Enchanted Chameleon

~ photo journal :: fresh air learning ~

I have no doubt that I most likely slack off in my parent volunteer duties when at Fresh Air Learning so that I can just take lots of pictures.  At least I admit it.  I'm also just as captivated as the children with watching Lisa and finding out what is next.  This background and these children are just the best subjects and I like being outside with them.  Looking forward to more signs of Spring!  XO.  S

~ let it snow ~

The chill in the air is here in spurts.  The light outside looks different. Sometimes as I'm puttering around the house I'm surprised to not see snow outside cause there is a wintery feeling here in the mornings when it's still dark out. I've been thinking about favourite seasons and think the 'transition into winter' might be mine. Something about hibernating really appeals, like a stream of Sundays.  Cuddle, knit, shower, cook, repeat.  Although at this moment the only snow is on the mountain and must be driven to, as we did last week.  I did see my first prediction of snow coming this way for Monday.  C couldn't be more ready.  

I have to say there is something about a gluten free, 4 year old that is an absolute pleasure to be with. He has tons of energy to do lots of walking and exploring like we've never done before.  Let it snow! XO.  S  

~ great pumpkin event (s) ~

More Halloween events this weekend and finally just today is Halloween.  Why does Halloween feel like it ranks up there with Xmas with commitments?  We've already been in costume 3 times.  It's exhausting. But I will muster up my strength for one more round of festivities today.  Of course, why wouldn't I?Today IS the day that it IS all about.  One more pumpkin to carve, a few more festive treats to make and one posse of kids to meet tonight at 6 pm.  Happy Halloween!  I promise next year to not lose my steam before the big day!  XO.  S

~ every autumn comes the bear ~

It's not even November and already I've run out of free requests for books at the library.  I'm pretty sure most of the 50 per year that I get were used up on children's books.  Time to get C his own library card I think!

One book that we recently enjoyed was Every Autumn Comes the Bear by Jim Arnosky.  I loved the simplicity of the book, no more than a sentence per page.  Just the kind of book I can handle being read over and over again which C will request of all of his favourites.  

It was the mention of a grouse in the book that got my initial plan in the works.  We hadn't been up on Grouse Mountain since winter and my yearly pass was burning a whole in my pocket with it's impending end in December.  Now that C is turning 5 we won't likely get another yearly pass for pleasure since he will require his own, which means we'll only go up in the winter for Jeff's work Xmas party.  I thought we must get up Grouse and see the bears.  This excited C immensely and it took us a good couple of weeks to finally find the perfect afternoon to just go.  

As we made our way up I realized a couple of things.  All C talked about was Santa on the mountain and we hadn't spent such quality time together in forever.  I mean we are together for long stretches almost daily but I think this was the first time in a while that I finally laid down all my responsibilities and just hung out with the little guy.  I'm really glad we made it work.  He loved it and he got a chance to see things when Santa isn't up there.  It was a perfect little fall outing.

And just in the knick of time too.  Snow fell on the mountain yesterday.  Today, if the weather is just right we may venture up again but this time to see what every autumn also brings.  XO.  S

~ fresh air learning ~

The first month of Fresh Air Learning is well under our belts now.  We've had a full cycle of 2 weeks at Lynn Valley Canyon and one week at Maplewood Farm.  I did my best to get in some pictures while hiding and staying discrete.  I have yet to have my turn as the parent volunteer and have thereby been enjoying my extra couple of hours a week running around getting more 'hafetas' done.

C took to it right away and the biggest impression on me is him doing all his own hiking and carrying his own backpack at the same time.  Imagine that!  He really can walk further than a few feet without having to be carried!  I guess it's just a mama thing and we will see how my involvement in volunteering once a month will effect him and his ability to participate independently.  Other than that he has been quite enthusiastic to participate and has made friends quickly.  I especially like that he is now connected to Lisa, the teacher, whom I had only known from board meetings.  Now he talks about her in a student/teacher way and I get to learn about the program and her in a new way.    

It is really great to watch this program unfold.  From the first board meeting over a year ago with just a few of us to now, an incredible teacher and 4 classes full (oh, one spot still open on Thursday afternoons - interested?).  I can only imagine what another year will bring in the growth of this program.  Experience, a second program on the other side of the bridge, etc.  I do have to say that it has been an honour to have been a part of this process and to now watch C participate is an incredible reward.  

