Robin Hood and the Archers

By fluke when first arriving to our new home, I met a woman at a meeting who happened to live down the road from us, but knew not exactly where she was once we parted. We did have a great conversation about books (*wink*), as I browsed her homeschool table of books for sale. I looked forward to meeting up with her once again sometime.

When attending the older two children's piano recital in May, I glanced over in the auditorium before the program began, and noticed she was also in attendance. Her two older children were performers in the evening's agenda, so what a co-incidence to share the same piano teacher.

At the end of the performance, while folks were gathering over coffee, she approached me and introduced her family to all of us. We found out where they lived, not too far from here, and several times since then, the dog walkers headed that way but no one was home there each time.

Two weeks ago, the piano teacher had a piano party at her home, so all students were present to play, have ice cream sundaes, and struck up friendly chatting; exchanging telephone numbers, and enjoyed a great frisbee time together at the end of the party outside in the back field. The piano teacher's own daughter was present also, playing with the group gathered and meeting all the newbies, our kids that is. She is the same age as the older son here.

Since the party, there have been a few visits back and forth with the two older boys to get to know one another. Imagine, another friend with all the same passions and interests in life, but not of hockey! Consider though, the friend's great interest in archery and sharing that over here with all attempting to use the equipment. Not as easy as one would think!

If at first you don't succeed, move up real close to the target!

Last night an invitation came to enjoy a visit at the friend's home, with more frisbee, game cube soccer, campfire, and fireworks in the back field for the fourth of July....

Canada Day authentics!

Okay folks, ever seen parade entries like these ones below?

The red hat ladies are very popular in the east, so decked out in their pinks, reds and purples!!! They cheerfully handed out hundreds of Canadian flags to the parade attendees.

Enjoy!

Lazy days of summer

Lazy hazy days of summer and children dare say "I'm bored"....

Here once again, an idea back by popular demand from email delights over the first list, the particular list below is courtesy of Deborah Taylor-Hough. So, just in case you need more ammunition for a peaceful, memory making, terrific and most awesome summer!

Copyright 2002/2003 Deborah Taylor-Hough. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
http://simplemom.com/

Since we don't use the phrase "I'm bored!" in our home, we don't hear our kids complaining about being bored during those long days at home during the summer months. But ... I have to admit that we're still an incredibly normal family. Even without the "b-word" in their vocabulary, there are still those times when my three children (ages 15, 11 and 7) just seem to be at a total loss for something constructive to do.

On one of those "I-can't-think-of-anything-to-do" days, I had my children sit down and make a list of everything they could do completely on their own without parental help. After they brain-stormed about it for over an hour (which was a good anti-boredom activity itself!), the kids had a list of about fifty activities. Surprisingly, they even included a few household chores like dusting and weeding. I asked for input from some other moms, and now my children have a list of over two hundred ideas to beat summertime boredom. And the list just seems to keep growing!

Thanks to the suggestion of one mom, we've put each item on this list onto individual pieces of paper, placed the papers into a container, and when the children need inspiration for an activity, they choose two or three papers and then decide which idea they want to do, either as a group or individually. The mom who suggested pulling ideas out of a container told me she found this method more helpful than giving the kids a huge list of possibilities. By narrowing the choices down to just two or three, it was easier for the kids to pick out the one that sounded the best to them.

200+ IDEAS FOR SUMMERTIME (or anytime!) ACTIVITIES
In no particular order, here's our current (but continually growing!) list of activities:

