Today is Pi day, as in 3.14 or March 14th, and we celebrated in grand fashion. We ha quiche for breakfast, pizza for lunch and a runny lemon meringue pie for dessert. Which was totally my fault- I got impatient and decided to put the custard in the shell before it was really custard. My bad.
The pie pictured here was a far more successful attempt at pi day baking goodness.
Nate's class had a Pi day party on Friday and i brought in an apple pie. With the leftover scraps from the pie crust I was able to fashion a fairly decent pi symbol. It was a big hit with the kids and only one slice went back home with me.
I really get into the whole pi day spirit. I like to bake and I like math, so Pi day is full of win for me. Hopefully next time I'll just have a bit more patience for the custard in my pie and I'll be able to add one more baked good to my repertoire.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Where Does The Time Go?
I want to know where all my free time goes.
Oh I admit I spend far to much time staring at my computer screen reading just one more blog, but really where does my time go?
I'm a full time mom and theoretically once they are all in school I should have hours of freedom each school day. And yet I don't.
This week I had to take one kid to the ENT for a check up. I had a pie to bake and bring in for Pi day. (Which really is the most awesome day for me, I bake and I like math. March 14th is full of win for me.) I had to find a small motor and magnets for one child (hooray for Radio Shack) and divvy up change for two others.
Oh and cleats I had to get cleats and drive people to practice, both musical and sports.
Then there is the complex scheduling and figuring out when and where everybody needs to be. The first week of any new activity is always the worst.
So I guess it comes down to that I'm the mom and parents (cause heaven knows my husband has even less spare time) aren't allowed spare time.
And yet in the end it is all worthwhile when you get the big hug and shining smiles when it all comes together. My children do appreciate what we do for them and are very good about thanking us. Once in a while I'll drop the ball, but even then they understand. They see how much we do and realize they that in the end what matters is that they are loved. We expect the best from the them and in return we try to do our best for them.
Oh I admit I spend far to much time staring at my computer screen reading just one more blog, but really where does my time go?
I'm a full time mom and theoretically once they are all in school I should have hours of freedom each school day. And yet I don't.
This week I had to take one kid to the ENT for a check up. I had a pie to bake and bring in for Pi day. (Which really is the most awesome day for me, I bake and I like math. March 14th is full of win for me.) I had to find a small motor and magnets for one child (hooray for Radio Shack) and divvy up change for two others.
Oh and cleats I had to get cleats and drive people to practice, both musical and sports.
Then there is the complex scheduling and figuring out when and where everybody needs to be. The first week of any new activity is always the worst.
So I guess it comes down to that I'm the mom and parents (cause heaven knows my husband has even less spare time) aren't allowed spare time.
And yet in the end it is all worthwhile when you get the big hug and shining smiles when it all comes together. My children do appreciate what we do for them and are very good about thanking us. Once in a while I'll drop the ball, but even then they understand. They see how much we do and realize they that in the end what matters is that they are loved. We expect the best from the them and in return we try to do our best for them.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Whither Art Thou Pumpkin?
Last Thanksgiving it was devilishly hard to find cans of plain old packed pumpkin, but I persevered and was able to snag a couple. Thanksgiving is just not right without pumpkin pie. After a bit of research I found out that the pumpkin crop was wretched in 2009 resulting in a shortfall in the supermarkets.
So I was out and about today searching for the elusive can of packed pumpkin. Nate's class is celebrating pie day on Friday and I offered to make a pie, namely a pumpkin pie.
Well it looks like there is still a massive pumpkin shortage. I've been to three stores and have had no luck so far. I'm willing to try any and all brands as long as I can get a pie out of it. So it looks like I'm going to have to go to plan B: apple pie.
Mmmm, apple pie!
So I was out and about today searching for the elusive can of packed pumpkin. Nate's class is celebrating pie day on Friday and I offered to make a pie, namely a pumpkin pie.
Well it looks like there is still a massive pumpkin shortage. I've been to three stores and have had no luck so far. I'm willing to try any and all brands as long as I can get a pie out of it. So it looks like I'm going to have to go to plan B: apple pie.
Mmmm, apple pie!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Artist of the Week: Snow Globe
This week's artist is Max.
I took this picture a few days ago at his behest. We were having lunch and he noticed that one of his potato chips looked a bit like a snowman, right down to the two eye spots on the head. He wanted the picture so he could eat the chip and still have proof of his amazing find.
So we trooped outside for our photo shoot.
He's very practical that way. Why save a chip when you can have a picture taken. That way you get to enjoy its deep fried potato goodness and still have a memento.
Smart boy.
Anyhoodle, his profile picture is very fitting considering this week's art project. A snowman, even if it is of the potato chip variety, goes very well with a snow globe.
He brought it home from school on Monday. I'm not exactly sure when he made it or why, but I do like it. It has a little family of foxes standing in the snow near the edge of a forest. What you can't see is that a clear circle of plastic overlays the globe portion. This helps creates the illusion that there is a globe.
He did a nice job cutting out all the circles and assembling the the globe. I always love his little foxes and this is no exception. I think this was a fun project. I don't recall either of his older brothers making the same sort of thing in second grade. It's nice to see that new things (at least to us) are still popping up at school.
I took this picture a few days ago at his behest. We were having lunch and he noticed that one of his potato chips looked a bit like a snowman, right down to the two eye spots on the head. He wanted the picture so he could eat the chip and still have proof of his amazing find.
So we trooped outside for our photo shoot.
He's very practical that way. Why save a chip when you can have a picture taken. That way you get to enjoy its deep fried potato goodness and still have a memento.
Smart boy.
Anyhoodle, his profile picture is very fitting considering this week's art project. A snowman, even if it is of the potato chip variety, goes very well with a snow globe.
He brought it home from school on Monday. I'm not exactly sure when he made it or why, but I do like it. It has a little family of foxes standing in the snow near the edge of a forest. What you can't see is that a clear circle of plastic overlays the globe portion. This helps creates the illusion that there is a globe.
He did a nice job cutting out all the circles and assembling the the globe. I always love his little foxes and this is no exception. I think this was a fun project. I don't recall either of his older brothers making the same sort of thing in second grade. It's nice to see that new things (at least to us) are still popping up at school.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Signs of Spring
Since last week my friends and I have noticed a few brave daffodils in bloom along our morning walk. It has just been a handful of blossums along the more protected stretch of road. For whatever reason at the farthest point of our walk the street seems just a touch warmer, maybe it is a bit more protected from the wind, I have no idea.
Today we lamented the fact that nothing was in bloom around our respective homes. The shoots are up, but there are no signs of the cheerful yellow flowers.
Then this afternoon I spotted just the tiniest splash of yellow along side our driveway. A wee little crocus had managed to survive the predations of deer, mice and squirrels. I had put in a boatload a few years ago, but they had been quickly eaten up.
Except of this one.
It had somehow eluded the fate of all the other crocuses I had planted. I'm so glad I had spotted it today.
Today we lamented the fact that nothing was in bloom around our respective homes. The shoots are up, but there are no signs of the cheerful yellow flowers.
Then this afternoon I spotted just the tiniest splash of yellow along side our driveway. A wee little crocus had managed to survive the predations of deer, mice and squirrels. I had put in a boatload a few years ago, but they had been quickly eaten up.
Except of this one.
It had somehow eluded the fate of all the other crocuses I had planted. I'm so glad I had spotted it today.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Gearing Up
Winter is (finally!) drawing to a close. With epic snow falls for the Mid-Atlantic region, I'm so very glad that we don't do much sports wise. No having to schlep to practices or contending what would have been canceled or postponed games.
But that is coming to an end.
Nate and Max have been going to lacrosse practice for a while, but starting this week soccer starts for Jake and Rebecca. Evenings will be a jumble of homework and practice. The schedule is tight, but it looks like it all fits together, even with the various instruments the kids are learning. I am so very, very glad that Max's drum lessons are on Sunday, a relatively quite day.
It is a whole lot of work getting everybody where they need to be, but it is well worth it.
But that is coming to an end.
Nate and Max have been going to lacrosse practice for a while, but starting this week soccer starts for Jake and Rebecca. Evenings will be a jumble of homework and practice. The schedule is tight, but it looks like it all fits together, even with the various instruments the kids are learning. I am so very, very glad that Max's drum lessons are on Sunday, a relatively quite day.
It is a whole lot of work getting everybody where they need to be, but it is well worth it.
Friday, March 05, 2010
Goodnight Forest Moon
A friend of mine on Facebook posted about a delightful Star Wars themed version of Goodnight Moon called Goodnight Forest Moon.
Goodnight Moon was a bedtime staple for years, I think we burned through two copies- one board book and one hard cover. It is almost a standard issue bedtime book, at least among my crowd.
It's gentle cadence a nice way to run down a busy day.
As for the Star Wars angle, well anybody who knows us will be aware of the fact that this is best idea ever. And the best part is if you follow the link it will take you to the author's site where he tells you how to download and created your very our copy.
How cool is that ?!
I think I'm going to have to whip one up and send it along with a copy of Goodnight Moon to my brother.
Goodnight Moon was a bedtime staple for years, I think we burned through two copies- one board book and one hard cover. It is almost a standard issue bedtime book, at least among my crowd.
It's gentle cadence a nice way to run down a busy day.
As for the Star Wars angle, well anybody who knows us will be aware of the fact that this is best idea ever. And the best part is if you follow the link it will take you to the author's site where he tells you how to download and created your very our copy.
How cool is that ?!
I think I'm going to have to whip one up and send it along with a copy of Goodnight Moon to my brother.
Thursday, March 04, 2010
This Too Shall Pass
Utterly amazing Rube Goldberg type contraption.
Oh and the song is pretty good as well.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Artist of the Week: Popsicle Sticks
This week's artist is Jake, would be engineer for NASA and trumpeter.
This week's profile picture was from a recital a few months ago. I had followed him into the ready room with camera in hand. Seeing me he struck this pose while warming up. He really enjoys playing the trumpet and has even agreed to additional lessons outside the class room. I think he wants to carry on in high school and beyond, hopefully in some sort of jazz band.
As for his engineering goals, he has joined the pre-engineering club in his school. Last year they were working on Future City projects and y'all know how that worked out. This semester they were creating popsicle stick bridges. The competition was last Sunday over at the Science Museum of Virginia and sponsored by the Richmond Branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The rules were fairly straight forwarded. The bridge had to be at least 24 inches long, able to span a 22 inch gap, have a continuous road way and be able to pass a 3.5 inch cube along the entire length of the roadway. Only craft (popsicle) sticks and Elmer's white glue can be use. There are a few more details about overlap and such, but that is the essential idea.
