The Sweet smell of cilantro on my hands. The aroma of chicken korma and fish curry simmering fills the house with all of the goodness it was intended with. Ashish started it. Let’s be clear about that. While driving to the grocery store, he commented about chicken korma being the national dish of Britian. Suddenly, I had a strong hankering for it!

All I could think about was korma, korma, korma. (Not to be confused with Marcia, Marcia, Marcia by any bland means.) I carried on my conversation with Ashish at Costco and Cub Foods, only to be plagued by thoughts of korma. “Yes, Honey. I do like that” followed by a silent follow-up thought of ‘and I do like korma.’ “Yes, Honey. We should get that” followed by a silent follow-up thought of ‘and forget about Chipotle for lunch, I can almost smell the chicken korma stewing in my mind.’ Yes, it is time for some better-than-take-out Indian food. Hmn.

Maybe I should open a Chinese-Indian food restaurant with a Czech Bakery in the front? The one stop shop for ALL your cravings (Or, at least mine!). A cultural experience that will please your mind, body, soul, tongue and appetite!

Sometimes your body just craves good food. No Internet orders please! 🙂 Those brown truck drivers may be too tempted to open this package up and it would never reach it’s destination…Your tummy!

My new twist on the perfect korma recipe for a perfect sandwich:
Roti or Naan
3 tbls. Cranberries (jelled or sauce)
Enough chicken korma for half of the roti
~Add cranberries and korma on half the roti and fold. Eat sandwich style.

Plenty of Indians grow-up eating a mango chutney. Well, cranberries are my version of that. Think this sandwich as Thanksgiving, without the bland gravy, ever so kicked up a slight notch, all held in one hand. What a great way to use some of those gooblin’ good leftovers! Ashish said I should patent this, so use it while you can! 🙂 Sorry, I didn’t take any pictures. I was too busy reaching a stage of enlightenment.

Last night we went to an open house for gymnastics. We had a lot of fun with our fun-loving, no-fear gymnast who braved ALL the equipment. This was something new besides somersaults, back bends, rolls and walkovers.

There were tons of boys in varying ages, polite families and an informed coaching staff. Being that they follow the statewide school district age cut-off, September 1st, Nishad wouldn’t be old enough to be in the ‘pre-school’ 3-4 year old class. He would be with the 2-3 year olds.

However, we went back to open gym today, and when coaches asked me how old he was and what previous experience he has, they couldn’t get over that he was just 2 1/2. I felt so proud as they complemented his behavior, maturity and strength. When we chatted about levels, they said that they make exceptions and would evaluate him separately for placement with the 3-4 year olds.

When I shared this with Ashish, we both agreed that it is kind of nice that he would be the oldest in the 2-3 year old class. All in time… I don’t think he needs to decide today if he wants to be a gymnast or Olympian! 🙂 Of course, if he chooses that path, we’ll fully support him. For now, it’s ALL about the fun-factor!

Here are two clips of him at the gym today.

Nishad inherited quite the book collection from me, who use to collect them as teaching tools when I taught dance and in the classroom before he was born. “Our” collection continues to rapidly grow.

As a matter of fact, he has 4 shelves of books lined with some of the best books written. He doesn’t need to take a trip to the library, as he has his own. You won’t find commercialized theme or cartoon character books in our collection either. What you will find are multi-cultural, artistic, creative, rhythmic, global, peaceful, moral stories and folk tales which are thought provoking books that naturally lead children to a higher level of questioning and thought. Each book is special, respected and already showing signs of being well read and loved.

Nishad already knows several books by heart and can “read” stories to us. Nishad has been read to by his father and I since he was in the womb. We have pictures of him holding board books smiling and laughing at them when he was only 4-months old. He use to tumble over in laughter when I read, “I Kissed the Baby.” He enjoyed the old standby Seuss classics as well, like “Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You” as well as Carle’s “The Very Quiet Cricket.”

By eminent domain, Arun has since taken over Nishad’s board books. Though Nishad occasionally will bring one or two out to read it to us. Nishad has since moved on to books that leave this Mommy speechless as they aren’t “age appropriate” by any recommended means. Yet, they do captivate and hold his attention. Though he does enjoy picture books, he now also enjoys books with very few, or without any pictures at all. Books like The Chronicles of Narnia– I even read him some Robert Frost today.

