“Mama can you tell to papa that I standed on this step, deep deep in the swimming pool?”
“Mama can you tell to papa that I ate all the carrots and tomatoes in the bowl?”
“Mama can you tell to papa that I can jump like a football player, high up in the sky?”
“Mama can you tell to papa that I sit like a big girl in the chair?”
——–
“I’m sad to travel ‘out papa.”
“I like to travel with papa.” (Pouting)
He’s meeting us in NY guys. It’s going to be lots of fun.
“Yay!!!”
Early one morning a couple of weeks ago.
Leila: Where’s papa?
Me: He’s on a plane, going to Houston, in America.
Rahul: Like the pilgrims?
Me: Yah, to America like the pilgrims. But he’s on a plane, not a boat, so he’ll be there by tomorrow.
Leila: Can you be papa?
Me: What do you mean can I be papa?
Leila: Papa talks French. You talk French.
Me: Woah. Oh. Tu veux que je parle en Francais avec vous?
They both look up at me, eyes gleaming. And smile.
Rahul: Papa talks Francais.
Me: D’accord, on peut parler en Francais.
Leila: Papa. Papa, I want to go to Etats Unis.
Me: On va aller aux Etats Unis bientot cherie. T’en fait pas…..
(Ten minutes of French later)
Me: Ok guys, come on, let’s go downstairs for breakfast.
Leila: Nooooo, you are papaaaa…you talk French.
Me: Ah, oui. J’ai oublie.
Rahul: No talk Francais mama. Talk Anglais. Waaaa. You are mama now.
To explain where stories come from, we helped Leila and Rahul make their own mini-books. I transcribed their stories.
Natasha Visits Dr. Leila
by Leila
Doctor Leila goes for a walk.She goes to the nurse’s house.
The nurse goes to Dr. Leila’s house.
They do a blood test for Natasha.
They check Natasha’s heart. (L and R both demand I draw a heart on this page!)
They heard dook dook, dook dook, dook dook.
Then they checked her lungs.
Dr. Leila and the nurse sent Natasha home.
Natasha became better.
THE END
The Dragon and the Princess
by Rahul
Once upon a time there was a princess who was stuck in the dragons cave.
And one dragon said, “Who is here?
The dragons blow fire at her.
She called the prince. He faught the dragons with his sword.
The dragons threw fire on the prince as well.
The dragons left the cave.
THE END
Wonderland
by Rahul
Once upon a time there was a dragon and a princess.
The dragon blew fire on the prince and princess.
Then suddenly, the nice fairy appears and fights with the dragon.
And the dragon flew away.
THE END
Nemo the Shark
by Rahul
Nemo the shark bites everyone. But he is scared of the dragon.
One day Nemo met the dragon in his house! (R: Mama put an excamashun mark)
The dragon blew fire on Nemo. It hurt a lot. (R: draw a dragon here. Blowing fire. – I managed a dragon brontosaurus dog with whiskers blowing a sock.)
THE END
Both IV lines are just off. Down to oral meds- morale in the room is up!
Malaki Paul is a brave little boy who goes straight to the hearts of the judges and audience at Britain’s Got Talent 2012. He feels what he sings.
Partway through the audition he breaks into tears.
A teary hug from his “best mum in the world,” and he starts his song again, and he sings into everyone’s hearts.
R and L love to watch Malaki. It is our favorite video.
He’s brave,they both say. L and R are almost in tears with him, and then once Malaki is past the climax of the song, the second time round, they light up with the audience and judges.
Mama, he’s a spider! Rahul exclaims. He falls and then he keeps on getting up and up and up!
Rahul and Leila chopping play dough vegetables.
Maher: Qu’est ce que tu cuisine Leila?
Leila: Uhhh, I’m cooking mothika.
Maher: Ah bon. C’est quoi “mothika”?
Leila: Papa, ummm, en francais c’est lita.
A few months ago when the Chengdu rain was pouring incessantly, and probably around a full moon day, I bought a bunch of frames from Ikea. I picked a handful of my favorite paintings by R and L and created a colourful installation.
Me: Do you think these two work in here, in the black frames?
Maher: Yeah, why not. But what do you want to do with all of these frames?
I tore down my yoga-photo wall. After 7 years, a change was necessary.
Me: What do you think Maher? Does it all look fine like this? Too bad for that basket ball hoop.
Maher staring at his Ipad: Maybe you should put them up at a museum.
Me: Oh man, thanks for your help. But hey, what a great idea 
photos by Maher
