Camping and Crawdads

We went camping again last weekend, this time a fairly spur-of-the-moment trip. Mom and Dad told us they were going the week before, and invited us along. Camping sounded much more interesting than staying home and cleaning the house, so off we went! It was in Lynx Lake, a beautiful area of Arizona that we've never visited before. We went up on Friday night, and on Saturday we hiked, learned to pan for gold, rented paddle-boats, and visited a creek to test our new-found gold-panning skills. It was a blast. And when the boys got tired of swishing sand, they spent the rest of the time catching and following the many many crawfish that were in the river. It was a great trip, and a short trip. I can't wait to go back again!

Little Swimmers

This week was the boys' last swim lesson of the season. We're going to pick it up again in the spring, and Tegan is going to join them! It was such a successful summer, and they all worked so hard. Keep in mind when you see these pictures that they were all NON-swimmers just a couple of months ago...

Becoming

I was originally going to title this blog "Becoming a Butterfly," because I've been thinking of this story lately:

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Butterfly (A True Story)

A family in my neighborhood once brought in two cocoons that were just about to hatch. They watched as the 1st once began to open and the butterfly inside squeezed very slowly and painfully through a tiny hole that it chewed in 1 end of the cocoon. After lying exhausted for about 10 minutes following its agonizing emergence, the butterfly finally flew out the window on its beautiful wings.

The family decided to help the 2nd butterfly so that it would not have to go through such an excruciating ordeal. So, as it began to emerge, they carefull sliced open the cocoon with a razor blade, doing the equivalent of a cesarean section. The 2nd butterfly never did sprout wings and in about 10 minutes, instead of flying away, it quietly died.

The family asked a biologist friend to explain what happened. The scientist said that the difficult struggly to emerge from the small hole actually pushes the liquids from depp inside the butterfly's body into the tiny capillaries in in the wings, where they harden to complete the health and beauty of the adult butterfly.

Without the struggle, there are no wings.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

It seems we've been experiencing some family-wide growing pains lately. So I've been thinking of this story, and thinking how butterflies do not transform overnight. They become butterflies as the result of a long and gradual process. Sometimes there are jumps between stages, and sometimes there is struggling. I've seen this again and again in myself, and I see it again and again in my kids, especially lately. So this story I've heard so long ago has been on my mind, and this blog post was born. But then I thought.... what if they don't want to be butterflies? What if they want to become dolphins or lizards or pterodactyls?

Whenever I'm asked why I homeschool, I have a tendency to babble. I am a babbler anyway, and there are just so many many reasons. This though, would have to be at the top of my list. I want my kids to be able to be what THEY want to be, and I want them to take the path THEY need to take to get there. I see so many people - friends, family members, other homeschoolers - try to subtly and not-so-subtly assist my kids in becoming "butterflies." They want to box them, label them, declare they're butterflies and send them on their way. I thank God that they have other choices, and I thank God that they know they're free to become whatever their hearts desire.

Autumn Leaves

We made these with coffee filters and watered-down paint in eye droppers. LOTS of fun. Paxton and Everett made them for two days straight!

Too much love...

The other night I was laying in bed with Tegan, and Everett came in the room to talk to us. When he was leaving, I called him back like I always do.

"Hey Ebbie"

Turning around "Yeah?"

"I love you"

Big, heaving, four-year-old sigh. "Mommy. You ALWAYS say that."

"I can't say I love you?"

"Well. You can say it SOMETIMES."

"Do I say it too much?"

"Yes, you do."

"Well will you tell me the next time it's ok to tell you?"

"OK Mommy" Goes to leave, and I just can't resist...

"Hey Ebbie... I love you."

This time, he laughed.

I do so love my kids - all four of them - in such a way that I can't imagine they'll ever truly understand it until they have kids of their own. And if I've gone over my "I love you" limit with any of them, I'll tell you instead. I. love. these. kids.

Tastes of Fall

Since Phoenix doesn't really have an autumn in the traditional sense of the word, we're bringing the autumn to Phoenix! Yesterday we tried a recipe I found for a fall smoothie - with pumpkin, applesauce, banana, and yogurt. It tasted like 5 different Thanksgiving desserts all in one drink, and unfortunately no one really liked it. Not to be deterred, we used the leftover pumpkin for muffins this morning. Delicious!!



