Spring Break 2017: DON'T POKE THE BEAR

The beach proved a smidge chilly for Spring Break last year, so this year we decided to camp at Garner State Park. It was a little damp and cold, and the Frio was, indeed frio, but we didn't let that get in the way of a good time. The bird watching was splendid. Here's the list:

1. Eastern phoebes (they started singing VERY early. Good morning FEE-bee)

2. Eastern bluebirds
3. Vermillion flycatcher (he was so handsome)

4. Carolina chickadees
5. Goldfinches
6. Carolina wren
7. Great horned owl!! (I saw this handsome fellow sitting on a fence post)
8. ladderbacked woodpecker
9. Golden-fronted woodpecker
10. Rio Grande turkeys
11. black crested titmice
12. tufted titmice
13. Great Blue heron (swooping across the Frio. It was HUGE--looked like a pterodactyl!)
14. Vesper sparrows
15. chipping sparrows
16. sedge wrens
17. kestrel
18. nighthawk
19. roadrunners!
20. cardinals (soo many)

The turkeys were hilarious. There were lots of females who would wander around in an utterly disinterested clump as these three males would spread their gorgeous tail feathers and strut nearby. There were also some juvenile males who would go full fan as long as the older toms weren't around, but as soon as the older toms came back the younger males (they are called 'jakes'--just looked it up)  would quickly skulk away with their feathers lowered, and start pecking under the feeders like they were just super cool and sulky, and not afraid. You'll get your turn next year, young jakes. The females will ignore you just as assiduously as they did those big toms.




Hudson got a pair of Carolina chickadees to follow him around by playing their call on the bird app on my phone, like a chickadee pied piper. With a smart phone. And a happier ending.

 I named these spider web beauties 'fairy hammocks.' Sometimes magical things happen when you wake up early.

The Daddy sprained his ankle on this hike. But we also saw road runners! So, worth it?

We hiked, we found a bat in a hole in a cave (headlamps=finding reclusive mammals in tight places),
we saw a baby porcupine! waddling around behind the bird blind, and we made s'mores.


The kids skipped rocks in the Frio, splashed in the Frio, dropped small boulders into the Frio, and generally delighted in river life, just like Rat and Mole and the gang.




Everyone got along pretty well, until the third day, when the Daddy was packing up, it was misting rain, and the sibling quibbles reached a fever pitch. One sibling in particular was being extremely prickly, so I said to the other siblings, in a loud and growly voice,"DON'T POKE THE BEAR!" and it broke the tension nicely. It has since become a reliable giggle-inducer when things get tense. Even The Bear laughs when it is invoked.

We also spent a few days with my parents, including an afternoon at the Stark Museum in Orange (the kids thought they might have an Iron Man sighting. Alas, wrong Stark), and an evening at the Nederland Heritage Festival. It was a good week all around.

I went to a homeschool conference and all I got was a book of Supreme Court paper dolls

Oh, Scalia. What would you MAKE of this?

Last weekend I attended my first ever homeschool conference, which is noteworthy, perhaps, because I have been homeschooling for six years now. I actually had attempted to try one back when we started, but got so overwhelmed and dismayed by the exhibit halls that I decided to leave. This conference had my husband in the exhibit hall, so I decided to stay. Also, we had taken the kids to my parents' house for 3 days, which meant I didn't have to think about feeding anyone other than myself for 72 glorious hours. Here are some thoughts on the whole experience:

1. I got to hear really great talks from what I am calling the Andrew Triumvirate: Pudewa, Peterson, and Kern.

2. I went to three different sessions with Sarah MacKenzie (Teaching From Rest, Read Aloud Revival) and while her first talk was basically a summary of her book, which I had already read, her second one ended with her having the whole 250 or so of us stand and sing the Doxology. Even in a bland conference hall, it was transcendent. I love it when there are all these crazy beautiful harmonies when a bunch of Jesus folk bust out the acapella. It's why I cry every time I watch one of those flash mob videos. And yes, indeed, I cried through the Doxology.

