talk about it more

Performance time!

2009-12-14T10:00:00.004-03:00

The kids have been really enjoying their classes this semester at the dance studio. Me too-- they're fun to watch. May have to try one myself one of these days!

The video below only has Nora and Fiona's dance, but there were many, many acts from 3-year olds to adults, and many styles of dance. Festive!

Beach

2009-10-26T10:41:00.002-03:00

This morning Nora and I were looking at the back of the Raisin Bran cereal box. There are people walking in a field in one picture, and a man running along the beach. I said, "Looks like the people at Raisin Bran want us to think that cereal helps us be active."

Nora focused on the back of the box for a moment, then said, "Is that how that guy can walk on top of the water? Can people really do that?" I looked. He was running on the beach where the water lapped up over his feet.

I tried explaining how the water comes in over the beach a couple different ways. She clearly was NOT getting it. The last time Ian and I were at a beach, it was in Galveston where we were visiting with toddler Fiona. Clearly, our Nora needs to see a beach in person. Below is the last time Fiona saw the beach.

Finding our stride

2009-10-07T09:53:00.003-04:00

It's not that we've forgotten about blogging. Really! But with Fiona in traditional school, it just feels weird. A huge chunk of our time with Fiona has been given over to the school system. We miss her, and Nora and I are still figuring out what our rhythm is. I have a couple of back-posts yet to do, but I don't want this to turn into Nora's blog, which it easily could because she says more and more things that come straight from Nora and less from her best friend Fiona's influence.

We'll figure it out. Until then, we're working on finding our stride.

Honey... honey... LION!

2009-09-23T13:06:00.004-04:00

Just like in our beloved book Honey... Honey... Lion! Nate, Nora and I saw both honey badgers and lions when we visited the zoo this morning, but the badgers were busy making baby badgers like they are every time we visit, so we left them to it without photos.

Bill, on the other hand, was lounging very close to the viewing area. Actually, he couldn't have gotten any closer if he'd tried.

Another doozy

2009-09-22T19:47:00.001-04:00

Nora: If you put your tongue on the roof of your mouth, you can make little spit bubbles.
Jen: That sounds a little distasteful to me.
Nora: No! It doesn't taste!

I couldn't make this stuff up

2009-09-21T19:22:00.002-04:00

Nora: Mom, you don't have to worry about other people's air in your mouth.
Me: Why not?
Nora: Because it's just air.

Photo from an unscheduled, delightful romp with Robert on September 3.

Home sweet zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

2009-09-19T22:37:00.002-04:00

Nora's home from a delightful week of special time with Grandma and Toot Toot all on her own. She had a great time, but boy is she beat. I managed to get a piece of toast into her before she fell asleep. Well, I almost did, anyway.

Thanks for the week of fun for Nora, Grandma and Toot Toot! We got a lot of work done in our basement this week, and a fair amount of mudding and sanding on the walls, too!

Happy cat, happy family

2009-09-17T09:47:00.005-04:00

Yesterday afternoon Animal Care and Control called to say that the bat Zelda caught last week did not have rabies, and our cat was free to come out of quarantine. We're all so relieved-- especially Zelda! She purrs when we simply come near her now.

Taiko!

2009-09-17T01:14:00.003-04:00

I brought Fiona to her first afterschool Taiko program this afternoon. It was so much fun! We learned about Taiko drumming, and also how the year-long free class will work. The instructor, Allison, made it easy to follow directions, and her engaging manner held the kids' attention for the entire hour and a half we were there. We even met up with some friends there whom we didn't know we'd get to see! Now we're itching to practice on something at home between lessons.

First festival

2009-09-12T16:10:00.003-04:00

We went to a local festival today for the first time. It wasn't just the first time for this city's fun, but really the first time either kid had been to anything like a fair. Ian had to work, but we girls did it up big-- face painting, horse and buggy ride, rope ladder, "merry go round," and games like ring toss and duck pond. Top it all off with a little festival food and we were on cloud nine. Both kids crashed when we got home. Now we're primed for some fall festivals!

September 11

2009-09-11T21:30:00.000-04:00

Over dinner, we took turns telling about our day. Nora went to the zoo with a friend, Fiona talked about her school day, Ian did some household chores, and I made a lot of angel food cake and tiramisu to take to a dinner tomorrow. Suddenly Fiona remembered something.

"Oh! Do you know what else happened today?!" She was suddenly bursting with information. I told her I surely didn't know, and she would have continued to say, "Yes you do!" had Ian not stopped the loop. "Two planes crashed. Actually, CJ said it was three!" Once we got past the detail that today and eight years ago today are different concepts, we were able to go on.

Ian and I told both girls what life was like for the two of us on that fateful day. There was no Fiona, no Nora. We lived in a different house in a different town. Gracie Dog was still alive and could even sort of hear and see back then. Most people didn't get late-breaking information from the net, and Ian explained that the first people to hear about it were colleagues who were watching TV news.

I have been thinking about September 11th and all the horror that surrounded it all day today. I've been thinking about how hard it is to send a child out of the home for weeks now. I've been thinking about what home, safety, and truth mean.

Fiona said her teacher read a book called September 12 We Knew Everything Would Be All Right, which was written and illustrated by first grade students in Missouri. "It was sad Mom, but not totally sad. I liked it." A little dose of hope can take us a long way.

Just batty

2009-09-09T23:24:00.002-04:00

Animal Care and Control didn't believe Fiona's leg looked like it was bitten yesterday, but more like it was scratched. This means Zelda didn't need to go into quarantine-- until today when she caught a bat in the basement.

We haven't known about a bat in our home since the one pictured at left. The bat from 2005 surprised me by hanging on the pot I had used to boil spaghetti the night before. It was the only dish I hadn't bothered to wash before bed, and after running some soapy water in the left sink the next morning, I reached for the pot in the right sink and wondered-- even while reaching for the handle-- what the brown stuff was on the rim.

But I digress. This time I didn't want to get a handful of bat (or worse) so I didn't try to take any photos of Zelda and the bat. Instead I called Animal Care and Control immediately. The same officer appeared on my doorstep and apologized for jinxing us by asking yesterday whether Zelda had caught any bats. He caught it in a wink using a small lidded coffee can and walked me through quarantine procedures.

Over the next ten days, Zelda may be scared when we'd expect her to be affectionate, or lethargic when we'd expect her to be active. She may cough as if she has something stuck in her throat. Most alarmingly, however, she may display unprovoked aggression and bite for no reason. When I put on Ian's sneakers to go in and feed her the first night, she pounced on the loose shoelaces and made my heart stop, but she was just hungry for attention, movement, and play. She is, after all, a Mighty Huntress.

