I remember the good old days, when one of those really irritating battery powered toys ran out of batteries and I would hope that the kids forgot they used batteries, or would simply pretend that we were out of batteries and tell them I'd have to get some more "the next time I went to the store," which of course never happened, or at least didn't happen for weeks if it was a really beloved toy.
No more. Genius mama that I am, I gave Ben a science lesson a few weeks ago that involved putting things together and taking them apart. We had a flashlight with batteries, the bike lock with the cable and the padlock and key, a screwdriver and screws, and some latch fasteners. That was all I could dig up on short notice, though the possibilities are endless.
The whole point of it was for him to figure out how it worked, and to practice using the screwdriver, and to notice that the flashlight wouldn't work if the batteries weren't in correctly. This lesson was successful because he LOVED it--not because he didn't know how to do any of it. I was surprised that the flashlight worked the first time he replaced the batteries, and he had no trouble with the screwdriver or anything else--but what he loved was practicing. I also found this interesting because the girls would not have cared one bit for this kind of thing when they were five.
Unfortunately, I have created a monster! Ben has spent the last 3 weeks finding toys that have dead batteries in them--some of these toys I didn't even remember were battery powered!--and going into the refrigerator to find fresh batteries, unscrewing the doors and replacing them. All of which means three things:
1. Our store of batteries is nearly empty...
2. There are batteries strewn on the counter constantly, and I am unsure most of the time if they are dead ones or new ones...
3. Our house is much noisier than it used to be! (Just what I need, right?)
Learning sometimes has its drawbacks.
--Jen
A blog about a busy mom who homeschools her four children, juggles activities and housework, and still manages to find quality time to be a family.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Are You Kidding Me?
Tonight I went to make evening coffee for us, just like we always have while watching TV, reading or blogging (which is where I'm drinking it tonight...) I knew I'd have to grind more beans, so I poured the water to the 8 cup mark, got a filter, and began scooping what was in my jar, just on the off chance I'd have enough and wouldn't have to do this chore that I don't love....
Sure enough, I didn't have quite enough, so I went to the freezer and got out the bag that didn't have much in it. I ground the one hopperful that was in there and figured that though I now had enough to start brewing, I should grind a little more now that I had the grinder down and all....
I am out of coffee!! Anyone who knows me knows that this is just about an impossible state of affairs! I mean, this is just not funny, people. I don't even have enough for morning coffee, which is just unacceptable. Although I have to say that if I must be out of coffee, tomorrow s a good choice, because we have story time at 10:00, which means I often don't have coffee before we leave (sleep edges out coffee just a wee bit!) and so we'll just stop by the store after that.
Still, this is something that does not happen. Ever. And the next time it does, I may be a grandma or something!
--Jen
Sure enough, I didn't have quite enough, so I went to the freezer and got out the bag that didn't have much in it. I ground the one hopperful that was in there and figured that though I now had enough to start brewing, I should grind a little more now that I had the grinder down and all....
I am out of coffee!! Anyone who knows me knows that this is just about an impossible state of affairs! I mean, this is just not funny, people. I don't even have enough for morning coffee, which is just unacceptable. Although I have to say that if I must be out of coffee, tomorrow s a good choice, because we have story time at 10:00, which means I often don't have coffee before we leave (sleep edges out coffee just a wee bit!) and so we'll just stop by the store after that.
Still, this is something that does not happen. Ever. And the next time it does, I may be a grandma or something!
--Jen
The Origin of the Word Library--by Ben
Today we went to the library for a program Ben has every week. Rachel also volunteers there, helping the librarian keep the kids in order and with the craft. Julia, Emma and I read in the Children's Room while they're in there. When we got home, I was busy putting things away and only half listening to Emma's chatter. She asked me why it's called a library, and I just sort of mumbled that I wasn't sure....
But Ben stepped in handily. He said, "Emma, `li' is some kind of word for book, from some other place," (He'd heard Matt tell one of the girls last week that the Latin word for book is `liber' , and also when I stuck my nose in and said that it's `livre' in French and `libro' in Spanish...
"And," he continued, undaunted, "`brary' means a beautiful place. So `library' means a beautiful place you find books!"
Well--he may not have it correct--but I still couldn't have explained it better!
--Jen
But Ben stepped in handily. He said, "Emma, `li' is some kind of word for book, from some other place," (He'd heard Matt tell one of the girls last week that the Latin word for book is `liber' , and also when I stuck my nose in and said that it's `livre' in French and `libro' in Spanish...
"And," he continued, undaunted, "`brary' means a beautiful place. So `library' means a beautiful place you find books!"