3. On a related note, Andrew Kern ends all his talks with this benediction: "May the Lord remember you in His Kingdom. Thank you." He also reminded me of this essential, excruciating truth: "Be what your child needs to imitate." He somehow manages to say hard, challenging things with an occasional line of deadpan humor that makes it all very encouraging.

4. There were kids everywhere, in all the sessions. My favorite brood sat in front of me on the floor while I listened to Pudewa warn me against The Four Deadly Errors of Teaching Writing. The 7 year old had a pile of fabric squares that she arranged and rearranged inside this wooden paperdoll template. Her little sister sat quietly beside her building castles out of dry sponges cut into geometric shapes (GENIUS. The mom told me how to make my own), and the littlest brother gave his mom kisses every few minutes while also sorting a deck of playing cards. The were completely silent, the entire hour. Take that, smart phones.

5. In what should have been #1, were this list in order of importance, my husband made all of this possible by standing in a booth, on a concrete floor, recruiting for his college, for 21 hours over three days. He is a good man.

6. I got to eat at Mi Cocina with a dear, long-time friend on Thursday night. We talked nonstop for almost 4 hours. It was so delightful that the husband and I went back and ate there again the next night, AND again the next. And I don't even technically LIKE Mexican food.

7. We got to spend a little time with S.D. Smith, author of The Green Ember, and his brothers. What a great bunch. The only regret is that the oldest brother, who is named HAMLET! was not there. The second brother, named Will Smith (father of 6, seller of Sea-doos) seemed to enjoy my joke about someone needing to keep things running in Denmark while the rest of them gallivanted with the homeschoolers.

That isn't everything, but it is all I have today. I came home from the weekend all excited and inspired and then promptly got a bad cold which brought me right on down from the mountaintop. Also, it has been raining and dreary. And Helena just brought home her solar system science project assignment. It seems like Hudson just did his maybe a month ago. Apparently it has been an entire year? Did I ever even post a picture? He got points off because I misread the thing and told him he didn't have to put Pluto in there. He is still a little upset with me about that.

Random Picture Monday, Part V

1. Hudson's basketball team, The Grapes of Wrath, finished up the season on Saturday with another big win. It was the first game all season that Hudson didn't score, and he was pretty sad about that. He had several important assists and also played awesome defense (the guy he guarded was also scoreless) but that doesn't provide much solace to a ten year old boy. It MAY just be a coincidence, but the Daddy had given him a haircut that morning, because his mane was reaching distracting heights. Was that the source of his skill?  We will never know. Also, last week he and a kid on the other team collided pretty violently-- Hudson got teeth to his skull. The other kid had to leave for medical attention. Hudson (and his hair)  winced mightily, fought off tears of pain, but kept right on playing. It was practically Sparta.



2. Last Thursday, Harper had a field trip at Brazos Bend. We went early to do some bird watching. Harper got several pictures of this beautiful vermillion flycatcher.

 Then she and her classmates put on an entertaining production of "Searching for Odysseus" in the outdoor amphitheater. Here is Athena, flipping a water bottle as pre-show preparation.

She had a commanding stage presence, though she really had not wanted to be one of the actors. I think having the stuffed owl on her shoulder gave her courage. In this next picture, she was showing the boys how to string her bow properly.

 3. I believe I have mentioned my aversion to Holidays and Celebrations, generally. I am trying to do better, so on Valentines Day, we celebrated the martyrdom of the saint by making our own heart shaped pizzas. Also, I let each of the kids chose a bag of candy. Harper chose Andes mints, Hudson chose mint M&Ms, and Helena chose Smarties. I am certain St. Valentine would be well pleased.

4. Helena got invited to a fairy birthday tea party on Saturday, and had a delightful time. There was actually food for the moms too, and I ate four (4!) deviled eggs and a great number of tiny quiches. The little fairies were not appreciating the deviled eggs or the quiches, so I basically just felt sorry for them, ignored there on the platter. (Am I even spelling 'deviled' right? Devilled? And why are they called that even? Weird.)

5. We have been tearing through the audio books in the car. Last semester we listen to the entire Chronicles of Narnia (except The Last Battle),  Cheaper by the Dozen, and The Genius of Birds. We just finished Little Men, and started Little Women. I just finally finished listening to Charlotte Bronte: A Fiery Heart by Claire Harman, which I only listened to when I was in the car by myself. It was a really well-written biography, and somehow managed not to be sad or melancholy, which is quite a feat considering how sad and melancholy the Brontes' lives were.