And this little beauty was what Jake and his partner created.
From what I understand there were roughly 60 entries, 28 of which were in Jake's division. After the weighing in and evaluation, the bridges then got tested for their load bearing ability. The load Efficiency Rating would be calculated by the following formula: Load carried by the Bridge before Failure (lbs) divided by the Weight of the Bridge (lbs) squared.
This is when the fun really started. The bridge busting was done with a large frame supporting the bridge. A metal bar would be placed across the middle of the bridge on a load bearing surface. The load weight was adjusted using a pulley system with a load spring attached to a digital weight display. The bridges fell into roughly three catagories, the lightweight group (usualy very bare bones affairs) that would collapse at about ten pounds, the mid-range which could handle 50 to just under 100 lbs, and the super loads- 100 lbs plus.
I'm happy to report that Jake's team had created a super-load bridge that made it all the way to 200 pounds. There were only three other bridges that exceeded that weight (One of which was disqualified for incorrect construction. Though it was awesome to behold, holding steady at 400+ pounds). However load capacity was not the be all end all, the weight of the bridge was critical. They ended up with a very respectable 6th place finish after the Efficiency Ratings were calculated. They got 211, first place was well over a thousand and the monster 400+ lb bridge didn't even come close the breaking 100.
I'm proud to say they designed a built their bridge on their own. All I did was measure up the roadway and point out that it need to be at least 3 1/2 inches square.
Good job guys, it was a very well made bridge and was also pleasing to the eye.
But I still find popsicle sticks to be the bane of my existence.
This week's profile picture was from a recital a few months ago. I had followed him into the ready room with camera in hand. Seeing me he struck this pose while warming up. He really enjoys playing the trumpet and has even agreed to additional lessons outside the class room. I think he wants to carry on in high school and beyond, hopefully in some sort of jazz band.
As for his engineering goals, he has joined the pre-engineering club in his school. Last year they were working on Future City projects and y'all know how that worked out. This semester they were creating popsicle stick bridges. The competition was last Sunday over at the Science Museum of Virginia and sponsored by the Richmond Branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The rules were fairly straight forwarded. The bridge had to be at least 24 inches long, able to span a 22 inch gap, have a continuous road way and be able to pass a 3.5 inch cube along the entire length of the roadway. Only craft (popsicle) sticks and Elmer's white glue can be use. There are a few more details about overlap and such, but that is the essential idea.
And this little beauty was what Jake and his partner created.
From what I understand there were roughly 60 entries, 28 of which were in Jake's division. After the weighing in and evaluation, the bridges then got tested for their load bearing ability. The load Efficiency Rating would be calculated by the following formula: Load carried by the Bridge before Failure (lbs) divided by the Weight of the Bridge (lbs) squared.
This is when the fun really started. The bridge busting was done with a large frame supporting the bridge. A metal bar would be placed across the middle of the bridge on a load bearing surface. The load weight was adjusted using a pulley system with a load spring attached to a digital weight display. The bridges fell into roughly three catagories, the lightweight group (usualy very bare bones affairs) that would collapse at about ten pounds, the mid-range which could handle 50 to just under 100 lbs, and the super loads- 100 lbs plus.
I'm happy to report that Jake's team had created a super-load bridge that made it all the way to 200 pounds. There were only three other bridges that exceeded that weight (One of which was disqualified for incorrect construction. Though it was awesome to behold, holding steady at 400+ pounds). However load capacity was not the be all end all, the weight of the bridge was critical. They ended up with a very respectable 6th place finish after the Efficiency Ratings were calculated. They got 211, first place was well over a thousand and the monster 400+ lb bridge didn't even come close the breaking 100.
I'm proud to say they designed a built their bridge on their own. All I did was measure up the roadway and point out that it need to be at least 3 1/2 inches square.
Good job guys, it was a very well made bridge and was also pleasing to the eye.
But I still find popsicle sticks to be the bane of my existence.
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
A Bit Under The Weather
Max and Rebecca were decidedly not well on Monday. To the point that they welcomed the whole notion of seeing the doctor. So, being a very accommodating mom, I hauled them into the pediatrician.
Sore throats and a nagging cough led to strep tests for the both of of them.
It turned out in the end it was nothing more than a cold for a Max and the Little Miss has a case of bronchitis. No school for the both them, just a stern admonishment from the doctor to eat their vitamins and veggies, drink plenty of water and no playing outside. Rebecca got a script for antibotics and both are to take children's mucinex.
They still weren't up to snuff this morning, so I kept them home. Only this time things were a bit more boring. No tv and they could watch one movie after lunch.( I like to keep sick days on the boring side to prevent them from being too seductive.)
After breakfat they scampered upstairs and after a bit they called me upstairs to Rebecca's room. According to them, Max decided he wanted to take a nap with Rebecca. They decided that her bed was best and wanted me to record the cuteness.
And it was so very, very cute.
Sore throats and a nagging cough led to strep tests for the both of of them.
It turned out in the end it was nothing more than a cold for a Max and the Little Miss has a case of bronchitis. No school for the both them, just a stern admonishment from the doctor to eat their vitamins and veggies, drink plenty of water and no playing outside. Rebecca got a script for antibotics and both are to take children's mucinex.
They still weren't up to snuff this morning, so I kept them home. Only this time things were a bit more boring. No tv and they could watch one movie after lunch.( I like to keep sick days on the boring side to prevent them from being too seductive.)
After breakfat they scampered upstairs and after a bit they called me upstairs to Rebecca's room. According to them, Max decided he wanted to take a nap with Rebecca. They decided that her bed was best and wanted me to record the cuteness.
And it was so very, very cute.
Monday, March 01, 2010
Nuit Blanche
Another brilliant short film. This one is from Spyfilms and features lovely music with arresting imagery.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
One Tough Apple
This image, along with a slew of others, was emailed to me today. Something about it's crazed expression really appealed to me.
I'm not sure who created it, but my best guess is someone with the handle of Ayrro over on Deviant Art. It's hard to tell since it's been scattered all over the internet. Either way it's a quirky little thing and I like it.
I'm not sure who created it, but my best guess is someone with the handle of Ayrro over on Deviant Art. It's hard to tell since it's been scattered all over the internet. Either way it's a quirky little thing and I like it.
Friday, February 26, 2010
It's Alive!
I was hand washing a few pots the other day and I had left the water running in the sink with dish soap to fill it up with nice hot sudsy water. While my back was turned, Rebecca brought her step stool over to the sink.
I turned round when she started giggling and this was what I saw.
Apparently she was playing with the bubbles. A long tentacle of soap bubbles was sticking up from the sink with a large bubble on the top. It was both amazing and hilarious.
My sink has come alive!
I turned round when she started giggling and this was what I saw.
Apparently she was playing with the bubbles. A long tentacle of soap bubbles was sticking up from the sink with a large bubble on the top. It was both amazing and hilarious.
My sink has come alive!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Thursday Playdate
I've started to socialize with a couple of other moms in the neighborhood. It started out with my walking the dogs after getting my youngest two on the bus. I would go to the bus stop with Max, Rebecca and the dogs, once the dynamic duo was ensconced on the bus I would take the dogs for a walk. My route would take me to the next closest bus stop and I would say hello to the two moms waiting with their children. Soon we all started walking together on a nice one and a half loop.
We talk about this and that and pick up the litter on the side of the road.
And now we have started going to the movies.
We are up for almost anything. It's a treat for us to see non child oriented movies. Our only requirement is that the movie ends in time for us to get back to our respective bus stops to meet our children.
So far we have seen Holmes, Valentine's Day, Blind Side, and Avatar. We are not interested in great cinema, just interesting movies that fit into our time restrictions. I used to see all the movies and it is nice for me to abe able to do it again at matinee prices.
We talk about this and that and pick up the litter on the side of the road.
And now we have started going to the movies.
We are up for almost anything. It's a treat for us to see non child oriented movies. Our only requirement is that the movie ends in time for us to get back to our respective bus stops to meet our children.
So far we have seen Holmes, Valentine's Day, Blind Side, and Avatar. We are not interested in great cinema, just interesting movies that fit into our time restrictions. I used to see all the movies and it is nice for me to abe able to do it again at matinee prices.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Artist of the Week: Lego Ahoy!
This week's artist is Nate, pictured here with Dell.
I had him pose with his siblings last year for the annual photo, but this particular session didn't pan out. It was a race against falling light levels and waning (or in some cases non) enthusiasm for the project. Nate was pretty game, but as always it was a challenge to get him to straighten up and be still. Dell wrangling helped hold him place, but to the detriment of sitting nicely.
Aside from all that, it is a very cute picture of Nate.
As for his art this week, it is his favored medium, the Lego. Some days it feels like it is all Legos, all the time. I'm just thankful for the fact that they have been banned downstairs. A few do make their way downstairs, but we are not awash with them. Just the odd Lego here and there that has dropped off from when a particularly interesting item is brought downstairs to show off.
And this is a prime example of what gets brought downstairs for exhibition.
It is a battle ship of sorts with numerous guns on its topside. I like how one even has a sight for the person manning the gun. Nate even added neat details like a movable rudder. He was justifiably proud of his creation and requested I photograph it for posterity. The life span of such a complex structure is not very long in our household. They get dropped, or kicked, or broken apart for other projects.
Some days I get a bit exasperated by the Legos, but then I remember what creative toy they are and how much pleasure my children get from them.
I had him pose with his siblings last year for the annual photo, but this particular session didn't pan out. It was a race against falling light levels and waning (or in some cases non) enthusiasm for the project. Nate was pretty game, but as always it was a challenge to get him to straighten up and be still. Dell wrangling helped hold him place, but to the detriment of sitting nicely.
Aside from all that, it is a very cute picture of Nate.
As for his art this week, it is his favored medium, the Lego. Some days it feels like it is all Legos, all the time. I'm just thankful for the fact that they have been banned downstairs. A few do make their way downstairs, but we are not awash with them. Just the odd Lego here and there that has dropped off from when a particularly interesting item is brought downstairs to show off.
And this is a prime example of what gets brought downstairs for exhibition.
It is a battle ship of sorts with numerous guns on its topside. I like how one even has a sight for the person manning the gun. Nate even added neat details like a movable rudder. He was justifiably proud of his creation and requested I photograph it for posterity. The life span of such a complex structure is not very long in our household. They get dropped, or kicked, or broken apart for other projects.
Some days I get a bit exasperated by the Legos, but then I remember what creative toy they are and how much pleasure my children get from them.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Snowflakes
It looks like we might get another bit of snow tomorrow.It shouldn't be much, but then it doesn't take much to mess things up around here.
