Neighborly

We have always lived in good neighborhoods. I have found that if you want to live in a good neighborhood, you need to get out and know the people on your street and in your community. We currently live in a great neighborhood. This weekend our neighborhood shut down one of the residential streets for a Chalk the Block celebration. Children and adults took to the street. They decorated the block with children's names, animals, palm trees, butterflies, fairies and doodles. The adults took breaks from drawing to chat and mingle. Different neighbors donated food and beverages to complete the event. The weather was perfect and many lingered to talk a bit more with new faces and those they have known a long time.

Testing the new 'Hood

Halloween went fantastically well this year. Originally we had planned on hosting a party followed by trick or treating in our new neighborhood. As the events of the month unfolded the party quickly became much smaller until it didn't even exist. All our plans for treats, tricks and decorations quickly fell to the side. Eventually the kiddos and I decided to host a potluck followed by candy getting.

The excitement was palpable on Thursday afternoon. With their friends over, the kiddos ran around outside and in the park. Everyone had a chance to fill their bellies with the delicious food that was shared. Aine and one of the moms came up with ghoulish names for the dishes. Some of the names turned people off to the food I am sure.

As it became dark, the parents and kiddos headed out in our neighborhood. Eamon had a bit of trouble with his costume. Without a car to secure all the elements for his first elaborate costume idea, he had to resign himself to his backup costume - Jason Fox from Foxtrot. With a chameleon on his shoulder and black glasses, he soon tired of people asking just who he was. Aine's costume came together much easier. She knew she wanted to be an Indian maiden. We found the costume over a month ago at Goodwill. A quick bike trip to the local costume shop finished the outfit with a wig and fish for her hand-carved spear. Benton's costume was by far the easiest and just took a dip into our costume bin. He was the grim reaper complete with Eamon's scythe from last year.

We ended up at our friend's home where the kiddos sorted and traded candy on the front porch. They talked of the neighborhood haunted house run by youths in the area, which filled the streets with scary sounds and screams. They evaluated costumes they saw and shared ideas for next year. As we walked back home, we decided our new neighborhood is very active and perfect for trick or treating. Plans for next year are already underway and involve quite a party and costumes.

A Little Hug

It has been a tough few weeks here in our household. The funeral was quite nice. The priest did a good job, and the chapel was full of family and friends. There was a lot of visiting and connecting with family we had not seen in a year or more. My father's ashes finally arrived from Italy last Friday; we joke that he wanted an extended vacation stay. My mom has returned to work. It is surreal, but it is our now. We are moving forward.

Throughout the past two and a half weeks one thing has become amazingly clear to my family. We have an amazing group of friends. So many of our friends have helped during this time. I received cards and emails of condolence from friends, both close and far - a few I only know through this virtual world of the web. Some friends brought us food knowing it would be tough to make dinner. Others brought clothing for the kiddos to wear during the services, so we didn't have to run around and shop. Another loaned us her car when I was involved in a collision with our only vehicle while taking Eamon to a class (Eamon and I were fine, but the car requires quite a bit of work). And others had the kiddos play at their homes, gave us rides to park days and offered general support and love. These friends of ours came to the rosary and funeral to remind us of our bigger community, to show our family that they care when we are hurting. Their generosity, support and love have been amazing. As a reminder of that support, one dear friend gave me this a little wooden cutout. She told me that it is a little hug for when I need it. It is one of the best reminders of this community of ours. We are very fortunate to have these people in our lives.

Inspired

Last weekend I spent a bit of time organizing and documenting my stash. I created a new plan, since I had accumulated a lot of yarn while my normal stash was in storage. It now seems like I have two big piles. Once combined the amount was quite large, so I have pledged to myself to refrain from yarn purchases at least until the end of the yarn and maybe into next.

While sorting through the pile, I noticed three little skeins of cotton yarn left over from the baby blanket I made my niece last year. After I photographed and entered them into ravelry, I set the yarn aside for a quick little project. I saw the Rachel Bag on Lori's blog and instantly loved it. Now that I had the yarn in my stash, I knew I wanted to make it and make it soon.