Had Zelda not been up to date on her vaccinations, she would have been removed and euthanized immediately. There are more rabid bats in our county this year already than all of last year, and the fact that they've been found in our nearby downtown is unsettling. Bats are usually only solitary when they're ill, and their bites don't hurt or fester, so we just have to wait. Hopefully ten days from now Zelda can be reintroduced to our home.

Come skate away with me

2009-09-09T21:44:00.001-04:00

Fiona's school sponsored a skating party, and we decided to go even though Ian had to work. We didn't stay long, but managed to get around the floor in a relatively painless fashion.

Nora was convinced she wouldn't need my hand. "I learned all about balance from Mirette on the Highwire, Mama." Balance indeed.

A serious misstep

2009-09-08T22:31:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I moved Zelda's food and water dishes out of the basement landing and back into the kitchen. We think Nathaniel is old enough to stay out of the water dish, and it's easier to monitor there.

At feeding time Fiona forgot I made this switch and changed her steps too quickly, stepping on hungry Zelda. She got a bite on the leg as a reward for her trouble. It wasn't a puncture wound-- more like a tooth scrape, but I did see a tiny bit of blood so instead of taking her to the first night of religious education, Fiona went to a rapid care facility. She didn't require antibiotics, but I did just get a call from Animal Care and Control. We'll get a visit tomorrow from an officer who can show us how to quarantine the cat to make sure she doesn't have rabies. I can see why it's important, but it does seem a little over-the-top for a cat who lives inside and has all her shots.

That's not in my vocabulary

2009-08-29T21:16:00.004-04:00

We had a weird kind of day-- some morning time spent together, then got a family portrait, then I volunteered from 12-4. After that Ian took us all out to dinner and ice cream, and we had a walk before heading home to bed.

On our way home from dinner, we were talking about our favorite parts of the day as part of our nighttime ritual. Fiona mixed it up tonight, asking anyone in the car who cared to answer what was the funniest thing that ever happened to them, or the most boring, the farthest away from home we'd been, etc. I said I'd been to Mexico. Ian said he'd been to Scotland.

Once establishing which of those was farther away, I asserted that our whole family would visit the British Isles together someday. Ian's eyebrows arched as he drove. "Hmmm... maybe," he said.

I told him we just had to think positive. And even if we never got there, our kids would know that it was our aim. "Mom and Dad never got us to Disneyland, but knowing that they always wanted to was enough for us," I said.

Fiona hadn't missed a shred of this conversation, but she didn't exactly know what we were talking about, either. Suddenly she inserted herself in the conversation, asking, "What-eyland?"

Keep it up, Fiona. We like it like that. Keep your fairy stories unspoiled by old Walt.

Night out/night in

2009-08-28T20:25:00.004-04:00

Fiona was invited to a movie with Tessa, Elena, and Janet this evening, leaving Nora at home for some quality time with her parents. The problem was, Nora wasn't particularly seeing it as "quality time" to stay home while her sister attended a movie. At least she wasn't until she saw the surprise that was in store for her.

Fiona can't sit in bubbles for health reasons, but while the cat was away, the mouse soaked and splashed in one of her very first bubble baths. Fiona came home happy and found a cheerful sister there as well.

Nora explains herself

2009-08-28T15:24:00.003-04:00

Nora won a sticker at the neighborhood block party last night. She chose a big, shiny, Celtic-looking rainbow cross. She stuck in on her arm like a tattoo last night, and picked it off her bedsheets to wear it again about half an hour ago.

On our way out the door to pick up the kids at school, Nora stuck her sticker onto the kitchen table, saying, "I don't want the kids at school to think I'm a church person."

I asked her what she meant, and she said, "I mean, I go there, but I don't like to sing." She's an enigma wrapped in a mystery.

Emergence

2009-08-28T13:17:00.002-04:00

Kathleen and Nate invited Nora and I next door to see the cicada emerging in their garden before it flew away. Sometimes nature is so intricate and perfect and amazing that it's hard to believe it's real at all. But this was real-- real cool.

Block party

2009-08-27T13:15:00.003-04:00

In the end we didn't wait long enough to jump in the "jump house," but we girls had a fun time at our neighborhood block party while Ian was at work. Snowcones, fishing games, popcorn, music. . . Lots of excitement and sugar right before bed. Yes, sometimes I marvel at my own brilliance.

Enjoying the sugar, Daddy

2009-08-26T19:12:00.003-04:00

Both kids really loved those Sugar Daddies, Grandma and Toot Toot. Next time you should give them that sort of fun at the beginning of their trip to your house! ;-)

New friend?

2009-08-25T16:09:00.001-04:00

Today's highlight:
Fiona enjoys the company of a classmate named Treasure. Next week is a back-to-school night. I hope we get to meet her!

A new beginning

2009-08-24T11:39:00.002-04:00

Fiona walked right into that class and got to business. I, on the other hand, am a mess. It's part anguish, part pride, part worry, part love. I guess that equals "parenthood."

They took her out to the ballgame

2009-08-21T22:30:00.004-04:00

Addison, Korrigan, and Tinea invited Fiona to a baseball game tonight, and she just got home. There were supposed to be fireworks afterward, but it got rained out. Again. She was all smiles after her late night out, though, so she had a good time regardless and did not melt.

Carrots!

2009-08-21T11:30:00.000-04:00

We joyously pulled carrots today. According to their seed packet, they should have been ready a week ago, but we held off because they still seemed so small. Then today we decided that we like baby carrots anyway, so we picked a flowerpot-ful of them. Cute, sweet, crunchy carrots! Our garden is full of stuff it's not supposed to have and not terribly full of things it is supposed to have, but we're enjoying it a great deal anyway-- two bite carrots included.

Just hangin' at the pool

2009-08-16T22:18:00.000-04:00

Or the sink basin, anyhow. That Ivy.

Chess Tournament

2009-08-15T21:13:00.004-04:00

Fiona entered the children's chess tournament put on by the library today. It's a just-for-fun tournament with certificates for everyone and trophies for many. Fiona got four draws and one loss, which was good enough for the 6th place trophy in her division!

The organizers have a pretty hands-off attitude when it comes to making sure the kids play by the rules of chess. If no one is unhappy with how things are going, then pretty much anything goes, at least at the beginner level. So it's important to note that the following conversation wasn't Fiona trying to get an unfair advantage - it's just her (and her opponent's) idea of how chess works.

Opponent: Check.

Fiona: I'll capture your bishop.

Opponent: You can't, you'd be in check from my queen.

Fiona (taking second move in a row): But I can just move out of check.

In the top picture, Mary is explaining that even though Fiona promised not to take her opponent's queen, there doesn't seem to be a legal move that would allow the queen to remain uncaptured. But the kids had the final say!

