out of my hands…

Kai’s application to the school of my dreams - the Greenwoods Charter School - has been signed, sealed and delivered.  And now we wait… hopefully we’ll know by May if we’ve been selected in the lottery as one out of hundreds of applicants to fill 12 vacant spots in next year’s kindergarten class.  But at least it’s out of my hands and into the safe and capable hands of the extremely nice office staff at the school.

Since we were out that way, the boys and I spent some time at The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, which partners with the school - in fact, you have to walk through the center to get several of the classrooms.  The boys had fun playing in the discovery drawers and exploring the little forest.

Taz wanted to eat the nuts that were there so you could practice picking up various birds’ foods with chopsticks and Kai enjoyed “fishing” in the stream.

I’m hoping that we’ll get to check out some of the classes that the Schuylkill Center has for kids, such as the Nature for the Young: March Winds Blow that will be held this Thursday.  Just $8 for nonmembers - seems like a great way to have time for a quiet hike while the kids enjoy the class… The Center also has frequent evening lectures on nature topics as well as volunteer days, which I’d really like to be a part of.  It even holds an orientation for new volunteers for the Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic, which is part of the Center as well.

While the kids might be a bit young to be a volunteer at the wildlife rehabilitation clinic, we can find ways for them to enjoy wildlife and what better way to do so than through the suggestions of the National Wildlife Foundation in honor of National Wildlife Week which will be coming up later this month.

the school dreams are made of…

The day finally arrived that I have been waiting for since arriving in Philadelphia - the Green Woods Charter School open house.  As the name suggests, this amazing school is located in the woods - 340 acres of woods to be exact - and is connected to the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education.  This is the school that I so dream of Kai being able to attend next year.  And so do hundreds of other parents apparently as the room was jam packed - all there for their one chance to receive an application packet to vie for the 13 kindergarten spots that will be open in the fall.  Luckily, the spaces are chosen by lottery, so each of us has a good a chance as the other.  The extensive application is due the end of February, the lottery is held in April and we should know our status by May - I am so hoping and praying that we’ll be accepted!

If there was ever a school in Philly that I would want my children to attend - or even want to teach at myself - this is it. Green Woods has an incredible, nature based curriculum.  The mission of the school is to:

“provide children in grades K through 8 with the opportunity to be active, knowledgeable and conscientious young investigators by fostering a keen understanding of the interrelatedness and interdependence of our local and global existence.”

That mission was apparent through every aspect of the school that we were exposed to - from the two hours the kids spend hiking each week to the worm farm in the kindergarten room.  As the website states:

“Each and every day, Green Woods’ teaching team provides students with dynamic learning experiences that focus on the relationship between humans and the natural world. Our ponds, streams, forests, and fields act as the ideal “learning laboratory”; for exploration and discovery, while our partnership with the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education enhances the award-winning curriculum created and delivered by our passionate staff. Share the Green Woods experience through the eyes of our special kids.”

So, we’ll see what happens…

Earlier in the day, I took the boys to the Schuylkill (a word I still avoid attempting to say out loud) Center so I would know exactly where we were headed to that night.  While the discovery center was filled with enticing, informative displays.  While we were there, the current kindergarten class even came in for a lesson - I was thrilled to see that the center plays such a role in the daily curriculum of the students.  Still, not wanting to get in the way of the class, it was a prime time to take off on a hike.

We hiked along portions of the grey fox loop, widener and woodcock trails and sat for a while in the Founder’s Grove for a picnic.  They were out of trail maps in the center, so it wasn’t until looking at the website that I realized we weren’t actually supposed to eat on the trails - oops - but at least we did out best to ensure we didn’t leave any crumbs behind. There was still snow on the ground, so the walk was quite muddy and Kai had a great time crunching in the icy puddles.  I was happy that he was entertained and created his own games to play as we walked along. We found a bird blind and I tried to encourage the boys to look quietly through the holes to watch the birds feed.  Kai is getting used to an inside voice, but he just doesn’t get the need to be quiet outside - we’re working on it…

It made me think though about a story I had heard the week before at a women’s conference.  Keala Sikahema, wife of Vai Sikahema, shared about a time when her husband was trying to teach their sons to use the riding lawn mower to make their lawn look as nice as their neighbhor’s perfectly manicured lawn. During a visit of Keala’s father, the boys were receiving one of the frequent lectures. Her father told Vai to “remember you are raising boys and growing men”.  After that, Vai gave up on the lectures and soon the boys, as they continued to practice, did a fine job of mowing the lawn. I have been reminded of that story as I hiked with my boys, as well as we put away toys this week and flipped pancakes together.  There is no need for perfection, we are just teaching our sons one step at a time.  I can’t expect my boys to be expert hikers or have an innate respect for the birds, but I can share my love for nature with them during our leisurely nature walks - knowing that they will grow up to be men who have an appreciation - and, I hope, a passion - for the world around them.

tiny trackers at tyler arboretum…

The boys and I finally made our first solo expedition out of Philly.  While It should have been a straight shot down route 1 to Media, PA, I’ve found that google maps and Philadelphia streets don’t seem to get along, so it took quite a bit longer as it sent us down Girard Avenue through a few neighborhoods that I would rather not get lost in… But we got there.

