A few more random pictures

We went to see The Nutcracker, performed by the Boston Ballet. We got the cheapest seats, but it was surprisingly a perfect view and we were all amazed by the performance! After each pair of dancers performed (in Act II) I concluded that those had been my favorite. But the next group were just as good or better. It was really beautiful.
We prepared Sasha for the two hour show. We told her that they would be telling us a story, but without using words. We talked about telling stories through dances and through music. Then we told her what the story was about, so that she could follow it more easily. She was especially excited for the part when the nutcracker becomes a real man! Afterwards she told us that she really like the ballet, but she didn't like the big mouse because he was scary. We agreed but reminded her that it was just a person dressed up like a big mouse, like she was for halloween!
She did really well considering it was so long and it was around bedtime.





Sasha got her first haircut! I had trimmed her bangs before, but I had never cut the rest of it. It was getting really long and we decided a trimming was past due!

We've been encouraging her to do and ask things for herself. On the rare occasions that we go out to dinner, she asks the waiter for what she wants to eat and drink. And so this time was no exception. She walked in and said hello to the barber, followed by "Can you please trim my hair?" To which he enthusiastically said "Sure! hop onto the chair!" She did so well - she was very still, turning her head however the barber asked her to, even resisting an itch on her nose when the cut off hair fell onto it!





Usually, when she sees the camera she flashes her fake, camera smile. So, even though this one is a little blurry, I'm posting it for the beautiful natural smile that I captured!



Using play dough to cook with. She was making pancakes at first, but then decided to throw on some pepperoni and so, I think they became pizzas:



She was so happy when I agreed to let her paint my nails:

some activities

We went to the children's museum again. Sasha seems to enjoy it more as she gets older.. There are more things that she can do now, as well as more things she can understand:






We decided to walk to the grocery store on one of the heavy snow days. It was fun but very cold! Sasha loved it. Here she is drawing happy faces in the snow:



A closer look:






I found these really cool activity books that contain matching games, cutting and pasting, tracing letters, finding similarities and differences, and many more activities. Sasha really loves them. The books come with little stickers and every time she finishes a page, she can place a sticker at the top. We've spent hours doing the activities and have a lot of fun together:




(If any one is interested, they are called "Home Work Books", by Carson-Dellosa Publishing Company, Inc.)

Playing the pan flute:

Sledding

It snowed all night last night, has been snowing all day today, and will continue to snow tonight. On the one hand it was too bad that it snowed because we had scheduled our first devotional for last night and had invited lots of people (non-baha'is) who couldn't make it because of the storm. But these devotional gatherings will be regular so there will be other opportunities. Besides that, it was great that it snowed because today we were able to take Sasha sledding! She has been anticipating winter for a while and has been talking about all the things she wants to do in the snow. It took us a very long time to get dressed appropriately for the occasion (weather.com said it felt like 3 degrees!). So needless to say, we had lots of layers. But even so, we didn't spend very much time playing outside (almost as long as it took us to get dressed!). It was so cold, and it was a workout to climb the knee-deep snow up the hill. But we did have a lot of fun. Afterwards, we were ready to come home and have some hot chocolate!

Here she is with her first set of layers:



Mid layers:



Final layers!



Playing in the snow:






Helping put flowers out for the devotional (which we had despite the no-shows.. it was a special family time with several rounds of prayers)



She found daddy's bike gloves and helmet:



I posted a sledding video on youtube (link on the right).

First performance!

Sasha had her first performance at school! It was incredibly cute. Unfortunately, because of privacy issues, I'm not able to upload pictures or videos in which certain other classmates appear. But here is a cropped picture in her performing outfit. She did really well - She sang loudly and did all the hand motions. Her class was representing Lebanon. They learned a song in Arabic, but for some reason only performed it in English. Still, it was really sweet.



Her performance coincided with James' birthday! So, afterwards we went for birthday ice cream!



Choosing which flavor she wanted:



At school the children have been learning to prepare their own snacks. They spread butter on crackers, peel oranges, and chop bananas. I just hope the teachers took off some of this butter before she ate it!



A picture from her birthday walk a couple of weeks ago. Children hold the Earth and walk around a candle (representing the Sun). She walked around the "Sun" three times, while the rest of the class sang a little birthday song about how the Earth goes around the Sun.



She loves cooking in her new kitchen:



Reading her book while she waits for the oven timer to go off:



She loves helping us fold clothes, and she's gotten really good at it:



For a while, after she woke up from her naps, she would ask me if it was time to take a shower and go to school. I realized she was confused about the days.. it seems she thought that after she awoke from her nap it was the next day. So we made a calendar together that shows the main events of each day, with a little paper doll representing Sasha. After each main event, we look at our calendar to see that these are all occurring on the same day, and when it's a new day, she moves the little "sasha doll" onto the next day.
(In case you can't understand my drawings: first is the sun (when she wakes up). Next is her school, then her nap, then dinner, and lastly, the moon represents bedtime! these events are all spread out, of course)



Here she is moving her doll to a new day:



Working with Daddy:

Regional Baha'i Conference

We got back today from Stamford where we participated in the Baha'i Conference for the Northeastern states. It was such a special event. For one thing, we were able to see many friends that we haven't seen in years. We also met a lot of people, even some from our own community that we hadn't met before.
The purpose of this conference, (along with the other 41 conferences around the world) was to celebrate the achievements of the Baha'i global community, as well as to discuss the current needs of the Faith.
It's becoming more clear to the world that civilization must advance spiritually as well as materially. It is our goal at this time, as Baha'is, to focus on providing classes for children, junior youth and youth, assisting them in the development of spiritual faculties, hosting devotional gatherings (gatherings with the purpose of praying), and joining or facilitating study circles (a way of systematically studying the the Word of God and then translating it into action in the form of service to humanity).

On our way back, Sasha fell asleep and it gave James and I the chance to talk a lot. We realized how much work there is to be done, and how we can be a part of this "global enterprise".
It was inspiring to see this new baha'i culture: an incredibly active, vibrant and diverse community. We've come to see that, as Baha'is, we are not just peaceful, passive members of society who talk about unity. We are followers of the Promised One of all ages who are actively working towards building a new civilization through systematic and sustainable processes.
It was inspiring to see so many people working towards the same goal.

"By the rectitude of their conduct, the sincerity of their love for their fellow human beings, and the ardour of their desire to serve the peoples of the world, may they vindicate the truth proclaimed by Baha'u'llah that humanity is one." - The Universal House of Justice

Here are some pictures of only a few of the many people we saw and met.

Sasha with her friends:



With my friends whom I haven't seen in ten years!
Alain and Russell with their beautiful daughter:



And here with Colin:




Sasha with her old friend Ayyan:



Colin and Jason :



One of the friends from our local community, Babak:



Our sweet friend from Chile, Gabriela:



Trading hats:



There was no program for the children, so Gabriela and I rounded them up for a little while, and had a little class with songs and games: