Plant Impossible Gardens

Thankful

2011-11-24T19:43:00.000-08:00

Ashlynn made a poster of things she is thankful for. :) Click the picture to see it full-sized.

I (heart) Weird Al

2011-09-16T13:28:00.001-07:00

Summer Summary

2011-09-10T22:50:00.000-07:00

Summery Summary? Whatever. :)

Made with wordle.

Ashlynn the soccer star!

2011-08-30T23:55:00.000-07:00

Sort of, she had more fun playing with the other kids than playing soccer. ;)

She had a 5-week class via parks and rec. It was a very basic class: mostly, they learned to move the ball just with their feet and not hands. Each week they'd play a (highly NON-competitive) game against a different team (Ashlynn's team was the Grey Candy Canes - the kids named their own teams, can you tell?) Today was her last class, and she happily collected her certificate and her photos. :)

If you want to purchase your own copies, email me for the photographer's information. If you don't know my email, you probably don't need a photo. ;)

Happy June birthdays!

2011-06-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

Aaron on the 9th, Mark on the 11th, Ashlynn on the 24th. They had a shared cake here (one candle each) when Mark was in Portland for work. :)

The incy wincy spider ...

2011-05-24T19:41:00.000-07:00

... is not actually so incy or wincy.

Katherine just adopted a new pet tarantula. :) She's a female Chilean Rose, and the name she came with is Sheila (which may or may not change). She's cute in a vaguely creepy way. :) She was previously owned by a young man who is relocating for college, and can't take her with him.

She was feeling a bit shy in her new home, so all we got was the rear view. ;)

Ashlynn's Personal Trainer

2011-05-19T16:45:00.000-07:00

Ashlynn was the ONLY child in her sports class today. This session, there have never been more than 2 children attending each class! The coach is running out of ideas for things to do with 2 children, so today she made an obstacle course. Ashlynn got to play alone, and had the coach to herself, so she was given a lot of the right amount of encouragement to try the harder things, and to push herself a little on the easier things. Then they went and played on the slides together. :) Ashlynn LOVES this class, and she loves Coach Nancy. :)

(Kind of blurry - it was VERY sunny out, and this was taken from my not-so-awesome phone camera).

Taste the Rainbow.

2011-05-03T19:22:00.001-07:00

Funny Face!

2011-04-08T21:10:00.000-07:00

Ashlynn, Aaron, and Katherine took advantage of the "kids eat free" deal at IHOP. Ashlynn got a Funny Face pancake. She ate the banana mouth, then drew on a new mouth (and some hair) with the tube of yogurt that came with the pancake.

Ashlynn's Sports Class

2011-04-07T19:31:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures from today's "Munchkin Sports" class. We got there a bit early so no one else was in the gym - we took a fast ride around the gym on Rocket Papaya.

There was only one other child in the class today, so the teacher took them outside for some climbing fun on the play equipment. The photos have been captioned in the picasa album.

Catching Dust Fairies

2011-03-28T16:32:00.000-07:00

Ashlynn made a trap for Dust Fairies (you know, those little specks of dust that float in beams of light? Those are dust fairies. :)

They are attracted to the tree, and then the jump rope sucks them into one end, and out the other, where she can collect them. :)

She says she collected a lot last night. She seems to be doing "catch and release", rather than stashing them in a jar. :)

Happy Birthday Christopher!

2011-03-20T19:53:00.000-07:00

Aitherion/Christopher is 20 (gasp) today. He's in Kansas and not Oregon, but Ashlynn HAD TO have a cake for him here anyway. :) Then she blew out his candles. ;)

Happy Anniversary!

2011-02-06T23:20:00.000-08:00

Aaron just celebrated one year of playing World of Warcraft, and in typical Aaron-style, ~~made a cake~~ asked me to make a cake to celebrate. :)

He says this is the Horde insignia. I have no idea what that means, but he liked it. :)

He hasn't actually tried a piece yet - he licked the beaters from the buttercream frosting, then the knife after I frosted it, and the bowl - and said he had too much sugar and wanted a sandwich instead. :) He prefers his cake frozen anyway so we'll freeze some and he can enjoy it tomorrow.

Munchkin Sports

2011-01-27T15:48:00.000-08:00

Ashlynn has a new class at Parks and Rec - Munchkin Sports. Her first class was today and she LOVED it. She even cried when it was time to leave. It helps that she had a good teacher, and she's the OLDEST in the class.

I had to sit in the corner taking (somewhat blurry) pictures with my camera phone, because they played with balloons. :/ She loved it, and fortunately Mark/Raven had gone with us so he could play with her, since I couldn't. Ten balloons in an entire gym was tolerable. So it worked out ok.

She's already excited about going back, which is a relief after the ballet class.

