Joyfully Learning

I Love My Butterscotch

2009-08-15T09:46:00.000-04:00

2008-12-20T20:22:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Apple Picking

2008-10-07T18:08:00.000-04:00

Declan had never been apple picking! How remiss was I?!?!

Braces

2008-10-07T18:05:00.000-04:00

Well, here comes a flurry of posts!

My computer hasn't been uploading photos, and although *I* think I am the most interesting person (smile), I do think the pictures make it a bit more exciting.

Ella got her braces on her teeth, and she seems to be doing fine. Everyone told us that the spacers were the worst part, and *now* I believe them.

Isn't she adorable in braces?

Skim Boarding

2008-09-06T18:52:00.000-04:00

This summer skill was WAY harder than it looked. I could barely even stand on that slippery thing!

Declan may be able to do it by next summer. We'll see. He is trying hard, that is for sure!

Hurricane Waves

2008-09-06T18:45:00.000-04:00

Hurricane waves make for the best body surfing! And a good heart racing workout for me on the beach :)

Good practice, I guess, for watching my kids take the risks they will take all their lives as they live and learn. It is hard to watch them give of themselves, and not count the risks. They wholly love their friends, their family and the gifts of the Universe as they are presented.

They dive right in.

They might get hurt.

But, as I see it, my job is to watch and advise. I would rather have them dive in and learn from the world. I don't want them to be cautious because of *my* fear. That would hurt them in more ways than a few bumps and bruises from being tossed to the shore by a big old wave.

Plus, I am waiting here, on shore, to help with a big sun warmed blanket and kisses and hugs, and yes, even CPR and lifesaving training.

Summer Memories

2008-09-06T18:11:00.000-04:00

This summer's big deal was boogie boarding and body surfing. It was really fun to watch the kids learn how to do this. I have so many great memories of that feeling of coasting along on the top of the water. And feeling the waves crashing over your head. Some of best childhood days were spent that way.

It is pure joy to see my children having the same enjoyment of the sea.

In August, we have a week called Old Home Week. One of the events is the fire trucks shooting foam and then the bonfire. The whole village seemed to show up!

The foam made the sand PERFECT for squishing in a burying your whole body.

The bonfire was perfect for a cute outfit and some fun with friends!

Leap of Faith

2008-08-12T19:37:00.000-04:00

She is SO BRAVE.

I learn from her every day.

Love it.

Ocean Swimming

2008-08-12T19:31:00.000-04:00

This summer has been pretty amazing, and I think it is in part because my kids are so comfortable in the water. This is the first summer in about a decade that I have not been to the beach with a kid needing me *in* the water with me. Today, we skipped down to our local pond for a quick dip. After the thunderstorms last night, there was a definite chill to the water that I was not ready for.

As much as I love fall, it is coming at me too fast and I plan to suck all the summer out of the next few weeks as I can.

Friends!

2008-08-10T09:35:00.000-04:00

We have been so lucky this year to have great friends come to visit. One of the best was these beautiful girls and their mama who were our neighbors for a fun filled week. Don't let the sweet, innocent grin fool you. This girl is a nut with a whoopie cushion or a joke camera!
This just says it all.
Declan was quite patient with all the girl-y energy. Water helps.

Joy's Summer

2008-08-10T09:26:00.001-04:00

Joy has had quite the summer. First she got an infection and was cold all the time. Then, she needed a cone for all her itches, and finally the guests have taken their toll.

Such a pitiful baby!
Then, she wore her cone and contacted aliens who turned her eyes all glow-y and possessed. Spooky.
Phew! Back to normal.
Until this little guy to visit. Oh, sure, he looks cute, but he is puppy! Play, play, play, play, play, eat Joy's food, play, play, play, walk, play, play. Joy's schedule is more like nap, nap, play, nap, quick pee, nap, cuddle, play, nap....She is so very patient with the kids, even the littlest ones who are intrigued by all her facial folds.
I love this last picture. It is so funny to me. Ella looks all beached-out, the puppy is so cute, and Joy looks like she really really needs a return to her nap-heavy schedule. *grin*.

The Simple Things

2008-08-10T09:22:00.000-04:00

Ah....the simple pleasure of some things! This is a hermit crab (you probably knew that). But, it began life as a one of those little tablets that you place in water and watch grow.

Since then, it has been a scientific experiment, a photo art model, and has now inspired some pretty awesomely designed digs on my kitchen counter.

Strangely, unlike most things in my house it has no name. Suggestions, anyone?

Declan's Lego Birthday

2008-08-08T18:24:00.000-04:00

My sweet sweet six year old. I love this little face so much!

The Minifig says "Happy Birthday Declan" :)
Okay, so I can't have a career in cake making. That is for sure. I keep trying, and goddess bless his little heart, Declan always thinks the cake is great. At least this was better than the Poke ball fiasco of 2006. But, I have to admit that somehow the red of the Poke ball and the "red" of this cake were somehow that same light shade (of "not pink").

The "before" picture in the reverse home makeover that is any birthday celebration.
And then there is the after. So much better :)

Vacations

2008-07-22T09:51:00.000-04:00

Here is an article I recently wrote that I thought fit in nicely here.

Vacations have been a casualty of our lifestyle. When child number two came along, air travel went the way of my old used BMW that didn’t fit two car seats. As we hang on to our now old gas sucking minivan, road trips from New England to the Grand Canyon will have to wait until we have that solar car. But, even still, I have scrapbooks filled with photos of my children making memories with family and friends. We have souvenirs from museums and train rides and boat tours. We have had the best vacations ever and the cheapest too. We vacation in our own backyard.

Well, not literally the backyard, although we have done that too. We take short trips to nearby places. These trips are as memorable, wonderful, and relaxing as I remember trips to Disney or the Black Hills of South Dakota, or Ireland, or New Orleans. In fact, they may be even more so for a few reasons. There is little time off work, maybe a day or two tacked on to a weekend. Generally, we are close enough to get to our family physician in a day. We speak the language. Our pets don’t need a kennel. My credit card is not getting filled to bursting. We know we can go back if we get too tired to do it all in one day or weekend.

You have probably had the experience of having guests visit and using them as an excuse to go to a somewhere everyone raves about, but you have never been. That is the idea behind The Best (Cheapest) Vacation. Think about what you want to see that is close to home. We generally try to go only about a half a day’s drive away or less. Here in New England, that can take us to the Berkshires or New York City, Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut or Harvard Square in Cambridge.

Typically, though, we stay much closer to home. So how do you make those short trips to vacation successful? We follow a few simple rules every time.

Plan, Plan, Plan
We visit our areas Chamber of Commerce on line. Request brochures, read online reviews, look at guidebooks. Act as though you are going somewhere you have never been and plan what you want to see when you are there. Get out a map and plan a route you might not ordinarily take. Maybe it is more scenic, maybe more highway driving.

In your planning, find out discounts, free weekends or weekdays. After all, you can go whenever you want and if the historical reenactment place you have wanting to go to is free the whole month of January, plan your trip around that.

Ethnic neighborhoods have some wonderful festivals that you can plan around. The Portuguese fishing village near you might have a blessing of the fleet, or the Greek neighborhood an open air festival. Perhaps a Swedish area has a particularly lovely Christmas stroll. An area you have driven by a million times can become a rich source of family memories. If it is close enough, you may discover a new yearly tradition. On one of our jaunts, we found out the Newport, Rhode Island St. Patrick’s Day Parade is outrageous. We had heard it was big, but being from Boston, I thought I knew big St. Paddy’s Day celebrations. The parade was so long, we left and went back to the hotel, took a swim, and then came back to see the end.

Frequently, if you live near a vacation spot, you can find excellent off season or last minute rates. And you are already in the area, so ask around. Make some calls and be glad you aren’t paying long distance rates! Some spots have discounts for locals, winter weekend packages, or rooms that will go for a song if you can be there right now for the weekend.

Travel in Style
Maybe your family likes diners, so plan to stop a few. A three hour drive can be a leisurely ride from breakfast diner to lunch diner with apple picking in between. We also like to stop somewhere really nice or super-cool on our way home. We’ve stopped at Polynesian restaurants with fire dancers, those places where you get the food cooked at your table, and found a McDonald’s with the best climbing structure around. Sometimes a rental car with great gas mileage that you can pack lots of road food in is cheaper than filling your pick-up truck’s gas tank and having to stop every few miles for snacks from the back.

Travel in whatever style suits you. My kids love to get up when it is dark, wear their pjs in the car, and get dressed in a rest stop. To them, this screams VACATION. They love rummaging around in a big cooler in the backseat and having a book on tape. If you are only going an hour away, it may seem a little silly, but this is how memories are made.

Memories
One of the things that make a vacation a vacation is a huge pile of pictures. Get each kid a camera. Take tons of pictures. Develop them. Pick up whatever little bits of paper float your way and stick them all in a book. In this internet age, my older child has made vacation blogs of digital pictures. Make online photo albums and invite friends to view your “vacation photos” of your hometown.

Definitely act like tourists. Taking pictures gets you in the mood for this. If you were in Paris, you would take your picture in front of the Eiffel Tower, wouldn’t you? So, go ahead. Stand like goofs in front of that statue in your town square. Heck, find out who that statue is of and why he’s there!

You may not be as crazy as we are, but we have been known to go so far as to strike up conversations with people explaining that we are touring and asking the “locals” advice. In this way we learned how to shellfish, which I never considered doing. Once, on one of our “trips”, we were so carried away that when we ran into someone we knew a couple of towns over, we greeted her with, “What are you doing here?”

Be the Tourist
Lastly, it is all in the attitude. I can’t stress this enough. You have to believe you are on vacation. Use some pixie dust if necessary. Definitely carry a camera around your neck and wear a t-shirt that proclaims where you originate from. If you look like a tourist, act like a tourist, and think like a tourist, people will treat you that way and the illusion will be complete.

Whoever said that vacation was a state of mind was right. I have the pictures to prove it.

Declan and the Ladies

2008-07-13T08:28:00.000-04:00

Declan loves his friends. He especially loves his girl friends :) We met his friend at story time at the library. They kept skootching closer to each other to listen to the story.
This one said he could be part of her BFF (best friends forever) club. Declan said he thought that was "a little bizarre", but was pleased as punch to be in "the club."

Bonfires

2008-07-07T09:04:00.000-04:00

This is when the building begins.

Throwing all the wood over the sea wall.
We don't actually build a bonfire ourselves. Our neighbors are the ones who really coordinate "our" section of the beach's fire. So we all always try to help out. See little Declan and Boston crossing the rocks for more wood? What beachy troupers.
They are getting bigger...and bigger... and they are going to be SO BIG!
Oh, yeah, baby, they are ready for some flame!!

These were really beautiful this year. Sometimes, the temperature, the tide and the wind all coordinate to make some really beautiful fires. But, alas, with all the fireworks going off and the kids running wild, once the flames started I *had* to put the camera down!

Fourth of July Talent Show

2008-07-07T08:54:00.000-04:00

Well, it was really the 3rd, but that's how we roll.

Among other festivities, we had the annual Talent Extravaganza.

Ella MC'ed and coordinated the talent (which is a bit like herding cats, but she got the job done!).

The karate girls. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the camera to get a clear picture of the kicks. Even in the sand, don't they look strong, focused and intense? Uh huh, they are.

The girly-girls doing the Cotton-Eyed Joe remix dance to The Dog Song by Nellie McKay.

The diaper dance karate improv roll in the sand having fun routine!

Oh, this was coerced participation in the show. Ella: "You can pretend to kill each other!" The boys: "YEAH! Then we'll DO IT!!"

Everyone took a nice bow :) We couldn't quite get our diapered lady to join in, but she got plenty of applause, too.

2008-07-05T19:47:00.001-04:00

Excellent Award

2008-06-30T00:43:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I have a confession to make.

My wonderfully supportive fellow blogger, fellow unschooler, fellow Red Sox fan and fabulous red-head to boot, Madeline, gave me an Excellent Blogger award. This meant very very much to me, but at the time, I didn't accept it.

At the time, I didn't feel excellent at all. I felt pretty darn crummy. But, I am trying to move forward to accept whatever comes my way. Not just be ready for it and open to it, but to get to the next level of accepting the gifts that those opportunities and moments represent. I am not so good at that.

So, now in an effort to be open to those gifts which are presented to me, I graciously, if belatedly, accept with humility and gratitude.

And I am passing it on to Strawberry Soda, whose attention to detail astounds me, and to Team Cash, who breaks my heart wide open in order to love even more. To get the award, peeps, you just cut and paste it. Then, if you wish, you too can pass it on.

Thank you.

2008-06-29T08:27:00.000-04:00

We saw this rainbow on Ella's birthday. Declan said it was a birthday gift from the Universe. Can you see the double rainbow part on the left? It was amazing.

When I was little, my mom used to sing my brother a song that went, "Luke, Luke, Luke and the rainbow, Luke and the rainbow will follow the sun"

We tried to follow the rainbow to the beach, but it was gone by then.

Freezing Things

2008-06-28T07:22:00.000-04:00

Lately, both my kids have been freezing their poor LEGO guys. My freezer is like a little Ice Age wasteland that gets discovered every couple of days.

Yesterday, a friend came over and they flung open the freezer door to show all these plastic cups and containers with little LEGO skeletons, Indiana Jones, Race Car Guy, and Stormtroopers. She was completely perplexed as am I. But they were proud and delighted and love freezing these guys.

Can you see the skeleton below? I guess it does look way cooler than when they were freezing the plastic snakes and lizards.

What? Oh, I didn't mention that this wasn't completely new? :) Oh, yeah, snakes and lizards in my freezer are so last week.

Rest in Peace

2008-06-25T22:04:00.000-04:00

Our sweet one-eyed Pirate Pug is gone from our lives. He was much loved, and very loving to us. We will miss him.

One of my favorite questions

2008-06-25T21:59:00.000-04:00

We were hanging around by or local pond today. There was a family of three boys near me, and one of whom was a redhead, so I kept inadvertently including them in my visual scan.
They were with their baby sitter, who was great and casual and fun, and one of the boys kept asking my favorite question.

He kept asking, "What will happen?"

For instance, his sitter said, "Don't bring your Popsicle in the water."

And he said, "What will happen?"

To which she gave my favorite answer, "I don't know, let's find out."

Sweet. They were wonderful to be near today.

What a game!

2008-06-21T21:26:00.000-04:00

And although I have been obsessed by the Celtics championship, I don't mean that game.

I mean t-ball. How fun is that game? That's the D-dog in the red shorts and white/blue hat.

Declan decided to play this spring again, and he has loved it. He was kind of not really really sorta ready for it last spring. I think the lying down in the outfield was the clue that he was not quite into it.

Fast forward to season 2008! Whadda battah!

He is so into it. Not even the cicadas could distract him. He said that he loved t-ball, but really felt he needed to play to get ready for little league. So sweet. This season his coaches were great and really engaged all the players. They made a team out of the kids, which really didn't happen last season and made for some wicked awesome Saturday mornings this spring!

School Dance

2008-06-21T19:23:00.000-04:00

Ella went to her first "school dance" this spring, and lucky me, I got to go as well. Sometimes I am so grateful for my experience teaching in the middle school, because the parents that I saw doing drop off and pick up looked a little shell shocked from loud music, group dances, goofy teachers doing the electric slide, and realizing that your child knows all these crazy new dances. Ella came to rock :)
Peace out, baby.
Sweet girl.

My New Nephew

2008-06-21T19:14:00.000-04:00

So I have a new "nephew," isn't he cute? Sadly, a while ago, my brother and his family lost the dog that they had had before they even had children. She was a great dog, and came all the way from New Mexico with them. Finally, after much grief, they decided to get another Chow Chow. He is very tired out from his day at the beach. Doesn't he look just like a little teddy bear?
He already looks like a "manly dog," I think, in these pictures, so the remote will give you some sense of his teensy weensy size. Well, he was the same size as Joy. But he'll grow.

Birthdays

2008-06-21T18:57:00.001-04:00

Who are these girls and why do they look so grown up?!?!?!

Not only were they grown up, but they were also *goofy*

Ella is turning 11 next week. This year, as a party, she decided to go to a movie and to lunch in the mall with her two BFFs.

It was a blast.

I had to laugh because when we were going over the schedule, Ella was concerned that there seemed to be some "lag" time, and what would we do in the mall. I said we could ride the carousel there. Her reply? "Mom. We're. Eleven."

Note the pictures of three very happy girls on the carousel.

Phillis Wheatley

2008-06-19T22:33:00.000-04:00

This is Ella as Phillis Wheatley *g*.
She wrote about her for a project and was really inspired by her story and liked her poetry as well.

I was Tagged!

2008-06-19T22:23:00.000-04:00

1. What were you doing ten years ago? Ten years ago I was living in Arlington, and Ella was turning 1! I was a teacher's aide on summer vacation, and Ian had just left ~ just about exactly 10 years ago.

2. What are five things on my to-do list? Get a job. Clean the basement. Weed. Mediatate. Love.

3. Where have I lived? Syracuse, NY; San Diego, CA; Berkeley, CA; Hyannis, MA; Somerville, MA; Cambridge, MA; So Hadley, MA; Arlington, MA; Seattle, MA; Newton, MA; Centerville, MA

4. What would I do if I were a billionaire?
Aftering paying everything off, and giving away everything, I would travel, travel, travel and follow the sun with what I could carry and the kids. See lots of culture, volunteer wherever I was needed, build stuff all over.
Settle somewhere (even in this fantasy, I know I am a homebody) and have lots of room for guests, animals, foster children, chickens, whatever.
Read a lot.
Write a lot.
Swim in every ocean.

Who to tag? Who to tag? Hmm... off to tag... Strawberry Soda!

2008-06-14T22:22:00.001-04:00

Ella and her friend took this picture at the Edgerton Center at MIT through their Outreach program.

"Doc" Edgerton is the man that the Center is named after. He was really amazing, and spent time at Woods Hole, explored the Titanic, went on a search for the Loch Ness monster and was always engaged in learning and discovery.

Here are some other photos of his that may be familiar.

Swimming

2008-06-05T21:44:00.000-04:00

"Oh, no, I'm not freezing!"
Here's one who knows how to warm up: mom's lap and a baby bunny (can you see it?).

Even though it is still too cold, my kids are swimming every chance they get.

Visitors we Love!

2008-05-30T18:05:00.000-04:00

We had the best visit with our friends who came from California. I love the WHOLE family. The kids all got along great. Later I will post more, but here are a few shots of the gang.

Because of the configuration of the ages, there were plenty of different combinations of friends who could hang together; girls, boys, youngers, olders, tweenies with adults, etc. These two loved hanging out!
Aren't they a gorgeous family? This is at the Kennedy Memorial in Hyannis. We drove by the compound, but maybe those shots will be on my friend's blog.

We went to see the Fort Hill area in Eastham, and there was plenty of poison ivy to avoid, but I think we did alright. Ticks were also present to join in the fun, as usual on Cape Cod, but we seemed to do okay there as well.

This is outside the Three Sisters Lighthouse at the National Seashore. The kids all went up in the light house. I've always thought that I would like to be a lighthouse keeper, but the tour guide made the lamp lighting schedule sound a lot like a nursing schedule and I am all set with that *grin*.

Butterscotch Goes to School

2008-05-30T18:00:00.000-04:00

Declan brought Butterscotch to "share and tell" today. He was a big hit! So was Declan as the owner of Butterscotch. The kids were all excited to see the guinea pig. It was pretty cute. Declan is very comfortable with public speaking, but he was extremely excted that he was giggling all morning.

School

2008-05-19T17:45:00.000-04:00

Well. I wasn't going to post a bunch of stuff about how frustrating I am finding school, but that is making for a very quiet blog. Ella's teachers are very innovative and creative and funky, a little like Miss. Hussey if you know Chasing Vermeer. But, there are still bumps in the road.

