a gypsy caravan

A Recent Creation

The kids worked pretty hard on this snow fort.  It has started to melt but I thought you might enjoy seeing it.

It has four sides, though the back and sides are not as high as the front (almost 5 feet tall).  They intended to enclose the top but ran out of steam, um, er...snow. :)

Kissing Their Hands

Have you read this beautiful idea from Kristen at Small Treasures?   She recommends a small act of love and humility to overcome impatience with our children. Thank you, Kristen.

Manatees in Winter

Our family lives in a part of the country known for its fierce winters.  While we spend a whole lot of time outdoors in the friendlier three seasons, we hibernate quite a bit in the winter.  More often than not, on snowy days, we study nature from the confines of our warm home using colorful books or videos.  When the temperatures are a bit more tepid, we bundle up and venture outdoors for a walk or field trip.   

I wanted to show you some photos from our most recent nature study topic...Manatees!!

Now of course you know that we don't have any manatees living in Northeast Ohio but we were happy enough to find out that there are some in our state's capital, Columbus.  We just happened down to that fine town a week ago and visited the Columbus Zoo.  They have a very nice manatee exhibit for visitors to view, even during our chilly Ohio winters.   Here are some photos of these "gentle giants" from our field trip.

Manatees like to swim in pairs or groups and keep in close contact with one another. These two are named Stubbie and Willoughby.

Stubbie came right up to the glass to see who we were!

You might have seen some vegetation floating on top the water in the topmost photo.  That is romaine lettuce.  We were lucky enough to visit during their lunch hour.  Here is Willoughby gobbling his meal.

We have been reading the book Manatees by Kathy Feeney.  Here are some fun manatee facts from the book:

• Manatees usually prefer water near shore from 5 to 20 feet deep but have been known to travel out as far as 4 miles offshore.
• There is no real leader in a group of manatees.  They all just seem to get along with each other.
• Zoologists can tell how old a manatee is by counting the number of growth rings on its ear bones.  One ring equals one year.  Manatees may live as long as 60 years.
• Manatees are tactile, which means they like to touch things and each other.  They greet one another by pressing their snouts together or by touching tails.
• Most mammals have seven neck bones, which allow them to turn their head sideways to see.   Manatees have only six neck bones, so they must turn their whole bodies around to see.
• Manatees are closely related to the elephant but they live in water.  They belong to the scientific order Sirenia.  This name means "sea cow" in Greek.
• They require water temperatures of 68 degrees Fahrenheit or above.
• The average adult manatee is about 10 feet (3 meters) long and weighs about 1,000 pounds.   Some may grow to 13 feet and weigh as much as 3,500 pounds. 

Lastly, here is the crew resting after a fun afternoon of discovery!

Many thanks to Dawn for a wonderful Winter Field Day!

Happy St. Valentine’s Day!

We have a blizzard here in Cleveland!  The view out our window...

Yup.  That's snow.  Snow on the ground, snow on the windows, snow in the air.

Though the outside is colorless, the inside of the house is full of color!

The remains of our Valentine exchange...

Our Catholic Mosaic valentines...

This one is for my beloved Karen....

as is this one...

Here's hoping you all have a wonderful, chocolate filled Valentine's Day!

Soulmates?

Me:  "I just don't think anyone really understands me."

Mike: "What do you mean?"

Anyway

People are often unreasonable, illogical,
And self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you
Of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some
False friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank;
People may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis
it is between you and God
It was never between you and them anyway.

~Mother Teresa

Camera Cord, Camera Cord, Wherefore Art Thou Camera Cord?

Juliet. Camera Cord, Camera Cord, Wherefore Art Thou Camera Cord? Deny thy torturous absence and refuse thy game; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my steadfast search for thee, And I'll no longer be a woman of sanity. *

Camera Cord. [Aside.] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this? *

Juliet. 'Tis but thy cruel game that is my enemy;-- Thou art forever absent, though through no fault of mine tis true. What is your tortourous trick? Search I in vain though find you not under tables, Nor chairs, nor beds, nor any other part Belonging to a house. O, be around this corner! What is this repetitive search, that which consumes my days? By any other method I cannot load my photos; So Camera Cord would appear, were he not despairingly stubborn, Retaining  that insolence in which he persists That small, black pestilent necessity:--Camera Cord, doff thy holiday: From thou furlough, which keeps me from joy, Come forth thou from hiding. *

Camera Cord. I take thee at thy bidding: Call me again my love, and I'll emerge from my concealment; Henceforth never will I be ensconced. *

Juliet. Where hidest thou, thus beclouded out of sight, So causing such time strain and stress of my brain? *