Just a few things I have made

2011-01-23T18:28:00.000-08:00

One is curtains for in between the living and dining rooms. Not very exciting. :)

Also, I needed a new purse. I always make them since I can never find anything I want at a price I want to pay (plus I HATE to shop, malls make me nauseous, so I don't like looking for one to start). I can't use my backpack purses on my mobility scooter, and nothing else I had worked (and there are limited places to suspend things from the scooter, so a tote bag won't cut it). And I HATE fanny packs. I needed something with a padded strap so I don't make my shoulders any worse than they are now. AND it has to be large enough to carry my medical stuff (like an epi-pen, assorted medications, eye drops, etc.) but small enough to not be very heavy (aforementioned shoulder issues). I looked for a pattern for a REALLY long time and never found one I liked. Then I actually had a dream about this purse. :) So I made it. It's a strip-pieced crazy quilt. In the dream the one I saw was "dripping with nature" - this came close but may need more doohickies on it. ;) I have a few iron-ons to add still (such as a gnome with his mushroom) and will have to just add things as I find them.

Family Portraits

2011-01-20T00:21:00.000-08:00

HA!!!!

Ashlynn had fun making portraits of me, herself, and her mama, on Clay Yourself!

This is me:

This is Katherine:

And this is Ashlynn:

She is VERY proud of this picture and

says it looks just like she does!! :)

Aaron made one of himself (um, sort of) also:

Pokemon Park

2011-01-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

Ashlynn wanted a swimming pool for her Pokemon toys. Here is what we did.

Happy Merry!

2010-12-25T23:28:00.000-08:00

Whatever you celebrated, are celebrating, or will celebrate, hope it's a good one.

(more photos here)

Treats for Santa

2010-12-25T12:12:00.000-08:00

After the photo was taken, they added a bowl of apples and lettuce, for the reindeer. ;)

Meowy Catmas!

2010-12-23T00:49:00.000-08:00

I made catnip toys for the felinity. I didn't want to make anything normal like fish or mice, so I made miniature zombies. :) The patterns are from Urban Threads.

The fabric is a t-shirt I got for 25 cents at a thrift store - it had cool tie-dye but didn't fit anyone in the house. The features are embroidered. Not my best embroidery but my tear-away stabilizer was not that great - it was from a remnant bin and was either mis-marked or an off-brand. :( But I doubt the cats will even notice. :)

UPDATE: Here is Hickory the zombie slayer. ;)

To my "little" girl:

2010-12-01T11:38:00.000-08:00

Whatever you do today, hope it's great!

2010-11-25T15:44:00.000-08:00

He's 30!

2010-11-01T02:29:00.000-07:00

Aaron made a new "World of Warcraft" character awhile back, and decided to reward himself with a homemade cake when his character reached level 30. He made it to level 30 on Oct 30 (he was very pleased to get to 30 on the 30th), and we made the cake after trick-or-treating on the 31st.

He chose a boxed vanilla cake with mom-made buttercream frosting (he said it was the best buttercream I've ever made - go me! LOL). He colored some frosting and decorated the cake mostly by himself. :)

From Miscellaneous 2010

Halloween

2010-10-31T19:43:00.000-07:00

I have no idea what Aaron was this year, but he looked like this:

From Halloween 2010

After weeks of "fairy princess butterfly", Yumeko decided at the last minute to be a pig.

From Halloween 2010

We went Trick-or-Treating at a local mall (with Rocket Papaya!):

From Halloween 2010

... then came home and the kids went around the neighborhood.

From Halloween 2010

The End.

At the last minute

2010-10-26T15:15:00.000-07:00

We got into a small local craft show.

From Holiday Shows 2010

The bulk of the stuff we'll have will be Raven's:

From Holiday Shows 2010

I just don't have that much made yet (since this show is early, and rather unexpected), but I will have some things there including a few of these guys:

From Stuff I have made 2010

It's the same time (and practically the same place) as the Beaverton Farmer's Market - hope to see you there!

Skeleton

2010-10-10T02:22:00.000-07:00

I made this just for fun. :) It's polar fleece, with an embroidered skull.

From Stuff I have made 2010

Kendo!

2010-10-08T20:21:00.000-07:00

I had to take the photo from upstairs and through a window, so it's kind of hard to see, but this is Aaron's* kendo class. Tonight was the second meeting, and he's enjoying it a lot. Aitherion is taking it also, but he is in a different room (and he wasn't feeling well tonight, so he stayed home).

From Miscellaneous 2010

*Aaron has requested that he no longer be referred to as "Yoshi" in the blog. I am not going to make it retroactive, LOL.

Haircut part 2

2010-10-07T17:08:00.000-07:00

Yoshi decided he was tired of being mistaken for a girl because of his hair length. He said "I know it's not an insult or anything, but it's annoying because I am not a girl." :) Being called a girl by the instructors at kendo last week was the tipping point for him.