Ok, then. Enough.

Spel two right and reed

I loathe our spelling curriculum. Hudson is (like me) a naturally good speller. He sees a word once, and has it. Harper spent a few years generally not bothering with correct spelling, but she seems to have gotten it down now. Helena is the only one who started with this curriculum in kindergarten, which means she should be a Star Speller, right? Please let me show you how well it is working:

Exhibit A: Christmas List

Translation:
2. 'lova pudy'=lava putty
3. 'barby'= Barbie
4. She had written 'thingernale palesh'--correction done by concerned sibling)=fingernail polish
5. 'a hores stuffed animal'= a horse stuffed animal

Exhibit B: A list of precious jewels, drawn during church



Translation:
'Perll'=Pearl
'Dimend'=Diamond
'Roody'=Ruby
'Safier'=Sapphire
'amithist'=amethyst
'emald'=emerald

Exhibit C: Lots of vegetables, drawn during church yesterday:

Translation:
'asparigis'=asparagus
'peeees'=peas
'tamatow'=tomato
'pikle'=pickle
'selery'=celery
'kari/et'=carrot
'kukumbyr'=cucumber
'unyin'=onion

Exhibit D: Lots of fruit, also drawn during church yesterday


Translation: (she got a few right on this one!! She also asked how to spell kiwi and pomegranate)

'ovikadow'=avocado
'lemen'=lemon
'bluebarry'=blueberry
'strabarry'=strawberry
'grapfruit'=grapefruit
'plunb'=plumb

When I read ovikadow, I pointed it out to the husband and whispered, "PHONICS!"

She also wrote a comic strip in Latin on our way home from Hudson's basketball game. It was  spelled somewhat correctly. Which I guess means she was supposed to live in ancient Rome.

Translation:
Salve. Salve. (Hello. Hello.)
'Cwees est nomen tebby'=Quis est nomen tibi? (What is your name?)
'Nomen est Moll'=(my name is Molly)
!.Minsa=Mensa (Table!)
Ha Ha Ha Ha. Ha Ha Ha
The End.

Harper drew these charming ducks during church yesterday. You can tell they think spelling is silly.

 

I actually know WHY the caged bird sings

A few months ago, some friends had to move after their house flooded. They had to winnow down their sizeable menagerie, and we got their three parakeets. (Some other friends got their chickens, and I think they got the better deal). You can imagine, with our all-around Love of Things Avian, the birds were welcomed into the family with great delight. Harper named hers Hobbes, Hudson's is Peeper, and Helena's is Bitty. Hobbes is the biggest and most social. He is the only one who will come out and sit politely on a finger or shoulder or head, or, on occasion, attempt to build a nest in your hair:


 Bitty and Peeper have each gotten out accidentally a couple of times, and it has been Highly Dramatic to get them safely back into the cage. Bitty in particular, slams herself into walls and windows, gets herself stuck in tight places, and generally acts crazed, which causes both Harper and Helena to panic and also weep. Though the tiniest, she is extremely fierce upon capture, and bites VERY HARD on my fingers. One time I even bled. She is my least favorite.
Sasha is also not a fan. The friends who gave them to us have two Chihuahuas who would let the birds ride around on their backs. The first time we had him out, Hobbes made straight for her and Sasha said, "NO THANK YOU DO I LOOK LIKE A SHOW PONY?" and, ever since, has run, tail tucked under, from the room every time we've gotten them out of their cage. The birds actually really like her, and Hobbes will even bark excitedly any time she wanders near their cage.

We keep their cage in the schoolroom, but I have to put them outside during school time because their chatter gets very loud and excited and screechy when I start to read or explain something. Yesterday, I put them out on the porch. We were getting ready to leave for piano, and Harper came in and said, "There is another parakeet--a blue one!-sitting outside on the birds' cage!!! The birds must have called to him or something! Can we keep him??"  It took about 15 minutes, but we ended up getting him into the cage. I have posted a message on our neighborhood page, but so far, no one has claimed him. Alas, it seems that Hobbes has found his Calvin. He adds a little diversity to all the green and yellow:

 In other birding news, Harper and I met a pair of phoebes on a walk last week. They are not frequent visitors to our parts, so it was exciting to get a good look at them.



