Blah-La-La

Musical Updates

2012-02-11T18:39:00.000-08:00

He liked Brigadoon. He LOVED Sound of Music.

And this was his favorite song:

Dreaming of Sassafras Farm

2012-02-08T11:59:00.000-08:00

Suzanne McMinn is one of my favorite people in the world. (And by that I mean one of my favorite random strangers who I follow on the internet.)

She's a single mom, she's running a farm in West Virginia, she's got cows, goats, chickens and sheep, and she just seems like a real go-getter and all-around nice person. (And she even grew up in the city!)

She's been running workshops in farm-centric things like cheesemaking and goat-milking for a few years, but always has to do it at a rental site that has a commercial kitchen. It's been good, but she has to pay to rent that space, plus her participants would really like to see how things are done on the real farm. So now she's trying to renovate a building on her property to be an official, licensed commercial kitchen where she can hold her workshops, host visitors and more.

She's got a Kickstarter project going and is trying to raise more than $14,000 to make it happen. And the way Kickstarter works is that people can pledge money to her project, but none of those pledges go through unless the entire amount is raised. She's almost 50% of the way there and has a little over 20 days to go. I donated a (small) amount. Maybe you can, too? They'll take as little as $1, but if you give $10 or more you can get some presents in return, sort of like an NPR pledge drive.

Let's help Suzanne build her kitchen!

Further Adventures in Musical Theater

2012-02-02T21:54:00.000-08:00

This was a total, total dud.

It's really slow, really talky. They added other songs that aren't in the stage show. Brandon and Jean Simmoms sing so out of tune it's unbearable to listen to. Boylee hated it and we couldn't make it more than halfway through. I wish there was a better filmed version.

Next up:

He Swore He Was Smiling

2012-02-02T21:48:00.001-08:00

At the Instrument Petting Zoo

2012-01-28T12:21:00.001-08:00

Weekend Highlight

2012-01-25T17:55:00.001-08:00

It's our next concert in our Philharmonic Youth Symphonies series. This weekend, Mahler:

The exciting Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela joins the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Mahler Project. This is your chance to see for yourself the power, joy and virtuosity of these stunning musicians, in an all-Mahler program designed for young audiences.

Boylee's Current Favorite Thing

2012-01-17T20:46:00.000-08:00

Next up: The Sound of Music and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers!

The Most Fun Thing in Paris

2012-01-11T16:24:00.000-08:00

(Well, the most fun thing we did.)

It was the Louvre tour we did. Two hours in a museum with an eight-year-old. Sounds like torture, right? WRONG!

Because the Paris Muse Clues: A Family Tour for Young Treasure Hunters offered by Paris Muse was total genius. It was the most expensive thing we did in Paris and it was worth every penny.

We met our guide, Elisa, outside the museum at the Carrousel du Louvre (the thing that looks like a smaller Arc de Triomphe at the edge of the Tuileries), and we got a quick introduction to the building.

Then we went inside -- bypassing all the lines - YAY! We learned about the pyramid, and then we started in chronological order...with the actual stele that holds the code of Hammurabi. You know, when you hear about the first codified laws, ever? That exact piece of stone on which all those laws are engraved!

But the real genius of this tour was that the guide, Elisa, was describing everything in child-friendly terms, and the entire thing was structured as a treasure hunt for Boylee. So he was labeled an Art Detective, and he was given a book of clues that needed to be deciphered/found. (And which he was allowed to keep.)

And at the same time, she was also keeping me and Scott thoroughly entertained, interested and educated as well. So we were all having fun & learning!

So for that stele of Hammurabi, we learned that the dude on the right is a god, and we can tell that because he's got some horns, and some rays eminating from his shoulders...and that thing he's handing to the dude on the left, Hammurabi? That's a scepter, and that means, in a time before people could read, that people would see that the god was directly giving power to Hammurabi.

So we went in chronological order, from Mesopotamia, to Babylon...where we saw a king handing his power, via a sceptre, to his son. And why do these Babylonian things look Egyptian? Because they were trading partners and knew about each other.

We went to ancient Greece....and also had a close up look, in the lowest basement of the museum, of the last part of the original building that was the fortress before the louvre was the louvre, built about 800 years ago, including a look at the moat, and the spot where the toilet emptied! (A highlight for Boylee, to be sure.)

