This week it's Max's turn to be artist of the week.
I took this picture of him back in July when we were visiting my cousin. It is from a much larger picture that I cropped down to just Max. His stance has an almost wistful quality as he looks out to sea or he is just contemplating chucking some rocks into the water. Either way I really like the pose, he is relaxed and for once keeping still without my telling him to stop moving.
A rare moment indeed in this household.
Four kids + two dogs = nonstop action
And I wouldn't want it any other way.
Anyhoodle, Max a few days ago was playing with the dominoes and created the rather intricate tower pictured on the right. When he completed it he promptly asked me to take a picture. I duly complied with his requst and not 10 seconds later Dell ambled by and knocked over the tower with his tail.
A classic moment.
Fortunately Max understands that is one of the hazards in our household. As I stated above, it's an active household and things get knocked on a regular basis.
As for the tower, I think Max really outdid himself. He was able to use most of the dominoes and balance them on on just two vertically standing tiles. You would think it would tip over in an instant, but it required a direct hit from Dell's exuberantly wagging tail. I think that is pretty impressive.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Finally Happy
Fifteen or so years ago we acquired a dining room table. A friend of the family was in the process of emptying out her parents old house and putting it on the market. By way of Larry's mother we were invited to come over and take whatever struck our fancy from what was left after the family went through the house.
It was too good an offer to refuse, so we headed on over.
Most of the furniture was not to our taste, but with one notable exception- the dining room table.
It has a beautiful faux Malachite finish and has built in storage for it's four leaves. I fell in love with it and wanted to take it home. But first Larry had to drive Jake and I home then empty out he van. Before he left I told him not to bring home the chairs, they were ugly, stained and were far too low for the table.
Unfortunately the soon to be former owners insisted the we bring the chairs home along with the table.
And so for the past decade and a half I've lived with dinning room chairs that pretty much reviled.
But now that has all changed for the better, a few weeks ago I found my chars.
They are simple and elegant with a style for more appropriate than their predecessors. No longer do we sit with our chins practically in our plates. If fact the new chairs are so much nicer that even Nate noticed. He declared the the new chairs are far more in keeping with the table than the other pattern and design. Which is quite a statement for an eleven year old boy.
Meanwhile I'm just happy the I finally got some dining room chairs that I actually like.
It was too good an offer to refuse, so we headed on over.
Most of the furniture was not to our taste, but with one notable exception- the dining room table.
It has a beautiful faux Malachite finish and has built in storage for it's four leaves. I fell in love with it and wanted to take it home. But first Larry had to drive Jake and I home then empty out he van. Before he left I told him not to bring home the chairs, they were ugly, stained and were far too low for the table.
Unfortunately the soon to be former owners insisted the we bring the chairs home along with the table.
And so for the past decade and a half I've lived with dinning room chairs that pretty much reviled.
But now that has all changed for the better, a few weeks ago I found my chars.
They are simple and elegant with a style for more appropriate than their predecessors. No longer do we sit with our chins practically in our plates. If fact the new chairs are so much nicer that even Nate noticed. He declared the the new chairs are far more in keeping with the table than the other pattern and design. Which is quite a statement for an eleven year old boy.
Meanwhile I'm just happy the I finally got some dining room chairs that I actually like.
Monday, October 18, 2010
The Elements song in Japanese
In honor of my twins' recent birthday I present to you a quirky Japanese translation of Tom Leher's classic song The Elements featuring the twins Angelina and Jennifer.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Twin Cakes
Just like Max and Rebecca, their birthday cakes look nothing alike.
Rebecca requested a cake with chocolate icing and a pink unicorn. Max wanted a turtle cake with the cake corps, but was rather vague concerning how the army men were to be deployed. I opted not to dirty my army men and left them off the cake (bad mommy- but I was seriously over extended and decided my sanity came first).
Over all I was happy how both cakes turned out. Rebecca had fun putting on the sprinkles (I helped with filling in the unicorn) and Max admitted that his cake was pretty good even though he did miss the army men. As for their party guests, they were all impressed and then happily devoured the cake.
As for the party, it was their first non-home based birthday party and it was very exciting for them. They had decided almost a year ago on where they wanted their party and stuck with the same idea. There was only a brief moment of regret on Rebecca's part when I informed her that she could not invite her whole class, but she got over it very quickly. They and their friends had a great time.
Rebecca requested a cake with chocolate icing and a pink unicorn. Max wanted a turtle cake with the cake corps, but was rather vague concerning how the army men were to be deployed. I opted not to dirty my army men and left them off the cake (bad mommy- but I was seriously over extended and decided my sanity came first).
Over all I was happy how both cakes turned out. Rebecca had fun putting on the sprinkles (I helped with filling in the unicorn) and Max admitted that his cake was pretty good even though he did miss the army men. As for their party guests, they were all impressed and then happily devoured the cake.
As for the party, it was their first non-home based birthday party and it was very exciting for them. They had decided almost a year ago on where they wanted their party and stuck with the same idea. There was only a brief moment of regret on Rebecca's part when I informed her that she could not invite her whole class, but she got over it very quickly. They and their friends had a great time.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Number Nine Times Two
Nine years ago today I met these two little bugs. In this picture they are not even a year old.
A lot has changed since then, but they will always be my smiling babies, ready to be hugged or give a hug.
Their big party is tomorrow and for the first time it will not be at home. My babies are growing up.
Happy, happy birthday Max and Rebecca.
A lot has changed since then, but they will always be my smiling babies, ready to be hugged or give a hug.
Their big party is tomorrow and for the first time it will not be at home. My babies are growing up.
Happy, happy birthday Max and Rebecca.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Trololo Cat
Two thoughts here: there are some very strange things on the internets and cats seem to be inherently funnier than dogs in stuff like this.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Artist of the Week: Riding in Style
An Alaskan couple, Jody Foster and Fred Keller, have been all over the web lately and for a darn good reason.
Using an old 1976 Mazda pickup truck, they created their very own adult sized Radio Flyer.
Sadly I couldn't find any pictures that I could legitimately repost. Instead, you'll have to go to the article I linked above. I think the whole idea is absolutely brilliant and they did a masterful job. It looks like they are having a blast tooling about in their not so little red wagon.
Using an old 1976 Mazda pickup truck, they created their very own adult sized Radio Flyer.
Sadly I couldn't find any pictures that I could legitimately repost. Instead, you'll have to go to the article I linked above. I think the whole idea is absolutely brilliant and they did a masterful job. It looks like they are having a blast tooling about in their not so little red wagon.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Electric Blue Frivolity
A couple of weeks ago I realized by toe nails were long over due for some attention. The nail polish was chipped to a ridiculous degree and I just couldn't ignore them any longer.
I was a bit bored of the usual pinky toned spectrum that I have been using all summer, it was time for a change.
Rebecca had picked out some bright blue polish the other day and I thought why not.
So now I have electric blue toe nails. They are very cheerful and bright. The funny part is that two weeks after the fact I still startled by my own nails.
Frivolous indeed and we can all use a little bit of frivolity in our lives every now and again.
I was a bit bored of the usual pinky toned spectrum that I have been using all summer, it was time for a change.
Rebecca had picked out some bright blue polish the other day and I thought why not.
So now I have electric blue toe nails. They are very cheerful and bright. The funny part is that two weeks after the fact I still startled by my own nails.
Frivolous indeed and we can all use a little bit of frivolity in our lives every now and again.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Dot
The world's smallest stop-motion animation character shot on a Nokia N8
Just a sweet and very creative little film. Yes it's an ad, but that has never stopped me before. If a movie is well done, it deserves recognition.
Just a sweet and very creative little film. Yes it's an ad, but that has never stopped me before. If a movie is well done, it deserves recognition.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
The Awesomeness of This Monday
Tomorrow, Monday, is an early dismissal day (some folderol about professional development). And by early dismissal, I'm talking about 3 hour early release.
Which roughly translates into less than 2 hours between me loading the youngest onto the bus, we leave for the bus stop at 8:45 am, and then picking up Jake from high school at 10:45 am. He does not ride the bus because to is a an one and a half hour odyssey each way with a 5:45 am pickup from our neighborhood. Meanwhile we live 10 minutes from the high school.
During this precious child free time I'll walk the dogs with friends in the neighborhood for about half and hour, pick up a few things at the grocery store and then... go get Jake.
Woo Hoo!
As a friend of mine pointed out, why couldn't this be on a Friday instead of a Monday. At least we could then cut out early for the weekend.
But then again, that would make sense. I don't begrudge the teachers getting time to various training and development. I just question the whole scheduling. Half days are the pits for both stay at home and working full time families.
