Two Cats in the Yard

Matty's Recital

2010-12-15T20:20:00.002-05:00

National Aquarium Trip

2010-11-23T22:07:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving week is meant for resting and eating and giving thanks, not "doing school." I think it's odd that because the school calendar has to have kids in school for a certain number of days that they actually attempt to have school in this week. People are focused on traveling and cooking, getting through airport security unmolested...stuff like that, not getting homework done. We called it a week with one field trip to the National Aquarium. I was hoping for some wonderful photos of the kids gazing at fish, but it's just too doggone dark! All aperture priority photos turned out blue, and all non-flash photos turned out blurry, no matter how hard I braced the camera. These are the "best" of my horrible photo day. Anyway, it was a wonderful, relaxing day. Molly hardly said anything all day until she got home and told Daddy all about it. She sat in the kitchen and just jabbered at him for about 30 minutes. She's decided she no longer wants to be a horse trainer, but rather would like to be a dolphin trainer. Oh, and apparently she thinks her dad should retire from his current job and become a shark feeder or dolphin trainer at the aquarium. Wouldn't that be exciting? "My dad is a DOLPHIN TRAINER!" Life doesn't get any better than that when you are five, does it?

Leaf Jumpin'

2010-11-20T21:23:00.001-05:00

The kids love to rake leaves and jump in them. Once we got the trampoline, they discovered that they could load all the leaves onto the trampoline, and then "jumping in the leaf pile" took on a whole new dimension. Here is this year's extravaganza...

Fall 2010

2010-10-29T21:40:00.000-04:00

So much has happened, and I've been recording the weekly updates at The Accidental Homeschooler, so I've fallen behind on keepin up with Two Cats...Anyway, rather than bore myself with wordy descriptions of our life, I'm going to let the photos do the explaining for me.


The basement and storage room re-do

Ready for school to start

First day of school

Our little learning area

Our Godson, Joshua, celebrated 5 years

Joshua's birthday party was Matty's first balloon gig!

We raised and released Monarch butterflies

Matty did an excellent presentation on Charlemagne

Matty's Balloon Guy

Molly is doing great in her Classical Conversations class!

We picked our very first homegrown apple

Got it!

They both started gymnastics

Matty popped corn in the name of science

success!

Rebekah McLeod did a concert at our house!

It was a wonderful, cozy, and intimate musical experience!

We attended the Maryland Renaissance Festival with friends

And took a lovely two-day getaway to the mountains in West Virginia

playing in the hot tub at our cabin

Fishing for minnows

Another Birthday...(they're coming too fast!)

2010-08-12T20:56:00.000-04:00

My Tiny Baby Boy turned 9 this week. His celebration consisted of a drawn-out week of events. Two different sleepovers with his best buds, a trip to the National Building Museum for a Lego exhibit there, and of course, a dinner of his own choosing (spaghetti, of course). There are not a lot of photos from this birthday, but it happened anyway, and we all had fun!

July 4th, National Mall

2010-07-09T08:09:00.002-04:00

Our Garden Groweth

2010-06-05T12:54:00.000-04:00

The garden is coming along nicely...I have bean plants climbing a trellis, tomatoes that need only plump up and ripen a bit, zucchini plants blooming, and hungry baby birds who are safe from the cats' clutches, as they have been confined indoors while the nest boxes are being leased. I couldn't focus the picture well from the angle I was standing, but I believe there are four tiny wren babies in the nest. Mama didn't seem horrified that I was looking in on her babies. She watched from a nearby tree, then quickly went in to check that everything was okay.

We're Going to Disney World!

2010-05-14T08:55:00.000-04:00

Indeed, it's true. On Molly's 5th birthday Daddy made the big announcement. No better time to go visit the other princesses than when you are in the prime of your career as a princess, you know. Here are some photos of Molly's big day.

It was an all-Molly day starting with presents from Matty and me as soon as she woke up. Her godmother then came at 10:00 and whisked her off to Build-a-Bear Workshop to, well, build a bear, but she built a horse. With wings. And a party hat. And a regular outfit and a dress-up outfit. And mary-janes. And blonde hair that you can comb and style. Amazing. Then Miss Kim bought her candy, which she consumed in its entirety. Then Miss Kim took her out to lunch and she chose a big girl lunch of sesame chicken and rice--definitely not McDonald's. (That's my girl!) Then when she came home we had a lovely dress-up tea party with four of her bfsf (I know you're wondering what that stands for, but grammatically it's correct!) Then, after we took the pooping cat to the vet, we went out to Panera for broccoli cheddar soup in a bread bowl, which is what she requested. Then home for cake and ice cream with the family and Daddy's big announcement. Wow. I was exhausted at the end of the day. Amazingly, she did not turn into the Birthday Monster that so many overly-sugared kids do on their big day. She was perfectly composed from start to finish...just like a princess should be.

It's not Snowing Anymore

2010-04-12T12:41:00.001-04:00

I can't believe that "snowpocalypse" was my last entry on this blog! If you would like to know what I've been up to, more is posted at The Accidental Homeschooler, where I've been focusing more of my attention. I haven't been taking quite as many photos, either...had my nose in the books and my fingers in the dirt. Nevertheless, this last April weekend was utterly gorgeous, and we had the unique privilege of both kids going away to visit friends, and so Mom and Dad got some diggin' and spring cleanin' and dinin' out done. It was a blast, and I got to remember that I really like my husband, even when the kids aren't around. Here's us sending them off with Aimee. They were so excited and when they got to her house had such a good time visiting with her family that they called and asked to stay another day! Even so, they both reported that it was good to be home when they snuggled down into their own comfy bed last night!

