A Look Inside: Adventures in Homeschooling

Last Thursday, a box arrived in our mailbox. Aubrey, who had tagged along with me to the mailbox, was visibly excited when she discovered keys to a package bin in our mail slot. "Mom! A package!! I wonder what it is?!" she exclaimed, bouncing with excitement as she poked the key into the lock and turned. I slid the box from the package bin. "Well, what is it??" she asked excitedly. "Dead frogs," I deadpanned.

[awkward silence]

"Oh."

Aubrey was less-than-thrilled to receive such an odd package in the mail. I explained that we were going to dissect the frogs as part of our science lesson and she perked up a bit. She ran inside, yelling "Aiden! We're going to dissect frogs tomorrow!" I plopped the box on the counter and began sorting through the remainder of the mail, but soon found Aubrey at my elbow.

"Mom, Aiden said we're going to cut up frogs and look inside them, but I told him that was gross and we would never do that. But he says I'm wrong. Are we going to cut up frogs?" she asked me, certain her brother was wrong.

"Well, actually...we are going to dissect frogs. Dissect is a fancy term, but it means were going to cut open a frog and look at all of its organs and parts inside to learn about it. But the frogs are already dead, and all the blood has been taken out of them and they have been preserved in chemicals, so it isn't gross or yucky. It's just a way of learning about what living things look like on the inside." I tried to hide my amusement as looks of incredulity, disgust, and finally curiosity passed across her face.

The following day, after concluding our lessons for the day, I spread butcher paper across the dining room table, brought out the dissection instruments, and gathered the kids around an empty tray. I ceremoniously plopped the cold and chemical-smelling frog onto the tray, and after donning gloves, we began to explore the external parts of the frog. My thinking was to ease the kids into the experience before jumping into the dissection, but they were antsy to wield the scalpel, so soon we were opening our dissection text and digging in. The kids took turns with the instruments, and were intrigued at first, but soon their curiosity turned to boredom, and after a thorough discussion of the internal anatomy, I turned the frog and instruments over to them to explore. Parts were disassembled. A leg was removed.  It was quickly discovered that eyes were full of liquid that would squirt out when poked with the pins. The frog's tongue was stretched to its full length to see how it could capture bugs. The frog's lower intestines were opened to see its almost-poop. It wasn't a very precise dissection, but the children were fascinated and learning by observation, and their excitement and curiosity was contagious.

Solitude

Solitude: it's a theme I frequently explore in my photography.  Perhaps it is my own desire for solitude that drives it: as a homeschooling parent of two busy children, I frequently retreat to the bathroom just to have a moment of quiet time, hoping that the short ones will leave me alone for just a moment of quiet. Unfortunately, it rarely works and now my children just think I have bowel issues. As solitude is like a mythical unicorn in my own day-to-day life, I find myself drawn to this theme more and more in my work. Recently I spent an afternoon on a beach on the North Shore, and when I noticed this lone woman on the rock, surrounded by a sea of clouds and water, I dove for my camera bag and quickly fired off a few shots before she jumped back in the water.

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I see this photo, and I so want to be the woman on that rock at times, sitting quietly and enjoying the beauty of the world around her. I try to imagine what would happen if I should swim out there myself.  I know that without a doubt, in a few moments I would have a life-jacket-clad six-year-old at my feet, requesting that I help her climb up, where she would plop her cold, wet behind on my lap and proceed to jabber away about her imaginary worlds of pet crocodiles and flying unicorns. Then a rambunctious 10-year-old would swim over, splashing us, poking his finger into crags of the rock to pester the sea urchins. Brad would climb up to join the fun, looking over the heads of our children to catch my eye in a Never a quiet moment, is there? glance. He would slip his hand in mine and we would sigh a sigh that is equal parts wistfulness for the quiet days of yore and gratitude for this noisy, messy life that we now cherish.

Hmmm...perhaps I don't want to be that woman on the rock after all.

In the shade of monkeypod trees...

