Lucas really wanted to send out paper invitations this year. It was a big project for him. They turned out nicely, I think!
but I don’t get why when I make this picture bigger, the detail is lost. The original image is huge and crystal clear!
I just spent the last half-hour TEACHING LUCAS how to clean the bathroom. One of two new jobs that he gets now that he’s turning 7.
Oh YEAH.
Asher has a favorite color, it seems: yellow, pronounced “LELL-oh.” The other colors he seems to like best are pink and purple.
Asher has become attached to a yellow sponge—the kind you would clean your kitchen with. Weird.
Asher’s favorite animal seems to be the hippopotamus. “HEEP-ohs!”
Asher has become very interested in tools! Just like baby Lucas was.
Asher gets very aggravated if Lucas touches mommy’s “milks.” Asher gets very aggravated at Lucas pretty frequently, like when Lucas touches his yellow sponge. “NO PLAY MY YELLOW SPONGE, LUCAS!”
Asher is trying with all his might to control the whole universe. He would especially like to control me utterly. His tantrums now include ear-splitting shrieks at pitches high enough to make your eyes bleed. He has not yet concluded that these displays are a waste of time, despite that he gets no attention for them, nor whatever he is shrieking for. I have to commend his persistence. The Force is strong with this one.
For example: The other day he threw a full-blown tantrum because I wouldn’t give him a chocolate bar. Ya just gotta laugh when he dashes his body to the floor (in slo-mo) and beats the ground with his fists.
Another example: A few weeks ago I had some shopping to do at Target and Asher wanted to walk instead of ride in the shopping cart. I bullied him into the cart anyway and he screamed his way through Target for 20 minutes or so. People stopped and stared at us. I put on my most gracious and serene face and smiled at all of them.
“Hello. Isn’t this beautiful weather we’re having?” I asked them.
“What a lovely color that is on you!” I said.
“Oh this Tazmanian Devil here? Why, yes. He’s 2.” I placidly replied.
Suck it up, Target shoppers. I am not embarrassed.
Or, Lucas is a lucky kid.
Here are the summertime programs we’re considering for Lucas. Makes me want to be 7 years old again! We definitely won’t do all of these because all together they cost a bomb, but I’ll do my best to keep him busy as much as possible with fun activities. I already signed him up for Gizmo’s Robot Factory!
Effie Yeaw Nature Detectives: This is a morning only camp, running for several weeks during the summer. Lucas liked this last summer and wanted to do more.
Nature Detectives (for children entering 1st or 2nd grade)
Water Works June 15 – 19 or July 20 – 24 or Aug. 3 – 7 Time: 9 AM – 12 Noon
Explore wet and wild aquatic habitats. What animals might live in or around a smooth silvery pond, a quietly flowing creek or the cool blue American River? Come aboard for fun hikes, super stories and exciting games. Create a painting of a watery world to bring home and look for rainbows in a sparkling spray of water.
Drawing From Nature June 15 – 19 or July 6 – 10 or July 27 – 31 Time: 9 AM – 12 Noon
Find your own rhythm as you study nature’s intricate designs. Capture on paper the subtle greens and browns of a magnificent oak with its lacy leaves and gnarly rough bark. Use your scientific and artistic observation skills to explore form, function and design in nature’s variety of shapes. Capture your impressions in your handmade nature journal, filling it with your own drawings, paintings and writings.
Digging Deeper June 8 – 12 or June 29 – July 3 or Aug. 10 – 14 Time: 9 AM – 12 Noon
Dig in and explore our Earth from the clouds above its surface to the core where molten minerals swirl and rocks are born. Through fun activities, games and crafts connect the many ways that soil, water, air, animals and plants interact to sustain life. Discover for yourself the way the Earth works.
Scat, Tracks & Signs June 22 – 26 or July 13 – 17 or Aug. 3 – 7 Time: 9 AM – 12 Noon
Are you crazy for critters? Come along as we explore the Nature Area trails for animal activity. Use binoculars to bring nature closer and record what you see in your notebook. Play games, create critter crafts, and meet a few of the animals that make the Effie Yeaw Nature Center their home. Make tracks to this great class.
