Election Day

Today was election day. I am sorry to admit that I was an irresponsible citizen and did not go and vote in my local elections. But I would like someone to explain to me whose idea it was for the kids to have the day off for election day. Is that supposed to make it easier for me to vote?

Um...no. It does not.

We spent the morning waiting for a service to come and clean our carpets. I will not name names, but I was not happy when they did not arrive within their allocated 4 hour time window. So I told them to forget about it. I was tired of waiting and it was noon and we were all still in our jammies.

Spending the day in our jammies isn't a bad thing. We are big fans actually.

But today seemed like a doing day. Except that it turned out not to be.

We started out by not having our carpets cleaned. Progressed to not going out for lunch. Not going to order the cake for Sprout's birthday. Not picking up the movie for the same party. Not getting the gifts for her class. Not really going anywhere beyond our cul-de-sac.

Inspired by my burning desire to get the candy OUT OF THE HOUSE, we did try this science experiment. We used Skittles. We dipped each Skittle in water and drew a line across a strip of coffee filter with the melty color.

The wetness of the Skittles in no way dissuaded my children from eating them. So, the whole idea of this activity as an alternative to eating the candy was a bust. Should have dipped them in spinach. They wouldn't have eaten them then!

Anyway, then we stuck the striped pieces of coffee filter into plastic cups with a little water in the bottom. The bottoms of the strips were in the water, but the stripes were above water.

The idea here is that as the water is sucked up into the coffee filter strip it causes the colors to separate out into the individual dyes used. Unfortunately, this process was not at all exciting to watch. Slow. Watching water seep. Boring.

We went outside to play, and when we came back a while later, the strips looked like this.

The top one was yellow - which stayed yellow.

The next one was green - which separated into blue and yellow. Cool!

The next one was purple - which separated into blue and red. Also cool!

The other ones were orange and red - they didn't do much.

The kids looked at these and said, "Hmmm. Cool." and then went to watch some SpongeBob. So I can't say this was a huge success. But it was sciencey. And we tried.

As I said, while we were waiting for our colors to separate, we went outside to play. Both kids started to ride bikes and scooters, but then Tater found his kite in the garage and asked if it was windy enough. It didn't seem like it was, but we decided to give it a shot anyway.

He was so excited he never stopped to take his helmet off.

First we had to get out the kites. We have four. We have never successfully flown any of them.


Then the launch. Run Tater...Run!

Sprout decided to just watch...and strategize.


OK. Maybe just a little more running...


Maybe uphill would work better...

Uh oh...wipeout...

Take a little break...relax...rewind...

Then run some more...

That boy ran and ran and ran...and the kite never quite took off. But he was smiling and laughing and having a great time.

Then his big sister asked if she could try. And up it went.


And he wasn't even mad. They were both so delighted to see a kite IN THE SKY that for a moment there was no competition. No "it's not fair!"

She even let him hold the string.
It was a beautiful moment.

I guess it was OK that they stayed home. Even if I didn't get to put my vote in for Registrar of Wills.

Whatever that is.

The Fort

OK. First things first. When I went to log in here to put up this post I blanked on the name of the site where I write it. Dooger and Booger went through my head before I finally pulled Blogger out of the mist.

I think that this means either a) it's been too long since my last post and/or b) I am losing brain cells at an alarming rate.

But my encroaching senility aside (because I am told that sometimes it isn't ALL about me), what I really wanted to share with you is the result of about 10 hours of outdoor, independent play.

My kids, without me, outside, playing with other children, building stuff.

Not entirely without me, of course, I hovered around. I eavesdropped from my yard on the pretense of digging out bushes (which was, by the way, a lot of physical labor to have an excuse to be around without explicitly being around).

It all started sometime Friday afternoon. Progressed to Saturday afternoon. And culminated in 6 hours (!) on Sunday.

Varying numbers of kids, somewhere around 6-10 at any given time, working together to haul sticks (and some small trees) out of the woods behind our house across the street into the woods in front. Many trips to the cul-de-sac to move rocks. Rakes and shovels were involved. The Dangerous Book for Boys and the Double-Daring Book for Girls were referenced. There were very few disputes. Very few places where I had to say a word.

From time to time they would all start riding scooters and bikes around the cul-de-sac, singing "Hot Hot Hot" at the top of their lungs.