Here are some of the lovely signs of spring that are all around our house right now:

Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird have scouted out the neighborhood real estate and established that we provide the coziest nest boxes around. I couldn't be more delighted!

Our square foot garden beds are taking shape. We have planted a 4x4 ft. strawberry patch, and in the far bed there is parsley, lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, onions garlic and scallions planted. In the bare dirt that you see, we will plant tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and (if there's room, which there may not be) squash. We have plans to build another couple of beds in the next few weeks so, I may get my squash after all!

Glen has done his duty by building the beds, maintaining the compost, building and planting a potato bin. Winnie does her part by walking the fence and guarding the perimeter, even if sometimes it's a little awkward getting over those finials!

What is Affectionately Being Called "Snowpocalypse..."

2010-02-06T14:48:00.002-05:00

This amount of snow is just crazy. I'll let the photos and videos speak for themselves. I will say that the kids were very pleased to come inside to fresh warm cookies and hot chocolate after playing outside for quite a long time.

Two Cats Gets a New Look

2009-12-29T22:30:00.000-05:00

Okay, I've been piddling around nearly all day with my blogs and their looks and their content. I've received some inspiration and encouragement from some friendly voices on a forum I visit (too often!). I've taken out the overly-busy and too-cute background, settled for neat and clean colors that I love, and Two Cats is ready for 2010. I also played around with my camera and came up with this

Now if only I could be so productive in the rest of my life.

And the Truth Is...

2009-12-28T17:06:00.000-05:00

Christmas Season is not yet ended. I realize that. We have not celebrated the New Year or Epiphany yet. I know. But I'm ready to get back to the routine of regular life, school and piano lessons, play dates and field trips. At Christmastime I love the break from the routine, but it's so strange how after a while, the break is no longer constructive.

The Most Christmasy Christmas!

2009-12-27T14:22:00.002-05:00

Our Little Blizzard

2009-12-19T23:17:00.001-05:00

It's Looking Like Christmas!

2009-12-19T23:15:00.000-05:00

Cows, Not Cats

2009-12-09T22:13:00.000-05:00

I called our friends to invite them to play yesterday afternoon, and on a whim she invited us to join them on an outing to a local dairy farm. Some other families were going to investigate the possibility of buying a cow share so as to get raw milk. I was interested, it sounded fun, so off we went. It was muddy, but very nice for the children to see all the animals, and we were delighted with the new calves. Here are a couple of the fun moments on the farm...Oh yes, and I am seriously considering a share to have the raw milk. It's wonderful stuff.

Why is it always About the Cats?

2009-12-09T15:50:00.001-05:00

Albert has not yet come home. We don't dismiss the possibility of his return, by any means, but it seems some newcomers to the family have worked their way on the scene. If Albert-ol-boy does come home, well...we'll have a lot of cats.

We had to check for him at the local shelter, of course. When we did, the kids and I roamed around and looked at all the pets that were there for adoption. Certainly we weren't looking for ourselves--just admiring all the cute, cuddly, wonderful, adoptable, heart-melting creatures that were begging every passing soul to rescue them. Matty and I found ourselves lingering in front of one cage in particular. Four eyes, eight legs, loud purrs, sweet snuggles...oh brothers!

These guys took about ten minutes of our sanity and here we are...Jack and Oliver are now part of the Mine family, and I'll say it again... "NO MORE CATS!"

...Until the next time one really, really sweet cat tells me she's been waiting just for me and really needs a home...ugh. My allergies really can't take it.

That Darn Cat

2009-11-26T09:56:00.000-05:00

Albert, our little roving hunter, is missing. He disappeared Sunday night when he scooted out the door past my legs, and we have not heard from him or seen him since. We are all missing him so much, and have not lost hope that the little vagabond might return, but so far...nothing.

Fancy Nancy Girls and Regular Guys

2009-11-14T22:42:00.002-05:00

Aimee and Molly went to a Fancy Nancy debut at Border's, complete with a fashion show for the girls in dress-up clothes. Molly had a completely wonderful time. Matty and his dad went to a gun shop and then out to eat lunch like only men can do. Matty ate almost as much as Dad. He had a wonderful time as well. I was informed that it was especially fun to go out to eat with Dad, because "you don't let me do stuff like that." I said, "like what--eat too much?" and he laughed and said, "well...yeah." good thing he's got a dad.

We Met Jan Brett!

2009-11-10T22:52:00.006-05:00

The kids and I had an opportunity to meet Jan Brett. We have been very inspired by her the last couple of years. She is the author and illustrator of many books for children, and they are some of our favorites. Comet's Nine Lives, Trouble With Trolls, Gingerbread Baby, among her others, are books that demand all the attention of the child and the reader, because of the detail of the pictures that go along with the stories. She is a delightful woman and very sincere, and she seems to take genuine interest in her audience. Her whole countenance changed when Matty presented her with a picture that he drew for her and wanted to give to her. She encouraged him to keep his artwork and instead signed it for him!

Matty was thrilled to have his picture taken with the hedgehog who was stationed at the door to greet the people. Molly was scared of it until we told her it was just a person in a costume. Then she was able to get close to it.

We waited for three hours to get our book signed. The kids made use of the time and practiced drawing their best Jan Brett pictures while they waited. I was really impressed with Molly's ability to copy and make it actually look how she meant for it to look. I'm sensing some natural ability here, perhaps? (Mom crossing fingers, praying for a "yes!")

