Forget-me-not Days

Snow Day

2012-01-18T15:55:00.000-08:00

We have had a rare snowstorm this week, and are enjoying being home in the snow. Our area will often get a bit of snow each winter, but we usually only get an inch or two before it melts and goes away. In our yard we have over 7 inches, and it is supposed to stick around for another day or two. We continue with some of our book work, but we also took some time out to learn about snow and have some fun.

5 1/2 inches above the 2 we had from earlier

We've really been enjoying watching the birds at our feeders. We enjoy them from inside the warmth of our home but also sitting quietly outside in the snow and watching them fly over and around us. We can hear the whoosh of feathers and the calls and chirps they make.

We've had a Townsend's Warbler around, which we don't see very often. We like their bright yellow colors and their black masks.

Lots of little footprints in the snow on the porch.

Snow science

We found a neat website that explains how snowflakes form, and all kinds of information about their shapes. We read about how they are usually 6-sided, because of the bonds of hydrogen and oxygen in water. We tried to interpret the chart explaining which snowflakes form at which concentrations of moisture and temperature. Then we took our printed snowflake chart outside to catch snowflakes on black card stock, to try to see what we were getting. Our snow was tiny needles.

Tiny needles of snow on black paper

The kids pulled Daddy on the sled

Finally, we made maple syrup candy, just like they did in the pioneer days (such as in the Little House series). We boiled the maple syrup to the soft ball stage, then poured it into waiting pans of snow. It hardened into candy! Not that great for fillings or braces, but oh, so yummy. I used quakerfarm.com for the recipe, since it seemed to be the most basic.

Boiling maple syrup

Poured onto cake pans full of snow

Our finished candy, on paper towels to soak up the snow bits

We've had a great day! Now I need to stoke the wood stove again, and get some warm stew cooking for dinner.

Neglect

2012-01-17T22:19:00.001-08:00

Rose hips covered in snow

Oh, my poor, neglected blog! It sits here, quietly waiting, while I am off living life and giving my love to my Hiker Mama website and blog. Yet I feel the stirrings of more to come. I haven't wanted to shut this space down, even though no one except my Mom reads it, because I feel I am not done here yet. Can I keep two different blogs going? We shall see. I do want to spend more time here, though, capturing our days, especially the ones that don't make it onto thehikermama.com.

Dude, you need a bigger shovel

We've had snow this week. This is pretty special. We don't have snow every winter here in Puget Sound, and when we do it is often a dusting one day and gone the next. We've been enjoying a few days of fluff in the yard. It should stick around for a few more, and then turn back to good old rain. We'll enjoy it while we can!

The giant snowball that Daddy made

2011-10-28T18:35:00.000-07:00

The kids at the pumpkin patch

I really don't like Halloween. My feelings don't have much to do with the darker spiritual aspects. It's mostly that I don't like the hassle of figuring out costumes and the expense of buying them and the candy. I don't like that most people see Halloween as a day to dress as gross as they can. I don't like having to deal with massive amounts of candy with my children and negotiating my way around that. But as my children are in the perfect age to be excited about this "holiday," I have forced myself to help them with their wishes of dressing up and celebrating with everyone else. Today I surprised them with a trip to the pumpkin patch after our nature walk.

Pumpkin patch, playground, and corn maze

We even saw some good friends of ours there; we hadn't planned to meet them there, but appreciated the conicidence. The kids picked out the perfect pumpkins (it invovled walking to the farthest end of the field) and we brought them home.

Daddy came home early today, and he got involved in the carving.

When the carver tool broke, Daddy got out the power tools

Daddy's Pumpkin - Cyclops?

It's so cool to see the excitement of Annika - it's almost palpable. She could hardly wait to get started on the carving, and wanted to participate in each step. She thinks she picked a very scary face for her creation; I think that is part of the thrill for her.

Annika's Pumpkin

We roasted some of the pumpkin seeds, and we'll be snacking on them all week, I'm sure.

On Monday the kids will dress in their costumes and we'll go trick-or-treating. They'll get candy, eat some of it, save some of it, and trade most in for some new art supplies. Gabriel can't eat most of it because of his braces, anyway. I'll facilitate it all because I love my children, and part of my job as mother is to create happy memories of their childhood. The holidays are an important part of that important role in life. So even though it's not a day I care about, because my children do, I'll try to make it special and fun for them.

Gabriel's pumpkin

First Day of School

2011-09-06T17:15:00.001-07:00

I had great plans and high expectations for this day. Some of it happened, some of it didn't, but we've made it most of the way through, and I thought I'd document our day here. I really wanted the day to be special, with a yummy breakfast and lots of fun in store. My breakfast didn't turn out so great - baking gluten free can be unpredictable.

Well, at least my daughter was excited to start kindergarten officially. So what were all these tears for? Something strange was happening with Annika today; she just wasn't acting like her normal happy self. I dispensed lots of snuggles and tissues, and we made it through as best we could.

For math I had planned a few games instead of starting right off with worksheets (I need to get our curriculum tomorrow from school when we go in for our meeting). We had more tears from the youngest player, but then I sent her off to play with dice, so we were able to finish. Grammar was MadLibs for Gabriel and Annika and I worked on some reading exercises from the website that goes with the Usborne Very First Reading series. This series of books is the main tool I've been using to help Annika learn to read this summer. She was interested and motivated, so we do a little bit each day. It's amazing how much she has picked up from our causal yet consistent approach. She also worked on her printing, as I am trying to correct her formation of several letters.

We had lunch outside on the grass, where we found a ladybug and observed hover flies buzzing around.

Being outside seemed to help with the mood of the youngest, and the afternoon proceeded on a more positive note. I am excited about a new geography curriculum I got for the family. It's the Trail Guide to World Geography by Geography Matters. There are several support books and atlases to go along with it, and we'll be able to incorporate many other subjects as we study our way around the world this year. Gabriel has a pretty good handle on basic geography and map reading, and finds it interesting, so we'll work on it a bit each day after we've gotten the other nuts and bolts out of the way. He will be keeping a notebook on his work, with information about the earth and each continent and many countries. Annika will tag along and learn what she needs to learn.

We finished our school day with an art project using some sun print paper we've had for a few years and never used.

I thought we'd better take advantage of this Indian Summer sunshine while we had it. They turned out pretty good. The spaces in the day were filled with Lego building, reading, hula hooping, bike riding, and, after school, a video and a computer game. I had planned to take the kids to the beach for the afternoon, but the peaches I bought last Saturday for canning over the weekend didn't ripen very quickly, and now they all need to be processed. So much for my plans!

Since I wasn't able to get as much canning done this weekend as I wanted to, I took the time yesterday to make a raised bed for the garden.

I had meant to do this last spring, but didn't have much luck finding free lumber until about a month ago. I used a power saw, a drill, and a screwdriver and put the thing together on the fly. I have to say it felt pretty good to wear a tool belt and spend a few hours on a type of project I don't normally do. You really can accomplish difficult tasks if you take it one step at a time and plod your way through them.

On Sunday I spent some time with Annika working our way through a Lego project. We were given some kits from a cousin who outgrew them, and the kids have been playing with them a lot. Annika likes to follow the instructions to build specific objects, so I helped her build a shark. She is really good at figuring out what to do, she almost doesn't need my help. But having me there helps her to feel more confident, I think. She stuck with it for over an hour, piecing it together on brick at a time. I'm so proud of her!

So that's what we've been up to this weekend. Keeping super busy and occupying ourselves with worthy projects. I hope all my friends and family out there have a wonderful start to your school year!

Summer has finally arrived!

2011-08-17T22:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, you heard that right, summer has finally arrived here in Puget Sound. No matter that it's just in time for the light to start changing as the sun sinks lower in the sky. That's all in the future - it's warm this week, and we're enjoying it.

Neighborhood Park

We went to the spray park up the street from us yesterday. It's the first time it's been warm enough for us to enjoy it. I was a bit disappointed - it looks as if they have the water on only at half volume or something, the spray was pretty anemic. But Annika had fun, and Gabriel did for awhile. Then they played at the playground, and wouldn't you know it, they both learned new skills.

Swinging on those monkey bars

Gabriel did the monkey bars for the first time, and Annika learned to pump from a dead stop on the swings for the first time.

Swinging, swinging...

So quietly, stealthily even, and they can now do something they couldn't do the day before. Is that how it's going to be, growing up, now? I almost missed it, I'm glad I was paying attention yesterday!

The front garden bed

The lilies in my front garden are spectacular this year. New baby plants sprouted this spring and got blossoms. They are so heavy they tipped over when I watered them the other day. I'm so lazy I can't be bothered to find something to prop them up with. Their fragrance meets me at the sidewalk; I even get whiffs of their scent around the back of the house sometimes! The rest of that plot looks silly, but those lilies, they steal the show.

Bowing lilies and geraniums

And I don't even remember where I got them - perhaps from the first neighbors we had when we moved in here, who got evicted and left me all their plants to take?

Beautiful moth

We have also had our regular and some irregular moths appearing lately. I love this one, it's the faintest pastel green color. Someday I'm going to take a moth class and learn how to identify them. Or not. maybe I'll just start drawing them and appreciate them that way. Or just keep taking photos. So many things to think about!

Basket weaving

2011-08-15T22:11:00.000-07:00

School doesn't officially start here until after Labor Day (summer barely is in full swing, and, well, we won't even talk about the quality of this year's summer) but I am beginning to think about shifting our daily routines to be more in line with what we need to be doing next month. I am making a change to the rhythm of our days, desiring more structure and accountability for the children. To begin, I am instituting a morning devotional time, discussing a simple Bible verse or concept and building on a topic that will help my children develop their characters. I picked the fruits of the Spirit to start out with, since it lends itself well to several weeks of obvious topics. Today we introduced the verse, and after our discussion, we made baskets. The idea is that we will fill our baskets up with fruits of the spirit as we learn about them. I found a great tutorial for making baskets based on the African Tutsi style, and I thought I'd share what they looked like for us.

First, I went to http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/paper-baskets1.htm and printed out the instructions. There are simpler baskets out there if you have younger children, but I figured Gabriel would enjoy the challenge of this project. The instructions are pretty good, though I would appreciate a few more diagrams to go with them. The kids did really well following instructions. Annika needed a break in the middle, but she came back and finished after playing for a few minutes.

One thing to be aware of is that you should make the strips the width and length in the instructions, or the weaving part will not work. Annika made hers too wide (I was trying to simplify things for her) and we ended up having to modify the strips after they were already glued together. She required hands-on assistance from mom, but Gabriel was able to do his with only verbal instructions from me. I was pleased with how the baskets turned out. This would be a good project to include if you are doing African studies or something. We had a fun time doing a craft together before I hit the chores and ran errands. I look forward to more crafting time with the kids as we begin the school year in a few weeks.

Vacation and Reentry

2011-08-03T21:09:00.001-07:00

I feel like I have spent a lot of the summer going away and coming back again. This time it was harder than usual to get back into my routines, because I spent a whole week mostly relaxing. No cooking, no cleaning, only one load of laundry (!!!) and lots of sitting in the sun, chatting and knitting. I even got a few hours each day to myself to think, read, write, and enjoy nature. You see, the kids and I were fortunate to go with hubby's extended family for a reunion at a most unique place. Holden Village is an old mining community that was acquired in the 60s by the Lutheran Church and turned into a retreat center. It's very remote, and takes most of a day to travel to and from.

