Oh What A Wonderful Life

After two days of non stop playing with Lily, well I don't know if it is literally non stop. I do know that it was A LOT of playing. Anyway she was feeling left out tonight. I spent the day cleaning and getting the house in semi order, only to have 10 girls stomp through my house on the way to their Girl Scout skating party. Funny enough, Bret pal'd up with a friend of hers from Brenda's troop. And Brenda found her own comfort zone worth of friends. My troop co-leader brought along her older daughter who was an older Girl Scout. I found out today that her troop disbanded this year, for whatever reason. We talked a bit about her becoming a Juliette for a while until something else comes up. (That is where with the help of an adult she works as an independent Girl Scout.) She could sell cookies to earn money for her camp and whatever else she wants to do, work ahead without the actual troop. She seemed interested. For some of the Girl Scouts there today with us, it was a great learning experience of what they do NOT want to do again. Some of them were begging for more skating parties. I'd say we all learned something... Like how bruises don't kill you for instance. He he he. Just a couple more weeks and we are heading camping. Whoooooo hooooo. What fun. Two nights of no sleep for me. ;-)

Do you WANT TO make a difference...

Fight Global Warming; Go Vegan!
by david baake
http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_david_ba_070513_fight_global_warming.htm
"Probably the easiest, cheapest, and most effective way to reduce your contribution to climate change is to adopt a vegan diet, or at least reduce your consumption of animal products. According to the United Nations, “raising animals for food generates more greenhouse gases than all the cars and trucks in the world combined...”
Thinking of making a change?? Start small, if you can't go all gung ho. Since Bret and I have gone vegan, we have noticed that some things are easier for the kids than others... Change their milk... not so easy. Change from butter to Earth Balance natural buttery spread (vegan substitute), easy for everyone. Change to vegan cheese, easier for the younger kids, not so easy for the teens. Veganaise? Good for some, not so easy for others. Since I switched to Vegenaise... the smell of mayonaise makes me gag now. I am hooked on Vegenaise. I couldn't go back to mayo if I wanted to. Eggs, haven't had them in I cannot remember how long. Chicken, I have eaten that a time or two.

If you are trying to make a change in your life, remember!!! Every little bit counts. If everyone changed just a LITTLE bit it would make a big difference. Don't beat yourself up because you didn't change ENOUGH today. You are beautiful how you are. You aspire. You dream. And some day you will see that you already are...

New old pics just because I found them...

This is the most awesome pic of Josh and Leah. Must have come from the Unity party this summer. I donno, but it is cool!! Josh is awesome!

And here are the girls with Jessie and Leah (undoubtedly their proclaimed best friends) and Griffin, at what appears to be the Museum Center. Boy you guys have made my girls lives so amazingly happy when you are in it...

Thnx Leah for these fab pics. I stole them from you.

Learn something new

This month's wallpaper is blue...

Though it's better known for shades of red, the Grand Canyon is shrouded in blue as night descends on its foggy, snow-covered walls. The canyon's north rim is typically closed to vehicles in winter.
Photograph by Michael Nichols

Brought to you by National Geographic photography. Do you have a blue picture of amazingness to showcase? January is put-an-amazing-blue-pic-on-your-computer-wallpaper month. Just DO IT...

Circle

Here is what I saw through Celeste's special glasses. A normal Christmas tree with a special Chanakkah twist...

Here are the glasses...

Do we look like we are circling around the Winter Solstice?? And celebrating Chanakkah and Christmas? We did all of that and soo much more. It has been a few months since I have been able to make a Drumming Circle. The last one was amazing, I heard, but I was in Tennessee, learning more about the wonderful world of unschooling. So it was great to get together with the girls again. Wild Women, you are amazing. You inspire me to be who I forgot I was. I came home feeling like I had visited again the world of Avalon. Thank you all for being there for me.

Bret and her Beanie

Here is Bret with her new beanie. Both girls totally had to have this beanie. I told them IF I bought this beanie for them they M-U-S-T MUST MUST MUST wear it to every meeting with their sash that they just had to have. They swear that they will so here it is! At Bret's last meeting (the Christmas party) I needed an extra hand and asked for Brenda's help as a senior Brownie. Both girls were there at that meeting with their sashes AND beanies. So we will see.

Before... and After

(My husband) Bret decided he wanted to get dread locks. I have wanted them for a while. When Josh had them I loved them and thought they were the coolest. So we bought the special bees wax with no petroleum in it (that just makes the wax like vasoline, sticky and goopy, I remember from Josh's hair), and decided to practice on me. It might be a while before Bret's hair is long enough. In fact I remember when we did Josh's so long ago, that Bret had wanted to do his hair too, but he never did. Corporate look and all, I guess, who knows. Life happens. Anyway three days and HOURS later...

