november 04, 2013

Helen

 

Oh the places we've been:)

My heart-map has expanded in our neighbourhood, 

To friends who visit in their PJs or insist on walking a while-mile with us,

It's encompassed our stalwart Hallowe'en celebraters a.k.a. loved friends,

It's zinged across the 'phone lines to my venerable, loved 1bro,

It's marched to the park with a great-nephew,

And circled back, right here with these lovelies I call family.

Blessed.

 

Rachel

 Hagrid, Luna, Snape, Mad-Eye, Trelawney and Fluffy made several appearances this week—at a parade, at a dress up party, and then for a rainy night of trick-or-treating. It was the perfect ending to the Harry Potter Crash Course we have been on with Lena.

 

 

 

Shannon

 

 This boy here has had a SUPER DUPER big huge feeling week. Where the ground under him was shaky and things needed to find there way out. Searching for comforts we found a show that was just perfectly what he sought. And then art-ing happened for further process. Gratitude ran strong in my heart as I was able to keep him by my side for just as long as he needed. To hear his feelings, to hold his body to witness it all unwind.  Time together is the biggest gift we can give back and forth to one another.

 

 

 

Tabitha

 

This young man turns 14 soon.  I am blown away by him.  Blown.  Away.  He is tall.  He is handsome.  He is funny.  He is smart.  He is fun.  He is interesting.  He is reflective.  He is growing and changing and stretching his boundaries.  This picture was taken early in the morning, after he had woken, showered, and walked to get a haircut, in order to report for poppy duty as a cadet.  So proud.

 

 

 

Kelly 

Sometimes the "best day of your life" is sitting on your cousin's smelly old dump-destined couch that is perched in your Dad's trailer, your best friend by your side, driving up and down your street over and over again.

October 27, 2013

Kelly

On October 24th we celebrate 3 birthdays, 3 special lives.

Chris, 52, uber Dad, poker player, left 4 dead 2 expert level player, gardener extraordinaire, mathematical mastermind and my BFF.

Grandad, 76, gentle soul, handyman, artist, guy with strange sense of dark humour, giver of unconditional love.

Peggy, 11, lover of walks and snuggles and kids and milkbones, chronic licker, protector of kibble, lap dog wannabe.

 

 

Helen

 

  Things I've learnt this week:

Re-arranging big furniture is my kinda exercise 

My scarf collection could do with some editing

Dancing cheek to cheek, just for a moment, can feel like magic

This year was a great one for all the "fun guys" ... our annual 'shroom walk revealed a bumper  crop this year

Spending time with my kids never gets old

Dan is so game to help with his mother's crazy plans

Ben makes awesome sandwiches

Even the best neighbourhood potlucks can't be spoiled by moving fridges

 

 

 

Rachel

 

  In the last week, the boys, Lena and I drove more than 2000 miles, going from Chicago to Toronto to Niagara Falls to upstate New York to small town Connecticut to small town Ohio to bigger town Ohio and back to Chicago again, all in an effort to see the country, see some friends and see some family. We crossed borders, we ate donuts, we got soaked on a boat ride, we lunched with dear friends, we played games, we played games, we played games, we picked apples and pressed cider, we shopped and ate in two delicious markets, we saw leaves turning brilliant colors, we saw beautiful landscapes. Lena was the incentive to take such a trip, and the reason it was possible to drive 11 hours in a day and still keep everyone well-fed and relatively happy. And she was even able to get Max to smile for the camera.

 

 

Shannon

 

These three boys and their hilarity can lift my spirits no matter what the day may hold. I am ever so grateful their flair, their laughter and the ways they fill me up.

 

October 21, 2013

Tabitha

 

I want to take a moment to acknowledge a magical part of our lives right now.  Not an unschooler (yet) this little guy has brought so much joy to our lives and is a reminder to me of why unschooling works.  Without instruction he has learned how to nurse, grab, sit, roll, communicate his needs to those around him, among other things. He is determined to learn.  He loves it.  We support him: hand him safe interesting things, give him soft places to land, listen when he talks.  The details change as they get older, but the basics are there.  Children want to learn and they need some support, but they

will lead the way.

