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

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!

A Day in Paradise

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

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!

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving - Day Nineteen

Note: I am having issues with Blogger today, so this post is incomplete.  I'll try to figure it out and update it in the next day or two.

I am thankful for our autumn traditions.  Gabriel keeps me on my toes with our traditions.  He pesters me in every season to do those things that celebrate holidays and changing seasons.  He is good for me; he gives me incentive to make the extra effort!

One of the fall traditions we have done for several years is going to a pumpkin patch.  This year and last we went to the South 47 Farm.  They say they practice sustainable, ecologically sensitive gardening, but I don't think they are totally organic.  That's OK, the kids and I had a wonderful time Saturday.  First we fed the goats and alpacas.  The kids were so excited to see real farm animals.  There were chickens and ducks there, too, but the kids weren't so interested in them.  Gabriel loved the alpacas, but Annika was scared of them.  She preferred the goats, who were more her size.  

Then we went on a hay ride, pulled by the tractor Olivia, driven by Farmer Dave.  The kids both thought this was their favorite part.  Annika was chattering about the ride throughout the evening.  Here is Gabriel with the tractor in the background: Then we went to find out about picking apples, and walked to the far end of the farm to find the last variety of the year.  Gabriel seemed to enjoy this part.
 The apples we got were 'Gold Rush', and they are so flavorful and juicy!  They have a tartness that makes the glands at the back of my throat tingle.

After we had picked enough apples, it was finally time for the main event: pumpkins!  I let the kids each get one for carving, and we also got some decorative gourds for the table.  I picked out a few squash for cooking.  I was in love with the colors and shapes of the winter squash they had.  I wanted to choose one of each, but had to limit myself.  I wasn't sure if the kids would eat them, after all.  

The kids enjoyed the outing very much, and I was thrilled to be able to get out.  It has been 6 1/2 weeks since my surgery on my foot and ankle, and I was in some pain by the end of our time there, but we all came home with rosy cheeks and fun memories.

On Sunday I helped Gabriel carve up his pumpkin, and Annika painted hers.  I am glad I took the time to do this with the kids.  I had so many chores to do, but it was very important to Gabriel, and I think it was better in the long run to spend the extra quality time with him.  He designed hie own pumpkin, and he did most of the carving of the face himself.  Each year he can do more - pretty soon he won't need my help at all.   

I cooked up one of the squash - I can't remember the name of it, but it is an heirloom variety.  It smelled like cinnamon and allspice while it was baking.  The flesh is bright orange.  It is incredibly sweet.  After it baked I put a little bacon, green onions, and feta cheese on top.  Gabriel had seconds!  The rest I pureed and will try to get some baking done with it.  I saved some of the seeds, and I hope to plant them next spring and get some of my own.  I think it is my favorite squash I've had in a long time.  Now if I could just remember the name of it.....

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, as well.

Felt Pumpkins

Recently I was perusing some wonderful entries in the blogosphere, and found a post by Nicole on Frontier Dreams about making felted pumpkins.  It's from a magazine called Living Crafts.  The pumpkins looked really neat, and when I was at the co-op the next day, there was the magazine in the checkout line.  I looked at the instructions, and thought I could probably do the project, so the magazine came home with me.  We've never tried felting before, so I had to get the materials for it.  I finally got to a yarn store on Monday.  Annika helped me pick out the colors to use.  Of course, I forgot one crucial ingredient, and had to go again the next day to get it, and then on Tuesday we were able to make the pumpkins.  

We started by rolling the wool roving around a ball.  Then we tied the string around it to make the pumpkin segments and keep it together.  We did the wet felting in the bathtub.
 Next time we felt I think I will use the sink or a washbasin, because it was hard for the kids to bend down and reach into the bathtub.  Annika kept threatening to fall in.  We didn't have a washboard, so I used a broiler pan and a cookie rack.  The broiler pan worked best.  The kids liked playing in the soapy water.  I was having my doubts at this point, because the pumpkins looked like drowned orange hairballs.  But eventually they began to take shape.      

A little rinsing was next, then forming the stem.  We put the pumpkins in the dryer for a few minutes, then took them out when they were mostly dry.  They turned out a little lumpy, but the are cute.  We cut the tops off and I sewed the stems on.  They now reside in a place of honor on the dining room table.

Gabriel took his pumpkin to school on Wednesday, and I heard that it was a hit.  All the kids were entranced by it, and kept asking how it was made.  I think more felt crafts are in our future!  

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving - Day Eighteen

The afternoons have been scrumptious the past day or two.  The sun is golden, low in the sky.  It warms the air enough to be comfortable without a coat.  The leaves are at their peak and glow as if from within.  We soak up the warmth and light.  We know soon the skies will turn grey and cold and drippy, and we will be sentenced to months of dreariness.  But for now we enjoy these autumn days.