New workout partner

Today Daniel and I went on a short 2-mile walk. Not a single time did he ask to be carried. He´s a real trouper and loves to come along for a stroll.

Holidays

It's that time of year again when families get together and children get totally spoiled by grandparents. My kids are certainly enjoying the all the attention and new experiences that only grandparents can provide. There is a bright light in their eyes when they smile and a deep innocence in their laugh - these are priceless moments.

Being with my family and enjoying it are part of the true blessings of the Holidays for me!

Snowflakes

It snowed in Houston today!

"Secret it"

In the car, on the way to a party this weekend Kaila wanted me to tell her where to find a new set of moldable soap I had saved for her. Not wanting Daniel to hear the hiding place (and maybe beat her to it when we got home) she asked:
"Mommy, can you secret it to me when we get to the party?"

When did secret become a verb? Is this some new kids thing that I'm way out of the loop on?

Kids section

I couldn't help it but browse a little more... the kids posters also have some pretty neat finds.

Vintage Film Posters

I've just spend some time looking through some pretty, artsy, original Czechoslovakian film posters from the 1930's through the 1980's at
Terry-Posters.com. Many of the posters are available for sale in store at the Světozor Cinema in Prague and online. All the prints are original. For sale or not - they're all well worth browsing.

Jane McDevitt from Maraid Design Blog has a recent entry with the posters that she acquired at Terry's. Maraid's Flickr photostream also has many neat design finds - I love her collection of matchbox labels.

Cocktail a la George

Jack asked for milk with his dinner tonight. George opted for apple juice.
After a few sips Jack decides that apple juice seems like a better choice. Adults say, "No, drink the milk you asked for...". George as a good 3-year old host, without skipping a beat, pours his apple juice into Jack's milk. The two were as happy as could be - Jack enjoyed his "apple flavored" milk and George was very proud of himself for sharing! I couldn't help but laugh. The joys of a separate dinner party table for kids.

Happy Thanksgiving

Google has the cooolest Snoopy and Woodstock doodle.

ABC featured today "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving". I was glad I recorded it. As much as I like Snoopy, the ratio ads-to-program was extremely high, making it not worth watching the regular program without the >>FF control.

'Tis the Season

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and we're coming up on holiday specials. Yahoo!TV just posted a series of Christmas shows with air times on thier site. I want to catch "A Charlie Brown Christmas" on Tuesday, 12/01/2009 at 8pm ET on ABC.

Happy Birthday!

It's been 40 great years!

40th Aniversary - Sesame Street

Google has some really need google doodles this week celebrating the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street coming up next Tuesday, November 10.

Big Bird was the first one featured on Wednesday, then we had Cookie Monster and today it's Ernie & Bert.

In Brazil, Big Bird is called Garibaldo.

A Year in Japan

I've just finished reading
"A Year in Japan"
by Kate T. Williamson.

The book is printed in thick pages with beautiful cursive writing and very nice art work. Kate talks about her experiences and many unique places to visit in Kyoto and around Japan. She describes with grace the intricacies of life in Japan. You'll learn about moon-viewing, wash cloths, Zen meditation, counting tofu, paper cranes origami.

Dark

No fun getting home from work when it's already dark...

Post-Halloween with Calvin

For all those of you experiencing tons of snow already...here are some ideas from Calvin!

Happy Halloweeen!

Free downloads of the pug stencil and other breeds at BetterHomes&Gardens. Stencil designs by Diane Starkey.

Banana Bread

I promised Daniel we'll do some cooking/baking this weekend. Banana bread sounds good right this minute... I like this recipe from Betty Crocker - last time, we used star shaped pans for an extra special look.

Banana Bread

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 3 hours 25 min
Makes: 2 loaves

1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (3 to 4 medium)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts, if desired

1. Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2 inches, or 1 loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches.
2. Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Add bananas, buttermilk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt just until moistened. Stir in nuts. Pour into pans.
3. Bake 8-inch loaves about 1 hour, 9-inch loaf about 1 1/4 hours, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.

Substitution
If using self-rising flour, there is no need to add baking soda and salt.
No buttermilk on hand? Mix 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice or white vinegar and enough milk to make 1/2 cup. Or substitute 1/2 cup plain yogurt.

