Traditii de Anul Nou

Este ziua fiicei mele, nascuta in prima saptamana din an. Iesim din casa si ne intalnim cu unul dintre vecinii nostri.

La multi ani! ne ureaza el. Intram intr-un supermarket, unde si vanzatorul ne ureaza La multi ani! Apoi in farmacie, unde toate cele trei farmaciste ne ureaza, pe rand, La multi ani si un An nou bun.

Copilul, putin emotionat si fastacit, intreaba:

-Tati, de unde stie toata lumea ca astazi este ziua mea?

Ilustratie de Katrina Lange

Toamna se numara bobocii

Si frunzele ruginii si cele aurii. Si roadele viilor si ale pomilor, gradinilor si ogoarelor.

Se numara stropii de roua gasiti dimineata pe firele de iarba, pe frunzele si pe crengile copacilor. Se numara razele de soare ce inca ne intampina cu caldura. Se numara pupicii primiti cand plecam dimineata din casa si mai ales pupicii primiti cand ne intoarcem acasa.

Se numara, cu multa grija si atentie pentru a nu scapa niciuna, imbratisarile celor dragi.

Si zambetele oferite cuiva care poate a uitat cat de minunat este sa ti se zambeasca. Cuiva care poate ar vrea sa zambeasca mai des, dar nu are cui. Toamna se aduna toate amintirile zilelor de vara, una cate una, pentru a retrai toata emotia si incantarea de atunci.

Cand toate roadele au fost stranse, cele mai de pret se pun bine in cutiute mici si se pastreaza pentru iarna. Pentru zile mohorate, cand razele soarelui nu mai ajung la noi. Pentru zilele ploioase, cand caldura unei imbratisari va sterge toti stropii reci de ploaie. Pentru prima ninsoare, cand bem o cana de ceai cald si aromat in fata unui album cu poze.

Toamna se numara prietenii noi, dar si prieteniile vechi. Se numara aventurile ramase de explorat. Se fac planuri si vise si se gandesc noi experiente ce vor astepta cuminti sa fie traite. Toate, absolut toate. Pentru ca inainte de a inchide inventarul anului trecut se bifeaza mereu si aventurile ramase pe lista.

Si da, toamna se numara bobocii, mugurii de viata noua, de aventuri noi, de noi si noi inceputuri. De gradinita, de scoala, de liceu, de serviciu.

In fiecare toamna avem norocul unui nou inceput. Hai copile spune, ce nou inceput te asteapta toamna asta?

La cules

Evolution 101

We dance on a song called “Follow the leader”. She knows the choreography from the kindergarten. I ask her if she knows what the title means.

-I don’t know! What?

-You have to do what the leader does.

-Leadel? What is the leadel?

-The chief or the boss.

She stops. She doesn’t know what to say and now she is thinking. After a few seconds she declares:

-Mama, in our house you are the boss! Not me!

Photo by Jeff Smith

To the educators of the world

Dear all,

You have chosen one of the most difficult and most important jobs there is and you made it your passion and your art. One that you practice all day, with patience, commitment and devotion. It is also the most beautiful job in the world because your role is to shape and prepare for life beautiful and innocent little humans, pure and yet untouched by the ugliness of the world. For them you will always be the first and the most important teacher, the first to guide their journey to the great unknown, the Universe! You are the light in the darkness of not knowing if they are enough or not. Of course they are, but they still need your kind reminder.

To all of you, thanks for all the love and affection you give!

Illustrations by Kevin Henkes

Green apples and compliments

We lay on the bed, next to each other and we eat green apples. Of course it is not allowed, but no one can sees us, so…

Green apples are her favourites. And the red ones, and the yellow ones, and the apples she picks up from her grandparents orchard, all the apples in the Universe are her favourites.

-Baby girl, do you know how pretty you are?

-Ihim!

-How do you know?

-Matthew told me!

-He did? What did he said?

-That I am beautiful.

-And what did you respond?

-That I like it.

-What?

-That he told me that. His “competent”

-You mean his compliment.

-Yes mama! Why don’t you pay attention? That’s what I said, compliment!

 

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Apples

 

 

Books about springs

 

Driving lesson

It’s a sunny yet cold morning. We walk to the car in a fast pace, maybe we can warm up a little. Suddenly she stops and says in a happy voice:

-Look mama, that is daddy’s car! Can we go with it at kindergarten? Please!!!

-Baby girl, mama doesn’t know how to drive daddy’s car! And I don’t even have the keys…

-I will show you how, I know!

-You do, don’t you? How come?

-I saw how daddy does it and now I know.

-…

-You sit in the driver seat, press the round button and the car engine starts and the car begin to move. It has a sensor, you know? When there is no more space, it beeps. Then you stop, flash your signal and you go! And you go straight ahead, then you make a right turn, then a left one, you drive a little more and you arrive! You park, push the round button and get out of the car! See? Is so simple, mama! What do you say? You wanna try?

-So simple hah? I don’t have to do anything else…

-Well, you do, of course! You have to put your seatbelt on, but first you have to put my seatbealt on and you have to press the pedals. You push the pedals and the car goes vrum, vruuum. You don’t push them, the car stops. You want to try, mama?

-I don’t really want. But is a good thing that you know how, if we will ever need you to drive it…

-Mama, I am a child! I cannot drive daddy’s car! Come on, hurry up, it’s very cold and I will be late for today activities.

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Driving lesson