This week was supposed to our first week of "back to school". Despite my unschooling leanings, there is something about being "off" for the summer and re-entering the structure of a school year that appeals to me. In fact, having the summer off is what really freed me up to unschool this summer.
This is a synopsis of what happened this week:
Tuesday
• I decided not to give the kids their "back to school" presents because First decided he wanted to start school when Owen and Lukas did, on Thursday.
• Danielle and the kids were back from Maine and so I dropped them off to play while I ran some errands: picking up my glasses and touring and joining the Y.
• After lunch, the kids and I drove up to the park with Baxter and walked the paved loop.
• I made dinner from scratch for the first time in what felt like a long time. Between my shoulder strain and then my cold, I've been serving up a lot of hot dogs lately.
• I spent some time researching something for Cap (online and by phone).
Wednesday
• After breakfast, I cooked. Made one of First's faves, carrot tofu scramble for lunch and then made chicken and green beans from the farm for dinner. I also breaded and fried some eggplant from the farm.
• After lunch the kids and I walked to the park down the street with Baxter and played. We spent a lot of time watching the small school of fish in the stream.
• The kids drew a lot.
• I finally chose a read aloud book and we read the first chapter of Mary Poppins.
• I spent time online checking into the Christopherus forum (printed two articles on festivals which are being studied right now, amongst other things) and e-mailing (happy about the burst of e-mail with Wendy).
Thursday
• I went to the dentist to get two cavities filled, had a wonderfully kid-free time in the hardware store and then dropped in on Danielle to see how her kids going back to school was.
• Fed the kids lunch and baked some banana choco chip muffins to bring over to Kelly's.
• Dropped the kids off to Kelly's and Cap and I went to his and hers acupuncturist appts.
• A quick walk around the block with Bax followed by picking up sandwiches at a local Italian place and driving Cap up to work before dinner.
When I told First he was going to the dentist on Monday morning, he asked whether that would interfere with our first day of school. I told him I'd get back to him.
I'm feeling kind of vulnerable, a bit like my skin is jumpy...no, more like it's nervy. I think it's connected to seeing the acupuncturist. Despite the feeling that I'm off balance, or perhaps because of it, I am feeling some clarity.
I need to plant my feet and take a breath.
Friday, September 07, 2007
Mindreader
First and Kinder continue to make lots of books (chapter books and comic books). Often, they ask for help spelling words or writing sentences.
This morning, First asked me to write some words on a blank page. I wrote them and he launched into a 7 going on 14 admonition with plenty of righteous indignation that the letters were supposed to be much bigger.
When I tried to defend my actions and asserted that I wasn't a mind reader, he replied, "well, I'm pretty sure that you can (read my mind)"!
This morning, First asked me to write some words on a blank page. I wrote them and he launched into a 7 going on 14 admonition with plenty of righteous indignation that the letters were supposed to be much bigger.
When I tried to defend my actions and asserted that I wasn't a mind reader, he replied, "well, I'm pretty sure that you can (read my mind)"!
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Baxter
This is Baxter. Normally, he lives with Takai, Lisa and Ellie, but we are dogsitting and so he's with us this week. He's been a great reason to get out of the house and spend time outdoors. Yesterday we drove up to the park and did a loop around the paved path. Today we walked to another park and watched a small school of fish darting around in the stream and hiding under the bridge.
He's also really cute and fun to have around.
Dr. Lu
I just found his organization's website. Interesting and insightful stuff. Now I know why he's so expensive.
http://www.tcmworld.org/about_us/
http://www.tcmworld.org/about_us/
Monday, September 03, 2007
Waldorf inspired
A local Waldorf homeschooler is selling her homeschooling resources to help fund school supplies for her first grader who will be starting school at a Waldorf school this week. We had met in cyberspace, but never in person. I bought her copy of Donna's Curriculum Overview for Waldorf Homeschoolers at a discount of 27% off the cover price. Plus, had it dropped off to my door which was nice because I got to meet her in person :-)
Well, I wish someone had told me long ago to get this book. I had resisted buying it because it costs $55 and I felt like it wasn't a match for me because I wasn't committing to the whole scope (through highschool) of the homeschool experience yet.
After skimming through most of the book, it seems to me that it is the logical next book to get after the Kindergarten with Your 3 to 6 Year Old book. I opted instead to get the First Grade book. It would have made more sense for me to get the Overview last fall when I felt like I wanted more than the Kindy book to mull over. The First Grade book would have been fine to get this summer, as prep for First Grade this fall.
But, who knows, stuff like this can't always be planned and follow a preordained sequence. It's possible that a year ago the Overview would not have resonated the same way...that my experiences and development in the last year have brought me to where I am and that the book is a nice bonus for the now.
So, what I like about this book:
• Donna talks about how she and her family integrated unschooling and Waldorf homeschooling in ways that make sense to me. This has been a struggle for me for the last year and for the first time, I feel like there's a light at the end of the tunnel... Getting that "aha!" feeling reading parts of the book has renewed my energy.
• She presents the curriculum horizontally (by grade) and vertically (by subject). I like this method and feel like she gets to a lot of depth by talking about things in both contexts.
• She talks about penetrating the curriculum, to look deeper than the "what, when, where", to think on what it is at the core that the child should be getting from the material and then having the flexibility to individualize how your kid will meet that core lesson and truly create your own way to make that happen (the ultimate "way" may not end up being "purely" Waldorf---but the process of coming to that end being the "Waldorf" way.) This really made me think about"form", which is a critical element of Waldorf pedagogy, in a new and invigorating way.
• It has inspired me! Yesterday, sitting in the new blue chair, the sheepskin warming my back, the breeze wafting through the window onto my being, I thought a lot of thoughts (yes, I felt quite like Pooh). I copied down verses and songs for Morning, Mealtime and Closing.
I thought about what I'd like to do for foreign languages (First would like to do Japanese at home, Cap and I are pursuing putting Kinder into a French group that Holly started last year and Lila will be continuing to participate in, in addition to the Japanese---in Waldorf schools kids traditionally learn two foreign languages.)
And I thought about what I could plug into the recorder time of Donna's First Grade curriculum. I've decided to do recorder with both kids next fall when Kinder starts First Grade (delaying it for a year with First). I even posted to Donna's forum about this. I'd kept my membership up in this online forum, renewing every three months, despite remaining quite inactive in it.
So, now, after a summer of embracing unschooling, a twist of fate has brought Waldorf inspiration back into my lap. It feels good!
Well, I wish someone had told me long ago to get this book. I had resisted buying it because it costs $55 and I felt like it wasn't a match for me because I wasn't committing to the whole scope (through highschool) of the homeschool experience yet.
After skimming through most of the book, it seems to me that it is the logical next book to get after the Kindergarten with Your 3 to 6 Year Old book. I opted instead to get the First Grade book. It would have made more sense for me to get the Overview last fall when I felt like I wanted more than the Kindy book to mull over. The First Grade book would have been fine to get this summer, as prep for First Grade this fall.
But, who knows, stuff like this can't always be planned and follow a preordained sequence. It's possible that a year ago the Overview would not have resonated the same way...that my experiences and development in the last year have brought me to where I am and that the book is a nice bonus for the now.
So, what I like about this book:
• Donna talks about how she and her family integrated unschooling and Waldorf homeschooling in ways that make sense to me. This has been a struggle for me for the last year and for the first time, I feel like there's a light at the end of the tunnel... Getting that "aha!" feeling reading parts of the book has renewed my energy.
• She presents the curriculum horizontally (by grade) and vertically (by subject). I like this method and feel like she gets to a lot of depth by talking about things in both contexts.
• She talks about penetrating the curriculum, to look deeper than the "what, when, where", to think on what it is at the core that the child should be getting from the material and then having the flexibility to individualize how your kid will meet that core lesson and truly create your own way to make that happen (the ultimate "way" may not end up being "purely" Waldorf---but the process of coming to that end being the "Waldorf" way.) This really made me think about"form", which is a critical element of Waldorf pedagogy, in a new and invigorating way.
• It has inspired me! Yesterday, sitting in the new blue chair, the sheepskin warming my back, the breeze wafting through the window onto my being, I thought a lot of thoughts (yes, I felt quite like Pooh). I copied down verses and songs for Morning, Mealtime and Closing.
I thought about what I'd like to do for foreign languages (First would like to do Japanese at home, Cap and I are pursuing putting Kinder into a French group that Holly started last year and Lila will be continuing to participate in, in addition to the Japanese---in Waldorf schools kids traditionally learn two foreign languages.)
And I thought about what I could plug into the recorder time of Donna's First Grade curriculum. I've decided to do recorder with both kids next fall when Kinder starts First Grade (delaying it for a year with First). I even posted to Donna's forum about this. I'd kept my membership up in this online forum, renewing every three months, despite remaining quite inactive in it.
So, now, after a summer of embracing unschooling, a twist of fate has brought Waldorf inspiration back into my lap. It feels good!
End of summer
It's Labor Day. Outside, there's a wind blowing through the oak and maple trees. Kinder's drawing papers were being blown about and we had to close the windows. I love this kind of cool and breezy morning.
I am being dogged by this cold/seasonal allergy. I've had an annoying cough for days (causing squirting...) and yesterday I was pooped again and spent most of the day reading Donna's Curriculum Overview or zoning out in front of the tv.
Sometime last night or this morning, in dreamtime, I remembered that I hadn't made any of the homemade tea remedy that Dr. Lu (the acupuncturist) had recommended I drink daily. I'm sipping it now. A few pieces of fresh ginger (peeled and sliced), a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice, a dollop of NJ honey, all steeped in some hot water.
I've been watching episodes of Dexter and Brotherhood on Showtime on Demand. I like both...they are like apples and oranges.
It was a relief to see that Michael C. Hall, who played David (the middle child) on Six Feet Under (a show I love), was able to pull off (in my eyes) the transition to another character, and pull together a nice ensemble cast as the lead (Dexter).
Brotherhood was mentioned in Dalton Ross' column in EW this week and so I checked it out. It takes place in Providence...it's kind of like The Wire, but in Providence, and on a much smaller scale, focusing on an Irish-American family/community.
Mmm. This tea feels very curative.
Baxter comes today for a week while Takai, Lisa and Ellie head down to Myrtle Beach for vacation.
I am being dogged by this cold/seasonal allergy. I've had an annoying cough for days (causing squirting...) and yesterday I was pooped again and spent most of the day reading Donna's Curriculum Overview or zoning out in front of the tv.
Sometime last night or this morning, in dreamtime, I remembered that I hadn't made any of the homemade tea remedy that Dr. Lu (the acupuncturist) had recommended I drink daily. I'm sipping it now. A few pieces of fresh ginger (peeled and sliced), a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice, a dollop of NJ honey, all steeped in some hot water.
I've been watching episodes of Dexter and Brotherhood on Showtime on Demand. I like both...they are like apples and oranges.
It was a relief to see that Michael C. Hall, who played David (the middle child) on Six Feet Under (a show I love), was able to pull off (in my eyes) the transition to another character, and pull together a nice ensemble cast as the lead (Dexter).
Brotherhood was mentioned in Dalton Ross' column in EW this week and so I checked it out. It takes place in Providence...it's kind of like The Wire, but in Providence, and on a much smaller scale, focusing on an Irish-American family/community.
Mmm. This tea feels very curative.
Baxter comes today for a week while Takai, Lisa and Ellie head down to Myrtle Beach for vacation.
Sunday, September 02, 2007
GF breadcrumbs
Every couple of weeks I clean out the top shelf of the fridge which has somehow become the official way station of the "ears" of bread (as they are called in Japan). There are usually a dozen or so of the bags that the bread comes packaged in, with only the ends of the loaves left inside. I actually don't mind the ends of the loaves, but my boys don't like 'em.
I grab my Japanese plastic grater which comes with a fitted catching container and make breadcrumbs. (Since it's a Japanese grater, I guess technically, I am making panko :-) I just love these breadcrumbs. I feel like I am mining treasure as I whittle down the slices into crumbly bits.
I like to use them for turkey (dark meat) meatloaf and for breaded and fried yummies like chicken fingers, fish or veggies (Farmer John's summer squash from earleir this summer was heaven...)
The toilet is dirty
...commented First last night as we were all piled into the bathroom for the nighttime routine of flossing, brushing, and peeing. Do you want to clean it? I asked. Sure, he answered. And so he did. He spent much longer brushing it than I ever do and when he was done, it looked all sparkly :-)
I love teachable moments. I think unschooling is all about living life with your kids and the teachable moments. For children truly are 'learning all the time'.
I love teachable moments. I think unschooling is all about living life with your kids and the teachable moments. For children truly are 'learning all the time'.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Uno!
I've been teaching the kids how to play Uno. We picked up a Magic Treehouse Uno deck at Barnes and Noble the other day. Perfect. Tonight, Kinder won the first hand, very exciting as any of you who are not first in birth order can attest to.
The picture is a bit dark because the flash kept causing a glare...
Heirloom tomatoes
I love 'em. In Sacramento, the food co-op would get lovely specimens from local farmers (all their produce was organic). I was partial to the red-orange ones with the yellow streaks. Yesterday we got some in our farm share and, mmmm, this morning I enjoyed some of this succulent green one. My thumb is touching it, to give you a point of reference.
Ikea
"It feels like we're in a whole new house." (First)
Yesterday afternoon the stars lined up and we dropped the kids off with Danielle and drove over to Ikea. Our fifteen year old pair of full-size futons and frames have been showing their age quite a lot lately (both frames are broken and one futon very shabby---the other futon is mysteriously like Dorian Gray) and it was time for a change.
