Brag Alert! The boys in school

Fair warning, please be prepared for some bragging! Read on if you want details on the school year thus far...

Franklin is a "school of choice" so it's public but with a focus on the Core Knowledge curriculum which stresses the ol' Three-Rs. It has grades K-8 so the little people interact with the older classes. We love the small middle school (an amazing 178 compared to the 514 to 662 enrollment of 3 other Corvallis middle schools!!) The curriculum is tough, middle school is especially challenging, but they sure learn a lot.

Alex’s 6th grade Science is amazing, we were talking the other day & he added this to the conversation “well you know, water IS the universal solvent” …. For that matter his Language & Social Studies classes are outstanding too, Derek and I are mostly familiar with the vocab words he brings home but not all of them!!! I swear one of his workbooks feels like it’s college level (I searched the covers & title pages but couldn’t find a grade level on it). It’s the best Math year for him ever, the teacher is approximately twelve years old (well, he must be older than that but he is quite young & the kids sure like him). Alex is earning As and Bs in very demanding classes and we are soooooo proud of him!!

Casey has weekly homework in 1st grade but he whips thru it usually by Monday evening so we need to augment it a bit. We’re working with his teacher to nudge him some in math & reading, but we need to be more proactive about that & advocate for our little mister. It warms my heart to hear him reading, it’s like a light bulb turned on and he sees the words that are all around him on cereal boxes, video games, signs, etc etc etc… Another cool thing they do is ‘public speaking’ beginning in Kindergarten, first it’s “show and tell” then becomes oral reports which gives them quite an advantage over students that don’t get that, for these guys it’s fairly ordinary & not scary.

Both boys are fortunate to be surrounded by a good group of buddies, good kids all around, and it is so fun watching them grow. Things just feel really good! Anyway, that’s the scoop on how the kids are doing in school. It’s been an amazing first part of the year with more Adventure yet to come!

Tear It Up Boys

So, we went to Coos Bay yesterday to see Karen and Grandpa and because they were giving us some of their "old" couches. Our current couches were graciously donated from friends but they have seen a lot of good times and it was time they were replaced. We rented a 17' van, loaded them up and made the trip last night in the dark and fog. (Boy that was fun!) Today, as we were prepping the room, moving the old couches, vacuuming, etc., the boys asked for permission to jump on the old couches (something we never allow). We said, not only can you jump on them but when was the last time you were given permission to cut up a couch! Needless to say both boys dove into the couch with scissors and a knife faster than they can eat a large pizza.

Thanksgiving Weekend

Wow, it's been a long time since we've posted. No excuses. Won't try and catch you up on everything that has happened, too much to cover here. But will post about our Thanksgiving Weekend.

We spent Thanksgiving itself with Wendi's family in Canby. A good time was had by all and we ate too much turkey too. There were darts and balloon fights. Good food and good conversation. Derek and Katri made their annual pilgrimage for "Damn Pie".

For the weekend we drove to Astoria to spend some time there, possibly gaming, definitely spending time with family and friends. Well, when we got there we discovered that several members had taken ill. The symptoms described pointed to the flu and we didn't want to risk getting sick. So we procured a hotel room and spent Saturday as a family doing some geo-caching and hiking. We had a BLAST! We got 12 or 13 caches, found a couple of ant nests and saw a bald eagle too, visited a windy beach, got the "wiggles" out of our dogs and just took our time exploring. We drove down the coast to get some Tillamook ice cream and got home Saturday night early enough that the kids were still awake. It was not what we had planned and we definitely would have liked to see folks but all in all we had a great time. It was an opportunity to demonstrate the "When Life Gives you Lemons" idea!

Snakes and Magicians

Had a great phone conversation to catch up with my little bro'. He is recovering from a nasssty virus that kicked his arse, the docs thought it was spinal menengitus & gave him a spinal tap to check his "fluids" but could thankfully rule that out. Turns out it's some morph of the swine flu, huge fever & blinding headache, he was a sick little puppy but feeling much better now. It was great to talk to him & we need to plan a trip up there to visit.

