Muskoka Woods

We are still feeling our way around the homeschooling community here in own new town. It is quite different from what we have been part of in the past. The distance between houses and the size of town definetly brings different dynamics.

We have connected with a group of homeschoolers who meet once a month at an outdoor ed camp. The kids get a chance to try three different activities, this past week included; snowshoeing, badminton, basketball, hiking, cooperative games, broom hockey, each of my guys doing a various combination. In the past they have tried mountain biking, a large outdoor swing, rock climbing, ball hockey, orienteering, and a scavenger hunt. The leaders of the program have been fabulous, encouraging and welcoming. It is reminiscent for us of camp brebeuf, which we participated in numerous times.

During this time the mums meet to chat, share curriculum and have the option to participate in an activity. We are looking forward to the opportunities the program and meeting people will bring us.

A Decade- how is that possible?

A very happy birthday dear Elias!

I find in almost unfathomable that you are ten. How rich our lives are,with all the ways you touch us; the observations you share, the love of your friends, the joy you have when time is spent outdoors, that silly laugh you have when you are over tired, the passion for biking and skate boarding you love to share, how you love to talk to everyone of all ages, night time chats and cuddles. You are a pretty amazing boy, a pure blessing.

It was a quiet day (after the atv plow broke and the van got stuck twice- of course while dad was away). As per birthday tradition you picked a special cereal- lucky charms- we played in the snow- watched a movie, made pizza and opened gifts. A painted box from your sister, a hand sewn frog from your brother, a new soft blanket sewn out of fleece, a robin hood hat, an archery magazine and Lego. Lots of phone calls from loved ones and trips through photo albums.

Happy Birthday.

Afternoon Creating

The kids are going through socks like crazy. Every other one coming out of the wash or on their feet have a hole in them. We had a conversation at dinner about all the things you could do with socks that have a hole. The suggestions at first were generic like rags (which we do), but as they went on they were very imaginative and even a little amusing. They came up with; a pouch to put a first aid kit in and tie to your belt, make juggling balls, fill a bunch with rice and use them as ammunition in the catapult, make mini hats and diapers for small dolls, fingerless gloves (which they do), cup cozies, items for the doll house, cat booties and hat, a sock quilt. It was fun.

Well they took it the next step and used socks to make little friends. They stuffed them with plastic bags and decorated them to make two beavers and glow bug. All without my help. It is always great to watch a conversation of ideas take flight. Soon they were calling me from the basement where they had made their beaver dam.

photos by ben

A photo shoot

After choosing his own outfit, he asked his sister to dress him and me to take his picture. Then he turned 15.

My Helper

It feels like a milestone. Choosing to be a kitchen helper. I have memories of each of my kids helping in the kitchen, each in their own way. Elias liked to chop when he was little. He would focus intently on the cutting, then put the small pieces one by one into the bowl, quietly and patiently concentrating on his dwindling pile. Ben he loved to stir. Mix. Beat. Anything that required a fast motion. If I put all the chopped ingredients in a bowl, and gave them to him to stir (whether they needed it or not!) he could mix for a long long time. Aria loved dishes. She loved putting on an apron and kerchief, setting it all up, putting in the bubbles and water, the process being equally concentrated on. The time in the kitchen together doing our 'jobs' side by side, at which could often be a crazy time of the day, the 'witching hour'. We would chat, sing, work in silence enjoying the company.
We still share the kitchen, sometimes following their lead, or my presence not being needed at all. But I fondly remember the times they showed interest as toddlers wanting to 'work' side by side. Shai joined me the other day, flooding back all the memories of the others. He sat at the table working on green pepper and 'pocket' (aka garlic!) joining me in rounds of wheels on the bus. Being in the moment, enjoying the togetherness, cherishing the extra 30 minutes dinner will take to get ready, loving the connection, determined to try and remember, especially on those days it feels like a chore.

