Metamorphosis (UPDATED WITH NEW PHOTOS)

Ok...so this may be a stretch since the term metamorphosis is defined as a biological process in which an animal physically develops, drastically changing its form. However, I'll use the term in the sense of how it was derived from the Greek word: Meta(change)-morphe(form). A transformation.

We are under going quite a transformation this week.





Today was Finn's third day of kindergarten at a local school. Last week, he finished his first year of Classical Conversations and we had a celebratory picnic.

(lower left picture is from an older class)

That is an amazing program. One we plan to continue in the future. However, both Cam and I were realizing that Finn might benefit from going to school away from me for awhile. It was a hard decision to make.

As we walked to school Monday morning of this week for Finn's first day, I was still wondering if we made the right decision. He was excited though and that encouraged me tremendously. As we walked that morning, we saw several of these little guys....




Very fitting. These last three days have been very transformational in ways I did not expect. I was having a hard time with Finn being gone for much of the day. Honestly, this was a shock to me. I wasn't teary when I dropped him off, but when I got back to the house and Ally and Babe ran off to play outside.......it was really quiet......there was a major Finn-void!

Also, when I first met Finn's teacher, she asked,
"Does he read?"
I said, "Yes."
"Can he write to 100?"
I said, "Yes."
"Good. That is the level of these students so he will fit right in."

I was floored. Kindergartens that already read and write to 100? I thought he was way ahead! After his first day, he was telling me the addition problems they were doing! I know we did a lot of great things this past year with Finn at home, but I realized how much he was missing. There is so much I don't do simply because I have Ally and Eric around all the time. He has music class and crafts every day. They have running club. He gets time with peers, which at this age is a total blessing.

On Finn's first day, all the parent helpers already knew Finn's name and all the students already knew he was coming and prepared a place for him the week before he came. I've never seen such friendly children in my life. Even after he hid from them! Today was a hard morning. He did not want to leave my side. Tears were falling down his cheeks. A boy from the playground came over, introduced himself and starting talking to Ally and Eric as well. He took Finn to the place they put down their backpacks and gently kept trying to talk to him. He finally won Finn over when he showed Finn two lizards that were squashed on the playground!

I was so impressed.

The walk to and from school takes an hour.



We have lots of time to chat on the way there and discuss the day on the way home.

(these pictures are a little deceiving. Only Eric stays in the stroller the whole time. It is a long time and Ally and Finn enjoy getting out and exploring. The sidewalk is by a major road and I won't take pictures with them while they are out exploring. No. I do not push them with all three in the stroller very far!!!)


On today's walk to pick Finn up, I was a little nervous. After dropping him off, I just didn't know how he was going to do. Would he just sit in a corner of the class scared stiff? Would he listen to his teacher? Would he participate? I actually keep my phone on me at all times because I'm just waiting for that call from the office saying they are having difficulties with him. But, the call never comes.

I rounded the corner and pulled up to the flag poles to wait for Finn's class to come out this afternoon. He was so happy and happy to see us. He gave a high five to an older boy who had the same lunch box that he did. And this other girl gave him a LONG hug goodbye!



Just in the last three days, I've seen the most glorious change in Finn. I'm so impressed with the school as well. I know not all days will be spectacular, but so far, I know we made the right decision! We certainly plan to homeschool again and we will continue to review the Classical Conversations memory work. But, for now, this is just what Finn needs. And maybe what I needed too. Seeing him come out of his shell around others and talk so eloquently and laugh like he's never laughed before......It is truly a new Finn!


A fun part from our walk home is tackling this huge hill. It is quite a workout for me coming up with the stroller. But, on the walk down, it is this total "Office Space," moment where I'm blowing past everybody with my little stroller as they all wait for the light. :)

Keep Finn in your thoughts. :)



Lately, when Eric gets cranky, I do have an ace up my sleeve...




This video of the Northern Lights was captured by Norwegian photographer, Terje Sorgjerd. This is Eric's lullaby right now. If he is tired and cranky, we watch this clip and it soothes him! (Not during no-screen week of course!!) It is HD and has its own soundtrack, so you may want to stop my music, and definitely open the film up to full screen. Enjoy. Friend TSOPhotography on facebook. He has many other videos to enjoy, most notably, one taken during his stay in Fiji.

The Aurora from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.

