a HAIRY situation

Thanks to the GRANDpoline (as we have named it in honor of the wonderful sponsors of the trampoline) we now have AWSOME hairstyles going on ...

Simple pleasures, found in every day life!

Love is ...

... when you learn how to cook brunch with your loved ONE!

L and her J together at cooking class

I asked her what her favorite part of the class was,

L: Being with J!

M: Why did I even ask :)

She was lucky and got to go back to J's house.

On the way back home, after playing for a few hours, she had a complete melt-down, crying for her J and complaining "I never get to see him anymore! What if he forgets me and marries somebody else? waeheaehaehaehaheeeee ... "

No worries my child, he won't forget you ... and if he does then I have no doubt you'll hunt him down and remind him :)

Thanks Jay-Jay for making Ls day so special! 

You have a very special (and big) place in my daughter's heart (... and mine too :)!

Art Attack

Oh what a day!!!

I just realized that I haven't even talked about my new, HUGE and very time consuming "hobby"/volunteer job but the sheer absence of posts should be a good indication that something is up :)

It all started with me addressing our PTA last November, offering to run an after school art program.
The idea found lots of applause and then our Principal said "why not do it during class sessions for ALL grades!".

WHAM!!!!

And so it begun!

The school purchased a program called "Art in Action" which provides a curriculum and some materials and off I went, marching into class rooms, looking at big eyed kids eager to get their craft on.
Class by class, with the help of many volunteers, we painted and created.

About three weeks ago I talked to our Principal and told him I'd run the sessions alone next year, for all grades, every day if he can provide the materials and a room.
One PTA meeting and a $3000 PTA Grant later I am launching a full Art Attack on our school.

And now it's getting busy!
VERY busy!!!

The scheduling alone, the material search and project preparations take hours and hours.

I am in school until 4:30 pm on some days. 

I bring my lunch and Pat meets me in the parking lot to drag Lulu from Ls school to her school. 

My POOR baby, she is totally getting ripped off!!!

I planed to teach M/W/F afternoons, since Lulu is in school during those times, but of course that is not enough and some classes, like the Kinders, have to have their sessions in the morning.
I drag my poor Lulu with me everywhere and every kid in school knows that I am Ls mom and Lulu is her sister.

I walk through school and kids call "Hi Mrs. C!" "When are you coming back Mrs. C?" "Because of you we are better artists Mrs. C!"
Boy nothing like praise and excitement from Elementary kids!!!!
These comments make me beam with pride and I just want to work harder and harder to squeeze in even more sessions.

NEVER IN MY LIFE did I think I would want to teach and yet here I am, LOVING it!

I have to try and control myself so I don't come up with too many projects at once (all sourced through the thousand of art blogs I subscribe to!).

I could go crazy with projects and ideas.

And our school ... you should see all the art work hanging everywhere.
Sunflowers over sunflowers, amazing Miro drawings and now we are working on selfportraits with the 3rd Graders.

It's mind-blowing how fast time can go by when you are so busy.

My AAA personality, hyper and in super-over-drive combined with my "slight" OCD and my micromanaging skills just woke up from 6 years of hibernation.
It's been so long since I had contact with the "outer world", people, schedules, things to do and date lines to meet.
It almost feels like old times ... just without the wonderful incentive of pay.
But thats ok, we are used to being poor by now ;)

Anyways,  my pay is to be able to do art with kids all day long, to be able to see L (even thought I am NOT allowed to kiss her in front of her friends anymore :(
I can drag Lulu along and she is getting more and more used to being in school and her Kindergarten anxiety is getting better and better.
She has used EVERY toilet on the school grounds!
Like her sister she LOVES public restrooms and has the urgent need to "test drive" each and every of them.

I now am working on preparing a huge recycled art project for ALL grades (K-6) and oh, they have to be completed by 04/21!!!
We are having a big community clean up event / Earth Day celebration.
The school has to be decorated to it's limits with recoiled art for that day!

Never mind my NL blog, don't even think about Heart and Soul Works or Ls blog.
If I don't plan, prep for a lesson or blog on my new school art blog then I am most likely out cold in bed, dreaming about my new art room and lots of crafts.

Just within one month my/OUR lives went from busy to ueber-super crazy and I miss my lazy days playing with Lulu, hanging out at the park, SEWING or just doing nothing.

Now my house is a mess, the kids eat pizza that Pat brings home for supper, the dog doesn't know what a leash is anymore and the cat is losing all of her fur???
Plus I will soon have VERY flat bum from sitting too long on this VERY uncomfortable desk chair of mine (hint-hint hubby :), staring at the computer, schedules, material lists, art posts and volunteer informations.

But it's all good and so worth it and I am so excited about this new venture ... I just pray I don't mess it up too badly!
This is a great opportunity for me to get into something very new and so dear to me.
It would really suck if I find out I am no good at it and they tell me to "go home and sit on the couch again".
I have always envied Pat for his love for his job.
He lives and breathes optics and LOVES what he his doing.
He never complains about working long hours and if it wouldn't be for my demanding demeanor he'd probably stay at work until 11:00 pm every day (oh wait, it's 11:06 pm and he is still at work ... but he did come home for supper and brought the Ls to bed. GOOD Papa!).

