Full Steam Ahead: The Summer Fun List

Howdy, friends!

I was in Branson, Missouri for the past few days doing some travel research (more on that tomorrow). But now it's home sweet home, with floors to mop and sheets to change for a week of guests and freckled noses to kiss.

Here in Texas, we parents have this survival instinct that kicks in around Memorial Day. As the mercury climbs toward triple digits, we start desperately casting about for ways to make it through a looooong, hot summer without slipping our moorings. We can't shoo the kids outside to play when it's a hundred degrees plus humidity, and yes, we can take them swimming, but there are only so many times a week you can round up the towels, swimsuits, googles and flip-flops, make sure everyone has sunscreen, and finally, forty five minutes later, get out that door.

So the kiddos and I have been brainstorming things to put on our calendar this summer (we do a very light school schedule). Things to look forward to. Things that don't cost big bucks. Things that will help us thrive, not just survive. I thought I'd share our ideas, and maybe you'll share some of your own in the comments. A few of them are specific to our city, but most apply broadly, like we're supposed to do with that sunscreen.

Our Summer Fun List: 


1. Make homemade ice cream (Done in Eliza's ice cream ball, multiple times)
2. Find a new sprinkler park
3. Use our Six Flags Reading Program tickets
4. See Mr. Popper's Penguins (the movie)
5. Make a deluxe kid wash, using these instructions
6. Make chocolate pudding pops
7. Participate in our library's summer reading program
8. Do a community service project, such as a book drive for our children's hospital
9. Attend some of the free children's programs at our city libraries
10. Camp out in the backyard -- June 29 is the Great American Backyard Campout
11. Get a Texas Longhorns decal for our car (my kids have become virulent Longhorns)
12. Go see the Zilker Summer Musical in the Park
13. Reorganize our books (yes, I find this fun)
14. Make a "Family Favorites" playlist for our Colorado roadtrip
15. Invite friends over for a giant water gun fight
16. Decorate bikes for the neighborhood Fourth of July parade
17. Work on our scrapbooks
18. Visit a natural swimming hole
19. Perfect the art of iced coffee
20. Buy a used card table and keep a big jigsaw puzzle going
21. Patronize the farmer's market as often as possible
22. Gorge ourselves on fresh peaches
23. Tie dye shirts
24. Drive out of the city one night and watch the stars
25. Paint with rainbow ice cubes

I hope to update this list as we spawn more ideas, and note when each is done. Anyone else making a list?

P.S. Our city has at least one website with ideas for free fun daily, called Free Fun in Austin. Maybe yours does as well!

3.14 Reasons to Celebrate

Monday was Pi Day.
Get it?

(Image from pauladamsmith)

March 14 = 3.14

As good upstanding nerdarific homeschoolers, we had to celebrate with a treat for the brain:
Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi (A Math Adventure)
(If, like me, you don't plan ahead for these things, you may find yourself saved by Barnes and Noble's reserve-online-for-store-pickup service.)

And as good upstanding appreciators of a fine pun and a fine dessert, we had to celebrate with a treat for the tummy: Pie!

Pssst: It wasn't homemade. Turns out Whole Foods sells small deep-dish pies for less than an arm and a leg, and that includes some gluten-free apple pie that will make your eyes roll back in your head, maybe permanently. (So don't buy it. Leave it all for me.)

Here's something I love about having kids: So many occasions to celebrate! So many seemingly trivial reasons to pull out the stops and have pie, or wear green, or buy flowers, or put on some music and dance around. Why hold back?

Which reminds me ... Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Now go do something silly and festive to celebrate. Remember, the years are short.


P.S. My friend Johanna sent me this -- a musical rendition of the digits of Pi. Jesse English, o ye of the thousand-digit-pi-recitation, are you reading this? This video will surpass your wildest dreams. If it doesn't, I'll bake you a pie. Or maybe the nice folks at Whole Foods will do it for me?

You mean it's not really magic?

We got a real kick out of this video this week. I was just as captivated as the kids, since unlike the more cynical grown-up who lives under this roof, I still wonder, wide-eyed every time, How do they do that???



Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with Penn & Teller in any way, and our personal philosophies are worlds apart. You'll get a taste of how polarizing they can be in the YouTube comments ... but don't waste your time, man. Life's too short.

A version to brighten your day ...

I have this note pinned up on my bulletin board. Because it makes me smile every time I walk past.

