Joyful-Abundance

The Good Stuff

2011-11-23T13:34:00.000-08:00

Someone posted this on a thread (titled "Are we stuck?") on the alwayslearning yahoo list and it resonated with me because it expresses the sentiments I feel ring true about unschooling: "In addition to this time being short, and precious - you are building the foundation of natural learning in your home. Learning flows when needs are met, connections are strong, and kids can absolutely trust their parents, and know their parents are there for them. Some of the core values of natural learning are trust, support, joy, and freedom. You are putting up scaffolding for years and years of learning by the choices you make now. "

Pam Sorooshian commented on the post and then wrote:
"The time spent mothering and playing is not time away from real learning -not to be rushed through to get to "the good stuff" as some may think of it. It is essential to allow real learning and, really, to allowing the child to grow up as a whole, integrated human being.

Homeschoolers think a lot about learning - but they often focus on learning to read, write, do math, or learning science or history, etc. Unschoolers tend to take that kind of learning for granted, it happens along the way. Instead, as we get more and more into unschooling, we tend to focus on things like kindness and creativity and honesty - all those character traits that will determine "how" their learning will be used in their lives."
---
I loved what Pam wrote so much! Her comments led me to think about various thoughts related to play in general and how play is connected to relationships, self-esteem and learning.

* Kids learn best when they are happy and engaged in something meaningful to them which is one reason why kids learn so much when they play.

* If we truly believe that kids will learn from everything and learning is as natural as breathing, we can relax and enjoy ourselves even more without worrying if they are learning specifics that society thinks they should know by a certain age. (With homeschooling, people have the freedom to learn in their own time and way, like they did before school.)

* When kids grow up in a home where they feel good, they get used to "feeling good" as their norm. What a wonderful thing! And having fun playing is a great way to feel good!

* Another thing that kids learn as we play with them is how relationships work. They get experience figuring things out in the context of play between (parent and child and siblings). When we play with our kids, it builds positive connection, which is the most important thing to me!

*This brings me back to Pam's comments....when we care for, nurture and play with our children, we are building the foundation of a great relationship. We are in essence showing our kids that we care for them, they are worthy of our time, that they are loved, that we care to spend time with them and do things for them, that we care what they like to do and that what they want to do is important to us. All of this helps them feel like they are important to us. That makes them feel good and increases their self-esteem.

* And to go full circle again....when kids feel good in general, learning flows easier as they are not stressed or in a situation that requires their attention elsewhere and they can naturally focus on what it is they want to learn.

I know Pam alluded to "The good stuff" as being educational because that is what many homeschoolers or other people think (even though she thinks of it much differently). To me, "the good stuff" is the loving and mothering and connections that forge a caring, trusting relationship. The educational stuff comes naturally and easily when all other needs are met as we follow our interests and doing educational things are part of our lives every day. In addition, because I am around my children so much, converse with them throughout the day, know what they do and are interested in, notice many of the connections they make, and know them so well overall, I have an understanding of much of what they know (like most parents do of very young children who spend lots of time together).

It is the time we choose to spend with our kids when they want and need us most that helps build a great foundation not only of love of each other, but of life and learning in general. That good stuff helps build a good life!

I Really Like My Husband and My Children - I have a great life!!

2011-11-11T20:40:00.000-08:00

Makana really wanted tomato soup and grilled cheese for dinner. But we had no canned tomato soup, so I offerred to make her homemade tomato soup. I usually can't remember which book the tomato soup recipe that I like is in, but tonight I easily found it. I had to stop making it to help Kanoa for a while (nurse, diaper change, connection) and then set up the dvd player in the kitchen so I could cook and be close to him. Threw in some laundry and began to chop onions and press garlic and add spices. Only have skim cow's milk though. Asked Li if he would still have the soup if I used that, he said he would prefer going to the store for rice milk. Checked the time. It was just about the time Jim might be leaving work. Called him and he was willing to stop by the store on his way home. He even made a list of what other things we needed and agreed to get them (as he is a great guy and knows it is much easier overall than taking the three younger kids with me, although we often do shop together). So....we're waiting for him and will appreciate him not only working all day, but stopping on the way home too. Thanks Wolfie, I love you! And this is only one of the gazillion reasons why!!

I also want to write that I love Katie so much....she is such a wonderful, fun, bright, cheerful person almost all the time! I love her attitude and who she is - a truly good person, a delight and a sunny person who lifts others up by her very energy and spirit! It makes me feel so good that she is doing the things in life that make her feel good and has friends who make her laugh and that she enjoys spending time with. I once read a snippet of a book written by a man who wrote about his experience having teenagers who got so busy it seemed that they were hardly ever home. Then after his kids had moved out, he realized how they did still live at home when they were sort of using it like a base from where they took their adventures as when they truly weren't living there, he didn't find any evidence of them being around like socks and things and dishes and such and he really missed that and them. Reading that made me feel sad for him and was a good reminder to appreciate the time that my kids do spend with me and are living at home. And when I do have a moment where I wish something was put back in it's place, I remember this man and what he felt and it helps to bring me back to what is important and what I can appreciate now. Once I feel grateful for evidence that those I love live here, I am feeling like I have my priorities straight again.

I do have moments though where I get off track. Example of Wolfie helping me remember what is important: I took Katie and Zach to the ice skating rink a couple weeks ago. It was Zach's first time skating. Katie took her skates with her. When I brought them home, she had left them in the back of the van. No big deal, but I really like to keep the van clear in the back so I can put groceries and such in it (okay....I love things organized too!). A day or so went by and I put them in the mudroom right on the stairs so she could easily spot them and hopefully take them upstairs and put them back in her closet on the ice skate pile. Well, they sat there for days (and I didn't remember to ask her to take them up as it wasn't high on my list of things to do, but was something I did want put back eventually). One morning I was saying goodbye to Jim in the mudroom and made a comment about the skates still sitting there. Jim said "She has alot going on. Remember when you were fourteen." His comments reminded me that she does have a whole 'nother world going on and this was not anything important to get bothered by. In fact, it was easy for me to simply bring the skates up to the skate pile and be grateful for her being alive and having so many other things that she is interested in. I smiled and thanked Jim for saying that and he said "Yeah, well don't ask me at night when I'm tired!" lol! Love that we can be there for each other like this!

Update on Katie in High School (9th grade)

2011-10-27T19:40:00.000-07:00

Katie is enjoying school still. It is still a bit hard to get up so early (and to get to sleep knowing you want to wake up early), but she does that as well as make her own lunch (she wants to make it right before she leaves so it doesn't get soggy), gather what she needs, and get to where she needs to get to by an early time. Guess it is worth it to her. When you want to do something, you can usually find a way to do it.

Honors English is her favorite class and she is proud of herself for getting high marks in it. She likes her other classes too and has a nice time when she gets to eat with her friends or when she is in the same classes as them. She has found that some people are really nice and friendly, and others aren't as kind and are not worth her time. Overall though, her experience so far has been very positive.

Many days there are hours of homework, though she gets much of it done in school during "independent study" time. She wonders why it is called Independent Study because students Must do homework and therefore thinks it should be called "Homework."

