Solar on a Rainy Day

Last weekend we had a rare, non-seasonal rain system blow in. We have been baking in an Indian Summer, so the cool and wet weather perversely made us excited to get out.

We ended up taking a drive to the Solar Living Center in Hopland. It's been a family favourite for years.

James really loved exploring places of interest. He loved following the spiral path to the middle of the koi pond, making the wind chimes sound in the gift store, and eating an iced fruit bar out on a bench. He was bummed his legs were not quite big enough for the energy-producing bikes and loved chasing his sister through a tunnel.

And now, as we head into a weekend of blue skies and record-breaking high temps, I look back on that rainy afternoon with fondness:

The main play area for kids:



The Spiral Walkway:



Trying the power-generating bike:



Ice cream treat!

A Little Sweetness & Light, and a Wet Cat

I had trouble bringing in the outdoor cat inside last rainy night. First she shot in through the patio door to the family room. Then she saw James and wanted to do a reverse. It was mutual. James is as wary of the cat as she is of him.

I finally got her in the garage, with food, water, and the litter box. All night long she was trying to get back out. I finally secured the cat door with a cookie sheet, basket of laundry, and a chair.

If I don't have her in the garage the first few nights, she meows all night long, and James gets up. Then I get up. And all cranky heck breaks loose.

It reminds me of my Grandma, mock-threatening my brother and I when we were fighting with each other. She'd announce, in a progressively louder voice: "Ah, ah, ahhh! Sweetness and light .. SWEETNESS AND LIGHT!!!!" (with the "OR ELSE" implied).

Yeah, some Monday mornings, I need just a little more of that Sweetness and Light!

SOOC Saturday: Handy Man

With apologies to James Taylor:

I'm not the kind to use a pencil or rule
I'm handy with animals, I'm no fool
I play puppet zoo, I know I clearly can

James has always loved the Baby Einstein products. We started with the VHS tapes (I know, so last century). I love them because the music is soothing and no one is talking. Also, 20 minutes is enough time to let me get something done.

James was fascinated by the turning shapes. Then the animals, then the words and noises. His favourites right now are the Baby Mozart, Baby Bach, Baby Gallileo, and Baby Van Goat. Last year, during a rainy week, I loaned some of the VHS tapes to his preschool teacher, for an indoor recess break. She reported that all the kids got excited and started shouting out words, such and the shapes and colours they saw on the screen.

His sister loved Baby Einstein videos too, so we broke down and bought some of the Baby Einstein puppets. So worth the money. It's been some of the funniest, nuttiest return on a dollar ever.


The Slurping Life is running with it! Visit Melody and check out SOOC Saturday/Sunday entries past & present!



  

Play Time

James has been really starting to play creatively. Right now he likes to pretend he's a rocket ship, and count backwards from 5 to the "Blast off!" He swoops around the house, calling "Beep-Beeeeep!" and "vroom!" Airplanes continue to delight him, and he will stop what he's doing if he hears aircraft overhead and say "Oh. Eees airpane!" or "Hey, Mommy. Is heh'cop'er!"

The one that cracks me up, though, is when he pretends to be a dinosaur. He can produce this *sound* from deep in his chest to make dinosaur roars, all with the most delighted grin on his face.

If his sister isn't helping his whoop it up, then Caillou is. Just when I thought we had finished with that cute little Canuck, he delights again.

Special Exp./Wordless Weds: Bouncing Back on 09/09/09

What did we do before we had our indoor trampoline?


James' cold has actually gotten a little worse and it's thrown his schedule and mine off kilter. He's missed some school and some program, and this week I am picking him up a bit early from both so he can hopefully at least get used to what days he's doing what things. Luckily, James has been willing to go forth and try. Except when he is really not feeling well. Then he is truly at home, in bed, and sleeping.

Homework has started to ramp up for both James' sister and myself, and I am just starting to feel like I am getting the hang of things. Help! I can't imagine what I'd do if I didn't already have several years of post college (before kids) experience under my belt to keep me a little calmer and a tad more confident in my abilities.


For more great images or to join in the fun, Visit Special Exposure Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Special Needs.

and ... Wordless Wednesday

Fall Change

Fall is in the air and the kids have been back in school for a few weeks now. When did going back to school get so crazy, BTW? So many forms to fill out, things to buy, and schedules to scramble, organize, and rearrange.

It probably does not help that James is attending two different preschools this year, in addition to his regular paperwork and program intricacies.

Between the school bus, whose schedule has varied wildly, and adjusting to the new afternoon program 3 days a week, and dealing with sudden fierce blasts of 100*+ heat, I've been on my toes to cover all the bases and keep the troops running. I am also back at school and doing some contract work, so life is very interesting indeed.

So when I arrived with James at his new preschool this morning and found a new SHAPE assistant there to greet us, totally out-of-the-blue, I was kerflumoxed. Deeply.

Luckily, James was not. I am hoping he stays happy and able to roll with the punches. Heaven knows I find them frustrating!

Croup and Cars

Wow, there's something I never thought I'd be talking about in one sentence! James came home last night not feeling well -- crying, hot, and a runny nose. Two hours after bedtime, he woke up crying hard with a barking cough & fever. We've had some really brassy hot days and more humidity than usual and I am guessing his system got so stressed that the germs walked right on in and set up Party Central.

We got an early appointment with his pediatrician this morning and the diagnosis was: croup in the throat. Luckily, no bonus gifts of fever (so far today), ear infection, or pneumonia (all three happened with the croup last Fall).

Well, preschool and mommy time are shot to heck -- why not take the family van in for some overdue maintenance? So we did. And my goodness, dealership waiting rooms have gone fancy. We had mini brownies, fresh, coffee, and limited internet access! We were at the car dealership for about as long as we were at the medical offices.

Because the internet computers were locked down in parental security mode, so I could not update James' blog while there. That would have been Incredibly Geeky Cool. And probably would have triggered an Internet Intervention, so I guess it's all good.

I did, however take a photo: