corner view~spontaneity

There has been so much spontaneity and venturing out in our lives as of late.  Annabel has actually been telling me, "Mom you need to be more spontaneous.  That's how people are here!" 

Me, I like planning, and weekly schedules.  So it is sometimes a stretch for me.  I guess I am a bit of a fuddy duddy.  Funny, I always thought of myself as the fun, lively one.

Truth is we now have two teenagers (and an active nine-year-old) who want to be out in the world doing lots of stuff, plus they are all making new friends, learning new sports, and doing new activities, a lot more than ever before.

For years we had it easy.  All three kids did the same one sport after school at the same time.  And we home schooled the girls, so we only had one school to drive to daily.  Can you believe we got away with this level of simplicity?  Well, no more.  We now have three kids in three different schools.  Shawn and Annabel are doing Taekwondo.  Sky is learning tennis and skateboarding.  Annabel has a role in the school play.  And we are taking the kids to our local outdoor roller skating rink on weekends.   

In addition the kids crave spontaneous outings.   So sometimes you just have to go to the beach, or to Jamba Juice or have a family day of games in the pool, just because. 

Because actually, there is deep wisdom to spontaneity, because that's often where the magic is.  So this mama is finding a balance between being planned and organized (which is necessary in family life) and also knowing when to let go a little and have some fun, just because.

And by the way.  I didn't plan this blog post.  I winged it.  I didn't write it in my schedule book the week before.  In fact late last night I had to go to Francesca's blog to see what this week's topic was, cuz I had forgotten it was my choice!  So there ya go.

 Happy week, my friends!

summer revisited~chicago -- berries, buildings, thoughts on art, and a signature dubuffet

More images from our time this summer on the boat tour in Chicago.  So many of these buildings are works of art.  I have to admit, I love the old style best, although the mirrored windows are pretty cool.  

I wonder what impression all of our travel makes on the kids.  You never know.  I can't help but think it is expansive to their minds.  The more we see of the world, and varieties of cultures, architecture, lifestyles, people, foods, the more we learn.  To me, our travel is part of our kids' education.  Plus Chicago Aunt Eileen's grandmother was a great realist painter who lived in France and painted many scenes of the country.  They must have twenty of her paintings hanging all over the house.  I love having our kids exposed to original art, especially when it is so beautiful! 

I have always loved Dubuffet.  His work is so whimsical, yet solid.  It's like grounded fun.  I can't be tense and look at a whimsical artist's work.  To me there is a brilliance to Dubuffet's art, even though he wanted to make art that was perhaps more simplistic, less intellectual, like art brut (raw art).  

I think a busy downtown is the perfect place for Dubuffet's work.  I imagine people all stressed out rushing to work, and as they walk by the sculpture, they take a breath and smile.  

Where we live there is really no public art, few statues, no modern sculptures.  I do miss art museums.  That's partly why I paint now.  I need some wild abstract color in my life.     

final ask skylar

In this episode Sky gives teens advice about boundaries.  She also talks to a kid who is nervous about starting a new high school.  She suggests that the girl create a character which is a more confident version of herself.  Kind of a "fake it til you feel it."  Interesting because just today I listened to this Ted talk by a sociologist who talks about the importance of body language and how even holding a confident posture for two minutes before a person goes into a job interview can make that person exude confidence.

What a great experience this webshow was for Sky.  She got to work with such wonderful people, from the producer, to the assistants, to the tech guys.  She got to be honored for her natural gifts of intelligence, wisdom, and wit.  She had so much fun filming, and got to see what that was like.

Ever since she has been very young she has been dramatic and comes alive when she is on camera.  It will be fun to have these shows as she grows up.

corner view~jewelry

Somebody got her ears pierced a week ago.
I'm sure she would love it if some of you read her poetry, listed here.

the adventure i never get tired of

Taking the kids up the mountain to see our friends and explore the forest.  I am part elf, I have come to accept.

summer revisited~this is what happens when

We ride in the car with Uncle Tim for an afternoon outing in Chicago.

summer revisited~scenes of chicago

We love Chicago.  Both of my brothers live there, so when we visit we get a two-fer.  I think it is a grand city.  I love the mixture of architecture there, the old and the new.  It is so touching to me how the city came back from the ashes after such devastation in the fire of 1871.  This summer we took the kids on an architectural boat tour up and down the river.  It was so hot that day, but still I loved it.

corner view~leaf

I know it isn't so good for the buildings, but I love the look of ivy covering the sides of homes.  This is one of my favorite houses in my hometown. 

And it is on a leaf street -- Clover Street!

ask sky about getting along with little brothers

The day Shawn was born Sky, age 6 1/2, asked me, in total earnestness, "Can you marry your brother?"  Later that day when we placed this tiny baby into her arms for the first time she said, "I'm your big sister Skylar, and I'm going to love you for the rest of your life."

Shawn was born before noon at home.  Sky didn't leave my side for the rest of the day, and chose to have her meals with us, drawing Shawn about 25 pictures.  She was thoroughly enthralled...

Thank God for this beginning.  As Shawn grew she continued to love him, but baby and toddler reality also struck.  Overall, our kids all get along really well.  I always tell them how lucky they are to have each other, and how it's important to draw on happy memories to help get through conflicts and squabbles.

Something is going right.  Shawn just got back from his first day of school after fall break, the girls are still off school.  I think he missed them.  He is doing his homework in Sky's room (a first) while she charges her brand new cell phone.  

In this episode of Ask Skylar, Sky talks about when little brothers annoy you, and friendships.

summer revisited~last day in santa cruz

my three kids flying high

 Gary and the girls taking off

We went back to the boardwalk for another day of excitement.  The kids were feeling even braver.  They made friends with a retired couple that they met in line, who came up to us to say what polite children they were (a proud mom moment for moi).  They rode some rides.  They ate some cotton candy.  We had a great Mexican lunch at a little hole in the wall place.  The Santa Cruz boardwalk -- a little bit of chaos, a lot of fun.  All of this on a sunny day at the seaside as we breathed in the cool, crisp ocean air.