Ellen Springwind Art Camp: (Waldorf-oriented) He did two weeks of this last year and really loved it. It’s a morning-only camp 9 am to 12:30, I think. $180
I. June 22-27 Clay with Stories from Africa
II. June 29-July 3 Native American Crafts, Village Building, & Legends
III. July 6-10 Mask making with Myths from Africa, Greece, & China
IV. July 13-17 Collage & Drawing with Stories from South America, Australia
V. July 20-24 Wet-on-Wet Watercolors with Stories from Around the World
VI. July 27-31 Bookmaking & Printmaking with Stories from Europe
Science Camp: (pricey @ $287 per week) I would like to sign him up for two weeks of this four-week camp, but I’m not sure if I can. One is called Gizmo’s Robot Factory. The kids do robotics stuff all week 9 to 3:30. The other is a week of Space and Rocketry study and experiments. www.scienceadventures.com
Gizmo’s Robot Factory (July 20-24)
Discover the world of robotics! During the week, campers will learn all about what makes a robot tick through several hands-on lessons!
Robots Extreme Machines: Campers will design their very own robot and learn that all machines are made from only six simple machines!
Robo-Boost: Ready, set, charge! All robots need is power! Campers will add batteries to their robots while exploring electricity and circuits.
Robo-Frame: Campers build the body of their robots as they learn how frames provide support and strength to the structures around us.
Robo-Balance: Don’t let gravity get you down! To be truly independent, robots need to be able to move. Campers discover how complicated walking can be and add the legs to their robot.
Electric Motors: Campers learn how motors work as they use their imagination along with electricity to create their own motorized invention!
Pneumatics: get ready for a moving experience as campers turn energy into motion! Children learn how robots use pneumatics and hydraulics to convert one type of energy into another!
Robo-Grippers: Campers get a real grip on robots as they learn how they use grippers to manipulate their environment. Then they construct their own gripping device and test them on different objects.
By the end of Gizmo’s Robot factory, your child will be an expert in everything robotic!
Space and Rocketry (Aug 3-8)
Blast off from planet Earth to explore the farthest reaches of the universe by launching your very own rocket! During the week, campers will build their very own rocket and mars rover!
Rocket Fins: The High Flyer flies at over 70 miles per hour, how does it keep going straight? Campers investigate how fins stabilize a rocket in mid-flight.
Parachutes: What goes up, must come down! Campers explore air resistance and experiment with parachutes before attaching a streamer and fins to their model rocket.
Recovery System: Parachutes are crucial to a safe landing, but how is the parachute deployed at just the right time? Campers learn about air pressure while testing spud rockets!
Launch!: It’s time for liftoff! On launch day, campers put their rocket knowledge to the test and launch their High Flyer Rockets! These rockets can exceed speeds of 70mph and climb up to 300 ft!
Surface Science: Going to Mars is awesome, but the science instruments we take there are what help us uncover its secrets. Campers build an anemometer for their rover and use it to investigate wind speeds at the site.
Wheels on Mars: Only since 1997 have robots on Mars had the mobility to traverse its surface. Campers place 6 wheels on their rovers and discover the role mobility plays in exploring Mars.
Red Planet Rover: Campers complete their rover and carefully plan a traverse of the surface. What discoveries might a robot make as it drives slowly across the plains?
At the end of Space and Rocketry, your child will be transformed into an expert astronaut
Camp Fair Oaks: This is a Recreation and Park District camp. I like the price at $125 per week. 9-4 pm. They have different themed weeks. This camp goes for 10 weeks during the summer, so I might fill in with a week here or there, in between other things.
Next Stop … Funville: Bouncetown/Pool
Game On!: Sunrise Fun Center/Pool
The Bone Zone: Discovery Museum/Pool
Stars & Stripes: Sunsplash
Animal Kingdom: Folsom Zoo/Pool
Strike Out: Strikes Bowling/Pool
Funology: Adventureland/Pool
Now Starring…: Movies/Pool
Splashtacular: Marine World(optional)**/Pool
Bounce Out: Carnival Party/Pool
Sacramento Theatre Company Summer Camp Act, Dance, Sing!: This sounds awesome, but Lucas is lukewarm on this one. It’s a two-week camp 9 to 2 pm with aftercare available. June 29-July 10. $450 for two weeks.
CSU Aquatic Center Guppy Camp: Offered for 11 weeks, this one sounds awesome too, but is very pricey at $290 per week. 9-4 pm. They do sailing, windsurfing, canoeing, kayaking, and boating safety. We might do this during the dog days of August. It’s the only offering that extends into late August.
Sailing
Skimming effortlessly across the water in an afternoon breeze is an enjoyable sensation that is
becoming more and more popular every year. Each student will learn the principles of sailing,
water safety, sailing knots and how to operate their sailboat.
