Open House

Today was open house at Satvinder's school. She loves to show off what she does in her classroom.
Coloring the shape of a human body
Matching up animals to their pictures and written names
With the birds

Recent Favorites

Here are some things from recent days that make us smile:
Satvinder loves the red Chinese dress she received from our friends. She also loves her handwriting book from Mimi. She writes and writes and writes. Letters are awesome.

I know Satvinder looks more annoyed than smiling in this picture - that's just because I was taking her picture when she didn't want me to bug her. "Mata-jeeeee!"
Root beer has become a recent favorite of Satvinder's - though we are trying to keep consumption light. Satvinder took this picture. That's how much she likes root beer.
This was very pleasing to me! I taught in the Teacher Training course today and part of my topic was Prenatal Yoga. I really wanted to have a pregnancy suit for the students to wear during the class but was not having any luck finding one for rent. My friend, Emily, surprised me by making this pregnancy suit! This is our friend, Rai Singh, wearing it at today's class.

Easter

Easter egg hunting happened immediately upon the rising of Satvinder. No time for combing hair but she did have time to put on her cute new dress from Dadaji and Nonniji.

Later in the day, Satvinder started up the karaoke. Here she is singing "Hotel California".
Satvinder and Mataji duet of "Thank you" by Alanis Morissette.

Dollmaking

Springtime is doll making time at Satvinder's school. This is Lill, the doll that Satvinder made this year. Satvinder tells me that Lill has pinkeye but she just has puffiness and pink color - no watering of the eyes. Lucky for Lill.

Little Miss Reiki

I am in a Reiki Master Training program - for people who have been practicing Reiki healing and now are training in how to teach/share it with others. It's a pretty intense program - putting me through changes beyond what I imagined, in all kinds of different ways. Assuming all goes well, I should graduate at the end of May - so we are nearing the end now.

Part of our homework is writing a manual for teaching others in the early levels of Reiki healing. Some of my classmates and I had a photo shoot, in which Satvinder demonstrated some of the hand positions for a Reiki treatment.

Here are a few random pics from our photo shoot:
One of the head positions for self healing treatment
One of the positions for treatment of someone else
Another front position

Satvinder did great - and yes, bribes were used. She was interested in doing it to help others - especially kids - learn Reiki. But the thing that sealed the deal was the promise of a new book, "Fox in Socks" - full of tongue twisters that her mom now has to read daily. And also...the opportunity to take some silly pictures!

School Carnival

"This is the day I've been waiting for!" - Satvinder

Yesterday was the annual Khalsa School carnival and Satvinder was very excited.
At the face painting booth: I was signed up for doing face painting but luckily after a while, Hari Jot came and took my place. I can paint flowers and butterflies, rainbows and hearts....but these kids wanted to be tigers and zebras...way out of my league.
Satvinder getting her tiger face
Bunny hopping the cake walk...apparently, in really really bright sunshine!

Walking Around

The weather has been so fabulous lately that sometimes Satvinder and I walk to school. It is about a mile from our house and she hangs in there great.
At home - before our walk. It's probably around 70 degrees in the morning but Satvinder still insists on wearing her winter coat.
Walking allows us to notice so much more about the world. Satvinder gathers rocks and pine cones. She says they make her think of Mother Earth and she likes that.
At Khalsa Primary School, Satvinder starts her school day.
Today I continued on to the gym, which isn't too far from school. Things look so beautiful to me. This picture of looking up at palm tress is nothing special - but in the moment, they seemed really beautiful.
Satvinder thinks that public transportation is very exciting so I took this picture of the light rail for her.