I will do my best to keep you abreast of the Fresh Air Learning Program as I take my turn volunteering and it also unfolds to C and I.  If you are interested in the program there will be information sessions for the 2012-2013 year in January/February 2012.  You can find all the info that you are looking for on the site.  You can also Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.  

Again, there is one Thursday afternoon spot available from 1-3:15.  I encourage you to check out the site and see if it is just what your little one is craving.  Check back soon, and our teacher Lisa will soon be starting the Fresh Air Learning Blog.  XO.  S 

~ equinox science ~

Everything in me was craving autumn.  My body and my spirit were ready for the change.  Juice Caboose, however, was not.  On Juice Caboose's behalf, I was resisting the fall, willing an Indian Summer for one final burst of business.  I feared that the Equinox would be bittersweet but it wasn't.  I acknowledged my resistance, let it go and enjoyed the celebration.  Only then did I realize how natural the change of season is to me viscerally.  It had been like I was ignoring one of my arms or trying to write with the wrong hand.  Seasons change.  Always.  It is one of the beautiful, most dependable things about nature.

After our return from Ontario, I did a little searching for some good fall books.  I found a few great books for children that are slowly trickling in through my "Requests" list with the library (Check out the left sidebar for CCR - Current C Reads).  I also searched for some books for me, hoping to possibly discover some new rituals or celebrations that would suit my family.  I came across a wonderful little book called Mabon: Celebrating the Autumn Equinox by  Kristin Madden.  This book included the Origins of Thanksgiving in both Canada and the US; traditions around the world; myths and deities; crafts; recipes and a particular favourite and fascination of mine which the word Mabon represents is Pagan and Wican Rituals.  However, the real treat that I discovered in this book that I couldn't walk away without sharing was the section on Equinox Science. Here's a few tidbits that I just loved:

• The first frost in the autumn will be exactly six months after the first thunderstorm of the spring
• It will be a long hard winter if wooly bear caterpillars are more black than brown or apple skins are tough or cornhusks are thick or the breastbone of a fresh-cooked turkey is dark purple
• To tell the temperature listen to the sound of a cricket chirping.  Count the number of chirps in 14 seconds and you will know the temperature where the cricket is.

This book strikes me as the absolute perfect book for a homeschooling family.  For those like me with homeschooling envy and/or a preschooler, just the few little tidbits above are enough to keep us busy and inquisitive and outdoors.  

First Frost Prediction...? I was unable to go back and actually find the first thunderstorm of Spring here in Vancouver anywhere online.  I guess I will just have to make due note of it on my own calendar come next Spring.  I did however discover this great little website The Old Farmer's Almanac which includes an archive of the weather for the US and Canada, lots of moon, sun, gardening and more goodies and their predicted date of the first frost which is November 5th here in Vancouver.  Good thing to note for the gardeners in this house!  Oh, and a Weather Folklore of the Day!!!  Could it be true?  More little tidbits of ole?  Could be my new favourite site to check daily.  The only thing all of it is missing is a Predictions for Juice Caboose section. XO.  S  

~ one last summer fling ~

As I sat in the Emergency room with my father on the Friday night of my summer vacation I realized that more than anything in my life at this moment, I needed to slow down.  I had a piece of purple cabbage from my dinner salad stuck in my throat and it wouldn't budge.  You see, I had been chatting away incessantly while I was eating dinner.  In fact I had been chatting away incessantly for the two days that I had already been there.  I thought I had relaxed.  I thought I had caught up on sleep.  But the blubbering stress ball that I have curled up into in the past few months since I've been living my dream has been the most stressful time in my life in as long as I can remember.  I thought I was relaxing from Monday to Friday doing crafts and taking the dog and C to the dog parks but really I was just starting to get the treadmill warmed up and as the summer passed the treadmill got faster.

It was a relief to get off the treadmill.  It was a relief to not be obligated to do one single thing.  I barely got our bags packed to return!

Thank you mom and dad.  Andrew and Jodie.  Luanne.  Aunties.  Cousins.  Friends.  I wish we could have stayed longer!  You lightened my load, possibly unintentionally with just listening to me babble.  I love you all and miss you daily.  XO.  S   

An Iron Tongue but Not An Iron Stomach

Last night Jeff and I went out for our belated Valentine's all night date.  We booked a room downtown, all five minutes away, then hit Yaletown for the Illuminate Yaletown light exhibit then dinner and a movie.  It was great.  It was also great knowing that Cillian was in excellent hands.  I was perfectly fine without my babe until I woke up this morning.  I opened my eyes, saw the hotel room and my stomach jumped "I want my baby"!!!  