Off to bed ... I do have so many nice pictures of Lulu and her ladybugs from today, and Dork with bib and baby cap ...  but it'll have to wait until tomorrow.
A) It's 11:08 pm and I am SUPER tired and
B) My butt is numb!

Good night!

Lulu ART

Yesterday, L and I had to work on a book report and Lulu sat quietly at her desk.

I didn't notice what she was doing until she asked me for more "FLUFF for my sheepie".

My super-smart, earth friendly child had pulled out of the garbage can the stuffing that Ed had pulled out of one of his toys and used it for her "arch prodect".

Once I looked at what she was doing I was so AMAZED!!!

This is the finished masterpiece!

Since we didn't have any more "fluff"(we'll have to wait until Ed destroys another toy :) she crumbled up paper to complete her "sheepie".

I am particularly impressed with the legs!
She outlined them and colored them in.

This is a HUGE step up from just drawing lines as legs.
Also the face and the ears, look at the symmetry (I am starting to sounds like I am in school running an art session :)

But seriously, this is GREAT work for a 4 year old! ... beam-beam :)

Listening to the teachers and the academic world I am not doing them a big favor by concentrating so much on art.

It would be much better to study math and literature all day long.
And I totally agree!
If I'd be drilling them all day on academics L would be already doing math grade 3 level (like so many in her class) and read Harry Potter books (like so many in her class).
I should, I know that.

BUT I am not an academic person.
3/4 of my brain is RIGHT sided, the rest sleeps most of the time or spends Pat's money :)

So my 3/4 artistic brain is VERY, VERY proud of this AMAZING, completely self-motivated and self-created sheep of my Lulu.

... the other 1/3 of my brain is still sleeping (told you I am not academic :)

You know your ...

... dog is a DORK when he does this ...

I didn't have the heart to tell him "not to bother with the learning materials".
I didn't want to crush his dream of becoming a smart dog some day ...

Like Bono would sing
"... got yourself stuck in a moment/basket and you can't get out of it ..."

A true BASKET case (It's Lulu's old easter basket)

Totally tangled ... and YES, YES, YES ... he does that to himself!
I have GP and GM as witnesses.

He throws that thing up, catches it and then pulls it over his head.
... and then he chases peaces of the basket (hanging down from his body) ... for hours!

"I am to dorky for this world, to dorky for this world, I am a DORK!

Only you my Dork!!!

We LOVE that Dork of ours!!!

... even if he isn't so smart (or even a little smart).
He has a good looks and pearly whites, which he LOVES to show (as I said, not even a little smart :)

{this moment}

CZ girls hanging out ...

It was a sunny afternoon today!
So after we came home from school (3:45 pm ... this volunteer work is taking more and more time) we decided to just chill for a little while.

And guess what we are laying on ...

A SUPER HUGE, EARLY b-day present for the Ls from GP and GM.
L had been asking for a WII (since "everybody else in the world has one mama") but I stood my ground.
NO WII for our house. I'd rather have them jumping and being outside.

So thanks to GM and GP (and the neighbors, who are moving to AZ and sold us this HUGE pice of equipment) we now have a TRAMPOLINE in our (already full) backyard.

I can now say, with 100% certainty, that there is NO MORE ROOM at the Inn (or better in our yard).
We are FULL!!!

We can entertain a group of 15 kids easily, climb house with rock wall, triple swing set with teeter-totter, a tree swing and now a trampoline.
CRAZY!!! But the Ls love and that makes us happy and so we are all happy ;)

Thank you GP & GM!!!


The Ls are in bouncing-heaven and run out to jump on it as soon as we get home.
They follow the rules and wouldn't even jump together so I could take a picture.
"Grandpa said ONLY one can jump at a time!"

A lovely afternoon, bouncing around.

out of town - Guest Post

Grandma and Grandpa had the pleasure of a wilderness excursion with their two California grandchildren, Lillie and Lucy.  A three day (2 night) trip to the foothills of the great Sierra Nevada mountains of eastern California.  A great time was had by all.  Here are a few highlights of the trip as related by the guest blogger; GP Czarnota.

We got to travel in style as we were upgraded to this Dodge Journey - for only another $12/day of course.

The two bedroom condo in Arnold, Mountain Retreat Resort, had all the amenities we needed - but to no surprise the fireplace was the biggest hit.  Only $6.00 a bundle for wood.

 $6.00/bundle is a bargain if you can get them to be this mesmerized by the fire for an hour.

 A short dominoes game before bedtime and our adventures the next day.

 We awoke to bright sunshine and this beautiful little creek outside of our condo.  I am standing on the veranda of the condo as the two pose for a picture below.

Tall Trees National Park; one of several spots in the US that still has stands of Sequoia in their natural habitat.

We came here to get away from the snow.  

The girls of course were fascinated by it.  The first order of the day was to run in the snow so their feet could get good and wet and cold for the last part of our 1.5 mile hike.

The hike starts with the 'stage' called the "big Stump".  

