Weekend Outings

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

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

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

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!

Another Busy Saturday

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!