It was creepy, I tell you. All that cooperation and fresh air. All that friendship and laughter. All that age-appropriate independence. Gives me the willies.

It all came to, almost literally, a screeching halt around 6PM on Sunday, when all of a sudden, as if some internal alarm clock had gone off, the children lost all coordination and started collapsing from sheer exhaustion.

Of course, this collapsing happened to my kids while they were riding scooters. So first we scooped Tater up and bandaged his elbow and wrist, and then moments later scooped up Sprout and iced her leg and elbow.

I said, "Wow, it was like you lost all coordination at about 6 hours".

And Sprout said, "I did not, I just started falling down."

Tomato, To-mah-to.

Late on Sunday night we realized that some of our gardening tools, specifically several rakes, had been left out in "the fort". So on Monday morning, after getting the kids off to school I went to retrieve them and this is what I found.

This was the first time that I really approached what they had been doing and saw that there was actual structure to it. I had seen the "teepee" in the back, one of the neighbor dad's had helped them get that worked out. But the rest was new to me.


This huge stick (like probably over 10 feet long, although I realize the picture gives no perspective) was carried out of the woods by two 7-year-olds. When I asked the kids later what this was (I showed them the pictures and we talked about all of their hard work), they said this was for skiing. I have no idea.


This here was apparently the "house". The carefully arranged sticks and rocks just blow my mind. They put a lot of effort into getting this just so.


If you told me to make three logs stand up by bracing them with a bunch of rocks, I don't think I could do it.


This is a little further up the hill. The teepee is in the back, I am not sure what the big circle of leaves was called.


I am not clear on how masking tape came to be mixed into the leaves. Apparently there was some early attempt to tape leaves onto the trees. I know it is technically litter.


These are the "extra" sticks that they hauled up out of the woods.


This is the "fire". Of course we had a big discussion about not even thinking about trying to build a real fire.


I have no idea what this is. I think another fire.


This is apparently the "bathroom". Again, strong discussion about not actually using the bathroom. Tater is horrified by the mere concept of using the outdoors in such a manner. I don't know about Sprout. She assures me no one has used it. Whew.


The "shower". See the drain?


This is the view back down the hill. That's our house. So I was just a little pinpoint in the distance over there (a sweaty, cursing pinpoint, prying huge bushes out of the ground and peeking over from time to time).


They were back out making tweaks and moving things around on Monday. And Tuesday. And then it started to get cold and windy. And now the rain is coming down.

I am not sure what will be left of the fort (inhabited by "The Wind Clan" I am told) when the storms end next week. But I am so glad that they had this week of building something they could be proud of. And, schmaltzy as it sounds, some great memories!

Karate Camp

I know, I know - I still have to tell you about Maine.

But the pictures are on the other computer and it is WAY over on the other side of the room.

I am just that lazy.

BUT, I will tell you about the week that my kids have had at The Martial Arts Studio summer camp over in Lionville. Some of you locals can still get in on the remaining weeks if you want. My kids would highly recommend it.

PLUS (see, I am like a Ginsu Knife commercial over here with the extras...) they have been on cool field trips and you might like to check out where they went.

So really, I am doing you a favor by deferring the Maine story. See how nice I am?

First let me say that my kids used to take karate lessons at The Martial Arts Studio. And I highly recommend their after school program - Sprout did it for 3 years and it was great. I wish I could get them to go for more karate, it seems like such a lifetime sport/activity. But they insist that that phase of their lives is over.

Well, they aren't quite that eloquent about it, they just say "No" and whine a lot.

Anyhoo, I wasn't sure they would be all that into Karate Camp, but it was the only camp offered in August and I very much liked the idea of them having something to do at some point during the month.

Very very much.

So I signed them up. This week is "Ninja Week" and the kids started things off learning to use Nunchuks (they say "Nunchuku" on their website). Foam ones. So not all that scary. Although I am still forbidding their use in the house.

They start of each day with a class using the Nunchuks, which they are enjoying. Sprout said that if they could do weapons training every time, she would go back to Karate class. I am trying not to be troubled by my sweet daughter's apparent interest in weapons.

Also, three days this week, they went on field trips (included in the price of the camp).

On Tuesday they went rock climbing. Apparently their favorite thing was some kind of bouldering (which I must admit I am utterly clueless about). Sprout came back with blisters all over her fingers, but she wants to go back. Tater said he isn't so great at rock climbing, but he liked it anyway.