We eventually worked our way up to Renaissance Italy. We met the three most important ladies in the museum -- Venus de Milo (which the guide structured as a comparison between that Venus and the statue right next to it, which was a different Venus -- why is the Venus de Milo such an incredibly celebrated piece and the other Venus just a regular piece of art? There are a lot of reasons why the de Milo is more beautiful, more accomplished and more special, but a big part of it turns out to be publicity -- at a point in time when the French had to return a lot of looted art to Italy, post-Napoleon, they acquired the Venus de Milo then spent a lot of time parading it around all of France as the newest, best, most important treasure, way more important than the crap they had to return to the stupid italians).

The second important lady: the Winged Victory (which, did you know, is at the top of those stairs because those stairs were specifically built for that statue, to highlight the audience's experience of it).

And last of all the Mona Lisa (which we approached not as most tourists do, from the middle, but from the right side first, looking at it and discovering that all sorts of things in the painting appear "wrong," then from the left, where all those "errors" suddenly look correct. And by the way, Elisa knew exactly how to get us past the huge crowd. Genius!

And by then Boylee had filled in all his clues, which led to a code that had to be deciphered, and when it finally was, it led him to the Bagagerie (the bag check), where he had to recite a phrase he'd learned: "Je voudrais recouperez mes affaires, s'il vous plait." And the charmed ladies of the bagagerie handed him a bag which held his prize: a book/game about the treasures of Paris, a very sweet keepsake.

So -- I don't know if I've managed to describe just how delightful and informative this event was. It's definitely the best 2.5 hours (it went a little longer than the 2 hours we booked) I've ever spent in a museum, and Boylee was thoroughly engaged and educated. It even made the madness of the Mona Lisa worthwhile, which is saying something.

Highly recommended for any families with kids -- and it makes me believe that their adult tours are probably wonderful as well.

And then, to round off our afternoon, the sun was going down as we exited the museum...

...so we headed off to Angelina for the world's most fabulous hot chocolate, then for a spin on the big Ferris wheel at the Place de la Concorde.

A fabulous day!

One Thing We Miss About Paris

2012-01-05T15:38:00.000-08:00

The cheese, definitely. This shop was awesome -- we basically went in there and said, "Give us some cheese, please," and the guy picked out a beautiful combination of several things. We added a couple of baguettes from the Eric Kayser boulangerie across the street, and that was our fist night's dinner...plus breakfast and dinner the next day. Then we went back to the cheese shop and boulangerie and did it all again. We even had a little cheese left for the plane.

Oh how I miss you, Androuet! The smell inside the shop was literally intoxicating.

HIs Current Favorite

2012-01-04T17:45:00.001-08:00

(and an old favorite of mine)

Bon soir!

2011-12-28T12:14:00.001-08:00

Just Made This Little Cheat Sheet for my Wallet!

2011-12-25T12:28:00.001-08:00

We Had a Grand Time

2011-12-18T09:20:00.001-08:00

Since it was also the last day before winter break, we all gave our awesome teacher, Mr. V, holiday gifts.

Getting Ready for a Friday Field Trip

2011-12-13T21:11:00.001-08:00

Parent/Teacher Conference

2011-12-08T11:11:00.001-08:00

"Boylee's math test scores have been high throughout the trimester. He is reading above grade level and demonstrates great fluency and understanding. When engaged in whole group discussion, Boylee shares a unique and informed perspective. Writing is a bit of a chore for him, and he should consider it a goal to share his wonderful ideas and thinking, neatly, in writing. Boylee is mature for his age and his joyfulness is a great contribution to the class environment."

"Winner, Do a Funky Dance!"

2011-12-04T18:31:00.001-08:00

More Party Pix!

2011-12-03T11:19:00.001-08:00

Getting Ready for Nana's 70th Birthday Party!

2011-12-03T10:27:00.001-08:00

T-Day at Our House

2011-11-24T15:54:00.001-08:00

Boylee: "This looks really nice."

Me: "What looks nice?"

Boylee: "This whole setup." (Gesturing around at the house, newly cleaned for all of our guests, and all the food I've been cooking.) "You do a lot for the family."

And then I gave him an enormous hug.

Our Little Gymnast

2011-11-17T18:55:00.001-08:00

Sad News

2011-11-17T14:14:00.001-08:00

He wasn't elected to the Student Council. There were 19 kids in the running -- out of just 26 or 28. And the teacher privately confided that the kid selected only needed 4 votes to win! Poor Boylee. He was sad -- I could see that as he told me, but we were at school so he hid it from everyone else. Maybe next year.