Which roughly translates into less than 2 hours between me loading the youngest onto the bus, we leave for the bus stop at 8:45 am, and then picking up Jake from high school at 10:45 am. He does not ride the bus because to is a an one and a half hour odyssey each way with a 5:45 am pickup from our neighborhood. Meanwhile we live 10 minutes from the high school.
During this precious child free time I'll walk the dogs with friends in the neighborhood for about half and hour, pick up a few things at the grocery store and then... go get Jake.
Woo Hoo!
As a friend of mine pointed out, why couldn't this be on a Friday instead of a Monday. At least we could then cut out early for the weekend.
But then again, that would make sense. I don't begrudge the teachers getting time to various training and development. I just question the whole scheduling. Half days are the pits for both stay at home and working full time families.
Friday, October 08, 2010
Circle Dogs
As I have mentioned before, I have a children's book featuring dachshunds called "Circle Dogs. "
It is utterly charming, with deceptively simple illustrations that perfectly capture the spirit of the text. Together, pictures and text, you are drawn along a day in the life of a dachshund owning family, the dachshunds being the circle dogs.
And why are they called circle dogs?
Because when dachshund sleep their bodies form circles.
Nate saw John and Dell sleeping in perfect circle form and declared them circle dogs and took this picture. He said the red boys were just like the book and I couldn't agree with him more.
It is utterly charming, with deceptively simple illustrations that perfectly capture the spirit of the text. Together, pictures and text, you are drawn along a day in the life of a dachshund owning family, the dachshunds being the circle dogs.
And why are they called circle dogs?
Because when dachshund sleep their bodies form circles.
Nate saw John and Dell sleeping in perfect circle form and declared them circle dogs and took this picture. He said the red boys were just like the book and I couldn't agree with him more.
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
Artist of the Week: Mountain Lion
My little firecracker Rebecca is this week's artist.
She is a real sparkler once you get to know her. She is very shy at first and can even come off as aloof when she feels unsure about acquaintances. Rebecca feels very uncomfortable in situations when she can't remember a name or, at the very least, the other person's connection with her. We are trying to teach her that it is okay to smile and be friendly with someone you know only in passing and can't quite remember their name. This will come in time, I don't want to push her to hard or to fast on the social niceties. And really, a little wariness is not such a bad thing.
However once she really knows you, there is no holding her back.
She is happy to give out hugs and will literally hang off of you. I've seen her hanging off the forearm of some of her coaches. She will be giggling madly with a huge smile plastered across her face and radiating joy.
And as anyone one who knows Rebecca, another source of joy for her is art.
She enjoys and appreciates art museums, carefully examining each work while ignoring the complaints of Max and Nate. Making art is an even greater source of happiness. She is always drawing something. Rebecca's classmates have already declared her to be an artist. They have seen what she can do and how it is a part of her.
So of course this means she brings home a fair amount of artwork. This drawing of a mountain lion came home at the end of the previous school year. Rebecca was a bit upset that it did not weather the trip home at all well. It was wrinkled, folded, and had a couple of small tears around the edge. I had to set it aside and stack papers on top to smooth it out. I didn't want her to toss her happy lion. I thought it was a wonderful drawing that just needed a little care. And three and half months later the drawing is in a much better state.
She is a real sparkler once you get to know her. She is very shy at first and can even come off as aloof when she feels unsure about acquaintances. Rebecca feels very uncomfortable in situations when she can't remember a name or, at the very least, the other person's connection with her. We are trying to teach her that it is okay to smile and be friendly with someone you know only in passing and can't quite remember their name. This will come in time, I don't want to push her to hard or to fast on the social niceties. And really, a little wariness is not such a bad thing.
However once she really knows you, there is no holding her back.
She is happy to give out hugs and will literally hang off of you. I've seen her hanging off the forearm of some of her coaches. She will be giggling madly with a huge smile plastered across her face and radiating joy.
And as anyone one who knows Rebecca, another source of joy for her is art.
She enjoys and appreciates art museums, carefully examining each work while ignoring the complaints of Max and Nate. Making art is an even greater source of happiness. She is always drawing something. Rebecca's classmates have already declared her to be an artist. They have seen what she can do and how it is a part of her.
So of course this means she brings home a fair amount of artwork. This drawing of a mountain lion came home at the end of the previous school year. Rebecca was a bit upset that it did not weather the trip home at all well. It was wrinkled, folded, and had a couple of small tears around the edge. I had to set it aside and stack papers on top to smooth it out. I didn't want her to toss her happy lion. I thought it was a wonderful drawing that just needed a little care. And three and half months later the drawing is in a much better state.
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
Dedicated Soccer Mom
It's that time of the year again when I get to spends hours upon hours sitting outside while my children practice or play soccer. There is baseball and Marching band as well, but I don't have to stick around for those practice sessions.
This year Rebecca is on strictly girls only team and she is really enjoying being around just girls for change. As for Max he is on a co-ed team which is mostly boys with just a handful of girls (And yes, that girl really is that much bigger than Max). Which means the dynamic duo are on very different game schedules.
Fortunately the games don't overlap by too much and so far it hasn't been complicated. The real bright spot is that the practice schedules mesh beautifully. Rebecca is Monday and Thursday while Max and Nate are Tuesday and Thursday. All of the fields are within walking distance and all of the practices start at 5:30 pm.
Heck, I've even been bringing a neighbor's child, J, on Tuesday and Thursday. His mom had knee surgery and will be out of commission for quite some time. I'm more than happy to help out since I'm going there anyways. I'm a soccer mom and I have room in the van. One more kid is not a problem.
In fact today I was such a dedicated soccer mom I even went to practice for a team my children are not ion. Poor Max has a major muscle pull in his left leg and was unable to attend practice. But Nate still had baseball today and that meant I still had to go to the park. So J still got his ride and ended having me hanging out at his practice instead of Max's.
This year Rebecca is on strictly girls only team and she is really enjoying being around just girls for change. As for Max he is on a co-ed team which is mostly boys with just a handful of girls (And yes, that girl really is that much bigger than Max). Which means the dynamic duo are on very different game schedules.
Fortunately the games don't overlap by too much and so far it hasn't been complicated. The real bright spot is that the practice schedules mesh beautifully. Rebecca is Monday and Thursday while Max and Nate are Tuesday and Thursday. All of the fields are within walking distance and all of the practices start at 5:30 pm.
Heck, I've even been bringing a neighbor's child, J, on Tuesday and Thursday. His mom had knee surgery and will be out of commission for quite some time. I'm more than happy to help out since I'm going there anyways. I'm a soccer mom and I have room in the van. One more kid is not a problem.
In fact today I was such a dedicated soccer mom I even went to practice for a team my children are not ion. Poor Max has a major muscle pull in his left leg and was unable to attend practice. But Nate still had baseball today and that meant I still had to go to the park. So J still got his ride and ended having me hanging out at his practice instead of Max's.
Monday, October 04, 2010
Sunday, October 03, 2010
Season's End
This past week I bought a lovely bag of vegetables from my favorite grower, Amy of Amy's Garden. She has some of the best produce around. In the bag were peppers, eggplants, salad greens, sweet turnips and tomatoes.
Her tomatoes are outstanding. The sun gold cherry tomatoes are almost like candy, I saw Amy had them available and got an extra pint. Rebecca and I are working our way through them with a little bit of help from the rest of the family (even Meryl is a fan).
Pictured here are some of the slicing tomatoes included in the bounty. They were so very very ripe I had to slice them up tonight. All I did was sprinkle a smidgen of salt, a healthy grind of pepper, a generous splash of balsamic vinegar (the dark spots in the rather vivid photo), and a handful of my rejuvenated basil.
It was divine.
Sometimes I'll have a bit left, but not tonight.
Her tomatoes are outstanding. The sun gold cherry tomatoes are almost like candy, I saw Amy had them available and got an extra pint. Rebecca and I are working our way through them with a little bit of help from the rest of the family (even Meryl is a fan).
Pictured here are some of the slicing tomatoes included in the bounty. They were so very very ripe I had to slice them up tonight. All I did was sprinkle a smidgen of salt, a healthy grind of pepper, a generous splash of balsamic vinegar (the dark spots in the rather vivid photo), and a handful of my rejuvenated basil.
It was divine.
Sometimes I'll have a bit left, but not tonight.
Friday, October 01, 2010
When Architecture Goes Bad
One of the on going assignments in Jake's Foundation of Engineering class is to bring in an article each week that features engineering. So far he has brought in articles about building green houses, ultra efficient cars, and so on. As a result I have found myself being a bit more aware of such articles.