We were both prepared to be conservative, not even planning to buy, only to test pieces out. But, Cap felt an urge to get things taken care of before the semester starts next week and Ikea literally had the goods.
We now have a new sofa bed with eggplant (or should I say "aubergine" :-) slipcover and a funky pair of Miro-y cushions.
And a great chair, the Poang chair. It's design is so simple, using a minimum amount of material, and it has this gentle bounce/rock. Sitting in it last night it was easy to imagine myself knitting away happily in it.
We actually got the chair for Cap so that he would have a comfortable chair to read in. I think we may have to go back and get another one for me. Think Papa and Mama bear.
Because the kids were not reluctantly shopping with us, I was able to do some perusing of the bottom floor, where all the fun stuff is for me---glassware, ceramicware, frames, textiles... I picked up another set of our "Poem" silverware, a fluffy sheepskin, an ergonomic pillow, a stepstool for the bathroom sink, a storage container for recyclables, wrapping paper, a shower curtain... I was quickly overwhelmed in the fabric area and decided I'd have to come back again when I had more time and a bit more knowledge about making curtains.
Cap tinkered away last night while we watched the Red Sox fall to the Yankees and this morning, as First said, our livingroom is feeling like a space with new possibilities and promise. (All for the price equivalent to my new pair of glasses---still waiting for their arrival.)
Silke just called, they are back and she and the kids will be over this afternoon to play!
Yesterday afternoon the stars lined up and we dropped the kids off with Danielle and drove over to Ikea. Our fifteen year old pair of full-size futons and frames have been showing their age quite a lot lately (both frames are broken and one futon very shabby---the other futon is mysteriously like Dorian Gray) and it was time for a change.
We were both prepared to be conservative, not even planning to buy, only to test pieces out. But, Cap felt an urge to get things taken care of before the semester starts next week and Ikea literally had the goods.
We now have a new sofa bed with eggplant (or should I say "aubergine" :-) slipcover and a funky pair of Miro-y cushions.
And a great chair, the Poang chair. It's design is so simple, using a minimum amount of material, and it has this gentle bounce/rock. Sitting in it last night it was easy to imagine myself knitting away happily in it.
We actually got the chair for Cap so that he would have a comfortable chair to read in. I think we may have to go back and get another one for me. Think Papa and Mama bear.
Because the kids were not reluctantly shopping with us, I was able to do some perusing of the bottom floor, where all the fun stuff is for me---glassware, ceramicware, frames, textiles... I picked up another set of our "Poem" silverware, a fluffy sheepskin, an ergonomic pillow, a stepstool for the bathroom sink, a storage container for recyclables, wrapping paper, a shower curtain... I was quickly overwhelmed in the fabric area and decided I'd have to come back again when I had more time and a bit more knowledge about making curtains.
Cap tinkered away last night while we watched the Red Sox fall to the Yankees and this morning, as First said, our livingroom is feeling like a space with new possibilities and promise. (All for the price equivalent to my new pair of glasses---still waiting for their arrival.)
Silke just called, they are back and she and the kids will be over this afternoon to play!
Monday, August 27, 2007
Tidbits
• I drew up a list of things that both kids like to eat, with their input. Their tastes have been changing and diverging even more than before. Once we hit next week and our official start of our second year of homeschooling, I want to establish a weekly dinner plan of foods that they'll eat. Tired of the whines and barely nibbled food I am. Also, during the week, I want meal prep to be more efficient.
This is the plan:
Mon - bean burritos, brown rice, veggie
Tue - Cap's chicken (sautéed breast with balsamic vinegar), white rice, veggie
Wed - potato night (latkes, homemade fries or tortilla patata), veggie, apple sauce
Thu - spaghetti with meat sauce, breadsticks, veggie
Fri - sushi (First)/pizza (Kinder) night, veggie
• The Upside Down Show. It's on Noggin and it's great.
• Definitely enjoying Deadwood. I'm about five or six eps into the first season. A wonderful variety of characters, all interesting and well played.
• The sunflower buds have arrived!!! I've been neglecting the garden a bit. When I checked on it today, I found two flower buds. One is on a stalk that had bent...it may be lost, but I'm going to try to nurture it along. The tomatoes have really slowed down in their ripening/reddening. Not sure if it's due to weather conditions or mold (there is some kind of mold on some of the plants out there) or what...
• The kids back-to-school prezzies are tucked under my desk --- a Ben 10 backpack for Kinder and a Ben 10 shirt for First. They picked them out (my first choice fell through, a home business that makes t-shirts using batik and Celtic designs --- a dragon for First and snake for Kinder [their Asian astrology signs]), but they don't know that the gifts are in the house. A little surprise for next Tuesday.
• A couple of hours ago, Kinder punched First in the arm. In kind of classic punch throwing form. Reason? Frustration. First's response? Mildly indignant. I talked to them about it because it seemed to bother me much more than it bothered either of them. Turns out, First wasn't bothered because "it didn't really hurt". Kinder knows he shouldn't, after the fact, but the kid has very little impulse control when it comes to certain emotional situations. I decided to put aside my desire to knock some sense into Kinder with a big consequence.
• I bought a sewing machine, on sale at Target (thanks for the tip Julia :-) We'll be making a trip to Ikea soon for some curtain fabric and arm chair hunting. We're finally going to get rid of the broken futon frame and the hopelessly lumpy and schlumpy "blue" futon. We'll put the "red" futon on the rickety, but still standing, remaining futon frame and put a reading chair for Cap in the space that will open up from losing one of our couches. We've had both frames and futons for fifteen years!
• I'm bummed to hear the rumors of Owen Wilson's alleged suicide attempt.
• Eagerly awaiting my new glasses. Cap found some piece of paper in his office yesterday that has info on it about eligibility for a free pair of glasses once a year. A few days late and $500 short.
This is the plan:
Mon - bean burritos, brown rice, veggie
Tue - Cap's chicken (sautéed breast with balsamic vinegar), white rice, veggie
Wed - potato night (latkes, homemade fries or tortilla patata), veggie, apple sauce
Thu - spaghetti with meat sauce, breadsticks, veggie
Fri - sushi (First)/pizza (Kinder) night, veggie
• The Upside Down Show. It's on Noggin and it's great.
• Definitely enjoying Deadwood. I'm about five or six eps into the first season. A wonderful variety of characters, all interesting and well played.
• The sunflower buds have arrived!!! I've been neglecting the garden a bit. When I checked on it today, I found two flower buds. One is on a stalk that had bent...it may be lost, but I'm going to try to nurture it along. The tomatoes have really slowed down in their ripening/reddening. Not sure if it's due to weather conditions or mold (there is some kind of mold on some of the plants out there) or what...
• The kids back-to-school prezzies are tucked under my desk --- a Ben 10 backpack for Kinder and a Ben 10 shirt for First. They picked them out (my first choice fell through, a home business that makes t-shirts using batik and Celtic designs --- a dragon for First and snake for Kinder [their Asian astrology signs]), but they don't know that the gifts are in the house. A little surprise for next Tuesday.
• A couple of hours ago, Kinder punched First in the arm. In kind of classic punch throwing form. Reason? Frustration. First's response? Mildly indignant. I talked to them about it because it seemed to bother me much more than it bothered either of them. Turns out, First wasn't bothered because "it didn't really hurt". Kinder knows he shouldn't, after the fact, but the kid has very little impulse control when it comes to certain emotional situations. I decided to put aside my desire to knock some sense into Kinder with a big consequence.
• I bought a sewing machine, on sale at Target (thanks for the tip Julia :-) We'll be making a trip to Ikea soon for some curtain fabric and arm chair hunting. We're finally going to get rid of the broken futon frame and the hopelessly lumpy and schlumpy "blue" futon. We'll put the "red" futon on the rickety, but still standing, remaining futon frame and put a reading chair for Cap in the space that will open up from losing one of our couches. We've had both frames and futons for fifteen years!
• I'm bummed to hear the rumors of Owen Wilson's alleged suicide attempt.
• Eagerly awaiting my new glasses. Cap found some piece of paper in his office yesterday that has info on it about eligibility for a free pair of glasses once a year. A few days late and $500 short.
Overheard in bed
I opened an eye this morning and that was First's cue to report: "you can floss with hair!" And sure enough, there was my firstborn, flossing his teeth with a strand of hair...
Friday, August 24, 2007
Blah
I don't know if it's a side effect of this cold or of being very cooped up due to rain and the cold (now the kids have it, too), but I feel caught in my head.
Last night I walked into the kitchen after the kids were in bed and looked for something to eat. And nothing appealed. My tongue felt dulled and my neurons couldn't make any positive associations or connections. So, dinner waited till 9:30 when Cap came home, taking a break from his past due project. The chicken parm sub was okay (took a risk with the cheese but am feeling no ill effects this morning) and the caramel apple cake slice was disappointing.
One of the nights that Mary was here we got take-out from Smokey's and I finally got to have the crabcakes (they're usually out). Well, now I know why they're usually out. They were amazing. And the sweet potato pie was scrumptious (that's what got my caramel jones going there was a completely unexpected and incredible caramel undertone in that pie).
I watched Feasting on Asphalt last night (love the dvr!) Alton Brown is my new crush. They were in Memphis in last night's episode and the ribs looked so good. David gave me a rec for a place in Austin that has good ribs, that reminds me (thanks David!)
Okay, blah is moving on. Cap booked our Austin stuff. Hotel and flights. He has a conference and I'll be joining him for the weekend. Takai and Lisa will have the kids. I'll have two nights and a full day there, my first time in Texas. This will be the weekend after Thanksgiving. I'm psyched.
Recently we caught a Throwdown with Bobby Flay that took place at a crepe place in Austin. So, ribs and crepes will be had. I'm hoping to hear of other good eats and fun things to do, though of course, I'm looking forward to exploring and discovering, too.
We're not going to Massachusetts this weekend. The kids popping fevers yesterday did it. Mummu's health cannot be compromised as she is recovering from surgery. We'll go up in September...between Cap's schedule (no classes on Fridays) and homeschooling, we've got some nice flexibility this semester. Still a bummer though. I would have liked to participate in Amy's blessingway which will be on Saturday. If Boston was 2 hours away instead of 4 life would be so much better...
I joined a local unschooling Yahoo group and that's been fun. Kelly had said they are a bunch of very friendly and supportive women and that has been evident. There are some other Waldorf inspired folks there which is nice, too.
I finally talked to Erika which was...perfection.
So, we're looking at a weekend alone (no guests!) and without plans. Sounds foreign...but good.
Last night I walked into the kitchen after the kids were in bed and looked for something to eat. And nothing appealed. My tongue felt dulled and my neurons couldn't make any positive associations or connections. So, dinner waited till 9:30 when Cap came home, taking a break from his past due project. The chicken parm sub was okay (took a risk with the cheese but am feeling no ill effects this morning) and the caramel apple cake slice was disappointing.
One of the nights that Mary was here we got take-out from Smokey's and I finally got to have the crabcakes (they're usually out). Well, now I know why they're usually out. They were amazing. And the sweet potato pie was scrumptious (that's what got my caramel jones going there was a completely unexpected and incredible caramel undertone in that pie).
I watched Feasting on Asphalt last night (love the dvr!) Alton Brown is my new crush. They were in Memphis in last night's episode and the ribs looked so good. David gave me a rec for a place in Austin that has good ribs, that reminds me (thanks David!)
Okay, blah is moving on. Cap booked our Austin stuff. Hotel and flights. He has a conference and I'll be joining him for the weekend. Takai and Lisa will have the kids. I'll have two nights and a full day there, my first time in Texas. This will be the weekend after Thanksgiving. I'm psyched.
Recently we caught a Throwdown with Bobby Flay that took place at a crepe place in Austin. So, ribs and crepes will be had. I'm hoping to hear of other good eats and fun things to do, though of course, I'm looking forward to exploring and discovering, too.
We're not going to Massachusetts this weekend. The kids popping fevers yesterday did it. Mummu's health cannot be compromised as she is recovering from surgery. We'll go up in September...between Cap's schedule (no classes on Fridays) and homeschooling, we've got some nice flexibility this semester. Still a bummer though. I would have liked to participate in Amy's blessingway which will be on Saturday. If Boston was 2 hours away instead of 4 life would be so much better...
I joined a local unschooling Yahoo group and that's been fun. Kelly had said they are a bunch of very friendly and supportive women and that has been evident. There are some other Waldorf inspired folks there which is nice, too.
I finally talked to Erika which was...perfection.
So, we're looking at a weekend alone (no guests!) and without plans. Sounds foreign...but good.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Word books
For a year or so now Cap and I have talked about putting up a "word wall". Anyone that's been or worked in a lower elementary classroom has probably seen one. The words are organized by their first letters and are sight words (high frequency words that are not phonetically easy to read) which become easily accessible once they're on the wall to encourage standard spelling and more fluid and independent writing (less of "how do you spell ____?") One of the nifty general education tools of the trade I learned about when I worked with El. Cap is familiar with many of these tools through his graduate coursework from way back when.
Well, tonight, I improvised. I plucked two old notebooks out of a basket and made each of the kids their own "word books". They've been writing and drawing their own comic books like mad lately (which is what they are doing right now) and there's no time like the present.
(click on the pic for a closer look)
Mummu sent them a kids' thesaurus today, another perfect learning and writing tool!
I love homeschooling. I love simply working with the kids on what is rocking their world and embedding my teaching into these interests to develop their skills. After dinner, on a Tuesday night, in summer.
