The Streetpoet

As Gigi was able to come over early Wednesday, she got to see Jerome’s success in riding his bike! Yesterday he got the hang of picking up both feet and keeping his balance! Next he says he wants to practice making turns. 🙂

Recently I have been reading about classical education and particularly Charlotte Mason’s educational philosophy. The subject is huge and I’m not posting about that tonight, but I wanted to preface the recap of our day with what I’ve been reading. My friend Jill recommended “Pocketful of Pinecones” by Karen Andreola about making Nature Notebooks, along with the book “Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons” (which is the book Jerome is currently thriving on), and she mentioned others that I made notes of when I had her over to my house to glean from her store of knowledge and experience. I am also gleaning from people like Charlene, Misty, Judy, and Mom who have all gone before me are reaching back to give me what treasures they have found. I’m so grateful to them!

We had the delightful surprise of having Peter come home early as his school campus was closed and he didn’t know it until he got there. The boys and I had already gone to the library after lessons and picked up a box of Agapanthus from Grandma as she had extra from thinning hers out. Peter helped us plant them in front of the old tree stump in our side yard. As he was digging he found what we thought at first was a tiny snake that had gotten it’s tail chopped off under the hoe, but it turns out after some research that it was a California legless lizard and it probably dropped it’s own tail. Jerome learned how to water the new plants so as to soak them and not flood them, and we’re hoping the new plants take nicely…and cover up that stump. 🙂 Jerome is also learning how to ride his bike without the training wheels, as one fell off today, and Daddy took the other off. He’ll probably get the hang of it soon, and we need to get him a bigger bike!

During dinner I shared with Peter and Jerome how I wanted to begin a Nature Notebook with him soon, and what one was. I also want to order the Handbook to Nature Study by Anna Comstock to aid us in our study. We were laughing that we might not have to even step out our door to do some nature study, and yet how grateful we are to live as though in the country here. As we were reading library books after dinner Jerome wanted to learn how to draw a snake, and then continued to draw the asparagus plant in my kitchen window quite accurately! Tomorrow he will draw the Agapanthus and we will paste it in under his snake drawing, which is really supposed to be a legless lizard!

So today, rather by accident, we began Jerome’s Nature Notebook and made his first entry!

In other news, Ian is standing up on his own more and more from a squatting position and is quite proud of himself. He positively crows when he gets up and he knows we’re watching him. Here are some pics.

Saturday came up overcast and hauling enormous clouds that we thought might rain on us, but I was grateful for the muted day as our shoot was scheduled for the middle of the day at the Gardens of the World. I’d never done a shoot there before, and had to request a reservation for formal photography, but there was no cost to get in, and it was so beautiful!

Yesterday I had the honor to meet Paul, Christine’s fiancé, and am looking forward to photographing their wedding in July! They are so in love and I enjoyed watching them interact and share a closeness with each other that I hope deepens with the years. I’m so happy for you two and honored to be your photographer!

Jane was home on Spring Break this week and set aside Wednesday afternoon to spend with us! We went on a picnic hike with Noel and the Barlow boys up on Big Sky Trail behind the Barlow’s place. Peter had taken us up there on Monday and I hadn’t taken my camera, so I wanted to go back with it (and the boys dressed in jeans) because the wildflowers were blooming like I had never seen before. I wish California were always this pretty. 😉

Jane, thank you for your precious time given to us. We love you dearly and cherish every minute!

A BIG THANK YOU TO GIGI ~

She kept the boys all day Saturday for us and they had so much fun with her! Sprinklers, smoothies, park time, hamburgers, and lots of laughs was the report I received when we got home at 10pm. I also got a huge running leap and a bear hug from Jerome who had waited up for us. He had a bouquet and a note waiting for me on my nightstand that he shoved at me too. SO adorable! We could not have had the day we did on Saturday without her. Thank you, Gigi! I’m so very, very thankful you live near us and can share our lives!

Since Gigi spent the night with us, she got to see the boys open their Easter baskets, and help get all of us ready for church in the morning. When we got home from church everybody immediately changed into comfy clothes as it was a hot day…but all of the pics of the boy’s easter egg hunt are casual. Oh, well, they had a blast!

I’ll show you pictures, but first I’ll tell you that the rest of the day was made so special just by having my sister around! (Not to mention the 20 minute nap I got while she kept them outside!) She came to the family dinner that evening and sat with me while Peter took care of Ian. My day was so special because of my loved ones. But I got home to a message from Vanessa…we missed their call. Sometimes that feels so heavy. But I have the gift of her voice on my answering machine! 🙂

Here’s the boy’s Easter egg hunt and Ian’s ten month pics…