We're continuing to hang out with our fab cousin Aubrey this week. The kids have been great at helping me take care of him and keep him safe and happy.
We went to the Lego Exhibit museum this week, an annual event. It's part of the Sidney Museum's regular exhibits. The kids favorite part is not the Lego though, it's the heritage school room set up, where they pretend they're in school like on Road to Avonlea.
We've had alot of good talks because of Avonlea. How their lives and houses worked (pumps for water, no fridges or bathrooms) how society was (women as property, women can't vote, religion ruling their actions and beliefs, alcohol and gambling).
We watched videos of road families, which means families who sell their homes to live on the road together in motorhomes. It's a lifestyle called Roadschooling and it looks pretty fabulous. The kids interviewed in the videos commented on how silly it is that schooled kids they meet always ask them the same things. How old are you, what school do you go to, what grade are you in? Leif and Hannah could really identify with that, they get it all the time. And then they get asked "If you were in school, what grade would you be in?" I remind them that it is just people's way of trying to make connections, just like the adults who ask them if they're excited about Santa or if they wish they were in school (eep!). But it does point to the way our culture has everything so boxed up, everything and everyone in tidy categories. When confronted with kids who are not in school and don't believe in Santa or the Easter Bunny, they do not know what to talk to them about. Just like adults who turn away from me after they ask me what I do for a living and I reply that I stay home with my kids. It's a real conversation-ender. Sigh.
We built hundreds of train tracks this week, as Aubrey is a real train lover. Here is Leif's gravity-defying creation:
Leif's soccer team has been focusing on passing lately, and during their last game we noticed that they were too focused on passing, and forgot to try to score. So this is a shot from behind the opponent's net, as Leif held control of the ball, and I yelled 'SHOOT!' as a gentle reminder that he was still allowed to try to score. He did, and it went through all 3 burgundy players, over their goalie's shoulder, and tucked right in to the corner of the net. Score.
We went clambering over the rocks at the ocean this week, after Aubrey went home. We hiked and jumped from one beach to the next, and saw Oyster Catchers and tiny fish. Then I snapped this shot to show the kids why plants are the seat of life's beginning, that they made and make the oxygen we need. All in a tiny tidepool.
We've discovered a new much-loved play area near our house. We can bike there and we are hidden from the houses yet there is tons of space to roam around. The kids played pirates and then some wierd animal game. Even though it was a place accidents could happen, they all stayed together and kept each other safe. I hope we can make time to go there every week.
After that we biked on to Aikido, where the children met Numata Sensei, a 7th level black belt Sempei from Japan. This was a really, really big deal. He has practiced Aikido for 40 years, and gave them a demo of what he could do, both with his hands and with his sword.
Hannah volunteered to do a demo of children's aikido, and was very proud of her role.
She has asked if she can move up to the next level of instruction, and we patiently await her Sensei's reply. She is very keen on Aikido.
C
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