This is a test...

...to see if my posts are updating to Facebook. This is only a test. If this were an actual blog post you would have seen or read something of interest by this point. We will now return to our regularly scheduled blogging. Thank you.

Great (old) book

This is a book we had growing up (click on image to go to Amazon description):


(Thanks, Granny Jean and Boopy for hauling it all over the world until I wanted it. :) )

Yesterday the girls and I went on a walk (they were in the Burley, with some library books and snacks...so I guess technically I went on a push...but I digress). Sabine was reading A Chocolate Mousse for Dinner -- or it might have been The King who Rained -- to Vivian. (Also favorites from my childhood.) She came across the phrase "a family coat of arms" and asked what that meant. We talked about what they were, and I had a vague recollection of coats of arms being a section in Steven Caney's book.

Sure enough, there were a couple of pages on coats of arms, and ideas for making your family's own. Sabine made ours with a monkey for humor, a lightbulb for ingenuity, and a fox for cleverness. Not bad.

I love Steven Caney's writing style and this book is jam packed with fun things to do/read about -- from making a quill pen to fortune telling to grave stone art to how different kinds of nails are made. You can even buy a used copy on Amazon for $.39 (plus $4 shipping, of course...) but you might see one at a yard or library sale sometime...keep your eye out for one!

More on the GMA piece...

...and thanks, Ronnie, for pulling these all together.

Just in case anyone watched...

...the (IMHO) awful piece Good Morning America did on unschooling, (I'm reluctant to even link to it as the interviewer was so obviously biased against unschooling but hey, maybe she's just going for controversy to get ratings...) here's a great response from the Huffington Post.

Birthday!

I suppose I should say BirthdayS! but it's really not all about me any more, is it? Oh well, we had a fun party for Sabine's 8th...fruit on a stick, pizza, cake, water balloon fights, face painting, and of course, general kinder-mayhem.

(Oh, and we finally found a living room couch -- look how many kids fit on it! and they could have added more!!!)

Easter

Many an egg were dyed and hid...


Happy girls post-hunt...


Vivian hunting...

Steak on a stick

I think that's all we need to say.

Tree swing

Bret used a piece of wood from a shelf we pulled out of a closet, and bought a length of rope from the hardware store to make a front yard swing.

Hours of entertainment!

Wildlife area

Bret took the girls to this wildlife spot near our house while I was at the Public Library Association Conference (here in PDX). Note the SUN SHINING in Portland...see, everyone? It can be BEAUTIFUL here! ;)

Excitable girl

Vivian was given the right name for her...it means:

Full Of Life, Vibrant

Recycled art

Sabine made this creation with objects (they're not trash if they're being used in art, right?) she found in the grass alley behind our house...

DoJump! end of session show

The girls thoroughly enjoy their DoJump! class. Photos below are from their end of winter session show. They are in a homeschooling class together.






Vivian playing peek-a-boo!

Children's Museum

One of the things we love about PDX are all the places to go/things to do with kids. The Children's Museum is a favorite.