Hello Idaho

A new year, a new (temporary) home

2012-01-29T23:38:00.000-07:00

We have had a rather amazing month. We sold our house, and moved into a rental. This is awesome because it means we no longer have to worry about what will happen to our house once B's job in Hawaii begins. We were seriously looking at the prospect of being long-distance landlords, which we really did not want to be.

I am happy because all the things that were broken, missing, or just not quite finished when we moved into the house had been fixed/replaced/finished as best we could, and more. We like leaving a place better than it was when we found it. I am also happy because the new owners are such a great family. I feel really, truly thankful that they chose our house, in this current crazy housing market.

It all happened so quickly, I still feel a bit amazed. We are still living close to the university and elementary school, which is great. The kids have enjoyed moving into a new place, and this house, despite being a rental, has some fun unique things about it that we will enjoy for the few remaining months here in Idaho.

There's a little bit of Narnia... (a lamp post right in the yard among the shrubs and trees, and an interesting lion discovered on a door of the house)

A little bit of Howl's Moving Castle... (our very own Calcifer the fire demon, residing in the gas fireplace)

And even a little bit of My Neighbor Totoro... (cleaning out the soot sprites/dust bunnies as we got the place ready to move in)

All in all, it has been a busy month, but a good one as we look to the future. The move has also provided plenty of fodder for all the active imaginations in this family!

December 2011

2011-12-31T22:57:00.000-07:00

November 2011

2011-12-31T14:35:00.000-07:00

We had fun camping in a yurt one weekend

Harriman State Park was beautiful

October 2011

2011-12-30T18:01:00.000-07:00

In a straw maze

N couldn't resist the piglets outside the straw maze

September 2011

2011-12-30T17:34:00.001-07:00

C and B on a scout canoe trip

Playing at the sand dunes

August 2011

2011-12-30T16:54:00.001-07:00

Entering the Civil Defense Caves, some of the many lava tubes in Idaho

Wild huckleberries

St. Anthony sand bar

Utah Shakespeare Festival

Idaho wheat fields

July 2011

2011-12-30T15:25:00.000-07:00

Caterpillar spotted on path near Jenny Lake Visitor Center, GTNP

Hiking around Jenny Lake (Grand Teton Nat. Park)

Hidden Falls

C and K ready to perform in Oliver! the musical

C was in Fagin's Gang, while K was a workhouse orphan

Driving through Bear World

June 2011

2011-12-29T17:26:00.000-07:00

May 2011

2011-12-29T17:01:00.000-07:00

B at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve

In May, B was taking students on field trips every week--through Idaho, Wyoming & Utah.

Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve

We had a fun visit from Grandma and little cousin L. K, C, and S finished up the school year and had some great performances at school.

S as a zebra for "Welcome to the Jungle"

We also made a quick trip to Salt Lake City for a family event, and the kids enjoyed stopping at Clark Planetarium while we were there.

April 2011

2011-12-29T16:12:00.000-07:00

April was a banner month for me--I finally saw a moose in the wild. Ever since we moved to Idaho I had wanted to see one, but even though they regularly come into town in the winter, occasionally wandering through our neighborhood and campus, I had yet to get a glimpse of one. Even on our trips to Yellowstone and the Tetons, no moose. So, in April, we went for a drive in search of a moose, just outside of town, and we saw one!

We also went to the pool at Green Canyon Hot Springs for a wonderfully warm swim--it was awesome.

At the end of the month we had another orchestra concert.

March 2011

2011-12-11T17:01:00.001-07:00

Quake Lake, MT - taken by B on a field trip last March

March began with two concerts on the same night--choir for K, and orchestra for me. (Luckily the Junior High and the Tabernacle are almost next to each other, so it's easy for B to drop me off and then take the kids to the school.)

S had a "Fairy Tale Ball" at her elementary school for all the 2nd graders; she went as Little Red Riding Hood.

We also had a chance to see some new cubs from Bear World.

February 2011

2011-12-07T16:22:00.001-07:00

In February we took advantage of the freezing temps and mounds of snow by going snow tubing here in town, and B went up to Bozeman, Montana, to try some ice climbing.

The kids were busy with school, a piano recital (C's), reading, drawing and painting, and so on....

We also had a fun trip south to Utah--we were able to visit friends in Salt Lake City, saw the wonderful Carl Bloch exhibit at BYU's Museum of Art, and watched Jimmer (and team) play a basketball game.

Interactive exhibit at Museum of Art

C and K with Cosmo

Year in Review - January 2011

2011-12-02T16:29:00.000-07:00

One of the highlights of January was a day trip to Grand Targhee ski resort. We got up early one Saturday and drove east toward the Tetons.

(I really wish we lived closer to the mountains--they are beautiful.)

It was far below freezing--about 0º F--and hoarfrost covered everything, including the poor cows.

It was a gorgeous day for skiing, and everyone had fun. S had her first ski lessons, while B took K and C to explore the easier slopes. (C did run into a tree at some point while trying a new short cut, but it was nothing serious, and after a warm lunch he was as good as new.)

N is still a little young, so we kept each other company on walks around the area, and sipped hot cocoa inside when it got too cold.

It was a beautiful day!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T14:05:00.001-07:00

Harriman State Park, Nov. 2011

It's been over a year since I've blogged anything, and the grandparents have probably given up checking in here, but I've decided to update the blog and keep it going while we're still here. We have less than a year before we move, so I want to document a little more of our life in Idaho before we move on to new adventures in Hawaii.

Today we are grateful to be home together for this wonderful holiday. Happy Thanksgiving!

Cave Falls

2010-11-11T15:49:00.000-07:00

We loved visiting Cave Falls in October... it was so beautiful. Next time I want to do more hiking, although the kids probably would be happy to play in the water all day.

Wild huckleberries

2010-09-27T14:01:00.000-06:00

Just before school began, we had a day to go look for wild huckleberries. We knew that they are found in the mountains of Idaho, but we didn't know exactly where. (And apparently, no one in Idaho shares that kind of information.) B had some vague directions to a general area they could be found in, but I wasn't sure we'd find any. We didn't even know what the plants would look like. But our optimism prevailed, because we set out to find huckleberries anyway.

We drove through some nearby mountains, and every time we saw a bush with berries, we would stop to investigate--but after several unsuccessful stops, things weren't looking very good. Finally, we found some berries that looked like they might be huckleberries, but the taste wasn't quite right, like they were unripe or something. I was tired of driving, and so were the kids, so we decided to just go for a walk and see what we could find on foot. We found more bushes of the possibly-unripe-huckleberries. S and N started picking these and putting them in their baskets just for fun. Then, not far away, B found a whole patch of honest-to-goodness wild huckleberries. They were ripe, and they were delicious. We spent some time there picking berries, and filled up a basket to bring home.

If anyone wants to pick huckleberries next year let us know--we'll be glad to share our patch.

Possibilities

2010-09-16T14:02:00.000-06:00

For those who don't know, we almost moved to Hawaii this year. We tried to sell our house (the one we just bought). (What can we say?) I guess it's going to have to wait a while. Because I can't imagine B not ending up there eventually--volcanoes AND ocean--a match made in heaven for B.

In the meantime, we still have volcanoes.

Flooding, etc.

2010-06-18T14:04:00.000-06:00

Some pictures of the recent flooding around our town...

These cows seemed happy.

Our spring has been snowy (April & May), rainy (June), and just really cloudy and chilly. I'm hoping for some warmth and sun this summer, at least.

