There is a child in every one of us who is still a trick-or-treater looking for a brightly-lit front porch.

 ~Robert Brault

It has been a delightful, if incredibly full several days preparing for and celebrating All Hallow's Eve.  We read stories from Carolyn Haywood's Halloween Treats at lunchtime over several days.  The boys and Dad carved pumpkins one evening while I was able to sit in the relative quiet of the living room having a heart to heart with a military  mom friend who dropped by.  

The little girls and I tackled pumpkin painting this year as well. In typical me fashion we tackled this for the first time on Halloween day itself.  Seat of my pants sort of girl <g>  We struck out with the stencilled pumpkin but Minnie was a great success.  While we had pumpkins on the brain I brought out Thomas Locker's Family Farm. 

Then we finished our costumes and took the children to the local military base for treat or trick.  (I have shared before that trick or treat is a highly personal and highly controversial topic, one I have waffled on over the course of 28yrs of parenting.  This article best describes where we are with it these days.)  We are so grateful to have a huge, safe community celebration to attend. There was music and hot cocoa and crafts and neighbors.  It makes for a very Peanut's Great Pumpkin sort of  holiday.  This definitely isn't an option everyplace so our plans adapt as we move around. 

and since I am not above making a fool of myself to make my children laugh….

“I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house."  Nathaniel Hawthorne here

The quote caught my eye but now I want the journals.  Speaking of which I am going back through this one and finishing up this.  Years and years and years that last one has taken me but I feel like I have digested it in chunks and each next section hits me at a certain point in life, no doubt the very right point at which to read it. I was drawn to finish this last section after recent discussions about end of life laws and suffering in general. The accounts of Louis Martin's last years came to mind during these talks and I am revisiting his final trials now.  

Anyway, today found us discussing Ghandi and hence, Tolstoy, Thoreau, and Martin Luther King. (maybe tomorrow we will just discuss fashion or latte or something but you know, probably not)  Can you guess why?  The increasing inability to disagree with others and the tendency towards coercion that seems to be rampant everywhere I turn lately. Lawsuits, slander.  Gah.  After reading a comment on an article that insisted, "It's ok to hate a bigot,"  I realized our current teens missed the first round discussion years ago about how to oppose civilly. That it is ok and sometimes necessary to challenge a wrong position but it is never ok to hate anyone, no matter how terrible their actions may be.  Digging up some examples of what that looks like in history. Much of this they smile and nod over and it no doubt goes over their heads but I pray they leave our home with this message firmly planted in their hearts.  We hate the sin, and we oppose wrong always,  but we love the sinner – because we are that too. Respect is not just for the few. 

What else?  I read part of Beowulf aloud to Moira for her lit class and became fascinated and inspired.  Tutored some Spanish, which is funny because I don't actually speak Spanish.  What they say about the Romance languages seems to be true though.  Somehow it's clicking after dabbling in French and latin.

We made birthday cupcakes.  That was enough though since Moira and I are catching a cold so husband brought home pizza.  Abbie practiced a song she wrote for the piano.  Moira put the letters on the keys with washi tape so now Abbie is bent on writing songs as a series of letters and then replaying them.  

And the Aga is on.  ahhhhhhhh.  It is so very nice to be warm at night.  I will never again read Dickens nor any other British author describe the cold months without a slight shiver. There is something especially chilly about an English autumn and winter though the thermometer teases and assures that it isn't as cold as many other places.  Damp I guess. 

Daytimes are still lovely and crisp though.  These are from a walk on a new trail locally. 

Both of us doing the same work in different ways this weekend. Building bit by bit we are.  Me, pausing from my window.  This one, pausing from the roof.    

We hit the jackpot with this creamy dill sauce.  Dutifully I have been buying fish and trying to like it but Friday was the real thing.  It was really, really good.  We had houseguests and the oven was full so I marinaded the salmon in half butter (vs the olive oil) and half lemon juice and then lightly sauteed.  We served it with the dill sauce and it was heaven.  I then proceeded to spoon the dill sauce over every vegetable I ate all weekend.  It was that good.  It made the veggies good.  And the fish.  

