Now She Is Six!

Sascha's sixth birthday was Thanksgiving Day. We had THREE cakes (one pre-dinner, for family; the other two at dinner, with friends) and the fourth one will be served up this Saturday at her kids' party (11 kids, 2 hours, and a partridge in a pear tree).

She loved all of her presents. The space science kit from Grandma and Grandpa Volkers launched us into hours of learning about the planets, eclipses (she is bound and determined to see a full solar eclipse during her lifetime now), why a year on earth is 365 (plus 1/4) days long, and how many people have been to the moon (14) and have any of them been women (no). She was fascinated by the idea that a year on Pluto (which the kit still counted as a planet, and I didn't get into the controversy) is 247 years long, so if we lived on Pluto, no one would ever have a first birthday!

We may have a budding astronaut on our hands.

I will post photos soon!

Blog Keywords

Wordle is a fun diversion that will figure out the key words in your blog or other website. (But it appears to have pulled only the past three months or so of entries.) It makes pretty colors, too. Click on the graphic to make it full size.

Shhh....Duncan Is Sleeping

Happy Anniversary, Calvin & Hobbes!

The first Calvin and Hobbes comic strip was published on this day in 1985.

Below is Sascha's tribute to the daring duo, which she used to call "Jackson and Bob":





Hug your favorite tiger today!

Proposition Hate

This is a soapbox entry, so if you'd rather just look at photos of the kids, skip it.

Proposition 8 passed in California, banning gay marriage. As if that weren't abhorrent enough, gays had been allowed to get married in that state, thanks to a court decision in the spring. And now it's been taken away.

I could go on for pages about how sad this makes me and how I do not understand how gay people getting married affects my relationship with my husband AT all (all that "sanctity of marriage" nonsense that gets tossed around -- is a 50% divorce rate really what makes marriage so sanctified? Come on)....but Keith Olbermann says everything I want to say. Here's his commentary, on MSNBC.

You know, the Beatles had it right. All you need is love - so I wish people would quit trying to mess with it.

Welcome Duncan

Duncan is here, and fitting in marvelously. For a day or so there, it looked like we might get a different dog. I took the kids to a local airport to watch Animal Rescue Flights (volunteer pilots in small planes) fly in a bulldog/mastiff mix from the NYC area. Bowser was super sweet and gentle and "only" 80 lbs, and we all loved him. You can see some photos of the kids with him here, at the airport. Look under "photos" and then "11/9/08 - White Plains NY to Highgate VT".

BUT - turns out Bowser wants to eat small animals and is very dominant. Neither of those things will work for us, so we brought Duncan home for a trial run yesterday. The kids were a bit intimidated by his size, but by bedtime Zoe was throwing her arms around him, kissing him and calling him "Duncan-ee". He is very sweet and listens really well, although sometimes it takes a few repetitions for him to realize that you *really* mean "Stay."

Here he is sleeping in the office yesterday - he seems to purposely avoid the dog bed!

Halloween Fun

The kids went trick-or-treating on our road and the next road over - about 10 houses. I always forget how cold it is, tromping around in the grass....and how long it takes (over an hour). They had a great time, though, and most of the candy has disappeared.

The next day, they went to a party in Westford, where there were crafts, games, food, and a bag of treats (one lollipop was the extent of the candy).

Here they are - the dragon with vampire teeth, and Sleeping Beauty!





Sascha with her trick-or-treat bag on her tail

Now We Are Six

Well, next week we'll be six. Six family members, that is. Here's the newest addition - a Bullmastiff/English Bulldog mix. About 12-18 mos old and 120 lbs. He was found wandering around Boston. Having seen him jump over things (amazingly graceful, considering his size), I'm thinking he probably escaped from a fenced yard. He was definitely someone's pet at one point, because he is happy to let you mess with his feet, ears, and teeth. And he certainly knows what couches are for!

