Charlotte Writes Her Name And Gets a Library Card

 

A couple weeks ago Charlotte wrote her own name for the first time.  We were signing in at preschool, like we always do.  There is usually a scribble/writing sheet for the kids right next to the parent sign in sheet.  (After Charlotte had proudly written her name, I realized that the potluck sign up sheet had been put in the same place...oh well).    

Of course, she learned to write her name gradually, but it felt like it was all at once.  In November, Nova showed her letters using Popsicle sticks.  A few months later Charlotte made the document below, all her own creation.  Circles, lines and loops combine with A, N, H and S.  Proudly displayed on the fridge, the document was exposed to a little bacon grease.  

In our family, when a child can write his or her own name in a small space, it is time to get his or her own library card!  Charlotte was VERY excited.  Our library has several designs.  She chose the arts themed card.

And checked out her first books!

The Orphanage Museum

Did you know that Owatonna Minnesota is home to the only Orphanage Museum in North America??  Its official name is the Minnesota State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children.  Quite an imposing edifice, especially to a child.  The main building housed the administrative offices and the dining hall.  Today the building is the Owatonna City Administration Building, in addition to housing the museum.  

Our book club took a field trip to the Minnesota State Public School after reading The Extrodinary Education of Nicholas Benedict by Trenton Lee Stewart, which takes place in an orphanage.  The book has been nominated for this year's National Homeschool Book Award, along with three others.  While the buildings, grounds and displays are interesting, the best part by far was listening to and asking questions of Harvey Ronglien, the director of the museum former orphan (technically ward of the state).  Harvey lived at the Minnesota State Public School (MSP from 1932-1943.  He was about five in 1932 when he and his brother entered and he left when he was old enough to be independent, about 16. Harvey and his wife Maxine are the driving force behind the museum.  Here he is speaking to our group in what was the dining hall.  

Though Harvey liked MSP, he emphasized just how important a family is by describing the things he missed without even knowing.  For example, as an adult he had no idea that one should celebrate birthdays or visit relatives on holidays.  Maxine set him straight.  It was interesting to hear the ways in which being brought up at the State Public School was advantageous, and ways in which it was not.  The children were fed, housed and clothed at the height of the depression.  They received a high school education at a time when lots of kids did not go beyond the 8th grade.  The orphanage had electricity before the town.  On the flip side, the children grew up in an institutional setting.  Creativity and individuality was discouraged.  Discipline was harsh.  Socially, it seems might was king, which did not translate to the outside world very well.  On the brochure it says "for some, it was a circle of hell; for others, a safe haven."  

Ariadne was especially taken with the infant display.  The mannequins where just her size and right at her level.  I think she wanted to ride their rocking horse.  

Here are all of the kids along with Harvey Ronglien outside cabin 11 (c-11), where he lived for the majority of his childhood.  In fact, his memoir is entitled Boy from C-11.  The door behind us the main entrance, but all the kids were required to use the basement door to the right.  Similarly, there was a formal living room, the children weren't allowed in it except for special occasions like Christmas.  Instead they spent most of their time in the basement.  So did our kids.  All the toys were down there.  

We ended our visit with a picnic on the extensive grounds.  During Summer there are audio stations throughout the property, where Harvey Ronglien's stories are available at the push of a button.  

Sewing A Rain Suit

Charlotte's preschool requires rain pants.  They really do use them almost every day.  They are justified.   For reasons I cannot entirely justify, I decided that I should make them, for everyone.  Except Ariadne, she got a whole rain suit (and a whole blog post to match).  

The first step is finding some good affordable gore-tex fabric.  For us this meant a trip to the SR Harris warehouse.    We came back with six distinct colors.  All the better to grab the appropriate pants and not get to the woods with size 4 rain pants. 

Gore-tex calls for a heavy duty sewing machine needle (I think I used 90), heavy duty waterproof thread, and paper clips in place of pins.  

Next, get some good pajama patterns.  For the rest of the family, we are just using pajama bottoms.  For Ariadne I used a hooded sleeper pattern that I modified slightly.  The first modification was a placard that goes behind the zipper to keep the rain out.  The top folds over a bit to make a little stop to keep the zipper pull from pinching Aria's chin.  (I copied this from an old Land's End rain suit).  The second was a had brim on the hood.  It is four layers thick, to make it stiff enough to stand straight out.  And...a rain suit.     

 

Ariadne is One! Easter Celebration!

