Summer Sweetness

We went strawberry picking yesterday. A little farm located a pleasant drive north of Normal grows healthy berries by following organic growing practices. My birthday is usually the signal that it is time to make the trip, but this year we called ahead only to hear the unpleasant news that the season started and ended unusually early. "You may be able to get a few quarts if you spend some time," was the unwelcome message I received from the (admittedly friendly) farmer. With hopes slightly daunted, we decided to give it a try.

Though the field was definitely overgrown with thistles, and though the berries were cleverly hiding under the rotting leaves of the plants, we managed to harvest a heaping four quarts of deliciously sweet berries. My husband was the careful, choosy picker who filled one quart with large, plump, delicate specimens. I was the more ambitious picker who filled three quarts with acceptable berries.

Most of the berries we found were hiding under the semi-shade of these bug-eaten leaves, next to the juicy carcasses of their less fortunate over-ripe relatives.

Perfect for freezing to enjoy later on a bleak winter day.

The self- appointed farm "watchgoose" disliked our intruding presence.

Piper attempts to help himself to a luscious strawberry still warm from the June afternoon sun.

Internet Signals

So...
It has been significant time since I last wrote. Though many probably haven't noticed the lull, it can be attributed to the fact that our trusty, unknown neighbor we refer to as "linksys" has apparently moved. The internet signal we have been happily borrowing for the past two years disappeared sometime in the middle of May. After a month of sitting outside the local coffee shop or my parents' house using internet service from the front seat of our car, we decided it was time for a change. Thanks to a visit from Comcast on Saturday, we have now joined the realm of those who pay for their internet services.

As a result, you shall be hearing more from me... which is hopefully reason to rejoice.

Healthy Eating?

Due to the health concerns I have experienced these last few years, Kyle and I have been slowly trying to make our lifestyle a little healthier. He has been particularly insistent on finding more natural methods of eating. We began using aluminum-free deodorant. We have started making our breads and baked goods from scratch to reduce chemical additives. We incorporated more fresh products and less canned goods. We have replaced plastic water bottles with reusable Nalgene bottles. We engage in regular exercise most nights. We drink more water and less soda. We buy more organic foods. We don't consume high-fructose corn syrup or artificial sugars. As a result, in grocery shopping this weekend I found myself reading the fine print on every item I handled. As this genuinely takes more time, Kyle quickly grew bored and meandered over to the lawn & garden section. As our time in the store grew to a close and he rejoined me, I scanned my health-conscious list in a final check and then turned to ask, "Is there anything else you want?"

In his hand...




And I am doing all this extra work to what end?

Effects of Spring and SAT's...

CRAZY antics from four foot tall individuals!

We just completed our week of Standardized Achievement Testing. While we are blessed to spend little time preparing for this week (unlike our public school counterparts), what are the results of long periods of silence and lots of minuscule bubbles?

A snapshot of my week...

I bent over to get napkins from my desk drawer only to rise and face a group of boys with marshmallows STUCK to their front teeth and pretzel rods up their noses.

Where is the camera when you need one?

April Fools!

Harmless prank or cruel torture? Ask my fourth graders to decide!

About mid-morning I announced to my students we would be taking a "thinking test". This is a common procedure for reading comprehension practice, but today was a little different. I asked the kids to put their hands on their heads (the signal for full attention) and listen closely as I informed them this was "a special test to measure their memory capacity". A little speech on the principal's endorsement of this very important assessment that comprised 30% of the grade on the report card they were receiving today, and even the most nonchalant looked terrified.

As I distributed the specially comprised test with the most obscure memory tasks I could conjure, the faces of 15 fourth graders began to register varying degrees of shock. I could see plans of fun weekends fading away in light of serious groundings for the grade they could already foresee. For the three who actually read the directions, the ten minutes were glorious fun as they studied the faces of their less conscientious classmates. After ten minutes came the big reveal... April Fools!

It might have been a wicked trick, but it was fabulous fun! :)