Today.

We made “dancing popcorn” (put water in a jar, add some popcorn seeds, some vinegar and some baking soda). The bubbles from the baking soda and vinegar surround the popcorn kernels and make them rise to the top of the jar. The bubbles pop, and the seeds sink back down. (We decided the bubbles were like water wings for the popcorn…we’ve been learning to swim.)

This became a discussion on bouyancy, what floats and what sinks, so we filled a roaster with water and collected all manner of things to test. The guesses as to why things would float or sink were great…and some of the conclusions surprising. No, even tiny rocks don’t float. Some plastic sinks (like the dogbone) and some floats. Some metal things (spoons) sink, and yet large metal containers float (just like boats…Elijah thought because larger objects would have better balance).

We then decided to try to make “waterwings” for one of the metal objects that had sunk in the plain water. We found that the vinegar and baking soda bubble trick worked to allow the canning lid to float, but the spoon was still too heavy. Cool experiment, with all sorts of neat connections being made.

After lunch, we tried making maple syrup snow candy. We boiled plain maple syrup for about 8 minutes and then let it sit for two minutes. We poured the syrup on fresh snow that the kids had collected from outside, and it cooled immediately so that we could taste the sugary snack. Elijah and I decided it was too sweet for our liking, but India and Mattea really enjoyed it.

While Mattea was sleeping, we enjoyed playing Blokus, our new favorite game. This game is fun to play, Elijah can handle the strategy (and India can play with help). It’s fantastic for spatial thinking, and the pieces are really fun to play with on your own too. They are like mosaic tiles, and you can make all sorts of cool designs and patterns with them.

Add a bit of playdough, and the bright sun streaming in our kitchen window onto the table (my favorite light of day), and you can create a whole city of light and shadows. Endless possibility.

The light in that same window, combined with the whitewash snow in our backyard make a perfect backdrop for the Waldorf stars India and I have been making out of kite paper. They add just a touch of vivid color to the otherwise monochromatic (thanks Sam) landscape.

We also have a new green friend to take care of that sits in the same window, drinking in the same light. A bonsai tree. I think we should name her. Suggestions are welcome.

And finally, because that light is so beautiful, I capture a bit of my youngest. Her babyhood is quickly fading into something much different, so I catch her when I can, unselfconscious and stunning in her radiance.

And so, the day has been full. And it’s only 3:43.

Adventures in Cowtown.

We’re big on the “mini-vacation” around here, where we take off for a couple of days and go on some journey to somewhere, visit some places and do some things. Each one is great fun, without too much stress or overall expense, and always rejuvenating. For our last adventure, Sean had a conference in Canmore, so we ditched the dogs, hitched a ride to Calgary, and switched the day to day up a bit. We were so lucky to have Grandma join us, and Sean’s Aunt Heather host us in Calgary. We had a place to stay, good food to eat, and time to enjoy each other.

We went to a tea house in Kensington (where Sean’s cousin works) and drank fancy tea, ate Crave cupcakes, took the C-Train to the Science Center, found cheap pitas the size of basketballs, walked around downtown Calgary, and went to the zoo. We also stopped at the camp to visit Grandpa on the way home and stayed the night. Without further ado…

The eyes say it all. This cupcake took her three sittings to eat, and it was worth every minute.

Blowpen art by India. Auntie Heather brought out a huge roll of paper and an tupperware bin of craft supplies to play with. The purple splotches became waving seaweed in an elaborate underwater scene.

Mom’s new pants (or old pants made new with a length of orange fabric). Once they were my little sister’s cords, now they are artsy bellbottoms.

The fairy tree in the plant building. There are orchids growing in each nook and cranny of this beautiful tree. It was so rejuvenating to be in a place filled with green living things, with flowers of every color, and with warm air.  The perfect balm  for the February blues (and ironically, a section of the zoo that we’ve never bothered to visit when we’ve been there in the summer.)

Even the manhole covers are beautiful at the zoo.