Maybe the milestone is mine, to remember the beauty of moving more slowly and being in the moment.

the ins and outs

January is always a busy month. I always forget that. I expect that after Christmas and the holidays that we can transition back into the everyday. I had made a goal that we would get back into our groove this January especially because it has been such a long time since we have had a rhythm to our craziness with the move and all it entailed. We have four birthdays in January which adds another element of running around. One year I may be organized before the holidays and be able to just slip into this birthday month....one year maybe, but not this one :)
So that leaves us a little scattered, and without a feeling of flow, yet at the same time we are clear in our purpose.
January has meant lots of crafting, first for Shai and then for Chris. At the end of the month Elias and Grammy (top secret). We also have new duvet covers and curtains underway. There is some knitting and learning new knitting going on.

We have a few projects in the kitchen. Elias has a recipe book he began shortly before Christmas (which strongly lean towards his sweet tooth) and continues to treat us with some wonderful goodies. We have decided to try a new meal each week, first choosing a country and then tracking a recipe down on line. Our travels have taken us to India, Italy, Greece and Israel. This week we are planning to go to China, as we also celebrate Chinese New Year.
I don't normally freeze meals, but with Chris travelling so much I have been making double recipes and putting one away. Anything that brings ease is good !

We have been enjoying the provincial park close by for skating, snowshoeing and tubing. We also joined the local homeschoolers for the weekly swim that just began. It turns out I was the only mum who braves the waters. The rest enjoy coffee in the watching area. Now I know better.

The atlas has been coming out a lot as we follow Chris around all the warm states he is visiting. It turns out most of places have a daily average temperature that is higher than the temperature in our house. We thought about turning up the heat and pretending we were there...but its not the same!

Yoga. Aria got Yoga Pretzels; 50 Fun Yoga Activities for kids and Grownups by Tara Guber and Leah Kalish, which are cards demonstrating different poses, different relaxation techniques and meditations. We have all been having fun with them.

Dominoes. The wood blocks came out the other day after being away for at least 6 months. We had lots of fun building courses of dominoes. We were trying to get multi level tracks going, the tricking part is building it before Shai has noticed you and knocking it all down before you are done!

This year we wrote out family new years resolutions. We had different categories like something we wanted to learn together as a family. As part of this learning, we will seek out individuals and field trips from which we can learn. We will each gather information and share it with each other. We decided to learn about the night sky. It is something each of us knows a little bit about, but not really enough to feel confident in what we do know. The sky here, with the little interference from town lights really gives us an incredible view of the stars when its clear. It really is breathtaking. So we have started gathering books, regularly going outside to notice what we can.

Survivor Man. We just got this show out from the library on dvd. We have never seen it before, but I understand its been around for awhile. The kids have been loving it. There are some big plans - big plans! There fire building skills are travelling to new heights.

How Come?

Why when Dad is gone for literally over half of this month why does our toddler resumes to flushing something(s) down the toilet and clogging it (of course we unpacked a plunger and put it somewhere really handy....of course we did...hmm). That this is the time our brand new washing machine breaks and despite being under warranty will take the only technician in our town two weeks before he can even look at it. Despite my plea and explanation of four kids and promise of cookies he just can't come any sooner. Of course this is also the time that we have a night time vomiting party and we have run out of sheets.
How come moving to a smaller town has meant the phone lines cut out all the time? I am often in the middle of a sentence during a phone conversation and it goes dead. Because we are also waiting for the internet tower to connect us to this century we are currently on dial up....which also means the internet connection cuts out frequently.

How come I was excited about having my own bathroom, I don't seem to get less visitors. And how come I was excited for the kids to have their own bathroom....it can be really scary in there!

How come I forget how much fun I can have with the kids, that a genuinely good time is had by all if I just let go of any expectations? Snow shoeing and tubing today I laughed so hard. How come I hadn't thought my kids would give me such great companionship? They really do.

Who knew

Apparently its a thoroughbred, therefore requiring a helmet!

Happy Birthday

you wild and crazy guy you!