One such article that has been spotted all over the place concerns the Vdara Hotel at CityCenter in Las Vegas (this particular link was featured over a amcgltd). It's a tall gleaming tower of glass that features a concave side facing south with a pool area centered on the southern wall and built on a low three story building. Which sounds lovely, but in reality the building is like a large mirror that focuses the sun energy on the pool area below.
The designers anticipated such a problem and placed a special film that would scatter 70% of the sunlight. However this is proving to not be terribly effective. People are getting burned and there has been at least one case of a plastic bag melting under the intense glare. Amusingly enough the employees are calling the phenomenon the "Vdara Death Ray."
One such article that has been spotted all over the place concerns the Vdara Hotel at CityCenter in Las Vegas (this particular link was featured over a amcgltd). It's a tall gleaming tower of glass that features a concave side facing south with a pool area centered on the southern wall and built on a low three story building. Which sounds lovely, but in reality the building is like a large mirror that focuses the sun energy on the pool area below.
The designers anticipated such a problem and placed a special film that would scatter 70% of the sunlight. However this is proving to not be terribly effective. People are getting burned and there has been at least one case of a plastic bag melting under the intense glare. Amusingly enough the employees are calling the phenomenon the "Vdara Death Ray."
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Artist of the Week: Summer Project Update
This week's artist Nate in an update from a post way back in August. This picture of him is also from back then. Well actually it was a couple of weeks later, but it was still August. I had taken this photo at the county fair when I took Nate and his best friend. One of the rides, or rather attraction, involved a big slide at the end. I watch the two of them wade through the ball pit and cross back and forth on the walkways that led up to the slide. Both of the boys had huge smiles on their faces as they zipped down.
As for the project, Nate did indeed finish it just in time. He did cut it very close in the end, but he was able to write a decent paper and create a bibliography. He handed the completed project on time and he was fairly pleased with the end product. The hardest part was finding brads or a suitable folder with the brads built in. The project was due during the second week of school and there were no brads to be found on the shelves after the big push to get back-to-school supplies. So in the end we settled on a folder.
Part of the requirement for the project was an illustrated cover for the report and Nate did a lovely job. He created the text using our computer, printed it our, decorated all around the edges with a leaf and vine motif. Then scattered around the words Nate drew pictures of various Blackfoot artifacts.
I thought the whole project turned out very well as did the teacher who granted Nate a 100%.
As for the project, Nate did indeed finish it just in time. He did cut it very close in the end, but he was able to write a decent paper and create a bibliography. He handed the completed project on time and he was fairly pleased with the end product. The hardest part was finding brads or a suitable folder with the brads built in. The project was due during the second week of school and there were no brads to be found on the shelves after the big push to get back-to-school supplies. So in the end we settled on a folder.
Part of the requirement for the project was an illustrated cover for the report and Nate did a lovely job. He created the text using our computer, printed it our, decorated all around the edges with a leaf and vine motif. Then scattered around the words Nate drew pictures of various Blackfoot artifacts.
I thought the whole project turned out very well as did the teacher who granted Nate a 100%.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Rain, Rain Come Again
Well we got some rain, just not a whole lot. According to the bucket on my deck we got maybe an inch of rain. The good news was that it was just enough to bring back my basil. I have been letting it go so it will self seed for next year. It was looking fairly dried out on Sunday, but now it looks halfway decent. So I'll get a few more weeks of fresh home grown basil.
We should be getting even more rain over the next few days. Hopefully the county will be able to soon lift the rather draconian water restrictions that went into effect this week.
We should be getting even more rain over the next few days. Hopefully the county will be able to soon lift the rather draconian water restrictions that went into effect this week.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
A Break In The Weather
After weeks of hot, dry weather we are finally getting some rain. Not a whole lot tonight, but the next few days should be very wet.
Which makes it fairly ironic that Tuesday will be the start of emergency water restrictions, no more watering the lawn or washing the car.
I snuck in one more watering before the ban to open up the soil before the rain. I had stopped watering about a month ago. We have mostly Bermuda grass and it was coping well until last week had the extreme temps.
Hopefully we'll get the forecasted rain. It won't end the drought, but it should alleviate the dry conditions.
Which makes it fairly ironic that Tuesday will be the start of emergency water restrictions, no more watering the lawn or washing the car.
I snuck in one more watering before the ban to open up the soil before the rain. I had stopped watering about a month ago. We have mostly Bermuda grass and it was coping well until last week had the extreme temps.
Hopefully we'll get the forecasted rain. It won't end the drought, but it should alleviate the dry conditions.
Friday, September 24, 2010
No Smoking
Somehow I think a sign like this would never fly where I live in the heart of tobacco country.
The funny part is I've been to Zion Illinois and it is far more built up now than it was way back in 1915.
It's amazing what you can find on the internet, courtesy of Black and WTF.
The funny part is I've been to Zion Illinois and it is far more built up now than it was way back in 1915.
It's amazing what you can find on the internet, courtesy of Black and WTF.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Life of a Suburban Mom
Having four kids in three schools and three different grade levels is turning out to be quite a challenge. Between the disparate schedules, homework, and activities I'm one busy band/soccer/baseball mom.
I knew things would not be easy, Jake leaves for school before 7 am with Nate following a half hour later and Max and Rebecca at 8:45. Then it gets tricky on Jake's non band days I have to collect him at 1:45 (the bus is a nightmare, he's out of district so he has to take two buses each way at, get this, 5:45 am and back home around 3:30 or so). Then Nate appears at 3:30 and the dynamic duo at around 4. Add in a morning walk, this leaves 9:30 to 1:30 to get things done. Four piddling child free hours.
And once they are home there is homework to do (or whine about), music to play and sports to practice. Admittedly the sports are self inflicted, but my kids need the physical outlet and it gets them outside and moving.
Then there is band.
I had absolutely no idea what we were getting into. Mind you I think it is completely worth it, the kids are great and I think it is a great activity for Jake. But oy! It is not an activity for the faint of heart. With three day a week after school practices, football games and competitions I don't foresee much in the way of spare time.
So yeah, I'm just a wee bit busy.
I knew things would not be easy, Jake leaves for school before 7 am with Nate following a half hour later and Max and Rebecca at 8:45. Then it gets tricky on Jake's non band days I have to collect him at 1:45 (the bus is a nightmare, he's out of district so he has to take two buses each way at, get this, 5:45 am and back home around 3:30 or so). Then Nate appears at 3:30 and the dynamic duo at around 4. Add in a morning walk, this leaves 9:30 to 1:30 to get things done. Four piddling child free hours.
And once they are home there is homework to do (or whine about), music to play and sports to practice. Admittedly the sports are self inflicted, but my kids need the physical outlet and it gets them outside and moving.
Then there is band.
I had absolutely no idea what we were getting into. Mind you I think it is completely worth it, the kids are great and I think it is a great activity for Jake. But oy! It is not an activity for the faint of heart. With three day a week after school practices, football games and competitions I don't foresee much in the way of spare time.
So yeah, I'm just a wee bit busy.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Artist of the Week: Marching
This week's artist is Jake and his high school marching band.
When Jake decided to keep on with his trumpet and join the marching band, little did I know what we were getting into. It turns out his high school's marching band is very hardcore. They have amassed a staggering amount of awards and honors over the past years. There is practice after school three times a week and the director does not brook any nonsense.
This past weekend was their first "competition" of the season. I put competition in quotation marks because it was actually a critique and not a head to head competition. Either way the band has to perform to the best of their ability. The beauty of the critique is that the band gets evaluated and after their performance the judge gives a fairly detailed analysis of their performance with suggestions on how to improve.
Which is a very nice thing at the start of marching season.
Jake's band did very well and the suggestions were more tweaks than overhauls. They should be very competitive this season.
Below is my rather shaky video of the performance.
When Jake decided to keep on with his trumpet and join the marching band, little did I know what we were getting into. It turns out his high school's marching band is very hardcore. They have amassed a staggering amount of awards and honors over the past years. There is practice after school three times a week and the director does not brook any nonsense.
This past weekend was their first "competition" of the season. I put competition in quotation marks because it was actually a critique and not a head to head competition. Either way the band has to perform to the best of their ability. The beauty of the critique is that the band gets evaluated and after their performance the judge gives a fairly detailed analysis of their performance with suggestions on how to improve.
Which is a very nice thing at the start of marching season.
Jake's band did very well and the suggestions were more tweaks than overhauls. They should be very competitive this season.