While they waited to meet Jan, both the kids stretched out on the floor and drew pictures of Jan's favorite animals--hedgehogs. Below, Jan is admiring Matty's artwork that he presented to her.

Keeping the Tooth Fairy Busy

2009-10-07T10:15:00.003-04:00

Last night Matty lost his second of the two front teeth! I have to note, however, that his tooth fairy is notoriously unreliable and has been known to pay interest for no-shows. However, last night she did show, and he awoke clutching three dollars in his fist this morning. Her unreliable ways were getting expensive...perhaps she's learned her lesson.

A Day In DC

2009-10-02T09:59:00.001-04:00

Inspiration

2009-09-07T07:27:00.002-04:00

So I asked my friends, "Is it cheesy to be inspired by a movie?" To which they heartily replied, "Oh, no!" but really I think it is a bit cheesy to be inspired to actually DO something because of a movie. Enough said, but nevertheless, I--and they--were inspired by the movie Julie and Julia. It's a movie (originally a book) about a woman in Queens, NY, turning thirty, living in a grungy apartment with her husband and her cat, who finds herself in the undertaking of a crazy project. She decides (at her husband's suggestion) to cook all of the recipes from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in 365 days and blog about it. It was a huge number of recipes...564 I believe, and she had this crummy little kitchen and this doubting mother and these nasty friends whom she admitted to not even liking, and she persevered through all of it, and actually completed the project. Of course she did. If she had not she would not now be famous, nor would I be writing about all this.

It wasn't her perseverance that was so inspiring to me...it was Julia Childs and her cooking that inspired me. In my heart of hearts I really enjoy cooking, but I struggle to enjoy it daily. It's that everyday "what's for dinner" question that wears me down and I really need to add some flair, some new skills...some butter, according to Julia.

I went to see the movie with one friend who is crazy about food and cooking. The other friend has "issues" with cooking, to put it simply. I love the idea of it--just not the dailiness of it. So we thought it would be fun to have a monthly cooking party, a Julia Child gathering of sorts where we all agree on the menu and then get together to make it. We could actually eat in the dining room and use the nice tableware, and we could gather in the kitchen and enjoy wonderful smells and conversation, and experience some delicious French food.

So there's the plan. The next step will be to actually make it happen. But if Julie can do 564 recipes in 365 days, then shouldn't 3 homeschooling moms be able to make 24 in 12 months? Theoretically, yes. More to come...I'll post when it comes together.

Summer's End

2009-09-06T23:10:00.004-04:00

The weather is changing. There's that ever-so-slight hint of fall in the air and it is time once again to open the windows, sleep with an extra blanket, start back to school, and have one last hurrah--a camp-out in the back yard...kids and dad asleep in the tent with a cozy fire outside in the copper fire bowl.

We grilled, we roasted marshmallows, we told stories by the fire, and then the three members of our family who can sleep outside, chose to do so. I on the other hand will appreciate the fact that they can sleep that way and will enjoy the extra space in my own bed, about 50 feet away and on the other side of the screen in my bedroom.

When I'm a better photographer and learn how to take nice photos in low light without an obnoxious flash, I'll post a blog about that. For tonight, I'll just have to be happy with posting the word picture. It's a happy one.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year or, Geeks Like Me

2009-08-22T22:17:00.008-04:00

I believe that we homeschoolers who say, "when are you starting school?" have the wrong idea. What do I say to that? "Ummm...I started about eight years ago and have been going strong every day since. Wait...there were those two days when I had a stomach virus and didn't get out of bed. Other than that, we've been homeschooling pretty much every day." I say this tongue in cheek because I believe that we are called to be in a constant state of teaching and training our children, and that "homeschooling" is a misnomer. It implies that we've allowed the cultural concept of how we should educate our children creep into our minds -- 17 years and countless hours of firsthand training and indocrination have nothing to do with this, of course. And this is not to offend the wonderful teachers who taught me and helped to form my life and develop the way I think about things (thanks, Fran!). I loved them all. But...since now I have a choice in the matter, I believe that education that is home based is in many cases the premier choice for cultivating a whole person, both whole parent and whole child. "Homeschoolers" from classical educators to unschoolers share this notion in spite of their vast differences in style. So for lack of better terminology at the moment, I'll identify with the sector of society best known as "homeschoolers" in spite of my subtle disagreement with the label; and the notion of "starting school" implies taking textbooks out again to start working on that kind of learning again.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not a homeschool snob. I know what they mean. There's the natural rhythm of life. There comes that time of year when you just can't go anymore and you stash away the books and the whining and the routine because you're feeling a little burnt out on phonics and science projects and crafts...if you like that sort of thing. Then, you enjoy the learning that comes from critter-hunting, garden-growing, beach-combing, and campfire-lighting. It's a different kind of school entirely, but every bit as important. But somewhere around this time of year, perhaps because the leaves are showing just a tinge of red,

or perhaps because everyone around you is shopping on tax-free weekend, that question comes, "So, when are you guys going to start?" I have gotten so many different answers, from "Oh, I just can't face it. Maybe never." to the very firm, but late "Sept. 14th." We're "starting" on August 31st. What that means exactly, I'm never quite sure. It means a slight variation in our routine, in which the kids practice piano first thing in the morning and do math pages and listen to stories and do copywork and learn cursive and history and science-y type things. It means I get to relive my childhood anticipation for the first day of school all over again, but on a grander scale. I get to laminate memory cards (no home educating family should be without a laminator) and plan which science experiments and history projects we're going to do. I get to buy notebook paper and notebooks and pencils and pencil boxes and backpacks. I haven't figured out why my kids need backpacks yet, but they're cute and fun and they pack their clothes in them when we have overnights with friends.