In other Idaho news, we have all now tried moose meat. One of B's former students gave him some moose meat, which, after sitting in the freezer for a while, ended up as moose burgers and moose stew.

Ice skating

2010-01-25T14:43:00.000-07:00

K and C first tried ice skating in Al Ain. There were at least 2 nice indoor rinks there. S was a little too small there, but for the past two years she has been wanting me to take her ice skating. Last winter I wimped out, because the only ice rinks here are outdoors, and it was really cold, and I had a small baby.... But this year we finally did it--I signed all 3 big kids up for skating lessons at our town's little outdoor rink. They're all really enjoying it, even though (or possibly because) the rink is a bit unkempt. :)

Back in Al Ain:

B helping K and C learn to skate at the Al Ain Mall
three years ago

Turkey Trot

2009-12-07T15:25:00.003-07:00

(photo from official race blog)

B started running at the end of summer this year, and wanted to run in a 5K sometime. He missed the summer 5Ks, so the next one he could do here in town was the Turkey Trot, a fundraiser for the Shop with a Cop program that brings gifts to children in need. Originally scheduled for the Saturday after Thanksgiving, they eventually moved it to one week later. It was around 10 degrees F outside, but B still did it! He dressed for the weather--hat, balaclava, gloves, sweats, etc. (There were a couple of runners in shorts, no hat....)

Portland, Oregon

2009-10-26T23:25:00.008-06:00

We spent a few days in Portland last week, while B was at a conference. It was a great trip for us--the first chance B and I have had to relax and just have fun in a really long time. Western Oregon and Washington are beautiful--we had never been there before, although we'd heard a lot about the Northwest from many people. This time of year is especially impressive, too--in addition to the lush green moss, ferns, and pine trees, there are the gorgeous yellows and reds and oranges of fall.

I had so much fun driving around Portland and visiting parks and museums with the kids while B was busy with his conference.

S at the International Rose Test Garden

One afternoon B joined us for a drive to the coast. It had been over 2 years since we'd seen the ocean--unbelievable. (Excluding B and his field trips to Iceland and Hawaii, that is... the rest of us had been totally landlocked. )

This was also baby N's first ocean experience--something of a rite of passage in our family (all the others have been at the ocean within the first few months (if not weeks) of their lives, so she was long overdue).

We were extremely lucky with clear sunny skies both at the beach and the next day when we drove up into Washington to see Mount St. Helens.

It was all wonderful. I would be happy to live in Portland. And I've realized I need to make sure we visit the ocean more often, and travel to new places more often. It does all of us so much good.

Farmers Market

2009-10-26T23:08:00.001-06:00

This year our town had an official Farmers Market on Friday afternoons, from the end of June through the beginning of October. It was small, but still fun. I took the kids to the last one of the year, even though it was freezing that day and even snowing a little. (They loved it.)

Pumpkin drawing for the little kids.

Hot cocoa for the big kids.

This little one just loved looking at all the pumpkins.

North Menan Butte

2009-09-22T21:20:00.000-06:00

I don't know why it took us two years to climb up here, but we finally did it. The hike isn't bad at all, and the kids loved exploring up on top.

Cartier Slough WMA

2009-09-22T21:09:00.001-06:00

A couple of weeks ago we went for a walk through Cartier Slough Wildlife Management Area.

We saw lots of different kinds of birds, including a pelican, a couple of different birds of prey, and an owl. (Not a great picture, but the owl is sitting on a branch of this tree.)

Orchestra, instruments, and lessons...

2009-09-11T13:27:00.007-06:00

I took last year off from orchestra, because of the baby, but I'm rejoining this year, and our first rehearsal was Wednesday. It was so nice to be back in orchestra again, with a great conductor and beautiful music. I was planning on sitting in the 2nd violin section this time, because really I'm an amateur and feel more comfortable there. But that section was full when I got there, and there were only two 1st violins, so I guess I'll be playing 1st again. Luckily, one of the pieces I've played before--a long time ago, but my fingers somehow seem to remember it, and the others aren't too difficult. I'll need to put in a lot more time practicing than I would if I were playing 2nd, but it will be ok.

For our next concert we're playing some Sibelius, some Copeland, and a clarinet concerto by Weber. This is going to be a fun concert. :)

C has just started 5th grade at the middle school, which means he gets to choose a music track--choir, band, or orchestra. He chose band, and yesterday picked up his choice of instrument--trombone! (His first choice was xylophone, but percussion instruments aren't allowed yet.) He is really excited, and I'm sure he's going to do well with it, but I admit I never pictured one of my kids playing trombone. (What can I say--I'm a violinist.) :)

S has been asking me about piano lessons, and I want to find her a teacher. I could try teaching her myself, but I think she'll do a lot better with someone else.

K loves being in choir, and wants to stay there, although she tells me she wants to learn flute, too. I wish she could do both choir and band, and skip other classes like computers, but oh well. I might try to find her a private teacher for flute, we'll see...

Changing seasons

2009-09-09T13:42:00.000-06:00

These pictures were taken in August, so I'm late, but I wanted to post them anyway. I like being able to see the cycles of planting, growing and harvesting.

The scenery is always changing from season to season. I'm still getting used to this.

Backyard birding #3

2009-09-06T23:41:00.004-06:00

We spotted a new bird in August--a Northern Flicker, or specifically, a Red-shafted Flicker.

Shrinking dairy products

2009-09-02T22:39:00.003-06:00

Is this disguised inflation? A recession coping technique? Just wondering.

I probably wouldn't have noticed the smaller containers if there hadn't been a few of the "older" ones still in the fridge.

When we were living in Al Ain something similar happened with our Danish butter. A few months after the Danish cartoon controversy and subsequent boycotts, when Danish dairy products could once again be found on the shelves of our local grocery stores, we noticed that the blocks of butter for sale were smaller. No longer could we buy the standard half cup/114 gram sticks of butter--the new butter was 100 grams.

Summer fields and skies

2009-08-09T18:41:00.004-06:00

I love summer.

Sawtell Peak

2009-08-09T18:10:00.000-06:00

Early in July, B did some fieldwork around Sawtell Peak. It was warm and beautiful, wildflowers were in bloom, and he knew we would enjoy a trip up there.

So, a week later, we all got in the car to drive up to Sawtell Peak with him. Unfortunately, right as we were driving, a storm was moving in, and it was cold and windy when we got up there.

We couldn't stay outside, but we still enjoyed the great views and lovely scenery from the comfort of our car. From the peak (it's an elevation of 9,866 ft.) you can see the nearby Continental Divide, the dome of Yellowstone, the Snake River, the Tetons, and more.

It's a fun drive--how often can you take your car to a summit this high? Definitely worth a trip!

On the way home we stopped to take a look at the huge Osprey nest above this bridge. Amazing!

Honk! performance

2009-08-02T23:50:00.007-06:00

The kids did a great job performing in Honk! Jr. I was impressed with how well everyone performed--the directors did a wonderful job teaching these kids. It's nice to have a break from all the rehearsals, but I'm so glad these kids had the opportunity to be part of the cast, learn their parts and perform on stage. K and C both had big parts and solos, while S joined some of the younger kids in the chorus as a chick and a frog--good experience for them all. The show was funny and sweet--I really enjoyed it!

Well done, K, C, and S, along with the rest of the cast and directors!

Honk! Jr.

2009-06-30T13:41:00.003-06:00

This summer is turning out to be a lot busier than I thought it would be. The 3 big kids are in a production of Honk! Jr., a musical retelling of the Ugly Duckling story. C and K have major parts, too--C is the Ugly Duckling, and K is the predatory Cat. (S gets to be a cute little frog.)