Last night, a call from the school was sent to all of the student's homes because bath salts (drugs) were found in the school. Jim and I are not happy about this as these kind of drugs are way more dangerous than something like marijuana. The school has decided to implement a program that incorporates dogs to sniff out drugs because of that and the many drug related offenses that have occurred so far this year. School is not a safe place in Jim's and my opinion, especially when kids who don't want to be there are there and bringing drugs to school. http://bangordailynews.com/2011/10/26/news/midcoast/bath-salts-discovered-in-rockport-high-school/

10/29/2011 - Today Katie got a new cell phone (her old one broke and she was without one for a few weeks). She was so excited because she said she could now text while she was in school so she wouldn't be bored. She went on to say that while she enjoyed most classes (all except health) and felt she was learning in some classes, in others she felt bored because she already knew what was being taught. This especially was true for algebra. Interesting that this was the one subject that she fretted about knowing and even though she picked up some algebra books at the beginning of last year because she wanted to learn it, she has never had any formal math (except for a very brief period when I was occasionally asking her to work on handwriting and some math problems back in 2004 or 2005). Also, she said her math teacher separated her and Zach because they talked too much. Katie said that this happenned even though their conversations were about math. Now she feels kind of lonely sitting alone in algebra.

Nice Day...

2011-10-09T16:28:00.000-07:00

We just got in from a walk out to Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse (all six of us) and a stop at the ice cream place downtown (second day we went for half price ice cream!). Makana was getting ready for a shower and said, "This was the best day ever! I can't wait to do it again!" Love that! Just told Jim what she said and he said she just told me the same thing a few minutes ago! :)

Oh, and the three older kids did Mad Libs in the car and it was so nice to hear their voices and laughter. Nice being all together.

Makana adding it all up....

2011-10-08T21:41:00.000-07:00

Makana and I were in the kitchen one evening last week and she asked me how many pennies were in a dollar bill. I said one hundred. She thought a moment and then said, "That means there is 10 hundred pennies in ten dollars, right?" I said yes. She said that sure is alot of pennies!

Windjammer Weekend, Camden ME 2011

2011-09-04T21:39:00.000-07:00

First a visit with some pirates!

They gave the kids a coin each.

Kanoa wore his own pirate hat for the occassion, until it got too windy and we needed to put it in our bag for safekeeping.

Angelique, Lewis French and the Mary Day schooners (left to right)

On the Angelique

Li surprises Makana by sneaking onto the next ship when she isn't looking.

It is not this crowded in our town usually! Wow!

Mom visited over the weekend!

Love this view with Mt Battie in the background.

Check out my new wheels!

Come Boating in Belfast, Maine

2011-09-01T21:20:00.000-07:00

The boathouse

We watched for a long time as they got ready

And looked for things in the water...found seaweed and little floating crab apples.

Makana was going to try and row too. I was wondering how this would go. Was she strong enough?

Makana ended up sitting next to Azure to enjoy the ride instead of row as she fell when her oar got stuck. The tides were very strong this day and they had alot of trouble getting away from the dock. Once they were out though, away they went. They had a great time! Makana and Azure loved sitting next to each other! They got to sit next to Quinn and try rowing with her for a bit of time on the way back.

Choosing High School - First Full Day

2011-08-30T20:01:00.000-07:00

Found this nice note this morning.

Katie went to school for her first official day of high school today and she enjoyed it very much. She went yesterday, but it was a freshmen only half-day. I was glad she wanted to tell me about her experience and her day. She said that she likes some of her teachers and classes, but doesn't like Spanish 2 or Health. She had been a little nervous about being a freshman as she heard people refer to them as "fresh meat" and heard that they aren't treated nicely by older students. However, the students (both older and younger) she has met so far have been very nice.

Last night was the evening parents could come to school and follow their child's schedule. Jim went with Katie and got to meet the teachers and hear about five minutes of what each class was about. The health teacher invited parents to come into any health class anytime. Jim told Katie he'll save her a seat (wink).

Some of the classes use no books at all, like science class. The laptops aren't ready to be given out yet and Jim said that the school made it seem like this was a big deal - the kids would have to take notes. He said that it seems like the schools have changed since we went.

We do know one teacher at the school who teaches the fashion design and discovering foods classes. She is so nice and I do hope Katie enjoys those classes.

Frog On Glass Door

2011-08-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

This was a cool thing to see! The underbelly of a frog!

8/28/2011

Neuc, Sabbathday Shaker Village

2011-08-27T20:39:00.000-07:00

8/26 - Our room at Neuc conf...what a mess!

We stayed one more night then we had planned at the conference (yeah!). On our way home Saturday, we went to a portfolio review sesson (where I met some really nice families!) at Pinelands (which reminded me of Delicious Orchards in NJ a little bit) and then went to the Shaker Village that we had heard all about by listening to a cd. The cd was called Like the Willow Tree: The Diary of Lydia Amelia Pierce, Portland, Maine, 1918 (Dear America Series) by Lois Lowry. It was such a captivating cd that we loved to put it on the minute we got into the car and sometimes wished our car rides were longer just to hear more! Here's a review of it online: http://www.kidsreads.com/reviews/9780545144698.asp

We thought that we would take a tour of the Shaker Village, but when we found out that you could not leave the tour and that it is more of a serious, quiet tour mostly appropriate for those who can remain quiet and are older (like over 12 or something), we decided to take the self-guided tour instead. I didn't get to read nearly as much as I had wished to because the kids needed us, especially Kanoa who was full of energy. We did get some pics though. Here they are. And I do wish someday to return and take the tour - that is, if there are any Shaker's around then as there are only three left today and they all live in this village, "The Chosen Land." Maybe some of the kids will be able to go on the tour at that later time too. It would be so fun to share that experience with them. Oh, I read part of a book called, "Chosen faith, Chosen Land : the untold story of America's 21st-century Shakers" by Jeannine Lauber. It said in the book that the Ken Burns documentary had some errors in it including that the Shakers called God "Mother/Father God." The book said that they actually did just say God, not "Mother Father God" but that it is true that they did think of God as being both genders.

This photo reminds me of something Li said on 9/9/2011 and I am inserting it here. As we were cooking in the kitchen, he said he likes to do many different things each day so he gets good at many things, like the Shakers did. He said they were smart to do that and he wants to do that too. He wondered if he would be good at whatever he does when he's older. Then he said after some thought, "The Shakers are smart, but they don't rely on happiness. They need more happiness."

8/20 - Misc Kanoa pics

2011-08-20T20:18:00.000-07:00

Kanoa enjoying some computer time.

Katie holding Kanoa, who loved wearing Wolfgang's hat. We eventually found Kanoa his own black hat to wear.