So he decided he wanted his hair even shorter (he'd gone from waist-length to shoulder-length in June). We did that today. It's a big change but it looks SO nice!

I asked him to look happy in the photo - somehow he's confused "happy" and "psychotic", and wouldn't let me remove the red eye. ;)

From Miscellaneous 2010

Yumeko and Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Dance Class

2010-10-04T15:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, that's exaggerating. A little. Maybe.

She wanted to take ballet classes, so we found one via parks and recreation that we thought would be good. Let's just say "it wasn't a good fit" and leave it there, or I might fill up my blogger space ranting about child development, and barely three's vs almost 5's, and too many rules, "criss-cross applesauce", and things like that. In any case, she really disliked the first class, didn't want to leave my lap (except for a few small interludes), and then at home said she hated it and never wanted to go back.

Then she said she wanted to go to preschool. I had actually looked at those too (setting aside my philosophical objections about the necessity of (pre)school), but none really fit her needs and schedule, anyway. So I asked her, "what would you do at preschool?" and she said "fingerpaint."

THAT we can do. ;) Before I could make the paints, she decided she wanted to cook. So we made a few other things. And she was a little confused at having to COOK the paint, she didn't quite get that something besides food could be cooked. ;)

I was going to add a slideshow or photos to this post but I will be adding things to the album as she decides what she wants to do "in preschool. ;) So the slideshow is in the sidebar, and you can click on it to get to the photo album if you'd rather see the pictures that way.

Online game fun

2010-09-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

From Miscellaneous 2010

And now, for no good reason whatsoever

2010-08-15T20:58:00.000-07:00

A picture of Yoshi and his cracker. Don't ask, I don't get it either, but he asked me to take it. XD

From Miscellaneous 2010

Today in the Garden

2010-08-15T20:45:00.000-07:00

Ok, so Yumeko wasn't actually IN the garden. She was outside next to the garden, and she did spray most of the flowers. :)

We found a tiny Pacific Tree Frog this morning, in the purple coleus. It was about 1.5 inches long. They're common in this area. We hear them frequently in the back yard - they have the traditional "frog in summer at night" ribbit. ;).

From Miscellaneous 2010

This evening, Yumeko and I went outside to spray things (with plain water). She loves to spray anything that doesn't get out of the way fast enough. ;) She sprayed flowers, the sidewalk, the "school crossing" sign in between our house and the one next door, the car, me, herself, and some little black ants. I made her a clover crown, and she posed for the camera.

From Miscellaneous 2010

Then she squirted the camera. ;)

From Miscellaneous 2010

Catching up

2010-07-07T17:24:00.000-07:00

Just a few miscellaneous things.

Yoshi and Yumeko's birthday album have a few new photos added. Click the album title to get to the album.

June birthdays 2010

Also I have gotten back into charity crafting, and made three baby dolls for a set of spontaneous identical triplet girls born nearby. I started a new album for "stuff I have made", since the old one was getting too big. ;)

Stuff I have made 2010

And there are a few new photos in the "miscellaneous" album.

Miscellaneous 2010

Happy Birthday, Yumeko!

2010-06-26T18:42:00.000-07:00

I don't have all the photos up yet but here are a few. If you click on the album name(June birthdays 2010) under each photo, it will take you to more photos. :)

From June birthdays 2010

Yoshi's Comic

2010-06-17T23:00:00.000-07:00

Yoshi got a new DSi with his combined birthday cash, and the game WarioWare DYI. One of the game features allows him to make his own comics. This is one he did:

From June birthdays 2010

Happy Birthday Yoshi!

2010-06-14T19:22:00.000-07:00

From June birthdays 2010

Yoshi's Birthday Haircut

2010-06-08T16:12:00.000-07:00

So today is the last day Yoshi is 10. He decided he wanted a REAL haircut. I've always buzzcut it before (more or less yearly, for summer), but he didn't want that anymore. Last year he wasn't sure what he wanted, so this summer he had two years worth of hair. He finally decided what he wanted, so we went today and got it cut.

Before:

From June birthdays 2010

After:

From June birthdays 2010

I think he is about 12 pounds lighter. ;)

Yumeko's flowers

2010-06-08T16:08:00.000-07:00

We thought she'd like to color carnations with food color.

Here are the flowers on day one:

From Ashlynn's Arts and Crafts

And here are the rainbow flowers:

From Ashlynn's Arts and Crafts

Ratsies!

2010-04-13T19:43:00.000-07:00

We have two new rattie girls. Fiona is the darker, Twinkle is the lighter.

Easter

2010-04-13T19:41:00.000-07:00

click the photo to go to the album.

