Sumbthucker

Moved

2010-07-26T14:32:00.000-07:00

Now blogging again at http://sumbthucker.tumblr.com/

See you over there!

Surfacing

2009-12-28T13:15:00.000-08:00

Three years ago I wrote the first post on this blog, titled Diving In. My purpose in documenting our life was to inject some joy into the world, to share our happiness. I believe that is what I've done, mostly.

An unexpected happy side-affect is that I've connected with others that I really like. I made one very special friend through this blog, whom I would not have otherwise. I have a rock from her East Coast beach collection and she has chamomile from my Southern California garden. I'm grateful for that.

To be expected is that in three years, I've changed. I have ideas I didn't have then and old ideas have shifted and matured. I've read lots, thought much and reached out on a scale that was for me, monumental. I've gained a confidence that I didn't possess; belief has become knowledge which only leads to futher belief. I'm looking forward to the knowledge that will follow. I'm happy about the ways that I'm understanding myself better all the time, because I am a work in progress.

In recent weeks I've taken stock. I've pulled back from social media and discussion lists. I've listened to myself and talked to my family. I left town for a few weeks and caught my breath. I guess I've withdrawn and I've discovered how much I've missed me, the quiet, private unassuming person I was before I created a public online persona who shares her days and thoughts.

More importantly, my babies are growing up before my eyes. Almost overnight, they've changed. They need me in immeasurable ways and I need to smell their hair and hold their hands and tell them stories. My energy has been directed outward for too long and my best choice is clear.

I'm protecting the privacy that is important to me and giving my daughters their privacy by closing this blog at the end of the year. For those of you who have shared this adventure, thank you! Much happiness to you all!

Turning 8!

2009-10-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

Music, a puppy, Greek food, a new bike, a family who adores her, friends, crafts, pizza, ice cream sundaes, movies, nail polish and a tag along little sister. What more could an 8 year old want?

Birthday Suit

2009-10-25T13:44:00.000-07:00

Here's my little baby Camille on her first birthday. I've taken her picture every year in this old dress of mine. I wore it to a company Christmas party that I attended with Marc before we were married.

She's so soft and round. And look at those little toes!

Time flies. She turned eight yesterday and she's still soft but not so round anymore.

Good Vibrations 2009

2009-10-01T16:05:00.001-07:00

September was a big month and now that it's over I suppose I could mention the big event: the Good Vibrations Unschooling Conference.

Organizing this conference, no, having the idea through executing every aspect of this conference, has had a profound personal effect. I'm still not completely able to articulate what the conference has meant and how my life has changed and will continue to evolve. Will I organize another one? It's still anyone's guess. For now I've been enjoying my kids again, playing, shopping and reading with them. I've been putting energy into reconnecting as a family, both parents and both kids in the same place at the same time. Apple picking, game playing, movie watching, swimming, just being together. I've begun projects that have been waiting. It's been a while since I've not been distracted and overwhelmed with details, lists, vendors and concerns. I'm sleeping better without waking up with fear of forgetting something or making decisions that displeased others. It's been a few weeks of healing, processing and trying not to think too hard. A few weeks of breathing and living.

So, a lot of work? Yeah. A lot of fun? Hell, yeah!

A flurry of people and activity for five days, from the beach to the hotel to the park. Presentations, funshops, chats, surfing, kids, laughter. The attendees better describe the experience so I've linked a few of their blog posts here so you can read all about it:
Tara: Home from Good Vibrations Conference and More From GVC
Stephanie: Good Vibrations Unschooling Conference
Sandra Dodd: Good Vibrations Conference and a collection of links to others places, photos and video
Holly Dodd: First Good Vibrations Conference
Jones Family: Good Vibrations 2009
Ronnie: Good Vibrations 2009 and Good Vibrations 2009 Part 2
Mandy: I'm Picking Up Good Vibrations
Bennett family: CA Adventure (scroll down to Sept 10)
Larry Devich: Good Vibrations

For photos, check out these links:
Stephanie
Dan Vilter
James Coburn
Brandi Jones

Lots of people have added their photos to the group's Flickr pool: http://www.flickr.com/groups/1205295@N20/

You may have heard about The Greybeards, a group of unschooling dads and one teenaged drummer who banded together to play for us at the Sunday night dance. They were unbelievably fantastic! They played for two hours and brought down the house- so much fun! The videos of them playing their rock n roll covers is here on YouTube.

The audio of the main presentations is not yet available. I'm working on editing the files and getting them ready for downloading. Two of the speakers have published their talks on their blogs, if you'd like to read what they had to say:

Jeff Sabo: In Pursuit of a Passionate Life
Miranda Demarest: Radical Thoughts for Radical Unschoolers

If I've missed anyone's photos, videos or blog posts, please let me know and I will add them here. It would be fun to have a big collection!

THANK YOU to everyone who attended the conference and made it the wonderful, happy event that it was. You all truly gave me something of which to remember with joy, love and hope. It was an absolute pleasure to meet nearly 130 families from 6 countries and I'm all filled up with goodness!

If I Let

2009-09-23T13:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday while waiting for the girls to wake up, I laid in bed reading a brand new book, Sandra Dodd's Big Book of Unschooling. Run, don't walk to her website and get one for yourself- you will not regret it.

One of the pages I read is titled "If I let him..." and it induced a lot of head-shaking at the beliefs some parents hold. One example from the book that a real parent actually wrote: if there is junk in the house my 3 yo will eat that and nothing else if I let him.

So I sighed at those statements and thought about The Work of Byron Katie. I'm not a devotee but I understand one of the questions she recommends we ask ourselves of a belief is Is it really true? Really? Will a kid really eat nothing but junk? Really? It's hard for me to believe because my kids have unrestricted access to food and it's not happened once. Not once. Common sense makes that statement not really true at all; my experience lends the evidence.

As an example, this is how our day, a fairly typical one (as far as an unschooling home can be typical), naturally unfolded:

I read Sandra's book, Camille and Juliet woke up, we giggled in bed then we headed downstairs. They watched TV while I puttered around the kitchen. Juliet asked for ice cream, something that's always available for her. As I was getting it out of the freezer she asked (for the first time ever) to eat it straight out of the 1.75 qt box. I grabbed a spoon and put the container which was very nearly full in front of her on the floor near the TV. After some time, maybe 30-45 minutes, she had eaten one bite and the ice cream was melting.

Me: I notice the ice cream is melting and I think it's a good idea to put it back in the freezer. Are you finished?

Juliet: No, I'll still want to eat some just now right now.

Me: Do you want me to put some in a bowl for you? If it melts before you eat it I'll get you some more.

Juliet: Okay.

So that's what I did. An hour later, she'd eaten only one, maybe two more spoonfuls and the rest was melted. She told me she didn't want anymore. Practically an entire carton of ice cream was given to her and she ate three bites.

An hour later she asked for a cucumber. I went outside to grab one from the garden and she and Camille followed me and jumped on the trampoline. I did some laundry and when I came out they had set up the trampoline with blankets, stuffed animals and toys. A picnic! I gathered some food and joined them. When I brought out a salad we had this exchange:

Juliet: Is that just for you?

Me: No, it's for all of us.

Juliet: Yay! Yay! Yay!

She ate grapes, cucumbers, peas, shredded carrots, whole grain croutons, raisins and a bit of cheese. Juliet discovered that she could bite patterns into the edge of the cucumber slices to make them look like the pretty ones at the grocery store salad bar and that she prefers her croutons a little on the soggy side. Camille noticed the raspberries were a bit squishy and I noted they'd be perfect in a raspberry vinigrette. She dashed inside to whip up her version: tomatoes, raspberries and olive oil. She cut up carrots to dip and it was delicious!

The afternoon consisted of more trampoline jumping while I sprayed them with the hose, art involving the copier and picture frames. We went to Camille's two back-to-back dance classes and were invited to dinner with a friend afterwards. There was a big bowl of mints on the restaurant's front counter and Juliet grabbed one when we walked in. She sucked on it while waiting for her pizza. She tried a ball of pizza dough drizzled in olive oil and garlic that she thought she might not like. She did like it, though, eating it all. Camille ate her Hawaiian pizza and some zucchini from our friend's pizza. Juliet mentioned that her favorite foods were watermelon without seeds, grapes and cucumbers. They opted to not bring their half-full cups of lemonade with them. They both grabbed a few more mints leaving the restaurant which they saved for later after giving one piece away. All of the kids played around the fountain and ran from one end of the shopping center to the other en route to our cars, twirling around every lampost.

We got home just in time for Hell's Kitchen, one of our favorite shows we never miss and swirled around food for two more hours. How it's prepared, what the ingredients are, what the dishes might taste like, how long it takes to cook, how could both chefs mess up the halibut? Marc had made dinner for himself since we were out and Juliet decided she wanted some of the capellini and peas but not the tilapia. Camille was full and declined more food. I ate Juliet's leftover pizza and we shared the last dough ball. It was good.

My If I Let statement would go something like this:

If I let my kid have an entire carton of ice cream, she would eat a little and spend the rest of the day eating a wide variety of nutritious foods. She would try new foods, get some exercise and stop eating when she's had enough.

