{this moment} big helpers

{this moment} A Friday ritual. A photo (or two?) - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, visit Soulemama to leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Simple gifts

It's time for the biannual Mom's Brag-a-thon! Music recitals come only twice a year, so you'll have to bear with me. (And feel free to share your braggable moments with me, too!)

These two boys have worked SO hard the last two months. Their music teacher wanted them to learn a piece they could play together for the recital. Eldest has only studied cello for nine months; Middlest has studied violin six months longer.

We found a version of the classic Amish tune "Simple Gifts" which would let them take turns with the melody and harmony. It is not an easy piece, but learning to play their very different parts simultaneously, and stay in tune, and stay in tempo, and adjust to each other's mistakes, was extra challenging.

And then they had to put up with their overanxious, perfectionistic mother, who knows just enough about music to be opinionated and pushy about it, when she's trying to be helpful. (Somehow they forgave me, and insisted I sit through all their practices anyway.)

They practiced faithfully, even when they were grouchy with each other, and they played it well at their lesson on Friday. But you never know how nerves will be on the big day.

They wanted their friends to be there, so I sent some last-minute invitations, and warned their teacher we were bringing a crowd! And then I sat in the front row and tried not to let it show how nervous I was for them.

And. My boys. Did. Beautifully. When it was over, I could breathe again. The smiles of pride as they stepped offstage were worth every tear shed up to that point.

Afterwards, we went out to our favorite local, gourmet diner to celebrate with burgers and ice cream. They earned it!

Birthday snapshots

My first baby turned 10 years old on Saturday. TEN.

I felt like I should have been marking that milestone in some big, important way, but Eldest was content with our usual birthday traditions -- presents from his family over breakfast, a party with friends at the park, dinner at home afterwards.

Since it fell the day before Easter, that was about all I could manage anyway. I do plan to make him a scrapbook of his first decade when the Mac harddrive gets back from the shop.

 My darling boy, we are so very proud of you. Your enthusiasm for life, your compassion for all living creatures, your enormous laugh and broad smile, your sensitive spirit, your never-ending curiosity about the world around you -- you inspire us to care about "the least of these," to listen better, to keep learning, to love more deeply.

Meet my boys

I've really been enjoying the Not Back to School blog hop at Heart of the Matter -- it's so fun to see how unique our homeschooling families are! I'm excited to welcome those of you who have found my blog in the last few weeks! I'd love for you to meet the three boys I am blessed to call my sons...

Eldest, age 9, fourth grade:

Our energetic, talkative firstborn, the scientist, who loves learning new things as much as he loves telling you about it. He's our champion chess player, Lego fanatic and kung fu green belt. He loves all of God's creatures, even the ones the rest of us would prefer never think about. He'll have his own classroom or Nat Geo TV show someday. But this year he's looking forward to taking cello lessons, learning more math, and studying the Ancient Romans.

Middlest, age 7, third grade:

Our secondborn is perfectly positioned between his brothers to be the team player that he is. Always available for a hug or a game of tag, he is happiest when surrounded by people who like to move as much as he does. He loves language, and is excited to study Latin and German this year. Some day he'll be a missionary, a mediator or an electric violin-wielding rock star.

Littlest, age 4:

 

Our youngest boy is the quiet one with the iron will. He'll either charm your socks off or bite your head off -- but he'll be sure to kiss it afterward! He loves dinosaurs, playing with his brothers, impressing us with his with Lego Bionicle creations, and being read to. At this point, his future is limitless!

Sending my boys off

Oh, they are getting too big, too fast!

Tonight we sent off our older two boys on their first camping trip alone with my dad, their Papa. They've been looking forward to this for weeks, and I had to promise our littlest boy lots of ice cream to keep him from stealing away in the back of the truck.

After lots and lots of goodbye hugs, the boys climbed in and started to buckle up, and they both got funny looks on their faces -- "Mom, I miss you already!" my firstborn said. Then his brother climbed back out for another hug. "I'm going to miss your mole," he said to my neck.

Funny boy, I'm going to miss you both terribly.

Just a funny

My eldest son sat next to me, munching on a pear he'd picked from my parents' tree. This was dessert after a lunch of sliced ham, a cookie, and milk.

"What would your Perfect Day be like, Eldest?" I asked.

"Cookies for every meal!"

"Hahaha. But you wouldn't really want just cookies for every meal, you'd be hungry all day."

"You're right. I'd want there to be trees where the branches are ribs... pig ribs. And the sidewalk is made out of bacon, and the street is made of steak."

