Earth Is Our Home - December

 Some of my favorite shot from this month's Earth is Our Home class.  We tracked animals in the snow.  Made a fire - and Makili was the one to light it - he was so proud.  We made a "quincy" which is like an igloo and did some sledding too.  We also cooked sourdough cinnamon raisin bread on a stick in the fire.  So cool.  And we've gained some new friends who live far away in Acadia, so I'm hoping to work out some visits back and forth:)

The Yearly Recap

I so enjoy my yearly list of highlights.  To think of the people who've touched our lives, the landmarks my children have hit, the special trips and highlights that haven't broken up the mudane loveliness of our lives.  Here is my list for 2012 in no particular order.

-Watching Remick go from barely avoiding crashes on the Skuut to riding 5 miles with no training wheels in a matter of days.
-Watching Makili not only learn to swim but to dive confidently head first off of diving boards, the side of the pool.
-Makili's first mountain bike race with Noah, who we don't see often enough.
-Camp this summer, which was both exhausting and awesome with Lucy and Morgan as our exploration mates.
-Earth is Our Home School, which has both stretched me to spend more time outdoors with my kids, and has broadened our idea of education.  Making bread from acorns!
-Makili learning to use a knife at Earth is Our Home School and singing the song, "where will the knife go, when it slips away."
-Makili's real leap to loving making, and taking that to the next level by exhausting me with his ideas.
-The year started off with the most wonderful wedding ever - between my beloved cousin Emily and her great husband Chris.
-Family dinners with the Fullertons.
-Friday Afternoon basketball with the Fifields.
-Marching as bugs and vegetables in the Common Ground Fair veggie parade with Caroline, Emily, Suzanne, and Mom.
-My Dad's total abandonment and enjoyment of retirement!
-Meeting Ima, who is too hip for words.
-The beginnings of youth hockey.  Makili's total love of it.
-Watching Remick learn to manage his friendships at school, particularly with Levi and Parker, his buddies.
-A memorable hike up Agamenticus with Gia, Pesce and Vita.
-Pear preserve marathon thanks to the Pingrees.  Grape jam marathon thanks to Matty.
-Fall soccer - with Raph's exceptional coaching:)
-Halloweening in Pittsburgh with last-minute costumes and Kaylee the bat and Hudson the pig.
-The yearly Halloween run on the Fullerton's street with a gaggle of sugar-high kids.
-The kids' first foot race at Fort Foster, in pirate gear.
-Camping in Acadia with the exchange students in June.
-The RV parked in our driveway.
-A magnificent trip to California where all the Beal cousins were united!
-Meeting the Can Family in June.
-Becky's wedding and spending time with the Sargents.
-Geo-caching, treasure, maps, and all things pirates especially the pirate treasure that amazingly enough was under Makili's fort.
-Makili's tree fort.
-Meeting Baby Hugo!  And seeing Camille and Pascal and our attempt at herding cows together:)
-A brief trip to my Aunt Jean's!
-My obsession with lacto-fermented foods.
-Our family camping trip to Pawtuckaway, and in particular canoeing and Makili's complete fear of hitting something.
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I'm going to think of more things as soon as I close this.

Cousins

I like the crazy look on Remick's face.  And how come, my kids' bellies are so big?

Cousin Love

 Unbelievable cuteness.

Getting to Christmas

 We had a computer crash recently and it the days have been so so full that figuring out how to download onto a new computer has really been more than I can handle.

In the past month, there have been parties, and kids all around, trips into the woods for stone soup, a quick trip to NY with 20 exchange students, really ramped up holiday elving, Saturday morning hockey, a four day drive to Florida with stops to see dear family and friends along the way, and needed break in Florida, with bike riding (even Remick! now rides a two wheeler!), walks, beach forays, etc.  Tasty food, Christmas excitement.  So fun.

And we are here, with more pictures to down load, and adorable videos that I am not savvy enough to upload and memories upon memories to build.  A little exhausting to think how full this month has been, but exciting to think all that we've done as well.  Catching up is hard, especially with yourself.

Fall soccer.

 We tried soccer when Makili was 3, but it wasn't super successful.  We like to remember Makili and his friend Phinn licking the net.  Good times.  At 5, it was a totally different ball game and Makili was WAY into it.  He was pretty good too!  I loved going to watch.  His enthusiasm spilled over into his brother's interest in the sport too, so that with some enthusiastic encouragement from me, Remick was a little all-star too.  So cute.

Things you hear around here.

• The ball went out of balance.
• I'd like girl cheese for lunch.
• Don't coffee me!  Don't say what I say!

There are so many of these, and I'm forgetting, so I'll have to add more when I think of them.

Halloween and Family Mythology

We have a great Halloween scene around here.  We have good friends who live on a cul-de-saq with about 6 houses, which nicely limits the amount of candy we take home.  We have a great group of friends who do a great job of making fun costumes and getting together no matter what the weather.  In fact, we've decided to change the name of the Halloween gathering to "What Will Mother Nature throw at us this year Party."  Last year a foot of snow.  This year a hurricane.  Good times.  The kids had a terrific time though as always. 

In the midst of the party as Makili is gathering his haul, he starts talking about the Switch Witch.  Oh yeah!  The Switch Witch.  Remember her?  She'll switch you a toy or book or art supplies for that big bowl of candy?  Makili didn't forget about her, but we did!  So we had to do some scrambling.  When I was growing up, we had Fifi, the imaginary maid who picked up when we weren't around, and Yahooty, who banged on the pipes or did naughty things.  In our house, we have the Switch Witch and the Toy Troll, both of whom Makili is on top of.  Driving home late last night, he woke himself enough in the car to ask me to make sure I put his lego lighthouse from the Switch Witch on the table so that the Toy Troll wouldn't take it for being left out.  Oh boy.

But I did love that he wrote his own note for the switch with.  It said: "SWCH WICH KANDE ON TABIL"  with a picture of a big green bowl.