Creatively Yours- Anvesha

Art and crafts have been around since the beginning of time, but as a learning activity, these are a great past time and educational tool for kids. Not only can it keep the kids entertained on a rainy day, but also extend a child's motor skills, develop concepts like color or numbers, learn scientific processes like gluing and paint drying in action.

I have always encouraged Anvesha when doing craft work and over the time she has developed a keen interest in coloring, making crafts and enjoys making different things with the play dough. It has allowed her to use her imagination and make something to entertain us or simply for visual pleasure. I have heard that girls have a knack of crafts and coloring and I can actually see it when I look at Anvesha's craft work. Over the months her motor skills are becoming better and her crafts work becoming more neat. Every day she brings home a new creation and with great pride says, "Mamma, look at that !!"

At this age craft is more about passing time when it becomes too rainy to go out and play in the park, but its a great way to engage her in ideas that may provide a foundation for future learning. She enjoys coloring with her crayons, painting, writing with the chalk, making animal cut outs with the play dough, stamping with colors, using glue to create something new and many more activities.  Here's a pic of the Donald Duck sketch that Anvesha colored the other day. I was so impressed with the neatness... way to go Aanu !!!!

Ways to inspire creativity in a toddler:

1. Avoid giving direction

2. Prepare for a mess
3. Don't suggest changes
4. Be interested in the art work

Anvesha as Radha Rani

Every year on Janamashtmi I dress up Anvesha as Radha Rani. I must say, this girl loves to dress up and gets so excited on wearing pretty dresses... this is something she has got from me :) She is a girly girl although Prateek hates it as he wants her to be a tom boy ;) Love the way she poses in front of the camera.
Here's a glimpse of Anvesha in all these years dressed up as Radha Raani.

Love the way how she has evolved in these years. I hope to keep the tradition of dressing her up as Radha every Janamashtmi.

But, Janamashtmi is not just about dressing up as Kanha or Radha raani, its also about narrating Krishna birth stories to your kids so that they learn about our culture, which by the way is very important for kids living in the United States. My last post was about birthday parties and this is how I explained the birth of Krishna to her. She was excited to pull the jhoola of our Krishna Kanhaiyya and kept on saying "happy birthday Kanhaji".  Risht now festivals for her mean more of dressing up, having good food and going to the temple.

       

                     

               Some more pics.....








Love you my Radha Rani !!!! Stay blessed always :)

Birthday Parties

Who doesn't love birthday parties? They are all about fun, games, good food, gifts and of course.... the cake :) Kid's birthday parties used to mean cake from the local super market, handful of balloons and streamers. Not anymore !! From extravagant theme parties, to character appearances and bouncy houses, today's tot celebrations are over the top. Theme parties are a popular trend these days. While not every party needs to have a theme, but lets accept it.... theme parties leave a lasting impression. Plus, these are also a great way of having the birthday child feel special. Popular themes include Frozen, Superheroes, Cars, Dr Suess, Disney characters, Thomas & friends... You think about it... and pinterest has some great ideas on how to plan a birthday party. It is also a booming business, whether they are at home or any popular venue. An average parent will spend about 250$ to host their kid's birthday party... a number that brands cannot ignore.

We had a "Hello Kitty" theme for Anvesha's first birthday. I didn't quite do anything special that time since we wanted to keep it short and simple. On her second birthday, I went a little over board in planning a "Rainbow Theme" party for her. On her third birthday, we might plan a character theme party for her since she is at an age where she has few favorite cartoon characters..... but more on that later.

Anvesha eying at the birthday cake !!

Birthday parties are special not just for the birthday child, but also for all the guests. I loved going to birthday parties as a kid and so does Anvesha. Last couple of weeks we have been busy attending birthday parties. I must say Anvesha has a rocking social life!!!!! She loves to sing the "happy birthday" song. The venues were spread out.... from parks to community halls and bouncy houses.

Happy Anvesha after attending a party......

Anvesha looks forward to going to a birthday party, as birthday parties for her entails prizes, games, cake and a whole afternoon of fun. It also gives her a chance to dress in her favorite party clothes and be with her friends. She gets complete freedom from home and at the end... a hamper of goodies :)

Hats off to all the moms for taking extra pain in planning out the perfect birthday party for their kiddos. 

A day on the farm

"Old Mac Donald had a farm, Ei ei o.... And in his farm he had a cow......."