Mirror, mirror...

Alice laughed. "There's no use trying", she said; "one can't believe impossible things."

"I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. There goes the shawl again!"

Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass

e-book

Chaco

Chaco Culture National Historic Park in northwest New Mexico is well worth the visit. I was there for the first time close to 8 years ago - would love to go back and see it again.

"Chaco Canyon was a major center of Puebloan culture between AD 850 and 1250.
It was a hub of ceremony, trade, and administration for the prehistoric Four Corners area.

Chaco is remarkable for its multi-storied public buildings, ceremonial buildings, and distinctive architecture. Its structural elements combine pre-planned architectural designs, astronomical alignments, geometry, landscaping, and engineering to create an ancient urban center of spectacular public architecture--one that still awes and inspires us a thousand years later.

The Chacoan sites are part of the homeland of Pueblo Indian peoples of New Mexico, the Hopi Indians of Arizona, and the Navajo Indians of the Southwest."

O Poema

My favorite poem from Brazilian poet Mario Quintana published in his book Poesias.

Uma formiguinha atravessa, em diagonal, a página ainda em branco. Mas ele, aquela noite, não escreveu nada. Para quê? Se por ali já havia passado o frêmito e o mistério da vida...

A loose translation

A little ant crosses, in diagonal, the page still blank. But he, that night, didn't write anything. What for? If by there had already passed the essence and mystery of life...

Family "Fortune"

Dinner at Mai's has become a family favorite. Their Pho' Tai is the best.To wrap things up we always get a fortune cookie each. Sunday's messages were just right:
Daddy - "Be yourself and you will always be in fashion."
Kaila - "You have an active mind and a keen imagination."
Daniel - "You will always be surrounded by true friends."
Me - "A small act of charity will go a long way."

Athletic Conditioning

I started an athletic conditioning class at the gym on Wednesdays. The instructor keeps the class fast paced and challenging. We usually end up with 100 push-ups in 10 to 20 increments, work with free weights, medicine balls, figure 8 elastic bands for squat-jacks, and bosu balls. On Thursday my legs were tired and a bit sore (in a good way). I guess the class is working as intended - it complements my running really well.

String?

Nothing like jumping on the bed listening to good music. Yes, a favorite of my kids. Last week I bought them a new tape with children's songs and they were having a blast. The tape ended and there was quiet for a little while.

"Bath time...", I call. As Kaila comes to meet me she asks, "Mommy, what's all that string for?"
"String? What string, Kaila?"
"Come see...", she says.

I get to her room and Daniel is happily pulling the ribbon off the cassette. The 'string' is pooled by his side! Luckily the tape was not torn and after a few minutes of manually rewinding the 'string' back into the cassette, we had music again.

One of the reasons I purchased the old-tech cassette tape was to show the kids how the tape deck in their little boom box worked. I guess they got that and a little more. It's fun to see Kaila FF and wait for the tape to get to the next song - rather than just pushing one button in the CD player for the immediate gratification of her next favorite song.

Atchung!

Today Daniel sneezed and before we could say anything he went "Bless you, Daniel!". It was too funny and sweet.

Picnic in the Park

The kids enjoyed a picnic in the park today. The second day of Fall brought us the first cool evening to Houston since early Spring.

Kaila insisted on sitting on a blanket on the grass - "because when we have a picnic, we sit on the ground not on tables."

Daniel was delighted to have all his favorite foods and family together - "Mommy, we have every thing we need!" He said this very same thing on 3 or 4 occasions during our outting. It was pretty sweet. It's nice to hear from a 2-year old that life is just perfect at that very moment.

Abbey Road

Winnie, the Pooh, turned 80 in 2005. Old news, I know, but yesterday I came across the book The Art of Winnie the Pooh by Disney celebrating Pooh's birthday. Richard Sherman, the composer/lyricist for The Many Adventure of Winnie the Pooh, wrote an inspiring foreword describing his adventures with Pooh since the 60's.

