Quack, Quack

I have eight more mouths to feed and eight more babies to tuck in each night!  The excitement of it all is great for all of us.  My kids are soo thrilled with the new attraction in our backyard.  Without further a due, here they are:

And here is the story:  Last weekend, the girls found a new hatchling of baby ducks at the ponds around the soccer field.  We spend time at the soccer park four days a week.  They were so excited to go back and check on them during the coming week during soccer practices.  After checking on them a couple more times, on Thursday afternoon, we were shocked to find a dead adult duck (the mommy, we presume) next to one of baby ducks.  We were all so sad and concerned for the remaining ducklings.  The kids all begged Daddy to let them bring them home to our backyard pond!  We all decided that if they were still there on the weekend, we'd consider ideas of how to protect them.  So, Saturday morning we woke up early to get Sloan to her soccer game only find that all the games had been rescheduled for the afternoon (I hadn't checked for an email update that morning) so the field was empty and we found ourselves with some "free-time!"  Of course we all ran to find the baby ducks and sure enough, we found them all huddled together but noticed that some of the big ducks were pecking at them a bit.

After about 30 minutes of watching them, we had put a plan together and decided to bring them home.  They were so little that it wasn't too hard to catch them one by one and place them on the nearby picnic table where they wouldn't jump off and run away from us.  Travis, Ethan and Camryn were the catchers and Sloan, myself and Isaac were the table guards.  When they started getting fast and harder to catch, Camryn rose to the occasion and was determined to get them all gathered up!  We were all impressed with her newly found duck catching skills.

I happened to have my favorite beach bag in the car so we carefully placed them all in the bag, got in the car, and proudly brought them home.  We had about an hour to throw together a fenced in area with a bucket of water  and some food scraps before taking off for the actual soccer game that originally got us out in the first place.

Presently we have a chicken-wire fenced in area for them to swim in the edge of our big pond and nestle in the long grass and clover area of the beach.  They seem very happy.  And my kids are thrilled.  We've done some research on them and have learned that they are rouen ducks, about 2 weeks old.  What an adventure for us and for them!

14th, 16th, 19th

Celebrating birthdays for 1/2 of our family during one September week!

And I quote:

"Laying for an extra second, to take in the sound of the two youngest babies asleep on each side of me, I had to ask my body to rise out of that soft comfort and into my day.


The outside world was just shimmering awake. 


I saw bits and pieces of the previous day spread out across the yard.  A wagon.  A bike helmet and shoes.  Several scraps of wood that Adelaide nailed together.  End of the Day Papa may have been less than enthusiastic to see these remnants strewn about but Morning Papa found them pleasant and perfectly placed.


The house was so still...I was allowed to observe everything for a few moments before it started again. 


I saw the Sun almost ready to climb into view and I'll admit to wanting that moment to stretch and that peace of the soft light to go on a bit longer.  But this ball spins and that horizon came gently to light reminding the world to move once again.


I wonder at what today will hold for me, for us.


We are seven paths of life that are moving across this continuum of time.  Each on our own, all of us together.  Our paths cross and come together and diverge and intersect with others and continue across this blank sheet of opportunity that is our future.  That blank sheet bursts into life as each moment passes and then fades with our memories as it is left behind with the rest of history. 


We are only human and this is only one morning, sitting still."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I read this blog post the other day and just went back to re-read it and maybe copy a few quotes but have decided that there are so many good nuggets in here that I may as well just link to the whole thing.

CC week 1

Classical Conversation classes started this week and we were a part of it!  I've just got to say that it's going to be a great school year for us because of this weekly program.  Everything about it just feels right.  While my kids were all in their classes, and I was in my class, our director, Shawne, was busy going from room to room taking pictures.  Here is what she captured for our family.