Well--he may not have it correct--but I still couldn't have explained it better!
--Jen
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Yard Work
Today I spent nearly five hours working in the yard. I never raked all the leaves out of the yard this fall, because we got so busy with the painting. It has bothered me all winter that I never did that chore, along with the other major chore of not pulling up the lily bulbs. So today I decided to do it. Matt brought up the fact that the leaves are actually protecting the plants, but I had to counter the argument--we are going to have more painting to do in the spring, and if I don't tidy up the yard now I will be so far behind that I'll never get it done. Plus we have a whole compost bin full of good soil, so I will spread that over the now-clean garden and that will protect the plants.
One catch--we didn't have any lawn bags...so rather than go to the store (on Super Bowl Sunday--are you kidding?!) I used kitchen trash bags. I raked out the garden as well as around it by the fence, the patch by the shed door, under the Buddha bush, the patio around the chicken coop, by the garden swing, cleaned the chicken coop and the back patio, and raked up the giant pile of leaves in the middle of the yard that the kids raked in the fall but didn't pick up--so instead they have been jumped in and raked twenty times or so. Please note that this is only half the yard--albeit the most important half--I didn't get the whole side of the yard where the pine tree, rhododendrons, lilacs, rose of Sharon, spirea bushes are, around the compost bin and under the forsythia at the back of the yard or the holly tree. However, the yard looks much neater and cleaner.
Everyone joined me after an hour or so, which definitely sped the process up. Emma carried sticks to the fire kindling bucket, Ben tilled in the garden to get the bulbs loosened, Rachel and Julia held bags open, filled bags themselves, and hauled leaves to the curb, refilled the Buddha pond and pulled unwanted plants up by their roots. All the kids tidied up the outdoor toys and played with Sophie, who was excited that we were all outside. We also had the music going--the Beatles, Jewel, Paul Simon and even Madonna, so I was happy.
I have decided that the patch by the shed will become the vegetable garden. I don't know why this didn't occur to me before--it's small, but I can fence it off very easily and keep the chickens from destroying our plants, plus it gets wonderful sun. I pulled the daisy-ish flowers out by the roots, though I couldn't bring myself to dig the daffodil and iris bulbs out. I have asked advice about whether I can leave those in place along with the veggies. Since it's a small area I think we'll stick to tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, maybe one other thing. I have had so much more success with flowers and local produce is pretty cheap in the summer anyway. The vegetables are really more because I don't feel like a "real" gardener if we don't have some vegetables, plus the kids get such a kick of eating what we grow.
I can practically smell spring!
--Jen
One catch--we didn't have any lawn bags...so rather than go to the store (on Super Bowl Sunday--are you kidding?!) I used kitchen trash bags. I raked out the garden as well as around it by the fence, the patch by the shed door, under the Buddha bush, the patio around the chicken coop, by the garden swing, cleaned the chicken coop and the back patio, and raked up the giant pile of leaves in the middle of the yard that the kids raked in the fall but didn't pick up--so instead they have been jumped in and raked twenty times or so. Please note that this is only half the yard--albeit the most important half--I didn't get the whole side of the yard where the pine tree, rhododendrons, lilacs, rose of Sharon, spirea bushes are, around the compost bin and under the forsythia at the back of the yard or the holly tree. However, the yard looks much neater and cleaner.
Everyone joined me after an hour or so, which definitely sped the process up. Emma carried sticks to the fire kindling bucket, Ben tilled in the garden to get the bulbs loosened, Rachel and Julia held bags open, filled bags themselves, and hauled leaves to the curb, refilled the Buddha pond and pulled unwanted plants up by their roots. All the kids tidied up the outdoor toys and played with Sophie, who was excited that we were all outside. We also had the music going--the Beatles, Jewel, Paul Simon and even Madonna, so I was happy.
I have decided that the patch by the shed will become the vegetable garden. I don't know why this didn't occur to me before--it's small, but I can fence it off very easily and keep the chickens from destroying our plants, plus it gets wonderful sun. I pulled the daisy-ish flowers out by the roots, though I couldn't bring myself to dig the daffodil and iris bulbs out. I have asked advice about whether I can leave those in place along with the veggies. Since it's a small area I think we'll stick to tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, maybe one other thing. I have had so much more success with flowers and local produce is pretty cheap in the summer anyway. The vegetables are really more because I don't feel like a "real" gardener if we don't have some vegetables, plus the kids get such a kick of eating what we grow.
I can practically smell spring!
--Jen
Daily Quote
You may have read that I went to M.I.T. In 1982 I filled out a Who's Who survey with joking responses, and they never bothered to check the facts.