All the kids that I saw were having fun. Fiona was laughing and talking with her opponents throughout the tournament like they had always known each other. And that was the best result of the day.

One smart car

2009-08-13T23:40:00.003-04:00

Ian's 15-year-old car is slowly expiring and we really do think we're going to have to replace it, but while this Smart car (thanks for noticing it's not a Fit, Andy) is very fun, it is many seats shy of what we're currently considering. The girls did enjoy riding around the car lots in a golf cart, though!

Flickr

2009-08-12T09:41:00.002-04:00

Oh yeah, we have a flickr account! I just dumped months of photos in there. Click the Flickr badge in the top right to see some pictures.

Rhyme time with Nora

2009-08-11T13:33:00.000-04:00

Fiona and I were folding clothes while Nora read to herself on the spare bed. She was reading Play Day by Bruce MacMillan, and having read the book before she remembered the concept: rhyming words were written on one side of the page and photos illustrated the words on the opposing page.

I wasn't really listening, but I knew when she cheerily chirped, "Mud, blood!" something was definitely wrong. Clearly she's using the photos and not paying a bit of attention to the first letter cues here!

Sprinkler Party

2009-08-08T22:27:00.000-04:00

I didn't feel up to food, party games, and the whole nine yards for Fiona's birthday, but she's never had much more than a gathering with immediate family for her birthday, so we decided to have a casual gathering near her birthday-- sprinkler/outdoor fun and cupcakes. What a blast! Tons of kids came, and we could have probably invited tons more had Ian been home to help cohost. It was a total blast.

Just for Toot Toot

2009-08-06T22:24:00.000-04:00

Grandma and Toot Toot came to visit today, and Toot wanted to see Fiona in his hat. Unfortunately I took the photo when he wasn't standing there, so this post will have to do.

So tough

2009-08-05T16:40:00.005-04:00

Cleaning out that basement was tough today. Fortunately, so were my helpers and these tough temporary tattoos we found down there.

Adventures in gardening

2009-08-05T09:42:00.005-04:00

While Fiona finishes up her last day at vacation bible school, Nora and I are tackling some gardening projects. Notice that the dog vomit slime mold continues to proliferate.

Next we'll try organizing the messy, messy basement. Maybe Fiona would like in on that, too. We find wonderful "treasures" when we go through that process.

Shoes and socks

2009-08-04T09:03:00.001-04:00

Nora wanted to wear sneakers, and delightedly selected her own socks.

New friend

2009-08-04T07:43:00.005-04:00

I took Fiona to the vacation Bible school at our parish. It's a scaled-down affair-- lasts three days, has stories, crafts, games-- typical stuff but shorter and less costly. Mostly I was looking forward to Fiona getting practice meeting kids she doesn't know for a couple of days and interacting a bit.

On the way home, though, she shocked me. I asked her what was fun at camp today, and she said, "I made a friend." Hooray! It's not that Fiona is unfriendly or friendless, it's just that she doesn't necessarily notice the kids around her much when she's in a class. She may sit in the same place, and chat a bit with whoever's there, but doesn't usually know anything meaningful about them later.

I asked her her friend's name. She told me. !!! Then I asked her last name. She told me that too! I asked her what they did together, and she ticked off a couple activities. "I guess she's just the right age to like me." It sounds mutual.

Happy birthday, early

2009-08-01T23:19:00.005-04:00

It's not Fiona's birthday yet, but this weekend we've been celebrating with Uncle Eric, Aunt Carrie, James, Luke, Grandma, and Toot Toot. We went to a local park for a picnic and splashed around a little, but it wasn't a warm enough day to counteract the icy water so the kids largely romped on the playground. Tons of fun.

Surprise!

2009-08-01T21:30:00.000-04:00

It was about 6:00 in the evening. Mom, Dad, Carrie, Eric, James and Luke were still at our house. We had had a long, tiring-but-fun day at the park. While Mom, Carrie and I were gathering up Carrie and Eric's stuff for their drive home, my Dad was reading to most of the grandkids out on the front porch, so I went to see how they were doing and perhaps snap a couple pictures.

Surprise! Fiona wasn't on the bench hearing a story at all. Here's how I found her.

Art camp celebration dinner

2009-07-31T21:21:00.000-04:00

The whole family had fun at the art camp dinner and art exhibition this evening. It chokes me up every time to see all the heart those kids and teachers put into art.

Lovely locks

2009-07-31T08:34:00.005-04:00

As you may have noticed or read here, the girls are growing out their bangs. I took them for haircuts on Wednesday and there is now a little shape to their growing-out mops, but not much.

Our friend Ray just donated her hair to Locks of Love, and now the girls are interested in the prospect. I can't imagine how long that might take, but I'm sure it's counted in years. Look at that stacked hair on Nora!

Nora's playdate

2009-07-31T00:17:00.000-04:00

Fiona went to a friend's house after art camp yesterday, and Teresa had an afternoon appointment, so Nora got to entertain a friend all on her own. She and Robert had a blast, and Nora got such a kick out of being the only sister home.

She's lived a long time

2009-07-29T19:42:00.000-04:00

Fiona told me over dinner tonight that she feels like she's lived a long time. I told her that she had, I suppose, and we decided to list some things she's done in her almost seven years on this earth:

lost teeth
moved-- more than once
ridden an airplane, bike, scooter, roller skates, and a horse
grown plants and butterflies
played piano
danced onstage
watercolor painting
read, written, and told stories
gotten soppy wet
been on a beach
played kick the can

Then we talked about things Fiona has not done yet but wants to do:

ride in a glass-bottomed boat
see the ocean
have a farm
ride in a hot air balloon
try a ferris wheel
visit China and Ireland
live in a castle
own a serval

Both of these lists could undoubtedly be more substantial, but it was a good dinner conversation, anyhow.

This is not how I meant to clean the bathroom

2009-07-27T17:21:00.004-04:00

The good news: I didn't blow up.
The bad news: One whole bottle of soap is history, and this is becoming a pattern.

I try to give her the privacy she requests, but see where privacy gets me? I think she has finally outgrown her habit of saying, "I need some privacy, because I want to do something." That stage was particularly handy.

Three years of blogging

2009-07-27T08:14:00.000-04:00

Wow! Has it been three years since we started this blog? Time flies!

Ivy

2009-07-26T18:21:00.005-04:00

Thank you, Katie, for this video of Simon's Cat. It reminds us so much of our Ivy. Too bad Ivy's allergic to houseflies, along with so many other things. . .