I'm tutoring one of the two Journeyman classes made up of 8-10 year olds.  Here's our first class pose from last week's orientation day.  I've never taught more than my four kids at one time (on a long term basis) so this is a new and exciting extension from my eight years of teaching at home.  I'm so happy to have Sloan in my class with me.  And yes, Isaac was helping me too.  Helping?  I don't know about that but he WAS there. :-) 

Ethan met his new class last week.  He's in the Master's class of 11-12 year olds.  Because of his 2.5 years at the DOD's school in Spain, he really likes being in a classroom with friends.  This will be a perfect compromise for him to be home schooled again but still have a classroom of friends to hang out with regularly.  His teacher is a Mom with five kids and has been in CC for four years now.  She was one of the original tutors from when the Orange Park classes began.  I feel like he's set up for success.

Here he is busy learning geography this week.  We're all learning the U.S. states and capitals this year.
week 1: Augusta, ME    Concord, NH    Boston, MA     Providence, RI     Hartford, CT

 Getting organized.

Isaac's class is set up for lots of fun playtime.  He loves wearing his backpack so I packed it up with a snack, a drink and extra diapers and wipes and he walked right into his classroom/playroom.  Three hours later, I picked him up with big smiles and tons of excitement.  I think that's a good sign of a good time.

In our class (Sloan's class) we did some cutting and pasting to start a science anatomy lapbook.
Week 1:  What are 4 types of tissue?  Four types of tissue are:  Connective, Epithelial, Muscle, Nerve

Each week the kids prepare and deliver an oral presentation.  For the first week, Sloan shared "All about Me."  She did a great job.  However, while listing all of her family members, she included our ages and this is how it came out: "Isaac is 2, I'm 8, Ethan is 11, Camryn is 13, my Mom is 40 and my Dad is 24.  (I soo wanted to correct her so the other Mom's in the room wouldn't think I was married to a 24 year old but I didn't want to interrupt her speech so I bit my tongue and it's still pestering at me so I'm glad I just decided to blog about it and get the chance to correct that little detail.)  hee/hee

A look around

One summer day I found myself with a little down time to enjoy my Florida backyard.  The humidity and heat were lower than normal, dinner was finished early and it was time to sit back and enjoy a warm summer evening.  So with Isaac by my side, we rested on our bench with the camera in hand.  

 And that's when I decided to document a panoramic view.  To the left of us:

 And to the right of us:

 Then we paused to look right in front of us.

Immediately behind me was the joy and activity of neighborhood kids playing and Isaac decided to join them.

 Looking up to the heavens above me.

 And back down to the ground beneath me.

Enjoying God's creation and ever grateful that this is my little piece of it to enjoy on a daily basis.  I am blessed!

Best times of the season

Summer swim season is now over and here are the results of the kids best times:

Camryn: 50 breast stroke  :49.22,
              50 free style  :38.33,
              100 individual medley relay 1:51.85

Ethan: 50 breast stroke  :56.81
            50 free style  :47.23
            50 back stroke  :57.00
            100 individual medley relay 2:10.44

Sloan: 25 breast stroke  :33.60
           25 free style  :24.51
           25 back stroke  :30.53

we just keep swimming!

This is what Saturday's schedule will be for us:

6:00 rise and shine
6:20 load up the car and drive to the swim meet
7:00 meet up with the team and swim warm up laps (the meet starts at 8:15)
9:20 Camryn 200 freestyle relay
9:28 Sloan 25 backstroke
10:09 Sloan 25 breaststroke
10:40 Ethan 50 backstroke
10:54 Sloan  25 freestyle
11:16 Sloan 100 medley relay
11:31 Ethan 50 breaststroke
11:36 Camryn 50 breaststroke
12:29 Ethan 50 freestyle
12:35 Camryn 50 freestyle
1:02 Camryn 200 medley relay
2:00ish back home for rest and relaxation

It should be lots of fun!  This is the last meet for our summer league.

Must-See Destinations

I recently came across this little article of America-must-see destinations and realize that I have some traveling to do!  After spending the last three years of my life focused on traveling and seeing all the amazing European destinations I could  pull together,  I now feel a bit homebound and boring.  So even though this may not be "my vacation list," it's a good start to making my own list.  I mean, I don't see any losers here, so maybe one day I'll have a scrapbook page of my own for each of these American destinations.  LET'S SEE HOW MANY I CAN CHECK OFF RIGHT NOW...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
10 Places Every Kid Should See::  Not only are these attractions fun and (shhhh) educational, they're especially magical through the eyes of a child.