Windsurfing
This thrilling sport is rapidly becoming one of the most popular aquatic sports today. Students
will be applying their acquired skills along with windsurfing fundamentals toward practical experience on the water. Water play and games are a big part of the windsurfing day.
Canoeing
This day of camp will give students the skills needed to navigate a canoe across the lake safely and effectively. We will teach: paddling, strokes, balance, safety and rescue. The serenity of Lake Natoma provides an excellent setting for this enjoyable sport.
Kayaking
Kayaking is one of the fastest growing sports! This day exposes campers to the fundamentals of flat-water kayaking with adventures to Blackberry Island or The Camp “Prison.” Maneuvering these little boats is a real challenge and a lot of fun. This sport is very popular with our campers.
Lucas, Asher and I put some plants in the ground late yesterday afternoon. We were pleasantly surprised to find Farmer Steve selling biodynamically, organically correct tomato plants at school during pickup. I bought three tomato plants for $3; two are Brandywines and the other’s name I don’t remember. We stuck them into the spots where we’ve been growing Sungolds successfully for the past two years.
I also planted a Euonymus Silver King and a Raphiolepsis Indica Rosea ("Pink Lady"). I have one more each of these to plant. I also have charming mandevilla that has been waiting an excruciating length of time to go into the ground (a gift from NoNo), and a Hot Cocoa rose to plant. Yesterday, our new Purple Robe Locust tree was delivered; I’ll definitely need Ian’s help with that one. I cannot lift the pot myself. Finally, we have three little sunflowers that my brother grew from seed. They are getting spindly from stretching to reach the window.
I am looking forward to a lot of work and party stuff being done and out of the way because I can’t put in our vegetable garden until then.
Sacramento Waldorf School recently conducted a parent survey to find out what the community thinks about the school, its strengths, weaknesses, and challenges. I suppose this sort of thing is probably done in other schools, but I don’t remember it happening when I was attending public school. Perhaps that’s just because I was a kid way back then. What I like about this is the sense that they care what parents, teachers, students, and community members think, and are working toward improving in many areas. And yes, I participated in the survey.
"The findings of the 2009 Parent Survey are now posted on our website; please click on this link http://sacwaldorf.org/pdf/2009-survey-results.pdf to access report. There will be a roundtable discussion of the survey and its findings on Monday, May 11 at 7:30 p.m.; room location to be later announced. Thank you so much to the many, many parents participated in this process. Your efforts are very much appreciated."
The boys and I went to Capital Nursery today after school. We went to buy a tree to replace the one in our front yard that split in a huge windstorm a while back. I loved that tree and was really sorry it shredded down to nothing like that. I cried over the loss of that tree. So today we picked the same kind: Purple Robe Locust. It has small leaves and huge purple flower clusters, a bit like wisteria, or snapdragons upside-down and on steroids. These clumpy blossoms cover the tree in April and the fat black bees love them—the one who absolutely look like they should not be able to fly. A bonus is that the tree grows quite fast.
The boys enjoyed roaming around the nursery, especially Asher, who relishes any chance to walk wherever he wishes, without cautionary or controlling hands directing his path and keeping him from squishing or being squished by the things and people around him.
The tree we bought is as big as we could get—far too big for the back of my CRV. So it will be delivered tomorrow. Not exactly perfect for celebrating Earth Day, but pretty good if you take a broader, Earth Week, sort of perspective.
This post’s photo from early April is my dogwood tree that’s growing in front of my kitchen window. The flowers here are just opening, still greenish and stiff. The tree was really beautiful in bloom this year, really for the first time. In past years I’ve had so few blooms—only six one year. I think perhaps it’s finally reached a maturity, so that it knows what to do in spring. These blossoms unfolded into drapey white flowers, about two inches across.
Thank you, Mother Earth.
p.s. I like this photo because it looks rather like a painting to me.
Lucas’s birthday wish list is expanding slowly, which kind of surprises me. I thought he would come up with a hundred things last December. Instead, he seems to be thinking hard about what he really wants and dropping hints.
Here is the list so far:
French horn? Seriously?
I fear we’ll have to leave the French horn and skateboard for another time. My plan for many months has been to buy a big stand-alone basketball hoop and a ball, for hours and hours of summertime OUTSIDE fun. Roller skates aren’t a bad idea, though. Guess I’d better go shopping.
