The Show Goes On and On and On...

"Le Poissons" Dodger posing for pics for The Little Mermaid play

Long experience has taught me that in England nobody goes to the theater unless he or she has bronchitis.

-James Agate

Stingray!

Despite swearing up and down that I would not paint another backdrop as long as I live I have spent my week in the throes of backstage theater work.  Surprisingly sunshiny May days have made my task list a victim of procrastination.  I found myself this morning sailor-mouthed and fighting what seemed like endless yards of a slippery black fabric for a stingray costume that did not want to succumb to my sewing machine.  And do I blame it?  Not in the least.  There’s not a straight row of stitches to be found on the wonky and cumbersome sea pancake.  Though I don’t have photographic evidence there was a point where I lay my head in my arms and Sailor and Kitten stood on either side rubbing my back and saying soothing words.  But it wasn’t until my husband presented me with tea and then took the kids outdoors to tackle home school in the cabin of our parked boat that some of my stress was released.  What a day…and that was 8am.

It was HOT!

Next on the theater task list was to paint a backdrop…no not for the elementary school…nor the middle school…for Kitten’s preschool play!  Now, that backdrop is almost complete but tomorrow I need to finish painting scenery for Dodger’s play and if that weren’t enough I have to come home and tackle the details of a stingray costume that may in fact be possessed…it has a mind of it’s own.  I can’t say no.   

The truth is I can’t say no to people I really like and people who are dedicated…the fantabulous folks involved fit both criteria. 

With the aforementioned wonderful weather have come all the spring adjustments and tasks in full effect.  Thankfully it hasn’t rained, so this has slowed some of the rainforest that usually springs up as our lawn….

“Hey, Szalinski, your lawn's beginning to look like the Amazon.”

 “Producing oxygen, Russ. We've all gotta do our part. Y'know, the forests are receeding everywhere.”

                       -Honey I Shrunk the Kids

 

Our Amazon

But the world is green, the list long, and the motivation to home school cut off at the knees.  Each sunny, hot, day the to-do list goes up on the chalkboard and each day we struggle to get half of it done.  I can see now that summer has to be obeyed and we’d better take advantage of EVERY rainy day if we plan to keep up with our self imposed curriculum.  Current drudgery (I am being flip) still includes Math Mammoth work.  Dodger is in multiplying and dividing fractions, Sailor is working on vertical sums and place value.  Spelling books are almost complete...blah...blah...blah

For a fun science project we are building our own human being…the boys have named him Keith T. Maxwell (based on a video game they play) but Kitten disagrees.  So far we’ve only built a skeleton so gender is up for debate.  This idea was my husbands and I think it’s a good one.  We get to discuss the body and how it works while we build and label the bones and then add systems.  I’m relying on the fact that supplying lots of information is a good foundation even if only some sinks in.  Just having the body books around us and talking facilitates so much learning for the kids.  

Mr. Maxwell chillin' on the grass

Tomorrow is the first day in the brooder for “ducklings round 2”.  We candled them at 7 days and all looked good…we’ll know in three days if we were successful!  For 4H Dodger made a poster about incubating ducks and entered the “illustrated talk” category as well.  He made a great poster and we expected he’d have a duckling to take to Regionals with him for his talk.  No joy.  The last attempt failed and we were left with no little ducklings, they never hatched.  So his story was a sad one, but he won a couple of blue ribbons and was invited to the State 4H competition nonetheless to enter his poster and illustrated talk.  Dodger was so thrilled to win ribbons on his first try at 4H.  I thought the whole event was awesome; the girls putting on a fashion show in dresses they had sewn, the singing and dancing, the posters and exhibits.  It was very wholesome and confidence-building and just a positive force of youth in the world.  Now the big question is; will Dodger have a sweet baby duckling to take to States next week?!

Spring projects are underway!  A.k.a. Why I home school (just kidding!)

Ye olde compost "mess"

Child at work

The new and improved compost plan!

As in the past we have joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) for the winter/spring season.  All the veggies and "localvore" foods we get such as cheeses, breads, miso, beans and frozen produce from last summer are grown/made locally.  Sometimes the veg gets piled up, especially if they are odd characters, so the easiest and most delicious way to eat them up quickly is to drizzle with olive oil and roast at about 420 degrees for 20-40 mins or until done.  Even if at times I am overwhelmed by cabbages, parsnips and bok choy we would not consume as many healthy foods during the cold months if it weren't for our lovely farm share!! 

Farm share foods :) So pretty

This year the kids and my husband went sugaring at a friend's house and Dodger made us some maple cream.  I was strongly prohibited from eating it all...I've become notorious for gobbling it all up in the past.  Sugaring is the easiest way to fill up mud season here with sweetness and outdoor fun.  I dream of a sugar bush, and we may plant some sugar maples but it will be our great-grandchildren who get to make the syrup!  We did have 10 sugar maples at our last house and we did sugar once, the fire department was called numerous times as we boiled down the sap over a woodstove in our urban backyard (by the frightened neighbors not us!)...lucky for us as long as you're cooking something edible over a fire in the city it's fair game ;) 

Dodger cooking up maple cream

Testing for perfect maple cream temperature 250 degrees

The finished project, great on toast

 The seedlings are sprouting and I can't wait to plant, but the trick in our climate is to wait.  It doesn't usually pay to start early, there's a danger of frost until after Memorial Day (May 27th).  And any ground you gain planting early can be lost by stressing plants in the early cooler days of late spring.  On advice from our local extension program I've been waiting later and later to plant in the effort to avoid stress and disease for our beloved veggies!  I've also been told you can miss the first round of potato beetles as well as early blight.  I worry I may have a sociopathic tendency when it comes to Potato Beetles, I get a real sense of satisfaction from squishing them...:(

Black-Eyed Susans sprouting

Time to harden off our seedlings!

My arch nemesis, the Colorado Potato Beetle