Below is my rather shaky video of the performance.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Sofia
Little Sofia is growing up. This picture is from the latest batch.
She is as cute as a button and I so wish we lived closer to her. Ah well, we'll just have to wait until we can see her in person. Until then I'll just have to settle for pictures.
She is as cute as a button and I so wish we lived closer to her. Ah well, we'll just have to wait until we can see her in person. Until then I'll just have to settle for pictures.
Monday, September 20, 2010
LOVEFIELD
Brutal, uplifting, shocking, surprising, and some many, many other words. Watch it to the very end, it's worth the time.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Ahoy Maties!
It be Talk Like a Pirate Day and this be one of the many swabbies that are aboard ship.
Pancakes here hope ye have a good day or at least avoid walking the plank or being clapped in irons and thrown below decks.
Remember, it be fine to befriend a bilge rat, but ye don't want to be one.
So argh! And swab the deck!
Pancakes here hope ye have a good day or at least avoid walking the plank or being clapped in irons and thrown below decks.
Remember, it be fine to befriend a bilge rat, but ye don't want to be one.
So argh! And swab the deck!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Box of Fun
I've been trying, rather unsuccessfully, to get kids a bit more organized in their bedrooms. It would be nice if their rooms looked a bit less post apocalypse. I'm not asking for a completely sterile environment, just one where you can see the floor.
I think they basically like the concept, it's just lacking in execution. Max, however, did wholeheartedly embrace the idea of everything in it's place. He loves putting things into boxes and pictured here is his penguin box.
Last year for valentine's day his mailbox was wrapped with various wrapping papers we had around the house. The box it self was covered with a metallic undersea themed paper that was not terribly appropriate for the date, but was very colorful. For the lid Max selected some penguin themed holiday wrap that had a red, ( fortunately considering this was for Valentine's day) back ground. This has since become his penguin box. It doesn't quite hold all of them, the largest one would fill the box. However, it does hold the bulk of his collection and it's a start.
I think they basically like the concept, it's just lacking in execution. Max, however, did wholeheartedly embrace the idea of everything in it's place. He loves putting things into boxes and pictured here is his penguin box.
Last year for valentine's day his mailbox was wrapped with various wrapping papers we had around the house. The box it self was covered with a metallic undersea themed paper that was not terribly appropriate for the date, but was very colorful. For the lid Max selected some penguin themed holiday wrap that had a red, ( fortunately considering this was for Valentine's day) back ground. This has since become his penguin box. It doesn't quite hold all of them, the largest one would fill the box. However, it does hold the bulk of his collection and it's a start.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Artist of the Week: Doing the Flamingo
This week's artist is an unnamed (at least as far as I know) dancer at the Metro Richmond Zoo.
We noticed him (or her) while we were still inside the aviary. I can safely say that all three of us (Jake, Rebecca and myself) were all greatly amused by his antics. Rebecca declared he was dancing and I quickly agreed that it really looked like some sort of dance. So when we passed by the flamingo enclosure we waited to see if he would do it again.
And as you can see in the film above, he did not disappoint.
I know the flamingo is not really dancing, just churning the mud to release any insects hiding within the mud to feed upon. But, the bird did his mud stomping with such panache that it really seemed like a little dance.
We noticed him (or her) while we were still inside the aviary. I can safely say that all three of us (Jake, Rebecca and myself) were all greatly amused by his antics. Rebecca declared he was dancing and I quickly agreed that it really looked like some sort of dance. So when we passed by the flamingo enclosure we waited to see if he would do it again.
And as you can see in the film above, he did not disappoint.
I know the flamingo is not really dancing, just churning the mud to release any insects hiding within the mud to feed upon. But, the bird did his mud stomping with such panache that it really seemed like a little dance.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Full Speed Ahead
Today was one of those crazy "you have four kids that do sports and music" kind of days.
Between waiting for piano to end, dropping off kids for practice, rounding up boy from marching band (took two tries and I'm eternally thankful for the fact he goes to the high school 8 minutes away as opposed to one 45 minutes away) I had to feed said children, sternly remind them to do homework while I was out (I disabled the TV to prevent "accidental" viewings) and go to a Marching Band Boosters meeting.
My life is full of the crazy.
The amazing thing was that we all got to where we needed to be when we needed to be there. Well except for picking up Jake the second time, but then again he was off schedule and I had to shoe horn him in after sports drop off.
Thus is the life of a marching band, soccer, and baseball mom. Now with drums, piano, trumpet, and starting this weekend-guitar.
Between waiting for piano to end, dropping off kids for practice, rounding up boy from marching band (took two tries and I'm eternally thankful for the fact he goes to the high school 8 minutes away as opposed to one 45 minutes away) I had to feed said children, sternly remind them to do homework while I was out (I disabled the TV to prevent "accidental" viewings) and go to a Marching Band Boosters meeting.
My life is full of the crazy.
The amazing thing was that we all got to where we needed to be when we needed to be there. Well except for picking up Jake the second time, but then again he was off schedule and I had to shoe horn him in after sports drop off.
Thus is the life of a marching band, soccer, and baseball mom. Now with drums, piano, trumpet, and starting this weekend-guitar.
Monday, September 13, 2010
CARAVAN PALACE - "Jolie Coquine"
My latest addiction- Caravan Palace from France. Their music is categorized as, get this, Electro Swing.
It's got a good beat and you can dance to it.
It's got a good beat and you can dance to it.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
William Christopher Sugra
William Christopher Sugra had turned 30 just 36 days before his untimely death on September 11th, 2001.
He was working on the 103rd floor of the World Trade Center as a network administrator for Cantor Fitzgerald's eSpeed division. He had spoken with his family just the day before to tell them he had survived a round of layoffs and that he still had his job at Cantor Fitzgerald.
Then he was gone.
He left behind his mother El, his father Bill, his sister Tracy and his girlfriend Suzanne.
From what I have gather he was a kind and loving man that also liked to have a good time. He was hardworking and lived life to the fullest. Friends and family could always count on him.
He was originally from Pennsylvania and graduated from Allentown Central Catholic High School. He then went on to Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He joined Theta Chi Fraternity, which has since Bill's death established a merit based memorial scholarship fund in Bill's honor.
He graduated in 1993 with a bachelor in finance and moved back to Allentown. He worked for Productivity Point, Inc. (PPI) until 1999. Bill then had an opportunity to work for Cantor Fitzgerald and he moved to New York City. Bill lived in South Seaport and loved taking advantage of all that New York had to offer.
A memorial fund has been established in Bill's name and its mission from the website is as follows:
Note: for more tributes head on over to Project 2,996. I also did this in 2006 and profiled Robert Garvin McCarthy and again 2009 when I profiled Martin Boryczewski
He was working on the 103rd floor of the World Trade Center as a network administrator for Cantor Fitzgerald's eSpeed division. He had spoken with his family just the day before to tell them he had survived a round of layoffs and that he still had his job at Cantor Fitzgerald.
Then he was gone.
He left behind his mother El, his father Bill, his sister Tracy and his girlfriend Suzanne.
From what I have gather he was a kind and loving man that also liked to have a good time. He was hardworking and lived life to the fullest. Friends and family could always count on him.
He was originally from Pennsylvania and graduated from Allentown Central Catholic High School. He then went on to Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He joined Theta Chi Fraternity, which has since Bill's death established a merit based memorial scholarship fund in Bill's honor.
He graduated in 1993 with a bachelor in finance and moved back to Allentown. He worked for Productivity Point, Inc. (PPI) until 1999. Bill then had an opportunity to work for Cantor Fitzgerald and he moved to New York City. Bill lived in South Seaport and loved taking advantage of all that New York had to offer.
A memorial fund has been established in Bill's name and its mission from the website is as follows:
Our MissionThe fund has flourished over the past eight years and has done a great deal of good to the community.
The purpose of this fund is to encourage, support and assist the needy and disadvantaged to improve their lives during times of difficulty, regardless of location, race, religion, or gender.
Note: for more tributes head on over to Project 2,996. I also did this in 2006 and profiled Robert Garvin McCarthy and again 2009 when I profiled Martin Boryczewski
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Protect your chicken
I can't stand Norton, but this ad makes me laugh every time. And for those interested in the alternate ending check this out.
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
A Sweet New Year
L’Shanah Tovah Tikatevu .
Tonight marks the start of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. We celebrated by going to services and I brought my tried and true Swedish Sugar Cake with Lingon berries (now with pictures!).
Tonight marks the start of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. We celebrated by going to services and I brought my tried and true Swedish Sugar Cake with Lingon berries (now with pictures!).
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
Back to School
A new school year always means new shoes. And here they all are, neatly lined up after the first day of school.
