Today we did a bit of sponge painting. They were doing it so nicely - sitting at the kitchen table going splat, splat, splat ... I went to the living room to pick up the camera ... by the time I came back in 30 seconds or so ... Little Munchkin put both hands into the plates with paint did few hand prints on the table, the chair and the wall, then wiped both hands off his hair and face. The paint got into his eyes and mouth and he began to cry. At the same time Big Munchkin who was not wearing a painting apron managed to dip both sleeves into the paint and wiped them all over the table on her side. Basically it took less than a minute to create a complete chaos. And this is why I end up having to do at least two loads of laundry a day ...

The other thing that happened today was a visit from a local friend. One of the reasons why I really miss having old close friends nearby is that I am never sure if I have offended anyone. We had a chat about schools and after she left I keep thinking that I have offended her. I am just too old for self-censorship. I just say what I think. Basically I told her that one of the reasons why I am not thrilled about Big Munchkin's local state school is the peer group. It is an OFSTED-rated 'outstending' school and everything, but, as I told that friend, a neighbours 8 year old kid declared that he wants to drop out of school at 16 and become a cab (taxi) driver. I am sure his well-qualified Indian parents are overjoyed. I would have a heart attack if either of my kids say so. I don't want them even think that not going to university is an option. I have nothing against teachers, nurses, or firemen, but those are not a role models I want my kids to aspire to be. If my kids want to go into medicine I want them to aim at becoming a qualified ophthalmologist or a surgeon. If my kids want to teach, why not to aim at becoming a professor at Harvard? Big Munchkin still wants to become an astronaut and fly to Jupiter. I think it is a good aspiration, and I don't want her to aspire to be anything less. And I keep feeling that the main problem with the state school that they aim the aspirations of their kids way too low. Anyway, that friend is planning on sending her kids to the state school because she thinks, and I have heard this sentiment often, that private school pushes them too hard. But if the kids are not pushed, they are not going to achieve anything. I was bored stiff for most of my school years. If I was pushed and directed more I might have achieved more myself. Of course, I am overcompensating for the shortcomings of my own childhood, but I think it is better to overcompensate than not to do anything. I told this friend today that in one of the private schools I visited kids could write in sentences at the age of four and a half. This friend asked me why do I think it is important, because I strongly believe that if they don't start striving towards excellence at that age they never will. If they write at the age of four they will write even better at the age of seven. If they don't, the probability of them excelling later decreases. Kids are getting a head-start in private schools. Anyway, I keep feeling that I have offended this woman. I hate this feeling of thinking whether or not I should have said something, having to worry about how politically-correct I was. I hate self-censorship.

We measures the kids today - Little Munchkins 86 sm and Big Munchkin is 102 sm.

Last weekend we took the kids to the Natural History Museum. Big Munchkin is having another round of interest in dinosaurs. She really wanted to go back to the Museum to see them. This time we were armed with the Usborne's Guide to Dinosaurs. She had a great time looking at the Tryceratops' scull, Camarasaurs' scull, and various fossilised skeletons. Then we went to the Science Museum, that is just around the corner. We went straight to the kids section. It has been recently improved and relocated. Even though it is aimed at a slightly older age group, both kids love it.

A lot of time lately has been taken up by the activities related to the relocation of our friends to India. I am going to miss them terribly. As you get older it become harder to make close friends. This departure will leave us with only one close friend left in London. I find it very distressing. Now we will have a lot of friends in Bombay. Next time we go to India, we'd likely to have a stop over there to see everyone.

Little Munchkin's language development is progressing slowly, but surely. He mastered the word NO. It is used often, loudly and with corresponding hand gestures. He also moved on from his latest puzzle obsession to an obsession with drawing. He is going through these stages when he pick one activity and does pretty much nothing else - we had a 'blocks' stage, 'puzzle' stage and now 'crayons' stage. My crayons and paper expenses skyrocketed. He spends the whole day walking around with an open crayon and drawing on any surface available - paper, walls, chairs, floor, kitchen cabinets, his cloths, other people cloths, etc. I am calling him Little Picasso and my DH - Little Banksy or Guerrilla Artist. Big Munchkin has started calling him Picasso as well. I think she thinks that Picasso is a mild swear word - as I use it interchangeably with pixie. I think she classified it somewhere between pixie and hooligan. Mama calls you a hooligan - she is very angry. Mama calls you Picasso - she is just mildly annoyed.

Another funny mail that came through e-mail:

Fall Classes for Men at
THE ADULT LEARNING CENTRE

REGISTRATION MUST BE COMPLETED
by Monday, FEB 25, 2008

NOTE: DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY AND DIFFICULTY LEVEL
OF THEIR CONTENTS, CLASS SIZES WILL BE LIMITED TO 8 PARTICIPANTS MAXIMUM.

Class 1
How To Fill Up The Ice Cube Trays--Step by Step, with Slide Presentation.
Meets 4 weeks, Monday and Wednesday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 2
The Toilet Paper Roll--Does It Change Itself?
Round Table Discussion.
Meets 2 weeks, Saturday 12:00 for 2 hours.

Class 3
Is It Possible To Urinate Using The Technique Of Lifting The Seat and Avoiding The Floor, Walls and Nearby Bathtub?--Group Practice.
Meets 4 weeks, Saturday 10:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 4
Fundamental Differences Between The Laundry Hamper and The Floor--Pictures and Explanatory Graphics.
Meets Saturdays at 2:00 PM for 3 weeks.