First you take a boat up the long Lake Chelan. No roads go into the area.

Then, you get on a bus for the ride 11 miles up into the mountains to the Village

There is no cell phone service, no land phone line, no internet (except for that required by the Village for registration and business purposes.) They prepare all the food, guests sleep in the lodges that were the old dormitories for the miners. There is programming you can attend, or not. There is a kids' program each weekday morning, built-in babysitting. And it was sunny all except for one day! The kids played hard all day, I went for a long hike without them (thanks Grandma for watching them), and spent a lot of time sitting around.

Deer roam through the village daily. They are used to people.

Railroad Creek runs next to the Village. You can just see the mine ruins on the hillside in the distance.

I took a hike to Hart Lake. Of course, it was the only day of the week that it rained. But the waterfalls and flowers were spectacular.

The color of Hart Lake is deep teal green. Lovely!

The views from the vicinity of the village are breathtaking. You just have to ignore the tailings piles.

Indian Paintbrush were in full bloom - red, yellow, orange, pink.

Lovely penstemon all over - big and small varieties.

Gabriel enjoyed a new journal he bought with his own money. He spent a lot of time writing and drawing.

I found it tough for a few days to get back into all the work that comes with being home and raising children. I wanted to rest from all that resting (the travel day home was tiring). But now I think I'm back in the swing of things, cooking and cleaning, catching up on laundry, decluttering. I need to plan the kids' school for the next semester, which starts after Labor Day here. I'll have two officially in school now, so I need to figure out how to fit Annika into our day. I have a sneaking suspicion it will involve being more structured, but we'll see. Hopefully I can figure out how to work Kindergarten and Fourth Grade together as much as possible.

It's finally sunny here in Puget Sound, and I am enjoying the warmth. I've picked several pints of raspberries to put into the freezer for the winter.

That's about all I have in the garden this year, except for some chives and rhubarb. Maybe next year I'll get my raised beds built and planted and have more crops, but you know, summers are so busy it seems tough to add gardening into the mix. Oh well, I enjoy what I did do, and the raspberries are fabulous!

Back in the Saddle

2011-07-12T22:14:00.001-07:00

Things have been pretty quiet around here lately. You see, I've been working on another project, and it has been taking much of my focus. I have also felt the need for a bit of a break from this blog. But I plan to be back now, and spend some time here each week keeping up with my home school adventures and knitting and gardening and such.

My new project involves my passion of hiking with my kids. I have been hiking with them since they were babies, and have compiled a website of nearby hikes and tips for getting out with the munchkins. I'd love it if you hop on over to www.thehikermama.com and check it out. There is a link for my new blog there, too. Let me know what you think! I'll still be here, too.

Honeypot Luminaries

2011-05-16T21:56:00.000-07:00

I have been remiss in telling everyone about the wonderful gift I won recently. I follow the blog of a lovely mom and her two children who live on a boat (withe the dad, too!). It's called Zach Aboard, and it is fabulous and fun! She hosted a giveaway recently, and I was lucky enough to win. Soon after, I received a box with the most gorgeous candle inside - but that description doesn't tell it all.

Our Honeypot Luminary

This Honeypot is a molded beeswax bowl, with carvings in the sides, and a beeswax candle inside. When the candle is lit, the light shines through to reflect on the wall nearest.

A blurry photo that just gives a hint of the interesting shadows and lights that arise from the lit candle inside

It is a fascinating creation, and we enjoy having it in our home. It feels so special when it is lit, and there is something warming and soothing about the light and the subtle aroma. This company makes other types of luminaries, some with flowers molded into the wax. I highly recommend you check out their website! Thank you so much to the folks at Bee Natural, and to Cindy at Zach Aboard for hosting the giveaway.

Bee Natural

Hiking With Children Class

2011-05-09T13:07:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

I know I have a few local readers, so I thought I'd let you know about a class I'm teaching next week. It's about Hiking with Children, and it's in downtown Edmonds at the Frances Anderson Center on May 16 from 7-9pm. The cost is $15, and kids under 12 may attend free with a parent. You'll learn lots of tips for hiking with youngsters, including where to go, what to bring, and budget-friendly tips for gearing up. Call the Edmonds Parks Dept. at 425-771-0230 by Friday to register. And let me know if you will be coming, it would be cool to meet some of you face to face!

Black Canyon Field Trip

2011-05-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

Black Canyon Road

Last week I had the opportunity to leave the kids at Grandma’s for a few days. I had some time to take care of appointments, a bit of work, and just thinking clearly for a few moments. I also got a totally free day to explore! I ~~coerced~~ encouraged a friend of mine to come along on my adventure.

It took forever to get out of Seattle – so much traffic for the mid-morning. Traffic was bad over the Pass, too, with construction and an accident and rain and fog. But finally we made it out of the grey. The clouds gradually lightened as we drove farther east. Suddenly, there was sunshine and blue sky! Ellensburg was warmer but breezy, and we drove through and onto the Umptanum Road. Up we climbed into the hills, the pavement soon gave way to gravel and dirt. Bluebird houses lined the fences for the entire route, and I was ecstatic to see the first wild western bluebirds of my life. We took our time driving, stopping often to take photos and just soak in the scenery.

Looking out over the sagebrush to the windmill farm and the Stuart Range

Eventually we made it to the turnoff for the Black Canyon road. I tried to make it up the road a bit, but my Camry protested, so I turned around and parked in a wide spot. We walked up the road. It was such a relief to be in short sleeves with sun glasses after all the grey and wet we’ve had this spring. The air was dry and fragrant. There were flowers all along the sides of the road.

Balsam Root on either side of the fence

Sagebrush with insect galls

My friend got a good introduction to hiking with me, as I stopped every few minutes to take a photo of a flower. The bird song hung like a liquid golden curtain on either side, western meadowlarks and bluebirds fluttering out ahead and behind.

Desert Violets

We met another gal along the trail, and slightly envied her for staying the night. We decided to stop and turn around at the true trailhead. I did want to go on farther, but we had a long drive home and my friend was ready to be done. We slowly made our way back down the road, finding a few flowers we had missed on the way up.

Ladybug on desert parsley

We realized that we had actually climbed pretty far up from the car. The drive back home took less time, and too soon we were back into the rain and clouds of the west. The sunshine and birdsong faded into the distance. But we’ll be back.

A herd of elk, as photographed through the windshield

We saw elk, deer, butterflies, beetles, and lots of flowers and birds I couldn't identify. I have put a few pics here, but there are more on my nwhikers.net post.

Note to self: Get the Best Desert Hikes book, and a desert flower book.

Cornell Urban Bird Count

2011-04-19T21:03:00.000-07:00

Annika Looks for Birds

We went outside to count birds today. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a program going on right now where anyone can watch birds and submit the data for what they see. The project is accessible to just about anyone, and is easy enough for children and beginning birders.

First, download the information off their website, and order a Celebrate Urban Birds packet if you'd like. You will find a simple data form telling you how to determine your study area. We decided to go into the greenbelt behind our house, and we picked a spot with a bench and lots of bushes around. Then we measured out 25 feet in each direction. That would be our study area.

Measuring Out Our Study Plot

We reviewed the birds we were to look for. There are 16 birds the study is interested in, so that narrows things down considerably, and some we knew we wouldn't see in our particular environment. The we timed our observations for 10 minutes. That was it! The data form requires a yes or no answer - did you see this bird or not. A few questions about the study area, and we were ready to turn the information in. That's it! We have the option of doing another day or two before turning our results in. We will try to fit that in this week, because... we didn't see any birds.

It's Peaceful Waiting for Birds

One of the things about scientific studies is they need to be standardized to be statistically useful. There were birds all around us in the forest, but they didn't come in our study circle. We saw and heard other birds around us, but not the ones on our list. We saw and heard birds on our list both before and after the 10 minute study period, but not during. It was so ironic for me, because I know that half the birds on the list use our greenbelt. But the answer we will turn in is that we didn't see any of them! The website makes a point of saying that even zero is a good answer, it still tells researchers valuable information. But it's not quite accurate in our case. I'd like to go out in the morning and see if that makes a difference in our results.

Annika has a stick to encourage the birds to land on her branches

The results were only part of the reason why I wanted to do this. I wanted to also use it as a way to force us to get outside and into nature. I have had the hardest time getting us out this spring. We are officially in the midst of the worst spring on record, and I find I have so many other things vying for my attention. I've been struggling with a vicious cold/bacterial infection since we got back from vacation, and that put me behind in getting Annika's birthday gifts made. There are so many other things that keep us in the house. It helps sometimes to have a specific project to force us to switch gears, if only for a few moments.

A Rare Bit of Blue Sky Up There

I was glad we made the effort to get outside today. It was cold, but the air was fresh. The birds were fun to see, and it was good to stretch our legs a bit. Hopefully we can get through this dreary spring and get to some warmer weather soon, but until then, I will keep trying to find ways to get us outside.

Oregon Coast Adventure

2011-04-12T11:38:00.000-07:00

Gabriel and Annika pose in a giant shark jaw at the Oregon Coast Aquarium

We took Spring Break and drove down to the Oregon Coast for a few nights last week. The trip was too short, but we filled it to the brim with fun and adventure.

We started at my parents’ in Vancouver and drug them along on our scheme. We began our first day driving down Highway 18 in the pouring rain.

Chunky rain falling as we begin our journey

With the chunkiness of the downpour, we were afraid we’d be seeing snow over the Coast Range. Indeed there was some white stuff above us as we crossed the pass, but we came down to Lincoln City in plain old rain and wind. We stopped at the first beach we could – D River. It’s the shortest river in the world.

The D River in Lincoln City

We enjoyed the sand and the crashing waves as we ran around in freedom after the long car ride. The Oregon Beach is much different than Puget Sound, where my kids spend most of their beach days. Sandier, long stretches of huge breakers, and no land on the other side – this is really the ocean. The wind blew the brownish colored sea foam like dirty whipped cream, and the seagulls hovered over the lady trying to feed them.

Annika shrieked in joy as she ran and jumped and dug and made sand angels, while Gabriel took sticks and drew lines and designs in the sand.

Annika makes sand angels

Whelk egg casings

Thankfully we had my parents’ trailer to make lunch in, with a heater and a table and dry chairs. Then we continued on down the highway toward our campground. On the way was Boiler Bay, where we stopped to take in the waves and the sky.

There was once a shipwreck in the bay, and the boiler of the ship is embedded in the sand. It’s visible at low tide.

Looking North toward Boiler Bay

We didn’t see it on this day, but it was so amazing taking in the crashing water and the wind and spray.

Looking South

The noise of the breakers was so loud; we were oohing and aahing just like we do on the Fourth of July. We watched a cormorant on the bay below bobbing on the waves, diving under just before they broke on top of it and popping out the other side.