I'm looking forward to sparking their curiosity and making connections with them via some of my own interests in the coming months like nature appreciation and study (I'm attempting to round up some friends for a "Second Saturday" series of family hikes), fitness and exercise (joining the Y still on my "to do" list, handwork (sewing, knitting, embroidery, appliqué --- Target has the basic Singer sewing machine on sale right now for $75), and the performing arts (Chinese acrobats, a Moomintroll puppet show, Dan Zanes' Holiday Hootenany, the Symphony Orchestra family subscription series...)
Life is good :-)
Well, tonight, I improvised. I plucked two old notebooks out of a basket and made each of the kids their own "word books". They've been writing and drawing their own comic books like mad lately (which is what they are doing right now) and there's no time like the present.
(click on the pic for a closer look)
Mummu sent them a kids' thesaurus today, another perfect learning and writing tool!
I love homeschooling. I love simply working with the kids on what is rocking their world and embedding my teaching into these interests to develop their skills. After dinner, on a Tuesday night, in summer.
I'm looking forward to sparking their curiosity and making connections with them via some of my own interests in the coming months like nature appreciation and study (I'm attempting to round up some friends for a "Second Saturday" series of family hikes), fitness and exercise (joining the Y still on my "to do" list, handwork (sewing, knitting, embroidery, appliqué --- Target has the basic Singer sewing machine on sale right now for $75), and the performing arts (Chinese acrobats, a Moomintroll puppet show, Dan Zanes' Holiday Hootenany, the Symphony Orchestra family subscription series...)
Life is good :-)
Monday, August 20, 2007
Pause
Saturday evening my body hit the pause button. I have a cold for what feels like the first time in years. I've been sleeping when I can, trying not to feel the weight of Cap's having to pause on his work (deadline came and went today) in order to pick up the slack to keep the household humming.
In my dazed and aching waking hours I've been learning how to program our dvr system and have been taping documentaries, movies and tv shows galore. Also guzzling cold prevention tea (it would seem too late, but maybe it's helping it from getting worse) and thinking about fabrics for curtains and embroidery. And hoping I'll make it to Massachusetts in a few days as planned.
In my dazed and aching waking hours I've been learning how to program our dvr system and have been taping documentaries, movies and tv shows galore. Also guzzling cold prevention tea (it would seem too late, but maybe it's helping it from getting worse) and thinking about fabrics for curtains and embroidery. And hoping I'll make it to Massachusetts in a few days as planned.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Acupuncture it is
Dr. Lu pretty much kicked ass. He fixed my shoulder with some "torture" as he put it. I canceled the rest of my PT appointments from the car in the parking lot of Dr. Lu's office. He felt my pulse, looked at my tongue and concurred, "you really have no energy". So I'm taking some herbs and will probably go back in a few weeks.
When I showed the kids my range of motion was back while they ate dinner, that I was "fixed", First whispered in awe, "that's amazing" and Kinder asked me to pick him up (which I haven't been able to do for a few weeks).
When I showed the kids my range of motion was back while they ate dinner, that I was "fixed", First whispered in awe, "that's amazing" and Kinder asked me to pick him up (which I haven't been able to do for a few weeks).
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Dental blues
Me
Good news: if I floss regularly (time to make another decision) my gums should be absolutely fine
Bad news: I have two cavities!
Cap
Good news: no need for a root canal
Bad news: he has one cavity and will need two crowns
First
Good news: ... (cue sound of crickets chirping)
Bad news: he has his daddy's teeth---he has two baby teeth cavities and needs two of his 6 year molars sealed up
Kinder
Good news: he has perfect teeth
Bad news: none
Thanks to Kelly for the rec, the dentist, his staff and office were great. Our playdate with Kelly and the girls continued at the dentist's office when Lila decided she wanted to watch First and Kinder get their teeth cleaned and checked out. Fun.
Also fun, watching Kinder bond with Lila (they both loved watching I Spy episodes today) and Kinder discover another warm lap and pair of encircling arms in Kelly
And Pippa? She is all that and a bag of chips. I felt a twinge of sadness thinking of Holly...I think she had a soft spot for Pippa.
Good news: if I floss regularly (time to make another decision) my gums should be absolutely fine
Bad news: I have two cavities!
Cap
Good news: no need for a root canal
Bad news: he has one cavity and will need two crowns
First
Good news: ... (cue sound of crickets chirping)
Bad news: he has his daddy's teeth---he has two baby teeth cavities and needs two of his 6 year molars sealed up
Kinder
Good news: he has perfect teeth
Bad news: none
Thanks to Kelly for the rec, the dentist, his staff and office were great. Our playdate with Kelly and the girls continued at the dentist's office when Lila decided she wanted to watch First and Kinder get their teeth cleaned and checked out. Fun.
Also fun, watching Kinder bond with Lila (they both loved watching I Spy episodes today) and Kinder discover another warm lap and pair of encircling arms in Kelly
And Pippa? She is all that and a bag of chips. I felt a twinge of sadness thinking of Holly...I think she had a soft spot for Pippa.
Early morning air
Two wakings in a row now. The air is cool, the breeze rustles the leaves in the trees in a strong and restless way. A nip suggesting the new season galloping closer. I wish I could bottle this sensation. It washes up against my skin and then transforms my molecules layer by layer infusing me with refresh and awareness.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
One more thing
I'm also in the market for a basic sewing machine. I talked to Julie about it when she visited (she is a crafting wiz) and she recommended going with a Singer which sounds good to me. I dream of making curtains and maybe some clothes.
I just popped some challah in my mouth. Mmmm.
Nudging the kids to bed and wondering if tonight's the night and Eleanor and I finally get to chat after over a week of fairly rigorous phone tag.
Anna called. She's in her new house. She can't find any of the small wooden pegs which hold up all of her Ikea shelving. Ah, moving.
I just popped some challah in my mouth. Mmmm.
Nudging the kids to bed and wondering if tonight's the night and Eleanor and I finally get to chat after over a week of fairly rigorous phone tag.
Anna called. She's in her new house. She can't find any of the small wooden pegs which hold up all of her Ikea shelving. Ah, moving.
Chocolate rugelah
The chocolate rugelah has jacked up my body to high buzz. The excellent massage Kelly gave me a few hours ago I'm sure has opened up my system to maximum buzz potential. I need to drink some water. Never underestimate the wonder of a good massage. Go get one. Soon as you can.
Quick random thoughts.
For once, I was patient and waited to find good shoes at a good price. I'm waiting for my "bright avocado" faux Dansko clogs to arrive from L.L. Bean any day now. They were reduced to $40. With a Bean card you get free shipping with every order.
I'm thinking about going to church! I may go Sunday depending on how things are here with Mare and Sask staying over. Next Sunday we'll be in Massachusetts. I'm going to try the local UU church. It's a step forward in terms of the self-care thing and the making decisions thing. I first started thinking about it when the kids were born. I am most interested in the social justice and service aspects of joining up.
Corn came in the veggie share today. As delighted as I was (First loves corn. He fingered the tassle at the end of an ear and said, "what beautiful silk".), it also signifies the beginning of the end of the summer for me and that's a little sad. Even though my favorite season is fall.
Kelly is one big present for me. Not only is she warm, cool, funny and interesting to talk/listen to, she's a gifted body worker! She joins Maria and Catalina in my pantheon of trusted masseuses.
My pms is different yet again. Very tender "itis" in the mammary region and big cravings for bread. We almost never bring gluten bread into the house, but I couldn't resist the squishy loaf of challah at Whole Foods this afternoon.
I miss Erika.
Quick random thoughts.
For once, I was patient and waited to find good shoes at a good price. I'm waiting for my "bright avocado" faux Dansko clogs to arrive from L.L. Bean any day now. They were reduced to $40. With a Bean card you get free shipping with every order.
I'm thinking about going to church! I may go Sunday depending on how things are here with Mare and Sask staying over. Next Sunday we'll be in Massachusetts. I'm going to try the local UU church. It's a step forward in terms of the self-care thing and the making decisions thing. I first started thinking about it when the kids were born. I am most interested in the social justice and service aspects of joining up.
Corn came in the veggie share today. As delighted as I was (First loves corn. He fingered the tassle at the end of an ear and said, "what beautiful silk".), it also signifies the beginning of the end of the summer for me and that's a little sad. Even though my favorite season is fall.
Kelly is one big present for me. Not only is she warm, cool, funny and interesting to talk/listen to, she's a gifted body worker! She joins Maria and Catalina in my pantheon of trusted masseuses.
My pms is different yet again. Very tender "itis" in the mammary region and big cravings for bread. We almost never bring gluten bread into the house, but I couldn't resist the squishy loaf of challah at Whole Foods this afternoon.
I miss Erika.
Y-M-C-A
I was all set to join when I hurt my shoulder. With physical therapy set to start tomorrow and my first appointment with my new acupuncturist scheduled for Thursday, I figure I'll have some good (ie. informed) feedback about what sort of exercise/ activity/ movement will best match my body's needs and abilities.
My non-starting relationship with regular exercise has been an albatross for years now. In trying to make this decision/commitment yet again, I took a harder look at some of the players in my personal drama.
Fear.
I have a resistance to being out alone outside which lies near healthy, but a little towards unhealthy.
When I was twelve, I began commuting to Manhattan to go to school (this continued until I was eighteen and graduated form high school). This involved walking about a dozen residential (read sleepy) blocks in my leafy Queens neighborhood to the subway station and then taking 2-3 subway lines to my school.
During this time period, enough men exposed themselves to me or molested me that I had to suck up a regular dose of dread and loathing just to get to school and back every day. (One guy targeted me for I don't know how long on the N train and would actually follow me when I tried to dart into another car to avoid him.)
I think I talked to my mom about it, but what could she do other than to be sympathetic and advise me to be alert and careful. It was "shouganai" (what can you do?) and I felt so lucky not to be my sister who was with a friend when she was mugged in a girls' bathroom at her high school during the first week of school a couple of years later.
Cost.
The Y is appealing because they are family friendly. But, it has been out of our price range the last few years because of the cost, and also, because we haven't been geographically stable enough to make the investment of joining a gym worthwhile. Now that we're here another four years at the very least, I'm feeling ready to take the plunge. Also, my last grad school student loan was paid off this summer. We're still carrying credit card debt, but the extra $200+/month will help to cover this new cost.
Climate.
I'm sensitive to heat and humidity. I'm back in the northeast where soon enough it'll be getting dark at 4:00 pm. And cold. And icy. Joining a gym cuts all this out of the equation. The Y is about a 10 minute walk from the apartment and once I'm there, the climate will be controlled.
Age.
At 41, I'm much more conscious of my mortality and really want to make the most of things and try to prolong my life in the ways that I can. Exercising will give me more energy and make me happier (hello endorphins). And, will give my organs and body systems a break. I'm pretty healthy overall, but incredibly sedentary. I could stand to lose 25 pounds or so and loosen things up.
Self-Care.
I'm trying to give myself more time and space. Our parenting style has been very hands on. The kids still come into bed with us (and given their druthers would always sleep in the big bed), Kinder nursed till he was 3, and they have never been cared for by a paid caregiver. Homeschooling is a natural progression of our parenting style. We've been very lucky and blessed.
Now that the kids are 5 3/4 and 7, I am parenting and homeschooling kids who are more independent in their skills and desires. I'm still with them nearly 24/7, but am no longer attached at the hip. I can do things like blog at the table while they draw (this morning, they started with their Ben 10 comic book creations and have moved onto their own versions of the Scrambled States of America).
Cap's academic job gives us more flexibility than his former 9 to 5 job (which so often means 8 to 6 unless you live 5 minutes from your work). We know his schedule for the fall now and are starting to construct a family schedule around it.
I'm blogging, I'm reading more (I cleaned up around my desk yesterday and collected all the books I'm in the middle of reading in a basket---surprising since I am usually a book-at-a-time kind of girl), and getting out of the house on my own to improve my health fits right in with my needs and desires.
It's really easy for me not go out every day. But then, I do go out, like this morning when I walked down the street to get my mammogram, and I loved the fresh morning air... Yesterday I checked the movie listing of our local art house theater. I can walk to this theater, I need to get out more!
My non-starting relationship with regular exercise has been an albatross for years now. In trying to make this decision/commitment yet again, I took a harder look at some of the players in my personal drama.
Fear.
I have a resistance to being out alone outside which lies near healthy, but a little towards unhealthy.
When I was twelve, I began commuting to Manhattan to go to school (this continued until I was eighteen and graduated form high school). This involved walking about a dozen residential (read sleepy) blocks in my leafy Queens neighborhood to the subway station and then taking 2-3 subway lines to my school.
During this time period, enough men exposed themselves to me or molested me that I had to suck up a regular dose of dread and loathing just to get to school and back every day. (One guy targeted me for I don't know how long on the N train and would actually follow me when I tried to dart into another car to avoid him.)
I think I talked to my mom about it, but what could she do other than to be sympathetic and advise me to be alert and careful. It was "shouganai" (what can you do?) and I felt so lucky not to be my sister who was with a friend when she was mugged in a girls' bathroom at her high school during the first week of school a couple of years later.
Cost.
The Y is appealing because they are family friendly. But, it has been out of our price range the last few years because of the cost, and also, because we haven't been geographically stable enough to make the investment of joining a gym worthwhile. Now that we're here another four years at the very least, I'm feeling ready to take the plunge. Also, my last grad school student loan was paid off this summer. We're still carrying credit card debt, but the extra $200+/month will help to cover this new cost.
Climate.