Grand Canyon (Ariz.)  BEEN HERE...DONE THAT :-)

During the day, stroll the 4-year-old Skywalk, a U-shaped, glass-bottom observation deck that juts 70 feet over the canyon's West Rim and sits 4,000 feet above the Colorado River. Come sunset, hit Grand Canyon Apache Stables, where, for $25.50 per person, you can hitch a one-hour ride on a horse-drawn wagon that ends around a campfire. Tip: BYO marshmallows and hot dogs so you can cook up a nighttime snack. Skywalk Package including mandatory Legacy pass.












The National Mall  BEEN HERE...DONE THAT :-)

Riding the streets of Washington, D.C., in a boat on wheels might sound cheesy, but cruising the Potomac River in one is pretty sweet. Set in a WWII-era amphibious vehicle, the 90-minute D.C. duck tour covers both land and sea. The first leg hits the history-packed National Mall—look for the 19-foot-tall Lincoln Memorial, the Capitol building, and the Smithsonian museums—and then switches to a scenic river trip. Highlight: The boat pauses at Gravelly Point, a park located just a few hundred feet from the runway at D.C.'s Reagan National Airport, so you can watch roaring planes take off and land.












Redwood National Park  BEEN HERE...DONE THAT :-)

Ancient, sky-high sequoias aren't the only attraction in this lush California locale—there's cool aquatic life, too. Take a guided tide pool tour, where budding biologists can scramble between the coastal forest's rocks while hunting for underwater creatures such as orange and purple ochre sea stars and sprawling, green anemones. Free tide pool tours are offered during the summer through Redwood National Park.













Ellis Island  ~MAYBE SOME DAY...

Between 1892 and 1924, more than 17 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island; today, their descendants account for 40 percent of Americans. Go on a hunt for your ancestors at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, where for $5 you can search through millions of records to find the exact date your relatives sailed into the Port of New York, as well as which ship they were on and whether they traveled with other family members. (Bonus: copies of the documents are yours to keep.) And don't miss the construction of the Peopling of America Center, which cost $20 million to build and is slated to open in 2012. The new space focuses on U.S. immigration from 1955 (when Ellis Island closed) to the present, and houses interactive multimedia exhibits, like a touch screen that reflects demographic changes in American cities over time.












Niagara Falls  ~MAYBE SOME DAY...

Sure, your grandparents honeymooned there, but the majestic waterfalls straddling the U.S.-Canada border are worth a 21st-century trip. Ever wonder what it's like to be a rubber ducky in a massive bathtub? Sign up for the Cave of the Winds tour, which begins after you change into a complimentary yellow poncho and sandals (trust us, you'll need 'em). After riding an elevator 175 feet down into the Niagara Gorge, you'll stand on the Hurricane Deck, where you'll be drenched by the tropical-storm-like spray from the 181-foot Bridal Veil Falls, where the water falls at a rate of up to 68 mph. Cave of the Winds operates May 1–Oct. 25.












Yellowstone National Park  BEEN HERE...DONE THAT :-)

Snag a Young Scientist Toolkit stocked with magnifying glasses, rock samples, and stopwatches to time geyser eruptions at the Old Faithful Visitor Center and hit the great outdoors for some investigating. The coolest toy: an infrared -thermometer gun that takes readings of thermal pools when pointed at the water. And there's lots of H20: The 3,472-square-mile park is home to more geothermal features (geysers, hot springs, mud spots) than any place on earth. The Young Scientist activity booklet and toolkit costs $5 (toolkit must be returned after use).











