Creative Kids

Cailyn has been busy working. She has two, maybe three jobs- I should know this. She waits tables at The Nineteenth Hole, makes salsa (pictured here) and does house keeping for a local camp. She still hasn't taken her massage licensing exam but I'm nagging so it ought to happen soon. She's also painting again and has reapplied to college. I'm pretty impressed with what a wonderful young woman she is. She's cute too.



Auburn is always making something (including taking these pictures). She is finishing high school as third in her class and has two jobs; working as a graphic designer at a local print business and house keeping at the same camp with Cailyn. Some of her art is currently on display as part of an abstract art showing at the gallery attached to the place she works. She is the youngest artist and, would it be overly biased for me to say, the most talented. She has also applied to college in Kentucky and we hope to hear positive news soon. I'm so proud of this beautiful young woman.



Orion is always thinking, taking things apart and building new things. He's doing well in school and participated in a robotics competition. He has a strong interest in robotics and aeronautics. He spends hours watching youtube videos about RC aircraft design. I'm trying to steer his creativity into something outdoors. He organized the kids to turn the shed into a "club house" and he has a work bench out there so maybe his next project won't end up glued to the floor. He is also working two jobs; he does pools with Jon and helps Cailyn make salsa. Even then he's got to be up to creating something- this is a photo of him after he shrink-wrapped plastic to his hands. I do wish I knew how to cultivate this kids energy and brilliance. He's really quite amazing.



Auburn took this photo of Rheannon- she managed to capture Rhea's growing beauty and grace. She is definitely my quietest child though every bit as creative and capable as the others. Rheannon spreads calm most everywhere she goes (though Rowan would disagree)- she charms animals and babies. I watch a one year old two days a week and Rheannon is remarkable with that child. She is still making art and has a piece that will soon be on display as part of an area youth art exhibit. She mostly works with clay and has made some truly amazing art. She is remarkable in so many way.



Rowan is such a character. He's so brilliant and vivacious. He's always leaping about on the furniture and spinning around on the floor (we call him Tigger). Yesterday he choreographed a very acrobatic dance. I wish I could get him in a dance class that wouldn't bore the pants off of him- he's not one for putting up with things if he thinks they're a waste of time. He's still home schooled and has really taken off academically. He has a strong need to understand why and isn't inclined to take "because" as an answer. If you want him to do something you had better be prepared to explain the merits to him. As I said, he's not one to tolerate doing something for no good reason. Rowan makes us all question why we do things a certain way and often points out better alternatives. I'm going to have to keep a close eye on this one, I might just be raising a rebel. I sure hope so.

Willow could win the Olympics of talking if it were a sport. I think she chose to be born last to make sure there were plenty of people around to listen to her. She says some amazing things though and I wish I did a better job of writing them down. What do I say about Willow? She's sweet, charming, cuddly and fairly enlightened. She told me recently, "What's the big deal about looks? I like the way my friends look but I love them for who they are." We should all be so smart.

Well, that's my amazing, creative brood. Now I'm going to see if I can get them to create some clean in their rooms. Wish me luck.

Ah Rats!

We have had cats- lots and lots of cats, our fair share of dogs, goats, chickens, turkeys, ducks, a rabbit (that was short lived) and fish. I have always had the rule that I don't feed anything that doesn't have a job (excepting the fish) so what was I thinking when I let Rheannon talk Santa into rats for Christmas? I was thinking "what the heck?" And you know what, it was a brilliant move.



These critters are fun, personable, and entertaining. Not to mention they live in a cage so they don't knock things off the counters (the cat), try and sleep on my bed (the dog) or poop all over the porch (chickens). If I had it to do over we would only ever have rats. I don't even notice their tails anymore- and I know that's the thing that's got you feeling squeamish.



I gotta say, we love our rat girls.

Let them eat cake

Apparently I got old. I didn't think so, I wake feeling just as cramped and broken as I did when I was twenty- the benefit of living hard up until that point, but evidently I am. The signs are everywhere and when I'm not too preoccupied with how to pay the bills (a sign in and of itself) I can't help but get them shoved in my face. For example four months have gone by since my last entry- that's 1/3 or a year, impressed with my math skills? me too- and it felt like weeks. Also Cailyn turned 19 last month. Nineteen! Young people do not have 19 year old children. Add to this that Auburn graduates in May- that's 2, count them TWO adult children. This grown up children thing is snowballing- Rheannon turns 13 on Monday (Rowan 10 on Saturday) and Orion 15, old enough for a learner's permit, in July. Yes, there really is no denying it. I am old. I think I'm realizing that the thing that most ages me is the loss of joy in simple things. At some point I got the stupid idea that grownups take things seriously. Now why would anyone want to do that? I'm trying to rediscover the part of me that could laugh when something went awry. I got a perfect opportunity the day we celebrated Cailyn's birthday. I had baked a carrot cake and experimented by adding pineapple - it was delicious but too moist and more like a firm pudding than a cake. I decided not to serve it and Rheannon and I ran into town to dream up an alternative plan. We bought fruit and an anglefood cake. My plan was to skewer the fruit and stick the sticks in the cake- don't try this, the cake isn't strong enough. When that didn't work we moved to plan "C" and put a cup in the center to hold the skewers like a bouquet. It was beautiful. But years of sleep deprivation and early onset dementia conspired to make something obvious elude me- I actually decided to move the cake that way instead of taking the skewers out. Not my most brilliant decision. We rounded the first corner and the cake slid on the plate, Rheannon scrambled to stop it and the cup fell over tearing the side out and sending fruit-laden skewers every which direction. Hands flew from all corners of the car trying to stop the carnage. I almost yelled, but flashed on the many trips I took anxiously holding a cake in the back of a car and fearing for my life should it get messed up. So instead of yelling, I laughed. We all laughed, and laughed and laughed. We kept laughing when we tried to shove it back together for the party- we did a remarkable job, see if you can tell that it was in 4 pieces. Cailyn loved it and that was the point anyway. Right? Right! Cake is for eating! How's that for an epiphany?