Busy Kanoa and our busy day

2011-08-20T20:07:00.000-07:00

Today Jim and Katie went to S. Portland to pick up Katie's best friend Wolfgang, to photograph a lighthouse (Jim) and to shop for jeans (Katie). Makana and Li hung out with our neighbors Joshua and Christopher playing street hockey and riding bikes and playing soccer (Kanoa and I tagged along when they played street hockey as I wanted to make sure Kana was safe in the street. He and I played in our neighbor's yard running after balls and climbing rocks and retrieving the ball the kids were playing with when it went into the woods.) Then home to take the brownies out of the oven as we were bringing brownies to the block party later in the day. Sent a few emails, answered some calls and did some smart meter work. Li considered going to the Knowledge Vault, but due to the time and his interest in food, went to the block party. Kanoa ate quite a few (half sized) pieces of brownies. Kana sat down at a table with a couple of friendly neighborhood girls and enjoyed chatting and playing cards and eating. Li ate some, hung out a bit and joined in the card games too and then went home for a little while. Makana borrowed a scooter and scooted around the block with her "new friend" whom she wants to play with tomorrow. Kanoa was active...very active. At one point he was pushing chairs (no one sitting in them) forward and I had to let him know that they couldn't be pushed. Later he pooped (behind those chairs) and I took him home for a diaper change and we went back to the party with the wagon. Twice he enjoyed running down one of our neighbor's driveways and up the short staircase toward her door. At another time he spit water on a man's leg! Yikes, I apologized and wiped it up! He was a handfull! The man laughed and didn't seem to mind. But I sure didn't expect that as I was right there with him. Overall, we had a nice time. Even though I knew I would be with Kanoa and not chatting like everyone else, I still enjoyed seeing my neighbors and think this is a nice thing to do once a year. Makana especially enjoyed herself - glad she did! The kids and I went to Staples, then to get sneakers for Makana so she could be ready for soccer, and even went grocery shopping. At the grocery store, I kept a good eye on Kanoa - and in spite of that I still had to literally run after him a couple of times. He likes to go! Well...the van just pulled up....so....off to say hello! Said hello and now want to update....Katie showed me what she bought at the mall (she had saved birthday money and earned some from babysitting as well). Jim, Wolfgang and Katie went on a boat tour in Portland Harbor and saw seals, a beautiful sunset and a thundercloud in the distance with beautiful colors underneath. Sounds very nice! And Jim took some gorgeous lighthouse photos! So glad they had a nice time!

More pics from the day/boat trip:

8/19/2011 - Wild Turkeys in our back yard

2011-08-19T19:58:00.000-07:00

So exciting to see the local flock of wild turkeys in our back yard!

Our neighbor's white cat McGee was excited too, but I don't think he caught any!

2011-08-17T20:24:00.000-07:00

Kanoa loves to dress up as Spiderman! He is also a huge climber, indoors and outdoors. Unless I am forgetting, he is more active then the other kids were. So glad he is full of energy, but sometimes I wish I had more energy to keep up with him (give me some of that!) We joke that keeping up with him and chasing after him is like a free gym membership! lol!

2011-08-14T20:31:00.000-07:00

Katie has been very much into fashion design over the past couple of years. She loves creating outfits and keeping up with what is in style or what she thinks would be cool. She is also interested in graphic design and art.

I saw a newspaper article about a fashion show in Rockland this past spring and http://www.freepressonline.com/main.asp?FromHome=1&TypeID=1&ArticleID=12331&SectionID=61&SubSectionID=172 and thought I'd ask Katie if she wanted to go as it fits in with her interests. (Just because she is choosing school doesn't mean I no longer look out for things she would like, I still do that!) It would have been an interesting event to attend, but we were not able to make it. I thought that maybe we could contact the artists in the show and see if they would be willing to speak with or meet with Katie and either me or Jim.

In late spring I attempted to contact one of the people who was featured in the show, Orlando Johnson, to see if he might speak or meet with Katie to tell her about what he does and how he got into his work. I wasn't sure if I had the correct email address, so I called the person who ran the event and asked her if she might pass on our information to him. She not only gave him our information, but she also said she would give it to the other artist as well! Cool! Turns out that Orlando did get the email and said he'd be happy to meet with us either on the mainland or we could visit North Haven and he'd show us his studio and the island as well! Cool again! So....after a few emails, a couple calls, figuring on a good date and waiting for good weather, we all went on an adventure to the island of North Haven.

Orlando was so nice and kind and he gave us a tour of the island, took us to a rocky beach with lots of sea urchins and an incredible view of the mainland coast, showed us his studio and artwork (he had a variety of artwork: printing, painting, wooden lobster doors, t-shirts, dresses - one of our favorite things was the h-u-g-e painting of the mainland coast at night which was in this lovely old barn) and played soccer with the kids and shared homemade scones. Li said he was so nice that if he ever got to choose a big brother, he'd want it to be someone like him. We so appreciated him giving Katie such a wonderful opportunity (and the rest of us also enjoyed seeing his art and meeting him as well). It was lovely to not only hear about how he does things and see where he gets his inspiration from, but to be able to have a conversation with him and ask questions as well. Thank you Orlando!! Here are some pics from that Sunday-

Ferry ride from Rockland to North Haven. And yes, we made the early ferry ride! Turned out a friend and co-founder of Citizen's For A Green Camden, Pat McLean, was on the boat too! Small world in Maine especially!

The kids pointed out the homes they liked the best - here's one of the popular ones. Katie now thinks about living on one of the islands. She loved one of the homes we saw along the way and the rolling hills in front of it. Makana took pics of her fav homes, boats and sights.

The beautiful painting we love in the barn

Art in the barn

Lobster doors

Heading down to the beach

View as we headed down to the beach

Path back up

Those new blue shoes she loves so much....

Signature lobsters.

The studio.

Orlando also showed Katie more of his work on his laptop and also some of the clothing he designed.

While we were there, we found out that Orlando had just been interviewed for the Bangor Daily News. Here is the article: http://bangordailynews.com/2011/08/01/living/north-haven-life-inspires-british-american-artist/

Katie and Orlando

We then went to the Hopkins Wharf Gallery and saw Orlando and other artist's work.

Here are some of his clothing (esp comfortable designer T's) and other art.

While we waited for the ferry back to the mainland, we explored the nearby area and took Kanoa to run out some energy at the local park. Some more pics...

Kids had some ice cream here

It was a Foggy trip back...I mean, very foggy!! Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse

Another similar ferry heading out.

Love this puffin mural.

Big Squash!

2011-08-13T20:25:00.000-07:00

8/13/2011 - Big squash for sure! These kind of summer squashes (yellow and zucchini) have been the best growing veggies in the garden. We all were so impressed with their size! Fun to go out and see how much bigger they are getting or to be surprised to see a huge squash suddenly appear as sometimes they seem to blend in or not be noticed and then there they are!

8/19 - Just love how green and alive it feels to look at the plants growing in the garden!

8/19 - Zuc's

Blueberry picking on Beech Hill 8/6/2011

2011-08-06T22:13:00.000-07:00

Hiked up Beech Hill in Rockport for free organic blueberry picking. Was beautiful out. Hut at the top of the hill was open too. Always am amazed at the view there!!

Reminds me of "Blueberries for Sal" by Robert McCloskey

Wild blueberry muffins - 8-8-2011 - Yum!