This year Easter fell on March 31st, which also happens to be Ariadne's first birthday.  I looked it up--this will happen again, but not often.  She can look forward to an Easter birthday again when she turns twelve, 74 and 85 (should she live that long--lets hope).  We celebrated both with grandparents at our house.  All aunt and uncle types were far afield this time around with Matt, Marianne and Sylvan visiting folks in Winnipeg and Brynn at home in Brooklyn.

  

We started off with Easter baskets in the morning.  An egg hunt occupied the kids while the grownups chatted.  The egg in the vase of flowers wasn't found until late in the day.  Ariadne's eggs had chocolate and vanilla bunny cookies (like animal crackers) which she turned out to be quite fond of.

Our dinner was more the Easter side of things with salmon, herbed carrot soup, roast cauliflower, green salad and fruit salad.

Dessert was decidedly birthday--we continued the tradition of a banana bread bunt cake for Ariadne's first birthday.  She was happy with the cake, but what she really wanted was the vanilla ice cream.  Her dad was holding off--knowing it would be messy.  I finally slipped her a scoop and she said "yes!"  for the first time.  Not the 'yes, thank you' kind of yes, but the 'yes, score, awesome' kind of yes.  A highlight of the meal--everyone laughed.  It was fun to watch her eat.  Ariadne has a strong gag reflex--much like Solomon did.  Only recently has she been able to eat anything without mishap.

Ariadne was starting to get the hang of present opening by her birthday.  Having two older siblings' birthdays a few weeks before her must have helped.  Charlotte was ready to lend a hand at any point.

Nova is Nine! (and we survived our first sleepover)

Nova turned nine on March 3rd!  This year we ventured into sleepover territory.  Nova requested a dragon sleepover party.  And while some part of me was looking forward to leaving the whole themed party thing behind, it actually made it easier.  

 

As you can see in the photo there was some 'dragon slaying' piñata action going on (actually a triceratops with wings added by Nova--the mail order dragon piñata did not arrive in time).  We also rented dragon themed movies--How to Train Your Dragon (or perhaps it was the sequel), The Never Ending Story, and Spirited Away.  Narnia also got in there on its own merits.  The kids made dragon eye pillows while we were waiting for the pizza to arrive.

 Charlotte got to stay up through cake pops (if I were a professional blogger, I would also have posted about making gluten free cake pops), piñata whacking and present opening.  Gifts were all very Nova-appropriate and some also dragon themed.  Her friends know her! Solomon got in on the first movie.  I figured the girls would go to sleep around 1:00 a.m.  Really, it was about 3:30 a.m.  

The surprise was that they were also up by about 6:30 or 7:00.  A great number of games ensued.  Hide and go seek, night at the museum, twister, and pictureuka to name a few.  All the girls got along beautifully.  Most of them only knew Nova and one other party guest, so this particular group had never been together before.  Charles whipped up a breakfast of eggs and bacon while the preplanned rice pudding baked... turns out kids that wake up at 6:30 need breakfast before 9:00--who knew they'd be up by 6:30?!  (We tired party throwers enjoyed that rice pudding at lunch after our guests had made it home.)  The only late-night rule infraction we discovered was a little indoor pogoing on Nova's new pogo stick.  Reviews from parents in the next week were glowing.  All in all quite a success.  

That evening, which was Nova's actual birthday, we headed over to Grandpa John and Granne's house to celebrate with family.  They graciously hosted, which was even more wonderful than I thought it would be.  Sleepovers have a way of turning a living room upside down. Grandma Roberta, Grandpa Barry and Uncle Matt joined us there and we had good evening celebrating Nova's 9th birthday.  Nova's likes were well anticipated as she not one but two duplicate gifts this year--one a Lego kit and another a particular toy dragon.  Both were well loved and the Legos turned out to be even more fun doubled.  Aunt Mary (my God Mother) caught the end of the party, which was extra fun.  Though they don't see each other often, Nova and Mary get along famously.         

Charlotte's Dress-Up and Dance 4th Birthday Party

Back on February 9th, Charlotte turned four.  I can't believe how fast those years have gone.  When I asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday, she requested a 'dress-up and dance party' which is just what we did.  We rolled back the rug and filled the bay window with baskets of dress up clothes. She invited friends from preschool and two friends that live near by.  Many guests came all decked out, whether in feather boas or superhero suits.  We danced to classical (or classic as Charlotte calls it) , fiddle jigs, children's musician Laurie Berkner and kid's music by Kenny Loggins.  Dessert was strawberry shortcake, with GG Lois's scone recipe for shortcake and fresh whipped cream and strawberries.  A necklace beading activity and a little hokey pokey served to calm things down when the energy of six preschoolers was getting close to lifting the roof off.   

Waiting for cake (above), and all dressed up (below).  

