Seasons of Change: 2013

July 25, 2013

Joyfully I...

This is terribly late, but still worth posting. At the end of the school year our CT for Visions, Mrs. Linnet, presented us with a sweet gift. A few months back, she had given both Andre and I an on-the-spot assignment. In one minute, we were to write, stream of consciousness-style, a passage beginning with the prompt, "Joyfully I..." I assumed it was just a fun exercise she was allowing us to participate in, but in fact, she collected all of the passages from her students and parents, and bound them in this lovely handmade book!

Here are mine and Andre's passages. I think you'll be able to tell whose is whose;)

I loved this gift as I could tell that it was lovingly and joyfully made. And it is also a great memorabilia for Andre's 2nd grade year.

July 12, 2013

Like sand through an hourglass...

"The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough."

Rabindranath Tagore

Time...so fleeting. I say this over and over again, I know--but it never ceases to amaze me, how fast time flies. As I read the last post on this blog I see that it dates back to January, nearly half a year ago! I guess I have a lot of catching up to do.

I'll begin by posting a few random shots I took over the past year...some of my favorites.

Napa Riverfront

Autumn in Green Valley

Family stroll, back when my hair was still long.

Lovely fall leaves.

Winter in Napa Valley

This little guy sat on the dashboard of our old Durango all Christmas season.

Watching the sun set over the river.

Spring blossoms in our front yard.

Warmer days brings us to one of our favorite diners.

And here we are today...enjoying the carefree days of summer.

Me, sticking my hand out of the car window:)

Classical Conversations

One of the reasons I have been neglecting my poor blog (and opting for the much quicker and easier Facebook) has to do with a program my son participated in for the first time this past academic year. For second grade, Andre joined Classical Conversations, which supplemented his education through Visions Charter School. Considering the nature of the program, it proved to be a rigorous school year for us both! I can't say enough about how impressed I am by this program, which challenged Andre to memorize and retain facts I never would've imagined he had the capacity to do. Here's just a few of the things he learned in Cycle 1:

All of Exodus 20
All the presidents of the United States
Times tables up to 15, squares and cubes
History timeline from Creation to present day
Facts such as what caused the fall of Rome to the four types of ocean floors to the major provinces of Canada and the major types of vertebrates and invertebrates.

My mom joined the hubby and I in attending the end of the year's Open House and was blown away by how much knowledge the children had retained. What makes the program even more attractive to me as a Christian mom is that their focus is to train children to "know God and make Him known."

Andre's class, Tribe of Asher

Andre giving his presentation.

The children are required to give a presentation each week.

Andre dissecting an owl pellet and identifying the various bones.

Dissecting a crayfish.

Learning to play the tin whistle. The class learned "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"

and "Mary Had a Little Lamb".

Going on a nature hike to identify flora.

For Art, painting like Michelangelo (Sistine Chapel-style).

Presenting their Classification of Living Things chart.

Class picture, with their amazing tutor, Mrs. Whittet.

At the end of the year, each student is presented with a notebook

of all the year's artwork and science project worksheets.

Spring Bliss & Summer Fun

So many pictures, so little time! I'm an avid photographer, so I tend to take more than my fair share of photos. I think I do this because I don't want to miss anything. Moments are so brief and all too soon forgotten, so I do my best to capture those moments before they fade from memory. My hope is that the photos I take will call to mind the joy, satisfaction or thrill that was felt at the time...even if it's only an echo of it. Here are some photos of the more notable enjoyments of the last few months.

"I'm glad I am alive, to see and feel
The full deliciousness of this bright spring day."
William Allingham

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~Yosemite~

Evergreen Lodge

Andre's favorite part of the lodge--s'mores every night!

How great is nature and how small we truly are.

Upper Yosemite Falls

~Disneyland~

Bonding time with the cousins.

They look like they are at the Happiest Place on Earth.

Toy Story Midway, one of our favorite attractions.

Checking out the new Carsland.

Family

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"Come we to the summer, to the summer we will come..."

John Clare

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~Santa Cruz~

Seven years had passed since we last saw Billy's cousin and his family. At the time, we had visited them in San Diego. Andre was no more than one. Since that time, Anthony, who is in the Navy, had traveled to several locations before recently settling down in the Central Valley. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet each other somewhere halfway.

The boardwalk.

Such vibrant colors!

Cousins photo

It was so nice to have the opportunity to spend time with extended family at such a fun, lively place.

~Fourth of July at HMB~

One of the things I associate with summer...blowing bubbles!

And beach volleyball...

Wet and wild crew!

Friends 'til the end.

~Camping at Albion~

Upon invitation, we took a trek to Mendocino County to stay the weekend at the Albion Campground. It was a wonderful trip! Surrounded by nature and the simplest of essentials, it was a relief to be unplugged and unfettered from the usual routine. Here, there was little more to do than to breathe deeply of the sea-scented air, to study the breaking waves and the cloudless sky, to sit around a fire at night, toasting marshmallows and conversing under the stars.