So, today. Ella has homework. She takes so long doing this homework, and it is not because she doesn't know the information, it is because she wants to really understand the questions.

Or, she wants to be funny. One question was:

"The switch that turns things on and off in _______."
She didn't know this one, nor did I.
So she wrote, in "a switch-like fashion"
Hee hee.
Better than a blank or a question mark, I think.

After a long time writing about light, energy, magnetism and solids, liquids and gases, we finally get to the last question. It goes a little something like this:

"What 1 thing can fill a hose, a pail, and a house?"
She says, "I know they want me to say 'gas', but couldn't you pull a concrete truck up to your house and fill it with a liquid and then a solid? Couldn't you flood your house? Would the water eventually just pass out of the house, is that why gas is the *1* thing? Oh, I'll just write gas."

Sad. I told her she should write all that stuff, but she didn't want to. The blank line was really short.

Ode to our Library

2008-05-09T09:44:00.000-04:00

As you know, if you are reading here regularly, we LOVE our local library. The fireplace! The chess set! The on-going puzzles! The books! The DVDs! We just love it.

So, when we can give back, we do. Last weekend, the library had their semi-annual Children's Attic Sale of clothes and toys. The sale benefits the library, and in addition the library hands out a ton of free passes to the schools for the neediest families to just come and get stuff.

The Shell-vers volunteered to help out, run a raffle, and face paint. A good time was had by all, and I think Ella is getting to be a pretty great face painter! Those pictures above are on her own hand, practicing. By the way, that bracelet is pretty cool and something we made on Earth Day at the library. It is all white until exposed to UV light, then it turns colors to remind you that you are being exposed! Another benefit of our groovy library and all it has to offer.

Last Fire

2008-05-09T09:42:00.000-04:00

Although I love spring, I am always sad to see the end of buring season come. I love the smell all over the area of woodsmoke as we and our neighbors burn the deadfall from the winter storms.

Declan's "Dog Show"

2008-05-09T09:14:00.000-04:00

Last night at 4-H, Declan was able to be a part of the action with our Junior Leader and her dog, also a pug, named Ellwood.

The Cape Cod Kennel Club was running an event called Rally-O (for Obedience), and we got to participate along with the kennel club. There were some great dogs there, including a miniature poodle in a little diamond collar! Too funny. These are the kids getting ready to take Angie and Ellwood into the cheese ball rally race!

First they did Rally-O the regular way (no cheese ball racing), which Milo and Ella had never done before.

I am always so impressed that she will go out there in front of everyone and do these trials! He and Ella got a 70 out of 100 points, which was pretty good. She misunderstood the directions, and thought that you *could* touch your dog, which you can't, so they lost a bunch of points for that. Also, Milo was his usual drama queen self and gagged, so she got a "too tight on the lead" deduction.

After the more intense graded parts, they did a fun event where you had to go through the agility course with your dog and carry a spoon with a cheese ball in it (hee hee). Of course, the dogs were very very interested in the cheese ball! Ella used one of Steve's dogs for this event. Labs are far more interested in cheese balls than pugs, but Ellwood used a different kind of bait. Ella was so proud to get to the end with Angie. Angie is such a sweet lab, but she can be a bit interested in all that is going on around her. Ella did a great job keeping her focused on that cheese ball lol.

So, these sweet dog folks let Declan compete in the cheese ball rally. Ally, our junior leader and Ellwood's owner, walked Declan through it. She did a great job of letting Declan be independent and be supported at the same time.

He was BEAMING with pride at being included in a 4-H/Kennel Club event. Then, he won an award! Fourth Place! He was so excited! Everyone clapped and clapped!

Declan is so ready to be a part of this. Ella is more interested in the social aspect, and has a bunch of friends at 4-H. Declan is really into the whole dog part. When he was doing the event, I could see that "calm assertiveness" that Cesar Milan talks about. Ellwood even jumped on him at one point, and he just kept on with the sit command. So cool. For someone with so many strong personalities around him all the time, he definitely is his own little character.

New Venture

2008-05-05T13:47:00.000-04:00

So, I know that things have been quiet on this blog, but in other areas, I have been busy!

Since the children are in school and my life is moving in different directions, I started looking around for new work. As I looked at middle schools and the community college, I found some things that interested me, but I was lonely for the homeschooling and unschooling community that is so dear to me.

As I look around and see what kinds of options are available to me, I decided to begin to expand some of the private consultation and tutoring that I have been doing. My vision is to include more families and help families find the JOY in what educational path they are choosing.

Since I used to teach special education, I have some very good skills in assessment and modification of curriculum. As an unschooler, I love to think about how life learning can be explained to "educators." My joy is in working with older children, and there are so many who have different needs and transitions during this time that an outside person can help with in a gentle and positive way.

In many ways, I have not wanted to stray to far from the ideas of unschooling, as they are in my heart. At the same time, I would love to bring some of that respectful child centered thinking to all kinds of homeschoolers.

Once I decided to really pursue this, you guessed it, my students doubled! My heart really felt as if this was the right direction to go to have the kind of life that we as a family want (even more now that we have had a sample of school).

If you are interested in seeing my website, check it out!

Spring On Cape Cod

2008-05-04T09:38:00.000-04:00

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. That is Spring on Cape Cod!
The kids had so much fun two weeks ago frollicking on the warm sand barefoot. We were even at Sandy Neck, which is on the "cold" side.
Today, we are considering turning the heat on, as it is about 40 degrees out, and rainy and raw. Bring those sweather back on out of the attic.

Butterscotch's Day Out

2008-04-28T19:20:00.001-04:00

How cool is this? The kids took Butterscotch out for a walk in the yard during one of the beautiful days we had.

Boston LOVED Butterscotch, and they got along famously.

I am not sure if Butterscotch really understood what was going on at first, but then he seemed to really enjoy his fun in the sun.

Sometimes you buy things and you think, am I really actually buying this? Have I gone completely crazy? That's how I felt about buying Butterscotch's "outfit." But this made made it all worth it.

And just in case you were wondering about the much talked about cat (see earlier posts), he is still getting plenty of lovin'.

When I went to wake Declan up the other day, this is what I found. Ella and I crept around to get the camera and got this shot before either of them woke up. Is that a picture of love or what?

It almost makes up for the bunny incident. Oh, what the heck, it makes up for the bunny incident.

Fun Ride

2008-04-26T17:01:00.000-04:00

For Christmas, my mom got Declan a Fun Ride (like a zip line). Today we hooked it up outside. It was so fun! The cousins were here and they were out on it too. Most of the time, I enjoy the ages and stages of the kids, but it was a little hard for Ella that the line was just a little bit too "kiddy" for her.
Mostly, though, they just couldn't get enough!

Joy

2008-04-25T17:00:00.000-04:00

Night Bubbles

2008-04-25T16:53:00.001-04:00

This bubble looks like it has lightning in it.

The bubbles were so cool on film, and we kept experimenting with the different sized bubbles and different settings on the camera.

It was still so beautiful out even at nine o'clock that night, and the bubbles were out from playing that morning. We had so much fun blowing the bubbles and seeing how the camera took pictures of the bubbles.

Distracted

2008-04-23T15:31:00.000-04:00

Last week I was meeting with someone and Declan was with me.

Now, I am the first to admit that as five year olds go, he is pretty intense. He is focused like a laser and interested in mom and mom alone sometimes. At the same time, he is a second child who has always had a pretty intense first born that he lives with, and he has been a willing tag along to many occasions I would never have expected my first child to attend.

Anyway, back to the meeting. Declan was there, and playing as he usually does. The person I was meeting and I decided (after a good solid hour) that we were done for now, and that we would reconvene later. All good. Completely fine. Later, she said it would be good to talk again when we weren't "distracted".

Now, I really like this woman, and took absolutely no offense at what she said. But I couldn't get it out of my head. Let me say again, I used what my friend said as a thinking jumping off point, not as something that I thought she was out of line to say or think.

I suppose my preoccupation with this idea of being distracted, or more specifically not distracted at some later date, by my children is stemming from the fact that I am trying to be more in the working world and have been less with my children, so I am looking at life from a different perspective than I have had for the last 5 years.

But I keep thinking of that idea, so prevalent and casually stated, of being "distracted by children". We say it all the time. I say it all the time. I live a mental state sometimes where I am thinking one thing and get distracted from that thought by my children to play legos or make a snack or pick them up or drive them somewhere.

But if, right now, that driving and snack making and lego creation oohing and aahhing is my primary occupation, then everything else is the distraction.

Or maybe there is no distraction. Maybe these things, life, work, home, office, professional , personal, should be more integrated and we would have fewer dis-integrated families.

In my mind, there is always a part that is considering my children. Maybe this is not something everyone does, or maybe it is a dirty little secret in a post-feminist working mom era that we don't want to admit because it somehow reflects badly on productivity.

So, is there a time I can meet later when I am not distracted by my children? Um....maybe in five years. Or ten. Or when *you* aren't distracted by my children, because I am not distracted at all.

2008-04-13T16:08:00.000-04:00

Just in case there was any doubt, Toto was the star of the show. Toto, played by Callie, was the only cast member that they really wanted their picture taken with.

Sunday Dog Pawty

2008-04-13T16:00:00.001-04:00

We went to a dog pawty today. It was for small breed dogs. It was so fun, and the dogs really loved it. Everyone was friendly, and Joy and Milo were very well behaved. They have been with loads of other dogs, so they were actually the first to be let off the leash for a run-around. Before we got there, everyone still had their dogs on the leash and there was quite a bit of barking.

Milo doesn't really like to play, so much, but Joy does. There was a cocker spaniel puppy there that was giving her a run for her money. They both like to make new friends.

They love each other best of all. It was cute to see how they would run around and then back to each other for a quick sniff and then off again, Joy kept checking in with her pack after every interaction she had with other dogs.

They are now exhausted, and snoring in their beds. Oh, they are snoring in one bed.