Today I deep cleaned the basement in anticipation for our "start." It's an annual ritual of cleaning out old junk, making sure last years papers are filed away properly, books are neatly placed on the shelves, and the carpet is steam-cleaned (Please note--this is not standard. It's my own personal OCD thing with clean floors.) The planning is nearly done. The books have nearly all arrived via the friendly UPS man. The lesson planning and goal setting is very nearly complete.

Matty said to me for the first time in his life, "Mom, I can hardly wait." I said, "Wait for what, Buddy?" He said, "For school to start. I didn't feel that way before but I do now. You get better at it every year." Wow. I almost did an unsolicited, involuntary flip right there on the spot.

Bipolar Gardening, or, a Sad Tale of Neglect

2009-08-22T09:04:00.007-04:00

And I don't mean like "two poles"--that would be great...maybe I'd have some more beans or peas or something growing. No, I mean that I have a double standard in my garden: one for the yard and one for the deck. Now, this year was our first foray into gardening. We have sincerely enjoyed it, but truthfully we haven't had a great harvest. I would even expect that we should have a LOT more tomatoes than we've had, but I've concluded that our soil is not rich enough yet. It is not composted with more than just purchased leaf compost (our own composts were not done yet, but next year, look out!) So we've had some very delicious tomatoes, just not a huge amount, like I was expecting out of 12 tomato plants. We have a zucchini plant, but have not had even one zucchini from it. We have a pumpkin plant that has overtaken the yard, but only three pumpkins. A cucumber plant that has grown up the fence but only produced three cucumbers. Our peas and beans produced about enough for a salad. Hmph. And this is the garden we've tended carefully. It's been a fun learning experience, but I want to do better next year.

On the other hand, I have utterly neglected my deck flowers. Truthfully, it gets so blazing hot out there on the deck that I hate to set foot out there during the day. Furthermore, I am usually so eager to see how my vegetables are doing I forget my little pots of flowers and fail to water them. this is the result:

I feel as though I ought to be punished somehow by the gardening authorities. It is just not in my nature to allow something to die for no reason. I would like to make a vow not to allow this to happen next year, but vows never suit me either (except the important ones, you know, like marriage). So I'm simply going to try much harder on my deck next year and hopefully have something more beautiful to show for it. Let's face it, I'm not the Pioneer Woman, at least not yet.

Beach Day for City Kids

2009-08-17T22:54:00.003-04:00

A friend of mine invited us to the O club pool at a military base nearby. They're members, we're not--yet. It was so nice. The kids had a blast swimming with friends, and it was baking hot out, so the pool was perfect. I have that kind of tired that says, "wow, I've been baking in the sun all day." I know I'll sleep well tonight.

I miss the beach days of my childhood...I remember Mom taking us at least once, if not twice a week sometimes in the summer. I wonder if it was because she got a mental break from me yapping at her all the time, because I would get in the water and stay there all day. Literally. Nevertheless, I remember those days fondly, and wish we lived near a beach so my kids could do the same. Give me a mental break from yapping at me all day, that is. Anyway, a good pool day does the trick now and again, kind of like a beach day for city kids. I'll take it.

The Wild Woods out Back

2009-08-13T23:35:00.011-04:00

Daddys are wonderful things to have around. They do wonderful things like cut paths through the briars to allow access to the woods that by this time of year are somewhat inaccessible because of (you guessed it) the briars in the way. So in the process of cutting the path, my little explorers found a box turtle...

which Molly insisted on keeping for a pet. When we told her that the turtle (named Shelly) really had to go back out, there was such grieving that I agreed to keep the thing until tomorrow.

We took a walk to the middle of the patch of woods behind our house, and really, it's all kids need. It's small enough that they can lose themselves in there without ever getting lost. There's plenty of undergrowth to explore, a beautiful covering of foliage, and at the edge, milkweed that supports Tiger Swallowtail and Monarch Butterflies. The kids are thrilled with the paths--not that the lack of them stopped them before. They're just glad they can pass through the briars without getting ripped to shreds. Once past the briars it's a nice walk back into the trees and home again. Molly was sure we were lost, but we made it back--our faithful big-brother guide made sure of it. All two hundred feet (okay, it might have been a little more than that, but not much)...

It was one of those days

2009-08-13T11:46:00.015-04:00

When I got to see the world through my children's eyes, and remember what it felt like to be a kid and see things for the first time. A dinosaur skeleton, the Hope Diamond, the insect zoo...all things I remember seeing for the first time and feeling a thrill about...well, not really the Hope Diamond. I don't know what I was expecting, but it seemed very small--when people say things like, "the largest blah-blah in the world!" I'm expecting something really huge in relation to ME. I felt like the boy I overheard the other day, "It's just an expensive necklace!" I think the little man was rather "underwhelmed" about it, too.

We began the day by rescuing Daddy from the monotony of bureaucracy, then went to the National Museum of Natural History. We ate a hideously expensive, not-so-tasty lunch, but then it was all up from there!
From the elephant in the rotunda to the butterfly pavilion, we were all taken with the sights and experiences. The butterfly pavilion was our favorite, having just done our butterfly experiment in science.

We were also quite taken with the water striders and the water boatmen. Matty and I love to read poems for two voices about these two interesting creatures.

