Totally sleep deprived, Bill and I downloaded this super Lego Documentary for family entertainment last week. I'm still thinking about it, and the kids refer it it regularly through the day.
My mind reels at the huge production and sales numbers cited. There is also a fascinating bit on the history of the Lego company.
Take a look at it and let me know what you think.
Sorry about the weird formatting. Things don't always seem to fit well in this new blogger template I'm using.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Busy Summer Fun
Being gone for 10 days in August allowed our garden to go crazy. With Bill and Rosie off together on a business trip (her first!!), Theo and I took advantage of the lovely day to harvest some bounty.
We got giant squash and 16 (count them 16) cups of basil leaves.
Of course, that much basil calls for some serious pesto preparation. Theo and I took turns adding ingredients. Our recipe turned out to be a little creative because I didn't have enough of most anything in the house to make 5x my normal pesto recipe. For nuts we used almonds, pecans, cashews and pepitas. For garlic we used some fresh, some roasted giant garlic I happened to have on hand and some whipped garlic from Lebanese Breeze.
Theo adds in the first layer of basil for a lovely stratification of ingredients (if that looks to you like a lot of salt on top, it is. I got a little confused in my converting).
After a thrilling time mixing the ingredients, we scooped out the pesto into 1/4 balls for freezing.
Now, we have a large bag of summer sunshine ready for those cold gray days ahead. As a bonus, we really enjoyed our time together as just two, and I got some good sidewards homeschool math and problem solving into the mix.
Next project: doing something paleo with those giant squashes.
We got giant squash and 16 (count them 16) cups of basil leaves.
Of course, that much basil calls for some serious pesto preparation. Theo and I took turns adding ingredients. Our recipe turned out to be a little creative because I didn't have enough of most anything in the house to make 5x my normal pesto recipe. For nuts we used almonds, pecans, cashews and pepitas. For garlic we used some fresh, some roasted giant garlic I happened to have on hand and some whipped garlic from Lebanese Breeze.
Next project: doing something paleo with those giant squashes.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Camping Taste Test: Salt and Vinegar Potato Chips
Part of the fun of camping with the homeschool group is the various activities that go on over the 4 days. Our family loves taste tests, and this year Theo and I decided his favorite potato chips should be verified.
We bought 4 brands of salt and vinegar chips: Lays, Kettle, Tim's and Trader Joe's with a bag of corn chips as palate cleaners. After a shark frenzy of little kids tasting, their associated adults and a stealth batch of teens, we recorded 25 tasters, though I'm sure we had more.
Here's how the numbers broke out:
Lays - 5
Kettle - 16
Tim's - 2
Trader Joes - 0
Corn chips - 2
Obviously Kettle stomped out the competition.
Interestingly, all of the Lays votes came from people under the age of 8. The Tim's were for the most part rejected as too sweet (and were the only brand including sugar as an ingredient). Somehow, TJ's just plain missed the boat - too crunchy, too bitter, too vinegary. Both corn chip votes came from kids under 5.
We bought 4 brands of salt and vinegar chips: Lays, Kettle, Tim's and Trader Joe's with a bag of corn chips as palate cleaners. After a shark frenzy of little kids tasting, their associated adults and a stealth batch of teens, we recorded 25 tasters, though I'm sure we had more.
Here's how the numbers broke out:
Lays - 5
Kettle - 16
Tim's - 2
Trader Joes - 0
Corn chips - 2
Obviously Kettle stomped out the competition.
Interestingly, all of the Lays votes came from people under the age of 8. The Tim's were for the most part rejected as too sweet (and were the only brand including sugar as an ingredient). Somehow, TJ's just plain missed the boat - too crunchy, too bitter, too vinegary. Both corn chip votes came from kids under 5.
Monday, August 1, 2011
On The Road
Wednesday our family hits the road.
First, we're off to camp near Mt. Rainier with about 30 other homeschool families - tribal living as humans were intended to exists, plus marshmallows!
From Rainier, we're trekking up to Vancouver Island, Canada where I have the great pleasure of attending an Intensive 3 course with the Neufeld Institute - focusing intensely on the 6 levels of attachment. Bill's bringing his work, the kids will find themselves rubbing shoulders with Canadian kids at a not-completely-randomly-picked summer camp. Wish us all luck!