The performance will be July 21st, so let us know if you'll be around and would like to come!

Baby birds

2009-06-25T13:54:00.006-06:00

Something fun we found at our new house--a robin nesting in a tree in the front yard.

With four pretty blue eggs.

We found another nest here on our back porch.

It was fun to see the tiny new birds just after they hatched.

They have such big mouths!

And here they are a few days later. S tried to feed them a worm at this point, but they only seemed to wake up for food when their mom or dad arrived.

Rain, rain gutters, and moss-covered things

2009-06-25T13:41:00.004-06:00

This month has been surprisingly rainy--almost every day since we moved in, until this week. So, B decided to clean the rain gutters on our new home last week. They were pretty bad--full of years of dirt and other stuff.

He found this little stuffed toy in the rain gutter. Kinda scary--we've been calling it the "creature from the black lagoon."

Summer begins

2009-06-05T09:19:00.003-06:00

School is out, and we're enjoying the warm weather we've had for the last few weeks. Last Sunday I wanted to get out of the house, but didn't feel like walking around our neighborhood, so we went for a drive to somewhere in the middle of nowhere, away from houses and cars and people... It was fun. One thing I wish we had here is better places for walking and biking/rollerblading. In Rhode Island we had a great bike path through the forest and lots of beautiful beaches. In Al Ain we had awesome dunes to climb, and wadis to explore, all just a few blocks from our home. Here there's just not much. But sometimes it's fun to drive out in the country and just see what we can see. We stopped at a little cemetery and walked around, enjoying the peaceful quiet. Then we drove a little more before coming home.

We've been digging up piles of dandelions in our spare time. We're almost out of time now, but we tried our best to make the yard a little better than it was.

We've already started moving our stacks of boxes to the new house. We should be moved in this weekend. It will be great to have more space. Living in this little rental hasn't been too bad, except that we had become accustomed to living in an oversized luxury villa in the UAE, and we now have way too much furniture and stuff, which made this little house feel even more cramped. It's funny, because in Al Ain we never had enough furniture for our huge villa. For the first two years there B and I didn't even have a bed--just a mattress on the shiny marble floor. S's huge bedroom suite had only a crib in it for a very long time. (We were just out of grad school and needed to save money.) I miss that beautiful villa... But it will be nice to have our own place here, even if it's not as big, new, or luxurious as our home in Al Ain.

Dandelions

2009-05-15T00:02:00.003-06:00

When we moved into the house we're renting, there were lots of dandelions in the yard. We spent time digging out a lot of the weeds just because we wanted to. But we never could get all of them. Then last spring and summer the dandelions were back. We didn't have quite as much time and energy to deal with the dandelions--I was pregnant, then I had a new baby who took up all my time. B was away on field trips and to conferences most of the summer. He did mow the lawn occasionally, but digging dandelions wasn't at the top of our priority list.

Now the dandelions are really back. So, I've tried digging up some. (Even though it's still too cold outside for me. And too windy. If it were warmer I'd be out there a lot more.) There's one part of the backyard that is just covered in dandelions now. If this were our house I would probably dig up that whole area and turn it back into a garden.

The dandelions are pretty, though. I guess we could try making dandelion fritters or something...

Projects and performances

2009-05-14T23:50:00.002-06:00

We have been busy, non-stop, for the last couple of months it seems... Science fairs, school plays, sicknesses, swim lessons, a big birthday, and all the other usual things. Oh, and we bought a house, too. Things have been a little crazy.

The 4th graders at C's school have been studying the Lewis and Clark expedition as part of social studies this year, and in April they put on a musical, The Adventures of Lewis & Clark, which was fun. C loved learning about the expedition, and we're planning to visit part of the trail when we drive to Portland for a conference this fall. Here's a very short clip from the opening song of the play:

Later in April, K, along with the Children's Musical Theatre, performed "The Elephant's Child," from Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories. K did an outstanding job as the sly Crocodile. Here's a short clip featuring Miss K in the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River:

(They've performed the show 4 times, and will do it once more next week.)

This month S had her turn to perform--the kindergarten put on a play about the Three Little Pigs. S was one of the narrators, and she did a great job! I don't have a video clip of this one, but here's a photo of S during the play (wearing a dress and pinafore my Mom made for me when I was in kindergarten):

This week we had choir concerts for both C and K, tomorrow is field day at the elementary school for C and S, next week is C's 2nd science fair, and later this month will be S's ballet recital. Meanwhile, we're packing to get ready to move into our house in June. It will be nice when all of this is over!

Cloudy April days

2009-04-23T15:55:00.002-06:00

Tourist attractions

2009-04-20T12:46:00.005-06:00

Forbidden City, Beijing, 1996

Recently we were talking to a couple who lived with their children in Asia on a Fulbright last year. The subject of tourist attractions came up, and how strange it is to visit a tourist attraction and then to realize that you or your family has suddenly become a tourist attraction for the other tourists. And how difficult it is for young children who aren't comfortable with strangers coming up and talking to them or pinching their cheeks or kissing them, which is common in some cultures and not in others.

This has only happened to us twice: in Beijing, when B and I were visiting the Forbidden City , and in Dubai, when we visited a public beach (before we learned where the nicer, less crowded beaches were). In Beijing it was not a big deal--a few Chinese tourists approached us and asked (using hand motions) if they could have their picture taken with us, and we agreed--no biggie. In Dubai, we had children, so that made things very different (the situation was different in other ways too, actually, but it's a long story...).

These were obviously rare exceptions to our experiences overseas--nothing serious, just one of those odd things that occasionally happens when traveling.

Happy things

2009-04-05T20:41:00.007-06:00

Panorama from B's field trip to Western Utah in March

We are all elated that B is done with teaching night classes for a while. (Of course, he was teaching the night classes by choice to begin with, and it was a good thing, it's just going to be so nice to have him home more!)

We are to the point that I feel comfortable going to the library as a family again--baby and all--which has been great.

Our snow is melting again (hooray!), but we've enjoyed some of the crazy weather lately--S and C loved playing outside in a hailstorm not long ago.

We had visitors last month and got to see my adorable new niece.

And just for fun, a rainbow cake we made for St. Patricks Day and to celebrate the end of our weather unit in cub scouts!

Weather

2009-03-25T13:12:00.005-06:00

We are having all kinds of different weather this month. Last week we had some warm days--up in the 50s--and a lot of snow has melted. This week we're having colder weather again, and alternating between rain, sleet, hail and snow. Today we've had hail and snow so far.

I've been the Bear Cub Scout den leader this year, and this month we worked on earning the Weather pin, which was fun. B helped the boys construct simple weather stations. We made posters about the water cycle, we reviewed cloud types, and we discussed our local climate and potential weather hazards here in Eastern Idaho.

B took some pictures of a ~~moon dog~~ lunar halo earlier this month--supposedly when you see one it will snow. And the next day, there was snow!

Backyard birding #2

2009-02-28T20:02:00.005-07:00

It's great to have birds in our yard again! Spring is on the way--I'm so happy.

The robins have been eating the remaining rowan berries--I'm surprised we still have so many on the tree, and lots of berries are falling on the ground too.

This morning C and I saw some new birds eating berries--Cedar Waxwings!

We managed to get a few pictures through the window.