I'm sensitive to heat and humidity. I'm back in the northeast where soon enough it'll be getting dark at 4:00 pm. And cold. And icy. Joining a gym cuts all this out of the equation. The Y is about a 10 minute walk from the apartment and once I'm there, the climate will be controlled.
Age.
At 41, I'm much more conscious of my mortality and really want to make the most of things and try to prolong my life in the ways that I can. Exercising will give me more energy and make me happier (hello endorphins). And, will give my organs and body systems a break. I'm pretty healthy overall, but incredibly sedentary. I could stand to lose 25 pounds or so and loosen things up.
Self-Care.
I'm trying to give myself more time and space. Our parenting style has been very hands on. The kids still come into bed with us (and given their druthers would always sleep in the big bed), Kinder nursed till he was 3, and they have never been cared for by a paid caregiver. Homeschooling is a natural progression of our parenting style. We've been very lucky and blessed.
Now that the kids are 5 3/4 and 7, I am parenting and homeschooling kids who are more independent in their skills and desires. I'm still with them nearly 24/7, but am no longer attached at the hip. I can do things like blog at the table while they draw (this morning, they started with their Ben 10 comic book creations and have moved onto their own versions of the Scrambled States of America).
Cap's academic job gives us more flexibility than his former 9 to 5 job (which so often means 8 to 6 unless you live 5 minutes from your work). We know his schedule for the fall now and are starting to construct a family schedule around it.
I'm blogging, I'm reading more (I cleaned up around my desk yesterday and collected all the books I'm in the middle of reading in a basket---surprising since I am usually a book-at-a-time kind of girl), and getting out of the house on my own to improve my health fits right in with my needs and desires.
It's really easy for me not go out every day. But then, I do go out, like this morning when I walked down the street to get my mammogram, and I loved the fresh morning air... Yesterday I checked the movie listing of our local art house theater. I can walk to this theater, I need to get out more!
Monday, August 13, 2007
Weekend
We had a great day Saturday with Sandy, Mike and Momoko. We had a simple yet sumptuous lunch which highlighted our farm veggies. We looked at Sandy and Mike's vacation pics and caught up with Momoko a bit about her two months in Paris.
Then we drove over to a nearby park and rode the paddle boats! It was hot, sunny, sweaty fun. After some iced goodies to cool down, we strolled around the lake and saw an egret of all things (this was a suburban park), a turtle, and took a break to clamber onto a wonderful, branchy tree.
I awoke the next morning to a wonderful aroma wafting through the bedroom. First and I wondered to each other what the source could be (he likes to wait for me to get out of bed to get out of bed himself and was mildly chagrined at my late awakening---Cap let me sleep in :-) Kinder, First and I wandered into the kitchen to this:
Cap invited Danielle and co. over for crepes and we ate alfresco on the patio. It's rare that all four of us adults get to relax together and it was very nice. Then they invited us to the lake. Kinder and Cap went and had a blast. First had a low grade fever and was forced to stay home. We had a quiet and productive afternoon. We spent abut two hours cleaning his and Kinder's room---one of those true cleanings.
And, I made a decision. I upgraded our cable tv service to include HBO and dvr (like Tivo but built into your digital cable system). Our promotional billling price for our bare bones service was about to come to an end and because of the company's smart/sneaky service structure, we could have paid $20 more a month for the same bare bones or upgrade for $29 more a month. HBO and BBC America, here I come!
The dvr is an experiment. My plan is not to watch more tv, per se, but to watch when it is convenient for me. So, with the dvr, instead of watching entertaining Food Network filler while I wait for Rescue Me to come on at 10:00, I can chill in some other way, go to bed at 10:00 and watch Rescue Me some other day at 8:00...
The kids are snuggling down for the night. Time for the night time blessing.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Kb toys
A shout out to them and a great local store manager. They accepted my return. So, two opened and used deluxe Omnitrixes went back to them a day after purchase for a full cash refund ($50).
The boys handled it well, took it in stride, really. I think First was not surprised because he has consciousness about my "no handheld video games" policy. I think they also realized that they have a pretty good life as we drove from the mall directly to our local comic book store where one of their comics was waiting for them in our "hold" bin. This followed by an errand to our doctor's office and dropping into our bookstore which is two doors down from the doc's.
Our new books:
Kinder • Night of the New Magicians (Magic Treehous #35)
First • Stage Fright on a Summer Night (Magic Treehouse #25)
Äiti • Stardust (Neil Gaiman)
The boys handled it well, took it in stride, really. I think First was not surprised because he has consciousness about my "no handheld video games" policy. I think they also realized that they have a pretty good life as we drove from the mall directly to our local comic book store where one of their comics was waiting for them in our "hold" bin. This followed by an errand to our doctor's office and dropping into our bookstore which is two doors down from the doc's.
Our new books:
Kinder • Night of the New Magicians (Magic Treehous #35)
First • Stage Fright on a Summer Night (Magic Treehouse #25)
Äiti • Stardust (Neil Gaiman)
Japanese eggplant
My heart did a little joy dance when I picked up our veggies this week. Japanese eggplant! I cooked some up this morning for breakfast, just like my obaachan used to do for me when I would summer with her in Yokohama (every five years during my childhood). I told First my story of Japanese eggplant as he perched on a stool eating some yogurt.
The eggplant was so tender, especially the beautiful purple-with-a-touch-of-magenta skin. As I thought about the difference that fresh, organic produce harvested in small batches, makes, I realized a there-all-along-but-new-to-my-consciousness element of my memories of Obaachan's cooking. What Farmer John does, is what Obaachan did, though on a much smaller scale.
Obaachan had a big vegetable garden and most of the veggies she used to prepare her meals came directly from the ground a stone's throw from her kitchen. I never appreciated her garden as a kid. I was impressed by its size and location more than anything. It was on a piece of land, an outcropping, that was below the sight line of the house or yard. We would have to pick our way down a path hugging the wall of dirt on one side lest you lose your balance and tumble down into garden plot.
Once in the garden, I was a kid whose eyes began darting about imagining all the worst creepy crawly, multi-legged, madly stinging bugs just hiding under the next leaf, perched on the tendril just over my head.... It became all about being ready to defend myself against these cursed beasts of nature.
I'm glad that something positive stayed with me, the image of my grandmother planting a seed in me completes the whole picture, doesn't it. I have been acting on my desire to bring our kitchen and nourishment closer to the garden. We've been enjoying our cherry tomatoes, green beans, chives, basil and mint. Our weekly CSA share has brought us a wonderful variety of veggies and herbs.
But, man, not having air conditioning in the kitchen and my recent shoulder injury have really put a dent in my kitchen productivity. (Productivity in the kitchen is key in order to keep up with the summer harvesting!) I miss the central AC we had in Sac. The shoulder pain is completely gone, thankfully, but I think my range of motion and arm strength are going to be problems till my physical therapy gets going next week.
So, there have been a lot of hotdogs, frozen potato products, pizza, sushi, and coldcuts being consumed as of late. Thank goodness for Whole Foods where you can buy processed and prepared food that isn't as bad for one's health as what's available in the mainstream (and is gluten and casein-free!)
But, this morning, the Japanese eggplant returned me to a better place. Simple and whole nourishment. Thanks, Obaachan.
The eggplant was so tender, especially the beautiful purple-with-a-touch-of-magenta skin. As I thought about the difference that fresh, organic produce harvested in small batches, makes, I realized a there-all-along-but-new-to-my-consciousness element of my memories of Obaachan's cooking. What Farmer John does, is what Obaachan did, though on a much smaller scale.
Obaachan had a big vegetable garden and most of the veggies she used to prepare her meals came directly from the ground a stone's throw from her kitchen. I never appreciated her garden as a kid. I was impressed by its size and location more than anything. It was on a piece of land, an outcropping, that was below the sight line of the house or yard. We would have to pick our way down a path hugging the wall of dirt on one side lest you lose your balance and tumble down into garden plot.
Once in the garden, I was a kid whose eyes began darting about imagining all the worst creepy crawly, multi-legged, madly stinging bugs just hiding under the next leaf, perched on the tendril just over my head.... It became all about being ready to defend myself against these cursed beasts of nature.
I'm glad that something positive stayed with me, the image of my grandmother planting a seed in me completes the whole picture, doesn't it. I have been acting on my desire to bring our kitchen and nourishment closer to the garden. We've been enjoying our cherry tomatoes, green beans, chives, basil and mint. Our weekly CSA share has brought us a wonderful variety of veggies and herbs.
But, man, not having air conditioning in the kitchen and my recent shoulder injury have really put a dent in my kitchen productivity. (Productivity in the kitchen is key in order to keep up with the summer harvesting!) I miss the central AC we had in Sac. The shoulder pain is completely gone, thankfully, but I think my range of motion and arm strength are going to be problems till my physical therapy gets going next week.
So, there have been a lot of hotdogs, frozen potato products, pizza, sushi, and coldcuts being consumed as of late. Thank goodness for Whole Foods where you can buy processed and prepared food that isn't as bad for one's health as what's available in the mainstream (and is gluten and casein-free!)
But, this morning, the Japanese eggplant returned me to a better place. Simple and whole nourishment. Thanks, Obaachan.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Serenity personality quiz
Your results:
You are Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic)
Click here to take the Serenity Personality Quiz
You are Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic)
| Medicine and physical healing are your game, but wooing women isn't a strong suit.  |
Click here to take the Serenity Personality Quiz
What were the chances, Chancer?
Chancer, a Clive Owen British tv series was next on my Netflix queue, but, how bizarre, a "short wait" for Chancer bumped Deadwood Season One Disc One ahead of it. Well, now I'll learn sooner than later what all the DW fuss is about.
And while I'm here, what are the chances that KB Toys will honor a toy return because the kids bought identical toys yesterday (the deluxe Omnitrix at $25 a pop using their own money) and I didn't realize until we were home and the kids were playing with them that they contain a tiny videogame and I have nixed the toys outright? Of course the toys are out of their packaging...
And while I'm here, what are the chances that KB Toys will honor a toy return because the kids bought identical toys yesterday (the deluxe Omnitrix at $25 a pop using their own money) and I didn't realize until we were home and the kids were playing with them that they contain a tiny videogame and I have nixed the toys outright? Of course the toys are out of their packaging...
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
"Girl" talk
The orthopedist/sports medicine guy I saw yesterday? His last name is Filion. The physical therapy guy I'm going to see next week? His last name is Ruffalo. Too bad their first names aren't Nathan and Mark.
http://www.myspace.com/nathanfillion
http://markruffalo.net/
Oh, now I'm all hot and bothered. I had no idea Nathan Fillion had a mySpace page till I just googled him right now. Julie, are you reading this?
http://www.myspace.com/nathanfillion
http://markruffalo.net/
Oh, now I'm all hot and bothered. I had no idea Nathan Fillion had a mySpace page till I just googled him right now. Julie, are you reading this?
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Record keeping/documentation/archiving
A focus for the first few months of the "school year" will be record keeping/documentation and archiving. As intuitive a person as I am, I want some sort of organized result of the kids' (and my) work. I trust myself (and Cap and the kids) completely in this endeavour of home learning, but I want to make sure that I have something to "show" for it on the other side. This will be useful for later schooling if the kids and/or we ever decide to go that route, as well as, for concerned family and friends. Most of us are primarily visual learners and having that visual can truly help to process and understand what it is we are being told/hearing.
I am thinking of large cardboard portfolios to collect the kids' 2D artwork for the year (browsing an art supply store...dangerous!) And some sort of binder system for various papers. Taking pictures and posting to the blog will also serve as documentation.
Since I am utilizing a bottom up approach, I'll be figuring out much as I go along. This is in line with my own learning style which is very kinesthetic. I learn by doing. It makes it harder to reign in the feelings of chaos that I sometimes feel. For, how can I bring about order when I don't yet know what I'm dealing with?
It is also the opposite of an institutional approach, which tends to be top down. Create goals and objectives (align them to state standards and standardized tests) and then disseminate the necessary information in the form of specific, structured, planned lessons. It is still sometimes hard for me to unharness my mind from this type of thinking having worked in schools as a teacher.
But, I don't have to answer to the state. And I don't have to "teach to the middle". The fact of the matter is, right now I have to go and get ready to drop the kids off at Danielle's and head out to my doctor's appt.
I am thinking of large cardboard portfolios to collect the kids' 2D artwork for the year (browsing an art supply store...dangerous!) And some sort of binder system for various papers. Taking pictures and posting to the blog will also serve as documentation.
Since I am utilizing a bottom up approach, I'll be figuring out much as I go along. This is in line with my own learning style which is very kinesthetic. I learn by doing. It makes it harder to reign in the feelings of chaos that I sometimes feel. For, how can I bring about order when I don't yet know what I'm dealing with?
It is also the opposite of an institutional approach, which tends to be top down. Create goals and objectives (align them to state standards and standardized tests) and then disseminate the necessary information in the form of specific, structured, planned lessons. It is still sometimes hard for me to unharness my mind from this type of thinking having worked in schools as a teacher.
But, I don't have to answer to the state. And I don't have to "teach to the middle". The fact of the matter is, right now I have to go and get ready to drop the kids off at Danielle's and head out to my doctor's appt.
Telling time
Finally sat down with First for a few minutes to "work" on telling time. What this means is that instead of talking about how we can tell time on the fly, as the (plentiful) opportunities have arose over the past couple of months, I pulled out the Kumon book about telling time and we sat down at the table and flipped through it together.