Then we went on to the campground where we were staying for the night – Beverly Beach State Park. They have trailer sites, tent sites, and yurts. This would be our first time staying in a yurt. It was pretty cool – it had heat, windows, and even outlets. The heat was what sold me on the idea (plus they are cheaper than a hotel.) Ours had a bunk bed and a couch/bed, with a little table and a couple of chairs. It was surrounded by swamp – skunk cabbage, a stream, big spruce trees, and areas to play. The smell of skunk cabbage drifted heavily all around, like thick perfume.

Skunk Cabbage spathe

The kids practiced walking on logs and ran back and forth from Grandma and Papa’s trailer and the yurt.

Gabriel walking on a log in the swamp

Tree roots that had grown over a long-ago-rotted stump or log

We saw and heard many birds in this park including pileated woodpeckers, downy or hairy woodpeckers, juncos, fox sparrows, Rufus hummingbirds, towhees, chickadees, and more.

In the afternoon, I laid down for a long nap, as I had started to feel a cold coming on. Aaron took the kids down to the beach, a short walk through the campground and under the highway.

The path to the beach goes under the highway, along Spencer Creek

There were fossils in the cliff banks and interesting rocks to find and, of course, sand to play in.

Shell fossils in the rock

The sun came and went, and the rain came and went, and the wind blew and got calm and blew again. In the evening, as it got dark, the frogs got louder and louder. They must have been thick in the swamp around the campsites. They scared Annika a bit; she was afraid they would come into the yurt and get her.

We woke up in the morning to ice on everything outside, but the sun was shining, and Papa sent over hot coffee to help us warm up and get moving. We had a scrumptious breakfast of bacon and eggs, packed up and hit the road on our way to Newport and the Aquarium. Along the way we stopped at Agate Beach, but there were no agates, just huge expanses of sand.

No agates on Agate Beach

We walked down to the water anyway, and chased a few waves before getting back into the car and continuing to the Aquarium. The sun was still out – what brightness!

Deliberateness and exuberance

Gabriel in front of Trash Art

The Oregon Coast Aquarium is a wonderful place to visit. Kid-level tanks filled with interesting creatures await discovery and observation.

Grandma and Annika look at exhibits

There are some touch-tanks staffed with knowledgeable volunteers who help the kids with their animal encounters.

One of the touch tanks - that's a gumboot chiton in the middle

Moon Jellies

Sea nettles - I could have stood here half the day and watched them undulate

The outside area has birds, otters, seals and sea lions. There was a large enclosed area off to the side with two vultures in it; to me they seemed out of place, but Annika still talks about them as being one of her favorite parts of the Aquarium visit.

The vultures are pretty quiet for now

One of the highlights for me is the large tubes you can walk through, with water and fish above and below, and around on all sides. There are different environments to walk through. The most mysterious is the one with the sharks and rays. They silently glide next to the glass and around the enclosure, their spooky patterns glistening in the half-light.

Leopard sharks - so beautiful

We refueled in the trailer and drove on down the highway to our next destination – Sea Lion Caves. Along the way we made a few stops, of course – there are waysides and state parks every few miles, and a variety of places to visit. One of the spots we stopped was Strawberry Hill, an interesting geological outcropping, covered by grass and strawberry plants (of course).

Looking north from Strawberry Hill

Evidence of past volcanic events

We watched the waves slosh back and forth, and though some folks had told us it was a good place to find agates, we didn’t see any.

Then it was on to Sea Lion Caves. We paid the overpriced entry fee and boarded the elevator down 200 feet to the cave below the cliff. The cave was full of beasts on the rocks, their odor rising on the breeze.

The most in-focus of the photos we took down there in the dark cave

Their noises were funny – squawking, barking, growling, wheezing, bellowing. We spent as much time as we could, exploring the platform with views up the coast to the north, and watching the video about the history of the cave, the geology of the rocks and biology of the sea lions.

We observed the skeletons on display and wondered about how the creatures survived the crashing waves all around.

Coming back up the path from the elevator

Looking north - you can really tell all the sea spray that has gotten onto our camera lens!

Soon, though, it was time to move on; the kids were getting pretty tired after all our sight-seeing of the day. We made one stop at the Darlingtonia Wayside, an area with a short path on a boardwalk where you can walk into a bog and see a huge mass of native pitcher plants. There is an interpretive sign explaining the natural history of the plants.

Live carnivorous plants in the wild!

Aaron and Gabriel in the sea of Darlingtonia

At this time of year they are looking pretty scruffy, but soon they will be putting up flowers and fresh growth. I have never seen carnivorous plants in the wild before, so this was a highlight of the trip for me.

We drove down the winding coast to our next campground, Umpqua Lighthouse State Park.

Umpqua River Lighthouse

This campground is smaller than the sprawling Beverly Beach CG, but the yurt was almost the same.

The heat was already on, making a nice, warm haven for us to rest in before my parents finished dinner.

They had stopped at a cannery in Florence and picked up some fresh snapper, caught the day before by a local fisherman. Paired with a pilaf and salad, it was a fitting meal for the environment. We ended the day with a campfire, admiring the glimmering stars and the crescent moon.

The next morning dawned bright and slightly warmer. We had a long drive home, but I wished we had had more time to explore Lake Marie and search for the ospreys we kept hearing. We thought we’d like to come back to this campground and spend some more time. But on a trip this short, you have to make choices, and the Oregon Dunes were an important stop for me to make. We decided to try out Honeyman State Park, and we were not disappointed.

One tough tree - some kind of alder, I think

(By the way, there are many Forest Service parks along this stretch of the coast requiring a NW Forest Pass. I hadn’t even thought to bring ours, so we skipped those spots in favor of the State Parks. Honeyman SP does require a $5 fee for day use. ) There are 2 picnic areas to choose from, and both are lovely. There is a lake that is stocked with trout, and folks were fishing from the bank and the small dock. Ospreys hovered overhead, floating on the thermals, circling and chirping. We climbed up the huge dune next to the parking lot, two steps forward, one step back.

The kids walking up the first part of the dune

The sand was so soft and silky, shimmering in the sunlight. We made it to the top of the first dune, where we could see the ocean in the distance, many dunes away.

Almost to the top!

We sat and enjoyed the warm sun, watching the ospreys soar over the lake. A bald eagle flew over once, too, purposeful and dark against the sky. The kids dug in the sand, pretending to be different animals and sand digging machines.

Gabriel is a digging machine

It was so peaceful that we stayed until hunger drove us back down to the trailer and sandwiches.

I was surprised to see a small patch of pitcher plants right next to the path near the fishing dock. While I was there, a fisherman caught a small fish, and one of the ospreys was right there, hovering just above, wanting the fish himself. We also had the fortune to see the bald eagle come back around, and it pestered the ospreys, who noisily sounded the alarm. At one point, the eagle looked like it swooped right down on one of the smaller birds, a dramatic chase ensuing. We felt like we were in true wilderness.

After relaxing in this wonderful park, we realized we had better get a move on to get home that evening. We began our drive back up Highway 101, choosing its scenery over the speed and monotony of the freeway. We made one stop just to the south of Strawberry Hill, since I really wanted one more chance to look for agates.

Annika and Grandma look at rocks and sticks

The beach we stopped at was a great choice – I found several agates, and some other interesting rocks, some with crystals, some with shells, some jasper; and some large mussel shells - the largest I have ever seen. I lingered, knowing it was probably the last stop we’d be able to make to enjoy the surf and sunshine.

It was all so glorious - I wished I could package up the sounds of the waves on the cobbles and the wind and the smells. But we really needed to get going. We stopped one last time before heading eastward toward the coast range – we had dinner at Mo’s in Lincoln City. Oh, it was so good!

Then we motored on home to Grandma and Papa’s, making it there after bedtime.

I’m so thankful for the week my husband took off from work, and for my parents being willing to join us on our adventure. The 3 days at the Coast were full and are providing us all with fond memories to savor. We will definitely be back to this wonderful stretch of coast.

Padilla Bay Outing

2011-03-22T14:09:00.000-07:00

Annika checks out whale bones and baleen

Up north a ways, out of the city and sprawling suburbia, is a large estuary feeding the Salish Sea. Padilla Bay offers beaches, mud flats, marsh habitat, and other fabulous environments for exploring. We spent a few hours at the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, which has a free museum with an aquarium and some excellent exhibits about estuaries, ocean life, and the general area.

The kids liked opening and closing all the doors and drawers.

There is an area where kids can touch specimens and play games.

Feeling the fur of different local creatures

An unfortunate hummingbird who hit the side of a house so hard his beak went clear through the plywood. The poor thing died on impact.

My kids enjoyed the whale bones and baleen, the puppets, and the felt board the best. They also liked all the sea creatures and eel grass floating from the ceiling. We were the only ones there last Friday, and it was nice to have the place to ourselves and chat with the friendly staff. The aquaria have been updated since the last time we were there, and we spent a lot of time searching for sea creatures and looking at them up close.

The new rocky shore aquarium

Lots of tube feet!

Colorful creatures

After we explored a bit and had some lunch, we took a walk on the Upland Trail, which starts in the parking lot and makes a 0.8 mile loop through a small forest and meadow. We checked out a backpack with an activity guide and some props for the activities, as well as 2 pairs of binoculars to use on our walk. My kids enjoyed looking for the numbered posts along the trail and genuinely appreciated the information included in the activity guide. It was a bit early in the season for many of the activities, but I think it was worth it anyway, as using the booklet helped to focus our walk.

Stinging nettles are coming up

Indian-plum is blooming - one of our earliest blooming native plants

Some kind of small mammal left these tracks in the grasses.

Piles of stones from homesteading farmers who cleared the fields of glacial debris

When we were beginning our walk, a great blue heron landed at the edge of the parking lot and the meadow. Gabriel and Annika were enthralled. We practiced walking closer up to it, sneaking quietly and stopping to observe with our binoculars. It let us get pretty close before it leapt up and moved farther off.

Gabriel stalking the heron

The Great Blue Heron waits quietly

Woops! We scared it off!

At the same time, 3 bald eagles were flying overhead and chattering in their unique voices. Fabulous!

From the meadows at the interpretive center, you can see across the bay to the oil refineries and the hills of Anacortes.

The highest hill, Mt. Erie, has radio/tv/cell towers on top. There is a road up to the top, too, and the kids liked my idea of driving up to the viewpoints up there.

Looking south from Mt. Erie to Lake Campbell and Whidbey Island

Unfortunately the clouds were thickening and it was getting misty while we were up on top; the best part, though, was crawling on the giant boulders and rock outcroppings.

My little rock climbers

The kids talked about this part for several days afterward. When they get a year or two older, we'll be able to hike from the bottom of the hill to the top on one of the many trails.

The third part of our field trip was to Deception Pass State Park. This park has so many neat sections to explore; this is the first time I took them to Rosario Bay. Gabriel found a covey of California Quail in the black berry bushes. That was his first sighting for these birds. We spent some time on the beach, a clean pebbled slope flanked by large driftwood logs.

Gabriel hiding in the driftwood.

The gentle waves made a swooshing sound as they washed up and down the pebbles.

