The Hot and Cold of the World

This is our 4 year old Peter retreiving what was left of yesterday's paper from the back seat of our car.  He spotted it just as we were pulling away for a birthday party yesterday and said "Oh look there's the Wall Street Journal - daddy left it" and then hopped out and quickly grabbed it.  Upon buckling back into his booster seat he asked, "please mom, can I open it?  I really want to see the hot and the cold of the world".
 

"Go ahead", I answered hoping his curiosity wouldn't lead to some of the "hot and cold" issues of the world that I am still trying to process myself.  But as it turns out he was just interested in temperatures and then read off the high and lows from Mexico to Iraq.  He expressed specific concern about some heavy rains headed towards Shanghai and said "boy, I'm glad we don't live there".

I was able to glance through the paper a bit this morning and thought how great it is to be a child when your biggest worries are the weather and whether or not it is too wet to play outside. 

As for kids reading the paper, there's really no avoiding it in our home as you can see in these other really funny pictures.  

Late Crops

I was feeling pretty disappointed about my garden during the early weeks of August. It seemed everyone in the blogging world was photographing their beautiful produce along with delicious meals they made from it all. At that point all that was surviving in our garden were a few lame plants without much yield besides my asian eggplant - I was still having to buy my tomatoes at the grocery store.  I was feeling jealous and labeled my garden post under 'flops'.

But then we set off on our road trip and my mom kindly checked on and watered our garden a few times.  By the time we came back we had a whole grocery bag of tomatoes - and they still keep coming.  We especially love the little yellow pear tomatoes and I often catch the little girls picking them and eating them as fast as they would popcorn. So it was worth the work and the wait.


We also have two watermelons, several armenian cucumbers, a few yellow peppers, and still more asian eggplant waiting to be picked and consumed. Pictured here is Maryanna just before dinner gathering a few little add ons for our salad.  I'm glad I didn't give up on it and kept watering and weeding it despite my uncertainty.

Henry B. Eyring gave a great talk at BYU several years ago.  Paul read it to me just shortly after our little Henry was born and I have found myself reflecting upon it again and again during this home gardening process as well as during my time caring for my children and home schooling.  

Husbands, wives, parents, and even children are familiar with deciding, "Shall I keep giving when I'm getting so little?" Families may be the best place to find out how the world feels about working and waiting for late crops. Families require some of the toughest investment decisions of all.....Men and women working outside the home deal mostly with early crops and with the law of diminishing returns. In the home, they spend far more on late crops and the law of increasing returns. It's important to remember that

So at the end of the day (and in the middle of the night) when I feel like I'm going to collapse I will picture my juicy little yellow tomatoes and remind myself the time spent home with my 'late crops', my children, will have its return and even more than I already receive.  I know it will be so worth the work and sacrifice.       

P.S. that skirt Maryanna pulled on over her jeans was not a part of the "the Big Switch" but pulled out of the dress-up closet

Homeschool fundraiser

The idea came to me just after a neighbor came by with a fundraiser catalog for the neighborhood school. I was happy to support their school and also pick out some peppermint bark and gourmet popcorn for our family to enjoy. But why not do our own 'school' fundraiser? The boys have been begging for Mindstorm Lego's for over a year so an opportunity for them to raise some money is just what they need to get their wish.

Paul was quite amused and somewhat impressed as he over heard us discussing possible business plans. Jokingly he asked me if that's what we learned about at our Wharton kids club several years ago. But I answered other than a bake sale it was just outings and holiday parties there. I reminded him of the entrepreneur course I took over 10 years ago but then argued that my real business knowledge comes not from a class but from all my great consumer experience. We offered him a position as a consultant and it was decided that our best product was homemade bagels.  It was also worked out that our consultant would receive payment in bagels.

So begins our integrated home school project. It has been so much fun I don't know why we haven't attempted this before.  Here's what everyone is learning:

Business and Marketing - how to write and execute a business plan

Math- accounting, and how to weigh flour and measure water

Computer- how to use Adobe to design a flyer

Social Skills- how to approach neighbors and take orders 

Cooking Skills- how to make the bagels

Physical Skills- riding bikes to deliver the bagels

Community Awareness- donating a portion of the proceeds to the local food bank

We've received 4 orders for tomorrow morning but have capacity for 4 more.  We are hoping to not only raise up enough money for Mindstorms but also use up a portion of the 150 lbs of bread flour in our food storage befor we move.  

The Big Switch

So far no bites on our house - it will sell when it sells.  So I've decided  it's time for me to stop tip toeing around and just live like I normally would.  Which means completing what we call "the big switch". 

 

This is an event that takes place twice a year, once in the Fall and once in the Spring.  It is a time we celebrate both changing seasons and growing children.    It is time for me to economize and reorganize all that is stored in our closets.  The whole process takes about 3 days to complete.

To begin with, I focus on one child at a time and pull out everything that they already have (which means it should all be washed) and their own personal "shopping bin".  The shopping bin is a concept I came up with after much frustration in trying to store hand-me-downs according to size and season - that was too many bins and too much work.  Now each child has one very large bin full of items handed down from siblings and cousins as well as things picked up at garage sales and clearance racks.  When they are in need of something new we "shop" the bin before shopping anywhere else.  So during the few days "the big switch" takes place there are clothes, bins and piles everywhere!