Katie turns 14 and misc pics

2011-08-05T22:06:00.000-07:00

Looks just like my dad! (guy holding bent gun)

Katie texting

Well...we didn't have a 14 candle - Keely I think suggested we do this instead!

Happy 14th Birthday Katie!!

8/5 - veggies from the garden - best year for squash!!

Busy Summer Days

2011-08-05T21:44:00.000-07:00

Feeling like I'd love to write about so many things and stick some pics in here about what we are doing, yet smart meters are calling for much attention and it is a timely issue. When not doing that, the lake or beach or pool calls often as does bike riding and lots of running outside or playing at parks in the sunshine. Plus did I mention a busy two and a half year old that has trememdous speed and zest for life and fun and climbing and throwing? Do wish I could get to catching up on pics and hopefully at some point I can go back and put up some pics when time allows. For now...will enjoy life! :D

Trip to Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences and Boothbay Aquarium Monday 8/1/2011

2011-08-01T21:33:00.000-07:00

On 8/1/2011, the younger kids and I went to Bigelow Labs for an open house day. It was really interesting! Li especially loved it and both Li and Makana loved the glow in the dark plankton that they brought home. Their experience there made them pull out the microscopes at home for more research on their own at night! Cool!

Collecting plankton

Li and Makana collect plankton

Lab room was very crowded. The nice lady explained alot of things to Li. Li was Very interested.

Li gets a turn to look at the plankton on the computer. The lady explained things to him.

Makana got to look at bacteria through a microscope. The staff explained things to her too.

growing bacteria

Kanoa was not feeling very happy. He was having a tough time on and off this day.

Makana took a long break to play on the fence along the ramp.

Kanoa joined in and they had fun. Thank goodness they found something to do as Li was still in the lab and very into what he was doing.

Makana and Li with two of the staff members - everyone was so nice there. Makana and Li like to be goofy for photos somtimes! :)

Ahhhh....Kanoa will like this place MUCH better! It was right next door to the lab! Phew!

And he did like it much better!

Got to look at fish and pick up lots of creatures in the large touch tank - very cool!

Lots of activities on the porch too!

Summer Days at Lake Megunticook

2011-07-31T21:23:00.000-07:00

Lake Megunticook became our preferred swimming lake this summer. Fun to meet friends and neighbors there. Having the grassy area and the sand reminds me of the KAM beaches in Hawaii, especially since we often bring the BZ board with us. The kids and I take turns paddling around on it. Makana and Li stand and attempt to ride the board toward the shore (I give it a large push). Fun!

Extremem close ups....

Dress Up Play 7/29/2011

2011-07-29T21:12:00.000-07:00

Super Girl Makana

Kanao likes dressing as Spiderman

Makana helps Kanoa roll up his pant legs so he doesn't trip. What a nice big sister!

Soup Li and Makana made (with very little help from me) - they used mostly veggies grown in our garden and were very excited to make this soup! It was delicious!

Kana's many faces 7/29/2011 - Age 5

2011-07-29T21:04:00.000-07:00

Kana and Kanoa - 7/24 - 7/25

2011-07-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

Makana

See Kanoa running...blurry...but captures how fast he runs and moves....a busy two and a half year old! And keeping up with him is helping to keep me fit!

VSI installs smart meters in our neighborhood (without notification - this is against the PUC ruling of May 19)

2011-07-21T20:43:00.000-07:00

VSI tried to install a smart meter at our house. I declined and said I had already opted out. Li asked if radiaton would come into our yard from our neighbor's smart meters. Yes...and dirty electricity can come into our home too. CMP wants no holes in their grid.

The kids and I went door to door notifying those who were home about CMP coming to our neighborhood today. Until Kanoa pooped - then we headed home. Met a new nice neighbor and was pleased that many of the people I spoke to or called did decide to opt out.

This is what the new smart meter looks like. Any smart meter - even the receive only / one way / no transmitting devices still have switching devices in them and therefore still emit radiofrequency. And they still cause all of your hard wiring to emit radiofrequency. Not a good idea.

The notes that got left on people's doors when the meters were switched out. No one had a chance to say no if they weren't home.

Our analog meter

Close up of our analog meter

Below is my letter to the PUC complaining about what happenned (deleted phone numbers).

-------------------------------

21 July 2011

Derek D. Davidson

Director of Consumer Assistance

ME Public Utilities Commission

18 State House Station

Augusta, ME 04333-0018

Dear Mr. Davidson:

This morning, a VSI employee (Mike Szweck?) came to my home to install a smart meter. I told him that I was aware that the PUC requires CMP to give residents 30 days advance notification and that I had not received any notification that he was coming. I said that I did not want a smart meter and should already be on the opt out list. He said that a lot of people had told him they did not receive notification. He asked if he could take a couple of pictures of my meter and I gave him permission to take the photographs. He checked a paper to see if I was on an opt out list and found that I was not on it. He made a call to see if he could list me as refusing a smart meter so no one would come back and try to install one at a later date. He found out that my meter number was listed under “closed meters.” He asked the person on the phone what “closed meters” meant and was told that meant that VSI can’t touch my meter and only CMP can. VSI employees should have had my information as being on the opt out list.

Are you aware of this “closed list?” Why aren’t VSI employees supplied copies of the closed list so that they don’t attempt to install a meter at those homes? It would have been extremely upsetting to me if I had not been home and had a smart meter put on my house when I had already gone through the channels to opt out.

I want to be sure that my analog meter is left in. If VSI doesn’t have me on an opt out list because I am only on a “closed list” and if the VSI employees don’t know this means not to touch my meter, then by accident I may end up with a smart meter. This is not fair to me since I have gone through the proper channels to ensure I keep my analog meter.

I would like the PUC to follow up on this as if it happened to me, it is likely to happen to someone else.

CMP needs to follow the PUC requirements of notifying customers 30 days prior to installation.

All VSI installers must have the opt out and closed lists and be aware not to replace any meter on either list. They also need to understand what both lists mean.

I would appreciate it if you would let me know how this is handled.

Sincerely,

Laurie Wolfrum

26 Good Wind Lane

Camden, ME 04843

alohabun@yahoo.com

cc: Elisa Boxer Cook

Richard.Davies@maine.gov (Public Advocate)

Derek.d.davidson@maine.gov (PUC email)

Senator Chris Rector

Camden Select Board

Unschoolers Rock The Campground 3

2011-07-17T22:07:00.000-07:00

Thursday 7/14/2011 - We arrived at 9pm and set up the tent by the car headlights. First time camping as a family ever! (As kids, Jim used to camp in a pop up and I had a couple experiences, some in tents and some in pop ups or cabins. Neither of us camped as adults.) Our family camping experience was great and we will definately invest in an air mattress so that we sleep better - and get a cook stove too! A huge thank you to Erika Davis Pitre for lending us her extra cookstove and to Jules for helping us find our site in the pitch darkness!

Friday 7/15/2011 -

Katie sees her friends! Awww...

Kanoa and Kana having something to eat.

Our site.

Emily Hodsdon

Heading to the lake for a swim.

Relax and finish that quesadilla first.

