What happens when you combine 200 liters of Diet Coke and over 500 Mentos mints? It's amazing and completely insane. OOOOOH, if you (local friends) are going to try this out in your backyard, invite us over please!
We have gone Science crazy this afternoon. Thank you, my friend, for hosting it at your lovely home and making chemistry so fun and exciting for COOL kids--and easy for parents! Everyone had fantastic time getting a glimpse of the periodic table of elements and formulas and equations, making up individual atom chart, *burning* sugar, experimenting with mixtures of baking soda, water, and Driveway Heat Concentrated Ice Melter... Magical Moments also available directly here on Flickr
Thank you, Jolene, for bringing stamped postcards for the penguin science project and Kristin for sending in a bundle to remote continent of Antarctica by December 31. Thank you, Jenn Triplett, for sharing the project with us. COOL kids loved decorating them. I'm curious (and excited) when they will make their way back to us from the U.S. research station nearest the penguin colony... 
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Mom's Night Out has been a great venue for mommy breaks, where we hardworking mommies get to relax and release some tension. Have you thought of taking breaks from your child(ren) seemed wrong? I had this 1950s sitcom housewife image in my head. I just knew that if I could get that perma-smile plastered on tight enough then the days would go by perfect. Then, my youngest son turned 1 and I tossed a lot of ideas out the window. Mommy time was a must, an absolute have to have. I still felt guilty for it. How could I think my precious wonderful baby was enough to drive me to frustration? How could I not just suck it up and deal with it? Five years later, I slowly realized I needed support and someone to help kick me in the butt for not taking a break sooner.
I was so happy to be in town this year for Mom's Night Out Holiday Party. As always, great food, terrific company--besides the regulars, we were blessed with Patrice and Eva's presence. I swear...if people don't know us, they probably think that's all we COOL moms do when we gather--EAT and have SPA treat!
We all loved Michelle's idea to share a craft each month at mom's night out, a way to learn a new skill (and all for FREE!)
The more I thought about the evening, the more I realized...Almost everyone knows the stereotype about homeschoolers and books. You can tell you’ve walked into a homeschooling household when there are more stacks of books than places to sit down and read them. There is another, lesser known yet still somewhat true stereotype. Homeschooling moms are crafty.
Is it a side effect of homeschooling? All the years of doing crafts with our kids turns us to crafters ourselves. Or maybe the two just draw common people. We just enjoy learning new discoveries with our children, like knit a scarf, sew a dress, felt/full a handbag, or create our own decorations. I’ve tried to come up with some theories; each one seems to have enough exceptions to it not to hold water. No matter the reason why there are some crafty homeschoolers out there.
Like Dana with her too cool Saturday School ideas. See what I mean? Crafty, crafty, crafty. in a good way, I swear. And then last night I stumbled upon a post that combined the stereotypes on books and crafts into one perfect crafty/book collage. I like hopping over to see what fabulous Christine has created this time from old clothes. So are homeschoolers more crafty? Or are crafty people more drawn to homeschooling?
I know I’m biased, what with a craft blog myself, but I really think there is a connection. If not in crafts exclusively perhaps homeschoolers are just drawn to creative things. Like the too creative and gorgeous jewelry from Fussypants. I still don’t know how she does it, homeschooling a house full of boys and pregnant and still able to make jewelry like this. And have you ever been to the Pioneer Woman? If that isn’t creativity and homeschooling combined, I don’t know what is.
How many other crafty, creative homeschooling moms are there?
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Holidays are about celebrating the people in our life, not increasing our girth.
Earlier this afternoon, our local COOL homeschooling family kicked off the holiday celebrations in the Common House at Higher Ground Co-Housing Community from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. with all kinds of food, entertainment, and activities.
The party is a great "no pressure, non-judgemental" activity. There is no spelling, no writing, no testing...It is just a time to have fun and be with friends--kids playing, creating, running, eating, and more--moms chatting in our friendly zen-tuary. At one point, I paused to remember the real reason for the season. Christmas is a time for peace.It was a cracking afternoon--just ask the kids. Moms had our laughs. Don't pass up another COOL party--Mom's Holiday Swap Night is this Sunday, December 16, at Kristin's!
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It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) has long since taken its rightful place as America's favorite Christmas movie--and one of our family movies at Christmastime.