The joy of a visit

relaxing on the couch knitting and chatting, knitting and chatting

catching up chats

gathering wood (including the christmas tree) and starting the fire all on their own

cooking lunch over the flames

five bodies curled together to sleep

uno games

treats to bake

dropping in for dinner to rush back to play

adventuring on a frozen pond

a short evening stroll

very very cold weather outside

atv rides for next time

plans for next time, and the time after that

Tradition

Without committing to anything, I think I may have started a new tradition for Shai's birthday. Last year I made him a cardigan with a felted sweater. This year I decided (the day before :) to make him a vest. Again, I recycled an old sweater and felted it, cut out the pieces, and used roving to felt on an underwater theme. I blanket stitched the edges and voila! So perhaps this will be a yearly tradition....perhaps.

Clarity

On the last family movie night we watched The Last Trapper, which was about just that; one of the last people to make their living as a trapper in the far north. It was a documentary about the daily ins and outs of this live style, the animal dangers and the strong feeling of stewardship and responsibility the man feels towards the north. The extreme cold and the impact of the weather was really impressed on us, and if it wasn't already clear for some of us that this lifestyle is not something we could or would ever choose, it was after watching.
For others it was a dream to live out in our backyard. Fetching water from the pond, dog sledding across the open frozen water, building huts for survival incase the weather suddenly changed for the worst, practicing the crawl used on thin ice.

Note: because it was not my dream, i took photos through the window-lol!

I couldn't agree more

"There is something wonderful about a good hat".

Dear Dadda

We looked up Georgia in the Atlas today, and we think you are really lucky to be somewhere where there is grass (GRASS!). Since it's -35 here Ben decided to make a pumpkin pie. Being his favorite and all, he knew there wouldn't be any to share when you come home, so he took a photo of it for you to drool over!

Enjoy and safe travels!

Nut Pilaf

For Lee, as per request, my super easy, yummy nut pilaf from The Ultimate Vegetarian Cookbook by Roz Denny

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup basmati rice
1 onion chopped
1 garlic clove crushed
1 large carrot grated
2 tb oil
1tsp cumin
1 tsp caradom
2 cups veg. broth
1 bay leaf
salt and ground pepper
1/2 cups unsalted nuts - we always use cashews
fresh parsley or coriander (if we have it in :)

In wok or shallow pan gently fry onion, garlic and carrot in the oil for a few minutes

Stir in the rice and spices and cook for another minute or two so that the grains are coated in oil

Pour int he stock, add the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, cover and simmer very gently for about ten minutes

Remove from the heat without lifting the lid- this helps the rice to firm up and cook further ( I always forget and remove it lol )

Take out the bay leaf.

Stir in the nuts and check the seasoning. Scatter in the parsley or coriander in the amount you enjoy. We serve it with salad.
It tastes great reheated and everyone in my house enjoys it so that makes it even more of a hit in my book!

Belting it Out!

Again, editing past photos. I am still compiling a year in review, but there have been some along the way I can't resist sharing.

Before we moved Aria had a birthday party with her friends. We had it at the local splash pad, despite being a very cool day the kids had lots of fun running in and out of the water. I think the girls are trying to sing O Canada, or at least a close version. They sung there heart out, no one really noticing. They were totally caught in the moment. Beautiful!

Weekend Fun

Not only did we get to celebrate Shai turning to, but friends came up to celebrate with us. The kids couldn't sit still waiting for their arrival, pacing the floor. We met them with squeals, dancing and unrestrained excitement. It was wonderful to catch up on life and pretend we really just live around the corner.

The sunshine came out and kept us warm enough to play outside for the afternoon. The kids snowshoed, ran around, cut down trees, ate lunch around the fire pit. The big kids drove the ATV and admired their winter fire :)

The kids went out at night before they departed and with 5 (or so) matches built a fire- on their on. They squealed with delight, so loud we could hear them inside. It was a wonderful to end the visit- well that and the keys getting locked in the car. We have the calendar out to plan the next visit.

Happy Birthday! Today you are 2!

You are 2 today. A busy, happy little boy. You love your brothers and sister immensely, following happily along where ever they go, being the pupil, baby or dwarf of the game being played. You are more often than not the centre of attention, insisting you too get a turn during charades. When we grocery shop you insist on the person pushing the cart change after every aisle, you love to repeat a word over at least ten times and every bird we see is an owl. You burp incredibly loud for your size and think its the funniest thing going. Your sister taught you to gallop, one hand on your hip and bounce across the floor. You do it with such conviction, stopping, changing hands and galloping back. I could watch you all day.