Munchkin Girls Gone Wild

2008-04-13T15:46:00.000-04:00

Most of the time, the munchkins were really really good. But sometimes, they got a little bit wild. After all, with all the excitement, fun and then all the waiting, it was to be expected.

The huge pieces of frosting laden cake from the Superstore didn't help too much either. Or maybe they did help. The girls certainly had a lot of fun!

When we were doing the Oz performances, the little kids all had "holding areas" where they waited for their turn to go one stage. Since the show is about 2 hours long, and the munchkins are on for about 10 minutes, there was a great deal of waiting around.

After doing two shows in one day, the girls got a little wild.

They were restricted (by other chaperons, for sure), to one small section of the white board to write on. They thought this was funny yo show how they might have to get creative about where to draw.

As if those big red cheeks weren't enough.

Indoor Voices

2008-04-09T11:29:00.000-04:00

This post and the next are a bit of a set.

They say something, especially together.....I just am not sure what it is they say yet.

Ella thinks that the phrase "indoor voices" would make a great title for a horror movie. She acted out a complete preview for us the other night.

It went something like this:

"You want to talk, have a laugh. But beware.

You must use (insert creepy music here)

In-door VOICES (screammmmmmmm)"

then very quietly. . .

"sssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"

Talking Time

2008-04-09T11:24:00.000-04:00

Conversation on the way home yesterday.....

D: In school we have this time when we can say whatever we want and we can talk as loud as we want and it is great. It is called Talking Time.

Me: Sounds great. When is it?

D: Really we haven't had it. It isn't yet. I made it up.

Me: Huh?

D: Well, I didn't make it up, but I haven't had it yet. But I know we have Talking Time. It is going to be so great when we have Talking Time because I am going to talk as much as I want.

Me: Maybe at recess?

D: Maybe, I think it is soon, because today when we were lining up my teacher said we all had to be quiet because it wasn't Talking Time. So she must have it on her schedule, right?

Applause

2008-04-08T10:43:00.000-04:00

Lately, as anyone who knows us knows, we have been consumed by the completely over the top, Broadway style production of the Wizard of Oz. It has been completely crazy. Now it is over, and I am sorting through some of my thoughts about this whole experience.

But, one thing I have been thinking about as I watch the parents with their children is the idea that these little ones we raise are somehow a reflection of us as parents, and that by supporting them in an endeavor like this play, we are somehow "looking good."

Being good parents, having good kids, deserving of accolades for these little reflections of ourselves.

In so many ways, my children have nothing to do with me. I am simply a custodian until they can go off and make their mark. They are not, and never have been "mine." Even as a new mom with a little baby, I felt that my oldest was a miracle for the world. She wasn't some cool thing that made me somehow look better, like a nice car.

And not just because she was special (which of course I thought she was and think she is) but because each of us is a special contribution to the world. It is my job to make sure that I raise a child who is a beautiful addition to that world. My children - and your children - and you, dear reader - are the people the world needs.

My job is to facilitate ways for my children to flourish in the world, exactly as he and she need to be. Isn't that why I am here in this moment? All hormonally charged and procreating? So that I can be consumed for a while with my job as facilitator?

And then this time will be over, and they will continue to be the gifts that they are to the world and make more gifts.

But now, when I say, "Come to the play! See my child!" my motivation is to share the love I see created by her Being. Let's all bask in the wonder of this gift! I don't think I am saying, "Oh come and see what *I* have done." I feel that I am saying, "Oh, come and see what the Universe has given us~beautiful creative children, caring adults who are guiding them and letting them be great, letting them fail a little. Look at all the adults who love these children and are gathering just to love and clap and laugh. Oh what a glorious thing!"

I wish that this was the case more in our everyday lives. I think we should all applaud a bit more. What is wrong with some standing ovations for really great frozen pizza? How about a little whoop for finding matching socks? Microwaved your own after school snack? Totally rockin', dude.

I actually got a live CD the other day, and it starts with applause. Because I was thinking about how "performance" is applauded, not Being, I started playing the applause for the kids when I pick them up from school.

Now, when they get in the car, I crank it up, join in and say, "WOO HOO!! YOU'RE HERE!! YAY!!" Why not? It is exactly as inspiring to me that my kids walk down the stairs each morning and have breakfast with me as it is that they "do" something. Exactly. As. Inspiring.

Applause is great anytime, I think.

CLAP CLAP CLAP!! You read the whole post! You are a ROCK STAR, reader! Go on about your day and BE. That is exactly what you should do today.

Our mascot

2008-03-25T12:34:00.000-04:00

This is a horseshoe crab shell we found on the beach last fall. He has spent the winter on our porch.

Well....

Mostly on our porch.

Since horseshoe crabs shed their shells when they grow, this shell is very light since its former occupant left. Either that or it is possessed.

It keeps moving around the yard. It is in the dormant flower beds one day. By the driveway the next. We never know where he is going to show up. One morning he was by the mailbox. Remarkably, with all this travel he only has slight damage on the side of the shell. We've never found him upside down, and he is always pointing towards the street. Mysterious.

You can learn more about these ancient creatures here. We love 'em, even if we don't always want to swim with them. This is a beautiful book about the cycle of horseshoe crab spawning.

Unfortunately this book doesn't have any tips on what to do when a discarded horseshoe crab shell becomes possessed.

Maybe it just needs a name. Ideas?

Easter Part Two

2008-03-25T12:30:00.000-04:00

It was harder than we thought to find those eggs.
But victory was hers!

Cousins. We love cousins.

The girls are about 9 months apart and the boys only five months apart. And five inches apart *grin*.

Easter

2008-03-25T12:15:00.001-04:00

This year, Declan was completely pumped up about Easter coming. And it must have lived up to his expectations since he was asking today how many days until Easter. It was so early this year, I think Ella's estimate of 364 was a little short.

We had a lovely day at my aunt and uncle's house. Both of their children have been deployed in Marine units to Afghanistan two weeks ago, so keep them in your thoughts for a safe return. They've all signed up for Skype, so they can communicate over the internet for free with video! But, the military is requiring that the soldiers pay a small fee for the internet access. Hmm. Well. That is all I will say about that.

This year, the kids really wanted ugly dolls for from the Easter Bunny. I also thought the Easter bunny should add something cute, but he needn't have bothered as the kids loved those ugly dolls exclusively.

I think at this point in the photo shoot, Ella was getting a little cold. Declan wore his dog sweater. I love that sweater on him. He looks like such a little Cape Cod preppy kid with his cords and turtleneck and dog sweater.

We have been crazy with rehearsals for the Wizard of Oz, which was featured in the entertainment sections of the Cape Cod Times and the Barnstable Patriot this week. I wonder whether that is a testament to the production or says more about what is available for entertainment in March (the cruelest month in a resort area).

Bye Bye Polaroid

2008-03-25T08:47:00.000-04:00

Shake it shake it shake it like a Polaroid picture. Hey yah.

No more Polaroid picture film will be made after this year. It is definitely the end of some kind of post-modern design era.

Check out ways to be nostalgic with the pictures you have to shake like magic eight balls to see what you have captured.

Leprechaun Trap

2008-03-21T21:37:00.000-04:00

No leprechauns were harmed in the making of this video.

2008-03-21T21:28:00.000-04:00

Video Club

2008-03-13T10:42:00.000-04:00

Here, Ella is setting up her segment on craft materials that inspire!

The control room!! Where the magic happens!!

I can't remember if I posted about this before, but Ella does this video club that is shown on a local cable station. Her stage name as the Krafty Kid is Lacey Trim. Here she is with her wig on. Doesn't she look so much more like Declan?

It is pretty cool there, and they get to use all the equipment. Ella's friend (She-Who-Has-Requested-No-Internet-Exposure *grin*) has a character that uses a green screen. So awesome.

Visual Presentations, Part 2

2008-03-10T13:32:00.000-04:00

What a night! The highs! The lows! The laughter! The tears!

When all was said and done, there was a great showing by the Muddy Paws crew! In Ella's room, four kids (out of 8, in six categories), went on to State VPs. They were all four from Ella's 4-H group, Muddy Paws. There were a bunch of first time VPs that went on to states. It was all very thrilling.

Some very proud girls!

I didn't have enough to do......

2008-03-10T13:23:00.000-04:00

....so I decided that I was going to cave to the lobbying by my son.

It was so very very worth it.

The plan was to name him Boba Fett. But, Declan decided that he was too sweet and should be called Butterscotch. They love each other!

See for yourself.

We rescued him from the local animal shelter. I think he has spent more time in Declan's arms than in the cage since we got him home. He is the sweetest, lovin-est guinea pig I have ever seen, not skittish at all, even when the Queen of All Puggies and Creatures in the House had to give him her inspection.

2008-03-10T13:08:00.000-04:00

Last year, Ella did a visual presentation for 4-H on Duct Tape (The Duck That Doesn't Quack - Duct Tape). She won at the State Competition, so the pressure has been on. Well, self-imposed pressure as always *grin*.

This year, she did an entire presentation on Artist Trading Cards. It was beautiful. She had sponge-painted all her "boards" (the posters that the kids use as an outline for the presentation). She made one HUGE Artist Trading Card so that everyone could see what it was. Then she found a great way to mount all the atcs so that they popped off the display.

But, then, in February, she decided to do a visual presentation on the eye.

Deep breathing exercises were used.

And then she set off to work again.

She ended up making a beautiful cross-section of the eye from large pieces of that foam paper (why didn't they have THAT when I was a kid?).

She worked really hard, and set up a whole new project. We are going to the county visual presentation this weekend, and if she does well then she'll go on to the state competition.

We'll keep our fingers crossed.

This is one of her "visuals" for the VP. It shows an image of the inside of an eye and some fruits and veggies that contribute to eye health. as she says (every time she practices), not only are they good for your eye, but they provide nutrients for your body to keep your eye healthy."

This is her title page (ohh....it feels like you could be right there listening to her, doesn't it?)

Oh, yeah, baby, feeling like a winner. With a carrot.

