the little travelers * travel blog

a welcome change

Living in southern California, anything in the 50's is 'freezing.'  It is cause for coats, scarves, gloves and lots of complaining.  A few times a year lows hit the 40's and people pretty much freak out.  Today, according to weather.com we had a high of 46 today.  But the sun was shining!  The sun was shining.  It was so wonderful the kids apparently lost their minds.  I feel like mine returned.  I know it's kind of a lame so-cal thing- but I really do love the sun.  With all my heart and soul- I love it.

 They looked like Scandinavians or Canadians running around California beaches in winter.  I never thought the 40's could feel balmy, but they do!  I did not don a sun dress today but did go out without a hat and for the first time since arriving- no long undies!  Definitely reason to celebrate.

Our neighbors satellite dish cracks me up!

kids, unplugged

Most of my friends and I completely agree that we prefer our kids to grow up unplugged for a wide variety of reasons.  Those friends of mine with kids in public school tell me of their children's constant begging for things like a DS,  ipod, game station, whatever.  I have felt quite lucky in that my girls didn't even know what most of those things were.  Since our friends do not have them and when the girls did go to school they were at a Waldorf school so it was a non-issue for us.

Until... their cousins started getting them.  The blessing of family is that they are not chosen, but assigned- so naturally more opportunities for acceptance are presented.   They have observed that when their cousins use these things they become 'mean and grumpy.'  And they do.  The exposure has been rather short lived until now as we're living together in one apartment during these three months.  So there's been lots of pop music, DS playing, and mp3 players hanging out of ears going on around them.  What has not yet happened (yes, I realize I'm jinxing this by writing about it!) is them asking to participate.  They just move away from their cousins when they become 'unavailable' to humans and choose to do something else.  They sometimes will watch from over a shoulder but don't even ask to play- let alone to have their own.  

Then the other day they came to me and told me they were playing 'teenagers' and had made themselves cel phones and laptops.  I thought all of this was hilarious because I've never said anything about those things being for teenagers or that we don't use those things. And likely if I had given them the inclination that these things are 'wrong' or 'bad' they wouldn't have been inspired to make their own.

 I'm very careful with my girls to not put judgments on the things we do not partake in because inevitably we will meet people that do use those things and them feeling like something is inherently bad about that does not feel good to me.  We have particular family members that enjoy informing my girls about their own beliefs on a regular basis.   They attend a  church that indoctrinates the kids at a young age on how to judge others- you know, just like Christ did.  Oh, wait...  So anyway, from the time they were 2 years old they had quite a list going for my girls of reasons they were going to hell- anything from eating bacon to believing in fairies.   I never wanted my girls to have that sort of superiority complex over others having to do with things like Barbie, DS things, or even attending school.  

We were part of an unschooling group for a very short time when the girls were little and there were 4 year olds in there that could give a dissertation on the evils of public school.  So much focus on what they've not chosen on the parents' part.  I really don't get that.  So, just don't go.  My girls didn't know they didn't go to school until strangers started pointing it out to them and asking why they weren't in school.  Then I would respond, "We homeschool. " I remember the one day when the older sister was nearly six and said, "We homeschool?  What's that?"  I said it means you don't go to school and she said, "Oh."  That was the extent of our conversation about it.  So later when given the option to go to school or not they both chose to go to a Waldorf school for a while and the older one is eager to return after our travels, while the little one says she'll never go back.  But time will tell on that one!

dangers of the big city

Yes, serious dangers...like chocolate stores everywhere!  And the isles in the markets look like our breakfast cereal isles.  An entire isle dedicated to chocolate.  Good chocolate.  And not from companies that have killed babies in past (eh-hum...nestle).  Certain times of the month are worse than others- now being high alert season for moi.  When I was 8 yrs old I spent the whole summer here in Germany and came home with 8 cavities due entirely to the consumption of chocolate.  I'm really hoping this generational pattern is one that I can break but so far not doing too great.  The bars with the little hazelnuts being my greatest nemesis.

 

 At home when the craving strikes I turn to my dear friends at Chocolatl.  It's raw, it's local and it's SOOO good!  All the chocolate and its mega-anti-oxidant power, none of the guilt!  I brought a bag with me but it's long gone and now here I am faced with the stuff that is processed beyond belief with no agave in sight.  wah.  But come on, who am I kidding?  I'm complaining that I'm eating too much chocolate?  really now.

