Lego Room

Alma has been wishing for a Lego room in our house ... our small house, which certainly does not have room for a Lego room.  However, this weekend we inventively thought of how to create the space she desired by cleaning out the children's old toys from their bins and making space for their Lego creations.  Now our family room has plenty of space for a small town, Hogwarts Castle, and superheroes.  Alma was so pleased with the hard work that went into making this desire a reality. 

This Ikea bookshelf has had a long life: it started as my dresser at the Pink Palace in Seattle (one of the first pieces of furniture I ever purchased), a bookshelf in our first house, a dresser for Alma, a dresser for James, reading nook for James, a bookshelf in our rental, a bookshelf in our current house, and now finally a Lego world.  Kudos to Joshua who has assembled, disassembled, moved, and reassembled this large beast so many times.

Weekend at Nana and Grandpa's

Our family went to my parent's house for the weekend to enjoy some time with them, Grandpa's delicious waffles, and their pool.  So grateful for having them in our lives.

Spring Play 2019

Newsletter from the children's school this week....

This Thursday our Montessori Community had the opportunity to again enjoy the tremendous work of the students in the Spring Play. Interestingly, this year the play fell on May 23rd which happens to be the 143rd day of the calendar year.  If you permit us to play with a little numerology here, we would like to unpack this delightful synchronicity with you, as a way to celebrate the Spring Play.  

The number “143” in the sailing community and beyond is often associated with the term “I love you.” The numbers associating with the number of letters it takes to spell the phrase. These numbers could then be tied to flashes of light shot from a lighthouse to loved ones at sea.  There is an extensive history tied to this number and its many modern-day connections from Mr. Rogers to texting.

What we find enjoyable about this coincidence, is that in all truth, the Spring Play is, in fact, a way the children express “I love you” to their loved ones.  The amount of time, energy, concentration, focus, and passion they pour into this intensive 4-week project leaves one awestruck. They do all of this work because of the joy and love they get from your faces when you watch their performance.  Your laughter and smiles mean the world to them. Whether you get to watch the performance in person or via recording, it doesn’t matter. All they ask is that you enjoy their work. From that silly little one-liner or their funny costume. They are all standing on stage, little lighthouses, each shining their own unique beams of light for you to fully see, enjoy, and appreciate.  

Thank you and we hope you enjoyed the show!

Elementary Staff

Alma played the part of Stable Cable, Humpty Dumpty's best friend.  Here she is with Maya, her classmate and good friend.

Basketball Hoop

Thanks, Nana and Grandpa, for the great half birthday gift!

Animals of South America

James and his classmate, Tobin, worked together to write a book about animals of South America for the classroom.

Phillies Baseball

A former colleague gifted me tickets to a daytime Phillies game so the kids and I cut out of work and school a little early to attend.  The seats were great and the weather was even better.  What a fun time with my favorite children.

 

Mother's Day: Roller Blading

The kids and I went rollerblading for Mother's Day, which was terrific. Alma was a natural due to her ease on ice skates.  James got the hang of going around the rink, staying close to the wall.  It was fun to zoom around to the music with the fun lights.

Regular Saturday Morning

Shanti Cat

We are so grateful for this sweet little cat in our lives.  Since she joined Joshua and me in our first Philadelphia apartment 12 years ago, she has been delighting us with her lack of meow and need for daily love.  Every night she joins Alma, James and me for bedtime reading.

Echo Hill Outdoor School