On Wednesday they went innertubing down the Brandywine River. Tater had some concerns about this because someone told him there was a crocodile in the Brandywine River. I assured him there was not, and hoped I was right. No one was eaten (this time anyway!), so I am guessing the crocodile was a suburban legend.

Yesterday, their final trip was to Mt. Gretna Lake, near Lancaster. I had never even heard of this place, but the kids had a blast swimming and playing in the lake. At least one of the teachers went off of a trapeze into the water (!) which the kids thought was extremely cool. I am thinking this might be a destination later in the month when we need something to do!! I found this discounted admission coupon which would make it $11 for adults and $7 for kids over 4. You can find a full-sized one and some others on their website.

Today they are having water wars and pizza. And a "surprise" trip from the ice cream truck, which is sure to be one of the highlights for my poor, deprived children - since their mother doesn't believe in the Ice Cream Man.

They are exhausted from all of the physical activity (which is a good thing). Tater has had a hard time keeping track of his belongings, losing over the course of the week: his shorts, his pants, his shoes, and yesterday - his underwear.

But all has been recovered and overall, they have LOVED the camp. So - check it out if you are still looking for something to do this month - or check out the field trip destinations from this week!

Either way - only 3 weeks left until school starts (Yikes!) We have a lot of plans for those three weeks including:

1) Puppy shopping (!)
2) Visiting the Amish House in Lancaster
3) Crystal Cave
4) A weekend in Avalon
5) Golf with PopPop
6) A trip to Florida which MAY include a day at SeaWorld (!)
and
7) A revisit to the zoo...

Hopefully also a lot of sleeping late and pool visits.

Speaking of "sleeping" - Tater's caterpillars (which thankfully came in a cup and haven't (yet) had to be moved) - wasted no time in turning themselves into chrysalises (chrysalii?)

Two of the four are already doing their metamorphasis thing...meaning that someone (hopefully NOT me) will have to move them into the "Treehouse" in just a few days!

And really, at some point I will tell you about our awesome week in Maine!

Stay cool!

Garden Update

Much to my amazement, pretty much everything that Tater planted a couple of months back is growing.

Not dead. Alive.

I am feeling guilty that I said that he had inherited a black thumb. I was wrong. So very wrong.

The sandbox garden, after several weeks of severe flooding, bounced back and is thriving. Even the basil that I thought was being eaten by some kind of critters has gotten very tall and is getting flowers. I didn't know basil could even have flowers.

Weird.

We also have a HUGE vine going on the cucumber plant. And a bunch of flowers, which I guess means eventually there will be a bunch of cucumbers. I am not sure how baby cucumbers will feel about laying on the deck...may need to build them little beds or something.

Our carrots and herbs are also growing like crazy. We weren't sure what the carrots were going to look like when they were ready to go, so we picked one to check. They are super tiny, but really and truly carrots! So in a couple of weeks, we may be ready to harvest. Unless the bunnies find their way up onto the deck.

Stay back bunnies!

Then we have the Topsy Turvy Tomato thing, which isn't going so great. I keep forgetting to water it, and the hole in the top is apparently too small to catch enough rain. Since Tater can't reach to water it, this one is totally on me. So, not all that surprising that it isn't going well. But it isn't dead yet - and there are three tomatoes on there. So there is still hope.

Finally, there is this vine.

I can't remember what it is supposed to be. Something viney, with flowers. This is truly the biggest thing I/we have ever managed to grow from seeds. Pretty amazing. No flowers yet, but hopefully soon. We have had to repeatedly pull the vines off of the little tree and wrap them around the post so that they will climb, but it seems to be going well now.

Of course, we are leaving on vacation in a few days, so there is no telling what is going to go down while we are away. Hopefully we won't come back to a bunch of brown shriveled deadness.

Because Tater WILL make me start all over again.

Cheap Labor

I had what I thought was a great idea for a summer activity. The kids love home improvements, love to paint, love to help with projects - so I would have them help me paint and organize the garage. Brilliant!

I wouldn't mind if the painting was a little messy - it's the garage!

I wouldn't mind if we drip a bit here and there - it's the garage!!

The kids would be so happy. My garage would be all spiffy. Win-win!! Yay!!

So we took things down and threw things away and cleaned (and cleaned and cleaned) spiderwebs and leaves and other yuckitude off of the walls. Then Sprout and I went and bought some gray-tinted primer and went at the first wall.