This was the primary cause of all my cavities when I was a kid- chocolate cat tongues.  They still have them in the same exact box that they did when I was little.  An odd thing to turn into chocolate though, huh?  I mean who thought, "Oh, a chocolate cat tongue is so cute!"  All the girls were completely baffled by this as well and most agreed it was kind of gross. 

you know, in theory...  In reality- yum.

drawing on nature

drawing in nature...

drawing with nature...

The tiniest bits of sun came poking through the clouds for mere minutes but boy were they lovely!

And the crocus are sprouting up all over the city- particularly in the center dividers of main streets.

the day that went bust

Our plan today was to get to the art gallery that we skipped the day before due to ugh weather.  It looked quite large and spacious online.  There was an online tour that included 3 stories and it looked great.  The art appeared avant guard yet child appropriate and seemed like a fun outing for the older girls.  I even called ahead and asked if children were welcome and if we could stay and sketch.  "Yes, of course."  So we set off.

After a bus ride right into the heart of the city we entered the building with the galleries name on it.  Our entrance was grand.

But then there was the issue of finding it.  We found Dr.'s, lawyers, and a door that read, "Bier, " but the one door with "Gallery" on it did not answer to a knock on the door nor to the bell.  So up and down these stairs we went - 7 floors of them looking for where this lovely looking gallery could be.   Finally, I knocked with all my might on the "Gallery" door and an exasperated looking woman opened the door with an impatient, "Yes?" 

 "Um...we're looking for the art gallery" as I show her my computer print out.  "Oh, you must enter through the courtyard.  Downstairs."  ok.

So, we enter the gallery which was exactly one room with an, um... unusual assortment of about 4 pieces!

So all that effort of getting into town, we had to think of something else.  I figured there had to be a museum close by where the girls could sketch since they really had their hearts set on it.  We walked a few blocks and I could see down a busy street the word "museum."  Excited, we headed down the street part way until I could actually read the entire sign:

So I sputter, "Ooops.  That's not a museum that will work for us today." as I do an about face.  They all start whining, "Why not?  But we want to!"  Trust me darlings!  If ya'all were mortified at the fat lady in fishnets, the Erotik Museum is not going to be of interest!

So we ended up with 'kebaps' - which is what we call gyros- that were fantastic!

At this point we were freezing and still downtown with no where to go so we headed to Karstadt- a big store chain here and went shopping!  Now, there's typically only a few things I need to worry about when entering a department store here and that's handwork supplies and games.  Both sucked me in full force.  I ended up with fabric, an embroidery hoop and four Haba games.  Yup, four.

Here's something to chuckle about for all of us that are always complaining about the high priced German toys in the states.  This put things in perspective for me.  How's this for shocking??  The high priced American import games like Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit.  Look at that price!!!

Let's look at that price a little closer.

At today's exchange that is $67.91!  Don't these go on sale at Target for $9.99?  I mean honestly, if you're paying import prices what would you rather end up with?  A Parker Bro's game or this?

We finally got our art fix when we bumped up against the finger painter, who had us mesmerized.  We could've stayed forever watching this man of mess.   And ooh, boy did the girls want to go home and try this with big buckets of paint.  I told them they'd have to wait on that one until we're back home and can pick up dented cans at Home Depot for a few bucks.

spring is in the air!

Just not around these parts.  My mom says the AC needed to come on in Arizona this week as they're into the 90's already. If you mix those together I'm sure you could come up with Spring, right?

This roof looks just like a gingerbread house with powdered sugar on it!

The big girls and I had plans for an art gallery today but I chickened out when the snow/sleet started dumping since the trip there included a 10 minute walk, 10 minute bus ride and 15 minute walk.  We stayed in and did form drawing and took baths instead.  Maybe tomorrow...

A 3rd grade form drawing.

If you've never tried form drawing I highly recommend it!  They are quite challenging and really good for the brain.   In third grade form drawings begin using both curves and straight lines in the same form.   Below is a choleric (Tigger) child's attempt at it, declaring, "This is easy!" and whipping them up in no time.

And a melancholic's (Eyore) attempt at it whining the whole time, "This is too hard."

These two third grade cousins are obviously quite different and I'm really loving the contrast they provide for each other.

