Visiting

We so enjoy visiting these friends.  It feels like very little time has lapsed whenever we see them, both for the kids and adults.  This time, I came to the realization that whenever I visit Goshen, I leave with a craving for wholesome things: country living, clotheslines, compost, gardens, local food, sustainable living, quilts, barns, quilts on barns, bikes.  Maybe it is the drive through the beautiful Amish countryside, with frequent sightings of buggies and real farms.  We enjoyed a picnic outing to an antique mill that is still in use, and a new zoo on the way home that is wonderful.  I often get depressed by zoos, but the African exhibit at this zoo was inspiring.  There were beautiful wide open meadows with rolling hills and woods, where the animals were roaming freely.  And the path we walked to see these animals was all wooded, so we spent the whole time shaded.  It's amazing what one full day off can do for our family!

Sun

We have seen very little of it lately, though I do love the spectacular little peeks of sun in between rain.  G-bear made this picture this morning, and I thought I'd share the hope in it with you all.

"The sun will come out tomorrow in its daily rise."

Good Teachers

Tonight at dinner, our conversation was about teachers.  I told the girls they were really lucky to have such good teachers.  I said, "Did you know there are some teachers that are not very good?"  Their eyes got wide, and they said, "Like who?"  I told them that some teachers are grumpy most of the time, or some don't have any control in the class, or some aren't patient.  We talked about what makes a teacher a good teacher.  Here is what they came up with:

Moo: My teacher is good because she teaches us about things that are good for us.  She is firm, but kind.
G-bear: My teacher is firm, but kind.  She helps us with problems we have, either in class or with friends.

Both agreed that their teachers are very patient.

I asked them what would make a bad teacher, and here is what they said:

Moo: Someone who sends you to the office if you make one little mistake in your work.
G-bear: Someone who doesn't let you eat lunch, and someone who doesn't let you breathe.

Bear Hunt

Quinn loves the book we have of this.  This you tube version missed his favorite part, which is at the end.  So, here he is, filling in.

Six years

To see a world in a grain of sand
And heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour.
William Blake

This is the quote we used to announce G-bear's birth 6 years ago.  We had no idea, at that time, just how fitting it would be for her.  She is definitely someone who can see heaven in a flower, and hold infinity   in the palm of her hand.  This describes a large part of who she is.  Six years.  In some ways, it is baffling that it has been that long.  In other ways, it seems just right.  She is six, and maybe for the first time in her life, she seems her age.  

We had a lovely time celebrating her life.  I made cupcakes to bring to school, and got to watch her class celebrate her six years.  She wore a crown and walked around a big sun on the floor six times, while a    room full of kindergarten friends counted out loud.  

This girl has planned 6 elaborate parties, with incredible detail since January.  We finally said, "OK, this is it!" when we neared the week of her birthday.  We had to let our neighbor know, so she could work   on the wonderful cake.  So, what it came down to was a flower fairy party, with wand and flower pot    decorating, a treasure hunt, and that amazing cake I think I just mentioned!  Many delightful little fairies descended upon our house, and fun was had by all.  There were few glitches, and one massive melt       down afterwards, but we've come to expect that.  It is just her style to have one major meltdown, and then be done with it.  In the end, looking back, it was just as it should be.  

One highlight was the cake, which was made by our neighbor.  She printed G-bear's favorite flower fairy picture onto rice paper, had it integrated into the frosting, and made it oh-so-special.  Another highlight was having 3 of her grandparents here in one day (Mark's mom was here from Uruguay in addition to the grandparents who are close by now).  









We love you so, G!  We love your wisdom, your intensity, your creativity, your thoughtfulness, your      tinker skills, your focus.  We are proud of you, and are so lucky to have you with us.

Nana Tru

We always love our visits with Nana Tru.  It is a big deal when she travels all the way from Uruguay to spend time with us.  This time she started a tradition: a special one-on-one outing with each kid.  It was really nice for each of them to have her to themselves for a little bit.  Thanks so much for coming all this way, Nana Tru!

First Song

Quinn has made up his first official song.  He accompanied himself on his favorite instrument, the "vi-vee-lin."  He is pretty camera shy, so I feel lucky to have gotten this on video.



Ole, Don't go away.
There's so much to play
In the morning.
Ta-Da!

