An Easter Translation of Droid

Translation*:

He is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Happy Easter!

* An imprecise translation so I could post this science museum video on Easter Sunday.

Fun on the Range: Running in Circles

Second Son has my old camera. It works perfectly but the lens is smudged. Because it would cost something like $80 to have the lens professionally cleaned, I just picked a new cheap camera and gave him this one. He loves it. I frequently find the memory card full of thousands (thousands) of pictures of all the pages of Star Wars books or videos of him following the dog around as he (the dog) attempts to escape.

Recently, Second Son and Second Daughter have been making exercise videos, or perhaps they are just videos of them exercising. Second Daughter started it, I think, but this video from Second Son's camera is my favorite.

This kind of activity is what the Range kids call fun.

Great Sand Dunes: Hiking, Wading, Mountains, Joy! (Seven Quick Tales Vol 12)

In August, we spent three nights at the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado. I would like to devote today's seven quick takes to encouraging all of you to see it for yourself. Until this summer, I didn't know such a place existed and if you could design a national park for young children, you almost couldn't do better than what you'd find right here.

1. Hiking like this:

2. Sand dunes, which children can climb, scramble, slide down, roll down, and surreptitiously stash in every pocket and crevice of their clothes. I struggled with the altitude, so just sat and watched as the children wore themselves out climbing and tumbling in the sand.

Yes, those little specks are my children.

You can rent sand boards and sand wheelchairs. Our kids seemed satisfied with direct contact with the sand.

3. Mountains

We're from Kansas. There are no mountains in Kansas. My kids would see a little hill and wonder, "Is that a mountain?" No, no it is not. These are mountains!

Kansas Dad yearned for alpine hiking, but after one attempt at a mile walk up a bit to a scenic view, he knew such an excursion would have to be child-free.

4. If you come in the right time of year (or in August, if there were heavy snows in May), there's Medano Creek.

It was only a few inches deep when we were there, so we could wade right through it.

Or, you can bring swimsuits, sit yourself down, and dig a swimming pool. Recruit other children to aid and assist while you are there and to take over when it's time to leave for lunch.

It's practically a homeschooler's paradise - what with all the learning about water-based erosion, tiny waterfalls, levees, meaders, oxbow lakes, and the satisfying smush of sand between your toes and fingers.

5. For the early rising adventurous crowd, the High Dune beckons.

Kansas Dad, First Son, and First Daughter made it to the top!

6. This view while taking a guided nature walk during which a kind patient ranger endured Second Son's autobiography of his short but apparently eventful life.

We attended a few of the ranger programs, opportunities to learn actual geology, geography, and natural science relevant to the dunes. Second Daughter and Second Son were particularly enthralled by the one about night visitors and spent much of the walk to the creek the next morning pointing out all the tracks of the kangaroo rats and tiger beetles.

My favorite was the guided nature walk. We had walked the same trail the day before, but the children were drawn in by the ranger in a way they were not when it was just us. Though we had all stopped to draw the day before which we couldn't do while on the guided walk, so perhaps having both is the best option.

We camped right at the Dunes, which was fantastic. It was incredibly windy one night (high winds help create the dunes and clear them of footprints and marks), but our tent was well secured. Being right there made attending ranger events easy.

7. Sunsets a little like this

There's only one disadvantage: no showers. You have to leave the park to get to a shower (and pay a fee once you find one). I'm also still finding sand that might very well be from Colorado. Even so, Great Sand Dunes is officially one of my favorite places in the world to visit with my children and I would love to return.

Bonus, just because it amuses me. Here's a video First Son made the first morning at camp:

Read other Seven Quick Takes at This Ain't The Lyceum.

First Piano Recital

First Son and First Daughter started piano lessons last fall. A very dear friend of mine is their teacher and I think she's fantastic. The recital was also perfect - all kids we knew, one right after the other, with lots of fun and fellowship (and scrumptious chocolate chip cookies and vanilla scones) afterwards. Just so it's on the official blog record, here are the videos.

She was a lot more nervous than she thought she would be, but she kept on going.

First Son was one of the steadiest players that day. He came. He played. He ate cookies. Just another day. (Maybe it was his previous performance experience.)