I learn so much about myself each time I do a form drawing and where my own challenges lie and find I also learn a great deal about each child as they attempt these forms as well.  I can see where there is challenge in the ability to change perspective and where they are not able to change direction very easily.  It really helps me when it comes to conflict with the girls and seeing things from their perspective.  As my old yoga teacher always says, "the body never lies" and I find that particularly true with form drawing.  What the body is not able to do,  the child's (or adults!) emotional or social life is not able to do also.  It's not used to judge them, but rather to better understand where they are coming from.

creative genius

I saw this over onSoluna the other day and it's had me thinking...
It's a little on the long side, but definitely worth watching!  I love this author (Eat, Pray, Love) for many reasons.  We obviously share a love for travel and delving into the nether lands of other cultures and seeing how living somewhere else can shape our lives.  But this little clip doesn't go into that.  This is about her creative process and truly thought provoking.

 

As with nearly everything I hear, see or read I'm always trying to relate it back to parenting.  How does this information translate in a practical manner to parenting?  Here's how I see it.  I believe that no human being on the planet can be happy or truly fulfilled if they are not creating.  When God (however you view that to be) said that he created us in his image- I believe that meant as a creator ourselves.  With all the recent popularity of movies like The Secret and the work of Quantum Physics I think we're starting to realize through science how true that actually is on a practical level.  So we're finding that we are creating all the time and our whole life is a reflection of what we've created for ourselves.  Yet, we still have this notion that creative people are only those involved in the arts.  I believe her father the Chemist was every bit as creative as she is- just in another fashion.  Creating something out of nothing- a new of way of perceiving material.  Doing something because you're inspired to do it- that is creativity. 

I remember when I was reading The Artist Way by Julia Cameron about 15 years ago and I learned that the word inspired meant 'from Spirit'  and that literally every time we are inspired by something it is a gift from Spirit.  When we receive that little gift, it ought to be treated like a gift from God- because it is.

I loved the part in this talk where Elizabeth talks about that moment of transcendence that we've all experienced- now commonly referred to as 'the zone' which is so much less fantastic than calling it what the ancients did- of God.  I remember watching an interview with the ice-skater Michelle Kwan after having one of these moments which resulted in a perfect 10.  She said she thought of nothing and moved to an effortless state of bliss (paraphrasing- she was a teen!) and then she said when she watched it back on tape she couldn't see it- all she saw was her body.  Spirit is something that is felt, not seen.  When I was doing my final in my Master's in Psychology we were filmed while we counseled so that we could go back and watch ourselves objectively.  But the instructors warned us that what would not show up on the screen was Spirit's work.  There are moments when we're truly connected with another human being and absolute healing takes place.  Those moments are inspired moments.  They are of God and can't be captured on film, paper or in paint.  This is the very thing that has driven most artists to a place of madness.  The inspiration is of Spirit and all those attempting to put it into physical form will ultimately fail because our physical world is of another dimension.  We can come close and can certainly ask for Spirit's assistance in expressing those feelings into physical form, but it will never be quite accurate.  Think about describing love.  Many people have spent many years in the attempt and many come close but nothing can really match describing that feeling other than the feeling itself. 

So what does this have to do with kids again?  Well, as always with me...it's a promo for play.  Play is the work of the inspired.  That is the place where transcendence takes place for kids.  goosebumps happen, eyes water, neck hairs stand on end and hearts expand.  Play.  Unstructured, free-form, often unsupervised play.  When children play they connect with Spirit.  It is inspired.  They follow their instincts and are led by their guts.  In play, children take risks and put themselves out there.  They bring into form something that wasn't there before.   That is why real play should be based on creating a feeling or a mood rather than what the result is.  Process not product.  We've heard it a thousand times.  Yet every single day when I'm at the park I watch parents attempting to direct, control and influence their children's play. 

(I bring a book to the park to pretend like I'm not listening to them play- but this play was all about a ship that was at sea during a storm.  The one hanging off the side kept getting washed overboard and then the others would try to save her by pulling her back up.  It's always fun to see what roles they give the little ones- usually they are dying of some disease and the 2 yr old on the right has perfected dying in the arms of the big girls.  She goes completely limp, opens her mouth and closes her eyes.  She has a gift for it.  Then someone comes up with an herbal drink or spell that brings them back)

The part about all of this that bums me out is how little most children actually get to do this these days.  With all of the rushing about that happens in kids' lives these days so little time is left for inspiration.  The second they have a free moment they whip out a DS, put on an ipod or tune into their cel phones and begin thumb calisthenics.  So many well-meaning parents spending all sorts of money attempting to do what's best for their children and depriving them of the most magical of them all- taping into God.  It's really an incredible thing when you think about it.  

