It's Wild Here

jamie's recently finished

Grade 6-10–Despite a slow start, this is a solid story set in the early 1970s, with a likable main character and a thrilling climax. Readers will sympathize with Todd, a creative, sensitive boy who helps his parents run a motel in upstate New York and dreams of becoming a writer. When he crosses paths with Rat, a moody young Vietnam veteran, he gets a job at the drive-in theater where Rat works, and finds himself fascinated by the young man, who is compelling but possibly dangerous. Todd begins to wonder if his new friend might have something to do with the unidentified body pulled out of the river. However, the mystery builds quietly as other elements take precedence, including Todd's encounter with an abandoned puppy and the subsequent rabies shots he must endure, his resentment over chores at the motel, his struggles to write a story for English class, and his grandmother's deteriorating mental condition. When the river floods, both Todd and Rat are caught up in the disaster, and the truth comes out at last. The final chapters are riveting, but readers hoping for a fast-paced mystery might be disappointed by the leisurely unfolding of events up to that point. More patient readers will enjoy the details of small-town life and identify with Todd's preoccupations and yearnings.–Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library

missing camera

My camera keeps disappearing and reappearing randomly, which really slows my blogging, as I tend to rely on my pictures to jog my memory about blog-worthy happenings. I guess I will have to use my powers of concentration:

The Yellow Springs Art Council youth liason has invited Ja to be a member of a Teen Art Group - this seems like it will be a wonderful way for him to meet other artists, older teens, make good connections, etc.  It sounds like they'll be planning all sorts of interesting events, and the liason, D, is an adult he already knows and likes.

Meanwhile, he continues in admirable commitment to his job at the Intergenerational Garden.  He goes for one work session weekly, and at least one other time to weed and water. I can't wait until we start getting bags of veggies from the garden's CSA.

Ja has also started playing tennis with Grandpa. Grandpa says he's quite good and a quick learner. They'll be going out again Monday, and Ja says probably 2-3 times a week. His soccer season just ended with a tie - the game was 0-0 until nearly the end, and his team scored! We thought they had it in the bag, but the other team scored a goal in the final minutes. It was great playing.

Ja: nearing the end of the His Dark Materials trilogy, planning to read one or both of the upcoming Teen book group selections - Dragon's Keep and Rat Life.  Also, coming up in the next month, Farenheit 451 and Lord of the Nutcracker Men (audiobook).

More updating to come...

Library Art Show results

Congratulations to Jamie! The library has chosen his piece to be purchased and included in their circulating art collection. Here's the post about the art show, in case you missed that.

The actual artwork is still not in a digital form that I can post here, but I will have it soon.

we're headed out

Outside, that is. I think we're taking the week off formal academics, at least the next three days. We're having beautiful weather, there are flowers to plant, wood to chop, mulch to spread, and we have the freedom to sit indoors and read later, when there is rain or blistering heat.  But not today! (as Ryan would say)

Maybe some yard pictures to come...

museum center

Last week, Grammy and the boys and I met with Katie at the museum center. There is a spot in the climbing area where Jeremiah had his picture taken many years ago - he was 5.

He still fits! But barely.

Fynn and Ryan enjoyed watching the fish from within the tank.

K watched from the outside.

and in case you need an extra bit of sweet for today:

Virginia Hamilton Youth Art Show

Last night we attended the opening for the Virginia Hamilton Youth Art Show at our local library.  (By the way,  did you know that March is Youth Art Month ?) The art will be on display for a week,  and the  library is going to select at least one piece from the entries to buy for its circulating art collection.  Jamie had a piece in this show! We forgot to photograph it or scan it before he entered it, so I can't show it here yet.  At the opening, each artist had a chance to explain a little about her/his work, and Jamie spoke articulately and confidently about his. Friends and family attended and I hope he felt supported in his work. This was (I think) his first time for creating art under the pressure of a deadline and within the guidelines of a theme (folk tales or African American Freedom Trail).

On a related note, while looking for some Virginia links, I found Arnold Adoff's wikipedia page - how cool is that?  What a huge list of poetry.

