I think this photo needs a caption..

"You call the wolves while I conduct the orchestra."

Random photo from our camping trip with our friends at Point Beach State Park.  I'd never been camping there before, but it is the site of one of my favorite photos of Jacob ever:

He has grown a bit since then:

We had wonderful weather for pre-Memorial Day, though I was admittedly feeling like death-warmed-over from a nasty cold Allison had brought home.  Still - we enjoyed a trail bike ride to the birthplace of the ice cream sundae.  We spent some time on the beach with the kids playing ladder golf.  It was.... windy on the beach to say the least.  Those of us not in the photos were snuggled until blankets or laying down close to the warm sand.  

We broke both pudgie-pie makers, which was the biggest bummer of the weekend.  I also found a morel mushroom, but I'm too afraid to eat it.

Project time

So I..... er, Allison did a project on Japan this weekend.  I have mixed feelings about these "projects" that the kids do in school.  First grade is the robot.  Second grade was an insect poster and a project about a famous African American (Alice Waters because Alice is like Allison - her teacher commented on her "unique" choice).  Sometime I remember blowing bubbles in various liquids are recording the results.  There seem to be many opportunities for "learning" to come home.

The Japan project went something like this.  Allison brings home sheet with project guidelines.  Those guidelines say something like "research one of these things about Japan - no posters because we've already done so many this year."  Well, if by "so many" they mean 'none' - well then, I agree, 'none' is way too many.

The Japan project was promptly forgotten about amid the therapist appointments, piano lessons, baseball games, camping trips, and all around other crap we do.  May has simply been that way - it's not an excuse, it's just a fact.  Japan could have moved up on the priority list - but it didn't.

Last week, I pow-wowed with another parent to verify the date (5/29) and the guidelines.  Allison wanted to do earthquakes because she found a book in my office about earthquakes and it mentioned a Japanese myth about earthquakes being caused by catfish.  I thought this was a great idea.  Allison thought that she could take the book to show her class and that would be an awesome project.

So, we had a talk about what the project could be (not simply taking a book in) at which point she promptly changed to wanting to do a project on the yen - thinking that then she could take in Japanese money and show her class.  I reiterated that it was a project and not show-and-tell - though frankly "show and tell" might be more appropriate for 3rd graders.  I refused to let her change, given that it was due in two days and I actually had a plan for the earthquake thing.

Since posters were out - I took the liberty of choosing the medium for her - cardboard cutouts.  I then drew a combination of pictures she wanted (jigsaw puzzle - for plate tectonics) and pictures that I thought would round out the story (catfish, god Kashima who keeps the catfish under control, and two plates colliding like they do in Japan).  I think I drew pretty awesome pictures.

Then I pasted them onto cardboard and Allison colored them in.  She also did some labeling.  Ok - pictures complete, coloring complete - now for the text.  We nixed handwritten notes because.... well... Allison's handwriting is practically illegible.  And it's slow, and the teacher will know if I helped, and I don't want to engage in a smudging battle (another post another time).  So we opted to type (see picture above as proof that Allison typed some of it herself).  But we ended up with my typing the words she was saying, which was pretty much what was written in the book plus my additions to make sure that the story made sense.  We kindof cut and pasted from the book text.  I should teach her proper citations, but whatever.

We then printed, cut, and pasted the text onto the back of the cardboard cards.  Allison can hold them up in order and read.  Project complete!! 

Sometimes it's hard not to compare what the kids are doing with what I did as a kid.  I remember my first "research" project - which was actually 3rd or 4th grade - and assigned to me because I was bored with what was going on in the classroom.  It was something to occupy me with, and I mostly copied from an encyclopedia.  Our first "project"-based curriculum came in 5th grade and I remember a popsicle-stick Jamestown and a topographic map made out of playdoh.  Also, there was an experiment with cabbage and beet juice.  I remember getting help with all of them.