Easter 2010

Yumeko was a little creeped out by the idea of a giant rabbit sneaking into her house and hiding things, but she was thrilled to find those "things" were candy and money (Bunny ran out of candy so filled the rest of the plastic eggs with quarters). ;) And she loved her zhu zhu hamster from Grandpa and the Kai-Lan doll from Moogie.

Happy Birthday Aitherion!

2010-03-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

(a few days late)

Yumeko loves googly eyes

2010-03-18T00:15:00.000-07:00

She made these by herself, with just some gluing help.

From Ashlynn's Arts and Crafts

Nature Park

2010-03-14T20:13:00.000-07:00

Raven and I went to the Tualatin Hills Nature Park. We didn't stay long, so we didn't take the kids this time. We got a few photos, and got a butterfly model kit for Yoshi. Click the photo below to see the album.

Tualatin Hills Nature Park

5 buck fun

2010-03-12T21:35:00.000-08:00

We found a tub of Lego Quatro at a rummage sale for $5 (new it would have been about $30). Yumeko has had loads of fun building with it. Click the photo below to see her creations.

Ashlynn's Quatro Creations

Happy New Year

2010-02-13T15:39:00.000-08:00

No, we're not just late - Feb 14, 2010 is Chinese New Year. :) We went to a local Asian market, Uwajimaya, where they were celebrating with a Lion Dance. Yumeko got to meet the red lion. Click the dragon below to see the photos.

Chinese New Year at Uwajimaya

Werner Herzog Reads Curious George

2010-02-05T11:53:00.001-08:00

Daily OM: Filling Imaginary Voids

2009-12-31T18:25:00.000-08:00

Somehow, this feels like it should relate to the new year:

December 31, 2009
Consuming To Heal

In our culture today, we are constantly encouraged to consume. This includes food as well as purchasing ever newer items that we may not need, often using money that we may not actually have. It could be that we are trying to fill a void we feel within ourselves, but if we take the time to examine it, we know deep inside that this is not the solution. We may notice how quickly the joy fades after our purchase or once the food we’ve enjoyed is gone, and how soon we feel the urge to do so again. This is a symptom of disconnection from our true selves, so the first step toward balance is connection to our center.

When we connect to our center, we access the fullness of who we are as an individual spirit. We also connect to the energy source of the universe, from which nothing can be lacking. It could be that we have been energetically starving ourselves but trying to feed the need physically, outwardly. Once we make the decision to reconnect, we have the ability to examine the behavior from a higher place within ourselves. We can look, without judgment, at the thoughts and feelings that occur before and after our indulgences to find a pattern. We may want to keep track of these observations in a journal so that we can go back if we lose our way.

Often boredom is the main cause for the desire to eat or shop. But when we connect to our center, our intuition can more clearly guide us to the places where our energy can best be used. We can replace the boredom with a meditation practice, a class, a project, seeking a new job, or getting involved in a charity. We may even want to begin planning an adventurous trip. Whatever inspires us tells us the direction we should go. When we find the place we are meant to be, we become so consumed by its constant creation that the frivolous filling of an imaginary void becomes a thing of the past.

http://www.dailyom.com/

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

2009-12-09T22:44:00.000-08:00

Many life-situations happened at once (and it's complicated so let's just leave it at that) so we're headed out of Corvallis and back up to Beaverton. Our last day in the house is January 7, tho we'll probably be moving the large load earlier that week. We're be staying with Remillard for awhile (which will be interesting, to say the least), and after that - we just don't know. We'll try to keep everyone informed when we can.

Holiday Bazaar, December 5

2009-11-17T13:03:00.000-08:00

Just Chillin'

2009-11-10T18:23:00.001-08:00

Serendipity Corner

2009-11-09T16:48:00.000-08:00

I finally managed to get my sewing/craft room organized enough to use. It's not *done* but it's usable.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-30T16:17:00.001-07:00

Yoshi and Yumeko are out Trick-or-Treating in the downtown area - something the businesses do each year.

Yoshi invented his own costume. He says he is a "Dude". Sure, ok. :) He wanted to be one of those angler lantern fish with the flowing ball near its mouth, but he asked me too late for a full costume (sorry kiddo, October 28 is cutting it a bit close for something that elaborate ...) - so he's settled for just the head part, and a fish on his bucket. ;)

From Halloween 2009

Yumeko is in love with pirates. So she's a - wait for it - pirate.

From Halloween 2009

We're still working on the pumpkins (fake carved and painted real, since I can't be anyplace near real carved ones), and they're looking forward to the library party and neighborhood trick or treating - so more pictures will be added to that folder as they happen. :)

Two cute kids

2009-10-03T18:01:00.001-07:00

From Fall 2009

Come see us this weekend!

2009-09-23T00:44:00.000-07:00

When you give a toddler a table

2009-09-10T21:24:00.000-07:00

she'll fall asleep on it. :)

From Summer 2009

House pictures

2009-08-20T20:35:00.001-07:00

We signed the lease and paid the deposit, so we're official!