We finished the day with some of our favorite food from the Lebanese Taverna Market in Arlington. We brought home two very tired kiddos and put them in their bed. The day was done, practically perfect.

Butterfly Experiment

2009-07-26T22:27:00.001-04:00

Our little scientists had a wonderful time observing the life cycle of five painted lady butterflies. Over the last two weeks we have watched these little larvae caterpillars go from being little critters to more than doubling in size, then forming chrysalises (is that really the plural for that?) and then becoming beautiful butterflies. They seemed rather forlorn in the cage to us, so we released them into our garden. As soon as we took the cage outside, they got very excited (do butterflies get butterflies in their stomachs?). They started fluttering all over and climbing to the top of the cage as if they knew the way out. We reached our hands in the cage in hopes of holding them on our fingers for a bit, but they had bigger plans and took off immediatedly. One of them made straight for the flowers, and so I was able to get some beautiful photos of her.

Doing What Comes Naturally

2009-07-20T21:04:00.004-04:00

We've been doing Apologia Science this year for school, and have continued into the summer. We've been working through the first book in the Exploring Creation series for elementary students called Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day. It has awakened in Matty and Molly a love for observing nature, and we have been looking at the world in a whole new way. The kids and I have studied birds and have been keeping a life notebook, recording when interesting creatures come to the back yard. We've also built bird houses to put on the fences, and have had two families of wrens come and nest in them. We've seen the usual varieties of birds that are common for Northern Virginia, and have enjoyed identifying them and observing their behaviors. They go on frequent "critter hunts" and find snakes, turtles, toads, and insects, and bring them home to watch them. We have a rule that they have to return them to their natural habitat after keeping them for a day, which usually means at sunset.

Today we again observed our red-tail hawk that has been visiting our dead tree at the edge of the woods. I was able to get a picture this time around. We also witnessed a most dramatic scene in which a lovely, but disabled moth that Matty found on the deck was rapidly consumed by a wasp. It was wonderful and horrible all at the same time, and we found it fascinating to watch!

Below is a slide show of some of the visitors we've had to our back yard.

Three Cats, Nearly Two!

2009-07-19T16:04:00.011-04:00

Despite the title of "Two Cats in the Yard," we actually are a three-cat household. Today, however, we were nearly a two-cat household, when a very substantial red-tailed hawk camped out in our tree and was very clearly eyeballing our young cat, Albert. He has, as a result, been renamed "Hawk-bait." I did not take the picture, but put it in here, because the hawk that was in our tree was very similar in appearance to this one. We have also had visits from Cooper's hawks, which are smaller. I don't suppose they are a threat to the cats, but we've seen evidence of them hunting other birds at the bird-feeder. I suppose I can't be particular about which birds feed at the feeder and on what...nature is that way. I would, however, be a little more contrary if one of these hawks caught any of my cats!

When Siblings are Best Friends

2009-07-15T15:16:00.007-04:00

We went white water rafting this weekend. What a blast that was! Our whole family was on one raft with "Uncle Rob" and though the rapids weren't huge, they were perfect for first-timers. We worked together and quickly got the hang of it, and before long we were pros. All I can think is "When can we go again?"

We allowed Matty to stay on an extra night with our friends Rob and Sue and their grandson and another boy. Molly was not happy about this, and when we left him behind she cried and hugged him and said, "I want you to come with us, Matty." He hugged and kissed her and said not to worry--he'd be back the next day, and so we set off.

When he returned the next day, Molly was so happy to see him. For the first time ever, he actually admitted to being homesick and missing us. He asked if Molly cried a lot when we left, and she hadn't really, but he said her crying was the hardest part of his separation from us. That night when we tucked them into bed, I witnessed this scene: Molly snuggled up close to Matty and put her arm across his chest.

"Matty, when you were away did you feel alone?"
"No, I was with two other boys."
"Were you scared?"
"No, I was okay."
"I want to snuggle with you because I missed you so much...I want to be with you, Matty...You're such a nice brother...I love you..."
"I love you too, Molly."
And then they were asleep. All was right in their worlds again.

July 4 on the National Mall in DC

2009-07-05T15:58:00.003-04:00

This year's July 4th was a special one. We were invited to attend the fireworks at the National Mall with some friends who work for the National Park service. Normally we would not consider such an undertaking with a four-year-old who is phobic about porta-potties (which were certain to be horrid). However, they had VIP passes and we were assured that there were facilities, and this made it all worthwhile. There were indeed facilities, and they even had mirrors, soap, flushing toilets and doors that closed securely. Uh, wait...yes, that was impressive, but what was better was the time spent with friends and the AMAZING fireworks display. It was likely the most beautiful I've ever seen. I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

Painted Faces

2009-06-28T14:53:00.004-04:00

Yesterday at Ikea there was an artist painting the kids' faces. Of course my kids wanted something done, and I was quite surprised at the results! Molly carried herself like a queen all day, except for when she got mad at her brother and had a fit. When I pointed out to her that her makeup was running down her face, the tears stopped immediately and I was given the command to fix it. Of course she wanted to sleep with the facepaint on, but I told her we needed to wash it off, and this led to peals of grief over the loss of her beloved butterfly. I promised that we would print the pictures so we could see them anytime...

Life is very...

2009-06-25T23:12:00.004-04:00

One has to be thankful for regular days. They are full, mostly forgettable, simple, and daily. Today was a day like that. Went to Bible study, got ready for company, forgot an appointment and arrived late, watched a movie with the kids, made tacos for dinner. The regular stuff. My advisor in graduate school gave me lots of Godly wisdom, but she said one thing that I remember very clearly. She said, "Life is very daily," and told me to remember that fact with the "dailiness" of life sets in. I've thought about that a long time...

