Fossils, and foxes, and whistles, oh my!

Thursday and Friday I chaperoned the twins' overnight field trip. The trip is a 3rd and 4th grade tradition at our school, but it was my first time going. (EM's first year, Michael went, and his second year I was within a week of my due date with LW so neither of us slept over, although Michael did go for the second day.)

We went to a state park about an hour away, right on the edge of the lake. Loading the buses and cars, driving there, unloading, and ice-breaker games took up most of the morning. After lunch, we divided into small groups. I ate lunch with IM and then went with NB's group. each group had to create a name that had some connection to our state. NB proposed our team name (Red-tail Foxes), and since IM's group was named the ___ River Ripper Raccoons, I'm pretty sure she had some input on its name. (IM is a huge raccoon fan.)

Each group had to create a pantomime based on one of the six seasons (winter, mud, spring, summer, fall, and stick). IM's group had a clever one for winter. The adults formed a ski lift and the kids were the skiers. The other outstanding pantomime was of a car (two adults) getting stuck in mud and being towed out.

After the skits, we went on a nature scavenger hunt. There were some impressive finds: a snake, a rock with numerous fossils, a button rock (formed when the lake receded and the clay hardened), and a raccoon skull. NB was very sad that he didn't get to take home his find for "a thing that wiggles" but one of the teachers took a picture of NB and the woolly bear caterpillar. The cool non-living finds were gathered up and taken to the nature center. Everything else was dumped back in the woods. (There is a strict rule against taking anything out of the park.)

At the campfire, each class sang (familiar music with new words), and one of the dads performed a completely original song he had composed about the trip. One of the moms told a traditional Abenaki tale. The teachers lead us in some camp songs. One of the teachers usually leads the songs, but the other teacher decided last year that she wanted to have some songs to share this year. So she searched You-tube, found some songs, and practiced until she knew them cold. (I would never have guessed that she had ever been uncomfortable singing in public.) The baby shark song, one of her finds, was the big hit of the trip.

After the campfire, we went on a wolf hunt. Not hunting wolves, but hunting like wolves. The kids were given the choice to opt out, but we ended up with 74 kids and adults who went on the hunt. We held hands and formed a line, then walked in complete silence down the road and into a nearby field. Once in the field, we made a circle, then dropped hands, turned our backs to the circle's center and walked 50 steps into the darkness. Then we sat and waited for the wolf leader to howl twice. At that signal, we all howled for three seconds and then walked back to find the leader (who had moved from her previous position). Then we had a group howl.

Some of the kids, IM included, were very nervous about being completely alone in the dark (even though in reality people were not far away). But they did a great job of staying silent. We talked after about our different perceptions of time. Estimates of our time alone varied from 1 minute to 15 minutes. (In reality it was 5 minutes.) Some of us saw shooting stars while we were waiting. The whole experience left me very grateful for the great community of kids and adults in which my kids are growing up.

That night, we slept in lean-tos. I was in IM's lean-to. We had four kids, two parents, and one teacher. Someone loaned me a mattress, so I was very comfortable.

In the morning, we hiked out to the nature center, once someone's summer home. We saw more fossils along the trail and in the rocks used to build the fireplace in the nature center. IM's teacher pointed out the word "conjecture" in one of the displays, and asked IM if she knew what it meant. She didn't, but when her teacher asked her to give it a try, IM said "guess."

Out at the point beyond the nature center, we saw lots of fish jumping and a family of foxes. IM was busy with plans to move there and survive, living off the land. She was full of talk of creating shelter and grinding acorns to eat, but she ruined it somewhat when she proposed getting a generator to run "a small television and a little refrigerator."

NB found some zebra mussels clinging to the rock above the water line and was very upset when we wouldn't let him save them. We explained over and over that zebra mussels are an invasive, non-native species and they are destroying native species, but he was still sad that they were going to die.

Someone figured out that an acorn cap makes a great whistle. All 43 3rd and 4th graders learned to blow acorn whistles. Note to self: next year, pack Advil.

CSA Week 13

Today I picked up:

• 1 head lettuce
• 1 bunch rainbow chard
• 1/2 bag of spinach
• handful of basil
• 3 tomatoes
• handful of green beans
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 pounds Koren-style spareribs

I passed on the squash again. Yes, I know. I'm a wimp.

LW picked up a green bean and munched it while I got the rest of the vegetables. Sadly, this was a big deal. He even ate another one for dinner tonight. (I dearly hope I can look back on this post in a few years and laugh at what a picky eater he used to be.)

Where did I put that time turner?

In Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban, Hermione uses a time turner to take two classes during one period. She attends one class and then uses the time turner to repeat the hour so she can attend the second class.

I need one.

Desperately.

