Vacation, take two

The next day trip we took was down to Mohican State Park and Malabar Farm State Park. While Jim grew up going to Mohican, I don't remember ever having been there. We drove down to the covered bridge area, where we ate our picnic lunch.










The kids enjoyed the stream (creek? river?) and swingsets, but didn't like the bugs. The path to the dam looked a bit muddy, and the noise of construction made us give up on that hike.










We did drive to the dam, and we spent a little time there before the heat made us give up and move along. After all, a giant dam is not much fun to two kids... unless you let them roll all the way down, and then they would complain about the walk back up.
Next stop, Malabar Farm, just a few miles away. The visitor's center was welcoming - and Air Conditioned! Jamie and Dot didn't want to leave all the colorful displays, but we got them excited about seeing the farm animals. The farm was mostly deserted - it was a very hot day, over 90 degrees and sunny, and schools weren't out for the summer yet. We had the barn all to ourselves, and the kids loved it. Jamie wasn't afraid of the large work horses - he went right up and fed them.








Dot loved the rabbit running free through the barn - and would love to have been able to take advantage of the sign on his cage, "rabbits for sale, $4." Outside, the kids pulled weeds to feed the cow and goats - if only that worked in our garden... but we don't have a cow.







The chickens ran right out of the henhouse when we walked by. We watched them peck around in the dirt until I dug around in my purse to find two quarters - the chicken feed was in a gumball machine, and the chickens expected to be fed!







Even though we were near to the farmhouse, we did not go in for a tour. While Jim and I would have enjoyed it by ourselves, we could easily imagine the kids breaking stuff. Instead, we headed off for a hike through the woods across the road.







The trail through the forest was beautiful, quiet and shady. We tried to keep the kids from talking too much - and they did fine, especially when they saw the deer ahead of us. We listened to a woodpecker drilling a tree, and heard other birds enjoying the early summer day. Of course, Jamie got too tired, and had to be carried, but by the end we had him on the look out for the blue trail markers on the trees. We wearily headed back to the visitors center, where we indulged in ice cream and cold pop.







They also had fresh, free-range chicken eggs for sale, and we picked up a couple dozen, along with some blue popcorn to try later. Jim picked up a book (what else?), From My Experience, by Louis Bromfield, based on what he learned through Malabar farm. It goes on the shelf, a part of Jim's dream of a small family farm...

You always come home with more....

For the most part, we do pretty well packing up after vacation. Not too many items get left behind, and usually it's the kids who do the forgetting. This trip we expected to come home with more "stuff" due to birthdays and souveneirs, but somehow we ended up with a bag of candes, and we don't know who they belong to! (I suppose that should be, "to whom they belong." but I think that sounds stuffy these days.)
Can you enlighten us? (Ooh, sorry, bad pun!) Do they belong to you?

Vacation, take one

I promised, and now I can follow through, at least part of the way. For more, head over to my Picasa album. I'll be uploaded photos as I get to them.
Our first stop was with Grandpa. His room is very nice, as is the rest of the retirement center, which we toured before lunch. We were early for lunch, and the kids entertained some of the other residents while we waited. Lunch was liver and onions! (The staff was kind enough to let Jim and the kids have leftover lasagna instead!) After lunch we spent some more time talking with Grandpa, and learned more about his childhood. Did you know he lived on a large family farm - without any indoor plumbing? Because of the farm, they did not suffer during the depression. Did you know he used a boat to get to school? Did you know he met Grandma at a wedding where they were the attendants?
Here is Jamie, sharing an old train magazine with Grandpa:







Our next stop was in Painesville, to stay overnight with Andy and Sharon. The kids were overjoyed to be able to run and play with their cousins! We enjoyed a Sunday morning church service at their church, and then a nice lunch - and we all fit around the table!







On to Norwalk, our "base camp" for the rest of the week. From there we headed off to Kelley's Island for a day trip. It was beautiful there, making me wish for the island life - until I remembered that the summer tourist season hadn't really started up yet, and we had come to a relatively deserted island. We had our picnic lunch in town, and then started the 1 1/2 - 2 mile walk up to the state park. The kids got too tired, so we stopped along the way to let them rest:







Yeah, running and hopping on rocks is my idea of a good rest, too. :-) We eventually made it up to the park, and walked around the glacial grooves. They are very intersting to look at, to imagine the power of ice!