First Son's Life

This video shot by Second Daughter exemplifies daily life during the school year for First Son. Doing something fun, then suddenly remembers he has less-fun-work to do. (She recorded this in February, but I just got around to watching it.)

If Gru Were a Shakespearean Actor

Last summer, I read and reviewed How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare. You can read that post here.

During the school year I began reading How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare with the children. We memorized passages and I read from the chapters, slowly and discussing it as we went along. We only memorized four passages, the ones selected from A Midsummer Night's Dream, but they responded with absolute joy. All of my children (11, 8, 6, and 4) can recite some lines from the play. The three older ones can recite many lines from the play. My two oldest know the plot and, what's most important, love the play.

I absolutely recommend this method of learning Shakespeare with your children. As evidence and for your amusement, I'd like to present First Son, performing as Gru as a Shakespearean actor.

"Bottom's Dream" (Passage 3 in the book)
First Son as Gru as Bottom, other three children as Minions
 

The Minions did their jobs well. I've actually heard him do an even more convincing Gru performance; he was a little nervous with the camera running.


"Theseus and Hippolyta" (Passage 4)
First Daughter as Theseus and First Son as Gru as Hippolyta (using his Most Magical Fairy Princess voice from Despicable Me 2)

They all think this voice is hilarious. I'm sorry you can't hear it very well. I have a new camera (yay!) but it doesn't come with those fancy microphones that real movie sets have.


"I Know a Bank" (Passage 1)
Second Son wanted to recite. First Daughter agreed to help him.

"Captain of our Fairy Band" (Passage 2)
Second Daughter's favorite passage

"Lord, what fools these mortals be!"
Second Son

This phrase has become common in our house. When chaos reigns, I will often say it and capture the attention of all the little ones in hearing.

I had meant to read A Midsummer Night's Dream before last school year and did not. I'm reading it now. It's a delight to come to a passage we memorized or read together.

Memorize Shakespeare with your children. You will not regret it.

The links to Amazon above are affiliate links. My original review copy was provided free by the publisher in exchange for an objective review. This post contains my honest opinions and recitations by my zany kids.

Fun at the Science Museum

This video is from a field trip we took with some friends to a science museum back in November.

The older kids all worked together on this massive tower. They wanted to let the baby (who was not quite two yet) crash it down, but the moms were a little concerned too much of it would fall on her head. So we gave the four year old demolition duty. Some of the other kids thought he wasn't destructive quickly enough.

A Difference in Personalities

Thanks to Story Warren, I watched Young Feathers with my children last weekend.

A few minutes in and Second Daughter (6) yells, "I want to do that!"

A few more minutes and First Son (11) quietly remarks, "That must be a little scary."

(By the end, First Son decided the jetmen survived alright so he would like to try it, too.)

Second Daughter's Camera Skills

Second Daughter loves to make movies with her camera. They range from a few seconds of spinning to five minutes of wandering the house and describing every room and person. Here is one she filmed in October that shows pretty much what life is like here on the Range.

What I Loved About the Last Two Weeks (44th Ed.)

I missed last week. Again. And then I didn't even get this post up yesterday (though it was Labor Day). Oh well, it's my blog so whatever I do is alright, right?

1. Our second week of school was a little calmer, at least during the day.

2. We've been enjoying nature outside our front door. We had a snake living along our front path for a while, a tiny baby gopher snake. We also saw a wasp kill a spider and drag it away.

3. Some fun videos. (Believe it or not, First Daughter has memorized a few more poems since I recorded these.)

4. A few weeks ago, we visited a zoo for a family-friendly event. The highlight of the evening was the parrot enclosure, when Kansas Dad was a favorite roost.

5. We had our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Open House a week ago. I am so very glad to be past this event! The coordinator and I spent nine hours in the Atrium over the course of three nights (in a row) after dinner to get all the new materials collected and organized. It looked gorgeous! Our first classes are this week so we're about to get even busier!

Presentation in the Temple for Level 2

6. I finally sat down and designed our photo book for the second quarter of 2012. I was able to purchase it during a great sale. It's not something on my must-do-or-our-family-falls-apart list, but I do so much like to have photos on paper where the children can enjoy them.