Early yesterday morning, our local COOL homeschooling families went and saw Richard Rose's Stage Adaptation of the Frank Capra movie of It’s A Wonderful Life performed by Bend Experimental Art Theatre (BEAT) 34 gifted young artists (in two casts) in association with The Tower Theatre Foundation. The show was directed by our very own Mary Kilpatrick and Brad Thompson. Integration of intricate sets, talented musicians, and a versatile cast created a charming and all-around entertaining performance. Representative of the area’s younger talent showcased their captivating storytelling abilities and kept the audience laughing with comedic scripts throughout the acts. They were sincere, professional on the part of keeping in line with the original theatrical script; however, as an afterthought, I personally wouldn't recommended it to younger children under 8 and those haven't seen the original film. (There were a few lines I actually didn't remember from the original film.)
When I first saw James Stewart in It's A Wonderful Life in my high school years, I've seen how young George Bailey has changed the lives of a few people in the “crummy little town” of Bedford Falls. He prevented his boss Mr. Gower from accidentally poisoning a customer and also saved his brother Harry from drowning.
I soon met the adult George who wants to leave Bedford Falls to go travelling the world. He never fulfilled this dream and instead took over the Building & Loan company following the death of his father.
A series of events led George to the brink of suicide and an encounter with a wingless angel called Clarence. In order to get his wings, Clarence showed George what life would’ve been like in Bedford Falls had he never been born. His brother drowned so wasn’t around to save the crew of a ship during World War II and Mr. Gower became the town bum after poisoning a young customer.
So what is it that dh and I enjoy about Stewart’s performance in the film year after year? The actor gave us a wide range of emotions from when we first saw him trying to buy a suitcase, to when we saw him with his family and friends at the end of the film. Surprising to think that he never took a single acting lesson, believing people could only learn to act through working at the profession rather than studying it.
Stewart was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his part in the film, but lost out to Fredric March, for his performance in Best Years of Our Lives. This may have had something to do with It’s A Wonderful Life not doing so well on its initial theatrical release. It received many mixed reviews and has since become more popular through TV broadcasts and availability on home video & DVD. Like many of the Laurel & Hardy pictures, a colorized version of the film has been released, which is just wrong!
If you’ve never seen a James Stewart film, both It’s A Wonderful Life and Harvey (1950) are great places to start although I’d rate It’s A Wonderful Life as the better of the two. I honestly say that had I never seen the film, I probably still wouldn’t have seen any of Stewart’s films even today.
Next time you’re stuck for a film to watch, pay a visit to Bedford Falls. Not just a wonderful life, but a wonderful performance too!
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SWIM, SWIM, SWIM...Swimming is FUN for FISH! Coach Murphy was much more relaxed at Lesson 3 with COOL kids than the two before. DD#1 said it would have been in HEAVEN if there was diving. Perhaps, next time...
Ever have a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach? FIL came in town yesterday from Eugene for meetings with his property attorney and Fish and Wildlife which wrapped up earlier than expected. Naturally, he called to let us know he was dropping by the house instead of meeting at the restuarant (Angel Thai) last night! Everything was upside down and backwards--craft projects and supplies are scattered in every corner of our little home! OMG...I had a major panicking attack. I was noticeably grumbling around the house as I shuffled things into the Media Closet. MIL keeps their home in Eugene and in Sunriver in show-quality condition at all times for visitors. Here I am--a SAHM--with all the time in the world on my hand, can't keep an orderly household. What does he think of me now, his useless daughter-in-law! Good thing he is heading out from his Sunriver home this afternoon.
Christmas is sneaking up in two weeks...there is still no tree in the house to decorate! But, I do have Christmas music on here. Like them? What do you think of my new new player on the right-hand side off the top--see it? Like it better than the old one?
Things are getting better. They're just not done. I don't feel comfortable at home or being out. Not physically...more emotionally but even that isn't the right word. I just feel like I am not doing something right. It's the intangibles feeling about this holiday or dealing with my inner tyrant, my Gremlin, my editor, my censor, my monster?
I have lived with a fairly vocal inner tyrant most of my life. Recently, I’ve started to pay attention to what she has to say…not following her commands necessarily, but noticing when she speaks up and what happens to me if I take her rants a little too seriously.
When I imagine what she looks like, I see her as a younger version of the wicked witch of the west dressed in spandex. She’s hunched over the handle bars of a bicycle, sweat glistening on her brow, her brown hair pulled back in a severe ponytail pedaling as fast as she can. You can even hear her theme song in the background going do ta do ta doo doo, do ta doo ta doo.
