Project Night

Among the many amazing things that happen at Isaiah's school, and more specifically in his class, are project nights. Every six weeks or so the kids (and their amazing teachers) host a unit celebration that showcases the work they've done during each unit. This unit's theme was fairy tales and government. They explored a million and one different fairy tales in a million and one creative ways. They had a visit from Donna Frye in their classroom, they held their own class name election, and they learned about so many different things that were all some way or another tied into the theme of fairy tales and government.

Isaiah decided to do his project on comparing the three houses of the three little pigs. He wrote how-to books about building each house and he actually built a diorama of each house, set them up, and turned on a fan to simulate the big bad wolf's breath! He was so very proud of his work, and I have to say I was thoroughly impressed with how far he has come since the first project time last year. He also played the narrator in one of the student-written plays of the night, which for Isaiah is huge since reading in itself is something he is just starting to love and reading that much to a whole audience of people was definitely something new for him. He was amazing though and I couldn't have been more proud!!

All About My Project: I did this project because I thought a project like this would be interesting because you are comparing houses! I like the straw houses because it's fun to make. I like the stick house because it is hard. I like the brick house because it is safe.

How To Build a House of Straw: First go on a trale and loc around and try to see som straw. and if you see som straw then tack it. So build the house strg or the wolf wel bloe it down.



How To Build a House of Sticks: Go on a tral and pick up sum twigs and mac a house but you have to mac it strog so the wolf wont blow it down. Huf puf.

How To Build a House of Bricks: go to a town and asc for some bricks. asck for some bricks then ask for some morter. Yous the morter to past the bricks and past them together. When you put the bricks together you put them like this. Mack a house out of bricks.

Then, turn on the fan!! I think the only disapointment of the night was that none of the houses actually blew down. The straw house blew off the table, which I think was satisfying enough. But, apparently the pigs didn't use a hot glue gun or, as we discovered, they wouldn't have had so many problems with the big bad wolf!

Here and Now

Things are growing here, in this small little oasis I call my "backyard." It is amazing all of the life that can accumulate in such a tiny space.

Creepy crawly things, fluttering flying things, squirmy squishy things....buzzing things, humming things, clicking and ticking things. I never appreciate fully the life I have to observe, right in front of my eyes, in my little concrete jungle. But it is there, busy and working the whole day, while I ponder my thoughts and sip my tea in a little nook I have created for myself back here.

I have to admit I get lost back here in this little space, my mind wandering through a maze that has no outlet. Pondering and wondering all of the musings of life, all of the what-ifs, all of the could haves and should haves and didn'ts of the day, week, year, life. But something about this constant growing and life swarming in this little space makes me ponder the now more than the before or the after I seem to always dwell on. I can focus here and sit still here....things I can't seem to do anywhere else. In this age of electronic mayhem while we drown in a sea of off and on buttons and instant, immediate gratification that is constantly evolving and taking new, better-than-ever-before form, some things, like this tomato plant for instance, are completely satisfied with the way things have always been.

I think that this is where I find my peace, in knowing this. I find myself constantly seeking something new, something different, something to remind me that there is something else out there than what is here, that there is something else other than this. But this tomato plant, and these amazing tiny creatures that weave their lives before my eyes, they remain indulgent in a simple world that seems to lack this hyperevolution momentum to disregard the now and embrace only what comes next. They seem to know that their existence can be satisified now, here, and they seem to offer no resistance to accepting this. So I think for now, I will enjoy this little space for what it is, here and now.

Beach Bums

Our first trip to the beach to officially kick off summer is planned for tomorrow. I can't wait to soak in the sun, swim in the ocean, take sandy bites of sandwiches, watch little ones chase waves and dig castles, and just enjoy every minute of one of the longest days of the year!!!

Daddy

We love him more than anything. He is the mountain to our landscape, the dragon to our butterfly and centipede, the sky to our dirt road... always loving, always thoughtful, always very, very, very, very patient.

Summer

With summer fast approaching, as with every year, I have a million and one plans for what we want to do and and a million and two ways to avoid doing (or at least delaying/procrastinating/accidentally forgetting about) what we have to do, all before September comes tumbling along. So far, here is the list:


1. Backpacking in the Sierras
2. Road trip up North
3. Beach camping
4. Wild herb/flower harvesting/nature walks
5. Lots of swimming/snorkeling
6. Read lots of books of our own choosing, especially People of Sparks to Isaiah
7. Find a yoga class
8. Puerto Nuevo trip
9. Farmer's markets, farmer's markets, farmer's markets!

one of my favorites- a self-heal flower harvested a few summer's ago


10. Replace windshield and front tires on car
11. CLEAN THE HOUSE (I'm talking closets and everything!)
12. Work, work, work
13. Fix the dishwasher
14. Passports for everyone
15. Organize my life....ha!

Little Dogs

As much of an animal lover as I am and have always been, I have never taken much to little dogs. They seem to have a different energy that's all too unpredictable for me. Simply put, I can't read them. Well, I realized that my aversion to little dogs is not unfounded a few days ago when walking by a cocker spaniel tied up outside it's owners house this happened:

Mind you, this was through a pretty thick pair of pants. I wasn't approaching the dog or paying any attention to it. I thought that since it was tethered in the grass I could just walk by on the sidewalk...in fact, it was the only way to get out of the complex! Apparently, or so I have been told, Cocker Spaniels are responsible for more dog bites than any other breed. I find it ironic that as someone with a pitbull mix, a dog with a vicious reputation (Boss happens to be the sweetest dog EVER) I get attacked by a cocker spaniel....go figure.