Lakeside

Daddy and Li went out in the kayak. Now Makana and I will go.

Makana and I exploring in the kayak.

Kanoa wanted to try it too.

View of beach from the docks.

George and Eileen Mahowald and Marla Briggs relaxing in the shade.

Li returning the paddles to the camp store. He loved that store, esp the snacks!

View on path from store back down to lake/beach.

Swimming..

Kanoa and Wolfie

Kanoa

Charlotte, Meghan, and Laura Enos (right to left)

Shan Burton

Eileen Mahowald

Katie Wolfrum and Echo Goff

Our site again

ditto

Field where nerf gun wars, baseball, face painting, hula hooping, singing and campfires took place!

Katie and Laurie Wolfrum, Echo Goff

Saturday 7/18/2011 - York Zoo is a three hour ride for us. There are two zoos about an hour away from the campground. Murph, who lives in MA by the Cape, suggested we go to William Rogers Zoo in Providence, RI as he thought it was a nicer zoo than Franklin Zoo. We took his advice and enjoyed it! Unfortunately, we missed getting back for the 4pm Nerf War, but there were yet more battles to join in on throughout the early evening and the next day too!

Jim and I always notice this bug whenever we have passed by. It is still there! Had to photo of it as we refer to it sometimes...."Remember that giant bug...?"

I just LOVE this picture!!!

Sunday 7/17/2011 -

Waking up in the tent...

Leftover face paint!

Another sleepy soul....

Laundry hangin' out to dry

Makana or Li took this photo

Kanoa and I playing in the sand at the lake

Annie Fisher Kessler playing a watergun/seaweed game with Joshua and Makana in the water

The beach at the lake

Makana Wolfrum and Joshua Kessler

Alana Monlea, another happy swimmer

Li plays splash with Kanoa

Time for donuts....

Mmmmmm........donuts.......

Our campsite

Our campsite again..

All in all....can't wait to do it again next year!!! :) With air mattresses!!

Lake Alford

2011-07-12T22:04:00.000-07:00

Zach

Kana, Li and Katie are in this pictue.

A Vist From the Clark's!!

2011-07-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

Edward loved playing the drums! 7/10/2011

William and Makana hit it off and had lots of fun pretending and playing together! 7/10/2011

Katie and Megan creating designs on the computer. 7/10/2011

Sluggo and Wolf! Remembering good times! And creating new memories with our families! 7/10/2011

Megan and Candy! 7/10/2011

Love this picture because William made a cool pose and that reminded me of when Li was little and used to make fangs in almost every picture! Love it! 7/11

Doug and Candy Clark! Next year....a campout?? 7/11/2011

Kanoa pictures 7/5/2011

2011-07-05T21:46:00.000-07:00

Here are some misc pics of Kanoa taken by one of the kids. I like how close up and clear they are. He was tired when these pictures were taken. I think this may have been when we were passing a "bug" around too.

The Painting of Katie's Room 7/3/2011

2011-07-03T21:43:00.000-07:00

Keely added this to the ceiling as she is a huge Justin Bieber fan

Funtown Splashtown 7/2/2011

2011-07-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

Went to Funtown Splashtown late in the day. We got there about an hour after you can get the discounted late day combo tickets. We had wished we were there just a bit earlier, yet in the end it seemed like we had just the right amount of time as everyone was in good spirits for the whole trip and had lots of energy and fun! We love this place!

Kana went down the tube rides with Jim and I this time. Kanoa still liked the baby sprinkler/splash pool. Katie helped get him used to the water by playing with him. Jim and I took turns going with Makana. Li is comfortable going on his own tube now!

At Funtown, Kanoa seemed interested in how the carosel worked. He also really liked the kiddie bumper boats. We did alot of driving the antique cars while the others went on different rides. Li went on a roller coaster for the first time....twice! (not Excaliber, the other one!) And as always, the log flume was a hit! Kana went on that for the first time! Whoa! Must take after her daddy as Jim loves thrilling rides like the roller coaster (maybe not a free fall type ride, but he loves coasters and flumes!). Katie still prefers not to go on those kind of rides - glad she goes with what she feels comfortable with. I am more like Katie, although I love the log flume sometimes and have even tried the swings and when I was younger loved most rides! Much less into the kind of rides where your stomach flips and flops now!

Li's 10th birthday 7.1.2011 (not 6th!!!)

2011-07-01T21:07:00.000-07:00

Yes, double digits now! Time goes so fast!

Li went to Target to see if he wanted to use his gift card he got for his birthday.

Spaced out and put a brand new number 6 on Li's cake! What was I thinking! Or not! Ha!

None of us even realized it right away!

And Li even held up the cake for a photo before we realized!

This was the list Li had made for what he wanted to do on his 10th birthday.

1. Get up and open presents
2. Target to shop
3. Helm for ice cream
4. Pick up ingredients at Shaws for a special birthday dinner.

June 29th and 30th 2011

2011-06-30T20:54:00.000-07:00

Saw this at our friends house! 6/29/2011

Playing at Elm Street Park

Some backyard painting....6/30/2011

A Few Photos From Jim's Birthday Week - and Makana's birthday week too!

2011-06-24T18:20:00.000-07:00

6/19/2011 - Jim took a trip out to Curtis Island to photograph the lighthouse. Caretaker Dee Dee Conover gave Jim a boat ride to the island and a tour of the keepers house! What a beautiful day it was!

Wolf's Big 50!!!! Here's some pics from his day - Everyone got some special time with Daddy:

Start off the morning with a coffee on top of Mt. Battie overlooking Camden Harbor. Katie joined Wolfie and took this picture.

Took Li to soccer and watched Li play. Either Katie or Kana went also. I stayed home and made Aunt Florence's secret cheesecake recipe.....ummm'mmmm! Good!

Lunch with Makana at Miller's Lobster Pound in Spruce Head, ME....

While Wolf and Kana were out to eat, I took Katie and Kanoa and Zach to the lake to swim.

On their way home, they picked up a bbq grill and we made burgers for dinner.

Kanoa fell asleep on the way home from the lake.

And of course cheesecake for dessert! Happy Birthday Wolfie!

Chk out Kanoa swiping the cake! Not a bad idea! :)

Below are some pictures from our visit to Pemaquid Beach on 6.21.2011:

They were all by each other. So I asked if they would all stand together for a pic! (It does look posed...caus it is.)

Makana made lots of sand angles

Wolfie and Kanoa taking a walk along the water's edge....exploring and picking up all sorts of things. Jellyfish, seaweed, rocks..

Did I mention this was Jim's B-I-G 50!!!!!

Kanoa did not want to put down the crab or the jellyfish!

And then he found interesting seaweed (rockweed I think it was)

Seaweed, jellyfish, crab....got it all!

Drawing letters and numbers in the sand...

Ahhh....relaxing!

June 23rd was Makana's 6th birthday!!! Yippee!

On June 24th, Jim went on a Lighthouse Cruise in not so great weather, but at least got to see some lighthouses...here are a few pics:

What Are We Really Saying About Winners and Losers?

