Christmas Hand-print Tree/Wall Art

Xmas is finally here!!


I love this time of the year. People pretend to like each other; I accrued major debt by buying more than I should; and winter, which I really don't like, becomes wonderful and bearable.

Feeling jolly and on a sugar high from the homemade banana-chocolate bread and shortbread cookies I made during Thanksgiving, I decided to finally craft something from Pinterest.

Check out the original wall art from Pinterest. Sorry, but I can't find the link.

Below, you will find what I did.

It was a collaborative effort. Hubby's hand prints are at the bottom of the tree, next are my prints, followed by Camila's prints, and Caio's. I made sure to use washable, kid-friendly paint, and outlined the star and trunk of the tree with a black Sharpie.

Cute and fun project.

Baby Boy

New baby boy

The nine month wait is finally over. My baby boy was born on Easter, April 8th, after 17 hours of labor!

Baby and mom:

Aquarela Kids Above:

Throughout the preg, I opted not to know the sex of the baby. Since knowing but not allowed to talk about it was too much pressure, hubby also decided not to know the sex of the baby.

We would have been more than happy with either sex, but the idea of having a little boy and girl, a couple, was top on our list. Needless to say, we were and are thrilled to have a little boy. He is going to learn how to dance with mom and will become a soccer-fan-cake-baking little boy with dad!

Baby and Dad:

While at the hospital, we were given the option to circumcise him. To be honest, I know little of the benefits or disadvantages associated with the procedure, but hubby felt no need to go through with it. After a little research, I discovered that C is on the decline in the U.S. Excluding cultural or religious reasons, parents and doctors see little benefits to it.

After asking around, a friend sent me this video on circumcisions. It's a little long and graphic but informative.

Bringing up Bebe

Vive la France!!

As a new parent for the second time, I often think about the successes and failures of the first run-through. I often ask, "Am I doing a good job? Should I do this differently?" The list of questions can be extensive.

Needless to say, I often look for information and strategies that will help me be a better parent (oddly enough, some of the information and strategies help me improve as a teacher. Something about classroom management and patience). Lately, I began reading Bringing up Bebe and can't put the book down. Pamela Druckerman, author of Lost in Translation, compares the parenting styles of French and American parents and notes differences in the behavior of French and American children. According to Druckerman, French parents are doing a great job, which leaves me to think that not only are the French great soccer players, make great fries, and sound sexy every time they speak, they are also great parents. Who knew?!?

I haven't finished the book, but have noticed reoccurring ideas: 1) talk to your kid as if he/she is a rational person who can understand and deal with concepts, b) be very firm with a few rules but give kids lots of freedom to explore, grow, and be kids, and c) don't let parenting get in the way of you being an adult. Parents also need their space, individuality, and entertainment.

From little princess to little diva!

"Whatcha looking at?"

Toddler and Mommy Book Selection

April Book Selection

Finding engaging, culturally diverse, and entertaining books for Camila is always a top priority. Though I have mentioned it before, I strongly believe that a love for books and literature will prep Camila for a successful academic and professional future. Thus, Camila and I regularly search the aisles of local book stores or the public library for something catchy and interesting. This month, I want to share two great books.

Priscilla and the Pink Planet by Nathaniel Hobbie:

As with many little girls, pink is the color of choice. Camila is no exception. Priscilla focuses on a little girl who lives in a pink world but eventually decides to search for other colors.

Camila loves the book because Priscilla and the butterfly happily walk away after achieving their goal. I love the book because of the book's allusion to Alice in Wonderland.

Noddy and the Sunny Day by Enid Blyton:

On Camila's first birthday, a friend gave her the book. Since it is a pop-up book, Camila, at the time, destroyed many of the ages, but it still remained one of her top choices.

Camila loves the story line...a little boy who unsuccessfully tries to entertain himself only to realize that the best activities are those shared with friends. I, on the other hand, love the book for its diversity. Noddy, at the end of the story, leaves his toys behind and decides to join his friends for a game of soccer. Yes, soccer! On Sundays, Camila and hubby watches Globo Esporte, a Brazilian version of ESPN Sports News. Consequently, Camila is very familiar with soccer but has no clue of football or baseball. When we reach the last page, she often yells football (Portuguese accent) or Vasco, hubby's favorite soccer team.

