Nighttime Excursions

Our family just before bedtime wearing our pjs I bought in Egypt

Most evenings, before the kids go to bed, Axel and I have a ritual. First, we turn off the lights, then we make the kids do some yoga breathing exercises. 'Breath through your nose, out through your mouth.' Once the kids are calm, Axel and I tell the kids to open their 'special eye'. Hindus believe this is between your eyes and just above the brow line. (In fact, whenever Heavah rats out on her brother that he didn't close his eyes for the prayer, I always ask her 'How would you know, your eyes are supposed to be closed.' That is when she confidently states, 'I saw with my special eye, mom').

Once the children open their 'special eye' we have one of the children choose where they would like to go visit. We have been all over the world and beyond. We've been to Nepal and rode on elephants, Malaysia and climbed the twin towers, Africa and seen hyenas, the moon and examined a crater, Italy and tasted the delicious pasta, Turkey and shopped at the Grand Bazaar, Indonesia and walked through the rice fields, and of course, Canada and America to visit with grandparents and cousins.

The whole exercise is so fun because we get to hear what the children think about the world. They each come up with their own comments, "I see zebras eating grass", "I see pyramids where they used to put dead people", "I see aliens walking around", etc. One time we took a trip to China and Heavah [knowing that every time she buys something at DragonMart (a whole mall dedicated to Chinese crap), her toy never seems to make it home in one piece] said, "Wow, look at all the Chinese people, walking around just breaking things!" Indeed, honey, that is what they do in China.

So, give it a try and watch the world open up. It is wonderful to believe that there is no place on the planet, or universe, that isn't accessible with your 'special eye'.