Our destination was the Tyler Arboretum - a fantastic nature center just about 1/2 hour (or an hour if you have my directional skills) south of the city.  My friend, Kay, saw an ad for a kids nature class in a local parenting newspaper and thought we might be interested - I’m glad Kay knows me so well already.  So, off we went…

The class we attended was geared specifically to 4-5 year olds, referred to as tiny trackers.  Classes for older kids are called junior naturalists and for younger, teeny tiny trackers.  For just $8 ($6 if you’re a member of the arboretum), Kai had an hour and a half class on the wonders of winter including a story, an explorative walk and a craft project. Each month, they have different classes for each age group.

While I had been looking forward to seeing what the class was all about, when the teacher said that parents could leave, I grabbed Taz and got out of there before she could change her mind.  Because, with 20 miles of hiking trails, I was hyped to have a chance to get a good hike in - with just a sleeping bundle in the front carrier and some time on my own to reflect.  It was a chilly day, but I made sure Taz was rugged up and I quickly warmed up while walking.  I took the yellow trail - it was just under two miles so allowed me enough time in the woods without making late to pick up Kai after class.

In addition to the hiking trails, there was a pond, gardens and even a reproduction of Thoreau’s cabin that I sat in for a while just staring out at the pond.

Unfortunately though, while trying to take off my gloves to check the trail map, my camera fell to the ground and I thought it was broken.  Turned out it wasn’t, thus the one photo of the front of the arboretum that I took while trying one last time to fix the camera before we left - obviously, success.

Anyway, I’m hoping our next trip down to the arboretum will be for the pancake breakfast & maple sugaring celebration - time in nature to make me happy, all you can eat pancakes to make my boys happy - I’d say it’s a win, win situation.

In the wise words of Curious George…

or should it be thoughts? - George doesn’t actually talk does he… Anyway, they’re wise regardless: “Hiking is exciting. George didn’t know why more people don’t do it.” My thoughts exactly! Not that I mind having the trails to myself… but I often wonder if people make it more complicated than it needs to be - you don’t have to go far and you don’t need any special equipment - that’s why hiking is such an easy way to access nature in our busy lives.  And it’s amazing how many places there are to hike close to home - you just have to do a bit of looking for them…

As I mentioned in my last post, we’ve been exploring the nearby nature centers in Maryland. And I’ve fallen in love with Meadowside in Rock Creek Regional Park - it’s not the nature center itself, though it is pretty cool and even has a small caving tunnel for kids (and me) to explore - but it’s the short hikes that are perfect for kids.  While there are about 25 miles worth of trails throughout the park, we’ve just plotted out a mile or so loop that I know Kai can handle.  It starts at the nature center, meanders down to and along the river and then back up ending at the nature center. Kai loves to carry the map which can be picked up at the head of the trail - that way he feels official and I can show him where we are.  He also loves to have a job - usually it’s to find the next trail marker on a tree to make sure we’re still going in the right direction or to look for cool bugs to collect in his bug catcher.

And it’s great that we get to take a break in the middle to play in the water.  I keep thinking we should bring a picnic to eat on the nice flat rock, but if I try to be that organized, I probably wouldn’t get out of the door…

Kai does get a bit tired on the small incline at the end, but I just have to give a bit of extra encouragement and he pushes through.

There are caged birds of prey (due to permanent injuries which prevent them from being safe in the wild) right at the end of the trail that he enjoys visiting - especially Orion, the bald eagle - how often do you get to see one of those up close (though the dead mice all over his cage do gross me out - I am so not a rodent person, dead or alive - blaah!). But just knowing the birds are ahead is motivation enough - thank goodness as carrying one kid and a backpack are enough for me!

Before I had kids, going hiking was a way for me to escape from the world and reconnect with my thoughts - it was the one place I could make clear decisions and always felt renewed. It’s a totally different experience now - for one thing, it’s not quiet so I can’t just get lost in my thoughts anymore… - but it is a place to reconnect with my kids. I can focus on them without any of the distractions at home - cleaning, making dinner, working, trying to write in my blog… and we can just enjoy exploring together.

So, I was excited to see that the Curious George episode this morning was on hiking - he was a bit reticent at first - which I can empathize with based on Kai’s attitude at times - but by the end he was all over it. How I love that little monkey.

Trying to find a little nature close to home…

Okay, so now that I’m working a bit - even if it’s short-term and very flexible - I have to try a bit harder to make sure my kids are spending plenty of time in the outdoors.  The pool definitely helps.  But we can’t be there all day everyday.  The hidden gems I’ve found in Maryland are the Nature Centers - I’ve checked out two of them so far - Brookside and Meadowside.  Located close to the centers of town, they make it easy to just nip away for a few hours and get some nature time.

I first checked out Brookside - it had a great, stroller-friendly path full of hands-on displays leading through the trees up to the nature center.  There were benches to sit on to watch the wild birds who visited the feeding area. Once inside, there are numerous areas to check out from live amphibeans to a dress up area. But my favorite were the bees - they have a whole glass-enclosed beehive with a tunnel leading to the outside so you can see what those little guys are up to once they return from their galavanting.  But the nature center is only the tip of the iceberg for Wheaton Regional Park, where the nature center is located - there’s Brookside botanical gardens (and you know how I love a good botanical garden) that has some fantastic kids programs that I want to check out.  There are also hiking trails, a carousel, miniature train, horseback riding, ice skating and a playground or two thrown in for good measure. All this just about 15-20 minutes north of the beltway - there are just no excuses not to check out all the fun things to do! But it is a fairly big place, so I recommend starting with the map so you find just what you’re looking for.

And with that, I think I’ll save Meadowside for next time - now that I’m a working woman again, I actually have to keep decent hours…