Class 5
Dinner Dishes--Can They Levitate and Fly Into The Kitchen Sink?
Examples on Video.
Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning
at 7:00 PM

Class 6
Loss Of Identity--Losing The Remote To Your Significant Other.
Help Line Support and Support Groups.
Meets 4 Weeks, Friday and Sunday 7:00 PM

Class 7
Learning How To Find Things--Starting With Looking In The Right Places And Not Turning The House Upside Down While Screaming.
Open Forum.
Monday at 8:00 PM, 2 hours.

Class 8
Health Watch--Bringing Her Flowers Is Not Harmful To Your Health.
Graphics and Audio Tapes.
Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 9
Real Men Ask For Directions When Lost--Real Life Testimonials.
Tuesdays at 6:00 PM Location to be determined.

Class 10
Is It Genetically Impossible To Sit Quietly While She Parallel Parks?
Driving Simulations.
4 weeks, Saturday's noon, 2 hours.

Class 11
Learning to Live--Basic Differences Between Mother and Wife.
Online Classes and role-playing.
Tuesdays at 7:00 PM, location to be determined < /SPAN>

Class 12
How to be the Ideal Shopping Companion
Relaxation Exercises, Meditation and Breathing Techniques.
Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 13
How to Fight Cerebral Atrophy--Remembering Birthdays, Anniversaries and Other Important Dates and Calling When You're Going To Be Late.
Cerebral Shock Therapy Sessions and Full Lobotomies Offered.
Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 14
The Stove/Oven--What It Is and How It Is Used.
Live Demonstration.
Tuesdays at 6:00 PM, location to be determined.

Upon completion of any of the above courses, diplomas will be issued to the survivors.

I feel a little better today. Not too much but a bit. Another couple of friends leaving the UK. Our friends are moving out of this country with the speed of rats escaping from a sinking ship. After this couple moves we will have only one friend left. Unfortunately (or fortunately) my DH's career has taken off really well, so we are not going anywhere for awhile.

Little Munchkin has hit a 'drawing stage' - this little guerrilla artist in residence has been drawing on all surfaces available - floor, walls, kitchen cabinets, doors, etc ... Fortunately, the crayons are washable from everything other than walls that is. He is trying to say quite a few words but nothing is clear enough.

Sorry for not writing. I've been thoroughly depressed lately. A friend came over for a weekend, and after she left I just felt so lonely and so miserable. My DH is working crazy hours. I am all alone in this stupid country. I am stressed about school. It was a huge mistake. We should have just staid at the rental place and send the kids to the private school. Instead of going to all the trouble and the expense of buying a place and sending them to the state school. It is OK, but it is not good enough. It suppose to be one of the best schools, rated outstanding. If that is outstanding I shudder to think what quality of education would be in a school rated satisfactory. And now I just can't get them into the private school because I am late with the admission deadlines. It is ridiculous, I can afford to pay and I can't get a place for Big Munchkin. But the worst thing is that I just can't seem to make friends. I lived in so many places in the world and I have never had so many problems making friends. Most of the days the longest conversation I have is with the guys at the dry cleaners or at the coffee shop. I am just so lonely and so tired.

Imagine a picture - a husband comes home late. He is all dressed in a suit and generally looking like a guy with a City job, and he is carrying a four one meter long raspberry plants completed with all the dirt packed in a plastic bag. After I finished laughing, I thought that it was rather sweet. His rationale was that, since I like raspberries, it would be nice to plant a few bushes in our tiny backyard. So, when someone at work boasted that he grows great raspberries in his garden, my DH got him to bring a few seedlings to be planted in our backyard. I am sure that guy was overjoyed dragging four raspberry bushes during his long morning commute all the way to work. As I told my DH - other husbands actually bring flowers when they work late - mine brings raspberry bushes. It was hilarious, but very sweet. Since my DH had no clue what to do with them, I had to call our 'gardener' (the old guy who cuts our grass) and ask him to come over and plant those poor raspberry bushes. He was amused, but did the job. Now we have four thin sticks that would hopefully produce raspberries in some future.

Little Munchkin has an official first word - 'All Done'. It is clear, loud, reproducible and used often.

Last weekend Big Munchkin went to see another play 'Dream Tree'. This weekend she was keen to go to see another play. I had a hard time trying to explain to her that she is not seeing another play, since my DH thought that I am overdoing the whole theatre thing, and she should be going to the theatre not so often. Big Munchkin clearly disagrees.

My DH''s back pain has flared up again. He spent good part of the week in pain and unable to do much. After going to the doctor and taking his meds he is doing better. He's got a referral for physiotherapy - hopefully we can get it arranged quickly. If not, we might need another trip to India where he can get prompt and professional medical treatment.

Little Munchkin spent another week with conjunctivitis in both eyes. Hopefully, it is gone now. We'll see in a day or two.

Big Munchkin is going to start her Spanish classes next week. It would be actually a private class for her and me at our house. I arranged a teacher to come to us. I think it would be easier this way and I might learn something too. I also dropped her drama class. We had too many classes. Little Munchkin is on a waiting list for a music class. If everything goes according to plan he can start in in March. He is also expected to start a football class. I am not certain he is ready for it though. I'll decide when he gets a place. There is also a Russian playgroup being organized. We might start going there. Again, I am not yet sure. Big Munchkin's french class has a new teacher and now it seems to be going better. I'll see how well she does this term.