A show of affection between mama and six week old Sophie Grace.

A display of affection between a chameleon and itself.

One of the advantages to going to the zoo in the middle of winter is that there is virtually no one else there. We got to spend as long as we wanted with each animal, and were able to see each one without fighting for a good view. We watched this guy for 20 minutes, as he came in and out of the water, shaking his ears as he came out and blowing tremendous bubbles as he went back under the water each time.

The three little joeys at the end of a long day.

Bird watching at the camp. This little guy is a Redpole. We also saw Black Capped Chickadees, Bluejays, two types of Nuthatches, Hairy Woodpeckers and Downy Woodpeckers.

I had the chance to play with my camera a bit while Sean played with the kids in the camp gym. They were excited to see him after three days apart, especially Mattea, who woke up the third morning, pointed up the stairs, and said “Dada! Dada!”

Driving home made me think that maybe we live in the most amazing place in the world. The trees were heavy with snow, boughs barely able to hold the weight of the beauty.

And, as always, my favorite quote from the zoo, and one of my hopes for my family…

“Like water, be gentle and strong.

Be gentle enough to follow the natural paths of the earth,

and strong enough to rise up and reshape the world.”

(Brenda Peterson)

more random bits.

I bought myself this lovely orchid to remind me that spring is on it’s way. It will probably die soon, as I have that effect on tropical plants, but I have enjoyed it for almost 10 days already, and it has been worth every penny (and cheaper than cut flowers too.)

I have been doing a 150 lbs challenge with some friends from Saskatoon. The goal is to lose 150 pounds (of stuff) in a month. What does 150 pounds of stuff look like? I didn’t take pictures, but after 10 days, I have already parted with over 100 pounds ( I thought it would be difficult, as I tend to now keep a ton of extra stuff around anyway….) but…it looks like

1 laundry basket full of books, 1 too small dog crate, 8 grocery bags full of clothes, 3 grocery bags full of toys, 1 extra booster seat, one heavy roller blind, and a couple of pairs of shoes.

I love looking around after a big purge and seeing how the flat surfaces in our home can be uncluttered, clear of chaos. I love the feeling of freedom it brings me to drop off yet another load of clothes at the thrift store, knowing that I will never have to wash those clothes again, or pick them up off the floor again. I love having less. (And we still have a long way to go).  It it is also important for me to strike a balance because with homeschooling, I want to provide the kids with a rich environment filled with interesting things, but I also want to provide them with a clear space to work and be creative. The less time I have to spend maintaining our space, the more time I can devote to the littles, reading, playing, laughing and learning.

And…by reconfiguring our living room and getting rid of some stuff, we have made room for a nature shelf where we can have a place to honor some of the beautiful things that we find outside. Here are some special stones sent to us by our friends Fleming and Vanessa, driftwood from Christina Lake in BC, a shell that Sean found in Madagascar, and a sheep that I needle felted out of Alpaca wool from Sean’s aunt. I also have a large bowl full of rocks and shells from different times in my life. The kids love to go through the contents of Mama’s big blue bowl and ask about each item. This week that led to looking up how volcanic rock is formed and the different forms it can take depending on whether it is formed inside the earth or on the surface, whether the magma cools rapidly or slowly, etc. EVERYTHING is a chance to learn. (And thanks again to Fleming and Vanessa for the rocks and minerals book, which gets pulled out often to check these things.)

We also had a special visitor this week. Lucky the leprachaun stopped by after the kids were in bed one night and decorated our space for Valentine’s Day. He left strings of hearts everywhere, and gifted the kids with these lovely felted rocks. There are real rocks inside their felted sweaters. The littles were quite excited to hear from Lucky again, as they suspected his existence here, but hadn’t heard from him since last St Patrick’s day. I believe that he will be making regular appearances from now on, as the littles are ecstatic with that surprise touch of magic in their lives.