1) ride bikes
2) roller skate
3) play basketball / shoot baskets
4) play board games
5) make a tent out of blankets
6) squirt with hoses
7) run through the sprinkler
8) jump rope
9) read books
10) blow bubbles
11) make homemade play dough
12) play with play dough
13) press flowers
14) do crafts with pressed flowers
15) write a letter to a relative, friend or pen pal
16) clean bedroom
17) vacuum living room
18) clean bathroom
19) make a craft
20) draw
21) color
22) paint
23) pull weeds
24) watch a movie
25) write stories
26) use binoculars
27) use magnifying glass
28) use microscope
29) bird watching
30) write a play
31) act out a play
32) invent circus acts
33) perform a circus
34) play card games
35) make art on the front walkway with sidewalk chalk
36) play catch
37) play baseball
38) collect rocks
39) collect leaves
40) collect feathers
41) play Frisbee
42) make Frisbee's out of old plastic lids; decorate with markers
43) dust the house
44) brush the pet
45) write "thank you" cards
46) read a magazine
47) play dress-up
48) play Cowboys
49) pick vegetables
50) play outside with the pet
51) build a fort in your rooms
52) build a fort in the backyard
53) do a jigsaw puzzle
54) play on the Geosafari
55) play on the computer
56) listen to a story or book on tape
57) do extra schoolwork to get ahead
58) do brain teasers (ie: crosswords, word searches, hidden pictures, mazes, etc.)
59) cook
60) prepare lunch
61) surprise a neighbor with a good deed
62) play store
63) prepare a "restaurant" lunch with menus
64) hold a tea party
65) have a Teddy bear picnic
66) play with toy cars
67) play dolls
68) play house
69) chase butterflies
70) collect caterpillars and bugs
71) plant a garden patch or a pot of flowers
72) collect seeds
73) hunt for four-leaf clovers
74) learn magic tricks
75) put on a magic show
76) plant a container garden
77) sprout seeds or beans
78) make sock puppets
79) put on a puppet show
80) make Christmas presents
81) make homemade wrapping paper
82) make homemade gift cards
83) make picture frames from twigs glued onto sturdy cardboard
84) crochet or knit
85) make doll clothes
86) sew buttons in designs onto old shirts
87) run relay races
88) make bookmarks
89) take a quiet rest time
90) take a shower or bath
91) bathe a pet
92) feed the birds or squirrels
93) watch the clouds
94) organize a dresser drawer
95) clean under the bed
96) empty the dishwasher
97) vacuum under the couch cushions; keep any change found
98) write these ideas onto pieces of paper; pick out one or two to do
99) whittle
100) whittle bars of soap
101) practice musical instruments
102) perform a family concert
103) teach yourself to play a musical instrument (recorder, harmonica, guitar)
104) fold laundry
105) sweep kitchen or bathroom floors
106) sweep front walkway
107) sweep or spray back patio
108) sweep or spray driveway
109) wash car
110) vacuum car
111) vacuum or dust window blinds
112) clean bathroom mirrors
113) clean sliding glass doors
114) clean inside of car windows
115) wash bicycles
116) clean garage
117) play in the sandbox
118) build a sandcastle
119) work with clay
120) copy your favorite book illustration
121) design your own game
122) build with blocks or Legos
123) create a Design Box for craft supplies (copper wire, string, odds-and-ends of things destined for the garbage, pom-poms, thread, yarn, etc.)
124) plan a neighborhood or family Olympics
125) have a marble tournament
126) paint a picture with lemon juice on white paper and hang it in a sunny window and see what happens in a few days
127) finger paint with pudding
128) make dessert
129) make dinner
130) give your pet a party
131) paint the sidewalk with water
132) start a journal of summer fun
133) start a nature diary
134) have a read-a-thon with a friend or sibling
135) have a neighborhood bike wash
136) play flashlight tag
137) play Kick the Can
138) check out a science book and try some experiments
139) make up a story
140) arrange photo albums
141) find bugs and start a collection
142) do some stargazing
143) decorate bikes or wagons and have a neighborhood parade
144) catch butterflies and then let them go
145) play hide-and-seek
146) create a symphony with bottles and pans and rubber bands
147) listen to the birds sing
148) try to imitate bird calls
149) read a story to a younger child
150) find shapes in the clouds
151) string dry noodles or O-shaped cereals into a necklace
152) glue noodles into a design on paper
153) play hopscotch
154) play jacks
155) make up a song
156) make a teepee out of blankets
157) write in your journal
158) find an ant colony and spill some food and watch what happens
159) play charades
160) make up a story by drawing pictures
161) draw a cartoon strip
162) make a map of your bedroom, house or neighborhood
163) call a friend
164) cut pictures from old magazines and write a story
165) make a collage using pictures cut from old magazines
166) do a secret service for a neighbor
167) plan a treasure hunt
168) make a treasure map
169) make up a "Bored List" of things to do
170) plan a special activity for your family
171) search your house for items made in other countries and then learn about those countries from the encyclopedia or online
172) plan an imaginary trip to the moon
173) plan an imaginary trip around the world; decide where you would want to go
174) write a science-fiction story
175) find a new pen pal
176) make up a play using old clothes as costumes
177) make up a game for practicing math facts
178) have a Spelling Bee
179) make up a game for practicing spelling
180) surprise an elderly neighbor or relative by weeding his/her garden
181) fingerpaint with shaving cream
182) collect sticks and mud and build a bird's nest
183) write newspaper articles for a pretend newspaper
184) put together a family newsletter
185) write reviews of movies or plays or TV shows or concerts you see during the summer
186) bake a cake
187) bake a batch of cookies
188) decorate a shoe box to hold your summer treasures
189) make a hideout or clubhouse
190) make paper airplanes
191) have paper airplane races
192) learn origami
193) make an obstacle course in your backyard
194) make friendship bracelets for your friends
195) make a wind chime out of things headed for the garbage
196) paint your face
197) braid hair
198) play tag
199) make a sundial
200) make food sculptures (from pretzels, gumdrops, string licorice, raisins, cream cheese, peanuts, peanut butter, etc.) and then eat it
201) make a terrarium
202) start a club
203) take a nap outside on your lawn
204) produce a talent show
205) memorize a poem
206) recite a memorized poem for your family
207) read the newspaper
208) write a Letter to the Editor about an article or issue in the newspaper

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
--Deborah Taylor-Hough (wife and mother of three) is the author several books including Frozen Assets: How to Cook for a Day and Eat for a Month, and the newly released Frugal Living For Dummies(r) (Wiley, 2003). You can visit Debi online and subscribe to one of her free email newsletters at: http://simplemom.com

Simple, yet such beautiful pleasures

Flowers growing in our garden beds have literally surrounded our home since the spring tulips and early blooms burst from their buds. Though those have now faded and their color disappeared, a continuation and abundance of beauty unveils for us to behold and take pleasure in. Truly, a whole lot of simple beauty!