2008-03-07T12:21:00.001-05:00

I've been tagged by Dancing Chickens

A- Available?: for cookie making
B-Best friend: My mom and my daughter, and the incomparable Melissas
C-Cake or Pie?: Cake (sorry Ella)
D-Drink of choice: Water. I know it is boring, but I love love love water (or water with some tea bags or coffee...)
E-Essential thing used everyday: computer
F-Favorite color: red
G-Gummi bears or worms: bears
H-Hometown: Raised in Cambridge, MA and that feels like my Hometown. But I do feel at home in Centerville, too
I-Indulgence: fru fru coffee
J-January or February: January, I love the post Christmas coziness and the anticipation of New Year adventures
K-Kids and names: Ella (also Ella-Bella or Bells), Declan
L-Life: always surprising
M-Marriage date: March 23, 1996
N-Number of siblings: 1 Awesome Brother
O-Oranges or apples: oranges
P-Phobias: leeches
Q-Quote: "If you have a problem with this, I understand completely." Freamon, The Wire (I am right now OBSESSED with that show....so it is my quote right now, but also apropos, doncha think?)
R-Reason to smile: Lately, it is my crazy little puggies.
S-Season: Fall
T-Tag three people: Ella, Marcia, Wild and Free
U-Unknown fact about me: Because I have had chronic insomnia, even as a baby, my mom made me a sand box in the tub in the commune we lived in when I was a toddler, so I wouldn't keep all the womyn awake.
V-Vegetable you don't like: I haven't met one yet.
W-Worst Habit: picking my nose. Sorry. I can't believe I admitted that.
X-Xrays you have had: shoulder
Y-Your favorite food: Depends on the mood, dumplings, sushi and hot and sour soup, cranberry bars or lemon squares, breakfast in bed that my kids made me, homemade bread with peanut butter on it. Oh, yeah, peanut butter. I'd be really sad without peanut butter.
Z-Zodiac: Cancer

Pledge of Allegiance

2008-03-07T12:13:00.000-05:00

Oooh la la.

Of all the things I worried about, the pledge of allegiance was not one of them.

Both of my children want to opt out of that ritual. Declan thinks that the "under God" part is "not good".

We are not a religios family, as in consistently going to church. I would say we are spirtual. But, my son feels a deep connection to both God and Jesus. He said, about the pledge, that "God rocks, and should not be in with the flag or anything because he has really important things to do."

My daughter, true to form, feels that the pledge is part of the on-going brainwashing that occurs in school and does not want to (her words) "engage in anything that takes away from her individuality."

Separately, each child has approached me about this pledge of allegiance.

My son, once he realized after some discussion, that "under God" meant God was MORE important than the flag, said he would keep pledging.

Ella is just going to mouth the words and not say them out loud.

I'm baaaaack :)

2008-03-01T15:03:00.000-05:00

Well, we have had an eventful month, those Joyful Learners and I.

It was very nice to hear that people were missing the blog, but it was also making me even more conflicted. Ella has decided to try school, and Declan also wanted to go. Due to some other issues in our lives, I thought that this might be a good time to go with their desire to try.

It is very hard to make this decision. Many people in my life who I know through homeschooling have made a point of telling me how much their own children will never want to go to school, and how grateful their children are for the homeschooling lifestyle.

This makes me feel (whether it is intended or not), that they have an implied judgement on my failure to make my children *love* being homeschooled, or that they want school because I am an unschooler, or not really an unschooler, or whatever the implied judgement is.

Granted, I am not in the best most secure head space right now, so I could be making this all up.

Anyway.

Ella was *very* clear. She LOVES her life. She is happy. She likes her friends, she loves her family, she is secure. She is grateful. She is learning. She wants to try school.

She has been wanting to explore school for a good 6-8 months now. I did what most "good" unschoolers would recommend. I expanded our world, I connected more. I facilitated. I validated.

I finally realized that I was making a big mistake.

I had finally hit that place (her wanting to try school) where I was not letting her make her own decisions. I was, in fact, manipulating her into "appreciating" the gift of unschooling, while at the same time denying her wish to try something new.

If it had been skydiving, I would have said, "Let's explore that!"

If it had been driving a car, I would have said, "Hmmm....how can we fill that desire?"

But it was school.

And I was saying, with all my gyrations and interesting strewing, "WHY!?!? What am I doing wrong? What can we do differently?" All the while implying that her desire was wrong.

So I said, "Okay. Let's give it a go."

Now, I am wondering where this will lead us, where this will leave this blog, what I am going to do in this new chapter of relating to the kids and school.

But, I am back here. And will be keeping you updated on the Joyful Learners in school for the time being.

We're off to see the Wizard

2008-01-27T17:40:00.000-05:00

It was definitely organized chaos wrangling hundreds of children into groups of poppies, munchkins, and flying monkeys. The flying monkeys were already zooming around!

Ella is a munchkin, and she is so excited! This picture is stinky, but you can see Ella in the turquoise shirt right in front when they were learning the jitterbug.

She was thrilled to be cast in the Wizard of Oz at the high school, along with some of her friends. Yesterday we went to rehearsal and the director of the show had such a wonderful energy and it was really great. I am so glad that Ella has had so many positive drama mentors.

One more thing on the Golden Compass

2008-01-25T22:47:00.000-05:00

Warning, I think as I re-read that this may have turned into a bit of a rant.

I just have to say that Philip Pullman totally rocks. I am a big fan of the radical, whether I agree with that radical notion or not. People must at least try to envision what that outer limit of acceptability is and then decide how close to sit to the edge. I appreciate those visionaries that sit out there so that the rest of us can remain safe, if we choose. That is why, while not a vegan, I appreciate PETA. I say, go on out there and be completely far out. It is awesome.

My blog was recently cited on one of the local home school lists as (maybe? maybe it was confused with Joyce's Joyfully Rejoycing site?) radical. Somehow, even in writing that came across as a slam. Of course, this is the homeschooling list I left because of a forwarded message from HSLDA that endorsed hitting your child with sticks ("the rod"). But, that is okay. I don't mind being radical. There are far too few of us being radical these days. Jesus was a radical, as was Buddha. But I digress.
`
Who knows if Philip Pullman set out to be a radical, and I think that the ideas that he allegorically uses in his books are not that far out there (or maybe that is just from where I sit). However, I think that he has exposed the radical other end of the spectrum and its influence. Or, I guess exposed it to anyone who is looking.

He said the following about the current teaching of literature. Hopefully, children can still read his books and access them in libraries. He definitely is clued in to the fact that children are not encouraged to be free thinkers in today's world.

"What concerns me here is the relationship this sets up between child and book, between children and stories. Stories are written to beguile, to entertain, to amuse, to move, to enchant, to horrify, to delight, to anger, to make us wonder. They are not written so that we can make a fifty word summary of the whole plot, or find five synonyms for the descriptive words. That sort of thing would make you hate reading, and turn away from such a futile activity with disgust. In the words of Ruskin, it's "slaves' work, unredeemed.”- Isis Lecture, Tuesday 1 April, 2003

He clearly doesn't mind ruffling a few feathers.

And ruffle them he did with the movie The Golden Compass.

Well, I say that was a good thing. It was so interesting to me that I had to drive to Cambridge (anyone see the connections there?) to *see* the movie, as it FLEW out of theaters. Anyone who thinks that our current economic disparities and recessions is not influencing the ways in which we can express our rights is living in a fantasy world.

In fact the movie was pretty good, too. The special effects were awesome, and it wasn't even as disturbing as the book at the end. It didn't at all make me think that there was no God (even in the movie world). In fact, I saw the dust as an embodiment of the Holy Spirit as I understand it. Also, the discussion of Free Will was an interesting one, and I thought the idea of children expressing pure free will or being altered in such a damaging way that they cannot choose to be one with the Dust (Holy Spirit) was very stimulating.

Do we damage our child out of their ability to make free choices? Do we *really* support our children to be themselves or are we more repressive and comformist than we acknowledge?

Why is discussion of free will being shut down by members of some church groups? It seems so un-American to me. I may see the movie again, just to prove to myself that I still can see free expressions of different visions of the divine. I'll definitely buy the DVD. And maybe join PETA while I still can.

Oh, and by the way, my daemon is a crow named Apolonious according to the movie website. Modest, it says, and flexible, shy, assertive and competitive. Hmmmm...maybe so.

Learning All The Time

2008-01-25T22:24:00.000-05:00

"The trouble with talk about 'learning experiences' is that it implies that all experiences can be divided into two kinds, those from which we learn something, and those from which we learn nothing. But there are no experiences from which we learn nothing. We learn from everything we do, and everything that happens to us or is done to us."
John Holt, Instead of Education

Just something I am pondering. And wondering, why if everything is a learning experience, some things have to be learned over and over and over and over and over.......

Spiraling Around Fairies

2008-01-25T21:45:00.000-05:00

Spirals are so wonderful and organic and somehow cozy and scary all at once.

I have always loved the educational notion of a spiral of learning as opposed to a linear progression. After all, isn't that how we learn in real life? I love the image of swirling around ideas and falling into them as one falls into a whirlpool, reaching deeper and deeper (maybe even scary) levels of understanding.

One thing that we have revisited over and over is the Spiderwick series of books. They are captivating, and as they captured the imaginations of Ella and then one friend and then another and another, or then she was given a field guide, the interest would be rekindled.

I remember feeling that way about gnomes. I still have the Gnome Gnotebook that Meg's mom gave me when I was about Ella's age.

Now that Spiderwick is going to be a movie, we did the books with our Coastal Free Learners homeschool group. We also found out it is going to be a game and I am so excited! It 's going to be very fun! There is so much information about the books on the internet, along with games and downloads, etc. What is so wonderful about these books is that the kids seem to take them so seriously, and really feel connected to the Grace children and the invisible world all around us.

We had a blast today making Sprite outfits. It was so fun to hear the children earnestly discussing the merits of leaving milk out for Brownies, and whether or not fairies liked fairy houses or felt that they were some sign from us that we thought them incapable of housing themselves. Ella has researched the authors, their influences and even their pets (pugs, of course!). Even the boys had fun drawing and making the Sprites have warrior helmets on their head..

