Getting Older

Having a day where I'm noticing how my kids are growing like weeds, their faces are changing and they are looking more like big kids and less like the babies I'm accustomed to.  sigh.

My Gardens

I could be a gardener.  If I had all the time in the world I could spend hours babying my plants, weeding even the tinyest of weeds so they don’t steal away any precious nutrients from my veggies and herbs and flowers.  I’d pluck off the bugs and worms that eat the leaves, one at a time.  I choose to spend my time doing other things and as such my garden takes on a more wild theme.  You can tell time was spent planting each seed and making sure they were watered early on, but as the summer goes on my gardens take on a mind of their own.  I love my gardens.  This year I planted kale, tomatoes, potatoes, garlic, chives, onions, okra, cucumbers, beets, lettuces, spinach, peppers, cabbage, carrots, soy beans, yard long beans, mouse melons, and probably a few other things that I have forgotten or have succumbed to lack of weeding or bugs.  Somewhere on this computer there are lots more pictures, but they are alluding me now.

I have lots of herbs which always do well and thankfully Nick enjoys gardening, too, so we do get a harvest.  He likes to dry them and I love when he hangs them from the 160 year old beams in the house.  Makes me wonder what this house was like back then.  If the people that lived here hung their herbs to dry here, too.  Imagine the smell of drying oregano, sage, lemon balm and mint.  He's recently added a few more plants to the herb garden.   The herbs are great because many of them return each year.

The kids love to snack in the garden and it delights me to know that they are eating healthy organic foods that are as fresh as they can be.

Our Russian Red Kale that the bugs like as much as we do.

Grampa shooting off vinegar and baking soda rockets with the garden in the background.

the big garden in the spring

this is an okra flower!!

my garlic harvest this year

Nicky helping pull radishes

Huckleberry Hill Co-op and panthers

     We will be starting a new home school venture this fall called the Huckleberry Hill Co-op.  It is a a conglomeration of like-minded people who all have a passion for caring for the Earth, and the things on it.  Each child will have a project.  Isn't that awesome? Not that they will have a project, but that that is all of the direction they will have to begin.  Not a lot of direction, (it does have to help the Earth), but that there are no boundaries.  They can do anything and will have a group of smart, creative kids and their Moms to guide, teach and help them learn the skills they need to succeed in what ever it is they want.  Shouldn't life always be like that?  The sky is the limit.  They will share and hour long lunch break and during the second part of the day at this beautiful farm, the kids will work as a team to create a documentary about type 2 diabetes.  Yeah, that's all.

     I have been periodically asking the girls throughout the summer what their main project will be, not so they can cement their ideas so early, but so they can think about different ideas until one cements itself in their minds.  Gwen has been rolling the idea of fair trade chocolate around.  Sounds delicious!
 
   Astrid has hopped around from pet sitting to guinea pig agility to a recurring mention of panthers.  Today when I asked again, Astrid said without a doubt that her project was going to be about saving panthers and then looked at me like I was nuts for asking her this question, yet again.  Okay then.

     So we talked about what she can do, how a 7 year old kid could help and what was going on that caused the panthers to need her help.  After discussing urban sprawl, habitat loss and conflicting preditors, we decided to check out Otter John's website.  He is an animal activist and show person who we are lucky enough to see every year while we are visiting Florida, as part of the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas Festival in Everglades City.  She composed, and I typed an email to Otter John, as follows:

Dear Otter John,

    My name is Astrid and I am seven years old.  I saw you three times in Everglades City and I liked looking at all of the animals you brought.  The panther, Harley, was beautiful.

    I am a homeschooler and I am doing this co-op where I have to do a project to help the world.  I chose to help panthers because they are an endangered species and people are building houses where they live.  They have to cut down trees to make the areas to build the houses and it is killing lots of animals that the panthers need to eat to survive.  The animals that they need are disappearing and the panthers are getting hit by cars because people need roads to get to their houses.

     I wanted to know how I could help save the panthers.  I live in Connecticut but we visit Everglades City in the winter and that is when I saw you show all of your really cool animals at the playground.

     Sincerely,

          Astrid

Once the email was sent we moved on to research a little more about the Florida Panther.  Among other interesting facts like the common and scientific names, food, appearance and habitat, we learned that there are only 100 panthers left in the wild in Florida.  100 panthers.  Astrid's eyes grew red as did her face and as she sat there 12 inches from me I could feel the heat from her face as she smiled her Astrid "I'm going to smile because other wise I will cry and I must be strong face".  She became animated and giggly in face, but in her eyes I saw hurt and fury.  She said she felt the way she feels when she learns things like that people eat guinea pigs in Peru.  There was a tear in her left eye but she managed to keep it from trailing down her cheek somehow.  I know I had tears in my eyes.   I just can't wait to see where she goes with this, my passionate little animal lover.  
                                      

 Fri. August 31, 2012.  Otter John wrote back!!!  

Hey Astrid,

Sorry about the delay, I'm still trying to figure out how to use my email on this iPhone... Hahaha...


Anyway, I really appreciate the fact that you want to help the Florida Panther from becoming extinct... To be completely honest, you answered your own question. To save animals, we as a population must save their natural habitat. The thing is, we must save the habitat not only for the Panther, but for the Panthers prey as well. We need to save the habitat which will save all of the animals, the beautiful and the creepy. We need to save the trees, grass, rocks, and water. The best way that I know how to do that is by educating the public about the importance of saving  the planet. "awareness through experience"... To save the animals, we MUST save the planet. The way I like to think
that I do my part is by taking my animals to schools and special
events. When people see the animals up close, it really seems to touch their heart so that I can get my point across.  Anyway, hope that was helpful. Let me know if I can be anymore help. 
Thanks
OtterJohn

Sent from my iPhone

Pet-sitting and Gardening

Astrid is an entrepreneur.

