Dangerous Book for Boys video…

Oh, and check out this video which shows the potential of the book.

first snow day…

oh, the words that bring joy into every student’s heart - snow day! I actually thought Kai might be a bit disappointed as he just started pre-school a few weeks ago after all.  But his reaction after taking it all in - “well, that’s happy”. So, he’s snuggled in his sleeping bag on the couch, reveling in this free day off.  We’ve also already had him say, “can’t I just sleep a few more minutes” when trying to wake him up to get ready for school - it’s going to be a long trip to senior year…

Unfortunately, it’s not going to be a good play in the snow day though - sometime during the early hours of morning, the snow turned to freezing rain making for very slippery roads, but not for fun outdoor play.  But, to compensate, we do have an oh, so cool book from the library.

One of the blessings of our location is that the library is just a couple of blocks away - a massive, stately building, it puts respect for books into anyone who enters as you can’t help but whisper within those ancient (according to American standards) walls.  Kai has faith that any subject he’s wondering about can be expounded upon by finding the perfect library book.  On the way there the other day, he had his desired subjects in a neat list - how things work, booby traps and Indiana Jones - and he kept repeating them over and over to ensure he wouldn’t forget one.  Confidently, he marched right up to the librarian and told him what he wanted.  Thankfully, the librarian was well versed in the needs of a curious little boy because while he was able to find books on how things work and Indiana Jones very easily, a book to teach kids how to make booby traps wasn’t as obvious… until he thought of one of his personal favorites, a book that could not be kept in the children’s libary, a book that definitely needs parental supervision — The Dangerous Book for Boys.  Without a doubt, it is a book every boy should have in their possession - especially these days when too much time is spent in front of media, and not enough outside, exploring, experimenting, scraping knees and climbing trees. We’ve been having a great time going through this book and learning about a diverse range of subjects.  So, here’s a list of just some of the topics covered:

1. The Five Knots Every Boy Should Know
2. How to Play Stickball
3. Fossils
4. Building a Treehouse
5. Making a Bow and Arrow
6. The Rules of Rugby Union and Rugby League (the first section Kaleo read to Kai)
7. Making a Go-Cart (which Kai and I could have used as we made one out of cardboard recently…)
8. Insects and Spiders
9. First Aid
10. Hunting and Cooking a Rabbit (the second section Kaleo read to Kai)

As well as maps, grammar, history and even Shakespeare.  Mind you, I do realize a lot of these things would once have been taught by neighborhood friends, a cool uncle or in boy scouts, but in absence of having access to those wonders of knowledge, this book is incredible.  So, thank you to an author and a knowledgable libarian who understand the needs of curious, adventurous and mischevious little boys.  And thank you to the big and little boys in my house who may make writing a blog challenging, but who bring curiousity, adventure and mischief into my life each day.

REI Sale…

Just thought I’d pass it on…

REI outlet sale - save an extra 20% if ordered before 29 January.

I’m tempted by oh, so many things… especially the bags - I am notoriously hard on bags and seem to just go through them like crazy - I just think they should hold everything that you’re able to stuff into them without ripping out in the seams! Right now, my daypack is wearing out, as is my stroller bag, so I’m really interested in this Mountainsmith Messenger Bag. I think it would be really multi-functional.  Now we’ll see if I can justify it…

But they also have heaps of kids’ winter stuff on sale - it’s always good to stock up for next year.

choosing hope, not fear…

even as I’m still in awe of the history written this day - and still laughing that Kai’s made-up superhero of the day was Barack Hulk (comprised of an Obama volunteer skull cap courtesy of Grandbill and talking Hulk hands courtesy of Auntie Lolo) - I’ve decided that not only must we not fear the future, I must not fear the shape I’m in.  So, in honor of our new President, I’ve decided that, today, I will begin The President’s Challenge Physical Activity and Fitness Awards Program.