Here in Hawaii, we've been dealing with record-setting rains and even flooding of downtown areas, thanks to an unusually-busy hurricane season. Beaches have closed due to sewers overflowing and running off into the ocean, and the usually-blue skies have been endlessly grey for weeks. Our family has managed to squeeze in a little beach time here and there, but mostly we've been trapped indoors or the kids have been playing in the rain in our front yard. Over the weekend, we saw a small reprieve from the wet weather, and although the skies were still a bit grey, we braved the insanely humid conditions to head over to one of our favorite restaurants on the island, Monkeypod Kitchen. The food at Monkeypod is good and of great quality (albeit a bit expensive), but our favorite part of the restaurant is the cocktail menu and the open-air, laid-back atmosphere of their patio. With live music every day and a gorgeous stone patio flanked by tropical flowers set in the shade of their namesake monkeypod trees, the restaurant is a wonderful reprieve from the day-to-day frustrations of island living. Brad and I sip a cocktail while listening to the trade winds mingle with the notes of the acoustic guitar, and the kids run and play in the grassy lawn surrounding the patio. A slice of the Hawaiian good life.

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An afternoon of 'Roominating'

Last Christmas, in our quest for sophisticated toys that stimulate imagination, we bought Aubrey a Roominate building set. The Roominate sets consist of interlocking plastic pieces that are designed to be open-ended, allowing the child's imagination to take center-stage, as well several simple circuits and various electrical components that can be used to create all sorts of fun things (ceiling fans, a working washing machine, windmills, a circular saw, and more). Although the toys are marketed to girls, they don't play to gender stereotypes and allow a girl to harness her brain while engaging in imaginative play.

Aubrey loved her Roominate out of the gate, but then it moved its way to the back of the toy lineup, where it languished in a bin for about 6 months. Last week, however, Aubrey pulled it back out again and has enjoyed building a house for her Littlest Pet Shop puppies, complete with light and ceiling fan.  She played for hours and was so proud of her final result. I was just happy she sat in a lovely pocket of light in her room to build--what can I say, I'm a photographer through-and-through.

Okinawan Festival

I had great photographic hopes for the Honolulu Okinawan Festival. In my head, I imagined colorful costumes, painted faces, elegant dances and performances--a street photographer's dream right? Well, the reality was a bit disappointing. The festival was small, not very picturesque, and the tight quarters of the dark tents made shooting a challenge. I did manage a few fun street shots, but nothing close to what I was imagining. And to top it all off, the andagi-dog (like a corn dog, with the hot dog dipped in andagi--Okinawan doughnut--batter) made me sick all night. Boo. However, seeing the man pushing his dog in a stroller made it all (mostly) worthwhile. I mean seriously, the dog was wearing a kimono. And sunglasses (doggles?). With a hat. Come on. 

 

You put the lime in the coconut....

If you've ever heard the song, then you can't possibly read that title without singing the tune. Heck, I can't ever mix the drink without singing it.

On a trip to Maui last spring, I visited a cute wine bar and ordered a drink called the Lime and the Coconut. It was delicious, light, refreshing and not too sweet, perfect for a hot day. When I returned home, I couldn't wait to try to replicate it. Although the wine bar used Svedka Colada vodka, I wasn't about to make a special trip to the liquor store (have I mentioned that my cocktail experimenting generally takes place in PJs after the kids are in bed?), so I pulled out the Belvedere vodka and added a little Malibu rum from a bottle that someone had left at my house after a party and had been shoved in the corner of the liquor cabinet and forgotten. I squeezed in a little lime juice, poured in the coconut water, and added a touch of agave to balance the flavors, and ended up with the perfect summer drink. And since coconut water is lauded for being so healthy and hydrating, it's guilt free, right?? Repeat after me: hydration is important!

The Lime and the Coconut

1 1/2 oz. vodka (I love Belvedere, personally, but feel free to substitute another quality vodka)

1/2 oz. Malibu coconut rum

Juice of half a medium lime (about an ounce)

2 oz. pure coconut water (I like VitaCoco, but there are plenty of great options)

1/2 oz. agave syrup (you could also substitute simple syrup here, whatever you have on hand)

     Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for 60 seconds. (I said daahctor, ain't there nothing I can take...I said, daaaaahctor, to relieve this bellyache...You put the lime in the coconut and drink them both up....) Strain into a chilled martini or margarita glass and serve with a lime wheel.

