Jacob's last Kindergarten report card

Jacob got his last report card, on which he made all P's (proficient, higher than the other rating I="Improving") and O's (outstanding, highest of O, S=satisfactory, N=needs improvement)...except for "Attends school regularly and on time," which was only satisfactory. (His bad, bad parents took him out of school on several occasions this year to travel to family.)

Some highlights of his teacher's comments are:

"Jacob's math skills are great. On the Math Spring Standards-Based Assessment, he scored 100%!..."

"Jacob's enthusiasm for learning is nothing short of delightful! He never has to be reminded to pay attention, and is engaged in every class discussion. He is eager to share his thoughts and experiences. He gets along well with his classmates, and has developed many friendships this year. It has been a pleasure having Jacob in Kindergarten!"

I'm glad his class behavior is more like his mom's than his dad's was!!

I'm Still Laughing Over This One

A friend shared this with me and I can't stop thinking about it!

http://www.suburbansnapshots.com/2010/06/10-reasons-having-toddler-is-like-being.html

Lady Gaga Gloves

If Lady Gaga had to do her own dishes, don't you think she would wear gloves like these? I saw these in an issue of Oprah magazine and I tore out the page and put it on Josh's desk, along with some pictures of jewelry and other things I would like. Being a true romantic, Josh got me two pairs of the gloves! I LOVE THEM! And they will come in very handy with the upcoming mysterious event that I keep mentioning but which I haven't "gone public" with.

Here I am modeling the gloves, and doing test shots for our own horror home movies!

Why Toys Are Unecassary

You have all heard the cliché, "the kid played longer with the box than the toy." Well, this maxim was proven to me in a different form last month when Casey peeled off the plastic sheaths that guard the remote controls to the Wii and used them as shoes. Ironically, of course, the Wii IS a toy, so perhaps Casey could merely be accused of re-purposing. And maybe there is another message here: maybe Casey is showing us what she thinks of video games (from which she is, by nature of her age and level of coordination, excluded). In any case the "Wii Remote Shoes" made for a good chuckle. I had to go into the other room so Casey couldn't see how hard I was laughing, and, then, once I had regained my composure, I asked her to return the remote covers to their proper owners.

First official "Hiking with Kids" on Memorial Day, 2010

Our hike was planned to begin around 8:30 AM at the pond at the Beechwood Farms nature reserve. As we waited a bit for everyone to assemble, Paul Eiss and Elena showed us some dragon fly larvae which they caught with little nets. Thank you Paul for coming prepared! In the picture below Paul and Elena are in the background, while Jacob and Casey look at fish and other wild life from the edge of the dock.

Here's the dragon fly larvae! Click on the picture for a closer view!

Paul realized we had missed a turnoff when we hadn't yet come to the large stump which is home to several grumpy trolls! We doubled back, found the correct turnoff, and found the stump! Here are a few of the trolls who greeted us with grins and sneers!

We caught up with the Cato family and Mark was kind enough to offer the all important "dad shoulders" to Casey. (Casey's dad was in NYC and could not attend the hike!) Casey looks tired in this picture! Mark doesn't!


At the end of the hike the kids cooled off at a fountain they found in the plant store area of the Beechwood reserve. From right to left the kids pictured are: Casey, Elena, Devlin, Max and Jacob! Though the kids were a bit worn out (they hiked about 1.5 miles, and some of it was uphill!) I hope their smiling faces are testament to the fun we all had! Thanks to all who could make it, and I look forward to the next hike!

Beauty and the Beasts

Lately Josh and I have been taking turns doing "special outings" with each of the kids. I don't remember what Josh and Jacob were doing on this particular Sunday morning, but last month Casey and I checked out the "Gargoyle in the Garden" exhibit at Phipps Conservatory on our own.

The butterfly exhibit is always a summer highlight at the Phipps. The small, orchid-filled room boasts so many different kinds and colors of butterflies that it can almost be overwhelming. I caught this orange monarch butterfly after he landed. He looks a bit odd because I used a flash.

I learned a lot about gargoyles at the exhibit. According to the Tribune review of the show, gargoyles originated as decorative down spouts:

"A true gargoyle is actually a working rain spout. Anything that's not a rain spout is called a grotesque," Melino said. "But through the years, (the word) gargoyles is all-encompassing."

During the Middle Ages, these stone figures, as well as pointed arches, ribbed vaults and flying buttresses defined Gothic architecture. The gargoyles were purposely posed on cathedrals, churches, castles, palaces or dwellings to protect the buildings or the people inside by scaring off evil or harmful spirits.

The Gargoyles at the Phipps were both beautiful and ugly, while Casey was just, well, beautiful. Above she is posed outside in the children's garden, which is finally operational now that the weather is great!

Mother's Day, Yo!

Last month we were lucky enough to have Josh's mom here for the celebration of Mothers' Day. I planned an activity I had been wanting to do for a long time---a duck boat tour! Duck boats were made during WWII as military vehicles that could travel on land or on water.



We huddled together at the plaza at Station Square before the tour. As bundled up as we look in these pictures we were still freezing! We probably should have found some where warmer to wait for the tour to start. It was unseasonably cold for early May---about 30 degrees with the windchill!


But Pittsburgh looks good in grey. And Jacob looks good in the warm vest his Nana bought him in Seattle!


After the ducky tour we warmed up at Joe's Crab Shack. It was a bit disappointing, as chain restaurants so often are, but it was a casual, kid-friendly space to celebrate Mothers' Day---and it was still more fun than cooking...at least for me! I had a big pot of steamed crab!

The Littlest Duck

During the water portion of the trip the captain asked if anyone wanted to drive the boat. At his first request both Casey and Jacob were too shy to try. But then a little girl about 8 years old took the helm. The captain of the boat asked the 8 year old to do the ducky boat call, which we had been performing throughout the tour. She did as she was asked, pronouncing: "Quack Quack Quack" into the captain's microphone for all to hear. Something about her presence at the front of the boat seemed to embolden Casey. So when the 8 year old gave up the helm, Casey asked to try her hand at steering.


When Casey was driving the boat the captain put the microphone out towards her and said, "What's your name, little lady?" Casey replied, "Quack Quack Quack." I think it might have been an honest mistake on Casey's part---she was remembering what the other girl had been asked to do. But the comic timing of it was pure genius. The entire tour burst into genuine, uproarious laughter. We had been fed so many corny lines, and so many bad jokes, that Casey's innocent quack-in-place-of-name was one of the more genuinely funny things we had heard yet on the tour.