Camp B, Day Two: Science Day

Today is one of the few during the next two weeks that I had nothing on the agenda except housecleaning. My beautifully lax schedule allowed for a longer field trip, so we invited Noni to join us at our local children's science museum for Camp B, Day Two: Science Day.

We walked along the boardwalk over the Waterway on which the museum is sited. Big B noticed the mangroves, and asked if this 'river' was connected to the 'river' at Grammy and Papu's house. We talked about watersheds and where those 'rivers' go. We talked about the groundcover of recycled tires on the playground outside the museum, examining the rubbery pieces. We talked about the sun, time, and shadows.
Once inside, we played and marveled at the way things work.Upstairs, both Big B and little b sat for a bit and joined a 'larger' camp group in an exhibit of Leonardo DaVinci's inventions. I wish I could have stayed in this room to look more closely, but the exhibit was almost entirely hands-off; a bit confusing for two children who've been encouraged to touch everything else. Nevertheless, I left the room inspired, if by words only.When we got home, Noni treated us to dehydrated 'space ice cream' she'd found in the gift shop. Big B and I enjoyed the experience, but not so much the flavor; little b however, polished off the bowl later while no one was looking! The afternoon brought company and experiments to our backyard. Big E, little e and The Other E joined us for the construction of a volcano with sand, a water bottle, baking soda, food coloring and vinegar. It was such a hit we did it twice.In a failed experiment (which teaches a good scientist almost as much as a successful one), we ended up without our desired suspended bubbles, but with a pool of baking soda and vinegar. The kids loved it, and talked about how it felt at every stage, from ultimate fizz to powdery residue.That inspired the tried and true mixture of cornstarch, water and food coloring. Our last concoction came just before bed, when we mixed up some homemade bubble bath from dye and perfume free dish detergent, water, milk, honey, salt and lavendar oil. It made fabulous, colorful bubbled and smelled and felt delicious.Throughout Science Day we also talked about experiments, hypotheses, theories, and conclusions. We played a bit on one of the best kids' science sites around. It was a fun, exploratory, playful, messy kind of day, at the end of which I had a simmering pot of vegetable soup on the stove, a clean house, and a full memory card. For these things I am grateful.

Camp B, Day One: Food Day

For the next two weeks, both of my boys will be home all day, every day. I intend to soak this up, but of course, there are also common work and household tasks that must get accomplished. I have been brainstorming about creative ways to get these things done while providing my boys with two really fun last weeks before Big B's first day of kindergarten.

Over the weekend, I was inspired by a friend from Big B's preschool, who hosted 'Camp Aunt L' for her nieces this summer. She had fun camp-like activities planned each day. I decided to follow her lead, but mold our days after things that are already on the schedule. Today we had to go to the grocery store, so I decided to kick off 'Camp B' with Day One: Food Day.

We began Food Day by talking about where our food comes from and how it gets, eventually, to our table. We took the back entrance into our grocery store and watched how food is delivered to the store. Big B noticed how dirty the crates were and how much packaging was being used, which led to a great conversation about how much fresher and healthier our food tastes when we get it from our organic co-op or one of the produce farms we frequent.
Once inside, I involved Big B in every decision, from choosing fruit to meal planning to finding buy-one-get-one deals. We played a game where he guessed in which food group our selections belonged. He was really good at that! Big B loaded every single item onto the conveyor belt, from heaviest to lightest, grouping cold items together and making sure bread and eggs were last. As we pushed our cart to the car, I asked Big B if he knew the reason we use the infamous green bags. He had a great answer ("because they say Publix on them?"), but it made me realize I had never actually explained it to him. I told him what ultimately happens (or more importantly, what doesn't happen) to plastic bags, and how we have to make differences in whatever small ways we can.We offloaded our groceries and headed to our office for lunch. We are lucky enough to work for a family business that operates on ten acres, and while Papa and I had a meeting, Grammy took Big B and little b for a ride on the golf cart. In the spirit of Food Day, Big B brought the camera along to take pictures of the fruitbearing trees on the property. He also brought along Freeze, his most trusted companion.They spotted an Avocado tree,a Surinam Cherry tree,
a Papaya tree, several Citrus trees, and a Mango tree, bringing our Mango selection from the grocery store full circle.When we came home, I put together a quick activity (along with a healthy snack) for Big B, to continue the game he enjoyed so much at the grocery store. We went to the USDA Food Pyramid website for preschoolers and personalized a pyramid for Big B. I cut pictures of food from magazines and grocery store circulars and divided a piece of paper into food groups. Big B's task was to put the pictures in the right categories.He did a great job, and really enjoyed it! Once he had everything categorized, he glued the pictures down and made a food groups collage.For a special 'Camp B' late afternoon treat, we decided to make homemade chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches. I got the ingredients ready, and Big B poured them in and mixed the dough.One of the great joys of childhood is licking a beater dripping with cookie dough. I'm quite sure this is Big B's favorite step in the process. Food Day at Camp B ended with a special treat, two happy boys, and a mama who achieved her household and work tasks for the day. Looking forward to day two!