Rebecca, upon observing Max's stark white shoes, announced that his new shoes make his feet look big. Max cheerful rejoined, that's because I have big blocky feet. Oh, well I have petite flower feet was my darling daughters reply (and yes, she got two pairs because she's a girl).
Rebecca, upon observing Max's stark white shoes, announced that his new shoes make his feet look big. Max cheerful rejoined, that's because I have big blocky feet. Oh, well I have petite flower feet was my darling daughters reply (and yes, she got two pairs because she's a girl).
Sunday, September 05, 2010
Stretch
Ever see a turtle stretch?
I have and here's a picture to prove it.
We saw this little guy on Saturday at the zoo, we had glorious weather, low 80's and sunny. Jake has been wanting to go to the zoo all summer. It wasn't until this weekend that it wasn't hotter than all get out, that we were not too busy and the zoo was open (it's closed on Sundays). As the the critters, as usual for us it was a toss up between the official exhibits and the incidental creatures for which ones we liked the most.
I have and here's a picture to prove it.
We saw this little guy on Saturday at the zoo, we had glorious weather, low 80's and sunny. Jake has been wanting to go to the zoo all summer. It wasn't until this weekend that it wasn't hotter than all get out, that we were not too busy and the zoo was open (it's closed on Sundays). As the the critters, as usual for us it was a toss up between the official exhibits and the incidental creatures for which ones we liked the most.
Friday, September 03, 2010
Bumper Cars
One more shot from Nate and his friend's visit to the county fair.
It's not as sharp as I would like, but I love the quality of light in the picture. In real life it looked nothing like that.
The shafts of light are from two bright lights above the rules. I was very pleased how the picture came out. It is never a waste of time to just give it a shot. Sometimes you might be pleasantly surprised by the results.
It's not as sharp as I would like, but I love the quality of light in the picture. In real life it looked nothing like that.
The shafts of light are from two bright lights above the rules. I was very pleased how the picture came out. It is never a waste of time to just give it a shot. Sometimes you might be pleasantly surprised by the results.
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Tricked Out Chicken
Of the many fine and wondrous things you can see at the County Fair is the chicken tent. Every year we go and see all the different varieties of chickens that are being raised in the area.
Most are fairly normal looking, a few have bizarre dandelion poufs of white feathers on their heads, and then there was the "tricked out chicken."
He is a handsome little rooster with a classic cock's comb and tail feathers. What made him all tricked out to my kids was the extravagant cascade of feathers on his feet. They begged me to take his picture and so I did.
It's not the greatest picture from my cell phone, but it came out fairly well considering the twin challenges of a moving target and low light levels.
Most are fairly normal looking, a few have bizarre dandelion poufs of white feathers on their heads, and then there was the "tricked out chicken."
He is a handsome little rooster with a classic cock's comb and tail feathers. What made him all tricked out to my kids was the extravagant cascade of feathers on his feet. They begged me to take his picture and so I did.
It's not the greatest picture from my cell phone, but it came out fairly well considering the twin challenges of a moving target and low light levels.
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Artist of the Week: More Sea Turtles
This week's artist is Max. This is a rare picture of him not mugging for the camera. I think he is one of the hardest of my four children to photograph. He is even harder than Jake, who doesn't even want to be photographed. After the initial silly picture of him brandishing his balloon sword, I got this shot of him calming contemplating his upcoming barrel train ride.
The barrel train is a County Fair staple. For years the kids have looked forward to riding it. Sadly, however, Jake and Nate have gotten to be too big and too old to ride on it any more. I think the dynamic duo will be riding it for a few more years. Until they get too old I'll be taking pictures of them on the train.
AS for the pictures, it was a good thing I took them this year. About halfway through the ride Max's balloon sword popped. He had the most tragic expression when the train came back in view. He wasn't completely mollified when I told I had taken pictures, but the knowledge did lessen the sting a bit.
As for this week's picture it is one of Max's tiny detailed drawings. It is just 4 inches by 8 inches. It get a better look I recommend that you click on the picture. When Max was drawing it he started with the sea turtle slightly rearing out of the water as it swims. He then added the smaller baby sea turtle swimming just in front. There are also fish leaping from the water, a couple of sharks (the triangle fins in the water), and a boat.
Max was inspired by a picture I found for him of a sea turtle paddling in the water in that half raised position. The rest all came from his own imagination. What I like about this picture is that even though it is very tiny with teeny tiny figures it beautifully conveys the vastness of the ocean. Not a bad trick.
The barrel train is a County Fair staple. For years the kids have looked forward to riding it. Sadly, however, Jake and Nate have gotten to be too big and too old to ride on it any more. I think the dynamic duo will be riding it for a few more years. Until they get too old I'll be taking pictures of them on the train.
AS for the pictures, it was a good thing I took them this year. About halfway through the ride Max's balloon sword popped. He had the most tragic expression when the train came back in view. He wasn't completely mollified when I told I had taken pictures, but the knowledge did lessen the sting a bit.
As for this week's picture it is one of Max's tiny detailed drawings. It is just 4 inches by 8 inches. It get a better look I recommend that you click on the picture. When Max was drawing it he started with the sea turtle slightly rearing out of the water as it swims. He then added the smaller baby sea turtle swimming just in front. There are also fish leaping from the water, a couple of sharks (the triangle fins in the water), and a boat.
Max was inspired by a picture I found for him of a sea turtle paddling in the water in that half raised position. The rest all came from his own imagination. What I like about this picture is that even though it is very tiny with teeny tiny figures it beautifully conveys the vastness of the ocean. Not a bad trick.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Up and Away
At the County Fair.
I went one more time to the county fair with Nate and his best friend Josh. Nate had decided not to do any rides on last Friday because quite honestly they are boring unless you have someone to go on them with you, Max and Rebecca are too young for the extreme rides and Jake is completely uninterested.
I completely understood how Nate felt and we decided to allow Nate to invite his best friend over and I would take the boys to go on rides to their hearts content. My only request was that it would during one of the discount wristband nights.
So Monday night I headed over to the fair and got to watch two boys have a fabulous time.
I went one more time to the county fair with Nate and his best friend Josh. Nate had decided not to do any rides on last Friday because quite honestly they are boring unless you have someone to go on them with you, Max and Rebecca are too young for the extreme rides and Jake is completely uninterested.
I completely understood how Nate felt and we decided to allow Nate to invite his best friend over and I would take the boys to go on rides to their hearts content. My only request was that it would during one of the discount wristband nights.
So Monday night I headed over to the fair and got to watch two boys have a fabulous time.
Monday, August 30, 2010
New Boy
A very touching and well done movie about the new boy starting school (and over) in Ireland.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Dusk at the Fair
This year we did the fair thing a little different. We went opening night because the weather was absolutely perfect (and not because I wanted to the know the results of the judging-really).
Other years it was been unbelievably hot. We would put off going, hoping for a break in the weather. But not this year.
Jake was eager to go the first night as were his siblings when they realized all the activity near the school was not just band camp. So we met up with Meryl and descended upon the fair.
It was the low eighties when we arrived with just enough breeze. Rebecca was besides herself with excitement and we barely able to get her to get dinner. Then we were off to see the animals, ride the barrel train, see how Mommy's brownies did and then go on the rides.
Night was just starting to fall when we finally hit the midway. I didn't have my real camera with me, but I think my phone did a fairly decent job of capturing the mood. With the sun sinking below the horizon and the lights shining from the rides, there was an almost magical quality. The kids all had a great time and we look forward to next year.
Other years it was been unbelievably hot. We would put off going, hoping for a break in the weather. But not this year.
Jake was eager to go the first night as were his siblings when they realized all the activity near the school was not just band camp. So we met up with Meryl and descended upon the fair.
It was the low eighties when we arrived with just enough breeze. Rebecca was besides herself with excitement and we barely able to get her to get dinner. Then we were off to see the animals, ride the barrel train, see how Mommy's brownies did and then go on the rides.
Night was just starting to fall when we finally hit the midway. I didn't have my real camera with me, but I think my phone did a fairly decent job of capturing the mood. With the sun sinking below the horizon and the lights shining from the rides, there was an almost magical quality. The kids all had a great time and we look forward to next year.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Woo Hoo! I Did It!
I won first place in the Brownie division of the county fair!
I won't be able to pick up my ribbon until next week, my entry has to remain on exhibit for the entire fair.
So now I can say I make prize winning chocolate chip cookies and brownies!
Woo Hoo!
I won't be able to pick up my ribbon until next week, my entry has to remain on exhibit for the entire fair.