Ta daaaaaaa! What fun! But let me warn you if you do get this done to you... There is a lot of pain involved. Now I realize that having my perfectionist husband do my hair made the whole experience last longer than normal (like DAYS longer) but even done professionally, it is painful!

So here is what we did. First we went to Knottyboy.com and checked out their video. That was very helpful and would have been great to have for Josh's hair, way back when. Then we bought their shampoo bar, their wax, and their wooden comb (in Bret's opinion, a must-have). For my hair it took an entire jar of the 8oz. wax, but I do have a lot of hair. So anyway, next I washed my hair with their Knottyboy shampoo bar which totally took any softness out of my hair and made it impossible to brush, duh. I dried my hair and crimped it with my crimp iron (this gave it lots of frizz for the dreading process). And Bret got to work, back combing pulling, waxing, and palm roll, palm roll, palm roll (Bret, it turns out, is a backcombing maniac, and that was the painful part). A couple days later, here I was like new, only dreadlier.

Lovin it!

See you soon and Merry Christmas. Happy Chanukah, as today is the first day of THAT holiday. It is also the Sunday Solstice Celebration for us Wild Women so I will be at the drumming circle all night tonight celebrating so many things that are wonderful in my life. And there are plenty.

So to all my many many friends (and it just occurrs to me now how many that be) thank you ALL for being in my life with me. Thank you for sharing your part in my last year, and do stick around for the next one too! I will surely miss you if you don't!

Which do you prefer? Let me know. BUT BE NICE!!

I don't want that to happen to me...

Marley and I were emersed in bathroom conversation this morning while I was taking a bath. She usually graces me with her presence when I am in the bath. We were talking about getting bigger and older for quite a bit already.
"I don't want bigger to happen to me", she said.
"Well then you should stop eating," I told her half in jest.
"Why?"
"Eating, along with sleeping and exercising, sunlight, learning, and some other stuff, will help you grow up."
She thought about this for a minute. "Well, I am still hungry." And with this she was off to see what there was for breakfast in the fridge.

We spent some time looking at pictures of Dad and me as babies and little kids with her. We showed her how Dad and I both had moms and dads when we were little. Now we are big and we are the mom and dad. Still she wants to stay little forever. But it was fun to look at the pictures.

Christmas Party/ Gingerbread House Parade

Pin the Nose on Rudolph

Lilian's magnificant house creation. She ate most of the candy and put some of it on the house. Then I told her it was time to have a snack. She said ok and left to go get her snack. She bipassed the table where everyone brought a snack to share and headed to the table with the gingerbread house candy on it. She came back to me with handfulls of candy telling me that she had her snack. Ha ha ha. I think she was so focused on the candy she didn't realize there was another table with cookies, chips and actual foods.

I told Brenda a day or two before the party that she could pick a book to represent with her gingerbread house. She said, "OK, Hansel and Gretel." And she walked away. That was easy enough for her I suppose.

Learn a little through pictures

Brought to us by National Geographic

Lacking any other defense, many larval fish have adapted
transparency as a method of camouflage—such as this tiny, see-through larval
leaf scorpionfish in Hawaii. Photograph by Chris Newbert/Minden Pictures

A goby fish (Trimma okinawae) peers out of a sea anemone in
the Solomon Islands. Gobies are serial sex-changers: They can go through both
male and female phases. Photograph by Wolcott Henry

As if bathed in moonlight, a giant spider crab (Macrocheira
kaemferi) is illuminated by a diver's lamp in Japan's Izu Oceanic Park.
Protected from some predators by its hard exoskeleton, the creature—which can
grow to ten feet (three meters) wide—can also blend in with the ocean floor.
Under deeper cover, it can disappear beneath the sponges and other marine life
it uses to adorn its shell. Photograph by David Doubilet

It takes more than high-tech wizardry to capture
deep-ocean creatures on film. Dragged alongside the unmanned submersible
SeaRover, liquid tuna and chum attracted this rosy rockfish, swimming by a
basket sea star in the waters of Monterey Bay, California. Photograph by Emory
Kristof

Hustle and Bustle

Parties, shopping, Girl Scout meetings, dance classes, parent meetings, Co ops, and much much more. With everything going on, I will be taking much of the month off from blogging. Next month we will start Girl Scout cookie sales, both troops will have their first overnight at a GS lodge with another troop, we will be making NewYear resolutions, and much much more, I am sure. I will pop in a couple times to say hi, but in case you don't hear from us before hand, Happy Holidays to all of yours!!!

Two Days of Snow

For the last two days, since the first snow, the girls have been all about sledding, snowballs, and pitiful snow men. There wasn't tons of snow, but that doesn't deter the twinkle in their eyes when they see it falling. Today I even convinced Daddy Bret to get out and do some sledding with the girls.