2011-06-22T14:43:00.000-07:00

Li is involved with a YMCA soccer camp for one hour and fifteen minutes each day this week. He loves it. I overheard one of the coaches say to the children that there was ten minutes left and they could play one more game and that the loser would have to do five pushups. One of the kids said, "Ten pushups!" Another said, “100 pushups!” In the end, the kids did five pushups.

Our culture keeps telling people to be good sports and good losers as well as good winners. Yet coaches and parents often pit winners against losers. Some folks even make a punishment for those that lose.

Some children may not even think about losing and might carry on with their day whether they won or lost. Some children may think about how next time they might do something different in the game to score or to play differently or better (whatever "better" means to them). Yet when we make winning the focus and even throw in there that the loser might have to do something because they lost and the winners don't "have to," I think it takes away from the self-initiative, self-motivation, and self-esteem of the players, especially the loser. And what then happens to the enjoyment of the game itself or playing for the sake of it? I think a bit of that is lost as well.

Doesn't losing itself have it's own value? (And that value doesn't have to be negative!)
-A person might feel like they tried hard and it was a good game in spite of losing.
-They might dwell on what they did do well or on the fun of the game or even congratulate another player or ask them how they made a certain shot.
-There might be camaraderie and talk about the game in general.
- A player might think about what he or she may do differently next game or even ask for pointers without feeling ashamed because they want to be more skilled at playing.

Yet when one side are called losers and made to do pushups because they lost, I bet the players are not thinking as much about what they did right, how much fun they had or what they might do differently next time that will make them an even more skilled or a better player or teammate. They might instead feel humiliated, feel like they are terrible players or dwell on what they did poorly. They might think that this sport isn't for them after all or that they suck. I would think that their self-esteem is not raised.

Winners:
And how do the "winners" feel? They might feel like they played a good game and feel proud. Or they might feel lucky they played a good game and it wasn't them this time that lost. Depending on the person, a part of them might feel bad for the other players which might dampen their glory (as winning is so often glorified). A part of them might think they are better than the other players. If they think this way, they could feel good that they have this gift of skill to play so well or that the time they spent practicing was worth it because they do notice how skilled they have become. They may even be willing and able to coach others.

Offer Kindness Instead of Shaming:
On the other hand, a few years ago I witnessed a group of more skilled players wishing that their less skilled teammates played better. And if they didn't score or pass well, the more skilled players grumbled, yelled and shamed their teammates in front of them, within earshot, or behind their backs. It was not pleasant, considerate or nice! Sometimes the coach or even the parents would add in unhelpful comments. I wish all involved would be supportive instead of belittling. I wish the most skilled teammates would *offer* (kindly and sincerely) to help practice with those they wish would improve or make suggestions or explain what they could do differently to pass, block, score or stop, etc. rather than complain about or shame them.

Not that there should be a punishment-but if there is one, it should not be something that we wish our kids liked or that is healthy for them! (I get that not everyone likes to exercise. However, exercise in one form or another is good for most humans - and there are so many ways to exercise.)
I don’t think there should be a penalty for losing. However, if there is, do the players assume that whatever they are supposed to do for losing is bad and negative and to be avoided? In the soccer game my son played in the penalty was doing pushups. I don’t know, but I do wonder if the kids might start to think of sit-ups or exercise in general as something negative and to be avoided. I love to exercise and wish exercise was not given as a penalty and I would not want it to be thought of as something difficult or terrible or as a punishment. Maybe the kids didn’t even see it that way. However, I thought about this alot and wondered why a coach would tell the losers to do sit-ups when they are representative of the YMCA which supposedly wishes for kids to be healthy, fit and love to exercise and take care of their bodies.

Summary:
I'd rather that all the kids get enjoyment and personal satisfaction from playing for the sake of it, from trying and winning or losing. Maybe then they will look at the game itself as what was satisfying and enjoyable rather than what they got to avoid (being "losers" or having to do pushups or some other form of punishment) or what they got to beat others at.

What Can I do?
I can share my thoughts and concerns with the coaches. Or write a letter to the YMCA or even a letter to the editor in our local paper. I can ask my son how he feels about it. I can also realize that the sports culture isn't necessarily going to change, so I can have discussions with my children or discuss it with other like-minded parents for support and more ideas. I can also start a fun, no-pressure soccer league of my own! Any other ideas?

June 1 - June 15th 2011

2011-06-15T18:17:00.000-07:00

Grandma visits and asked Makana if she could brush her hair. 6/1/2011

Makana and Grandma! 6/1/2011

Me and Mom - So wonderful to see her and hug her!!! x's and o's!! 6/1/2011

Mom! 6/1/2011

Makana and Kanoa hanging out outside. 6/2/2011

Makana and Grandma relaxing for a moment. 6/2/2011

Kanoa playing on the swing. 6/2/2011

Makana showing Grandma how she climbs all the way to the top of the pole and then slides down. 6/2/2011

Grandma taking a few photos before heading home. 6/20/2011

Kanoa trying to jump rope. 6/2/2011

Mom photographing me while I'm photographing her! 6/2/2011

Cool stormy clouds in the sky. 6/2/2011

We caught a leopard frog in the pond. 6/2/2011

Kanoa is interested in the frog too. 6/2/2011

Let's get some more frogs! 6/2/2011

Makana took this photo of me and Mom. 6/2/2011

Katie holding Kanoa, Wolfgang, Makana and Li - I was trying (hoping) to get a picture of everyone, but Kana and Kanoa were more interested in playing - hey, that's more fun than posing for a picture! 6/2/2011

Katie and Wolfgang 6/2/2011

Katie and Wolfgang and Kana wanting to play and Li in the background 6/2/2011

Gabby, Keely and Katie 6/2/2011

Makana picking out earrings - she really wants to get them pierced. What kind should she pick out? Birthstones! (for June there are two: moonstone and pearl) She picked out the purplish ones listed next to June. 6/3/2011

6/3/2011 - This is what the others were doing in Claire's while Makana was choosing her earrings.

Love this picture of her looking at herself in the mirror. 6/3/2011

Just before the earlobes were pierced.... 6/3/2011

Me and Katie before she went to the eighth grade formal dance on 6/15/2011. I look like my Grandmother! So funny to see/notice!

Li has been taking photographs alot lately. This one came out so beautiful and clear! It is the first rose in Makana's garden on the new rose plant we just added a couple of weeks ago. 6/11/2011

Li has also been taking photographs of birds and squirrels. 6/11/2011

6/13/2011 - Kanoa knows just where to look for donuts in the fridge.

6/13/2011 - But they are all gone!

6/15/2011 - Rhodo plant - swallowtail butterfly flitting amongst the blooms. Makana and I both tried to capture it on film.

6/15/2011 - Still trying to photograph the swallowtail butterfly.

Makana has been asking me to keep her window open so she can photograph houses and whatever else she likes as we drive. We pulled over so she could photograph these lupines and buttercups. 6/15/2011

We picked up silver nailpolish for Katie and went to Maddie's to drop it off and take pictures of the girls getting ready for their dance.

Kanoa especially loved playing with Derbie the dog!

