"We're going on a hunt"

Suchitra and I spent our first real week at home together investigating preschools. I say investigating because you really have to try to dig below the surface when visiting these institutions of early childhood education. I get the sense that in Southern California, especially in certain neighborhoods and with certain price tags, many schools appear appealing on the surface. Teachers are teaching, kids are mostly happy, and the learning environment is stimulating.

However, once you dig a little deeper, then the differences in educational philosophy and how kids are actually learning emerge. We visited completely "developmental" schools, where kids ran about most of the day without too much structure (and no doubt having a ball at it). We visited more "academic" schools, one in which 2 year olds were actually expected to sit for 45 minutes and color in a worksheet! Don't ask me what I felt like doing after spending time in that classroom.

And we visited the school that Sameer and I think will be the best fit for Suchitra--a lovely Montessori school with bright classrooms, interesting learning materials, engaged teachers and expansive outdoor play areas. Suchi was completely taken with the school. She took a step into the Montessori classroom, took in the kids working on their individual tasks, and almost ran to the shelves to grab some materials for herself. She was so much more interested in these types of "toys" than in anything at the other schools we visited. I think she also liked how kids were working individually, something I think will be good for her too. She'll certainly have plenty of time for outdoor play, art, music and other good preschool stuff during the rest of the day. But 30-60 minutes a day learning focus and discipline is not a bad use of time in my opinion.

So she starts in September, 2 days a week. Hope I can keep her suitably stimulated until then!

San Diego

Lessons learned from our most recent travels:

1. Suchitra absolutely loves new places and people. Doesn't really matter where, as long as its "outsiiide".


2. Any trip involving water is bound to be a hit. Or incite a tantrum upon leaving. Probably both.


3. Ditto for trips involving animals.


4. Suchitra is more flexible than both her parents when traveling. She'll sleep in strange places as long as we turn on some "sleep sounds" (radio static). She's getting better about long car rides. As for food, she's not a great eater, but definitely less picky than dad or mom.


5. If baby #2 is anywhere near as a good a traveler as Suchitra, we're set!

Stay-at-home child

Today was officially Suchitra's last day at daycare...she might "drop in" now and then over the summer, but otherwise she's staying home with mom for the forseeable future!

I've got some mixed feelings about this change. On the one hand I'm so grateful to have the next 3-4 months alone with my little girl, before super #2 arrives. There are so many art projects, music classes, and bike rides that I've been planning, and now we finally have time for all of them. No more coming home after a full day of work and daycare, everyone (except Suchitra of course) too tired to do anything but eat, bathe and go to sleep. We have all day to play and learn! What more could a teacher want?

On the other hand I already feel sadness on having to leave behind most intellectual pursuits for at least the next year. I've got a few part-time gigs in the works, but nothing compared to the daily immersion in history and politics afforded by an actual classroom.

I also think that Suchitra genuinely enjoys social interaction with other children and adults...as well as the variety in play afforded by a school setting. So I'm looking for part-time care options for her. Hoping to find a well-respected preschool that also offers a toddler program, so she doesn't have to wait until 2 years old to start. It probably won't hurt her to have other adults showing her attention once the baby arrives, either.

In the meantime, we'll enjoy our days together. And I'll switch over some of my "light" bedtime reading to more substantive historical tomes :)

The perfect pair

Who's that? My soon-to-arrive baby brother and I, of course! I'm so excited!

But baby brother, you should know mom's idea of a gender neutral color is purple. And dad's idea of a varsity sport is badminton. On the other hand, I love playing outside and my favorite Sesame Street character is blue Grover. So don't worry. We'll get on like two peas in a pod!

See you soon!

All 3 Syllables

Suchitra has begun saying her own name. Or at least she's trying:





The overplanning parent in the household (guess who?) has also been thinking of new baby names for a while now. I feel kind of bad giving Super #2 another polysyllabic one. But if Suchitra figured out all three of hers, then one more can't be too difficult?

Suchitra conquers the slide

We've been too lazy recently to go to our neighborhood park (all of 3 blocks walking distance), but this weekend the beautiful spring weather forced us all outside. While at the park, we discovered Suchitra is growing up to be a daredevil! She loves to climb, is not afraid of heights, and prefers going down slides headfirst. See her demonstrating her latest skills for us:

On your 15 3/4 month birthday

Dear Suchitra,

Please forgive us our sentimental ramblings.

Your favorite words are "outside," "frisbee" and "agua"
You love to play in the dirt and run down hills
And if you could, you'd spend every day going "bye bye"
Exploring first the baby birds outside our kitchen window

And then the wide world that awaits

Did we mention, much to mom's chagrin
That your favorite color is pink?
Pink flowers, dresses and shoes
Pink stuffed animals and blankets
Sometimes tempered with a purple crayon

Though your favorite books still feature babies
Whom you have just learned to call by name
You are quickly outdistancing them
When did you become a little girl
With a toothy grin and hearty laugh?

We try to picture you in 2, 4, 17 years time
But our imagination fails us
We will content ourselves with the image
Of a glorious "super"
Running, with outstretched arms, towards the adventures that await.