School Project

2011-11-15T20:29:00.001-08:00

Boylee worked with two other boys to create a model of a city landmark -- and here it is, The Getty Center:

Not the best pix (I forgot my camera; these were taken by another 3rd grader!), but in the top pic you can make out some buildings in the back right section. On front of the buildings is a fountain with rocks -- just like the real one at the museum. The bottom pic shows the tracks for the tram that takes you up the big hill from the parking lot to the museum.

Today at Disney Hall

2011-11-12T12:40:00.001-08:00

We got there early, which turned out to be great because there were tons of activities happening: an art project, Scottish dancing lessons, and storytelling. But the most fun part was exploring the very cool Disney Hall. It was drizzling, so hardly anyone was lingering outside. We checked out the front, then climbed up to the topmost levels and got some great views of downtown.

There was also an instrument petting zoo -- we were bummed to not hear about that in time to check it out.

I LOVED the concert. Boylee liked it a lot. It was only 45 minutes long, and interspersed music, dancing and acting. And bagpipes, so how could we not love it?

And the best part is that we have three more concerts in our series.

Our Favorite Veteran

2011-11-11T18:23:00.001-08:00

Weekend Highlight

2011-11-09T20:20:00.000-08:00

A few months back we bought tickets to the Philharmonic's youth series of concerts. The first one is this weekend, featuring the music of Mendelssohn:

When the young Felix Mendelssohn sets out on his first adventure to Scotland, his beloved sister Fanny is heartbroken that she has to stay home. Fanny breathlessly awaits Felix's letters, which sometimes include lines of new music. And through his music -- inspired by crumbling castles, lively bagpipes, violent ocean waves, and the enchanted Fingal's Cave -- Fanny is transported to her brother's side. If we really listen, we get to go to these mystical lands, too.

We Loved It

2011-11-06T19:27:00.000-08:00

Boylee laughed his fool head off, and the rest of us did, too.

Our favorite line -- when Puss in Boots and Humpty Dumpty are arguing about whether to not to steal the baby goose that lays golden eggs, Kitty Softpaws sets everyone straight: "Guys! Guys! It's a gold pooper. We're taking it." Boylee hasn't stopped saying that all day.

Our Little Legolas

2011-10-31T21:41:00.001-07:00

If You Have Nothing Better To Do

2011-10-28T17:01:00.000-07:00

This is a little random, but...

Boylee's school has a crap playground and we're trying to win $25,000 from Clorox to improve it. This contest is purely about who gets the most votes -- and we're currently in 12th place. You can help, all you crazy random people who read this blog! (My site meter shows me that about 40 people per day visit. I don't know who you are, but welcome!)

Here's what you do:

Text "clorox3905" to the phone number 44144.

That's it! That's all you have to do. And you can do it once a day, every day until December 9th. Let's get these kids a playground!

(Bonus points if you share this info with your friends.)

If you're not the texting type, you can also vote here: http://www.powerabrightfuture.com/gallery/detail/?nid=1172

THANKS!

Two Updates

2011-10-25T21:26:00.001-07:00

#1: Boylee lost his third tooth of the week at school today. This one wasn't swallowed or lost!

#2: As part of our Paris preparation we've been reading books and watching movies that take place in France. The latest was the movie version of The Phantom of the Opera. The movie's kind of dull and draggy, but by the end Boylee was thoroughly caught up in it, which meant there were plenty of tears.

The Teeth are Departing!

2011-10-24T17:34:00.000-07:00

The first one fell out -- and was swallowed -- while he was at school. The second was apparently scared out of him during a visit to the school's Hauntitorium. He didn't even notice losing it at all, so maybe it was swallowed, or maybe it just dropped out as he screamed? And now there's another one loose!

Halloween Carnival Highlight!

2011-10-22T15:43:00.001-07:00

For Nana

2011-10-19T11:13:00.001-07:00

It's Legolas, one of the elves from Lord of the Rings!

Another Clue

2011-10-18T15:50:00.001-07:00

A Clue to his Halloween Costume

2011-10-16T18:47:00.001-07:00

A Lice Shave Isn't Too Bad

2011-10-16T11:48:00.000-07:00

I think they both look cute, even though Boylee wasn't in the mood to smile.

