Coming and Going

Doors are slamming. Clocks are ticking. Headaches are happening. Schedules are filling up and I am desperately seeking a daily rhythme that doesn't leave me feeling so scattered and stretched in opposing directions.

This sign was posted on a side entrance to Blenheim Palace (it's one of the places we visited in England this summer. I keep meaning to post more details about that trip...just one of many things on my very long to-do list. ) 

Is anyone else adjusting to the start of school, soccer, ballet, PTO, Italian classes, and less hours of daylight?

When You Were Little

In the past year, Noah and Camille have suddenly become very hungry for stories about our childhoods. Begging to hear the same stories over and over: the one about when I hid on the refrigerator...naked and eating cookies, the time Adam's underwear got caught in a mousetrap, any and all Uncle Charlie stories (those are family stories that were told to me as a child), etc. Begging us to share new stories. Trying to tease out more details. I have to admit that in a strange way my memories were pretty rusty but as I started telling more, I started remembering more in odd chunks and fragments. It's been fun to have these storytelling sessions that frequently get started in the car or in a tent with "Tell us about when you were little...."

In addition to listening to family stories, the kids have also been gobbling up autobiographies of some of their favorite writers. It started with Roald Dahl's Boy which we read in anticipation of our trip to his village and delightful museum. And then my sister recommended Soup as an audio book. She remembered how much she enjoyed listening to this book on tape as a kid and thought Noah would like it, too. It wasn't until I downloaded it from the library (can I just say again how much  I love being able to do that!!!) that I realized it was Robert Newton Peck's tales of his boyhood. And then for our recent Venice trip I just happened to stumble upon Tomie De Paola reading his stories from his childhood in 26 Fairmont Avenue. There is something so enchanting and entertaining about hearing these stories of childhood, especially when told by gifted writers. I don't blame the kids for wanting to hear them over and over again. I do,too. 

Have any good autobiographies or childhood tales to share? 

Mammoth Seed Love

We planted mammoth sunflowers in our back yard this summer and they were stunning. Bright, yellow, and towering over our fence like sunny beacons. Their petals fell off over several weeks ago but I couldn't bring myself to cut them down because the birds and the bees were so happy with them. This morning I finally cut them down and as much as I love their yellow beauty, I actually kind of think all of the seeds in center of the heads are pretty darn cool (and heavy, too). It's amazing to realize what can grow from just one tiny seed. Want to read even more cool stuff about seeds? Skip over to The Magnifying Glass and see what Dawn just posted.