And finally, to leave you with a tidbit from my favorite four year old,

After swimming, India says indignantly to Sean…. “Elijah got my pants wet. It’s an emergency. I’m calling 911….(long pause)….What does a 9 look like?”

Also, as I’m putting her to bed..she says “Mom, what do hunters use cats for? Do they make, like, furry slippers with them or something?”

We’re off on an adventure this week, so we’ll see you when we get back, with pictures and stories galore.

Old people. By India.

India and I made bread this morning, and when we went to the church for supper, we brought two of the older women in the congregation each a half loaf of bread, to thank them for all of the cooking they have been doing for these community suppers. They were thrilled when she handed them their brown bags of bread, and responded enthusiastically.

As I was putting India to sleep tonight, we had this conversation.

“Did it feel good when Tien and Helen were so happy with your bread India?”

“Yeah. Tien gave me a hug and kiss even……. Tien is the puffy one right? And Helen is the really old one. Too old to jump and run. And also, even if you want to, you can’t jump on old people. Because you could really hurt them.”

Repurpose-ing

When we got married (almost 10 years ago), two of our closest friends gave us a lovely care package. In that package was a pair of green boxers for Sean. He’s never worn them, and I have occasionally, but I couldn’t get rid of them because I loved the fabric. So…..last night, I made a dress for Mattea out of the boxers. Sewed from the waistband down the crothc and to the bottom of one leg. Tried it on, using waistband as the chest. Slightly too small, so I left the chest intact and pulled out the stitches, added in a triangle of fabric to make the whole thing bigger. Used the rest of the waistband for shoulder straps, and voila! IN less than an hour, we have a cute sundress. (the model’s pretty cute too.)

Full days

We have been…..

doing potty yoga,

Slideboganning,

Setting up the lego store,

making ice art,

building relationships,

exploring tropical fruit,

making hats with tropical fruit,

Tasting tropical fruit….(like mild grapefruit with a sweatsocks aftertaste),

Doing dramatic interpretations of how the Pomelo tastes,

Imitating “bugsy” (a bug-eyed snowman created  by India this winter)

reading to India, (I caught this one in secret, because E. won’t read to me. )planning the next lego animation project,

Imagining life in the trees of fairy world.

And just generally living, loving and laughing. (with a big chunk of sibling rivalry thrown in for good measure.)

From her mouth (again)

While I’m wiping her hands and face without utmost gentleness, feeling frustrated b/c she touched the walls with peanut butter honey hands….. she says “Mom! Be gentle. Walls aren’t as important as people are. They are just walls. They aren’t special like people. Walls are walls and people are people MOM!”

Also, last night, as we were talking about how all people are different, and even as babies, we like and dislike different things, she said… “Mom, what else did I hate to eat when I was a baby?” Thinking for a minute, she answers her own question with “Chicken fat, right? Because nobody likes to eat chicken fat.”

And, “Mom, you’re the best mom in the whole world. I’ll love you even when you’re dead. I’ll always be your newborn. Even when you’re dead.”

Ready or not….

I remember reading some time ago that the reason kids love hide and seek is because they really want the thrill of knowing that someone will find them.

Last night I found myself dreaming that I was hiding, and I really wanted someone to come and get me. I don’t remember the context of the dream, other than this realization when I awoke.

I was waiting for someone to find me.

Hoping with every bit of my soul that SOMEONE would find me, would care enough to notice I was missing and seek me out.

I remember being a kid and being involved in a neighbourhood game of hide and seek. I was it, but I couldn’t find any of my friends. I got frustrated and gave up. I walked home, and got engaged in something else, as kids will do. After awhile, my friends called my mom to see if I was there. Finder became hider, and they worried for me, wondering why I had dissappeared.

We all want to be found, to be important enough to someone that they miss us when we are gone.

I am someone who struggles with faith stuff, especially in these last 10 years, and yet somehow, the thing that kept popping into my head as I laid there in the early hours of morning was the parable about the shepherd leaving the 99 sheep to find the one that was lost. There is something so elemental, so beautiful in that story, that draws the lonely hearted and hopeless to a place of assurance that there is One who will care enough to seek them in their isolation and grieving.