For some of us who dwell in cities or suburbs, life on a farm comes with bucolic images of sunny days, lush fields and happy animals. I have some of the most remarkable memories from my grandparents house who lived in the country side. Interacting with cows and sheep not only taught me to be compassionate, but also respect the farm life. Growing up in the city of course has its own advantages, such as access to an array of shopping, dining, learning how to be street smart or even how to deal with crowds. But farm life is an experience that kids should be exposed to.

I know I am late in posting this update, but wanted to share what we have been doing this summer. Every year we take Anvesha to nearby farms.... our all time favorite being the Remlinger Farms at Carnation which is only 20 min drive from home. It has a small area where kids can enjoy the rides. Anvesha loves the train and the boat ride there. Last year we had gone for berry picking in summers and pumpkin patch in the fall. Anvesha had a great time there.

We went to Remlinger farms again this year and this time was a new experience as Anvesha enjoyed it more and she loved to feed the animals at the farm too :)

So proud of you Anvesha..... your love for animals shows how compassionate you are !!







Berry picking took a back seat this time, but we took Anvesha to Fox Hollow Farm this year. It is a family owned farm in a beautiful, peaceful setting and is open for visitors. They have their open farm days during spring/ summer and fall.

Anvesha loves animals. She was thrilled to see the farm animals at fox hollow and wanted to pat them. She ran after the ducks and the pigs and was overwhelmed seeing the peacock spreading its feathers. It was as though all the characters from her books and tv had come out alive :) 

There are so many pics of Anvesha on the farm, but the one on the left is my personal favorite.

Fox hollow is also a perfect place for planning birthday parties. Children love animals and they would definitely enjoy it there.  Apart from farm animals, there is a bounce house and miniature trucks that kids can ride on.

How much ever I like the place, but we won't be able to host Anvesha's party there since she is a winter baby and the venue is good for only summers.



So for all you summer babies out there.... I highly recommend Fox Hollow farm for your next birthday party.

Anvesha @2.5 years

....... And I am back !!!!! I haven't been blogging for over a month: no excuses whatsoever, sometimes life just gets busier :) Not that I didn't have anything to write, there are many updates, but first things first...... Anvesha is 2.5 year old now !!!! Call it the terrible twos or the terrific twos, she is a hyperactive child ... so much so that it gets difficult to keep up with her energy level. Its a good thing though that she is inquisitive about her surroundings and is a curious soul :)

Just two weeks back two of her second molars erupted and this time they came with a fever. She is slowly gaining height which also means she is looking more thin :( But I have stopped fretting about it for the simple fact that she is a happy child ( touch wood !!) and is pretty active as compared to kids her age.  She loves to pretend play.... which means kissing her doll or teddy, putting them to bed, covering them with blanket and finally good night :) Anvesha started talking a little late, but in just a matter of six months she has learned many many new words and now she actually speaks in sentences :) She is able to understand simple instructions and responds to few questions that we ask. Reading books, rhymes, singing songs, talking often are all great ways to enhance the language skills of a child.

Anvesha can identify her body parts, count till 20, knows her ABCs, knows the twelve months of the year as well as the days of the week, she can identify basic shapes and colors too ( Proud me !!!). She is beginning to understand the concept of big and small and few other opposites. The other day she pointed at my hands and said, "Mamma's hands are big, Aanu's hands small !!!!" She is able to work with simple puzzles with guidance and enjoys crafts, coloring, drawings, although much of it looks like scribbles right now. I have been collecting all the crafts that she has made, I feel it will make a great keepsake once she grows up :) She loves books and is able to understand what is happening in the pictures and the story books. At this age a child is an active explorer and enjoys learning about new and different things. It is during the first few years that the brain is most flexible and adaptive so it becomes all the more crucial to expose her to all the new experiences.

Anvesha isn't 100 % potty trained, but has shown remarkable progress in the last few months and I am pretty confident we will get there soon. Speaking of toilet training I couldn't resist myself to post this video... like I said earlier, she loves to pretend play and this video will certainly bring a smile to your face when you see it :)

She is a fussy eater, but there are few things she loves to eat, these are fruits ( she is a fruit lover ), potatoes, paneer, cheese, curd and I have to come up with innovative ideas every day to sneak those veggies in her diet. She loves to sing, dance, play with balls and absolutely lovvveees Elmo and Minnie Mouse. This gives me some interesting ideas to plan her next birthday. So will it be Elmo or Minnie Mouse this time?? Hang in there and you will soon find out !!!