The kids running on the beach

We threw rocks - oh, the lovely colors and variety of stones on these beaches!

Colorful stones

Some of the tide pools were exposed by the tide, and we poked around a bit, finding a few anemones, snails, and small crabs.

Rosario tidepools

Gabriel gently exploring the tide pools

I had my little binoculars, and saw some new-to-me birds floating and diving out in the water. I thought for sure I'd remember their details until I got back to the car and my bird book, but by the time we made it back, I'd forgotten what I saw. I guess I need to sharpen my observation and memory skills!

By now dusk was beginning to fall, so we reluctantly made our way back to the car and snacks for the drive home. The rain started in earnest, so I felt lucky that we had avoided the worst of it for our little outing. Gabriel had been uninterested and lethargic in the beginning of the day, just wanting to go home and play on the computer. But by the end of the trip he was excited about what we had done and asking to come back soon. Deception Pass truly is a special place, and I love that even the kids can feel that specialness. Next time I think we will explore some of the hiking trails there.

A Good Day for a Hike

2011-02-21T21:14:00.000-08:00

Yep, it was a good day for a hike. Of course, the weather is changing from the gorgeous sunshine we have had for the last several days, but we got our hike in before the rain started. We met Sarah and her boys at the Tradition Plateau Trailhead at Tiger Mountain. I even was able to drag the hubby along for this one. He had the camera most of the time, so many of the pics on this post are actually from him.

My wonderful husband

Beginning our hike

We tried out some new-to-me trails at Tiger - the Swamp Trail, the Big Tree Trail, the Wetlands Trail, and the Around-the-Lake Trail, with part of the Bus Trail thrown in for good measure.

It's good to have a map along for all the cris-crossing trails

Though most folks trek up to the top of the mountain, or at least farther up on its flanks, we stuck to the lower sections for these flatter and easier kid-friendly paths.

There are story boards along the Swamp Trail

Smiles from the baby

Walker sticking his tongue out

There weren't as many folks at the parking area as I expected for a holiday, but we did pass several people throughout our walk.

We ended up going about 3 miles, I believe. Kids of all ages did well - the baby slept much of the time in the pack, the 4-year-old is stronger now than last fall, the 8-year-old was speedy and uncomplaining, and the 13-year-old put up with everyone. We made one little stop for lunch and a rest, at Round Lake. The kids threw rocks in the water and later sticks for a dog to chase.

This is about the only access to Round Lake

Walker gets his lunch

Annika takes a break. We bring along inexpensive foam mats to stay dry. She's only half on hers, and was already wet and muddy from playing in the lake.

Gabriel's hands got chilled

We visited The Bus - it's looking a bit worse than I remember - and enjoyed our stroll.

Gabriel checks out the mysterious bus "artifact"

Good thing his tetanus shots are up to date!

The kids and adults appreciated how green and mossy many parts of the trails are. It's kind of neat in the swamp area, and the Big Tree is, actually, big.

The Big Tree

How this giant escaped logging, no one seems to know. Annika really liked all the ferns we saw. A few plants are beginning to bud, but otherwise it still looks like winter in the forest.

A rare photo of me

Whenever I get out with the kids, I get to thinking about all the other places I want to take them this summer. I hope this is the year we really get our groove on, as far as hiking goes. We all benefit from making the choice to get out and enjoy nature and move our bodies. And it is a choice, really - to stay home and work on laundry and dishes some more, or to leave the dishes in the sink and come back with more dirty laundry in exchange for great memories and fun experiences.

Recent Knitting

2011-02-18T22:47:00.000-08:00

I have not kept up with recording my knitting projects on Ravelry the past several months. I'm not even sure I got photos of all my Christmas knitting. So with the sunshine today (which washed out all my pics) I tried to get photos of what I've been working on lately.

I started this Swirl Shawl almost 2 years ago when Aaron was in the hospital. It consists of 82 individually knit hexagons. I enjoy working on it, but it has hibernated for months at a time, when I would get bored of it. I have one more row of hexagons to knit, and then it will be done. I told myself I have to finish this one before I work on my next shawl.

Here is a detail of the swirls. Aren't they lovely?

I've enjoyed Hansi Singh's book about Amigurumi (knitting creatures). I made 4 sea stars from the book; 3 for Christmas gifts that I didn't take photos of. But when my Grandma saw one of the stars, she said she'd like one, too. Here it is, made from Cascade 220. The colorful underside is from natural colored Cascade 220 that the kids and I dyed with food coloring a year or two ago. I'm glad I found a use for it! I've got 2 skeins of it, and am not sure what to do with these interesting colors!

Then there are these silly little mitts. They are from Malabrigo yarn, which I adore, and the pattern is simple enough, but apparently I can't count. Oh well, it makes me happy to wear them. I wear them more than I thought I would. It sure makes a difference keeping the drafts off the wrists.

And finally, the first hat I made for myself. I forget the yarn I used, but the pattern is great, and I get lots of compliments on it. I made the same hat out of different yarn for my Mother-In-Law, and I really like it.

Oh, there are so many more projects on my list, and drool-worthy yarn in my stash. So much knitting, so little time!

2011-02-16T21:25:00.000-08:00

From earlier today, a quiet moment in between.

I have been seeing hummingbirds more lately. Today one visited our clematis. I'm not sure what it was looking for. The plant is a mass of brown stems and withered leaves. Fluffy seed pods cling to the branches like discolored cotton balls. The hummer poked its beak into several puffy seed balls, but left disappointed. There are green shoots growing, but they are only a few inches long. It always surprises me how early this plant buds out and begins growing, but it seems impervious to frost.

Not much in the clematis to attract a hummingbird

The light and shadows have been changing all day. We'll get a sun break, then dark clouds will pass over and a cold, soaking shower will fall onto the saturated ground. At one point there were even snow flakes mixed into the rain. It didn't last long, of course, and soon was sunny again.

Detail of sunshine on tree bark

Groups of juncos flit through the trees in the back corner of the yard. The sun glints off their white rear feathers as they move form one branch to another. The sun makes the yellow and grey lichen shine on the tree branches. Combined with the freshening red of the dogwood stems, the effect is brilliant.

Red-twig dogwood, showing its color

The kitchen smells of the cookies we just baked - Gluten Free cutout cookies, a few days late for Valentine's Day. The black-eyed peas are just beginning to simmer, and their smell swirls with the steam from the pot. I know I should wipe down my flour-covered countertop, but I step outside for a moment first.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T21:25:00.000-08:00

Wild Ginger Leaves

An acquaintance of mine on Facebook posted a few photos of heart shapes in nature today. I am going to totally copy his idea, and put up some of my own. It's amazing when you start to look closely at nature, you may just be surprised what you will find.

Fabulous Rock in the Talapus Lake Trail

Hosta leaves in my garden

Lamium sp. leaves in the garden

Morning Glory leaves along the back fence (a nasty weed)

Some kind of pumpkin or squash in one of our past gardens

Epimedium sp. leaves in the front yard

Wild Violet leaves along a mountain trail

What season is it?

2011-02-08T16:15:00.001-08:00

Mud!!!

We had our first mud pies of the year today. Or, I should say, Annika did. (I wish I could remember where I read this week about someone's assertion that young women might be sicker than young men because they don't get dirty enough as little girls. That won't be the case with this child.)

The best dirt for mud pies is right in the middle of the path off the patio

We had a nice afternoon sun break, and the kids were both grumpy (so was I), so I pushed us all out to work in the yard a bit. Sometimes it actually helps, but this time both children were in tears after only 10 minutes had gone by. We smoothed that over, but Gabriel went inside for a rest (I made him stay in his bed if he wasn't going to be outside). So, Annika cut the grass with some trimming shears while I worked on the weeds. One of the side effects of living in a climate with mild winters is the weeds start growing before you're ready to be outside.

Shotweed/snapweed blooming already!!

By the time I'm ready to weed, I've already lost the battle. I thought maybe I'd try to keep up with them this year. I was able to get part of the hedgerow cleaned up, and even put down a bag of bark mulch.

The hedgerow. To the left are some strawberries that need a new home, and to the right is bare ground that needs some cover. The big, bare bushes are native wild roses. They will eventually fill in along the fence, I hope.

The ground is too mushy to mow, so hubby is off the hook for a bit. Though some of our neighbors have a yard service come by to mow every week, and they were on duty today. I weeded till my fingers got numb (the temp was slipping down below 45 degrees) and then we went inside for hot cocoa. My mind is turning about what I want to do in the yard this year. I'll be sure to update you as we make progress!

Looking Closer

2011-02-07T21:34:00.000-08:00

Gabriel checks out the blackberry thorns.

This afternoon, when we were finished with our school work, I brought out a package I had ordered and received a few days ago. I've been intrigued with The Private Eye program for some time, and finally ordered some of their loupes and a case.

One of the loupes from The Private Eye

I found the educator's guide at our home school library, so I can wait to order that if I need to later. Gabriel and Annika were both intrigued by the loupes, so after an introductory lesson in how to hold them, we went outside to see what we could look at. We had a brief window of sunshine, which made it fairly nice outside. We looked at the clematis plant, some blackberries, leaves, moss growing in the grass, wood, and other things. I didn't want it to be too academic, since we were just starting with them, so I didn't push too hard. Gabriel had shorts on and got cold quickly, so we didn't spend too much time outside, but it was a good start. I like the concept of interdisciplinary learning, and look forward to combining science, art, writing, and other topics.

It always surprises me how early things start waking up for the spring around here. The hellebores are blooming, the clematis is budding, and the bulbs are popping up.

Hellebores in the front yard

Clematis on the back porch, green budding in the midst of brown, dry leaves

Daffodil bulbs popping up in the back yard. I got these from my grandmother after we bought our house. Gabriel helped me plant them.

Every year it seems too early, but I think I have photos from the past several Februaries that look almost like the ones I took today! January is often a time of turning inward for me, but when the plants start showing signs of new growth, I, too, begin to feel the stirrings of more of an outward focus.

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In the kitchen, Annika helped me cut up some ripe bananas to dry them in the dehydrator (there were bunches of ripe ones on sale at the store last week).

Annika cutting and arranging bananas for dehydrating

I also figured out how to be successful with making yogurt. I just needed to add a bit of heat (a heating pad) and leave them to ferment a bit longer.

My yogurt set-up - high tech!

We've now made 2 successful batches of yogurt - one of goat milk and one of cow. I can't believe how easy it is - the most time-consuming part is watching the milk while it heats so it doesn't burn. Yay! Another skill to add to my repertoire! Here is the link to the website where I found the clearest instructions.

We're starting another semester at school this week, with some new classes. I'm looking forward to only going 2 days a week instead of 3. I think it will help me manage our home and our own studies better. Gabriel expressed relief, too. He gets stressed out when the schedule is too busy.

Old and New

2011-01-28T20:39:00.001-08:00

I was struck today by how many things I was doing are a combination of old-fashioned and modern. For instance, I used my computer to look up on the internet how to make yogurt and how to do a certain knit stitch, both ancient arts. I walked to the store to get food that had traveled hundreds of miles to get here. Most of what I bought was produce I could have potentially grown in my own yard. I emailed some friends who recently sold almost everything they owned and moved to live on a boat. It just seemed like a day of interesting contradictions.

