Three days before Christmas, and all through the house…
We’ve been busy getting ready for Christmas. The girls finished school on Monday, and are now settling in for a long summer holiday. They don’t go back to school until February 7th, which, as Sophie says, is “only 9 days before my birthday!”
We’ve had a string of hot days with afternoon thunderstorms, but the predictions are for a rain-free Christmas weekend. Let’s hope the predictions hold out as we are planning mostly outdoor activities for Christmas.
The children of the Wairarapa Montessori School present “The Mountains of Tibet”
This is the tale of the eternal cycle of life, death and rebirth as seen through the eyes of a young Tibetan girl. We follow her adventures as she grows up, marries, and has children of her own. When she dies she discovers that life after death includes the opportunity to live again. Now she must choose where she wants to live and what she most wants to be. (Adapted from the book “The Mountains of Tibet” by Mordicai Gerstein)
Sophie played a Tibetan villager and a Galaxy dancer. Rachel played the planet Pluto and a Native American.
It was a beautiful production with lots of original music written by teacher Pauline Harter. The kids helped write some of the songs too, adding their own lyrics.
Yesterday, Rachel announced that when she was older, she wanted to study the planets and the stars. “What’s that called? astr.. something?” she said. “Astronomy,” I told her. “Yeah, that’s it. And I’m going to go to university in Christchurch, because that’s where they teach Astronomy.” She was talking about the Astronomy and Astrophysics department at the University of Canterbury.
Last year, though, she announced she was going to be a geologist, so we might need to wait a few years before she knows for sure. But it’s a promising start that everything she picks has to do with science. The world needs more women scientists, and Rachel’s got the smarts to do well.
And I know that because I’m her proud mum. 
Today, December 1st, is the recognised “First Day of Summer” and it was a beautiful day. And it ended with the brightest sunset that we’d seen in a really long time. The orange colour was so intense.