Several Disney artists were invited to submit an art piece for the book. One of my favorites was Abbey Bridge by Eric Hutchison inspired by The Beatles' Abbey Road album cover. Hutchison captured the four friends Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet crossing Abbey Bridge. Here is his description: "Tigger displays the same bravado that Lennon made famous. At his heels is Piglet. (Sorry, Ringo!) Behind him is the leader of the pack, Pooh, as Paul McCartney. And last but not least, Eeyore, whose striking similarities to George Harrison are almost eerie."

What do you see?

Earlier this year there was at lot of discussion and controversy around Wikipedia publishing the Rorschach plates and their interpretations.

Well, Daniel's class had a perfect answer to the whole thing with their art project "My Little Alien". They created their own Rorschach plates - or so I say.

This one is Daniel's piece. What do you see?!

Delusion

This quote by Paul Watzlawick just seemed to fit right in here after O'Keeffe, illusions,and hypnic jerks.

"One’s own view of reality as the only reality

is the most dangerous of all delusions."

Hypnic jerks

Sounds bad, but that's what those "electric shocks or jerks" you get just when you're falling asleep are called. Alternatively one may also use hypnagogic massive jerks - even worse.

See wikipedia for more details...hypnic jerks.

I haven't gotten one of these in a while; at least, not that I remember. They are quite disconcerting and annoying to me, since I always take a while to fall asleep. A hypnic jerk sends me right back to the starting line.

As I put Daniel to sleep a couple of days ago he had a pretty big one. It sure startled me as I sat beside him; but Daniel didn't even budge - asleep he was, asleep he stayed. At the end of the day he is one tired boy.

Optical illusion

This has to be the best optical illusion I've ever seen. The magnitude of the movement perceived in the leaves is incredible!

This picture was part of an article in Woman's Day. The magazine links it to a Flickr account that describes the picture as " found on some academic website". (It's sad and unprofessional that the magazine did not credit the author.)

After a brief web research I was able to track the original author: Akiyoshi Kitaoka. He calls it "Plastic Dongurakokko". For great tutorials on how to build optical illusions and other amazing images visit Kitaoka's website.

http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/~akitaoka/index-e.html

Sea Shells by Georgia O'Keeffe

A few days ago I finished the O'Keeffe Biography. The first few days I missed being transported into the artist's world. Interestingly enough, today through a few unrelated links, I came across a post on the blog Completely Coastal displaying 3 of O'Keeffe's wonderful seashell paintings.

A Flowers link in the Completely Coastal post sends you to art.com that carries a large line of Georgia O'Keeffe prints. The quote in one of the prints pretty much symbolizes who O'Keeffe was:

"Nothing is less real than realism. Details are confusing. It is only by selection, by elimination, by emphasis that we get at the real meaning of things."

Umbrella Day

I'm getting ready to go for a run in the morning and I hear this tingling noise on the window...rain...I wait for a while and the weather clears a bit - humidity is at 100%, but it's not too hot. I get home and I poll the kids for a trip to the zoo. Yes! We get ready to go and it starts sprinkling again...hey, get the umbrellas. Let's go. And off we went, umbrellas in hand. The kids actually had fun in the rain - thankfully it never got too hard while we were walking around.

After the zoo, we waited out some showers and went on a train ride around Herman Park.

A fun day. Zoo promise kept.

Trip to the Zoo

I owe Daniel a trip to the zoo.
He asked so politely today - Mommy, can we go on a trip to the zoo?

Jump Rope

Kaila jumped rope for the first time today. It all started with a drawing posted on a cabinet in her class.
Mommy, what is she doing?
Jumping rope.
Do we have jumping rope in school?
I don't think so, Kaila.
(But her teacher readily interjected - Yes, we do!)
You have a fun class, sweetie. Hug and kiss... bye.

When I came to pick her up in the afternoon, she was all excited.
Mommy. Mommy, do you know what I learned today?!
No, what did you learn?
Jump rope!

I hope it takes a while for her to have her "Sally" day with the jump rope... ;)

Keep Seahorses in the Sea

As a family we took the pledge to keep the seahorses at sea.
Please do the same.

"Seahorses and the places they live face a range of threats in the wild, including destruction of the coral reefs and sea grass beds where seahorses live, fishing techniques which mistakenly catch seahorses, and collection of seahorses for souvenirs or for use in traditional medicines.