We then walked to the beach, where we warned the kids that we had no changes of clothing, no swimsuits, and no towels, so we would only be wading... That worked well as long as we were watching them like hawks. Someone decided to sit down in the surf:










Thankfully, the campground/playground part of the park is nearby, and we were able to relax (and dry off!). With a promise of ice cream running through their minds the kids were able to make the hike back to town relatively quickly (it didn't hurt that Jim carried Jamie for a good part of it!). We found some new favorite ice cream flavors - Toft's "Buckeye Bites" and "Coconut Cream Pie".

back from the abyss

For the last ten days we have been on vacation, and for a good portion of that time we haven't been able to access our email or the internet. Can you imagine? It will take us awhile to catch up, but look for vacation photos soon!

Unusual Jewelry

Here's another source for an out-of-the-ordinary ring. They are marketed as eco-friendly wedding rings, but I like the idea of having one just because they are beautiful! Unfortunately, I don't have the money for one, and it would be ruined quickly as I wash my hands *frequently* throughout the day (and I would forget to take the ring off!). Oh, but they are lovely!

Cheddar, Swiss, Gouda... "George and the Dragon"

Last night we had a responsibility-free night (no dishes, no school work, no chores). To celebrate, the kids and I went out to Redbox for a few dvd's. Okay, so "Night at the Museum" is, eh, okay, funny enough. Adam Sandler is not going to challenge your thinking. He's also not going to teach you anything new in the history department, despite the fact that the movie is based in the Museum of Natural History. It's predictable, with enough laughs to say it was worth the $1.05 it cost.
However, "George and the Dragon" was not worth the $1.05. It is, as the title of this post alludes to, cheesy. Very cheesy. I suppose they think that American "tweens" are not very intelligent, as they are the target of this movie. The fighting is overly choreographed, the dragon animation really sticks out, and the acting is, eh, cheesy. Apparently girls are stronger and more intelligent than guys, and they can stay clean and extremely well-groomed during a fight in an old castle that catches on fire. Yeah, I guess I will never be a princess if that is one of the requirements.

Redheads

We went to the farm today to buy our vegetable plants. This farm has an added benefit - animals. They have hundreds of goats, a few chickens (although they were hiding today), a rabbit, and this odd, hairy cow. Anyway, it seems to have something in common with Dot.

More sadness

Last week my sewing machine quit working on me. It had been running a bit rough lately, and the "new" machine we had found at a garage sale didn't quite work, either. So, we hauled them both over to the sewing machine repair shop/store to get estimates on their repair bills. Last night we got word of their conditions.
The "new" machine has a broken head gear, and can be fixed for a little over $100. Still cheaper than a new machine. It's not a nice of a machine as the other one, though.
My faithful old machine (from the 60's?), given to me by Desina Rogers before we got married, also had a broken head gear, and cannot be fixed. They do not make that specific head gear any more!
That machine has really done it's job over the years. It has turned out countless pieces of clothing, many quilts, and has patched our clothes. I thought that with periodic maintanance I would be able to use that machine for years to come. It was built to last, and would have if they still made the head gear.
Do you think it strange that I am attatched to my sewing machine? It has brought me many hours of joy over the years as I pursued my hobby of sewing. It has covered and clothed my family and friends. It has faithfully done it's job without many complaints. What do you have that has done that for you?

more art

Dot wanted everyone to see her latest art class creation. I don't know what they were teaching through this project, but she seemed to enjoy making it.
Jamie has also been doing more art, and this is his latest "masterpiece."

family ties

Last night Dot brought our wedding album out to the living room, to show some of the photos to Jamie. He wasn't really interested, but we did look through the pictures, pointing out some of hte people he would know. When confronted with the picture of the groomsmen, he picked out Uncle Michael right away. He then went on to name Andy as "Uncle Michael's brother". (Sorry Doug and Jeff, but he drew a blank at your names. He couldn't name Linda or Katrina, either.) Jamie then said, "Uncle Michael my brother!"

new toys

Springtime brings us outdoors, and the lawn becomes littered with all sorts of toys. Then the garage sales start, and more toys become part of the whole mess. At least they aren't watching tv...

Here are our favorites so far:


The arrowcopter, which we found at the homeschool fair. This simple toy sort of replicates the helicoper seeds that spin down from the trees, with the exception that you must first launch it like an arrow, by way of a rubber band and short wood dowel.










