DC Femella

I volunteered to be the teacher for the Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) program in Cebastian’s first-grade class.  Every month we feature a famous artist and teach the children about him/her.  Additionally, they create crafts, so they can further learn about the artist’s style.  I jumped at the chance because I love Art, and I want my children to have an appreciation for it.  If I am able to do that for them, I will feel that I achieved something.  Another reason why I volunteered is because I want my children to remember me there with them when they are adults.  In this way, they will hopefully be active participants in their own children’s lives. 

My mother never participated in anything, and I remember watching the other children’s moms with envy because I wished my mom would come and do something in my school.  Now that I am older, I know that it was because she was a working mother, and she didn’t have the chance to telecommute the way I do.  It’s one of the reasons I went into writing is because I wanted a flexible job that allowed me to work from home whenever I wanted, and in turn, I could do things with my children. 

The project was a success.  The children were really cute, and I felt happy being around them.  If you are ever in a sour mood, go do something fun with a child.  You will see a smile creep up on your face.  I’m glad that I had children, and I hope to have more one day. 

I leave you with my favorite Escher work of art.

Bond of Union

I leave you with these great links about the importance of Art in a child’s education:

http://www.atriskstoriesofhope.com/if-sir-ken-robinson-is-right-how-do-we-produce-creative-thinkers

http://www.aplaceofourown.org/question_detail.php?id=104

http://www.arvartscenter.org/education.htm

This past week Cebastian lost one of his top teeth.  It had been bothering him when he ate, so I decided to take matters into my own hands.  The dental guidelines that I read online said that parents shouldn’t force a tooth to come out, but it was super lose and he could barely eat.  On top of that, my mother yanked out all my teeth, and I came out ok.  I sometimes think these new guidelines that come out are ridiculous in some ways.  Anyway, back to my story. 

I grabbed some floss, looped it around, and wrapped it around his tooth.  After a few tries, the tooth came out.  Cebastian smiled a toothless smile, and I gave him some warm water and salt to gargle with.  We placed the tooth in a snack-sized bag that Cebastian quickly placed underneath his pillow.  I was a little worried how I was going to get up there being that he has a loft bed.  

A few hours later, I snuck in his room.  Luckily, he left it close to the edge, so I was able to quietly do the switcharoo. 

I want my children to believe that they live in a magical world where fairies, trolls, princesses, good witches, and mermaids live around us.  When I was a child, I loved the feeling of Santa Clause coming and giving me presents, and the tooth mouse (that is what it is in Panama) would take my tooth and give me price money. 

My mother said that when I was a little, I had such small teeth that she had a hard time finding them.  She said there was one time that I lost a tooth and for a few days, she couldn’t find the tooth, so she kept leaving money.  That was until she overheard me telling my older sister, “Anie, I am getting rich!  On purpose, I hide my tooth so the mouse will continue giving me money.”  The rouse was up, and no more money came my way.  I always snicker to myself thinking of my children doing that to me.

The next day when I was in the shower, I heard Cebastian excitedly call my name.  I opened the shower curtain, and in his hands were his $2.  In my time, I only got 25 cents.   He was so happy that the tooth fairy remembered him, and he placed his money in his piggy bank to save up for a game.