Everett and I have been making these little Forest Fairies. Spencer started one yesterday, and Paxton tells me he will only be making one when he can figure out a way to make it a super cool, masculine, forest BOY.

Another year

Another emphatic "Heck NO, we won't be sending our kids to school!"

Of all the aspects of my life, this is always one area that I just get more sure of, more validated about, and more excited about as time goes on. I am just so thankful for the life we lead. I see the buses, I see the back-to-school sales, I see the backpacks... and I smile and watch another cooking show with Spencer.

Just for fun though, in honor of this time of year....

"The best birthday party EVER"

That's how Paxton described his 8th birthday party this weekend. We had it at an indoor/outdoor amusement place that we'd never been to before - so it wasn't without its moments of confusion - but overall it was a raging success. The kids (and the parents too, the best that I could tell) all had a great time. The party started at 4:00, and we were closing in on 9:30 when we walked with our last guests out to our cars. We were all exhausted the next morning, and Paxton complained that his legs were still sore from all the walking around. A small, small price to pay.

The Upside of Anger

Spencer was mad yesterday. Madder than I've seen him in awhile. As a parent, it's hard to see your kids upset in any way, and especially hard when their pressure is coming from within. He wasn't mad at me, wasn't mad at anyone other than himself. It was anger that came from frustration. He'd just completed his swimming lesson, probably his 8th one, and was unhappy with his progress. Spencer's approach to swimming, as it is with many things, is to cautiously put one toe in at a time. He had made huge strides in his comfort in the water, but yesterday he finally admitted to a great frustration over watching Paxton during his lesson. Quite the opposite of Spencer, Paxton has the tendency to - in this case quite literally - dive right in and hope for the best. Both non-swimmers at the beginning of the summer, Paxton is now swimming fairly competently, diving in and out, floating well, treading water, learning the backstroke. Spencer is great at holding his breath, and will try new things when there's a hand to hold.. but is only comfortable when both feet are planted firmly on the bottom of the pool.

I tried my hardest to empathize with him, to reassure him, to point out all the things he knows how to do well that were once difficult for him. But he was really in no mood to be consoled. What he needed was to be angry. And when he was done being angry, he got back in the pool (another advantage to having private lessons in my sister's pool) Pushing past the fear, he held his breath and put his face in again and again - and again - as he tried to swim to me as I sat on the step. Gradually he stepped further and further back, until his little glide forward needed a stroke of the arm, then two, then a kick. He was so determined to do it, he didn't even notice that his feet were finally up off the bottom.

It's new, and it's tentative. But he swims. Sometimes I don't think my heart can hold all the pride I feel for my kids.

Camping on Top of the World

The blame - or the credit, as the case may be - for our most recent vacation lies largely on Mike. It all started when Erika, a casual online acquaintance in Utah, became a good friend. Mike smelt a road trip. We'd never been to Utah, and were needing a vacation. It was all hypothetical at first, but quickly became a reality, especially after his status at work changed and his vacation time doubled. We decided to make it a camping trip. It had been such a long time since we'd gone camping as a family, it is so much cheaper than staying elsewhere, and it is far and way the best way to experience the beauty of the state! We planned it for the week of our 15th anniversary, and it was the perfect way to celebrate.

We got up to Ruby's Campground, at Bryce Canyon, on a Saturday night. The ride was beautiful and uneventful, except for the fact that the Googlemap directions took us an entire hour out of our way. We set up camp, spent way too much money on groceries in the little general store, and got a mediocre night sleep. On Sunday we headed into the canyon for hiking and site-seeing. I don't mean to be a traitor to my state or anything, but I think it's even more awe-inspiring than the Grand Canyon! We took just a short hike, took lots of pictures, and headed back down to civilization. We decided to make the trek to Cedar City so that we could visit a proper store. We'd done a terrible job packing, and had to pick up everything from socks to long pants to sweatshirts for Tegan.






We went into the canyon again on Monday, and stopped at all the trail heads for more hiking and even more pictures. We walked to the little village near our campground on Monday too, had some ice creams, and spent a long time in the rock shop. Paxton was sick on Monday night, so we stayed close to camp that evening and the following morning. Sickness aside, it was actually wonderful to relax. We hung out by the campfire, read books, played games, and otherwise enjoyed each other's company. By Tuesday afternoon, Paxton was well and raring to go again, and he, Spencer, and Everett spent a long time playing with the other kids they'd met around the grounds. We gave up on the air mattresses that night (they weren't holding air, and just didn't work with the baby) and we finally slept a lot better.