And that is exactly what I did. The little bag came together so quickly. A few hours for each side and another for the finishing. I dug through my fabric and found a bit of coordinating cotton for the lining. I love how it turned out. I initially thought the bag was for me, but I soon decided I needed to give it to a friend. It is not really her color. I think she favors more of the bright pinks and purples, but I hope she will like this one. She is such an inspiration. In the past year she has lost a significant amount of weight, after she was diagnosed with diabetes. Not wanting to take medication, she took control of her life and changed her outcome. Now most days she pedals like crazy at spin class each morning and eats sensibly. She also is caring for three children, one of which has epilepsy. She has handled her oldest child's illness with such grace. His seizures are more severe and happening with regularity, but she remains calm on the outside. After much testing and more to come, she supports him, her husband and her girls. I always knew she was a remarkable person and now I have a little something to give her.

By the River

A few weeks ago, our family went camping with nine other families. Surrounded by friends, we spent four days in the sunshine and water. The kiddos scootered, roasted marshmallows and Peeps (who knew!), built debris huts, floated logs down the river and explored to their hearts' content.

Most of the hours were spent along the Verde River. The adults placed camp chairs along the waters' edge, dipping their feet into the cool water. Aine busied herself making structures out of branches and grass. She showed everyone how to whittle and carve branches into useful tools. Eamon spent time trying to configure a fishing pole and trap. He found a crawfish and educated his peers about the merits of catching the creatures with bacon. A more shallow area had been carved out last year along the bank. Benton spent a lot of time in this area building more walls and creating dams. A few determined children can alter the path of a river quite easily with rocks and boulders, however the river reclaims its path, eventually spilling those rocks and walls over.

We celebrated Eamon's 10th birthday while camping. He had a great day surrounded by people he loves. We ate cupcakes and sang around the first campfire. Nightly campfires rotated among campsites and eventually broke into two when the size of the group became a bit too big. Aine learned a new song and became a big fan of one of the dads. We played telephone and a few other games. There was star gazing and a brief talk about Mars and Venus in the night sky.

It was so much fun. Our group had been back only a few days when plans and reservations were made for next time. I cannot wait.

A Very Good Day

Yesterday was a really good day. The kind that fills you up and puts a spring in your step. It is what happens when you spend time with a good friend. I am lucky to have some amazing people in my life, and yesterday I spent time with one of them, wandering the National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum. It was so nice to have time to leisurely look at the artwork and just talk (the kiddos stayed home with Dave).

I miss my friend, Nancy. She has such an amazing spirit full of gentle kindness and understanding as well as quite a bit of humor. Although we are friends from Arizona, she and her family have moved to Maryland. Prior to this I haven't had to say good-bye. Trips to the D.C. area have meant we would still see each other. Now that our trip for the year is over, I have to say good-bye. I am sad, but oh so happy we had a day to spend together talking and laughing. It truly was the best kind of day.

** I wanted to thank everyone for their kind words about my inclusion in Kindred. I am still overwhelmed by your kindness.

** I love my red shoes although they look a bit like Ronald McDonald's footwear. I wore them yesterday and after many hours walking and standing I must admit that they don't love my feet as much as I love them. Ouch - sore toes.

{this moment}

{this moment} - Joining Amanda in a Friday ritual. A single photo capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Eight Pounds

Yesterday we had all things blueberry on the mind. The succulent berries are ripe here, so we set off for Eagletree Farms in Leesburg, VA for some berry picking. We went with several homeschooling friends, which was such a nice treat. The weather was beautiful when we arrived. Huge clouds peppered the sky, and the sun was shining. With a cool breeze the kiddos scattered throughout the rows swinging sand buckets as they went. They were determined to fill their buckets. Benton stayed closer to me, and we worked together picking both the top and bottom of bushes to fill his bucket. Eamon returned after a bit with an almost full bucket. Aine soon abandoned hers to run around with friends.

We kept picking until the bellies startled to rumble and the complaints of being warm and tired became too much. Retreating to the shade near a pond on the property we ate lunch. The kiddos played games, threw rocks into the pond and had a blast. I returned to pick a few more berries for another mom as the kiddos pulled each other in wagons up and down the rows while others ran around the property. No one wanted to leave, but leave we had to.