It's from Eliza's friend Abby. In case you misplaced your specs on top of your noggin, here's what it says: 

"Dear Eliza

Thank you for the doll stuff. [She means this.] 

I have the other vergen. [She means this, um, version.]"

Look at the drawing of "you" and "me." Can you tell which is the vergen and which is the other vergen? 

Neither can I. But it sure is fun to try! 

I showed Abby's mom the note one day and she pretty much fell on the ground laughing. 

And the moral of the story is ... make sure your kids write their own thank-you notes!

Poetry Friday: For the Dog(s)

I dug this poem out of our beloved volume, A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children compiled by Ms. Caroline Kennedy. I bet you know why we read this one at the lunch table today:

The Song of the Mischievous Dog

by Dylan Thomas

There are many who say that a dog has its day, 

And a cat  has a number of lives;

There are others who think that a lobster is pink,

And that bees never work in their hives. 

There are fewer, of course, who insist that a horse

Has a horn and two humps on its head,

And a fellow who jests that a mare can build nests

Is as rare as a donkey that's red. 

Yet in spite of all this, I have moments of bliss,

For I cherish a passion for bones,

And though doubtful of biscuit, I'm willing to risk it,

And I love to chase rabbits and stones.

But my greatest delight is to take a good bite

At a calf that is plump and delicious;

And if I indulge in a bite at a bulge,

Let's hope you won't think me too vicious.

Note: Dylan Thomas, the premier Welsh poet, wrote this delightful bit of wry humor when he was only eleven years old! Ian, you've got six months. Better get going!

So, have you figured it out yet? In case you don't follow my every move on Facebook ...

... we got a puppy! 

It's all Pongo, all the time here at our household. Well, since last night. Is anything else happening in the world right now? Huh? I'm sorry, I just can't believe that could be. 

No word yet on whether Pongo will turn out to be  the mischievous  dog of young Master Thomas' ode. He does cherish a passion for bones already. Grassfed ones, from the cow we purchased. 

Other pertinent facts: 

1. I have never ever ever owned a dog  before, or anything else with four legs. 

2. Pongo is a mutt. He has some chowchow, some golden retriever, some collie, we think, and who-knows-what else. Mom was a stray, and he came from a rescue litter. 

3. Pongo's preferred Pandora station appears to be ragtime piano. 

4. As I suspect they would if I were ever to reproduce again in human spawn, the three kids are having power  issues over Pongo. Poor pup, he'll never figure out who's the alpha in this pack, because they can't settle that issue for themselves. 

5. Having  a puppy for the first night is much like having a newborn, but louder. Think getting up every hour and a half (hooray for the heroic Professor!) Actually, it's rougher than having a newborn because you can't just pop the pup into bed with you to cuddle and nurse. 

6. Pongo has white "socks" that are still white after a day in  our family, which is more than can be said for anyone else in this house. 

7. We wuv him. 

Illuminated

For guidance in our history explorations this year, we're trying out a freely downloaded sample curriculum from Pandia Press. So far, so good. Remember, I use any and all curriculum as a guide. A suggestion. We keep our relationship strictly casual.

We're into monks, monasteries, and illuminated manuscripts these days.  Y'all, are you familiar? These manuscripts are just so breathtaking that you can't believe some poor monks spent hours hunched over tables in the scriptorium, probably losing their eyesight as they painstakingly formed these amazing letters.

Here's an example from colophon.com:

The book Bibles and Bestiaries: A Guide to Illuminated Manuscripts has some great examples as well. I threw informational and inspirational nuggets from it out at the kids as they were toiling in our own scriptorium this morning. I got some vellum and shiny pens and dug out some calligraphy books and let them go to town making their own illuminated manuscripts.

(Why are they called "illuminated"? Because the embellishments were often gold-plated, so they shone luminously when any light hit them.) 

Caroline's:

Eliza's:

Ian's:

Don't you love the profound thought expressed in his manuscript? While true, I do wonder whether the Benedictine monks might look askance at it.

I was really surprised that Ian took to this project. He doesn't always join in the crafty endeavors, but he got into this one. Using the calligraphy book as a guide, he labored over his fancy letters -- and this is a boy who has always disliked handwriting.

