Making It Simple

I had a good chat with Nissa  last night and she told me about Nate’s progress in school. Nate loves his online classes but Nissa is having a hard time working  from home and at the same time supervising Nate in his schooling. “That’s is why I never dreamed of being a school teacher”, I told Nissa even if Dad persuaded mo to take up Education when I was in college.

They have this subject where they learned to make a simple book mostly drawings of the things they want to put on paper. Nate got so absorbed in it that he made several instead of just one to submit in school.

Nissa actually took a video on how it’s done, unfortunately I could not seem to follow it. I must admit I am not good in following instructions like that. You have to fold the paper so many times and  cut it in the middle then fold it again so it would create pages. Here are the examples Nissa sent me on what Nate did this week.

Children could really be so creative. I wanted to see the other figures that he made especially the flowers and cars. Oh, they still wear uniform shirts even at home with their school logo. Nissa told me they have different colors of shirts every day.

 

Read Full Post »

Coloring Books and Crayons (Lessons Learned From A Five-Year Old)

I am reposting this here. I suddenly realized that in a few years, I may be doing the same thing with Nate, that is teach him how to appreciate good books and how to do colors. I wrote this blog when my niece was five and she’s now nine years old, still bubbly and smart. She promised to spend a few days with me this summer break so she can play with Nate. Come to think of it, she’s Nate’s aunt 🙂

A box of crayons, a pocketful of assorted unsharpened pencils, a half-inch thick  coloring book – what more do you need to pass the time away?

A few months ago, I got the chance again to go home and bond with my  smart, inquisitive and hyperactive five-year old niece Bobic. No picture-taking this time because I didn’t bring my camera with me but we agreed to spend an hour or two after dinner to go over her lessons and color her brand new book. I have nearly forgotten how relaxing, how stress-free and artistic one feels when you are so engrossed in making a dull picture come to life by blending different shades and making  it colorful and beautiful in the eyes of a five-year old child. She was so lavish with her praises when we finished two pages of the book. Lesson No. 1 – simple things mean a lot to a child.

She made me go with her and her Mama to their school one afternoon so I could meet her teacher whom she calls Miss Melanie. She literally dragged me by the hand and introduced me by saying, “teacher, si Tita Arlene”. Well, that afternoon I learned my second lesson from her. Lesson No. 2 – kids shine when they are surrounded by their family and loved ones.  I was pleasantly surprised when my brother told me that she could recall every word and sentence in her two short-story books entitled Ang Tikbalang Kung Kabilugan ng Buwan and Mariang Alimango. Through frequent readings and story-telling before she goes to sleep, she was able to memorize every page of the two books. True enough, she even knows the English version although she could not pronounce the words right, she does not know yet how to read that much. Lesson No. 3 – play it by ear and it gets easy the second and third time around.

She keeps a piggy bank because her Papa told her that it would take a lot of money for her to become a doctor so she started asking for coins every time she gets the chance. She is so steadfast in saying that she will be a doctor someday and will treat every one in the family. I was impressed – the wisdom of a child.

And how I wish life is that simple!  How I wish that sometimes, we could see things through the eyes of a child.

Coloring books and crayons – try holding them some time and forget about your worries even just for a little while.

Read Full Post »