Our first attempt at yogurt didn't turn out. The yogurt didn't set; it's all runny still, like milk. I really hope I can figure it out, because it will save me over $2 a quart if I can make it work. We made it into a good science lesson, though. Oh well, better luck next week!

WeatherFest

2011-01-27T20:53:00.000-08:00

Gabriel views plankton in sea water

On Sunday afternoon we had the opportunity to attend a wonderful event called WeatherFest. The American Meteorological Society was in Seattle this week for their conference, and as part of that, they put on a public event about weather, space and science for the general public. Much of it was geared toward children. I was pleasantly surprised by the number and quality of exhibits; I really wasn't sure what to expect. They had some interesting science experiments to display, several weather channels with booths for kids to try their hand at forecasting, a few celebrities, and tons of informational handouts.

Gabriel talking with a weather man about the weather coming our way

Here he is doing his weather forecast

Annika even got up the courage to stand in front of the camera.

I look forward to sorting through all the papers we brought home. I know there will be some good school projects in our bags of swag.

I got to meet Cliff Mass, a UW professor who appears every Friday on the local NPR station to talk about and explain the weather. I also follow his blog, so it was like meeting a celebrity.

Me and Cliff Mass

We got to meet an even bigger celebrity, though - Reed Timmer from the Discovery Channel's Storm Chasers show. He was really nice, friendly, and seemed serious about his charge to encourage kids to study hard in math.

Gabriel poses with Reed Timmer

It was so encouraging to have a family outing all together. Everyone had something they were inspired by. I was a bit surprised that Annika kept talking about the rockets that a local rocketry club had on display.

That's a big rocket!

She wanted her dad to make her one the next day so they could fly it. Gabriel's favorite part (and one of mine, too) was meeting Reed Timmer. He did make the paper satellite from Lockheed Martin as soon as we got home, though, so that was pretty neat.

(I'll try to keep you all posted on what kinds of projects we do in follow up to this field trip. We're starting a new semester in our little school next week, so things are in transition right now.)

Yours truly wearing some funky 3-D glasses to see the display of global weather in 3-D

Milestones

2010-12-07T20:49:00.000-08:00

Rare self-portrait, in the mirror

Well, I've reached one of the big milestones in life - you know, the ones you look forward to or dread, or both, and somehow it feels as if things change when you cross that threshold. Today was my 40th birthday. I've actually been pleasantly anticipating this time. It feels like I'm entering a club or something. Like maybe I'm really an adult now. Of course, we've been through so many challenging times in the last 5 years, I've felt like an adult for quite a while. The whole 40th birthday event really didn't bother me - until a few days ago. I started having questions about what I am doing here, where am I going, who am I, that sort of basic thing. I suppose I still have a good amount of work to do in discovering myself!

So what did I do on this momentous day, you ask? It's Tuesday, so that means Aaron works and Gabriel has school. The kids and I spent 2 hours in Lego class today, designing and creating.

Gabriel works on his mosaic

And here is the finished project (a house floor plan with all kinds of imaginative things going on).

Annika works from her plan to create a picture of her imaginary friend with really long hair

Then home for lunch, and I got to spend the afternoon with my favorite son at the Seattle Art Museum. It happened that this was the day that my friend was able to babysit Annika so that I could take Gabriel by himself to the museum. We are fortunate to have an exhibit of Picasso in town this winter, and Gabriel has been itching to go ever since he heard about it. I'll share more about our visit and what we learned on a later post, but it was enjoyable for both of us. It's not very often that I get time alone with my son any more, so it was special for that reason, but also for all the culture we got at the SAM.

The entrance to the Picasso exhibit - they didn't allow photos inside this part

One of Gabriel's favorites from the main collection - he says it is colorful yet simple.

I picked up Aaron downtown after that, and we went out to dinner as a family. That's pretty special, actually, since we rarely eat out any more. (By the way, I discovered that PF Chang's has an ample gluten-free menu, and they are willing to work with other food allergies as well.) Aaron got me a book, and my friend got me a canning book that I had wanted. It's so good to have friends who know what you want! Lastly, I should mention all the words of encouragement that arrived on my wall in Facebook. Oh, what a marvel! To have so many people remember my day, and take a moment to write a little note to me. I treasure it. And I look forward to seeing what this next year will bring.

Ya gotta smile - one of the African masks in the SAM collection; Picasso took some of his influences from African art work

Rattles and Ramblings

2010-11-04T21:39:00.000-07:00

I heard a rattlesnake in my garden this afternoon. At least, that was the first thing my instincts told me when I was out weeding in the back. While I was thinking that, though, I was also thinking that it couldn't be true, because we don't have rattlesnakes in western Washington. Still, I looked around, confused, trying to figure out what made such a distinctive noise. Then, I saw it - hidden in the overgrown grasses was a lone seed pod leftover from Gabriel's poppies.

Poppy seed pod

He had planted them in the midst of the border area that had gotten so overgrown this summer. They bloomed red, splashes of color amidst the grasses and creeping buttercups and other unwanted plants. Some of the pods dried on their stalks, and I had brushed up against this one with my shoulder. The seeds inside shook and clattered against the raspy brown hull. Thus, the jolt of hearing a rattlesnake in my ear. (I've only ever heard one real rattler in the wild, on a hike I took with another gal. I screamed like a ninny that time. Thank heavens I didn't scream today.)

We have had unusual warm weather the past few days. Since when does it get over 70 degrees in November in Seattle? I've tried to take advantage of the afternoons by getting out and cleaning up the yard. Our poor yard has been so neglected the past several years. I'll get one area cleaned out, and then it will be forever before I get back to it again. Today I spent some time weeding the hedgerow against the north fence. Last year I planted some native wild roses and a few other native shrubs. I want more habitat for birds, and I have fond memories of bicycling in the summer down country roads and smelling the amazing perfume of the wild roses. Plus, once they get established, I won't have to water them. I only got about half way done tearing out weeds from the bed, but it looks better than it did.

Half-weeded bed

I was thinking while I was working that I never regret making time to get outside and work in the yard. I had put aside plans for a field trip this afternoon, feeling that I really needed to focus on getting our home together. The kids built little tents for themselves, and ran around with capes on.

There's a boy in that tent

Fly, Girl!

I even caught them cloud gazing. I found a huge snail for them to hold, and we enjoyed the birds and the leaves and soaking up the lingering afternoon sun. Sometimes it can be so difficult to change into my work clothes and get us outside, but it feels so good once we're out there, and the work is satisfying. Sure, the laundry is still piled up, and the dishes will have to wait another day, and I didn't get any more boxes unpacked, but this sun will not be here much longer, and the weeds won't get any better on their own.

Finally, I am well overdue posting our Halloween costumes. Annika was a unicorn, thankfully satisfied to wear her dress-up outfit. Gabriel was a magical kind of pretend bird. I'm pretty proud of the mask, but feel kinda bad about the rest of the get-up. He liked it, though, which is what is most important.

Gabriel's mask (made by me)

The kids getting ready to trick-or-treat

A Visit to the Conservatory

2010-10-24T20:55:00.000-07:00

About a week and a half ago, Gabriel was asking to go out on one of our wonderful autumn afternoons and visit the Volunteer Park Conservatory. This historical building is a fun outing for when we only have a few hours but want to be transported to another place. I love that my kids are both so delighted to visit such a place. I let Gabriel use our old digital point and shoot to compose some of his own photos. I realized, though, that I haven't unloaded them to my computer yet! Oh well, here are some of mine from the day.

Enter into a magical land

Flowers in cages

Colors and textures

A room full of cacti

Patterns in nature

Funky prickles

Orchids of all colors, sizes, and fragrances

Photographer in action

I've never seen the flower of a pitcher plant before

Grow to the sun!

2010-10-23T21:31:00.000-07:00

Sheep Lake, near Mt. Rainier National Park

When your 8-year-old son begs you to go hiking, how can you resist? When he complains that he hasn’t been getting enough time out in nature, you must do all you can to rectify the situation. So, you go hiking. You find a friend who is willing to put up with you and your children, and you pick a hike that will make you and them happy, and you pick a sunny day with gorgeous blue skies and crisp fall air. You make some homemade power bars, buy a few treats to keep the kids “energized,” you pack the gear the night before, and pray nobody gets sick. You drive way too far on congested small-town roads and windy country roads and twisty-turny-wilderness routes that make your stomach flip somersaults as you try not to think about driving off the edge. You arrive at the freezing trailhead and pray there is TP in the outhouse, and that your friend hasn’t been waiting too long, and that she won’t get impatient as you get everyone dressed and booted up and fed and watered and buttoned and zipped and clipped into their packs. You go over your mental lists and hope against hope that you haven’t left anything important out of your overstuffed pack, and hit the trail at the time you should be feeding your children lunch.

The kids head up the trail

When your daughter, 5 minutes into the hike, complains about being tired, you pray again that she will make it all the way without you having to carry her, but you know it will be a long day of prodding and encouraging and whining and feeding her your enthusiasm and praising how strong she is and how great she is doing. You feel your patience stretching with every step along the path, and you know it’s good for you, but you hope you can continue to stretch throughout the day, and that you won’t snap and end up with everyone in tears. You give thanks for a hiking partner that is helpful and motivational and willing to go the speed of a tired 4-year-old, and still be positive. You watch your son speed up the trail until he is out of sight, and wonder when he got so tall, and so natural and confident on the trail, and you fill with joy and pride that after all these years of preparation, you now have an amazing hiking partner in your little boy who enjoys the wilderness and helps you see things in new light. He gives you hope that someday, maybe even next summer, the girl will be stronger and quicker and then, Oh! The places you’ll go!

The trail travels above the highway for a bit. You can see down the American River Valley for miles.

You stop reluctantly every 15 minutes because, yes, she REALLY has to pee again, and she needs a snack, and she’s too hot or too cold, so the mittens and hat come on or off. The autumn air is crisp in the shade but warm in the sun, and the breezes are light. The trees and shrubs are showing the last of their fall colors, but the leaves are dropping and the dusting of snow remains in the areas the sun doesn’t reach in its lowering path across the October sky.

Mountain Ash and bluebird sky

Dusting of snow at the trailhead

You feel the rushing of the turning seasons, the bittersweetness of this time of year, and you are so grateful you made the effort to get up high and breathe in the aromas of fir and cedar, huckleberry and duff, and coming winter. You store the warm sun and spicy smells and sense of wonder in a special place inside for those grey days ahead.

Because you are walking so slowly, you are able to notice plenty of fungi and interesting sights along the trail.

Colorful, deadly fungus

You notice how everything has gone to seed, yet how a few straggling flowers brave the season. You hear a raptor as it circles overhead and calls, and pikas in the rocks, alarmed at your intrusion. You arrive expectantly at the lake, elated to have made your destination, relieved that the girl seems to have a renewed burst of energy.

Beautiful Sheep Lake

You find a spot in the sun with a view and drop the pack to the ground, and take care of everyone’s needs. The boy explores while the girl curls up on a coat for a “nap,” the baby gets fed and diapered, and the sun moves quickly toward the ridgeline.

