Here’s a picture of Ada writing her name for the first time. What a glorious moment! She’s so proud. She called me in just before to say, “watch me write the D”. She also wants to share it with daddy!
Learning in action. What a gift of life.
Painting
Last month, Ada really started taking to painting. Its the first thing she wants to do when she arrives at preschool. And she proudly tells me, “I am going to make a painting for you”. We’ve been lining up her paintings and swapping them out with new ones on the dining room table each night, where we can enjoy them. She uses all the colors, painting on layer on top of the next, so what she makes ends up being a little grey, blue, brown abstract blob-circle-swirly painting. They look something like this.
In the last week, Ada has started changing how she paints and draws. Now, in the last week she is testing a lot. And experimenting. First she’s been practicing coloring different colors inside the lines of her coloring books. At school she is very excited about trying out all the colors separately with her brush. This is one of her recent paintings.
It is neat to watch all of these developments pop up and come out. You can almost feel the ‘intensity of the vibration’ coming out of her, as she learns. Being around her, you see these innate drivers that send her focused into different deep specific tasks over time. From line-ups to painting, she is very excited to learn, sort, try, organize, and experiment…
Happy Mothers Day
I got this special bunny from Ada for Mother’s Day. (I remember buying a stuffed animal for my mom, really it was just for “her”.) She had a hard time keeping a secret this week, so many cute moments, of spilling the beans. Just before opening it, she said “I know how much you like bunnies! “.
Hamid made today very special, there was a lot of love in the house.
Ada’s New Desk
She is loving her new desk – and coloring set-up. Yesterday and today, this is where she wants to be when we’re not playing or doing something else.
When I come in, she’ll say, “I want privacy. ” Okay, solo adventures begin !?
And some more ideas for her wall…
California Haircut
Ada’s haircut, before tomorrow’s school pics. She put on her shades, got a lollipop from the lady at Hamid’s barbershop, and was pretty proud coming out!
Ada and Mommy playing fairy trains
These are our fairy trains. Or adventure on her day off of school. Ada invented ‘Penguin Day’ as the destination for our trains. And we had games, songs, followed by a tea party! Three years old bliss! (39 yo fun, but a lot of work too, whew!?)
Ada’s New Bike!
Ada has a new bike, and is learning, learning, learning around the block. Exciting stuff! This was the promised pot of gold, after finishing potty training, all day and at school. She picked pink color, flower basket, and a bell. Dad is an awesome, patient, fun, kind teacher. Going round and round in the late early summer evenings.
Dear Ama, Apa, Ama Joon, & Baba Bozorg
I'm Ada Acorn! My first day.
Dear Ama & Apa,
Hi! I am going to preschool now, and I am very excited. My teacher’s name is Gretchen, and I took a book of photos to show her all my friends and family. I really like the lizard in my classroom, and I like pushing the grocery carts in the play yard. I am learning all of my friends’ names, and the teachers already put of pictures of me playing and doing activities on colored paper in our playroom. I can even eat lunch there. Gosh! I find I am so hungry, but there is so much to look at, that I don’t eat very much, and mommy finds my lunchbox almost full. I already even have a best friend, I think. Her name is Natalie, and she likes me a lot. I think I like her too. Come visit soon — you will love my school!
xoxo,
ADA
Dear Ama Joon,
Pickle! This is me, I am going to preschool now. Call me soon to talk with me about my experiences. I like the lizard, the games, the songs, and the grocery carts I can push in the yard. Did you know I get my own hook & my preschool symbol is “Ada Acorn”?! I am getting a new lunch box, and I am excited to sit with my friends. I really like my teacher Gretchen, and she let me hold her hand after Mommy & Daddy left. I was sad at first, but they came back! And I hug them. Daddy took the day off of work to be with me the first day, and he stayed late the other two, so we did it all as a family. We ate a preschool cake. We love and miss you very much.
xoxo,
ADA
Dear Baba Bozorg,
This is my preschool picture, and I am very excited about going to school. I was nervous, but Mommy & Daddy stayed with me the first day, and on the second day Gretchen, my teacher let me hold her hand, and that made me happy. I really like the stories, the songs, the lizard, and pushing grocery carts in the yard. They have new activities every day! Daddy made me a back to school preschool and we talked all night about my new friends. We all have special symbols at preschool, because I can’t yet read – and my name is “Ada Acorn”. So whenever I see an acorn picture on anything, I know it is me! I have a hook, a new lunchbox, and a cubby for my things. I know you are a teacher, so I am vey excited to tell you about my school. I miss you.
xoxo,
ADA
Proud.
Ama Joon giggles with Ada all week
Ama Joon came for a week-long visit (Ada’s grandma Samii) — and boy, did they ever have fun! The first three days were spent with the two of them giggling, giggling, giggling all day, literally. Like two peas in a pod. Ada took all of the play that Ama Joon could muster, and boy she did a great job! What a big shift from corporate life, huh Ama Joon? She quickly became an expert at having a tea party with stuffed animals, rolling a ball of yarn around the living room floor, tracing out Persian nursery rhymes on Ada’s hand, telling stories, building legos over and over again, and giggling.
Some of the highlights of the trip:
– All four of us going to pick peaches from an orchard in Brentwood, which was super fun! The peaches were gorgeous, Ada pulled the wagon & picked her own, and we were awestruck by the freshness & fragrance of them all. We then, over the course of the next 3 days, baked 4 pies and 1 cobbler with our peaches. Yum! Yum! Yum! Ada had a lot of fun with all of the hubbub in the kitchen. And we had fun eating our creations.
– We had a fun excursion to San Francisco, with Ada and Ama Joon taking on the train adventure with gusto! We all did pretty good. Hamid managed to do do some shopping & we had an excellent lunch at the top of the department store looking out on Market Street
– Ama Joon, Ada & I went to Fairyland, one of Ada’s favorites — and now Ama Joon’s too. They & we had a blast: riding the carousel, running down the Alice in Wonderland tunnel, playing hide and go seek in the Wonderland cards, going on a train ride, and showing Ama Joon all the little details that Ada knows about the place.
– We decided we hadn’t had enough of farms, so we went out to Farm Fresh to You farm tour (another hot day) and picked figs, tomatoes, went on a tractor ride, and cooled off in the shade of a big tree where we could listen to the bluegrass music.
– and Ama Joon got to see the kid-chaos of having 5 families over for a little pre- preschool get-together. Chaos reigned, but no one cried, and a lot of pie was eaten
Ada is reeling in the joy of having so much love and attention from her Ama Joon. They read so many books, laughed so much, and really had fun together. Thank you Ama Joon! Much love from all of us. See you soon next month!
Yummy peaches
The peach pickers
Hi, peach up there
Happy lady
Listening to bluegrass on the farm
Ama Joon & Ada doing grandma-granddaughter yoga
Isn't this better than checking emails?
Try this Ama Joon...!
Ada & Ama Joon reading a book
Time for a pool party in the front yard
I love you Ama Joon & Ada!
Lots of family fun
We’re working hard
8-4-01 to 8-4-11
Happy 10th Anniversary