It is important to have good bribes on hand, especially for boys, otherwise the simple act of trying on clothes will set you back several hours.  I'm not a big candy gal but I'd be sure to slip them a few M&M's or chocolate chips just to keep the process going.  Another help is some sort of inventory or shopping list like this one that Marie Ricks has created.

I continue by going  through the old season's clothes making piles labeled:  still good for this season, hand-me-down,  good enough to donate, and totally worn out/trash.  The hand-me-downs go immediately in the younger sibling's bin and then its time to try on what has been saved especially for them in their own "shopping bin".  We make a pile of what works and they are willing to wear (even boys have opinions about clothes).  Then we lay all the items out and match them up into outfits as pictured above.  I make note of where there may be missing pieces and make a sort of "grocery list" for clothes.  The outfits are then rolled into pillows as also shown above.

  

Rolling the outfits into pillows is a huge time saver for dressing Clara and Henry and is also a good way to keep dressing simple for William and Peter.  James and Maryanna on the other hand  prefer their clothes unrolled - they demand more freedom in their dressing.  For these two it is especially important that #1 the clothes fit well and #2 they all coordinate. Otherwise........well, remember this and this?

Now I don't know what the magic number is for how many outfits are needed.  It depends on the individual but we are averaging 10 weekday outfits and 3 church outfits per child.  This system has really kept my shopping in check and also gives me an opportunity to focus on sewing only what we really need.    Still, I wish I could simplify it more as I feel we have excessive amounts of clothes but maybe that's just me thinking after a 6 load laundry day. 

But more than anything, I still can't believe how fast my babies are growing.  Nostalgia is sure to slow me down a bit as I pull out and put away clothes that my biggest of babies once wore.  My eyes tear up as I fold their old grubby T-shirts and to make it worse, I let this song run through my head from Charlotte's web.  So there you have it Mary, this post was especially for you.  Who knew clothes could make us think so hard, may we someday come to balance our practical, economical, stylish, and sentimental selves.

How very special are we
For just a moment to be
Part of life’s eternal rhyme
How very special are we
To have on our family tree
Mother Earth and Father Time
He turns the seasons around
And so she changes her gown
But they always look in their prime
They go on dancing their dance
Of every lasting romance
Mother Earth and Father Time
The summer larks return to sing
Oh what a gift they give
Then autumn days grow short and cold
Oh what a joy to live
How very special are we
For just a moment to be
Part of life’s eternal rhyme
How very special are we
To have on our family tree
Mother Earth and Father Time

Wordful Wednesday: This is Me

This is me….

Wishing Paul was with me
In the pool to help hold some kids
Finding an excuse to call
Even just his voice makes me happy

Mother of six
Off on adventure
Trying to do it all
Happy
Even though I
Rarely have a minute of my own

Don’t know how my mom did it
All 17 of her children wonder
Understand now why you did
Greatest lessons I learned right in our
Home
To love and to give to
Everyone around
Receiving more in return

So much to share
I still feel I’m 16
So much to learn
Too much too say
Energy boosts and
Rambling thoughts

May I live to become
Even more than I am

More Wordful Wednesday here- join the fun!

p.s. this was a self timer picture - that was me on my own last week in St. George

Sewing Boy Clothes

It is hard to come up with practical sewing projects for older boys but here are a few that I completed in St. George. 

William is wearing a Mario Bros. T-shirt purchased for .50 at a garage sale.  Originally it was a men's XL shirt but I sized it down.  He really is not in need of any clothes since James' hand-me-downs still have a lot of wear left in them but this shirt was too much fun to pass up and it fit his personality.  

Peter on the other hand is in need of a bit more clothes as few items actually make it down a 4th time (from cousins-James-William-then completely worn out).  So he is wearing a long sleeve hooded T made from  3 old Old Navy t-shirts.  The pattern is from one of my favorite Japanese sewing books and the only change I made was adding the pocket.  After listening to the first three Harry Potter books in the car on our long trips Peter decided it is his invisibility shirt and when he puts the hood on he is invisible.  So you really aren't suppose to see him in this picture.  This shirt we hope will last many good wears (and magical adventures) then be saved for Henry. 

 

James's shirt was actually purchased at Urban Outfitters in Seattle - I couldn't resist.  To him the periodic table is just as cool as Mario Bros. and Harry Potter.  It is a men's Small but I didn't want to resize it because the boy is growing so quickly.  Instead I sewed him some U of M jammies out of the same Burda pattern (sized 3-15) that I've been using since he was 2.  This time I made the size 11 - I can't believe it! I doubt he'll let me post a picture of himself in them and I'm starting to wonder if he'll out grow wearing homemade jammies before he out grows the pattern.  I'll be on the look out for some periodic table fabric for his next pair - you know just to keep them "cool".

  

So jammies, T-shirts, and Halloween costumes are my sewing for boys specialty.  Any other ideas of what to sew for boys?