Colonial Williamsburg  BEEN HERE...DONE THAT :-)

Everyone in this living-history site likes to play dress-up, and visitors are no exception. At the Great Hopes Plantation—a re-creation of the town's original 1700s farm—a stash of old-timey accessories await, from tricorne (three- pointed) hats for boys and shifts and mop caps (bonnets) for girls. The costumes come in handy in the field, where kids can perform 18th-century household chores, such as picking bugs off potato crops, fetching water from the well, or hoeing the soil, that are likely to make clearing the dinner dishes seem like a breeze by comparison. Great Hopes Plantation can be accessed through regular admission tickets.












Craters of the Moon National Monument Camp; Preserve  ~MAYBE SOME DAY...

The National Park Service calls this Idaho preserve "the only officially weird park" in the country. And for good reason: The jagged, black landscape—formed by volcanic eruptions up to 15,000 years ago—boasts a 618-square-mile lava field, the biggest in the U.S. (The rocky surface is so moonlike that Apollo 14 astronauts trained at the site in 1969.) The park's most awe-inspiring feature is its lava tubes, underground passageways created by hardened molten rock. Grab a flashlight and head to Indian Tunnel, which, at 30 feet high and 50 feet wide, allows for comfortable exploring. Craving an even more intense experience? Exit the cave at the far end, a feat that requires mounting a big rock pile and squeezing through a small opening.












Independence Hall  ~MAYBE SOME DAY...

Acquaint yourself with the spirits of America's founding fathers on Philadelphia's Ghost Tour, a 90-minute, candle-lit stroll that winds past landmarks like Independence Hall, where the Constitution was adopted; the Powel House, which hosted George and Martha Washington's 20th wedding anniversary celebration; and the 238-year-old City Tavern, John Adams's former watering hole. A cape-wearing, lantern-carrying guide points out "haunted" graveyards (St. Peter's Cemetery) and reports sightings of Benjamin Franklin, who's said to roam the city's streets. The best part: All the ghost stories are based on documented accounts, which makes them all the more spooky.












Alcatraz Island  ~MAYBE SOME DAY...

Shiv collections and cramped jail cells don't exactly sound kid-friendly, but they offer a glimpse into America's most notorious island prison—and the National Park Service is all for bringing younger ones for a visit. Hop a ferry from San Francisco's Pier 33 and stroll the damp, gray halls of the maximum-security pen, which housed criminals like Al Capone and George "Machine Gun" Kelly from 1934 to 1963. (You can even get behind bars in one of the cells, if you dare.) Don't miss the audio tour, which was updated in 2007 when former inmates and guards recorded their memories of doing time at "the Rock." If you're feeling brave, take the night tour, which lets you roam the prison after dark. Alcatraz Cruises is the official carrier for tours to Alcatraz Island.

Ballet

My daughter is turning into a ballerina.  It seems to be a favorite activity of hers that she is really enjoying and showing strong talent in.  She started ballet in Virginia when she was 5 and 6 years old.  Then she took a break from dancing so she could try out other physical sports like soccer, basketball, baseball, kempo, swimming, gymnastics and such.  She did ballet for one short season in California but it was for only four months.  She kept wanting to do more but she was having fun learning new sports and I didn't want to limit her on options or experience.  So in Spain, we planned to have her dance again however, the on-base lessons weren't available for her age and she didn't want to pursue it in the Spanish culture.  I enrolled her in the closest ballet school right after her 13th birthday, this year.  She danced for five months while learning a choreographed ballet for the June dance recital.  This is what she looked like in the moments before dancing "Serenade of Strings."  Of course I was so proud of her but better than that, she's proud of what she's learning and performing.  She was also presented with a promotion to begin point ballet.  So, that's what is in her near future.  She just finished a two week dance camp and in another month her point ballet will begin.  :-) 

A cousins' vacation

Cecily is visiting us this week all the way from Illinois.  She's 10 years old and is from a family of 7 kids.   I think she is really liking the extra attention she's getting from all of us.  We all want her to have fun and be comfortable while she's away from her family.  All of my kids get along so well with her and are loving the one on one time with her.  Here's a glimpse of some of the fun things we've been doing with her.