the Government

At breakfast the other morning, Mateja and I were having some great conversations about all sorts of things. It's part of our usual routine. She's gets some great notions in her head and wants to talk it out and ask a bunch of questions, not all of which are related.

This particular morning we were talking about orphans. Well, she was asking lots of questions about children and their parents and what happens to children when their parents die? (what in the world?) So then I tried to answer further questions regarding orphans and orphanages and foster care. This was all in response to the questions that were raised as we dug deeper into the subject and then I tried to explain the government's role in all of it.

She said, "Who's the government? Is that the bad guy?"

Who Is the Teacher?

This post is simply to state that, after much research, we have decided to home school. Mateja is supposed to start kindergarten in the fall. So, she'll just have me as her teacher (still). See I finally came to REALLY realize that I AM a teacher already. In fact, I am HER teacher. This morning whilst driving in the car she was firing questions at me like she usually does. Here is a sample of the things she was asking me. I had to jot them down while we were stopped at a red light.

"How many eyes do squids have?"

"Why can you turn right at a red light but not left?"

"What is an exhibit?"

"What does great gas mileage mean?"

"What is a gang?"

"What is butter? I mean, I know it's something you eat, but what else is it?"

Before she started preschool, I would get some credit for the things she learned (like her colors or numbers or letters - cuz I did teach her those things). Everything else she would attribute to either the knowledge of her father or her grandmother (Grammy Di). Then she started preschool (two days a week of preschool) and her teachers then received all of the credit for absolutely anything she had ever learned or was currently learning (even things like how to snap her fingers!). Now that she'll be home schooled, I wonder if I will get any credit for the breadth of her knowledge... she informed me once, not too long ago, that the only reason I actually knew anything was because someone had told me or maybe I had read it in a book. Maybe she's the teacher!

"Kinda Like an Animal"

The girls were down in the courtyard playing with two neighbor girls, sisters who are five and nine years old. I was sitting at the patio table on our deck keeping an eye on them whilst doing some work on the computer. The four of them were at the edge of the courtyard. My view of them was somewhat blocked by the overhanging tree branches. I could see them through the branches and hear them playing, I just couldn't see exactly what it was that they were doing. I found out soon enough. And this is exactly the reason I don't usually let them go to the courtyard without me.

The five year old neighbor girl (I'll call her Missy) had lost one of her shoes in an ivy patch. The girls wanted to help her look for it, of course, so they proceeded to rip up that ivy to find the shoe. Then two other neighbor kids (ages five and three) joined in the rampage. And they tore that patch up! There were leaves all over the grass and sidewalks. Branches and roots were strewn everywhere by the time I happened upon the scene. They still hadn't found that shoe. I was unhappy and disappointed with the children, but especially my eldest as I have higher expectations for her. She tends to be one of the leaders in the neighborhood crew despite the fact that she's not the oldest among them. I was equally embarrassed. Again, part of the reason I don't usually let them in the courtyard without my presence known among the rest of the children. Anyway... I told all the children we needed to clean it up immediately. I gave Mateja a bit of a lecture (I know, lectures suck) whilst I knelt beside her to pick up the wreckage. You know, standard lecture stuff: I was disappointed and this is not how we treat other people's property and how it's devastating for the earth AND how this is something a wild animal would do, not children.

Mateja responded, "Well, Arielle is kinda like an animal." That stopped me in my tracks and I literally had to hold myself back from bursting into laughter. The look on my face triggered the rest of her thought process, "Well, her name means Lioness of God, so that's kinda like an animal, Mom." I replied, "You're right." And then the laughter erupted. I just couldn't help myself. LOVE my kids!

Missy's older sister got a broom from her apartment, the children worked as a team to clean up their mess and I found Missy's shoe.

Summer Produce

There's just no denying that this family loves produce. We are produce lovers. And when the weather changes and the harvest changes... heaven on earth here in the lovers home. We currently have in our home right now: Cherries, raspberries, bananas, apricots, nectarines, strawberries, grapes, mangoes, tomatoes, avocados, red & orange bell peppers, red kale, celery, carrots, cilantro, zucchini, red leaf lettuce, arugula, English cucumber, spinach, Brussels sprouts...

I'm a nut! That's all the fresh stuff I've picked up at Farmer's Market and organic produce stands... it's out of control, but I can't help it. And we're eating it as fast as it's coming in (I mean, we kinda have to if I don't want it to start wilting and be inedible). I refrained from buying blue berries yesterday and more strawberries this morning (although by the end of today, the current ones we have will likely be gone). We love it though. Can I just have my OWN garden already? OK. I can be patient. I know I can.

Mateja loves nectarines and pineapples. I love apricots (it's basically the cleanest, non-messiest fruit you can eat). Ari's favorites are strawberries and raspberries, well, any berry for that matter. Nathan loves mangoes. And then when you stick a variety of them in a blender w/ some kefir? Again: heaven on earth.

And then there's veggies... kale has to be my #2 go-to veggie prety much all the time (asparagus is #1). We also love baby broccoli quite a bit over here. And if you can find some delicious brussels, oh heck, it's over. We're having the brussels as a side with dinner tonight. Also having the spinach and then I'm going to make a basic salad w/ some red leaf, cucumber, tomatoe and arugula... but that's dinner. Lunch is in the works. We just LOVE fresh produce. LOVE IT!!