"So, your Perfect Day is all about the food?"

"Yep!"

Yeah, what can I say? That's my kid.

How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?

Can you see the urchin in the blue shirt, hiding up in the fig tree?

The figs have begun to ripen this week, so our older two boys have spent a lot of time climbing the dusty, spider-filled branches to collect the fruit. Eldest is especially fond of sitting up there, sucking up the gooey red insides until he can't reach any more.

I hope those branches will stay strong enough to hold him for a very long time.

On Saturday, he participated in his first kung fu "form competition." The students demonstrate a memorized series of stances, blocks and strikes used to develop fluency. Each class has its own form, using the moves practiced at that level.

Eldest is in the advanced kids class, but he is the youngest by a year. He practiced his form at home all week to prepare for the competition, and we were very proud of him. Middlest has also started taking kung fu, but the beginning students didn't participate in the competition. He happily cheered on his brother.

The focus at the kung fu studio is "Discipline, Diligence, and Determination." It's been a good combination for Eldest, who at times has reminded me of a cross between the Absent-Minded Professor and Maria vonTrapp, with plenty of Hagrid thrown in the mix!

We were watching "The Sound of Music" tonight, while packing for another trip tomorrow. The boys like the part when the nuns at the abbey sing about Maria.

The song always reminds me of my firstborn. How do you catch a wave upon the sand? But tonight for the first time, he recognized himself in it. I noticed a look on his face. A little bit uncomfortable, a little self-conscious.

"If I were a girl, I'd be named Maria," he said to me, rather seriously. "You'd name me that because of the movie."

He's the child who loves to wander outside by himself, listening to the trees, talking to the bees. He doesn't walk, he bounces. He loses his shoes every day, forgets to finish tasks, and entertains his brothers as often as he irritates them.

"I like Maria," I said. I want him to know that he is not a problem. He is adored, even when he is driving us a little bonkers.

We have watched him mature so much over the last year, and lately I'm just trying to figure out how to keep up with him. He already knows more than I do about most of God's creatures. He remembers everything he's ever heard on Animal Planet, Discovery and National Geographic.

Last week he said to me, "You know, Mom, there's a difference between unschooling and homeschooling. Can we do a little more homeschooling?"

I think that means he's ready for more input from me, more suggestions, more sitting down together to study something new. Less "letting be."

Well, sweet boy, I will make my best attempt at it.

Herbology: Carnivorous plants

I've got some catching up to do after my postlessness of the last two weeks! Before the flu knocked me out again, we did a little studying of carnivorous plants.

My oldest, despite his love for all things that creep, crawl or fly, no matter how disgusting, decided a few weeks ago that he really wanted a few bug-eating plants. He was holding onto birthday money until we could find the right thing.

Terrariums for growing carnivorous plants from seed are easy to find, but haven't received great reviews on Amazon. It could take up to 6 months to get results. Maybe next year. First time around I wanted instant gratification, not a big bowl of dirt taking up room in the fridge for two months.

We're fortunate to have a nursery specializing in carnivorous plants in California, but I thought we should wait and see what we could find in town, and save on shipping.

I called around to our local nurseries, and only The Home Depot was expecting to have any carnivorous plants in soon. While we waited, we watched videos like this one. After a week, the Depot finally had the venus fly trap and pitcher plant in the photo above. Then we picked up a couple books on carnivorous plants at the library.

Did you know that Venus Fly Traps are native to the U.S., specifically the Carolina coast and a small area of Florida? And that wild-growing fly traps are endangered? Certain pitcher plants (Darlingtonia) are native to moist areas of California and Oregon. But don't go stomping through the wetlands to find them!

This is what Eldest has to say about carnivorous plants:

"Using a sticky goo that looks like a sweet treat for any insect, a fly will land on the plant, find out that it is very sticky, and it will struggle to get out, only stepping on more sticky hairs. As the plant starts to roll up, the fly is being crushed inside, and the plant releases a liquid that will turn the fly into soup that the plant will drink a few days later.

The venus fly trap uses a sweet smell that will attract flies to its mouth. After the fly trips on two hairs inside the trap, the plant will immediately close up, the fly inside. After a few days, the oils will be released, turning the insect into soup. In about a week, the insect will be digested by the plant. Then it will open again for the next meal."

Sadly, our two tiny carnivorous plants will probably not do much to control the flies that love our chicken coop.

Find answers to all your carnivorous questions here.