Between the lice and the vomitous migraine, our Very Busy Weekend got almost entirely cancelled: a visit from Nana, a visit from Papa, a new gymnastics class, the regular gymnastics class, a friend sleeping over -- all were cancelled. Today we did piano, and then we absolutely, positively must figure out Boylee's Halloween costume -- his school fair is next weekend and he'll want to wear it, whatever he chooses. And then we're meeting a kid down the block who, as it turns out, goes to our school. Maybe a carpool is in our future?

Boylee's Story

2011-10-13T11:23:00.000-07:00

(I don't know why I can't rotate these pictures! Aargh!)

Ball Time

This book is detetacated to Mom and Dad

Once when I was at Legoland at the pharos quest atration shooting balls out of a cannon. I spoted a man Just then a idea poped into my head I could almost imagine a lightbulb hovering above my head My idea was: shoot the man! So I grabbed my last ball

but I decided to take a risk so I aimed and puled the triger and with a bang the ball sard throue the air and hit his back i wached as he fell to the ground. I stood in confidence because I knew my next victom would be a sucses! the END!

(Some comments are from adults and some are from kids.) "I like your story and your colorful illustrations." "I like the details." "I liked how hour personality shows through in your writing! And, bonus points: you made me laugh! : )" "I love your cericers and roun pictures." "I like your drawing." "Sounds like you had fun with the imagination. I love that." "The end was cocow." (?) "I loved the slow motion description of the ball flying through the air. I could see it!"

Writing Celebration

2011-10-13T10:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had a little class gathering to celebrate the students' first "published" writing of the year!We got to see the book that each kid created.

The orange paper is where classmates and adults could write "put ups" mentioning what they liked about each student's work.

We strolled around the classroom and looked at everyone's books.

In another section of the classroom, I found Boylee's contribution to a board about hurt feelings:

Then as we left school we found a big display of what the 3rd graders have been doing in art class lately. This project is about "A Recipe of Me."

Toothless Again

2011-10-10T16:31:00.000-07:00

He lost it at school -- and swallowed it. Unhelpful (but sweet) friend Lukus said that meant that Scott and I would be getting divorced!?! I've never, ever heard of that superstition before.

3rd Grade Highlights

2011-10-09T18:11:00.000-07:00

Here's a project we can really look forward to:

Students will research, investigate, and become an expert on one landmark in Los Angeles. Students will work in cooperative groups for this project. However, over the next few weeks, you may want to enrich your child’s learning in one of the following ways: researching the landmark and pictures on the Internet, visiting the location, taking photos of the location, possibly finding books about this location. No pressure to participate in this project, but if time permits and you are interested, enjoy learning with your child! He/she will be able to tell you what location.

Double Rainbow!

2011-10-06T18:26:00.001-07:00

It's gorgeous...but I don't have a lens wide enough to capture it all.

Starting To Get Excited!

2011-10-05T17:51:00.000-07:00

This is the place we rented in Paris!

Autumn in L.A.

2011-10-04T13:37:00.001-07:00

It's 75 degrees outside and my tomato plants are still sending up fresh blooms!

(Plus the squirrel seems to have backed off a bit, so we're actually getting to harvest a few!)

3rd Grade Begins

2011-09-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a little bio of Boylee's teacher:

I was raised in a small mining town of union workers. My parents taught me and my siblings the importance of faith and hard work. We loved keeping active in mind and body, and I spent a great deal of time living and learning in the desert. At the University of Arizona I studied education and sociology, and in high school I was very interested in world history.

Schools build community and help define us as a society. They are essential to maintaining a strong democracy and providing the skills that spur innovation. As a teacher, I feel I am fulfilling my civic duty. Input from parents, administrators, and teachers help build quality schools.

I think it’s important that schools work as teams. I welcome volunteers into my classroom, and I appreciate when coworkers share feedback and information. Education and learning have helped make me a happy and healthy person.

My favorite classrooms channel a child’s energy into learning. The ideal school engages students through varied stimuli and it honors each student’s distinct abilities. I think children learn effectively as they work together in groups and that this maximizes student engagement. I hope to encourage risk taking among learners with varied skill levels. When learning content, practice and memorization have a place, but students need authentic learning experiences.

I enjoy running and better living through healthy eating. My wife and I enjoy practicing yoga, and we have worked through injuries with our practice. We spend a great deal of time going to movies and reading, but we live in a full house where there is no lack of distraction. We also share a great love of music.