DominoRally, which is alot of work for such a short - but fun - result. The kids like to set this up and watch it go off. Thankfully Dot can do it by herself!









Perfection is just the game for Jamie. He loves puzzles and he loves to have things "blow up," so he plays this over and over again.
And, of course, Wiffle Ball, which we've posted about before. I'm sure we'll be playing more of that this summer. Anything that makes the kids like baseball is a good toy for Jim.
This is one of the best parts of having kids - we get to be kids again, too. What is your favorite game?

A great sorrow across the land

Last week I discovered terrible news... Walmart is removing their fabric departments! Our local store had only one wall of fabric left, and all of it was on clearance. I, of course, bought many, many yards of fabric due to the low price. Like 40 yards. I was happy to find such a bargain, but saddened to know that resource was going to be gone forever when the fabric sold out.

Quick Change Operation

Being the parent of two kids has taught me alot. One thing stands out today - kids are good at changing quickly. And I don't mean clothing.

This morning seemed fairly normal, and the beautiful warm weather beckoned. I let the kids play outside while I mopped the kitchen floor, and then I joined them for some outdoors work. They really liked cleaning the kitchen rug - we hung it over the deck rail, sprayed it with the hose, and left it to dry in the sun. I did some gardening as Dot and Jamie watered the flowers - and each other. The next thing I know is the kids are inside, tired of outdoor play.

This afternoon was Dot's gym class, and it hasn't been much fun this year. They have been trying out the different sports, spending a few weeks on each one. Dot hasn't had much skill at any of them. Perhaps she isn't an athelete. Jamie likes it, though. He gets to play with friends while she is in class. It is softball season, and Dot seemed a bit reticent. We paid for this class, though, and she has to participate! Jamie and I went off to play on the playground with his friend. He played hard for most of the hour, but seemed to deflate when we walked back to the softball field. We had just enough time to watch Dot come up for her last pitch - and she connected! The first baseman missed the catch, so she was safe. Yay! The game ended soon after, and Dot excitedly asked for her own mitt. She likes softball! Jamie, on the other hand, was not excited, but did excite things as he threw up down my back. Thankfully we are all experienced moms, and many wipes were handed out freely for clean-up.

After a bath Jamie decided he wants pizza tonight. No nap, please. He's just fine. What a quick change.

Lawnwork

We are trying to beat the storm that is coming through our area later today. Things are growing, despite the cooler weather we have been having, so we need to get our new bulbs planted, and the lawn mown. It is a nice morning to be outside.

de-evolution

Last week I cleaned the house in preparation for company on Sunday. It looked good. The food was good, and the fellowship was great. However, kids will be kids, and the house has quickly reverted to its normal chaos...

Catalog craze

The afternoon brings the mail, and the mail has brought us an afternoon of wishing. The new Playmobil catalog has arrived, chock full of new toys the kids want to add to their collections. The newest collection is based on ancient Rome, with gladiators and a warrior ship. Other new items include the Micro sets, with one being Noah's ark - perhaps a toy for quiet play in the church pew?

Weekend busy-ness

Ever since we bought this house, and discovered that it lacked storage options, we have been thinking of different ways to put in shelves. Most of our shelving has been in the form of solid wood bookshelves, which has done much to get out books out where we can enjoy them. Hurrah! Now, however, we need storage for more mundane items, such as the vacuum, coats, tools, and toys. It would be wonderful if we could get everything organized and neatly put away...
This past Saturday we did take a step in that direction. For less than $100, and in a little more than an hour, we installed shelving in Jamie's room. It's not solid wood, but it does give us a lot more in the way of storage.
The work was not hard, and even Jamie was able to help. He had a wonderful time playing with the tools. His favorite? The "knocker" (hammer), because he can "knock" things!

Childhood imagination

Last night, just before bed, Jamie told us about the aliens. Apparently there are aliens coming, aliens that are like Cookie Monster. They steal cookies and eat them all up. In an effort to save our cookies (freshly made oatmeal chocolate chip), Jamie said we should hide them in his closet, where the aliens would not be able to find them.
While we did leave the cookies in the kitchen overnight, we found them safe this morning. No aliens here.

Done!

