Body Doubles

BODY LANGUAGE: I had to pull the roll of floor-protection paper out of the basement this morning for a home improvement project (the unending re-do of the shower upstairs), and while I had it out, I thought it would be a good time for the kids to do a little drawing. Specifically, I thought they'd have fun tracing around each other. And they did. :) After they traced themselves, they helped each other cut their own bodies out. Then they taped them up to the wall. It was Annabelle's idea to have them holding hands. :) I asked them each to grab a marker and write six words on their bodies describing themselves and six words on their sibling's body describing their sibling.
Here's what they came up with ...

SCREWY SCHEDULE: Instead of music this afternoon, we had an appointment to head to Shoreline for a curriculum check in. I was supposed to bring all of the materials I have checked out of the program's curriculum room. I had one whopping book - a Japanese for beginners manual. The checker-in-er was surprised - and a bit relieved, I think. There were multiple DOZENS on the floor next to her from the parent preceding me. I have to admit, in a way that made me feel like a slacker. ... Should I have more books from there for my kids? :/ On the other hand, I don't like stockpiling stuff. Our house is small, there are only so many hours in the day, and how many books can we possibly use at one time?

While I was checking books in, the kids were enjoying their first ever open gym time with their school mates. We've never been there on a Tuesday afternoon before, and that is one of the times the gym is open for Home Education Exchange students. CJ was absolutely THRILLED when some older boys suggested playing dodge ball. To date, he's only read about in books and seen it in cartoons or movies. The teams paired off and the balls started flying and it was a free for all. Of course, CJ and Annabelle were sketchy on the rules, and boy do they need some Dodge ball 101 lessons. CJ was throwing chest passes, not slinging the ball. :0 I think I need to get him and a rubber ball together with a brick wall sooner rather than later.

The kids also had a chance to clamber on the neat climbing wall for the first time.
THE JEFFERSONS: Miraculously, we practically flew down I-5 to Columbia City after our appointment in Shoreline this afternoon. I haven't seen traffic that light on I-5 through Seattle since the 1980s. Maybe it's the high gas prices?

Anywho, we had some time to kill before yoga and the sun was shining, so we made a quick stop at Christian's work to say 'hi.' Here's a picture of the kids in a section of an old wooden water line. ...

We also had time to stop at Jefferson Community Park. We hadn't been there is a couple of months, and though it's still a work in progress, man oh man, is it a gem.

The playground is enormous, with an abundance and variety of things to climb and slide and twirl on. CJ and Annabelle got this spinner going so fast, they were both 'flying.'
Today was the first chance we'd had to explore the expansive grassy areas beyond the playground. For months now, I've been wanting to see what the view from the cliff side there was. It was as great as I thought it would be. ...
There were several spots to stop and enjoy the view on the bluff, including a couple of rocky sculptures and concrete knee walls.
From various points you could see the Space Needle, the stadiums, the Sound, the Port of Seattle, and even good ol' Magnolia (the peninsula in the distance here):
This park tells a story. Seriously! Embedded amidst the green grass are swaths of concrete stamped with words that tell of the history and future of the grounds. For instance, one pad lets you know you're standing 326 feet above sea level...

The concrete tells the story of what's underfoot.

And what brings people to the park these days ...

and there's much, much more. We didn't have time to read the whole story today, but we'll certainly be back for more!

WINGS: Yoga was even more enjoyable than usual for the kids today because teacher Nicole designed a lesson around an idea CJ suggested last week. He wanted a theme of creatures who are feathered and/or fly, and that's what he got. They did special bird and ghost poses. They drew pictures of flying animals (real and imagined) and so on. In the funny coincidence file, right before we went in yoga, "Silly Love Songs" came on the radio, and I told the kids that it was a single by Sir Paul McCartney and Wings, from the "Wings at the Speed of Sound" album.

BOOKMARK IT: Borders stores (if there are any left by the end of the summer :( ) are offering a free book to kids for reading over the summer. Follow this link to a PDF.