We're back around the 15th, it'll probably take a few days for me to get back on my writing feet. Until then, enjoy the sunshine!
First, we're off to camp near Mt. Rainier with about 30 other homeschool families - tribal living as humans were intended to exists, plus marshmallows!
From Rainier, we're trekking up to Vancouver Island, Canada where I have the great pleasure of attending an Intensive 3 course with the Neufeld Institute - focusing intensely on the 6 levels of attachment. Bill's bringing his work, the kids will find themselves rubbing shoulders with Canadian kids at a not-completely-randomly-picked summer camp. Wish us all luck!
We're back around the 15th, it'll probably take a few days for me to get back on my writing feet. Until then, enjoy the sunshine!
Friday, July 29, 2011
John Raible Rocks, Again
Posted on his blog today is a short video addressing oppression and adoption. What I love about John is his amazing skill of combining the straight up truth with clear thinking and beautiful ways of expressing himself.
The video has me thinking about two things right off:
- what am *I* doing right now to be an ally to my kids, my friends and the people in my communities?
- what is adultism and how do I balance an understanding of it with my understanding of a child's need for hierarchical relationships (to be free to depend and be taken care of)?
Here again is the link to his 10 minute video. At the end of the post, you'll see a link to his hour long webinar that most certainly is worth a listen or seven.
If you're an adoptive parent or considering adoption, really, go hear what John has to say.
The video has me thinking about two things right off:
- what am *I* doing right now to be an ally to my kids, my friends and the people in my communities?
- what is adultism and how do I balance an understanding of it with my understanding of a child's need for hierarchical relationships (to be free to depend and be taken care of)?
Here again is the link to his 10 minute video. At the end of the post, you'll see a link to his hour long webinar that most certainly is worth a listen or seven.
If you're an adoptive parent or considering adoption, really, go hear what John has to say.
Outside is Good
Summer seems to have finally arrived in Seattle. While the rain has been trying for my soul, the newly installed garden has greatly appreciated the many deep soakings. Probably our water bill has, too.
The updated yard includes four generous planting boxes for my baby-step square foot approach to growing veggies. With 44 designated square feet, I'm awash in 44 yummy options. And that's in addition to all the edible bushes filling our plantable spaces.
When we bought this house our 7200 square foot property came split into various smaller "regions." The backyard came as a lush green lawn surrounded by tall cedar fencing -great for privacy. Then there was a tiny front yard split by tall fencing from a good sized but non-visible and much-neglected hilly side yard. Along the street, on the other side of both the driveway and the tall backyard fence someone built a fairly large terraced area that is invisible from all other parts of our house and yard. We call it the Back 40.
The front and side yards recently merged and terraced to create a space that our family spends a huge amount of time enjoying. I drink my morning tea out there before the rest of the family wakes. The kids play and jump in the trampoline by the hour. We all spend time picking berries and fussing over the veggie boxes. Bill hangs out in the sitting area practicing guitar. The dog lolls around near everyone, keeping careful watch over birds and passers-by.
For some reason, during the planning process, Bill and I (well mostly me) figured we wouldn't need help with the Back 40. I had plans to recruit a neighbor to garden the space. Well, for the 2nd year in a row the garden-share plans fell through. So while our front/side yard is delicious, gorgeous and well used, the Back 40 sports a gigantic weed pit. Mostly I'm distressed by the horror of it, but Rosie as an 8 year old doesn't see weeds, she sees flowers. This week it became our bouquet picking area.
I'm grateful summer is really here. I'm grateful to have an outside space that works so well for our family. I'm grateful to have such lovely kids who remind me to relax and find the joy in life.
Gosh, I hope the weather holds!
The updated yard includes four generous planting boxes for my baby-step square foot approach to growing veggies. With 44 designated square feet, I'm awash in 44 yummy options. And that's in addition to all the edible bushes filling our plantable spaces.When we bought this house our 7200 square foot property came split into various smaller "regions." The backyard came as a lush green lawn surrounded by tall cedar fencing -great for privacy. Then there was a tiny front yard split by tall fencing from a good sized but non-visible and much-neglected hilly side yard. Along the street, on the other side of both the driveway and the tall backyard fence someone built a fairly large terraced area that is invisible from all other parts of our house and yard. We call it the Back 40.