This is the front of the house:

From House

and clicking the little caption that says "House" will take you to the album with the rest.

P.S. Yoshi discovered - it's close enough to McD's that if the wind is right, you can smell the french fries.

We're moving!

2009-08-19T14:37:00.000-07:00

The landlords put our current home on the market back in March - then took it off in June. While it didn't sell, it reminded us how precarious this is, with (decent, affordable) rentals so hard to find here (and landlords that are out-of-state and want to sell). They want to put it back on the market next spring and we don't want to deal with that. So instead of re-signing a lease, we decided to look for a new place - and we found a great one (thank to a tip from a local friend)!

It's a older house, two-story, 4 bedrooms (but we'll keep the same bedroom-sharing arrangements we have here, and use the 4th as a playroom/gameroom), living room, dining room (aka craft/sewing room), laundry room (inside! not in the garage! yay! but we'll need a washer and dryer if any locals hear of any freebies), garage (aka workshop), a LARGE front porch, deck in the back, a greenhouse, fruit trees (apples of some kind, and Italian prune plums), blackberries, garden space, a swingset, and lots of room for tire swings, tree forts, and faerie houses. :)

And it's a block from 3 bus routes (for all the kids), walkable to the community college (for Murasaki), AND less rent than we're paying now.

I only have one photo - the day we went to look at it, my camera was acting up and I only got the one. Once I get more, I will put a link someplace on the blog.

Now we need to pack ... ;)

Are you ready? ;)

2009-07-23T23:35:00.000-07:00

From Summer 2009

Unschoolers need a holiday.

When people ask if they homeschool in the summer, they say yes. When people ask when they have a break from learning, they say never.

This has gone on for a long time now.

July 24 is Learn Nothing Day—a vacation for unschoolers.

Fancy Tie

2009-07-23T21:08:00.000-07:00

From Summer 2009

Family Fun Night

2009-07-22T21:11:00.000-07:00

From Family Fun Night 2009

Just a bunch of fun and games in Central Park, sponsored by the Parks and Rec department. (click the links under the photos, yadda yadda)

We played games

From Family Fun Night 2009

And made art

From Family Fun Night 2009

And got popsicles. :)

From Family Fun Night 2009

daVinci 2009

2009-07-18T20:55:00.000-07:00

It was hot (really hot, too hot) but fun.

The theme this year was H2OH! or something goofy like that. ;) Anyway, it meant lots of fishy things.

From daVinci Days 2009

The kinetic parade was pretty cool.

From daVinci Days 2009

We were doing too much to take too many photos. :) And it was too hot to care. The water mister was REALLY NICE.

From daVinci Days 2009

Did I mention it was hot? :)

As usual, clicking the link under the photos will take you to the relevant album.

Just a pic

2009-07-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

from last night, from the housewarming/moonviewing/late-birthday/summer-kid-welcoming get-together, at the last house on the left. :)

Yumeko picked the outfit herself - she has very strong preferences as far as what she wears! And she's never without her beloved binkie. :)

From Summer 2009

(thanks for the photo, Renee!)

Happy 4th!

2009-07-05T13:24:00.000-07:00

We spent the day with the local unschooling tribe - we're totally worn out but it was a lot of fun. :)

I'll just post the pictures, I am too tired to comment. ;) If you click on that little "July 4, 2009" thingie under the photo, it'll take you to the album with the rest of the pictures.

From July 4, 2009

Happy Day!

2009-06-24T13:05:00.001-07:00

Ashlynn's 2nd Birthday 2009

click the photo to go to the birthday album

PRIDE Celebration

2009-06-23T20:49:00.000-07:00

We'll be vending this Saturday at the first Corvallis Pride Celebration

We are excited to have you join us for the First Annual PRIDE Corvallis Celebration!

PRIDE weekend will be June 26th and 27th.

This year’s PRIDE will be held in Central Park. The weekend will kick off with the Stonewall Social and Dance on Friday, June 26th. Saturday, June 27th, will start at 11am with a parade down Jefferson street in Corvallis and will be followed by a full day of musicians, story telling, dancing, face painting, childrens activities, vendors, a non-profit expo, and much more!

A variety of late night activities designed with everyone in mind will finish our glamorous PRIDE weekend!

Yoshi is 10!

2009-06-09T00:42:00.000-07:00

Yoshi's 10th Birthday 2009

(click the photo to go to the Picasa album with all of the birthday photos)

Monkey Platter

2009-05-27T20:44:00.000-07:00

Snacks of extreme yumminess:

From Spring 2009

made for this little monkey:

From Spring 2009

Sandra Dodd's monkey platter page is here.

Come see us this weekend!

2009-05-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

Our booth will be right near the Maypole and Stage.

click on the flyer to see a larger version.