From a Baby to a Little Girl

Camila's Right of Passage

Yes, gymnastics is really paying off. Two nights ago, Camila somersaulted out of her crib for the first time. She got so good at it that she did it twice in one night!
Camila's crib-crawling incident got me thinking. She didn't simply crawl out of the crib, she underwent a right of passage! Like Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption, Camila managed to escape from her barred crib and was determined never to return.
Just to make sure, the next night hubby asked if she wanted to sleep in her crib or in the big-girl bed (her cousin stayed with us for a few months and slept in a twin bed, which we never got around to putting away). Without blinking, she opted for the bed. Hubby lowered the bed to the ground, grabbed her dolls and tucked her in. Ironically, my little girl slept like a baby! She never got up, called for mommy, or complained. The transition was smooth and successful.

Here is the catch. Camila's right of passage affected my hubby more than Camila. Once she went to bed, he moped around the house and repeatedly complained that his baby was now a little girl. The idea that Camila entered a new phase in her life completely caught him off guard. Imagine how he is going to act when Camila goes on her first date. I just hope her date cheers for Vasco da Gama, his favorite soccer team.

Benefits of Being Bilingual

Bilingual

Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, I'm surrounded by bilinguals, trilingual, and polyglots. It's great! When I get yelled at in traffic, it's often in some foreign language that make "Fuck you!" sound eloquent and pretty. You may find it strange, but it's true. Next time you yell at someone in traffic say, " Merde" (maird) and note all the great smiles you get in return ;)

Needless to say, speaking additional languages brings great benefits. Check out a New York Times article on the benefits of being bilingual.

For Portuguese/Brazilian parents, I recently discovered the Instituto Brasilia de Educacao e Cultura (IBEC). It's a cultural center that teaches kids Brazilian Portuguese. For more info go to www. ibec-ca.org.For those interested in combining their love for Brazilian music, martial arts, and Portuguese, ABADA Capoeira in San Francisco is the place for you or your kids. For first and second generation Brazilians, you may want to ask about Ponto de Cultura. Click on the links above for more information.

Personalized Story Book

Personalized Story Book

I strongly believe that by exposing Camila to a variety of texts she will grow to be an avid reader, good student, and successful individual. Well, to maintain my goal and add a little extra oomph to the reading materials we read, I composed a story book for my little girl. I combined my love for reading with a project--can't get better than that!Using Kodak Projects, I composed a fairy tale that blends text and photos. In the story, relatives and friends are transformed into magical characters who help Princess Camila along her journey. The end result is fabulous and we are having fun reading it.The photo book cost less than $30 and we love reading it :)

Must everything be pink or blue?

Camila's Bedroom

As the delivery date approaches, hubby and I have started shopping for baby things. The problem, however, is that most things are pink or blue, girl or boy. This poses a problem at time since hubby and I chose to keep the gender of the baby a surprise (We are not the only crazy ones. Click on the article for other crazy parents). I'm under the belief that learning the gender of the baby is going to be one of the few pleasurable experiences on the day of delivery. Consequently, we are having a difficult time shopping and redecorating the kids' room.Camila and the baby will share a room. While we have tried to make it into a gender neutral room, we have failed miserably. The room is full of pink storage containers, flowers on the walls, and girly bedding. We have failed because the baby to come may be a boy (for some odd reason I have a strong gut feeling that the baby will be a mini version of my hubby--a little boy with a big butt).

Though we are not sure of the colors and style , we are set on a few decorating ideas that will help make it gender neutral:

Reading nook for Camila and the baby:
I love the idea of letting kids have a space designated for reading. I hope that by fostering positive reading habits, I'm going to set my kids up for a successful future.

Bunk beds for the kids:

Our space is limited so a bunk bed just sounds like the logical solution. Plus, it just seems so fun.

A faux polar bear rug:

I don't really have a reason for this. I just really like it.

Art Projects for a 2-Year Old

Art Projects

With the birth of the baby fast approaching, hubby and I are trying to get Camila ready for the new addition to the family. As the only child, she now gets ALL the attention and we worry that she may have a difficult time accepting the baby. To combat this, we try to include the baby in our conversations and, when possible, activities.

We recently completed a few tasks that I must share :)

Belly Art:

Materials needed:
* Paint: We like Crayola but I'm sure any washable paint works.
* A pregnant belly: You can probably find one on eBay. They have everything!