As she’s pedaling with all of her might, she’s hissing, “You’re going to be late! Your house is a mess! Take the dogs for a walk! What kind of a mother are you?” Just at the moment when I am about to take a big personal risk, she asks, “Who do you think you are?” She’s the one who drives me to clean my house while the kids sleep when I’d really rather lie down and read a book. She’s the one who frets about being late, being different, being wrong, not being enough, being too much. “What will people think?” She asks again and again. She rides me pretty hard. She likes things to be perfect, in order, neatly folded and on time. After a few days of listening to her constant nagging, I can sometimes find myself riding on my own broom threatening anyone and everyone who gets in my way.
The household schedule has being thrown off ever since our 10-day Thanksgiving travel. Despite my obvious need to take some time to recover and simply be present amidst the chaos in my home, my inner tyrant is still tailing me, screaming orders, and running off a litany of deadlines I have imposed upon myself.
As I’ve been observing my inner tyrant since I started the blog, I’ve noticed that she gets loud when two very specific things are happening: when I’m overwhelmed or uncertain and when I’m about to take a personal risk. Through observing my inner tyrant, I’ve come to appreciate that she believes her job is to help me be safe. She sounds the alarm when I am trying to do too much, skip over something that is important to me or about to take a personal risk. I’ve discovered that when her voice gets really loud it’s time for me to stop and listen to what she has to say.
However, I’ve also learned that I don’t always need to take her advice.
The cost of letting my inner tyrant manage my life is that my voice gets cut off and I refrain from taking risks that allow me to learn, grow personally/wholesomely and enjoy my life more fully. Trying to keep up with her pace also turns me into someone I don’t want to be; but, she can be an ally if I stop to listen and practice managing her strengths and her wisdom. When I’ve stopped to truly listen to my inner tyrant’s nagging, I’ve discovered that she’s really asking me, “Is this important to you?” Sometimes, she’s simply warning me that I’m about to be more visible than I’m used to being. Sometimes she’s just giving me a chance to think through what I want to say more carefully so that I’m really clear.
I’ve learned that all she really wants is to be heard and once I acknowledge her warning she is quickly on to the next crisis.
The greatest thing I’ve come to appreciate about my inner tyrant lately is that without her in my life, I wouldn’t know that I had reached my edge and was now moving beyond it.
What about you? Do you know your inner tyrant? Do you keep a journal of your inner dialog. Do you notice when your inner tyrant gets loud. What’s going on for you in that moment? What is your inner tyrant saying to you? What’s underneath? Where does the inner tyrant hold you back? How can you make your inner tyrant an ally?
I can't put my finger on what it is throwing me off. I'll try to ride the wave and let things settle and listen for my inner ally.
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It was the hottest monthly (intimate Ladies' Night) COOL Mom's Night Out in Bend, OR, where you ALWAYS experienced a warm welcome from
our gracious, encouraging hostess, Kristin S.were served with plentiful of scrumptious/yummy/to-die-for home-made, gourmet foods
such as cream of broccoli and potatoe soup, tasty almonds made with family recipe, mixed green salad, shrimp and cucumber salad served with sesame crackers, pecan & walnut mini tarts, apple crisp, ; plus stuffed mushrooms, Chinese sesame chickens and broccoli beef served with steamed rice, deletable sipping wines, Bailey coffee, tea...and more that didn't make it in the pictures.
were surrounded with
a room full of great companies, wacky conversations (puberty, birds and the bees, menopause...), or simply being there for friends who are going through some rough spots. (Sorry, Myria...you had to leave early!)
and (drum roll) were pampered from head to toes without breaking the bank
So, don't you wish you were here? Next MNO Holiday Party will be either on Sunday, December 16, or Monday, the 17th, again at The Shields. There is plenty of time to work up a special treat/handmade gift for holiday swaps.
Let’s Dare To Dream, Dare To Believe, And Dare To Receive! Here are some positive vibes being sent to our friend Kristin as she is having her last chemo.
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Blue sky...sun is shining. The weather is sweet...make you want to move those dancing feet. In early part of the afternoon, our kids enjoyed a welcoming Surprise by briskly snowfall but all melted within minutes upon landing.