And maybe I'll get to take a picture like this one featured here. I found it over at Scary Mansion (a rather odd site) via Morbid Fashion (which is just as strange) via Black and WTF (which is a tad tamer).
I go on some very long and strange journeys on the internet.
Monday, February 22, 2010
The Story of Bubble Boy
Here is another entry in this year's Tropfest. It is a lovely little movie and my favorite one so far this year. I don't care for this year's overall winner, but there are plenty of little gems like this one still to be found.
I've only seen the Australian entries so far, but I'll be checking out Tropfest NY in the not so distant future.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
A Box, A Boy, And His Dog
Much to our children's delight we have a accumulated a fair number of large boxes.
Max still has his drum box and now Nate has a large box of his very own.
When he first got his box Nate liked to put the dogs inside it. They would at best sit inside for a few seconds and then, with a mighty bound, escape their prison. However Dell was more than happy to curl up with Nate inside the box privided there was a comfy cushion and Nate. I thought the two of them were very cute and snagged this shot.
Of course it's now a very tattered and limp piece of cardboard. Nate is very hard on this things and the box was no exception. He was quite irate the other day and discovered the therapeutic value of chucking stuff. To whit: small metal airplanes are great fun to whip at cardboard, particularly if they are thrown like a ninja's throwing star. He happily spent a few hours systematically demolishing his box.
I glad I took my picture when I did, because now the box is no more.
Max still has his drum box and now Nate has a large box of his very own.
When he first got his box Nate liked to put the dogs inside it. They would at best sit inside for a few seconds and then, with a mighty bound, escape their prison. However Dell was more than happy to curl up with Nate inside the box privided there was a comfy cushion and Nate. I thought the two of them were very cute and snagged this shot.
Of course it's now a very tattered and limp piece of cardboard. Nate is very hard on this things and the box was no exception. He was quite irate the other day and discovered the therapeutic value of chucking stuff. To whit: small metal airplanes are great fun to whip at cardboard, particularly if they are thrown like a ninja's throwing star. He happily spent a few hours systematically demolishing his box.
I glad I took my picture when I did, because now the box is no more.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Snow Berries
This picture was from last Wednesday, the 10th, after we got our last snowfall. It was only a few inches, but it was enough to throw the area into a tizzy. The snow squall hit just as the buses were going round picking up high school and middle school students.
It was awful out so I drove Jake to the bus stop and allowed him to wait in the car. Visibility dropped to 50 feet and there was no way I was going to let him stand by the side of the road in such conditions. We waited for a good half hour when a teacher who lived in our subdivision stopped by and informed us that the school system just declared a two hour delay. We thanked her and struggled home with the car fishtailing twice during our less than two block drive.
Ultimately school was canceled, much to my relief and the delight of the kids. Unfortunately quite a few kids were stranded at school until the weather cleared that afternoon.
Since then the weather has remained fairly cold and the snow has hung around far longer than the norm for here in Central Virginia. But I think it'll be mostly gone, excepting the larger piles of shoveled snow, by the end of this weekend. Temperatures will be up in the mid fifties and that should melt it away.
Oh and the tracks, those are from the deer. They lead from the woods right up to the tree next to the house. We see them almost anytime of day around here and they are very bold. So bold that I've even found deer tracks under the deck. However the tracks do add to the composition of the picture.
It was awful out so I drove Jake to the bus stop and allowed him to wait in the car. Visibility dropped to 50 feet and there was no way I was going to let him stand by the side of the road in such conditions. We waited for a good half hour when a teacher who lived in our subdivision stopped by and informed us that the school system just declared a two hour delay. We thanked her and struggled home with the car fishtailing twice during our less than two block drive.
Ultimately school was canceled, much to my relief and the delight of the kids. Unfortunately quite a few kids were stranded at school until the weather cleared that afternoon.
Since then the weather has remained fairly cold and the snow has hung around far longer than the norm for here in Central Virginia. But I think it'll be mostly gone, excepting the larger piles of shoveled snow, by the end of this weekend. Temperatures will be up in the mid fifties and that should melt it away.
Oh and the tracks, those are from the deer. They lead from the woods right up to the tree next to the house. We see them almost anytime of day around here and they are very bold. So bold that I've even found deer tracks under the deck. However the tracks do add to the composition of the picture.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Artist of the Week: Village
This week's artist is our little snow angel Rebecca.
She is not quite the builder her brothers are, instead she likes to just mess about in the snow. With our last snowfall she made a small pile and then spent the rest of her time outdoors charging about and making snow angels. She has fun, just in her own way, Which is just what I would expect from my very independent daughter.
When she does decide to do something she fully commits to the project. Which brings us to this week's project.
At one point this year second grade was studying the various tribes of native Americans across the North American continent. One of the tribes, the Powhatan ( a local tribe still in existence in Virginia), had a project devoted to them demonstrating the life of an Eastern Woodland tribe. The students had to depict 10 examples of the various aspects of life in and around a village.
The rubric pasted on the underside of her project lists examples to be used and they are:
Home: Longhouses
Animals: deer, bear, turkey, squirrel, fish rabbit, and raccoon
Plants: trees, flowers, berries, corn, beans, and squash
Land: forest and rivers
Other: canoes, people, and tools
Rebecca loved this project and decided to make it 3 dimensional. The canoe and the fire are a bit off scale, but the rest all nicely mesh together. She made little fish in the river, animals are by the edge of the woods, and people are scattered about. It's a fun project and she included well more than twice the required 10 examples. From her teacher she got a well deserved E (excellent) for her effort. I think it's absolutely terrific.
She is not quite the builder her brothers are, instead she likes to just mess about in the snow. With our last snowfall she made a small pile and then spent the rest of her time outdoors charging about and making snow angels. She has fun, just in her own way, Which is just what I would expect from my very independent daughter.
When she does decide to do something she fully commits to the project. Which brings us to this week's project.
At one point this year second grade was studying the various tribes of native Americans across the North American continent. One of the tribes, the Powhatan ( a local tribe still in existence in Virginia), had a project devoted to them demonstrating the life of an Eastern Woodland tribe. The students had to depict 10 examples of the various aspects of life in and around a village.
The rubric pasted on the underside of her project lists examples to be used and they are:
Home: Longhouses
Animals: deer, bear, turkey, squirrel, fish rabbit, and raccoon
Plants: trees, flowers, berries, corn, beans, and squash
Land: forest and rivers
Other: canoes, people, and tools
Rebecca loved this project and decided to make it 3 dimensional. The canoe and the fire are a bit off scale, but the rest all nicely mesh together. She made little fish in the river, animals are by the edge of the woods, and people are scattered about. It's a fun project and she included well more than twice the required 10 examples. From her teacher she got a well deserved E (excellent) for her effort. I think it's absolutely terrific.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Snow Shot
A few days ago on the news it was briefly mentioned that on February 12th there was snow in 49 out of fifty states and Washington DC. I thought it was a cool little tidbit was just a wee bit disappointed about Hawaii. I know there can be snow on the higher peaks and it was a pity that they were bare during one of the few times Texas and Florida got a bit of snow.
Well it turns out all fifty states did have snow. If you go to here, Ramblings of a Graduate Student, you'll get the whole story. Then click over to the Snow Shot of America for all the pictures.
I found out about this from my friend David on Facebook and it made my geeky, weather junky heart sing.
Well it turns out all fifty states did have snow. If you go to here, Ramblings of a Graduate Student, you'll get the whole story. Then click over to the Snow Shot of America for all the pictures.
I found out about this from my friend David on Facebook and it made my geeky, weather junky heart sing.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Something Beautiful
Ólafur Arnalds - Ljósið
I found this absolutely lovely video and I just wanted to share.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Five And Still Alive
Well I have been puddling along here now for five years.
Sharing pictures, telling odd stories and posting things that just plain amuse me.
This isn't the most exciting or best written blog, not by a long shot. But... it's my blog and it's my little corner of the interwebs. So thank you for stopping by and leaving the occasional comment.
And who knows maybe someday I'll start posting at a far more civilized hour and not at my usual "oh heck it's almost midnight" post panic. Just don't hold your breath.
Sharing pictures, telling odd stories and posting things that just plain amuse me.
This isn't the most exciting or best written blog, not by a long shot. But... it's my blog and it's my little corner of the interwebs. So thank you for stopping by and leaving the occasional comment.
And who knows maybe someday I'll start posting at a far more civilized hour and not at my usual "oh heck it's almost midnight" post panic. Just don't hold your breath.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Just A Bit Freaky
Meryl and I talk about some of the oddest things when we are on the phone. It might start off reasonably enough, usually about a recent blog post or something in the news, but then we get sidetracked and end up in freaky town.
Case in point: her recent post about Jenny Tonge. Somehow we ended up discussing who she most resembled and settled on Keith Richards. Upon further reflection I decided that they both look like apple dolls (For the uninitiated, it is a doll with a head made out of an apple that has been carved with human features and allowed to dry.)
You have to admit there is some similarity among the three.
This, however, is not the end of the end weirdness. Oh no, we go much further.
To find an image of Keith I googled Keith Richards Apple doll. I figured I was not the only person to think this and I was right. I found a great article that has Keith chastising Amy Winehouse. Which alone is an amazing concept. Never mind the coconut tree incident- Keith Richards thinks Amy Winehouse is a train wreck..
Wow.
So without our weird phone calls I never would have googled the phrase "Keith Richards apple doll" and my life would be that much poorer.
Case in point: her recent post about Jenny Tonge. Somehow we ended up discussing who she most resembled and settled on Keith Richards. Upon further reflection I decided that they both look like apple dolls (For the uninitiated, it is a doll with a head made out of an apple that has been carved with human features and allowed to dry.)
You have to admit there is some similarity among the three.
This, however, is not the end of the end weirdness. Oh no, we go much further.
To find an image of Keith I googled Keith Richards Apple doll. I figured I was not the only person to think this and I was right. I found a great article that has Keith chastising Amy Winehouse. Which alone is an amazing concept. Never mind the coconut tree incident- Keith Richards thinks Amy Winehouse is a train wreck..
Wow.
So without our weird phone calls I never would have googled the phrase "Keith Richards apple doll" and my life would be that much poorer.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The Blind Side
One of the nice things about the kids being school is that I get to do fun grown up stuff like going to the movies. There are a couple of mothers in the neighborhood that I'll go on a daily walk with after the bus picks up our respective children. And when we can shoehorn it into our schedules, we grab the occasional movie.
Today we saw The Blind Side.