Library Lovin'

2008-01-25T18:19:00.000-05:00

Oh, I love our library. There was an awesome display here about the perils of high fructose corn syrup. After it came down, the Shellvers made an Ode to Jon Scieszka. It was so cute, because all these "cool" middle schoolers and high schoolers were like, "Jon who?!" but then when we started pulling the books off the shelves they got so enthusiastic about the books that they remembered from when they were small (oh so long ago *grin*).

Of course, the rise in enthusiasm may have stemmed from the chocolate and marshmallows and frosting that I was feeding them.

I am not above a little bribery.

MIT revisited

2008-01-25T18:10:00.000-05:00

"Oh, I am so happy to be learning something new! I do so love this place. And don't I look cute here?"

Oh how we love this place! It is so fun to go and learn and the coordinator there does an amazing job. This time we were exploring laser pointers and mirrors. The kids had to get the laser through a maze using mirrors to make the light turn the corners. It was so fun to see how Declan really got the idea. He also really loved the laser pointer.

The coordinator there does a lot of programs for kids who go to school in Cambridge. When I taught there, I remember that there were some issues about laser pointers. They had to be "banned", and there were lots of urban legends that the kids knew about laser pointers on the subway, in their neighborhoods, ones that were brought to school, and other things.

When the coordinator asked the homeschool kids from Cape Cod about the laser pointer, they didn't even know what it was. Hee hee. I am living in a whole different world from where I came, baby.

This is the strobe light operating machine for the strobe pictures that they took. Ella got to operate the strobe light and say "Ready Set Go". Too fun.

That Crazy Pink Inflatable Chair

2008-01-25T18:05:00.000-05:00

Hmmmm.....what is that? Is it a mess? It is a pile of blankets? Or is it another great use for that crazy pink inflatable chair?
Oh, the pile is moving, the white blanket is off. Everyone loves the crazy pink inflatable chair, so who could it be? The dog? Maybe. The cat? Very much maybe (see previous posts). Oh, the mystery is so very suspenseful.

Oh! It is Declan! Hulking out of the chair! Rocking the hiding place!

This is how we amuse ourselves these long winter days.

How to Be an Unschooler

2008-01-14T10:44:00.000-05:00

How to be an Unschooler in 400 Words or Less

Wake up to the wide world and your sweet home. Stretch. Cuddle. Eat something. Smell the smells. Touch hair and remember the baby threads hidden in memory. Snuggle while pajamas are all still warm from comforters or sleeping bags or couch cushions or animals that lay in their beds while they slept until they were ready to awaken.

Read something. Discuss something else. Get a hug. Smell that wet, strawberry shampooed hair and brush it until it is all silky again. Play with the other child’s dreadlocks. Wear a pair of fairy wings. Treasure hunt. Write to a unicorn. Breathe. Be grateful. Love.

Record something. Download something. Check out classic movies. Check out B-movies. Read a magazine about a foreign country. Count the ants that are crawling around in the sidewalk. Take a walk in the mall, the beach, the park, the field, the museum, the city, the farm, the yard. Get a library card from as many libraries as you can. Use them often.

Make friends with interesting people, and meet everyone. Talk to the mailman, the baker, the librarian, the thrift store church lady. Bring them all cookies next time you make a big batch. Show them you are interested and they will become interesting. Find your community.

Go online. Blog. Write poetry. Sing a song and make up the words you don’t know. Laugh a lot. Make up jokes, stories, and limericks. Try to play an instrument, or lip sync. Show the kids you know every single word to Gloria Gaynor’s disco hit I Will Survive. Learn a new game. Revive an old one. Make up new rules. Cuddle again. Channel surf while the tv is on mute and make up the dialog. Watch a movie with subtitles. Watch a movie in your native language with foreign subtitles.

Breathe deeper. Do a yoga pose. Laugh when it makes you fart because this week you are all eating only Mexican food and that has involved a lot of beans. Catch your breath. Let your breath be taken away again. Love more. Be.

You are an unschooler.

2008-01-12T11:23:00.001-05:00

Shellvers Make ATCs

2008-01-12T10:56:00.000-05:00

We made ATCs at the library with our Junior Volunteers. They choose the name Shell-ver last year. Get it? Shelving books, shells since we are near the ocean. Hee hee.

We definitely introduced a couple of the girls to a new passion. There are a couple of boy volunteers, as well, but they were on the computer during this activity.

The volunteers have worked really hard this year so far. They did face painting, balloon selling and clean up at the Attic Sale, and they were great elves during the Centerville Stroll. We celebrated the accomplishments of the last year and got ready to keep on going with an ATC making pizza party.

We got a fabulous donation of pizza from Not Your Average Joe's, and although I wasn't sure that the kids would like the bread they gave us with olive oil and garlic and Parmesan cheese dipping sauce, but they ate it all up!

Even Declan got his creative juices flowing with some ATCs on Batman!

Sweet Kitty

2008-01-12T10:52:00.000-05:00

Well, maybe our cat reads this blog when he is out and about, because he has ceratinly turned things around. Formerly the killer cat, he is now the sweet kitty. He even hangs out with the dogs, which I really can't believe!

Yay Tom!

2008-01-05T16:11:00.000-05:00

So, the Barnstable Patriot this week was all about Tom *grin*.

He was recently appointed the new assistant Town Manager, and you can read all about it here.

In a funny side bar article (that was on page 2! Gotta love a small town!), it has been determined that Buddy can remain Town Dog, and that there is no evidence of nepotism. But, now I wonder if Joy and Milo have to be out the running until Tom steps down?

Shake Things Up

2008-01-05T15:51:00.000-05:00

Okay, the Christmas decorations are down, the day is grey and the video games are getting old (I guess that's what happens when you have a LEGO Star Wars marathon).

So, it is time to start shaking things up. We have had some fun around here making things and creating science experiments, and we are really s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g our comfort zone by going vegetarian.

When we are transitioning away from holidays, it seems we have to put a little more effort into being engaged. Here are some things we've done to shake off the cobwebs of Christmas and get more into the fun of winter (an oxymoron if *I* ever heard one, but my kiddos like winter and who am I to say anything.....)

Some things we have done to get the fun rolling again are:

*museums (especially small-ish ones, like plastics or associated with a college. I think we'll hit the MIT museum next time we're up there.)

*a new crafting tool (next time this happens, I have my eye on a wood burning tool, I may get it sooner, but right now we have enough craft material lying all around the house for me to want to buy something new. Both Ella and I are a little in love with the Crafty Chica)

*bowling, roller skating, or a video arcade (last time at the arcade,my dd got a Newton's cradle http://www.officeplayground.com/newtonscradle3.html with her tickets won on the games, and there have been some unbelievable discussions that branched off from that toy!)

*a new music CD or video or computer game...or season three of the Gilmore Girls

*a road trip (even just to the next town over)

*the supermarket to buy strange fruits and veggies and figure out how to cook them (we have a coconut sitting on our counter right now waiting for a smashing)

*a day/week of foods from a different place, or eating on the living room floor instead of the table, or breakfast in bed

*checking out books from a different library (somehow I come out with completely different kinds of books from the library on the other side of town...we've been all over looking for our Gilmore Girls DVDs)

Ants in Our Pants

2008-01-05T10:20:00.000-05:00

Declan has created a bit of a unit study for himself. He is completely into ants. It is so fun, but I have to say that I am so glad that it has been cold otherwise I am sure that we have had some "ant pets" in the house.

He has been reading and looking at two ant books in particular, one is The Magic Schoolbus Gets Ants in its Pants. He loves the facts about ants, and thinks that the jokes in the book are hilarious.

This morning, as I write this, he is watching Ant Bully, and making all kids of delightful connections. He noticed queens flying off to make new colonies, aphids getting milked, and different types of ants.

Somewhere in our future I see an ant farm. I need some time to prepare. Maybe if I can imagine the ants all speaking like Ricardo Montalban in the movie it will be a bit more palatable to me.

Books, books, books...

2008-01-03T13:07:00.000-05:00

Our favorite author has been named an Ambassador for Reading! Yay!

We absolutely love both the author, Jon Scieszka, and his whole idea of getting boys into reading. He has a great website, and along with illustrator Lane Smith, makes us giggle pretty much every time we pick up one of his books.

Anyone who *knows* that Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus is an inspiration is okay with me.

So, in our humble way, we want to congratulate Mr. Scieszka on his latest coup.

Felting! Feeling!

2007-12-31T17:59:00.000-05:00

It seems almost everything we do around here lately becomes a potential Visual Presentation for 4-H. They have to be done by February, and I think my Ella-girl may have finally decided on a topic: wool. The Wild World of Wool, actually.

But, yes, you may remember I thought it was going to be soap......

Anyway.....

Ella made this felted piece the other day. She is planning to turn it into a purse. My camera didn't quite capture the smaller sparkly threads that are running through it.
We are going to be trying out different ways to do this over the next few weeks because it was so freakin' fun! Ella got a little tired of rolling the big felt back and forth, but she really went to town on little beads and made a baby for her gnome from Edelweiss. I can't, unfortunately, link you directly to the store.

The store is owned by some Waldorf former homeschoolers. They don't own a computer, or a tv. Each year, they buy a live Christmas tree and put real candles on it. It all sounds sort of idyllic and cozy sometimes to me when the giggles of SpongeBob are getting to me.

However, the children, once they got a bit older, decided to attend Sturgis Charter School, and the mom has told me that she'll forever wonder why they decided to do that. She is sad that as they get bogged down in homework and everything else and she sees less and less of them, both in the physical sense and in the sense of seeing the real kid behind all the pressure and scheduling.

It is sad to me to think that the struggle for some *ideal way of being* led the family to leave home schooling. I hope that on our homeschooling/unschooling journey, I can stay mindful of what my children need and not get too focused on a methodology.

2007-12-31T17:44:00.000-05:00

Ella got this set of test tubes for Christmas. Each test tube had a mini-experiment in them, with almost everything you need for the project.

They are actually baby liter bottles, and they are heated and expand into big bottles, which makes them cool to begin with.

