Soccer Season (Here's to great coaches!)

We are not a terribly sports-oriented family (more into activities like hiking, swimming, kayaking...) but I do think it is important for the boys to be part of some team sports once in a while.  They both enjoy soccer, and look forward to it each summer.

This year, they both have great coaches (which makes all the difference in the world).  A few weeks ago, I was struck by how lucky they are.  As you know, when the coaches are all volunteers, you get what you get and try to be happy about it.

On the night in question, Charlie's team was rather unattended, with only 5 little ones showing up.  It was crazy-hot at almost 40 degrees (which likely accounts for so many missing players) and they were playing the most competitive team in the league, which in itself is frustrating, given that this is a recreational league for 6 and 7 year old boys.

Here are our little ones, exhausted and hot because they didn't even have enough players to make a full shift let along have any subs.  The coach of the other team, who were scoring so much that we lost count (I think the final score was something like 18 - 0 for the other guys) was ridiculously competitive, and had the sportsmanship skills of one of those crazy-drunk-idiotic hockey parents that you see on YouTube.  With every goal (all 18!!!)  he paused the game, called his players into the centre of the field, and let out a horrendously loud "YEAH RED!!  WE ARE THE BEST!!!!!"

Out little blue team was struggling just to stay upright, let alone score.

SO, here is what I want to say about our coach.  William (the coach, not the son) is in his early to mid twenties.  He doesn't have any kids.  He was the last volunteer coach to join, and did so only because there were more kids registered than could play unless the league found another coach, and he didn't want any of them to miss out.  He works hard all day, then hangs out on the soccer pitch cheering on a group of unskilled 6 and 7 year old boys as they kick the ball around.

And while the other coach was boasting around like a rooster and making everyone feel bad, Will was cheering on our non-scoring kids like they were true champions.  He was high-fiving everyone in turn, and offering sincere congratulations on good plays and gentle pointers on how they could improve.  He checked in with all of the kids, often, to make sure they were drinking enough and not getting too tired.  He called water breaks so that they didn't get overheated, and told jokes to keep their spirits up.  He connected with each child by name, pointed out to them when they did something they had not been able to do before, and made sure to praise them for their sportsmanship as well as they skill.  Charlie left that game full of great things to talk about: how he was getting better at passing, how good snack was, how much fun it was, what he wanted to practice before the next week.  He never even mentioned the final score.

THAT, ladies and gentleman, is a coach.

Reading Lessons for Me

I have been homeschooling long enough that I should know this, but sometimes even moms forget their lessons. Here is what I have (finally!!) remembered today:  Homeschooling works so well because you can help kids to learn what, when,and how they learn best.  I know this.  Really, I do.

Still, I have been getting more and more stressed lately because Charlie is now 7 years old, and no where near reading.  He has a few sight words, of course, but his progress has been moving at a much slower pace than my anxiety ( I know, I know - my misplaced issues rather than his errors).

My approach to reading with both boys has always been to focus on encouraging their love for reading first and foremost, rather than pushing them to develop the actual skills and end up becoming good readers who hate to pick up a book.  I think that generally I have succeeded - both boys look forward to lots of reading at bedtime and throughout the day,  and they have story books lined up one after the other so that we are never at a loss of what to read next.  William is now a really good reader (after a slow-by-common-standards-start) who has a book with him almost all of the time, is always happy to share his list of favorites if you are looking for something to read.

But Charlie was struggling.  The preparing to read, leveled readers that I had for him (that worked well for William, I might add) were completely uninspiring to him.  He was not at all interested in them, and got by with reading as little as he possibly could while still feeling that he was keeping up with his older brother. 

Finally, yesterday, my brain somehow clicked on again.  I realized (right after he said "Mom, this is how it is") that those readers were excruciatingly boring and infantile for my oh, so grown up son.  He wanted a good story.  He wanted adventure.  Drama even.

So we stared reading The Fire Cat by Esther Averill together (maybe not high drama by adult standards, but not bad to a 7 year old).  We sit side by side and read it together.  He reads the words that he is able (smaller sight words, names that he can recognize easily, what he can guess from the illustrations or the sentences themselves) and I fill in the rest.  And, Viola!!  A book that he is bringing to me himself throughout the day to read.  A book that has him begging to read just a few more pages at night before we shut out the lights. And a 'real' book, where he recognizes enough of the words that he feels his as 'really' reading.  The other important fact being that each time we pick it up together he is reading more and more of the words on his own.