We chose it because it fit best with our biggest requirement, getting back home before the the bus. Jake had seen it when it first came out with his classmates on a field trip (And at this point I must digress- when did it become normal for schools to have field trips to the movies? I never got to do that when I went to school.) and loved it. I was a bit unsure about the movie, being a nonfan of football, but I thought I would give it a shot.
I loved it. It is a terrific movie and Sandra Bullock gave an incredibly strong performance. Both heartbreaking and uplifting, the movie kept me glued to my seat. I'm so glad that I saw it. Meryl got to join us today and she too thought it was an amazing film.
It is definitely worth seeing.
Today we saw The Blind Side.
We chose it because it fit best with our biggest requirement, getting back home before the the bus. Jake had seen it when it first came out with his classmates on a field trip (And at this point I must digress- when did it become normal for schools to have field trips to the movies? I never got to do that when I went to school.) and loved it. I was a bit unsure about the movie, being a nonfan of football, but I thought I would give it a shot.
I loved it. It is a terrific movie and Sandra Bullock gave an incredibly strong performance. Both heartbreaking and uplifting, the movie kept me glued to my seat. I'm so glad that I saw it. Meryl got to join us today and she too thought it was an amazing film.
It is definitely worth seeing.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Artist of the Week: Snow Dome
Or another way to look at it, an igloo.
Even through the hits keep coming with our never ending winter storm watch, the artist of the week carries on. This week Jake is the one in the spotlight with his snow dome.
It first started out as a smallish fort like structure. He showed it off to me when I came out to see what everybody was building. After the requisite picture taking Jake asked me if it was a good idea to try to put a top on it. I gave him a breezy go ahead along the lines or "Sure! Why not!" I didn't think it would be particularly easy, but I figured why not give him some encouragement and see what happens.
That was all he needed.
He was outside long after his siblings bailed on their projects and came in for hot cocoa. It had even turned to light rain and he kept on building. In the end he was able to cap it off. I came out at just the right moment and stuck my camera inside with the lens pointing up.
So far his dome has weathered two more storms and has nicely iced over. It is not quite as big as the one over in Herndon, but then again he is just one boy. He didn't have three tons of snow at his disposal, just what he could scrounge in our backyard while designing it on he fly.
I think it came out looking rather nifty.
Even through the hits keep coming with our never ending winter storm watch, the artist of the week carries on. This week Jake is the one in the spotlight with his snow dome.
It first started out as a smallish fort like structure. He showed it off to me when I came out to see what everybody was building. After the requisite picture taking Jake asked me if it was a good idea to try to put a top on it. I gave him a breezy go ahead along the lines or "Sure! Why not!" I didn't think it would be particularly easy, but I figured why not give him some encouragement and see what happens.
That was all he needed.
He was outside long after his siblings bailed on their projects and came in for hot cocoa. It had even turned to light rain and he kept on building. In the end he was able to cap it off. I came out at just the right moment and stuck my camera inside with the lens pointing up.
So far his dome has weathered two more storms and has nicely iced over. It is not quite as big as the one over in Herndon, but then again he is just one boy. He didn't have three tons of snow at his disposal, just what he could scrounge in our backyard while designing it on he fly.
I think it came out looking rather nifty.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Snowlapse 2010
Here is a neat time lapse video of the big snow storm up in DC. I particularly liked watched the branches bend down as the snow piled up.
Down in Richmond metro area we got nothing close to the same amount of snow fall. Poor little teddy bear trapped in the snow.
Monday, February 08, 2010
Snow Days
Hopefully today will be our last snow day for a while. The county, as of this writing, has posted that there will be school on Tuesday and it will be starting on time.
And on the behalf of all the beleaguered parents and guardians out there, I'd like add a heartfelt amen.
So no more lounging about in pajamas, goofing off on the computer, or playing in the snow. At least until the next winter storm.
Or course there was nothing mentioned about the possibility of an early release, because we are supposed to get a nice wintry mix tomorrow afternoon.
And on the behalf of all the beleaguered parents and guardians out there, I'd like add a heartfelt amen.
So no more lounging about in pajamas, goofing off on the computer, or playing in the snow. At least until the next winter storm.
Or course there was nothing mentioned about the possibility of an early release, because we are supposed to get a nice wintry mix tomorrow afternoon.
Sunday, February 07, 2010
I See You
This is possibly one of the coolest pictures I have ever taken and it wasn't even my idea.
Nate had built a huge tower in our backyard from the snow we have gotten this weekend. It was literally taller than him. It was also riddled with tunnels and holes, Nate had me photograph them.
For this shot he told me to kneel down and shoot through the tunnel. He pressed his face near the tunnels far entrance with the idea that this would demonstrate the the tunnel goes straight through the tower to the other side. I could barely see his face, it was just a faint smudge through the viewfinder. I snapped two pictures, having him move just a smidge to ensure I got something.
Amazingly it was the first picture that came out best. I decided to post a larger version here so you can see the picture in all its glory. I love how you can very clearly see his brown eye peering at you from the other side.
Not bad for shooting almost blind.
Nate had built a huge tower in our backyard from the snow we have gotten this weekend. It was literally taller than him. It was also riddled with tunnels and holes, Nate had me photograph them.
For this shot he told me to kneel down and shoot through the tunnel. He pressed his face near the tunnels far entrance with the idea that this would demonstrate the the tunnel goes straight through the tower to the other side. I could barely see his face, it was just a faint smudge through the viewfinder. I snapped two pictures, having him move just a smidge to ensure I got something.
Amazingly it was the first picture that came out best. I decided to post a larger version here so you can see the picture in all its glory. I love how you can very clearly see his brown eye peering at you from the other side.
Not bad for shooting almost blind.
Friday, February 05, 2010
It May Be Snowy, But...
Baseball season is right around the corner.
This extremely cute video was made by one of the local schools in response to the name the mascot contest currently being held by Richmond's newest baseball team, The Flying Squirrels.
In fact the video is so cute they received an invitation to sing their song at the Diamond during the announcement of the mascots name.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
The Big Question
Are we going to get snow or ice?
Will we get a nice dumping of fresh fluffy snow or are we going to be socked in with sleet and rain?
And then there are the other questions.
Will they cancel school at 5 am? I just love that 5 am automated call. Nothing gets the blood pumping in morning like an early phone call, particularly when the call is tell you that you can sleep in.
Alternatively there could still be school, but then they can always end the school day early. I can at least prep the kids ahead and tell them I will be home, just ride the bus. Because I really don't want to drive when the weather is bad, they are much safer on the bus.
Either way, snow or sleet, I still get to wear my duck boots.
Update: At about a quarter 7:00 am we got the call, because the Governor declared a state of emergency- no school.
Will we get a nice dumping of fresh fluffy snow or are we going to be socked in with sleet and rain?
And then there are the other questions.
Will they cancel school at 5 am? I just love that 5 am automated call. Nothing gets the blood pumping in morning like an early phone call, particularly when the call is tell you that you can sleep in.
Alternatively there could still be school, but then they can always end the school day early. I can at least prep the kids ahead and tell them I will be home, just ride the bus. Because I really don't want to drive when the weather is bad, they are much safer on the bus.
Either way, snow or sleet, I still get to wear my duck boots.
Update: At about a quarter 7:00 am we got the call, because the Governor declared a state of emergency- no school.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Artist of the Week: Mountain
Mr. Max is this week's artist and his medium this week is snow.
As y'all well know by now we got some snow last weekend. Quite a bit for this area in fact. On Sunday, after it was all finished with snowing and blowing, we got a gloriously bright sunny day. Meryl helped Larry and I dig out the driveway and in the process we made a bit of a mound near the end of the driveway. Max was outside with us and promptly laid claim to it and dubbed it "Max Mountain."
He spent the rest of his time outside augmenting his mountain and adding features like caves. When we asked him the names of his caves he announced they were the Max caves. He did not like my suggestion of the Min caves of Max Mountain. Any way you can see one of his caves near the base of his mountain.
The column on top was originally smaller, but after I mentioned that it looked kind of like God's Thumb from the movie "Holes" (we had just watched that with Meryl) he decided to make it a bit bigger. The end result was even more like the movie version, which is ironic considering he claimed that he did not like the movie. Either way he had a good time mucking about in the snow and dang it, the boy is just too cute when he is all bundled up.
Meryl agrees with me and in fact I have to give her credit for this picture along with the one of Nate a few days ago. I was a bit of a slacker in the picture department this past weekend, but then again I knew somebody was going to take at least a few.
As y'all well know by now we got some snow last weekend. Quite a bit for this area in fact. On Sunday, after it was all finished with snowing and blowing, we got a gloriously bright sunny day. Meryl helped Larry and I dig out the driveway and in the process we made a bit of a mound near the end of the driveway. Max was outside with us and promptly laid claim to it and dubbed it "Max Mountain."
He spent the rest of his time outside augmenting his mountain and adding features like caves. When we asked him the names of his caves he announced they were the Max caves. He did not like my suggestion of the Min caves of Max Mountain. Any way you can see one of his caves near the base of his mountain.
The column on top was originally smaller, but after I mentioned that it looked kind of like God's Thumb from the movie "Holes" (we had just watched that with Meryl) he decided to make it a bit bigger. The end result was even more like the movie version, which is ironic considering he claimed that he did not like the movie. Either way he had a good time mucking about in the snow and dang it, the boy is just too cute when he is all bundled up.
Meryl agrees with me and in fact I have to give her credit for this picture along with the one of Nate a few days ago. I was a bit of a slacker in the picture department this past weekend, but then again I knew somebody was going to take at least a few.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Silly Me
I thought that since VDOT actually deigned to clear my road on Monday, a whole day earlier than the expected, that schools would shortly reopen.
Silly me.
On Monday we had no school, a no brainer considering we got close to 9 inches of snow on Saturday.
Tuesday we again had a snow day which was pretty much assumed and was no shock.
This afternoon I got word that we would have no school on Wednesday. The news was greeted by cheers from my crew and a rolling of eyes by me. I was really hoping for just a two hour delay, but I was far too optimistic.
I think school was canceled on account of tonight's forecast, rain, sleet and a trace of snow. Not a good mix for safe driving. I'm very glad there is a "Snow Day Party" going on in my subdivision tomorrow. I know we are all getting a little squirrelly and it'll be good to get out a spend time with other people.
Silly me.
On Monday we had no school, a no brainer considering we got close to 9 inches of snow on Saturday.
Tuesday we again had a snow day which was pretty much assumed and was no shock.