That belief is really true. I have lots of days like today as evidence.

Year 4

2009-07-21T16:53:00.000-07:00

I'm sleeping through the night for the first time in eight years. I can wear dresses and tucked-in shirts again. I can take a shower uninterrupted and without rushing. The laundry basket no longer holds diapers and its clothes aren't being outgrown quite so quickly. I've lost track of the sling, the baby bathtub now cleanses a doll, miniature spoons dig for roly-polies and the carseat has been cast aside in favor of a booster. Child-care books and watchfulness for milestones are forgotten. My two hands are almost always free, but never idle. Inability to communicate has been replaced by purrs of "mi corazon."

My baby is four and I'll never be the same.

I find myself lately wanting to tell parents to enjoy their little ones because they grow up so fast. And I mean it.

They spit up and they cried. I nursed until I was sure I would lose two prized bodily possessions and my eyes refused to stay open at ten a.m. My hair never saw a brush and bathroom privacy became an oxymoron. Pureed carrots were smeared and toys conquered the bathtub, not that I soaked in it alone anyway. It was hard to understand the message. I wanted to change my name to anything else. My back ached and I was touched out. My hair hurt when it was pulled and diapers really smell. The bag always had to be packed for every contingency and I got tired of singing Mary Had a Little Lamb for the 123,456,789th time to soothe a screamer in the backseat.

I miss sitting on the floor. Having no expectation of getting anything done and being able to completely focus in that moment. Swallowing the gaze of two humongous blue wells of trust, curiosity and love. Caressing the softest hands and hair I've ever felt, being in awe every time of its freshness and virginity. Hearing genuine laughter of surprise and wonder and the sincere, breathy attempts to join the dance of language. I remember washing soft little cheeks with warm cloths and clearing goop from eyes with damp cotton balls. I miss the dead weight of saggy skin, floppy muscles and bodies that are mostly head. I felt my power diminish as the ability to lactate slipped away and I so often wish I could still make it all better with a quick nurse. I hear cries of Mama! less and never in the darkness of night. I'm not the only hero anymore; Dad has proven himself up to the task and even more competent than Mom in some adventures.

The whole world used to be mine. Now I have to let in their dad, grandparents, aunts, uncles and more friends than I ever had. There once was nothing I couldn't make better with a kiss, a snuggle, a book. Now there are big disappointments and confusion that I can't nurse away. A few years ago it was all about me. Today I must negotiate the world outside my walls as my girls run free and find their stride beyond clutching my fingers with their chubby little hands. They're grown up some and I have to let go lots. As much as I enjoyed their baby and toddlerhoods, I equally wanted it to be easier, wanted my hands free, wanted to sleep, wanted my body back. I wished it away and the swiftness with which it happened is stunning. My children belong to me less with each passing day.

The joy that I now find originates from such a different place. There is satisfaction in seeing what I so freely gave move through my descendants. I watch my daughters grab their days and claim them as moments of right now to be enjoyed. One is patient while one is steadfast. One will do anything to please those she loves while the other strives for her goal and then shares her excitement wholeheartedly. Daily I am witness to gratitude, confidence, contentment, sharing, kindness, trust, tenderness, assistance and caring. There are hugs and kisses but not nearly as many as when I had to hold them. To say Camille and Juliet have become independent doesn't convey the completeness of this transformation. They've never been bound so there was nothing to escape. I haven't pushed nor have they pulled. It's an unfolding into a larger version of who they've always been with more abilities and reasonable thought. I am of less consequence but not inconsequential. The form my love takes shifts shape yet serves the same purpose- to create a a place for security, self-awareness and life.

I know that I will not always be in their physical realm. But the love that I have for my children will serve them all the days of their lives. What I have begun will evolve as touchstones, traditions, mantras, memories. No matter how big they get, my arms will still encircle, my mind search for possibility, my heart burst with shared joy. It turns out that it's really all about us and the inimitable gateway of love between a mother and her child. And no matter how much I enjoy my freedom, I will never wish these days of dependents away.

I can't go back and make up for time lost to the wind but I can appreciate this day with the same breathless wonder I once did. Each day holds the possibility to breathe hair, hold hands and sing, if only while they sleep; a beginning, a middle or an end. It's easy to mourn the passing of the sweet, cute years as I bump into the loveliness of children with whom I can converse and joke, debate and learn. This time is short so I'm appreciating the struggle as well as the ease, the fun as well as the parts which tire me. I say yes whenever I can and breathe to be my child's mother. Parenting these two souls has already taken me places I never imagined and now instead of imagining, I discover.

