While searching for "The Future is Wild" (a really neat cartoon) on Netflix, Megan found this instead. It isn't available via streaming, but our local library has the DVD's & the companion book. The kids are loving the series & it has brought up many conversations about zoology & animal adaptations. It also brought up cryptozoology & exobiology - the first because Megan had watched a few episodes of "Finding Bigfoot" ("Mom, this is fake..why are they doing this?") and the second because I remember watching a show about what life on other planets might look like and the CGI was lovely.

It also brought up multiplication since the show used meters for descriptions of length. Megan wanted to know how many feet were in a meter, I told her, and from there she was able to calculate meters to feet.

The Future is Wild - Home

www.thefutureiswild.com

In the pool, we played with currents again (the benefit of having a round pool!). I had added more water than the last time we swam and the kids immediately noticed how much faster & stronger the current was than before. I also pointed out that, to me, it felt as if the current was easier to start and lasted longer.

The girls also started new sewing projects. Megan made a cap for one of her stuffed animals & Zoe requested a dress (she picked the material, length & style & I did the actual sewing using the sewing machine).

Happiness in the sock drawer

I'm rarely caught up on my laundry. I don't have problems washing it, but folding laundry is another story. It isn't hard (obviously) and it doesn't really take that long (depending on how long I've been avoiding it). But there is always something better to do.

I know that kids don't always put their recently worn, but still clean clothes away. I know this because I was a kid once. So I have two laundry baskets. One is for dirty clothes and one is for clean clothes that need to be put away. On the rare occurrence when the kids' clothes are worn, but still clean they toss them in the clean basket and I refold when I can (or at least dig something out to be worn again). Last night I was looking at a full "clean, but worn" pile AND a "freshly washed" pile. It was quite a bit of laundry and it had been mocking me from the corner for a few days.

My youngest is still very little (only four) and my oldest (almost 10) still likes to hang out with me. So I am often deeply involved in what they are doing. It is rare that I can sneak away for an unattended potty break, let alone having a large (or even small) chunk of time to clean. But, last night, after we had swam in the pool, attended an outdoor play, visited a park, eaten dinner & spent a few hours playing video games we moved to the bedroom where my youngest found a movie to watch and my oldest played on her DS. Sometimes snuggles are needed for movie watching & DS playing. But last night they were ok with me *not* being right next to them.

So I quietly started folding laundry...hoping to get at least some of it done before being called for snuggles (or snacks or water). At some point, probably realizing that the kids weren't going to need me for awhile, I got into the whole laundry folding thing. Each item I put away became a gift. As my youngest's favorite pink skirt went into the drawer, I thought about how happy she'd be to be able to wear it. As my oldest's clothes filled her drawers I thought about how happy she'd be to be to find her favorite shirts.

By the time I was done, I was glad the laundry was folded (yay, something to check off my massive to-do list!), but more importantly I relaxed and excited knowing that everyone (including me) would be able to find their favorite clothes in the coming week.

Books and Novels and Reading, Oh My

My oldest has been reading fluently since she was seven. She has read graphic novels (Warrior Cats), instruction manuals (Sims Pets, Pokemon), encyclopedia-type books (dogs, pokemon), she's read newspaper articles (dogs, again), maps (wall, road & bus), she knows how to find information via an index or google, read out loud to her sister (picture books) but she's never been interested in reading chapter books/novels.

As a slightly rabid bibliophile who started reading novels at seven, I admit it took me some time to get used to the idea of having a non-novel reading daughter. I knew she could read and I saw proof of it every day. I knew big, fat novels weren't the only way to enjoy a good story.

A few nights ago she picked up my Harry Potter book. I own all the books and movies. She's watched most of the first movie and parts of the others (the movies are too dark for her), so she's familiar with the story. Over the past couple of days she has read 75 pages of Harry Potter and another 30 or so from two other books.

Will she finish the books? Maybe. Am I invested in whether or not she finishes the books? Not at all. I know she can read and obtain any information she needs.