Kindy Kids

Today I gave a workshop on songs, stretches and games at Kindy Kids school, for teachers. I'd met many of them on Thursday when I told stories for their students, as well as for the students at a few other schools in their consortium. These teachers were great! So was Katia, the principal! They gave up their Saturday morning to be there, joined right in on all the songs, asked good questions, and I think had a good time. I certainly did.

The children who saw me on Thursday made me a thank-you card:

Here's the inside:

And a detail from the inside: 

Claudia, the wonderful teacher who presented this to me also told me the story of the Indian girl who was promised as the bride of a prince. Though this was a great honor, her true love lived in the Amazon river, a pink manatee (boto cor-de-rosa). She went to the Sun god and asked if she could be married to the pink manatee. No, she would have to follow her family's wishes. She cried under the Moon and then asked the Moon god if she could marry the pink manatee. Yes, but only under one condition, that she be changed into a flower, a Victoria Regia. She agreed to this condition and was changed into a Victoria Regia, a flower that blooms pink in the moonlight.

When I heard this, I thought maybe it was a night-blooming cereus, but I've just looked it up to discover that it's a specific kind of water lily. Lovely!  This is the flower they put on the outside of the card, and it's the reason they said, "Thank you for being such a flower in our garden!!!" 

By the way, it IS spring here, with Halloween just around the corner.