While there are a couple of different levels you can sign up for, I’ve decided to start with the Active Lifestyle Program - a starter program which requires just 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week for 6 weeks.  Just last week, I began going to the gym downstairs (now that Taz is finally sleeping through the night) at 5 am, so I’m definitely still in the starter category.  But the good news is that as I finish that program, I can progress to become a PRESIDENTIAL CHAMPION - I know, it’s a title you all want to achieve…- which allows for a more intense program based on a physical activity of your choice.

Anyway, the website provides a helpful way to track my progress - so hopefully I can see how far I’ve come.  So, while I will not shame myself by revealing a beginning or ending weight on my blog, I will let you know how much, if any, weight I’ve lost at the end of the 6 week program.  I guess I’ll have to stop eating President Obama celebratory fudge bars…

And, if you complete the program, you can even be the recipient of an award in the form of a patch or a medal - wear em with pride! They’ll be a fine addition to the President’s Challenge Program Certificate of Achievement we received after completing the Winter Trails Day program.

Okay, so it’s not bootcamp, but at least I’m getting out there and hopefully will be in the shape I want to be in for outdoor fun in the spring.  And, I am going to hope that my best shape is ahead of me, instead of fearing that it’s already behind me…

I wish they all could be California…

boys.  So, as I’m listening to the beach boys on this gray, snow flurry-filled day, I’m thinking that my boys looked like naturals on the beaches of San Diego - it must be the Hawaiian blood running through their veins…

We hadn’t been in San Diego 24 hours before Kai insisted on a beach run.  We didn’t make it to La Jolla until the sun was starting to set, but, as it turns out, that makes for the best photo lighting - and it didn’t stop the kids from heading straight into the waves. And since it was winter in Cali, we practically had the beaches to ourselves - definitely a rarity in that part of the world.

Taz - my easy going one - threw a tantrum like I’ve never seen when I wouldn’t just let him crawl into the water on his own.  He got so mad when the tide would pull the water out - and settled down again when another wave would tickle his little toes.

A day or two later, my brother, Evan, a Navy man, took us a to great beach on the Coronado Island naval base.  Having sand fights with Grandbill was definitely the highlight for the cousins.

While, Taz was content to explore the puddles - well, at least that what I’d insisted on.  It had actually rained the day before - for the first time in 200 days - and, as Evan informed me, apparently the rain causes a lot of runoff into the ocean which polutes it for a few weeks.  Lovely… So, while the lifeguards informed us that the water had been tested that morning and was safe, I thought a decent distance from the waves was in order.

The hardest part was definitely getting the kids off the beach… Zach and Kai actually tried to burry themselves to stop us from leaving.

Actually, that wasn’t the hardest part - the hardest part was definitely getting Kai into the shower to rinse the sand off.  He just couldn’t understand why the water wasn’t hot.  Poor kid.

And, so, for the 1000th time since leaving Cali, I wonder why we don’t live there…

a call to serve…

Just thought I’d pass on the link to the USA Service Organization which is sponsoring a national day of service this Monday, the MLK holiday.  So, instead of just hanging out in your jammies all day since you don’t have to work, check out service events near you.  There are heaps of choices.  I actually signed up to help clean up Fairmount Park with the boys - 2 for 1 - some time outdoors and a chance to serve in the community.  Considering the weather is going to hover around freezing that day though and is supposed to be cloudy, I’m just hoping it will work out…

We tried to take the boys out today as it’s bright and sunny out so didn’t feel all that cold.  But Taz will absolutely not keep gloves on - once we saw his hands turning red, we decided I would turn back with him.  And, as I saw that it’s only 17 F right now, I can see why the poor little guy was having a meltdown… So, I’m stuck inside, but as Kaleo has to work all week inside, I couldn’t begrudge him an outing with Kai to our favorite indoor Philly spot - the Franklin Institute, which is just a few blocks from our place - especially because today they’re celebrating Ben Franklin’s birthday.  Kai wants to be an inventor when he grows up, so Franklin is on his list of heroes.  And besides, time alone with Daddy is always a treat.

winter trails day report!

Well, we made it to the snow - my summer baby touched his first snow on his winter birthday weekend.  On Saturday, we headed out to Liberty Mountain which is just over the Maryland border in Pennsylvania for Winter Trails Day 2009!