She started messing around with them, and discovered that most of the experiments revolved around the polymer sodium polyacrylate. It is the stuff in disposable diapers!! She has made crystals (they feel rubbery), and instant snow. There is all kinds of stuff about this on the internet (of course!). You can see an video of how to make instant snow here.
These are the "crystals". They are not really crystals at all, but this freaky material mixed with colored water and absorbing it so that each little piece gets puffed up. Okay, that is my explanation, but I also had to ask Ella what this stuff was called ~ again! ~ while I was posting this. My Aunt Carol said she got the present from Young Explorers. Pretty cool. She always give us fun stuff, including one year she found something with Declan's name on it! Very unusual ~ at least here in America.
This is Ella's instant snow. It does not need to stay cold, but it is better preserved in the fridge. So there it is the refrigerator.

We'll see how long I can stand it. Although the sodium polyacrylate has the word sodium in it (salt right?), sprinkling it with salt defeats whatever chemical reaction has occurred. It is all pretty darn cool.

Christmas Sweaters

2007-12-26T12:40:00.000-05:00

Lately, Ella has taken to carrying a purse everywhere. It is great for me, because I hate carrying a purse and she is more than willing to have my camera in there or a chap stick.

It is funny what becomes the best gift of Christmas. We decided this year to only give fun stuff. Last year, we wrapped a bunch of stuff that the kids needed, like tooth brushes and boots, and let's face it ~ that is just not that fun.

So this year, we decided not to get any clothes. What was one of Ella's favorite gifts? A sweater from Tom and Jenny. *g*

It does look nice on her, tho, huh?

Declan loves his Piccachu, even tho Santa did not have time this year to build it in his workshop with actual lightning bolts coming out. We read a great Christmas book this year about lists to Santa and the kinds of gifts we *want* vs the kinds of gifts we will really *enjoy* called My Penguin Osbert. It is pretty cute. Declan was delighted with everything he got.

We had a really cool moment when Ella gave away some of her soap, and Declan went on and on about how good she was at making soap, and how it was glycerin and so you needed to keep it out of the way of running water, and how Ella was able to add all kinds of "flavors" to the soap.

Sweet. He sure does love his Big Sis.

Rudolf's Gift to Declan

2007-12-26T12:38:00.000-05:00

Declan was so happy to have a blinking nose. Like his grandfather, he loves a good joke accessory.

100 Posts

2007-12-26T12:22:00.000-05:00

Wow! I looked at the "dashboard" of this blog and saw that I have posted here 100 times. That is a lot of joyful learning.

It is funny, because as I have discovered the blogosphere, some of my favorite people have decided to stop blogging. This has given me some food for thought, about why I love this blog, why I do it, what is important to me, etc.

When I started, I thought it would be so fun to have a record of what we do in our lives. Well, of course, as it turns out our life is too full for this to be a true running record of our lives. It is a snapshot, and a very tightly focused one at that. But it has been so fun to do this writing and recording, explore other blogs and the community of bloggers.

But, what is the focus here? Why do these things become what I blog about? Who is this blog for? Is it worth the energy? Is it keeping the focus in the center of my life as an active mama and authentic person and where I want to be?

I think it is.

I think that this blog reflects very well a special piece of who we are, who we love and what we enjoy.

My children both love to read it. They have asked me to blog about certain things we all do. At the same time, they are clear about what to share. We took a walk and found something special. I said, "Next time I should bring my camera!" The children said, "Yes! But don't put *this* on your blog, it is too private." And, I am keeping the pictures of Christmas morning to myself :)

In those and other ways, I feel that this place reflects all that we want to share, and none of what is too precious, internal or sacred to share with the world.

This blog is for our family. It is to reflect, to record and to create an energy that celebrates the every day epiphanies and delights.

So, although it is selfish (grin), I also hope that this gives our friends and family who wonder, "What do we *do* all day together? How can we not drive each other crazy?" a glimpse into how our every day life functions. I hope that others who wonder about home and unschooling can find some ideas here. I hope we can share some of what we love about where and how we live.

It is nice to have people visit, and visit myself in a way I could never get organized enough to do with scrapbooks or other logs.

I think I'll keep blogging for now. It is just too fun to stop.

Spectacle of Lights

2007-12-24T11:43:00.000-05:00

Last night we went with Meg and her young friends, Paul and Doug, to go to the Spectacle of Lights. Declan had a blast riding the carousel. Once you are up there spinning around it is pretty fast and high, but he hung in there.

We went through the whole display of lights, which was extraordinary! We saw some friends there, which is always nice. I am still adjusting to the small town nature of Cape Cod (in the winter especially). We saw three families there that we knew! People always wonder if home schooled children are going to be well-socialized. It was nice to see that last night my children made friends easily with the two boys they'd never met, and then saw plenty of people that they knew from their wide world experience.

2007-12-24T11:38:00.000-05:00

Ella and Boston went with Nana to the Nutcracker Ballet. It was a magical night by all accounts. They were beautiful, and B. was so excited to have Ella all to herself. She kept hugging and kissing Ella. They got all dolled up (I did their nails), and then they snuggled on the couch and read the Nutcracker book together.

Meanwhile, the boys and I had a great time, plus I got some one on one time with the fabulous Shyah while the boys wrestled and ignored me. She is a beautiful, smart, fun baby. I am so glad that she came along!

Night Time Sledding

2007-12-22T11:11:00.000-05:00

One of the things I love about homeschooling is the freedom to do things at different times. Like sled late on a Wednesday night.

We were hanging out with the dogs (Joy for some reason is all thrown off by the snow and can't just do her usual quick business), and the small rise behind our house had become a slippery frozen slide.

Oh so very fun!

Let it Snow

2007-12-13T15:43:00.000-05:00

Yippee!! It finally snowed here! I have been so jealous of our nearby neighbors who have gotten snow. That darn sea breeze keeps much of the snow away, but we are getting slammed today! Ella loves the snow. At the first sign, she is always out there making, if not snow men, snow slugs.
Happy snow-baby *g*. Plus, any decrease in sunlight is a "wicked good" excuse to turn on the Christmas lights.
Declan, on the other hand, was quite content to eat butterscotch oatmeal cookies and pulled a chair up by the window to watch the action. If you look closely, you can see Milo waiting for some dropping crumbs.
Then, stood by the deck door to kind of get in on the action. Ella threw snowballs at his face as he stood there laughing hysterically. It was great. he did go out, but well, the snow has never been so much to his taste.
Evidence of the sister trying to massacre her brother, I mean, the deck door.

After a Bath

2007-12-13T15:39:00.000-05:00

Now that it is cold and not dog show season, Ella doesn't have to bathe them as much. But, we did yesterday. They snuggled together in front of the heater under the kitchen sink. Are they cute or what?

Centerville Stroll

2007-12-11T10:07:00.000-05:00

These small children adored Frosty! They followed him down the street, and told him, "We love you!" and "We know your SONG!"

He was very nice to them and said he would pass along their messages to Santa. Oh, yeah, baby! Marshmallows on a dark night in the middle of the street!?!? Does it get any better?
And then my camera died. So, I missed pictures of Shyah with her dancing toes in the stroller. But, the memories are in my head.

Hyannis Harbor Lighting

2007-12-09T10:12:00.000-05:00

This picture is for Mel (the gorgeous gal on the right) who "complained" I never have pictures of myself (the lady in the yellow coat).

That sweet girl is her daughter, and my dad is there on the left. That is his traditional Christmas scarf. He wears it every Christmas season. Sometimes, I feel like this blog is kind of a travelog for Cape Cod :) But, here goes again!

We LOVE the Hyannis Harbor Lighting. The boats circle the harbor, and there is music and chowder (what else?) and a lovely sense of community.

Sally's shop was all decked out for the holidays and it looked great. She was having a major sale! Note the eye patch on the bear. Some people are really pirate crazy *g*.

This year, Santa came in on the Duck Boat. Now, the duck boats are a bit low in the water, so there was some trouble getting Santa on to the Harbormaster's dock. Fortunately, he had plenty of elves there dressed in police uniforms to get him and Mrs. Claus up onto the dock.

Declan was a little nervous about Santa, but he went up to him, and Santa rubbed his head. He told he was, "too shy to have a chat about the robe". Oh, that kid is SO getting a cozy robe from Santa.

Latest Literary Obsessions....

2007-12-06T16:33:00.000-05:00

We are listening to The Wright 3 by Blue Balliett. It is set in Hyde Park, home to Uncle Don and Aunt Barbara, and familiar to me. I am loving listening to the story. This, and the first in the series. Don and Barbara's neighborhood has always reminded me in a way of Cambridge, and the characters go to the University school, the descriptions of which remind me of the Tobin School.

These stories, like those of Zilpha Keatley Synder set in Berkley and surroundings, remind me of my childhood in a way that so many current depictions of childhood/pre-teen life don't.

Also, we are looking forward to the release of The Golden Compass. I read all three of Philip Pullman's books in that series, and Ella has read a few of his other books and loved them (including I Was A Rat).

Now, about the controversy over this movie, what is going on? Is this America? Again, I have to think that we have gone completely crazy. There are religious fundamentalist who are opposing this movie. Great, go ahead and exercise your rights while we still have them. But the terrorizing scare tactics are ridiculous.

There was a thread on yahoo movies that said "Children Kill God". Isn't that a titch inflammatory?

For me, I am shocked by the idea that some introduction of a different idea (in this case a novel, and it is a work of fiction, folks, that depicts Pullman's atheistic viewpoint) would somehow instantly jeopardize my soul or lead my children to want to kill God (or Goddess).

I am coming to think we need a movie like this one to make us at least start to think about the dangers of "groupthink". That is, in my opinion, what much of this series is about. It is about thinking for oneself, gathering friends where ever you are lucky enough to find them, and the kindness of children with no hidden agenda.

What could be more wonderful?

In one article I found, there seemed to be some reasonable-ness from religious quarters. The following is a quote:

{begin quote}The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office for Film and Broadcasting gave the film, which is rated PG-13, a warm review. The film is not blatantly anti-Catholic but a "generalized rejection of authoritarianism," it said.