So, there you have it - my lesson for the day: listen to your kids.  If something is not working, try something new.  There are a million different ways to learn, and what works for one person will not necessarily work for another.  The more I remember that, the happier we will all be.

Oldies but Goodies

We recently undertook a rather overdue cleaning of the boys' toy room, and ended up not only with a cleaner space, but also some new favorite toys.  Underneath all of the dress up clothes, cars, science experiments and LEGO (of course LEGO!)  they unearthed a box of Lincoln Logs.

They spent a good part of the afternoon building wilderness outposts and trading shacks, saloons and corrals. 

As for me, I got to thinking how much these older toys still grab our kids attention (when they have the time and space to explore them).  When I look at the toys that kids go back to over and over again, they are simple, durable (and often made out of natural materials), plain, and flexible.  You can make almost anything with them if you put your mind to it, rather than a toy or game that can only be used in one way.  They also get the kids relying on their imaginations to create the story line, rather than acting out the latest Disney movie plot.

I guess it is an extension of the toddler who plays with the box more than the new toy, right? 

So if we know this, why on earth is there still such a market for restrictive, cheap, plastic toys?  Do we forget?  Do we not trust what we all know to be true?  Or are we also taken in by the advertisement champagnes of the biggest toy companies?  Whatever it is, my goal is to stop it.  I don't have the money to waste on toys that they are not interested in, and the boys happiness is more important than what commercials tell me they need.

As for now, I think that we have some Tinker Toys around here somewhere...

Up Close

The boys and I were having an interesting conversation on perspective the other day while we wandered through the wood. We chatted about how we can all be looking at the same thing and 'see' it differently, both physical things and issues or ideas. (as an aside, I love these middle childhood ages, if no other reason than that the boys will engage in this type of discussion with their Mama for hours on end!). Anyway, the physical side of this talk was thinking about how different things look from a distance than they do up close. Here are a few photos...

Happy New Year!!

I have been thinking, lately, about how different my new years' celebrations have become over the past few year compared to the years pre-kids. These days, 10pm finds me headed for my jammies and consoling myself that it will still be 2011 when I wake up, even if I am not awake to actually ring it in. Pre-kids, 10pm saw me finishing me make-up (who has time or energy for that anymore?!?!) and heading for the door. Pre-kids dinner on New Years Eve - steak, sauteed mushrooms, a nice glass of wine, most likely at a restaurant that didn't serve french fries. Tonight's menu - tacos and fruit smoothie. Perhaps a bowl of ice cream for desert. Pre-kids celebrations included tons of friends, music, dancing and laughter. Tonight has seen building with new LEGO sets, cuddles and hugs, extra bed time stories.

I would be kidding myself (no pun intended) if I didn't admit to missing the old New Years Celebrations. I miss being able to decide that afternoon where and with whom we were headed out. I miss being able to stay up to the wee hours of the morning, knowing that I can sleep in the next day. I miss being able to go out and not worry how things are going at home. Still, those days were pre-kids. And that would be a loss for too great to contemplate. No little hands reaching out in the night to make sure I am still there, no unsolicited "I love yous", no tickle fights or silliness. I would miss looking down at their sleeping faces and being able to see only sweetness, the challenges of the day forgotten.

So wherever you are tonight, and however you are celebrating the arrival of 2011, I hope that you are surrounded by teh people that you love the most, and who make you smile. As for me, in celebratiuon of this special night I may even be reckless and stay up until 11pm........

Oh My...

I am positively shamed to see how long it has been since I have chimed in here....we really are alive and doing well, just a little distracted by the holiday cheerfulness. The tree is up, the packaging is finished, only one more sock to knit, the baking is done, except for the second batch of almond cookies that I will need - the first batch somehow disappeared (grin).

Our home feels so warm and cheerful this season, more even than in past years. Partly, I think, it is because the kids are old enough now that they really are active in all that we do, rather than come-and-go participants. The bulk of the decorating has happened through their little hands. The gifts have all been chosen and wrapped with their involvement, and their little fingers taste tested each and every bowl of cookie dough. This year Christmas feels like a family endeavor, rather than a Mommy led 'event' as it sometimes has in the past.

