Good Times-July

We take a lot of pictures each month. Not all of them turn into blog posts. I thought I'd start a monthly 'Good Times' entry to showcase other precious moments.

Sam was being super cute while waiting for sisters' dance performance.
Everyone's favorite activity...Mommy pile-up!
We started our Family Game Night this month. The second week we played Sorry!
The aftermath of our weekly adventures.
We got some great shots of the kids playing in a tree at Las Golondrinas.


We love to watch the wildlife in the yard. This bunny came close enough to say hi!Our sweet Seth...
Twin brothers! They were getting a lot of attention from the Girl's Volleyball team passing by at UNM last weekend.
Twin Cinderellas!

Road trip

We headed out on the open road yesterday. Destination: Phoenix. Why? We wanted to see the saguaros. They really are amazing, aren't they? And that drive into Phoenix is lovely, not to mention fun for the driver.

We got the added benefit of going on a day when the temperature hit 113 degrees. So we got to see what it is like to visit a human oven. I mean really, why do people live in Phoenix in the summer? Why do they wear jeans when the temperature is 113 degrees? Why don't they turn themselves into a nocturnal town so that you could actually have a chance of being comfortable while outdoors?
On a more positive note, we got to see cousins. Our visit was short but fun.
The primary reason for our visit was to pick up this beauty. We seem to be quickly outgrowing our minivan. We just couldn't figure out a way to get six car seats in it while still being able to access all six kids. We've been on the prowl for a van just like this for a few months now. We are very excited to have it home. Now, we're ready for the sixth car seat!

Having a ball

We did Crafty Kids Tuesday on Monday this week. And after two weeks of intense, multi-day, steep learning curve, crafts we decided to do something simple. We made bouncy balls! Talk about instant gratification.

Here's how it's done. First, you pour the mystery 'ball making mix' into the mold. Then dangle the mold in water 1 minute. Let set 3 minutes. Viola, you have a somewhat gooey but super colorful bouncy ball.

Here's Catherine and Chloe on step one...

Madelyn shows off her ball. She was the only one to make a big ball. It required too much mystery mix.Our collection of balls. This would be a cool way to do a solar system model, don't you think?
Ready to bounce!
Seth was hilarious. He would bounce first, then release the ball.

Domino rally

We were all prepared for a rainy afternoon yesterday. The forecasters told us Saturday night that it would rain from about 2:30 on. Of course, because it was predicted it didn't happen. Thus, we spent a nice, quiet (relatively speaking), restful day at home.

The girls set up a domino rally. After much interference from little brothers and frustration over their own accidental knockdowns, they finished.

You can't judge a class by its title

Yesterday the girls finished the summer music program they've been part of for the last 8 weeks. Catherine and Chloe learned new songs and dances. Primarily, they got to have fun with kids their age.

Madelyn was enrolled in a pre-piano skills class. Going into the summer, Mark and I thought she would learn the musical alphabet and do some drill and kill on the keyboard. Well, her teacher had other plans. Not only did Madelyn learn the musical alphabet, along with other important musical terms, she also composed and performed her own song. There were times in the semester when I thought she wasn't being pushed hard enough and times when I thought she was being pushed too hard. I was thankful Mark could help her through the half-notes and bridges. Yesterday, as I sat and listened to Madelyn and her classmates perform their pieces I saw that these kids were motivated and empowered by this process. They see themselves as musicians! Madelyn even came home yesterday and started a new song.

So, once again I've gotten a dose of my own medicine. I used to ask parents to trust me with their children's eduction. I used to talk to them about instructional strategies I was using. They would either cheer me on, remain quiet or protest that it wasn't how it used to be. Now, I'm the one who passed judgement too soon. I am thankful for Madelyn's experience in this class and look forward to what next semester brings.

Here's the second half of "Beautiful Mountain," composed and performed by our Madelyn:

A step into the past

We headed north yesterday on our family adventure of the week. We went to Las Golindrinas, a living history museum dedicated to reconstructing what life was like during the Spanish Colonial period in NM. It's like the Jamestown of the Southwest.

I had been to Las Golindrinas back in my teaching days but that's, ummm, been awhile. The draw for our kids was the promise of seeing how American Girl Josefina lived. The book's illustrations actually come from the ranch, which has buildings on it dating back to 1710.

Among the many activities we saw and tried was wool cleaning, known as carding. Madelyn and Catherine gave it a whirl...

Seth takes a peek at the source of the wool that sister's just carded...
Madelyn takes a Colonial timeout...
This is the kitchen pictured in the Josefina book. We like the cradle (foreground) suspended by ropes that looped the vigas on the ceiling.
Time for school! We took up all but three desks.
Our family picture du jour...
The morada...it's not a church but does have religious significance for a group of Catholic laymen. I know that is vague but I can't remember their exact name and without it the details seem moot.
Our final stop before heading to our picnic lunch was the mill. Unfortunately, it was not running but the flours it grinds were out to touch. Fun!