Each year, millions of seahorses, corals and other marine animals
are collected alive and dried as souvenirs. These products spell serious trouble for declining seahorse populations. "

Pledge to avoid these sea life souvenirs—and spread the word to friends and family.


http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/

Sea Horses & Dragons

From tinny tiny to quite large ones, the Monterrey Bay Aquarium put together an amazing new exhibit of seahorses and seadragons.

My everytime favorite in the permanent exhibits is the jellyfish.

Kaila could not get enough of the hammerhead sharks. She also got a kick out of the baby seahorses.

Daniel loved the sharks, period.

It was fun to watch the kids in awe of the fish and otters swimming all around in the giant tanks.

Desk

My computer desk is a mess right now. Maybe if I blog it, I'll get motivated to clean up tonight!

First Day in Kindergarten

Today was Kaila's first day in kindergaten! She is very happy in her new class. She even had homework.

Tangle Tamer

Long hair does not have to come with tears for detangling anymore! Kaila got a cordless Remington Tangle Tamer as a gift from her teacher. And it works!!! The comb has large teeth that vibrate and glide through the hair making detangling a breeze.

The model we have is the DT-800.

My First Ballet Class

Kaila is going to her first ballet and tap class today. She has been waiting for it for months. I sure hope it's somewhat close to what she is dreaming about.

Everytime I take her to a ballet performance she asks if she can go dance on stage, too!

- The ballet class was a success. As we were leaving the school Kaila asked, "Is my class going to be longer next time?" The 45 minutes did go by pretty quickly! She was too cute out there. I got to watch it from the mirrored window in the next-door room.

O'Keeffe

For the past few weeks, I've been reading A Biography of Georgia O'Keeffe - Portrait of an Artist by Laurie Lisle. I've always loved O'Keeffe's bold yet sensitive art. It's been interesting to get a glimpse of her personal life albeit through the story of others.

She was definitely an artist I would've liked to have met.



I visited the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe about 10 years ago. Seeing her original paintings and Stieglitz's photographs were quite an experience.

I love her 1917 Nude Series watercolors and her 1926/27 large flowers oils. Two of my favorites, the White Rose and the Oriental Poppies.

In 2010, Santa Fe will be celebrating 400 years - great place to visit. Plan ahead!

Back on track

The sun took a break at lunch time today. The cloud cover made for a pleasant day outside (Houston standards, mind you). I went for a run along the reservoir in the opposite direction I normally track. To my surprise, after I left the groomed part of the trail, the butterflies were there in numbers! My favorite, the swallowtail, followed me for a good quarter of a mile, then came the gulf fritillaries with their silvery adorned wings, the variegated fritillaries, the sulfurs, and a buckeye. They made my day so much happier...

Damon Mound

The Houston Geological Society hosted a field trip to Damon Mound this Sunday - a salt dome with a Miocene reef draped over it.

Lots of dragonflies were flying around the pond that sits over the dome.

Spinach souffle'

The Barefoot Condessa swears by her souffle' - perfect every time! I plan to try it this week.

SPINACH AND CHEDDAR SOUFFLÉ by Ina Garten
Serves 2 to 3

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the dish
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for sprinkling
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup scalded milk
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/2 cup grated aged Cheddar cheese, lightly packed
1 package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
5 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter the inside of one 6-to-8-cup soufflé dish (6 1/2 to 7 1/2 inches in diameter x 3 1/2 inches deep) and sprinkle evenly with Parmesan.

2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the hot milk, nutmeg, cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, for one minute, until smooth and thick.

3. Off the heat, but while still hot, mix in the egg yolks. Stir in the Cheddar, the Parmesan, and the spinach, and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

4. Put the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed for one minute, on medium speed for one minute, then finally on high speed until firm, glossy peaks are formed.

5. Whisk one-quarter of the egg whites into the cheese sauce to lighten, and then fold in the rest. Pour into the prepared soufflé dish, then smooth the top. Draw a large circle on top with the spatula (it helps the souffle rise evenly) and place in the middle of the oven. Turn the temperature down to 375 degrees. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (don't peek!) until puffed and brown. Serve immediately.