Buddha: he's not just for bedtime

2009-07-26T10:10:00.014-04:00

We discovered Buddha at Bedtime when it first came out, and love to check it out periodically. It contains 20 stories chosen from the Jataka Tales- stories believed to have been originally told by the Buddha himself. Besides a basic introduction to Buddhism, there are overviews for visualization, meditation, and creating outlets for encouraging imagination during the stories. Each short story has a connected moral value at the end to discuss together, like "It is only natural to want things to stay as they are, but life is a journey and change is unavoidable. A wise person accepts this and enjoys each precious moment as fully as they can."

I originally picked up this book because some aspects of Buddhism resonate with Ian, and I wanted to share some of his tradition with our girls. But as a practicing Catholic I couldn't see anything in this book that didn't jive with the way we're already trying to live. Here's an excerpt from the introduction, "What is Buddhism?" that describes The Six Perfections:

When a Buddhist's heart and mind are fully inspired by metta (universal loving-kindness) they are said to be a bodhisattva - someone who delays their own enlightenment to help others reach the same state. The bodhisattva follows the path of The Six Perfections, which are a set of positive qualities that we can all benefit from cultivating in our own lives.
1. Dana: the wish to give freely to everybody without exception for no reward

2. Sila: the development of ethical behavior

3. Ksanti: the quality of patience and the ability to remain calm, especially in troubled times

4. Virya: enthusiastic effort, which promotes the strength and diligence necessary to progress through the boddhisattva path

5. Dhyana: concentration or meditation, which involves developing the mental ability to stay focused in order to make our actions more effective

6. Prajna: wisdom, not only intellectual understanding, but also gaining a direct insight into the true nature of reality

Anyway, we really enjoy reading and discussing it together. The techniques for listening to and for telling the stories give us tools that are helpful beyond the pages of this book.

Bedtime serenade

2009-07-25T20:10:00.004-04:00

OK Ian, we planned this to go quite differently, and I didn't have a head full of snot when we started talking about it, and our neighbors were going to be home to help with filming and execution. In the end we simply used our first and only take filmed by some helpful neighbors we met on the sidewalk when we asked them to shoot this video on our front porch. None of that changes the fact that we miss you though, Ian, and we look forward to your return.

Overnight!

2009-07-24T07:14:00.004-04:00

Our friend Robert stayed the night last night. Bedtime wasn't overly late, but I'm glad they're still sleeping. I don't want to waken them with a shower since the bathroom's next-door, but this gives me a leg-up on breakfast, anyhow. Overnights are such fun!

Napping

2009-07-21T14:06:00.003-04:00

Nora is back to napping-- at least for a while. Our summer schedule has been predictable, rowdy, and entertaining. Every so often we add a short road trip that changes it up just a bit, but by and large summer has been full without being overly so. The midday recharge is really working out for Nora, and sometimes even Fiona. Why doesn't everybody take siestas in our neck of the woods?!

Nora gets my goat

2009-07-20T10:31:00.007-04:00

Last night Nora was crying in the middle of the night. Thankfully, this has become a rare occurrence. I was finally getting a good night's sleep and didn't wake up right away like Ian did. Instead, as Nora's crying slowly infiltrated my dream-self, I had a strange little dream conference with myself about her.

Life and parenting are so different now with Nora on the scene. Unlike her people-pleasing sister, Nora takes life by the horns. She's like the kitten who can swat with her words or her limbs and have no idea how much ouch she can actually deal out. So far she has gotten away with this because she's three and still learning how things work, but also because when she's not kicking up a fuss she is so darn cherubic and entertaining that it's hard to believe she ever acted up in the first place.

Clearly our 'old tricks' do not work with this beloved imp. Honestly, Nora gets my goat many times a day-- and vice versa. Somehow we find ourselves on opposite ends of an opinion much of the time. My artificial attempts at letting her think she's making decisions when she's really being offered limited choice have fallen rather flat. And her volatile reactions to what I consider reasonable can grab my attention as well as that of passersby.

Part of the solution, perhaps, is to let go of the irritation I expect to feel, and often do end up feeling as we have our interactions. How Zen, Jen! I reached this realization just as I awakened and discovered I wasn't in a parenting conference, but actually in bed listening to my daughter wail in their room next-door.

Ian was already on the scene when I arrived at Fiona and Nora's bed. He hissed when I 'erroneously' gave Fiona Nora's pillow to muffle the sound. Nora howled when I offered her a drink. She wanted a drink, of course, but she didn't want to actually drink it. Her preference was to screech loudly, hold the little cup of water while cradled in her father's arms without sipping it, slowly wind down from crying, and drift back toward sleep. Let the cups fall where they may. It was, after all, her cup.

It was an accident waiting to happen, but clearly there was no help I could offer here. The best thing I could do is crawl back into bed and go back to sleep. My dream conference with myself made at least that much clear. In the light of day, I found a related thought by Thomas Merton, "I do not have to react. It is useless. There are much better things to do. And to react is to become implicated-- to become a prisoner of the same nonsense that I am compelled to condemn. Do not be compelled." I can read this passage. Whether I can absorb it is something else altogether.

Cats "renamed"

2009-07-20T10:02:00.006-04:00

Nora says she renamed the cats Tape and Gorgonzola. I don't know who's who yet. She also would like them to become Maine Coon Cats, since she heard such good things about those at the cat show this weekend. Good luck with that, Tape and Gorgonzola.

Pop art 2009

2009-07-20T09:30:00.005-04:00

I couldn't wait till we got this picture back to share it. The kids are doing a number of interesting projects this summer at camp. Today Fiona said they made maracas. On the way home she said, "Music is just a different kind of art, Mom. And you don't have to take a class to make art. We all know how to make many kinds of art." YESSSSSSSSSSS! We talked about different forms of art the rest of the way home.

Cat show

2009-07-18T23:05:00.009-04:00

Yesterday on our way out to Annie Rose's house to pick up Fiona after a post-art camp afternoon of of play, Nora and I passed a big sign that read "Cat Show." Somehow, despite almost forty years of being more of a dog person, I have given birth to two cat lovers. So we decided to check out the cat show today.

If you've never been to a show like this before, it is truly very interesting. We watched many types of judging and wandered between table after table of really striking, extremely expensive felines. I tried to take a picture at one of the judging rings but realized that the battery was still at home in the charger. D'oh.

Surprisingly, the three of us found a cat that we all could agree on: the Savannah. That cat looked just like the servals we see in the new zoo exhibit, and we love those. I looked up Savannahs once we got home. It figures we like them, as Savannahs cost between $1000-$25,000 depending upon how much serval is in their bloodline. No wonder they look like servals! They're often described as dog-like and make great pets if you have that much expendible income lying around. Then again, our two shelter cats are great pets, too.