Here are a few of the types of things we'll be selling:

windchimes

From glass

screen-printed garden flags

From Stuff I have made

plush earthworms

From Stuff I have made

garden stakes

From glass

Not On The Test

2009-04-29T16:50:00.000-07:00

by John Forster & Tom Chapin
© 2007 Limousine Music Co. & The Last Music Co. (ASCAP)

Go on to sleep now, third grader of mine.
The test is tomorrow but you'll do just fine.
It's reading and math. Forget all the rest.
You don't need to know what is not on the test.

Each box that you mark on each test that you take,
Remember your teachers. Their jobs are at stake.
Your score is their score, but don't get all stressed.
They'd never teach anything not on the test.

The School Board is faced with no child left behind
With rules but no funding, they're caught in a bind.
So music and art and the things you love best
Are not in your school 'cause they're not on the test.

Sleep, sleep, and as you progress
You'll learn there's a lot that is not on the test.

Debate is a skill that is useful to know,
Unless you're in Congress or talk radio,
Where shouting and spouting and spewing are blessed
'Cause rational discourse was not on the test.

Thinking's important. It's good to know how.
And someday you'll learn to, but someday's not now.
Go on to sleep, now. You need your rest.
Don't think about thinking. It's not on the test.

It's warm enough today

2009-04-21T17:51:00.000-07:00

for this:

From Spring 2009

Farmer's Market Opening Day

2009-04-18T14:05:00.000-07:00

They had some nice things out for Earth Day (a little early). One was this "amphibian habitat". It was just a pool filled with sand (with water standing by) and plastic frogs 'n things. :)

From Spring 2009

It was really the only thing that caught Yumeko's eye this year - next year she'll enjoy more of it, and maybe even want to be in the Parade.

From Spring 2009

Look what we found!

2009-04-12T17:37:00.000-07:00

eggs and goodies! :)

From Spring 2009

And Yumeko has a pretty new easter dress! Thank you (and thanks for the other goodies too!)!

From Spring 2009

Coloring eggs

2009-04-11T22:19:00.001-07:00

Yoshi picked a "tie dye" egg kit this year, which turned out to be really good for Yumeko, since it wasn't the dunk-in-the-cup sort of dyeing - it was sponge painting!

From Spring 2009

Yoshi enjoyed it also.

From Spring 2009

They made some really nice eggs!

From Spring 2009

Be vewwy vewwy quiet, we're hunting easter eggs

2009-04-11T18:33:00.001-07:00

From Spring 2009

Yoshi went to the egg hunt at Albertson's - his age group had to hunt in the produce section. :) He's happier than he looks, he's just tired. :)

From Spring 2009

Later, Yoshi and Yumeko both did the egg hunt at the Elk's club.


From Spring 2009	From Spring 2009

Yes, it is washable marker

2009-04-11T17:28:00.000-07:00

From Spring 2009

RIP Liz 1996-2009

2009-04-06T04:14:00.000-07:00

From Liz

Liz aka Elizabeth Mudpie aka Pork passed rather unexpectedly at approximately 3 am PST, April 6, 2009. She is already sorely missed.

Cool ride.

2009-04-01T21:37:00.001-07:00

Superhero

2009-03-16T22:40:00.000-07:00

This is really goofy.

Make your own.

It's alive!

2009-03-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

living laundry!

From Giggle with Children

Labyrinth

2009-02-16T22:16:00.000-08:00

We're big fans of labyrinths (labyrinthae?) - "we" meaning me and Raven, the younglings are not as enthusiastic. :)

We've been going to this one:

From Corvallis Miscellaneous stuff

at the (Episcopalian) Church of the Good Samaritan, once a month.

It's 36 feet in diameter, and I think it's 11 circuits. My fibro is flaring (but the dr says gentle walking is good for it) so I only walked half of it tonight (in, but not out). It was still good. :)

They have a good explanation of the process, history, and why you'd bother (*grin*) on their site, so I won't be redundant and copy it here.

If you're local, try it sometime. :)

I am working on making a small portable one for home (and maybe taking to homeschool gatherings, or brunches, or conferences ... *grin*) - once I can find a place to lay it out to get the design on it (and once my back can take leaning over it to paint)!

Climbing the corporate ladder

2009-02-08T19:08:00.000-08:00

or maybe it's more like a step-stool. :)

Murasaki's position/work location/job title got changed *again*. She's back down to 2 days a week (5 hours total) guaranteed, but can still sub other times (and she gets paid a higher rate for subbing).

She got moved to a different school location, but this one is easy from the bus. It's near the Boys and Girls Club.

AND she is now the substitute site director for that school - which just means those 5 hours she works, she's in charge, LOL, but it sure looks good on paper. :) It could translate eventually into a full-time site director job, which would pay more and be for more hours, and she could implement the program in her own fashion (as long as she stays within the company guidelines, which are mostly focused on safety issues and not so much on program issues).

