things we learned on our summer vacation.

4. a swing is a very good thing.



alone.



or not.

things we learned on our summer vacation.

3. that some things you don't expect just come naturally.

my mom grew up on horseback. the girls adore her stories of riding her horse to school and eating lunch there with it. (i on the other hand am terribly allergic to horses. and while i grew up with easy access to them - even being given one at my birth - this has kept me off them. much to my disappointment.)

the girls have had many city "riding" experiences - ponies at birthday parties and in the park, but had never been on a horse. this is Anna. 10 years old and 16 1/2 hands tall. the girls spent three glorious days with her at Trincomali Farms. (i will tell more about this great working farm later.)



i was amazed how quickly and naturally they learned to mount and dismount, and E even took her trotting around the ring. they loved the ritual grooming before and after their rides, learned the language and can now describe to me a Roman nose and the difference between Western and English saddles as well as where you find a frog on a horse.




they loved the opportunity for quiet conversations and secrets shared with such a beautiful animal.



we made a commitment that time on the farm would be part of their island summers for years to come.

things we learned on our summer vacation.

2. that the walk is often as good as the destination. (sometimes even better.)

things we learned on our summer vacation.

we learn so much up on the island. there is an independence allowed there, a freedom, that we all experience. here is one new skill built this summer. more in the days to come...

1. how to ride a bicycle.

there is such joy in teaching the girls something new.  but when they teach themselves, my heart swells. 

K has wanted to learn to ride her bicycle like her big sister ever since E took off  on two wheels.  we put a handle on the back, and spend some time practicing, and she was close, but not quite there.  she quickly taught herself to ride her two-wheeler while we were up north.  the secret was given to us by D's (amazing!) cousin Rose - who visited us on the island while on a SF - Vancouver cycling adventure.  (she actually works teaching kids to ride, and ride safely.)  the handle wasn't helping her learn to balance - the key to riding.  "take off the pedals" she told us.  that simple. 




after two days scooting around pedal-free i put them back on, and presto.   (its the premise of the whole "balance bike" - without the added cost.  the bike they end up on can also be the bike they learn on.)



we passed on the tip when we got home and today K's best friend learned the same - and off they went with the rest of the neighbourhood kids.

they were beaming.  (and so was i.)




cross-posted at twogreenchickens

re-entry

we are home. my laptop has died and i am too lazy to attempt downloading all the photos of our time to our old desktop. these are from a few shots uploaded while we were still at the cottage.

the heat isn't helping.

more soon...

table tops

these have turned out to be such a record of "our days". (interestingly quiet table top shots do not pre-date 2008. hmmmmm...)

2006


2008


2010



thanks to sheri for including me in her summer table top series over at the stir.

quiet around here for august. unplugging. see you in september!

108 F

summer lovin'

second annual corbin palms campout...











same place as last year

at my Gramma's house.

Shanna is running a beautiful series of guest posts on grandparents this week on her blog. I am honored to be included. You can view my post here.



This is another picture from one of those bags. And by the way, that's my Auntie Marilyn - of brickle fame - with the ponytails.

Auntie Marilyn's Butter Brickle

2 cups flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
scant 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup pecans
1/2 jar caramel sauce
1 pint vanilla ice-cream

Melt butter - add flour, oats, sugar & pecans. Pat thinly on a large cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Crumble while hot. Drizzle 1/2 the caramel sauce over crumbs. Spread ice-cream over top. Put remaining crumbs over ice-cream and drizzle remaining caramel. Freeze.

Mmmmmmm

xo

4th

x 4






pool. ice cream. and. really good people.

camp mom

the first week of vacation is a blur. we dubbed it "camp mom". aside from increased work obligations. an exciting proposal. and sleepless nights worrying about all that. we celebrated d's birthday. (we love you daddy-o!) adventured around town with school-friends in tow. battled a stomach bug. spent an inordinate amount of time poolside. and threw in a visit to the getty center.








the gardens there continually inspire me.  (i have a not-so-secret crush on robert irwin.)

::

check out the interview over at cafemom.  that's me with my school-garden-mom hat on :)

thank you shari!

last night

of the school year. goodbye kindergarten and third grade. (long sigh.) it has been a phenomenal year. (i will miss you, but the girls, they seem more ready than ever for what comes next.)

where you will find us

poolside.

in the news.

so thrilled to have a pretty good article on our project show up in a local paper. a few points a little off the mark. (pond life! we are going native - even in the pond - thanks to USFWS!) i do wish it went into the diversity of our school - and the phenomenal commitment by LAUSD, our community members and businesses. but not bad.

check it out here


that's e last spring next to our newly planted greenbelt

just like that...

she turned 6.

it still hasn't sunk in.




she told me today she isn't a little girl. but she isn't a big girl either. just a medium girl.

i love you medium girl. there is actually very little medium about you. it is all big. and beautiful. and so full of love it takes my breath away.

happy birthday sweetie pie.

not for dinner tonight. but soon...

before the kale and mustard greens are all gone!

from today's LA Times

quesadillas with greens and feta cheese

::holiday::

we talked about our childhoods. about our memories. and wondered if this would be one for them. i hope so. i hope they don't take this time at the seashore for granted. i hope not. but they might. it has become such a part of our lives.