The kids will probably not remember today when they're twenty, but it's the days like today that make them. It's things like discipline and guidance, hugs and kisses, sitting in laps and watching a good movie together on a hot day, counting blessings before bed that really matter, and add up to a harvest of righteousness.

Firefly Frolic

2009-06-25T23:07:00.000-04:00

My summer is conspicuously unscheduled this year. Somewhere down the line I seem to have lost the need or desire to be insanely busy along with the rest of society. I have had time time to just kick back, read a couple of books, enjoy living in my house with my garden and cats, do a little cleaning, cook some...It feels great.

Along with this sweet time of unscheduled, lazy, long days, ideas for "what to do" become a little simpler. Dad suggested this evening a surprise for the kids--stay up past bedtime to hunt fireflies. You'd think we had given them the moon for a snack! They bounded around the yard with their butterfly nets and caught many, many firefies. The sound of their delight and the sight of them running and jumping and saying, "right behind you!" and "ooh, there's one!" and then rushing to put them in the bug keeper was better entertainment than the most expensive water park.

What have we become? It was a gorgeous, breezy day today, and this evening as the winds died down and the sun began to set, we sat out on the front step to enjoy the long shadows and gathering dusk. All around us, we should have seen kids riding bikes, calling to each other, doing what kids do on warm summer evenings, but all down the street we saw not another soul. All we heard was the hum of air conditioners and houses were buttoned up tight against the threat of a degree above 72. Matty asked where everyone was and Aimee answered "in their basements watching their TVs." I'm starting to think that our neighbors must find us odd because we actually play in our yard, plant a garden, and draw on our driveway with chalk...oh yes, and catch fireflies.

What happened to us?

2009-02-28T16:22:00.005-05:00

i've been drowning in stuff to do the last couple of weeks, but it's all been good. no, great! i had the opportunity to participate in the re-do of our church's 24-7 prayer room, as well as contribute some artwork. it was a rather intimidating commission that was given, as i have not done calligraphy on that scale before, nor have i done it on canvas (it shows a tad--but i'm satisfied for this time), but it was very clear to me that this was how it had to be done. i could get into all the really personal conversations with god over it, the surreal and sort of miraculous journey that making the paintings took me on, but we'll save to that for face-time talking. suffice it to say that it was a process that transformed me in some ways. after it was all done, i took a week off from school (sort of) with the kids, cleaned the house, played a lot, and finally feel like my head may be returning to a state in which i can function on pace with the rest of the world--not my favorite place to be, but necessary, as long as i am trapped in this realm called time.

here are the panels that are now available for the public to see, so i may as well post them here, too. i've been getting a lot of questions about them.

meanwhile, our engineering prowess was tested as a family when matty entered the cub scout pine wood derby and WON! apparently glen has become rather handy at building fast cars. matty helped of course, and he picked the design and i painted it with him. he did the black and glitter, and i painted the colors. it was exciting for all of us, to say the least.

No lack of confidence from this ham.

Matty's "Most Colorful Car" in the center

Matty's car, smoking the competition Awaiting results

Matty--Grand Champion of the Pack 1189 Pine Wood Derby, 2009

Snow Day at Last!

2009-01-27T23:11:00.004-05:00

Finally, a day to play outside. We all came in tired and happy from sledding and throwing snowballs, soaked to the skin, hungry, and ready for warm baths and hot chocolate. Life is good...and hopefully we'll get enough freezing rain tonight to keep Daddy home from work tomorrow.

Welcome to the Family, Albert

2009-01-25T20:57:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the family, Albert Stripe. Sam left a void too big to go unfilled by another boy kitty. Today, Matty picked you out as the new guy, because he and Dad were feeling outnumbered. It is not without sadness that we bring you home, but you are a sweet thing, and we all are taken with you and your very cute personality. You are charming and lovable, a people cat all the way around, and every bit a playful kitten. We hope you like it here with us.

Goodbye, Sam

2009-01-04T10:59:00.006-05:00

This Sunday morning we said goodbye to our friend of 10 1/2 years...Samson, our cat. Last night he had another bad seizure (he'd had one in November, alerting us to the fact that he was not well, so we were prepared). This time he didn't fully come out of the seizure, and his whole left side was paralyzed. Both Glen and I felt the time was right to let him go peacefully, knowing that his situation was not going to get any better. He was a great cat--a big ol' lover-boy, flycatcher extraordinaire, chewer of paper, (especially of important documents), faithful alarm clock, hunter and presenter of gruesome gifts, companion, friend.

He will be very missed around here. I can't help but be thankful, even in the sorrow, that God allowed him to be entrusted to us for a time. It is a privilege to care for God's creatures, and we are blessed by the joy they bring to our hearts. Goodbye, Sammy-ol-boy. We love you.

Happy New Year

2009-01-03T09:20:00.002-05:00

The new year is upon us. It was a lovely, quiet, and simple holiday season this year. We didn't go away, didn't visit with a million people, didn't cook until we couldn't find the kitchen anymore. We did eat until we couldn't see the numbers on the scale anymore, but that's a different matter! I've been blessed to be able to spend some time making art, played board games with the kids, started one of our new books with kids--The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. Monday, it's back to school, time to welcome back the old routine, with a few new improvements, I hope.