This afternoon I got word that we would have no school on Wednesday. The news was greeted by cheers from my crew and a rolling of eyes by me. I was really hoping for just a two hour delay, but I was far too optimistic.
I think school was canceled on account of tonight's forecast, rain, sleet and a trace of snow. Not a good mix for safe driving. I'm very glad there is a "Snow Day Party" going on in my subdivision tomorrow. I know we are all getting a little squirrelly and it'll be good to get out a spend time with other people.
Monday, February 01, 2010
Storm Grilling
So Meryl and I did a little side trip to the supermarket on the way back home. Did we get the classic OMG the sky is falling storm supplies?
Heck no! We got strip steaks and a propane tank.
Nothing beats the winter storm blues than a nice juicy steak hot off the grill.
I was able to set up the grill right outside the side door to the garage. All I had to do was open the door and "boom" the grill was there. I could tend to the steaks without setting foot in the snow.
It was great fun listening to the hiss of the snow flakes as they hit the grill. And the steaks- they were some of the best I've ever grilled. Tender, juicy and oh so flavorful. Paired up with some killer mashed potatoes, we feasted like kings.
Heck no! We got strip steaks and a propane tank.
Nothing beats the winter storm blues than a nice juicy steak hot off the grill.
I was able to set up the grill right outside the side door to the garage. All I had to do was open the door and "boom" the grill was there. I could tend to the steaks without setting foot in the snow.
It was great fun listening to the hiss of the snow flakes as they hit the grill. And the steaks- they were some of the best I've ever grilled. Tender, juicy and oh so flavorful. Paired up with some killer mashed potatoes, we feasted like kings.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
And Snow It Did
Well the snow hit right on schedule Friday night. I was able to stock up the house and squeeze in Friday night services before the sky started falling.
Saturday morning started out with early morning phone calls. The first one was from a friend checking to see if I was still going to the dog show. I had entered Dell and she had entered her dog. Since only three boys were entered and we were pretty sure dog number three was going to be a no show she wanted to know the scoop. If I didn't go there was no point (literally, there has to be competition for dogs to win points). I told her that I had arranged for Meryl (has Jeep and will drive) to take me to the show. As far as I could tell we were going.
Not fifteen minutes later it was Meryl telling me when she would be arriving to pick Dell and I up. I told her I would be ready with dog in hand. I had plenty of time and got up, dressed and fed the kids. Dell was quickly packed and we were ready to go when Meryl pulled into our drive.
She said the roads were not to bad so we loaded up the Jeep and were soon on her way. In the 15-20 minute turn around the roads went decidedly south. The main road my subdivision was off of had become very treacherous. Even with four wheel drive we slid and fishtailed down the road.
This was not a good sign.
We pressed on with the thought that if 95 was bad we would just head back home.
We didn't even get that far.
After 6 miles of horrendous driving that took nearly 45 minutes we bagged the whole idea. The roads were getting worse, not better and it was not worth going into a ditch just for a dog show. So we headed back to my house with a little side trip for a few more supplies at the supermarket that was on the way home.
The snow kept coming down and Meryl, wisely, decided to stay over.
Today the weather was glorious. Nate insisted on going outside this morning in just boots and pajama bottoms to check out the snow. We gave him the yardstick and he measured out 8 1/2 inches of snow.
The rest of the day was spent shoveling for the adults and goofing off in the snow for the kids. Thankfully Nate decided to get properly dressed for his snow adventures later in the day which included things like biking on the road and being buried in the snow.
There will be no school tomorrow and I'm pretty sure they'll cancel Tuesday as well.
Saturday morning started out with early morning phone calls. The first one was from a friend checking to see if I was still going to the dog show. I had entered Dell and she had entered her dog. Since only three boys were entered and we were pretty sure dog number three was going to be a no show she wanted to know the scoop. If I didn't go there was no point (literally, there has to be competition for dogs to win points). I told her that I had arranged for Meryl (has Jeep and will drive) to take me to the show. As far as I could tell we were going.
Not fifteen minutes later it was Meryl telling me when she would be arriving to pick Dell and I up. I told her I would be ready with dog in hand. I had plenty of time and got up, dressed and fed the kids. Dell was quickly packed and we were ready to go when Meryl pulled into our drive.
She said the roads were not to bad so we loaded up the Jeep and were soon on her way. In the 15-20 minute turn around the roads went decidedly south. The main road my subdivision was off of had become very treacherous. Even with four wheel drive we slid and fishtailed down the road.
This was not a good sign.
We pressed on with the thought that if 95 was bad we would just head back home.
We didn't even get that far.
After 6 miles of horrendous driving that took nearly 45 minutes we bagged the whole idea. The roads were getting worse, not better and it was not worth going into a ditch just for a dog show. So we headed back to my house with a little side trip for a few more supplies at the supermarket that was on the way home.
The snow kept coming down and Meryl, wisely, decided to stay over.
Today the weather was glorious. Nate insisted on going outside this morning in just boots and pajama bottoms to check out the snow. We gave him the yardstick and he measured out 8 1/2 inches of snow.
The rest of the day was spent shoveling for the adults and goofing off in the snow for the kids. Thankfully Nate decided to get properly dressed for his snow adventures later in the day which included things like biking on the road and being buried in the snow.
There will be no school tomorrow and I'm pretty sure they'll cancel Tuesday as well.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Snow?
It looks like Snowy will be paying a visit in Virginia. We're all stocked up with food and wine, the only tricky bit is that Dell is entered in a dog show north of Richmond on both Saturday and Sunday. Luckily I have a friend with a Jeep and we will get there, I just hope it isn't canceled.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Chili Dogs
Today I cleaned out the so called dog closet. It's underneath the stairs and is home to all manner of things. We store wine, cleaning implements, bulk medications for Max, lunch boxes, dog food, spare leashes, miscellaneous dog supplies (hence the name), and so on.
Unfortunately it had become a catchall and as a result a horrendous mess. In fact it the vacuum cleaner no longer fit within its confines. The final straw today though was the dog records.
I try to maintain a three ring binder for each dog that contains shot records, rabies certificates, registration slips (both AKC and county), pedigrees, etc.. I needed the rabies certificates today and I could not find them in the pit the closet had become. I hauled every blessed thing out and made a huge heaping pile. After an hour I found John's binder, some nifty fabric collars and a whole lotta junk.
But no Dell records.
In the end I had to fetch a new one from the vet. It was not a big deal, but it was annoying. I know it'll turn up in the next couple of days. But on the bright side, I have a far, far neater closet and the dogs have some funky chili pepper collars.
Muy caliente!
Unfortunately it had become a catchall and as a result a horrendous mess. In fact it the vacuum cleaner no longer fit within its confines. The final straw today though was the dog records.
I try to maintain a three ring binder for each dog that contains shot records, rabies certificates, registration slips (both AKC and county), pedigrees, etc.. I needed the rabies certificates today and I could not find them in the pit the closet had become. I hauled every blessed thing out and made a huge heaping pile. After an hour I found John's binder, some nifty fabric collars and a whole lotta junk.
But no Dell records.
In the end I had to fetch a new one from the vet. It was not a big deal, but it was annoying. I know it'll turn up in the next couple of days. But on the bright side, I have a far, far neater closet and the dogs have some funky chili pepper collars.
Muy caliente!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Artist of the Week: With Even More Foxes
This week's artist is Nate and it features all sorts of déjà vu. To whit the subject matter and the profile picture.
As I mentioned not so long ago, Nate is taking up lacrosse. He is happy to play almost any sport and is always on the look out for something new. Larry has been encouraging him to give it a try and, being the active young man he is, thinks it'll be a better fit than baseball. The main advantage of lacrosse over baseball is that there is far less downtime for the players. We still love baseball, but lacrosse plays to Nate's strengths. Namely his boundless energy and amazing hand eye coordination.
Practice doesn't start for a while, so in the mean time Larry has been teaching him the basics of stick handling in our backyard. Therefore there is quite a bit of lacrosse going in our backyard.Nate is a quick study and is picking the sport up very quickly.
As for this week's art, well I mentioned last week the some of the kids were on a fox drawing kick. Nate asked me to find some fox pictures on the internet. He wanted to be sure to get the colors and the markings just right. He spent a fair amount of time on his fox, double checking with the pictures I found for accuracy.
I like the end result. It's a cheerful looking fellow with the classic upright ears and bright coat of a red fox. Nate is justifiably proud of his efforts and pinned it to his wall. Lucky for me the pin fell out and I was able to sneak it away and scan it in.
As I mentioned not so long ago, Nate is taking up lacrosse. He is happy to play almost any sport and is always on the look out for something new. Larry has been encouraging him to give it a try and, being the active young man he is, thinks it'll be a better fit than baseball. The main advantage of lacrosse over baseball is that there is far less downtime for the players. We still love baseball, but lacrosse plays to Nate's strengths. Namely his boundless energy and amazing hand eye coordination.
Practice doesn't start for a while, so in the mean time Larry has been teaching him the basics of stick handling in our backyard. Therefore there is quite a bit of lacrosse going in our backyard.Nate is a quick study and is picking the sport up very quickly.
As for this week's art, well I mentioned last week the some of the kids were on a fox drawing kick. Nate asked me to find some fox pictures on the internet. He wanted to be sure to get the colors and the markings just right. He spent a fair amount of time on his fox, double checking with the pictures I found for accuracy.
I like the end result. It's a cheerful looking fellow with the classic upright ears and bright coat of a red fox. Nate is justifiably proud of his efforts and pinned it to his wall. Lucky for me the pin fell out and I was able to sneak it away and scan it in.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Worth the Drive
Saturday was the big Hampton Roads Regional Competition for the National Engineers Week Future Cities Competition. Mind you, we are not particularly close to Hampton Roads, but our school district was lumped in with them.
I picked up the model Thursday and spent the rest of the day and Friday driving around with and enormous display filling the back half of the van. On Saturday we got up well before dawn and hit the road at just past 5:30 am. It was not a particularly fun drive, but traffic was light and we got there just at 7:30, half an hour before the start of registration.
We sat in the car eating bananas while we waited for the rest of the team and the teacher to arrive. They came in dribs and drabs and were all accounted for for when the doors officially opened.
Originally 27 or so teams were entered, but 7 dropped out at the last minute. At 20 teams it was still a big entry and the boys were all keyed up. They did a good job during the individual judging and then we had to wait. It seems to take forever for the two panels to discuss the entries and make their decisions. When it was time we all crowed into the main exhibition room for the verdict.
There were quite a few individual awards- most futuristic, best water management and so on. Our team garnered the award for Sustainable Food System. Then it was time for the big one. The final scores for determining first through third was a combination of the essay score, the computer model and the scale model. First place would get the honor of representing the Hampton Roads Region at the National competition in DC next month.