His name is Duncan; we may change it, we may not. He was very interested in Theo, but true to form, Theo just sat there and let himself be sniffed. Duncan will need some obedience training, but really...who couldn't use some of that.

Some Photos

Zoe in her Santa hat and summer pajamas...please ignore the chaos that is our living room, we'll have that cleaned up around the year 2020....



Sascha the ham



We used a carving kit this year for the first time - very cool. Bat, smiley face (no kit needed for that one), and monster going trick-or-treating.

Questions for Walt Disney, From Zoe

What is Sleeping Beauty's last name?

Why does Snow White wear a cape?

Where is Snow White's dad, and why does he let the mean queen send her into the forest?

A Little Compassion

They say kids do what they know...


I was reading Zoe "Snow White" last night. On one two-page spread, there was a picture of the nasty queen on the left, looking into her mirror, and a picture of Snow White on the right, scrubbing the dungeon steps.

I was reading about how the queen banished Snow White to the dungeon and made her clean all day. Zoe wanted to know why the queen was so mean. "Because she thinks Snow White is pretty and she doesn't like that," was the gist of what I said.

Zoe looked thoughtful. Then she started giving suggestions as to how Snow White could make the queen feel better.

"'No White could share her toys," she said. "'No White could give her (the queen) a hug."

I said I thought that might help a lot, but since Snow White was locked in the basement, she unfortunately could not try any of those compassionate acts.

Thankfully, Zoe is confused as to why someone would be mean for so petty a reason. And is not interested in 'No White seeking revenge for being wronged. Let's hope that lasts...

Why Zoe and I Usually Only Make It Through One Bedtime Story

Conversation while reading "Snuggle Puppy" by Sandra Boynton:

Zoe: Do dogs pick their noses?
Me: No.
Zoe: Why not?
Me: Dogs don't have fingers.
Zoe: *Them* dogs have fingers (pointing to the book).
Me: Well, those are cartoon dogs. They're also making cookies. Real dogs don't make cookies.
Zoe: Choc CHIP cookies.
Me: Yes.
Zoe: That dog girl?
Me: I'm not sure. I can't really tell.
Zoe: Has a short tail. Long ears. Must be girl.
Me: Really? Is that the rule with cartoon dogs?
Zoe: Or maybe boy. Some boys have long hair.
Me: Yes, yes they do...

One Possible Reason Some Kids Might Be Overweight

Sascha ran a kids' fun run today - a one-mile race with her friend Lindy. Then we went to a library "event" - a volunteer appreciation get-together. Sascha & Zoe were the only two kid volunteers there. The fun run came up in conversation, and I mentioned that after this, S and I were going to go hiking. "Wow, that's an awful lot of exercise!" someone said.

Okay...well, maybe we'll just go home and sit on the couch instead, then. Wouldn't want to break a sweat or anything!

(We didn't -- we hiked for almost 2 hours and it was great. Yes, tiring - but great. And Sascha was running down the trail at the end, so she had plenty of energy left!)

An Interview With Zoe

Favorite food: General Tso's Chicken (she calls it "Moe's Chicken")
Favorite color: Orange
What about purple and pink?: I like those too
Favorite animal: Manatee
Why?: Because they are cute
Favorite bird: Chickadee
Why?: Because they are very cute
Favorite bug: Dragonflies and butterflies
What do you dream about?: Cheetahs. Nice cheetahs.
When you are hurt, what makes you feel better?: Sharing Sascha's toys

The Cat On Which You Should Not Dance

He deserves his own post - Theo rocks. He turns 15 years old at some point this month. He is very mellow and tolerant - but please, no dancing.

Mathophile

Sascha did an entire page of 2-digit addition on her own yesterday. And can do simple multiplication (4x5, 2x6, etc). And counting by 2s, 5s, 10s. I am going to have to scare up some challenging workbooks because she says everything we have is too easy! Maybe it's time to start algebra....

