Art, Books and Soon, Music/Arte, libros y pronto, musica

If you have been to Chicago you can probably recognize this lion in front of the Art Institute. Emilio was introduced to it on Sunday. Steve and I took him to the museum and Emilio and I went to see some of the paintings while Steve waited in the lobby. I just went there to plan for my trip with my class on Wednesday and I was only going to be there for a little while, so it didn't make sense for Steve to pay $12 for such a short time. Chicago Public School teachers don't have to pay.

Emilio looked at the paintings with interest, mostly the portraits. He just loves faces! We both enjoyed looking at Renoir's Two Girls on a Terrace. I''ve always loved this painting and I think Emilio was able to appreaciate the colors and the girls' faces. I was carrying him in the Baby Bjorn within him facing out. I loved seeing him extending his arms, reaching, trying to touch the paintings.

I know he won't remember this trip, or if he will have a deeper appreciation of art if he’s exposed to art. Honestly, I took him because I just love seeing the world through his eyes and seeing the expressions on his face when he sees things for the first time.

After our visit, we went back home and spent the rest of Sunday playing, taking naps and eating peaches, apples and pears. We also played with Ana, La Rana. The toy comes with the book, that tell the story of this frog and all the things she likes to do. Emilio enjoyed grabbing it from my hands. He thought the whole thing was hilarious. Hey, he is easy.

Today, I had my last book discussion of the year and I took Emilio with me (a last minute thing) .We discussed the book When the Emperor Was Divine, a sad and beautifully written story about a Japanese family imprisoned in an interment camp. We talked about the loss of identity (these people were Americans but were treated like the enemy), the repeated pattern in American History (annihilation of Native Americans, anti-immigration laws, internment camps, attacks on muslims after September 11, and more anti-immigration laws).
At different times, the story is told from the persepctive of the mom, the dad and the two kids. We never know their names; someone said that's the author's way to tell us that they were not important, they didn't matter becuase they were the enemy.
We pointed out the fact that most people in the camp were "accomodated" and didn't complain or rebel, but they were also able to find some subtle ways of rebelling, such as saying the name of the emperor under your breath or walking around camp at night when it was not allowed.

To me, this book was also about the joys and pains of being from two cultures. Not knowing where you belong and being between two worlds can give you some freedom, but at the same time you might feel lost, with no roots, not belonging anywhere. There is also the matter of how you are seen by others. I guess your identity is not complete without the others' idea of who you are.

I highly recommend this book (Lisa, you might consider this one for your next read) .

Emilio seemed to enjoyed being around people and played quietly with his toys until he got hungry. I gave him a bottle and he fell asleep. When he woke up he “read” his own book, Don Quijote y los molinos, from the Deditos (Fingers) collection that my parents got for him (and he got kick out of throwing it to the floor again and again).

So besides art and books, soon Emilio will attend "formal" music lessons. I signed us up for 8 weeks of Wiggleworms at the Old Town School of Folk Music. This programs includes singing, playing instruments and circle dance. I know, it sounds kind of challenging for a kid who just today was able to sit without support for 7 seconds. It'll be fun, though, I'm pretty sure. Like I said before, I don't expect him to become Mozart, but I'll pay a $100 to see him smile, laugh and bang instruments for a while.