The front and side yards recently merged and terraced to create a space that our family spends a huge amount of time enjoying. I drink my morning tea out there before the rest of the family wakes. The kids play and jump in the trampoline by the hour. We all spend time picking berries and fussing over the veggie boxes. Bill hangs out in the sitting area practicing guitar. The dog lolls around near everyone, keeping careful watch over birds and passers-by.
For some reason, during the planning process, Bill and I (well mostly me) figured we wouldn't need help with the Back 40. I had plans to recruit a neighbor to garden the space. Well, for the 2nd year in a row the garden-share plans fell through. So while our front/side yard is delicious, gorgeous and well used, the Back 40 sports a gigantic weed pit. Mostly I'm distressed by the horror of it, but Rosie as an 8 year old doesn't see weeds, she sees flowers. This week it became our bouquet picking area.I'm grateful summer is really here. I'm grateful to have an outside space that works so well for our family. I'm grateful to have such lovely kids who remind me to relax and find the joy in life.
Gosh, I hope the weather holds!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Chatting about Collecting
As part of my collecting research, I brought the subject up with a group of friends who have also done the Neufeld Intensive 1 and 2 courses.
I loved everything they said and so enjoyed hearing their perspective. Too busy listening to take notes, here is what I currently remember from the conversation.
- Collecting has various iterations. My previous post focused on the collecting we do after a separation - be it a physical separation like being in different locations for a couple of hours or a mental separation of a kid involved in media or a book for a length of time or an emotion separation as in a disagreement that creates discord and distance between us.
Collecting is also part of a more constant state. It is the moments of connection between us and our kids that grow the strength of love between us. Someone referred to it as growing and strengtheing the cord of love that connects us, and used a hand gesture that reminded me of a tree branch getting thicker and more complex with time and the stresses and strains of life.
- One friend referred to collecting as the sauce that makes everything else go. He talked a lot about how collecting, more than being things that we do, is a posture and the way that we ARE with our kids. Warmth came up over and over in this part of the conversation - lighting up when our kids come in the room, letting know that we're crazy about them, so in love with them and really enjoy being with them.
Warmth, as I wrote before, can seem like a pretty alien concept to me. But in listening to my friend, I remembered how often Neufeld talks about offering a complete invitation to our children to be fully themselves in all their glorious and less perfect ways. Warmth, and invitation, then might just be other words for unconditional love. Both sides of the unconditional love - the unconditional "I love you no matter what" part and the love "my heart delights in seeing and knowing you" part.
I'm thinking then, and let me know what you think, that a large part of collecting is letting our children know that they are wholly and completely embedded in our hearts forever more.
I loved everything they said and so enjoyed hearing their perspective. Too busy listening to take notes, here is what I currently remember from the conversation.
- Collecting has various iterations. My previous post focused on the collecting we do after a separation - be it a physical separation like being in different locations for a couple of hours or a mental separation of a kid involved in media or a book for a length of time or an emotion separation as in a disagreement that creates discord and distance between us.
Collecting is also part of a more constant state. It is the moments of connection between us and our kids that grow the strength of love between us. Someone referred to it as growing and strengtheing the cord of love that connects us, and used a hand gesture that reminded me of a tree branch getting thicker and more complex with time and the stresses and strains of life.
- One friend referred to collecting as the sauce that makes everything else go. He talked a lot about how collecting, more than being things that we do, is a posture and the way that we ARE with our kids. Warmth came up over and over in this part of the conversation - lighting up when our kids come in the room, letting know that we're crazy about them, so in love with them and really enjoy being with them.
Warmth, as I wrote before, can seem like a pretty alien concept to me. But in listening to my friend, I remembered how often Neufeld talks about offering a complete invitation to our children to be fully themselves in all their glorious and less perfect ways. Warmth, and invitation, then might just be other words for unconditional love. Both sides of the unconditional love - the unconditional "I love you no matter what" part and the love "my heart delights in seeing and knowing you" part.
I'm thinking then, and let me know what you think, that a large part of collecting is letting our children know that they are wholly and completely embedded in our hearts forever more.
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