Week In Review 8/29/10

Boy have we had a week.  It's been a long time since I've had a fatigue-induced mental breakdown, but I suppose I was due.

Monday we took the kids to the park for one last summer picnic.  We were sick of sandwiches, so we brought Dominos pizza.  That stuff is good.

We played at the park and had a good ol' time.  Then it was home and bed, and our first day of homeschool.

It was hard, people.  Hard.  So much time, so little cooperation from the littles who were not used to being ignored for so long...  Cameron and Ethan were amazing though.  They did beautifully.  

We did our basics; math, reading, (both individual and group), language arts, spelling, penmanship, ...uh...did I get it all?  I don't know.  And then there was our science unit for the week:  insects.  

I jest not - my kids are now bug experts.  We watched DVDs on bugs, or arthropods if you will, we built a bug trap (as depicted below), made construction paper insects and labeled all their parts, sculpted models of insects and spiders out of salt dough and then baked and painted them...  The kids rocked it out.  And when they took their final tests on the unit, they each scored 100% without any help from me.  I was so proud.  

They both know that spiders are not insects, but are members of the arachnid family which is a sub-group of the arthropod species.  They also know that pill bugs and crabs are both crustaceans.  (Hello!  I didn't know that!  Well, I knew that about crabs, but not pill bugs.)  

If you asked them what three characteristics are true of all insects, they could tell you that they are all invertebrates, they all have six legs, and all true insects will have a head, thorax, and abdomen.  Then they could point out those parts to you and tell you how to spell them.

I have no idea how long it will take them to forget all this stuff, but who cares?  We had success on our first week!  Of course, there are a lot of things we need to tweak and perfect, but we'll get there.

Here's the kids' trap.  They dug a hole, and placed four flat-ish rocks around it.  (Flat-ish is a word.)

Then they put a large yogurt tub in the hole, and filled dirt around it to make the top of the cup flush with the earth.

 

Then they put a box on top to keep water out of it, and waited over night.

The next morning, they found that they had captured at least three spiders, eight beetles, several potato bugs (pill bugs to some of you), and one earwig, which was evidently killed by one of its cup mates.  It was hard to document all of this because all the insects and spiders were racing around the cup like crazy trying to stay away from each other and find a way out.  We took video of it, but I hate loading video on this thing, so you're out of luck.  (Or maybe count your blessings cause this post is already really long.)

The boys documented their findings...

...and sketched pictures of all the different kinds of insects they found.

And there you have it - a taste of our first week.  

And finally, Cameron's sunflowers are really super tall now.  He's an excellent gardener, and he didn't get that from me.

Have a happy week, everyone!

Summer Fun

Our summer rocks! Just sayin'.

Mom decided to go to the drive-in for her birthday and see Karate Kid. (Way more awesome than the original, by the way.) The drive-in is one of my favorite places ever. It's just cool.




My mom's a pretty hot 52 year old, huh? And speaking of hot...






Payback. You know what they say.




This is after four sodas, popcorn, licorice, blow pops, skittles and strawberry shortcake. Sugar is bad. But it's fun!




We've spent many a day at Lagoon, too. Buying those season passes was a really, really good idea. Whenever we're bored we just load up the car, drive for five minutes, and ride roller coasters until we puke.

I love Andrew's face in this one.


I love the names of these rides. I wish that was my job - Amusement Park Ride Namer. I would rock it! However, someone is doing a fairly decent job. Above, we have The OdySea, then below are the Jumping Dragon, Turn of the Century, and Tidal Wave - my favorite from my childhood. Hope you and yours are making some awesome memories this summer, too!

Lessons At The Berry Farm

I have fond memories of berry picking with my mom and siblings every summer. We went to blueberry farms and plucked dozens of pounds of fruit from the heavy branches. Those outings were always one of my favorite parts of summer; I felt peaceful and happy.

Yesterday I took my boys plus Bryan to a local farm to pick strawberries in hopes that they would find the same simple joy in filling buckets that I had found in the task when I was young.

It almost went well.



I hadn't really taken into account that I was making this journey on my own with two one-year-olds, one three-year-old, and two school-age kids who were so anxious to fill their containers that they didn't bother to check that the berries were ripe before they plucked them from the vine. Grrr...



Add to that the babies who were stepping on the plants, taking bites out of green strawberries and then throwing them, and Drew who ... well, he pretty much did the same thing as the babes. There wasn't enough of me to keep up with them.



Then the wind kicked in and began to blow dirt into all of our eyes. My contacts were screaming in rebellion, while tears streamed down my cheeks.



I completely lost my cool and was chewing kids out for wandering off, picking unripe berries, and everything in between. I felt really bad for turning our outing into an unpleasant experience, but I decided to just fill the stinking boxes as fast as I could and get everyone back in the car before my eyes turned all that dirt to mud.



The day was not a total loss. I learned to never take toddlers to a u-pick berry farm without reinforcements, stay home if it's windy, and that no amount of squashed fruit or sticky hands is worth me becoming the uptight mom who rains on the parade. The kids still had fun, and we used those berries to make some killer smoothies.

A Little Somethin' For The Kids

A fair amount of my favorite childhood memories took place at this amusement park. Like the time that my cousin, Erin, vomited pink (thanks to the cherry icee) french fries into the bushes. Natalie and I were amazed because the fries were all intact! **Always chew your food. Especially if you're anxious to be flipped upside-down and spun in circles on the next roller coaster.