Squash boats

When it became clear that we had more squash than appetite for squash, Mark told me how his Grandma Lowe used to make squash boats for him to play with when he was a child. I thought that was a mighty clever idea! So, yesterday in the midst of slicing, dicing, blanching and chilling 23 squash and grating 10 zucchini for freezer storage I decided we'd make squash boats at bathtime. I set aside the five biggest squash, ones I knew would be full of seeds.

When bathtime rolled around all five kids were super excited for their boats. Seth didn't like his in the water though. I guess vegetables and bath don't mix for him. The girls used theirs as a hair wetting and rinsing vessel. What simple fun and what a great way to keep Grandma in our home and hearts even when she lives so far away.

Teach persistence, learn patience

Yesterday was Tuesday again...Crafty Kid Day! The girls were all geared up for their project. After quiet time I got down the boxes for latch hook. I remember doing latch hook as a kid. I remember one in particular, I think it was Snoopy. What I really remember was that the background was green.

We charged into the kits. Catherine and Chloe's kits are for beginners. The rug is a plastic grid and the hook is smaller for easier manipulation, that is, if you have highly developed fine motor skills. Chloe was first up for Mommy help. As soon as she saw me do the first piece of yarn, she declared she couldn't do it. It seemed so easy in my memory. Not so much when you're four. Chloe decided she could help most by managing the bundle of yarn pieces. And so she did!Next up for Mommy help was Madelyn. Madelyn's box says 'Easy, Fun, Quick'. Of course that presupposes you've had experience with latch hook. We tried one way, then another, then another yet. I kept trying to simplify the steps, make the motions easier but that little latch kept getting in the way when Madelyn tried. She was frustrated. Tears were shed.

Parenting is such a delicate balance. It's so hard to know when to let them stop because the frustration is too great or when to push them that extra step so that they can acquire a new skill. After much mental debate, I pushed. I knew she could do it. It just takes practice to get the maneuver right. Indeed, I made the right call...this time.Now we need to work on time management so that she can actually finish her project someday. The good news is she's motivated and I'm hoping that her enthusiasm will help her sisters pick it up on the next exposure or maybe the one after that. Here she is already teaching it back to me.Finally, it was Catherine's turn. She was convinced she could do it and got her hook stuck several times trying to prove it. She resigned herself to yarn helper but only until I completed a row, then she wanted a crack at it again. I love her persistence.
And I got yet another lesson in patience. It's funny how those things I used to pride myself on having in abundance when working with other people's children are often the one's my children challenge most.

Ain't that the truth

It's hot! We always seems to have the most hot and humid summers when I'm pregnant. Of course that's not documented by our local meteorologist, rather it's an internal gauge. I was asking Madelyn last week why it is so hot. She replied, quite emphatically, that it's because we "live so close to the incubator." I'm sure folks living around the Earth's midsection will appreciate this juxtaposition.

Happiness is a hike in the woods

Yesterday Mark suggested that we escape the heat of the valley and head up to the top of the mountain we gaze upon daily. Just Saturday night we spent a half-hour watching lightening strikes over it during a particularly dramatic thunderstorm.

After a 45-minute drive and many complaints of tummy aches (probably a little motion sickness) and sleepiness, we made it to our destination. Fortunately, Chloe and Catherine's moods did a 180 upon arrival.Our girls are always on the lookout for pretty flowers (which they were instructed not to pick) and bugs. They all quickly found a ladybug friend.Then we discovered why...a ladybug family reunion.We made it to the nature trail, the only trail fit for a family of our size and ability. We could only take one backpack as my front pack is about all I can manage for now. We were setting up for a family shot and Mark gave Sam a bird's eye view. He quickly proclaimed, "Woooow!" Madelyn just as quickly told Daddy to take Sam down so he didn't get hurt. Yes, she's a mini me!
The group shot...When presented with a fork in the path, we chose the wooded path. It was beautiful and cool. Seth and Sam alternated between the backpack and navigating all the roots and rocks.Sam got to touch everything from his penthouse.
Part of the trail was descending this steep rock staircase. We were even more glad we took the wooded fork because had we chosen the other path we'd have been going up these steep stairs.The girls had so much fun 'exploring'. They were scampering up and down the rocks and finding butterflies all around. I've decided that for hikes and camping we should dress the kids in red, orange or yellow so that they're easier to spot.
After our hike we headed down the mountain a little and found a nice, quiet picnic spot.
It really was a lovely day. The kids have asked to go hiking more often, like tomorrow. I'm not sure that we'll get out that soon but we've definitely learned that a nature walk at 10400 ft. during the summer sure is a great way to beat the heat.