NOTE: To make in advance, prepare the recipe through Step 3 (adding the cheeses). You can do this up to 2 hours ahead. Keep mixture covered at room temperature, and then proceed with the recipe just before baking.

Published in House Beautiful, August 2009.

Botanicals

A fun-filled Saturday

Pool party at 8am... yes, 8am on a Saturday...OK here we go. Bagels at 10am. Art class at 11am. Shopping for ballet at 12:30pm. A stop at home for Daniel's afternoon nap at 2pm. Making a pink head-band and a dress while Daniel napped - the sewing machine came out of the closet after years collecting dust. Daniel's up at 4pm and we're on to hanging out at home - crayons, computer games, magnets, Kid K'nex blocks. Dinner with Daddy at 7:30pm - Vietnamese? No! McDonald's... and now we're going to start our going-to-bed routine - settle down, milk, brush teeth, floss, read book, lights off.

Highlights of the day

- Kaila spent the day in her new ballet leotard. She tried it on at the store and fell in love with it. She didn't even take it off for the register. The salesperson just cut the tag and rang it up. Her tap shoes were on and off her feet several times this afternoon, too.

- Daniel made several K'nex figures, or as I call them, little monsters, all by himself! As Kaila says, "zero help". He was mighty proud of his monsters, too.

- Daddy: "Kaila, did you have fun at the party this morning?"
. Kaila: "More fun than I've had ever!"
I guess the water slides were more of a hit than I thought...

Hydrangeas everywhere

I've been seeing hydrangeas everywhere these past months. They were growing wild in Kauai and the Big Island.

The August House Beautiful had several of their spreads with hydrangeas. Every spread in July-August Veranda had hydrangeas in it.

I love them. My Mom loves to have them around the house, too. A little taste of home.

Den10Studio has a beautiful hydrangea print in her etsy shop.

Snap Snap

Since last week Kaila has had one thing in her mind, being able to snap her fingers. She has been practicing it non-stop. Yesterday, she finally got some sound to come out of her snap. She was the happiest kid on the block.

"Mommy, can you hear it? I don't even have to put it near your ear anymore!!"

2009 High Winds - it's starting...

A satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration at 3:15 a.m. EDT shows Tropical Storm Claudette as it comes ashore in the Florida Panhandle Monday Aug. 17, 2009. It is the first named storm to hit the U.S. mainland this year.(AP Photo/NOAA)

Over the Atlantic, Hurricane Bill formed early Monday. The storm had maximum sustained winds near 75 mph that were expected to gain speed and top 110 mph, the threshold for a major hurricane.

"We do believe (Bill) could become a major hurricane during the next couple of days," said Daniel Brown, a hurricane specialist for the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Bill was centered about 1,160 miles east of the Lesser Antilles and moving west-northwest at 22 mph. The five-day forecast shows the storm passing northeast of Puerto Rico and heading toward Bermuda.

By MELISSA NELSON, AP

Kaila's Lion

In keeping with the big cats theme for the week, Kaila chose to draw a lion on Wednesday evening.

Summer cleaning

Today Kaila and I succeeded in cleaning out her closet. Our next task is to find a new home for all the things we no longer need...

Are we there yet?

Sunday Daniel was running around the house asking

"Are we there yet? Are we there yet?"

I never quite figured out where he was going!

When Is My Birthday?

July is a "popular" birthday month in Kaila's class. She is a few months off from the cluster, so her party seems to be always very far away from everyone else... this is her drawing a week before Catherine's party.

Missing the Beach

The sun, the clouds, the rainbow; the beach in yellow, brown & green, the ocean, the wave and the birds in the sky.

Kaila's free drawing at home.

Kaila made me this beautiful tiger drawing tonight before going to bed. Her "model" was a picture of a tiger from the Animal Encyclopedia.

"It's for you, Mommy!"

Hawaii

Specks in the middle of the Pacific, that's the feeling you get when you fly over the archipelago of Hawaii. As you land and explore you quickly realize the uniqueness of each one of islands.

We spent 2 weeks enjoying all the sites, sights and sounds of this incredible place. The kids were delighted to have the beach just minutes away, Mommy, Daddy & GrandPa's undivided attention, and many airplanes rides. Our adventures took us to Oahu for 3 days, to Maui for another 3, to the Big Island for 4 and to Kauai for the last 5 days.