And here's our first Friday update about what the kids have been learning lately:

In an effort to increase communication between home and school, the 3rd grade team will begin sending home an e-mail each Friday highlighting the Guiding Questions (GQ) and Essential Questions (EQ) for each subject area of our homeroom curriculum. ‘What are these questions?’ you may wonder... We will use an analogy to explain. The guiding question is like a rainbow where you can see all the beautiful colors. A guiding question is the over-arching idea or the big picture concept. An essential question is like each distinct color in the rainbow (ROY G. BIV= red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet). Each essential question is a zoomed-in, closer look at the content area. Enjoy reading each week about our rainbow of learning!

Handwriting GQ= How can I print letters, words, and sentences legibly?EQ= How can I print capital letters F, E, D, and P? How can I print capital letters B, R, N, and M? How can I print capital letters H, K, L, and U? How can I print capital letters V, W, X, Y, and Z? How can I print capital letters C, O, Q, and G?

Reading GQ= What does Reader’s Workshop look like?EQ= What does it look like to silently read? What is my responsibility during Reader’s Workshop? What do you think about when you choose a book to read? How do I choose a just right book? Why would you abandon a book? How do I think about my reading? How do I talk to others about my reading? What is the difference between a fiction and non-fiction book? What are the different kinds of fiction books? What are the different kinds of non-fiction books? What can I do to celebrate after finishing a book? What have we learned about our role as a reader?

Writing GQ= How can I get ideas for writing?EQ= What do I already know about narrative writing? How can I plan to write about a person who matters to me? How can I plan to write about a place that matters to me? How can I plan to write about a thing that matters to me? How do I zoom in on a small moment? How can I use sequence of events to write my small moment? How do I fill in the gaps in my small moment narrative by using exact details? How do I talk about my writing? How do I edit my personal narrative?

Math GQ= What is multiplication? What is the place value of each digit to the ten thousands?EQ= Where can we see real life examples of multiplication in groups? How can I represent multiplication in different ways? How can I represent multiplication in different ways? How can I use an array to skip count? How can I memorize my multiplication facts? How can I practice my facts with a partner? How can I use a bar model to solve a math problem? How do I identify the place value of a digit? How can I use a place value mat to represent numbers? How do I write numbers in expanded and standard form? How do I identify the place value of a digit?

DWOK GQ=How are we linked together as a community?EQ= How do we honor our similarities and differences? How am I linked to my classmates? What makes me special? How am I linked to my classmates? How can we celebrate what we have learned about how all our classmates are linked together? How do special qualities come together to make a recipe? How can we use symbols to represent our special qualities?

One thing we learned at Back-to-School Night is that this focus on handwriting is to prepare them for cursive, which will start in a few weeks. (I remember not doing cursive till 4th grade, and also I clearly remember doing the times table then, not in 3rd.)

A Quick Look Around 3rd Grade

2011-09-20T20:16:00.001-07:00

(at night, without flash)

3rd Grade!

2011-09-07T11:16:00.000-07:00

Tragic News

2011-09-05T18:42:00.000-07:00

Today we got the class list for school (which starts Wednesday), and Boylee isn't with his best pal. Or his other best pal. Or any of his friends, really. Of all the kids who are his key buddies, none are in his class. So, for example, of the kids who he invited to his birthday party? None of them. Ugh. He cried. I'm sure it'll work out just fine but for now he's feeling sad.

Why We Haven't Been Getting Many Tomatoes

2011-09-04T15:09:00.002-07:00

The culprit has been identified!

Until today I just thought we weren't getting enough sun now that summer is waning. But clearly this little squirrel -- who I think lives in the gutter above our front door -- is enjoying our cherry-sized beauties. He carefully picked only the ripe ones.

Skittles kept a careful watch, but only lunged when the squirrel leapt for his tree.

Last Week of Summer Vacation

2011-08-29T10:03:00.000-07:00

Last week we didn't make any plans, at Boylee's request. So pretty much all we did was watch the pool being repaired.

This week he's got one last camp: Destination Science's Techno Robot Creators:

Spend the week discovering robot science while creating & adapting your Mega-bot until it ultimately takes on the characteristics of its creator....you! Embark on a robot adventure which includes a robot maze race, a robo-artist experience and a camp-invasion battle to see which robot will rule the roost. After lunch hold on... Our camp is being invaded by mini motorized micro-bots that you design! This techno camp includes: electric room alarms, laser spinners, electronic bug listening devises & more.