So now I can say I make prize winning chocolate chip cookies and brownies!
Woo Hoo!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
More Adventures in Baking
So I have officially decided to try my hand at the county fair baked goods competition again.
This year I will only have one entry, my brownies. This time I used a mix of milk chocolate and dark chocolate chips and substituted cognac for the Chambord (I was out). From the bits I nibbled on while cutting out four perfect brownies, the brownies were heavenly.
The kids wanted to know why I didn't enter my chocolate chip cookies again and I told them I had already won it. I have no need to try again. That and needlessly risking their status as blue ribbon cookies.
I'm not sure when I'll find out how my brownies, but I promise I'll keep y'all posted.
This year I will only have one entry, my brownies. This time I used a mix of milk chocolate and dark chocolate chips and substituted cognac for the Chambord (I was out). From the bits I nibbled on while cutting out four perfect brownies, the brownies were heavenly.
The kids wanted to know why I didn't enter my chocolate chip cookies again and I told them I had already won it. I have no need to try again. That and needlessly risking their status as blue ribbon cookies.
I'm not sure when I'll find out how my brownies, but I promise I'll keep y'all posted.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Artist of the Week: Sea Turtle
This week's artist is little Miss. Rebecca. At some point I will no longer be able to call her that, in fact she already objects to the word little being applied to her. But this is my blog and I mean it in the most loving way, she will always be my little girl.
Anyhoodle, she is very appropriately in the ocean for her picture this week. Among all the kayaks, life vests, paddles and boats in the boat house at my cousin's house there were a couple of inflatables. Rebecca loved the dolphin and immediately appropriated it for her own use. It saw quite a bit of use when we were down on the beach.
As for her art, it too is of an ocean dwelling creature. It is a very colorful (or as one of our kids used to say colory) and happy sea turtle. Like the previously featured lion and snake, she drew this during for after school art class. The picture was drawn with a variety of medias, crayon, markers, and possibly pencil.
Once again I really like the colors she selected. The children were clearly directed in what to draw and how, but the colors were pretty much at their discretion. The line of orange/red pops out from the purple on the carapace and adds warmth to the picture. The little fish also balances the composition.
Rebecca had a lot of fun in her class and I hope the school offers something like this again next year.
Anyhoodle, she is very appropriately in the ocean for her picture this week. Among all the kayaks, life vests, paddles and boats in the boat house at my cousin's house there were a couple of inflatables. Rebecca loved the dolphin and immediately appropriated it for her own use. It saw quite a bit of use when we were down on the beach.
As for her art, it too is of an ocean dwelling creature. It is a very colorful (or as one of our kids used to say colory) and happy sea turtle. Like the previously featured lion and snake, she drew this during for after school art class. The picture was drawn with a variety of medias, crayon, markers, and possibly pencil.
Once again I really like the colors she selected. The children were clearly directed in what to draw and how, but the colors were pretty much at their discretion. The line of orange/red pops out from the purple on the carapace and adds warmth to the picture. The little fish also balances the composition.
Rebecca had a lot of fun in her class and I hope the school offers something like this again next year.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
The Great Escape
This weekend I got to read a story that pretty much brought one of my favorite childhood books to life.
An alligator was found crouching beneath a car near a sewer grate in New York City. It was just a small one and it wasn't definitively from the sewer, but none the less it's a great story and hearkens to the classic urban legend that gators live in the sewers beneath New York's streets..
Which brings me to another great story. I book I loved as a child and passed on to my children is The Great Escape: Or, The Sewer Story, by Peter Lippman. The story details the life of Silas the alligator, stolen from the swamps of Florida. He was sold to a Family that brought him back to their home in NYC and then as the gator grew, flushed him down into the sewers. Silas then plots with all the other gators on how to get back to Florida.
The illustrations are marvelous with very clever dialogue and observations sprinkled about the page in addition to the story line. If you haven't clicked on the link in "flushed him down," you really should. It is a nice example of what the book is like. My kids all loved the book and it was just as good as I remembered from my childhood.
An alligator was found crouching beneath a car near a sewer grate in New York City. It was just a small one and it wasn't definitively from the sewer, but none the less it's a great story and hearkens to the classic urban legend that gators live in the sewers beneath New York's streets..
Which brings me to another great story. I book I loved as a child and passed on to my children is The Great Escape: Or, The Sewer Story, by Peter Lippman. The story details the life of Silas the alligator, stolen from the swamps of Florida. He was sold to a Family that brought him back to their home in NYC and then as the gator grew, flushed him down into the sewers. Silas then plots with all the other gators on how to get back to Florida.
The illustrations are marvelous with very clever dialogue and observations sprinkled about the page in addition to the story line. If you haven't clicked on the link in "flushed him down," you really should. It is a nice example of what the book is like. My kids all loved the book and it was just as good as I remembered from my childhood.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Missing Aunt Abby
We had a house guest this weekend, or as the dogs thought of it, Dell and John had a house guest.
My sister in law came to visit and John fell in love.
He is an affectionate dog, just not overly demonstrative after the initial excitement wears off when someone new enters the house.
But Aunt Abby was the exception.
Instead of wandering off and sacking out he always near her. Trying desperately to be in her lap and keep Dell out. Larry and I noticed what was going on and told Abby she was very special. John is choosy about who he follows around, as opposed to Dell-if you-pat-me-I'll be-your-BFF. Luckily Abby likes dogs and really didn't mind the attention.
However, house guests ultimately have to go back home. Early this morning she left, leaving John here and coping as best he can.
My sister in law came to visit and John fell in love.
He is an affectionate dog, just not overly demonstrative after the initial excitement wears off when someone new enters the house.
But Aunt Abby was the exception.
Instead of wandering off and sacking out he always near her. Trying desperately to be in her lap and keep Dell out. Larry and I noticed what was going on and told Abby she was very special. John is choosy about who he follows around, as opposed to Dell-if you-pat-me-I'll be-your-BFF. Luckily Abby likes dogs and really didn't mind the attention.
However, house guests ultimately have to go back home. Early this morning she left, leaving John here and coping as best he can.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Raining Blossoms
Lately we have gotten quite a bit of rain, to the extent that it is causing some of my plants to droop from the water trapped upon them. In fact I have one crape myrtle that is so overloaded by raindrops and blossoms that it is forming a tunnel. I decided to give it a good shaking to relieve the branches of their excess weight.
As I shook the branches I was treated to a shower of water and flowers. I thought the fallen blooms were so pretty I had to go back inside for my camera.
As I shook the branches I was treated to a shower of water and flowers. I thought the fallen blooms were so pretty I had to go back inside for my camera.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Artist of the Week: Summer Project
This week's artist is Nate.
He is pictured here in action with a little moral support from John. Nate will be starting middle school this month and will be continuing in the gifted program. Because he is in the gifted program, he has a fairly large project due the first week of school.
The project entails reading The Captain's Dog- My Journey with the Lewis and Clark Tribe, drawing (or tracing) examples of flora and fauna Lewis and Clark would have encountered, and finally pictures and a paper on a native American tribe that Lewis and Clarke met during their trek.
As any parent can imagine there was a fair amount of whining at the beginning of the summer about the injustice of having to do more than just reading over the summer break. He got little sympathy from me. Instead I gave him the book and told him to start reading.
And, in the end he did.
Fortunately it is a well written book and he was able to finish it in good time. The harder part was getting him to settle down and start working. We decided it was best to get the pictures out of the way. I had shown Nate how to trace pictures by taping the original and the blank paper onto a sunny window sometime last year. He was able to knock out the fauna and flora in about two weeks.
I think they are all turning out nicely. He was really thrown by the idea of all the drawings, but he took heart when he learned that tracing images was fine with the teachers. I think breaking it down to one portion per week also prevented Nate from being overwhelmed.
Now he is just starting work on the tribe portion of the project, he has just under half the pictures down (one still needs to be colored). Nate should be able to finish those up by the weekend. Then he has two weeks to write a less than two page paper. That should be enough time, even with all the goofing off he is wont to do.
He is pictured here in action with a little moral support from John. Nate will be starting middle school this month and will be continuing in the gifted program. Because he is in the gifted program, he has a fairly large project due the first week of school.
The project entails reading The Captain's Dog- My Journey with the Lewis and Clark Tribe, drawing (or tracing) examples of flora and fauna Lewis and Clark would have encountered, and finally pictures and a paper on a native American tribe that Lewis and Clarke met during their trek.
As any parent can imagine there was a fair amount of whining at the beginning of the summer about the injustice of having to do more than just reading over the summer break. He got little sympathy from me. Instead I gave him the book and told him to start reading.