Now, while I’m not a skier, I have lived in plenty of snowy places (California Mountains, Utah, Switzerland, Bulgaria) and, apparently, have preconceived ideas on what a ski resort should look like - well, that all changed when I hit Liberty Mountain where you could, literally, step off the snow and onto a golf course. Needless to say, most of the snow was definitely the manufactured stuff.

note the golf course in the background!

Let’s just say, I felt pretty silly about having called about the road conditions before we left - but we were having a storm throughout Pennsylvania that day, so how was I to know! I assumed you at least had to drive up a bit of a mountain to get there - and that there would be snow all over the place because of the higher elevation. Kaleo had to remind me that mountains out here are what would be considered hills in the West. There was just a section of the hill cleared off for ski runs, tubing, lifts, etc. But, the place was packed with skiers, so I guess we all take what we can get.

That being said, the Winter Trails Day setup was great - packed with useful information.

By the way, there’s a photo of Taz and me with this guy on the winter trails facebook page - check it out!

Anyway, at the registration desk, we were given a card to carry to a series of booths that contained information on proper snow sport nutrition, clothes, stretches, winter camping and snow shoeing.  As we completed each presentation, our card was ticked off and we turned it in at the end for a certificate.  Kai was happy to receive something for his efforts.  So, the nutrition and stretching were pretty straight forward, but we had to laugh at the clothes booth because we were so not dressed as they recommended.  As I said, we are not snow sport people - we haven’t even seen much snow in about 5 years and probably won’t be seeing more in the near future - so we certainly don’t have the full snow sport get up.  But that wasn’t going to stop me from having a good time in the snow with my kids - they certainly didn’t know or care that we were dressed wrong.  We were warm enough so it was all good. And, I’m sure I’ll say this time and time again, but my #1 rule on parenting is not to get embarrassed about what others may think - whether you’re skipping down the street with your kids or playing superheroes or playing in the snow - you’re creating memories with your kids which are far more important than any crazy looks you might get.

Of course, the highlight was snowshoeing - which we hadn’t tried before. And I’ll admit, I assumed they looked like the tennis rackets of my childhood books - but let’s just say snowshoes have come a long way since then! There were snowshoes small enough for Kai, but it would have been pushing it for Taz.

We got to hike around a slope set aside for the day and had a great time - I was definitely hooked - hiking in the woods in the snow, sounds good to me - well, at least if we lived somewhere with more snow…

Kai kept trying to throw snowballs, but the snow was so powdery that it just didn’t work.  Building a snowman was definitely out of the question…

Hopefully we’ll get a good snow or two in Philly this year, because if you’re going to be cold, you might as well have snow. I really don’t see the point of cold without it.

After leaving the “mountain” we made our way to nearby Gettysburg.  While we passed the Civil War battlegrounds, that wasn’t the purpose of our visit - oh no, it was all about finding the Applachian Brewery Restaurant - because I have learned the secret to getting Kaleo excited about these crazy outings - involve root beer.

Kaleo is really getting into craft brewed sodas and loves finding new small town outfits.  Once you’ve had a craft brewed soda, you’ll never go back to the mass produced stuff.  His goal is to get into brewing his own - and a new blog may come out of it.  I’ll keep you updated.  As for the restaurant, the burgers were delicious and the rootbeer was sublime - no mint, all honey, so it was so smooth.  And while they may serve the hard stuff too, we, obviously just focused on the soft.  Though, I have to say, the ginger beer wasn’t my favorite, but that may be just as I’ve been tainted by Bundaberg - no other ginger beer can compare.

So, all in all, definitely a fun day for all.

hey, mr. sandman…

So, I’m finally sorting through my bazillion California photos and a the major theme seems to be… SAND.  Having grown up there, I should have remembered that all of the playgrounds are built in the sand, but I guess my playground memory doesn’t extend that far so I was as excited as the boys that they constantly got to play in the sand - because that is one thing we sure as heck don’t have in Philly.