The Lime & the Coconut

The Lime & the Coconut

Wet and wild summer days

Days of flash flooding have prevented us from enjoying the beach or the waterpark, but it hasn't stopped the kids from making their own wet fun in the front yard. Puddle jumping and scooter splashing have kept them busy and content these past few days.

Hello, stranger.

My, my...has it really been 4 months since my last post? How is that possible? We've been having too much fun this summer, it would seem.

In May, our family flew back to the mainland to visit our family in our home state of Texas. The kiddos and I stayed an entire month, my husband joining us for two weeks of travel time before returning back to Hawaii for work. Although a month sounds like a long, leisurely visit, it was truly a whirlwind. We began our adventure (all four of us) in San Antonio with my husband's family, then drove down to Houston to meet my brand-spanking-new niece, then drove back to San Antonio for a few days before heading north to Lake Texoma to be with my dad and stepmom. From the lake, we drove back down south to Fort Worth, visiting a dear aunt and uncle before putting my husband on a plane back to Hawaii. After dropping him at the airport, the kids and I stayed in Fort Worth a few more days, then headed north to Oklahoma City to see my grandmother and extended family before moseying back to Lake Texoma to spend time with my mom. After that, it was back to Dallas-Fort Worth to catch a flight home. Whew!

During our trip, we played, danced, climbed, swam, explored, and ate our weight in delicious Mexican food. It was such a wonderful time. Here are a few photos I captured during our adventures:

(Click any image to enlarge)

The day after returning home from our trip, my son began a 5-week intensive cello course. The class met every day, five days per week, from 2:45-3:45p.m.  In downtown Honolulu. Doesn't sound like a big deal, until you realize that means a daily commute across the island in rush hour traffic in the city with THE WORST traffic in the U.S. Ugh. Aiden's hour-long lesson required a 4-hour time commitment each day, and although it was a beating, it was so worth it. Aiden fell in love with the cello and learned so much--seeing him play the final concert was worth the hours of traffic with two whiney kids. Well...mostly.

After cello camp, we entered into the 'camp phase' of summer. Aiden spent three nights at junior high church camp, and then the following week, he and his sister spent a week at sleep-away camp. That's right--Brad and I had one GLORIOUS week sans children. The kids had a blast at camp--Aubrey actually cried when she left camp--and Brad and I thoroughly enjoyed a week of dinners out, adult conversation, and a clean house that stayed clean.

After camp week, it was time to begin our homeschooling year. And that takes us into the present. We are officially three weeks into our third academic year of homeschooling. This year brings a new curriculum and a new set of adventures. The kids are (so far) enjoying the new schedule and curriculum and slowly we are establishing our new routine--which means I finally have some free time to edit the backlog of photos from this summer and update the blog. I photographed my first birth and have some other exciting news to share in the days to come, so stay tuned for the updates!

Art of Observation, Week Two

After an inspiring and productive first week, I began the second week of my class while in Maui. The theme for the second week was auditory observation, using sound/music as inspiration. This week was loaded with assignments and materials to review: videos on how to be an effective listener, about how sound is something more than just what we hear using our ears--it is also something we feel and experience with many parts of our bodies. We were asked to choose a film that was accompanied by an Academy Award-winning score (I chose Gravity from the short list of films) and review the movie while being mindful of the score and its impact on the film's viewer. Then, we were allowed to choose one of two Brahms pieces to listen to and draw inspiration from for our work this week. I first listened to this piece:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhKYEHlKGjM?list=PLDFD5482D65E56DD7&w=560&h=315]

When listening to this piece, I kept imagining a mother; in the beginning, there is a single melody as she rises to greet the day. One by one, other instruments begin to play harmonizing melodies, as if her children and husband were awakening and join her in her day. Tension begins to build as the chaos of the day swells to crescendo, but suddenly, a moment of somber sweetness as she says her farewells. The entire piece continues to cycle through moments of joy, chaos, frenetic paces and slow, sweet lulls, just as a mother's day is interspersed with busy moments, boo boos to kiss, arguments to referee, a times of rushing from place to place. This was the photograph I captured. I intentionally used a slow shutter speed to introduce movement and tried to capture the happy chaos that is motherhood.

I like this photograph, but I regret that the window frame runs through the heads of two of the subjects. As this was taken via remote shooting app during a spontaneous tickle fight, it was impossible to account for this. However, I do feel it captures the sweet-yet-chaotic mornings in our home.