7. Second Daughter's baptism anniversary was last week. Daily Mass was said for her intentions on Thursday. I made cookies on Friday and she received a new Glory Story CD. Her favorite part (other than the cookies, of course, which they're still enjoying every day) was blowing out the candle.

8. Second Son can say his name! It's adorable, of course. He has also started calling his big brother "Zeba" quite clearly. I have no idea where he heard it, but it is further proof that First Son's name is very difficult to say. Some of his other names have been "Adeb" and "Beda."

9. Over Labor Day weekend, Grammy treated us to the little water park again before they closed for the winter. Then she kept all the kids overnight while Kansas Dad and I had a lovely Japanese dinner, a relaxing evening at the bookstore, a few cocktails, and fit in a little shopping.

This week we start Catechesis. The girls are in a Level 1 class and First Son is in a Level 2 class (at different times, of course). I think we'll also start soccer this week. I think story hour at our local library will start next week. Then we'll really be able to get into the rhythm of our school year.

What I Loved About Last Week (34th Ed.)

1. I made a new Parmesan cheese bread and the children all raved about it.

2. Our parish is starting a donut club for the summer. First Son and I went to a daily Mass and then spent an hour in the sunshine with friends enjoying donuts and running around.

3. I saw a shooting star on Thursday night!

4. I made popsicles for the first time this summer. First Son doesn't like them, but the girls will eat almost anything frozen into my popsicle molds so they've been very happy to eat (essentially) frozen fruit for dessert this week.

5. I signed the kids up for swimming lessons. I showed up on the first day because I wanted to get three kids into the same session (same two weeks, back-to-back lessons). Success! Second Daughter is so excited to be going this year, though I have my doubts about whether we'll get our money's worth for a three-year-old. We'll see.

6. Kansas Dad wasn't here to make pancakes on Sunday morning, so I made chocolate butterhorns. (I don't do pancakes.) Oh, chocolate butterhorns are delicious and decadent and I only made two for each of us because I could have eaten ten myself. The rest were frozen and half of them are going to a family that is expecting a baby soon because they cannot stay in my freezer or I will bake them and eat them all.

7. Second Son said, "'Night 'night, [approximation of Second Daughter's name]" So adorable! He also surprises me over and over again with the words he will say. I've said it before, but I really think that boy has been holding out on us. I think he knows how to say everything and just doesn't want to give up being the baby.

8. Second Daughter built a nest for Second Son.

9.  Kansas Dad was out of town and Second Son was still contagious with Hand Foot and Mouth Disease. I called a friend and dropped First Son and First Daughter off at church to sit with them. I love that they wanted to go. I love that I could send them to sit with friends.

10. Second Son and Second Daughter with a current favorite past-time:

11. I survived six days and five nights alone with the kids while Kansas Dad was at a conference in New York. At the end of the time, I was reminding myself to offer up all my frustrations as sacrifices for single parents. (It didn't help that we spent the majority of the time cooped up in the house because the kids took turns catching Hand Foot and Mouth Disease and then Second Son's blisters were too painful for him to wear shoes so he couldn't even play outside.) Did you notice What I Loved About Last Week posted late this week? I wanted to be able to say: Kansas Dad is HOME!

I love that man, and not just because he's home to help get the kids to bed and walk the dog and take out the trash and go to the grocery store and put salt in the water softener and respond to the kids who cry during the night and...well, I'll stop now because you're going to start wondering what I do around here. Sometimes I wonder that myself.

My Favorite Picture Books: Orange Pear Apple Bear

Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett

We received this book as a gift from some dear friends when Second Daughter was born. It's a very simple book with only a few words, mainly those in the title. The illustrations are beautiful and clever. Blending colors and shapes, we see the orange, pear, apple and bear transformed through the book.

Years ago, I filmed First Son and First Daughter reading this book aloud. Here's First Son (who can actually read the words):

Then, First Daughter wanted to read it. She doesn't know how to read, but the book is fairly simple and she should be able to figure it out. She gets a little overexcited, though:

If that's an endorsement you can resist, there's nothing else I can say to change your mind.

What I Loved About Last Week (29th Ed.)

1. Early this week, I went in to get Second Son out of his crib in the morning and found him in the downward dog position.

