Learning at School and Home: Year 5

First day of school (7th, 4th, and 9th grades)

 We took an unexpected trip to the Grand Canyon

The boy studied hard, taking dual credit courses as a freshman

He also learned to cook.

 Sharpened some existing skills

 (the sisters couldn't be outdone)

 And changed a few light bulbs in awkward places

 Our county Fire Department opened a new station in October, so we gave it a visit

And the girls went on a school-sponsored fishing trip

Ember caught the biggest fish and won a hoodie

We took walks with dogs

We had bunnies in the yard

Ember's self portrait was featured in a local gallery

 Willow played all of the sports

And tried a few new things (things that need a little more work)

 Marching Band is Ryvre's sport

Of course, Willow does that too!

Ember's softball season has just begun

Learning at school may be finished for another year, but there's plenty to do over the summer.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

Ryvre made his dramatic debut as King Arthur.  Nana, Papa, Granny, and Aunt Nancy all came to see him.  We're very proud!

Ryvre's 10th Birthday

Due to the loss of our beloved Great-Great-Granny, Ryvre's birthday was pushed back a week.  We had a small party with my parents and Dale's mom.

Ryvre's Blog

My baby boy (ok, he's nine...) started his very own blog yesterday.  It's his own creation entirely; all i did was help set up the account (and screen the comments).  You can find it here: http://ryvresblog.blogspot.com/

The Easter Platypus

Ryvre: "Why is it an Easter Bunny?  Bunnies don't lay eggs."

Me: "The Bunny just delivers the eggs."

Ryvre: "That still doesn't make any sense.  It should be an Easter Chicken.  Or Easter Platypus."


One of many reasons I love having children.

Gamer Kid

The boy has reached the 'up later than Mom, playing video games' stage. Time for an intervention?

HallowBirthdayPalooza

Today we celebrated two birthdays and Halloween, all at once!

My oldest is 9 now



And my youngest is 5.



They decorated their own cakes



Ryvre's



Ember's











This year's Trick-or-Treat lineup: Black Kitty (Rome), Percy Jackson (Ryvre), Prairie Girl (Willow), Ariel (Ember), Orange Kitty (Kassi), Prince Zuko (Tristan), and a Christmas Tree (Toly)



I loved how they ran to each house

Ryvre

Oh goodness, my son is becoming a young man.  Not literally, this very second, but the signs are clear.  And the times i spend with him, away from the girls, make it even more obvious.

He's always had his own interests and opinions, but everything he does and says is so very him these days.  His number one aspiration is to become a conservationist.  He's so intelligent that even the most oblivious adults rarely talk down to him anymore.  He's so tall that the top of his head reaches my shoulder when we stand side-by-side.  He'll still hold my hand like a little boy, but he hardly looks like a child beside me.  He is my constant helper; when he's not keeping the peace between his sisters, he is carrying groceries or choosing the best gift for a relative (something he's very intuitive about), or reminding me of everyone's favorite snacks.  The girls will help with these things too, but Ryvre simply knows what needs to be done, and does it without comment. 

He will be 9 in 22 days.  Nine. 

When he was born, many people told me he would grow up fast.  They weren't kidding.

 Pulling up in his crib at 8 months (he walked about a week later), with a diaper on his head.

Age 4, at the pumpkin patch

Last week, at Roaring River

Daddy Jr.

For fun, here are some pics of Dale and Ryvre to compare:

Dale, age 3:



Ryvre, age 3:

Creepy-Cool

Sometimes my little man just amazes me. Last night, we were sitting at the dinner table, and Dale started to tell me about the land he and a friend looked at today, and mapped out using a GPS. Ryvre all of the sudden perked up and said "Ken got numbers from the sky!" Dale said, yes, he did; how did you know that? And Ryvre said "i saw it." Of course Dale kept asking questions, but Ryvre couldn't recall where he saw it. He does stuff like this all the time. He'll say he had a dream about, or saw, something he couldn't possibly know about. It's pretty crazy to think about how a little person's mind works--everyone knows their brains are like sponges, but he's getting information from sources so far out there, and in such vague terms, i can't believe he seems to grasp the concepts.

Update

Nothing's really going on these days, except that Ryvre is potty trained, and Willow started having tantrums. It's kinda funny really, because she isn't real loud, she'll just wail once, then throw herself down face-first and lay there quite and still, until someone says something to her (if it's the person who pissed her off, she'll scream and continue her fit; if it's someone else, she considers him or her to be an ally, and therefore someone deserving of her attention).

No Food With a Face

Today, Ryvre was eating a bowl of gummy worms (his special treat when Nana visits), and all of the sudden, he stopped with a look of concern on his face; he said "Nana, these worms have eyes, i not want to eat them anymore" and he handed the bowl to me. i asked if he wanted me to take the heads off, and he said, very seriously, "no mommy, you not eat them either. Put them away now."

Haha, he's going to be the little vegetarian of the family; if it has a face, he won't eat it!

What Long Strange Trip It's Been

Our annual fall road trip was great! The kids were well-behaved (well, for them at least) so we made great driving time there and back.

Our first stop was Camp Gaea, to meet with some internet friends. Only one other guy showed up, but that was probably for the best! We really got to know him and his family, and definitely want to make the gathering a regular event. i have some pics of that prove the Druids did NOT build Stonehenge, hahaha. However, the Bards earned their keep by the campfire with their guitar and drum, respectively.

The camp itself was gorgeous; the rolling, wooded countryside almost reminded us of home; except that the open fields were soft, and full of thick green grass; two things we are not used to. The mist rising from the large pond was also a lovey sight--though i admit i was not brave enough to walk its shores when the other campers arrived--naked as the day they were born, hahaha!

NOT that i have a problem with nudity, of course; i think it's great that alot of people felt comfortable enough to let it all hang out, (no pun intended?) so to speak. But certainly, i was not about to take part in that one. I guess i'm pruder than i thought, lol.

Everyone i met out there was very nice; one man (Iggy?  Pretty sure that wasn't his given name) brought us a cup of coffee and introduced himself. i later visited his camper, to return the cup and thank him (in the form of cranberry irish soda bread), and to my surprise, he was friendly when i knocked on the door and woke him up; in fact, we were invited to his drumming circle later that evening.

We didn't join Iggy that evening; it was bedtime for the kids before the drumming started. Instead, we sat around the campfire with Bill (the Druid) and his wife and daughter, while he sang and played the guitar. And wow, can that man play. A guy from the pagan gathering up the hill came over and introduced himself much later, saying that they could hear the music up there (surprising, since it was very soft, and they were...not) and that it went perfectly with what they were doing. Pretty cool. The drumming across the field lasted until about 5 am, which was great, because it was surprisingly soothing.

Day two, we went to the renaissance festival. Ryvre introduced himself ("Hi, i'm Ryvre Raine Amann!") to every person that would listen (and many that wouldn't), and Willow refused to walk. Besides that, it was ok, but we only spent a few hours out there. Next year we may consider taking the kids out for a couple of hours, and then dropping them off with their aunt for the rest of the day. I had my first glass of mead though :) so the day wasn't a total waste.

For the next two days, we visited family, relaxed, and came home. That part of the trip was uneventful, except when Ryvre tumbled down the stairs of Aunt Bobbie Jo's porch, running out to see the puppies (it was dark, and aparently, he forgot about the stairs in his excitement). He landed face-first in a large flowerpot. When asked what happened, he will tell you "Owie, i got hurt in the dirt" lol.