I'm never one to make new year's resolutions--okay, i am, actually, but i'm never one to keep them. This year, however, I only want to have one resolution. A friend of mine had this verse on her Christmas card: "We have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men. (I Timothy 4:10)" This is my resolution for 2009. To fix my gaze upon Him, to listen every day for that day. To walk according to His word.

Happy New Year, from us...

Christmas 2008

2008-12-25T17:54:00.005-05:00

It has been a totally relaxing, totally family Christmas. Except for one friend and her son coming to exchange gifts yesterday, it has been just us four, and that's how we wanted it. We took it really easy yesterday, had a nice dinner together, bathed the kids, watched Elf and tucked in. Well, Daddy and Mommy stayed up doing elvish things like wrapping presents and stuffing stockings. Matty was so excited that he woke up at 4:00 a.m. and couldn't get back to sleep. At precisely 7:00, he woke Molly, marched her into our room and together they shouted, "IT'S CHRISTMAS!"
After their presents were all opened, and we'd eaten breakfast, we just went about the business of playing. It's been a fun, easy, Christmas day...just the way I like it.

Our Budding Musicians

2008-12-19T11:06:00.003-05:00

I don't know if it's exactly talent they possess, or just a serious case of the sillies!

Out of the Mouths of Cub Scouts

2008-12-19T09:14:00.003-05:00

Glen and Matty came home from a Cub Scout pack meeting the other night with a couple of funny stories. The first was that Glen was the designated guy to get in the Wolf suit (like a college mascot) and go around passing out materials for the pine wood derby. Amusing, yes. More amusing was that he didn't Matty that he was going to disappear for a while. A friend from church whose son is also in the pack came up to him and asked, "Hey, where's your dad?" Matty's answer? "He went to the store to buy some wine." It wasn't until the wolf disappeared and Glen reappeared that Matty made the connection.

Science Museum Trip

2008-11-23T08:43:00.003-05:00

On November 7, we took a field trip to the Science Museum of Virgnina. The kids had a great time, as the museum was very hands-on, and they had lots of friends to run with. I wish I had taken more pictures, but the ones we have turned out quite well.

Beautiful Fall

2008-11-05T23:19:00.005-05:00

Before heading out to the church party, we raided the dress-up box and came up with some costumes for the kids.

Fall has come completely to our backyard. The maple tree is brilliant and the woods are wonderfully full of color. One evening I spotted six deer in our yard--two yearlings and four does.

Special Visitors

2008-10-28T17:04:00.006-04:00

Ah, that last entry, full of warmth and sunshine and little beach critters! I could go for a couple of days like that, a round of darts, and a pleasant swim in warm water. Alas, the wind is blowing all the beautiful leaves off the trees, it's cold, I'm wearing a sweater, and the Weather Channel is predicting SNOW showers tomorrow morning!! (I'll believe it when I see it.)

We have started a new chapter this school year. Glen has begun his post-Coast Guard career, Matty has been working hard as a second-grader, Molly has vicariously learned how to count by threes and write her name. Between Classical Conversations, piano lessons, Dad coming home from work in a suit and tie (soooo handsome!), life is good, busy, peaceful, and...rich.

At the beginning of this month we had the unique privilege of hosting Archbishop Henry Orombi, the Anglican Archbishop of Uganda, and his chaplain in our home. It was a wonderful experience for all of us. To try to put into words here what it meant to have such an incredible, Godly men in our home would be crass. Suffice it to say that we are privileged to have had the opportunity to break bread with this wonderful team of ministers under our own roof. Last spring we hosted another Ugandan clergyman, our Hannington, and this experience opened our hearts for what we would experience this fall.

So here we are, late October, working through the dailiness of life and learning, all with a contentment that we are really where we are meant to be in this season of life. We are looking forward to the holidays on a small scale here at home (Glen hasn't acquired enough leave to go away), and the peacefulness of being together.

Later this week we will go to Mount Vernon, as the kids and I have been learning all about our founding fathers and the American Revolution. Next week we will go to the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond for a field trip with others from our Classical Conversations homeschool group. (photos to come)

Oh well, I can't have a vacation right now...a cup of tea will have to do.

2008-07-18T09:56:00.000-04:00

We have just returned from the most wonderful vacation imaginable! When I think of what vacation should be, I always think of freedom from obligation, no cell phones, no computers, time with good friends, good food, and time outdoors, connecting with nature. This last week was just such a vacation, and we are now home, at ease, and very refreshed.

We spent the better part of this week with our dearest friends, Doug and Kate, and our godson, Joshua in Wilmington, NC. We had time with both families thoroughly enjoying each other (in spite of the numerous toddler struggles), time alone as families, time just us grownup couples, and girlfriend time shopping! What more could you want?

On Monday we took the kids to Wrightsville Beach for a picnic, then took them (dressed) down to the water. Half-eaten food and sandy, wet clothes later, we took them home for naps and Auntie Kate and I went shopping at one very cool consignment store. Grilled salmon for dinner, kids to bed, grownups played darts (if you could call the way we behaved “grown-up").