By Wednesday we were back to site seeing, and checked out some more of the nearby smaller canyons. We followed a winding dirt road all the way through to Panguitch, where we hit up the little market for more groceries, enjoyed the scenery, and yes.. took more pictures. It rained that afternoon, so we had to hang out in our tent, thankful that it was just for a brief period of time. That night - our last night at that campground - we bundled up in the rain and went to a rodeo. It occurred to me right before the first bull rider came out of the gate that I should warn Everett about what was going to happen, because I didn't want him to be scared when he saw someone falling off. It was completely unnecessary though, as he loved every minute of it, especially "the part when the guy falls off." They all enjoyed watching everything from bull and bronco riding, to steer roping and barrel racing... and we all slept soundly our final night at Ruby's.


Thursday - the fifth day of our trip and our 15th anniversary! - we packed everything up and headed up to meet Erika and her family at Duck Creek. Where Ruby's was proud of its pool and hotel and stores and amenities, Duck Creek was all about the camping, from the large wooded sites, to the deer that ran close enough to practically touch. It was a wonderful place, and we had wonderful company. We spent that first day just enjoying the campground... watching Doug fish in the lake, hiking around the little paths that surrounded the creek, and letting the kids get acquainted. We set up the volleyball net and tossed around Frisbees. We capped off the night by roasting hot dogs and 'smores on the fire, the quintessential camping activity.





The final day of our trip came and went quickly. We came down off the mountain long enough to visit Walmart and Erika's house, where the kids jumped on the trampoline and played XBox. We went on one final little hike, on the Bristlecone Pine Trail. We got back to the campsite that evening to discover that it had down poured in our absence, and everything from our chairs to Tegan's stroller to sweatshirts were waterlogged. We dealt with the wetness - what else could we do? - and enjoyed our last night. We stayed up late chatting and laughing around the fire, and had no less than 3 kids asleep on various laps by the time we decided to pack it in.



We headed back home just a couple of minutes after 12:00 on Saturday. I remember the time because check-out was at noon, and the powers-that-be visited our site at least three times in that last hour to make sure we were going to be leaving on time. Our ride home was long, but smooth, and we still had the energy to make a few more scenic stops on the way.





All-in-all it was an incredible trip, and we're already talking about the next one.

Check out the slideshows!

Ruby's Inn
Hiking in Bryce
Duck Creek

Just because...

My precious boy, enjoying some "girl time" with Anabelle

And my precious girl, enjoying her new car seat:

Baseball and other summer adventures

Once again, time has gotten away from me, and I know that the blogs that have written themselves in my head will never make their way to the computer. But I would be remiss not to at least briefly mention our first-ever family trip to a Diamondbacks game. I have to admit, I wasn't really looking forward to it. It sounded like a long and tiring day, and I wasn't sure I'd even enjoy watching the game itself. It had been over twenty years since I'd been to one (20 years, could that be possible?) and my only real memories were that of the food and the company, not the game. So I was pleasantly surprised when I found it not only tolerable, but truly, and completely, fun. I actually loved it, which caught me off guard. Despite having lived in New England for over 30 years, I never was, nor I am now, a Red Sox fan. There, I finally said that out loud. But the Diamondbacks, the team that got me to enjoy baseball as an adult, and the team that allowed me to share that enjoyment with my kids, will now forever have my loyalty. The fact that they lost the game in a major upset in the 9th inning? But a minor detail. The whole day was easy and smooth, from parking to finding our seats to getting food. The boys filled up on corn dogs, cotton candy, and soda while they watched the action. Everett's favorite part was joining in on all the chants and cheers. Spencer chatted up the boy sitting next to him, and Paxton stayed pretty transixed on the field the entire game. And Tegan? She stole little catnaps in between staring at the noisy people around her, eating, and sucking on her binky. When the game was over, we stood in the long line so the kids could run the bases. Paxton turned it into a competition and ran at full tilt. Spencer took a leisurely jog, with one hand in his pocket. And Everett ran as fast as he could manage in new flip flops while holding up the back of his too-big shorts. My kids make me smile.

