Babysitting in English

My Mum and I share the babysitting of a little German girl whose parents want her to learn English from an early stage.

She has just turned three years old, and is a little treasure to have around. The little darling is full of fun and spunk. Sometimes I'm surprised how such a tiny person can have so much energy inside of her at six and seven p.m.! She keeps me on my toes constantly.

She loves crafts, so a couple of days ago I was trying to come up with a different idea. We've worked a lot with colouring, play-dough, stickers, etc., and the challenge was to think of a method I hadn't used with her yet! As it was raining, my Mum suggested we had a rain-themed afternoon, and suggested several songs and poems about rain. She also mentioned colouring in an umbrella, and it was then when my light-bulb lighted.

Every time I hear the word umbrella I think of the family one we had a long time ago. It was rainbow coloured, and so big that all seven of us fit walking underneath it with Papa in the centre, holding it. From this memory I got my inspiration.

First, I drew the umbrella. I've always considered myself a disastrous drawer, even when it came to simple things. However, the drawing came out pretty well, so I scanned and printed to keep the original.

Then I armed myself with rainbow-coloured tissue paper and a stick of glue, and waited for the time when she'd come.

I had coloured in a small circle in each section of the umbrella to indicate what colour should be used in each. The idea was to tear small pieces of tissue paper, make balls out of it and "colour in" the umbrella this way.

She had tons of fun. At first, the pieces she tore were huge, and consequently, so were the balls. Later she started to tear smaller pieces as smaller spaces on the umbrella were left blank.

The beautiful end result! Such a lovely, rainbow-coloured umbrella! I am not sure who had more fun while doing this, if her or me. 

Anyone who'd like the scanned version of the umbrella need only ask! 

Late Wanderings

As things start to pile up and it seems like I can't accomplish everything because I lack time - planning for the future, helping Mum around the house, studying, working as a teacher every day, finishing project and starting new ones... the list goes on - there is always some thought or verse or poem that comes to mind and keeps me going on, encouraged once more.

I was just now working on an origami project (more to come on this subject soon). I doggedly folded and pressed and folded again, aware of the fact that it was late and that my head was starting to ache because of my sleepiness. However, I had previously told myself that I was going finish this today. I would have done quite some time ago, but one of the pieces of the project broke because of a weak fold, and so I had to start that part all over again.

My patience was running thin... I was thinking of my warm, comfy bed, of the hot chamomile infusion waiting for me on my bedside table, of reading a couple of chapters of my current book, all before letting the sweet waves of sleepiness submerge me in delightful, restful, peacefully dark oblivion. That much needed sleep.

*Shakes head* That won't do, girl. Not good.

And so the poem came to mind - a favourite of mine, which has walked by me many a late night:

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

-Robert Frost 

And, even though there are many things that are calling me sweetly, I have miles to go before I sleep.