Here is the Fiji Video (I love the 2nd song):****NO LONGER AVAILABLE




Couponing Update: Lately, I've realized that one must be a fool if they actually pay for toothpaste, toothbrushes or any type of shaving need: razors, cream, cartridge refills.

(I actually made $2 getting these razors today at Rite-Aid)

I have found couponing most helpful with any sort of hygiene need, seasonal candy or treats, and frozen veggies. But, other than that, I steer clear of the cheap food deals because the food I would be getting for free is mostly junk. Do I really want to feed my kids Tony's Pizza for lunch just because I got it free? Well....maybe on occasion. But, currently, my couponing philosophy is to use it for free hygiene products, and use the savings there to go toward food from our local farmers market and organics wherever possible!

Going Crazy Missing You

I bawled like a little baby reading Cam's comment on the last post! He is such a beautiful writer! I'm thinking the day is coming soon when he will write a little, happy blog post here! *nudge, nudge*

Wouldn't that be awesome!?

But, until that day, I'll just have to fill these posts with more of our crazy shananigans around this place we call home!

Yes, Ally is wearing underwear on her head!!



Eric kept wrapping up "presents" in old tissue paper and present it to us. I would excitedly open it only to find the same pair of Thomas undies that he had just given me. So, we all got a little crazy and wore them as hats after opening our gifts from Eric. He got a really big kick out of that! If it was his turn to "wear" the underwear, it would squash down over his eyes..... Hilarious.


We've gone to this park 3 times this week!

And we have yet to tire of it!



Eric climbed a rock wall all by himself and was quite proud!





Of course, Ally made herself at home on the swings.





Finn and Eric fought over the snail.




Eric won!

This particular day, something really strange happened. I got caught in a mini wind cyclone that seems to spin around me and Eric forever! It picked my lunch cooler(see from 2nd picture) off the picnic table, turned it completely up-side-down and dumped everything all around us. Sand flew in our eyes. Eric freaked out and couldn't get to me. I was chasing down old banana peels and sandwiches baggies.


And, I didn't edit this "after cyclone" picture b/c, basically, for those of you that don't have kids yet...... here's the real deal, snot rockets and all!

I personally love the strawberry stains everywhere! I was just beginning to wipe his mouth when this wind came up, hence why my bag was open on the table!


Back at the ranch, we've been busy caring for the local snails.





Eric loves snuggling in the hammock.




Ally and Finn made some cards to deliver to a sick neighbor. I'm not posting this as some sort of "we are the most loving, caring, sharing Flander's family!" I've been thinking of this family for so long and all the ways I would usually show care, we can not do (like bring meals and such). So, one day, I just thought, well, today would be a good day to reach out. It has been way too long....

I was nervous to bring the cards over with the kids. They can be overwhelming sometimes. But, our wonderful neighbor was so gracious and even let the kids come inside and check out her cool living room knick knacks!! It was a blessing, although the kids didn't understand why they couldn't see the sick person! Ally didn't want to give her picture to our friend at the door, she wanted to give it directly to the sick one! She was like..."But, you are not _______!!!" Cute.


One day, Ally decided to be the Mama.
Around nap time, she found me and said, "I put Eric to bed already. I read him stories and everything." I thought that was pretty cool and didn't think anything of it. But, I decided to go check out her handy work. And, can you guess where Eric was??

Chewing on cars no less! She put him in his closet.


After she "put Eric to bed," she vanished. I found her out in the garden with this adorable hat on pretending to dig and water....





Sometimes, she does sneak in a nap. Finn found Ally in here the other day.



That Ally keeps us on our toes for sure! Finn is making waves as well. After finishing his first year of CC (classical conversations), he is going to complete kindergarten at our local school. His first day is Monday. He is very excited!! And that makes me happy because he was not happy about the idea 2 months ago! Eric is busy saying all sorts of crazy new things every day. Today, he handed me a hair clip he found in a drawer and said, "Here, mommy. Hair."

We have a big reunion to prepare for! Daddy returns after he hit some serious shiphandling school out of the park! Congrats honor grad! :)

I Married a Poet

Because I already have everything.......

Do I need matching towels when I already have good towels?
Does Eric need a better bed than a three sided crib?
Should I buy a shower curtain for the bathroom we never use for showers?
Can I use the garage for a playroom? Yes!