I feel she is getting ready for school and we plan on getting her into preschool starting this fall... but more on that later...... This is a wonderful age to be in. All said and done I would call it the TERRIFIC TWOs..... 

Out and About

The best things in life often come free.... like spending time with your kids. You don't need a loan to take them out on fancy vacations, just a visit to the neighborhood park is something they will enjoy and you will create thankful memories of giggles and grins.

By default, I often take Anvesha to the same parks, play areas over and over again. I feel like I am in a rut when it comes to exploring the plethora of play grounds/kids places. With the weather getting nicer, I am ready to explore!!! Summers are especially the time to take advantage of the myriad wonders of nature and other outdoor play spaces.  What better time now to break out of that rut !!!

Sammamish is a great place for kids. When we moved here from Bellevue, I had mixed feelings about how we are going to settle in since I had been in Bellevue for 5 yrs and was quite comfortable with the surroundings. But as they say, no matter how hard we try to resist it, change is always good :) There are infinite parks, trails, lakes and kids' activities that go on all year round here. First things first, I got her enrolled in the music class and she has completed the spring session :)

Outside play time is absolutely essential for a child's development. Firstly, it takes the child away from technology like computers, TV and there are a lot of developmental tasks including exploring. risk taking, developing fine motor skills that a child can achieve while playing outside. Some of my favorite childhood memories are ones from my outdoor activity. Coming home after play with my hands dirty, clothes full of stains almost daily ..... playing cricket, even though we didn't have fancy playgrounds in our neighborhood, making boats out of paper and following it right till the end of the dirty "naali" is something I will remember forever. We used to come home tired and hungry with yummy meals waiting for us :) So when Anvesha comes home with stained clothes, I don't fret since I know she has had a good time outside.

                                              

Some of the places that we have explored apart from the neighborhood playgrounds are Pine Lake Park, East Sammamish Park and of course our backyard with the big pool :) Hot summer days are here to stay and its the best time to inaugurate our brand new inflatable pool. Anvesha can spend hours inside it splashing water all over.




When we are outside she loves to collect leaves, sticks and while running skipping or learning how to pedal her tricycle, she nor only exercises her body, but also her mind. I guess this is why outside playtime is so important.

Anvesha's first haircut

A child's first haircut is the cutest thing ever and is also a monumental step signifying the end of babydom. No matter how long we try to put it off, its an inevitable milestone that we all have to face some day. Some parents do it themselves, wielding a small scissors and cutting those tiny locks, while others go for all the bells and whistles of a kiddy salon- yeah you read it right: A kids salon !!!! Chairs that look like trains, or fire engines or airplanes !!!! cartoons on multiple screens !! Lollipops !!! Stickers, plus a fancy toy to take home to.

Technically speaking Anvesha already had her mundan ( hair shaving ceremony ) at 11 months, but I would not call it her first haircut- it was more of a traditional thingy that  HAD to be done at a certain time. So by  the time she was 28 months she desperately needed a haircut- a professional one. It was time to tame the unruly quaff and repair the uneven growth that only toddlers are privy to. Plus, I was tired of putting it in barrettes and clips to hold them from falling into her face, just to have her pulled out 2 minutes later.

So to get Anvesha prepared for the big day , I started telling her stories of how a princess once cut her hair just to look more prettier. A girly girl that she is, she really looked forward to the "haircut" just to look cuter than ever before :) So I took her to a kids salon named Bratpack kids. Its a salon designed especially for kids and the waiting area has a train table and many dvds for kids to choose from for watching during their haircut. Iam so J !!!!! I wish I had such a fancy salon while I was a kid :(

Anvesha chose to watch the Minnie Mouse dvd and hopped onto the chair and sat gracefully... her little body was covered by a giant yellow cape  while her hair was being trimmed and dolled up; making her look like a genuine Gerber baby.... so proud of you Aanu !!  I had to plan it though, making sure the appointment is in between mealtime and nap time- that way she isn't hungry or cranky. I went thewir a little early so that ANvesha kind of "absorbs" the surroundings.  I would highly recommend Teressa from Bratpack for anyone who is looking out fr their kid's haircut. She is good with kids and Anvesha loved her. 

She also got a certificate of her first haircut with a strand of her hair attached to it : how cute is that !!!! 

The new Look !!!!

Anvesha is now all set for summer in her new look :)