Of Presidents and so much more

Niño has been learning about the 44 US Presidents at school for the last month or so. And I am astonished by the fact that in just over a month's time, he now knows the name of all 44 by heart along with at least one interesting fact about each one of them, an insatiable desire to learn more and an enthusiasm to share with us everything new that he learns each day. Just before writing this, I just wrote to his music teacher who has been working with them in teaching the president song and sharing very interesting tidbits about all of them, thanking her for the brilliant way she is doing it. The children sing the song which goes like George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and so on, complete with actions like they hold up one finger for Washington because he was the first President, they make the White House with their hands for John Adams because he was the first one to stay there, they hold their hand on their heart for a President who died while in office, etc. I tried searching on you tube for the song that they have been learning at school. I couldn't find that one but I did find another very interesting one which I have linked to at the top of the post and which is being thoroughly enjoyed by both the siblings ever since!

Which makes me think how effortlessly such important information is being shared with the children. I mean my jaw literally dropped to the floor when Niño told me that Theodore Roosevelt was the President of the United States during World War II and the participating countries were Japan, Korea, France, Germany and the United States. And Japan attacked US and that's why Truman, the next American President asked for two bombs to be dropped in Japan. My mind immediately raced back to my Grade 9 classroom when I learnt about WW II and the Japan nuclear attacks and how I struggled to memorize the notes that were dictated by our History teacher. While Niño's knowledge is far from complete and may be even inaccurate in places, but at 6 years of age, teaching the children how their present day country was shaped and getting in them the voracious desire to know more is extremely commendable in my eyes. 

He shares several anecdotes like how Abe Lincoln was very lean but so strong that he once lifted a 600 lb load all by himself or that it was during Andrew Jackson was the President during whose term the train was invented. I am so glad to be learning something new almost everyday with him. And at times even ashamed that I don't remember anything about some important events like the Civil War when he talks or asks me more about them. Luckily, while at Target last week, I chanced upon a great pack of US President Flashcards in their Dollar aisle and needless to say they are being devoured like crazy by a very excited little boy who goes over the information on the behind of the pictures and remarks that James Madison shares his own birthday and to everyone's amusement, when a friend of mine playfully asked him a couple of weeks back "Whose birthday is coming up soon?" (referring to Niño's upcoming birthday in March), in all earnest he answered Abraham Lincoln's (which was the next day). 

How I wish I could do something similar for making the kids learn about our Indian Presidents and Prime Ministers. While we composed our own similar song for Indian President and we are through to President No. 4 VV Giri, Niño wanted me to also tell him something about each of them and I couldn't find much information that would interest a child, except for the Teacher's Day information about S. Radhakrishnan. When I put Indian President Song on you tube, what came up was a clip of Obama dancing funny to a hip hop song in Mumbai, India. Pretty promising! However as I write this, I realize that it would be more interesting to teach them about our Prime Ministers because Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi seem more interesting than their Presidential counterparts. Whatever little they learn at this stage is anyways good, I feel :) 

Do you know of some ways you or someone you know have shared this kind of information with their kids? Please do share :)

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5 months after the move

I like...
... Being just a few miles away from my parents place, being able to meet them more often and just a mental satisfaction that I'll be there to share their ups and downs, help and support them whenever the need be.

... Looking at the children being loved and cared for by grandparents and uncles and aunts and them basking in all the love and attention they get, watching the circle of love grow as I am able to watch from a distance

... being at a place where the temperatures allow us to go to a neighborhood park every single day uptil now unlike Minnesota where we were pndoors for a large part of the year.


... Fancying to eat any Indian delight - aloo chaat, golgappas, tikki, samosas, jalebi and not having to make it myself - ah HEAVEN!!

... The fact that a mop, a bucket of water and a bottle of phenyl is all it takes to take care of that upturned palatte of watercolors or worse still poop on the floor as opposed to fancy carpet cleaners and scrubbing and the innumerable carpet steam cleaning sessions we never seemed to have enough of because of the largely carpetted area we had in our apartment.


I miss ...

... Sorely the public library which was a 3 minute drive from our apartment, allowed us to check out a 100 books at a time out of which we had a changing supply of 50 at any given time and I could search and request books at the click of a button as soon as anything caught the kids fancy from cars and trucks and planes to squirrels and kangaroos to statue of liberty or niagara falls, firefighters to garbage truck drivers, volcanoes, doodlebops, caillou,woody, buzz lightyear, anything under the sun.This was apart from the regular visits where Vansh picked up books he liked there. The standards are so high that its impossible for anything to even come close. I am finding it hard to come to terms with reality. BOOHOO!!

... The independence of driving alone anywhere with the both the kids securely strapped in their car seats at the back. Right now the little one cannot be trusted to stay put even with the seat belt on as intermittently she just refuses to sit herself anywhere else other than my lap. I am taking baby steps of giving her books to read at the back, trying explaining to her, doling out her favorite rhymes one after the other and keeping fingers crossed for the strategies to work.

...The ease of riding a bus with both the kids which they absolutely lurved to do. For that matter the ease of going any damn where alone with both the kids, one in stroller and the other just holding it.

...The variety of activities we could indulge in when the weather was good - carrying cycles to a beautiful trail closeby or at a good distance and enjoying the beauty, spending almost every weekend at the beach which the kids loved, several of which were within a 5 mile radius, the garage sales, storytimes at the library, splash pads and the likes.


... The "me" time for a couple of hours after the kids went to bed by 9:30. Here they refuse to sleep until each and every light is turned off and each and every person is sound asleep or at least pretending to do so.


... Having Ashwini back home by 6:00 and then spending at least 3 hours as a family until the dreaded off shore calls began again. The working hours are just too long. BOOHOO yet again!!

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The Change!

What a night and what a Sweep! At 10:01 pm CST, CNN projected Barack Obama as the 44th US President. That was just one minute past the voting in California and the other PST states would have ended. The difference in votes was huge and he was very close to the 270 electoral votes which he needed for a victory, which he did in the next 20 minutes or so. It was monumental, a moment when something as simple as the emotion of joy on the faces of the people speaks for itself as it did last night as hundred thousand people gathered in Grant Park, Chicago awaiting the arrival of the President elect.

I did follow the elections this time but not very closely. If I had to vote, I would have studied the candidates and their campaigns much more in-depth. However that didn't stop me from joining the Obama cult :) He is everything one needs to be to become a role model for millions - he is young, dynamic, an amazing learner, an excellent orator - I think I saw the eyes of almost everyone brimming over with joy as he delivered his victory speech last night with the motto "Yes we can!". He has raised the hopes of milllions of Americans in the power of democracy. He has made the African Americans and many other minorities believe that they too have the right to dream Big and know that its possible to realize that dream. I have no idea what change will happen from now on but for me, for now, Obama being elected president and such overwhelmingly is a huge Change.

I couldn't ever think that I would write a post on Obama's victory but I guess that's what he has done to each and everyone in this country, sit up and applaud the history that he's created! And I am glad that I am witness to it.

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