While noting the story's "spirit of rebellion and stark individualism," the office said Lyra and her allies' stand for free will in opposition to the coercive force of the Magisterium is "entirely in harmony with Catholic teaching."

Sister Rose Paccate, director of the Pauline Center of Media Studies in Culver City, Calif., said the books portray benevolence toward children and a God figure just one that's much different than the one Christians know. She sees irony in calls to shun the film, considering that one of Pullman's central themes is that people should not follow orders and forfeit critical thought.

"If you just say 'no' to your kids without engaging in a conversation, they're going to see the movie anyway and all you're teaching them is power, not really teaching your values," Paccate said. "If we have faith, what are we afraid of?" {end quote}

Huh.

Well, anyway. As the title of this post states, these are my latest obsessions. Oh, I guess I edited it to literary obsessions because, uh, I have to say I am obsessed with Britney Spears as well. That could be another post. Maybe.

Taking a few outside shots before the big freeze

2007-12-04T22:09:00.001-05:00

This is Declan's new favorite face. I think of it as the "Mom, what you are doing right now is crazy" face. I had just pulled to the side of the road to snap some *priceless* pictures. So, yeah, he is usually right when he makes this face.

They are so loving to each other. They can drive each other nuts. This is the picture I will hold in my heart when they are making each other crazy.

Even the cat was getting a Christmas shot taken. We laugh all the time about Cute With Chris and have been taking photo shoots of our cat.

This is the 1856 General Store. There are two benches outside. We always sit on the Democrat side. After 20 years, they switched the sides so now the Dems are on the right (facing the store). I have not quite adjusted. Some things should remain the same. The benches in their rightful positions were immortalized in this ornament, but now....well....I suppose I will adjust. I just keep sitting in the wrong, or should I say, right side. Wait, I now sit on the right, left side. See.

It is a topsy turvey world.

"Mom, why are we at the beach? It is December. We are cooooooollllllllldddddddddd"
This is the most awesome train set. Coolio.
These are not the presents under our tree. Declan had had it at this point. As Madeline will attest, red heads ARE more sensitive to cold and heat and he stayed in the car. Ella was considering taking her shoes off. That girl loves the cold when it is on her terms.

Tagged...weird things

2007-12-04T21:53:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I have been tagged. My friend Madeline tagged me, so I guess I'll play.

Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person’s blog who tagged you.

2. Post these rules on your blog.

3. List seven random and/or weird facts about yourself

4. Tag seven random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.

5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by posting a comment on their blog.

Weird/Random Things About Me

1. My name was almost Boston. My mom and dad in their hippie days thought this would be a cool name. When my brother and his wife were expecting their second, I told him this story. He named his daughter Boston. I like to think she'd named after me, in a way.

2. I was supposed to pick my own middle name. Again, my mom had some idea (influenced by the movie A Thousand Clowns). The kind of weird thing is that I never did.

3. My feet are two different sizes. Completely.

4. I always thought I was born on the day men landed on the moon. My parents told me this. There was this story about how I was just out the womb and there lay my mom watching me land on the moon.....well, it was actually three days later. Maybe that is when she came out of her post partum bliss enough to turn on the tv.

5. I still have my teddy bear, Theodore. I love him. I am not ashamed :)

6. I am very superstitious about rocking chairs. They should not rock with no one in them. My Nana taught me that.

7. When eating with a spoon, I have to use a small teaspoon. I cannot stand the feel of a larger spoon. I never use soup spoons.

Whew! That was harder than I thought.

Okay, I am tagging.....

Ella at My Homeschool Life
Dee at Diary of a Mad Crafter
Robin at Blue Skies Urban Farm
Denise at Mom in Madison
Mandaroo at Second to the Right, Straight on til Morning
Chloe at The Mindful Home
Jean at Freckles Filled With Love

Christmas Traditions

2007-12-03T09:09:00.000-05:00

In honor of the start of December I thought I would share some of our holiday traditions.

1. I make these wreath cookies that are like rice krispie treats but with corn flakes and dyed green with red hot berries. Totally gross no matter how I try to make them healthier with organic corn flakes or whatever. My family LOVES these.

2. Christmas strolls. These are so fun! We love the Centerville and Hyannis strolls. In Hyannis they have a boat parade of lit up boats and Santa comes in on the Pirate Boat. Argh!

3. Frosty. We have a plastic Frosty that peeks out our attic window. Last year, a secret neighbor left us Christmas With The Kranks and a sweet note about how much she likes our Frosty. In our neighborhood, it is all tasteful, Yankee, New Englander, white lights and real balsam wreaths so it is nice to know that someone was appreciating our nod to kitch.

4. Homemade gifts. Every year, we try to make a bunch of gifts. We've made ornaments, scarves, food, etc. When I was little, I would come to the Cape to visit my dad, and Meg would always make something with me. It is a happy memory I have kept with my kids.

5. Candles. I can never have enough on Christmas. I even save them year after year and bring out some that are just Christmas candles.

6. Cookie swaps. Last year, I had two of these and that was too much. But one is nice. Cookies, a craft, kids with frosting on their faces....what could be better?

7. Driving around looking for Santa. I have my mom to thank for this one. One year, when my brother was about 6, and I was 10 or 11, she saw Santa on Huron Ave coming home one night from the laundromat. She came home and bustled us in our pj's into the car to see if we could catch a glimpse. Sometimes now I catch sight of Santa myself, and in our pj's we head out to see if we can find him.

8. Tree trimming. Oh, I love doing this in the dark after getting the tree.

I am sure there are more, and as we do them I will post. But that is enough. I am in the spirit now, and think I'll go make some cocoa for the kids. Oh, yeah. One more thing. Thanks to the lovely Sarabeth, we have started calling cocoa Snowman Soup. Heavy on the marshmallows.

Favorites

2007-12-02T19:00:00.000-05:00

This looked so cool, I decided I had to try it.

The idea is stolen from some unschooler blogs I like to read (Ren's, Kelli's, Sandra Dodd's). It seemed so fun on theirs. Actually doing it was not as cool, but I was surprised that the images were so incredibly varied, given just a phrase or word. There was some choosing then, that was going on over on these other blogs and so I will revisit with a different eye, now.

The idea is to use your answers to the questions as search phrases in google images. You then get some images to choose from that were search results for your favorite food or whatever.

1. Age you'll be next year: 39

2. Place you'd like to travel: Pretty much anywhere
Okay, I don't know this little girl, but the caption said they would take her "pretty much anywhere", and doesn't she look like a wonderful travelling companion?

3. Favorite place: Cozy with my children at home with something smelling good

How funny is that? There was also a picture of a dog smelling garbage, how does that relate?

4. Favorite object: my yellow (non-down) comforter

5. Favorite food: warm chocolate chip cookies

6. Favorite animal: dolphin

7. Favorite color: beige and red

Oh yeah, baby. Now that is traveling in style.

8. Nickname: Jec

Okay, what is the deal with the mushroom? I was getting a little sick of the way I was formatting this, but I will search this image again. Oh, yes, I will.

9. Town I was born in: Syracuse, New York ... and this image is about as much as I remember...

10. My bad habit: Lateness

"Thinking of His Thoughts"

2007-11-30T16:14:00.000-05:00

This picture was taken this summer, but it kind of looks like Declan's state of mind right now. He is often "thinking of his thoughts" as he calls it. It is amazing to me to see the progression of his thoughts move from himself to others to the whole wide world. This picture was taken at my mom's house, which is on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world (in my opinion, but after all, it is my blog, ha ha) .

Marzipanimals

2007-11-30T08:56:00.000-05:00

Declan and Gramma creating.
Declan's special creation in his favorite colors.
Totally edible (if you can stand to eat marzipan)
Marzipanimals from under the sea.

Okay, so every year, Ella's 4-H does this even called a Visual Presentation. Apparently, one of 4-H's big things is Public Speaking. So, the 4-H groups all practice, and then they have county-wide evening events, complete with judges. The judges decide who was the most well spoken, articulate, creative, etc.

Last year, Ella did The Duck That Doesn't Quack, DUCT TAPE! as her presentation. She won in the state competition and the county one. This has put the pressure on this year. She has had a number of ideas, the latest being marzipan animals. She would call it, Marzipanimals.

My Mother-In-Law, and artist with the Art Guild of Cape Cod has been making marzipan for Ella for Christmas every year for a long time now. She came over and helped the kids make all kinds of "marzipanimals".

Oh, but now the VP (visual presentation) is going to be on soap making.

Scrapbook Fun

2007-11-30T08:51:00.001-05:00

We have found a wonderful place! It is called Simply Scrapbooking, and the woman who runs it, Michele, is awesome with the kids. We have been twice, and both times the girls (we have yet to get Declan or any boys to come!) made stuff they were really proud of.

It is so fun to hear them chatting in the "back room." Ella is really concentrating here.
Ahh! The finished product! A picture book for Dad for Christmas. Shhhh. . . it's a secret!

Best Buddies

2007-11-30T08:46:00.000-05:00

How cute is this? We love these dogs. Lately we are really in love with Joy's cute (or so ugly she's cute?)-ness, because she has had a cone on for weeks! She is no longer in contact with the aliens.
She jumped on and off Declan about 6 times last night and he never woke up. It was so funny.

More Pre-Thanksgiving Creations

2007-11-19T14:37:00.001-05:00

One of the things we love about Cape Cod are the cranberry bogs. We have a bunch near us. Jenny has taken some great pictures of them, so I won't even try to display some here when you can just link to hers.
There are so many delicious things you can do with cranberries, and we like to get some berries and mix them with corn meal from the Grist Mill in Sandwich and make muffins. But today we did something different, and turned the cranberries into this.
The recipe actually calls for almond extract, but given that I had walnuts and no almonds, I put some vanilla extract in instead and it was great.

I have to find someone to give these to before I eat them all....maybe a visit over to the neighbors is in order. Share the love, and all. Or maybe not.