She also read me a BOB book from this set. It took awhile, but she did it! She got hung up on "was." She is very visual, but sight words confuse her sometimes. Ah, well, she has years to get it. She really wants to learn NOW, though (we are on lesson 24 or so of "teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons").

And we learned about spiders. National Geographic has a great video about them. She was intrigued that some of them have eight eyes.

A Lotta Nature, A Little Nurture

So...I have come to realize that kids are going to like what they like, and there's not a *whole lot* we can do about it. As in, I have one kid who LOVES hiking (this I just discovered over the weekend) and one who prefers not to walk except when absolutely necessary. Do I think I can instill a love of hiking in the non-walker? Maybe. But I don't think it will be ME instilling it. Once she is older, she might think hiking is the coolest thing ever. But forcing her to do it now is not going to help that!

Which all is just a long-winded way of saying that Sascha and I went hiking on Saturday and it was amazing and we both wanted to stay out there all day. We are now planning a thru-hike of the Long Trail (all 270 miles of it!) when she is old enough (but before I am *too* old).


My girl! She is getting so big....


Sascha took this one




Do you see the chipmunk?


The Lamoille River, taken from a narrow suspension bridge WAY up high.

Fall Photos

As a picture's worth a thousand words, I'll just keep my hands off the keyboard.

Weekends are Relaxing?

Our weekends are almost always fun, but hardly ever relaxing.

Tonight: bowling birthday party (for an adult, but it's a family party)

Saturday: soccer in the morning, either tie-dyeing or the Stowe Arts Festival in the afternoon, and women's game night after dinner

Sunday: Meeting friends in Montpelier for lunch and running around with the kids, followed by ice skating if I can still stay upright

I need Mondays at my desk just to recover.

Homeschooling Theatre

There's a great arts center in Burlington, where we've been several times to see plays, etc. They have a student matinee series that brings 20 performances to the stage throughout the school year, at reduced prices. Homeschoolers are welcome, and the first age-appropriate performance is tomorrow. We have noted at least eight others that both kids should like, from plays to an orchestra performance to Aboriginal songs. (Plus the National Acrobats of China.)

Makes me want to play hooky from work and go to a show!!

Geography, History, Art

Last night I took the kids to see Nicaraguan native dancing at the school. Three women performed, and we also saw a video about the group they belong to that helps women in Managua become self sufficient. We learned a bit about Nicaragua, and since the video was in Spanish, I and our friend Dave read the subtitles to Sascha. We picked out Nicaragua on the map before we left.

Zoe's Three-Year Stats

Height: 38 inches
Weight: 34 lbs
How she answered when the doctor asked "What do you like to eat?": "Chocolate and candy!"

(Well really - what do they expect her to say?)

Zoe's First Professional Photo

I found this on my old hard drive. It was taken at minus-5 months:

What's going on right this second in our house...

Sascha is playing with a giant train track.

Zoe and Matt are playing a reading game (Leap Frog); they just spelled "bog" (which is very close to "blog"!).

(Zoe is wearing a swimsuit top and shorts....she is hanging onto summer as long as she can!)

I am writing this entry. :) And about to get back to work.

Sascha had her first cleaning ever at the dentist's today - she did great! She was not ready last time we went, so they were cool about holding off for another few months. And she was all patient and following-directions like today. I was quite proud.

(I also am miffed that no one ever offers *me* toothpaste that tastes like cookie dough when I get a cleaning. It's mint and only mint....what's up with that??)

The leaves are leafing out all over, and it's outstanding. Every year, I try to take photos of the multicolored mountains and the photos never do it justice. You just have to stand and look and let your mouth drop open.