In January I had a different kind of backyard birding experience--I was looking out the window while on the phone, and saw a Merlin falcon swoop down and capture a robin. It landed on the snow in front of the window, robin in its talons. After a few seconds it flew off, carrying its prey with it. A few feathers were left behind, and that was it.

Merlin falcon photo from here

The Little Travelers

2009-02-27T12:52:00.003-07:00

We finally had a chance to watch The Little Travelers Japan DVD last weekend, and the vote is unanimous at our house--we love it! I'd been wanting to see these DVDs since I heard about them and I was not disappointed. Since we don't get to travel as much as we'd like right now, we plan to get more of these DVDs--they are fun to watch, especially for the kids, and bring back great memories of past family trips and adventures. So far in addition to Japan you can see their adventures in Bali, the British Isles, Iran (the DVD is almost done, I think), and they are on their way to Germany to film another trip.

I think these shows are great on so many levels. For us, obviously, we love to travel, and have been traveling with young kids for a long time. The DVDs are narrated by the children, and do such a great job showing how wonderful and magical it can be to experience new places and make new friends. It's great to see young kids eating and enjoying new and unusual (to us) foods. (And I am positive that it's no coincidence that at dinner after watching this, our pickiest eater S requested some Chourico and Peppers and happily told us all that she liked it!)

And more than ever, we all really want to visit Japan someday! But regardless of whether we will actually visit these places ourselves, it was fun watching the experiences the girls had there, and we enjoyed learning a little more about Japanese culture.

You can see trailers for the DVDs here, and read their blog here.

You can join the Little Traveler Flickr groups and upload your own photos to the groups for a chance to win a DVD for yourself (winners are chosen periodically). See details here:

Family travel photo contest

Global crafts, activities and celebrations photo contest

Local restaurants

2009-02-26T13:02:00.001-07:00

B and I have missed the fresh, authentic Lebanese and Indian cuisine that was everywhere in the UAE, but there are a couple of good local restaurants we've tried here. The first is Da Pineapple Grill, Island Grill-Sushi Bar. I've really liked everything I've had there, especially the sushi. Plus, they have Volcano Sushi and Volcano Cake on the menu, and you know how we feel about volcanoes. We highly recommend it!

The second place is Original Thai. I'm not an expert on Thai cuisine, but again, everything I've had there I've liked. Their curries are delicious, and I can't wait to try more of their offerings!

Volcano Sushi

Blog organizing

2009-02-26T12:54:00.003-07:00

I'll be cleaning this blog up a little, as time permits. I've decided to move our Arabic practice words to a new blog. I'm also going to have a Russian blog, not for the kids, just for my own practice. I'm hoping to update my blogs at least weekly, but no promises. Especially when it gets warmer and I can go outside. :)

More spring cleaning yet to come, I'm sure...

-M

SnowFEST

2009-02-01T16:19:00.005-07:00

Saturday was the annual SnowFEST at a nearby park. B took the 3 big kids, and they had a lot of fun--sledding, snow painting, treasure hunting and more.

By the end they were really tired and cold, but it was a good day. Winter is so long here, I'm glad there are some fun things the kids can enjoy even when it is freezing outside.

Ski school

2009-01-26T23:29:00.004-07:00

Every January, the kids at K's school, grades 5-7, get to participate in ski school. (For those not interested in skiing or snowboarding, there are other activities available such as swimming, oil painting, rock climbing, etc.). For three weeks, one day each week they are bussed to a small resort not too far away, where instructors give them lessons based on their ability/experience and then let them try out their new skills. K loved getting to ski for the first time last year. This year she moved up to more advanced classes and still loves it. C is already looking forward to his first year of ski school next year.

Elk farm pics

2009-01-25T23:46:00.007-07:00

We took some pictures of the elk farm this week, while we were out for another drive (I'm slowly relearning that I should always keep my camera with me, just in case!).

I still don't know exactly what this farm's purpose is, but it is interesting and unique compared to the livestock we usually see here.

And last, a pic B made, comparing this herd of Idaho elk to a herd of UAE camels:

You can see more camels here.

Wonderful Winter

2009-01-11T23:27:00.006-07:00

Winter
by C, age 9

Winter is fun, ice, and icicles.

Winter is fun snow, snowball fights, sled rides, vacation, and Christmas. I love opening presents! Hey! Is that snow?!?

Winter is ice. Nothing is as slippery as ice! Let's go skating! Weeeeeeeeeeee..........!

Winter is dripping, wet icicles on the roof. They look like spears. Watch out!! One's coming down and it looks sharp!!!

Winter is fun, ice, and icicles. WINTER, WONDERFUL WINTER!!!!!!!!!

A little light reading

2009-01-06T16:21:00.008-07:00

Nice job, B!

Save handmade

2009-01-05T23:08:00.004-07:00

Have you heard about the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), passed by congress in August 2008? It will go into effect on February 10, 2009.

Go here to see how this act could hurt small, independent makers of quality toys, clothing and other goods for children. Go here to find ways to help get the word out to protect small manufacturers in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

Check out this flikr pool to see some of the lovely handmade items that are endangered by this act unless changes are made:

A New Year

2009-01-01T17:42:00.005-07:00

Happy New Year from Eastern Idaho!

Christmas week

2008-12-26T13:49:00.005-07:00

We braved the wind and snow Monday to visit the Museum of Idaho's current exhibits (Olde Fashioned Christmas & Winter Festivals):

It was fun to see Nativity sets from around the world, a variety of gingerbread houses, and displays for Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Winter Solstice.

On Christmas Eve we had some Middle Eastern food for dinner, and then dressed up for our own Nativity reading/reenactment.

It has been snowing all week until today! We received about a foot more snow after this picture was taken. The big kids are loving all the snow and have been sledding, digging tunnels, making snow angels and throwing snowballs. I'm loving the bright sunlight we have today, and I'm grateful for the time I get to spend with my husband and children right now.

Happy holidays and best wishes for the new year to one and all!

Scenes from an eclectic tree

2008-12-21T21:08:00.001-07:00

Garland I made from shells collected in Florida during B's internship several years ago. (All the shells had holes in them, so it made sense to us to put them on a string.)

A peasant girl from Russia.

A painted egg from Russia.

A Russian bird of happiness.

A souvenir from our Rhode Island days.

We picked up a few ornaments in Mystic, CT, not far from our home in RI.

From a lovely friend in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

A camel from Sohar, Oman.

Found in Nizwa, Oman.

A bell from the Po Lin Monastery in Hong Kong.

Our Christmas tree is so eclectic it's kind of ugly (to me), BUT these ornaments are part of our history and bring back good memories, so we like it. Sometime I might post pictures of a few of our stranger ornaments, like the shrunken styrofoam cup that B decorated and sent to the bottom of the ocean while on a November-December research cruise...

December

2008-12-17T23:12:00.003-07:00

We have a real advent calendar this year--traditional paper, made in West Germany (vintage!). It's been fun.

Our rowan berries are covered in snow, and still beautiful. I love these trees!

Elk farm

2008-12-10T12:16:00.005-07:00

Photo from National Geographic

We went for a drive Sunday, to explore some of our area a little (because who knows, maybe we'll actually buy a house here eventually, and while we like living within walking distance of the university, we want to see what it's like outside of town too--it might be fun to live there). Anyway, we were driving around some of the rural parts of our community, not very far away, when we saw a huge corral with a big herd of elk. Right across the street from a new residential development. I guess elk farms are big in Idaho. This NY Times article says there are 78 of them in Idaho, while they are illegal in Montana and Wyoming for fear of contaminating wild elk populations. People will pay $6000 to hunt an elk on one of these ranches. Personally, I prefer seeing elk in the wild. It was awesome to watch a small herd running through a river in Yellowstone last summer. The herd in the corral we saw on Sunday just looked so out of place.