Third place was announced, that team collected its prizes and filed out for pictures. Second place was then called out and it was the City of Innovation! The boys were thrilled to death. They didn't get first and the trip to DC, but none the less it was quite an achievement. I was so happy that they had placed. They had done a great job and had worked well together during their presentation. It had been well worth the long drive before the crack of dawn.
I picked up the model Thursday and spent the rest of the day and Friday driving around with and enormous display filling the back half of the van. On Saturday we got up well before dawn and hit the road at just past 5:30 am. It was not a particularly fun drive, but traffic was light and we got there just at 7:30, half an hour before the start of registration.
We sat in the car eating bananas while we waited for the rest of the team and the teacher to arrive. They came in dribs and drabs and were all accounted for for when the doors officially opened.
Originally 27 or so teams were entered, but 7 dropped out at the last minute. At 20 teams it was still a big entry and the boys were all keyed up. They did a good job during the individual judging and then we had to wait. It seems to take forever for the two panels to discuss the entries and make their decisions. When it was time we all crowed into the main exhibition room for the verdict.
There were quite a few individual awards- most futuristic, best water management and so on. Our team garnered the award for Sustainable Food System. Then it was time for the big one. The final scores for determining first through third was a combination of the essay score, the computer model and the scale model. First place would get the honor of representing the Hampton Roads Region at the National competition in DC next month.
Third place was announced, that team collected its prizes and filed out for pictures. Second place was then called out and it was the City of Innovation! The boys were thrilled to death. They didn't get first and the trip to DC, but none the less it was quite an achievement. I was so happy that they had placed. They had done a great job and had worked well together during their presentation. It had been well worth the long drive before the crack of dawn.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Getting a Bit Lax
As in lacrosse.
We have found a new sport for Nate that is well suited to his strengths. Namely his boundless energy and unreal hand eye coordination.
Larry played it back when he was in school and he is very pleased that Nate has taken to it so well. He'll be an assistant coach this spring and I think they'll have a lot of fun. In a surprising developement Rebecca is also interested. She has her own pink (natch) stick. She is a very fierce little player and will be a right terror on the field.
And then there is Meryl.
She was over one day a decided to give it a go. It turns out she has a natural talent for the sport. She now has her own stick and is in the process of finding a group to play with. Practicing with Nate in the backyard is fun, but she wants a bit more than that.
As for me, well I got whacked in the head with the ball and decided it really wasn't my cuppa. I'm better off with sports like soccer or riding. Or maybe something like competitive baking or hair coloring.
We have found a new sport for Nate that is well suited to his strengths. Namely his boundless energy and unreal hand eye coordination.
Larry played it back when he was in school and he is very pleased that Nate has taken to it so well. He'll be an assistant coach this spring and I think they'll have a lot of fun. In a surprising developement Rebecca is also interested. She has her own pink (natch) stick. She is a very fierce little player and will be a right terror on the field.
And then there is Meryl.
She was over one day a decided to give it a go. It turns out she has a natural talent for the sport. She now has her own stick and is in the process of finding a group to play with. Practicing with Nate in the backyard is fun, but she wants a bit more than that.
As for me, well I got whacked in the head with the ball and decided it really wasn't my cuppa. I'm better off with sports like soccer or riding. Or maybe something like competitive baking or hair coloring.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Alfajores
A tad over a week ago I made the most outrageously delicious cookie.
Nate's class was having a fiesta in lieu of Spanish class. The students were all assigned a Spanish speaking country and were requested to bring in a food commonly associated with the assigned county. Nate got Argentina, which immediately brought to mind beef.
However I decided I would rather bake something and settled on Alfajores, a short bread sandwich filled with dulce de leche. It sounded delicious and easy to make. A win-win situation for me.
I did a bit of research on recipes and picked one featured on Nibbledish. It seemed to be the most straight forward and featured some of the best cooking directions I have ever read. I mean who wouldn't want to try out something that has:
Nate's class was having a fiesta in lieu of Spanish class. The students were all assigned a Spanish speaking country and were requested to bring in a food commonly associated with the assigned county. Nate got Argentina, which immediately brought to mind beef.
However I decided I would rather bake something and settled on Alfajores, a short bread sandwich filled with dulce de leche. It sounded delicious and easy to make. A win-win situation for me.
I did a bit of research on recipes and picked one featured on Nibbledish. It seemed to be the most straight forward and featured some of the best cooking directions I have ever read. I mean who wouldn't want to try out something that has:
Manjar Blanco - ok...it's Dulce de Leche, I'm just trying to be Mr. Fancy Pants.Or even better about ingredients:
1 can condensed milk (NOT fat-free - that's for pansies)But those pale in comparasion to the following directions:
Boil with boldness. I'm not talking about mamby-pamby-simmering - I'm talking cauldron-of-hell-boiling while stirring constantly.And guess what, the whole thing worked. The cookies came out absolutely divine. Mr. Aaron R. Johnson, my hat is off to you.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Great White Hunters
I posted another movie, Marry Me, from Tropfest a while ago. This was the third place winner from the same (2008) competition.
It is so very, very Australian. I can't decide which is my favorite bit- it's either the beer holder or the surfer.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Artist of the Week: Puppy
Rebecca is this week's artist. She is feeling ever so much better now and will absolutely be going back to school tomorrow.
And I say woo-hoo!
Any hoodle, she loves to draw and she did a bit over this weekend. We have a big bin of assorted drawing implements of doom and stacks of paper. All that we ask is that both sides get used and to try not to blow through a whole ream of paper in one go. And for the most part they are pretty good. Max in particular always (and I do mean always) asks before grabbing another sheet of paper. Of course when one child starts drawing at least one other gets the bug.
This time it was Max that started it off with one of his classic fox pictures. Nate and Rebecca decided they needed to make foxes as well.
This resulted in some lovely fox pictures, but I decided to feature what Rebecca drew next. She made a cute little puppy with a ball. As is the case in our house it has short little dachshund legs. Which is understandable since short little dachshund legs are the norm for our dogs. I love it's expression and how she decided to just suggest the grass and rough out a frame to encircle the picture. That is a new idea for her.
It's not perfectly executed, another new concept for her. She is learning to let it go and just enjoy what she draws and not get so hung up on whether it is absolutely right. I think it adds to the overall charm of the drawing and makes drawing more of an in the moment. Which is a good thing to be able to do.
Sometimes you do need to get everything just right, other times it is nice just to cut loose.
And I say woo-hoo!
Any hoodle, she loves to draw and she did a bit over this weekend. We have a big bin of assorted drawing implements of doom and stacks of paper. All that we ask is that both sides get used and to try not to blow through a whole ream of paper in one go. And for the most part they are pretty good. Max in particular always (and I do mean always) asks before grabbing another sheet of paper. Of course when one child starts drawing at least one other gets the bug.
This time it was Max that started it off with one of his classic fox pictures. Nate and Rebecca decided they needed to make foxes as well.
This resulted in some lovely fox pictures, but I decided to feature what Rebecca drew next. She made a cute little puppy with a ball. As is the case in our house it has short little dachshund legs. Which is understandable since short little dachshund legs are the norm for our dogs. I love it's expression and how she decided to just suggest the grass and rough out a frame to encircle the picture. That is a new idea for her.
It's not perfectly executed, another new concept for her. She is learning to let it go and just enjoy what she draws and not get so hung up on whether it is absolutely right. I think it adds to the overall charm of the drawing and makes drawing more of an in the moment. Which is a good thing to be able to do.
Sometimes you do need to get everything just right, other times it is nice just to cut loose.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Poor Babies
Last night was not pretty.
Starting at about 3:30 am Rebecca, Nate, and Jake suffered what could only be food poisoning. Nate staggered into my room sick and miserably announcing that he had thrown up in the hallway. As he stood there all sad and forlorn I told him to go back to bed. I was tired, my bed was all cozy and at 3:30 am I am not the most charitable of people. At 1:30, sure I'll be the sweetest mom ever, but at 3:30am I have been yanked from the depths of sleep and I am barely coherent.
Two hours later Jake showed up. At that point I threw in the towel and crawled out of bed. As I cleaned and consoled three very distressed children I desperately tried to think what could have precipitated this horror. Max, Larry and myself were unaffected, which ruled out dinner. Then I remembered the cut fruit I had picked up at the store the other day. Nate had eaten a ton of watermelon and so had Jake and Rebecca. Max had only nibbled on a piece and then (prudently it turned out) decided he did not want it. I hadn't had any and Larry had only one piece of cantaloupe. The first chance I got I trashed the rest.
Max was fine and merrily went off to school while the rest stayed home. Rebecca was the most sensible and went straight back to bed after a warm bath. The other two flopped about, too ill to do anything except declare their boredom. Repeatedly. With the all too frequent moans of agony from Nate.
They seemed to be a smidgen better. They haven't been sick since the wee hours and I hope at least some of them go back to school tomorrow. Meanwhile Max is just flabbergasted that he is the only healthy kid in the house.
Starting at about 3:30 am Rebecca, Nate, and Jake suffered what could only be food poisoning. Nate staggered into my room sick and miserably announcing that he had thrown up in the hallway. As he stood there all sad and forlorn I told him to go back to bed. I was tired, my bed was all cozy and at 3:30 am I am not the most charitable of people. At 1:30, sure I'll be the sweetest mom ever, but at 3:30am I have been yanked from the depths of sleep and I am barely coherent.
Two hours later Jake showed up. At that point I threw in the towel and crawled out of bed. As I cleaned and consoled three very distressed children I desperately tried to think what could have precipitated this horror. Max, Larry and myself were unaffected, which ruled out dinner. Then I remembered the cut fruit I had picked up at the store the other day. Nate had eaten a ton of watermelon and so had Jake and Rebecca. Max had only nibbled on a piece and then (prudently it turned out) decided he did not want it. I hadn't had any and Larry had only one piece of cantaloupe. The first chance I got I trashed the rest.
Max was fine and merrily went off to school while the rest stayed home. Rebecca was the most sensible and went straight back to bed after a warm bath. The other two flopped about, too ill to do anything except declare their boredom. Repeatedly. With the all too frequent moans of agony from Nate.
They seemed to be a smidgen better. They haven't been sick since the wee hours and I hope at least some of them go back to school tomorrow. Meanwhile Max is just flabbergasted that he is the only healthy kid in the house.
Monday, January 18, 2010
You Can Never Go Wrong With Larson
We found this comic while going through our albums (vinyl, not photo).