The hat Brenda is wearing, I made yesderday from some yarn I bought at the dollar store. The hat cost me two dollars to make. Brenda is asking for mitts to match. We went out to the dollar store today to buy some more of the yarn for mitts.

Snow angels were a hit for Marley.

Even Bret was out having a great time. It is also great exercise at a time when the girls are not getting much. Up the hill, down the hill. Up the hill, down the hill.

Happenings

Bret had the best time at the Co op. She met a new "best friend". They all seem to be best friends for her lately. One of her teachers told her that she could be an artist and make any kinds of sculptures she wanted. So she made this tonight. Brenda said it was just a bunch of stuff piled on top of itself. I said one man's junk is another man's art. (or woman, anyway) Bret is too excited to pay any attention to Brenda's naysaying today. :-)

Brenda and I hung out at the museum center with Marley. The huge train room was set up for the holiday. Brenda did a scavanger hunt.

Really... my day went like this. We went to get Bret settled in at the co op 9:30. Then we headed over to the grocery to pick up more yogurt. (We picked up yogurt yesterday for lunch today, but Gaige ate it when we weren't looking.) After the grocery, we headed to Deanne's house to pick up the small boxes she got us for the gingerbread houses the kids are going to make at the Christmas party next week. By the time we got to the museum it was after 11. We ate first because we figured the school kids on field trips would be eating around 12 so the museum would clear out when we got down there. After lunch we played for a bit, then we connected with some unschoolers at 12:30. At 1:30 we were out the door heading back to the co op to pick up Bret by 2:00. We haven't had a day like that in a while. I have a craft I want to do with the girls. Then I am making Christmas aprons for us so we can make Christmas cookies in style! That is my excitement.

I got some yarn from the dollar store yesterday. Maybe I will start making a hat.

I got this from National Geographic yesterday

Photograph by Carsten Peter
"Sulfur, salt, and other minerals color the crater of Ethiopia’s Dallol volcano."

It is my new wallpaper on the computer. It looks amazing on a full screen! Check out my link to many more National Geographic pictures to the right.

The Co op

Today little 7yo Bret wakes up early pumping with excitement for her chance to go to the magnificant co op. Last year, I sent Brenda and Gaige because that was all we could afford. And Bret cried. "You don't think I can do it. You don't think I can go there!" But really I just thought the older kids could get more out of it. But when I see the classes that I put her in, I think maybe I was wrong. She is my creative child. Loves to explore, touch, feel, dream. This is right up her alley.
Her schedule...
Children of the world...
This class is your passport to places near & far - designed to give children a hands-on experience about children of many cultures: their customs, daily life, foods, artforms, & language. Get your passport & sign-up for the adventures that await you! Cooking will be included, as we try our hand at some international food recipes.
Creative Discovery...
Students strengthen their creative and critical thinking skills in lessons presented by characters Dudley the Detective, Sybil the Scientist, Isabel the Inventor, Yolanda the Yarnspinner, Jordan the Judge, and Max the Magician. Children discover and develop parts of their brains that allow them to think like a detective, scientist, inventor, and storyteller. They learn how to make wise decisions and to exercise their visual/spatial perception. Costumes and role-playing combined with high level thinking activities make this class fabulous, important, and fun!
Imagination Station...
Fun using your imagination using different materials making/creating crafts (puppets, game characters, recycle creatures, making things out of natural objects, incorporating crafts from all over the world). It will be a crazy, fun and wild time!
And what will Brenda, Lilian and I be doing today? We have a date at the museum center with some other unschoolers. There was another cool activity today, but we are opting for free these days. The family that was going to share the rooms with me for the February gathering backed out. I will be paying more for that vacation now. Which is fine. But time to save some more money.

Girl Scouting in December

For about two years I have been talking to Brenda about my helping her put a newsletter together for her Girl Scout troop. We tried to set it up with the other troop unsuccessfully, then I just dropped it eventually. This year, I mentioned it in passing. I guess this was the year that she was ready to start putting it together. Brenda and her friend, Emma, have decided to make a newsletter for the girls in their troop for their next meeting.

Bret's troop meeting was today. The girls have done crafty stuff for the last couple meetings and I felt that they wanted to pick things up a bit. So we worked on the Games Around the World try-it badge today. Those girls can be HIGH ENERGY. Lots of fun. It wears me out. This month both troops are going rollerskating at a Girl Scout Skate Party during Christmas break together. So far 7 of the girls in Bret's troop are going. Most likely all the girls in Brenda's troop of 8 will go also. We will be a big group. Hopefully skating will wear tire them out. :-)

Clocks

Brenda came to me today and asked if I could teach her how to read a clock. So we worked on it for a few minutes. She asked if we could work on it a bunch of times so she would remember it. I told her we could work a few minutes every day until it sinks in good. That's all. I love it when I they bring something to me that THEY want to learn.