Preschool Gifts: Thank You for Helping Me Grow

Today was Big B's last day of preschool.

I can't believe I just typed that sentence.

When it was time for Big B to begin preschool, we did our 'research,' and spent a year shelling out way too much money for fancy watercolor paper and hoity-toity fundraisers at the so-called best show in town. We knew that wasn't for us, and it wasn't a great fit for Big B either. We felt so lucky when we then found a small, quaint, good old-fashioned glue-and-popsicle sticks kind of place, so cozy it made me want to stay and play every time I dropped him off. He was well loved, well taught, and happy.We wanted to say goodbye to his preschool teachers in a tangible way. There are only five teachers, four of whom Big B has had at one point or another, plus the owner of the school and the school cook. We decided to create flower pots that would remind them each of Big B. We have stacks upon stacks of gorgeous paintings he created during his time there, so we recycled those by cutting them into leaves and decoupaging them onto the pots. The results were gorgeous, and we were excited to go fill them!
Big B insisted on bringing Puff to assist him in choosing the right plants. I love this picture, and hope that in years to come it reminds me of a time when 'friends' were acceptable in nonhuman forms--stuffed, imaginary, and very real to a little heart.After looking through herbs, butterfly plants, and many, many flowers, we decided on marigolds to fill the pots. They seem to embody the traits of Big B's teachers: bright and cheery, helpful, and down-to-earth. We took home our plants and put them in the decoupaged pots, filling them with rich organic soil to help them grow. As cheesy as it is, the metaphor is just too appropriate to pass up. We wrote on the pots' rims, 'Thank you for helping me GROW.'Big B proudly handed each of his teachers their flowers today. I joined his class for lunch and brought them cupcakes, swallowing bites through choked back tears. This preschool has been a great experience for our whole family, and we look forward to sending little b there one day, not so very far from now.
To Miss D, Miss C, Miss N, Miss M, Miss T, Miss J and Miss L: We will miss you. Thank you for your kind words, your soft voices, your great big hugs, your love and your attention. Thank you for not having expectations of Big B that were based on other children, but on his own strengths and interests. Because of his experience with you, I feel absolutely confident that his transition to Kindergarten will go as smoothly as possible. Thank you all for helping him grow.

Fresh-From-Grandma's-Garden Salsa (Hot!)

A few days ago, Grammy, Papu and Noni returned from South Georgia, where they collected grocery bags full of homegrown vegetables from Grandma's garden, and brought some home for us. What a generous and unexpected treat! A great man once said, 'there's only two things that money can't buy, and that's true love and homegrown tomatoes.' Ain't it the truth.

One slight problem with this unexpected bounty: I had just gone grocery shopping and already had more tomatoes than our family of four can eat quickly enough. What to do? Make salsa! I had never made homemade salsa before and after doing so, I wonder why I haven't been doing this all my life.

FRESH-FROM-GRANDMA'S-GARDEN SALSA (HOT!)

INGREDIENTS:
12 tomatoes
2 jalapenoes
2 mild(er) chilies
1 onion
1/2 head garlic
1 lime
2 tsp. salt

Boil a large pot of water. Cut x's in the bottoms of your tomatoes, and plunge them for just a second into the pot. Pour into colander and let cool a minute, then they're ready for easy peeling. Get out your food processor. Peel, core and quarter the tomatoes. Plop them into the food processor, along with the peppers (de-stemmed), onion (quartered), garlic (peeled) and lime (juiced). Salt to taste. Strain a bit of the juice off and serve with tortilla chips. Caliente!