Sarah and baby rest at the lake

Your visit is all too short, which results in pouts and deep disappointment for the boy, who wanted to stay all day, and would prefer to spend the night in this peaceful basin. No matter that ice rims the shady, wet areas, and there is hoarfrost two inches thick, and the breeze is picking up and you don’t have overnight gear, anyway.

Hoarfrost at the lake

You promise yourself, yet again, that you’ll work on getting appropriate gear so that you can spend the night at a heavenly location such as this, maybe even as soon as next summer. You take a few more photos as you sigh wistfully and leave, reluctantly, knowing that in a few short days or weeks the snow will cover the ground.

The trail was a mix of mud and ice here.

Fall color and craggy peaks above the lake

You drag your daughter down the trail, giving her snacks to munch to keep her strength up. You alternate between holding her warm, soft, trusting hand, and encouraging her to keep up with her brother in front.

Gabriel and Annika forge ahead

When she tells you, on the cliffy parts, that “my eyes are affecting the ground – the rocks are moving in front of me!” you begin to worry about vertigo and dehydration and that maybe you are pushing her too hard, but you hold her hand and assure her over and over that the trail is safe enough to walk on, and you will help her if she falls. You pick your way agonizingly slowly down the trail, the parking lot visible a mile away, and your poor partner has to go ahead because the baby is wet and cold in the lowering light and she really needs to get him back to the car. You are so proud of your son for being able to walk ahead with her, and relieved that he will get to be back in her warm vehicle while you slowly, slowly, inch your way back down to him.

The parking lot lies just below the saddle between the two peaks.

You think it’s hilarious and yet exasperating when your daughter begins to squat down at every tiny tree next to the trail to measure with her hands how tall it is, and say, “Look at the baby tree! And there’s a mommy tree, and a daddy tree, and look! Those trees have their arms out wanting the mommy tree to give them food!” You inwardly praise and bemoan her creativity as she makes up little stories about where the baby deer wait for their mommies to go hunting, or where the baby bears come walking down, or the elk go down for water. You are so tired, but you manage to stay patient (mostly) and finally, you make the last switchbacks down to the parking lot, where you greet your son and hiking partner and use the outhouse even though the TP is gone, and get everyone changed and buckled in the car, and give them lukewarm cocoa and praise them for how great they did on this hike and declare over and over how proud you are of them.

Mount Rainier in the evening light

You slowly drive back down the winding roads, into the sunset this time, regretting you hadn’t taken pictures of The Mountain that morning when the light was better, thinking you really need new hiking clothes, because the odor from yours makes you want to faint, and trying hard to remember if there is a restaurant in Greenwater or if you have to get to Enumclaw before you eat. Since your daughter falls asleep in the back seat before you get to Greenwater, you decide to go to Enumclaw after all, and the three of you scarf down a pizza (the boy eating more than the mom), your reward for hiking almost four miles. Your husband calls, worried because he hadn’t heard from you yet, and it is dark, and the half moon is shining through the wispy soft clouds above the almost-glowing Mountain. After only two stops for potty, you make it home and dump everything out of the car and get the kids a bath and put their gear away, and read a short story even though it’s late, and greet your husband who enjoyed a quiet day working from home.

And then, just before he slips up the ladder to his loft bed, your son runs back out to give you a big, tight, lingering hug, and says “Thank you for taking us hiking!” And the memories of the day coalesce into joy and peace as you are so touched and melted by his gratitude. You hope he begs you again soon to go hiking.

Yeah, I think it was worth it!

Weekend Outings

2010-10-10T22:10:00.000-07:00

On Friday we had a field trip to a local park for one of Gabriel's classes. Yost Park was my old "office" in the days before children, and it was nice to be back there in a student's role. It's a small little park in the middle of the city, yet is quiet and has a surprising array of wildlife. Working here through the seasons, and seeing the park in all kinds of weather, I really began to feel that I knew it well. It was one of the first times I understood what it meant to have a knowledge of place, and it surprised me how rich my experiences were over the years, since it seems at first glance to be a pretty normal, low-key, urban park.

We played some games through the few hours we were there, using our senses and pretending to be wildlife hiding in the trees.

Gabriel gets blindfolded for his turn listening to his classmates trying to steal the keys.

We noticed some little treasures in the autumn wilds, and came back with rosy cheeks and muddy pants.

Tiny black fungi on a log

Fuzzy caterpillar in a huckleberry bush

Interesting fungus growing on a rotting red alder tree

Another large mushroom, a shaggy parasol

With hubby working from home on Saturdays now, I try to find activities out of the house for the kids to give him a few hours of peace and quiet. Thankfully we live in an area that has an abundance of things to do; indeed, we often have too many things to choose from! On this drippy Saturday I settled on a trip to the U District Farmers' Market, and a visit to Sky Nursery, where they were holding an autumn celebration. My camera stayed in my bag for the Farmers' Market, but I did manage to get a few shots inside Sky Nursery. We had lots of fun - I'll leave you with some photos of our day.

What a drippy day!

Hercules the turkey gave us quite a show - including some very loud gobbles!

It could be an alien.....

Gabriel with his new houseplant. I'm such a softie for this kid and the things he wants me to buy for him...

We got to make scarecrows to take home. Gabriel's has a scary face....

....and Annika's has a happy smile.

Lego Success and Bird Feeder Fail

2010-10-07T21:18:00.000-07:00

One of the great delights of our hybrid homsechooling program is the Lego Lab. Gabriel has a 2-hour Challenge class once a week, and Annika gets to stay and participate. This term I am also taking Annika to Open Lab for an hour during Gabriel's Thursday Clay Animation class. I am so impressed by her creativity and by how much she has grown in her ability to build what she wants since last spring. I thought it would be fun to post some of her recent creations. Here you go!

House with dinosaurs, dragon, and lots of doors and windows

Here is a car that she made. I helped her figure out how to put the wheels on, but she embellished it.

Annika was talking all weekend about making a unicorn for the next class. I helped talk her through the building of it. I have as much to learn as she does!

Today she built a dog on her own, with a little home to go into. The tail is the big long part. It is complete with body, head, tail, and four legs.

And here's the cat from today. I brought out some hinged pieces to experiment with, and she used them for the tail.

This is what Gabriel built on Tuesday. The challenge was to build terrain with dimension. He made a forest scene, with rocks, snow, water and trees.

Here's a closeup of part of the forest. See those white things? Those represent Indian Pipe, an epiphytic plant that grows in our forests. The red and orange single squares are Indian Paintbrush, a striking flower of the mountains.

A few weeks ago we went to Bird Fest in Edmonds, and the kids made bird feeders from pine cones, peanut butter and bird seed. We finally hung them up in the front yard today, and waited anxiously to see who would visit. Well, things didn't go as planned. A wily squirrel found Annika's feeder, and hung by its back legs to grab it and eat off it. The pine cone came off the string, and that sneaky squirrel nabbed it and high-tailed up the tree to its nest to eat it. Annika was distraught - oh, the tears! And, of course, Mama was the bad guy, because I should have hung it farther up so the squirrels couldn't reach it. Sigh. I guess I should have known better.

The lovely feeder that Annika made especially for the birds.

Bad Squirrel!!

There it goes, up the tree! Better luck next time for us, I guess.

Outdoor Play

2010-10-05T21:19:00.000-07:00

Gabriel the bird

One of the many blogs I follow is that of the Children and Nature Network, founded by Richard Louv and others. Louv is the author of Last Child in the Woods, a book about the effects of children in our modern society being separated from nature. He recently spoke for the American Academy of Pediatrics national convention, and I found his remarks very interesting. Even though he was speaking to health care providers, in the end it is the parents' responsibility to make sure their kids are getting enough time outside. Reading his speech helped remind me of one of the things I really want to do for and with my children. I know that I need time outdoors as much as they do, yet it has seemed so difficult this year to make those times happen on a consistent basis. I decided to do my best to make time each day to get outside for a little bit each day.

Today my kids showed me the joys of just being outside. I worked on the weeding, but they created elaborate games with their stuffed birds outside in the trees and grass. They built nests for the birds, had them fly around making noises, and flew around themselves, squawking and flapping their skinny arms as wings.

Birds in a Nest

Bird on a Tree

Our cat Emma looked on with one of those faces only a cat can get away with.

We enjoyed the autumn sunlight and came back inside, refreshed and ready to get on with our chores. I'm so glad I got us out today, and I really want this to be more regular this fall.

A Day in Paradise

2010-10-02T22:18:00.000-07:00

Annika and Gabriel on the road to Paradise

Fall is here, and with fall comes the knowledge that snow will be coming to the mountains soon. The summer hiking season is almost over, and each year I feel an urgency to get up high one last time to soak up the sights. Yesterday was one of those gorgeous autumn days, warm and glowing in the mountains. Lacking a hiking partner, I decided to take the kids up to Mt. Rainier for exploration.

We stopped at Longmire for lunch, which we ate on the front porch of the lodge, Mt. Rainier framed nicely before us.

View of Mt. Rainier from Longmire

We had left behind the marine clouds of Puget Sound and entered the sunshine zone. The air was mild and fragrant. We poked into the little museum at Longmire, and looked at the taxidermy, native artifacts, and old photos.

The kids check out a giant tree cutting.

This tree was cut down in 1963. It was over 700 years old!

The kids examine stuffed animals.

Annika was anxious to get hiking, and Gabriel really wanted to visit the gift shop at Paradise, so we headed up the winding roads to the subalpine zone.

Paradise really lived up to its name yesterday. The Mountain was clear and bright above the lodge, with a backdrop of bluebird sky and fiery shrubs below.

Yes, it really felt like Paradise!

We were comfortable in t-shirts and shorts, though we could feel just a hint of crispness in the breeze. We walked through the interpretive exhibits in the Visitor’s Center, and made our obligatory visit to the gift shop. The kids both got a stuffed bird that makes a noise resembling its natural call. Having filled up their love tanks, I determined we better get a little walk started soon if we were going to do any before dark. We decided to try the Nisqually Glacier overlook trail, and were not disappointed. The views of The Mountain are incredible. Last time I was there, it was so foggy and snowy we weren’t able to see the Nisqually Glacier at all from the overlooks. But this day we had a clear view of geology in action.

View of the Nisqually Glacier

Sometimes I feel that trails like this don’t count as a real hike (indeed, we were about the only people with backpacks on this little paved section.)

But then I realize just how much the kids soak in during these little trips. And considering how much they complained about being tired and having sore muscles, I think I can safely count this one as a hike!

Hiker Annika

We observed animal paths, scat of various sorts, birds flitting in the trees (mostly juncos), and plants in their autumn splendor.

We talked about why it is so fragile in this area that they need to place signs telling people to stay out of the meadows. We saw tadpoles in a little pond, and looked at the animal tracks next to the pond.

The kids enjoyed the tadpoles

We talked about bears and volcanoes erupting, and watched 4 deer browsing the shrubs.