2. Second Son says "Star Wars."

The real reason I got out the camera was to record First Daughter reciting the poem she memorized.

Second Daughter insisted on doing something for the camera, too. Here she is singing the Hail Mary.

I panned down so you could see what she selected to wear that day. You can't see it, but there's another skirt under the dress as well.

3. We had our last basketball session this week. First Son and First Daughter have been playing two hours a week at a wonderful "camp" where they show a few of the basics, get the kids running and playing and just generally have fun without making anything too competitive. My kids love it and I survived the extra stress of one more thing on my plate.

4. We also had our last Catechesis class followed by a family picnic. It was a beautiful evening and the children loved running around with all their friends on the playground and in the sunshine. Kansas Dad packed a wonderful dinner. The kids were thrilled to eat Cheetos, a very rare and special treat. Second Son dumped the water bottle all down his front (twice). Here he is with the paper towel he was using to dry himself off.

5. We had one last outing with our story hour friends for the year, a wonderful morning playing on a playground and enjoying strawberry popsicles.

6. Usually, there is a story hour graduation for the children going on to kindergarten. This year, for a variety of reasons, we didn't have one. We wanted to celebrate First Daughter, though, because she had been eagerly anticipating her turn in the graduation, so she chose a dinner and frozen yogurt outing.

Second Son licking up the marinara sauce

7. It was also the last week for soccer games. The weather was again beautiful and the kids received medals.

Ready for the final games

Hooray!

8. It was also the last week for CCD classes on Sunday morning. First Son finished a wonderful year with his first confession and first Communion. Kansas Dad also teaches on Sunday mornings. Now we have a glorious summer of relaxing for an extra hour on Sundays before going to Mass.

9. We had our spring choir concert over the weekend. Second Daughter chose to sit with Grammy rather than sing this time, but the older two did a great job. First Daughter was especially exuberant in her shaker shaking.

10. Second Son now points his finger and says "No, no" whenever someone points a camera in his direction. It's really cute, but also frustrating because it's now nearly impossible to get a picture of him doing anything else.

10. A very dear and generous friend has volunteered to watch our children two consecutive days this coming week so we can attend a memorial service and a parish dinner.

It was a very busy week! I'm thinking it would be nice to take a day or two off, but we have just a few more weeks of school and I am anxious to finish up our lessons. If all goes as planned, we'll be done with math by the end of this week! (Math takes longer than any other subject. Not the lessons so much...all the other stuff.)

What I Loved About the Last Two Weeks (25th Ed.)

Did you notice I didn't post last week? At all? My parents were in town and we took a bit of a spring break. I had intended to schedule some posts, but it wasn't as high a priority as mopping my kitchen floor so it didn't get done. So prepare yourself for an eventful post.

1. Second Son has taken to knocking on doors, especially my bedroom door. He'll yell, "Mommy? Dello!" (That's hello.)

2. At the end of our exercise videos, the people on the TV will give each other high-fives. Second Son insists on joining in, giving high-fives to everyone in the room. If First Son or the girls ignores him, he follows them around making annoying noises until they give in.

3. Second Son and Kansas Dad have a little game they play. Second Son will point to himself and say, "Dada!" Then he laughs hysterically when Kansas Dad says "No!" Now, he's extending the game to books, pointing to animals and saying, "Dada!" while laughing.

4. A beautiful Saturday for three soccer games and lunch with friends - outside!

5. Celebrating First Son's First Communion with one of his best friends with a "quiet" lunch -- as quiet as it can get with fourteen kids, four adults, a great big dog and a yard full of poultry.

6. A super-clean bathroom, thanks to Kansas Dad. He worked really hard on cleaning the master bathroom for me before my parents and sister came to town.

7. On a quiet night when half the household was at soccer practice and the little ones were playing outside with their grandma, I listened to the second part of Denise Eide's lecture (both parts available to download for free here) while washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen. I am intrigued enough to teach First Daughter cursive next year instead of print for handwriting. I think our reading book (The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading) does a better job along these lines than the book I used with First Son, but I might modify it based on what I heard. Certainly it deserves more thought. (Thanks Brandy!)