I do desire to make my house a home....but I get easily overwhelmed at the
potential cost. When our house is clean, it feels very cozy to me.
When night comes, the counters get wiped, floors swept, the dishwasher hums, a candle is lit. That's cozy to me.
My creative forces need to be focused toward our home a little bit more.
I want to discover what it is I want our house to be....
Today, I stumbled upon this poem.
It spoke to me and made me so thankful for my husband, Camlon.
Babe, you could have penned this yourself.
Every word.
And I love you so much for that!

*********************************************************************

A naked house, a naked moor,
A shivering pool before the door,
A garden bare of flowers and fruit
And poplars at the garden foot;
Such is the place that I live in,
Bleak without and bare within.

Yet shall your ragged moor receive
The incomparable pomp of eve,
And the cold glories of the dawn
Behind your shivering trees be drawn;











And when the wind from place to place
Doth the unmoored cloud-galleons chase,
Your garden gloom and gleam again,
With leaping sun, with glancing rain.


























Here shall the wizard moon ascend
The heavens, in the crimson end
Of day's declining splendour; here
The army of the stars appear.





The neighbour hollows dry or wet,
Spring shall with tender flowers beset;
And oft the morning muser see
Larks rising from the broomy lea,





And every fairy wheel and thread
Of cobweb dew-bediamonded.
When daisies go, shall winter time
Silver the simple grass with rime;





Autumnal frosts enchant the pool
And make the cart-ruts beautiful;
And when snow-bright the moor expands,
How shall your children clap their hands!





To make this earth, our hermitage,
A cheerful and a changeful page,
God's bright and intricate device
Of days and seasons doth suffice.

****(I love that last stanza...)****

"the house beautiful"
Robert Lewis Stevenson

thank you, MomMom, for the goodies sent to us!!
Honey.........Soon!

Screaming on the Inside!

I've been turning a corner in my life lately. Usually, I come to a turning point with excitement. I'm usually ready for it in a "Bring It On," kinda way. Like gearing myself up for the Buffalo, NY marathon of 2004.....which I didn't end up doing!

Not so this time around. What is around the corner is scary! I get glimpses of what is to come.......and my FEAR is that I will not be prepared.

As I walked out of our grocery store last week with my little ducklings tagging behind, I was thinking through some of my teen challenge ideas. Suddenly, I burst out laughing in the middle of the parking lot with the bagger, pushing my cart, in full stare mode at my crazy outburst! I'm exploring this whole world of how to be self-sustaining. Not as a hobby, but as a necessity for the future. I chuckled because I must be living in one of the few generations of the entire human race that honestly doesn't have a clue how to function if I don't have a house, central air, pre-chopped chicken, ability to travel by car, internet....

Our country is in a battle over natural security (not to be mistaken with national security which is also a genuine concern). The Movie, "The Tillman Story," brings more questioning of what is going on in the Washington curcuit. I think the biggest thought looming in my mind is the fact that our current economy is not sustainable. We will come to a point where we will not have the resources to continue working and living as we do. And, with all these serious topics I want to discuss, it is rare to find a person interested in discussing them. The thoughts swirl around in my head. Sometimes, as I try to bring up a topic, I get the ostrich in the sand response from a certain family member!!!

"If I don't see it, then........"

I recently posted a trailer to a movie called, "War Made Easy," on my facebook page. The images slander US foreign policy from Vietnam through the present, but what I really took to heart were the words. They are not from the movie, but they are spoken from Martin Luther King Jr. himself. It was a speech I've never heard of before. I believe his words were extremely prophetic of our current times and disturbing in their accuracy. It hit me hard. I posted this video on facebook to see what others thought. I've done this before to not much reaction. But, if I post a funny family video or link to a silly dance, animal blooper or other light material, the comments begin immediately. I feel alone in whom to have a real discussion with. Posting the trailer to "No Impact Man," encouraged me b/c others had seen it and loved it. And, more said it was something they were excited to see! I just need to find friends that are ready to enter reality again. Or at least ones willing to say an opinion or throw a thought out there. Personally, I know that when I check facebook, I'm usually not in the mood for some crazy political discussion. But, friends, I just don't want to be entertained anymore!! At least, not all the time.

I also continue to struggle with not taking care of myself. I put the kids first and get lost in the days sometimes. My health is certainly suffering. I'll stay up late, just to have time to myself. I'll be awoken several times at night by a frightened little boy who needs to be carried back to bed and tucked in. I'll get up early and do it all again. After recent testing of a mass in my neck, the encouragement is to just keep monitoring it. Many of my fears were put to rest this past week, as a doctor removed his optical camera from my nose and stated my throat was in perfect health!!