To top it all off, in a heartfelt effort to simplify our lives lately, we have shunted many, many boxes of 'stuff' to the local second hand store, and found homes for most of what remains. We have tried to focus more on the experience of the holidays and less on the 'things' of it, and our home is feeling lighter, more peaceful, and more like the haven it is supposed to be because of it.

I have a few more days of work to get through this week, but we should still be able to get in lots of home time. We are looking forward to Christmas eve with our own little family, Christmas day with Pop, Uncle Steve, Aunt Mindy and Griffin, and then Boxing day hosting Grammy, Auntie Bonnie, Uncle Ted, Max, Tory and perhaps even another family friend at our home.

We are looking forward to a few weeks of family, friends, celebration, and relaxation. What more could one want for Christmas?

I really have been taking photos during my 'absence', and I promise to get caught up soon along with some shots of the holidays in our family. I hope that you are enjoying peace and loved ones wherever you will be over the holidays.

Thanks for sharing this space with me and have a Merry Christmas!!

Sneak Invasion

I have come to realize today that a long-time family rival has once again snuck into our home. It has happened slowly, silently, and with no fuss or fanfare...but it has happened none the less. This threat to family, happiness and health has come in the form of a Nintendo DS. Sigh.

We are not an electronic media-free home, but I do try to limit how much screen time we all get. We have a TV for watching movies, but no cable. William has a hand held video game, but until recently it was an older (and less expensive) game boy and was used almost exclusively for long car rides.

But over the past few months, I have noticed the kids spending more and more time in front of a screen. The video game migrated from the car into the house. Daddy recorded a new series of movies / TV shows onto disc for the kid to watch. The TV upstairs, which had been 'broken' for many many months, was suddenly turned on again. And just like that, the hours are adding up - hours that were previously spent playing, drawing, reading, building LEGO (of course!) and living have now become sit-on-your-butt-as-your-brain-turns-to-mush time.

It is time to fight back!!! Time to turn off the tube and turn back on our lives. Time to 'break' the TV again (don't tell the kids it is me - they think it is the result of a bad storm!!) and banish the video game tot he car again. Time to bring out the books, the games and the LEGO. I know that when we are turned-off in this way we are all a whole lot happier. Well, perhaps Daddy is not, the the boys and I sure are! Everyone gets along better, has more energy during the day and sleeps better at night. We feel inspired and excited about life, and have the time and attention to explore the things that we are interested in. All of a sudden there is so much more time - to complete chores, to learn, to relax, to explore, and to just be together. I can't wait.

If you are contemplating getting rid of your TV (or at least shutting off cable) I wholeheartedly encourage you to try. If you need some more encouragement, this article may help...

Trash Your TV

For The Love of Reading

I have been thinking a lot about reading lately, and how it figures into our homeschooling routing, and our lives. When I think of adults that I have met, they can be classified fairly cleanly into readers and non-readers. It is not an absolute division, of course, but I find that people either love to read and do it as often as they can, or rarely read at all - not much of a middle ground. Going on the assumption, then, that the goal is (as mine is) to raise kids who become adults who read, both for educational value and entertainment.....the question becomes how?

For us it has meant a fairly relaxed approach to teaching the boys to read. We began exploring phonics when William was about 5 years old, using Explode The Code. I had actually shied away from a reading 'curriculum' for as long as I could, but he was having a hard time making the leap from recognizing letters to putting the sounds together. We used Explode The Code for a short while until he got the hang of things, and then put it aside. We were all thrilled to make the move to 'real' books, and things are moving along well now.

William reads to us all every night before bed, and sometimes a time or two during the day as well. But mostly, our reading is still my reading aloud to the boys. To me, this is the part that will more likely turn them into adult readers. I am less concerned that they can read well on their own at this stage as I am that they continue to love books. I have faith that their own skills will come so long as the love of reading is kept alive.

Over the last year or so, we have all been enjoying the Harry Potter series (with a few words changed now and then in the later books, which get a little dark). About two weeks ago we began Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech, and after finishing it last night William has headed to the shelf to pick the next chapter book. I am happy to oblige. At 7 years old, his interests far surpass his reading abilities. The chapter books which allow us all to really delve into a story, to immerse ourselves in it over time, to curl up in front of the fire together for a whole morning of reading, are still beyond what he can read on his own without frustration. William is getting to be a better reader each day, and Charlie, at 5 years old, is ready to start his journey. They are not skilled readers yet, but they are certainly book lovers - just as I have hoped they will be.