Happy birthday to my baby who leads the way.

Funhouse

2009-07-01T21:36:00.000-07:00

Today I received the highest compliment an unschooling parent can receive. We live in a funhouse!

It was a fairly typical day. This morning we did make an unexpected visit to the dentist. It was tolerated quite well and Juliet left with a new toy, a balloon, having seen part of a new movie and became more comfortable with the doctor. She even gave him a high-five and waved goodbye to the staff- big moves on her part. She took a bath with her new stuffed animal and played with it, making it jump into the water and float. Camille helped me pick up the house a bit since we were expecting friends and we had some lunch, a breakfast burrito for me, eggs for Camille and an apple and cheese stick for Juliet.

Then my friend came over with her 2 year old daughter to hang out. Camille and Juliet were so excited to have them here that they were both pulling out their dress-up clothes and jewelry and games to share. They showed off their bedrooms with their fresh coats of paint and new old shabby-chic furniture. Juliet put on her tap shoes and Camille demonstrated her Build-a-Bear's magnetic hands. They jumped on the beds, all three beds in varying sizes, and played the wii, Cooking Mama and Sing It. They checked out the art studio and the soft fabric on the shelves, we peeked at our corn growing in the yard. The little one played with a doll and chattered the whole time she was here, which was about ninety minutes. I think she touched everything she saw and was bouncing with excitement. The girls were all talking at once, it seemed- there was so much energy and happiness moving around! That's when my friend declared this a funhouse.

After they left, hmm, we watched videos on youtube and shows on the Disney channel. I facebooked, promoted the conference and make phone calls to schedule appointments. Juliet and I played in the dirt and Marc came home to squeals of delight. Camille did cartwheels. I paid bills and Juliet helped me stamp the envelopes. The girls planned dinner, made menus and placecards, set the table and decided what to pick out of the garden. After they each made their version of salad and the rest was cooking, Marc scouted a coyote in the vacant lot behind us and we peered through binoculars at him, George. Camille cut up a kiwi and placed it in her butterfly pavilion to see if she could catch a bird. We shucked our corn. Juliet took my dinner order, carefully writing it all down, and requested I order a popsicle and then presented me with an orange one. After dinner, more videos, more TV. I'm blogging and Camille and I have plans to read Nancy Drew. At some point tonight, we'll fall asleep, happy and full of fun and peace and togetherness.

After being declared a funhouse, I shared with my friend a story about my pre-kids days in Floral Design school (which was only two weeks). My instructor mentioned that her house was more of a workshop than a home; the house was devoted to projects and workspace and just happened to have a small space to sleep, eat and bathe. The emphasis was on the project, the interests. It seemed odd to me then and I remember thinking I could never live that way, but now I completely understand. Our house is much the same, with an emphasis on the play, the fun.

The bed moved this morning to accomodate rolling from one higher one to the lower one. We have fabric "ropes" to swing on in the foyer and Juliet discovered a new way to slide on them with her slippery tap shoes. Toys and books dot every cranny, our dining room table is our computer lab where we enjoy games, youtube, facebook and google. Our library room is where our cat likes to sit and holds a chest that houses an always-varying assortment of treasures. The hall closet is full of shoes and boots, umbrellas, scarves, hats and bags that are pulled out and used in different ways several times every day. There are videos and CDs scattered around the living room, lots of toys and clothes and a leather couch that gets lots of climbing action. The kitchen has many tools and ingredients that we use to whip up concoctions and potions, recipe books for ideas and a big island for measuring, cooking, drawing and eating. The kitchen table bench today had a bowl of dirt and a shovel sitting on it- the roly poly had escaped, however, to environs unknown. There are fish and sea monkeys to feed, our cat to pet, birds to watch and squirrels to chase away. We have fruits and vegetables growing in the yard and lavender, chamomile and other herbs that we like to smell and toss into our baths. There's lots of opportunity to do more than sleep, eat and bathe.

It's so much more than a place where people live. It's a place where people LIVE and laugh and love! It's not always neat and clean (when did I last mop?) and things aren't always where they "should" be or how the house was designed to be lived in; dishes often occupy our floors, couches, desks and tables. We don't always eat the same food or at the same time. Sometimes it's difficult to find something because we don't remember which bag it was last stuffed into for an imaginary trip or an actual outing. Sometimes it's very loud and our media compete. Sometimes we forget to eat because we're so engrossed in our activity. Some nights, we stay up very, very late and fall asleep on couches or the floor, or the tent we sometimes set up in our big bedroom. We focus on the fun and hearing that acknowledged today was like winning an Oscar. It's a title I wouldn't have earned a few years ago, when I played it so safe and needed order and quiet, which I equated to peacefulness. It really was just not exciting. I've let go and found more peace buried in laughter, piles and excess of materials. It's always been there waiting; the trick was discovering that it's usually disguised as rib-tickling, mess-making, bed-jumping, loud-music playing, bathtub-splashing, wii-singing, dirt-flinging, veggie-salad-made-with-milk-and-chocolate-cereal, why-not? fun.