And she's enjoying it all a lot, which is even better. :)

New photos

2009-02-06T02:01:00.000-08:00

from Yumeko's class. :)

The rest are in Murasaki's flick photostream.

And the actual stay of execution, uh, enforcement, is here:

2009-01-30T15:37:00.000-08:00

http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia09/brief/stayenforce.pdf

CPSC Grants One Year Stay of Testing and Certification Requirements for Certain Products

2009-01-30T15:35:00.001-08:00

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission voted unanimously (2-0) to issue a one year stay of enforcement for certain testing and certification requirements for manufacturers and importers of regulated products, including products intended for children 12 years old and younger. These requirements are part of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which added certification and testing requirements for all products subject to CPSC standards or bans.

Significant to makers of children’s products, the vote by the Commission provides limited relief from the testing and certification requirements which go into effect on February 10, 2009 for new total lead content limits (600 ppm), phthalates limits for certain products (1000 ppm), and mandatory toy standards, among other things. Manufacturers and importers – large and small – of children’s products will not need to test or certify to these new requirements, but will need to meet the lead and phthalates limits, mandatory toy standards and other requirements.

The decision by the Commission gives the staff more time to finalize four proposed rules which could relieve certain materials and products from lead testing and to issue more guidance on when testing is required and how it is to be conducted.

The stay will remain in effect until February 10, 2010, at which time a Commission vote will be taken to terminate the stay.

The stay does not apply to:

* Four requirements for third-party testing and certification of certain children’s products subject to:
o The ban on lead in paint and other surface coatings effective for products made after December 21, 2008;
o The standards for full-size and non full-size cribs and pacifiers effective for products made after January 20, 2009;
o The ban on small parts effective for products made after February 15, 2009; and
o The limits on lead content of metal components of children’s jewelry effective for products made after March 23, 2009.
* Certification requirements applicable to ATV’s manufactured after April 13, 2009.
* Pre-CPSIA testing and certification requirements, including for: automatic residential garage door openers, bike helmets, candles with metal core wicks, lawnmowers, lighters, mattresses, and swimming pool slides; and
* Pool drain cover requirements of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act.

The stay of enforcement provides some temporary, limited relief to the crafters, children’s garment manufacturers and toy makers who had been subject to the testing and certification required under the CPSIA. These businesses will not need to issue certificates based on testing of their products until additional decisions are issued by the Commission. However, all businesses, including, but not limited to, handmade toy and apparel makers, crafters and home-based small businesses, must still be sure that their products conform to all safety standards and similar requirements, including the lead and phthalates provisions of the CPSIA.

Handmade garment makers are cautioned to know whether the zippers, buttons and other fasteners they are using contain lead. Likewise, handmade toy manufacturers need to know whether their products, if using plastic or soft flexible vinyl, contain phthalates.

The stay of enforcement on testing and certification does not address thrift and second hand stores and small retailers because they are not required to test and certify products under the CPSIA. The products they sell, including those in inventory on February 10, 2009, must not contain more than 600 ppm lead in any accessible part. The Commission is aware that it is difficult to know whether a product meets the lead standard without testing and has issued guidance for these companies that can be found on our Web site.

The Commission trusts that State Attorneys General will respect the Commission's judgment that it is necessary to stay certain testing and certification requirements and will focus their own enforcement efforts on other provisions of the law, e.g. the sale of recalled products.

Please visit the CPSC Web site at www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html for more information on all of the efforts being made to successfully implement the CPSIA.

Murasaki got a "promotion".

2009-01-29T18:09:00.000-08:00

Instead of being a sub, she is now a real employee. ;) She'll work THREE days instead of two, and she gets a guaranteed 7.5 hours a week. Woo hoo. ;)

She could still be called to sub the other two days.

Aith's fondest wish has come true ...

2009-01-29T14:37:00.000-08:00

Ok, maybe not his absolute fondest. *grin* But it's in his top 5 at least.

He is now an official volunteer at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library.

He has orientation and training (training? to re-shelve books? are some people REALLY that clueless?) next week, and starts sometime after that. He has to "work" at least 2 hours a week, which is amusing since he usually spends at least twice that there, now.

Hopefully this year they won't toss him out for sneezing, like they did last summer when his hay fever acted up. ;)

Take a (free!) bin of Lincoln Logs

2009-01-23T14:47:00.000-08:00

add a boy who likes to build, and you get this:

From Yoshi's Projects

Yumeko's Fun Class

2009-01-21T02:03:00.001-08:00

She has a weekly play class, it's kind of like preschool in the sense that they do a lot of varied things and there is no "theme" as such to the class. But there is no formal teaching, and it's all ages. Parents stay with their kids. It's sort of like semi-structured playgroup.