I'm a sucker for these books. They're Japanese and appeal to a certain personal aesthetic. Something about the colors and quality of illustration. I usually pick them up at Barnes and Noble (they're more expensive than your run-of-the-mill workbooks, but when has that ever stopped me...I am willing to pay for quality).
We got to telling time to ten past the hour (noting the "minute" ticks on the clock face and how every time the minute was pointing to the number 1 it was five past the hour) when First stated that he was bored so we broke till next time. Kinder was chomping at the bit and wanted to write numbers in a fill-in-the-numbers chart from 1-60. The first chart I just sat back and let him go. During the second chart, I started gently correcting him (start forming the numbers from top to bottom, forming the number four by lifting the pencil rather than doing it etch-a-sketch style, using a pencil with a nicely sharpened point, etc.) Within a few minutes he was throwing himself on his bed yowling for me to stop.
Interesting, interesting.
I'm a sucker for these books. They're Japanese and appeal to a certain personal aesthetic. Something about the colors and quality of illustration. I usually pick them up at Barnes and Noble (they're more expensive than your run-of-the-mill workbooks, but when has that ever stopped me...I am willing to pay for quality).
We got to telling time to ten past the hour (noting the "minute" ticks on the clock face and how every time the minute was pointing to the number 1 it was five past the hour) when First stated that he was bored so we broke till next time. Kinder was chomping at the bit and wanted to write numbers in a fill-in-the-numbers chart from 1-60. The first chart I just sat back and let him go. During the second chart, I started gently correcting him (start forming the numbers from top to bottom, forming the number four by lifting the pencil rather than doing it etch-a-sketch style, using a pencil with a nicely sharpened point, etc.) Within a few minutes he was throwing himself on his bed yowling for me to stop.
Interesting, interesting.
South Africa/Stomp the Yard
Yesterday I faced a formidable pile of laundry which really needed to be folded in order to make the place halfway presentable for Danielle, Owen and Lukas. They are, frankly, used to the cluttered nature of our home and so halfway was really good enough :-)
The problem was that my shoulder prevents me from doing most things that require the use of two hands (my range of motion on the left side is limited to somewhere around elbow level). So in order to distract myself, I turned on the tv in the middle of the afternoon, something I haven't done for myself since having tv sentient kids.
I watched a show, I think it was called Globe Trekker, on a local PBS station. South Africa was being highlighted. Between my parents impending visit there (they leave Japan next week) and Anna's trip there in January, my interest in SA has increased as of late. Something I really liked about the show was that the two correspondents were themselves from South Africa.
Then last night I watched Stomp The Yard. Anna had left it behind for me to watch from a collection of contemporary films about blackness that she was viewing for potential teaching material (I'd seen Rize already and decided to pass on White Chicks). The "stomping" or line stepping in the movie (an artform performed and practiced by fraternities and sororities at African-American colleges around the country [an offshoot of a larger movement of dance]), had some notable similarities to the communicative movements/stomping that diamond miners in South Africa were demonstrating in the travel doc I had watched earlier in the day.
The miner stomping reminds me of hollering. So interesting how different parts of the body have been employed by cultures across the world for similar purposes/functions. And that had I not happened to catch Globe Trekker, I wouldn't have had this connective and contextualizing piece of information which expanded my viewing of Stomp The Yard in a critically meaningful way.
A movie we saw recently, Linda Linda Linda, was a Japanese movie set during the days of a high school festival (bunkasai). Bunkasai are a big deal in Japanese school culture and there really is no equivalent here in the States. The gist of the story is that a band comprised of girls needs a new singer last minute and an exchange student from Korea is randomly recruited. Cap loved it. I did too, but wondered what it would be like for someone completely unfamiliar with the culture and language of Japan to experience the movie.
The shoulder is starting to feel better and better with each new day. My appt with the orthopedist is in a few hours.
My breakfast of choice lately has been the Whole Foods brand organic granola with fruit and nuts. And, we have switched from soy milk to rice and almond milk. First and Cap are resisting the barley challenge (Rice Dream has a tiny bit of barley in it). Pacific Foods has started an unsweetened, organic almond milk line---yippeee! In the back of my mind I think about making my own granola and milks, but for now, it stays on the back burner.
I pulled out my two John Holt books yesterday (Teach Your Own and Instead Of Education). I want to read through them and possibly pick up Why Children Fail. I think for First a more unschooling approach is going to be the way to go this year (meaning more unschooling than Waldorf---last year was essentially an unschooled year for him). But, when I think of Kinder, I see him loving a very Waldorf Kindergarten "curriculum". More on this soon...
The problem was that my shoulder prevents me from doing most things that require the use of two hands (my range of motion on the left side is limited to somewhere around elbow level). So in order to distract myself, I turned on the tv in the middle of the afternoon, something I haven't done for myself since having tv sentient kids.
I watched a show, I think it was called Globe Trekker, on a local PBS station. South Africa was being highlighted. Between my parents impending visit there (they leave Japan next week) and Anna's trip there in January, my interest in SA has increased as of late. Something I really liked about the show was that the two correspondents were themselves from South Africa.
Then last night I watched Stomp The Yard. Anna had left it behind for me to watch from a collection of contemporary films about blackness that she was viewing for potential teaching material (I'd seen Rize already and decided to pass on White Chicks). The "stomping" or line stepping in the movie (an artform performed and practiced by fraternities and sororities at African-American colleges around the country [an offshoot of a larger movement of dance]), had some notable similarities to the communicative movements/stomping that diamond miners in South Africa were demonstrating in the travel doc I had watched earlier in the day.
The miner stomping reminds me of hollering. So interesting how different parts of the body have been employed by cultures across the world for similar purposes/functions. And that had I not happened to catch Globe Trekker, I wouldn't have had this connective and contextualizing piece of information which expanded my viewing of Stomp The Yard in a critically meaningful way.
A movie we saw recently, Linda Linda Linda, was a Japanese movie set during the days of a high school festival (bunkasai). Bunkasai are a big deal in Japanese school culture and there really is no equivalent here in the States. The gist of the story is that a band comprised of girls needs a new singer last minute and an exchange student from Korea is randomly recruited. Cap loved it. I did too, but wondered what it would be like for someone completely unfamiliar with the culture and language of Japan to experience the movie.
The shoulder is starting to feel better and better with each new day. My appt with the orthopedist is in a few hours.
My breakfast of choice lately has been the Whole Foods brand organic granola with fruit and nuts. And, we have switched from soy milk to rice and almond milk. First and Cap are resisting the barley challenge (Rice Dream has a tiny bit of barley in it). Pacific Foods has started an unsweetened, organic almond milk line---yippeee! In the back of my mind I think about making my own granola and milks, but for now, it stays on the back burner.
I pulled out my two John Holt books yesterday (Teach Your Own and Instead Of Education). I want to read through them and possibly pick up Why Children Fail. I think for First a more unschooling approach is going to be the way to go this year (meaning more unschooling than Waldorf---last year was essentially an unschooled year for him). But, when I think of Kinder, I see him loving a very Waldorf Kindergarten "curriculum". More on this soon...
Monday, August 06, 2007
Weekend update
We had a great weekend with Cameron, Julie and Mike. Cam is about a year younger than Kinder and the three of them had a lot of fun together. Cam loves playing with trains, dinos, water, and running around the apartment chasing kids so he fit right in. It's always nice seeing Kinder and First rediscovering old joys like their train set.
We also went to the zoo. The train ride, crocodile, cougars and otter were the highlights. It was summer hot, but of course the kids didn't mind and the adults caught shade when they could.
I kept my shoulder pain at bay with loads of ibuprofen, resorting to round the clock dosing. It is strange to suddenly feel so restricted. I took advantage of Cap being home for the weekend and really tried not to do anything requiring the use of two hands. He was a trooper and picked up the slack despite having missed a work deadline and having company over.
I loved walking into the kitchen late on Friday night and seeing him and Mike (friends from childhood) playing Blokus and listening to the Sox game.
My shoulder feels a bit better today. I have an appointment with an orthopedist tomorrow and an acupuncturist next week.
First lost the last of his loose teeth late last night (that's his tooth box in his hand). Off to put their pet eggs in some water. They should hatch in 12-24 hours. Thanks Julie :-)
Friday, August 03, 2007
The gall bladder
Yesterday I went to Kelly's for a massage. I am having rotator cuff problems for the first time ever so to Kelly's I went in hopes of getting some pain relief. (The pain roared back last night and this morning. 800 mgs of Ibu is keeping it in check for the moment.)
The massage felt great, but not surprisingly, the best little nugget came in the form of the question posed by a gifted bodyworker: do I have trouble making decisions?
I thought, no I don't, but then it hit me, maybe I do.... I've always thought of myself as someone who has trouble "sticking" to decisions I make. Maybe there's another way of looking at that. Maybe, I think I am making a decision when in fact I am still in vacillation about it, and that's why I change my mind on what seems like a regular basis.
Interesting, interesting. Oh, and it comes down to the gall bladder. The sister of the liver, which has been pinpointed as a major trouble spot for me by many practitioners over the years.
So, the blog is back. I thought I was going to take a break, but I have changed my mind. There you have it.
Big, huge, loving congrats to Marci and Rich who welcomed Ismael home this week. He's a beauty and I can't wait to hold him.
The massage felt great, but not surprisingly, the best little nugget came in the form of the question posed by a gifted bodyworker: do I have trouble making decisions?
I thought, no I don't, but then it hit me, maybe I do.... I've always thought of myself as someone who has trouble "sticking" to decisions I make. Maybe there's another way of looking at that. Maybe, I think I am making a decision when in fact I am still in vacillation about it, and that's why I change my mind on what seems like a regular basis.
Interesting, interesting. Oh, and it comes down to the gall bladder. The sister of the liver, which has been pinpointed as a major trouble spot for me by many practitioners over the years.
So, the blog is back. I thought I was going to take a break, but I have changed my mind. There you have it.
Big, huge, loving congrats to Marci and Rich who welcomed Ismael home this week. He's a beauty and I can't wait to hold him.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Taking a break
I've decided to take a break from blogging.
Yesterday, I thought I'd like to put our tv down in storage for a year and Cap and the kids have agreed, albeit with mixed feelings.
As far as blogging, I think it's been a good way to ground me the past year as we made a big move and settled into a new home, neighborhood, community. It helped me feel connected to family and friends, many of whom I do not have regular phone or in person contact with. Sometimes, it simply made me feel connected, even if it was to etherspace.
But, as we approach our first anniversary of leaving and arriving, I've been feeling more aware and reflective of my personal well-being. I don't know if it's that I had some blinders on to help me through the year or if it's a natural progression of having more time to think about myself, but I ain't liking some of what I see and feel.
I cycle in and out of feeling tired (often), a touch depressed (sometimes), and asexual (almost always). This is nothing new and has been consistent for years. More recently though, I've been realizing that my imagination feels very...small and dried up.
One of my homeschooling kid friends that I've met this last year took a survey a few months ago of the moms that had gathered for Fiber Arts at her house: "what are your dreams?" As each mom ticked off her answers, a feeling of dread and sadness washed over me. I had no idea. I had no answer for this fresh-faced, wonderfully alive and inquisitive girl of nine or so.
This has stayed with me. And I thank her.
As we are in a break of sorts from the "school year" routine, as we begin our second year here (with no move planned in the near future!), as the kids grow older (and particularly as First enters his next phase of childhood), as I stand perched at what I hope is the second half of my life, it is time to take stock of what I want for myself and to go about attaining that.
So, a break from tv, a break from blogging. More time clearing the pathways to help myself feel and be more connected to my true self. For me to reclaim that self, my relationship, my dreams.
Thanks to those of you kept up with me/us by reading this blog. I do want to construct some sort of family website to share photos and updates of our goings on. I'll let you know when that happens.
Love and peace.
Yesterday, I thought I'd like to put our tv down in storage for a year and Cap and the kids have agreed, albeit with mixed feelings.
As far as blogging, I think it's been a good way to ground me the past year as we made a big move and settled into a new home, neighborhood, community. It helped me feel connected to family and friends, many of whom I do not have regular phone or in person contact with. Sometimes, it simply made me feel connected, even if it was to etherspace.
But, as we approach our first anniversary of leaving and arriving, I've been feeling more aware and reflective of my personal well-being. I don't know if it's that I had some blinders on to help me through the year or if it's a natural progression of having more time to think about myself, but I ain't liking some of what I see and feel.
I cycle in and out of feeling tired (often), a touch depressed (sometimes), and asexual (almost always). This is nothing new and has been consistent for years. More recently though, I've been realizing that my imagination feels very...small and dried up.
One of my homeschooling kid friends that I've met this last year took a survey a few months ago of the moms that had gathered for Fiber Arts at her house: "what are your dreams?" As each mom ticked off her answers, a feeling of dread and sadness washed over me. I had no idea. I had no answer for this fresh-faced, wonderfully alive and inquisitive girl of nine or so.
This has stayed with me. And I thank her.
As we are in a break of sorts from the "school year" routine, as we begin our second year here (with no move planned in the near future!), as the kids grow older (and particularly as First enters his next phase of childhood), as I stand perched at what I hope is the second half of my life, it is time to take stock of what I want for myself and to go about attaining that.
So, a break from tv, a break from blogging. More time clearing the pathways to help myself feel and be more connected to my true self. For me to reclaim that self, my relationship, my dreams.
Thanks to those of you kept up with me/us by reading this blog. I do want to construct some sort of family website to share photos and updates of our goings on. I'll let you know when that happens.
Love and peace.
Monday, July 02, 2007
Our quilt
Sandy (my sister) made this quilt for us. She used our chuppah, which was orchestrated by Diane and put together cooperatively by a clutch of us on a wood floor in our apartment on Bellis Circle.