--Chevy Chase
--Chevy Chase
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Emma's Dance Class
The mantle has now moved on to Emma...that is, dance class. Rachel was our most serious dancer. She took classes from the time she was 4 until the spring after her 10th birthday (then she wanted to move on to piano lessons and horses. There is only so much time in the day, not to mention money for extracurriculars!) Julia took less intense classes from the time she was 3 until last year--she also wanted horseback riding lessons. I say her classes were less intense because unlike Rachel, who took her classes at a studio, with classes every week from September till June and a recital to perform in, we found a better option for Julia....classes through the town.
The first thing I love about these classes is the price. Rather than $45 a month, plus registration, money for photos and recital costumes and tickets-- expensive! --classes through our town are just $35 for 7 classes! No photos, registration fee, or recitals. And that brings me to the second thing I love--each session is 7 classes long, and then there's a 6 week break. This is awesome for small kids, gives them a chance to try another activity and gives us a break! The third thing (and probably the best thing) is the teacher--Miss Gail.
Miss Gail has been teaching these classes since she was a sophomore in college, and is now in her mid-to-late 20's. She is wonderful with the kids--a dancer and choreographer, she knows what she's doing, but she is sweet and kind, soft-spoken and always smiling. The girls (the classes are pretty much all girls with maybe a boy once in a while) just flock to her. Julia just adored her when she took the class. She couldn't wait to go, she couldn't wait for breaks to be over, and she always wanted to hug Miss Gail and tell her about new adventures.
Now Emma is in the class, and although she is bizarrely quiet there (she practically doesn't speak at all, and if you know Emma you know she is not the silent type!) she loves everything about it and really pays attention. Today was the first week I took her to class, and I watched Emma watch Miss Gail carefully to see just what she was doing, and then imitate her as closely as she could. It was so cute to watch. And I knew the entire class, since she does the same activities and songs with every 3 year old class,so it was a kick to see Emma do the same things Julia used to do.
When we came home from class, I went up to the attic to get some bigger clothes for Emma from the 4T box--she has outgrown a lot of her pants, some of her dresses and I knew there are shirts she just refuses to wear, so I thought an infusion of new clothes would be perfect. It just reinforced seeing Emma the way Julia used to be, taking out things that Julia loved at this age. Took me right back to Dolphin Way, folding clothes in Julia's green bedroom there....
--Jen
The first thing I love about these classes is the price. Rather than $45 a month, plus registration, money for photos and recital costumes and tickets-- expensive! --classes through our town are just $35 for 7 classes! No photos, registration fee, or recitals. And that brings me to the second thing I love--each session is 7 classes long, and then there's a 6 week break. This is awesome for small kids, gives them a chance to try another activity and gives us a break! The third thing (and probably the best thing) is the teacher--Miss Gail.
Miss Gail has been teaching these classes since she was a sophomore in college, and is now in her mid-to-late 20's. She is wonderful with the kids--a dancer and choreographer, she knows what she's doing, but she is sweet and kind, soft-spoken and always smiling. The girls (the classes are pretty much all girls with maybe a boy once in a while) just flock to her. Julia just adored her when she took the class. She couldn't wait to go, she couldn't wait for breaks to be over, and she always wanted to hug Miss Gail and tell her about new adventures.
Now Emma is in the class, and although she is bizarrely quiet there (she practically doesn't speak at all, and if you know Emma you know she is not the silent type!) she loves everything about it and really pays attention. Today was the first week I took her to class, and I watched Emma watch Miss Gail carefully to see just what she was doing, and then imitate her as closely as she could. It was so cute to watch. And I knew the entire class, since she does the same activities and songs with every 3 year old class,so it was a kick to see Emma do the same things Julia used to do.
When we came home from class, I went up to the attic to get some bigger clothes for Emma from the 4T box--she has outgrown a lot of her pants, some of her dresses and I knew there are shirts she just refuses to wear, so I thought an infusion of new clothes would be perfect. It just reinforced seeing Emma the way Julia used to be, taking out things that Julia loved at this age. Took me right back to Dolphin Way, folding clothes in Julia's green bedroom there....
--Jen
Friday, February 1, 2008
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JULIA!
Wow--Julia is 8 today! I can't believe it. I was practically used to her being 7, though even that seemed kind of old, but 8? That just seems ridiculous. As it happens, she went to the doctor today, because she fell on her bike on Monday and the cut ended up infected. We tried taking care of it ourselves (and boy, was that charming!) but last night we got worried that it would worsen over the weekend and we'd end up at the emergency room, and also she was in pain. So after we drained it we called the doctor he sent us out for an antibiotic at 9 pm, and told us to come in today. So poor Julia had to be at the doctor's on her birthday.