A pretty typical day in our funhouse. Who wants to come over and play?

Juliet Grew a Carrot

2009-06-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

Then she washed it and ate it.

Somethin's Growing On

2009-06-09T09:08:00.000-07:00

April

May

June

Recital!

2009-06-07T18:34:00.000-07:00

Fun day! The recital seemed to go very quickly and Camille only had one number this year so it was easy for us. Next they perform at the San Diego County Fair and then she's off for the summer!

edited to add: Her tap number was to Let 'er Rip by the Dixie Chicks- very fast and very fun!

So Happy Together

2009-06-05T18:39:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was a great example of how my kids and I connect and enjoy each other. We tagged along with a group of homeschoolers to a small, tucked away butterfly vivarium. The first thirty minutes were a lecture of sorts, with a video and slideshow. Juliet snuggled on my lap while Camille huddled with a friend across the room. The group answered questions about the butterfly life cycle and drew a butterfly together, each adding a part. I was especially excited for Juliet as she spoke up and clamored off my lap to draw the eyes of the butterfly. Camille's antennae made me smile with their little circles on the end. Juliet asked me to photograph this mechanical butterfly for her:

We then played in the garden with the butterflies, enticing them with bits of watermelon, examining them through a magnifying glass, taking photos. The caterpillars were fuzzy and brightly colored. Juliet tired of the exhibit once she realized the butterflies weren't landing on her and wanted my attention so we read some books on a bench inside the vivarium, butterflies fluttering around us, kids' voices rising and falling.

After we left, we had about an hour before Camille's dance class began so we stopped at nearby meditation gardens. This location is one of our favorites due its gorgeous ocean views, beautiful landscaping, and stillness.

There are several koi ponds and the watching the fish is calming.

We all took a turn with the camera to hold photo sessions for each other. Camille said she had decided to become America's Next Top Model.

When it was time, we left for one last class before the big recital. Here's a preview:

It was a simple day and yet so profound. On days like these, we just flow. We giggle, we snuggle, we talk, we play, we find adventures. It looks effortless but there is an undercurrent of care and attention that needs to always be present. At the vivarium I was beginning to feel a little grumpy that Juliet wanted me to hold her so much. I could have refused, distracted her and continued my look at the butterflies. Or I could have held her and felt resentful that she was heavy with her backpack full of things she insisted she bring and wonder why she couldn't just play like the others. Instead, I heard her need for me and I held her, noticed she was heavy and that she had brought a lot with her. After I felt she was content I offered to read to her in the corner. I felt more connected to her. This effort set the stage for happiness then and for the rest of the day because I was open, flowing. It really wasn't hard but required my attention and willingness. Contentment, I've learned, is a choice I make.

Our good relationships have been built, not given to us, and continued mindfulness is key to keeping it all together. The easy happiness I found with my girls on this day, doing simple things, arose from decisions I've made in everyday moments, big and small. Choosing to laugh instead of yell, to partner rather than fight, to listen instead of insisting, to find yes where there could be no. Tucking my babies next to me every night and nursing into toddlerhood. Even the possibility of our being together all day and every day happened because of conscious desire and intention. My kids already have lots of joy to share; the trick is for me to stay out of the way and enjoy the ride.

What I sense is that my kids and I will always like each other and enjoy being together. It can only get better as they grow up and gain new skills and have new questions. On the days that I'm feeling snappy I play these tapes in my head: "Relationship first!" and "As we get older and our kids grow up, we eventually come to realize that all the big things in our lives are really the direct result of how we've handled all the little things." Both are from Pam Sorooshian who has three grown unschooled daughters. The little things include chasing butterflies, visiting fish and mugging for the camera. They are all bricks in the foundation of a big, great, happy life.

Together.

Today

2009-05-19T19:55:00.000-07:00

Today was productive. I folded several loads of laundry and actually got them put away. I made a raw hummus with zucchini, brewed some Kombucha and dried another harvest of chamomile. Our first tomato ripened and was quickly gobbled up.

One little girl looked very cute slinging her baby.

Juliet just asked me for a glass of almond milk and to play Camp. So that's what's next.

