Friday, June 06, 2014

{this moment}

A single photo, capturing a moment from the week.
A special moment. A moment I want to remember.

:: Inspired by Soule Mama ::

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments, for all to find and see.

William, Max, Alex, Maria :: Last night, at the Bird House

Thursday, June 05, 2014

Biomes The Musical

Just two of the stars from the third grade musical production about Biomes. Nathalie is a red-capped mushroom, and Maria is dressed for her Western dance as a leopard gecko! Let's put aside the fact that I am Maria's mom, that I helped make costumes, that I know this class, and am utterly smitten by these sweet children... all that aside, my perfectly unbiased critique of the third grade musical: They were entertaining, polished, charming, fun, and really good. Really. They were good! The only glitch was a technical one... they had to work with just one microphone, but the setback did not trip them up a bit, and everyone danced, sang, and performed beautifully. It was a treat to see how well they responded to their characters, and how earnestly they played their parts. Shucks, if you don't think I can give a fair account, then you should ask William or Alex, Geoff will tell you, and Ruth, Maria's grandmother, would agree, too... it was a hit! Gold Stars and Tonys!

Tuesday, June 03, 2014

Mister Washburn Foo Little Library Cat





Every day this Little Free Library feels more, and more, official. Maria loves being a library steward, and stays on top of labeling new books, and checking to see if books are going out. We put lemons in the attic, and at the base we have a water bowl for the dog walkers. We are eager to have themes, with activities, too... seasonal, holidays, and topical, like gardening, cooking, making! As a matter of fact, a neighbor, and master gardener, has offered to do a composting lesson and demonstration! We are already feeling the community enthusiasm for the library grow!

Geoff and I added the official sign, and of course this gave me a fresh surge of giddiness. Even Mister Foo looks on with eager interest, from his Bird House window perch. And isn't a library more charming with a resident kitty? I do believe so.

I like that this is a dynamic, flexible, enterprise... we have ideas, and hopes, but the best part might be the happy little surprises, and connections we'll make. I've thought quite a bit about how the Bird House Library can serve our neighborhood, the community, but I hadn't begun to realize that we will be part of a greater community... the whole world, in fact! There are almost fifteen thousand other Little Free Libraries out there! Yesterday, Lana, the steward of the Little Free Library #0777, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, reached out to welcome us "into the Little Free Library world of awesomeness!" Their Tusslewood Little Free Library has a blog all its own, and it's full of great links, timely literary news, and great themes. Inspiring stuff, like World Book Day, and Canadian Literary Characters... our own sweet copy of Anne of Green Gables was borrowed on Saturday!

This is fun... opening a library, being stewards, connecting with neighbors, near and far! If you are inspired, intrigued, interested... I whole-heartedly encourage you to look a bit further, maybe just jump in! There are many ways to get involved with Little Free Libraries, and one of them may have you feeling giddy, too!

Monday, June 02, 2014

Five Good Things










Open House! Lately, we had been feverishly counting the days 'til summer break, but ever since open house, Maria's looking beyond summer, and forward to fourth grade! So much inspiring, creative, challenging lessons and activities are in store for her, that she was riveted by, and thrilled to explore every new opportunity and prospect, perhaps even more than sharing her third grade accomplishments. In her classroom I was charmed by her chosen favorite body part, and duly impressed by her explanation of why her brain is her favorite body party. Her paper mâché crocodile is painted, and she had a map of our solar system hanging on the wall. This week we'll see them perform their Biomes Muscical, too.

But as soon as she showed me every wall and project from third grade, we made a bee-line for the three fourth grade classrooms, and her chance to meet the teachers and see what the new year holds. She met three new teachers, learned that California history and Gold Rush activities are fourth grade themes. She loves that she will get to make a model of a California Spanish Mission, like her friend Leo's. Maria has a few friends in the upper grades, and when she is a fourth grader they will share the same lunch and recess schedules... something she's been looking forward to for some time.

More to look forward to: A new Girl Scout Troop is beginning, a ballet folklorico class will start, and she may join a UCSD girl's science program (if she can convince them to accept her "underage" application.) There's still Garden Club, and Foodie Fridays. Let's not forget, maybe trying 4-H, and FLL, and ballet, and of course we need dinner, showers, homework, sleep... ! It might not be possible to keep up with, and follow, every single club and class that captures her imagination, and I'll never suggest she forego one passion for another... but this may require some careful negotiating and balance.

Thankfully, I didn't have to say anything in Maria's defense when she told the university professor, "I love science! And I love art. The science doctorate, there to encourage girls to explore STEM education, looked apologetically appalled by Maria's statement, and hastily said, "Oh-well, art can be okay, too." Maria promptly informed the professor, "Of course it is. I know that." So happy to see that our STEAM interests, and values, have a comfortable, natural place in Maria's brain, and soul! Never leave the Art out of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math!

Good Things...

1. Max's architectural designs will be at the San Diego County Fair.

2. We have tentative plans, forming into something solid, for a summer trip to Oregon!

3. I finished making three polar bear hats, two red capped mushroom hats, and three mushroom tunics for the Biomes Muscical! {Gimme a high five!}

4. We have had fish tacos twice this week, and love the mango salsa I made to go with those. Delicioso!

5. Geoff put a new flushing handle on the guest bathroom toilet. Small change... marvelous improvement!

6. {extra good} My friend, Anna B, sang in a concert... American Music, Iroquois to Woody Guthrie! Gorgeous music and voices.

Please, share some good things, too!