Date

A date?  What's that?  Sometimes it seems like forever ago that we knew what that was.  No, it's not that bad.  We've just re-defined "date" over the years.  But last night, we went to a concert (after bedtime) and left all three of the kids with our beloved neighbor.  We saw Greg Brown at our favorite venue.  Said neighbor got Bug to go to sleep without his mama for the first time ever.  We got to spend 3.5 hours relaxing and taking in some sweet music.  Here's one number he did last night that both of us really enjoyed.  Don't forget to click pause on the playlist over there ---> before playing the video : )

Poems by Moo

THE SUN GOES DOWN

The sun goes down, the moon is high
The stars are twinkling in the sky
The sun is in its gentle bed
Turning the sky orange, pink, and red
Before the sun lays down its head
It says goodnight to me in the wind

THE SEED

Plant a seed in the ground
Rain will fall
Sun will glow
A flower comes out of the ground
Dressed in a colorful gown

LISTEN

Feel the grass on my feet
Oh how it smells so sweet
Hear the wind rushing by
Blowing in my hair
Feel the sun shining
With gentle care

SEE THE SKY

A big blue blanket above my head
Oh, how big it is
Covering me with gentle light
Up so high, above the days
Look at me.  I'm flying high

Builder's fair

Yet another event I love at our school: The Builder's Fair.  The kids are told, "Build anything out of anything."  Then those who choose to participate bring it in for display.  Parents and middle schoolers help to write complementary comments about them.  It is a joy to watch them come up with an idea, figure out how to make it, experiment with making it, and experience the pride of showing it to others.  No competition.  No prizes.  Everyone gets the same thing: a paper with kind words about their specific project.  There were moments of frustration along the way, of course, but that's all part of it.  This is one of the times when I really delight in learning what my kids' true genuine interests are.  Thankfully, I think there is a general understanding that preschool kids need to experience this kind of discovery.  Sadly, I'm afraid it's typically lost (or at least tapers off) in the mid-to-late elementary years.  So, I am grateful that they have this chance to develop their own interests and their own style and that their school honors this.  Another way this is offered to them at school is the focus studies, which I think I've mentioned here before.  Last time, G-bear chose to do "Making Miniatures" and Moo chose, "Josephina: learning about the southwest."  This time, Moo chose "Neighborhood Naturalists."

Anyway, for the builder's fair, Moo chose to build Little House in the Big Woods.  G-bear chose to build a butterfly garden.

I just love this!

Little wooden ball plays Bach

Pretty dishes

It's funny what will cheer up the morning, afternoon, or evening.  How a little bright color can make the dirty dishes (which I face all through the day) appealing.  I thought I'd show off my new, pretty dishes.  Thanks, Mom!

Today

i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday;this is the birth
day of life and love and wings:and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any--lifted from the no
of all nothing--human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

e.e.cummings

Years ago I memorized that poem, and it has stuck with me, calling out to me all the many beautiful, wonderful days that I am given.  I remember my Grossmama talking about the importance of memorizing poetry.  I'm glad, because it inspired me to memorize this one, and it's been a good companion along the way.

Today feels like a good long stride toward Spring, and what more could I ask for on my birthday?  

So far, in addition to a Spring-like day, my other treats have been:

Coffee in bed

Baroque Radio in the morning

A card from Moo that described me as "kind" "inspiring" "tender" and "eager"

Hugs from my little ones

Free bagels

Free lunch at a favorite spot with my husband

Beautiful, spring-looking dishes

Vibrams (which, coincidentally come with a vote of confidence from my husband)

Coupon shopping with my hands (and whole body) to myself

A new song written by Greta (The sun comes up/The moon goes down/Get up with a smile and not a frown/Celebrate! Participate!. . . . )

Grandma-assisted kid decorated cake (lemon cake piled with berries and frosting, and accompanied by strawberry ice cream -- all by Grandma)

and. . . get this. . . even though I baked a whole chicken with roasted veggies, and Mark doesn't get home till 7:30, when we're scrambling through bed time, I ordered myself Indian food.  My favorite: Pakora Curry with Garlic Naan

Kids singing me the birthday song

After giving birth to my own three babies, the meaning of birthdays has deepened for me.  I find more appreciation for my own mom more then ever before.  I've always known that my mom has given me the world, that she would give me the world again and again.  I've always known that she loves me and always will.  I've always known that she's worked hard and sacrificed, and she's always said it was worth it.  But I didn't know this kind of love until I was here, living it myself.  So, thank you, MOM, for life and love and wings.  Thank you for it all.  

Geography

I loved this lesson in G-bear's class.  They made a gingerbread baby and cooked it in the school's oven.  When they went to get him out, he was gone!  He had escaped.  So, they wrote signs and posted them all over the school: "Have you seen the gingerbread baby?" "Please send him back to H's class" etc.  (all in kindergarten-style phonetic writing).  Then, amazingly, all these postcards started coming in the mail to G-bear's teacher.  Postcards from all over the world, telling her that they had seen the gingerbread baby in their town!!!  With each postcard, they found that town on the map.  It is quite impressive, the map.  Here it is when they were almost done receiving postcards.