But isn't that the nature of this parenting adventure? We keep thinking maybe we have our kids figured out (MAYBE), and then whoosh! They surprise us. They refuse to be pigeonholed. They bring hidden parts of themselves to the light, and we can't help but marvel at how luminously they shine.

One Neighborhood; Two Clubs

These three girls are the charter members of the very prestigious Longhorn Allegiance Club. You only wish you had an invitation. 

Abby, our neighbor, spends hours every week at our house. Apparently, this is where it's at. So recently, she and my girls dreamed up this club. You know you're dying to see the club's weekly agenda. It's posted in our hallway. Here goes, as written: 

1. Arts and Crafts

2. Free Play

3. Snack Brack [break]

4. Bilding time

5. Reading time

6. Free Play

7. Dress up time

8. Doll time

9. Medatating [my favorite!]

10. Danceing time

11. Music time

12. Tea party

13. Sewing time

14. Nitaing [knitting] time

15. Work time [can't wait to see this]

16. Snack brack

17. Go home

Remember, this is the agenda for EACH MEETING. No wonder I haven't seen any meetings being convened lately. (And meanwhile, the boys rampage around with their Nerf guns.)

The neighborhood group is starting to snowball with the addition of two more girls last week. I admit that by late Saturday, I was a little tired of having so many extra kids in the house, and a little unsure of what my role should be, especially with the newer kids. I also knew that these kids need to be  not just in my home, but also in my heart. 

So after doing the dinner dishes, amidst a mild case of the restless blues, I decided to round everyone up right then and there. To make some magic instead of excuses. We went from house to house (among our friends) gathering eleven kids on scooters. The Professor was co-opted to  help me supervise. Off we rolled to the park, where they made tons of noise playing Statues in the Park until it was too dark to see each other. 

Then we gathered them up, clutching our two flashlights, and formed them into a straight line of eleven. One dad came by to follow us with his pickup truck headlights. They all yammered and squealed to each other, and when I'd turn my head and see this gaggly line of eleven, I felt like Mrs. Mallard from Make Way For Ducklings. 

The kids peeled off as we reached each of their houses, with goodbyes and pleas to do it again ringing into the night. They've dubbed themselves the Saturday Night Gaggle. Fortunately, this club has a two-item agenda: 1. Make Noise. 2. Have Fun. 

Happy Birthday to ...

Monsignor Roald Dahl!

Actually, it was yesterday, September 13. And how cool is this? On Sunday, doing a little research for a Geography Club project, I thought I'd look up Mr. Dahl in Wikipedia and see when he was born. LO AND BEHOLD, the date was September 13 -- the VERY NEXT DAY!

I call that serendipity. I also call it an excuse for a party.

So we celebrated by dragging out a bunch of his beloved books and reading a sampling of first chapters. The kids even twisted my arm into reading two short chapters of The Twits, which they love because reading it aloud totally nauseates me and I usually refuse.

We talked about how Mr. Dahl makes liberal use of exaggeration, especially when it comes to his characters' misfortunes. He paints in broad, exuberant, and often dark brushstrokes. And unlike most other authors, he inserts himself a bit into the narration, addressing the reader as "you" and generally making you feel as if you're sitting at his feet as he spins you a crazy yarn.

Name me one child who doesn't love the works of Roald Dahl.

We also ate some chocolate for lunch -- an homage to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and learned a bit about Mr. Dahl's rather colorful life from his Wikipedia entry. And the girls strung up balloons and streamers, which they will do at the slightest provocation.

We were going to watch Matilda that night, but Ian thought it might be too scary for his sisters and so the Professor and I agreed to pre-screen it. Glad someone in this family is responsible! We decided that it was indeed too scary in places, and too kid-versus-adult.

Here's a list of author birthdays, in case you'd like to do something like this with your own young readers. And keep it simple! Fun trumps perfection, every time.

Marble Painting

Here's an all-ages art project for the dog days of summer (don't even get me started about how much more of summer we have to endure here in the netherworld of Texas). It was field-tested in my house by five children who ranged in age from ten to four, and was a hit all around.

Look! I'm so nice, so generous and giving, that I'm even providing you with a pretty shoddy picture of the artists in action. Bonus: broken screen door in background.

Gather your supplies: paint*, marbles (buy a cheap bag at the craft store), a pad of oversized watercolor paper (use that 40% off coupon; those babies are expensive!), and some sort of tray. If you use, say, 11x14 paper, a cookie sheet with edges might do the trick. We used bigger paper so I directed the Professor to create some huge cardboard trays out of a big box we had lying around. "Your wish is my command, O Queen," he said cheerfully. Or something like that.