Two hours later:

1.) The wall looked exactly the same as when we started (apparently the paint guy at Lowe's was WRONG when he said we didn't have to tint the primer...not happy with him AT ALL.)
2.) Sprout was very annoyed with me for insisting that we paint the entire wall and not just a strip at her waist height.
3.) My back was broken from bending and stretching and painting.
4.) It was time to call in the professionals.

But Tater was very unhappy that he hadn't had a chance to paint. Poor Tater.

Today I went and got a quart of the paint the professionals will use to paint the garage and let the kids do the bottom half of the primed wall. The nice lady at MAB even gave me painter's hats for them to wear!

Tater went to work with a brush on the bottom, Sprout had a pad painter (which I find much much easier to work with than a roller). They started out with lots of energy and I was being all (sort of) zen-ish about their technique.

It's the garage. It's the garage...that was my mantra...





They did a really good job and even took turns every 5 minutes or so so each of them could try the different tools.

Tater and I took a break to play some tic-tac-toe. Which he then carefully painted over.









They even finished the entire wall - about halfway up.











Sprout was again annoyed when I suggested that we had to fill in all of the spaces. But she did it in (mostly) good spirits.

I would declare this partial project as a success. No major fights. No major messes. Over an hour of entertainment and busyness that didn't involve electronics.

The pros come next week to finish. They apparently don't have an "only the garage" rate...so if I can figure out how to get these guys on ladders (without causing myself a heart attack, which is the tricky part) we might have them do the rest!

Although I don't think I possess that level of zen. Even if it is just the garage...

The Toad Abode

Things have been busy around here, what with so many episodes of iCarly to watch and so little time!

The kids actually did an art camp last week through Kidzart. They did a similar program last year at AC Moore - but this year the program was held by DARC. They actually had the same instructor (Mr. Steve) from last year - which they were happy about.

During the week, my mom took each kid for a special event. Sprout went to a concert at the Mann Music Center where she saw a 14-year-old violinist play. She apparently hummed along to Vivaldi's Four Seasons - probably something she remembers from Little Einsteins. See, TV can be good for you!!

Tater went to Tyler Arboretum to participate in one of their kids programs. The kids have been to lots of these programs and they always enjoy them. This time he got to make a "Toad Abode", which is a house for a toad (clearly) that we tucked into the garden. I have never seen any toads in our garden, so this may be vacant housing for quite some time, but he did a fabulous job and it looks very festive out there.

The Toad Abode is a flower pot that is decorated and flipped over, with the edge propped up on a rock to let the theoretical toad crawl under it. Apparently toads aren't fearful of houses teetering on the edge of a rock. Brave toads.

Tater's Toad Abode is beautifully decorated with mosaic stones, which are stuck on with what he called "mask". I wish I could tell you what that is - it looks like a groutish substance. But this could easily be done with hot glue, or just paints. Any decorating technique that is weather-resistant, since the toads are most likely going to be seeking their abode outdoors.

Unless you have indoor toads and then you probably have different housing arrangements for them anyway.

This seems like a good opportunity to give you a brief tour of the other decorations in our garden. Because I am sure you want to know. So here we go...

This is our turtle. He was our first piece of statuary. Just one little whimsical touch. Next to him is a big rock that Sprout stole from a jetty at the beach (shhhh...).

Over there on the right is a little puppy who was added to memorialize Mike's grandmother. She died when Sprout was about 4 and was the first person that Sprout knew who passed away. We didn't take her to the service, but she wanted to do something to remember Gram so we put this puppy in our garden and then stood and held hands and said a little something about Gram being in heaven and how much she loved dogs (which may or may not actually be true...but it made me sob at the time).

This is a bird. I just thought he was cute. No good story.

Just a bird.








This little bunny was to remember my Nana. Because since we did it for Gram, we now have a tradition of commemorating the passing of our loved ones with lawn statuary. I don't think we did any kind of ceremony for Nana's bunny. But the kids helped pick him out and I think of her whenever I see him. Hi, Nana - I miss you.

This one just makes me laugh. Because this is totally my gardening philosophy. I don't know what anything is. I am getting better, but not good.

There is also a little parrot out at the far edge of our lawn (I was too lazy to walk over there - bare feet + grass doesn't make me happy), and then another bird and the mushroom in Tater's sandbox garden.