The end.

Treat for the Feet

2009-05-12T11:22:00.000-07:00

My newest (as in an hour-old) favorite indulgence: herbal footbaths.

Inspired by the latest issue of Mothering, I prepared an herbal footbath for the girls this morning. I picked lavender, roses, mint and chamomile from the gardens and poured boiling water over it all in a big bowl. I added some water to cool it a bit and let it steep until the temperature was just right. It looked so inviting and smelled so amazing, I snuck my toes in there, too!

Nobody could be left out. And judging from the band-aids on that little baby's face, I think she could use some relaxing and healing.

Ahhh. Such a nice way to start the day. I'm sure that these will become a mainstay of our evening, too.

Have Dirt, Will Dig

2009-05-09T16:55:00.000-07:00

I've become a bit obsessed with planting. We have two beds: one Main Bed, abutting the back of the house beneath the kitchen and the Hillside Bed abutting the fence with the neighbors (who must really appreciate my experimenting with the compost). The fence along the back edge of the lot has not been safe from the shovel, either. Here's what our teeny, tiny strip of backyard is growing:

Main Bed:

Popcorn "Strawberry"
Corn "Jubilee"
Bush Bean "Contender"
Onion "Red Amposta"
Scallion "Evergreen"
Tomato unmarked plant
Tomato "Green Zebra"
Potato "Rose Finn Apple"
Potato "Red Thumb Fingerling"
Potato "Rose Russian Banana"
Red Pepper
Strawberry "Berry Basket"
Tomato "Cherokee Purple"
Tomato "Stupice"
Tomato "Japanese Trifle Black"
Tomato "Brandywine"
Eggplant
Mesclun "Farmers Market Blend"
Yellow Pepper "Bianca"
Pepper "Anaheim"
Strawberry "Chandler"
Sweet Basil
Cucumber "Space Master "
Cucumber "Straight 8"

Hillside Bed:

Pole Beans entire length- "Kentucky Wonder", "Blue Lake", "Cherokee Wax", "Purple Queen"

Watermelon "Crimson Sweet"

Cherry Tomato "Yellow Pear"

Cherry Tomato "Golden Nugget"

Cherry Tomato "Red Pear"

Cherry Tomato "Currant"

Cherry Tomato "Legend"

Popcorn "Strawberry"

Artichoke

Sugar Snap Peas

Carrots

German Chamomile

Pink Cara Cara Orange Tree

Peach Tree

Nectarine Tree

In Containers:

Cucumber "Space Master"

Spearmint

Peppermint

Chocolate Mint

Lemon Balm

Strawberries

Along Back Fence:

Corn "Spring Treat"

3 Blueberry Bushes

3 Apple Trees

2 Pear Trees

Plum Tree
Pluot Tree

Valencia Orange Tree

On Balcony:

Improved Meyer Lemon Tree

The majority of the Main Bed was put in April 15 and I've continued to plant seeds over the past few weeks:

Tonight, three weeks later, it looks like this:

In the beds and around the yard:

The photo-taking is a bit out of hand. Considering I have 93 pictures of chamomile alone, that gets its own post- it just may be my favorite crop.

All winter and early spring we enjoyed shelling peas, which thrived, and lettuce. The blueberries are doing very well, with new growth and at least one berry ready every day. More clusters are coming, so we should have an actual handful soon! We pulled a test carrot and it was the sweetest I've ever had. A few strawberries here and there, too, have been fun. The girls love to grab something fresh and eat it right away. Juliet has been very fun as a gardening companion- what a great digger!

I'm learning as I go and encountering pests and disease. The two orange trees both struggled but are on the rebound. One apple tree has a fungal disease I believe and isn't looking so good. The artichokes are infested with aphids, which means they are also infested with ants. And I burned tender young plants with fertilizer placed too closely to their crowns. Those, too, are recovering fine, but I may have lost a week of good growth. Little animals have been eating seedlings so we've lost a lot of popcorn, sweet corn and cucumbers. The potatoes contracted blight immediately, causing me to snip their leaves off- hopefully they'll grow a little anyway; I'm already seeing some green shoots coming back up.

Lots more work to do. I still have some bare spots that I can fill in if I'm so inspired. But for now, I want to work with what I've already planted and fine-tune a bit. And then there's the matter of a drip system and greywater capture. We're looking forward to watching the garden grow!

Feb 2009

2009-05-08T18:01:00.000-07:00

Needing to play catch-up since I haven't blogged in so very long. February snapshots:

We hosted a Mardi Gras party that was such fun! A King Cake, cajun food, zydeco music and great friends.

