M+B=E2O2

Just a quick note

I have another blog up.  I was one of the session presenters at this years CHN Family EXPO.  My session was on Composting.  Guess what my blog is about.  Um yeah, Composting.  So if you have any interest in the topic head on over.  I will be putting an official link (need to make a cute button of course) up here soon, but for now just give a click here.

Going Brown

I planted corn seeds over 3 weeks ago.  I guess it is time to give up the ghost and accept that it is just not gonna grow.  I've been wanting to get some seedlings to replace the failed seeds for the last week.  Sadly making it to the nursery has just not happened. Heck I haven't even made it to Target (wonder if the garden center there still has seedlings?).  Oh well.  My garden is only half pathetic anyway.  My tomatoes are looking good, I have two varieties of cucumbers going, I think I have some cantelope started.  We have a very nice strawberry plant (meant to get a couple more to add to the pot but ....).  My herbs are also doing really well.  Except for the Basil.  I need to get a nice pot and transplant it into it and move it to a sunnier location.  It is just not liking the only morning sun thing that is going on.  My lime tree is planted, and not dying, so I take that as a good sign.  My mint has nearly exploded.  I have two jalepeno plants that haven't been eaten and several sunflowers that are several inches and growing.  Despite all the successes there, that damn corn just makes me feel as though my thumb is transforming from green to brown.

I Think I Can

Today my friend D came over and gave me a lesson in canning.   I bought a whole canning set a month or two ago after watching  an episode of Good Eats about making jam.  I was all inspired because Alton made it look so easy and fun.  Then I got out the book that came with my little set and felt suddenly overwhelmed and insecure.  I watched the show again ( I DVR'd it) but still didn't feel  up to the challenge. 

At the park a couple weeks ago I was chatting with D and somehow canning came up.  Turns out D is quite the accomplished pickle maker and maker of jams and jellies.  We worked out a day that they could come over and even attempted to make it a kid learning thing vs something for my own self. We invited a couple of other families that had expressed an interest and then made all the arrangements. 

It ended up being just us and that really worked out nicely.  D bought a flat of strawberries at the local Farmers Market the day before and between the two of us we  got all the supplies laid out on the counter. 

D is a great teacher-  she took the time to really explain things.  Really the process was as easy and Alton made it seem on the show- but this was even better because D was able to share bits about her experiences and that of her family.  We live in a strawberry growing area- lots and lots of them year round.  They are more expensive this time of year and not always as sweet as the summer ones, but very good none the less.  So now that I have a handle on this- I will never again buy  a jar of jam off the shelf.

The kids were in and out in helping us.  We were in and out in helping them.  I can see how it would be something you could spend an entire day doing- especially with a few friends.  There was a lot of time for us to just chat casually and get to know one another better. The beginings of a great friendship.  There is just something warm and cozy about puttering about in a kitchen with friends and/or family.     D is someone I can see getting to know well and speding lots of time with.  Her husband is even a D& D geek like mine- so they would likely become friends easily.  Unfortunatley they are moving to eastern Canada soon. 

The are leaving for a simpler life, a farming life.  It sounds lovely and beautiful and like a bit of a dream really.  Though  I love our life here and have no desire to change it, I can totally see the draw for them.  I am sad though that we won't get too many more opportunities to spend time together like we did today.  Maybe I can convince her to  start blogging so that I will be able to live vicariously through her and get to see her kids grow up from here.

Once all was said and done we ended up with 6 pint sized jars ( I think) and 3 half pints.  And it just dawned on me that I paid for half the strawberries and I ended up with all the jam.  Dang I suck at math.  I even kept several of her jars-  ok  gonna have to rectify that next week! 

After they left we briefly considered going to park day- but honestly I was just too tired.  I had  my social fill with D and was aching to curl up with a book.  I told the kids we might just go to the nearby park and they got giddy over that then the bickering and fighting started over who knows what and I called that off too.  Mean mommy I know, but it's not as though they hadn't been playing allllllll morning.   

It seems to me that they've been at one another more often lately and it makes me nuts to hear them fight over nothing, tattle about everything and never own up to any wrongdoings.  After a bit of thought I decided that what they really needed was some quiet time.  I used to do this when it was just Emma & Owen.  I don't think I've ever done it with Evan. 

I sent everyone off in different directions with the rules being that they could do anything quietly and alone.  No computer no TV.   Olivia fell asleep almost immediately.