It's been an odd week

On Sunday night, Ryan started to seem sick. He was congested and had a fever. By Monday, he was also having tummy trouble and it got worse from there. It's Thursday morning and he's finally kept some solid food down, although he's still sleeping all the time (slept all day yesterday). The faint silver lining is all the quiet time around here, during which we finished our read aloud: Bridge to Teribithia. I managed to read it without crying.

update

Jamie: a lot of new art
Jeremiah: getting ready to start learning drums, reading this with Mom, aloud

ryan: potty training, 75% success rate, day 6 (100% success when it really counts, and you know what I mean, and if you can't figure it out, you probably don't want to know) - after visiting a church nursery with small toilets: "That is my favorite pottty that I ever met."
kellen: drooling, screeching, fussing, almost-crawling, teething?

Snow, etc

We have so much snow! The roads are dreadful, as the rain and sleet followed the inches of snow. Fortunately, Evan came home from work early and has been clicking away on his laptop at the dining room table. Jeremiah and Ryan are climbing the 'monkey house,' and Jamie is hanging out with Kira... a very typical afternoon here.

I placed an ad in the local newspaper seeking a very part-time childcare helper to come in the mornings, and occasional afternoons or outings, and amuse Ryan while I get some work done on the house or with the boys. I actually didn't expect to get any/many calls, but have had 4!  I overlooked an important aspect of this process... I will have to say no to the people we don't choose. What was I thinking? That's very hard! They have all been very nice and qualified women - each in a very different way. I don't know what I'm going to do.

Jamie is itching for a drawing tablet to use with his graphic art software. I have no idea where to start, choosing something that will work for him without breaking the bank. His art teacher is going to try doing some research and making some recommendations.

When the snow stops and the schools open, I am going to call the band director and get Jeremiah set up with a loaned snare drum and make use of the school's band curricula for percussion players.  If he likes it, he can join the band at the school next year.

Speaking of band. A friend of the boys was over after school last week and brought his trumpet. He played a bit for Ryan, who cannot get over it. Every day, "I want a trumpet now, ok?"  "Where is my trumpet." "I'm going to play a trumpet! Let's go get it!" 

Kellen is in one of those developmental stages when he can't even stop practicing his skillz in his sleep. Middle of the night, he wakes to nurse, but no, first he has to get up on his hands and knees and rock back and forth. Can I crawl yet? no? dang! OK, how bout that milk, then?

friday update

yea yea, it's not friday. I haven't been doing this on Fridays, and I don't think I'm even going to do it weekly anymore.  This blog just isn't what it used to be - primarily for homeschooling record-keeping. Occasionally, though, a little post about studies.

The boys are both reading about US government, the three branches, Constitution, elections etc. Jamie plans to compare the checks and balances in our government to something in the Matrix, which I haven't watched (except maybe once a long time ago?), so that should be interesting. I found a set of books that are very straightforward, probably written for 3-5th grade in mind, but for Jamie they are zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.  They're working well for Jeremiah but we're open to suggestions if any of you readers have suggestions.

We're all doing Rosetta Stone spanish. At some point, I really want to find an opportunity to study with an actual human so we can practice conversation. I'd like to use it in daily life enough that the babies pick up some. I knew it so well in college, many years of study, and now of course... well, 15 years of not practicing a language pretty much kills it.

Jeremiah wants to drum. I need to call the school band director because they have a drum to lend and the percussion "curriculum?" they use with the kids. I forget if they start in 5th or 6th grade in the school, but if Jeremiah chooses, in the future he could participate in school band. Right now he just wants to drum. He's also planning to run on the track team in the spring. He's a speedy kid.

Jamie is continuing his art lessons and adding a little art history. His spelling and grammar are developed enough now that he fakes out Katie on instant messenger, pretending to be me, saying absurd things.  He gets a little too absurd and she busts him. He's reading the Narnia books and has found on online forum for discussing all-things-Narnia.

Yesterday the boys played soccer out in 6" of powdery snow. It was great to see them out there with the soccer ball again - it's been so cold.

Ryan: still very much into Oz, has the scarecrow's song  (AND dance) practically memorized. Is fond of telling us:  I have a birsday coming up.