Our chuppah (as it stood during the commitment ceremony) had lots of mementos dangling around the edges of it, sent to us by friends and family around the world who were unable to join us for the event. The ones made of cloth were incorporated into the quilt, the ones of paper are saved in a box.
For over ten years, this quilt was treasured privately in various containers, shuttled around with every move. It has known the insides of many closets. I recently decided to actually use it. (I'd always thought of it as my first "heirloom" piece and felt a fierce protectiveness over it.)
Now it can begin the process of living life with us...and one day join the global pantheon of tattered, beloved, beautiful quilts, which are my favorite kind.
Friday, June 29, 2007
A busy month for the tooth fairy
First lost another tooth. Second one this week, third one this month. He was completely surprised when a routine wiggle yielded a tooth in the hand. The other top front one is loose, the last of the four.
20 questions
Today the kids and I played 20 questions while eating lunch. I don't know if losing his teeth has anything to do with it, but all of a sudden, First is taking FOREVER to finish a meal. There is a kind of oh-he-used-to-do-this quality to the experience...
Anyway, we played a few rounds and then Kinder stumped us. He was clearly psyched and it was a nice ending to the meal. (Actually, First was still going, but I ushered Kinder into the bathroom to wash up, attempting to signal to First the possibility of wrapping it up.)
As Kinder washed his hands, he glanced up at me and said with a shy smile, something like, "isn't it cool that the youngest person won?" Such a simple and profound statement of who he is and what it feels like to be him.
(Cap and I are both first borns and we sometimes think about how we will never be able to completely and truly relate to Kinder in terms of birth order experience.)
Anyway, we played a few rounds and then Kinder stumped us. He was clearly psyched and it was a nice ending to the meal. (Actually, First was still going, but I ushered Kinder into the bathroom to wash up, attempting to signal to First the possibility of wrapping it up.)
As Kinder washed his hands, he glanced up at me and said with a shy smile, something like, "isn't it cool that the youngest person won?" Such a simple and profound statement of who he is and what it feels like to be him.
(Cap and I are both first borns and we sometimes think about how we will never be able to completely and truly relate to Kinder in terms of birth order experience.)
Thursday, June 28, 2007
In between
The stormy showers of last night were not it. The cold front is coming, but not until tonight, I guess. So, though it won't crest over 90 as it has the last few days, it will get up to almost 90 and be humid today. Again.
Cap has had the car this week driving himself to WO High for the beginning of his summer gig.
The cicadas started their death song in the yard this morning. As if I had never heard it before and as if I was brought back to summers in Japan all at once.
Also this morning, Kinder is writing Monkeys in Moonlight and First is writing Captured on Christmas. These are their Magic Treehouse stories. I am their scribe, the words are theirs. The illustrations are combinations of their own and photocopies from the books.
Janet and her family will be coming by tomorrow for a visit. I am eager to spend time with them and for the kids to get to play with each other.
Cap surprised me with a bunch of roses yesterday.
I made what will probably prove to be the last batch of scape pesto for the season. There were no new scape in our veggies this week.
Blueberries are apprently the unofficial state fruit. They are now in season. I bought two boxes at the farmer's market and they were indeed tasty.
I spent some time on the Waldorf at Home discussion forum yesterday. That felt good. Like I was doing some of what I've set out to do this summer.
Had an orange passionfruit natural soda at Danielle's yesterday. It was delicious.
Talked to Jamie for an hour last night. Some interesting stuff about introverts.
First fell asleep quickly last night. It has been a long time coming. Losing his tooth was key, I think.
Cap says he wants to stay till he finishes his tenure run. He's becoming more connected to the adult literacy/education community locally and state-wide. I'm glad for him and am okay with four more years here.
Been craving ice cream the past few nights, I think it's the weather. But, I've been pretty successfully staying away from dairy (except for those "chocolate bricks" Cap brought back from Japan). I've been making do with soy ice cream with my favorite add-in, peanut butter.
Cutting down on processed soy products. Having rice dream with my cereal and tea. Feeling kind of foolish that now, when the kids are finally acclimated to drinking soy milk as a source of calcium, I'm thinking of switching them over to rice. I was a sucker for Silk's skillful niche carving of the cow milk alternative market.
Janet just called. Their flight was cancelled and now they're not flying in till late Friday night. Bummer.
Mary and co. are headed to Ireland Sunday. I'll miss them.
Tempers are shortening here. Maybe I should put the AC on. Kinder's been punching again lately and First has been less patient.
First keeps coming round to the bowl of tamari almonds by the computer to snack.
I'm going to go download the song used at the beginning of Rescue Me. Love it.
Cap has had the car this week driving himself to WO High for the beginning of his summer gig.
The cicadas started their death song in the yard this morning. As if I had never heard it before and as if I was brought back to summers in Japan all at once.
Also this morning, Kinder is writing Monkeys in Moonlight and First is writing Captured on Christmas. These are their Magic Treehouse stories. I am their scribe, the words are theirs. The illustrations are combinations of their own and photocopies from the books.
Janet and her family will be coming by tomorrow for a visit. I am eager to spend time with them and for the kids to get to play with each other.
Cap surprised me with a bunch of roses yesterday.
I made what will probably prove to be the last batch of scape pesto for the season. There were no new scape in our veggies this week.
Blueberries are apprently the unofficial state fruit. They are now in season. I bought two boxes at the farmer's market and they were indeed tasty.
I spent some time on the Waldorf at Home discussion forum yesterday. That felt good. Like I was doing some of what I've set out to do this summer.
Had an orange passionfruit natural soda at Danielle's yesterday. It was delicious.
Talked to Jamie for an hour last night. Some interesting stuff about introverts.
First fell asleep quickly last night. It has been a long time coming. Losing his tooth was key, I think.
Cap says he wants to stay till he finishes his tenure run. He's becoming more connected to the adult literacy/education community locally and state-wide. I'm glad for him and am okay with four more years here.
Been craving ice cream the past few nights, I think it's the weather. But, I've been pretty successfully staying away from dairy (except for those "chocolate bricks" Cap brought back from Japan). I've been making do with soy ice cream with my favorite add-in, peanut butter.
Cutting down on processed soy products. Having rice dream with my cereal and tea. Feeling kind of foolish that now, when the kids are finally acclimated to drinking soy milk as a source of calcium, I'm thinking of switching them over to rice. I was a sucker for Silk's skillful niche carving of the cow milk alternative market.
Janet just called. Their flight was cancelled and now they're not flying in till late Friday night. Bummer.
Mary and co. are headed to Ireland Sunday. I'll miss them.
Tempers are shortening here. Maybe I should put the AC on. Kinder's been punching again lately and First has been less patient.
First keeps coming round to the bowl of tamari almonds by the computer to snack.
I'm going to go download the song used at the beginning of Rescue Me. Love it.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Over the hump
We had First's "family" party on Sunday and his first "big" tooth fell out yesterday (we both had a moment of "oh no" wondering if it had gone down his gullet with some Koala Crisps --- it didn't). There is palpable relief in the air as these milestones now begin receding in the rear view mirror.
This picture is such a reflection of our DNA. Both sides of our family embrace the joyful preparation and sharing of copious amounts of food at celebrations. I do feel a distinct sense of accomplishment that this particular spread, in honor of our GFCF kid, is completely gluten and casein-free.
Summer solstice
We celebrated the longest day of the year at a local pond with friends. Our picnic supper was interrupted by a spot of rain (we ate standing, remaining completely dry, under some trees), but we saw a lot of wildlife (deer, rabbits, butterflies, ducks and ducklings) and had a nice hike around the pond with its varied ecosystems (sheer rock face, lily pads, grassy meadow, stone bridge).
I adore watching my kids be in their element in nature. And when Lukas crowed out, "let's do this again next year!," I got all warm and fuzzy. I am relishing this reality of staying put... A year ago we were in such transition.
The birds and the bees
The kids and I were conversing yesterday when Kinder asked me, completely in context and without guile, "how can your body know to stop making babies then?" I had just stated that I didn't want to be pregnant again, that I was content with my two.
Gulp.
Letting my next few sentences trail off into vapor didn't quite work, they were pretty curious. So I blundered my way through an explanation involving eggs ands seeds and absence of opportunity...and we moved on.
I discovered a couple of weeks ago that Silke is doing sex ed with her kids, culling from a UU curriculum she picked up. Danielle mentioned a book today in comic book (!) format. It is important to me that the kids are informed and comfortable about their own bodies and sexuality, and sex in general. I guess it's time for me to begin putting my money where my mouth is.
Gulp.
Letting my next few sentences trail off into vapor didn't quite work, they were pretty curious. So I blundered my way through an explanation involving eggs ands seeds and absence of opportunity...and we moved on.
I discovered a couple of weeks ago that Silke is doing sex ed with her kids, culling from a UU curriculum she picked up. Danielle mentioned a book today in comic book (!) format. It is important to me that the kids are informed and comfortable about their own bodies and sexuality, and sex in general. I guess it's time for me to begin putting my money where my mouth is.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Garden pics
Lavender, the incredibly bountiful mint, echinacea, and bee balm (in the back left corner, which I had to pinch almost all of the leaves off of because of mold).
Basil, nearly decimated coriander (cilantro), and chives. I replanted the coriander hoping to rejuvenate it. If this doesn't work, I'm going to replace it with a new plant. The chives were divine in a smoked salmon sandwich at lunch today, tucked in with lettuce from the farm. Mmmm.
The mighty tomatoes, a gift from Danielle. I am stunned at how heartily these are growing.
Kinder's sunflowers. So far, so good. I can't wait to see these bloom.
The amazing beans. I'll be staking these soon. One of the sprouts/buds was gone this morning, the stem now sheared off at the top. I imagine a creature went for it.
For a gardening novice, self-identified "black" thumb, and fan of the natural world, I am humbled, awed, and made really happy by the goings on in our little corner of Earth.
First day of summer
A gorgeous, perfect day to celebrate the first day of summer. It dawned on me today that one of the unique and satisfying weather features of the northeast is the absolute clarity and refreshment that comes after a period of mugginess. There is an energy in this that I appreciate.
While the kids played, I worked on the solstice bracelets I'm giving to them and our friends with whom we will be celebrating tonight. We will be driving out to a pond to have a picnic dinner and frolic until the sun sets.
Listening to joyful sign
The song, not the cd. This was by far my favorite song that Girlyman sang at the concert we went to in December.
Finally got "Unconditional Parenting" by Alfie Kohn yesterday. This is a book that I've been interested in reading for over a year, but hem here haw there and now it's in my hands. I read the introduction last night. Cap was tucking the kids in with a tanuki story and I had a full evening ahead of me. I started tearing up as I read, mostly PMS, but in part feeling like I was being beckoned by a supportive and understanding hand.
So, I put it down deciding to wait for a more clear headed time and watched Amores Perros instead (finding time for a 2 hour plus movie is tough these days) and followed it with a Rescue Me chaser.
Finally got "Unconditional Parenting" by Alfie Kohn yesterday. This is a book that I've been interested in reading for over a year, but hem here haw there and now it's in my hands. I read the introduction last night. Cap was tucking the kids in with a tanuki story and I had a full evening ahead of me. I started tearing up as I read, mostly PMS, but in part feeling like I was being beckoned by a supportive and understanding hand.
So, I put it down deciding to wait for a more clear headed time and watched Amores Perros instead (finding time for a 2 hour plus movie is tough these days) and followed it with a Rescue Me chaser.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Reading while walking
I watched in delight, recognition and awe as First read "High Tide In Hawaii" (Magic Treehouse #28) as he walked from the bookstore to the car. This included crossing two streets. Talk about being in the zone. Much of my delight has to do with the fact that First often isn't in the zone (as opposed to his brother who pretty much lives there).
We did go to the library this morning (where they found four or five MT titles they were interested in), but then I bartered a new book each for getting adjusted, the chiropractor's office being about a hundred feet from the bookstore.
Many blissful moments here. My adjustment was fantastic, I got to snooze for a bit this afternoon under a wonderful breeze, our Farmer John cache was exciting (bok choy! peas! baby daikon! and drumroll please...more garlic scapes!), and my man is home.
We did go to the library this morning (where they found four or five MT titles they were interested in), but then I bartered a new book each for getting adjusted, the chiropractor's office being about a hundred feet from the bookstore.
Many blissful moments here. My adjustment was fantastic, I got to snooze for a bit this afternoon under a wonderful breeze, our Farmer John cache was exciting (bok choy! peas! baby daikon! and drumroll please...more garlic scapes!), and my man is home.
Cap's back
Big out breath :-)
I went to bed at 10:00 which hadn't occurred the whole time he was gone and Kinder slept till past 7:30 which is virtually unheard of. Cap surprised First and I by getting out of bed before Kinder and the three of us hung out and talked in the livingroom (First and I spooning on the couch under a throw, Cap tucked into the beanbag chair) about planets and stars and about all the trains Cap rode while he was in Japan.
Laundry, unpacking, chiropractor, Target, bank, CSA, thank you cards, haircuts, and staying cool are on the agenda today.
I went to bed at 10:00 which hadn't occurred the whole time he was gone and Kinder slept till past 7:30 which is virtually unheard of. Cap surprised First and I by getting out of bed before Kinder and the three of us hung out and talked in the livingroom (First and I spooning on the couch under a throw, Cap tucked into the beanbag chair) about planets and stars and about all the trains Cap rode while he was in Japan.