Alex called me up this morning because he's BORED. Poor fellow, nothing to do on his fabulous summer vacation. Oh if only we had those troubles!!! I came up with several very good suggestions but they weren't tempting I guess. I stepped outside my office while on the phone with him & I told him "Hey, I'm looking at a very cute snake". He said "I'LL BE RIGHT THERE!", hopped on his bike & pedeled furiously to my work. The snakey was still there & we admired it, took a phone pic, & then wondered if Alex could catch it. "If I catch it, do you guarantee it won't bite?" Uh, NO! But I can guarantee it's not venemous & won't leave any lasting scars. That wasn't good enough. Then our friend Mark stepped out & came over to see what we were up to. He channeled Steve Irwin & was quickly down on all fours poking around under the bush the snake was hiding under. I enjoyed watching both "boys" try to be brave & grab the snake's tail even though the snake was defensive & posing as a fierce critter & even 'striking' at their hands (can I interest you in a lot of false starts & cringes?!!) but finally I swooped in & snagged it, triumphantly holding up my prize which hung limp & docile in my hand. It was a pretty black snake with long yellow stripes, quite fat & sassy, not the biggest garter snake I've seen but good sized. Do you know what the first thing a garter snake does when it's been caught by a predator? I know this from experience, and it was confirmed when this guy (named BUSH) oblidgingly peed on my hand. Or is it poop? Yellow and extremely, I mean really, stinky. But hey, it's one of his few defenses! I handed him to Alex, and yes he peed on his hand too. We admired him & petted him for a bit, marveled at the soft scales & bad odor, & then let him go. Then we went inside for a good hand-washing! After which Alex pedaled back home. It was a very nice morning adventure....

Casey had his fourth day at "Little Beavers Summer Camp" & had a good time. Next week he begins his 4 day/wk swim lessons, whoopee! We came home, picked up Alex & Bear, then headed to our city's Central Park to meet up with some of Casey's school buds. His Little Peeps. They played good & hard, countless kids came up to meet Bear, then Alex tossed some balls for Bear, then we tucked the pup into the shaded car & walked to the library, where all The Little Peeps went to see the Magic Show. This was a "Join the Library Summer Reading Program" event & they had a very fun magic show, the kids thought it was hilarious & he did a great job. Now we're home, relaxing, thinking about wrangling up some sort of dinner, relaxing, wishing daddy was here with us but he's heading home soon.

Second Memorial Day - May 29

This weekend was our real Memorial Day because we went up Friday afternoon to the big cemeteries in Portland, Lincoln Memorial & Willamette National. We put flowers out for (on dad's side) Gram, great-grampa Ted, grampa Ted, and Grandma Betty, then (on mom's side) grampa ashford and mom. It was a nice, relaxing evening, the weather was wonderful, the boys enjoyed exploring those gorgeous cemeteries, and we let Bear explore a bit too although I promise he did not embarrass himself on anyone's grave!

Saturday Derek drove up to meet Gene & Bob & the Astoria Angora hiking club for a morning hike up Saddle Mountain. He said the weather was amazing & he enjoyed it a lot although he desperately needs some new hiking boots to keep his feet comfy. The boys & I went to town and got Alex a new bike helmet. All next week they're doing "Bike Safety" at school and riding for two hours each day. His old helmet had a wicked crack in it. While we were "downtown" we cruised through the Farmer's Market. Our Saturday's were full of soccer til now but have now opened up. It's a neat little market and we saw friends and the boys each found a classmate. Ah, I do enjoy living in this little town! A hands-down highlight was when we stopped to check out a lady farmer's honey bee display, and she asked if we wanted to hold a bee. Wish I could have seen our expressions! She told us these were male bees which don't have stingers, can't collect pollen, and only leave the hive to find a lonely lady bee. So I put on my brave face, also called "show no fear so my boys can experience the wonder of nature even if inside I'm doing the scaredy-dance" and I held out my hand and damned if she didn't set a buzzy bee on it. This was actually very very cool, and I was pleased when each boy held out a hand too! Neat-o!! Surprisingly they opted out of the downtown water fountain, but were instead eager for the store tgrip that would add Popsicles to our house!

We got back home, ate some popsicles, and then realized it was a perfect day to walk to our neighborhood pool. Alex and I were very impressed, and Casey very proud that he could independently play in the deeper water, navigate the "channel" that has a current, and go down the huge water slide. So Cool! I'm one step closer to kicking back beside the pool with a good book!

Now the hot day has gone and we're blessed with a cool evening breeze that passes thru the house. The boys have full tummies (for now), Alex is playing "age of empires" on dad's laptop, and Casey is exploring some old-style Legos that his dad & uncle Garth played with as little boys. Derek's on his way home after his adventures, and I'm heading out to water the veggies with my shadow Bear. [note, Alex just announced that he's going to get a banana. So much for a full tummy!] Out of curiosity I looked up the Cherokee word for 'shadow', imagining a cool buddy nickname, but although it's a perfect description of Bear "U da yv la dv" doesn't roll off my tongue. I've been intrigued with the language courses offered thru the cherokee nation website but I suppose it'd be more practical to brush up on my Spanish.

Memorial Day - May 22

The long Memorial Day Weekend! Our friend borrowed our driveway Friday for a garage sale which we took a turn tending on Saturday. Bear-Bear was our official greeter and had a great time with all the people. We got rid of some crap and made some moolah, but still it's a lot of work so we were happy to put it up and enjoy the friends that were trickling in to make our house oh-so-pleasantly full! The boys hung out all weekend with their bestest ever friends, while the grownups played board games and cards. We had such a great time & I always feel sad when everyone goes back home!