Camila's bedroom wreath:
The purpose for this project was to keep Camila away from the television on a rainy day. It was such an easy and fun project.

Materials:

• Cardboard 12" round wreath
• Cupcake baking cups
• Elmer's glue
• Heart ornament
• 2 flower pins
• Ribbon
  

Together, Camila and I glued cupcake baking cups to a cardboard wreath. Later, I secured the heart and ribbon with flower pins. We had a great time and Camila was very proud of her work :)

Comments Students Make

When I tell others that I'm a high school teacher, the reactions are usually a mixture of sympathy and horror: "OMG, how do you do it? I don't have the patience." I then go on to explain that I enjoy my job, that one needs to learn to laugh at all the crazy things, and that kids are funny.

In fact, here are some of the best lines I have heard over the years. I'm also including test answers from F in Exams by Richard Benson.

• "Ms. J, did Shakespeare write this play on paper or stone tablets?"

• Once when teaching inferences, I began with a riddle: It's something a person makes and sells to others. The person who buys it never uses it and gives it away. The person who uses it, does not know he/she is using it. What is it? A student replied by saying, "Is it an STD?!" Gotta love it. By the way the correct answer is a coffin.

• A kid who had not done his reading asked, "How do I use a quote from the movie?"
  

• I asked kids the social expectations placed on women during the 50s. A student replied by saying, "They made sandwiches."

Though the following do not come from my students, I think these quotes are fab:

• Describe the chemical difference between H2O and CO2? ------H2O is hot water and CO2 is cold water.

• What happens during puberty to a boy?------he says goodbye to his childhood and enters adultery.

• Is the moon or the sun more important?----The moon gives us light at night when we need it. The sun only provides light in the day when we don't need it. Therefore, the moon is more important.

• Explain the phrase "free press."-------When your mom irons pants for you.

• What happens during a census?----During the census a man goes from door to door and increases the population.

• Express the term "stereotype?"------It is the kind of CD player you own.

• Explain the word "migration?"----A migration is a bad headache.

• Discuss the style of Romeo and Juliet.----It is in Islamic pentameter. The play is full of heroic couplets, one example being Romeo and Juliet.

Literacy and Kids

I'm fortunate to have a daughter who loves to read. Ever night, she selects 3 of her favorite books, we lay in my bed, and we read together. During this time, I assess her reading skills by asking simple comprehension questions. I'll point to a horse and call it a cow. She immediately corrects me--this is a fun game!

e-books:

At the library:

Though she loves to read, I like to keep the excitement and importance of reading constant. We visit the library once a month so to check out new books. I make it a point of letting her check out and return the books--she loves doing this. I also make it a point to give her a book as a gift on her birthday and Christmas. I want her to think of reading as a fun activity and not a task she needs to complete.

I do this because I am well aware of the benefits of reading. Regularly, I tell my students that a good reader is a good writer, speaker, and thinker. As a teacher, it's clear which of my students read for pleasure. They often have a more elaborate vocabulary and writing and critical thinking skills than students who seldom read. Studies also show that students who enjoy reading do better academically. Go figure!

Here are some of Camila's favorite books and a great article on literacy and kids. I'm also including an article on parent involvement and academic success and on Finland's school success--it has strategies the U.S. educational system should consider. Enjoy.

• Goodnight Moon. Since birth, I have read this book to Camila. She loves it and knows all the words. I read that the consistency and repetitiveness of reading the same book helps kids build their confidence. By knowing the book well, the kid feels confident letting mom know what will happen next.

• Search and Find books. This type of book allows kids to look at an item on a picture bank and then identify it in the story. Since there are few words, I end up making elaborate stories before asking Camila to find the pictures.

• Daddy's Girl by Garrison Keillor. Both Camila and I love this book. The little protagonist has curly hair like Camila. On one page, the little girl is without a diaper so Camila and I make it a big deal that her tushy is showing.

FYI: In the past, I read an article encouraging parents to tell stories to their kids. According to the article, which I can't find online, kids who enjoy listening to stories told by their parents get some of the same benefits as those who read with their parents. Since young kids are still too young to actually read and decipher words, they pay attention to the narration of the story and from there build their cognitive skills. In other words, you don't always need to read a book. Use your imagination and create a story in which your kid is the protagonist ready to save the world!