Emma was as pleased as could be.  She is quite happy to do her own thing and that is what she did.  She played in her room, she colored at the table, she dug in the dirt, she sat on the swing.  She sang to the birds, she looked at books.  She was happy that she could just be.  I didn't have to hear her yell "stop it" or "heeeeey" or "don't".  She just played.

Owen did well the first 15 minutes or so.  He went up to his room and built with the measly bit of legos that he has (Santa got a huge lot off ebay for him for Christmas).   He made a great car/plane/climber thingy. He then wandered around downstairs for a bit.  I gave him a few ideas of things he could do and meandered around debating his options.  He asked how much longer quiet time was going to be.  When could he talk to his brother and sister?  I set the timer for 30 minutes at that point.  So he went to the swings, played on the slide tried to talk to Evan a bit, till I redirected him and gave him a magazine to look at.  I was standing near by looking at a catalog and  he talked to me non stop for 2 minutes.  I finally stopped him and explained that I really wanted him to try and focus on just him.  Save what he wanted to share with me for another 10 minutes and just look and stop talking (for gosh sakes!!!).  He sheepishly agreed again to try.   He got up several times to look at the timer.   When time was up he was just overjoyed. 

Evan had the toughest time.  He just didn't really get it and he didn't really know what to do.  Mind you when it is on his terms he can play quietly and alone for  a long time.  He love to play with his action figures and cars.  He just didn't like the restriction.  Ultimately it was good for him I think.  I offered to read to him but he declined.  I spent most of the 45 minutes or so redirecting him or explaining what I mean by quiet time.  LOL! 

Over all it was very successful.  It felt good too.  Even though it wasn't really quiet for me, it was peaceful.  There was no fighting .  The thing is that the kids usually get along very well.  They really love to play together.  So this was almost like a punishment to them- I'm sure that is how they saw it.  I think it was a much needed break though. 

Owen and Evan especially have been  playing in a way that they think they are being really funny, but in reality they are not so much crossing that fine gray line to being mean as they are tripping right over it and getting up and running with it.  They just push and push and push with something until someone screams- in anger, in frustration, in pain.  Then they try and say that they were just playing or joking or tricking. I  am hoping to have some sort of revelation abut how to deal with that next.  For now I am going to institute  quiet time several times a week- if not daily for  bit.  At the very least it gives me a few minutes of peace.  hopefully it will give them a better appreciation for the time they spend together and also give them  (the boys) the confidence and security that playing alone is ok- and even fun.  Emma sure thinks so.

Good Intentions

I have such good intentions sometimes- but also such a bad follow through. I  really want(ed) to plant a fall/winter garden.  I keep thinking that any day now I'm going to finish clearing out the summer leftovers and get to planing some broccoli & cauliflower among other things.  It just seems like every day something comes up- or that I just don't want to go outside.  I know I'm a wimp- it's in the 60's and I'm off in hibernation!   

With the loan that we had to take out in order to get work done on our house, it seems I may just be able to get the garage done too.  I have already started by clearing out the side yard.  What does that have to do with the garage?  Well, We need to get the side yard in shape so that we can put a 3x6 shed there so I can fill it with things from the garage. If I can get that going, I think just maybe, I might get motivated enough to at least clear out the last bits of the sumer garden.   Even if I don't plant, I think I should at the very least get all the old pumpkin vines tossed.  Ya think?

*sigh* yes I have good intentions.....

My Garden +

We are winding down our garden.  The green beans have all been picked, we let the rest go to seed and have 3 bags of pods for next year.  We ate a handful of smallish corn- it was tasty but I really should have alloted more space for the corn, I knew better, so I'm ok with our meager return.  Our cucumber was fantastic, plenty to enjoy.  We have 8 largish pumpkins sitting on our front porch.  There are 3 small green ones left in the garden, that I am just waiting for them to start to turn orange so I can pick them then clear out our space.  For the fall/winter we are going to plant onions, carrots, and broccoli   and cauliflower.  We live in an area that farms year round so I figure I may as well give it a try. Oh and I forgot to mention that we have millions of tomatoes.  At least. 

Jenny-(Two posts in two days?  Is everyone ok?  ;))  Can you believe it!!  I seriously intended this to be a 3 for 3 post- but never made up actually do it!  I love Muir Woods- we camped there when we only had the first two.  Emma was in a wedding in Chico and we have a friend who lived in Sausilito (sp???), so we did Chico then went to SF then to Muir Woods.  Beautiful!!!