A hairy situation

2009-07-17T13:35:00.003-04:00

Both kids are growing out their bangs. Fiona just decided to do this at her last haircut, whereas Nora has been working on it for awhile now. Does anybody have tips for keeping hair out of eyes during this lengthy stage? We are looking a little unkempt here. HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO TAKE?!

Arty smarty

2009-07-17T12:30:00.005-04:00

Last night at our celebration with our fellow artists and families from our homeschool art class, Fiona won an award of merit for being a finalist in the kindergarten division of the state students' calendar art contest. We saw a semester of amazing student work, ate snacks, applauded other merit award winners, and also walked down to the library gallery to soak in some work by older local artists. Good times!

Can you see the bunny?

2009-07-16T23:51:00.000-04:00

We caught sight of this small, cotton-tailed garden terminator in our alley as we came home from the art event at the library. It stayed for a photo, but bolted away shortly thereafter.

Listen to me because I know what I'm talking about

2009-07-12T11:47:00.001-04:00

Jen: OK girls, it's time to tidy up so we can go to the art festival.

Nora: (whining) But Mom! I don't want to go to a festival!

Fiona: Oh, yes you do! You want to go to a festival, Nora. . . Mama, what happens at a festival?

Wet and wild

2009-07-07T12:01:00.001-04:00

Fiona's sweet friend Alyssa and her family invited us along with a lot of other people to a reunion of sorts at the new splash park in town. You can be sure you'll be seeing more photos of this place. We had a ton of fun, and it was so good to visit with old friends. Just add popsicles!

Art camp, baby

2009-07-06T13:01:00.001-04:00

Fiona started art camp again this summer at a local college campus. A morning of art for four weeks, then an all-camp dinner, art show, and bursting portfolio at the end of the month. Fiona's in class with a number of buddies, and has even more in other classrooms. We all really enjoy this opportunity to explore art, enjoy a couple field trips and special speakers, and spend time with friends. Expect to see more art here soon!

Megamoth

2009-07-05T12:10:00.002-04:00

Look at this big moth we saw up-close while we were at Grandma and Toot Toot's. After looking at it for awhile, Nora breathed, "Can I pet it?" It was big enough I thought she was going to attempt to claim it as a pet.

blushing

2009-07-05T10:39:00.000-04:00

Do you know why our kids have a blog instead of thick, wonderful baby books? Because I never made one for either of them. In fact, I couldn't manage to keep track of all those wonderful smiles, rolls, steps, or teeth on a baby calendar someone gave me-- and it even came with stickers. Their ultrasounds? Somewhere. My coworker and friend Mitch pulled Nora's out of a library book where it had been used as a bookmark and carelessly left behind. (Good save, Mitch.)

I didn't blog while Granny was here, then I went to San Francisco, then I got caught up around here, then we went away for the fourth of July. Just thinking about all the back-blogging made me procrastinate even longer. But I miss blogging, and the kids keep doing ridiculous things, so I am back at it now.

If I never do the back-blog, then we missed two amazing, fun months of stories. But that is OK. We'll just make more.

Monkeying around

2009-07-03T10:59:00.002-04:00

There is a new fun spot to play at Grandma and Toot Toot's called Monkey Joe's. It is a loud, cavernous wonderland for kids aged 3 through early teens to bounce, slide, and play on inflatable jungle gyms. The girls are in love with Grandma, Toot Toot, and Monkey Joe's, plus they get so much exercise they're drenched after a couple hours, so it's pretty much win-win.

Watching the kids at this place is like a reminder that it's more fun to give a good gift than to receive one. The girls are on fire at that place-- climbing bouncing and sliding by themselves or together-- and just watching them is a riot. Thanks, Grandma and Toot Toot, for the crazy good time!

The birds, the bees, the girls, and me

2009-07-02T10:44:00.002-04:00

We were on our way to an appointment, and Fiona was talking about being in the hospital. "Nora, you didn't stay in the hospital when you were born like I did." This was a little bit true. I explained that EMTs had to take Nora to get checked out, and she ended up staying the night just for observation, but she really wasn't born in the hospital like Nora. Those ambulance drivers just scooped up me in my pajamas and Nora in her blanket and we took off.

This started a long conversation about clothes that veered off into how babies are made. Hmmmm... I knew this conversation would come, and as a rule of thumb I tell Fiona just as much as she needs to know to answer her question. I said, "Well, do you remember that book we have at home called Mommy Laid an Egg? We saw in that book that. . . "

Fiona interrupted me with hoots of laughter. "Yeah, Mom. That book says babies come out of a TOOTHPASTE TUBE!" And it does. The parents in the book make up a number of ways that babies are not actually born. But in the end the kids explain to their parents how babies are made. I thought Fiona absorbed this information a long time ago-- along with the DK What's Inside? Baby book we have which explains how humans, ponies, dogs, porcupines, birds, crocodiles, wallabies, and sea horses grow and are born. But those just seemed like funny little stories to Fiona. The inferences made in these books just seemed too preposterous to her.

I thought about that for awhile. Then I remembered standing next to the giraffes at the zoo when we first moved to town and thinking those animals seem preposterous, too. Narnian, almost. So I didn't press the issue. One day, though, we're going to have more explaining to do.

Breakfast with a side of piano

2009-06-29T07:10:00.000-04:00

Ian has just been reveling in piano classes. This is a picture of our neighbor Dever who popped over to discuss a couple ideas he had about a song he learned in class.

Our whole family has learned a lot from Simply Music this past school year since adopting the curriculum for our home schooling, but the group dynamic has added extra layers we didn't get with the learn-at-home program. So even though Fiona is a number of songs ahead of the rest of her class, she learns new information every week.

Days of summer

2009-06-26T16:21:00.002-04:00

The kids have been playing in the back yard, the sprinkler, and the sandbox nonstop! Both kids sleep like logs every night to get ready for another day of zooming around. Nora takes the occasion cat nap in the daytime-- and THAT is weird. I can see them growing right before my very eyes.

Our side yard garden is growing too, weeds and all. It's fun to see everything that happens there-- from growing veggies and fruits to nibbled leaves and produce to the totally weird 'dog vomit slime mold' that is proliferating out there. Summer sun is lots of fun.

Choc-o-lot

2009-06-23T23:04:00.000-04:00

I like baking more than cooking. Sometimes we get a lovely dessert all worked up but Ian comes home to find no dinner at all. This Cake Day was like that. We made a rich chocolate cake that was supposed to go into a 12" pan; but since we didn't have one we made layer cakes and created a mocha mousse for the filling. We couldn't cover it with the thick ganache because it was just too topply of a cake, so we just iced the very top. As if that cake needed more chocolate!