Bunny ears, bunny ears

"Start over...I just can't seem to do it!"

These were K's exact frustrated words. When did a 4-year old learn to speak like that? She kept trying and trying to tie her tennis shoes in the car yesterday. Then ...

"I did it! I did it! Mommy, am I an amazing tier?!"

She tied and re-tied her shoe laces over and over again yesterday.

K's first success with bunny ears, bunny ears.

Boom Boom Clap

We bought our first Hannah Montana CD today!

"Ms. Shelley's daughter" visited K's pre-school class today and taught them the Hoedown Throwdown. K has performed her version of it countless times since we got home in the last 2 hours.

In the car, with CD in hand, K told D that she would have to teach him the "Boom Boom Clap" as she calls it. And that was because he had not seen "Ms. Shelley's Daughter" at school and "Ms. Shelley's Daughter" was the expert on it. K goes on to explain to D that when she gets really good at it she will also be an expert. At that point it was pretty clear that expert was the new word of the day. She has used it several times this evening... on her own making sure she doesn't forget.

Dragonfly

And now there are 4...

One more egg in the nest.

And not too far from this nest, I spotted another one also with 4 eggs.

Killdeer

The bird from yesterday -- it's the killdeer (Charadius vociferus) named for its loud call kill-deeah or kill-deeah-dee-dee.

The Smithsonian Handbook of Birds of Texas describes it as the largest of the ring plovers and the only double banded plover within its range. As I observed, the guide goes on to describe how it "leads intruders away from nest and young with 'broken wing' act, rapid calls, one or both wings dragging, tail spread, and often limping or listing to one side. Once lured far enough from the nest/young, the 'crippled' bird suddenly 'heals' and flies away, calling all the while."

Natural instincts

at the end of my run today I was surprised by a bird at the bottom of the trail. At first it looked injured, but as I approached it quickly moved farther away and re-started the "injury" dance. After a few steps I noticed a small nest with 3 eggs on the ground camouflaged amongst the rocks. I believe the bird felt the nest threatened and started to act injured to distract my attention from the eggs. Very interesting. I came back with my camera and he repeated the dance once again.

It's nice to be back running after a long 12-week break. Today it was more a run-walk-run in the noon heat.

Celebrate life

A friend passed away this weekend after battling brain cancer.

HMNS Warriors

A couple of weeks ago I visited the Terra Cota Warriors exhibit. I was disappointed with the layout of the exhibit. It failed to impart the magnitude of the discovery - the illusion of scale was missing. A large wall panel featured a photo of the excavations, but you could not get far enough to get a feeling for the dimnension of the site.

The individual warriors however were very impressive. Each life size figure seemed to have it's own character and personality. Since viewing the warriors was the main point of the exhibit, it was still very worth while.

I learned... after the warriors were sculpted the craftsmen first painted a layer of lacquer on the pieces then colored them with mineral paint. In the process of unearthening the warriors in the initial excavations, the water in the lacquer layer evaporated causing the original paint to flake off. It wasn't until 1996 that new technolgies were able to prevent the flaking and discoloration of the pieces. The PEG2000 process covers the terra cota with a solvent that permeates into the lacquer and replaces the water. The HEMA process stabilizes the paint by electron beaming and is reported to work better on larger pieces.

Many warriors were severely damage by roof beams collapsing on them as a fire raged through the complex they stood gard beneath. Many of the excavation pits are just thousands of pieces of hundreds of warriors (and in some pits their horses).It takes many months for the 3-dimensional "warrior puzzle" to be sorted and glued back together.

Homework for Mommy!

I thanked Ms. Chelsea once again today for the alphabet song and she asked Daniel if Mommy already knew the song. "No!" was his answer... I guess I have some homework to do. My 2-year old is telling on me.

Illusions in Japan

More on illusionary arts... A new dot on the map for the Japan trip: Trick Art Museum at the foot of Mount Takao, Tokyo.

The gorilla with its mouth wide open is drawn at the corner of an exhibition room. The boy with the alligator is standing to the left of mirror.

Photos by AP photographer Shizuo Kambayashi.