8. I took Second Daughter to the Catholic bookstore and picked up a few Easter presents for the kids. She was very good and even picked out a small book to buy with her own money.

9. We spent a lovely few hours with my parents and sister at the local botanical gardens. They have a new children's garden that was wonderful and all the tulips were blooming. The kids had a great time, dimmed not at all by the special treat of ice cream after lunch.

10. Kansas Dad and I spent a quiet evening at a nice dinner without the kids (who were home feasting on frozen pizza with the grandparents) and then spent a relaxing hour at the bookstore.

11. A surprise day off from school. We had very few lessons during the week but I had planned on some for Friday after my parents left. I was tired and swamped with laundry, though, so opted to take a rare day off. The kids were a little confused, but they didn't complain!

12. Second Son's silliness

13. The joy of a box

What I Loved About Last Week (24th Ed.)

1. Beautiful weather. Last week was just gorgeous! It's hard to believe since we've had two full days of rain, but we spent lots of time outside last week.

2. Second Son's love of our Lenten traditions. He always wants to help put flowers on our prayer garden and begs for coins for our alms jar.

3. Second Daughter's dancing

4. Second Son hamming it up for the camera

5. First Son's First Communion retreat - This was just fabulous. It began with a Mass, or rather, preparing for Mass. Father invited all of the children to help him set up for Mass. They told him everything he needed, displaying an amazing knowledge of the Mass in the process. I think we were all impressed. What a wonderful experience for them! Then, it got even better. He invited the second graders to come stand behind the altar while he consecrated the bread and the wine. Amazing!! I think the retreat would have been fantastic if it ended after Mass, but they continued on with adoration, crafts, pizza for lunch, recess on our lovely playground (and even running some races with Father), strawberry cupcakes and two separate sessions in the Atrium. So many people in our parish showed God's love for our First Communicants in putting together that retreat. What a blessing!

6. First Son's First Communion - This deserves a post all its own and will receive one...eventually. In the meantime, let me just say it was magnificent.

7. Our celebration - We had enchiladas (First Son's choice), cake, cookies and a few presents with some dear friends. It was quiet but lovely. Kansas Dad made the enchiladas and cleaned up afterward so I could talk.

8. Second Son's crazy hair - This picture doesn't do it justice, but it's the best I could do. No matter what we do, some part of it is sticking up and out. And it's not even always the same part!

We're having a bit of a quiet week here on the Range, trying to catch our breath a bit after First Communion. Next week, my parents will be here for a visit. Hopefully it won't rain all week so we can get out of the house a bit!

What I Loved About Last Week (12 Ed.)

1. This week I pulled out an old exercise tape. This is one I originally used back in 2001 and have used off and on in all the years since. I never remember it being easy. Well, this week it was easy! Despite knowing the entire tape by heart, I was shocked when it ended. I guess all that time with the Wii Fit has been doing some good after all. (Not having lost significant weight or inches, I must take my successes where I find them.)

2. We met some good friends for a playdate at the zoo this week. It's been a while since we were there and it was very fun to see Second Son enjoying himself.

He doesn't have mittens! Maybe he'll get some for Christmas.

A very pretty picture of First Daughter

First Son pausing for a picture

Second Daughter in her furry coat

3. Peppermint marshmallows. Enough said.

4. A Small Miracle by Peter Collington. We read it this week and Oh! How I love it!

5. I love how much children love Advent. They are excited each day for our picture book, for the new magnet for our fridge Nativity, to light the candle on the Advent wreath at dinner, to prepare for the feast days. Second Daughter doesn't remember last Advent (being only two at the time) and the older two love to tell her exactly what to expect.

6. Etsy - I ordered something for the first time ever from Etsy. It was easy, the site was beautiful and I found the perfect gift.

7. Video of Second Son. I think this video is from May 2011, so he's about ten months old. I found it while going through my pictures.

8. Video of Second Son last week. We're not entirely sure what he's doing here, but we think he's shooting "guns." First Son has been playing "Hero Factory" which involves saving the world from bad guys who shoot some sort of weapon. Second Son wants to play along.

9. Dishwashers that work. Kansas Dad washed all the filters on our water softener. It took a while, but the cleansing finally worked its way to the dishwasher.