Couch bed

Oh, and speaking of cheering ourselves up, this was an effort to embrace the cold a little more, and make the coziest evening we could out of it.  I find this is a major part of parenting: when there's something (like the cold lasting too long) we are not happy about, get active and do something that will make us happy.  This requires being flexible on some of our family norms.  For example, we don't usually allow more than one movie in a day, but when a Friday evening comes, and the week was long, and you need another movie, well, so be it.

I didn't realize this before we started, but the movie the girls chose happened to be a ballet about a girl who was trying to help spring come, but the Winter Witch was making the winter stay, despite her efforts.  How perfectly fitting.

Daffodils

In Georgia, we saw daffodils in January.  Yes, we knew well that it would be much later here.  The waiting for spring is the hard part of the year here.  We decided to make paper daffodils to cheer us up a bit.  G-bear has especially been enjoying giving them away.

G-bear on guitar

I have so enjoyed the process of Suzuki guitar with G-bear's teacher.  She is a wonderful teacher.  It's no wonder she travels the world (so far in 2011, to Chile and Ireland) to teach other Suzuki teachers.  During one lesson, G-bear was getting all wiggly and having trouble keeping her playing position.  When this happens, her teacher swiftly comes up with a game to play that grasps her attention again.  This one just cracked me up.  I took a picture of it, so that G-bear could see herself in this state. So now, sometimes when we practice, after every rhythm she plays, I place an animal somewhere on her or on her guitar.  If she doesn't hold the position, the animal falls off, which gives her instant feedback.  When we finish, I play the rhythms and she places animals all over me.  Another trick that has helped us a lot with practicing is reading a book.  Her teacher taught us that we can read a book while she's in play position, and she can play a rhythm after each page.  In guitar, it is very important that they learn to pluck the strings with a relaxed right hand.  Reading the book helps the child to naturally relax and they are ready to play the rhythm relaxed.  I love the wealth of creativity her teacher uses with the younger kids in her studio.

Where are you? On facebook?

Just curious . . . is anyone out there?  I just looked at my last 10 posts and 8 of them have little empty 0s when it comes to comments.  I have this theory that along with the growth of facebook, the blogospere is shrinking,  Don't get me wrong, I'm on facebook a lot and I enjoy it.  I'm okay with the sole purpose of this blog being to keep a record of our lives for the future, but I also admit that I like the more conversational aspect of it.  I might record things a little differently if I know it's just for us.  So, if you would, let me know. . . are you out there?

Bug

How many posts have I written that are lists of things I want to remember? Probably too many.  Yet, I think of it all the time. . . the things to remember.

I want to remember how this guys says a few things, like "Wang-koon" for Thank you.  His language has really taken off, and he is in that adorable stage where he is trying out things he hears, even if he doesn't really know how to put it all together.  As you can imagine, he hears a lot of different things.  The other day he said to me, "Sursly, Mama, I want you to nurse on the couch right now, and Weta can walk school to she's self!"  He tries to use "instead" and says "onstead."  He gets pronouns confused, like today when he told me, "Mama, I uh-sided for M(oo) to get on bike she's."  He uses "for" instead of "to."  "I am ready for go."

I find this language development fascinating, so forgive me if it's boring stuff for you readers.  I would love to get some of it on video, but he shies away from the camera, which makes it difficult.

It's such a thrill to be here to witness all the new things he is trying out with his language.  He's quite a chatty little thing, and won't take "no" for an answer.  Instead of throwing a fit, he persistently keeps suggesting the same thing over and over.

OK, enough for now.

Mark

We celebrated Mark with the usual: balloons, chocolate cake, and 38 reasons we love him.  The funniest placement was the note that said "You love animals" that someone ironically placed in the freezer, next to the meat.  Hmmmm.

Then we did something very unusual: we dressed up and went to the fanciest restaurant for the brunch of all brunches.  Its is in an old train station, and it really looks like a small castle.

Grandma and Grandpa's house

We have really enjoyed being closer to family.  Our quiet, slow visits to Grandma and Grandpa's house are treasured.

Science Fair

Yet another thing I love about our school: the science fair.  Here are the projects the girls came up with (with some help, of course).

G-Bear, on the Rain

"Mama, did you know the Rain is my friend?  When the rain is soft and slow, she is peaceful and happy.  When it is fast and hard, she is very excited.  When there is thunder and lightning, she is angry.  When the rain stops, she has gone on vacation."