Sounds like fun! And it will help pass the time until we can swim, which turns out to be Thursday instead of Wednesday.

A Terrible Temptation

2011-08-27T14:09:00.000-07:00

Whaddaya mean, no swimming till Wednesday?!? It is HOT out here and that pool is just sitting there, unused. It's CRIMINAL.

That Didn't Take Long

2011-08-26T12:09:00.002-07:00

They drained it on Tuesday, we're filling it today (Friday), and then with time for curing and chemicals we'll probably be swimming by Wednesday.

Seven Guys with Jackhammers

2011-08-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

Fixing a Leaky Pool, part 1

2011-08-23T18:34:00.000-07:00

A Warm-Up

2011-08-21T14:45:00.000-07:00

3rd grade approaches, so Boylee and I have started a little project:
He only has to do one row or column a day, and so far he's started with the really, really easy ones.

My Little Movie-Maker!

2011-08-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

This Can't Be Good

2011-08-17T16:59:00.001-07:00

Getting Ready

2011-08-16T13:03:00.000-07:00

We still have three weeks to go, but today I got inspired to make a few new lunchbox notes for Boylee:

This year's topics include word scrambles, silly jokes, palindromes and "would you rather" questions.

Camp Slide Show!

2011-08-13T16:51:00.001-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8RDIFc9kVEA

(I don't know why I can't get it to embed, so just click on that link.)

Camp #2

2011-08-07T10:24:00.000-07:00

Next week's topic: Graphic Novels.

The Last Moment of Camp

2011-07-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

Sk8rz

2011-07-25T20:32:00.000-07:00

So we took a looooong walk to the park so Boylee could spend some quality time scooting around the skateboarding area. And he did, until a bunch of teenagers showed up.

Those guys were skateboarding, scooting and biking like MANIACS all over the concrete ramps, obstacles and half-pipe. They were NUTZ and Boylee was totally, totally enthralled with all of it. The big boys were typical teens, I guess, with piercings and odd clothes. But they were all polite -- each said hi to us as they arrived. We only heard one or two curse words during their entire display, which lasted at least 30 minutes. And it was quite a show -- these guys were flipping and flying like maniacs. Like, the guy on the bike going straight up a ramp then doing a vertical 360 and landing it. None of them had helmets or pads, and though there were a few falls no serious injuries occurred.

I really felt the boyishness of the situation -- Boylee had just barely been making his own tentative exploration of the area when these kids arrived, and he sat right down in the face of their talents. But as the minutes ticked on, he got more and more inspired to join in. And when a few of them left and the area wasn't quite so crowded, he entered the concrete area, and started doing his own small attempts at tricks. That must be exactly how it starts: the little boys emulate the big boys and somehow learn these crazy tricks. My boy wore a helmet, though. Another, littler boy showed up too, with his bike, helmet and full set of pads.

And then he was done and tired. And I was freezing because that park is a crazy wind magnet. And we still had the loooong walk home. And because I didn't think we'd be out so long I had no snack, and nothing to drink. And I didn't have my wallet, so there was no stopping for a snack or a drink along the way. The round trip was about three miles and Boylee let me know just how tired he was with every step back up the Little Mesa.

Whose Fault?

2011-07-23T17:44:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the Pt. Reyes National Seashore and took an easy, ranger-led hike along the Earthquake Trail. We dared to walk along the San Andreas Fault and learned lots of fun facts about earthquakes. We already knew that Bolinas is not on the same plate as Stinson, and here is Boylee demonstrating:

He's got one foot on the Pacific Plate and one on the North American Plate. The (left side of the pic) Pacific Plate is moving northwards and the North American Plate is basically standing still, so if he stood here long enough crazy things would happen. We also learned cool things about the different rocks and vegetation on the two plates -- for instance, the Coastal Redwoods that are so abundant in this region? They only grow on the North American Plate where the soil has certain elements they need. And there are some pine trees that only grow on the Pacific side. Verrry interesting, eh?

The hike was a little too easy and slow-paced for Boylee, but we hung in there. After about an hour we detached from the group and returned to our car for the quick ride home. But before that, he had selected two wands for us from the abundance to be found on the forest floor. And at one point when we were walking, the ranger said, "I don't think there are any Dementors out here." A Harry Potter fan! Yay!

Today it was a Canoe!

2011-07-22T16:08:00.000-07:00

I Didn't Have My Camera!