I guess at some point we passed the tasteful whimsical touch.
But this is more fun.

Tater's Sandbox Garden

Despite some evidence to the contrary my Tater is quite the aspiring gardener. He frequently requests trips to Lowe's to pick out flowers, and he begs and pleads for additions to the garden every time we see flowers outside of the grocery store.

He picked out a bunch of seeds earlier in the Spring and we planted them around outside and have our fingers crossed that they will survive beyond the sprout stage.

So, when I realized that we still had our ancient sand table under the deck, I thought perhaps it could be repurposed into Tater's own little garden. Like a windowbox, but bigger...with bridges!

Of course he LOVED this idea and pestered me relentlessly for several days about when would we go get the dirt and plants. When? When? WHEN???

So finally last weekend I gave in and took him to Lowe's where he picked out all of his own plants, and some decorations, for his garden.

I have been on a perennial kick for our outside beds - something about planting just once and not having to do it again next year is very appealing. Tater has latched onto that idea and was a little disappointed that the sandbox garden was probably more appropriate for annuals since the soil is not very deep and the chances of things surviving the winter in there are pretty slim.

There was a moment of drama when we took the lid off of the mud-encrusted table, which had been closed up for about 2 years. We weren't sure what was going to be living in there. I was prepared to scream and run away, but aside from a few substantial spider webs it wasn't so bad.

We used the hose to spray the table clean, and squirting the hose is always fun for a kid! Then we hauled the empty table up onto our deck and filled it with potting soil and all of Tater's plants. He did a nice job picking a mix of colors and textures - the finished result is quite fabulous and he is very proud of himself.

During the planting was where Sprout thought she might like to get involved, but she was shut out (poor Sprout) since Tater felt he had done all of the hard work and she couldn't just jump in for the fun. Which is true.

He picked out a rain gauge that looks like a ladybug to sit on the "umbrella hole" on the table, and a ceramic mushroom (the blue on the left). We also put the bridges from the sand table back in and an iron bird that had been sitting on the deck. Somehow a garden just doesn't seem done (to me anyway) unless there is some little hidden statue somewhere.

I don't know where I got that from - my parents are not big on the statuary. But I kind of love it - as long as it is subtle. Like little surprises you find amidst the flowers.

Anyway, the finished garden is a lovely addition to the deck. I am considering this to be a recycling project since the table was definitely headed for the trash before we found a new use for it. So, yay us!

Now I have to go get MORE potting soil because my little gardener also insisted on seeds for cucumbers...and might like to grow some carrots. And maybe a few more flowers out front...

Want to Go Outside and Play?

With temps here in Southeastern PA soaring into the high 80s this week (insane!) we quickly shifted into summer mode and starting thinking about things we can do outside now and over the next few months.

One of my friends has suggested a standing Friday evening playground date, which sounds like a good plan to me. Now we just need to figure out which playgrounds we should visit!

Luckily, the lovely ladies at Mom Central (I have never actually met them, but I am guessing they are quite lovely) filled me in on this super cool website - KaBOOM - where they are building a "Playspace Finder" database with locations, details and reviews of playgrounds all over the country.

How awesome is that?? Such a great idea to have a centralized listing of all of the places to play! And with reviews - so you know before you go whether it is worth the drive! Yay KaBOOM!

Now they just need people to come and fill up the database. So click up there and add any playgrounds you like to frequent, or add reviews of spaces already on the list. The more contributors, the better.

I added Bell Tavern Park. Go add someplace...really...go...now...I want to know where to go next!

And then - get out there and PLAY!!

Science Weekend

So, we did it...and here, for your viewing pleasure, is the video of the great Mentos Geyser Experiment. The kids thought this was super fun, and despite my sadness at wasting 3 (!) big bottles of Diet Coke, it was very cool to see.

In case it isn't clear from the video - what we did was use the "Geyser Tube" to drop Mentos (11 or 12 at a time) into 2-liter bottles of Diet Coke. The Mentos cause the Diet Coke to erupt out of the bottle in quite a spectacular geyser - higher than the house!!

Now we just have to hope for some rain to wash away the remnants on the sidewalk!

I will fill you in on our other projects later in the week. Tater got his hands on the Kid's Concoctions Book and insisted that we do MANY of the projects. I am all scienced out!