The Tour de California came through San Diego County for the first time. This was a highlight of the month! We camped out at two locations to see the racers and both times had the best views right from the curb. As they rounded the last turn for the sprint to the finish, we could have touched Lance Armstrong- so amazing.

Harvesting scallions

Juliet singing (and apparently channeling) the part of Sharpay on HSM Sing It for the Wii. One of her favorite songs is I Want It All. Anyone surprised by that?

We had a hailstorm early in the month. Juliet donned her Matrix get-up and ran out to scoop up some "ice balls."

Love these quiet winter days.

March 2009

2009-05-08T17:19:00.000-07:00

March was fun, too. A birthday party on the beach for three friends who all turned 10 together! Camille had a great time goofing with her arch-nemesis, Jeff.

Camille, our dog lover, really liked the afternoon at the AKC Dog Show. So many dogs and she wanted them all.

Pea-picking was the best!

We were much busier than this, but I didn't document much. I need to take more pictures. ;)

April 2009

2009-05-08T16:28:00.000-07:00

April went so fast that I didn't know what hit me. Lots and lots of conference activity (yay!) that the days just blurred together into one big mass. But I didn't manage to capture some moments in our unschooling lives:

A spontaneous desire to draw the solar system, supported by a handy-dandy reference book and the omniscient, omnipotent internet. And a few markers.

Our annual foray into racing. Camille ran her first mile! So proud. And so tired, but she did it. Last year her race was only a half-mile so this was a big jump.

Juliet ran, too, in the Toddler Trot and she was very proud of herself, too. She wanted Camille to run with her but she took off without holding her sister's hand as she did last year. Juliet was very happy to get her post-race re-fueling goodies.

What we don't have photos of are Marc and I running. My first ever attempt at any running event. I walked/ran four intervals for 5k and felt so great running across the finish line. Marc said I was a runner! Who knew? And this was after I wrote this essay, Finding My Stride.

And Easter:

I loved finding this on my camera! That smirk says it all. "I got the egg, I got the egg!!" And the boots thrill me to no end.

My sister sent the girls a gift certificate for Build-A-Bear. (psst: next time, send more! :) Lots of fun building, dressing and accessorizing Hugs and Blackberry. And again, the boots. I'm keeping those forever. Has anyone ever bronzed miniature boots instead of baby shoes?

This was taken and posted* at the request of Camille and Juliet. Yes, we unschool everything. ;) (* to keep myself out of trouble, please know that this is root beer; notice the root beer float on the bench.)

A girl and all of her favorite things: a dog, sundress from Grandma and peas on a sunny day after having chocolate ice cream.

And chamomile. *sigh* Yes, I'm getting to my chamomile post.

Oh, incidentally, the tablecloth in the above photo is also in the new Hannah Montana movie. We all squealed when we saw it on her grandmother's table! Gotta love a 10 AM movie when there's only one other family in the theater- we can get vocal about a tablecloth with no witnesses. The best part of that movie though was definitely the Hoedown Showdown. We came straight home and found an instructional video on You Tube- so fun!! Now you go do it. :)

May 2009

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I know May isn't over yet, but I wanted to record a few moments so I don't forget.

Camille was very eager to do something for the Earth on Earth Day. We grabbed trash bags and walked around the neighborhood. We came home with one bag of trash and another of treasures. The mud was a bonus.

They pretended to be airplanes on the way home and I thought they looked so free.

Is there any other way to drink almond milk?

Or any other way to dress when learning to knit?

Every day should include a spa under the table.

Where I'm From

2009-03-27T21:01:00.000-07:00

Enjoyed on numerous friends' blogs (start here, here, here) and inspired by my recent thoughts on where I am, it's my turn to describe Where I'm From:

I am from a Kenmore sewing machine, from a Light Bright and coloring books.

I am from the bedroom converted from an attic, where icicles hung from the eaves overlooking the forsythia and honeysuckle awaiting their moment in the sun, from where the yard beckoned my cartwheels and the clothesline sagged from the sheets and invited me to hide within.

I am from the wild violets, dandelion and trillium dotting the green blades of grass before they sacrificed as my gifts.

I am from Sunday drives around the lake and calloused hands, from Kenneth and Myrtle and Warren.

I am from the coming together and the reaching for light.

From "anything is possible" and "sweet dreams."

I am from the belfry of the Baptist church and the long battered rope too thick to comfortably hold.

I'm from the Finger Lakes, hailing from a covered wagon crossing a frozen Canadian border with honeybees and a dairy cow and from Pennsylvania Dutch itinerate farm hands with tattered shoes and strong backs, casseroles and my mother’s apple pie filling.