It's a busy day at the Peery lane, just as I've foreseen it would be. I'm a bit swamped getting ready for tonight's SPA party, finishing up community quilts,
teaching one of the COOL girls to sew a quilt, packing for a 10-day trip, finding sitter for the birds, cleaning the house and the messy birdcage...running million miles a second. Some days are just too busy to create a masterpiece in the kitchen for the potluck dinner. Today is one of those days. Hmmm...Chinese takeout will have to do!
To complicate my schedule further, a mixup on my part, a friend dropped off her daughter at 11 a.m. instead of 1 pm as I thought erroneously. Now, my day is totally off. Anyway, it was fun to lay out the pattern with a 10-year old. For a first-timer, Madelaine did great. We finished sewing all but 2.5 stripes-not too shabby for 3 hours' worth of machine sewing. Madelaine will finish piercing the rest of the blocks and ironing the seams at home. Next time we meet after our 10-day trip, Madelaine and I will add the sashs between stripes, borders, and bindings. Meanwhile, check out her first machine-sewing project:
Tonight's COOL Moms' Night Out is in honor of a special friend (which I will have to keep it a secret for now. Michelle S.) She will be presented surprise CARE "Full" (not Felted as referred by many) baskets, filled with handmade goodies, from the moms coming this evening. The two wash clothes I chose for the occasion are intended to salve the hurt a little bit - to let Michelle know that her friends are thinking of her, know the gut-wrenching disappointment she feels, and wish we could magic the pain away. Hope these gestures help her move on from the heartbreak.
The Angel measured 8.5" by 10", in Bernat CottonTots Pastel Dreams. The staggered fern is 10" x 10", in Lily Sugar n Cream Playtime. Both are 100% worsted cotton, washable/dryable, and knitted with size 8 needles. They will get softer with each wash--I love how they both turned out.
Following are some holiday samplers I decorated, over the wet weekend, out of wooden cutouts with acrylics paiints and glitters...they are adorable and fitting for upcoming winter festivities. I got more cutouts for COOL Kid's Club next project in first week of December.
A bunch of COOL families got together and explored felting fun on a rainy day! The felting I am talking has nothing to do with knitting--not the kind you knit first, throw-in-washing-machine-to-shrink-bags technically called FULLED BAGS, not felted (try telling that to all the magazines and websites where all the FULLED baskets, bags and hats are a big rage right now, identified as felted...) FULLED craft is an art unto itself.
The simple description of felting we did this afternoon is amazingly deceptive: Feltmaking is an ancient technique. You add warm soapwater to the wool, press and rub the wool and the fibres will tighten into a felted textile material.
Thanks to our friend Kristin S. for making everyone's wet felting experience enjoyable and successful! All the fun project took was rovlings, ziplock bags, hot water, dishwashing liquid soap, and the last important step--a hodgepodge of this and that of pounding, kneading, stumping, squeezing, massaging, poking with chopsticks--really work the fibers together. What makes felting appealing is that everyone can do it with little or no skill in knitting, crocheting, or even sewing.
Ha! There is a lot more to it!!! Wet felting is a lot of fun. Needle felting is very interesting too (think: painting with wool). I used both techniques in a larger piece of fiber made. I am grateful for needle felting for as it has opened up the world of wool and fiber to me (especially for precision art.) You may wear it, walk on it, hang it, drape it, give it as gifts...you get the picture! Ideas are endless. Everything is done with a simple barbed needle. Is that exciting? Trust me...it is not difficult to become an accidental needle felter.
Here you will see samples of white wool with colored rovlings laid out in different ways created by COOL moms and kids all in one afternoon:
Designing is what I enjoy the most. Repetition is not something that I take pleasure in. I adore most arts and crafts and have tried (and still trying) my hand at most of them to see what appeals to me. When I discovered felting last winter, I found a new world of creative crafting, that in my opinion, is just being tapped. New books arrive on the market each month and I have purchased my share of these wonderful volumes and was overwhelmed by what you may do with felting, in variety of methods. It's relatively inexpensive. An abundance of great tutorials is readily accessible online for free. BTW, felting is addictive!!
Felted Bowl Created by Me
What would a COOL gathering be without food? Homemade snacks brought by everyone to share were scrumptious as usual. There you have it...another marvelous afternoon spent with our local COOL families! For more photos, visit
here.
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True learning-learning that is permanent and useful,that leads to intelligent action and further learning, can arise only out of the experience, interest, and concerns of the learner.
John Holt
Real heroes are men who fall, fail and are flawed, but win out in the end because they stayed true to their ideals, beliefs and commitments.
Actor Kevin Costner