This week Sascha has:

- learned about negative numbers
- started getting back into reading, in earnest
- found a new caterpillar she's never seen before
- helped make up an original version of "Red Light, Green Light"
- learned how to play Connect Four (on paper, though)

Our version of "Red Light, Green Light" includes other colored lights as well. "Pink light" was jumping, "purple light" was hopping on one foot, and there was an "orange light" as well....I think that was slow motion. Mixed in with red, yellow, and green, it was a great workout for the kids and a nice relaxing time for me (lie on the couch and shout out colors every once in awhile while they run around...I can do that!).


Here's a pic from last weekend...we are still having glorious 65-70 degree weather, but the leaves they are a'turnin.

Some apple-picking pics...we went with Tessa and her kids, Miro and Emmett. They are the same ages as Sascha and Zoe.





Sascha and Miro in the wagon on the way back



Zoe with a mouthful of apple



Zoe, Emmett, Miro and Sascha climbing around on pumpkins



Girl with gourd

Apples and More Apples

Friday night: apple crisp
Saturday: apple picking (photos to come; have misplaced camera)
Monday morning snack: homemade applesauce (YUM)
Monday lunch treat: apple crisp

We are freezing some of the applesauce in zip-top bags (because I am too lazy to try to can it, and I have read the bag method works just fine). It is very easy to make (in a slow cooker) and warm applesauce with cinnamon will ALWAYS put a smile on your face.

Inside the Mind

I would love to be able to see inside Sascha's mind. Last night in the car we were playing "math problem." The first one was something like, you have 10 jellybeans and give away 8 and then get 5 more from someone else, and how many do you have. Seven, she said. So then Matt gave her this one:

Say you have 20 jellybeans, and you want to share them among yourself and 3 friends so you each get the same number of jellybeans. How many jellybeans does each of you get?

Silence for a moment.

"I know, it's kind of a tough one," Matt says.

"No it isn't," says Sascha. "Five."

I about drove off the road.

After recovering, I asked how many they would each get if she had 16 jellybeans instead of 20. She couldn't get that one (she actually guessed 4, but then guessed 2 before we could say anything, so she was doing something along the right lines, but couldn't explain what she was doing), and then we used 8 instead of 16 and she said that was too hard. "I do better with bigger numbers," she said.

At home we got out some little stones and did the same problem in a more visual way, so she could physically divide up the stones among four people. She thought it was fun.

Homeschooling Update - Phys. Ed.

Not much to update, but it's nice to check in every once in awhile. Sascha started a VERY l0w-key soccer program on Saturday mornings. One hour for six weeks. She seemed to like the first session. It is all 4- to 7-year-olds and they are just kicking the ball around, playing dribbling games, etc. She is still taking karate on Wednesdays, and soon we'll add skiing and ice skating back into the mix. Not to mention the intermittent gymnastics that take place in the living room (she is working on cartwheels and handstands), the biking, and the running (she and I are going on a run together very soon, or I will hear about it).

This has nothing to do with phys ed really, but yesterday we picked over a pound of awesome fall raspberries and promptly ate them all for dessert. Next time we will pick enough for jam AND for snacking.

Sojourners' Return

We are back from 15 days in the heartland (WI, MN, IL [just passing through], IN, and WI again). I have plenty of photos, just haven't gotten around to editing most of them. I also have videos of both my dad and Matt parasailing.


Here are a couple of photos, though.....

Reagan and Zoe (they are first cousins once removed, or something like that - Reagan's dad and I are first cousins):






Matt at his cousin JR's wedding in Duluth, Minn. - doesn't he look super cool?







Matt's cousin Eric holding Ming Li (also Matt's cousin) and Zoe at the wedding reception:






Eric and Sascha tearing up the dance floor! Matt's cousin John Henry is on the left.



More photos to come, including an impossibly large Volkers family photo, taken just before we broke out into song.

Why You Should Not Try To Take The Annual "Zoe's Birthday" Photo After 8 P.M.







See the August 23, 2007 blog entry for past years' photos....I think this year wins for "most expressive" so far.

Birthday Season Arrives

Zoe turned three on August 11....and our family birthday season is here. Matt is 9/12, I'm 9/26 and Sascha is 11/27, so we are all sort of "crammed together" in one part of the year.