I worked on this cake mostly with our neighbor Sydney and with Fiona. When Nora got her slice of cake, her eyes got very large and she breathed reverently, "I am inspired." I laughed till I cried.

Movement and music

2009-06-22T21:46:00.001-04:00

Fiona and Nora started dance at a new place this week. I LOVE THIS PLACE! Besides the deep respect I have for the teachers and their philosophy, I also love the fact that our kids are taking movement and modern dance now, along with some of the rudimentary ballet techniques. As kids moved to the teacher's drumbeat, they played games to learn each others names-- even for this short summer course.

As I watched Fiona settle into her body's own fluidity during her class, I was overwhelmed with a sense of peace and rightness. Then I watched her gracefully leap over some dots on the floor. Her lithe, willowy body seemed to be in its element. I don't recognize that body at all from my own childhood; but what's really important, I guess, is that Fiona is comfortable in it.

Our Experimental Child Fiona is, among other things, a dancer. There is a world of possibility open to her. And THAT is very beautiful.

A little bit of Africa right in our town!

2009-06-17T11:53:00.000-04:00

We visited the new African section of our zoo with Helena, Ada, Carlo, and Paul today. It is a top-notch exhibit. I really wanted elephants at our zoo, but this exhibit made it up to me. It was a great day for zoo-ing-- not too hot, not too many people. Paul and I sat and chatted while Carlo slept and the other kids zoomed between play tents for almost an hour! Gotta love that zoo.

Chinatown surprises

2009-06-16T11:39:00.000-04:00

I came back from a week in San Francisco spent looking at best practices in youth work with a number of surprises for the girls. From satiny mary janes to crazy hotel shower caps and BART tickets with .05 still on them so the girls could "play the BART," there was a little bit of joy for everyone. You just have to trust me on the joy part, though, because Nora was not at all interested in being photographed in her Chinatown clothing.

Stop! Granny time. . .

2009-05-22T11:19:00.005-04:00

We had so many days and nights of fun with Granny that I didn't even blog about any of it while she was here-- too much going on, even if what was going on was just relaxing in the backyard with the family, some iced tea, and a hula hoop or two. Here is a photo essay of her visit, though. Come back soon, Gran. We love you so much!

Reading bug

2009-05-14T13:43:00.000-04:00

The kids are happy about summer coming, but sometimes it's hard to get them out of their books and out the door.

Piano man

2009-05-09T11:10:00.000-04:00

Mr. Hollis guided our lovely old Hamilton out of the house today. Now we have a long-term loan of a baby grand for Ian's piano studio, Keys to Happiness. And as much as I love the new piano, I'll miss the old one too. We got it for free from a homeschooling discussion list, and it has been very good to us. Now it's being loved by a friend and neighbor who's taking lessons here weekly though, which is as good as having it here at the house. Soon there should be some pictures of the new one. Woo hoo for the Simply Music method!

She's back in the salad again

2009-05-05T20:11:00.003-04:00

This is what Nora looks like when she comes to the kitchen table at 4:00 to 'help me make dinner.'

Reading Rainbow festivities

2009-05-03T22:25:00.004-04:00

Big girl Fiona sat in the front row at the art museum with fellow winners while her family and a small auditorium of well-wishers cheered the efforts of kids from our corner of the state and also part of the neighboring one. She loved seeing her story on the wall, and we truly enjoyed reading the work of others as well. It was impressive to be in a place where so many agencies work together to inspire kids to write stories.

Following the celebration, we headed over to the Birth to Baby Fair happening at the library to cheer the hard work of doulas, midwives, CSA providers, breastfeeding advocates, the arts community, the new local diaper service, and a host of other people and services which help our city enjoy healthy babies and healthy families. We saw lots of good friends, including Sara, David, and B above. To top it off, we stepped inside one of our favorite storefronts to thank them for such stunning window displays.

With thanks to Teresa

2009-04-29T21:24:00.004-04:00

I tried to give this to a little man with a smaller head, but Nora simply adores it. She wears it on her forehead, smushing down her little eyebrows. When that gets too tight she pushes it up a bit and the crochet stitches are still pressed into her head in little pink channels. She leaves it up, she folds it down. She is beginning to make it unravel. But that hat gives her joy, and I'm letting her keep it. Thank you, Teresa.

Winding down after a home school year

2009-04-29T20:41:00.005-04:00

Today was Fiona's last day of physical education classes at a local university. She liked it, and I'm a little sad about it. Not because it was the best thing she's ever done or anything (though it was fabulous,) but because it's concrete proof that our school year is winding down. As usual, I'm trying to stay a step or two ahead by lining up some organized fun that she'd enjoy this summer-- art camp, possibly Wildcat ball, and/or other group forms of excitement-- but the reality of ending home schooling fills me with sadness. How can something that is so clearly good for Fiona be so unreachable for me? *sigh*

Well, as things settle down little it is possible there will be more focus on feeling better and doing better. That will benefit all of us. And ending homeschooling as such is not the end of home learning, obviously. When's the last day you didn't learn anything at all?

People often think homeschooling is just postponing 'real' school. I'm here to tell you that homeschooling is nothing to sneeze at; it's real and it's positive and can be very, very dense with activity, fun, and learning. I'll miss this with every fiber of my being. All of us will. But we can look back with happiness on this year we've had together, and use it as a stepping stone to something new.

Farm fun

2009-04-28T13:17:00.003-04:00

Today we spent a couple happy hours at the farm where we got our lamb last year. Anita and her family showed us two kinds of sheep, many types of chickens, some bunnies, two calves, a number of turkeys and a couple of cats. Not only did we learn a lot about animals, the girls learned about what it would be like to care for a number of animals and plants as part of their everyday duties. She also showed us a really old, really cool cabin that got settled into the back of their property a couple of years ago. I think the 'clown car' drive to the back of the property with everyone stuffed into the vehicle was equally as fun as the rest to Fiona and Nora.

We look forward to more lamb as well as a deeper relationship with this wonderful family.

Wildflower party!

2009-04-26T19:55:00.001-04:00

We were invited to a Wildflower Party at Robert, Dennis, and Teresa's house this Sunday. It fun on a number of levels. It's fun to get together with others, fun to see the kids play merrily together, to enjoy a lovely day, and to soak up some nature. We saw a lot more varieties than we expected to see in such a soon-to-be-shady area. So cool!

A zootiful day

2009-04-23T19:30:00.004-04:00

I thought I was due for a haircut at 1:00, but it was actually at 5:00. That gave us a block of time and put us right next to the zoo. Voila!

We had a wonderful time, and saw good friends there to boot. The bunch of us truly enjoyed watching around a dozen tiny brown mice scurrying in the Indonesian Rainforest. Hooray for sunny surprises and fun friends!