Dip your marbles in paint. Plop them on the paper one by one and start rolling and tilting your tray. Or, you can use several marbles all at once and really stir up some craziness!

Ta-Da! Wall Art of which Jackson Pollock would be proud.

By the way, in case you haven't already discovered it, The Crafty Crow is a fantastic place to grab last-minute craft ideas. I use it regularly for my own kids and my Sunday School class; in fact, the marble painting idea was doubtless nabbed there. Hooray for artsy people sharing their nifty ideas!

(* edited: TEMPERA paint)

Thirteen Years Ago Today

We were just babies, really! Hardly out of those onesies I referred to yesterday.

I had barely turned twenty. The Professor was newly twenty three. In the New England of my youth, college-edjamicated folks just didn’t do that. I KNOW some eyebrows raised.

But here we are, thirteen years and three kids later. On that day, we were totally convinced that due to the exalted nature of our love, our marriage would remain special and romantic for all time. Now, please take the following at face value: One thing I’ve learned in the past thirteen years is that no relationship is above the need for consistent effort and renewal. Decay and entropy happen – in nature, in relationships. Fighting back requires some of that determination that convinced you what you had was special in the first place. It takes daily choices, a focus on loving rather than on being loved. Often, it requires divine power – the same power that raised Christ from the dead – to move us beyond our selves.

Want to hear one of our secrets to a happy marriage? It’s super deep and groundbreaking, guaranteed to fend off the blahs. It’s a little game we call “YOU’RE A …”

Here’s how it goes.

Scenario A. We’re wandering through a public park.

Me: “That’s an interesting sculpture.”

Him: “YOU’RE an interesting sculpture.”

Scenario B. We’re eating dinner.

Him: “I like this dish. It’s a little bit salty and a little bit spicy.”

Me: “YOU’RE a little bit salty and a little bit spicy.”

Scenario:  He bursts in the door, home from his evening bike commute.

Him: “There is the most awesome sunset outside right now! Did you see it?”

Me: “YOU’RE an awesome sunset, and I see YOU.”

Our kids roll their eyes a bit, but even they get in on the act sometimes.  (“I knew you were going to say I was a really unusual car!”)

Our book, "How to Save Your Marriage, One Snarky Comment at a Time," will be out next summer and promises to tear up the bestseller list. In the meantime, you can try this strategy in the privacy of your own home and see if it isn't too much fun.

Happy Anniversary, my love! YOU'RE too much fun.  

Sushi Night!

Thanks to my friend Laura, plus two assistants who actually knew what they were doing (unlike self), last Friday the "Sail to Japan" class I teach in our homeschool co-op knocked their own socks off making sushi for lunch. Even the girls who refused to eat a bite -- and the girls whose sushi consisted of nori and just plain rice -- all took a turn to roll up some creative combinations.

Inspired by a) the fun, b) my newfound skill, and c) all my leftover ingredients, I decided we'd try it at home on Saturday night. We used these directions for making the sushi rice. (I bought the Calrose rice at an Oriental Market, mostly to give my kids an educational experience and let them feel like a minority once in a while, but I think you can find it elsewhere.) It's vastly preferable to cook your rice a few hours (or a night) ahead of time so it's at room temp when the magic hour of family enchantment arrives.

For fillings, we offered dishes of cucumber and blanched carrots sliced lengthwise, imitation crabmeat, plain omelet, avocado, and smoked salmon. You can find oodles of other ideas online or by checking out the premade sushi at the market. These toppings offered a good variety for our crew, however.

(As usual, neighbor kids were over, and this one wanted to try her hand at sushi chef-dom.)

We wrapped all our sushi in sheets of nori (seaweed), which is easy to find at virtually any market (in our case, Central Market). The rolling mats are quite cheap -- I think I paid about $2.00 for one.

For specific, step-by-step instructions, check out this site, which walks you through it with cute pictures.

Oh, one more thing. When we did this at co-op, Elsie (remember her, the genius?) brought some sweet soybean wrappers into which the girls could stuff sticky rice. We found that the sushi-shy among them were more likely to eat the plain, sweet pockets they made with the soybean wrappers. Something to think about when you're grabbing things off the shelf in the Asian section at the store.