And, in the end he did.
Fortunately it is a well written book and he was able to finish it in good time. The harder part was getting him to settle down and start working. We decided it was best to get the pictures out of the way. I had shown Nate how to trace pictures by taping the original and the blank paper onto a sunny window sometime last year. He was able to knock out the fauna and flora in about two weeks.
I think they are all turning out nicely. He was really thrown by the idea of all the drawings, but he took heart when he learned that tracing images was fine with the teachers. I think breaking it down to one portion per week also prevented Nate from being overwhelmed.
Now he is just starting work on the tribe portion of the project, he has just under half the pictures down (one still needs to be colored). Nate should be able to finish those up by the weekend. Then he has two weeks to write a less than two page paper. That should be enough time, even with all the goofing off he is wont to do.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Yogurt Love
Max decided to have some yogurt today at snack time. This in itself, the yogurt eating, is nothing new. Max really likes, no loves yogurt and today he saw that his yogurt loves him back.
He had just peeled off the foil and was about to plunge his spoon into the yogurt when he noticed something. Something was a little different and very sweet. A little bit of yogurt had formed the tiniest, perfect heart on the surface of the yogurt. He was so delighted with his find he rushed over to show me the little heart.
He and I agreed to was very much a picture taking event.
He had just peeled off the foil and was about to plunge his spoon into the yogurt when he noticed something. Something was a little different and very sweet. A little bit of yogurt had formed the tiniest, perfect heart on the surface of the yogurt. He was so delighted with his find he rushed over to show me the little heart.
He and I agreed to was very much a picture taking event.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Why Hello There
When I pulled up to pump this evening to fill up the car I noticed a visitor on the display near the pump. He (she, I don't know, I'm not a bug or an entomologist) was a good 5 or more inches long and was completely uninterested in what I was doing with my phone.
It's been a while since I've seen a praying mantis, so it was a bit of a treat for me (my apologies to bug phobic readers). It's orange/yellow underside neatly matched the display board it was perched upon. I considered moving it to the bush in the background, but decided it chose where it was for a reason and I shouldn't muck around with it.
I hope it caught a lot of mosquitoes.
It's been a while since I've seen a praying mantis, so it was a bit of a treat for me (my apologies to bug phobic readers). It's orange/yellow underside neatly matched the display board it was perched upon. I considered moving it to the bush in the background, but decided it chose where it was for a reason and I shouldn't muck around with it.
I hope it caught a lot of mosquitoes.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Fun with Mushrooms
We have, or rather had, a large mushroom growing in our backyard. I've watching it the past few days, waiting to see exactly how big it would get.
This morning when I looked out I saw it had flattened out, a good indicator that it wasn't going to be around much longer. The top of the mushroom was roughly 5 and 1/2 inched in diameter. I thought I should take a picture, but not just any old boring picture. I was going to have fun with the fungus.
Since the mushroom was fairly level I decide a toy would be just the thing to place on top. I dug around in the toy box and pulled out a dinosaur. The kids were baffled as to why I was putting a dinosaur on the mushroom. My answer that it amused me just barely cut the mustard.
Of course what I really wanted to take a picture of was the Caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland on top of the mushroom. Unfortunately we have no caterpillars and I had to satisfy myself with the dinosaur. I then plucked the mushroom out of the lawn and tossed it in the woods
Not long after I was on the phone with Meryl and mentioned how I had wanted to put a caterpillar on top. She asked if I took some plain mushroom pictures. If I had I could add in the caterpillar to the picture.
Oh yeah!
Luckily the mushroom was still intact. All I had to do was insert a bamboo skewer through the stem and the stick the skewer into the ground.
Happily, it worked. I was able to snap a few pictures and digitally add in my hookah smoking caterpillar.
This morning when I looked out I saw it had flattened out, a good indicator that it wasn't going to be around much longer. The top of the mushroom was roughly 5 and 1/2 inched in diameter. I thought I should take a picture, but not just any old boring picture. I was going to have fun with the fungus.
Since the mushroom was fairly level I decide a toy would be just the thing to place on top. I dug around in the toy box and pulled out a dinosaur. The kids were baffled as to why I was putting a dinosaur on the mushroom. My answer that it amused me just barely cut the mustard.
Of course what I really wanted to take a picture of was the Caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland on top of the mushroom. Unfortunately we have no caterpillars and I had to satisfy myself with the dinosaur. I then plucked the mushroom out of the lawn and tossed it in the woods
Not long after I was on the phone with Meryl and mentioned how I had wanted to put a caterpillar on top. She asked if I took some plain mushroom pictures. If I had I could add in the caterpillar to the picture.
Oh yeah!
Luckily the mushroom was still intact. All I had to do was insert a bamboo skewer through the stem and the stick the skewer into the ground.
Happily, it worked. I was able to snap a few pictures and digitally add in my hookah smoking caterpillar.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Crab Pools
This year up at my cousin's house Max discovered the joys of the crab pools.
The beach itself is wonderful, great swatches of bright white sand. But the rocks that form the breakwater and then jut out between the big beach and the little beach have always been my favorite feature.
Max is playing in the tide pools caught up in the rocks. You can find all sorts of sea creatures caught within. There are of course the crabs, hermit crabs (we found one that was no bigger than the letter O in this sentence), the occasional fish, mussels, periwinkles and once I found a star fish.
I could spend hours in there and it looks like Max could too.
The beach itself is wonderful, great swatches of bright white sand. But the rocks that form the breakwater and then jut out between the big beach and the little beach have always been my favorite feature.
Max is playing in the tide pools caught up in the rocks. You can find all sorts of sea creatures caught within. There are of course the crabs, hermit crabs (we found one that was no bigger than the letter O in this sentence), the occasional fish, mussels, periwinkles and once I found a star fish.
I could spend hours in there and it looks like Max could too.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Artist of the Week: Daydreams
This week's artist is Mila's mom, Adele, of Mila's DaydreamsAdele stages whimsical photos of what she imagines her daughter is dreaming during nap time.
I find each photo to be a delight and I had a very hard time picking just one. I think this is one of the best hobbies I have ever heard of and a wonderful creative outlet when on maternity leave.
Sadly it will only be for a short while, Mila will grow up and won't be nearly as cooperative in staying asleep. So go and enjoy it while it lasts.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Watermelon
Normally I get seedless watermelon and I cut it up into little chunks. So whenever somebody wants some watermelon they can just help themselves from the container in the fridge.
It's easier, neater, it encourages the kids to be self sufficient.and to eat more fruit.
But it's not very much fun.
So every now and then I'll get one with seeds and carve it up into slices. The only rule is that they have to eat it outside where they drip and spit to their hearts content.
That is fun.
It's easier, neater, it encourages the kids to be self sufficient.and to eat more fruit.
But it's not very much fun.
So every now and then I'll get one with seeds and carve it up into slices. The only rule is that they have to eat it outside where they drip and spit to their hearts content.
That is fun.
Monday, August 09, 2010
Sunday, August 08, 2010
Two Visitors
Actually it's four visitors when you add in mom and dad.
We have a little nuclear deer family in our backyard. This morning Larry and I got to see a buck, a doe, and two little fauns grazing in our backyard. We admired them for a bit, but soon we had to let out the dogs and the deer were gone before we could get a picture.
Later this afternoon the fauns made a reappearance. They slipped out of the woods and it was just shear luck that I was out on the deck. The fauns were just brave enough to allow me to go back inside and grab my camera. I decided to stay up on the deck and got this one quick shot. To give you some scale, there is a basketball just behind the faun on the left.
I regularly gripe about what a nuisance the deer are around here, but I have to admit they are cute. Especially the little ones when they pose so nicely for the camera.
We have a little nuclear deer family in our backyard. This morning Larry and I got to see a buck, a doe, and two little fauns grazing in our backyard. We admired them for a bit, but soon we had to let out the dogs and the deer were gone before we could get a picture.
Later this afternoon the fauns made a reappearance. They slipped out of the woods and it was just shear luck that I was out on the deck. The fauns were just brave enough to allow me to go back inside and grab my camera. I decided to stay up on the deck and got this one quick shot. To give you some scale, there is a basketball just behind the faun on the left.
I regularly gripe about what a nuisance the deer are around here, but I have to admit they are cute. Especially the little ones when they pose so nicely for the camera.
Friday, August 06, 2010
Molly and Charlie
This is Molly.
She is one of my little cousins. If I remember correctly, she is one of my cousin's grand daughters and no, this is not the cousin we stayed with. I have a rather large extended family in New England. So this would make her my first cousin twice removed.