UPDATE: Later yesterday we were at the bank depositing money when Brenda saw a clock. She figured out the time herself. Then she noticed that the clock was stopped and the time was not right. So she hunted out another clock in the same bank and proceeded to find the real time. Learning can be such excitement.

December Quotes of the Week

Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds."

Albert Einstein

"Have you learned the lessons only of those who admired you, and were tender with you, and stood aside for you? Have you not learned great lessons from those who braced themselves against you, and disputed passage with you?"

Walt Whitman

"Look not mournfully into the past. It comes not back again. Wisely improve the present. It is thine. Go forth to meet the shadowy future, without fear."

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

If you want happiness for an hour; take a nap. If you want happiness for a day; go fishing. If you want happiness for a month; get married. If you want happiness for a year; inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime; help someone else.

Chinese proverb

Current Activities

I was redirecting my energy toward what I have going on these days. A good friend called me yesterday. We haven't talked in probably at least a year. So that was exciting. I was telling her that my boys have gone back to public school. She asked if Brenda wouldn't be wanting to do that soon? I told her I don't think so, because she has plenty of friends to play with after school, she has activities to meet new girls, and she has become quite the homebody during the day. We hang out at home during the day, then she is off to play with friends after school. She even decided not to go to the co op this year. It is just Bret. So I started thinking about how busy we were last year and what we are up to this year.

Monday - Free
Tuesday - Brenda dances pm
Wednesday - Bret dances pm (sometimes story time for Marley am)
I forgot to say we swim Wednesday nights at the local school pool
Thursday - Girl Scouts (alternating weeks for the girls) pm
Friday - usually free or an activity of one sort. This Friday we are meeting up with some Unschoolers at the Museum Center.

Not abnoxiously busy like we used to be. It feels good to have that time at home to do other things. As well I have been holding back on activities that cost more money. We are saving up for the February Gathering. (I am throwing my lodging dilema into the free universe that the answer will come back to me in an obvious way.)

Chanukah Celebrations

Brenda asked if we celebrate Chanukah or if it is only for Jewish people. I told her it is traditionally a Jewish holiday, but if she would like we could celebrate it here this year. "But we are getting Christmas presents", she worried. I said we could do dollar store presents or homemade. She liked that idea. So look for more on our Chanukah experience later this month. Must go to find some dreidels and a menorah. Some matzah, and a Jewish holiday cook book for fun.

Marley is sick

Marley puked all over us in bed last night. She is feeling fine today. But at the time it was big drama, as you might well imagine. I rushed her to the bathroom to finish throwing up in the toilet. Then she sat on the bed watching Care Bears while I cleaned the sheets and blankets. I asked her if she felt alright now.
She said, "Yes, I am alive now."
So I asked, "You feel better?"
She replied, "Yes, but what does it look like?"
"Spaghetti." (that was dinner. Ewwwww!!)
Thankfully we are all better this morning.

Potato Head Day

The day before Thanksgiving every year, we celebrate Decorate Your Potato Head Day. Here are the girls decorating their own potatoes. This year's specialty was sparkles. Lots of paint and lots of sparkles. Woo, what fun that was to clean up. But still a great time.

Thanksgiving Festivities

We started out with a Thanksgiving Feast with some homeschoolers. We learned about the first thanksgiving, played some Indian and Pilgrim Games, made yarn dolls. Then we feasted on traditional Thanksgiving food, which of course was not the original Thanksgiving food. After that it was time to start making some Thanksgiving food of our own. Each of the kids helped make something.

Thanksgiving Day, Bret took Josh and his friend Tyler hunting for bird. They were excited partake in their first ever hunting experience. Unfortunately no birds to bring home.

We cooked a turkey at home while the men (from left to right) Dwayne (who usually doesn't hunt with them) Daryl, Paul, Bret, and Scotty (a good family friend) were closing up for the day. They caught two birds in all. It is a good thing we bought the turkey, but still a fun tradition for the guys I am sure. The girls and I cooked pies, dressing, turkey, veggies, stuffing, all the usual. And we feasted all weekend until it was all gone. Which it now is.

Lily Turns 3

My baby is no longer a baby. The last of my little tykes is growing up. Awwww.

She is now officially 3.

Her new Holly making friends and taking a nap with one of the old Hollys. Finally Lilian has a Holly of her own.

Here she is blowing out the candles. She made the cake with me, iced the cake with me, sprinkled the cake with me, and ate it with all of us. At the end of the day of fun she was exhausted, and so was I.