I have finished Ivanhoe. It probably wouldn't have taken me so long, except it's a little hard to read when you get interrupted by kids all the time. And it's really hard to read while Winnie-the-Pooh is on.

Wee Garden

This past Saturday, while cold and windy, was the day for Dot to begin a garden. She, along with 8 or so other children, took part in a "wee garden" workshop at the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. They were able to put 5 small plants and various decorations into their planters. A small mirror became a pond, and nearby there is a snake, lizard, and turtle. Included in her planter: "Dortheanthus."

The arboretum is free, and has a few parking lots (unlike many DC sites). We'll probably go back some day, when it is warmer. (Jim and Jamie tried to walk some of the grounds, but it was not a good day to be outdoors.) The bonsai museum is very interesting - so much work goes into such a small tree. You can find your state tree, walk up to the capital columns, find your favorite herb in the herb garden, wander the fern valley, be overwhelmed by azaelas, and so much more. Check it all out here.

Children's church

Are your children singing too many Patch songs in children's church? Should they be taught hymns instead? Here is an early children's hymn:

"Let dogs delight to bark and bite,
For God hath made them so;
Let bears and lions growl and fight,
For tis their nature to.

But, children, you should never let
Your angry passions rise;
Your little hands were never made
To tear each other's eyes."

Perhaps this?
"1. Thou shalt have no more gods than me.
2. Before no idol bow thy knee.
3. Take not the name of God in vain;
4. Nor dare the Sabbath-day profane.
5. Give both thy parents honour due.
6. Take heed that thou no murder do.
7. Abstain from words and deeds unclean;
8. Nor steal, though thou art poor and mean;
9. Nor make a wilful lie nor love it.
10. What is thy neighbor's dare not covet."

both are found in The Church of Our Fathers by Roland H. Bainton

I have no idea what he's talking about

Guess who is speaking today at the SELinux Symposium?

Using GConf as an Example of How to Create an Userspace Object Manager

James Carter, National Security Agency

It has become apparent that many people want some of the benefits of MLS but in a way that is easier to use than the full MLS implementation.

There are various strategies that can be used to provide security controls over an application under SELinux. One strategy is to turn the program into a userspace object manager. Since the SELinux kernel object managers cannot control objects that are only visible in userspace, creating userspace object managers is a natural part of implementing the flask architecture on Linux. GConf is a configuration system for GNOME and controls configuration keys and values which are not visible to the kernel. This paper discusses the general process of providing SELinux controls over a program and the specific steps taken to provide SELinux controls over GConf.

Photos

For a moment this morning I found myself wishing for the "good old days" when the only thing you did with photos was stick them in a album and put it on the shelf. With digital cameras, photoshop, and the internet, I have so much more work to do. Oh well.
For those who care, I have started uploading my photos here. There aren't many there yet.

By the way, Happy Birthday, Fran!

Latest projects

(Sorry for the funny expressions- I was not feeling well when these photos were taken. I don't know what was wrong with Dot.)
Think I like green? I have finished these dresses, and I have more sewing left to do - at least three pairs of shorts have been cut out and prepped, I have quilt blocks to sew together and quilt, and Dot will need a few skirts for camp this summer.
I love to sew... but I hate to see the house after the kids have been left to their own devices.

Answered Prayer

For quite awhile Jamie has had a very simple, short prayer each night before bed - let Uncle Michael come home to our house. This weekend the prayer was answered. Mike arrived Saturday night and left after lunch today. Jamie cried when he saw that his bed was no longer made up for Uncle Michael.
Sunday ended up being more fun than they thought it would be due to snow. Our evening church service was cancelled, so we had a nice night at home. Our living room floor became a large train layout, and then a farm set-up.
On Monday we took a trip to Brookside Gardens Conservatory for their sculpture show. The two buildings were filled with beautiful plants - mostly tropicals and bulbs. It smelled amazing! It makes me long for spring, when all the tulips, daffodils, and other bulbs bloom. I can't wait to get into the garden again! We stopped at Ikea to walk through the store and have lunch. Jamie was not impressed by the long-awaited chance to play in the play area. I guess it's not as much fun as Dot made it seem.
Today we visited the pet store, where the kids dreamt of having many new pets. However, as I would be the one cleaning up after them and having to purchase their food and other supplies, I vetoed every one. Maybe when they are older... After lunch at Quiznos we headed home to say goodbye to Mike. The kids are sad that he is gone, and are a bit tired and whiney from the late nights, but they seem to be recovering - the dvd's I rented are a hit.