I decided to give it another go. For my final assignment, I was drawn to creating an image from this piece:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg1TlHwM-xI&w=560&h=315]

When listening to this piece, I heard the sounds of romance. In the beginning, it is a new, shy, sweet attraction that begins to sweep with love and passion. The emotion builds, as well as the tension, and there is a climactic moment of an argument, a lover's spat, followed by the halting resolution and then forgiveness. The music returns to sweetness, repeating this cycle of love/tension/conflict and resolution, but then moves into a time of steady sweetness. It is the "middle age" of these lovers' life--the music has an almost heartbeat-like quality, and it steadily continues, with small rises and falls, before sweeping into a climactic moment of tension. This is followed by a prolonged, mournful section, before repeating the earlier cycles of happiness and sadness before settling into a quiet, but final, conclusion.

I would have liked to have created a storyboard of images for this piece (which I still may do), but spare time was a major factor this week, so I decided instead to capture a single image of love and romance inspired by the piece. What I ended up with was two images that I loved for different reasons, but that both captured this feeling of love and romance.

Next week is a break week in the course, which I desperately need to let my brain absorb everything I've consumed in the past two weeks. I'm loving this course, though, and am excited to get back to things in a couple of weeks.

(Click here to read about the first week of my Art of Observation class. Or, if you'd like to learn how you can take a course like this, complete with instructor feedback and critique, in an online forum, click here to learn about Clickin Moms).

Art of Observation, Week One

For a couple of months now, I've been in the worst rut with my photography. No creative spark, no energy--mostly because of sheer exhaustion. It's been a rough couple of years, with constant hits and no real support network out here in the Pacific. So, I decided that after the craziness of this year's Forget the Frock Easter campaign (that's the non-profit which I serve as Creative Arts Director), I would take a photography workshop online and focus on picking up the camera again. I chose the Art of Observation, a course via Clickin Moms, which is a photography forum for women. This isn't my first course with this site--in fact, I can credit the courses on Clickin Moms with giving me a solid foundation of knowledge in shooting my camera in manual and learning how to create art rather than pure snapshots. This particular course is all about finding inspiration in the world around you, whether it be from music, art, cinema, etc., and channeling that into strong photographs.

Our first week's assignments were all about observing and studying the paintings of the great masters and using them to inspire a creative photograph. I studied The Grocery Shop by Gerrit Dou.

After spending a long while contemplating this painting, I was very drawn to the woman on the right side of the frame in the background. Her piercing eyes, the ambiguous look--the silent observer intrigued me. I also could "hear" the sound of the items falling into the metal scale, and the framing of the painting with light and shadow and elements of clutter caught my eye.  I created this image as a warm-up, inspired by the sound of the items in the painting clinking in the dish of the metal scale:

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After stewing a bit, I came up with this image, which explored the theme of the silent, watchful observer:

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And finally, I created this image for my weekly assignment.

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After mulling over it a bit, what I ended up doing here was flipping the perspective. In my painting, there is a woman in the background observing the foreground subjects, and almost making eye contact with the viewer. Her gaze calls the viewers eye to the transaction between the two women, and her expression is ambiguous, forcing the eye to examine the painting and try to discern the story from the visible elements. But here, I decided to use the same technique of light to draw the eye through the frame and frame my subject, but I decided to face my subject away from the viewer.  The viewer doesn't know what I (the subject) am looking at--there is a similar sense of ambiguity, but here, the viewer has greater sense of ownership in telling the story as the subject is anonymous.

I was very pleased with how the image turned out and am looking forward to the remaining weeks of the course.  It feels wonderful to be exercising my 'creative muscle' again after so long.

Maui Getaway

I recently had the pleasure of a mom's getaway to Maui for a long weekend. It was a much-needed breather from the pressures of day-to-day life. I spent the first two nights renting cottages from VRBO and exploring the road to Hana, and the last two nights I enjoyed a suite in a luxury resort on Ka'anapali Beach.

A new beginning.

A new logo, a new name, and a fresh start. I've recently been inspired by a verse from Matthew 7:14, and as I'm embarking on freelance design work and considering entry into the stock photography market, I decided to make a fresh start. I hope you'll join me on this new adventure.