I think Annika was disappointed that we weren’t actually climbing up into the rocks and snow of the alpine zone. I have an idea she will be quite the adventurer when she gets older. But this trip I had to keep finding creative ways to get her to have energy – “Here’s a berry for energy! Have a drink of special energy water! It will make you strong and powerful! Let’s make it to the junction of the trails, and then we can rest and have a snack.” My kids really aren’t enthusiastic hikers in the afternoon. I know that I need to get an early start if I want them to go anywhere with me. It’s tough when the drive is so long to get to the trailhead, but someday I will learn how to make it work!

We were able to experience the sunset from up high before we headed for home.

The last rays of sun on the Mountain

My kids were so thrilled by being able to see the fog coming up the valley in the glow of the setting sun. They wanted to walk on it. As we wound our way back down from Paradise to Longmire, we came even with the top of the fog, then slid underneath it. It formed a layer above the trees, creating a quiet atmosphere for our last potty stop at Longmire before leaving the park. The kids were both exhausted by the time we got home, but they enjoyed their time on the mountain with their mom. One of the aspects I appreciate about these long drives with my children is the conversations we get into. Time opens up and I see glimpses of the workings of their minds in ways I don’t always see at home in our busy routines. We talked about atoms and the universe, the end of the world, spiritual questions of faith, the anniversary trip I took there with Daddy before the kids were born, science and vocabulary questions that pop up with the topics we are exploring. And we have a shared experience that bonds us closer together.

G and A at Reflection Lake

Trip “Stats”:

Hiking: about 1 ½ miles

Driving: hours and hours!

Potty stops: too numerous to count, including many side-of-the-road emergency stops (I need to get a porta-potty for the trunk for trips like this.)

Fall Science Experiments and a Trip to the Art Museum

2010-09-28T21:38:00.000-07:00

We are beginning to get into our school routine, finally. We are "hybrid" homeschoolers - Gabriel goes to an alternative school in our district for part of his learning, and I take care of the rest. It is working out well for us, and Gabriel has some really neat classes this year.

Last week we tried a science experiment out at home. It had mild success - I think it needs some tweaking, but I'm not sure we'll do that this year. First we read the book Why Do Leaves Change Color? by Betsy Maestro and Loretta Krupinski. It does a good job explaining the scientific reasons for the brilliant colors of autumn leaves. Then we went for a walk in the beautiful afternoon sunshine. We collected a few leaves, and found some other treasures, too.

Annika examines the remains of a paper wasp nest

Tracks in the mud - raccoon or possum?

Most leaves in our area are just starting to change; perhaps in a few weeks we would be able to get more to use for our experiment. Then we came home and prepared the experiment, using the instructions from this website.

Leaf Chromatography Experiment

The next day, we were able to see some faint lines where the pigments from the leaves separated out. The kids thought this was interesting, but Gabriel had a hard time destroying the leaves. He is so sensitive!

On Saturday I took the kids to the Seattle Art Museum. It has been years since I have been there. Gabriel has been asking to go for some time. We enjoyed some of the crazy stuff we saw there. Gabriel is into abstract art, and enjoyed the sections of the museum covering the more modern art. He also liked the cars hanging from the ceiling in the lobby.

I was inspired by the ancient glass objects on display. It is hard to believe that people 2000 years ago had the skill and technology to be able to blow glass into such delicate bottles.

Annika found it too boring, though, and 2 hours was a bit too long for her taste. Thankfully they have a nice play area for children, and that helped to make the trip worthwhile for her.

We ended the day at a birthday party for a friend. Legos everywhere! What a great idea!

Another Busy Saturday

2010-09-18T21:46:00.001-07:00

The University District Farmers Market

We are back home now after spending part of the summer away, and though most of our house still looks like this:

A Sea of Boxes

we are trying to get back into a normal routine. We enjoyed one of the last warm, sunny days of the summer last week and went for a hike in the mountains with a friend. Although we brought swim suits, a chilly breeze kept them in the pack. It was fun to explore a new lake, though, and the kids are eager to get out on the trail again.

Twin Lake

Gabriel crawling on a log at Twin Lake

Hubby's new work schedule has him working from home on Saturdays now, and to keep the kids out of his hair, I have been trying to get them out of the house for most of the day. Today we went to the Farmer's market in the U-District. I can't believe I have never been to this one before! It was so wonderful! Fruit and vegetables all around, gorgeous flowers, meats and cheeses, and all kinds of people to watch. We got some juicy, sweet peaches, some amazing ripe and flavorful tomatoes, and some other veggies. There were even some strawberries there, totally ripe and delicious. I kind of missed the strawberry season this year, so I had to have a carton of red, shiny berries today.

Peaches!!

Wonderful variety of tomatoes

Annika wore her unicorn costume (Grandma made it!) to the market, and got many compliments and smiles. The attention makes her shy, but she was able to answer peoples' questions.

The Unicorn

The costume came off for the second stop of the day, an outdoor event sponsored by The Mountaineers. We enjoyed the kid activities there, including face painting and flower pot painting. The three of us were pretty tired at the end of the day, but couldn't resist eating some of our loot from the market for dinner.

Painting Pots

Gabriel asked for a peacock

Annika got a unicorn. No surprise there!

Cooling off at Cold Creek

2010-08-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

The heat has been rising this week, and we are not used to temperatures in the 90s. With the heat, in addition to being alone with the kids for over a week, I really felt like I was beginning to suffocate. You know that feeling where you just need to get out into wide open spaces, with fresh air, natural sounds, and most importantly, water? We drove up the curvy roads, stopped at the friendly ranger station, and got some excellent advice for a place to go to cool our toes: Cold Creek. It's a bit off the beaten path, and I never would have gone there myself, but the ranger's advice was spot-on. A wide spot off the quiet forest road, a few renegade campsites, and a cool, shallow, well-behaved stream with tall, shady trees all around. Easy access to the creek meant that we could drag our stuff down and stay awhile.

Oh, how lovely! I truly appreciate these kinds of spots, where I can take the kids, hang out, and breathe for awhile, escaping the heat and pressures of the city and the crowds at local swimming holes. And I didn't even need a NWForest Pass! Score!

We came home as the sunset was fading, and Daddy got back home just after we did. We laid out on the lawn and watched for shooting stars until the kids got too tired to keep their eyes open. It was a good day.

Making Jam

2010-08-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

Every year I tell myself that I am going to take advantage of the summer's fresh produce and learn to can. Well, this year, in spite of the moving and upheaval, I miraculously found the energy and made the time to follow through on this wish. Here are some of the fruits of my labor:

Apricot butter (from the last fruit that got over-ripe), several jars of apricot jam, blueberry orange preserves, and two jars of runny red currant jelly. I really felt like I was learning something new with each batch I made. Each one has at least one mistake. But they are all yummy and I feel satisfied about what I was able to do. If I can summon up the energy, I have plans for other preserving. I'll keep you posted!

Visiting the Pomeroy Farm

2010-08-07T21:19:00.000-07:00

We had an interesting visit today to a local living history farm called the Pomeroy Farm. It was settled by the Pomeroys in 1910, and portions of the farm have been preserved and are open to the public once a month. People can see what life was like "in the old days." This weekend the farm is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a showing of quilts. All the quilts on display throughout the farm were made by or collected by members of the family. Some are quite old and weathered, others look newer, but spread out all over the farm it made quite a sight. I'll put a bunch of photos here instead of trying to explain everything. Here are images from our day:

The house was made from logs, and has much of its original "charm" inside.

One of the farmers demonstrated an old saw run by tractor power. He was cutting up logs for firewood.

The kids got to experience how much work it took to churn butter.

Even Annika got up the nerve to feed the goats!

The blacksmith shop was up and running. The smell of coal was thick.

Some old vehicles and farm equipment were on display. This truck had a burlap sack hung in front of the radiator. These were used to cool water.

This fellow was hard at work using different wood-working tools.

We got to learn how to put together quilt blocks. These would be sewn together and donated to various charities.

The gals in this section helped us assemble the blocks, and then they sewed them together so we could see what they looked like.

Annika stands proudly by her finished quilt block, on the door by her head.

And here is Gabriel's finished block.

I even joined the fun!

Quilts were hung all over the farm, and blew gently in the breeze.

Several quilts had this sweet little girl motif.

The back porch looked so charming from the garden!

Even this car had a quilt covering! Someone put a lot of love into that project!

We had a relaxing, creative, informative afternoon.

You Know You're In the Country When...

2010-07-29T21:52:00.000-07:00

You know you're in the country when...

Your neighbor mows the lawn with a tractor.

The view from the porch includes a weathered wood barn.

The sunsets are golden through the trees and fields.

We're enjoying this time at my parents' home this summer.

You can't keep this kid out of water...

2010-07-24T21:52:00.000-07:00

I was doing some work in the yard this morning, and trying to water the beds. My dear daughter cannot keep out of the water. I finally gave up and told her to get out of her soaking wet clothes and get her swimsuit on, and she was so happy to play in the sprinkler I had set out in the front. Before long she had gotten some plastic containers and was contentedly making "dirt soup," as she called it. I think the plants still got watered, but so did my little angel.

Camping

2010-07-23T23:22:00.000-07:00

Our lives have been so full of stress and work lately. We've moved and put our home on the market, and haven't had much time to enjoy the summer. But last weekend we were able to go camping with my parents to a lovely little campground called Paradise Creek. It was shady and green, mossy and peaceful. It seems this is the place to go if you have young children, because almost every site was full with families and dogs. The Wind River flows by, and Paradise Creek makes a safer wading area on the other side of the campground. Papa and Grandma cooked, and the kids ran around and played hard in the woods.

Papa made hamburgers and other delectable dishes over the fire

They made a new friend and we all thoroughly enjoyed our weekend. It was the longest I was able to sit and knit for quite awhile.

Here are some photos from our weekend.

The kids made people out of fir cones, lichens and sticks

They did lots of art and Aaron read at least two books

We played in the creek and looked for interesting rocks

It's nice to see my husband happy

We found a cool beetle one day

Peace and Fighting

2010-04-30T23:41:00.000-07:00

Well, OK, this is a corny title, but I was trying to tie together our day in a witty way. Friday is Field Trip Day, so we took a little outing to the Bellevue Botanical Garden to complement our study of plants. The gardens are really blooming nicely, and make a wonderful walk for little ones.

So many plants are in bloom; we enjoyed viewing different kinds of flowers, and even recognized some that are favorites of ours.

Gabriel especially liked the Japanese Garden section. There is a little stream with some large, flat boulders you can walk on, and flowers blooming in between. It was magical for him, and magical for this Mama to see my child excited about garden design.

The air was cool, with grey clouds floating over occasionally. This park still has some sounds of the freeway, but the large trees and lush undergrowth give a calmness to the mind.

I am grateful we have places like this to go, and grateful we have time to take care of ourselves in this way. Both my kids have been yearning to go hiking, and this Mama is also missing the wilderness. When we can't make it out for a real hike, it is important to be able to get our nature fix in other ways. Everyone was more relaxed and pleasant this afternoon and evening, and the bickering was almost gone.

