Farewell to Summer



Sunday we hopped in the van and drove up Millcreek Canyon to see the fall leaves.  Melinda and I had gone up the previous week just by ourselves but we wanted the kids to see the colors.

 

 

It's hard to believe summer is over already.  Two weeks ago it was pleasantly cool in the canyon, but last week it was almost freezing; it was only 1 degree Celsius (33 degrees Fahrenheit).  There was ice forming on rocks in the stream already.

 

 

Ian is in the 11 year old scouts this year.  I've really enjoyed going camping with him this year.  We camped in this same canyon just last month.  Earlier in the summer we camped in Big Cottonwood Canyon and in East Canyon.  We also had fun hiking.  We also did 9 hikes together during our weekly father and son hiking club.



 

Saffy braved the cold and although she had a warm coat she somehow came only in flip-flops.  Saffron started going to Liberty Girls club this year.  She really likes doing crafts and activities with the other girls.

 

Miles and Lisette are both doing chemistry this year with some of their friends with Melinda teaching.  Lisette is really enjoying her AP English class and somewhat tolerating her math class.  She has gotten very good at crocheting and she now has a head of natty dreadlocks. 

 

 



Things have been busy and I haven't done any blog posts for a while.  In September I started a new job.  It's hard to adjust, but I'm really glad to be working as part of a team and to be able to work with a lot of new technologies.  Plus the commute is under 10 minutes, so I've been able to come home for lunch most days, which is nice.

 

Melinda is sporting the latest in headwear fashion (it's actually a pair of Nigel's pants).  Melinda is staying busy homeschooling the kids.  She works really hard at their weekly chemistry class and their history and book club groups.  

 

 

What a handsome group! Just this year both Miles and Lisette have grown taller than their Mom.  Miles seems to have grown an inch just this past month.

Speaking of Miles, he just turned fourteen last month.  We had a fun birthday with him.  He planned what he wanted to do.  We went to Bruges Waffles and Frites and had real Belgian waffles and frites.  He wanted cookies instead of cake, so we made rose water cookies, which were very tasty.

 

He's been really busy working on making his own 3-D printer. There is an open source community that has plans, but you have to get all your own parts.  He's been working hard saving his money for well over a year and now he's buying all the parts and putting it together.  He has the frame already done, and he'll have more done soon as soon as the parts arrive by mail.  Here's a picture of a completed printer.

 

 

OK, that's all for now.  Maybe I won't wait as long for my next post, but I wouldn't hold your breath if I were you. 

Hair Jealousy

Lisette and Miles just got back from their Super Summer trip to Flaming Gorge.  Even though it was more peaceful around the house without them, I missed them. Here is Lisette in front of some roses.  Isn't her hair cute?  Melinda, Lisette and Saffron now have pink stripes in their hair.  Our friend with breast cancer had a pink hair party because she didn't want anyone to shave their head for her.

Miles doesn't plan on getting his hair cut until after The Hobbit comes out in December because he wants to be an elf.  Does anyone have a spare set of prosthetic pointy ears?

Here Miles is teaching Nigel how to mop.  Either he's trying to teach him life skills or he's pulling a Tom Sawyer and trying to get him to do his jobs for him.  

Ian is in the eleven year old scouts right now and he and I are going on some camping trips this summer. Ian's excuse for not cutting his hair is that he is a Nazarite -  and we all know what happened to Samson when he cut his hair. (Also, like a good Nazarite, Ian won't touch dead animals either).  

Here is Saffron with the first vegetables from the garden.  She doesn't want to cut her hair either.

Nigel's hair was getting just a little crazy, so yesterday he got it cut.

Can this be the same little boy?

Nigel and I are the only ones committed to having short and naturally colored hair.  

Why haven't I posted the pink stripe hair pictures yet?  It's too late and it's too much work.  Maybe later.  Stay tuned.

Saffy’s Angel

This summer Lisette and I are having a biweekly book club. Our first selection is “Saffy’s Angel” by Hilary McKay. 

Several years ago Lisette chose this book as her reward for completing the Barnes and Noble’s summer reading program. Lisette, Melinda, Miles and I read this book and we all loved it. The story is great, and has well-developed, likable characters.  This was the book that introduced us to the name Saffron.  Lisette and I just re-read it and it’s as good as ever.