He simply loves books and is one of those rare kids that when he gets a book for a gift, he truly gets excited and appreciates it. Books are his ‘entertainment’ as he has never been subjected to cartoons and ‘educational’ DVD’s/TV. He can be seen during the day reading books, magazines and when I bring in the paper he is quick to ask me to divide it so he can read too. He not only shares a love for reading with his parents, but he has two Aunties (Diana and Kelly) who also are book enthusiasts and are so generous when it comes to keeping his library well-stocked. They have given him some of the most meaningful, educational and fun books.

Though I am an avid reader today, that wasn’t always the case. As a child, I struggled with reading…and math (for that matter). I recall reading being a chore. I could re-read the same sentence five times and still not comprehend what it said. I was taught early on, by someone to read incorrectly. I was reading “word-by-word” instead of in a sentence format. No wonder I had weak comprehension and was labeled early on. It took until my Senior year of high school when a teacher asked me to read out loud for her. She instantly opened a portal to a new world for me- a love of books. Oddly enough, I think that my word-by-word reading is why I did so well at auditions for theatre. It slowed me down enough that directors could understand and hear me clearly.

Every thing that we experience in life teaches us something ~ if we are open to the possibility of the lesson ~ that will help us evolve into who we will become. Believe me, I had my share of frustration and tears… being labeled early on does weigh at your self esteem as a kid. However, I had dance, singing and theatre. Thank goodness.

It’s taken me many years to come full circle an embrace all that I went through in school as a kid. When I was in a teacher candidate, I had to confront my demons because I didn’t want to teach how I was taught. I then realized that it wasn’t me that had issues growing up- it was a few ‘bad apples’ that I encountered early on.

It also wasn’t until High School that I encountered a young and incredible English teacher who expressed to me my gift for writing. Something that no one ever said. While in college, my mentor, Dr. Luanna Butts, gave my spirit an edge that allowed me to pray and ask God to open my mind so that I could learn what I needed to learn as I wanted to be a teacher in his service. She was a tremendous ego-boost. So were others in the teaching department- especially, after they witnessed my field experience.

Another compliment, which I still have on one of my papers, came from an unlikely source; a math teacher. She went on to say what a gift I have for words and that I should really consider teaching English. Ironically, what she didn’t understand was that I was taking a subject matter that least liked me (ha!), and put a creative twist on the papers that were mandatory. It helped ease my numerological agony. Combined with Ashish’s tutoring (Oh, he was the best tutor!) and my creative play on numbers, I passed the class with a high enough percentage to stay in the education program.

Every thing I have experienced in life, the good and the not-so-good, have all prepared me for this moment, this time…to be the best Mommy I know how to be. I knew before our children where born that they would be exposed to reading at an early age, and I would never allow anyone to attempt to label my child. I know each child is a unique, talented and a gifted individual. It’s up to us to find out what that their gift is.

Though I’m no longer in the classroom, I’m still a teacher. In some respects, I always have been. People are often surprised when they learn of my early strides in the land of academia. I recall someone even saying to me, “But you’re so smart” as they stopped instantly as if to realize how one could interpret the comment they made. Even kids that don’t learn well in a rote environment are smart. Surely plenty of books have been composed on just such a topic, however, I don’t need to read a book to find that out.

For the last 2-weeks Arun has been saying, “Mamma” though on occasion he thinks he is British and calls out, “Mum-mum.” Well, I am the Queen Mother now, aren’t I?

As Bill Gates said, “If our public schools were run like a business, they would all be bankrupt.” I agree with the Gates’ assessment of our public school. Our schools are in dire need of serious reform.

Ashish and I do our part to help and support our community as we want it to be a great place to live. It’s not only disappointing to wittiness the system fail, but frustrating as a parent. When it comes to our children, we need to be proactive and do what we feel is best for them. I don’t think that many current school districts have the best interest of the children as a first priority.