So, we're taking advantage of living ten minutes from Lagoon and buying the family season passes. It's a luxury we won't likely have again, so why not? And besides, how could you not want to pay good money to see this happen again and again:

Dear Summer,

We so enjoyed your visit with us over the last several weeks. Delightful it was to have your company on our walks to the library, jaunts to the park and lazy afternoons in the backyard. Remember the time we went to the drive-in movies and laughed and talked until it was time to snuggle under blankets and watch the show? You were away when we visited the zoo, but don't feel bad. We still enjoyed our trip there. We took a little break from you last week, too, when we escaped to the movie theater to see Harry Potter. We did a lot of things together this season, but my favorites were the backyard barbecues, July Fourth and the day trips to the lake. Such good memories, and they will linger just long enough to get us through the coming months of snow before your return.

Until then, Cameron will miss you, but is excited to learn cursive and keyboarding. Ethan will remember you fondly until next year, but will muddle through without you as he enjoys eating lunch at school and having three recesses a day. We'll happily welcome you back next June, but wouldn't be offended if you decided to come a little sooner, as you were so late to arrive this year.

Love,
The Kestners

P.S. If we decide to go camping again next time you are here, please don't be so mean!

A Chilly Gloom

There are several things that I love about autumn. I love the clothes. Sweaters and sweatshirts...and this year I might get funky and add some scarves and hats. I love the approaching holidays; candle lit tables and hearty food enjoyed with loved ones. I love the crunch of leaves underfoot and the beautiful colors that explode on trees overnight. I love traditions; carving pumpkins, making pies and sugar cookies. I love curling up on the couch with a cup of cocoa and a good book.

But when I woke up this morning at 5:45 and it was still dark outside, I felt a little melancholy. Summer is coming to a rapid end, and I feel sad! I am going to miss Cameron and Ethan when they are gone all day, and I think maybe I'm feeling a little bit of Cameron's sorrow for the rapid loss of freedom he's experiencing. Soon it will be books and homework, getting up early and going to bed on time. No more late nights playing basketball with Dad at church or watching Hitchcock movies until midnight. (The boys do so love "Rear Window" and "The Birds".) I want to feel happy to welcome fall. I want my heart to swoon over it's promise. But today I just feel very "blah" about the whole thing.

Absolute, complete brain spewings.

I happen to be so flat-chested that I have to wear enormous padded bras so as to not be confused for a man. (Or a Russian man on the days that I also neglect to put on make-up.) Therefore, my sons think that a bra and boobs are one and the same. They saw one of my unnatural contraptions atop the laundry pile tonight, and, having forgotten that I was in the room, giggled to themselves and said that I should be embarrassed to have it lying there in the open. Then they discussed what it would be like if "boys wore boobs too". It was an enlightening conversation to eavesdrop on. One day, they are going to be very surprised when they learn the whole truth about breasts.

On to the next item...

Today, after I had cleaned up vomit and a bowl of spilled egg whites, (thank you, Bryan and Drew), I heard Drew calling to be let out of the bathroom. I had no idea he was in the bathroom, but being stuck inside could only mean that he had something slippery on his hands preventing him from properly turning the doorknob. Not good. Sure enough, we found this:



He had found the toothpaste, confused it with hair gel, and applied it liberally to his sun-bleached locks.
Four things:
1. His head smelled really good.
2. Toothpaste actually held his hair in place far better than most gels I've tried.
3. Toothpaste foams up quite a bit more than shampoo when rubbed through the scalp.
4. The above incident prompted hair cuts for all three of my oldest boys today. Never one of their most favorite activities.


And finally, there are only six more days until school resumes, and I have very mixed emotions about it. I feel as though summer has slipped through our fingers. It's gone too fast. On the other hand, the boys need to re-shape their brains into something with substance, as, currently, their brains have turned into a soupy mush. I almost envy their new beginnings. I always loved the start of a new school year with fresh, unscathed notebooks, shiny binders and new pencils waiting to be shaved into perfect, pointy tips. I still have a love-affair with office supplies. Staples is one of my favorite stores. That and tire stores. They both have lovely smells.

And now I must quit before I become even more pointlessly obnoxious.

Camping Part Three: Just like an OREO, all the good stuff is in the middle.

In case you were wondering if we had any fun at all while camping, the answer is YES! I got to sit in the sun and bask in it's warm rays while writing about nothing and listening to birds sing and my children play in the forest. Andrew cooked breakfast every morning. We fell asleep to the sound of rain sometimes and the sound of the river others. Cameron demonstrated what a hard worker he can be. Ethan and Cameron both learned the art of the perfectly roasted marshmallow. There were three days without television or video games, and what's better than that - no one asked to watch TV or play video games. Drew discovered a love for cooking. I got to cook over a fire. Andrew got to fish with his boys. We spent time together as a family, and we created memories. Ain't nothin' better.


The result of rubbing two sticks together for a long, long time.


Domestic or manly? One and the same?


Kellie and Bryan trying to keep warm.


Another one of those looks that has "guilty" written all over it.


Cameron has reached the age where we can teach him the value of caffeine in the morning.


Andrew made us eat his version of Slop, and you'd be surprised which kid spit it out.


Matt, saving some for later.


drew and I just before the heavens opened up.


Only part of the Smores that Trent was lucky enough to get.


Mmmmm......


Camping is hard work!


Ethan, Papa and Cameron. Love it.


Once again, Trent worked too hard.


Drew loving up his foil dinner.


Dad and Mom trying out the "truck bed tent".


Dad and Andrew being manly, cutting firewood.


Cameron and Ethan helping to find logs to cut.


Ethan keeping Boomer company.


This was before cutting wood, but the warm sun can make one sleepy...


Drew was on dinner prep duty.


Once again, a giant, prize-winning fish. Pretty color though.


Ethan making like a deer - frolicking and bounding through the meadow.