Camera Cord. By my shame I know not how to tell thee where I am: My game, dear woman, is growing old yet even to myself, Because I am becoming an enemy to thee. Had I it to repeat, I would lessen your grief. *

Juliet. Mine eyes have yet not checked beneath the bathmat or in the plant though they are the only locations that have gone untrod. Call yet again, as I have searched my abode for hours. Let me hear thee say "warmer" or "colder"  if thy hast mercy in thy black and wiry soul. Of that tongue's utterance,  I know the sound; Art thou not in the camera bag or on the desk? *

Camera Cord. Neither, fair maiden, if either thee recheck. *

Juliet. How cam'st thou to be hidden, tell me, and wherefore? Was it the baby, who has carried thou away? And the place unknown, considering who thou art, thy size allows thee to lose thyself in the small hands of my kinsfolk. *

Camera Cord. With small, fat, dimpled hands did I o'erperch my keeping place; For cabinet locks cannot hold her out: And what she can do, that dares she to attempt; Therefore thy many small kinsmen find no challenge to misplace me. *

Juliet. They search in vain for thee as well! If they do see thee, they will capture  thee. *

Camera Cord. Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye Than twenty of their wooden swords: lookest thou beneath thy desk thou fair simpleton, I am clearly to be seen if thou useth thy spherical optical organs. *

Juliet. I can no longer offer thee my undying love for thou hast enraged me with thy absence once again.    Thou hast been and will forever be a thorn in my side.  Alas and alack, I am undone!  Exeunt.

Poetry Friday

Be Like the Bird

Be like the bird, who

Halting in his flight

On limb too slight

Feels it give way beneath him,

Yet sings

Knowing he hath wings.

--Victor Hugo

Snow Adventures, subtitled “I am Insane”

Well, after days and days of asking, nagging, prodding, heavy hinting and everything else short of lying on the floor and kicking their feet, the kids convinced me that it was a GREAT idea to go sledding.  I knew better and was quite toasty in the warm house, thankyouverymuch.  But deep down inside, I really wanted to be Fun and Hip Mommy.  (I think, however, the very fact that I am using the word "hip" means that I am not.)  So, I finally threw up my hands in desperation and yelled, "Alright, alright!  One hour of sledding!  Get your stuff!"   

The older kids threw the sleds and snowboards in the van and got their sisters bundled in multiple layers of mismatched woolens.  We took a ride to the hill where the boys tried their hand at snowboarding, as did their mother, in a fit of complete insanity.   I should have read the signs but alas, I did not.

After an embarrassing attempt to recreate my slalom water skiing days on snow, I proceeded to pick the ice from my teeth and slow the pace a bit.  Rather than risk my neck on the slopes, I would pull the baby around in the little sled.  Here are some photos of Her Royal Cuteness.

And here is Mary who, at first, would not even sit on the sled but later was screaming happily and coasting downhill with her hair flying in the wind.

Christopher made a nice attempt at the snowboard as well.  It is new to him this season.   I have to admit that he looked more at home on it than I did.

There are no photos of Benjamin who is sorely disappointed over that fact.   I think it is alright that I do not have a photo of him from that day because I have about 500 more of him than I have of all the other children since him.

Here are Mary and I taken by Ben   

   

A few days later, we hit the slopes again with our friends the McDonnells and the Cunninghams. My friend Marie (who is very Fun and Hip) slid the slopes with the best of them.  I could not be outdone so I took my chances on the little saucer sled that you see in the photo of Mary above.

I positioned myself at the top of the very tall hill, made sure the coast was clear and got myself psyched up for the steep slide to the bottom.  While I psyched myself, Benjamin snuck up from behind and proceeded to shove me down the hill.  I spun like a top the entire length of the hill, hitting all the bumps on the way down.  I landed in a snowy heap at the base of the hill while my children cheered for their "very Fun and Hip" lunatic mother.

I guess sledding after the age of 35 ranks right up there with trying to do a cartwheel or a somersault.  It certainly looks a lot easier than it is.  Trust me, I know.

Happy Birthday Christopher!

Here is a kind fellow who always has a smile on his face.  At birth, seven short years ago,  he was my largest child, weighing over ten pounds.   He is very independent, helpful around the house and is generous to his siblings.  Chris is a talented artist, loves to dress up in historical costumes and can throw a mean fastball.

You are growing up so fast!  I am so proud of the boy you are and I am grateful to be your Mom!   

Cleaning with Children

Those of you with little ones might enjoy Kelli Wilt's post entitled Cleaning with Children.  Her blog, The Sparrow's Nest,  is lovely to peruse and has many helpful hints on the art of homemaking.