Russkis will save the World (why do we have to do the dirty job?!!)

After learning about Russian Space Agency's plans to build a spacecraft that will change the trajectory of meteorite Apophis coming to Earth in 2036, Alyosha created a trilogy depicting this future action. My suggestion of possibility for Alyosha to be a pilot on that spaceship also served as a good motivation to learn "all the sciences there are and work really hard".

Here is the trilogy (Earth, Sun, Apophis with rockets all around him ready to burn the bastard)

and here is the story

ROSCOSMOS – the Federal Space Agency of the Russian Federation – launches the project to save the Earth from a clash with the asteroid Apophis, which can happen in 2036 according to forecasts of some scientists.

As the ROSCOSMOS head Anatoly Perminov stated on air of the Voice of Russia, one scientist had lately told him that the trajectory of the asteroid is constantly approaching the Earth. Also the astronomer told him that the asteroid is three times bigger than the Tunguska meteorite.

“Calculations show that within the time frames we can create a special space vehicle that will allow avoiding the collision, without annihilating the asteroid or blasting any nuclear explosions” – Mr. Perminov added. “Once the decision is taken, we will promulgate it. The threat of collision can be staved off” – the ROSCOSMOS head emphasized.

It should be mentioned, that NASA specialists consider this collision as quite a remote possibility. Earlier Russian scientists also stated that Apophis is not a Threat to Our Planet.

http://www.russia-ic.com/news/show/9484/

It will be a Texas Christmas

A couple of weeks ago we told Alyosha that we are going to Texas for Christmas. He is very excited about that, but I have to share the very first question and the resulting thought process he had after realizing that we are going to be away from home on Christmas morn. The obvious question is how will Santa Claus know where we are. That is easy, just write a letter, right? But, think about it, if we don’t write a letter and Santa leaves our Christmas wished presents at our home in Portland, then he sees some extra kids in Texas, he will have to leave presents there too—as long as there are cookies and milk set out— we will all get double presents! So, Alyosha asked if we could make cookies before we leave for Texas and put them in the window.

Although, he informed me today that he has way too many toys and he does not want any for Christmas. He only wants real science equipment-like a tele-microscope to look at fossils and he wants a dinosaur claw and/or tooth (real). Alyosha made sure that we know that LUKA wants a racecar with a track and extra train tracks. But, no toys for Alyosha. In fact he wants to go ask the homeless people who have built a camp a couple of blocks away if they have any kids so he can give his extra toys to them. (We ride our bikes by the camp every day-no kids though)

Other than just scheming for Christmas presents we have been busy little bees. Luka and Niki and I did the fall Polish the Pearl, picking up what little trash there was laying around our Tanner Springs and Jamison Parks. Roma and Alyosha were at Emanuel donating blood-we get the good citizen of the day award for that Saturday. (Alyosha doesn’t donate blood, by the way. He just goes with Roman once a month as support.)

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We also attended the Portland Art Museum’s free Family day that showcased the China Design Now exhibition. There was Chinese dance, music, food, art-making, and cultural activities. The kids really did have a good time, despite the looks on their face in the picture!

Luka and Claudia enjoying a walk on a beautiful Saturday morning. This was how we chose to wear the kids out before going to the Symphony in the evening. It worked for Luka, but Alyosha is too old for resting and naps now.

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Here we are walking to the Portland Youth Philharmonic. Yes, we walked all the way to the Schnitzer (basically across downtown) pushing the kids in strollers. Classy! I love living downtown! The kids earned the tickets from the library during summer reading—No parking, no problem! But, speaking of Luka’s nap earlier-he fell asleep during the performance. The sleeping part would have been ok, but he snores. Not just a cute baby snore; Luka snores a full blown hipposnore. Alyosha always tries to fall asleep first so he isn’t bothered by our little hippo. When Roma stepped out with Luka so we didn’t disturb the adagio, Alyosha said that it was ok because it was boring anyway. “Not the whole thing, just the music part” We thought about our time leading up to the symphony: reading this summer and talking the kids into taking symphony tickets rather than another water squirt gun as a prize; waking early for a full breakfast so we could hike just enough to wear them out for a good nap; cleaning up and dressing up for a fancy night out; walk across the whole town (in heels); patience waiting for the thing to start; snoring during the performance; the kids waiting in lines during intermission to try out each instrument (Alyosha has perfect ‘mouth pucker’ for the French horn and Luka rocks on the harp); 10 pm pizza because everyone is starving; bed at 11 only to still wake up at 7am the next day….is this cultural experience worth it? 110 percent.

We had a pre-visit from Cheryl. She is coming to have Thanksgiving with us next week, fun! She doesn’t give small kisses—only really, really big ones.

P.S. on this post….Roma has an interview! Yeah! I don’t believe in bad luck sharing this before it happens. In fact I believe in good luck because now all of you will pray and think positive things for Roma and if he is meant to get this job he will and if not, we will wait for the right one to come along! (Don’t bother him with questions though-it is an interview for a job he will like and that is enough for you nosey people. We will share more at the right time- patience is a virtue :-))

Art Camp at CHAP

This is Alyosha's first masterpiece--first of many now! I will give you his description:
Once there was a bird on a big rock. The bird saw all of the salmon in the ocean and decided two of them needed to be big. So the bird said Peeee Caw Pee Caw and the Salmon in the ocean got to be huge! They were sad that they couldn't go into the rivers because they were so big. So the big salmon told the other regular salmon to swim up the river. They became the spirit of the salmon that gave the direction for the salmon to go to help them reach the start of the river. On the way there were bears and many dangers, but the strongest and smartest salmon survived and make it to the top of the river.