The good news is, he says it looks fine and the antibiotics will take care of it. And he was able to give her the checkup we'd scheduled for next Saturday so we can avoid returning. She is now 53 inches tall! And she gained 18 pounds over the last year! Just incredible. We knew she'd gotten bigger, but this is just crazy.
She opened her gifts before Matt went to work, and loved them all. Rachel gave her a stuffed pony and a model horse. Grandma B. have her a watch and a beading kit. Liz and Peter (friends from Matt's office) gave her a cool scrapbook where she can put photos and mementos. And we gave her a stuffed piggie, new furry pink slippers, horses in a barn, a set to paint her own plate, bowl and mug that you fire in the oven, and a bug habitat with night vision light in it. It even has a tree that you can stick real leaves for food in, and a pond for them to drink, and a background scene to make it look like a forest, plus a magnifying glass to check them out with.
We were supposed to ice skate today, but since it's pouring we can't. So her best friend and family are coming for pizza and cake (which Rachel made) tonight. We will also have a family party and a sleepover with other friends--dates to be determined. We will post photos later. (The batteries ran out in the camera as she was opening gifts, just our luck. They are charging, so we'll take pics of cake.)
One last note--today I have been breastfeeding nonstop for eight years! Yes, since the day Julia was born I have not stopped. First her, then her and Ben together, then Ben, then Ben and Emma together, and finally we are at the tail end of Emma. She still just needs me that once in the night still. Amazing to think about. And even more amazing--that in the next few months I will be DONE forever! Sad, I guess--but it's hard to see that right now. All I want is for it to be over.....
Happy birthday, Julia Bird.
--Jen
The good news is, he says it looks fine and the antibiotics will take care of it. And he was able to give her the checkup we'd scheduled for next Saturday so we can avoid returning. She is now 53 inches tall! And she gained 18 pounds over the last year! Just incredible. We knew she'd gotten bigger, but this is just crazy.
She opened her gifts before Matt went to work, and loved them all. Rachel gave her a stuffed pony and a model horse. Grandma B. have her a watch and a beading kit. Liz and Peter (friends from Matt's office) gave her a cool scrapbook where she can put photos and mementos. And we gave her a stuffed piggie, new furry pink slippers, horses in a barn, a set to paint her own plate, bowl and mug that you fire in the oven, and a bug habitat with night vision light in it. It even has a tree that you can stick real leaves for food in, and a pond for them to drink, and a background scene to make it look like a forest, plus a magnifying glass to check them out with.
We were supposed to ice skate today, but since it's pouring we can't. So her best friend and family are coming for pizza and cake (which Rachel made) tonight. We will also have a family party and a sleepover with other friends--dates to be determined. We will post photos later. (The batteries ran out in the camera as she was opening gifts, just our luck. They are charging, so we'll take pics of cake.)
One last note--today I have been breastfeeding nonstop for eight years! Yes, since the day Julia was born I have not stopped. First her, then her and Ben together, then Ben, then Ben and Emma together, and finally we are at the tail end of Emma. She still just needs me that once in the night still. Amazing to think about. And even more amazing--that in the next few months I will be DONE forever! Sad, I guess--but it's hard to see that right now. All I want is for it to be over.....
Happy birthday, Julia Bird.
--Jen
Daily Quote
Half of what I say is meaningless
But I say it just to reach you, Julia
Julia, Julia, oceanchild, calls me
So I sing a song of love, Julia
Julia, seashell eyes, windy smile, calls me
So I sing a song of love, Julia
Her hair of floating sky is shimmering, glimmering
In the sun
Julia, Julia, morning moon, touch me
So I sing a song of love, Julia
When I cannot sing my heart
I can only speak my mind, Julia
Julia, sleeping sand, silent cloud, touch me
So I sing a song of love, Julia
....calls me
So I sing a song of love for Julia, Julia, Julia
--John Lennon
But I say it just to reach you, Julia
Julia, Julia, oceanchild, calls me
So I sing a song of love, Julia
Julia, seashell eyes, windy smile, calls me
So I sing a song of love, Julia
Her hair of floating sky is shimmering, glimmering
In the sun
Julia, Julia, morning moon, touch me
So I sing a song of love, Julia
When I cannot sing my heart
I can only speak my mind, Julia
Julia, sleeping sand, silent cloud, touch me
So I sing a song of love, Julia
....calls me
So I sing a song of love for Julia, Julia, Julia
--John Lennon
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)