Tuesday morning we basically loafed around, made pancakes and bacon for breakfast, broke up several toddler squabbles, ate lunch, then took off on “Miss Polly” for an island adventure. We dropped anchor in a low tide off of Hutaff island and jumped in. Joshua at this point was in desperate need of a nap, and so Kate and Doug hung out at the boat and the Mine family ventured onto the island. The kids played, collecting hermit crabs and chasing the fish, swimming and doing flips off the boat. After a while of doing that, we crossed the dunes and went to the other side of the island. As we crossed over, I was taken aback by the view. Behind us, the dunes we had just crossed were graced with sea grasses, waving in the ocean breezes. Ahead there were clear, blue skies with puffy clouds reaching down to a lovely, clear blue ocean with white surf breaking in the distance. Near in there were smaller waves which were delightful to play in and a huge adventure for the kids. We took them in and jumped the waves until the rising tide brought currents and bigger surf, so we got out and headed back to the other side. The whole time we were there, there was not another soul on the beach...it was just the four of us, playing on the beach together as a family. Once the surf got too rough, we decided to cross back over to the sheltered side of the island and rejoined the Fears and swam and played just a bit more until we heard thunder in the distance and decided to weigh anchor and head home...after all, we had a babysitter coming and we had plans to go out for SUSHI!!!

Babysitter came, went out for sushi at The Bento Box (if you are ever in Wilmington, NC and love sushi, you HAVE to go here!) and had a wonderful time just us grownups. I was feeling just a little dubious about the place at first look—Glen’s mom once long ago dubbed the bag of cat poo taken from the litter box “bento,” so we had a chuckle over that. Having an inherent distrust of non-Japanese sushi chefs, we walked in to discover there were two white guys behind the bar. Didn’t know the owner was a 5-star chef who would make us the best sushi I’ve ever tasted, not to mention come over to our table and talk to us personally! Wow...that was such a good meal that I lack proper adjectives to describe it.

I requested a stop at Barnes and Noble after dinner (my idea of a perfect conclusion to an evening out) but Doug abused me horribly for wanting to go and browse in my own little world rather than be social, so we headed back. With kids in bed we four (Doug, Kate, Glen, Kelly) were again engaged in a game of darts in the Fears garage. Team Mine prevailed for the second night in a row...looking forward to the revenge match!

Wednesday morning after breakfast we packed up the kids and gear again and headed down to the public beach. We played on the beach for the better part of the afternoon and then headed home with sleepy little ones. Kate and I went off for a little more shopping. That evening we took a picnic cruise on “Miss Polly” and Matty had his first lesson driving a boat down the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway). He said that was a highlight of the trip for him.

Thursday morning it was time to pack up and head home. We got all of our gear together and loaded up the car, but before heading out of Wilmington we stopped downtown to where USCGC Diligence ties up when not on patrol. Doug (who happens to be the CO of Diligence) gave us a wonderful tour of the ship. I would say this was a highlight of the trip for me. I am always touched by the sacrifices and hardships that the men who serve our nation endure. As we walked onboard, the bells rang and announced Glen, saying “USCG Commander, retired now arriving” an acute reminder that we too have served this nation, and now he is taking his leave after 20 years. There are mixed emotions in that...it’s the beginning of a new life for us. I’m so proud of him.

2008-07-09T22:12:00.000-04:00

So we went to Wolf Trap yesterday to see an Irish dance program for the kids.

The second act was this hilarious guy Robbie Schaeffer who sang the cutest songs...you can hear a sample at his website.

When I told Matty that we'd be going to an Irish dance performance, he wrinkled his nose and said, "Do I have to go?" First thing there, he heard the music and started bobbing along with them, and said, "Mom, I really like this!" Molly saw the dancers in their formal, ornate costumes and said to me, "I wish I were a big girl so I could dance." Later she said, "Mommy, I wish I were a real princess!" (I think she thought the girls in the beautiful dresses were "real princesses.)

After the program we ate a picnic in the meadow with all of our accompanying friends and the moms spent a lot of energy trying to keep kids out of the creek. A lovely, hot, fun day! Wish I had remembered my camera!

2008-07-06T18:32:00.000-04:00

It's July, and we've just celebrated Independence Day. It's a fitting time to begin this blog, as we have had a year full of changes, challenges, reordering, and transition. Glen is now a "free agent," enjoying his saved leave and preparing for the day when we no longer are employed by the Coast Guard (it's called "terminal leave," but that sounds so deadly!) He's on the hunt for a new career now. It's been a pretty low-key year, but we've made some very special memories: Molly's baptism and friends visiting at Easter, Matty playing his first season of Little League, the annual family retreat where Glen and I renewed our vows, hiked with the kids, and visited with good friends, and Matty and Glen attending a week-long day camp with the local Cub Scout troop. This summer we've joined a pool and spend a lot of time soaking in the sun and chlorine and just hanging out together. All in all, it's been a pretty low-key year, as we've had to slow down and evaluate things anew--see "What I Need" at our other blog, The Accidental Homeschooler.

Matty and Molly are growing and changing, as children have the unnerving habit of doing, and the lack of news from us has much to do with the fact that I have trouble keeping up with the growing and changing, and figuring out how to post on a supposedly wyswyg'ed blog is not part of the priority list, unless I have a big chunk of time, like now. I've posted some of the best photos of this year so far, from Molly's baptism at Easter to Matty's first season of Little League. His team, the White Sox, finished second! (We won't discuss the fact that both Mom and Dad turn into raving lunatics during games--Glen usually comes home hoarse!) Matty and Glen attended a week-long Cub Scout day camp, and had a wonderful time. Molly and I did a lot of puttering around.

In about a week we'll be heading down to North Carolina to visit friends Doug and Kate who proudly hold the right to parent our godson, Joshua. Glen's parents will come for a visit in August, at Matty's birthday, and shortly after that, it's back to school! Now that I have the hang of this blog format, I'll be able to post more regularly...sorry for the long delay in sending photos and news!