Laurie- I would love to see your street- but you know I don't envy the raking thing!  Never had to worry about that part of the tree thing!!

Timmy- Had no idea you worried about us!  You know Bungee would have torn apart any bad guys! Thanks for tipping him off!

Here Goes

I have (I hope) a bit of time to post.  Evan's still asleep though so this may change if he gets up and demands my attention. :-) 

Owen woke with a tummy ache- he is quite dismayed over it- he really wants to goto gymnastics today.  His buddy T was not in class last week, and even though we played at the beach with him yesterday he is very upset at the thought of not seeing him in class today.  Yeah he must be sick!

The lat two weeks Emma, Owen and Evan have been doing Swim Camp (really it is just lessons, but the program calls it "camp").   Owen was a little stressed at the thought of it-  he is definitely Ben's son.  When I first met Ben I used to tease him about how much he worried.  I'd never met someone who worried as much as him.  Now I have!  Owen just worries and worries about things. However with just a slight push, he moves forward and gets through what ever it is that he's worried about.  After minutes in the pool he was so happy to be there!  He told me when he got out that he loved swimming more than even sailing.  Sailing was the previous Sundays worry.  I took him out in a sabot and with in minutes he proclaimed his love of sailing.  Anyhow, back to swimming.  The class is more for fun imo and not one that really pushes the kids to reach the next level.  I knew that going and and am pleased with the ultimate outcome.  Both big kids can swim on their own and Evan was at least not terribly upset by the second week.  He mostly sat on the steps, but by the second week he'd let the pretty instructores take him out.  The big kids teacher is a guy Ben went to school with-  We've know him for years- so it was fun having them in Fred's class.  Yesterday was the last day and on Wednesday Fred told them they'd get to go off the diving boards.  Owen worried all Wednesday night.  When the time came however he  and Emma both marched out to the end of the 1m board and with out hesitation jumped in to Fred.  Emma was sooo proud of herself with each jump!  She has no fears that she voices, adn she is a fish in the water- she LOVES swimming.  After several jumps Owen noticed that there were littler kids than him going off the high dive (3m).  he took a trip up to the top of the ladder and then changed his mind, did another jump off the 1m board and then went straight to the 3m board walked out and jumped.  Very little hesitation!  He wanted to go again, but time was up.  I don't think I could be any more proud of him right now!!  Emma had no desire to do the high dive, and that is fine with me!  I love how much she loves the water and how good she is in it.  Evan came and watched the big kids do their jumps then was sad that he couldn't go back in the water when they were done.  He's so darn stubborn, he actually knows how to swim, but just didn't want to do it unless I was in the water.  So he just refused to do anything cooperative.  *sigh*  Oh well at least he sat on the steps with out fussing.  I am planning on signing them up for the fall class. it is just a couple days a week. 

What else....

Last weekend Ben had a conference in Carlsbad at a very lovely resort.  My parents came out and took charge of all 4 kids and Ben and I went all by our lonesome!! It was heavenly.  We left Friday around 11am and drove straight to a movie theater in Carlsbad. LOL!  We say a 4pm showing of Harry potter and the Order of the Phoenix.  It was AWESOME!  Both the movie itself and the very act of going to a movie!!  I did like the move a lot, I am now reading OOTP again to see what bits were left out.   This brings me to Book Seven- we are counting down the minutes!  Neither of us are gong to any of the book parties or anything, but I will be getting the book first thing Saturday morning, we plan to read it (me out loud to him) as much a s possible Saturday, then Sunday afternoon Ben's mom will be watching the kids to give us a few uninterrupted hours of reading.  Until the book is done, I will not be turning on a computer, TV or opening the newspaper.  I do NOT want this book spoiled for me.  I plan on cherishing every moment.  That means I won't be posting here again for a bit- I know my frequent updates keep you all going, but you'll just have to wait for a while!! LOL!!!  I spent most all day Saturday in the Spa area.  The "treatments'' were waaaaaay out of budget, but you could get a day pass for a reasonable price, so that's what I did.  it was very peaceful.  Next year we plan on taking the kids.  The  resort is super family friendly and I know the kids will have a Blast!!!  There are watersides, a spray park area, beach entry pool with a giant sand box area.  There is a kids club day camp or night camp so we can still have some alone time if we want and the kids room looks FUN.  I'm glad we had this year to ourselves though. 