Arabic update

2008-12-02T22:56:00.001-07:00

As part of my summer plans I had wanted to review/study a little Arabic with the kids. I was hoping they had retained at least something, since I had been too busy or too sick to work with them on it for most of the year since we arrived in Idaho.

We ended up with not much time for Arabic at all, but at least I was able to figure out where things currently stand. They've forgotten a lot, sadly. Before we moved overseas I assumed they would be able to learn a lot of Arabic. But in reality, the amount of Arabic we were exposed to was minimal, especially spoken/conversational Arabic. Even for the kids, who had native-Arabic-speaking teachers at school. (This article by Peter Hellyer expresses some of the frustrations with the realities of Arabic education for children in the UAE.) The only reason I learned some Arabic was because I went out of my way to learn it, and I was helped by a wonderful multilingual neighbor from Lebanon, who taught a group of us at her villa occasionally my first year.

It was nice to be able to use English there since that's my language--it made my life so easy, and I'm grateful English is widely used--but I would have liked to have had more opportunities to use and learn Arabic.

So, now I need to decide what to do... K has been learning a little Spanish this year at school. C enjoys doing Latin, although we've not been doing it consistently. I don't want to completely give up on Arabic, though. I want to remember what I've learned, and learn more if I can. Maybe it will be just another side hobby for me, and I'll involve the kids when/if I can? I love learning languages, but at this point, with kids at different schools and with different interests and schedules, learning any single language as a family may not work for us. And Arabic is not especially relevant for us anymore (although I'd be happy to move back to Al Ain someday, or maybe Muscat, Oman, for something a little different). I also have Russian to keep up (maybe), and other languages I've been wanting to learn (hoping to take some classes as soon as the baby is a little bigger). But regardless, I'm going to try to keep a few Arabic words and phrases in our family vocabulary. Wish me luck!

The grass is always greener...

2008-11-11T17:45:00.002-07:00

These pictures on the Moscow Daily Photo blog last week really caught my attention. For one thing, it's still so green there. For another thing, I have been to Alexandrovsky Garden many times, but for me it has always been either covered in snow or brown and lifeless.

I've been to Russia twice, living there as a student, and both times I went during Winter Semester. Why do I punish myself like this? Who in her right mind would choose to go to Russia when it is coldest, darkest, dreariest?

(And now I'm living in Idaho! At least I get to enjoy the summer here...)

Oh, how I would love to explore Russia without having to wear heavy layers and snow boots! If I ever go back to Russia, I need to make sure I'm there in the summer.

M & B on a cold January day in Moscow, 1996

Animal Shelter

2008-11-09T14:36:00.003-07:00

My kids love animals. As for me, I like them, but I'm not crazy about having pets. Anyway, we're renting right now and can't have a pet. So instead, we've agreed to volunteer at the local animal shelter occasionally to play with the animals there.

The shelter is close to the Nature Park, so we can take the dogs out to walk at the park when we go.

C needed to do an outdoor service project for cub scouts, so the kids also picked up trash around the park as they walked the dog.

They had a great time!

Straw Maze

2008-10-28T16:45:00.006-06:00

Some entrepreneurial students teamed up with a local farmer to create a straw maze using huge bales of straw, and last night we decided to check it out...

Our kids loved it--I don't know what they were expecting, but when we got inside they happily exclaimed, "It's a real maze!"

It was especially nice because we had it almost to ourselves while we were there. It was challenging, but not too much. If we had gone when it was dark I imagine it would be much more difficult.

Our gingerbread baby was happy, too, as long as we kept moving.

Then we came home for homemade hot chocolate with Halloween marshmallows--yum!

Portuguese Soup

2008-10-19T14:38:00.006-06:00

Last spring, C received a cabbage seedling at school, brought it home, and planted it in the backyard. A few weeks ago, it was ready to be picked, and although the outside leaves looked a little ragged, the head of cabbage down inside was beautiful!

B likes to cook on the weekends, especially now that the baby is here, to help me out. He decided to use the cabbage to make one of his Grandma G's recipes. Grandma G is no longer with us, but B has great memories of visiting her in Bristol, Rhode Island, and eating her delicious Portuguese home cooking.

We have a couple of different versions of this recipe from different family members, but this is the one we used, and it was delicious--K and C seemed to really like it too (S is not a very adventurous eater, so she wouldn't even give it a try).

Grandma G's Portuguese Soup

1 medium-sized onion, diced
3-4 tsp. salt
1 lb. linguiça (or chouriço, another Portuguese sausage)
2 lbs. or 1 head cabbage, heart removed
2 or 3 cans kidney beans (or 1 lb. dried kidney beans, cooked)
6 medium-sized potatoes, diced

Slice linguiça and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place linguiça, onion, and salt in large soup pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about half an hour. Dice cabbage. Add cabbage and kidney beans to the boiling broth. Add water as needed. Cook cabbage for a few minutes, then add the potatoes. Cook 20-30 minutes.

(B notes that sometimes kale is used with the cabbage or as a substitute.)

This makes a lot of soup, so we put about half in the freezer to save for later!

Harvest

2008-10-11T22:31:00.004-06:00

This week (and half of next week) is harvest vacation for the kids. B had been wanting to drive out to some of the potato fields and watch the harvest--after all, since we're in Idaho right now, we might as well witness something the state is world-famous for. We heard reports that it would snow today (it did--there is snow on the ground right now), so yesterday we decided we needed to go before it was too late, and as soon as B came home from work we drove out to experience a little bit of the harvest.

These machines dig up the potatoes and load them into big trucks as they move through the field.

Truck full of potatoes (the driver thought it was pretty funny that we were taking pictures).

There are lots of potatoes left behind in the fields after harvesting. Many farmers let people glean the leftovers apparently, but this field had been harvested earlier and the potatoes exposed to the frost, so I'm not sure they could still be used. And today we had snow, so is harvesting done for the year? I'm not sure, but it was fun to see some of it in action while we could.

Painted animals

2008-09-20T14:22:00.008-06:00

In the UAE we had painted camels...

(Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi)

and falcons...

(Dubai)

and more camels...

(Al Ain)

Here in the Wild West we have painted bison...

(West Yellowstone, Montana)

Yellowstone 2008

2008-09-20T13:55:00.003-06:00

We finally made it to Yellowstone this year over Labor Day weekend. We only spent one day, but it was fun.

It was crowded, since it was a holiday weekend, and a lot hotter than we expected, and windy, but in spite of all that we enjoyed it. I got sunburned, though--why is it that I always forget sunscreen and hats here? They were a must-have in the UAE; I guess I should make them a must-have here too. (Luckily, I brought the baby's hat.)

I look forward to going back next year when N is a little older.

Early fall

2008-09-12T14:56:00.002-06:00

(Photos taken by B.)

Reykjavík

2008-09-08T13:22:00.005-06:00

B was extremely lucky to have mostly sunny days while he was there--very rare!

I love the old-fashioned drinking fountain on this building.

Reykjavík doesn't get very warm in the summer, but their winters are milder than here in Eastern Idaho. The lack of sunlight in winter would be hard for me. Still, I'd love the chance to go someday...

More Iceland

2008-09-07T23:25:00.009-06:00

B is back, and I finally had some time to look through all his photos from the trip. Iceland really looks like an amazing place. B will be posting geologic photos to a new blog he is getting ready, but I'm still posting some of his photos here.