The joy you bring us is irreplaceable. We move at a different pace, not only because of your age but because you draw our attention to so many of life's simple treasures. We love you little Shai.

We had such a wonderful day with friends. Celebrating with a cake, beautiful and thoughtful homemade gifts, (a fire outside during your nap but we won't tell you about that) and endless play. Happy Birthday King Shai!

Plans

We are so thrilled to have our friends visiting us. Tickled. Big plans are made, slightly different depending on who is coming. Some really like hiking and playing rescue, others love building things, some like to play pioneers, staying up late is a blast with others. The kids have been working on a surprise for the friends coming this weekend. Fun stuff.

I have been promising to put up pictures to show our friends D and S the skateboarding park here (they will have to plan a trip without the snow to see it though). We spent a few days a week at the park with skateboards, bikes and a baby stroller. Trying new tricks, pushing ourselves to the limit. It isn't busy during school hours, so we had it all to ourselves. I was truly amazed at what each of them accomplished, let alone thought would be a fun trick to try. There is ramps to jump off, ramps to skate off, stairs to go off and a giant bowl that I would never dream of entering on anything but my feet. But they did it.

Elias and Ben both took a class with the city, giving them a good intro to some of the basics, gave them the tool to put the names of the trick to what they were doing.

D and S , you guys are going to love it, the jumps are really cool, there are great rails for grinding and the bowl is awesome. We are so excited to go with you when you come in the summer. (that's a given M!)

The joy of giving

When I was about 13 years old, my sister and I pooled our money together to buy my parents a Christmas gift. I can clearly remember going to Zellers together, searching out the perfect one, spending every penny we had, wrapping it up and absolutely dying with anticipation and joy waiting to give it to them. We were so happy to give this gift, an electric blanket. It really didn't matter what it was, it was the thought we put into it, the saving and excitement we felt. It really was a gift for us to give them this gift.

I am so thankful to have had many wonderful gifts of giving, with joy.

This Christmas, the gift that was the easiest to make, cost the least, gave me great joy. Aria loves to dress up; numerous times a day, 'an old fashion woman' being one of her favorite characters. With great excitement I made her a muff. She was thrilled. She uses it for dress up, but also for going into town, when mitts aren't a necessity.

The kids had some joyful giving of their own. Which as their mum, melted my heart. To hear I just can't wait to give them this gift, I loved making this for them, I think this is the most perfect gift I could give, was a gift in itself.

Aria made me earrings with large bells, completely on her own from a bead kit she has. She was jumping with excitement as I opened it. Ben sewed and decorated with jewels a wool felt sword holder (scabbard?) for Elias. In secrecy he measured it and put it all together. Elias made Aria a cape for her and a matching one for Eleanor; a special doll. He was over the moon to watch her dress in them. What a blessing to be part of such treasured giving.

Embracing

Embrace the snow and all the possibilities it holds

This has been the mantra I was recently saying, while foot after foot after foot, of snow was falling around us. It sometimes feels overwhelming to just get out the door when the routine involves five snowsuits(one for me too!), hats, mitts (two for everyone-why is that always so hard?), boots, snack, keeping everything on and keeping good spirits. You know what it looks like.

Because we live in a place that gets a lot of snow I am trying to embrace it and the potential it has. We have been busy, fort building, snowmen creating, tobogganing, tubing, etc. We are enjoying it, even if its just for a little while or the motivation of hot chocolate afterwards :P

One of the things we have been getting soooo much enjoyment out of is the snowshoes my parents bought us for Christmas. We traipse around our 'obstacle' course, seeing who can go down the steepest hill or into the 'death pit'. We also got a pass to Arrowhead Provincial park which has lots of snowshoeing trails, we can go in deep snow or in really really deep snow. The park also has a crazy tubing hill (which shai loves!) and a lake for skating on. Fun times.