Here is Frank holding Niki.

The kids after their first day of Art Camp. The camp is a mixture of kids from the community and kids who got to know CHAP through the hospital program. There are great kids from ages 5-10, in wheelchairs, without arms and all excited about art. All doing the same projects and working together to have fun and experiment with their creativity. I think that kids are just amazing.

They have been so great to us letting Alyosha and Luka and myself work on the garlands for their Christmas project in exchange for the kids painting and playing in the art factory. They are learning a great lesson--Alyosha says he is doing the work so Frank can go teach in the hospital. I am so thankful for the Art camp, it has been great. The kids are making spirit lamps and hula hoops. They are doing yoga and ti chi. Alyosha loves it.

CHAP

Alyosha and Luka got volunteer jobs at CHAP after a wonderful party we were invited to. An 'Angel' donated $400 for Isobel's Clubhouse to give the kids a party at the CHAP Art Factory. CHAP is an acronym for Children's Healing Art Project. CHAP brings the healing power of art to children in crisis and their families with a mobile team of teaching artists working in Portland's children's hospitals. In 2009, CHAP will work with over 10,000 children and their families. The Art Factory is one way for CHAP to raise money for the project. They usually charge $5 an hour per kid to allow them to do whatever they want with paint, collage and creativity.

We chatted and chatted with Frank, the head guy, and he was great. He said that if our kids come in and 'work' an hour they can then play an hour. We are making garlands that they will sell or give to donors at Christmas time. It has been fun so far...we will see how it goes.

The kids are painting the cardboard box castle from the inside. There are hidden buckets of paint everywhere--it is a kids world there.

Luka made a painting of a bear. He is into bears in all of his artwork right now. He made poke strokes on the cardboard castle.

Alyosha got a little too encouraged and started thinking that every stroke of his brush was creating a piece of gold. He turned into one of those cartoon scenes where the character takes a brush in each hand with the whimsical music going on in the background and with 3 strokes paints the Mona Lisa. He had a lot of fun though and now he really is creating a masterpiece : River with Salmon--it is a work in progress so more on that later.

Niki enjoyed his post as observer of all activities.

Art Museum

We had a special tour of the Portland Art Museum and it was GREAT. What a wonderful place for children and the art is amazing. As you will see soon enough, we are getting into the art mode for now--the kids are loving painting and drawing and telling stories. I think we are doing a great job this summer inspiring little minds with our little summer group; it shows in so many ways.

This is an original Monet painting. One of his 250 Water Lilies that he painted during and after the First World War. The museum guide told us that he painted them for as relaxing encouragement for soldiers returning from the front.

Romka sneaked photos as we were going through the galleries. We had approval, but the various museum security people didn't know it so we were discreet and quick.

My photo wasn't as good as Annie Lebovitz, but I think that Luka is surely a character like Steve Martin.

My little artists creating their own masterpieces. Alyosha made an exploding volcano and Luka had a happy bear.

The Portland Art Museum will be our next membership--only $50 and so much to see!

Alyosha's Art Work

Alyosha has been practicing his drawing with the "I Can Draw" books and I recently found a jackpot of them at the thrift store for .49 cents--which is great when they are usually $5 or more each. Here are some of his drawings that we sent to his pen pals around the world--some haven't arrived to the recipients yet, so even though you see it online, it can still be a surprise to you if you get it in the mail. This first one was for Alyosha's friend Jacob, who lives in Houston with Justin and Stephanie and little sister. It is Jacob and Alyosha standing under the sky on the grass. Their hair is standing straight up because they haven't had a hair cut in a long time and the wind blew it straight up.

The Sea Dragon is from one of his new drawing books. Lines up are the spikes, and the big round circle is the open mouth with lots of teeth. The black line/dot on the right side of the sea dragon is his eye. Alyosha did this, along with the letters totally himself.

This one is an underwater scene. The Scuba Diver is Alyosha when he is grown up. He is searching for lost treasure under the ocean. I did a pencil drawing of the scuba diver, then Alyosha traced it and did the rest. The fish swimming on the left side of the page is a Siamese fighting fish, like the one we have in our aquarium named StopN'Go--Alyosha did that one totally himself. This fish swimming in the picture is also named StopN'Go.

This drawing has a lot of action going on in it. There is a boat with an arrow on the sail that describes which way the bot is sailing. There are two passengers on the boat and the spiky wheel at the front is the 'rule' (steering wheel in Russian). The boat is about to run into the erupting volcano, and the two passengers are at the back of the boat so they don't get burned up by the exploding lava. Under the ocean there is a blue octopus swimming beside his friend the squid. The squid was going to save the octopus but the octopus squirted his black ink first to protect himself and the squid from the dangerous shark that is in the middle of the ocean above the starfish. Alyosha drew this scene almost totally himself, I just gave him the outline of the boat. But the scenario was totally his, as well as the descriptions I have here!

The artist.

Busy Kids

The kids had a Jackson Pollock art class today--an American artist famous for his action painting. Action painting is the best style for the 5 and under artists--and can even be fun for the adult artist! Alyosha is pointing to their section of the canvas--the brown back ground was created by 'skiing' with brown toes and feet--then the splatters are the ones that were lucky enough to land on the canvas rather than the ceiling, walls, my hair etc...



Luka is a good big brother





Luka is a monkey on the bunk beds.





Thank you Gala and Ded for the welcome gift for Nikolai!



The kids concentrate when there is any kind of important work to do--like coloring frogs and dogs.