Grandparents and Uncle Matt came over for dinner the night of Charlotte's actual birthday.  Charlotte chose the menu, as is our tradition.  We had chicken pot pie and vichyssoise soup along with strawberry shortcake.  I am mysteriously without pictures of the family party.  Grandparents, if you have them, send them.      

Ancient China at the MIA

Not long ago we began to notice the billboards "TERRACOTTA WARRIORS; MIA."  Beneath the headline were groups of stern and intriguing clay men--from China, ancient China.   Solomon wanted to go, so did I.  When I found out that the museum's next family day was China themed, and that the exhibit was free that day, well, we had to go.  Charlotte's friend Ivy came with us (she had also noticed the billboards).   We spent the morning looking through the website for the exhibit, and got a bit of the history on China's first emperor, Qin Shihuang, the man who was buried with all this treasure.  It is intriguing to look back on these larger-than-life men.  They are often both terrible and incredibly influential.  A reformer, uniter, and mass murderer,  Qin Shihuang was both brilliant and cruel.  

Here we are outside the exhibit.  Behind the kids is a replica of some of the statuary found buried near emperor Qin Shihuang's tomb.  

Best friends, holding hands through the museum.  Both of these preschool cuties did a great job holding my hand in the Terracotta Warriors exhibit (even though our hands got sweaty--not their favorite).  I held them up to see the things that were displayed to high up, so it was a great workout for me.  Charlotte was happy to find the gold tiger we'd seen online in the preview section of the website.  It was tiny!  Ivy liked the bells.  They were beautiful green copper and very decorative.  The shape was nothing like a western bell.  A couple of them are also in the online preview.  The coins were interesting too.  Some of them looked like little swords.  Others looked much like modern coins.  They were round with a square hole in the middle.  

Solomon was interested by the fact that three dimensional triangular arrowheads were better than flat arrowheads.  There were about twenty such arrowheads on display, about the length of a pencil.  He and I also marveled at the stone armor.  Much like a mail shirt, they were made of many squares of precisely cut stone sewn together with copper.  He was also impressed by an excellently preserved swords.

Nova found the metal birds intriguing.  Held up by clear plastic stands and with a few modern pieces linking together what was left of the original metal, the cranes and ducks reminded me of dinosaur skeletons wired together.  They were all a beautiful verdigris and very life-like.      

Of course the warriors were the main event.  There were about seven warriors and two horses (the saddled horse was Nova's favorite).  They are  all carved in three dimensions with details all around.  Each face is unique.  Standing life size (or slightly larger), they are imposing statues.  The glass barriers around them allowed Charlotte and Ivy to see them easily.   

Another replica, right at the entrance of the museum.  These two replicas were the only things we could photograph from the traveling exhibit, though there are many pictures on the MIA's website. 

Nova took the camera and snapped shots of interesting artwork.  She captured one of my favorites, the Jade Mountain.  It depicts an ancient Chinese poetry conference.  (Unless Nova is in the photo, she took it).     

Ivy made a point of showing us the fountain.  Of course, we had to throw some coins in the fountain and make a wish or two.   Wishing you a wonderful week! 

P.S.  If you wish to see the Terracotta Warriors for free, there are two more Target Family Days before they depart.  Though they are not China themed, the exhibit is still free those days.       

Election 2012

Watching the Vice Presidential Debate without a TV--we got the last one on the 'big screen.'

Election education began with the debates.  The kids quickly dubbed the candidates "Mr. Red" and "Mr. Blue" (because of the color of their ties).  In a country so uncomfortably aware of race, I find it interesting that the kids found the candidates' tie color more notable.  At first they were leaning Republican, but by the end, they were all for Obama.  Nova and Charlotte made campaign signs, hung them around their necks and marched around the house.  Obama had very big ears in Nova's depiction.  Solomon watched more debates than any of the other kids.  By the end all the kids' appetite for political debate was gone.  Nova did try to engage me and Charles in a "Paredential Debate" which was to lead up to an election for parent in charge.  We mostly agreed, so sadly, it wasn't much fun.  

BrianPop Civics

The weekend before the election and that Monday and Tuesday, we read from Nancy Gill's The Presidential Election curriculum.  We also watched a tone of BrainPop videos on the subject.  We covered voting, the election, the origin of the two major political parties, the three branches of our government, origins of democracy, and suffrage.  One of the videos also discussed the 2000 election and we talked a bit about that afterwards.  Solomon was very upset about the electoral college.  He found it very unfair and kept insisting that it meant that our votes didn't really count.  

I got out my reproduction US Constitution, Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence for effect.  The kids had trouble reading them, and so did I (despite the foot note stating that they'd been slightly altered for legibility!).