2011-07-21T15:53:00.000-07:00

But I just watched Boylee KAYAK ACROSS THE LAGOON!

Last year he was afraid of the kayaks and only rode in the canoes, with a counselor rowing. And he's expressed nothing but disgust for the kayaks so far this year. So imagine my surprise when I showed up at the dock and found him KAYAKING ACROSS THE LAGOON!

I really wish I had my camera.

Junior Shredder

2011-07-20T17:17:00.000-07:00

Second Session

2011-07-19T17:30:00.000-07:00

Today was the start of the camp's second (and final) session. Boylee had been in group 2 with younger kids, in order to be with his pal, Mark, who is seven. But since Mark's gone, Boylee was going to switch to the age-appropriate group, group 3. However, when we showed up this morning it turned out that group had about ten girls and not a single other boy. I knew Boylee would deal with it, and one of the two counselors was male, but I just made a spur of the moment decision to have him switched to an even older group. So now he's in group 4, with mostly 9-and 10-year-olds. It's still mostly girls, but there are two or three boys.

This sudden switching also meant we had to do some sudden searching for a bicycle for Boylee to use tomorrow: Group 4 is going to a state park for some biking. Luckily we found one.

CONFIDENTIAL TO THE TRANSPORTATION DEPT: Maybe for Chanukah we need a kid-sized family bike to be permanently stationed here in Bolinas. Boylee can use it now and his little cousin can use it when he gets bigger.

We Had to Go Back!

2011-07-17T14:03:00.000-07:00

The Ever-Changing Weather

2011-07-15T15:44:00.000-07:00

This is the weather at the house:

And this is the weather at camp headquarters, 1 mile away:

It was actually drizzling, and all the parents who had come from sunny spots (like me) were underdressed.

Post-Camp Chill-Out

2011-07-14T16:25:00.000-07:00

Today was gorgeously sunny, but also windy. So after tidepooling, visiting a fire station and a gallery, and playing on the beach, including digging a giant hole with his best pal Mark, Boylee was cold. And a little sad -- today was Mark's last day at camp.

Harvest

2011-07-14T15:46:00.000-07:00

We're keeping a careful watch on the blueberries.

My Little Carnivore

2011-07-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

He's been eating a ton of red meat and begging for more!

Totally Fogged In

2011-07-12T17:37:00.000-07:00

There's an ocean out there somewhere.

Fun Every Day

2011-07-12T16:41:00.000-07:00

Today they went to the bird observatory, and did some art and drumming.

House of Air!

2011-07-11T17:41:00.000-07:00

Whoever had the idea for this place was a genius!

What He's Been Doing & Next Week's Highlights

2011-07-09T15:57:00.000-07:00

Some stuff he did this week: art; "soul soup," which was a kind of crazy freeform dancing and drumming; tennis; nature games; capture the flag.

Some stuff coming up next week: a visit to the bird observatory; drumming; art; tide pooling; newt ponds (where he fell in last year!); fire station visit; gallery visit; sandcastles; dress-up; and a visit to a creek.

Then the two weeks after that -- the second session -- Boylee's pal Mark won't be here. Boylee's only a little bummed about that, because he's having such a good time. One effect will be that Boylee will be put in his proper age group then. Right now he's in a younger group because Mark's a little bit younger. But in the older group he'll be able to do archery, which he's been dying to do.

After Camp

2011-07-08T15:52:00.000-07:00

Boylee's friend Mark came home for a playdate with us. In the car, I heard:

Mark: "Do you think you'll ever get married?"

Boylee: "I don't know."

Mark: "I'm not going to get married, ever."

a pause, then

Boylee: "Sometimes it sneaks up on you."

How right he is!

A Dirty Boy is a Happy Boy

2011-07-07T16:10:00.000-07:00

Can you tell that these shorts are absolutely encrusted with sand? That's how Boylee came home from camp today. Apparently traversing the lagoon was a lot more fun than last year (when it was cold and windy) so he really, really got into it. He was so dirty that when I got there to pick him up he just stripped down to his undies (also sand-encrusted) there on the dock and strolled over to the car with no self-consciousness whatsoever.

The upshot of all of this is that he LOVES camp and he LOVES his cute counselor, Audrey, and he LOVES the idea of staying for the second session. So, YAY!