The Great Equalizer: Pandora Radio

Ever since the Great Computer Crash of 2009 a few weeks ago, we have been living without without a soundcard, without properly accompanied YouTube, without Pandora Radio. Until yesterday.

My new soundcard arrived, Papa installed it (thank you sweetie!), and I could not be happier. I didn't realized how utterly dependent upon Pandora Radio I'd become. And I certainly didn't realize how much the boys would miss it.

Music is the ultimate Great Equalizer. Whenever there is an energy shift needed, we select the appropriate playlist. Need to get some wiggles out on a rainy day? Insert some funk, reggae, hip-hop. Everyone squirrely and need to calm down a bit? Folk, soulful singing, harmonies. Fun for the whole family? Bluegrass, works every time.

Here is a list of our favorite kid-sized Pandora stations.

Laurie Berkner
Jack Johnson
Elizabeth Mitchell
Trout Fishing in America
Arlo Guthrie
Peter and the Wolf
Jerry Garcia & David Grisman
They Might Be Giants
Putumayo Kids
Cathy Heller
Ladysmith Black Mambazo

What's on your Pandora Radio station?

A Swirly Afternoon: Big B's First Tie-Dye

Yesterday afternoon, we loaded up the cooler, the truck, and the kiddos and took them to a local RV park where our community radio station was celebrating its fourth birthday. We are very fortunate to live in a city that supports local music and local radio, and the friends of the station came out en masse. As the station's birthday coincides with the late, great Jerry Garcia's birthday, tie-dye was the dress code for many music fans.

The radio station had set up a kids activity tent, complete with buckets of colorful dye and plain white t-shirts. Big B, who rarely gravitates toward craftiness when there are a ton of kids running around, immediately asked to dye a shirt. We have dyed shirts with less traditional methods, but never this tried and true way--so of course, I was thrilled.

We found the middle of the front of the shirt and used that as our starting point, then twisted the rest of the shirt into a long snake. Big B chose seven rubber bands and, together, we bound the shirt at regular intervals.
Big B's favorite color has always been blue. He found the right bucket, grabbed some tongs, and began dunking the shirt for maximum saturation. We then left it to soak in the bucket for a bit while we enjoyed good friends and good music.
After a while, we came back to check on our creation, and hang it up to dry until we were ready to go home.We took a moment to look at Big B's shirt next to the many others that were created by our friends and neighbors. Each beautiful and different, yet made more beautiful by being part of something bigger than themselves. Just like the community we live in.

Yard Sale Score: Compassion

This morning's yard sale expedition held a certain magic. Papa, Mama, Big B and little b were in sync, laughing and singing together, completing each others' thoughts, and generally showing compassion for one another. The treasures of the day exemplified that compassionate vibe.

My most favorite find was this 1921 edition of The Mother's Book. I love finding vintage how-to books, usually for their antiquated vernacular and obselete advice. This one, however, holds wisdom that is lovely to read, and reinforces my intention for compassionate, back-to-basics parenting. Some excerpts:

"The more closely you look at your child in the clear light the more you will respect him."

"The best way is to walk hand in hand with the children right up to manhood and womanhood, trying to carry the cheer together, and cheerfulness has an abiding element that overcomes many obstacles."

And one of my favorites:I also picked up a set of eight beautiful paper lanterns in a summer-y palette...
...and a sweet little muse of compassion, Quan Yin. My friend Mama Bird, who is practicing her own thirty days of compassion, has a special connection with this goddess, and I found myself immediately drawn to her. I especially noticed the gratitude beads she holds in her right hand.
She sits on my nature altar. I placed her next to my own goddess of compassion, holding the gratitude beads I made at our last New Moon Circle.
Finding this book of compassionate teachings and the tiny Quan Yin in the same morning has made me very mindful of my own words and actions today. Somehow I am, as the book says, looking at my family in 'the clear light,' and I am grateful at the chance to savor these moments.