Take a deep breath. Next week we have St. Nicholas's Feast Day, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, First Son's birthday party, First Son's First Reconciliation, and First Son's actual birthday. Somewhere in all that we're going to have some lessons, too. I make no promises to post What I Love About Last Week on time next week, but I do promise there will be much to love!

What I Loved About Last Week (8th Ed.)

1. Halloween night - We had a wonderful time at Grammy and Paw Paw's house: pizza for dinner and then trick-or-treating in her neighborhood. I took six videos trying to get Second Son to growl for the camera. This is the best one:

Second Daughter as Elmo, First Son as Mario, First Daughter as Princess

Handsome Kansas Dad as lion tamer

2. Walnut bread for the feast of All Saints on Tuesday from the My Bread cookbook - delicious!

3. Second Daughter at choir rehearsal. She refused to go up on stage at first. When she did for the last song, she sang little but twisted and turned a lot. I hope the choir director did not find her too distracting. I thought she was adorable. (She will probably choose not to sing in the concert, and that's alright.)

4. We used a bunch of our Halloween candy to celebrate the Feast Day of St. Martin de Porres on Thursday with mouse cupcakes (original idea here). Then the kids and I delivered some to friends. I loved how they called to tell us how much their family enjoyed them. It was a wonderful lesson for my children on sharing our excess to bless others.

5. Library book sales - I had the opportunity to preview a sale at our little library and came home with about 20 books I want to read, plus a handful for the kids. I also found a copy of Unlikely Pairs (Bob Raczka's Art Adventures), which I think will make an interesting addition to our art appreciation for the year.

6. Dinner out and frozen yogurt on Friday for no reason.

7. A hair cut with a friend on Saturday morning. We went to an academy where students cut hair at a discounted price and it was wonderful! They treated us wonderfully, the stylist behind the academy made an appearance and complimented everyone and the hair cut is great. Of course, Second Daughter was inspired to cut her own hair...so now she has a few bangs again.

8. Last soccer game on Saturday! We have Saturdays free until the spring! Well, except for the choir concert coming up.

9. Planning week 12 of our year - I am loving my planning system and am looking forward to the week. We're starting Pagoo, finishing our second unit of Connecting with History (right on schedule), preparing for our choir concert and I'm starting to think seriously about Advent.

10. My first earthquake! Kansas Dad and I were awake for the aftershock in Oklahoma that could be felt in parts of Kansas on Saturday night. I was scared at first, but it was fairly gentle and over quickly and I gleefully announced, "I think that was an earthquake!" Who would have thought after six years in Kansas, I'd have never seen a tornado but felt an earthquake?

11. A handsome seven year old, First Son. I should have taken a picture of him hard at work on math or Latin or copywork or something! He still captures my heart when closely studying the Lego magazine (essentially a glorified ten page advertisement, sigh).

What did you love about your week?

Second Daughter Swimming

Second Daughter was pretending to be a whale. She would belly crawl across the floor saying "Mwim! Mwim!" (That's "swim" in Second-Daughter-ese.) Though I didn't catch it on the video, she was also yelling "Pash! Pash!" as she hit her feet on the floor. "That's my dail!" ("Splash" and "That's my tail," also in Second-Daughter-ese.)

Do you like her outfit? She's sporting a lovely top, a Christmas gift selected by my sister-in-law with excellent taste. She found it at The Children's Place. She's wearing a fitted diaper covered by the lovely Thirsties Duo Cover. I have no idea where the sock is from, nor can I explain why she is only wearing one except to say that she often wears only one sock. It's a mystery.

This video was recorded on May 7th, so it's not too old.

Link to Pope Video

Back in January, I wrote a little review for a new children's book on the papacy: We Have a Pope. I've been meaning to add an update to that with a link to an episode of a Catholic TV show that shows Pope Benedict XVI and some of his daily activities in his own home. We only had to watch a little bit of it for the kids to get an idea of what a pope does all day.

I haven't watched other episodes of House+Home, but enjoyed this one. Go to VisitthePope.com to watch it yourself.

Second Son Clapping

Here's Second Son showing off his new clapping skills on March 14th.

In case you're wondering, if he gets socks off his feet, he eats them. If he drops the sock, he goes on to chew on his toes.