Reading Rainbow wowness

2009-04-22T16:00:00.005-04:00

Fiona just won third place in the Reading Rainbow Young Authors and Illustrators contest! We'll go to a reception for her at the local Museum of Art-- woo hoo! And for me, the very best news of all is that since it's not going on to the national contest, we get the original story and art back! I missed that story already.

When the public television representative called us to tell us the happy news, he had some interesting things to say. First of all, he said he was pleased and frankly amazed by the amazing work such young people submitted. They sorted through around 2000 entries, and they were varied and truly stunning. He also said he was the graphic artist and art director at our local station, and that he was very gratified to see so many students engaged in the arts. He said he has loved art since he was a child, but was only permitted to take an art class when he got to high school, and that was an independent study class in which he submitted two films. He didn't get to take an actual 'art class,' he said, until he got into college.

It made me wish all over again that Fiona was schooling with me again full-time next year. She'll miss her art classes, and a lot of other wonderful things too. But between the schooling that every parent enjoys with their children and the special opportunities she'll gain at the art magnet, I do hope she can continue to enjoy the arts, and other things besides, no matter where she schools. Breathe in, breathe out.

One of her illustrations was copied for display at the art museum celebration. We haven't seen the last of The Wonderful Smell. Not yet.

Blast from the past

2009-04-22T10:46:00.003-04:00

Nora got a cotton candy-flavored lip gloss in her Easter basket. The intensely sweet scent of it knocks me over every time-- with memories. She smells just like the skating rink of my childhood. It's wild the way scents and memories mingle so vividly, isn't it?

Knowing Dad's issues with Olivia Newton John, I'll select a different video for today from my skating rink days. I'd never watched her videos until now as I was looking at skating rink songs for this post anyway. But every time glossed Nora comes at me for a kiss, the refrain from Xanadu washes over me.

Nora's salad

2009-04-21T18:29:00.004-04:00

Jen was making a spinach and radicchio salad with cranberries, shredded carrot, feta cheese, and pecans, and out of habit (rather than any expectation that there would be an affirmative answer), offered it to Nora. Nora really wanted to try the cheese, and she liked it, and wanted more.

"You can have the cheese if you have the salad," said Jen.

"O-kay," replied Nora.

She had some stipulations: no carrot. No nuts. No "purple stuff". And she wanted ranch dressing for her spinach. (She loves the dried cranberries.) A couple of minutes later, she was asking for more salad.

"Hey, wait a minute ... where did your spinach go?" I asked.

"I ate it!" Nora whispered.

Now she's on thirds ...

Hello Carlo!

2009-04-16T19:50:00.005-04:00

We met up with Helena, Ada, Carlo, Paul and Heather today along with a number of other friends at Park Day. I met the little man when we delivered food last week, but Ian and the girls got to meet him today. Such a cute little downy-headed fellow!

New kitchen table find

2009-04-15T15:54:00.004-04:00

I can never tell what I'm going to find lying around. I love this one! Our anxious cutie really captured the peace and stillness of yoga.

School news

2009-04-14T10:46:00.010-04:00

With my parents, there was no 'maybe.' There was no shopping around. There were no 'ifs.' When my sister and I were old enough, we went to parochial school.

Life may not be harder now, but we tend to make it that way. It is almost the end of Fiona's school year. She didn't get as much science or history as I would have like to have shared, but she is doing quite well in reading, math, and music. In addition, she had a rich life filled with books, art, music, drama, physical education, discussion groups, religious education, co-ops, community service, science center and botanical conservatory trips, and nature everywhere from bogs to the zoo to the backyard (plus the occasional mouse in the house)-- not to mention the bonus of spending virtually every meal with her whole family.

At the recommendation of her therapist, we had a somewhat structured morning for Fiona, followed by special events on some afternoons. I thought this would get easier for me, but that has not been the case. I cannot separate the 'Mom half' from the 'Teacher half' nearly the way he recommended. I just can't do it. Fiona has thrived in home school. I haven't thrived for quite awhile, with or without school.

We are nearing the end of the school year, but for myself I do not see us reaching the end of a year of insomnia or the anxious, sleep deprived effects that come from it. It feels odd to put my own oxygen mask on before Fiona's, but we have decided to send her to traditional school next year. By fall she will be in our local fine arts public magnet school. We'll still have school at home, but Our Way, whatever that is. We hope it will be fine for Fiona, plus give us a chance to balance some other things that are going on at home.

I don't wish to imply that I didn't like or 'couldn't do' homeschooling. It is a highly rewarding vocation, and I wish I was well enough to continue. I think Fiona is doing fine, and will have no trouble at traditional school. Neither do I wish to imply that homeschooling made me sick. I hit the wall the first time with insomnia in August, and it had been going on for quite awhile even then. Lastly, I don't want to infer that traditional schooling is always inferior and wrong for all. I don't believe any of those things. I think there are many 'right' paths, and we just need to choose the best one for us. As our firstborn, Fiona is our 'experimental' child, and that's just how it is. We're learning as we go. I hope our homeschooling friends will support us in our decision as our traditional schooling friends have before.

We'll miss Fiona, and I'm certain that Nora and I will be involved at her school. But Nora and I will also be involved with each other in a different way, and Fiona will make friends in a new way. And hopefully I can get my groove back-- that will help all of us. For us, it's not as simple as signing some papers and sending Fiona off to school. But it is what it is, and we'll live and we'll learn.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T18:03:00.005-04:00

After egg hunting, enjoying baskets of goodies, and eating pancakes and sausage, we all trotted off to morning Mass together. Naps and the enjoyment of each other ensued for the remainder of the day.

We are having a hodge-podge dinner of 'favorite things' which will include pot roast style pork chops with veggies, sweet potatoes, peanut-butter hats (peanut-butter smears on banana slices) and the beat-up, leftover lemon cake from Friday. Then, because of the naps, we should still be able to squeeze in a couple card games and some time in the park with those skates and bike Grandma and Toot Toot sent us home with earlier this week. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

Silly statement #8735

2009-04-12T14:33:00.003-04:00

This morning's kitchen discussion while mixing up pancake batter:

Me: BRRRRRRRRRRRRR! I have to go get a sweater. I'm so cold!
Nora: Mom, you're cold-fashioned.

Whew

2009-04-10T18:00:00.008-04:00

Besides a quick trip through the rain to Good Friday services, we've also had a vomitous Fiona, and a gift cake that only baked all-the-way through on one side. See the still-sticky half above. Also note that Zelda is tucked in just like earlier this week.

At least we were able to deliver the good half, along with dinner, to Helena, Ada, Carlo, Heather, and Paul's house. Ian and the girls didn't go because of Fi's quease, but I was tickled to meet handsome little Carlo and say hi to Teresa, who came when I did so we could give Carlo his shared gift from us together.