Thanksgiving and self defense

Life is a beautiful thing. As my children grow and experience more of it I can't help but see it from a different perspective myself. Things I used to stress over and take so seriously (and still do from time to time) just don't seem important in the face of life's greatest blessings- people to love.

I am truly thankful this year for the many people who have touched my life- for the gift of knowing them, the pleasure of loving them, and the knowledge that they are safe and happy. Cailyn made my week by expressing an expectation that she would be feasting with her siblings; an honor I don't take for granted. I don't think I gave much thought to holidays with my family at her age, I was far more interested in "my own life." I feel blessed beyond words that her life naturally and comfortably includes us. So all six of my children sat down at my table, accompanied by Joey- Cailyn's long time beau- and gave thanks for the privilege of being family.

Jon is off having an adventure of a lifetime, with his parents and brother- a blessing that we are each grateful for as well. His fondest Thanksgiving memories involved his family's annual trips into Mexico, something he has missed the past two decades. So this year they are all traveling to Golendrinas (Cave of the Swallows) where he and Chris (along with some friends) will rappel 1200 feet into an immense cave- then, of course they have to climb back out. Fun!

We are having mucho fun ourselves. Orion, Rheannon, Rowan, Willow and I spent some time working on an obstacle course in our pasture. We found, rather the dogs found, a snake while we were there and Orion educated us on the five defenses of the Puffing Adder.

All Hallows

I love Halloween. I love the crisp autumn nights, the changing leaves, the early dark and the opportunity to be someone remarkable (if only for a few hours). Halloween in Texas lacks most of the elements I most enjoyed as a child but the magic is alive and well in my children's imaginations, if no longer my own.

I took the easy way out and pulled on Dad's buckskin shirt. I have mixed feelings about doing so because people are always so impressed but the accomplishment isn't mine and I feel like I'm stealing credit for what I know was weeks of hard work. I did braid my own hair and for me that's an accomplishment that warrants some recognition.

The kids never cease to surprise me. Willow was a butterfly princess- not to be confused with a fairy princess, princess fairy, or any variation thereof (all prior manifestations of our Halloween Willow). Rowan began the night as Darth Mahl but had a reaction to the face paint that necessitated a quick change into Ninja man. Orion's costume is open to interpretation. He wore a sheet and a roll of cellophane- (at least for the first half of the night- I won't tell you how he finished the evening). Rheannon made an awesome David Bowie and I'm fairly impressed she even knows who he is. They all had a great time and consumed pounds of sugar and endured days of lectures about how "we are going to get serious about the food we eat and quit with all the garbage." Orion is the master of the yeah-mom eye roll that lets me know I'm not being taken seriously. We'll just see about that..... yes we will.

Butterflies and photographs

Somehow I managed the impossible. I got all six of my children in one place at the same time and most of them were clean. It's amazing what they can do when sufficiently motivated. I am pleased to say it does not take bribery to motivate them but they generally respond to a request from a family member for help. This time it was a desire to take portraits to surprise their dad for Christmas. The portrait part we managed; the surprise part, not so much. I failed to make the point to Auburn that it was to be a secret. In my defense how was I supposed to know she had suddenly decided to talk to grown ups?

We went down to Blue Hole and had a wonderful time. The monarchs are migrating through and the trees were alive with fluttering wings. Rowan tested the water solubility of his leather shoes and Willow experimented with natural dies on her white dress. Orion dangled precariously from a tree and Rheannon threatened to flitter off with the butterflies. Cailyn and Auburn managed to keep everybody roped in and together took some very nice photos- Orion probably won the prize though because he photographed Auburn and not only got her to smile but actually laugh. (not that Auburn is a sour person, she's charming, delightful, and even silly- but also 16 so those qualities are reserved for non family members).

All in all it was a wonderfully priceless day and I am glad to have the photos to prove it.

Titan of the trees

With the return of school the older kids are all busy with the details of their own lives. This leaves Rowan, especially, feeling lonely and bored. We found a great book at the library about really messy experiments and have exploded grapes, launched nickles (instead of the suggested tomatoes), crushed cans, dropped watermelons, and basically added to the overall disarray of our environment. But sometimes throwing eggs or hurling bananas at your mother just don't satisfy a kid's more primal needs. So I finally decided to reclaim a bit of our Blue Hole heritage and, with some friends in tow, we trespassed on our old stomping grounds.

Willow, Cicely, and Clovis stripped down to their bare bottoms and dived right in but Rowan decided to get wet one garment at a time. Mostly he lurked around the edges- something that paid off when he caught a tiny frog- and then decided to do some tree climbing. He was quickly joined by an admiring group of lesser skilled tree huggers and we both realized that Willow needs some serious arboreal experience if she wishes to remain in this family. By her age all the others had found their ways to the top of more than one precarious perch and little Miss Thing couldn't seem to grasp (literally) the concept of tree scaling. Lucky for them both this particular educational inadequacy piques me, so we'll just have to make regular visits to the wilds of Blue Hole to polish our tree climbing skills.

P.S. My own private Kudo to the always lovely Vera, who wasn't quite up for skinny dipping but didn't hesitate to strip off her shoes and conquer the "snake" tree- skirt and all.