The ballgame was on a Sunday, but our Saturdays for the month of July have been devoted to the Free Sizzlin Summer Saturdays at the Heard Museum (a local Native American history museum) We saw dancing, weaving, and sculpting demonstrations, and the kids did a ton of crafts. It was a lot of fun. Just a few pictures from our last visit...






And sometimes, the bugs you find in the parking lot are the best part of any trip




When we weren't at baseball games or museums ... or movies or swim lessons ... the boys were in Vacation Bible School - twice! The first was a week long program all packed into one crazy fun weekend, and the second went over the course of 4 days. They had a great time, and are still singing the songs they learned.









A busy summer indeed. :)

How we celebrated Learn Nothing Day...

Today was the first annual Learn Nothing Day The boys thought it was funny, and were looking forward to playing with the idea and seeing if they actually *could* learn nothing, even for a minute.

We were up for approximately 23 minutes before they asked me where New Zealand was. We'd chatted with someone from New Zealand on the new unschooling network last night, and they were fascinated that she was about to prepare breakfast just as we were beginning to think of dinner. Out came the globe, the answer to their questions, and yes... learning.

Not ones to do anything half-way, (if you're going to do something wrong, do it right. Right?) we didn't limit our learning to New Zealand. We headed to our last summer movie, Nancy Drew. I wore my hat from 2006's Live and Learn conference to celebrate our glorious "failure" at learning nothing.

The movie was fun, and opened an invariable floodgate of questions, and I'm afraid even more learning. Just a few of the things we talked about on the way home:

CPR - what does it mean and what does it stand for
What an emergency trachiotomy is
Why it's important to have a will
Why there's always "bad guys" in movies
How detectives do their jobs
The Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys book
etc

When we got home, Spencer and both headed to the computer... him to look up Emma Roberts and see what else she's been in; and me to look up the Nancy Drew books and see how many are in the series (the 175th was published in 2003)

We're rebels.

:-)

This is supposed to be funny...

Someone posted this picture on one of my homeschooling lists. I think it's supposed to be a joke, but I don't think it's funny. I actually think it's pretty sad, if that's how other homeschoolers view the year, and is thankfully not at all like life in this homeschooler's house!

A new blog is coming soon, chock-full of pictures.

A Boy and his Tumbleweed

We had a major wind and dust storm the night before last. Paxton caught a tumbleweed and brought it inside to show us. Yes, there are actually tumbleweeds blowing down the city streets of Phoenix sometimes. I love Arizona.

Woody Molting

I woke up yesterday morning to find that the tarantula, Woody, was lying still as could be on her back. Thankfully I knew that 1) Despite the appearance to the contrary, she was not dead; and 2) she was getting ready to molt. She'd not yet molted in the year that we'd had her, so it was a very big deal. The boys and I watched over the next few hours as she alternately wriggled free and rested. I only called Mike for assistance once, the first time she started the seizure-like shaking. He had me spritz her gently with water, because low humidity can sometimes be an issue for them, and otherwise just keep an eye on her.

It was an amazing thing to watch.

Swimming boys

The boys have had two swimming lessons now - the third is tomorrow - and they are going SO well!! I can't say enough good things about their instructor, Helen. It was such a blessing that my sister happened to run into her, and that she is doing private lessons now. Here they are, loving every minute of being in the water.

Yaya comes to visit

Somehow, when I wasn't looking, it turned into July. Tegan is over 4 months old, Paxton will be 8 soon, and we're all just trying to keep up with the suddenly furious pace of summer. I'm at 6 weeks past my surgery now, and feeling good. Mostly. I say "mostly" because things are still working themselves out. When I don't make the right food choices, I feel it, and am rewarded with a seriously upset stomach for the rest of the day. One of my fears for recovery was that I'd turn into someone who couldn't go out to eat without rushing for the bathroom afterwards. I did in fact get to experience just that when we went to Rainforest Cafe last week. And I had to drag my whole family of 6 AND our guest back home instead of continuing with our plans, because I just felt too sick not to be in the comfort of my own house. I felt terrible, in addition to feeling, well, terrible.

But life goes on.

Mike's mom visited for 5 days last week (she was the guest that I rushed out of Rainforest Cafe) and the visit went by in a blur, as it always does. She came on her own this time, and the kids really enjoyed the one on one attention. They played games and painted hats and splashed in the pool. We went to the movies, out for lunch, and on a couple of shopping trips. It was a good visit, and a quick visit! Here are just a few pictures...