And then, after the excitement of Calvin showing up, we got to our piano teacher's house and Harper looked up and realized she has a nesting pair of red-winged hawks in a tree next door, AND a yard full of kinglets, and tufted titmice, AND a goldfinch!!

To close, apropos of nothing mentioned thus far, Harper asked for these wooden Keva tiles for Christmas, and they've built some beautiful structures with them. They might even be as awesome as Magnatiles.

 

 

Cocooned no more

Hudson turned 10 on Friday. I plan to interview him this week, which I sincerely hope will help me process that he's already been alive AN ENTIRE DECADE even though it feels like he should be approximately 7 months old. That's how old he was when I started blogging.

He had an actual party last year. I just realized I never posted a picture. He wanted to play laser tag, which he'd never done before, with a few buddies.

This year, he wanted another party. Instead, he got to get up as early as he wanted and play video games. Until it was time to leave to take Helena to ballet, and then pick Harper up at her Friday forum. If you are thinking that sounds a touch LAME, well, yes, it was a little. UNTIL Helena realized that something incredible had happened. THE POLYPHEMUS MOTH HAD FINALLY EMERGED FROM ITS COCOON!! It had been 3 months, and I almost threw them away last week, assuming they were mummified. In fact, I had put the habitat outside and forgotten about it. It happened to be a really windy, wet day, and the habitat got buffeted all over the yard before I noticed it was about to blow over the fence and went out and retrieved it. All, naturally, part of the plan for Hudson to be the only 10 year old ever to be personally celebrated, on his birthday, by a moth named after a cyclops!!

Harper and I both took lots of pictures with my real camera, then I realized my phone camera actually did a better job. His antennae are spectacular:

Then, on Saturday, Hudson showed that a new decade brings even more basketball prowess. He has lots and lots of hustle, on offense and defense.

 You are my very best son, dear one.

Let's just pick up where we left off

Last week we had a school holiday on Monday, then on Wednesday there was torrential flooding and school was delayed for two hours. Today, this little lad is home with me feeling very, very puny. It's a good thing he has a loyal dog, who is always willing to spend the day napping on the couch and/or randomly sniffing your hair:


Here are the projects Harper worked on in the fall. She molded and painted some Greek pottery:

 She also used her knitting skills to create this Cell City:

 I spent a solid week of Christmas vacation making cookies. I feel like each effort gets a little better-looking, though the process itself doesn't really get any less labor intensive.

 I left our Christmas tree up until last week. Yes, it was a real tree. Yes, it was a conflagration ready to happen. If it had been artificial, it would still be up.

The Christmas presents this year were mostly Lego. Here is Harper with her beetle bug:

 My parents were here this weekend to babysit and go to Hudson's basketball game. We watched the inauguration on Friday. The kids had never seen Mrs. Trump before and had some funny commentary. Hudson: "Wait. WHY is she so young?" Harper: "WHY would he want a wife who is that much younger than he is??" They also wondered if the Trumps have dogs. They also wanted to know exactly how much money Barron has access to. My dad pointed out the Clintons to Hudson and said, "That guy there that she's married to, he has a '65 Mustang. Or at least he used to." So, based on that, Bill Clinton was a great president, as far as Hudson is concerned. I really enjoyed watching W. wrestle with his poncho. Some things are harder than being president. And Cheney in his huge hat watching the whole thing with a smug little smile. It would have been perfection if Rumsfeld had been there to give him a hand.

Hudson's basketball team is OUTSTANDING this year. It is really fun to watch them win. I screamed myself hoarse on Saturday. Once a cheerleader, always a cheerleader, apparently. I felt a very strong urge to do a herkie at one point, but refrained. Only because I hurt my knee playing tennis with Mrs. S just after Christmas. Which also means the Couch to 5K has been totally couched.

That's enough to prime the pump anyway. Here's to fewer impediments to writing!!