Yumeko likes building with the blocks. As always, with her beloved binkie. :)

Murasaki has posted more videos on her YouTube channel.

Some photos are on Murasaki's Flickr account - check it often, as she'll update when we can.

Nervous about regulations

2009-01-18T15:51:00.000-08:00

By BENNETT HALL
CORVALLIS Gazette-Times

New rules on products for kids spark retail jitters

A new law intended to ease parents’ fears about children’s products has some mid-valley retailers running scared.

(The whole story is here.)

wish lists

2009-01-17T22:29:00.000-08:00

If you purchase household or food items, PLEASE do not substitute for ANY reason without asking one of us first. Our allergies and sensitivities are extreme, and sometimes we can't even tolerate a similar formulation or a very similar food to the ones listed.

household needs

groceries

gift cards

Ashlynn's wish list

Aaron's wish list

Christopher's wish list

Katherine's wish list

carelia's wish list

raven's wish list

Murasaki has a job!

2009-01-16T19:26:00.000-08:00

She had an interview this morning, and they asked her to come back this afternoon for the orientation. :)

She'll be working as a "teacher" with various after-school daycares affiliated with the local Boys and Girls Club.

I put "teacher" in quotes because as far as I'm concerned, that's her job *title*, not her job *description*. ;)

It's very very part-time at the moment, Tuesday and Thursday from 2:15-4:30 (guaranteed, but it COULD go as late at 6 pm). She's also listed as a sub, and could work MWF from 2:15-6 as needed, and during school holidays. She will probably spend most of her time at the local elementary school (easily walkable), but she might sub at other schools, or the main facility (which is also walkable, and the bus runs right past it). They also have an optional paid training class once a month.

A lot of their employees are OSU students, and the bulk of them go home for the summer break - since she IS home, she might be able to get more hours, for their summer day camps.

She's also taking three classes (one math and two psychology) at LBCC, so part-time is good. ;)

save handmade

2009-01-13T16:22:00.000-08:00

More craftiness.

2009-01-12T01:46:00.000-08:00

After Yoshi was done scrubbing the kitchen table, the high chair, and the kitchen floor (honest, he WANTED to, and asked me afterward if there was anything else he could scrub!), he decided he wanted to paint. He has a bedside tray he's been using unfinished, and decided to paint that.

From Yoshi's Projects

Then, he was looking through his things and found some pH paper, so we set up things he could test.

From Yoshi's Projects

He also tried mixing things together, so see how the pH changed.

Now he's off on some other adventure. :)

So Yoshi asks me if someday, he can have some random craft supplies ...

2009-01-10T21:10:00.000-08:00

... to make random things with.

Silly child. As if *I* have random craft supplies just laying about.

(Excuse me for a moment, until I stop laughing.)

After showing him the dozen or so places holding craft things just waiting for him - including the shelves I JUST assembled TODAY (bwaa haa haa), he gathered some corks, empty soda bottles, paper, markers, glue, tape, foil origami paper, pipe cleaners (which resulted in a discussion of whether people REALLY use them to clean pipes), etc.

And he went to work.

So far, he's made:

A cork shooter or a fog machine (it fogs inside if you breathe into it - pretty clever, huh?) or a sippy cup, depending on how you hold it.:

From Yoshi's Projects

A golden hammer:

From Yoshi's Projects

A pirate ship (he says "It's not a REAL ship, it's more like a tiny boat - it's just made from a bowl!"):

From Yoshi's Projects

And now he is experimenting to see what floats, what sinks, what floats until it is saturated, what floats on top of some other things, etc.

From Yoshi's Projects

How much water can you hold in a square of vinyl?

From Yoshi's Projects

Even if you voted before, please vote again.

2009-01-05T15:33:00.001-08:00

First round voting for the Ideas for Change in America Competition closed at midnight on December 31, 2008.

This idea finished in 1st Place in the Economy category and has therefore qualified for the final round. Final round voting will run from January 5th - 15th, and voting totals will be reset at zero for all qualifying ideas to ensure an equal playing field.

Save Handmade Toys From the CPSIA
A Proposal From the handmadetoyalliance.org

Ode to Joy - Beaker style. :)

2008-12-31T12:15:00.000-08:00

'Twas the night before

2008-12-24T22:41:00.000-08:00

From YuleSolsticeChristmasWinter Whatever

Don't Forget

2008-12-24T12:44:00.000-08:00

to track Santa!

Or if you'd rather, you can watch the Garfield Christmas Special instead. :)

(We're doing both.)

We built a house!

2008-12-21T21:46:00.000-08:00

Ok, it was made of graham crackers, but it was still fun!

From Cracker House

Yoshi made a new friend!

2008-12-19T16:40:00.000-08:00

From Winter 2008