This fallen Sequioa was discovered in the 1860's during the California gold rush that occurred in the region at the time.  It is believed to have been the largest Sequioa in the region  with a diameter of over 30 feet.  They counted over 2150 rings in this cross section.  I wondered how you can cut a stump of such diameter?

 An average sized Sequioa is very large with a typical height of over 200 feet and a diameter exceeding 15 feet.

 As all living things - the Sequioas eventually die.  This tree is believed to have fallen over 150 years ago and is now 'hollowed' by insects and decomposition.

 The bark is soft to the touch and over two feet thick on average.  More on its function later.

They can occur in clumps.  

There roots can extend 150 feet in all directions so competition restricts the density to several trees in a given space.

The trees at the top are often damaged by wind or lightning.  

Few trees of maturity (1500 years or more in age) have their original tops.

As you can appreciate - one tree has an extensive relationship with the biotic community around it.

The bark is the important 'skin' that protects the tree.  The bark can withstand a forest fire, an important interaction with the Sequioa as the fire is the required stimulus to free the seeds from the  cones.

These two are called the "mother and son."  

They are actually both the same age but one has grown to be much bigger than the other.

The exposed tree of the "child" probably inhibited its growth.

This fallen Sequoia has a channel down the middle over 100 feet in length.  

The girls crawled through the entire tree of course.  The naturalists believe it has been 'resting' here for over 100 years.

Some trees you just can't move!

A stand of young Sequioas that probably sprouted after a forest fire at the turn of the 19'th century.  

It takes a 100 years to grow a couple of feet in diameter.

Yet another fallen giant.

Time for a snack after a 1/2 hour of exploring the forest.

A healthy lunch of course!!

Cheddar cheese is one of Lucy's favorite snacks.

A channel through one of the trees.

This tree did not withstand a forest fire - which is unusual.  

It may have been damaged before the fire and weakened as a result.

Two thousand years from now these could be giant Sequoias 30 feet in diameter.

Nothing wrong with a rest along the way.

... especially if Grandma and Grandpa can make it bounce!

"The mother of the forest" was the tallest and largest tree when the Sequioa grove was discovered.  The owner of the land erected scaffolding and stripped the bark to reconstruct a tree in New York. (around 1880).  It became quite a controversial exhibit as even then a segment of the population was against disturbing nature in this way.  The tree stands in the forest black from 'head to toe' as it decays while standing among its peers.

Yosemite Park has a tree with a tunnel cut through s giant Sequioa.  

The owner of this Sequioa stand did the same to attract tourists to his area in 1880.  The tree is dying a slow death as a result.

This threesome is called the "three Sisters".  

The girls renamed them the "three cousins - Lillie, Lucy and Ashley".

Disease can sometimes create unusual formations on the bark.

Grandpa made it with his pack despite a couple of bad knees.  

I've got to do something about that so we can enjoy such wonderful hikes.

This tree suffered a burn from a very hot fire some time ago.  

The thick bark is slowly  closing the exposed tree.

What can be better at the end of such a hike than hot chocolate in the 'warming hut.'

The evening was spent watching a new video of a TV series called White Fang.  

It's become one of Lillie's favorites (and a great incentive for completing home work :)

They slept for 10 hours that night.  

Nothing like a 1.5 mile hike that probably was 5 miles long for them as they scampered through the forest.

The next day we explored more gold mining country near Angel's Camp.

We wanted to see the Mercer Caverns.  

He discovered them in `1884 while prospecting for gold.  

He felt some air coming from the ground.  He acquired tools and started to dig.

This entrance into the ground is where he had started to dig.  

Tours have been conducted here since 1885.  He charged $.50 a tour back in 1885.  Locals said he had finally discovered the gold he was seeking as he bought this sight for $1.00 as a gold mining claim.

The cavern has 220 steps down to its lowest level.

Many of the stairways are quite steep.

Scary at first - but soon the adventure overcame initial fears of walking down countless stairways to the bottom.

Rock formations of various calcium compounds.  

Some of the formations such this 'bridal veil' takes many years to create as mineral water slowly drips along the ceiling and walls.

Resting after the 220 steps back to the top.  

Lucy is clutching her little bag of purple colored amethyst we purchased in the gift shop.   Lillie had a little chunk of Pyrite as her souvenir.   After this - it was back to Milpitas to see how the California Cz's, Patrick and Nadja were doing with the painting.

Addendum by Mama CZ:

This sums up a wonderful trip for the Ls with GM and GP.

They came back all smiles and super happy!

Thank you GM and GP for taking us on this great adventure and for spoiling us greatly!

Thank you for the wonderful 10 days we had. 

Thank you for all the games at 6:00 AM!!!, the walks to school, the trips to the mall or to supper, the many, many, many story times and all the cuddles and hugs and kisses!

Thank you for allowing Mama to spend so much time at school during the week and for taking such great care of our Ls.

And THANK YOU for the GREAT pre-b-day surprise, which will bring the Ls AND Papa many, many, many hours of fun and exercise!

By tomorrow morning tears will run for hours ... for sure and the house will feel rather empty and quiet.

Have a safe trip back ... we'll miss you already!!! 

COME BACK SOON!!!

xoxo

Your CA Cz's