Carefully clipped out and copied well over a decade ago.
Every university research lab I visited had at least one such cartoon pinned above a bench, taped on a fridge, or posted on a wall for all to see. We all got his humor and very much appreciated it. When he retired in 1995 it was a sad day indeed.
Carefully clipped out and copied well over a decade ago.
Every university research lab I visited had at least one such cartoon pinned above a bench, taped on a fridge, or posted on a wall for all to see. We all got his humor and very much appreciated it. When he retired in 1995 it was a sad day indeed.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Richmond's Old City Hall
Today was a wet and dismal kind of day. Not unlike one about a month ago I spent up in Richmond.
I was up there for some reason or other, most likely meeting up with Larry. He works not far from the Old City Hall and that would explain why I was walking by it. I didn't have any of my entourage so for once I was free to indulge my picture taking urges.
I love that old building and I have featured it here before, but this time it was all about the exterior. I think that foggy days are fabulous to take pictures, doubly so when your subject matter is a Gothic building. The fog softens the lines and the bare tree in the foreground adds a nice bit of contrast.
I took plenty more pictures that day, but this one is my favorite.
I was up there for some reason or other, most likely meeting up with Larry. He works not far from the Old City Hall and that would explain why I was walking by it. I didn't have any of my entourage so for once I was free to indulge my picture taking urges.
I love that old building and I have featured it here before, but this time it was all about the exterior. I think that foggy days are fabulous to take pictures, doubly so when your subject matter is a Gothic building. The fog softens the lines and the bare tree in the foreground adds a nice bit of contrast.
I took plenty more pictures that day, but this one is my favorite.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Best Spam Ever!
Today I present to you the most wonderful spam. And the best part was reading it with my friend Meryl, we both cracked up at the defunct part.
Sure buddy I would love to help you out and hey, my dad is defunct too!
From Frank And Nadsh Konah
Cote D'ivore West Africa
Address No :03 BP Cocody
Abidjan West Africa
Hello Dear One,
This is with a hot heart that I offer you my friendship. All time this contact could seem to you strange, for we dont know each other for the first time and let not us have personal to the paravent of the reports of matters. I ask humbly you to take in consideration this that I and you revle considering This importance and of these immense advantages. My name is Frank Konah, from Sierra Leone. But Residencing here in Cote Divore West Africa .
I have something of very important one thing that I would want you to help me with your permission to entrust you. I inherited of my defunct father the sum of ($9,700 000 ) Deposited in the here by my Late Father Dr Ibrahim Konah USD nine million saven hundred thousand American dollars).
I want to invest this money in your country with a very honest person and especially in an activity sector profitable of your choice.I await you response in order to give you more complete explanations.After the conclusion of this transaction I will offer you 15%of the total sum for your assistance, Waitting of your Communications that we can discuss modalities concerning the transaction. Hoping to hear from you with anticipation. Thank-you and God bless you
My sincere greetings,
Frank And Nadsh Konah
NB: i will like you to come down hear in Abidjan
Sure buddy I would love to help you out and hey, my dad is defunct too!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Extravagant
For quite sometime my mother has been gifting me with plants. I have a spotty record at best with houseplants, after the initial enthusiasm I basically start to forget about them or we go away and they never really recover. Particularly in the summer when we go away for an extended period of time. We turn off the air conditioning and the poor things cook.
But I do love receiving them. They arrive all full of promise and, as in the case of the Star of Bethlehem here, delight me with their extravagant displays. I seem to do better with bulbs and I'll move this out to the deck come spring.
They are a nice lift when everything else outside has dried up or died back.
But I do love receiving them. They arrive all full of promise and, as in the case of the Star of Bethlehem here, delight me with their extravagant displays. I seem to do better with bulbs and I'll move this out to the deck come spring.
They are a nice lift when everything else outside has dried up or died back.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Artist of the Week: Future City
Jake is this week's artist. He's not so interested in being featured here nowadays, but I think he'll find it in his heart to forgive me. Because really, I should be able brag about my eldest now and again.
He has matured so much this past year. He certainly deserved to be Bar Mitzvah. He has at heart always been a thoughtful child, albeit a loud one. But now he is better able to cope when things don't go quite his way. He is able to understand that sometimes he has to just let things go.
For example he is participating The National Engineers Week Future City Competition. On Tuesday was the local judging within our school district. I would have loved to attend, but... it was piano lesson day and I couldn't leave the house until just after his group presented. Jake was fine with that, he just wanted to be sure that I could pick him up at the appointed hour.
As for the competition, well that's where his artistry comes to play.
There are three components to the entry: a computer model using SimCity, a three dimensional model of a city and a thousand word research essay with an accompanying narrative. Jake ended up doing the bulk of the work .
The computer model was a snap since he has his own copy at home and has been playing with it for quite some time. It made sense for him to do it and he did a bang-up job. As for the model, he loves building things. His team mates contributed a fair amount and it was a group effort in determining what to build. Which brings us to the essays.
Originally the other kids were going to write since Jake had already done the computer model. But at the last minute, Tuesday afternoon,they decided Jake should do the writing. It was an awful Thursday night, the essay was due Friday and Jake had a ton of homework that week. It wasn't until Thursday he could carve out sometime to do it. The end result was brief and very rough, but he got it done and emailed it to the teacher.
Well it turned out that the email addy we had was a dud. After a phone call from a teammate we found out what was going on and were given the weekend to sent it out. The pressure was off, Jake had two more days to write and he used it well. The final paper was great and once again we sent it off.
Ironically it turned out we had gotten the address wrong again, but in the end it worked out. The teacher was very impressed.
So on Tuesday Jake and his team presented "The City of Innovation." Before hand they noticed another team's model. It was beautifully done and they thought for sure it was the one to beat.
It turned out they were absolutely right.
That entry came in second and theirs won!
From what I gathered the judges were very impressed with the background essay and the narrative. It was by far the most detailed and complete. What impressed me, however, was how gracious Jake was. He told me that he was glad that the second place team had done as well as they did. Only one of the three students could attend and she was stuck doing the entire presentation on her own. Jake thought her model was very good and deserved recognition. He was very happy that he won, but he wished his competition well.
My boy is so grown up.
He has matured so much this past year. He certainly deserved to be Bar Mitzvah. He has at heart always been a thoughtful child, albeit a loud one. But now he is better able to cope when things don't go quite his way. He is able to understand that sometimes he has to just let things go.
For example he is participating The National Engineers Week Future City Competition. On Tuesday was the local judging within our school district. I would have loved to attend, but... it was piano lesson day and I couldn't leave the house until just after his group presented. Jake was fine with that, he just wanted to be sure that I could pick him up at the appointed hour.
As for the competition, well that's where his artistry comes to play.
There are three components to the entry: a computer model using SimCity, a three dimensional model of a city and a thousand word research essay with an accompanying narrative. Jake ended up doing the bulk of the work .
The computer model was a snap since he has his own copy at home and has been playing with it for quite some time. It made sense for him to do it and he did a bang-up job. As for the model, he loves building things. His team mates contributed a fair amount and it was a group effort in determining what to build. Which brings us to the essays.
Originally the other kids were going to write since Jake had already done the computer model. But at the last minute, Tuesday afternoon,they decided Jake should do the writing. It was an awful Thursday night, the essay was due Friday and Jake had a ton of homework that week. It wasn't until Thursday he could carve out sometime to do it. The end result was brief and very rough, but he got it done and emailed it to the teacher.
Well it turned out that the email addy we had was a dud. After a phone call from a teammate we found out what was going on and were given the weekend to sent it out. The pressure was off, Jake had two more days to write and he used it well. The final paper was great and once again we sent it off.
Ironically it turned out we had gotten the address wrong again, but in the end it worked out. The teacher was very impressed.
So on Tuesday Jake and his team presented "The City of Innovation." Before hand they noticed another team's model. It was beautifully done and they thought for sure it was the one to beat.
It turned out they were absolutely right.
That entry came in second and theirs won!
From what I gathered the judges were very impressed with the background essay and the narrative. It was by far the most detailed and complete. What impressed me, however, was how gracious Jake was. He told me that he was glad that the second place team had done as well as they did. Only one of the three students could attend and she was stuck doing the entire presentation on her own. Jake thought her model was very good and deserved recognition. He was very happy that he won, but he wished his competition well.
My boy is so grown up.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
A Dogs' Life
Which, at least in this picture, looks pretty good.
This was taken in Larry's office. We have an old tattered chair in residence that is extremely comfy and the dogs have figured this out.
That's John up in the chair and, I might observe, relishing every moment he has it to himself. Poor little Delly is regulated to the foot of the chair.
At some point I'll reupholster the chair, but that'll have to wait until we install a proper set of doors in the archway leading into the office.
This was taken in Larry's office. We have an old tattered chair in residence that is extremely comfy and the dogs have figured this out.
That's John up in the chair and, I might observe, relishing every moment he has it to himself. Poor little Delly is regulated to the foot of the chair.
At some point I'll reupholster the chair, but that'll have to wait until we install a proper set of doors in the archway leading into the office.
Monday, January 11, 2010
"Come To Australia"
Shamelessly stolen from my husband, a delightful ditty about the wonders of Australian fauna.
Scared Weird Little Guys have gotten themselves a new fan and, despite the song, I still want to visit Australia.
Scared Weird Little Guys have gotten themselves a new fan and, despite the song, I still want to visit Australia.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Machinarium
I've been sucked into a delightful little world lately.
My husband got me the game Machinarium (warning there is sound at the game's web site) for my birthday. I played it a little at first, but the madness of the holidays conspired against me and then we went away. So I really haven't been playing it until now.
It's very similar in play like it's predecessors, Samorost 1 and 2, but instead of our little man in white we have a world of robots. I love the visuals and the music, they are both a delight. Game play is mostly just point and click with all sorts of puzzles that you must solve in order to progress. My only complaint is the save function.
There is a serious design flaw in how the levels you save are stored. It's a flash game and it is vulnerable to all sorts of anti-cookie software. It was extremely exasperating to save a level and come back to find all your saves gone. There is a patch from the designer over at the game's forum, but it looks like I have to run it every time I play. A bit clunky, but the game is such a gem I willing to deal with it.
My husband got me the game Machinarium (warning there is sound at the game's web site) for my birthday. I played it a little at first, but the madness of the holidays conspired against me and then we went away. So I really haven't been playing it until now.
It's very similar in play like it's predecessors, Samorost 1 and 2, but instead of our little man in white we have a world of robots. I love the visuals and the music, they are both a delight. Game play is mostly just point and click with all sorts of puzzles that you must solve in order to progress. My only complaint is the save function.