Laundry, unpacking, chiropractor, Target, bank, CSA, thank you cards, haircuts, and staying cool are on the agenda today.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Heartbeat
Kinder has been listening to my heartbeat lately, his warm and sturdy five and a half year old body nestling right up to mine as he places his head against my chest.
Now, I know I can be a bit of a mouth breather at times, but I burst out laughing when today, as he listened for my heartbeat, he exclaimed, "stop breathing, I can't hear your heart!"
Now, I know I can be a bit of a mouth breather at times, but I burst out laughing when today, as he listened for my heartbeat, he exclaimed, "stop breathing, I can't hear your heart!"
Pondering potatoes
At dinner tonight, First was munching away on what will hereafter be known as "potatoes Danielle" (red potatoes washed and sliced, briefly boiled, then sauteed in olive oil with fresh herbs of your choice---in this case Farmer John's oregano).
He came upon a little pre-sprout bud and wondered what it was. I wasn't sure what it was technically and first translated from what I know it as in Japanese "me" and said it was "an eye". Clearly an unexpected and unpalatable response. Then I realized that it was probably not "me" meaning "eye", but "me" meaning "sprout" and offered that up.
I asked aloud whether it might be considered a seed, but then First reminded me that pieces of potato can be planted to produce potato plants, so potatoes are seeds themselves.
Then he said, "then where did the first potato come from?"
Pause.
Pause.
"Mutation?," he offered, and we cocked our heads to ponder and finished dinner.
He came upon a little pre-sprout bud and wondered what it was. I wasn't sure what it was technically and first translated from what I know it as in Japanese "me" and said it was "an eye". Clearly an unexpected and unpalatable response. Then I realized that it was probably not "me" meaning "eye", but "me" meaning "sprout" and offered that up.
I asked aloud whether it might be considered a seed, but then First reminded me that pieces of potato can be planted to produce potato plants, so potatoes are seeds themselves.
Then he said, "then where did the first potato come from?"
Pause.
Pause.
"Mutation?," he offered, and we cocked our heads to ponder and finished dinner.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Song of the humpback whale
The other night, First was having trouble falling asleep and we ended up watching about 15 minutes of Planet Earth on tv. He heard the song of the humpback whale for the first time ever.
A few mintues ago, he asked me to hand him the humpback whale so that he could play with it in the bath. "What does it sound like again?," he asked.
I did my best impression and he picked up the tone as my song trailed off.
I love this kind of moment, a piece falling into place, a spiral looping around...
A few mintues ago, he asked me to hand him the humpback whale so that he could play with it in the bath. "What does it sound like again?," he asked.
I did my best impression and he picked up the tone as my song trailed off.
I love this kind of moment, a piece falling into place, a spiral looping around...
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Melinda doolittle
I bought a Whitney Houston song, "I Believe In You And Me", off of iTunes the other day (a rare occurrence but it was fun to do some shopping this way, I can see this becoming more of a habit).
I watched American Idol for the first time this season. One week, the judges and producers of the show chose songs for the contestants to sing. Apparently, the idea was to throw Melinda Doolittle a curve ball by assigning her a Whitney tune. Houston is supposedly so technically brilliant, vocally, that most folks on Idol maintain a secure distance from her songs.
Melinda sang this song and MOVED me. The Whitney version, which I bought to put on my 2007 comp isn't the same. I'll have to keep my eye on the Idol website to see if I can buy Melinda's version.
Other tunes bought that day:
Phantom Limb by The Shins
Joyful Sign by Girlyman
The Picture by Son Volt
Champagne Supernova by Matt Pond PA
And then two days later:
You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You by Dean Martin
Box Of Rain by Grateful Dead
Rhode Island Is Famous For You by Erin McKeown
Shine On by Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem
I watched American Idol for the first time this season. One week, the judges and producers of the show chose songs for the contestants to sing. Apparently, the idea was to throw Melinda Doolittle a curve ball by assigning her a Whitney tune. Houston is supposedly so technically brilliant, vocally, that most folks on Idol maintain a secure distance from her songs.
Melinda sang this song and MOVED me. The Whitney version, which I bought to put on my 2007 comp isn't the same. I'll have to keep my eye on the Idol website to see if I can buy Melinda's version.
Other tunes bought that day:
Phantom Limb by The Shins
Joyful Sign by Girlyman
The Picture by Son Volt
Champagne Supernova by Matt Pond PA
And then two days later:
You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You by Dean Martin
Box Of Rain by Grateful Dead
Rhode Island Is Famous For You by Erin McKeown
Shine On by Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem
Magic treehouse the next day
Kinder has been working on his first Magic Treehouse book for the last hour or so. It's called, "Genies before Driving". He's made the cover and written a table of contents. He is cutting his pieces of paper down to the size of the books themselves. He wants to dictate the story to me now.
Monopoly jr.
Jay and Amy gave First Monopoly Jr. for his birthday. He's digging it.
We played this morning after coming in from gardening and play. Kinder joined us for the first time. First was the banker for the first time. This is the first board game that we've played with that I have specific memories playing as a kid myself. (We didn't have a ton of board games growing up and a lot of the board games we have are cooperative, non-competitive ones.)
I was never that into Monopoly. Life, now that was my game.
We played this morning after coming in from gardening and play. Kinder joined us for the first time. First was the banker for the first time. This is the first board game that we've played with that I have specific memories playing as a kid myself. (We didn't have a ton of board games growing up and a lot of the board games we have are cooperative, non-competitive ones.)
I was never that into Monopoly. Life, now that was my game.
Garlic scape
We joined our local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and I am excited.
Nestled amongst the first week's veggies were something I had never seen before: (garlic) scapes. Danielle was over and we pondered them briefly before moving on to oohing and ahhing the sprigs of oregano, the radishes and the three varieties of lettuce (she took home the red leaf).
Here's a link to someone's blog that has pictures of scapes. We are digital camera-less until Monday when Cap returns from Japan.
http://yesyellocello.blogspot.com/2004/06/june-scapes.html
I did some googling last night and discovered a recipe for garlic scape pesto. I made some this afternoon minus the Parmesan cheese. It looks fantastic, and would taste it too, had I not dumped too much salt in there. Ach, well, what are you going to do. I'm still going to eat it...sparingly.
Last night I made a salad with the romaine lettuce from the farm, an avocado, and a lemony dressing. I tossed on some raw, chopped scape and it was wonderful. I got the recipe off the Mothering website the other day.
I love the feelings of connectivity and satisfaction I get knowing this food is so fresh. It was grown and tended to by a local farmer, dug out of the ground and put on the back of his truck, delivered to my neighborhood the very same day (give or take a day?), and ends up in my belly as early as that night. I love it.
I also love being nudged into being better about using the ingredients I have to prepare our meals. Purple Dragon (a national co-op that has a number of local "pods"---we belonged to one from fall to spring and will most likely rejoin once our local harvesting season is over) did this too, but only to a certain extent. I still found myself tossing produce that had been sitting in the fridge too long (they do drop-offs once every two weeks instead of every week).
I am completely inspired by our access to this local, organic, seasonal produce.
Nestled amongst the first week's veggies were something I had never seen before: (garlic) scapes. Danielle was over and we pondered them briefly before moving on to oohing and ahhing the sprigs of oregano, the radishes and the three varieties of lettuce (she took home the red leaf).
Here's a link to someone's blog that has pictures of scapes. We are digital camera-less until Monday when Cap returns from Japan.
http://yesyellocello.blogspot.com/2004/06/june-scapes.html
I did some googling last night and discovered a recipe for garlic scape pesto. I made some this afternoon minus the Parmesan cheese. It looks fantastic, and would taste it too, had I not dumped too much salt in there. Ach, well, what are you going to do. I'm still going to eat it...sparingly.
Last night I made a salad with the romaine lettuce from the farm, an avocado, and a lemony dressing. I tossed on some raw, chopped scape and it was wonderful. I got the recipe off the Mothering website the other day.
I love the feelings of connectivity and satisfaction I get knowing this food is so fresh. It was grown and tended to by a local farmer, dug out of the ground and put on the back of his truck, delivered to my neighborhood the very same day (give or take a day?), and ends up in my belly as early as that night. I love it.
I also love being nudged into being better about using the ingredients I have to prepare our meals. Purple Dragon (a national co-op that has a number of local "pods"---we belonged to one from fall to spring and will most likely rejoin once our local harvesting season is over) did this too, but only to a certain extent. I still found myself tossing produce that had been sitting in the fridge too long (they do drop-offs once every two weeks instead of every week).
I am completely inspired by our access to this local, organic, seasonal produce.
Friday, June 15, 2007
The magic treehouse
There is a book series called The Magic Treehouse. It's been around for over ten years and the series is nearly forty books strong. When I was in Sacramento, Malachi, who had shared with me how much he loves the books, gave me his copy of book number one, to give to First and Kinder. He did this in the car, as he and Erika were driving me to the Amtrak station.
The kids were intrigued, but didn't bite right away. We went to Will's house for a visit a month later and during our stay, the kids saw that he had some of these books, too. Then, last week, I took Kinder to our neighborhood (independent) bookstore so that he could buy a birthday gift for his brother. He chose a boxed set of three or four Magic Treehouse books. He wasn't too bothered by the fact that the store didn't have book number two.
Once the dust settled on First's birthday, I discovered him lying on my bed, his nose in a book. Then it was lying on the livingroom couch. Then perched on the stairs going up from the bathroom to his room. He was hooked. Not since Uncle Scrooge and his capers has a series caught his attention like this.
Kinder loves the books, too, but it's a different experience for him. He can't yet read them to himself and he doesn't get some of what's going on (the books are considered second grade reading level).
The narcissist in me is pleased and feeling all is right in the world. Lying around with my nose stuck in a book and my imagination galloping around is how I spent much of my childhood.
The worrier in me is girding for the next storm of consumption. My kids are part of the "collect them all!" army of kids. I think part of it's genetic, Cap and I are both known for our completist tendencies. I also think part of it is learned. We have made choices along our parenting path that have led our boys to have the biggest collections of Thomas, Cars, Knex, and the latest craze, Ben 10, of anyone we know.
The thing is, although their interest may wane in their older toys and things, their true affection for them hasn't. Their consumption is not mindless or frenetic. Their exposure to tv commercials is limited to virtually none and because they do not attend school, they aren't as privvy to current fads and kid culture as some of their same age peers.
I'm wondering if we're on a precipice, and if I am catching a glimpse of hundreds of books to come. When I was growing up, my mom took us to the library regularly and I took out piles of books. After we moved during my third grade year, our walk to the library was easily a half mile. (I don't know how she did it, I am the oldest of three.)
During high school I started buying books. My dad would take us to the big Barnes and Noble in downtown Manhattan and let us buy a bag of books each once or twice a year. It was also during this time that I earned a regular wage baby-sitting and I would buy myself trade paperbacks at the bookstore on Austin Street. During college I bought a lot of books using my parents' credit card and I've never looked back.
My own consumption of books has slowed down drastically since having kids. I stil love to read, but rarely do. My preferred reading style is to read for hours on end, having personal reading marathons and finishing books in a day or two. Very old habits are hard to break.
So, now that Kinder and First have started hanging out with Jack and Annie in the magic treehouse, I wonder how the future will unfold as I smile and remember my reading past.
The kids were intrigued, but didn't bite right away. We went to Will's house for a visit a month later and during our stay, the kids saw that he had some of these books, too. Then, last week, I took Kinder to our neighborhood (independent) bookstore so that he could buy a birthday gift for his brother. He chose a boxed set of three or four Magic Treehouse books. He wasn't too bothered by the fact that the store didn't have book number two.
Once the dust settled on First's birthday, I discovered him lying on my bed, his nose in a book. Then it was lying on the livingroom couch. Then perched on the stairs going up from the bathroom to his room. He was hooked. Not since Uncle Scrooge and his capers has a series caught his attention like this.
Kinder loves the books, too, but it's a different experience for him. He can't yet read them to himself and he doesn't get some of what's going on (the books are considered second grade reading level).
The narcissist in me is pleased and feeling all is right in the world. Lying around with my nose stuck in a book and my imagination galloping around is how I spent much of my childhood.
The worrier in me is girding for the next storm of consumption. My kids are part of the "collect them all!" army of kids. I think part of it's genetic, Cap and I are both known for our completist tendencies. I also think part of it is learned. We have made choices along our parenting path that have led our boys to have the biggest collections of Thomas, Cars, Knex, and the latest craze, Ben 10, of anyone we know.
The thing is, although their interest may wane in their older toys and things, their true affection for them hasn't. Their consumption is not mindless or frenetic. Their exposure to tv commercials is limited to virtually none and because they do not attend school, they aren't as privvy to current fads and kid culture as some of their same age peers.
I'm wondering if we're on a precipice, and if I am catching a glimpse of hundreds of books to come. When I was growing up, my mom took us to the library regularly and I took out piles of books. After we moved during my third grade year, our walk to the library was easily a half mile. (I don't know how she did it, I am the oldest of three.)
During high school I started buying books. My dad would take us to the big Barnes and Noble in downtown Manhattan and let us buy a bag of books each once or twice a year. It was also during this time that I earned a regular wage baby-sitting and I would buy myself trade paperbacks at the bookstore on Austin Street. During college I bought a lot of books using my parents' credit card and I've never looked back.
My own consumption of books has slowed down drastically since having kids. I stil love to read, but rarely do. My preferred reading style is to read for hours on end, having personal reading marathons and finishing books in a day or two. Very old habits are hard to break.
So, now that Kinder and First have started hanging out with Jack and Annie in the magic treehouse, I wonder how the future will unfold as I smile and remember my reading past.