Doesn't this look like an Icelandic troll coming up out of the moss-covered lava field?

Here you can see lava formations sticking out of the water right along the mid-atlantic ridge as it approaches the island.

One of many glaciers.

Icelandic horse.

Icelandic sheep.

Geysir--the oldest known geyser.

A few people hoping to see Geysir erupt (good luck!).

Strokkur is a lot more reliable.

What a beautiful place! I'm glad B had the chance to go.

Glimpses of Iceland

2008-08-22T11:24:00.005-06:00

Hekla volcano

B is enjoying his conference and field trips immensely. His camera isn't talking to his laptop right now, but he sent a few pics taken by a fellow traveler.

B and glacier

Iceland sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and this is the rift valley that is part of it.

More to come later...

Florence's Exquisite Candies

2008-08-15T14:26:00.005-06:00

B had to leave early this morning for a 10-day trip to Iceland, so yesterday we decided to have some fun before he left. We took the kids to what we call "the chocolate factory," a local candy shop called Florence's Exquisite Candies.

We each picked out some goodies to take home, and we were able to watch some candy being made (hand-dipped chocolates!)

This shop has been here for many years, and the chocolate and other handmade treats really are delicious. I can't wait to go back for more!

More baby N

2008-08-11T23:58:00.001-06:00

N is 5 weeks old already... amazing.

She smiles a lot--in her sleep and awake. She definitely started smiling and cooing earlier and more often than my other babies. The big kids are so delighted when she smiles or "talks" to them.

Here she is on her first walk to the park, riding in the new all-terrain stroller we won from Alpha Mom (thanks, Alpha Mom!). I can't wait to start walking with her more--I've been inside too much lately and need to get out!

Our summer, continued

2008-08-11T23:52:00.002-06:00

Last summer was so hectic for all of us with traveling, moving, working, visiting, etc., that we've enjoyed taking this summer easy. B has had field trips, to Grand Canyon and Hawaii, and will be going away for a conference later this month, but the kids and I are enjoying our summer here in Idaho.

C finished a community golf class (despite the first two classes in June being canceled for snow and hail!). Golf is one of his favorite games, and since neither B nor I golf, we are completely relying on others to help him learn to play. I wish we could help him with this ourselves (maybe someday?), but he enjoyed the community class.

We have our first vegetable garden growing in the backyard, which has been fun. (We grew a couple of banana trees in Al Ain, but weren't there long enough to see them produce bananas--the summers were a little too hot even for them, I think.) We've already harvested some peas, and look forward to some corn and pumpkins in a few weeks!

The kids have also enjoyed the Nature Park:

We have just over a week until school starts, but we're going to enjoy this warm weather for as long as we can...

Welcoming baby N

2008-07-17T16:59:00.002-06:00

Baby N (and rock hammer for scale--do all geologists take baby photos like this, or is it just my husband?)

We all love her, and we're happy she's here with us.

It was hard for me to imagine having another baby. The other children are 11, 9, and almost 5--they get along well together, we'd had many adventures together as a family, and I'd become so used to things as they were... but we absolutely adore baby N and gratefully welcome her into our family.

Volcanoes

2008-06-29T19:56:00.005-06:00

Momotombo Volcano, Nicaragua

B is a volcanologist (among other things), so we're all big fans of volcanoes at our house.

The Middle East doesn't have a lot in the way of active volcanoes, but Al Ain still had a shop called Volcano Pastries and Cafeteria, so of course we had to try it out!

Idaho has a lot of volcanic history. (In fact, we're living on an extinct volcano right now.) There's no Volcano Pastries shop, but we found something else to make up for it. The Volcanic Farms stand! (The strawberries were really good.)

Studying Arabic

2008-06-29T17:14:00.006-06:00

I like Amira's list of 5 other reasons to study Arabic.

For me, Arabic doesn't have much practical value anymore--right now I don't have Arabic-speaking neighbors or Arabic street signs and documents to read--but I enjoy languages and learning about different cultures so there's still value in it to me. Also, you never know when a situation will come up where you can use even very basic language skills you've acquired.

This is a silly example, but we recently had a chance to visit the Museum of Idaho's new World of the Pharaohs exhibit. While there I noticed that some of the artwork (modern papyrus paintings), on display along with the ancient artifacts, had been signed by the artists in Arabic, and it was fun reading the artists' names and getting the kids to come read along with me. Before we moved to the UAE, Arabic was so far off my radar I never would have thought about reading anything in Arabic script. I still don't know much Arabic vocabulary-wise, but even being able to read it phonetically is really fun.

Zoo

2008-06-26T15:51:00.004-06:00

One place we visited this month before swimming lessons was the zoo. It's a small zoo, especially compared to the Al Ain Zoo, but it is nice and seems well-cared-for.

Swimming

2008-06-26T14:54:00.004-06:00

We've tried to fit in as many family excursions as we could this month in anticipation of staying home a lot after the baby arrives. The kids have been taking swimming lessons out of town for a few weeks, since the local swim classes filled up too quickly or didn't fit our schedule. This has actually been good for us because it has given us a chance to do some fun things in the other town before or after lessons.

Swimming has gone really well--we only wish we could go more often! Now that lessons are done we just swim at the university when we can, usually on weekends.

S swimming to her teacher

C practicing his back float

Rowan blossoms

2008-06-23T09:37:00.002-06:00

We were happy to find that our Rowan trees are beautiful in spring, too.

Looking back after a year

2008-06-23T09:17:00.002-06:00

A year ago this week we left the UAE, and I'm feeling just a bit nostalgic...

Camels near Al Ain

Desert storm

I still want to know what these road surprises are (stray camels?)

Finding geckos in our house occasionally was always fun

Snorkeling at "Rainbow Lagoon," our favorite beach, near Dubai

Climbing sand dunes in Liwa

Relaxing majlis-style

Walking along Abu Dhabi corniche

Visiting the east coast of the UAE

In Buraimi, Oman, our neighbor city

I hope we can go back someday, to visit at least. And I hope it doesn't change too much, but of course it will change. (Just please don't put an indoor ski slope on Jebel Hafeet!)

Al Ain Birds

2008-06-18T17:13:00.007-06:00

Because I'm missing Al Ain...

In Al Ain we had a flock of green parrots that visited our neighborhood every morning, perching under our roof tiles and making a lot of noise. (Alas, we took no photos of them.) We had a lot of unwanted pigeons behind our villa until B hung some green mesh from the garden souk down the back walls where they liked to perch.

Being an oasis, Al Ain has lots of interesting birds. (According to this website, "The United Arab Emirates has been acknowledged as one of the top four destinations in the whole of the Middle East for bird-watching tours." Here is a checklist of common species.) We never really tried to look for birds--we didn't have time for that--but we did see some beautiful (unknown) birds around town occasionally. Of course, there were lots of trained falcons too:

Preschoolers meeting a falcon in Al Ain, Jan. 2007

Another trained falcon on display in Al Ain, Jan. 2007

They didn't give me any protection for my arm--I guess the owner/trainer knew I wouldn't get scratched or clawed? (He was wearing a gauntlet, though.)

Backyard birding

2008-06-18T16:09:00.005-06:00

We hung a bird feeder in our backyard last fall after we moved in, but it wasn't until this spring that we've actually seen a variety of birds coming to it. These photos are nowhere near as good as the bird photos from the Mental multivitamin blog, but they might give you just a small idea of our first attempts at backyard birding.