Gabby's toes! 6/15/2011

Maddie, Kaylin, Keely and Gabbie 6/15/2011

Maddie, Kaylin, Keely, Gabbie, Katie 6/15/2011

Silly photo

Maddie and Katie

Keely and Katie

Katie

Keely

Maddie

Katie and Maddie

Kaylin and Katie

Gabbie and Katie

Gabbie

Kaylin

The girls holding Makana 6/15/2011

This is what the kids were given when they graduated from 8th grade.

What it said inside

Frogs, Mount Battie and Special Collected Rocks 5/31/2011

2011-05-31T21:06:00.000-07:00

5/31/2011 - Catchin' frogs

5/31 - Let's look for more! "More frogs!" Kanoa says. Sometimes Kanoa dips the net and dumps it out (leaves fall out) and he says "No frogs."

View from the tower on Mount Battie.

5/31 - Makana and Wolfgang - Camden harbor below - view from top of tower on Mount Battie.

Another view looking down towards Camden harbor - 5/31/2011

5/31 Another view from the top of Mt Battie

5/31 - Makana, Li and Wolfgang at the top of the tower on Mount Battie

This nice man at the top of the tower noticed that Li seemed afraid of heights and expressed that he too had that. Just before Li went down the spiral staircase, he asked the man if he had ever gotten over his fear of heights. He and Li had a conversation and the man explained that he did still have a fear of heights, but encouraged Li to keep trying to work on it and get past it as best he can.

5/31 - Me, Kanoa, Kana and Li with Camden harbor in the background.

This is the tower at the top of Mt. Battie.

Kana enjoys finding sparkly rocks.

Many special rocks and shells we collect go alongside the garage. Others go inside particular glass jars which sit in the kitchen.

Grounded

2011-05-30T20:10:00.001-07:00

What do parents think happens when they ground their child? Do they think that their child will no longer do the offending behavior or speak the offending words?  Do they think it will teach their child a lesson?

Why would a parent think to ground their child when they do something wrong? Maybe because they were brought up that way? Maybe because they have seen others do that or heard about doing that from living in our culture?

I don't believe a child would feel grateful for being grounded.  Instead I think that a child may feel seething anger, resentment and may even think of more ways to get even with either their parents or the person they felt upset with. They may want to blame others. They may feel a loss of power and disconnect with their parents.

Being grounded seems condenscending to me in the sense that children are being treated as "less than" and not heard and treated like a person who is an equal or like a person who is cared about and considered as having a hard time, difficult experience, troubled moment, or who has made a bad choice.  Don't we all make bad choices sometimes? Don't we all have difficult periods in our life or bad days? How would we treat our spouse if he/she had a bad moment or hard day? I bet we would treat him/her with compassion, offer to listen or to talk, to give space if needed or wanted, to give a hug, to offer to do something he/she likes to do together, to bring him/her a cup of tea or whatever comfort food or drinks you thought would bring relief and make them feel loved, cared for and provide a sense of peace and calmness.  Wouldn't that be a better choice to offer our children rather than roll our eyes, throw up our hands in disgust and shame and ground them?

Another way to help us better treat our children is to remember the golden rule and think of love instead of fear.   A note on fear - Much punishment is done because parents are fearful that if they don't nip that "behavior" immediately their child will turn out bad or do the offensive talk or actions forever. So parents justify the punishment as a means of stopping the actions or words from "ruining" their kids. This is so fear based!!

Instead of punishing or grounding, first get into your child's head and heart. Try to understand where they are coming from instead of immediately justifying why you are right.  Think of how your child feels and what they may be going through and why. Think of all the phases and stages you and almost every other person on the planet has gone through and how we each have our own paths and processes to get to wherever we are going. No matter whichever paths we have taken (whether by choice or not), for better or worse, we are where we are now. How can we make it "for the better" for our child? Make that better choice instead of doling out the punishment, shame, guilt, distrust and disconnect.

Instead of punsihing or grounding, give children the same love we would wish someone would have given to us when we were down or that we later regretted.

Give your child credit. They want to do what feels right to them. They have reasons for what they do based upon what they think and feel and perceive just as we all do, even if you disagree, don't understand or would choose to do something different. Try listening to your child ....with love and compassion and empathy. If your child is willing, have a conversation.  If you still feel it necessary, explain why you felt what he/she did was wrong and what else might have been kinder and more acceptable in our society.  Brainstorm together any other ideas that your child could do if the situation arises again?  Talk about consequences that could arise from the various choices. If your child doesn't want to talk, maybe they need some space. Maybe in time, if and when they feel like they can trust you, they will know you are there for them and will be able to share their feelings and thoughts more or ask for you to listen if they would like your opinion, thoughts or ideas.

Do remember that parents are important models for their children! Our kids notice (greatly!) how we treat others and how we speak about others. If you don't like how your children treat others or their siblings, before casting stones, look first in the mirror. If it is you who needs to apologize and change your ways, do so. Please don't punish your child for acting the same way you do!  No more "Do as I say, not as I do!" Instead, talk the talk and walk the walk. Be the model you want to be!

Misc May Activities

2011-05-29T20:34:00.000-07:00

5/13/2011 -Hooping by the Harbor every other Friday. Check out Maria's website fmi: http://www.hoopmeonline.com/

Makana and I at our first Friday hooping time!

Love the vibrant spring colors! Wish I had taken a picture of the bold forsynthia flowers to..so bright and yellow! 5/14/2011

Day Lillies coming up! 5/14/2011

Was so proud I didn't burn the egg and cheese omlet! It came out so nice looking I had to take a photo. 5/17/2011

Jim helps Kanoa try to talk through the megaphone at Walker Park.

Kanoa loves to wrestle with Daddy! 5/22/2011

Love it when they have such a good time together! 5/22/2011

Kana, Li and Wolfgang play Sorry. 5/23/2011

Daddy and Kanoa play "catch" as Kanoa calls it. 5/23/2011

Katie joins in with a brownie snack she and Wolfgang made earlier. 5/23/2011

We tried to grow wool on the Amazing Sheep. Alas, it wasn't very amazing.... The directions did say humidity and movement could affect the outcome. And it was moved a couple times and it was very humid out. Oh well.... 5/28/2011

Went ice skating on Sunday 5-30-2011 - neat to be in a cold place and then go back outside to such a warm environment!

It was nice that we basically had the whole rink to ourselves (except for two other skaters who ended up leaving shortly after we got there). Lots of space!

Makana pausing for a moment..

Think this is our broccoli plant from last year...and doing well! (Deer! Stay back!)

Strawberry plant we just transplanted as a seedling last week.

Radishes!!! Think we need to space them out a bit...hmmm.

Chocolate mint plants making a comeback! Yum! And especially yum coupled with Stevia! Our stevia plant didn't survive the winter (or I can't tell them apart from the weeds!) Was told by a grower at the farmer's market that stevia would not last if they were not brought inside over the winter.

Lemon balm plants thriving in the tomato patch. (No tomato plants in there yet, but this plant is doing great!)