And I'm pretty sure she's my children's second cousin once removed.
Maybe.
The generational thing makes it so complicated.
Basically Molly is family and a seriously adorable member of the family too. I just had to take a picture of her. Her chubby little toddler thighs and the way she just stood there, calmly surveying her kingdom. It was all too much and I had to take a picture.
This is Charlie.
He is a Portuguese Water Dog and he belongs to my cousin. And again, not the cousin we were staying with, nor Molly's family. Instead Charlie belongs to my cousin that owns the kayak we borrowed.
For those keeping score she is the sister of the cousin we stayed with (I told you I had a large extended family- there are scads of people out there I'm related to). Charlie and his family were also staying at my cousin's house.
Charlie is a wonderful example of the breed, full of energy and very sweet. My children got a very good dog fix at my cousin's house between his lovely two dogs and Charlie.
This is Charlie and Molly together.
Molly fell in love with Charlie. He is just the right size for her, not too big and not too small. He was also very accommodating and did not mind at all her hanging all over him. I think he liked the attention and had figured out that toddlers often mean food.
They spent a good 20 minutes together. He would stand there and she would grab at his coat, babbling in delight.
Charlie is a very good dog.
She is one of my little cousins. If I remember correctly, she is one of my cousin's grand daughters and no, this is not the cousin we stayed with. I have a rather large extended family in New England. So this would make her my first cousin twice removed.
And I'm pretty sure she's my children's second cousin once removed.
Maybe.
The generational thing makes it so complicated.
Basically Molly is family and a seriously adorable member of the family too. I just had to take a picture of her. Her chubby little toddler thighs and the way she just stood there, calmly surveying her kingdom. It was all too much and I had to take a picture.
This is Charlie.
He is a Portuguese Water Dog and he belongs to my cousin. And again, not the cousin we were staying with, nor Molly's family. Instead Charlie belongs to my cousin that owns the kayak we borrowed.
For those keeping score she is the sister of the cousin we stayed with (I told you I had a large extended family- there are scads of people out there I'm related to). Charlie and his family were also staying at my cousin's house.
Charlie is a wonderful example of the breed, full of energy and very sweet. My children got a very good dog fix at my cousin's house between his lovely two dogs and Charlie.
This is Charlie and Molly together.
Molly fell in love with Charlie. He is just the right size for her, not too big and not too small. He was also very accommodating and did not mind at all her hanging all over him. I think he liked the attention and had figured out that toddlers often mean food.
They spent a good 20 minutes together. He would stand there and she would grab at his coat, babbling in delight.
Charlie is a very good dog.
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Ahoy There!
Speaking of perfect shots, I got this one of Nate and Rebecca at around the same time as Jake. Again it's straight out of the camera. I feel obligated to point out that I take many pictures that don't come out nearly as well. I just keep shooting and eventually I get a few diamonds that don't need polishing.
Anyhoodle, one of the many advantages of staying with family is the vast array of stuff we can borrow. There is a boathouse near the beach and it has a variety of small craft therein. Nate eyeballed the kayaks and wondered if we could use them. I asked my cousin's partner and she said we were free to use theirs as long as we were careful of both the kayak and our selves.
We hauled out the kayak, found a suitable life-vest amongst the piles, and then Nate got a quick lesson on how to kayak. He turned out to be a complete natural. He loved gliding along the shore and was more than happy to take his younger siblings out for a paddle (the kayak was designed to hold an adult plus one child).
It looked like great fun. Next time I'll have to wrest it away from Nate for a bit.
Anyhoodle, one of the many advantages of staying with family is the vast array of stuff we can borrow. There is a boathouse near the beach and it has a variety of small craft therein. Nate eyeballed the kayaks and wondered if we could use them. I asked my cousin's partner and she said we were free to use theirs as long as we were careful of both the kayak and our selves.
We hauled out the kayak, found a suitable life-vest amongst the piles, and then Nate got a quick lesson on how to kayak. He turned out to be a complete natural. He loved gliding along the shore and was more than happy to take his younger siblings out for a paddle (the kayak was designed to hold an adult plus one child).
It looked like great fun. Next time I'll have to wrest it away from Nate for a bit.
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Artist of the Week: Slugs
This week it's Jake's turn to be artist of the week.
I love this picture I took of him when we were at my cousins' house. He looks happy and I like the composition. I did not do any cropping or tweaking of the original image, it is just straight out of the camera to you. Of course now he informs me that he doesn't really care for this picture.
Argh.
That's life and I guess we will just have a difference of opinion on this one.
As for this week's art, we are in agreement. We both like the piece.
It's the last of his big pieces from art class. Jake told me the white forms are called "slug." They are simply pieces of white paper cut and then folded in such a way that the paper has a tented three dimensional form. The "slugs" were then glued in place.
The overall feel of the piece is very organic and flowing. I like how there is a balance in both positive and negative space. I just plain enjoy looking at it. And really, what more could you want from art?
I love this picture I took of him when we were at my cousins' house. He looks happy and I like the composition. I did not do any cropping or tweaking of the original image, it is just straight out of the camera to you. Of course now he informs me that he doesn't really care for this picture.
Argh.
That's life and I guess we will just have a difference of opinion on this one.
As for this week's art, we are in agreement. We both like the piece.
It's the last of his big pieces from art class. Jake told me the white forms are called "slug." They are simply pieces of white paper cut and then folded in such a way that the paper has a tented three dimensional form. The "slugs" were then glued in place.
The overall feel of the piece is very organic and flowing. I like how there is a balance in both positive and negative space. I just plain enjoy looking at it. And really, what more could you want from art?
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Farewell Reds
My favorite pro-football nonagenarian passed away today.
Reds was quite a character. He was recognized in 2007 as the oldest Philadelphia Eagles player, but I remember him as a shameless flirt that loved seeing my kids at services.
When we first met him he was a spry 86 year old that when he led services would rush through so he could play golf after wards. He liked to talk sports with Nate and always was pleased to see us. He was never stuffy and understood that kids need to be kids.
He had aged quite a bit the past couple of years, but he still was Reds. He was just a bit frailer, a bit more stooped, and little slower. Which considering he was nearing the century mark was not that surprising.
So his death was not a great shock, but a sad sigh. I'll miss him.
Reds was quite a character. He was recognized in 2007 as the oldest Philadelphia Eagles player, but I remember him as a shameless flirt that loved seeing my kids at services.
When we first met him he was a spry 86 year old that when he led services would rush through so he could play golf after wards. He liked to talk sports with Nate and always was pleased to see us. He was never stuffy and understood that kids need to be kids.
He had aged quite a bit the past couple of years, but he still was Reds. He was just a bit frailer, a bit more stooped, and little slower. Which considering he was nearing the century mark was not that surprising.
So his death was not a great shock, but a sad sigh. I'll miss him.
Monday, August 02, 2010
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Sunday in the Park
With some cousins.
I can't believe it has only been a week since I took this picture. We had a little get together last Sunday with some of Larry's extended family. Spouses and children were welcome to attend.
Larry's mom organized the whole shebang, from scouting out an idyllic spot at the park to ordering sandwiches from the local deli. She was able to corral up Larry's brother, her brother and his wife, three cousins and their respective children. It was the first time that our kids have gotten to see some of their second cousins.
The picnic was a huge hit. After the initial shyness wore off the kids all had a great time. Larry and Nate taught some of the littles how to play lacrosse, Rebecca went exploring with Abby and Alex, and Max and Jake just plain had fun with all the other kids. We completely lucked out on the weather. The rain held off until we got back to my in-laws' condo. Then it was time for ice cream and playtime with grandma's toys.
I know we had a wonderful time reconnecting with family and our kids are hoping that we will do this again next year.
I can't believe it has only been a week since I took this picture. We had a little get together last Sunday with some of Larry's extended family. Spouses and children were welcome to attend.
Larry's mom organized the whole shebang, from scouting out an idyllic spot at the park to ordering sandwiches from the local deli. She was able to corral up Larry's brother, her brother and his wife, three cousins and their respective children. It was the first time that our kids have gotten to see some of their second cousins.
The picnic was a huge hit. After the initial shyness wore off the kids all had a great time. Larry and Nate taught some of the littles how to play lacrosse, Rebecca went exploring with Abby and Alex, and Max and Jake just plain had fun with all the other kids. We completely lucked out on the weather. The rain held off until we got back to my in-laws' condo. Then it was time for ice cream and playtime with grandma's toys.
I know we had a wonderful time reconnecting with family and our kids are hoping that we will do this again next year.
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