From the love letters planning rendezvous, secretly sent across state lines between two who couldn’t know how paramount their devotion would someday be; the goodbyes that were gone before they began, one on a rain-swept road and another that rained upon our hearts; and the brass ring my dad’s fingers snatched from the vintage carousel near the home of a beloved author.

I am from the rumpled file folder in the flea market desk that sits beside my grandmother’s dresser with its large mirror reflecting the western coast to which I have come. I am from pressed flowers, wedding programs, In Memorium cards, birth announcements and a river of negatives spilling from rags to riches. I am from life lived as it comes.

A Post

2009-03-25T21:40:00.001-07:00

Not from me, but from Camille. She posted two short updates on her blog and is eager for comments. If anyone feels inclined: timetostep.blogspot.com

Thank you!

Busy Hands Make a Warm Heart

2009-02-10T20:32:00.000-08:00

Or something like that...

So, it's been raining here and hailing a bit, too. (And yes, we're all whining about it.) Five days of rain have saturated the ground and kept us mostly indoors. It's actually been great for me!

The refrigerator has been bursting with produce from our farm box. We have four heads of cabbage in there now and I am not inspired to use it. Yesterday I spent most of the day in the kitchen, making squash soup and Chard and Feta pie. (the pie recipe is from Simply Organic, which I really like. Both the book and the recipe!) It's been a great lunch for two chilly, wet days in a row. And tonight I used up the baby bok choy, beets, peppers with lettuce from our garden.

I appreciate the time to slow down and finish sewing projects, too. A few weeks ago I asked Camille what she needed to help her contain the clothes that are often everywhere. Her answer was so simple: a laundry basket. Of course! She has one but it's often in transition between loads in the laundry room or full of dirty clothes. So during this rain, I have also gotten her laundry bag sewn up and one for Juliet, too. You may recognize that botanical pattern. About a year ago I asked for suggestions on what to make from it and finally it's been used. Here's a secret: that fabric is actually a sheet set I found at a thrift store. It's got some fancy French label on it so I was reluctant to cut into it. For this laundry bag, I simply made a lined top piece from purple satin that J chose, added a casing and sewed it to the pillowcase. I ran a ribbon through the casing and voila! I love it and so does Juliet. Fun and easy project for a rainy day.

Another big project from the weekend: we added more fruit trees to our backyard! We now have two orange trees (Pink Cara Cara and Valencia) that will bear almost year round, a plum (Santa Rosa), peach (Strawberry Free), pluot (Dapple Dandy) and nectarine (Double Delight) and three blueberry plants (Misty, O'Neal and Jubilee). The plum, peach, plout and nectarine are all bare-root so it will be a few years before we see any production. The blueberries are already fruiting and the oranges should bear for us this year or next. We'll see how they like our soil.

Originally we wanted to only espalier trees here since we have so much fencing to exploit. I changed my mind because I really wanted more variety than apples and pears, which are the only fruits that thrive with espalier. We opted for high density planting where we can plant the trees closely, keep them relatively small and still get a great crop. So now we have trees along the fence and the existing apple and pear will grow two dimensionally behind them along their support, effectively creating a layered orchard. How cool, huh? We'll see how many years it takes for it to be grown in and truly beautiful. Right now we have a bunch of sticks in the brown dirt! But at least they've already been pruned so I don't have to cut them back until next year.

Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor

2009-01-30T21:00:00.000-08:00

Scene One

Art Studio Loft, our house. I'm helping Camille's friend sew an eye pillow. Machine is humming, I'm pinning and Juliet is playing on the floor next to me with her own fabric.

Juliet: Mommy, look at this!

Mommy looks at Juliet who has extended a fistful of something soft and blonde, cascading over her pudgy little hand.

Mommy: confused silence; wondering didn't I put Barbie back in the toy bin the other day after Juliet painted her a rainbow of colors? Yeeeessss, I did....

Mommy: What is that?

Juliet: Hair.

Mommy: Who's is that?

Juliet: Mine.

Mommy: $@*&! silence

Mommy: That's your hair? (scanning the floor for an instrument and now seeing my fabric shears behind her)

Juliet: Yeah. (nodding cute little, newly shorn head)

Mommy: Why did you do that?

Juliet: Because the little scissors didn't work so I had to use the other ones.

Close Up: 7 inches and 3.5 years of baby curls gone in one snip

This is the part where you all tell me it grows back. Just as curly as before.

Guess what's blooming?

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(Click to enlarge)

Does Anyone Need Lettuce?

2009-01-21T15:08:00.000-08:00

Seriously.