Last Thursday, we had four events all occurring at the same time:

• NB's soccer practice from 4:30-6:00
• My meeting for chaperons on the 3rd and 4th grade overnight trip later this month from 5:30-?
• IM's Oliver rehearsal from 6:00-8:00
• Curriculum Night and BBQ at EM's school from 5:30-7:30

Not to mention that LW had a cold and was fussy as all get-out and he and I should really have stayed home, on the couch, watching mindless television.

Did I mention we have one car?

Sigh.

I am grateful that at least we are juggling fun things. It could be much, much worse.

CSA Week 12

Today we got:

• 3/4 lb yellow beans
• 1/4 lb mesclun mix
• 2 heads lettuce
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 cucumber
• 2 peppers
• 1 lb potatoes
• 2 artichokes
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 chicken

I passed on the squash. It said "Take as much as you'll use" and I did.

He's a modern kid

This evening, NB, IM and I were sitting on my bed (hiding from LW) while I read Story of the World volume 2 to them. Tonight's chapter included a section on the effect of the Normans on the English language. It started by talking about English's habit of borrowing words from other languages.*

I read, "English still borrows words from Latin, French, and other languages today. In the twentieth century, English needed a word to describe something new--a movie that you could watch on your own television. Do you know what word we borrowed?"

NB interrupted. "Netflix!"

* My favorite quotation on this subject is from James Nicoll: "The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that the English language is as pure as a crib-house whore. It not only borrows words from other languages; it has on occasion chased other languages down dark alley-ways, clubbed them unconscious and rifled their pockets for new vocabulary."

Wish us luck!

LW is wearing real, big boy underwear today. Not Pull-ups!

At least he's honest

LW and IM were fighting over a book. Since we were heading out to run errands and they sit next to each other in the car, I suggested they both look at the book together.

LW: I don't want IM and I to look to* the book together! I want to steal it from her!

* "At" continues to elude LW. It is routinely substituted with "to."

Latest wildlife siting

Wednesday our temps were in the 80s, so while Michael was cooking dinner, the kids and I went down to the river. The river runs in a channel between the forested hill on the opposite side, and our forested property, which rises in two levels up to the inn.

I was talking to EM when NB suddenly said, "Mom, look!"

A blue heron was flying upstream, about 10 feet above the river. It flew the length of our property and landed at the park a little to the south of us.

Blue herons are graceful and languid in flight, at least to my eyes.

Seeing the heron almost made me stop worrying that the frog we found at the river will not recover from LW's attention.

Veggie Pancakes

Here is the recipe for the vegetable pancakes I mentioned below. It comes from the 1999 Taste of Homes cookbook.

2-3 medium zucchini, coarsely grated (about 2 cups)
1 medium carrot, grated
1 medium potato, peeled and grated
1/3 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup frozen corn
2 eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp each salt, pepper, garlic powder and celery seed
Vegetable oil for frying

In a sieve or colander, drain zucchini, squeezing to remove excess liquid. Combine zucchini, carrot, potato, peas, and corn in a bowl. Stir in the eggs, flour, cheese and seasonings; mix well. In a skillet, heat 1/4 in. of oil over medium heat. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls; press lightly to flatten. Fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Serve warm.

Yield: 1 dozen.

Labor Day

On Monday we went to a museum that combines old buildings from various parts of New England with a fantastic art collection. The kids and I went a couple of years ago, but they had no memory of it when asked, and Michael had never been, so it seemed time to go again. Plus, they were having a special exhibit of Mary Cassat paintings in addition to the ones in the permanent collection.

NB, LW, and IM




















IM in the 1800s jail cell.






















EM and LW in the steering cabin of the old steamboat


















EM, Michael, and LW. LW is saying "Choo choo."

First day of school

The first day of school was actually last Wednesday, but I figure better late than never.

Here the kids are on the way to the bus.



And what did the little guy do while the big kids were gone? Build a train out of the kitchen chairs, of course.

CSA Week 11

While IM and LW checked out the pigs and cows, I picked up the following:

• one head of lettuce
• one pound of baby potatoes
• one bunch of sage (I could have chosen thyme or savory)
• one green pepper
• three heirloom tomatoes
• one bunch of kale
• two cucumbers
• one pattypan squash
• one zucchini
• one crookneck squash
• two artichokes
• one package of country-style pork ribs
• one package of ground beef

I could have taken as much as I would use of the pattypan and crookneck squash, but I'm getting tired of trying to find ways the kids will eat it. (Of course, since we only have a single CSA share, technically Michael and I should easily be able to eat our full take each week . . . )

I have had some success, at least with IM and EM. (NB is a pickier eater in general.) All three big kids will eat squash chopped up in a salad without complaint. IM and EM also like it in vegetable pancakes (are they still vegetables if you fry them?) and in stuffing casserole. EM joined NB in turning up her nose at squash baked with marinara sauce and cheese.

LW loves going to the farm to get the vegetables, but that love doesn't extend so far as to actually eat any of them.