Just created this Add for Tender Seedlings (Baha'i Class and Playgroup for Toddlers aged 1 to 5) to post on my blog.
I actually created it to be featured on the on-going activities section of 'Ridvan' (the monthly Baha'i Newsletter for South Australia), with address and contact details etc..., but did a revised version without my actual address and phone number for my Blog.
So, how do you like it? :)
For those of you who are in Adelaide and are interested to send your toddler to 'Tender Seedlings' or know someone who is interested, you can leave me a message on this blog or email me to get the contact details.
I just found a blog (Taylor Made Designs) who has tutorials on how to do tricks with photoshop to make your pics look much better. Here is what i just did with one of the pics of Mona.
From this picture:
to this:
Ok, I admit it, I am not a pro yet... but i am progressing...
I just need to figure out how to make her face and lips not so bright...
I really enjoy digital scrapbooking, well at least when i have the time to do so...
Yesterday I was playing around with photoshop and was playing around with some pics of Mona and changed them into different styles and effects and when i was happy with how they looked, I've put them on a layout digi scrap style.
Here is a few pictures of how my layouts turned out...
"I hope your dreams take you to the corners of your smiles, to the highest of your hopes, to the windows of your opportunities and to the most special places your heart has ever known."
Here are some pics of Mona's first fringe cut by me!! I am no expert in hair cutting, and although Mona was moving quite a lot, I managed to give her a decent fringe cut. Ok, ok... that's not true, I totally messed up on both sides and the front is not totally straight, but now that the cut isn't fresh anymore, you can barely see it... lol But Mona didnt care how much I messed it up, she really loves her new fringe and was showing it off to everyone saying that her hair was pretty!! Plus everyone thought I had her hair cut at a salon!! lol... so I guess it doesnt look that bad after all... lol...
I am so happy and excited right now... We just had "Tender Seedlings" (Baha'i Class for little Toddlers) and i just couldn't wait a minute to blog and post the pics and videos.
We had such a wonderful time and the children are really showing big spiritual development and progress. They are such gems and precious beings!
So today, we started as usual with devotions and sang the Baha'i prayer "Blessed is the Spot" and today the two toddlers who were present, Aryan (3yrs) and Mona(2yrs) started to sing with us too!! It was so nice to finally hear them sing the prayer together with us!! And Aryan sang the whole prayer, while Mona just followed for a bit. But I was really impressed by Aryan, he did such a brilliant job at it, it was so nice and touching!!
Then I showed them the two videos of the same prayer sang by children (one is an animated version of the prayer with pictures of each word etc and the the other one was a video of children from around the world, each saying a word of the prayer in a different language). They really enjoyed the videos and wanted to keep watching it over and over again.
Then I told the children the story "Good Morning Sun" with the help of some of Mona's toys (a bird, a bunny, a fish and a little dolly) and a big cut out form of the Sun. The story was mainly about how the animals and the little girl are happy to see the sun shining in the morning and each in their own way thank God for the beautiful sun He sends us every morning. The little girl in the story thanks God every morning for the Sun when she wakes up by saying a Baha'i morning prayer. So after the story we made cut out suns for the kids and they also wanted to make some moon and stars, which we did. Just then Aryan started to act out the story i had just told them by using his suns and moon and the little animals. Mona was quick to join him in the story as well and they both act out the story for us. It was so beautiful, they even added the moon to the story and we told them that they have to thank God for the shining moon at night by saying a Baha'i night prayer to God. We had such a lovely time and it was so wonderful to see such quick progress made by the children. Aryan is definitely the one who is showing lots of rapid progress and Mona is slowly but surely catching up to him. These little children are really the gems of our community and we should all nurture them with the utmost love and care, so that they grow into beautiful pearls and precious diamonds. Even though we only had two toddlers present for the class, I must admit that it was one of the best class we had so far.... and I am so excited about the future ones to come!! So proud of those little angels (could you have guess that by now??).
Here is the video and some of pics of Aryan and Mona showing off their crafts work. Enjoy....
Shrine of the Bab, on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel
Today was the 158th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of the Bab, the Forerunner of Baha'u'llah.
The commemoration was held in the beautiful house of some lovely friends in our community.