My garden is Wild.  It is  is crazy wild.  The pumpkins would take over the entire yard if I didn't keep turning the vines back into themselves.  We have at least 10 pumpkins going, one if them is already huge.  We've been eating cucumber almost daily and I don't see and end in sight.  We've had one post of green beans and I just picked another colander full of them- I expect to pick at least 2 more.  Crazy I tell ya.  The tomatoes- OMG the tomatoes.   There are well over 100 of the green suckers on the two plants.  I don't know what I'm going to do with them all.  Salsa anyone?  I make a mean salsa- (ok disclaimer here- I can make it but it is MIL's secret recipe that I uses so she gets the credit there!)   

School.  I can't say that I envy any of you that are "starting" up right now.  The kids are just flying along, learning things at the most unexpected times.  In the car they are always learning things.  A favorite game lately is guessing if I'll turn Left or Right.  My car has a digital compass in the rear view mirror and that is something the kids are always looking at.  They are all really developing a sense of direction- always trying to figure out which way we will be heading next. 

We also cross a bridge often that is near an estuary.  Even Olivia shouts out "estuary" as we cross over.  The two big kids know what it is exactly the other two just know that it is an estuary! 

I've really gotten much more comfortable with our unschooling-ness.  I really feel strongly that my biggest objective in these younger years is to teach them manners, respect, how to behave in the real world and how to get along and play with one another and others they are with.  Any academics learned is a bonus.  It is amazing how often those bonuses happen too!  In chatting recently with my neighbor who has been a teaching for years I was given  more kudos for our methods.  She currently teaches Kindy and said if she could do it her way she'd do much of what I do-  exposure to all the basics(colors,numbers,abcs shapes), lots of reading,  arts, music and physical activity.  Lots of exploration and imaginative play.  No phonics or teaching kids how to read- unless they are asking for it, unless they are ready.  In public schools today kids are expected to read a a much earlier age than in the past.  Most kids, boys especially, are not developmentally ready to do it.  Being a lover of books and reading, I want my kids to love it too.  I did not become a fluid reader until the 3rd grade.  Until that point I struggled a bit,  teacher notes in my report card  make comment on how dismal my reading was.  By 5th grade I was reading Macbeth and Oliver Twist.  I remember both times of my life.  I remember HATING to read.  I don't remember when it "clicked".  I expect it just did at some point.  I see it happening all the time as Owen works his way through words.  He is teaching himself to read slowly.  Words that befuddled him several moths ago he can read with ease now.  If his journey to reading takes as long as mine I will be happy - I want him to have the same love- especially because he loves to hear stories so much. His MP3 player is filled to the brim with stories! any how, bottom line- we're happy in our educational methods at this time!!!

I mentioned sailer a bit ago- we've joined a local yacht club and it has been sooooo great!  We do not have and do not plan on getting a boat anytime soon-  it will be several years at best.  The club is family friendly, well established and has a great youth program.  I know many people there from my childhood, we had a sailboat for years.  The Club has  Friday night dinners, they serve food Fri-Sunday.  Sunday they have free food set out- really good stuff too.  It is a private facility so the kids are in an enclosed safe area.  We bought them life jackets and they are not allowed to go on the docks with out them.  I am looking forward to creating many memories with my family there!

Ok time to head to class- have to drop Owen off at the IL's, he ended up throwing up. 

I'll try to come back soon.  Once the book has been read. 

Our bounty and more than your really want to know about it.

I really get a thrill out of our garden.  Now that I sized it down I wonder if I made the right choice.  Our pumpkins are insane!  They grew and spread all over last year, but the leaves were not nearly as big as our are now- they couldn't have been.  I've had to lower one side of our garden fencing to accommodate the suckers.  I'm scared to think how much of our yard will have been taken over by the beasty plant by October.  Seriously.  The cucumbers aren't too far behind either. 

My poor green onions, carrots and watermelon are just being dwarfed by the pumpkin and cucumber leaves.  The corn is holding its own for now.  I've had to redirect some of the cucumber vines but they seem to be growing strong.  The green beans are also flourishing.  They keep climbing and winding around every pole in sight.  Oh and the tomatoes!  Those appear to be taking over the other fence.  They are HUGE.  We have already spotted many little green tomatoes too- so I reckon in another month we'll be eating a lot of salsa. 

