the hole, then after a few tries, she became skilled.

Once the handle was in place, it was time for the grass. Just enough to top off the basket.

First, we put an apple tree leaf.

 

Then, each basket got a green apple,



and, a red one.

 

 

With six on hand, our work was done.



 



 

 

Glass Door

"Have you gotten over your fear of "messiness" yet?" I hear my mind asking my heart that question more regularly than ever these days. With a very active toddler around, a small space, and the cold and wet season upon us I am slowly reaching the point of having to fiercely face my fear. While during the summer we managed a couple of  "controlled messiness" episodes outside of our home, this winter we will have a new challenge to either keep the mess outside, control it inside, or live with it. Today, I chose to try out the last two. I figured; what do I have to lose except for a couple of hours of clean-up afterwards. So this is what JR and I spent our morning doing:

 

Painting our Patio Glass Door!!

 

At first JR was shy with the brush. She was not sure what Mama was up to. Paint on the door! Was it for real? "Why?" she asked. "Because it is fun," I responded. But still she hesitated.

 

 

 

A few minutes later, a smile showed up on her face. I can do this, she probably thought, I have not gotten in trouble yet!

So, she could adventurous; "Can I paint with my hands?"

"Of course," I beamed. And, so the hands went to work on their own.

 

 

 

A little at first.

 

And then, all bets were off!

 

At one point, she thought her hands got too messy, so she went back to the brush; a bigger brush this time.

And, she wanted to paint, "way up high," as far as she could reach.

 

 

Tired of the brushes, and completely into the activitiy now, her imagination let loose.
She grabbed the dot-a-dot markers and started pounding on the glass. The sound was music to my ears. My little girl was not only getting creative, she was also taking chances.

 

After a while, she was done. And this was her masterpiece.

It will stay up for a while; a reminder that a mess can be fun.

Sand Art: A "Controlled" Mess Art!



The rain and the cold are upon us, and so is the hunt for engaging indoor activities. This summer, when it was too hot to be outside, I ran into Sand Art at the art supply store. I bought one package and brought it home. Soon enough, though, I had to make another run to the store to buy another package and now I am looking at needing even more. Within minutes of trying her hands at this new craft, JR fell in love with the creativity, the "controlled" mess, and the process. She now sets up the room for it, sets out the necessary tools and calls for me to "do craft with her." While the scenes still display summer, the timeliness of the activity is unquestionable.

Here is what we do when Sand Art is our activity of choice; 

 First, start off with laying the scene you want to "color" out on a separate piece of paper.

The paper underneath will serve to catch the extra sand that is poured out, collect it,

and funnel it back to the bag for use on another scene.

  

Then, lay the paper, and the sand, on a plastic sheet, to protect your floors and help with clean-up.

  

Pour sand out,

Level with fingers,

and tap off any excess.



This is how the extra sand is collected.

Now fold the paper to funnel it back to the bag.

And here is the finished product.

Display on your favorite wall or refrigirator door.