We spent an evening with dad & his bride. Dad's looking great and they have such a happy energy with each other, I gotta say it's fun to see dad giggle. She's such a great 'earthy' resource and I made her explore every inch of our baby veggie garden and give me hints and tips, move this, divide that (and that, and that, and that...) but overall I feel we're sitting on a good first big garden. Then we had dinner out where I wore two glasses of peach tea on my lap, it was a very unlucky drink for me, but otherwise a very nice visit. Grampa got to read Casey a bedtime story which was a treat.

Boys have three days off this week

Because evidently their recent Spring Break wasn't enough?

Today I participated in a conference call while sitting in my comfy family room, hanging out with family, and throwing the occasional ball for Bear. Thank goodness for that Mute function!! Later we went to a local plant shop & picked up some wee baby lettuces, chard, kale, spinach, shallots, etc etc and planted them in our new, fabulous veggie raised bed Derek made. We've grown things each year but this is the first time we've deliberately planned a veggie garden..... so honestly I don't know how it's gonna turn out but it's been fun so far! I am feeling very protective of those little baby plants and will probably go hunt slugs tonight!

Alex & I enjoyed watching Casey's swim lesson this afternoon. Now daddy's tucking the littlest mister into bed, Alex is typing a school paper, and I'm thinking about our next 2 days at home. I've got to pick up some eggs & egg decorating supplies, that's what we'll do tomorrow!!

Hope all's well with you & yours!!!!

Beautiful Saturday

This is hands-down the nicest weather we've had all year. We were blessed with a perfect day for the boys' first soccer games!! Now Derek & Gene are helping a friend move some furniture, the boys are relaxing with full bellies, and I'm looking at 5 cubic yards of good soil in the driveway. I feel compelled to pour some love into our neglected garden! Can't type ... must ... get ... outside!

Job Change For Derek

As of April 1st, I will no longer be working for Old Mill Center but instead be working for The Easter Seals Children Therapy Network in Salem. Hey I know about the economy and all but when an opportunity comes along, you just have to take it. I really wasn't looking for a new job (though things at work have changed considerably, and not all changes are for the better), but The Easter Seals has a much more stable funding stream than the situation I am in now. I will esentialy be doing the same thing I have been doing for Old Mill, but now I have a slightly longer commute, a more stable income source, and a slightly larger income. :)

Our Glorious Day

This morning was cold and foggy but we were determined to get out and do some hiking. So we bundled up & grabbed Bear & headed to a dead-end road at the edge of town that leads to a plethora of trails. We walked, jogged, and explored our way up towards McCullough Peak. Let me tell you a little something about my boys – they are Troopers! Yes there were a few whiny moments (focusing on their boundless hunger) but mostly we just enjoyed the great outdoors. We're so blessed to live here, the woods were damp & dim but as we reached higher elevations we got above that fog and found honest-to-god Sunshine, mmmmmm.

Alex found a nice rock that fits just right in his palm, and he marveled at how different it was compared to the crushed gravel on the forest service road. He loves finding objects, special sticks or rocks, and finds unique and lovely qualities in them. I wonder if he’s seeing some little spirit in each one, something intrinsically worthy in his eyes.

Casey with his short little 6-yr old legs provided a running commentary on our places, who was first, who had slipped into last position. But at one point I caught him singing a wonderful little song to himself, a song inspired by the pile of horse manure he’d just passed, so in his little voice I got to hear how to “watch out for the horse poopoo”.

We saw the occasional other folk and met some nice doggies (good job pups!) along with two especially not-nice dogs that worked together to bracket & intimidate Bear (while their owners just laughed it off, oh they don’t DO anything, just make a lot of noise) but our good-natured fellow did very well and gleefully hiked along with us, sometimes “yo-yo-ing” up ahead then back, but for the most part he just trotted along beside us. Of course if he came upon an especially choice stick he’d scoop it up & toss it hopefully in front of us, wagging his tail. We want him to relax & explore when we’re out not “do his job” of fetching, so for the most part we don’t throw things for him when we’re out walking in the woods. I’m not sure he’s got that yet, I suspect he thinks he just hasn’t found the stick we’re looking for!

After burning off so many calories we piled back into the car & took it to the Ruby Tuesday’s parking lot where it could hang out while we filled our tummies with some good food. Now I’m home with the little boys being mellow, while Derek headed across the valley to do some gaming with buddies Wes & Roger. I’ll do a bit more ‘puter work & then grab my knitting needles & finish up my latest hat (thanks Pamela for the jump-start you gave me!! I’m sure having fun!) I also have about ten more pages in my book but it’s sooooo good & interesting, it’s wrapping up a grand adventure, and I don’t want it to end!!! You know the feeling when you’ve rushed thru a book only to hit the brakes and stretch out those last few pages……

Thank you Gene for researching the spelling of the character Inigo, not Indigo as I thought. Huh! I've been quoting that wrong for many moons!