Enjoy!

A Child's Paradise...

A child's paradise!

I've toured you all around general areas of our acreage several times, mostly through pictures taken out of doors. Now, let me be your personal escort through our children's "secret garden", their little paradise.

Bordering the rear of our property, a large portion of the farm crops are currently planted with soybeans. A short walk from our property boundaries sits a gentle flowing and shallow little creek with small fish swimming about it's running waters, one I haven't personally strolled out to explore just yet, though hubby has. It was always so muddy beyond our section of land when the idea crossed my mind, so soon, now with the field crop growth beginning to keep the grounds drier, I'll wander over to the brambling brook someday, having already been given permission from the farmer to enter the fields to do so. The children think it's just grand, yet to me, their little jaunts usually are accompanied with wet oozing mud dropping off their boots and over pants, hands and even cherub cheeks! Some fun for an adult, but for a kid, it’s normal fun stuff not thought of as part of a negative to the event.

Guess who was in the farmer's field?

Here are a few pictures to leave you with an impression of life here for the children. When I mentioned they run crazy and wild all over the place here, and sleep comes with the head dropping immediately to the pillow accompanying great snoring concerts, I wasn't kidding you know. *smile*

After waking in the wee hours of the morning to take the pups out for their daily morning walk duties, I'll often find one, or all of the children way out back. No wonder! It's a fabulous dreamy sort of never-never kid land, where huge creativity and imagination are initiated by uncluttered cityite lifestyles and boisterous annoying noises! It’s a place where real play embarks into lifelong memories. I wonder how they choose what to do first though, just where oh where… to begin.

Our first stop is the long awaited dream of building a tree fort for the older son here. The first thing he accesssed when entering this property for a possible purchase last December, was a tree, any kind of tree, to see his ever eager determination and vision of building and owning his very own tree fort, (like Nicholas and he constructed on his property), could come true for himself here. That specific ideal request was very important to him. On this land, hubby suggested the near dead one (smile) to erect a home away from home in. Oldest son was given a copy of “How to build tree houses, huts and forts by; David Stiles. for his birthday and has it memorized.

Not a bad staircase

While construction was beginning on our barn, small leftover plywood pieces and bent nails were set aside by the subtrades to use some other time, or take away as a garbage lot once the building was finished. Little by little, I’d look out the window noticing, yet again, one child poking through the pile and sneakily bolting up the back to add it to their fort bootie pile (like pirates!) and they gladly accepted all bent nails, banging away to straighten them all up again. A bagful now rests out in the tree fort supply stocks. If you ask me the book must be providing fairly good how-tos, because these stairs look okay!

In these tall grasses, any imaginative play comes alive!

- I’ve seen hunting with swords or Lego guns. I've followed little headdress feathers bob up and down, with the walking gait of the native Indians, as they strolled along to their teepees deep in the forest.

- Scavenger hunts always award the seeker with new goodies to collect. (Two large toads came to the porch into bug bottles two weeks ago, added next to the antfarm filled with small ants...oh goodie!)

- Sitting amongst the tall grass, is a great hiding spot, especially when mom is looking for a child whose chores are incomplete.

- Nature gardens have been constructed for little critters to visit during the midnight darkness nocturnal romps

You tell me. Is this not the perfect hideout for a young lad?

I found the perfect bell to hang outside and ring when seeking out the children for meals. My whistle as pitch perfect as it can get, isn't always heard, but this bell is!

Winding paths through the long grass
allow for imaginations to run wild

Caution; History of the ages at play!

Take two old swings from years gone by, one older teen who wants so badly to assist his younger siblings to have a swing set, and one very large Elm tree with an alcove surrounded with high grass to swing legs up into, back and forth with a tickle behind their knees, just above the grounds around the swing ground area, and here you have a lovely setting, in the shade of an old tree, one child or two usually swinging gently below, another (or two) hanging around above reading a book, finding a bug, looking for a bird’s nest, and you have a wonderful haven to mosey on to any time of day.

The secret garden,
with one red
and one blue swing hanging
under this Elm tree

One can only imagine the sights the child senses, and might recall someday in their senior age. I myself watched the horse farmer load her barn loft today with hay bales, horses prancing here and there while she was busy working away...not an easy job either.

Watching the happenings on the horse farm next door

As well, to the other side of us, the eighty pear trees, with six varieties. These will harvest one day soon, but meanwhile the children have been given permission to climb however many they wish. The owner merely asked them to refrain from entering the orchard when the pears are larger, so there isn't an accident for him to worry about with pears dropping on their heads and injuring them.

The pear orchard. Eighty trees, six varieties

.....Through the eyes of a child, time stands still. Ah, to be a child again!

Always out exploring.
Looking for the bunch of wild bunnies' hideout
found on our property in the mornings