Sunday, March 31, 2013

Friday, March 29, 2013

The youngest yogi at the ashram



Charlotte and I have started taking yoga classes together. We are lucky enough to live near an ashram. The energy there is beautiful and the yoga studio looks over a mountain lake. The teacher, Jennifer, is a giving, loving soul and we are so blessed to have her as our teacher.
I thought yoga class would be good for both of us. Even though I have a yoga dvd, being in Jennifer's class let me hear from some muscles I haven't talked to in a while.:) I signed up Charlotte so she could better handle her stomach pain that she has had for years.
Charlotte LOVES yoga. She loves the quiet time most of all. She is the youngest student in the class. When she is skipping around the ashram grounds with her hot pink yoga mat and her hair in a ponytail, the other students (from all over the world) smile and say Charlotte will be the youngest yogi at the ashram.
The ashram is such a wonderful resource. Not only does it host an internationally acclaimed yoga school, a vegetarian cafe, speakers from world philosophies and religions, but also houses a school of ayurveda studies. I'm hoping when my time substitute teaching comes to an end my schedule will allow me to attend some of the classes.
Until then...peace everyone...OOOhhhmmmmm

Monday, March 18, 2013

When you turn 13...

you get to have birthday cake for breakfast :)

Last week it happened, I became the mother of a teenager. I couldn't be more proud of this little woman!

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Science!!!

Charlotte's school had a Science Symposium night this week.  All the kids were encouraged to participate. We didn't go last year, so this was the first time Charlotte was involved. From the size of the turnout, I think the whole village showed up. I know parents whose kids did not do a science project still showed up to encourage the other children! Amanda and her 7th grade friends even came...they WANTED to!
It's not a competition. The children are expected to develop a hypothesis, follow an experiment and draw conclusions.  Miss Charlotte made a pasta/marshmallow bridge to test which was stronger spaghetti (cylinder) or linguine (flat). When each grade was announced, our local "scientists" - teachers and high school students dressed in their lab coats - went from experiment to experiment.
Charlotte had to explain her experiment and answer questions. Again, and again, and again! By the end of the evening, my little girl was pooped!
For me, the best part of the evening was seeing the little ones learn from the big guys!