 Nova and Solomon both tried their hands at the online computer game "Win the White House."  They both lost the first time.  Nova was determined to win, so had a second go at it.  She won by a landslide.

There were plenty of yard signs, pro and con, in our neighborhood for the state amendments on the ballot this year.  Below are a two of our friends who both showed up to a Halloween party decked out in "VOTE NO" attire.  Our church had also been very active in the marriage amendment.

  

On election day Nova, Solomon and Charlotte all 'voted' via http://www.nationalmockelection.org/results/.  They also went with me to vote.  The lines were longer than normal, but it still took us less than half an hour.  We went over to the Spindler election party around 7:00.  It was fun to watch the results as a group.  I brought along electoral college maps to color in as we went.  They also saw Your Not Elected Charlie Brown (thanks Brynn--it was a bonus feature on The Great Pumpkin DVD you got us so long ago).   In 2008, I spent election night as a reporter, covering the Democratic headquarters.  That was a whole different kind of fun, exciting, but also grueling.  That was the year that Minnesota's senate race went to a recount (and kept everybody up forever on election night).   

By the time they called the election, half our crew was asleep, and we'd all had plenty of dessert.  All in all it was a very good evening, and an educational election.  Now if only I can convince Charles to become a citizen so he can vote next time around!       

Halloween 2012

Leaving for Trick-or-Treating

Charlotte and Nova at Charlotte's Preschool Halloween Party

The annual Halloween Bonfire, a few blocks from our house (yes, it's  that  big!)

The Fire Demon by the Bonfire

On the Way Home

Boys Can Sew

Solomon decided to be a fire demon for Halloween this year.  He had very clear ideas on how he should look.  The initial description involved lots of red and orange sequins, hair, hair spray and claws. It evolved to include fangs, possibly face paint, and a slippery iridescent fabric that resembles snakeskin.  A floor length cape was a must.  

While I had intended to make the cape for him, Ariadne, his baby sister, had other ideas.  And so, Solomon made most of it himself!  It was a slippery, difficult fabric for a beginner, but the pattern was forgiving.  He fared very well on my mid-century Bernina.  The results were just what he was after.  

Trick-Or-Treating

The 'Fire Demon' at the annual Halloween Bonfire put on by our fire department

Field Trip to the Kerlan Collection

On a Friday in mid October, Solomon and Nova and I went on a field trip to the U of M's Kerlan Collection.  The archive houses the personal papers of writers and illustrators of children's books.  They have first drafts, rejection letters, gallies, sketches, fan mail, correspondence between authors and illustrators, color-separated plates for inking, etched stone--just about anything you can imagine.  Another homeschool parent (who happens to be an English Professor and children's author) organized the field trip.

Meredith, the librarian at the Kerlan Collection, did a wonderful job sharing the collection with our group.  After a presentation covering what the collection has and how to request materials, we got nearly two hours to sift through boxes of materials of well known children's authors and illustrators.

The first box she opened was of from D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths, (this happened to be one of the sources we referenced when making our final decision on Ariadne's name).  Solomon found an uncorrected copy of Hatchet in Gary Paulsen's box, as well as an early manuscript of Tucket's Gold filled with the editor's suggestions.

Nova plunked down with a large box of author/illustrator Don Freeman (creator of the Corduroy series), determined to get through the whole thing.

I flitted back and forth, looking at family photos of Wanda Gag, illustrations by Maurice Sendak,Tomie dePaola, and an idea journal of Anne Ursu's from The Shadow Thieves.  We were free to look at any of the 30-plus boxes they had brought up to the reading room.

Chris Van Allsburg playing with negatives

We got a special treat when Meredith offered to take the group down to the 'bat cave.'  The place where all the books are housed actually is a cave.  Ninety feet underground, nestled in naturally existing limestone caves in the Mississippi river bluff, are shelves upon shelves of books, pictures, posters, comic books, and periodicals.  There are walls so it doesn't feel too spooky--though there are giant cardboard cut-outs that appear at the end of the stacks here and there.  We ran into Officer Friendly an Paul Bunyan.  As a matter of security, no pictures are allowed so you'll just have to imagine.... Nova mentioned that it seemed sort of military, and we found out that some Urban Explores had found the site during construction and posted pictures online, claiming the U of M was building an underground missile silo.  As we passed the comic book collection, Meredith our librarian mentioned that there had been a court case attempting to ban all comic books.  There was a collective gasp from all the children.  It made me smile to know they all take their freedom of speech (and their comic books) so seriously.  The day was full of fun moments like that.