We ended the day with the Belt Ceremony for Gabriel's Martial Arts class. All the little kids were up on stage for a demonstration of a defensive technique. I was so proud of my little guy. His form has improved in the past few months, and he did really well. It was fun to see the older kids, too, and what Gabriel has to look forward to if he keeps up with the classes.

I also have to brag just a teeny bit about my latest canning adventure - I made rhubarb-orange preserves from the produce we get in our produce box. It is so yummy - but for all the time I spent in the kitchen, I only came out with 2 jars. Everyone is under orders that they must savor this jam - or else!

Field Trip to the Science Center

2010-04-23T22:29:00.000-07:00

Fridays are field trip days when we can swing it, and the kids requested a visit to the science center downtown. The weather wasn't very good for outdoor adventures, so I agreed that this was a good idea. The Science Center had an exhibit on traveling to Mars, as well as their regular exhibits.

Rock from Mars

We spent some time with the robotic dinosaurs, watched a live presentation about combustion, and soaked up the warmth in the butterfly house.

The highlight for me was watching an IMAX movie about repairing the Hubble telescope, and the pictures it has been able to take. I can't even explain the wonder and awe I felt watching, in 3D, the universe unfold. Galaxies upon galaxies, billions of stars and systems floating around out there. Words escape me at the moment, but trust me, if you have a chance to see this movie, it is well worth the money.

I'll end this post with some photos I took yesterday in the garden. The sun was so lovely at the end of the day, and things are changing so quickly out there with the warmer weather. Enjoy!

The helebores are making seeds

False Solomon's Seal blooming

I'm looking forward to strawberries in a month or two!

Spider babies in the sun

Spring peas sprouting!!

Four

2010-04-22T21:10:00.000-07:00

A little girl I know turned four on Tuesday. This little girl is charming, funny, bright, inquisitive, joyful, enthusiastic, and has the best snuggles in the house. She is curious about frogs and plants and animals and babies, and really, really wants to learn how to write. She tags along with her brother and picks up some of his Lego skills (such as building spaceships with exploding metal pieces on them, with pink and purple parts included). She is delightful, a comfort to my heart from the beginning.

Four seems like such a milestone birthday this time around. She's not a baby or toddler any more; she even seems like she's moving through the preschool age and some days I think she could be in Kindergarten next year. Yet she still sucks her thumb and needs her Mommy more than any other figure. I am so thankful I get to be home with her every day and help her grow and learn and watch her blossom and discover the world.

On her birthday we went to the preschool room at school while Gabriel had his martial arts class, then we went to Gymnastics for her. We had lunch, then went down to the waterfront and visited a unique little shop called Just Frogs (and Toads Too).

Part rescue center, part gift shop, part educational facility, Just Frogs is run by one passionate and dedicated lady. We got to see and learn about several different kinds of frogs and turtles she had there, and bought some little gifts for our friends. Then we went and bought cake and dinner ingredients, came home and started cooking and decorating. Annika wanted a frog theme for her birthday, but she wanted a strawberry cake, which she helped me make.

We decorated for the close friends who were to join us for dinner, and the kids had a blast playing with all the little plastic frogs we had gotten. A nice dinner (salmon, her choice), a few presents, a yummy cake with to-die-for coconut milk ice cream, and our little four-year-old was satisfied.

Now she's four, and it's hard for it to sink in. I guess I'll get used to it soon enough!

Gabriel's Student Showcase

2010-04-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

Gabriel has been taking an amazing art class at our local Homeschool Resource Center. It is feeding his need for learning more about art than I can give him at home. In addition, he usually comes home from the library with books about art and drawing that he reads and learns from at his own pace. I have seen his drawing skills take huge leaps forward in the past few months as he has had the time and inspiration to work on his techniques. Our HRC had a Student Showcase in March, where students could enter art of many different varieties, from traditional pieces to performance art. There were many drawings and paintings of course, but also duct tape fashions, Irish dancing demonstrations, and even a computer game that some friends of ours designed. I was so proud of my son for putting his work out there for the public to see. He chose two of his hand-built pottery items from his Free Form Art class, a needle-felted dragon he made at home, two pencil sketches he completed, and one or two watercolor paintings. It made this sentimental mother's heart swell to see my baby's work displayed for all to see. He was a little disappointed that his art didn't get chosen to go to the Edmonds Art Festival later this spring. I have to confess a part of me was disappointed, too. But we talked about how the important thing was that he loved making art, and he was improving so much lately, and how great it was that he would take the risk and enter his work in the first place. The little guy takes himself so seriously (I'm sure he got that from me - poor kid!). Anyway, I hope you'll indulge me as I show off my son's work from the night of the show.

The needle-felted dragon he made - so sweet! It got a lot of comments.

Gabriel's two clay pieces are in the center - a green and blue pitcher and an orange "Sculpture."

The artist himself in front of two of his pencil sketches - top and bottom left.

Writing Prompt: Children and Technology

2010-03-15T22:33:00.000-07:00

I was inspired by a recent writing prompt over at Literary Mama, and though I didn't submit my piece, it was interesting for me to reflect on the impact technology has had on my young children and on our parenting. I am married to a computer geek, so we are wired more than many families, yet my mother is also a librarian and I am an environmental educator. I find our children moving between the paper and the digital ages.

I am interested in what others have found - how does technology impact your parenting? How do you find a balance between today's digital world and the world we grew up in? Post a comment here, or write something longer on your own blog and let me know. The following is my essay, "Paper and Digital".

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I sit in the living room with my laptop, putting my feet up for a moment. My son is playing in the playroom at the other end of the house. Suddenly, a chat window pops up on my computer. “What are we having for dinner tonight?” he asks me. Gabriel is 7, and we are already having mundane daily conversations via chat. He also knows how to do a video chat with Grandma and Papa. He edits videos he makes with the computer’s camera, creating special effects and adding music and credits. He has figured this out himself, and now he is teaching his three-year-old sister how to use a mouse and play the paint program.

My children are becoming dexterous with technology. They see Mom and Dad and everyone else using computers and cell phones and DVRs and digital cameras, and think that there is nothing difficult about it. They are growing up intertwined with the digital world, like vines wrapping around a multi-trunked tree, tangled and inseparable. They don’t know anything different.

My husband and I try to be very aware of how much technology infiltrates their lives. We do want the kids to be completely comfortable in the digital world. But I also try to balance that influence with a healthy dose of nature and art. I limit the amount of screen time they get, and since they were babies we have spent as much time as possible getting out into nature. I want the pull of the natural world to be at least as strong as the pull of the technological. I also try to make lots of opportunities for art and doing things with their hands. Art has become an important outlet for stress for them, and a source of great joy already.

We have read books to them since their first days of life, before they could even see the pages or hold their heads up. We routinely max out the library cards. Gabriel learns very well on his own, teaching himself about nature and physics and house plants and drawing – anything he is interested in, really. Every flat surface in our home has at least one book on it, and the bookcases are piled two rows deep in places, the wooden shelves bulging downward under the weight. The kids stay up after we put them to bed, headlamps on. Books get lost under the covers (along with scissors, crayons, pencils, sharpeners, sketchbooks, and other miscellaneous items – but that’s another problem altogether.)

I see my children moving in a world filled both with paper and digital ideas. I watch them navigate, moving seamlessly between media. I feel grateful that I haven’t lost them to the digital void yet, and keep trying to guide them in finding the elusive point of balance in their lives. What amazing opportunities await them! I wonder how much the world will change as they grow into adults, how different things will be when we set them free to make their own ways in life. I hope they’ll continue to chat me when they are in college, and send me drawings and go hiking with me, too. Then I’ll feel I’ll have done my job well.

North Creek Park Exploration

2010-02-23T19:42:00.000-08:00

Annika on the boardwalk at North Creek Park

We've had a run of sunny weather, which is normal for this time of year, and I always need the sunshine to combat the cabin fever that sets in this month. I looked through one of my hiking books yesterday to see if there was anywhere new I could go with the kids. We've been wanting to see birds, and I had a wetland in mind, so I found a park just 20 minutes from my home that I hadn't explored yet. We arrived at North Creek Park in the mid-afternoon, so the birds were quiet except for a few red-winged blackbirds and marsh wrens. We read a bit about the history of the park on an interpretive sign at the overlook at the beginning of the trail. Then we headed down the gentle hill. A duck squawked at us from a cattail-hidden pond. Otherwise the only sounds were the wind in the dry canary reed grasses.

Shaggy cattails from last summer look a little worse for wear.

The trail through the wetland at North Creek Park is entirely on boardwalk. The walk floats on the water for parts of it, and during the wet season the water seeps through the cracks between the boards. Expect to get your sneakers wet if you go, or wear waterproof footwear. The trail is only about a half-mile long to the end, so even young children can make this trek. My kids' favorite part was finding clumps of frog eggs in the water.

Frog eggs attached to a stem under water.

They delighted in touching their fingers gently to the blobs of jelly, and keeping their eyes open to try to find more hiding under the vibrant green duckweed.

Annika got brave and touched the egg clumps.

We didn't walk the entire length of the trail, since we came upon more water than we were prepared for.

Water covers parts of the boardwalk, making it all more interesting.

We made our way back to the start, and the kids spent the rest of the afternoon playing on the fun and innovative playground equipment. There are also picnic tables and a porta-potty onsite. I recommend this park for an interesting walk. I know we'll definitely be back!

My two happy munchkins.

Fragrance and Greenery

2010-02-05T22:31:00.000-08:00

{I wrote this post two weeks ago, in the evening after we went to the Flower and Garden Show}

Each year in Seattle, organizers put on a most incredible feast for the senses - The Northwest Flower and Garden Show. Several times I have enjoyed this event with my mom, and once with my mother-in-law. It would be a girls' day out, leaving the kids at home with Daddy. But this year the moms couldn't come, and I thought Gabriel was old enough to enjoy it now. I couldn't very well leave Annika at home, so I surprised them this morning with the news that we would be going there for our field trip day today. We took the bus downtown (the SLOW bus, with the "colorful" Bus People), got our tickets, and rode up the four stories of escalators to enter the main event area. Immediately, the fragrance of multitudes of blooms filled the air, heavy and almost dripping.

We viewed the fabulous display gardens, visited the children's area, spent some time in the butterfly house, and enjoyed "window shopping" at all the booths. We came home with 2 lavender plants and some air plants for the kids. I was surprised that Gabriel was more interested in buying house plants than garden plants. There weren't really any house plant booths, which was just as well.

I'll leave you with a number of photos from the day.

Gabriel was taken with this garden full of orchids.

This was a rooftop garden, a living roof complete with solar panels for the display house.

I thought these colorful rocks were a nice addition to one of the display gardens.

A fun little spiral adding color to the garden.

This dinosaur themed garden had castings of dinosaur footprints among the prehistoric plants. Such a fun idea!

The kids got to plant some pea seeds at one of the kids' booths.

We spent about a half an hour in the butterfly exhibit. Gabriel had five or six on his hand by the end. The kids were so sweet and gentle with the butterflies.

We got to observe the butterflies feeding up close.

When we walked through this display, Gabriel commented that he felt like he was in a dream. I thought that was a pretty good compliment to the designers.