When the littles play hide and seek, and Elijah gets distracted and moves onto other things, leaving India hiding, she gets incredibly upset. To be forgotten, cast aside as insignificant in the moment, as less important that lego, truly hurts her. I always ask Elijah, in those moments, to set aside what he is doing and finish the game, if only to the point of finding her that one last time.

So as I ponder these things, (and apologize for the scattered nature of the thoughts), I wonder how we can, in our communities, finish the game. How can we find those that need the assurance that someone gives a damn, seek them out and let them know that we see them, and that someone cares enough to bring them home, to welcome them and give them rest?

Is it inviting someone to supper,even though it might be awkward?

Is it offering an exhausted spouse a guilt free sleep in day no matter how late they were up saving the world (this is code for video gaming) the night before?

Is it pulling a cranky child onto a lap for a cuddle and telling them how much you love them?

Perhaps shutting our own mouths for long enough to really HEAR how a friend is struggling?

1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Ready or not….here I come.

Years come anew

We decided that in light of some bad news we received this week, combined with the after-Christmas blahs, we should have a little family celebration on New Year’s Eve. Sean and I didn’t feel at all like celebrating, and it was hard to put our sadness aside and try to move forward in hope, but we did it nonetheless. We had a special dinner, and I decorated the playroom in secret for the littles. We watched a movie together and hopefully started a new tradition.

The ritual part is out of a great book called “Celebrating the Seasons” which has ideas for celebrating many festivals throughout the year. I made a pool out of a container lid and lined it with tinfoil. At the bottom were rocks from our nature table and spread throughout were small pine boughs from our Christmas Tree. (We put our tree in the backyard (“planted” in the snow) so we can enjoy it for longer and have a bonfire in the spring.)

Out of walnut shell halves I made tiny boats with birthday candles as masts. There was a boat for each person, and we all took our turns lighting our candle boats and floating them gently on the water while we shared our blessings for the year past and hopes for the year to come.

When each boat landed, the sailor of the boat chose a slip of paper off the edge of the pool, and went on a treasure hunt for their hidden treasure.

Each little got a paper bag with a couple of treats, some sparklers (the highlight of the evening) and a simple beaded bracelet.

It was a tangible quiet moment together as a family to welcome in the New Year and bid farewell to moments gone by.

After India and Mattea were in bed, Sean and I went back downstairs and lit some candles for people that have died that have in some way been significant to us or to our family and friends.

Baby Amos

Grady

Isla Noelle

Judith

Armin

Selam’s Enat

Dennis

Lloyd

Russell

Beryl

George

Baby Fowlie

We floated the candles on the water and sat quietly for a few minutes. Elijah joined us and I explained what we were doing and he sat for a quiet cuddle as we watched the candles on the water and honoured those that have left the world. There was holiness there, in that moment.

because they make me laugh

As I was taking Christmas decorations down yesterday after our company went home, India chastised me. Apparently the tree was okay, but I was NOT allowed to take the decorations off of our branches in a vase, because “MOM!!!!! It’s STILL the Christmas SEASON!”

Then, this afternoon, India and Mattea were taking a lovely purple (thanks Crayola color tabs) bath. India stuck her hand in the water, and then reached out and drew a wet cross on my forehead. “That’s so you know God loves you Mom, that’s what happened at Mattea’s BATH-tism.”

Last night we Sean and I were talking about pork products with Elijah because he was eating a piece of ham. He looked a bit incredulous when we told him that BOTH bacon and ham come from a pig. He wanted to know what came from a cow….steak, hamburger, etc. After a couple minutes of that, Elijah piped up “I know what else comes from pigs……. Broccoli!!!!!”

Hysterical laughter ensued.

I love it when they laugh at their own jokes. It makes every bit of life seem just a bit brighter.