Passover and Auntie Fran’s Art Studio

Posted on | April 29, 2008 |

Well, it’s been over a week since I last updated everyone on things here. I spent a week hosting my lovely niece, Eliana, and her parents (along with Flat Stanley!) here at Casa Saperstein. The spoons were spent early on but it was a lovely time filled with family, laughs, and new traditions.

Eliana attends a Jewish Day School, where she learns Hebrew and Jewish traditions as part of her daiy curriculum. She picks up languages easily and reads Hebrew really beautifully. As part of the Passover Seder, the youngest person in attendance customarily reads “The Four Questions” about why we celebrate Passover as we do. For over 15 years, I have been the youngest in the Saperstein family. Now, however, Eliana has taken over that role. She read the Questions beautifully in Hebrew, bringing tears of pride to my MIL’s eyes.

While here, Eliana requested two things of Auntie Fran and Uncle Dave - to learn some art from Auntie Fran and to learn some magic from Uncle Dave. We happily obliged. Eliana spent time with Uncle Dave learning to do the “rice paper” trick. If this works right, you should see a video of their trick in tandem!

The other thing she wanted to do was to paint. And, while I don’t have photos of painting with her, I do have a photo of her finished painting. We started with a background. She decided to use blues and greens because she was going to paint a mermaid. While the background was drying on the canvas panel, we drew faces on watercolor paper and cut them out (similar to the style of Katie Kendrick’s work!) and then we glued those on. I taught Eliana a light touch with the paint. And she did a fabulous job. To the right is her mermaid with shell top, long torso, and great green tail and fins! She has a light iridescence all over her body and face from iridescent gold and silver paint. I think she did a lovely job!

To be honest, I was surprised that Eliana was so focused for the two hours we
painted the first day. While she painted, we talked about all kinds of things - how the colors got their names (as she read them from the paint tubes), how much fun it was to spend time together painting, and some things to surprise Papa for his birthday when she comes back in December.

On the day before they left, Eliana, her mother Andrea, and I went for a “girls day” at the nails shop where i get my nails done. I had gotten Andrea’s permission to get Eliana a kid mani-pedi, where they would just file her nails and paint them the colors of her choice. Eliana chose four different colors to use and also wanted flowers on her toes and fingers. Crystal, the nail technician was so fabulously good with her! Eliana actually sat for a long time not wanting her manicure and pedicure to be ruined, while her mother and I had mani-pedis ourselves! I took a photo of her patiently sitting with her nails while Crystal added flowers to her toes. We’re already planning to do it again next time she comes!

I am so honored to have such a strong connection with Eliana. My aunts were so important in my life and I can’t even begin to express their roles in my life. I hope I can be a support to her the way my aunts have always been to me.

Though the visit exhausted me and I did spend some time in bed while they were here, I miss Eliana dearly. My heart is full of the memories of our week together and her sweet hugs. Her drawings surround me and I know how fast the time will pass until I see her again, but I miss seeing that pretty face each morning!

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