I personally wanted to see where our state stands in regard to education- standards and the system that evaluates those standards- so I recently started contacting our representatives for answers. We also are seeking to hear what other parents in our situation have expressed. That is, parents that choose to enroll their children in the private sector because district in which they pay taxes in doesn’t meet academic standards, doesn’t promote an environment conducive for learning and offer progressive opportunities. Which some people may agree or disagree with. We obviously feel strongly about it.

We had friends in last week that are educating their daughter at an excellent Montessori school in the Chicagoland area. It was interesting for me to listen to their experiences in regard to grants, vouchers and contacting their elected officials over the matter. Claire, who is in grade school, has been Montessori educated since pre-school. This year her parents will be paying $10,000 for her academic year. Claire’s parents tried to enroll Clarie in a top notch Chicago Lab School for a 3-week summer school session (ironically the same school Obama’s daughters attend), and it was a little over $1,500 for three weeks. Furthermore, for Nursery School (Half Day) $11,442, Nursery/Kindergarten (Full Day) $16,674, Grades 1 – 4 is $18,492, Grades 5 – 8 is $20,286 and Grades 9 – 12 is $21,480. I would think those numers would be depressing for any ‘average’ or even upper middle class family.

So why have I gotten my soap box out…again? Well, I as a parent, advocate of children and lover of all types of minds, I am seeing more and more of a great divide in our country in regard to education. Those obviously with the means will go to the best schools available, which leaves the rest of the children in less desirable school districts that have administrators, that despite increased funding, can’t manage.

During the 2008-09 school year, our district will receive $8,257 per student in general education revenue from state and local sources, compared with a statewide average of $9,063. State funding is $7,436 per student, compared to a statewide average of $8,182. Referenda revenue totals $821 per student, compared to a state average of $881. After viewing the “general Fund” and summary from our district, I put it in terms that were concrete to me. This means a classroom of 25 kids equals to the amount of $206,425. A Classroom of 30 kids equals to $257,710. Yet, administration can not manage a classroom on that budget and asks for more funds.

Likewise, Ashish and I will not only be paying taxes into the school district in which we live, but we will be paying a tuition fee of $6,000 for 9-months, Monday through Friday, 3 hours a day, toward a Montessori pre-school. This, of course, doesn’t include a $200 material fee, $50 application fee, active participation and volunteering in the community, supplies, etc.

Ashish and I wish there was a grant, voucher or tax break for those that take their children out of district to educate them. This doesn’t mean that people still wouldn’t pay taxes to the district, however there could be a percentage applied to the district of choice and parents would be responisble to make up the difference. I know we are not alone when I say that we are don’t want the government to tell us how our children should be educated. We also don’t want to subscribe to the idea that our current school district is good enough, “will do” or hope and pray that things will be okay and work out fine.

I for one, was educated in a mediocre public school. If it was good enough for me, it is good enough for our children, right? Wrong. Having worked in both private (Montessori) environments and public, I know there is a distinct difference. Public school with it’s ‘quick to label’ system (remember, the more labels a school has- ESL, LD, even gifted, mean the more funds it receives) of over-crowded classrooms and low-expectations is not what we want to subject our children to.

Learning is a natural process- enrollment in school should be a natural one too. This is our new quest. To seek answers about education in our state and push for freedom of choice- whether that be private, public or home based. This doesn’t mean that we judge people accordingly as to how they choose to educate their children- as we hope you don’t ‘judge’ us. It simply means that this is something that is important to us…

Some things I have since learned:
When children reach the ages of the K-12 system, Minnesota’s education tax credit and deduction provides limited help to families, as do Aids to Nonpublic Students that help offset some costs related to transportation, textbooks and counseling.

Once of kindergarten age, the state also has extensive school choice options that open up many public options to your family outside your resident borders for no charge. Many such options will require you to provide transportation however.

Legislation in some states has created tax breaks for contributions to scholarship funds that can then be awarded to help fund educational expenses for families in both traditional private schools and in public school programs where fees or tuition is charged. In Minnesota, the advocacy group that has taken a lead in advocating for such legislation is the Minnesota Independent School Forum.