On the road again

The kids and I spent the week at Becca's St. George house.  I thought I was done with traveling for awhile until my recovery day from our last trip was interrupted by a perspective buyer.  With only a few hours notice I had weeds to pull,  suitcases to put away, and piles of laundry to finish or hide.  Of course then I would have to  clean up every mess the kids managed to make while I was busy with everything else.  It would have all been completed if the realtor hadn't shown up early.  To make things worse, Maryanna had stumbled out of her nap in a sleepy stupor and peed on the carpet just as I heard the door unlock and the realtor announce "Hello". With the soaked towel in my hand I greeted both her and the client at the front door and apologized for not clearing out of the house.  I also apologized for the dishes in the sink, the suitcases in the front hall, and piles of crumbs waiting to be swept up.  What I didn't apologize was the smell coming from the bathroom as one of the boys came running out.  The two babies were still napping so I told them to go ahead quietly and I scurried out of their way hoping they could at least enjoy a bit of our home's inner beauty.   So that's why we're here.  Instead of putting the suitcases away I just packed them up again with the clothes that popped fresh out of the dryer.  

This week has been a lot more relaxed than last week's road trip.  We have just been swimming everyday with a couple of hours of nap/quiet reading time during peak sun hours.  During this time I actually got a bit of sewing and pattern drafting done but I'll post about that later.

Paul met up with us for the weekend which was a relief to me - its hard to watch and care for all the kids in and around the pool.  Then today we took the opportunity to drive through Snow Canyon and enjoyed a little walk through the sand dunes there.  The kids, still in their church clothes, were a bit reluctant to roll down them so we sat and buried our feet and watched the long shadows move as the sun set behind us.  Paul noted that the sand felt like sugar and Maryanna immediately decided to taste a mouthful.  The poor little girl has been spitting ever since.  I meanwhile am thinking I'm glad I have not yet cleaned the car since our first trip to Bear Lake....oh what a mix of sand, crumbs, and memories those back seats are collecting.

Traveling in Style

For those of you who may be wondering what it may be like to experience a 3,200 mile road trip with 6 young kids........

  

Nature, enough to remind Peter that he could use his own little "nature walk"

 Many Family photo opts - oops!

On-the-go changing table and a dashboard full of useful items

  A very experienced trail guide

  20 ft. Yurt, yes-electricity, no-plumbing

 Kid friendly shopping

Entertaining hosts

Rural roadside fruit stands and U-pick farms

Artwork and Authors

William has really enjoyed my old Ed Emberley finger print book. I especially love the picture he created of our whole family, so much so that it is my new title image. I also like these ostriches.

When I was William's age Ed Emberley visited our school. We still have the personalized book he signed for our family. Other authors that visited with us included Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, and Steven Kellogg. I didn't realize how cool that was until I was an adult and starting reading their books with my own kids.

Paul and Caryn just reminded me of two more, Marc Brown (Arthur) and Alfred Slote.

Back to School Unschool

We just got in from our trip and after all the kids were unloaded and tucked in bed I had a chance to catch up on everyone's blogs. So in the spirit in back to school posts I thought I'd share this picture along with a few thoughts.

Here are my boys on the day that should have been their first day of school. Instead of fresh socks and white sneakers, they are barefoot and unbathed, sporting their grubby summer clothes exploring tidepools on a near deserted beach. They found a few starfish, sea anome, dead crabs, clams, and sand dollars. William was breathless with excitement as he hopped around the rocks, he said it was the coolest beach ever and even better than the aquarium. He later wrote about it in his daily log and drew pictures of some of the things he saw.

James was also impressed with the ocean life but what excited him most was the road atlas and frequently requested that I pass it back to him. He was so excited about geography that on the Cape Flattery Trail he was a bit pushy in hopes of being the Northwestern most member of our family.

We also unknowingly followed quite a bit of the Lewis and Clark trail but it wasn't until towards the end of our trip that the kids asked, "Who was Lewis and Clark anyways"? Paul gave me a very funny look as I fumbled and then admitted that I needed to review those details of history. Thank goodness for information plaques though. We pulled over in Salmon Idaho after passing a historical marker that read "Birth place of Sacagawea" and it was there that we had a short American History lesson. On our way back to the car James told me he was really interested in geography and asked if that's what I could teach him this year. I then explained that he could learn whatever he wanted to not because I was a good teacher but because he was a good learner. I simply supply the tools and opportunity. James insightfully said, "so that's why you think homeschool is a good idea". The rest of the trip we could barely get the atlas back from him and he continued to surprise us with all sorts of information like which cities we passed through that were county seats. I asked him "what is a county seat anyways"? and it was my turn to learn.

Family Roadtrip 2008

It has been several days, a few thousand miles, and countless roadside potty breaks since I last checked in here. In hopes for an interested buyer, we left the house clean behind us and took off on an adventure once again. I'm sorry I can't report on a very clean car though as we have been thoroughly exploring and enjoying the Pacific Northwest. There are too many pictures, thoughts and experiences to share but I hope to add a few more throughout next week. Pictured here is Paul and a few kids exploring Ho Buck beach on the Makah Indian reservation in WA.