What if children were raised from the beginning knowing their inspiration comes from something bigger than themselves?  What if we taught them that they have a responsibility only to listen and have no attachment to the outcome?  What if our teaching was providing a quiet enough space for them to hear?  What if we allowed them their feelings and made it safe to express them?  Would that not make a difference?  Would children raised like that be terrified to write another book after a successful one?  Or would they be able to see things objectively and say, "This is what Spirit had to say through me this time around."  And feel good about it.  

happy Nowruz to Iran!

A lovely message from our new prez.  And Happy New Year to all the Iranians out there.  I wish I was

there at this time!

 

Here's to new beginnings!

making friends

The best part of travel is making new friends.  That is the absolute joy of traveling with children is watching how easily they make friends with others when they don't speak the same language.  We met a couple of little girls at our local park that we've bumped into a few times and they asked us back to their house yesterday for tea and pizza making.  On our walk to their house we passed a house with an Easter Egg tree their yard.  The kids got a real kick out of this!

The old houses in their neighborhood are the stuff fairy tales are made of.

Pizza fun!  The one on the left is my  yr old niece and the one on the right is German.  The two of them talk a mile a minute to each other, neither understanding much and laughing their heads off the entire time.  Even in the park soon after meeting they were holding hands and running off through the woods away from the rest of us.  Birds of a feather all the way!

The two 2 year olds are the same as well- constantly holding hands getting along like an old couple.  They try to play with  one hand so they can keep holding each other's hand with the other hand.

While visiting the bathroom I just had to snap a shot of this vanity!  I was so in love with this house, it was nuts!  A one hundred year old house with all of its architectural glory intact.  The moldings, the floors, door knobs, windows all had me drooling the entire time.

Now I'm just trying to figure out how to be adopted into this family.  It is the grandmother that befriended us at the park.  She has 3 daughters, each of whom now also live in this big house.  Each floor has been turned into its own private residence so their together time is decided by each individual family.  The grandparents live on the main floor and then one family above, one below and they built an addition 'little house' (appears to be about 2000 sf from the outside)  for the 3rd daughter.  The land around the house is probably about an acre- all fenced in.  They have sandboxes on two sides of the house, swing sets and mature gigantic trees all around.  It seems like the perfect solution.  Oh, did I mention that they all work together to cover child care between them all.  The grandma picks up the kids on some days from preschool and then they have a nanny as well, so they all can still have their hobbies and days off from the children.  This, according to the grandmother is essential for happy motherhood. I asked if they needed another adopted daughter because I would be happy to volunteer myself, but unfortunately they're currently full.  wah.  Seriously though, when I meet people like this I think, "Are you for real??"  She says her mother was a typical overbearing German mother and she wanted to do things very differently for her 3 daughters.  I'm seriously in love with this woman.  I love meeting women who appear to have succeeded at motherhood.  All three moved back when they started having children - so I guess her effort paid off.  I would love this arrangement with friends of like mind rather than family, I think.  We all parent so differently I can't imagine all of us making it under close quarters for very long.  I do love peaking into families it does work for though.  

for the love of dogs

Germans are really into their dogs!  I have never seen better behaved dogs anywhere.  Most are not on leashes and respond to the calmest of commands.  They are welcomed in most restaurants, shopping centers and grocery stores.  

As the number of children in the country decreases the number of pet owners continues to increase.  People often stop to admire each other's dogs and say little words of kindness to each other.  On one of the friendliness towards children campaign videos I was watching on Youtube, one of the creators of the campaign stated that her hope for the campaign was that Germans would come to understand that children were more important than dogs.  Reach for the stars!  

With dogs comes poop.  Lots of it.  There are no 'pick up your poop' laws or anything of that nature here- so there's lots of poop on all the sidewalks.  We've all stepped in it multiple times while not paying attention.  This time of year there are still lots of wet and decomposing leaves on the ground.  The perfect cover for stepping on and then sliding a bit and realizing, Oh, @#$- literally.  I find all cultures have their own little things that seem incongruent with their general ways.  This is a big one for me.  The streets are clean and well maintained, gardens manicured, the people very well dressed, excellent real leather footwear ...and piles of poop all over the sidewalks.