Therefore, I'm just not convinced that 1st, 2nd, or 3rd graders really have the organizational skills to pull of an "inquiry" project.  Or, perhaps SOME 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders do, but not mine.  So then a parent steps in to make sure that the child meets at least the expectations of the assignment.  I didn't do it completely, they are her ideas, words and coloring; but she didn't really do it either.  I'm worried that the 4th grade assignments will be bigger and more complicated, and I'll still be helping.  I'd like to know how many students do their projects without ANY help from mom or dad.  Because if it's (as I suspect) about 10-15% - then perhaps these projects should be rethought.  Or at least add "show and tell" about Japan as an option.

June is....

Dairy Month!!  I know it's not quite June yet, but one of our favorite seasons has begun..... Breakfast On The Farm Season. It begins with food....

Pancakes, sausage, eggs, applesauce, cheese, milk, and ice cream (because, you know there's always ice cream for breakfast in Wisconsin)

Then activities: (face painting, bowling, butter making)

Add some animal petting:

Finally - tractors to climb on!

And we can do it again!  In every county we can get to - which for us is a lot of counties!  Woo hoo!  We might not even have strawberries in season yet, but we have farm breakfasts!  Amen!

Hot water again

Last Friday, the hot water heater began to leak.  Well, that's not quite right - the hot water heater has leaked since we moved in - but last Friday it went from a drip.... drip.... drip from the value to a steady stream of water flowing from where the valve attaches to the tank.  I noticed the leak because when I went into the workroom to look for something it seemed kindof.... steamy.  Then I took a closer look at the heater.

First call - plumber.  Fortunately (?), we'd signed a contract to have the water heater replaced three days earlier.  I was waiting for an install date (which at the time, hadn't been so pressing).  He seemed somewhat concerned about my ability to turn off the existing water heater, because, "righty-tighty, lefty-loosy" is such a challenge for us women-folk. 

They scheduled the repair on Tuesday.  The weekend we were already going camping, so we didn't have to worry about showers or hot water then.  But our camping return, Monday and Tuesday mornings were a different story.  On the one hand, it was very inconvenient to shower at the YMCA or fitness center.  On the other hand, at least we had options.  We did have to have a space cleared around where the new hot water heater was going to go - and if anyone has seen the workroom, you'd know what a challenge that was!

On Tuesday they came and installed the new hot water heater.  It's a tankless hybrid, which means it's not totally tankless, but sports a 3 gallon tank to provide a little instant water.  It is sleek and cool-looking, hanging there on the wall.

It does make me pause a little to reflect on the on-going costs of homeownership.  In the last 3 years, we've replaced the furnace, A/C, hot water heater, and roof - plus removed 5 cottonwood trees, re-landscaped half the yard, and waterproofed the deck (twice).  I see how people could get underwater not just from paying a mortgage, but paying for all the extra crap that goes along with the mortgage.

Words of Wisdom

Last night we were cleaning up baseballs from the front yard.  Jacob had two of a set of four plastic balls.  He said "two is better than none, right mom?...(pause)....unless you're talking about consequences."

Next: El Bulli

This will mostly be pictures with a little bit of text about our dinner at Next Restaurant in Chicago.  If you want a little back-story on what Next is and how we ended up there - I'll refer you to Brian's blog.

So - I don't remember everything, but I might remember some things.  I do know it was May 6th, and we traveled down to Chicago for the dinner.  The kids stayed with Grandma and Grandpa downtown and Brian and I changed (what do you wear to a dinner like this??) and headed to meet Megan and Jamie at Next.

The restaurant itself was smaller than I thought it would be.  There were roses suspended from the ceiling, which was pretty cool.  Then the food started to arrive, which was even cooler - literally -140 degrees F:

 

This was "nitro caipirinha with tarragon concentrate" (on the spoon).  The only thing that threw me was that I thought the cold white stuff around the bottom of the lime was the same at the cold white stuff that was in the frozen lime.  I was wrong.  Under the lime was salt.  This was a big disappointment, since I'd finished the slushie part and was hoping for more - only to be rudely assaulted with a mouthful of really cold salt.

There were 29 courses in all - so now onto the collages:

Display #1 - Appetizers - named clockwise...  hot/cold trout roe tempura; iberico sandwich; spherical olives; coca of avocado pear, anchovies, and green onion.  The tempura was my favorite and introduced me to the important "closed mouth bite" which is that you have to get the whole thing in your mouth before you bite down - or else whatever totally liquid thing is in there will dribble all down your front.  I followed this advice without question.  I was dribble free.