We read prayers and Tablets from the Baha'i Writings on the Bab and His Martyrdom. We watched some videos and heard the story of how His Martyrdom took place. It was a very dignified commemoration and was shared with love and joy of the all friends present. I truly felt that radiant love in my heart!
For me, personally, it was a very emotional day!
I had been preparing myself all week and today while i was reading the story of the Bab's Martyrdom, I couldn't stop the tears flowing from my eyes during the reading.
I am also so very happy, that I told the children at "Tender Seedlings" (Baha'i Class for little toddlers) about the Bab and His story last Saturday, because since then, each time little Mona would see a picture of the Shrine of the Bab in books or in videos, she would point out to the picture and say: "Look mummy, it's the Bab!".
And Mona knew that today was a very special day to remember the Bab.
At the house of our dear friends, there were huge framed pictures of the Shrine of the Bab hanging on the walls, and Mona did point out to some of the pictures to let everyone know that it was the Bab.
And when she say a picture of 'Abdu'l-Baha (Son of Baha'u'llah), while He was still young, she pointed to the picture saying: "It's Baha'u'llah"! lol... I told her that it wasn't a picture of Baha'u'llah but of 'Abdu'l-Baha when he was younger. And then she said "Aaahhh!". lol...
As I prepared myself spiritually for the commemoration of the Martyrdom of the Bab, in the her own way, Mona prepared herself. And the songs that my father send me about the Bab, also helped Mona to connected more with one of the Central figures of our Faith.
After the commemoration, we had a big pot luck lunch, with yummy Persian dishes and sweets.
We went for a big drive while Mona was having her nap in the car, and when she woke up we were at the beach in the area where we used to live, and she was so happy and excited when she recognized the playground.
We then went to visit Mona's great grandma, Maman Ruhi and her great great grandma, Aghijoon. She really enjoyed her time there too.
We went to the shopping center for a little bit and then had dinner together before we headed back home.
Here are some pictures of Mona in the arms of the host at the Commemoration of the Martyrdom of the Bab.
She was so happy there, and kept calling the host and other ladies 'haleh' (which means auntie), and was happily going in their arms and giving them hugs. She didn't want to leave when it was time to go...
Yesterday we were in the city during lunch time and we had lunch in china town. We were having stir fry meefoon noddles, and there was a family sitting next to us that were eating with chop sticks. Mona took her straw from her drink and started to eat with the straw like you would with a chop stick. At first she use two straws, then decided it was too difficult to handle and just used one straw instead.
And the other pictures are of Mona playing with her doctor set, which had a pair of plastic glasses without any lense! She looks so funny when she wears them.. she looks geeky!!
This week Baha'is mark the 158th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Bab, one of the two central figures in the founding of their religion. On 9 July 1850, at noon, the Bab was put to death by a firing squad of 750 soldiers in the public square of Tabriz, Iran. Six years earlier, He had declared that He was a messenger of God whose mission was to prepare the way for the imminent arrival of the Promised One of all religions who would come to establish a new age of peace and prosperity in the world. In 1863, Baha'u'llah announced publicly that He was that Promised One. The Bab attracted tens of thousands of people to His teachings, thousands of whom were killed in persecutions that swept Iran. Finally, authorities had the Bab Himself put to death in an attempt to stamp out the new religion. A half century after His execution, His sacred remains were brought to Haifa for entombment on Mount Carmel. Today His shrine is one of the most famous landmarks in Israel, and the Baha'i Faith is established in virtually every country. The anniversary of the martyrdom of the Bab is one of nine holy days when Baha'is suspend work. It is commemorated with prayers and special programs at noon on 9 July.
Here are some pictures and videos from our latests 'Tender Seedlings'. 'Tender Seedlings' is our first Baha'i Devotional and playgroup for Babies and Toddlers (o to 5) in South Australia. Its more really like a mini Baha'i Children Classes.
The pictures are from the craft/activity time for the children and it was about being a 'Brillant Star' (the theme of the story). And pics of refreshments. The videos are from 2 weeks ago and it was during story time, the story was about how everychild has special gifts/talents/gems in them and that with a little love and care they could bring it out and share it with everyone. The kids really loved that story!! Enjoy!
"I hope your dreams take you to the corners of your smiles, to the highest of your hopes, to the windows of your opportunities and to the most special places your heart has ever known."
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