Western Tanager

Another Western Tanager

Lazuli Buntings (These have been so hard to photograph--I just can't get close to them)

More Lazuli Buntings

Black-capped Chickadee

K found this old nest on the ground, blown from a tree during the winter probably, when we were cleaning up the yard a few weeks ago.

After one of our rain/snow storms last week, B noticed this little egg on the ground in our front yard. We couldn't find a nest nearby and left it where it was until it was obvious it had been abandoned and was too cold to survive.

We've seen some other birds that we haven't been able to identify yet, and some we just don't have photos of (robins, crows, mourning doves, house finches, etc.).

Another school year finished

2008-06-11T22:24:00.000-06:00

K's biographical report for her school Learning Fair in May

So, after 3 years of private British/Arabic schooling in the UAE, K and C were put back into the U.S. public school system last August. Luckily, both were very enthusiastic about coming back to the U.S. and going to school here. They have both done well, but they both had adjustments to make, too. School is now different in some ways, and there are some things I could definitely do without, but there are also some things that are better now, so I think it balances out in the end. I'm really proud of K and C for making the adjustment and having a good year.

S is working with me to get ready for kindergarten in the fall. She'll be 5 in August--her birthday is on the first day of school. She can independently write her name in all caps now (with 9 letters in her name, this is a big accomplishment!), and we're still working on some of the letter names, but things are moving in the right direction. She is very excited to go to school like her brother and sister do. And said brother and sister love to help her by reading to her and "teaching" her--it's great.

I'm glad school is out because now we'll have time to work on things I want to do. Besides swimming and riding bikes (which we still need to buy), we'll be doing some academic stuff. Just a little. For one thing, Arabic. I don't want K and C to forget the little bit of Arabic they were able to learn. K in particular is quite good at reading and writing (they were never taught much conversational Arabic in school, unfortunately--and English is spoken more than Arabic in most public places in the UAE). C never cared for Arabic and stubbornly resisted putting any effort into Arabic class at school but he can write his name and knows some limited vocabulary. I studied basic Arabic while we were there for a while, so we're going to continue on with our beginning Arabic studies for a while. (I enjoy languages, so why not?) We're also doing some Latin, which C absolutely loves, and is new and fun to me. K and C are still doing piano, and I try to make sure they have plenty of reading time and good books available. The last thing I wanted to include in our formal schedule is a nature journal. (My friend K uses these in her homeschool curriculum, and I loved the idea.) What we're doing with the nature journals is taking some time each week to observe something in nature, which we then draw and write about. Our first entry was last week and the kids had fun with it.

Of course, the kids have their own plans for summer and I'm giving them plenty of free time to do their own things as well. K loves arts and crafts, gardening, and reading, so she'll be doing plenty of those; C loves games, toys, reading, and science experiments; S loves to do everything her brother and sister do and often follows their lead.

We won't be doing much of the hiking/exploring/camping I thought we would this summer because... we have a surprise addition coming to our family this summer! (The baby is due in 3 weeks!) So, we're excited, and we'll just have to postpone some of the outdoor adventures we'd like to have for later.

Now, the only thing I'm waiting for is warmer weather. Idaho is beautiful and green right now, but it has been chilly and rainy. It was even snowing a little this morning. I'd like some summer weather please!

A cold, rainy Memorial Day

Indoor picnic because of the weather

Aerial views

2008-05-14T13:17:00.004-06:00

Grand Teton Mountains in background, May 2008

A couple of weeks ago B was able to do some aerial surveying with a colleague, and he took these photos while they were flying.

A little closer to home:

(I can see B's building at the university, C's elementary school, and our home/neighborhood all in this photo.)

May flowers and showers

2008-05-07T09:54:00.007-06:00

We finally got some rain today instead of snow! This winter/early spring has been record-breaking for cold, and I'm so glad it's over. This is also our first spring in 4 years--it's always green and flowery and summery in the UAE--so it's been fun to see things come back to life here after a long winter.

While in the UAE, K read The Secret Garden, and ever since she's been wanting her own "bit of earth" to grow flowers in. She's loving it here. All these beautiful bulbs were here for us when we moved in, but we'll be planting some seeds of our own later this month.

Spring approaching

2008-04-22T22:07:00.010-06:00

Spring break for the two big kids was earlier this month. K decided she wanted to plan a spring party in honor of the occasion, and she busied herself with making invitations for each member of the family, making decorations, planning games and food, and making our home feel a bit more "spring-y" (since the weather was anything but...). She bought yellow roses with her own money for the party, and helped make all kinds of treats as well as butterfly-shaped sandwiches for the occasion. I'm not much of a party planner, so I don't know where she gets this from, but she loves to do things like this and her enthusiasm is infectious, especially to her brother and sister. It was fun for all of us, and made spring break enjoyable in spite of the awful weather we had that week.

We had the chance to watch C perform a play with his class at school last week. They put on Pirates from Grammar Island, and C was one of the pirate crew and a scout. He did a great job. He loves performing, especially when he gets to do or say something funny. He can be so serious sometimes, but in front of an audience he's a little ham. One minor glitch occurred when he noticed B taking his photo and smiled for the camera, forgetting where he was in the play for a minute. :)

S is now registered for kindergarten next fall. She needs to work on her ABCs though. I haven't been very diligent about working with her, unfortunately. Part of my problem is that C spoiled me. He learned his letters and numbers when he was 2, and taught himself to read when he was 4. So, I've been very laid back with S but she doesn't have the same innate interest in the alphabet that C had. But we've started working a little more seriously and I think she'll be ready. Here's a photo of some recent drawings she made. Until a couple months ago she would only draw what she called "supernovas," which were basically big scribbles that looked like supernovas. She wouldn't even try to draw anything else, saying she couldn't do it. Suddenly, over the last few weeks, she has begun drawing all sorts of things--turtles, people, trees, rain, sun, flowers, etc. I'm glad she's feeling confident enough to try some new things!

Before and after

2008-04-22T21:56:00.003-06:00

February--even the seats of the swings were buried under snow.

April--we have our yard back!

Local museum reopened

2008-03-21T09:22:00.011-06:00

The tabernacle, where our community orchestra rehearses and performs, has a historical museum down in the basement. The museum closed last fall for renovation before we had a chance to visit, but it reopened in February with the addition of a children's room. (The photos were taken last month--it's slightly less frozen now, if you're wondering.)

Keeping busy

2008-03-13T22:24:00.006-06:00

The kids have been busy doing their things, as usual...

K always has lots of homework--too much homework for my taste. I don't even remember having homework when I was in 5th grade. But, I can't complain about the curriculum. She enjoys school and is getting a lot out of it. Her favorite assignments are the creative projects. Here she is making a model of a Neon atom.

C is not burdened with too much homework yet, thankfully, so he has more time to do his own things. He has been experimenting with the digital camera lately and loves it. This is the kind of thing we find on the camera after he's been using it.

S keeps herself busy doing all kinds of things. Lately she loves using watercolors. Every day she asks if she can paint, and she is getting more creative.

B is busy with work and other fun stuff. (Check out his photo on the cover of January's Geology magazine!)

I finally finished turning my Goodbye Al Ain post into a photo book. I used shutterfly.com to make an 8x8 inch hardcover storybook, and I'm happy with how it turned out. I added a lot of photos and changed a couple of words from the original post. Big thanks to Bss and Brn for letting me use some of their photos of the roundabouts and mosques of Al Ain!