From the good ole Fairmount Park playground (in Riverside, not Philly) down the street from my childhood home to the mega Mission Bay playground in San Diego, it was all about the sand - well, and of course, cousins - sand and cousins - what more could Kai and Taz ask for…

Though I had to laugh at the playground near my brother’s home in Point Loma - we headed there the day after Thanksgiving to give the kids a good run - the weather was in the 60s, so still a treat for us from the east coast - yet there were actually people there wearing scarves… But given the fact it had rained the day before for the first time in 200 days, I guess San Diegans have to take the chance to try on their winter accessories when they can…

Of course the beaches had even more sand - and I have even more beach photos which I’ll save for another day.  Till next time…

The first thing on my 2009 calendar…

is Winter Trails Day - Saturday, 10 January! And I am hyped about trying snowshoeing with the fam.  We have yet to get a good snow in Philly, so if the snow won’t come to us, I’m very willing to go to the snow.  I just don’t think winter is winter without snow - what’s the point of just being cold?

The closest location to us is nearly 3 hours away, but if we’re not willing to travel that far for a snowshoeing adventure, what kind of explorers would we be?  Now whether they have them small enough for Taz, who is just starting to toddle about, remains to be seen - but what a way to celebrate his birthday weekend…

So, if anyone else checks out an event, let me know - I’d love to hear about your adventures too.

Happy New Year!

2008 was a year of transition for us - we lived in 4 homes, 3 states, 2 countries and welcomed 1 new baby into our family.  I’m glad that as the year ended, we find ourselves finally settled, even if it is someplace we would never have dreamed of being a year ago.  But as we settle into our new life, I look back and wonder if we are where we should be, if we have made the right decisions over the past year.  Should we have left Australia - or, once we were back in the States, should we have stayed closer to family in Washington, D.C. - or has following Kaleo’s furniture making dreams to Philadelphia been exactly the road we were meant to have taken…

When we brought in 2008, I thought we’d finish the year in Virginia living in the country with heaps of space and a garden. Instead, we’re back in the middle of city in an apartment in which I often feel we’re tripping over each other and with no immediate outdoor space for the kids. But we chose this place for the location and I’m grateful to have a whole city and huge urban park to explore outside our door - and I know once spring hits, I’m going to love it.

We are enjoying exploring Philly - it’s just been such a whirlwind of a year that it’s taking me a bit of time to settle into a normal life and routine here.  One thing I’m disappointed about is that we got here so late into the season - it’s been harder to explore in the cold with two little ones.  I’m learning to make rules for ourselves - if it’s sunny and above 40 F, we have to go out, no matter what. Last weekend, I was thrilled we were going to have record breaking highs in the 60s - I couldn’t wait to get out on Kaleo’s day off and just drive out of town.  But, as luck would have it, the four of us all came down sick and spent two entire days resting on the couch - well, as much as you can rest with a wiggly 11 month old. I was beyond frustrated by the time we felt better.  So, on Monday, when the temperature hit 50 F, we got in Kai’s first Philly bike ride, even if it was just in the little maze park near out building. By Tuesday, it was only in the 40s and windy, but sunny - after a trip to the library, I announced we were going to a playground - Kai asked why we couldn’t go home - I explained to him that if we did, I would go absolutely crazy having to spend another afternoon in the house.  He doesn’t want to see his mommy go crazy… And I’m glad we did, because the sun was warm enough to have fun at the park and I felt renewed by the time we got home once the sun was setting. And considering there were snow flurries the next day with a wind chill factor in the teens, I was grateful I’d insisted we got out when we could! We actually were out in the windy flurries and boy was it brutal…

So, a new year is upon us and I wonder what it will hold.  No matter what, I’m sure it will be an adventure.  I just wonder where we’ll be next year at this time… I am looking forward to exploring this city and state with my kids. I was actually checking out the National Parks in Pennsylvania today as I’m already planning our summer camping trips.  Kaleo, Kai and I all got new sleeping bags for Christmas - while we’ve already tried them out with a campout in the living room, I can’t wait to get them out into the wild.  Now, all we need is a tent…