There is a serious design flaw in how the levels you save are stored. It's a flash game and it is vulnerable to all sorts of anti-cookie software. It was extremely exasperating to save a level and come back to find all your saves gone. There is a patch from the designer over at the game's forum, but it looks like I have to run it every time I play. A bit clunky, but the game is such a gem I willing to deal with it.
Friday, January 08, 2010
Lovely To Look At
But oh! What havoc it wrecks.
This morning we got a 5 am wake up call from the county's automated phone system. Due to the potentially dangerous icing conditions there would be a two hour delay to the start of school. It was a rather rude start, but we were able to go back to sleep.
When I finally did go downstairs (at the far more civilized hour of 9 I was greeted with this sight.
Two hours for not even an inch of fluff?
It turned out in the end that the county was right to delay. The roads were rather slick in spots from black ice and packed snow. Either way the kids enjoyed their unexpected morning reprieve.
This morning we got a 5 am wake up call from the county's automated phone system. Due to the potentially dangerous icing conditions there would be a two hour delay to the start of school. It was a rather rude start, but we were able to go back to sleep.
When I finally did go downstairs (at the far more civilized hour of 9 I was greeted with this sight.
Two hours for not even an inch of fluff?
It turned out in the end that the county was right to delay. The roads were rather slick in spots from black ice and packed snow. Either way the kids enjoyed their unexpected morning reprieve.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Artist of the Week: Dominoes and Cards
Max is this week's artist and what he loves to do is perfect for those cold wintry days when you really don't want to venture outside.
Although the snow is all gone, this wintry scene is still very relevant for this artist of the week's profile picture. A few weeks ago we got a lovely dumping of snow and we may get some more in the near future. Hopefully the snow will last for longer than a day like the last storm, it'll be minimally disruptive, and the kids will get to enjoy the snow for a bit.
But I'm not holding my breath.
Anyhoodle, Max is a builder just like his brothers. Anything is fair game in their eyes to create their varied structures. Max is particularly enamored right now with our dominoes.
Sometimes he'll incorporate his Pokemon cards in his structures. This one was particularly clever in its use of the two types of materials.
Building with cards is a daunting task even in the best of conditions. Our household makes it even more challenging. Between inquisitive dachshunds and loud siblings careening about it is well nigh impossible to build with just cards. Max circumvented this by using dominoes as the underpinnings. The cards were carefully laid on top, completely obscuring the dominoes.
The second structure featured here is a straight forward domino tower. I know I have featured these before, but Max was so very proud of his creation. It does take a bit of finesse to use these rather slippery tiles, so I think his pride is well justified.
Like his brothers, Max takes into account the visual impact of the finished tower. He likes a clean look, so he turned the dominoes so that the plain backside is exposed. Only on the top are you allowed to get a full view of he dots and that one was carefully chosen to be a double.
With both structures he asked me repeatedly to photograph his structures. He even double checked with me before breaking them down. He is a very careful and meticulous child when so motivated. He is becoming quite a builder. It is nice that he has something he can do with his brothers who in turn appreciate his efforts.
Although the snow is all gone, this wintry scene is still very relevant for this artist of the week's profile picture. A few weeks ago we got a lovely dumping of snow and we may get some more in the near future. Hopefully the snow will last for longer than a day like the last storm, it'll be minimally disruptive, and the kids will get to enjoy the snow for a bit.
But I'm not holding my breath.
Anyhoodle, Max is a builder just like his brothers. Anything is fair game in their eyes to create their varied structures. Max is particularly enamored right now with our dominoes.
Sometimes he'll incorporate his Pokemon cards in his structures. This one was particularly clever in its use of the two types of materials.
Building with cards is a daunting task even in the best of conditions. Our household makes it even more challenging. Between inquisitive dachshunds and loud siblings careening about it is well nigh impossible to build with just cards. Max circumvented this by using dominoes as the underpinnings. The cards were carefully laid on top, completely obscuring the dominoes.
The second structure featured here is a straight forward domino tower. I know I have featured these before, but Max was so very proud of his creation. It does take a bit of finesse to use these rather slippery tiles, so I think his pride is well justified.
Like his brothers, Max takes into account the visual impact of the finished tower. He likes a clean look, so he turned the dominoes so that the plain backside is exposed. Only on the top are you allowed to get a full view of he dots and that one was carefully chosen to be a double.
With both structures he asked me repeatedly to photograph his structures. He even double checked with me before breaking them down. He is a very careful and meticulous child when so motivated. He is becoming quite a builder. It is nice that he has something he can do with his brothers who in turn appreciate his efforts.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Attitude
I like practical things. Things that do their appointed tasks and do them well. It is even better when something can be used in a multitude of ways. When I find something that works, I'll stick with it.
Case in point my winter boots. I've had the same pair of duck boots for years. I don't even remember when I got them. They are perfect for wading through slush, puddles and mud. I slap on a pair of gaiters and I'm good to go in fairly deep snow. Last week the rubber part of the boot split and I was forced to get a new pair. I had to go to four different stores to find them. The most shocking was the outdoor sports shoe store only had lame "pretty boots" for women. But find them I did.
However I do like pretty and fun things too. And sometimes I like to pop a little attitude. Hence the boots pictured above. They are completely impractical. They are made from the softest suede with big honkin' 3 1/2 inch heels. Considering that at one point I declared that I would never have heels over 1 inch, that is particularly amusing to me. They go right up to my knee and I wear them with pants, jeans and skirts.
I call them my ridiculous boots and I love them so.
Case in point my winter boots. I've had the same pair of duck boots for years. I don't even remember when I got them. They are perfect for wading through slush, puddles and mud. I slap on a pair of gaiters and I'm good to go in fairly deep snow. Last week the rubber part of the boot split and I was forced to get a new pair. I had to go to four different stores to find them. The most shocking was the outdoor sports shoe store only had lame "pretty boots" for women. But find them I did.
However I do like pretty and fun things too. And sometimes I like to pop a little attitude. Hence the boots pictured above. They are completely impractical. They are made from the softest suede with big honkin' 3 1/2 inch heels. Considering that at one point I declared that I would never have heels over 1 inch, that is particularly amusing to me. They go right up to my knee and I wear them with pants, jeans and skirts.
I call them my ridiculous boots and I love them so.
Monday, January 04, 2010
Cookiepalooza 2009
Now that winter break is over and the kids are back in school I can tell you about Cookiepalooza 2009.
During the madness before school was out I was baking like a fiend. I have a tradition of filling a small tin with cookies for each of the kids' teachers and bus drivers. For me it is a pleasure to cook for the them and the cookies are always well received. The kids also enjoy distributing the tins to the teachers and bus drivers.
This year I decided to go with gift bags instead. Partially due to the dearth of acceptable tins and the vast number I now have to fill. When it was just one teacher per child and a bus driver it was not a big deal. But now, with Jake in middle school, I'm looking at seven tins for him alone. Add in three for Nate plus four more for Max and Rebecca (mercifully combined), you are looking at a whole lot of cookies.
Somehow I got the whole mess baked and doled out to the kids. Then there were the cookies for the recycle dudes (a really terrific crew that is more than willing to wait if I'm a bit late), the kennel, or letter carrier and so on. To say that I'm just a wee bit tired of making cookies by the end of all this is an understatement. I think it worked out to just over 7 batches of chocolate chip cookies. Honestly I lost count and I did at least three double batches.
And yet... I'm more than happy to do it all again.
During the madness before school was out I was baking like a fiend. I have a tradition of filling a small tin with cookies for each of the kids' teachers and bus drivers. For me it is a pleasure to cook for the them and the cookies are always well received. The kids also enjoy distributing the tins to the teachers and bus drivers.
This year I decided to go with gift bags instead. Partially due to the dearth of acceptable tins and the vast number I now have to fill. When it was just one teacher per child and a bus driver it was not a big deal. But now, with Jake in middle school, I'm looking at seven tins for him alone. Add in three for Nate plus four more for Max and Rebecca (mercifully combined), you are looking at a whole lot of cookies.
Somehow I got the whole mess baked and doled out to the kids. Then there were the cookies for the recycle dudes (a really terrific crew that is more than willing to wait if I'm a bit late), the kennel, or letter carrier and so on. To say that I'm just a wee bit tired of making cookies by the end of all this is an understatement. I think it worked out to just over 7 batches of chocolate chip cookies. Honestly I lost count and I did at least three double batches.
And yet... I'm more than happy to do it all again.
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Boy in a Box
There is an old joke how kids always seem to like the box the toy came in more than the toy itself.
Well there is a small grain of truth in that statement.
Max loves his drum kit, but... I sometimes think he loves the box it came in just a bit more.
He likes to sit in and watch television. When it's his turn to play on the Wii, he'll be there in his box. He has even dragged it upstairs to sleep in in it, surrounded by his stuffed animals and covered with his second favorite beach towel (his favorite was lost while on vacation- it was all very tragic and completely accidental).
And it all works, except the sleeping. He had to admit after about an hour that although the box is big, but not quite big enough to comfortably sleep inside.
Then today we had a new wrinkle to the whole boy-in-a-box thing, nebulization.
Max has Cystic Fibrosis and some of the many things we do to keep him healthy are his nebulizations (various medicines are breathed in via an aerosol form) and The Vest. Today Max decided he wanted to do it all in his box with the box on the sofa.
It was hilarious.
At one point there was a closed box, loudly vibrating, with various tubes leading into it on the sofa. Much to our amusement Max would periodically peek out.
There is never a dull moment around here, especially if you have a boy in a box.
Well there is a small grain of truth in that statement.
Max loves his drum kit, but... I sometimes think he loves the box it came in just a bit more.
He likes to sit in and watch television. When it's his turn to play on the Wii, he'll be there in his box. He has even dragged it upstairs to sleep in in it, surrounded by his stuffed animals and covered with his second favorite beach towel (his favorite was lost while on vacation- it was all very tragic and completely accidental).
And it all works, except the sleeping. He had to admit after about an hour that although the box is big, but not quite big enough to comfortably sleep inside.
Then today we had a new wrinkle to the whole boy-in-a-box thing, nebulization.
Max has Cystic Fibrosis and some of the many things we do to keep him healthy are his nebulizations (various medicines are breathed in via an aerosol form) and The Vest. Today Max decided he wanted to do it all in his box with the box on the sofa.
It was hilarious.
At one point there was a closed box, loudly vibrating, with various tubes leading into it on the sofa. Much to our amusement Max would periodically peek out.
There is never a dull moment around here, especially if you have a boy in a box.
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