#2 - More Appetizers - these all came together.  It was a Golden Egg (raw egg in carmelized crunchy outer yumminess); chicken liquid croquettes; and a black sesame spongecake and miso (eating cake that tasted like sesame was wild).

#3 - Weird Stuff - next came the foams - in the center "smoke foam" yes - it tasted like eating campfire.  Not yummy.  Then carrot air (the orange one on the left) - loved it.  After the foams, we transitioned into "meal" like things.  There was a ravioli made out of cuttlefish (left bottom).  The fish was the "pasta."  This was followed by "tomato water" (right).  Not my favorite.  Then crab aspic with mini-corn couscous (left top). 

#4 - Cauliflower cous-cous with solid aromatic herb sauce.  This deserves it's own picture because it was so pretty.  Each bite you took cous-cous and mixed in some herbs from the outside.  Each bite was different and it was pretty awesome.

#5 - More main courses - suquet of prawns (top right), potato tortilla (left) this tasted like mashed potatoes in a odd fluff, and trumpet carpaccio (bottom right) - which included rabbit kidney, which I actually ate.  Rabbit kidney.  Yeah, it tasted good, but it was kidney and I had a hard time getting past that.

#6 - More mains - top right - red mullet gaudi.  This was cool because it came with a bag of heated seashells.  At El Bulli - this would have been served on the beach; a trio of nasturtium flower (bone marrow and eel, the flower, and cucumber) bottom right.  Left - more rabbit.  Rabbit saddle.  Apple jelly.  Really good.

#7 - The cheese course.  We were defeated.  That's a lot of gorgonzola.

#8 - Fun stuff.  Top left - foie gras caramel custard.  I ate mine.  I ate Megan's.  I could eat that on a regular basis.  My favorite of the night.  Top right - spice plate.  It was a game - spices in apple gel - you had to guess and you only got one chance.   I did pretty good - ignorance wins over those with real tasting taste-buds.  Bottom - mint pond.  A plate that they sprinkled mint, sugar, and something else on and you were like - huh?  Brian even rubbed his finger across it.  Then you tapped it and viola!  it was ice. 

#9 - Desserty stuff - chocolate in textures (top left); chocolate donuts / creme flute / puff pastry web (bottom left), passionfruit marshmallow (bottom right), coffee (top right). 

#10 - Drinky stuff - there was a drink with each course - though some courses you got a vial of things to add to your current drink to make it taste different.  Wine, beer, sake, bubbly - but over the course of 4 hours with a lot of food - you didn't notice (too much).

There is probably a lot more to say about El Bulli.  I'm glad Brian got to experience the restaurant, even if it was in Chicago and not Spain.  Also - I ate rabbit kidney and foie gras! 

We sported

 Today was opening day for Little League - a.k.a. Jacob's first official baseball game.  He got a base hit in the 2nd inning - there he is looking very cold because he doesn't own a long-sleeved white t-shirt and it was approximately 10 degrees out (OK, 50 degrees) and his parents didn't have the forethought to go buy a white t-shirt for him.  Now, I think if we buy a t-shirt it'll be 80 for every game from here on out.  Also - please note the lovely "beige/tan/toasted almond" colored uniform sponsored appropriately by a cosmetic surgeon's office.  Undeniably the ugliest uniforms in the league......

 He played outfield, third base, and catcher - which was pretty cute.

 

They ended up winning, 10-6 (or 10-7; 10 -something).

 Because we're somewhat insane (and Jacob has been begging to play football now for a year), we went straight from baseball to the third (or fourth, maybe, where has this spring gone to?) NFL flag football game at the Y.  It was somewhat sloppy from the storms earlier in the week.   But.... it's football right?

Jacob as center - of course, no 1st grader is going to put their hands anywhere close to another 1st grader's tushie - so, note the unique form of handing off the ball to the QB.

 This morning of sport was followed by an entire afternoon of playing with the neighbors - so exciting that Jacob wholly forgot about lunch.  I expect him to sleep well tonight.