Still snowing, but getting warmer

2008-03-13T22:02:00.004-06:00

We've had awesome icicles (some reaching down to the ground) and snow this winter. The kids love it. We actually got above freezing this past week and there has been some thawing, but today we received a few more inches of snow. There is so much snow in our yard--I have no idea when it will all be gone.

Lunar eclipse watching

2008-02-21T09:29:00.007-07:00

Last night was the best lunar eclipse we've been able to see with the kids. Not only was it early enough that they were all awake, but we had clear skies and were able to see the moon from the beginning to the end. They had a lot of fun running outside from time to time to check on the progress of the eclipse.

B took some pictures of the moon and photoshopped them together--this is what we saw from eastern Idaho:

Road trips, ABCs and 123s

2008-02-15T14:42:00.007-07:00

Muscat Beach, Oman, June 2006

A year and a half ago, we went on a road trip through Oman with some friends from Abu Dhabi. It was hot, but it was really fun--we saw some amazing things, from nesting sea turtles to centuries-old forts and palaces.

Somewhere along the way, our friends let us borrow a CD of theirs: Here Come The ABCs by They Might Be Giants.

We loved it. I can't say for sure that it helped S learn her ABCs, but she did learn that "C is for Conifer" and what a conifer is--not a bad thing, right? The older kids enjoyed the music very much--it's witty, fun and energetic, and great for traveling. C soon had "Alphabet of Nations" memorized, learning the names of several new-to-him countries in the process, and was singing it long after we had returned the CD.

Well, TMBG has now released Here Come The 123s, and I knew we'd enjoy this album as much as the ABCs. In fact, now that we've listened to it, I think it's better in some ways.

Songs include "Infinity," "Nonagon," and "Triops Has Three Eyes"--so it's a lot more than songs about numbers. Each album also has a bonus DVD available, with music videos to accompany the songs on the CD.

I think it's perfect that TMBG have started making albums specifically for children--their music has always had a certain quality of silliness to it, while at the same time giving you something to think about.

If you like it, definitely take one of their albums on your next road trip!

Ras al Jinz, Oman, June 2006

Celebration photos

2008-02-12T19:23:00.003-07:00

Here is K with the children's choir:

And a few more photos from the dress rehearsals:

It was fun to watch--the show was really well done (script, music, choreography, performance, etc.) thanks to the many volunteers who put it together. It was a celebration of the temple and of this part of Idaho, showcasing the joy of music, the joy of dance, the joy of faith united, and the joy of promised blessings brought to pass.

Well done, K! (She's holding a stray piece of wheat she found on the floor.)

Thank goodness for books!

2008-02-06T14:50:00.001-07:00

With all the snow days we've been having lately (8 more inches last night!), I'm so glad we all got new books for Christmas. We do have a library in town, but when it's snowing, or just icy cold outside, I'd much rather stay home and pull some books off our own shelves. Here are some books the kids have enjoyed reading recently:

The Little White Horse, by Elizabeth Goudge

The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale

The New Way Things Work and Pyramid, by David Macaulay

Encyclopedia Brown series, by Donald J. Sobol

A Million Dots, by Andrew Clements and Mike Reed

The Snowy Day and Whistle for Willie, by Ezra Jack Keats

Around the Year, by Tasha Tudor

More snow, and mosque & temple cont.

2008-02-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

Schools are closed again today, and all three kids are happily playing in the mounds of snow in our yard. I was surprised schools were closed. It was really snowy and windy yesterday, but it had stopped before I went to bed and I assumed roads would be clear by this morning. Maybe they don't plow roads at night here? I really don't know. The whole snowplowing issue is bizarre. This is a small town, smaller than I have lived in before, but because it is rural there are miles of country roads outside the town center. I know the city has two snowplows, but I have never actually seen one of them. I know our street was plowed once at least, because the plow left a wall of snow in front of our driveway. The university never closes, but we live within walking distance so there's no problem for B getting to work.

*****

Kristin in Abu Dhabi has some great photos and layouts of her visit to the Grand Mosque. I love her digital scrapbooking designs.

The temple dedication has been postponed to Sunday Feb. 10th, because of President Hinckley's funeral tomorrow. The cultural celebration will be next week, Feb. 9th. Hopefully I'll get some photos. I've gone to all the rehearsals with K, and it is a fun and moving tribute to the pioneers and local residents, and a celebration of the progress that has been made here over the years through their efforts.

Mosques and Temples

2008-01-25T12:42:00.001-07:00

Every time we drove from Al Ain to Abu Dhabi we would pass the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, which was under construction. This photo was taken in April 2007. It was finally finished and opened officially for Ramadan, but we were gone by then. I was happy that Shari in Abu Dhabi not only was able to tour the inside, but shared some photos on her blog! You can see photos here, here, here, here, and here. It's beautiful, and supposed to be the sixth largest mosque in the world!

We don't have any beautiful mosques to admire here in eastern Idaho, but there is a beautiful new LDS temple we were able to tour last week during the open house. We were living in New England when the Boston temple opened, and B and I volunteered at the open house there. This temple is architecturally similar from the outside, but very different inside. I'm glad our kids were able to be here for this open house--they were very excited about it. K also gets to sing in a children's choir at the gala celebration preceding the dedication ceremonies next weekend.

Too cold

2008-01-22T22:37:00.001-07:00

So, this morning it was colder than it has been here in ten years! (Why me?) The temperature got down to -22F/-30C. Local schools were closed, so my kids were very happy, as was I. (K would have been skiing with her class today, and I'm glad she'll be able to do that when it's a little warmer.) Many of our windows were iced over--I couldn't see out of the kitchen window at all. With the icy windows, piles of snow outside, and long icicles dangling from the sides of the house it's almost reminiscent of Varykino in Dr. Zhivago, although not nearly as pretty.

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-26T15:16:00.001-07:00

Now that we're back in the States, the kids are enjoying some Christmas traditions we haven't had a chance to participate in for a few years:

Bonfire, hayride and caroling

Christmas lights (at Temple Square in Salt Lake City)

Making gingerbread houses at Grandma's

Freezing

2007-12-15T13:01:00.001-07:00

It has been snowing every day this week. And it's finally cold enough that the snow isn't melting away. Winter is definitely here.

I knew eastern Idaho would be cold--from what I had heard, much colder than northern Utah where I went to college. But having survived two Russian winters, in 1994 and 1996, I thought it should be no problem. Russian winters are cold, right? Well, I've been comparing temperatures for the last few weeks, and Moscow and St. Petersburg are both slightly warmer on average than where I am right now! The only Russian cities that are noticeably colder than here are in Siberia (Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude, and sometimes Vladivostok).

The good thing about living where I am now is that the buildings are always warm, and we have plenty of hot water on demand, unlike in Russia. The bad thing is that I have to drive in snow because there is no public transportation here, unlike Moscow and St. Petersburg.

So... for someone who grew up in California and the desert southwest and just spent the last 3 years living in the middle east, this is going to take some getting used to. B loves his new job, so we may be here for quite a while...

Concert tonight

2007-11-14T16:52:00.003-07:00

Free orchestra concert at the tabernacle tonight...

We'll be playing:

L'Arlésienne Suite No. 2 by Georges Bizet

Violin Concerto in G minor by Max Bruch

Capriccio Espagnol by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

October

2007-10-27T18:08:00.002-06:00

Aspen

Rowan

S with her beloved stuffed camel

Fall has returned

2007-10-10T20:54:00.002-06:00

I'm so glad it warmed up this week. I'm just not quite ready for winter yet.