 

Kelly

 

On Friday nights these girls gather to play. They become restaurant owners, warriors, pop stars, explorers and mothers. They build fairy worlds in Minecraft, feed their webkinz pets, go through dozens of costume changes, eat pancakes and numerous sleeves of Ritz crackers. They giggle into the night until sleep consumes them and they crumple into nests of blankets and pillows.
 

 

Helen

 

As the days turn shorter and cooler,  I feel us all turning in.  We're lining our nest and settling down.   I'm sure the best thing is being part of projects that take a life of their own.  Adrian's working on a woodshed, with a little help from his friends, and storage is suddenly being taken on as family winter project:)  And amongst all that, a little task that take working together, measuring and planning to add a little colour and pattern to a hard working corner

 

Shannon

And with a simple cup of hot chocolate with a familiar logo

a boy feels closer to his homeland. It's often just that simple.

October 15, 2013

Kelly

Here's Cooper. In his favourite checked pajamas. They work for both sleeping in and dinner parties, hiking in and shopping in. We should all have a pair.

 

 

 

Helen 

 

I woke to the sunshine blazing the red-orange leaves,

And exhaled in gratitude for the week that's been.

Life has been uncomfortably busy, the last little while.

Circumstance and design threw out a different path,

And we've poured ourselves into one room, tight as thieves.

Life has flowed through cups of tea and meals, corralling recipes and creating, playing and watching.

I'm not sure that life is sweeter, but for sharing a dinner with family, furniture-neighbours and family-like friends.

 

 

Rachel 

 

 Contemplating twelve. What a lovely year it has been, and what wonders must lie ahead. 

Shannon

And when a dad has a big passion it seeps in to those around him. Creating wider learning and sweet sweet memories.

Shannon 

Much of our week has looked like this. Oh what grand and courageous adventures we've both had!

 

Tabitha 

 

  I so appreciate the gentle sweetness of this young man with his
littlest brother.

 

Helen 

 

Blessings upon blessings,

Busy upon busy.

Working at finding grace:)

 

Rachel

 

These two families were brought together by the two girls at the head of the table. On Saturday night, Lena and Katharina made us a delicious dinner in appreciation of their time with us. Tonight we said our final goodbyes to Katharina, who leaves tomorrow, and there were lots of hugs and tears and final recipe exchanges and promises to write. It has been such a lovely month, both getting to know the girls and getting to know the other homeschooling family (and of course filling our days with fun excursions). We are so sad to have reached the end of our time with Katharina, but we were certainly much better off for having known them both.

Tabitha

In order to get another 10 bucks towards a gaming computer we're
working on earning together, this one learned how to operate some
serious machinery and got the lawn trimmed.  Patience, determination,
encouragement and a couple well earned breaks got him through the day.
Awesome.

 

Rachel

End of the evening, end of the summer lessons.

 

Shannon  

This boy here had a big huge week. There were tests and discomforts and tons and tons of courage. But he gathered it all up with the support of each of us and rocked it. So of course the week required an ending with wacky head gear. 

Kelly and Helen

 

The highlight of the week: celebrating a brand new 9 year old.
Watching these girls thriving: marvellous.
Sharing these milestones together: magical
Post party result: messy!

 

  

 

Helen

We packed into the van, the seven of us,
For a little sojourn Vancouver-side.
We prowled some streets in broad daylight,
And hung out at Science World until,
Bone-weary, the next adventure called.
We over-nighted with family practically on the edge of the tree,
Reminisced of times gone by and affirmed today.
On a fresh day, we scurried to watch dolphins and penguins, people and so much more
And sighed, and gasped and sang and pranced.
Delighted, we've packed our bags memory-full,
To hold us over, until the next.

 

Rachel 

Having Lena in our family is kind of like having an instant big sister for the boys. This week marked a first for us, in that they willingly and excitedly chose to hang out with Lena instead of coming with me to an appointment (they normally go everywhere with me and have steadfastly refused any offers of playdates or babysitting from the most well-meaning of friends). They had a great time showing Lena one of our favorite neighborhoods—they played board games together at a game store, they showed her some other shops, and they stopped for coffee and hot chocolate. At home, she joins us for arts and crafts, for baking and cooking, for playing games, for cleaning up. She is always eager to participate in anything. We are all learning so much from each other and growing in ways I never expected. And it has only been two weeks.