Tomorrow's Camp Plan

2011-07-06T21:52:00.001-07:00

Visiting some goats, drumming, art, and traversing the lagoon at low tide (which he hated last year).

Phew!

2011-07-06T10:02:00.000-07:00

We got to the camp meeting place, and right away Boylee saw some counselors he recognized from last year, including his two counselors, who both gave him a big greeting. His favorite, Ellie, said, "I almost didn't recognize you with your short hair!" So that helped a lot. And then another older boy (older, meaning 8 like Boylee, rather than 7 like Boylee's friend Mark) purposely chose to be in the group with Boylee. That's a younger-skewing group, of mostly 6 and 7s, rather than the group of 8 and 9s. Anyway, it all seems like it's going to be good.

Today's activities: Beach all day, including obstacle course, grid game (?), whiffle ball, body painting (I'm sure Boylee won't do this), sandcastles and swimming (I bet Boylee won't do this either; the ocean is cold here).

I'm going to go for a walk later and Boylee made me promise to come by the beach where they'll be. Last year when I did this he basically ignored me and I hope it's the same this year.

1st Day of Camp

2011-07-06T08:45:00.000-07:00

Okay: Boylee's totally nervous (he cried about it last night), and his one friend isn't going to be there today. Ugh. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Quote of the Morning

2011-07-05T09:02:00.001-07:00

Papa Sid: "I am the battery king."

Boylee: "I don't deny it!"

Happy 4th!

2011-07-04T13:07:00.000-07:00

Another Note

2011-07-02T21:06:00.001-07:00

A Quick Note from Boylee

2011-07-01T08:47:00.000-07:00

New Pants!

2011-06-30T12:28:00.000-07:00

Had to do some quick sewing before we go up north.

First, pants for the 4th of July since Boylee has really outgrown his Obama pants:

And some nice mushroom pants:

I didn't have enough time to finish all my projects, so later this summer I'll make a pair from this dragon fabric:

And this seersucker:

As always, I used this pattern for bandana pants, though I've had to adapt it because Boylee is really too big for bandanas now.

Last Day as a Second Grader!

2011-06-23T07:50:00.000-07:00

Tomato Update

2011-06-19T09:12:00.001-07:00

Well the plant certainly hasn't gotten any worse. The stem isn't affected at all, and the fruit seems to be fine. And the other plant, which is just two feet away (in another pot) isn't affected. So maybe everything's going to be okay?

A Garden Tragedy

2011-06-16T16:54:00.001-07:00

We don't know precisely what it is, but the tomato plants may be doomed.

The Agony and the Ecstasy

2011-06-16T08:03:00.000-07:00

Today we found out all about the next Diary of a Wimpy Kid book. Meaning, the subtitle and the color of the cover:

Boylee has been speculating on the cover color for ages, and he was thrilled to see this image this morning. He was so excited to see it he could hardly stand still! But...then he found out the book doesn't even come out until the middle of November. So tragic!

Books

2011-06-12T13:24:00.000-07:00

Boylee heard a story about how Uncle Jerry would walk to the library every day when he was a kid. He'd borrow a book each day, read it at night, then go back the next day for another. Boylee was eager to show his great-great-uncle that he likes to read just as much, so he posed for a photo:

Camp

2011-06-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

Boylee has zero interest in attending camp this year, which is sort of a bummer because he had such a great time last year. We found this photo on the camp website, which was good -- it started to remind him how much he likes his pal, Mark, who will be there again this year.

One More, Especiallly for Nona

2011-06-07T11:50:00.000-07:00

Just Because I'm in the Mood for a Flashback

2011-06-06T14:18:00.001-07:00

Weekend Flashback

2011-06-05T18:57:00.001-07:00

Was he ever that little? It's so hard to believe.

How did we design our family flag?

2011-05-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

"We took one color from the flags of each of the countries where our family came from: Greece and Scotland (blue), Russia and Poland (red), and Germany (black). My mom and I picked the fabric. I ironed it, and we sewed it together."

Basil Extravaganza

2011-05-29T11:38:00.000-07:00

And that's only half of it.

He Decided To Go Shorter

2011-05-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

My Little Rock Star

2011-05-08T17:13:00.001-07:00

Boylee Had a Sudden Idea...

2011-05-06T20:29:00.000-07:00

(I actually did most of the cutting.)

B-Day Party Highlights

2011-05-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

Boylee finally got his party!

First Tomato of the Season!

2011-05-05T09:35:00.000-07:00