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.