Now I have no desire whatsoever to clean up the kitchen and figure out what we can eat that won't smell appealing enough that still-sick Fiona will want it. Bed at 6:10? Sounds kind of good. I'm wiped out.

Laundry list

2009-04-09T13:10:00.009-04:00

We're experimenting with checklists at our house. It's not that I'm looking for a bunch of sticker charts to keep up with-- far from it. However, now that Fiona has the reading bug it's difficult to get past the bed and PJs stage. Even with today's checklist, which she requested, I twice within seven minutes found her standing, wholly engrossed, reading her magazine. But it's a fun experiment. Let me reiterate: reading is good. Having the skills to be ready for the day within a reasonable amount of time is also good.

She just marks off the stuff she needs to do once she's done it, and she's trying to get finished by the time we begin school in the morning. It's a kind of race, and a kind of muscle-memory-making deal. The hope is that she can create a sensible routine that just feels, well, routine. Once we get it about the way we like it, the plan is to laminate it so it can be used over and over. I'm trying to decide whether perhaps she could do some of these things before dinner instead of all clumped up in the morning. It's a work in progress, and it should be interesting to see what becomes of it in the end.

Once Nora saw Fiona walking around the house with a clipboard and a checklist, she of course had to have one as well. She really loves it. That seems so weird to me, but I'm glad they're happy.

Gym time

2009-04-08T20:03:00.000-04:00

Fiona has been enjoying a free physical education class at a local university. The big kids get real experience with young students, and the homeschoolers enjoy the kids, the games, and the special equipment! Today Fiona's class played with a large parachute. See her going under in that first picture? Good times!

Cat nap

2009-04-07T13:01:00.001-04:00

Nora vomited once in the morning and slept most of the day today. Who knows what that's all about... Regardless, Zelda was glad of the company.

Bwa ha ha ha ha ha!

2009-04-04T15:28:00.005-04:00

The girls and I are getting ready to go to Grandma and Toot Toot's for a short overnight while Ian works at the library this weekend. It's a nice end to our Spring Break, and next week is sort of packed anyway so it's good to go soak up some grandparent love while we can. We're packed, but I'm puttering around the house getting a little cleaned up so we can come home to less mess tomorrow night.

Nora: I'm going up to go potty.
Me: All right. (Sinister voice) I'm going to run a load in the dishwasher. Bwa ha ha ha ha ha!
Nora: Mom, that is not a funny laugh. That is something else. I'm going upstairs now.

Oh Toot Toot, send me a letter!

2009-04-03T16:57:00.000-04:00

Here are Fiona and Nora, enraptured by the letter sent by Toot Toot. Each child took their own letter up and put it away in their nightstand afterwards; but Nora first wrote a letter back to G and TT on the back. When she read it to us, it purportedly said, "Dear Grandma and Toot Toot, I truly hope you enjoy your audiobooks." Where, exactly, does she get this stuff?

April Fool!

2009-04-01T22:16:00.000-04:00

The girls wrote down so many things that were not quite right in the Children's Department at the library yesterday that by the time we got back to the front of the room, Fiona would notice things and I'd say, "Oh wow. Yes!" on autopilot. That was a very crazy place, no foolin'.

When we left the library both girls spent the rest of the day trying to fool their mama. In the end, they got fairly decent at it. Hmmmmmmmm... Is this a good thing? ; )

Annie Rose's Pizza Parlor

2009-03-31T17:40:00.004-04:00

Every once in awhile, we get to play with our old friend Annie Rose. Today we decorated pizzas and filled many restaurant orders with play food. Hooray for Spring Break! Annie and Sharon, we couldn't have had more fun with you. Hugs!

Goodbye, bangs

2009-03-30T21:43:00.000-04:00

Nora has been growing out her bangs. We've tried many versions of barrette, pigtail holder, and headband. Nora, however, likes her hair best flopped down in her face. She rips out any hair doodle I put in, plus a handful of previously-healthy hairs.

Maybe Nora will make it all the way to no-bangs-land. Maybe not.

Our sweet little friend

2009-03-27T21:51:00.004-04:00

Tonight David came over for an evening of outdoor play and 'chocolate cake.' He associates our house with cake ever since he spent some time over on Nora's birthday, so we whipped up a dessert after we got back from today's trip to the sugar bush to enjoy after dinner. It was actually brownies, not chocolate cake, but don't tell David, okay?

He ate with us happily enough, but was soon up and standing by the patio door chanting, "Outside!" So we went right out for a ride in the park before bed. We're so tickled on David Days. What a charming little man.

Oh, sugar

2009-03-27T20:22:00.010-04:00

We were invited to volunteer at the sugar bush today, and we couldn't have had a better time. Sugaring is over for the season; so today was spent washing buckets. Fiona found a job carrying cleaned buckets to the drying pyramid. Nora was tickled to be carrying buckets over to the soaking station. I don't think I helped a huge amount with anything, but I did take a ton of photos.

Syrup-crafter Larry, a true teacher and showman, explained his craft with a warmth and humor that can only come from one who loves his career. He and his sister fried pancakes for us outside, and once we'd seen the sugaring process we sampled some syrup.

We are sure now that we'll be signing up to volunteer next year. What a fascinating day!

Ballet day

2009-03-27T20:09:00.003-04:00

This morning we got up bright and early to attend an abridged school length of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. We didn't get a copy of the docent's notes, and we didn't read a kid version before we went, but the girls were mesmerized by the event regardless of the somewhat complex plot. There were very young dancers (5?) through professionals in this presentation. It was beauty for the eyes and the ears as well. We saw many people we knew in the audience to boot, which was very cool. Now we want to read all about it.

We were not allowed to take any photos of the dancers, so you'll just have to take our word for it-- it was simply delightful.

Dancing duo

2009-03-26T21:43:00.004-04:00

Fiona loves dance. She loves to do it, she loves to watch it, and apparently she also loves to draw it. She's been drawing female ballet dancers for awhile now, but I see a partner has begun to sneak in on the act in her drawings.

This was an delightful piece of scrap paper that came home from the neighbor's house. I simply adore it.

Where's Nora?

2009-03-23T16:13:00.002-04:00

Nora got up and left the dinner table early. I figured she just got full-- I served a really big, thick, beautiful pizza tonight. When we hadn't heard from her in awhile, we figured we'd better go see what she was up to. Quiet Nora does not always lead to tidy end results.

Fiona found her immediately-- curled up on the sofa with her toes tucked neatly beneath her skirt. We thought piano practice would wake her up; but we just should have moved her immediately. She's not dry through the night yet.