Here are some photos from Zoe's sort-of party - she had one friend come over for cupcakes (everyone else was in Maine for the weekend). We only did video from her family party, but rest assured she had lots of chocolate frosting then, too.





The kids and I went to New Hampshire last weekend and Sascha caught her first fish! (And her second through fifth - there was good fishing on Friday.) I was completely icked out by putting on the worm and taking off the fish, but I did it, because that's one of those things parents do, right?

(and don't tell me if the answer is "no".)




Zoe caught her first fish, too (with a little help from Mom) but didn't want to look at it.



We also went to a really cool children's museum in Dover. I think we spent three hours there, and could have stayed longer! Here are the kids in the "Greek restaurant," busily making tzatziki or dolmades or something else I have probably misspelled.

Milestones

Sascha is a swimmer! She can jump in the pool and swim (above and underwater) for at least 15 feet. It happened all at once, just a day or two after swimming lessons ended.

And yesterday, she earned her yellow belt in karate! She and Matt were keeping her test a secret for weeks. She is so proud of this belt...she wore it over her clothes last night, and just took it to the library to show the librarian. :) I guess it's time to get her a gi (uniform) to wear with the belt - until now, she's just worn her regular clothes.

We're off to New Hampshire this weekend for some swimming, fishing, s'moring fun. And on Monday, Zoe turns 3. Time really has sped along. As they say: the years fly by, but some days seem to last FOREVER.

This is Just Too Fun!


Say what you want about the internet - sometimes it's just a blast to play around on! These come from Photofunia. I could spend a good hour on that site....but I must...go....to...bed......

Saucin'

Okay, so the jam turned out more like sauce, despite me following the directions to the letter. Thankfully, Dorothy came through with REAL directions, and once there are enough raspberries to pick 3 or 4 pints, we are trying again.

Please note that our raspberry sauce is still divine when spread on toast. You just kind of have to pour it out of the jar. ;)

Jammin'
We just made a batch of raspberry jam - 4 pints. I am amazed at the amount of sugar that went into it...but there's nothing like homemade raspberry jam in the middle of winter. It's a little bit of sunshine on a cold day.

Of course, these 4 pints are not going to last until December, so we will have to pick more raspberries....

I leave you with a portrait of Zoe, painted as...well, Zoe.

More Home Schoolin'

Here's some more of S's curriculum.

Citizenship, History and Government:
- understand neighborhood vs town vs state vs country
- importance of environmental issues (recycling, littering, etc)
- U.S. geography
- beginning world geography
- understand differences in people
- idea of family tree, relatives
- beginning Vermont history (maple syrup making, farming)

Phys Ed and Health
- identify body parts
- understand basic body functions - digestion, etc
- understand good health habits - toothbrushing, healthful eating
- basic safety
- phys ed activities to include running, walking, karate, ice skating, biking, skiing, snowshoeing, trampoline

Photos From the Fair

We went to a county fair yesterday - it was the perfect day for it. Sunny but not too hot. Breezy. Sascha is a great age for rides - she tried just about everything, including the Himalaya (a sort of circular mini-rollercoaster that goes REALLY fast, then backwards) and the giant slide. Zoe stuck to the kiddie rides, but really only enjoyed the merry-go-round (even the boat with the pink interior was not as exciting as she thought it would be).

Some photos....










(Zoe got on a pony, too, but once it started moving, she was done!)





This is Zoe checking out some angora rabbits...they looked a lot like what I'd imagine a "dust bunny" looks like. ;)



Zoe checking out the goats with her friend Lilly.



Zoe, Lilly and Sascha got a special "backstage pass" to hang out with some prize-winning goats.




This is an alpaca. It was talking to us. Sort of a mooing sound, but its mouth stayed closed. As this was the last day of the fair, I think it was ready to go home.