The end of January 2011. The children are still home on their holiday break and will return to school early Feb. So days are full of keeping them occupied, sometimes productive and always well fed. Of course at this stage, they think up a lot of their own ideas.
Bake Sale
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| watercolor by Kavi |
Rachael and Kavi, along with their two good friends, Jack and Emily, did a total of three bake sales in front of Modern Store, (our local friendly grocer in Ooty). Not for a “good” cause. Except for Rachael, who is saving up for a horse. (She says " any donations are welcome!")
Eight hours of baking resulted in delicious scones, muffins, chocolate cake, cookies and other treats. Jack did the spreadsheet and figured out how much the ingredients of each item cost, and how much they should charge and finally how much profit they made. The whole endeavor was an entrepreneurial experiment, which they enjoyed immensely.
They met hundreds of people, both local and tourist, Indians and foreigners. Many stayed to chat as they munched their goods. “Hey, what are you white kids doing selling cookies?” one New Zealander wanted to know. Another tourist took a bite of their cheese muffins and threw it away in front of them. Market research. A teacher complained about their high prices. Some came, bought, went away and came back for more. Over all? A success. They actually made money, and had a blast doing it.
It was good to see the kids emerge from the sanctity and shelter of Hebron school, and mix and mingle with the crowds of people streaming toward the botanical gardens. The community holds so much variety and color. Its easy to live segregated in Hebron school, safe and a little bored. But venturing out into town and offering something for sale, actually makes them a part of the local community, not just a “white kid visiting.”
Greg and I were musing about the beauty of the small town. We don't know. Maybe our kids could do the same experiment in front of Kroger in Peachtree City, Atlanta. I doubt it. And yet here, our local grocery store welcomed the kids, and even took a bit of pride in the bake stand outside their front door. We could just let them run with their idea and encourage their creativity and hard work. It it good to feel at home.
Kavi's Art
Last term in school Kavi produced some good water colors. I'll be sending the pictures to a company to get them made into greeting cards.
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| more watercolor |
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| a mixed media, ink, bleach, water color and glue |
We also painted her room together. Blue ragged over white. It looks like clouds on a summer day. Kavi, our artist.
Morgan's Power Points
Morgan is discovering technology a rapid rate right now. Strolling around the house in a newly acquired mohawk (compliments of his dad), with earphones hooked up to his PSP, he went through a craze of making power points on every person in the family.
Where is Abbi these days?
Usually, she is helping me in the kitchen or reading books in her bedroom. She and Rachael do a lot of riding. Naturally neat and tidy, she helps to organize and label my storage and cupboards, which is a huge improvement in my somewhat relaxed housekeeping.