I heart this sauce, folks.  

We are celebrating first's and last's at every turn right now.  Tomorrow, a new decade. She slipped right out of childhood gracefully, quietly. 

This was the fifth consecutive "4th" we have spent in Europe and the 8th summer of my life celebrating overseas. For whatever reason our Independence Day's have historically made for pretty good stories.  Our first 4th was in Germany.  I was due with our first baby. Most memorable was a lone electric guitar playing the Star Spangled Banner and feeling super choked up. We parked in a field and had to drive off a small curb to exit.  In doing so we knocked our muffler clean off… right before I went into labor. Did I mention they had strict noise control laws in Germany?

The summer of '94 I was nearly due with Alannah.  We were in San Antonio and the temps were near 100.  We watched Selena perform at the base celebration that summer.  She would be murdered a few months later.  

In the late 90's we returned to our vehicle on an army post in VA to find it stone dead.  We tried everything we could but it was no use.  We had to get a taxi.  Actually, when you have six kids you have to get two taxis.  We split up the kids and Allen's taxi took off.  I got into another with the babies and we set off.  It was like midnight by then.  Our driver turned off into a dark remote area and I freaked completely out.  Didn't say anything but was preparing to be a statistic.  He must have read my mind because he quickly fell all over himself to explain he knew a better shortcut and sure enough we arrived home first. 

We spent a frigid 4th in Colorado about a dozen yrs ago.  We had hoped to see the fireworks up at a old mining town but didn't realize it could be 50 degrees up there, even in summer.  Totally were not prepared and decided that with toddlers along, discretion was the better part of valor.  

The year we left Colorado we spent the 4th watching a parade in our tiny cow town.  I use the word town loosely.  : )  I think the whole "town" was actually IN the parade. 

This year we celebrated at RAF Feltwell.  The RAF Red Arrows performed and the kids hit the carnival rides.  This year's highlight ended up being that there is one "gate" out of RAF Feltwell.  Thousands of people exiting single file.  That took about 3.5 hours.  I don't remember all of that.  I do remember waking up a few hours after we began lining up when I heard a boy ask if we were still on base.  Yep.  Still on base.  Still fun though. 

We had today to clean, cook, and pack and are off again for  a totally different adventure.  

So far this summer we are loving…..

the wind in our hair

even when they are fertilizing the fields

campfires 

fresh food

Being outside.  Everyday.  A whole lot. 

Messy art fun

We are still finishing up the school year since we take a very extended mid year break when "the brothers" are here and then another in the spring for a very special wedding.

Our routine for summer school days usually involves getting up and having a leisurely breakfast. Then chores.  Then I settle in at the kitchen island and they gather 'round taking turns sitting next to me or moving down the island to work exercises as needed.  I read their lessons aloud with them which is our favorite time.  I honestly love their books and insert "Isn't that FASCINATING??" comments rather liberally during our sessions together. Then usually rabbit trail off into the wild and wonderful world of youtube : )    Some finds related to our work lately:

youtube history fun here, here and here    

Weekly PE fun here

inspiring art here and here

sidewalk paint here

{this moment} ~ A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

more moments at Amanda's

"Mama, come quick!" 

The children were playing in the garden when they came upon these fledglings, a bit stunned by their rude introduction into the big world.  They were spotted when they had wandered out onto the open grassy area, a bit stunned.  

We talked about mamas, who linger nearby ready to help. We talked about not touching them and playing in the back garden, giving them time and space while they worked it out.  We talked about how hard it is to trust that it will be ok when it doesn't look like it will be ok. 

If you have ever had a fledgling person of your own, you know how much easier that all is in theory.  

Here's to fledglings everywhere, eager to spread untested wings.  Here's to their mama's – hovering closeby, watching, praying, coaching, hoping.