Now, can someone just tell me how to say "Bon Appétit" in Japanese?


[Steady Mom 30-Minute Blog Challenge]

The Von Trapp Family Bikers

When I was a young 'un, my parents would occasionally (a word which here means, "too frequently for the liking of us kids") round all of us up for a family bike ride.

We'd sigh and roll our eyes dramatically as we cruised along, drily christening ourselves the Von Trapp Family Bikers. As in the Sound of Music. Keep in mind that we were only two kids and a few bedroom drapes shy of the full caboodle.

We were convinced that we had the only family in town whose idea of a fun Sunday afternoon involved falling into a line of two-wheelers. Actually, if memory of my hometown serves me correctly, purely anecdotal research supports this theory, as every other family was at home on the couch watching Melrose Place and Beverly Hills, 90210.

So guess who's singing Do-Re-Mi out the other side of her mouth now?

Fact 1: For the past four and a half years, our family has owned one car.

Fact 2: We care about not polluting this here planet of ours more than really necessary.

Fact 3: We are mean parents who demand that our children get exercise and sunshine on a spring weekend.

Fact 4: We are the proud owners of not only a bike trailer ....

... but also a Novara Afterburner.

Just let me coo for a minute about our Novara Afterburner. I can fold it up and stick it in the back of that one car (okay, minivan) we own. Twice a week, I tote it to the kids' taekwondo dojang, where the Professor affixes it to the back of his own bike and uses it to bring our eldest home from his lesson in most kinds of weather. Just seeing him cruise along with a pedaling papoose on the back bring smiles from drivers and especially from fellow bikers. And remember, we live in Lance-ville. There are bikers a'plenty, and a nine year old needs to feel part of the pack sometimes.

I rode it with Lizey on the Funky Chicken  Coop Tour on Saturday. I'm pretty sure we looked kind of adorable.

The Professor pulled Caroline in the trailer. Ian rode his own bike.

Now, if I could just get them to harmonize, as we whiz past, about tea with jam and bread. Or maybe more appropriately, "So -- a large bike pulling an appendage ..."

Family Games

Angela at Homegrown Mom is hosting a blog roundup of Family Fun Night ideas. I'll be the first to admit that my efforts in that department aren't going to win any creativity awards, but I thought I'd share a few of our favorite family games. It ain't easy, pleasing a six-year age spread. But bravely we soldier on, determined to HAVE FUN AND BOND.

1. Don't Eat Pete!
   You can download this game for FREE, y'all, and print it out for hours of rowdy enjoyment. Yup, I said "free." God bless the lady at Sparkle Power.

2. Harvest Time and  Secret Door
   I'm listing these two together because they're brainchildren of the same company, Family Pastimes, and -- here's the kicker -- they're what's known as cooperative games. As in, everyone works together toward a common goal. As in, no one loses. As in, no tears and no drama. Hooray.

3. Apples to Apples Junior - The Game of Crazy Comparisons!
   Great for a group, ideally of four or more. My oldest child tends to eschew games of strategy in favor of more verbal, open-ended options like this one (if you know him, you're not shocked). And whaddya know, so do I! We sometimes get this one out to play around the dinner table, and refrain from pointing out that they're learning the difference between adjectives and nouns. A guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

4. ThinkFun Zingo!
   Like Bingo, but with a zippy little gadget. No reading required; one of the few that's equally fun for all the ages that comprise our offspring.

5.  Somebody Board Game
   It feels funny to include this one, since it's really more "educational" than recreational, I suppose, but all I have to say is, we ALL had the giggles about the pancreas the other night. Eventually the pancreas sang them off to their bedtime routines, which was deemed totally hilarious. I guess you had to be there.

6. You've Been Sentenced!
   Ian's current favorite. See item #3 for a description of his taste. More fun if you're flexible on what constitutes a logical sentence. Also, more fun if you can read -- unless you team up with an adult. Still, more fun if you can read.

7.  Snorta
    Don't even think about maintaining your dignity while you play this. You're going to be making barnyard noises, and there's just no way out of it. Your kids will laugh at you, and is there any more important ingredient for a Family Fun Night? (Good for a range of ages because younger ones can play at a slightly easier level.)

8. Wig Out!
   Fun. Quick. Cheap. I rest my case.

Do you have any favorite games in your family? I'd love to hear more suggestions!