I've got to get back to basics.




Some Primary Goals:
Feed myself well, not just the kids.





I don't need a gym membership to get fit. Instead of letting the kids play on their own all the time, I've starting having tons of pillow fights! We play hide and seek for more than just a few minutes. While I still have a decent back, piggyback and horseback rides produce a ton of laughter and squeals. We pretend to be in a Star Wars battle (Finn, of course, must be Princess Leia every time!).
I get down and scrub the floor on my hands and knees. I may not be able to run a marathon just yet, but at least, I feel I can kill two birds with one stone. And, in essence, this home life IS truly my marathon!

A gym membership is something I'm still considering though. In Newport, I really enjoyed going to the gym and taking the kids into the pool with me! If I can find one with a good children's program that isn't in the process of closing around here, I may consider it!!



Here is our fridge as of Sunday of this week. I love the bottom shelves compared to everything else in there. I've got all this farmer's market produce. Then, you've got Papa John's, a can of frosting, coffee creamers up the wazoo, and beer. Fat Tire, of course!




My kids display mild symptoms of celiac disease, however there really isn't a genetic link to be found. But, I've decided to jump in and try to get the kids off wheat for a while and see if their various symptoms are eased. I'm thinking it is probably just an intolerance as wheat is a hard grain to digest and process in the body. We found this great bread at the Farmer's Market.





More of these in my diet would make me happy! This week, I noticed the difference in taste between store bought carrots and these from our FM. These were better, by far.
Crispy, not crunchy.
Sweet, not bitter.
They were almost like eating a fruit they were so sweet.
And, I'm not so sure what to make of yellow cauliflower yet......






These will be gone tomorrow. :)






Another, change: LESS TOYS.

Although, I'm extremely grateful for Eric's birthday gifts, we are cutting back on toys big time! This Thomas train is actually a really cool toy though! The kids love it!

But, I'm looking into more wooden toys and just....Less. I cleaned out their entire playroom last week, and they were so happy to only have out:
Army men
Cars
Train table with tracks and cars to arrange
Dress up clothes
Ally's dollhouse.
Stuffed animals
Plastic dinosaurs in the tub!!
Blocks

One of Finn's friends came over and was not impressed though! He said, "Miss Rachel, where are Finn's toys??? What does he play with?"

I said he plays with his Army men now. His friend looked totally lost!


I'm trying to read, read, read. Next week is National No-TV week. I might go so far to have No-Screen Time week in our house! During that time, I plan to tackle all of, "Manufactuing Consent," shown below. Very fitting since the book describes our urgent necessity to be educated on what our media systems are producing! I hope someone will read this with me. Let me know and we can have a little virtual book club. You won't watch Good Morning America the same way again, I promise! But, it covers much more than that.

It is hard to choose to read this book over watching the latest episode of "Real Housewives," but that is the vary reason I should read it!





Balance. It is necessary.






Just because I think we may not have gas for our cars in 50 or 100 years, won't keep me from enjoying what we do have the ability to do today. Travel by car to the beach in 10 minutes!






Would we be willing to use less as a family if it meant our economy could function on only domestic oil production???
A great impossibility!!!!
However, I would easily make that sacrifice if it brought our soldiers home. Our economy will not be able to function with only the use of alternative energy, but our family could!











The tide came in so fast that night, Ally jumped up and slipped on the rocks. Her small boo-boo became overwhelming to her!! That's why she looks scared! I posted this picture b/c this is the haircut Ally GAVE HERSELF. Quite talented if you ask me...Especially when it was done with her Crayola scissors!






Well, this post is stretching things a bit. But, I guess this is how I'm feeling lately and it must be what I needed to write. As I have met with people or friends lately, part of me is just screaming on the inside. I want to talk about these issues weighing on my heart. Here's to doing it in a healthy way. I don't want to be the lone lizard on the sidewalk.

But, in opening my mouth here, I hope to find more citizens concerned for our amazing nation. I hope to find friends willing to give feedback and explore these topics with me. But, for now........I'll just lie here on the sidewalk alone......and wait!

:)


PS. Yesterday, April 4th, 2011, we lost a great human being in Juliano Mer-Khamis!! When you have 20 minutes to spare, watch this video from Explore.org.
Before you watch, please read this LINK.