I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves.
~Anna Quindlen, "Enough Bookshelves," New York Times, 7 August 1991

Today...

I woke up this morning with the whole day planned out. We were going to have a mostly home-day, with only a short trip to the grocery store. Picture family peace and domestic bliss. I even had a blog post drafting in my mind - one of those homey, slightly inspiring posts about all of the nice wonderful things I managed to do with the boys cheerfully at my side. Perhaps a beautiful photo of fresh flowers in a vase on the clean kitchen table, a recipe or two of the delicious home made goodies I had made. Table time completed willingly, and crafts for the upcoming fall fair sitting proudly on the shelf. Instead, I spent most of the afternoon and evening having a battle of wills with a five-year-old. Who drew on the book shelf. With marker. Did I mention that the shelf was made of unfinished pine?

So here is the deal...I managed, barely, to not scream and yell (at least at first) and asked him to work with me to clean it up. To which he replies 'no'. Repeatedly 'NO'. He then went into a list of the reasons why he could not clean it up - his sore hand, the fact that it was not his bookshelf and therefor not his responsibility, that he was too tired, that Mama should do it if I wanted it clean, that it could wait until tomorrow, that it was just a dumb bookshelf, the fact that he didn't like me anyway and wouldn't even give me a hug when I got home from work tomorrow......

Don't you love those days???? I would like to say that I handled it all with gentle loving kindness and womanly finesse. I held onto the finesse thing for a while, but it really came down to "stay in your room until you clean the books off of the shelf so we can deal with it, or until you are ready to ask me nicely for help and then we will do it together.

The end result.....a book shelf with lovely green drawings on top, which he did eventually deal with, but that will need a good coat of paint to fully address. I have been 'forgiven' for getting grumpy at him (how dare I!!) and am in his good books again, although my day of domestic bliss has somehow evaporated. I manged to make some red pepper jelly in the middle of things, but somehow the joy of the process was lost amidst the stamping of little feet and the chorus of 'bad mommy!!"

Some days motherhood really is overrated, don't you think?

Morning

There really isn't a lot that I like about getting up super-early for work on a Saturday morning. To make it a little more palatable, today I left myself an extra 10 minutes, and took my camera along for the drive. It really did make the whole ordeal a little easier to bear.



I never knew a man come to greatness or eminence who lay abed late in the morning. (I know I should believe it, but really.......)
~Jonathan Swift

Homemaking

Maybe it is the fact that we have just returned from a whole week away at camp. Maybe it is the (dare I say it?) faintly autumnal chill in the air these past few days. Whatever it is, I am totally in the mood for homemaking. I know that it is something that we all do every day in one way or another. Today, though, it feels less like a chore and more like a calling, an instinct, something that I want to do.

These are the days that I gladly clean out the cupboard under the sink. I thrill at picking up a new-to-me basket from the thrift store to replace the old plastic Tupperware that houses my tea stash. I actually enjoy washing all of the bedding and folding blankets across the foot of each bed. These are the days that I plan big pots of soup using all of the fresh veggies in the fridge, and the canned goods that need clearing out of the pantry. I put an apple crisp into the oven as much for the smell as for the taste, and I sort through my knitting basket to organize the odds and ends that will someday turn into beautiful creations for my family and friends.

I know that we are barely into September. I truly do look forward to more hot and humid days spent at the beach or puttering in the garden. Still, the changing leaves (yes, it has started) and the chill in the air are also wonderful in their own way. Happy homemaking, everyone.

He is the happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home.
~Goethe

Day Camp

This weeks the boys are going to a local day camp, as both Jim and I have to work a lot (sigh). This may not sound like too big a deal, but for kids who are home schooled and spend most of their time in self-directed activities or 'lessons' planned with their interests and abilities in mind, this presents a major culture shock. You can bet we have had some very interesting conversations every evening.

One of Williams biggest complaints is that 'they treat me like I don't have a brain'. He is referring to the counsellors directing the activities - something that they are hired to do, and apparently do very well. Now, there is certainly a part of me that feels the need for my kids to spend some time directed by others - unfortunately, life is just like that sometimes. But William raises some very good points - if camp is supposed to be fun, and he is having fun playing with building toys, why should he stop in order to play pin-the-tail-on-the-elephant which is not fun?

