Who made God?

An interesting discussion over pizza among 6 year olds + Keya (3 yrs) about Who made God.

(From left to right - Gudiya, Priyansh, Arushi, Kathir, and Mihir)

Enjoy their innocence, ingenuity, and imagination!

Keya′s First Annual Day

This was Keya′s first annual day ever! We had conveniently dropped out of the last one... so pledged not to miss this one. Despite being 40 kms away from home, we set off for the venue. Keya was dolled up in her flowing yellow gown. After the last minute accessory buying (a yellow hairband to match the dress), we set off...

Thankfully, we reached just minutes before the event started. After handing over Keya to her class teacher and energized with chai/samosa, we took our seat. The curtains parted and there she was. One among the 12 odd startled kids dotting the stage looking like tiny butterflies frozen. They were initially too startled to do anything. Slowly they warmed up to familiar nursery rhyme music, familiar teachers swaying to the songs... and finally they moved... an expression here, a wave there... before a howl or a whimper set the neighboring kid scooting off to the other end of the stage...Keya was looking for me and Rips but she did move a bit to the music.

Finally the curtains closed to loud cheers and claps with a demand for Once More...
So again the curtains opened and all froze on the stage.... This time Keya did not budge... we could clearly see her asking for Mamma... and resigned to her favorite activity when she is lost in thought...nose digging!!

Does God have a phone?

Gudiya - Mamma, mujhe nani se baat karna hai
Mamma - Beta, nani God pe paas hain. How can you talk to her?
Gudiya - Kyon, God ke paas phone nahin hai kya?

************
Kathir - Mamma, when does God die?
Mamma - Well, God does not die...
Kathir - But we celebrate his birthdays. So he was born...then he must die...
Mamma (wiping sweat) - Please ask Dadu about this.

************

Kathir - Where does God live?
Mamma - God is everywhere....
Kathir - But if Nani is with God, then God must have a home right?
This question was again redirected to Dadu.
Dadu - God lives inside each of us. Every living person has God in them.
Kathir - Oh ok, then what about the bad uncles? Is God in them too?

*************
Kathir - Mamma, will you also die?
Mamma - Yes, but only after I become old.
Kathir - Your hair is already white. Are you old now?
Mamma - No, only after you grow up I will be old.
Kathir - Ok Mamma, wait till Gudiya also grows up...

And, their search for answers about God, life and death continues...

Block Printing

We had a fun evening yesterday. Kids were happy block printing on fabric. This was a trial session before we make our own table napkins. They are super excited about making their own napkins. Thanks to Dharu, who lent her lovely wooden block printing set to her God children!

The lovely wooden blocks

It all started a few days back. I have been thinking of some creative activities for kids. Somethings that the kids can make for themselves and use them. As a kid, I used to make almost everything by myself - hand embroidered handkerchiefs for dad, mom, and grand parents. I used to love making clay models in our backyard, sun dry them and then put them back in the dollhouse. Most of my dolls were rag dolls, I designed and stitched their clothes, woolens etc. Those memories are some of the best from my childhood and I want my kids too to have these memories when they grow up.

Kathir enjoys building things, creating things and working with paint. He has a steady hand, and aims at perfection every time. He is upset if at times the paint does not come off the block evenly or the pattern does not appear perfect. I will have to get him off his fetish for perfection!

Kathir at work!

Parth - his best pal at work too!

Gudiya′s work - of course with help!

Gudiya is excited about the excitement all around her. She runs around pulling out paint, trying to clean up, or trying to help Kathir - which he furiously refuses. The activity Gudiya loves doing the most is washing - wash hands, wash the palette, wash brushes, wash the tumbler that has water, and finally wash the fabric thats been recently painted. No wonder her nose resembles a leaky faucet all year round! Gudiya found the sponge pieces very fascinating. She kept brushing Kathir′s cheek with it much to his disdain.

I notice a sea change in the kids since we started our activity sessions every evening. They are happy, enthusiastic, less cranky and clingy, and more even tempered.

We have grand plans of building on our block printing abilities. First, the napkin set, next the table mats, then the table cloth, some T-shirts, and then the kids room curtains. Grand plans! Lets see how we go about fulfilling them.

  

Kathir’s Lego Creations

One of the activities from Mr Maker!

These are some of Kathir’s lego creations in 2010 and 2011. Kathir loves spending tonnes of time with his lego blocks on his bunk bed! If we are out for sometime, he has to get back to his legos the moment we are back. No morning is complete without 30 mins spent with his lego.

I had started this post in 2011 and never got back to it. This is 2014, Kathir is now happily 6 and half! He is growing up really fast. Lots of things are the same and lots of things are changing. His fascination for Lego continues - he has now moved to more complex imaginary creations. Like a flying car or a submarine that can fly, run and swim etc... He has got into detailing his vehicle - some indicator somewhere, a fueling point, a signaling switch, or an fire alarm...things that we think mundane are novelties for the young mind.

He has an added task now. To teach his little sister Keya how to build Lego cars. All that the little sis now knows is to make a ‟dhishu"a small L-shaped structure like a gun. Other than that her primary interest is to fiddle with Kathir’s creations, and get alarming shouts from Kathir about ‟no touching".

Kathir has a friend now who is very keen to partner with him in his Lego creations. That is Parth, our front door neighbor. Parth too is pretty good with his Lego work now. And both of them can spend hours building their imaginary flying-submarines or under-water cars etc.

Keya, Kathir and Parth with Dadu