Lily of the valley plants! Bought these at Merryspring when they had a plant sale because my Grandma used to have these all around her trees and they smelled so wonderful and remind me so much of her and childhood and her

Anyone know what these are called? What is a good site to look up the names of plants (maybe by color)?

Kanoa sporting a hat to help stop the black flies from biting his head!

Makana and Kanoa eating pizza together.

Kana and Kanoa were being silly with their food...he was mimicking what she was doing and they'd laugh together! So glad they are great pals!

Kanoa wanted Daddy (preferred Daddy) to hold the pizza a certain way and then he'd take a bite.

Kanoa at Walker Park enjoying the tube slide!

Kanoa LOVES to throw things. So....we often head to the water where he gets his fill of throwing rock after rock into the water. I do it too or try to skip rocks with Li. Li often tries to show Makana how to throw a good "skippah." Skipping rocks is great family time together! Li especially loves it and remarks about how fun doing that is.

Such a beautiful view here down by the water!

Notice the lighthouse in the background over Makana's head. That's Indian Point Light in Rockport, ME.

Love how they are both standing and looking out, each to different directions.

Wolfie and Kanoa throwing rocks. Still. Yep, Kanoa loves it that much!

Li checking out the seaweed (mostly rockweed I think)

Spin us Daddy!

Two Months Into Middle School - an update

2011-05-17T17:19:00.000-07:00

Katie is still so glad she is in school. She does have alot of homework many nights. Sometimes she is doing it for hours...much of the time while multi-tasking (texting, skyping, watching a show). She is so proud of herself for having almost all A's so far this quarter. (All are A's except one B+).

A Nice Spring Thursday 5/11/2011

2011-05-11T20:09:00.000-07:00

Tulip blooming...finally!!! Yippee! So nice to see vibrant colors!

On the way to Belfast, we stopped at Lincolnville Beach and had pizza. In just a month or two, this beach will be very crowded! Li got very wet and sandy, so we left to go home for a change.

This gave us time to see if Katie wanted to come to homeschool group with us. This is the long line of cars waiting to pick up kids after school.

Makana and Azure, her best buddy!

Makana and Azure

People doing some kind of meditative exercise at Belfast City Park (and swatting black flies too!)

Late night art and puzzles, Makana cleans and organizes the bathroom and mother's day flowers 5/9/2011

2011-05-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

Late night art.

And late night puzzles!

Makana wanted to clean and organize the bathroom and then show me how it looked. It was so sparkling clean!

She even organized the top drawer!

My sweet and thoughtful mom sent me flowers for Mother's Day. I love you mom! What a nice surprise!

So nice to be outside! 5/8/2011

2011-05-08T19:54:00.000-07:00

Update on School (one and a half months into it)

2011-05-08T15:03:00.000-07:00

Katie is still loving school for the most part. However, her favorite teacher, Mr. Dow, left due to medical reasons. Her least favorite subjects are still the same; science and spanish. Her previously favorite subjects, history and language arts (both taught by Mr. Dow) are now lower in the list. Moving up to favorite subjects now are art and math.

This makes me feel that having a specific kind of person for a teacher did make a difference to Katie in how much she enjoyed the class and subject. It seems to make a difference also in how she perceives the teacher feels about her personally as well.

One recent challenge has been getting adequate sleep and food. We're investigating possible ideas as to what is causing various unpleasant symptoms and what she/we can do to help. She had a ocular migrane for the first time ever this past week. We wonder if she may be have hypoglycemia and are doing some research on that condition and how to help it.

5/6/2011 - Kanoa's first big hair cut (besides a bang trim or dread snip)

2011-05-06T21:24:00.000-07:00

Here are those golden first locks and dreads!

Playing PBS Kids (Clifford mostly) made it very easy as he was busy clicking and standing in one place!

My kids look so different to me after a haircut! Li likes it better the old way. Kana says she is already getting used to it and thinks it is cool, although she will miss his curls! (So will I! But maybe they'll grow back!))

Rock Tumbler, Fangs and The Plasma Car 5/6/2011

2011-05-06T19:42:00.000-07:00

Kana showed Kanoa how to wear fangs and he enjoyed trying them out this day.

We finally got the rock tumbler set up to go with our first batch of rocks.

Makana hanging out on the sun porch.

Kanoa LOVES to ride the plasma car. And man can he go!

Kanoa looks scary with those fangs and then rides around on the plasma car.

Cathy's Postal Jeep...for now...but not for long 4/30/2011

2011-04-30T21:57:00.000-07:00

4/30/2011 - Kathy's own jeep which she uses for work to deliver the US Mail. Soon however, the US Postal Service will be forcing her to get a US Postal Mail truck. She said that she did try to do everything she could to continue to use her own vehicle. However, the postal service says that it costs too much to reimburse their workers to use their own vehicles (or something like that...I'm trying to remember what she said). She loves her jeep and it is so good in the snow and surely she wouldn't be able to get up our driveway in the winter with a regular postal truck. Sigh. I asked if there was someone I could write to or contact to speak on her behalf and she said that it was already a done deal. She will be selling her jeep when she is required to begin using her new truck. This doesn't seem fair! If her jeep protects her better in the winter weather, esp here in Maine, and if she is able to do more for customers with her jeep (like come up a steep, icy driveway to deliver mail), then shouldn't she be allowed to keep it? Does it really cost that much more? Can you put a price on safety? Come on! Jeeps are way safer than uniform postal trucks!

The Helm for ice cream and Li playing baseball in the backyard with Kanoa

2011-04-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

4/29/2011 - No Snow! Green ground cover - yes, grass and weeds! And I am okay with weeds!

4/29/2011 - Our traditional welcoming of spring...a trip to The Helm for soft serve ice cream! (Although I think this was our second trip this year already.) Kanoa is diggin' it!

The nice lady who gave us the ice cream! Nice to see her every year!

Need I write anything?

Surprised? Shocked? What? Hey....they had Round Top!

Li loving his cone...he is very into food and tasty snacks!

Love the expression on Kanoa's face...concentration!

Kids being silly at The Helm....

Li playing "bat/ball" with Kanoa. That is what Kanoa called it for a while. And when you play baseball with him....it is not him trying to hit the ball so much as the pitcher trying to hit his bat which may move around and be held differently each time. It is challenging! If the pitcher doesn't quite hit the target (the bat) and if Kanoa is tired, he gets upset! 4/29/2011

4/23/2011, 4/24/2011 (Easter), 4/28/2011 (Makana Lost First Tooth!)

2011-04-28T21:11:00.000-07:00

4/28/2011 - Kana bought a new pink umbrella today and then shared her other one with Kanoa. They loved using them indoors.

4/23/2011 - Kana sets up colorful flowers with the Sequence chips.

4/24/2011 - Easter - Makana looking for eggs on Easter morning/afternoon.

Easter - Li and Kanoa

Kanoa ate the cheerios inside his eggs.

Golden bunnies! And a wee one too!

Chalk bunnies! Thanks Grandma!!! (They've already played with them!)

Makana lost her first tooth tonight (4/28/2011 - Age 5)! She had the string from her pants in her mouth and was pulling it and out popped her tooth!