My bib lettuce was doing great for a while- then a few slugs started having their way with it so I'm letting it be and using it mainly to keep found caterpillars alive.  We just released one as a moth today!  We have one green inchworm in a cocoon, a black caterpillar with bright green racing strips eating lettuce by the ounce and growing at a phenomenal rate.  I rescued a teeny tiny green inch worm on the last bit of lettuce that we will likely consume from our garden yesterday. If I can get those pesky slugs gone we'll get to eat more on  future taco nights! We have one more caterpillar that will hopefully do it's thing and turn into a moth like the one that we freed today. 

I also have 6 romaine lettuce heads that seem to be doing well despite the pumpkin vine that has slithered past it and now stealing sunlight.   I planted morning glory around my compost and that too has taken off.  The pile is just slightly visible.  My mint, basil and cilantro are also just growing like mad.  I have one pot of strawberries that seem to still be alive, and a flat of strawberry plants that need to be potted. 

We have regular bird friends daily- lots of them.  We've even got a green parakeet that must have either escaped or been set free.  Owen and I named her (we assume "her" based on nothing at all).   Her name is LeeLee. Soon as I can get a picture of her I'll share it.  Now we just need to sod the rest  of the yard (old garden area) and get a climbing/swing set thing for the kids and our yard will be totally complete.  As it is I feel like it is darn near perfect and it all brings me so much peace and joy.

Ahhh well, what can I say?

We were on vacation.  Never mind the fact that we didn't leave the county but once, and that was just me and the kids for the day.    What a lovely vacation it was though.  I'll spare you the blow by blow, but I will touch on a couple of the highlights. 

Monday we headed south for a visit with the Pixilated Family and Jenny's crew.  What a great time we had.   Socialization was a bit of an issue- oh wait, no it wasn't-  those kids were off and playing right from the get go.  We moms were the ones with the awkward pauses and strained words.  Oh wait- nope, we got along grandly as well.  Socialization a problem for home schooling kids?  Bah!  Really that is such an absurd argument! 

Another of the highlights of the week would have to be the painting of our guest room/kids computer/TV room.  Ben did all the hard work, I just picked out the colors.  I have to say I did a great job! LOL!  So did Ben.  The room looks fabulous in the two tones of brown.  The room has a very cozy comfortable feel to it.  The walls were previously a pale yellow- as is the rest of the house for the most part.  The earthy darker tones just give the room a sense of calm.  He also stained the unfinished pine TV cabinet that is in the room.  It is a darkish walnut now and really looks amazing.  Once we get Emma a bunk bed we'll bring her day bed down here again- (it used to be in this room originally)  and match the stain to the TV stand.  Makes for a very nice room for our friends  and family to stay in methinks.  All that is left to do in the room is hang some schoolish stuff on the walls (maps and the like) and I am going to clear out the closet and put it back together in an ORGANIZED fashion.  I am inspired by Maria's homeschool cupboard (go ahead- just ask Jenny,  I think we both had to pick our jaws up off the floor when she showed us!- Maria- show a picture-  you really are an inspiration!)  I am going to take a leaf out of Maria's book and get this space working for us. It seems to be a magnet for clutter as it is. 

Other than that we really just spent time together.  We had Ben's mom over for dinner on several occasions, she had us over at her house in return.  Ben's bro also made his way over here for dinners and just to hang out.  All in all it was  a great week. 

Oh and me- me me me-  Today marks 14 days- 14 days of spinning.  In a row.  No less that 30 minutes a day.  The average is creeping up to 45 minutes.  Today I rode for an hour.  Next Monday will be 21 days, my goal.  I feel pretty darn good about it. 

Speaking of fitness, I happened across this blog- I'm gonna need to spend a bit of time looking over it- but for any of you looking for a fitness program for kids, it looks like it might be worth checking out.

Oh and Maria- here is the link to the blog that posts menu's every Monday.  And here is the link to Saving Dinner where I got my freezer menus- which by the way have been a big hit and I've decided that the payoff is well worth the 2-4 hours of prep it took.  I still have 5 meals or so in my freezer and so far the ones we've had have been fantastic and even more important- EASY!

Well, much as I'd love to post more of my amazing links and thoughtful prose, I think I'd love to sit on my comfy couch more! This week holds the promise of newly a turned 6 year old boy, park day with fellow homeschooling families, gymnastics fun, maybe a date for Ben and me, and Father"s Day.  I will also get pictures into my computer from our Pixilated play date, my garden ( oh my is it GROWING!!) and anything else of interest that happens to be in the camera.