The Yaletown Exhibit was pretty cool.  One highlight was the giant white balloon attached to a gadget that read your pulse when you touched it and flashed a blue light in sync with your heart.  I was pleased with the strength of my heart beat, it was a solid, strong, consistent rhythm.  Very cool.  Another highlight was the fire spinners.  Whenever I see fire spinning, something goes off in my head and I'll head straight home, get out my Poi streamers and start spinning, with obvious intention that within the year I'll be spinning fire.  One of the girls even spun a hula hoop.  Very very cool.

We ate a big dinner and then filled up even more at the movies.  We went to see Benjamin Button but it was sold out and instead we saw Revolutionary Road.  Needless to say, we managed to enjoy some romance after the really great, romance stifling movie.  Not much of a mood setter, that is for sure but you know it's a good movie when you can't stop thinking about it over the next day (Kate Winslet is noted for picking woman with "balls" - I kept thinking about that too.  It appears congratulations are in order for dear Kate as well).  

I was recently told that I have an iron tongue when it comes to green smoothies.  I guess experience and consistency in drinking them is a big factor in my ability to guzzle the spinach and parsley and other greenest of the greens so easily but an iron stomach it does not make.  I don't over eat very often these days.  But within a few hours I had crammed in 2 cups of green smoothie, a very large veggie burger, salad, Peanut M&Ms, a Vitamin Water and half of a small popcorn with "butter" on it.  I'm not sure what I was thinking yet all the while in my mind I knew it was too much food and I had stopped being hungry with the green smoothies.  By the end of the movie, I was thinking the content of Kate Winslet's desperation was the cause of my nausea when all the while something else was brewing inside.  My first few hours of what was supposed to be luscious, uninterrupted sleep away from home barely skimmed the surface of deep sleep as the brewing continued and by 3 am I was in the washroom making friends with the toilet and the bathroom garbage can.  

I recalled Victoria Boutenko wishing that she could have diarrhea when she first went raw.  I think it's been since I read that that I've had such a different perspective in times like these.  I feel yucky.  I wish I were sleeping.  Yet, I know some well needed cleansing is going on in the process and that's okay with me.  Victoria envied those that cleansed so well because in her opinion you can actually get to a point when your body doesn't react that way anymore on it's own.  I imagine it took a while of her being raw before cleansing reactions like this occurred, at least that's the impression I got from reading her books.  So yay, lucky me, on my big Valentine's date away from home cleansing occurred (and I'm pretty sure it was from the "butter".  It's always a questionable addition to my popcorn, no matter the venue).  Suzanne  

Growth is in the Air

I've decided to grow buckwheat sprouts instead of wheatgrass since it's going to be a little while until I save up and purchase (or happily receive as a birthday gift) a wheatgrass juicer.  And it just doesn't seem the same to blend it, I suppose I could add water and strain the pulp but there's not much info on this out there, so I figure to start with the basics of juicing would be a good start.  So buckwheat sprouts it is.  I can't seem to find them at Capers or Choices, they are on our list of healing foods and I'm sure we could whip them up in a green smoothie.  I guess I just need some information on growing buckwheat (the book WAS about wheatgrass!)

Speaking of growing though, just looking through my old photos of when Cillian was born and how I look now, what a difference.  To me it's like night and day.  When I had Cillian I actually look so much younger than I am, I feel like I was a teenager or something when all of that happened and now I'm a much more sophisticated woman.  It's amazing what growth and a new hair colour can do.

CIllian is doing a little growing of himself as well.  He's entered a new phase of 2-dom and the only way to describe it is with a nice word that means the opposite of Tyrant during bedtime, except that he's a Tyrant during bedtime.  

Alright that's enough chatter for today.  I have photos galore to share with you after an awesome Sunday morning out at VanDusen Gardens.  Cillian had a great time kicking snow around and Jeff and I got some quality picture taking time in too (good and awesome photos included).  Enjoy!  Suzanne

Cillian is learning photography as well!

I can't decide between this one and the next one which is my favourite for the day?

A happy fluke - all signs point to the left.

And one more, of Jeff's seeds that are starting to sprout in our window (they even survived an attack by a giant 2 year old!)