As I packed up our eight pounds of berries, stowed our lunch and buckets in the car and buckled Benton into his seat, Aine continued climbing and running around with a couple of the kids. I was startled from my work and chatting by her screams. She was running toward me. She had been stung by a bee. With much crying due to the pain, we said our goodbyes to our friends.

The drive home was long due to a bit of traffic. Benton fell asleep. Aine's lip began to feel better, but she continued to marvel at the fact that she had not been antagonizing the bee and it still stung her. We finished listening to The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling and quickly moved on to the second in the series, The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book II: The Hidden Gallery. Everyone awake in the car really enjoys the story about the three incorrigibles. As we sat in traffic at one point, I noticed the flowers in the median. I grabbed my camera and took a photo. Such beauty to end a wonder filled day.

Holding Back

Earlier this week, the kiddos and I showed up at our weekly park date to someone commenting on our unschooling ways. One of my children wore no shoes, another monster slippers and the third a costume. I let them choose what they wear and most of the time run little interference. My kiddos have a lot of choices in their lives, and I like it that way. This is not always easy for me. I cringe sometimes when I see what my kiddos plan or what they want to wear. I take a deep breathe and then let it go.

This weekend Aine was invited to a birthday party for a friend. We talked a bit about a gift for her friend. Aine's eyes lit up as she claimed she knew exactly what she wanted to give her. She ran into her playroom and came back with a little dog and carrier. I hesitated a moment while my thoughts collected. I looked into Aine's gleaming eyes and said that would be a great gift. But as I said it I wondered if I shouldn't buy the child a gift at the store or give a gift card too. Was a handed down gift acceptable? Would the other family think us odd? Was my continual mantra of handmade, handed down or hand picked too much? Did it really matter what I thought?

Aine proceeded to gather the dog's accoutrements together. With a newspaper end roll at her side, she sat down on the kitchen floor and wrapped her gift. She could only find black electrical tape from her brother's bin, so she used it. A quick note was written with a birthday wish. She used notebook paper instead of the stacks of construction or craft paper. Again she knew she wanted the paper to have holes, so her friend could hang it.

As we walked into the skating rink for the party, Aine was so proud of her gift. She confidently carried it up to her friend wanting her to open it right away. Instead we set it on the table with the other pink, purple and glittery gift bags. At the close of the party, her friend opened her gifts. She opened the gift from Aine first after much urging from my little girl. It was a huge hit despite the wrapping and the lack of a store box. Aine knew her friend would love her gift, and she was right.

Closing out the Old

Our family was quite busy on the last day of 2011. We spent the day combining old and new traditions.

Each year we join friends for the Fiesta Bowl Parade in downtown Phoenix. The menfolk venture out early to guarantee our group a spot up front. The kiddos and I joined them after a ride on the PhART (Phx Area Rapid Transit). Armed with loads of silly string and snacks, we waved, yelled and enjoyed the wonderful Arizona day. Our silly string usage did anger a few parade volunteers who were sure it was forbidden. We assured them that the kind bicycle officers had already talked to our group earlier about the silly string. It was definitely allowed at the parade; it just could not be used by the horses. They threatened us and almost swiped a can out of Eamon's hands. I politely told them again what we had been told and asked them to go ahead and contact those kind officers if they really thought they should. The volunteers left us alone at that point!

With his silly string

Blowing Pixie Dust

Tuckered out as we headed home on the PhART

After we returned home for a bit of a recharge post parade, we headed out to our friends' house for a family NYE party. It was such fun. The kiddos ran around the property, played chess, build creations, roasted marshmallows, looked at Earth's moon as well as those of Jupiter, cuddled by the campfire and had a totally wonder-filled and glorious evening. We are very fortunate to have found our community. It was such a great way to end the old and welcome the new year.

{this moment}

{this moment} - Joining Amanda in a Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Thankful for my community

Tonight we bowled with our friends. These are friends young and old that we have met over the past year. The friendships feel as though these people have been around much longer. This group of kindred spirits has grown very close in the past six months. We are a community.

I am very thankful for these people. We share the homeschooling journey. We have children in the same age range. We meet regularly to support one another and provide an enriching environment for our kiddos.  We help, support, encourage and cherish each other. My children are so happy with the friends they have in this group, and so am I.

Spinning balls on the rack

Dads and kiddos bowling this game. 

Resting after the 10th frame.