sand, food dye and missy

yesterday i began a little experiment involving sand and food dye. we're studying india at school this term, and one aspect of indian culture that my class is focusing on is rangoli - artworks made from coloured sand, that are created during the diwali festival as a sign of welcome. (try google images to check out some rangoli - they're amazing.)

so here is where my experiment is currently at:



i'm hoping the sunshine will help the sand dry out, so the kids can use it on friday. (i do have a back up plan of using coloured pulses instead, in case this experiment comes to nothing!)

last night, when i was tinting my sand, missy discovered the sand bag and seemed to be in heaven:



i look forward to the sunshine and warmth returning so we can break out missy's sand pit and let her go to town!

take care,
em

p.s. and here's a gratuitous missy pic...

the end of a busy week...

it's been a busy week. we made it to school and child care. missy is learning to sleep amidst the noise of the nursery room, and i am learning to be firm with students who are pushing me as hard as they can. after claiming to be anxiety-free when it comes to school, nervousness crept back in on friday morning. but i'm thankful for opportunities to serve others, even others who take their shoes off ten times a day and who thrash around and would rather cause trouble than take part in my lessons. i met the mum of one of my students yesterday - she is a kind lady with a difficult life. i admire her a lot. sometimes i wonder how the parents of my students carry on and on and on like they do. i am grateful to send the students home at the end of the day and be reunited with my delightful daughter, who is easy to love.

blogger seems to be having trouble loading my pictures, so i'm afraid my words will have to do for now.

take care,
em