It was so cute...
today I grabbed some leftover pizza out of the fridge for Kinder and he said, "can you air condition it for me?"
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Nighttime misery
First has been having trouble falling asleep for a few weeks.
Possible culprits:
• four loose teeth after a drought of a year (one came out last week)
• his recent birthday...anticipation of the unknown is unbearable for him sometimes, mostly it is just plain uncomfortable
• Cap has been away on a 2 week research trip to Japan
• the change of seasons and shifts in weather...after two summers in hot, but dry Sac, the humidity here is a drag
Rescue Remedy and Rescue Sleep (Bach flower essences) have helped some, as has Calmes Forté 4 Kids. The three of us have been sleeping together in the big bed, which helps, too (though not so much in the falling asleep realm because I have not been lying down with them for any length of time). The routines of reading before bed and our nighttime blessings help. Baths help.
This afternoon I told him I thought his nerves were shot (I had just discovered that he'd had a very loose poop). He was curious about the term and I felt my descriptions of what I think can happen to our systems and how our bodies can react during times of stress actually made sense to him.
He fell asleep a bit easier tonight, for the second night in a row. Still fearful and wondering why his mind wouldn't just let him be, stlll unwilling to tell me what it was that he was seeing and thinking about in his head that frightened him so.
I feel guilty about not being able to just get in bed with him, but when Cap is away, I tend to stay up much later than I should, feeling like I need to be awake to hold down the fort, be on guard and protect the homestead. I go into hyper "on" mode when I am temporarily single parenting and the fatigue often kicks in between 7:30 and 8:00. Sometimes it's visceral, how necessary it feels to extricate myself from the kids whether they are ready for it or not.
Possible culprits:
• four loose teeth after a drought of a year (one came out last week)
• his recent birthday...anticipation of the unknown is unbearable for him sometimes, mostly it is just plain uncomfortable
• Cap has been away on a 2 week research trip to Japan
• the change of seasons and shifts in weather...after two summers in hot, but dry Sac, the humidity here is a drag
Rescue Remedy and Rescue Sleep (Bach flower essences) have helped some, as has Calmes Forté 4 Kids. The three of us have been sleeping together in the big bed, which helps, too (though not so much in the falling asleep realm because I have not been lying down with them for any length of time). The routines of reading before bed and our nighttime blessings help. Baths help.
This afternoon I told him I thought his nerves were shot (I had just discovered that he'd had a very loose poop). He was curious about the term and I felt my descriptions of what I think can happen to our systems and how our bodies can react during times of stress actually made sense to him.
He fell asleep a bit easier tonight, for the second night in a row. Still fearful and wondering why his mind wouldn't just let him be, stlll unwilling to tell me what it was that he was seeing and thinking about in his head that frightened him so.
I feel guilty about not being able to just get in bed with him, but when Cap is away, I tend to stay up much later than I should, feeling like I need to be awake to hold down the fort, be on guard and protect the homestead. I go into hyper "on" mode when I am temporarily single parenting and the fatigue often kicks in between 7:30 and 8:00. Sometimes it's visceral, how necessary it feels to extricate myself from the kids whether they are ready for it or not.
Homemade rice crackers
Felicia was very conscientious of First's food allergies and always had rice crackers (as opposed to wheat) for dipping things like chive hummus and crushed pineapple with mint. (She also prepared a vegan version of anything that called for cheese or butter).
At our last class, she made homemade rice crackers because she discovered too late that she didn't have any on hand. Well, Kinder and First loved them (as did everyone there) and so, inspired, I made some this afternoon. A grey skied chilly afternoon just calls for baking.
I worked off of Felicia's non-recipe (she's one of those who dashes things off in the kitchen off the top of her head) and this recipe I got via googling from Mothering magazine's website: http://www.mothering.com/sections/recipes/crackers.html
I used white rice flour, leftover quinoa (instead of rice), olive oil and sesame seeds (instead of flax seeds).
The crackers were yummy...very comforting.
What a great alternative to paying for a package (with its serving of plastic and paper waste) of (highly) processed crackers. The kids were not wild about them (yet), but this is something I will make again and again. The possibilities for varying grains and seasonings, and adding herbs from the garden, are endless. Homemade crackers...something I can truly get behind.
At our last class, she made homemade rice crackers because she discovered too late that she didn't have any on hand. Well, Kinder and First loved them (as did everyone there) and so, inspired, I made some this afternoon. A grey skied chilly afternoon just calls for baking.
I worked off of Felicia's non-recipe (she's one of those who dashes things off in the kitchen off the top of her head) and this recipe I got via googling from Mothering magazine's website: http://www.mothering.com/sections/recipes/crackers.html
I used white rice flour, leftover quinoa (instead of rice), olive oil and sesame seeds (instead of flax seeds).
The crackers were yummy...very comforting.
What a great alternative to paying for a package (with its serving of plastic and paper waste) of (highly) processed crackers. The kids were not wild about them (yet), but this is something I will make again and again. The possibilities for varying grains and seasonings, and adding herbs from the garden, are endless. Homemade crackers...something I can truly get behind.
Our garden
I just went around the apartment closing windows. I'm that cold. What erratic weather for mid-June. This picture was not taken today. We had our sweatshirts on over our clothes today.
This morning we went to the garden store on the other side of the parkway. I got great directions from Danielle, who also recommended the place. I loved it. It was another cloudy day and the vibrant and varied colors of the flowering plants, herbs and bushes, as we walked up to the shop, were a satisfying sight.
It was cool to hear the kids name dropping the herbs they are now familiar with. We picked up some basil and a pot and bamboo stakes for our budding bean plants. The tender (yet so powerful!) shoots have burst forth from the dirt in the little peat pot and seemed ready for transplanting (though now I'm worried that it's going to be cold for them tonight, maybe too cold).
Once home I transplanted the beans and planted the basil. I moved the echinacea over next to the agastache so the basil could all be together. I harvested some basil and mint and made some pesto and mint tea. I think a mini-food processor is in my future. It was SO gratifying to be able to use the free chopper (I got from Tupperware when we lived in Plympton and have never had the opportunity to use) for something, anything, but it just ain't cutting it for the pesto (yes it's a pun). I've been carting that chopper around for years... The mint tea was lovely with the new batch of local honey that was in at Terra last week.
The tomatoes are popping out, I think First counted nine on just one of the plants. They're still small and green, but look promising. The beans have been amazing to watch. Felicia said they'd be satisfying because they grow so fast. And next year, strawberries. For sure.
Off to make dinner. How shall I have the pesto...
Monday, June 11, 2007
Female plumbing
A couple of hours ago I felt like I was hit by a truck of tired. I've been a bit more sleep deprived than normal and woke this morning rather abruptly when I registered that my side was getting wet, absorbing rare-these-days pull-up overflow from the bottom of one of my sleeping children.
But, it was fast, this just-let-me-crawl-into-bed-for-a-few-hours feeling that came over me. Not a run-of-the-mill fatigue. And a leftover chocolate birthday cupcake has done little to perk my system up.
Then I remembered, I must have ovulated.
I just started taking Barlean's Essential Woman again after a talk with Anna two weekends ago (during which time we saw Passing Strange at the Public Theater in NYC---highly recommend it). I used to take it religiously, but then, feeling like my PMS was changing, I stopped.
Well, lately, I've noticed that my womanly hormones seem to have shifted again. Now, I feel like I did when I first got pregnant (both times), when I ovulate. Sleepy, sleepy, sleepy. I also have more intense downslides into claustrophobic jaggedy ear-ringing fury. Rescue remedy (Bach's flower essences), which I've always had on hand for the kids, has become a handy remedy for me. Anna reminded me about the effectiveness of evening primrose oil to soothe PMS symptoms, so I started taking the Barlean's, which is a mix of evening primrose and flaxseed oils, again.
It's amazing to feel so connected to the planet as my hormones shift and another egg is released. More often than not, I say with a toss of my head, "I can't wait for menopause so I can be done with all of this". But, I wonder...what will it feel like to have nature unspool the chord that binds, when I have no more biological function to serve?
But, it was fast, this just-let-me-crawl-into-bed-for-a-few-hours feeling that came over me. Not a run-of-the-mill fatigue. And a leftover chocolate birthday cupcake has done little to perk my system up.
Then I remembered, I must have ovulated.
I just started taking Barlean's Essential Woman again after a talk with Anna two weekends ago (during which time we saw Passing Strange at the Public Theater in NYC---highly recommend it). I used to take it religiously, but then, feeling like my PMS was changing, I stopped.
Well, lately, I've noticed that my womanly hormones seem to have shifted again. Now, I feel like I did when I first got pregnant (both times), when I ovulate. Sleepy, sleepy, sleepy. I also have more intense downslides into claustrophobic jaggedy ear-ringing fury. Rescue remedy (Bach's flower essences), which I've always had on hand for the kids, has become a handy remedy for me. Anna reminded me about the effectiveness of evening primrose oil to soothe PMS symptoms, so I started taking the Barlean's, which is a mix of evening primrose and flaxseed oils, again.
It's amazing to feel so connected to the planet as my hormones shift and another egg is released. More often than not, I say with a toss of my head, "I can't wait for menopause so I can be done with all of this". But, I wonder...what will it feel like to have nature unspool the chord that binds, when I have no more biological function to serve?
Felicia's garden
First and I made it to three of the six herb gardening classes that Felicia, a homeschooling mom of two, had in her garden. Kinder joined us for two of those classes because Cap wasn't around to hang with him at home, but it was really "First's" class.
Felicia's garden was inspiring in many ways. She and her family have obviously taken time to design and nurture different areas of the garden. It is truly a haven...you completely forget about the busy street that their house is on when back in the yard. For us, it was about a 40-45 minute drive (actually longer on two of the three trips because I got lost), but that too, would just immediately be forgotten once we walked through the garden gate.
We now have a container garden in our communal backyard. We have chives, lavender, mint, cilantro, bee balm, basil, echinacea, sunflowers, petunias, green beans and tomatoes growing and being clumsily nudged to grow. The cilantro is starting to look wan and slightly ill and the basil is not bursting forth as I imagined it would. Which is unfortunate because the pesto scrambled eggs I fixed for myself last week were AMAZING.
I think many of our leafy friends would rather have more sun than our yard can give them. We'll see how they do. Next year, I'd like to plant strawberries. The class got to sample Felicia's crop this year (planted in a container) and they were yummy.
Another mental experiment I'll be conducting this summer is to see how our mostly organic plants in completely organic soil do compared to Renee's in-ground garden of veggies nurtured by Miracle-Gro.
Felicia is doing a butterfly class which I'm pretty sure First would have dug, but he was not interested and I decided that I wasn't interested in the long drive again...at least not enough to put up more of a fight to try the class. He is looking forward to it again next spring though, my young gardener.
Felicia's garden was inspiring in many ways. She and her family have obviously taken time to design and nurture different areas of the garden. It is truly a haven...you completely forget about the busy street that their house is on when back in the yard. For us, it was about a 40-45 minute drive (actually longer on two of the three trips because I got lost), but that too, would just immediately be forgotten once we walked through the garden gate.
We now have a container garden in our communal backyard. We have chives, lavender, mint, cilantro, bee balm, basil, echinacea, sunflowers, petunias, green beans and tomatoes growing and being clumsily nudged to grow. The cilantro is starting to look wan and slightly ill and the basil is not bursting forth as I imagined it would. Which is unfortunate because the pesto scrambled eggs I fixed for myself last week were AMAZING.
I think many of our leafy friends would rather have more sun than our yard can give them. We'll see how they do. Next year, I'd like to plant strawberries. The class got to sample Felicia's crop this year (planted in a container) and they were yummy.
Another mental experiment I'll be conducting this summer is to see how our mostly organic plants in completely organic soil do compared to Renee's in-ground garden of veggies nurtured by Miracle-Gro.
Felicia is doing a butterfly class which I'm pretty sure First would have dug, but he was not interested and I decided that I wasn't interested in the long drive again...at least not enough to put up more of a fight to try the class. He is looking forward to it again next spring though, my young gardener.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Birth day
Today is First's 7th birthday. It was lovely to wake up in bed with both boys (Cap is in Japan) and start the day unwrapping presents together in bed.
It was a sweet day. Watching the kids play (he invited Owen, Lukas, Anna and Lukas), the very satisfying sushi platter from Whole Foods (cucumber rolls and salmon rolls), lots of Ben 10 toys including the very rare 6 inch Benwolf, a lingering visit with Uncle Takai, Auntie Lisa and Ellie, the cutest almost four month old I know, and now, unencumbered play time. His final gift of the day is that he can choose when to go to bed tonight.
No pics, Cap has the digital camera with him.
I have been watching back-to-back episodes of Freaks and Geeks lately and loving them. Can't wait to see Knocked Up.
Seven, seven, seven...it just feels like the beginning of a new chapter.
It was a sweet day. Watching the kids play (he invited Owen, Lukas, Anna and Lukas), the very satisfying sushi platter from Whole Foods (cucumber rolls and salmon rolls), lots of Ben 10 toys including the very rare 6 inch Benwolf, a lingering visit with Uncle Takai, Auntie Lisa and Ellie, the cutest almost four month old I know, and now, unencumbered play time. His final gift of the day is that he can choose when to go to bed tonight.
No pics, Cap has the digital camera with him.
I have been watching back-to-back episodes of Freaks and Geeks lately and loving them. Can't wait to see Knocked Up.
Seven, seven, seven...it just feels like the beginning of a new chapter.
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