 

 

Kelly

Frankie's beloved drama class started up again this week. Cooper and I decided that since we had an hour and a half to kill, we would try out a different ethnic restaurant for lunch each week. He is fairly adventurous with food, I am not. The plan is to try new things. Our first date was a delicious Chinese lunch followed by a walk about Chinatown. We loved our food, laughed at our inability to use chopsticks, had a great conversation and witnessed some interesting people in this bustling little restaurant. Next week....Mexico!

Shannon

 

So often my most favorite thing about them is their ability to have fun no matter where they are. A few minutes to pass why not have a contest to see who can produce the most hilarious walk. 

 

Rachel 

 

 

Lena arrived from Germany last Sunday to stay with us for three months. She will study English here, take in the sights, and hopefully teach us some German (since, um, we don't know anyone else who could do that for us). She has been such a lovely addition to our family, she is so very sweet and considerate and helpful and extremely perceptive, and it is really interesting to see the boys interact with her. She has also seen the transformation in Lilli in the last week (and maybe helped it along a bit, with all the love and petting she has given her). Lilli is seemingly back to her old self, we will have to see if the tests tomorrow agree. The four humans in our immediate family were all sick this week, so we weren't our brightest and best selves for Lena, but even so, she seemed to enjoy her time with us as much as we have enjoyed having her with us. It will be fun to see what we all learn from each other.

 

Shannon

This image is timeless and could have been taken and many different beaches and all different ages. These two have a bond that is theirs and theirs alone. And when the walls fall away and the outdoors draw them in they have stories and details that delight them for hours. 

Tabitha

Growing up and helping out.  Sometimes things that seem impossible
(crack open eggs) turn out to be very possible after all.

Helen

 

(and a part of me is always thrilled when we head out en masse with our tall boys swirling around and the still-hand-holding smaller girls right here. i watch the faces of those around us: counting heads, looking at our jumbled posse which includes the blue haired girl and the dainty japanese gal and feeling the movement that is us, making our way through our lives)

 

 

Kelly

 

We were the first ones at the local fair on Friday afternoon. For a while, we had the entire midway to ourselves. It was a warm night, there were no line ups, the mini donuts were warm, the carnies were generous, and for 7 hours these two spun round and round. First ones in, last ones out!

 

 

 

 

Tabitha

On the road again!  Road trips are a big part of this guy's history.
He has always loved just getting in the car and exploring some new
part of our world, or visiting a old favourite.  Road trips always
come with the best conversations, good tunes, new adventures, old
memories, and new and old friends.  Although we've driven by it before
this was our first stop at the beautiful clear Cameron Lake, and we
only stopped in order to give the baby a quick snack.  We will
definitely be back!

Step one of our ambitious plan to see all the museums on Vancouver
Island this year!

Kelly

Lego never gets old. Tonight we are starting a big project, rebuilding one of Cooper's huge sets. 

Looking for a needle in a haystack has never been so much fun. 

 

 

 

Helen

Oh, the fair!

It was the cheery cherry on a lovely week.

The noise, the negotiations, the boerewors roll!

The rides, the heat, the craziness, all.

Last minute party-putting-together was a total team sport. 

Ben was thrilled and amazed and grateful

and much the same could be said about his mother.

.

Rachel

 We spent the week mostly at home, closely monitoring and caring for Lilli. We are going a bit stir crazy, but at the same time, there is something really nice about spending a slew of days at home, mostly in our pajamas, playing games, watching movies, doing puzzles (something we haven't done in years), and we even spent one morning setting up our train tracks and tried to use every single track and train (also something we haven't played with for a long time). It's nice to have nothing else on our schedules. I've gotten a lot done around the house (I was doing some de-cluttering, which is why we came across so many of our old toys/games), but I've also just let myself have large expanses of time where I don't do anything "productive" at all, a sort of indulgence that I don't often give myself, even if I regularly encourage it in my children. And of course, we've all made sure to sit near Lilli and give her as much affection as she wants.

 

 

 

Shannon

For some reason his height catching up to daddy is far more startling to me. 

It's all happening so fast, I am reminded to stop and breathe in each and every moment.

This boy took leaps and bounds wanting to build his own skateboard. 

It involved talking to a stranger, doing never before done things 

and stretching his comfort zone. 

It was both an honor and delight to 

witness. 