The other frustration, for both of us, is how tied the counsellors are to the 'rules', Part of this is a function of their age - as young summer staff, I don't imagine they are encouraged a whole lot to think for themselves.

Example #1 Each child is supposed to bring a lunch and 2 snacks every day. I have two kids going to this camp, so each morning I pack a cooler bag with enough food for 2 kids (2 lunches, and 4 snacks). I put in one treat each, and the rest is nutritious foods. At ages 7 and 5, I trust them to eat when they are hungry, and stop when they are not. If they choose to have their treat first thing, so be it - they will have lots of healthy stuff for the rest of the day. Apparently, that is not good enough. I have been requested to divide the food up by child, and by meal - each to be clearly marked.

Example #2 It so happens that there are fairly few kids registered for camp this week (about 10 kids) and most of them are between the ages of 3-5. That makes William the oldest by about 2 years. Monday night when he came home, William expressed a bit of frustration at feeling left out - and not all that interested in the activities planned that have been geared for younger kids. I suggested that he speak to the leaders and offer instead to help with the younger kids - something he currently does at soccer, and loves it. This, apparently was not an option. I am not sure if the counsellors are not able to think of anything for him to do, or rather it is just too different from how things normally happen. Either way, Will is still bored, and now feeling a bit rejected, too.

So here is where we are at - unfortunately, we don't have any other options for child care this week. And really, although they are not loving it, it is not a horrible place for them to be. We have had some great conversations about making the best of a less than ideal situation, and about how we all learn best. So this post, I guess, is a bit about venting my frustration, and even more about appreciating how blessed I feel to be able to home school my kids. These frustrations that we are facing are for a week, not for a whole school year. They are the exception rather than the rule to how we live our lives. And after all, there are only two camp days left in the week.

Woman Work

Woman Work

I've got the children to tend
The clothes to mend
The floor to mop
The food to shop
Then the chicken to fry
The baby to dry
I got company to feed
The garden to weed
I've got shirts to press
The tots to dress
The can to be cut
I gotta clean up this hut
Then see about the sick
And the cotton to pick.

Shine on me, sunshine
Rain on me, rain
Fall softly, dewdrops
And cool my brow again.

Storm, blow me from here
With your fiercest wind
Let me float across the sky
'Til I can rest again.

Fall gently, snowflakes
Cover me with white
Cold icy kisses and
Let me rest tonight.

Sun, rain, curving sky
Mountain, oceans, leaf and stone
Star shine, moon glow
You're all that I can call my own.

~Maya Angelou

Thankful

When I am having a rough day, it is always wonderful to take a moment to think about all of the reasons that I am thankful for this day...

* Blue sky and sunshine, after grey clouds and rain
* 14 jars of homemade strawberry jam ready for the shelves
* Little boys who say please and thank you without having to be reminded
* Three beautiful new foals on the farm up the street
* A 20-minute stop (on my own!!) at the farmers market this afternoon
* Sweet peas harvested fresh from the garden
* Reading Harry Potter with William
* Big bowls of strawberries and cream (yum!)
* An early bedtime tonight
* The fact that even today, I can find a few minutes to write these words....

Celebrations of Childhood

Children have such a wonderful way of celebrating the good times / accomplishments / goals in their lives. Charlie met a new goal at swimming lessons today - dunking his whole head under water, as opposed to just his face or one side of his head at a time. As I watched from the benches, I saw his whole little body swell up with excitement. He launched himself out of the water seeking me out with his eyes, broke into a smile from ear to ear, and gave me an enthusiastic two-thumbs-up that involved not only his thumbs but his whole arms. The whole routine was repeated about 4 times throughout the rest of his lesson, for my benefit, and also aimed across the pool where his brother was swimming.

But that is not all. No, that is not all. Between the time that swimming lessons ended and when he went to bed, I heard a constant stream of this type of thing:

Did you see me Mom? Did you really see me?
Daddy will be so excited he will fall over!
How many minutes until next swim lessons?
I really did it, Mommy!
William, I can swim like you now!!
Daddy, it was so much fun!!!!!!
Pop, I dunked my whole head!
It was my whole head, even the top of my hair!!

This accomplishment fed him, thrilled him, excited him, for almost 6 hours - and I wouldn't be surprised if it continues today.