She wants animal companions.  She is just like me as a kid.  I remember trying to hatch robin eggs I had found lying in the grass under a tree, nursing wayward bumble bees back to life when they came too close to the sprinkler, finding kittens in all sorts of places, that needed homes.  With us.  Hamsters, gerbils, fish, cats, parakeets...

But Astrid wants them all and all at once.  So we've compromised.  She pet sits.  It's a service she has been offering going on three years now and she has repeat clients.  We post ads in the home school lists and she finds animals through word-of-mouth.  We've had dogs, cats, lizards, birds, frogs, mice and lots of guinea pigs.  There may be a rat on the horizon.  She doesn't charge a fee, but accepts tips and gifts.   She may build a website soon to make it more official!

It's the perfect solution for a family that loves animals but doesn't want the long term commitment of  a life long companion animal.  The kids get to learn about and care for different species and then they go home!  Most of them, anyway.  Trixie started out as a client and is now a family member.

 

Titus

Trixie and Nutmeg

Snowball, Nutmeg and Trixie

Minnie and Ling Ling

Fannie and Freddie

Simone

Simone

Baby Bird

                                          and.... we have the garden.  More to come on that!

Ballet

Ballerina

Over the last four years, Gwen has been taking ballet classes.  She started at a little church basement and moved on to The Performing Arts Center of CT.  She loves the art;  her favorite thing being performances.  And performances are something not taken lightly at PACC, with weeks of rehearsals, beautiful costumes and wonderful choreography.  She is gearing up for her 5th year... fourth at PACC and is looking forward to it.

Here are some pictures through the years.

ten years can make changes!  G's first tutu at 2 months.

Being a fairy ballerina with A.  Age 4.

G with "Clara" from the Nutcracker

G and her BFF

2012 end of year recital

with Gramma

2012 recital

JULY!

Traditionally July has been my favorite month because it's my birthday month.  That started it all off when I was a kid.  What's better than a summer birthday party when you are a kid?  I grew up associating summer with birthday cake, (you know how strongly I feel about that), birthday gifts, no school, sprinklers, fire flies, sunshine, fireworks, late nights, summer night sounds and vacations with family...  Now that I'm an adult, my reasons have changed, and maybe even my choice of favorite month, but for the kids July is still magical.  It's only the 9th, but so far so good.   I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the 4 day swim lesson class I signed the kids up for at the beach was actually 12 days!  Wow, 12 days of packing for the beach.  In a row.  I was thrilled to learn that the kids will have a real opportunity to improve their swimming, but 12 days packing for the beach.  Not really my cup of tea.  

Minimalist beach packing list:

4 water bottles

snacks that won't get sandy for at least 3

3 towels

3 buckets with shovels

sunscreen that has to be put on BEFORE you go

beach chair for Mom

8 shoes in proper sizes and matching if possible

checking to see that all have eaten breakfast

tanks emptied BEFORE we get in the car (that's our code for potty)

bathing suits on- matching top and bottoms where possible

ponytail bands

swim vest for the boy

 I know it seems trivial and even ungrateful in idea.  I mean 12 mornings at the beach is pretty nice and we are lucky to be able to do it, but in real life, packing for the beach is crappy.  I won't buy one of those beach cart thingies I see the other Moms with.  I just won't do it.  Well, maybe.

So here are this week or three's pictures. 

Summer visit with pregnant Aunt Wendy and fireworks!

Sparklers on the beach.  Notice Nick has no shoes. 

Practicing gymnastics with Aunt Wendy.  She's a gymnastics coach!

High-fives after completing a new swim skill. 

G's swim class.

A's swim class.

Little man at the library getting Superhero videos and books about saber-toothed tigers!

Gymnastics

First Meet

 

Last meet

 Astrid has spent many hours of her last year practicing, conditioning her little muscular body and learning and working toward perfecting skills for her first year of competitive gymnastics.  She's a level 4 and her team just won 1st place in their state division.  She's doing really well, scoring in the top few for her team.  Here's a video of her floor routine at the state meet. 
     It's been a wonderful experience for us, as a family to watch her progress.  She has grown leaps and bounds (ha.) through the hours of practice.  She's become such a confident, down to earth person who has learned very young that hard work pays off! 
     The girls started in a homeschool gymnastics class years ago.  I remember asking if Astrid could participate even though she wasn't 4 yet.  They asked how close she was to 4 and I think she was just shy of three!  They let her in anyway and the rest is history.  One of the owners of the gym noticed her baby muscle strength and fearlessness and eventually they invited her to join the Rising Star pre-team.  She spent a year there and then was invited to join the level 4 competitive team.  She absolutely loves it.  She's sad on the days she doesn't have gymnastics and spends more time on her hands then on her feet.  There are always footprints on the refrigerator.  They are at my eye level.
    This summer she is practicing 4 days a week and never tires of it.  It's wonderful to see her so passionate.  It a dream of mine to have each of my kids find their passion(s) through experience.  I don't care what it is that they fall in love with.  I just want them to experience the feeling of deep love for something, whether it be a sport, art, activity, whatever.  To have a child find it at such a young age is gratifying and makes my heart smile.