Forest Walk

This is a fave image from a forest walk we had on the weekend.

Love these moments with the boyz.

the exploration

sunshine

play

discovery

meditation

quiet

ahhhh

it's in the little things

Me: I don't think I have any Christmas music here. I'm not sure how I'll get some.

Matt: That's easy, just search on Christmas music online and download it.

Everyday, the boys remind me in their own ways how they apply what they are learning-and more than that, what is important to them. It can be in an observation, a conversation, a book choice, a picture, lyrics to a song they write or within the context of their natural play. In fact, I discover so much about what they 'know' by watching and listening to their imagination games. As an example, yesterday Matt and Josh were playing happily with little dudes from playmobil's farm set. I was amazed to hear how they integrated their experiences from Kim's farm into their dialogue. One example, was they had to make pumpkin juice from scratch and that it had to be organic. :) Also, I get a glimpse of what they see as right and wrong as well as their sense of social etiquette through this type of play.

Another recent example of a 'little thing' came about when Matt was signing his name on a page he did about time with curls and swirls. He has always liked to do funky things with his name. Matt is so pleased with his creations! Such a stark contrast to the rigidity of my upbringing at school where everything had to be neat and tidy and uniform. I see Matt's creative expression as a symbol of his freedom and the ability to express himself as an individual. It gives me quiet delight and puts a smile on my face.

Happy 12th Birthday Lucas!

Twelve years ago today, our first child was born.

Lucas came into the world with his big blue eyes wide open... we all fell madly in love with him...

We had felt like we waited a lifetime to meet this little guy and were so blessed the day he was born ... I mean truly joyful ...

Lucas had a lot of fuzzy reddish hair that tended to stick straight up - and we liked it that way. :) As a baby he was known for his characteristic 'o' face and his easy-going nature. Lucas loved to be held and rocked yet was quite willing and able to entertain himself from a young age. He loved cars and was always double-fisted with hot wheels...for the longest time the green volkswagon bug was his fave.

Over the years, he has had many obsessions, hockey, Star Wars, Pokemon, books, computers and imagination games. He immerses himself in his interests and masters anything he sets his mind to. He has always 'beat to his own drum' and known exactly what his comfort level is in any given situation. Lucas will stand up for himself and will only do what feels right to him. He has high moral standards and his own sense of values. When he was only 7, he felt that family was a priority to him and clearly asked to be schooled at home. He just didn't think it made sense to spend so much time away from those he loved. At the age of nine, he made a personal choice to become a vegetarian due primarily to his love of animals and the environment. He is very sensitive to the mistreatment, injury or unnecessary death of any living being. He chooses not to listen to music or read books with swearing but has come to recognize that these words do not make the musicians or authors 'bad' people and can keep it in perspective when he does hear or see language that he deems inappropriate. Essentially, Lucas feels strongly about his principles and will not be swayed and yet can recognize that life is not black and white.

Lucas has always been a quiet and contemplative soul, somewhat serious with an adult-like perceptibility and sensitivity to others. He has a giant imagination and we believe that children of all ages are drawn to him in part for his imagination but also for his approachable and down-to-earth nature.

He is adored and idolized by his two younger brothers. We are so thrilled that they have each other and that Josh and Matt have such a wonderful role model to look up to in Lucas. :) It is a dream to watch their lives unfold together, learning, growing, playing and bonding.

The fact that Lucas is now on the cusp of being a teenager is astounding to Jeff and I. We want to savour this time with him and look forward to being a part of this phase of his life... watching him become more independent, curious and confident while maintaining that flicker of the little boy we have known and loved.

Words cannot clearly express all that there is to know about Lucas- all we feel-all he's taught us-

I can tell you, our lives wouldn't be the same without him and I am honoured to be his mom.

Happy Birthday Bear!

thankful for freedom: hopeful for peace.

Many of us only know of war from history books, oral tradition, photographs, movies and television. I am one of those people. Sadly, I do live in a time when war still exists. Thanks to technology and mass media, we who are removed, can see, hear, read and know about the devastation of war. However, I cannot truly know the fear, the pain, the terror that goes hand in hand with war. I have never had to experience that, because our forefathers and mothers fought for our freedom which has protected our way of life in Canada. While I do not personally advocate violence as a means of conflict-resolution, I do value the bravery and sacrifice of the men, women and families who have had to put their lives on the line for their country-people.

On the weekend, we attended a Remembrance Day Service to celebrate our freedom and remember those who have lost their lives. At the service, we were joined by Jeff's family including Jeff's grandparents who had participated in the second World War. A dedication was made during the event to Jo and Art with a stone plaque to mark the occasion and their time of service. Despite the many years that have passed, they remember it like it was yesterday and will never forget. We have learned a lot through their stories and memories, gaining insight into the realities of that era.

It was a beautiful November day with the sun shining bright! The energy, music and love of the people there was very moving and has stayed with me since.

Remembrance Day reminds me to be thankful, proud and humble... it reminds me that it is important to learn from experience and work towards peaceful means of conflict resolution today and always... it reminds me that I cannot completely know or understand the causes and effects of war but I can be sympathetic, compassionate and grateful to those who paved the way for our freedom!

outdoor observations

today, josh and i returned to fairy lake for our weekly photo-shoot... we went there in part to see how things had changed over 7 days time and also to chase the light as it was closing in on 8 a.m. when we left...fairy lake is close, so we knew it wouldn't take long to get there. :)

we could see less foliage and the deterioration and yellowing/blackening of other plant-life. we also found the ducks to be rather hungry this week as compared to last. they were literally coming right for us and getting out of the water to see if we had anything for them...following us around! also, we noted that the water level had dropped considerably. in doing so, it brought to the surface garbage and debris. raw and real, we could see what lies beneath and within fairy lake. josh was rather disgusted at the pollution and carelessness and had concern for the ecosystems and quality of the water.

we spent time seeing where the light landed and photographing those spots/objects if it appeared interesting. almost anything can be interesting with the glow of morning light! :)

we paid attention to reflections and ripples and the tiniest bits of nature like seed pods, water droplets, berries and buds.

i can see this as a meditative process for myself and a bonding one with josh too! we are both relaxed and enthusiastic together when we explore the out of doors - we are adventurers on a quest for light, life and fun!

Let's go for a walk...

and see what we can find

see what we can do

see where we can go

let's be silly and play

run

hide

climb

wave our arms in the air

wield our sticks in motion

be superheroes

create missions

escape evil

promote good

turn upside down

see things as kids do

finding joy

in our carefree worlds

1st Library Visit!

Our nephew Daniel loves books.

I discovered this was his first visit to the library... so, of course I brought the camera!

It didn't take long to find books that he could lose himself in.

As his Aunt, I picked a sweet story on puppies...which he liked.

Then, his cousins found him what really tickled his imagination-a jumbo hardcover on superheroes!

He was entranced... we saw surprised, round 'o's' and dramatic intensely furrowed brows on his face as he took on the personalities of the images before him... this book was right up his alley.

Interestingly, he picked books on cows and space on his way out of the library, insisting he wanted to take them home to read. :)

I hope Daniel will join us again for a visit to the library...It was wonderful to watch his expressions and see him share in an activity the boyz love too!