I wonder when we lose (or reject) that ability to celebrate our victories - big and small? I notice that as adults, many of us pause only a moment when we reach a goal for a little smile, maybe a short phone call to someone important, and then we move on to other thing. We check one thing off our to-do list and move right onto the next. What a loss.

So today, I vow to celebrate the little accomplishments in my day. I will rejoice when the laundry is caught up. I will celebrate the home made dinner on the table. I will look around at my family, my biggest accomplishment, smile from ear to ear, and give them a really big two-thumbs-up.

Good Morning

I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!
~Lewis Carroll, Alice In Wonderland

Rattle Snake Point

Today was such a special day - for the first time, ever, I took my boys to Rattle Snake Point. This beautiful spot on the Niagara Escarpment is one of my favorite places to hike. I have such wonderful memories of coming here with Jim before we were married - exploring the forest, or just relaxing and enjoying the view. William, Charlie and I often go hiking together, but this spot just seemed too dangerous for my little rock climbers, given how high the escarpment is, how steeply it falls away, and how close the trail runs to the edge. We had a very serious talk before we got out of the car about this being one forest where the boys needed to stay within sight (as opposed to the usual within hearing range) and that I was expecting absolute obedience - no second chances. I had prepared myself that I did in fact need to be willing to leave if they couldn't listen, but they both did great and we had a wonderful time. They both seemed to feel right away how important this place is to me (and now to them!) and also how it needed to be respected.

To make the day even more special, the boys each found a sacred place of their own here - William found a small stream trickling out of the rocks at the bottom of the cliff, and Charlie found a just-challenging-enough rock slide that felt perfect for him. Right away these places have become their own.

I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am to be able to come here again. I am for the most part accepting of all of the sacrifices that Motherhood requires. Still, to be able to spend time here again, and now to be able to share it with the two most important people in my life, is really a blessing.

Blessings

Today I am thankful for:

*Trilliums almost ready to bloom
*Charlie wishing that he could be a little baby again, so that he could ride in his sling (we settled for lots of cuddles in bed, instead)
*Fresh pumpkin bread cooling on the counter
*Sharing a good read with my little ones
*Friends coming over to play
*The smile on William's face when I told him that he was responsible for making me a Mama
*Sweet Peas and shelling peas planted in the garden (better late than never!)
*The calender filling up with summer plans
*The first back yard fire of the season
*A Chapters gift card burning a hole in my purse
*Eating lunch out on the back deck
*The smell of sunshine in the kids hair and skin

What are you thankful for today?

Day 2 at the ROM

Today, with nothing else on the agenda and cool grey weather outside, we headed to the Royal Ontario Museum to make good use of the membership that William got for his birthday. It has been so lovely to go for a few hours, or until anyone gets tired, and not feel the need to stretch the visit beyond any ones endurance.

The hit of the trip today was (ironically) the plastic castle-building blocks in the discovery zone. Not even the newly renovated Bat Cave drew their attention away for very long. Patience, I have to say, is one of those traits that I have gratefully developed with motherhood. Before kids, or even in the earlier years of motherhood, it would have driven me crazy to sit in such a wonderful museum and watch my little ones play with a toys like that for over an hour, ignoring for the most part the thousands of world-class exhibits throughout the magnificent building. But today, I sat back and enjoyed watching them play so nicely together - building a tower that was taller than William, Charlie orchestrating battles between kings and knights on horseback, and both of them working together to defend their castles from invading dragons and dinosaurs. God bless the museum staff for providing the comfy over-sized pillow to relax on.

Missing In Action

We really have been 'in action' lately, but unfortunately my computer and I are having a disagreement as to where my photos are hidden, and I can't seem to get them onto the blog. Sooooo, I will have to do with words until I can have my hubby search them out for me. In the mean time, we have hit the local library for a Pirate Magic show, enjoyed the amazing spring weather with friends and family, and spent a great weekend at the local University's open house (always a favorite!). The kids played with star fish, looked at baby tad poles through a microscope, watched some friends compete in a Lego Robotics competition, had sword fights, listened to stories from Zambia, went to the teddy bear surgery, the petting zoo, and much more. This year the favorite was the geography lab - they played for most of the afternoon with they erosion table, wave box, and wind tunnel, and chatted up the professor about the practical applications of all that fun stuff. I will post the pictures as soon as I beat the computer into submission.