If we did it all over again...

Thankfully I am not in the middle of planning a wedding right now. I remember those days as being busy and a bit stressful. (And how is that different than my life right now?) However, I do like to look at those very pretty dresses (although I feel sorry forany modest bride-to-be right now, as all the dresses seem to be strapless).
I did run across this wedding ring option. It's a bit too modern for my taste, but it is interesting. Ah, well, we aren't doing it over again, and it is well out of our price range.

Modesty, Again

I have recently been working on a few dresses for this spring, and was a bit disappointed with how low the neckline was on one (it didn't seem that low on the pattern's picture). I was (and still am) looking for an idea of how to add to the dress to make it more modest without making it look funny. I have found many sites that talk about modesty, but don't give pictoral examples. I have found many sites that sell modest clothing (usually pretty expensive). The most interesting site yet, though, is a modesty survey. It has given me a lot to think about - most of the time we hear things along the lines of, "men are stimulated by sight, " or "make sure your clothing isn't a stumbling block to your Christian brothers." Not often are we females given practical examples. This survey, however, gives us the chance to read guys' minds as related to modesty. No pictures, but the questions are very specific, and the answers give even more info. Check it out, girls - you may be a little surprised.

Valentine's day as a snow day

Well, we did get some snow and ice, and some areas of Baltimore had power outages. Not us. We had the equivalent of a giant unflavored icee all over our neighborhood. Not fun to play in, not fun to clean up. And not a snow day... at least for Dot! Jim did have the day off, and used most of it shoveling icy slush. He has a four-hour delay this morning.
We did celebrate Valentine's day with a nice dinner: crumbed green beans, crab cakes and popcorn shrimp, mashed potatoes, homemade wheat rolls, and fudgy cherry chocolate cake. The kids did not like the crab cakes, but did stuff themselves with the rolls. (Jim actually bought that potted mini rose plant for me - without being "reminded" - how romantic!)
After dinner we all rested on the couch bed and enjoyed Disney's Alice in Wonderland. I had just finished reading the book to Jamie at nap time, so I thought he would like to see the movie. It is now favorite!

Do home-schoolers get snow days?

For the most part, we have not had real winter weather here. While we have had some cold temperatures (nothing like Minneapolis!), we have not had a good snow. The kids have been bemoaning the lack of sledding. My prediction has held true, and now that it is the week of Valentine's day we are getting a storm. (We've gotten big snow storms on past Valentine's weeks.) However, this storm hasn't been dropping much snow. The ping, ping, ping on the windows lets us know that we are getting freezing rain. Weather experts predict one-quarter- to one-half-inch of ice for our area, with the possibility of a bit more snow at the end of the storm tomorrow afternoon. Jim is pessimistic, and hopes we won't lose power.

Dot's art

Dot may be jealous of all the new and exciting things that Jamie has acquired and experienced, but we've spent more on her lately than on him. This Saturday she started in a new art class. First project - learning to draw an apple. She learned about shadows and highlights. She began with pencil, but finished with chalks. Here is one of her first week's projects:

Promises fulfilled

Now that he's done his part, and gotten fully trained, Jamie expected us to follow through on our promises.

We went to Chuck E Cheese's on Friday night, and spent way too much money on a not-that-good pizza and tokens. The kids loved every minute of it, though. Jamie cried when we left.

We let him pick out his new undies.

We installed the leaves for his bed on Saturday morning. He has enjoyed playing and sleeping under them. Dot is jealous.

Too soon to say for sure...

Beginning last Saturday we restricted pull-up usage... Things have progressed quickly, with a few failures, but more successes. Even away from home things are staying dry now. Hooray for Jamie! Now we will have to follow through on all those promises we thought we were making in vain. A trip to Chuck-E-Cheese's, a turn in the Ikea playroom, new Cars briefs, etc...

Science Fiction Craft Time

The robots are coming!

Hooray! Hooray!

The Robots are coming!

You'd better get out of the way!

All hail the mighty (tiny) robots!

Columbus of old

Last week we went shopping, and I found this map. I have no idea when it was published - only that is is before highways, and evidently before much of what we know of the city became part of Columbus. In fact, my old neighborhood isn't even on the map.