Tabitha, Helen, Kelly

(photo by Shahriar Khan)

I spy with my little eye

Three bloggers and a tribe.

Rachel

Our sweet Lilli is home again with us, after a terrible scare (rushed to the ER for a blood transfusion due to severe anemia). We weren't sure she would even survive the night. It's so nice to see her back in her favorite spot, modeling the latest in poodle haute couture. It's amazing how much love and concern we have for our four legged friends, and how sad we were to think she might not make it. I know it's something we will someday have to face. This small brush with the possibility of her death gave us a lot of time to discuss how we would handle a serious illness in our dog, and to talk about serious illness in people, to think about the choices we must all make with regard to our own care, and for the care for those we love. It was a challenging but really profound week for all of us.

Shannon

 This boy grew up a little more this week, turning nine. He created his day to be just what he wanted. Saying all day how awesome it was. He oozed gratitude and celebration. It was a joy to witness this. 

Shannon

 

Oh what a week is has been. But even as I sit here exhausted, with aching muscles I can not help but smile in gratitude. My boys have both stretched in to new places. Stepping up to contribute to birthdays, helping overwhelmed me and simply demonstrating over and over that when I invest in helping my children fill their cups it comes back to me ten fold in the very moments I need it the most. This watermelon cake was as delicious as it was precious to receive. 

This new house has returned us to our roots. The space outdoors to gather round a fire and tell tales of who we are. To invite friends in to knowing us on a whole new level. It's a most lovely return.
 

 Tabitha

 
 The fruits of his labour (or is that vegetables of his labour??).
This is a carrot he planted in the spring being enjoyed and shared.
Yum, garden fresh carrots.  I'm so grateful for the community of
family we have around us.  My mother in law has provided this
beautiful place to go and grow food and see it happening while our
garden at home has suffered from a serious case of new born baby
neglect.  Thankful for the harvest, the fun, the learning.

Happy Fridge.

Kelly

 Cooper acquired a new loft bed which we (me) set up this week. He was so excited, despite not actually planning to sleep in it. We set up a tv and beanbag chair underneath. He announced that he would be hosting a weekly movie night for a different family member each. So, here he is, cutting the ribbon he taped to the doorway, marking the occasion of the inaugural movie night, with Frankie being the first invitee. Note the red carpet. He thoughtfully chose a Pokemon movie, her favourite at the moment, made popcorn and provided pillows and blankets. 

 Suddenly she is 10.
I love how much she enjoyed helping unload bark mulch with her Dad this week. How she has her own sense of style and her own way of doing things. I love how she is most content in solitude yet loves parties. I love how she goes in through the out door, how she still skips when she walks and how she stands for justice. She is strong willed yet soft-hearted.
She is all the things I seek to improve in myself. Sometimes a mystery, always a joy. Love you Frankie!

Helen

There was a quiet moment with this guy, 

where we got to hear him talk about a difficult situation he had faced.  

The processing, the introspection, the shifting and more. 

It was all there, shared freely and such a testament to how far he has traveled. 

Love.

We've been hanging the laundry out to dry as much as possible.

(It strikes me each time, seeing all the little-big-in between-clothes side by side, 

how grateful i am for these beings that fill all those clothes. 

There was a long time when it seemed unlikely that it would ever happen for us.)

Often there are these handy helpers around, laughing, scheming and talking as they work.

And creating the most interactive peg bag ever...

Rachel

We decided the house needed a bit of remodeling before we put it on the market. After six hours of cleaning and painting in the backyard, we wondered if we should have just sold it as a fixer-upper. Sure was fun, though. While we worked, we reminisced about the sweet days spent playing with the house. We laughed about the figures they had given make-overs (by cutting off their hair or their clothes). It was so beautiful to see how much they loved their time with the house, but how they also felt ready to let it go.

 

We have spent the last 10 days at the cabin where we have had the most perfect weather imaginable. We've filled our days with hiking, kayaking, visiting local ice cream shops. We've had entire days at the beach with picnic lunches, sandcastles, burying each other, skipping and gathering stones. We've seen sunsets and sometimes sunrises, and we spent one late night outside trying to see the Perseid meteor shower. We've grilled out and made pit fires (and s'mores). It has been the most lovely week. But by far, my favorite moment is this one, with my two boys sitting in the water together, looking at the sky and talking together about something completely their own.