Our clever protagonist, Saffron Casson, discovered that she was adopted soon after she learned to read because her name wasn’t on the color wheel.  Their artist mother, Eve, named all the children after colors; Cadmium, Indigo, and Permanent Rose.  Saffron was actually the daughter of Eve’s twin sister, Linda, who died when Saffron was three.

One theme in this book is that of belonging.  After Saffron found out that she was adopted, she felt like she didn’t quite belong anymore.  She was still the same person, her family loved her the same, but she question of her origins bothered her.  She could remember a garden with an angel statuette and wondered about her previous life and her place in her current life.

During the course of the book Saffron finds a new strong-willed friend, Sarah, who decides that they must find Saffy’s angel.  Sarah schemes to have her parents take her on holiday to Saffy’s home town in Italy and to have Saffy stowaway in the car.  Outrage and Hillarity ensue. They find Saffy’s old residence in Siena, but it is locked and they can’t find anyone home.  On the last day of the trip the try one more time, and they enter the garden that is now unlocked.  The woman living there recognizes Saffron instantly and tells her to stay, and they talk about when she was small and lived there. 

The angel wasn’t there, but it didn’t matter to Saffron anymore.  It was the journey, not the destination that really mattered.  Saffy went home in peace and she again belonged her to eccentric and loving family.

 

Read Lisette’s review of “Saffy’s Angel.”

Superior

Lisette has been working hard practicing the piano and memorizing her songs for Federation. On Saturday, she went to Kingsbury Hall and played her songs for the Federation judges. She played “Merlin’s Dream” and “Irish Jig.”

She was a little nervous, and she made a couple of small errors, but she got a rating of Superior! I’m so pleased on how well she’s been playing. She plays with a lot of feeling and style. It’s so nice to hear the nice music she makes at home!

Kevin’s Birthday

 

Today Kevin took matters into his own hands and organized a birthday party for himself.  Sometimes a mans gotta do what a mans gotta to do.  He invited us over for a nice spaghetti dinner at Grandma and Grandpa’s . 

 

Brian and Dejah came, and so did Nate, Lindsay and baby Craig.  Kevin can still blow out the candles with one breath.  Karen and Wendy were here as well.

Lisette, Ian, and Saffron with spaghetti.

 

Marsha was here and so was photophobic Connie.  Scott came up for the long weekend and took the role of executive pasta chef.  We had a great time.

Disneyland evening – day two

Our favorite hotel to stay at is the Anaheim Desert Inn and Suites, which is right across the street from Disneyland.  The rooms are nice, the price is great, and most of all, it’s a short easy walk to the main entrance.  It’s perfect for catching an early afternoon nap.  After our siesta today we headed over to Disney’s California Dentures.  We took Karen and Wendy over to the Hollywood Tower Hotel, which is our second favorite hotel.  We would stay there but the elevators are too unpredictable, and Lisette is scared we will get sucked into a vortex or something.  Where does she get such silly ideas?  She must watch too many old TV shows from the early 60’s.  No more late night Twilight Zone episodes for her!

 

We stayed and the California Misadventure park to catch the Pixar Play Parade.  It was pretty entertaining, and Melinda saved us a great spot at the start of the parade route, since she stayed behind with Saffy who doesn’t appreciate creepy old hotels.

 

We headed back to Disneyland and enjoyed the lights come on Main Street USA.

I missed going on Big Thunder Mountain yesterday, so we got in line for it again tonight.  Lisette, Miles, and Ian really love Big Thunder, and it’s especially fun at night when the tunnels are all dark.

Melinda again saved us a great spot to view Fantasmic!  I didn’t get very good pictures, but it was a great show.  It had Mickey, fireworks, movie clips projected on water screens, barges with princesses and screeching monkeys (on separate barges).  Although, thinking about it, it might be more entertaining to put the screeching monkeys on the same barge with the princesses.  Hmm…  Oh yeah, it also had Peter Pan fighting Hook on a pirate ship, a giant fire breathing dragon, witches, fire on the water, and a grand finale with all the Disney characters waving from the Mark Twain.  Oh yeah, more fireworks. Pretty fun stuff.

Disneyland morning – day two

Today (Tuesday February 3rd) we woke up bright and early and crossed the drawbridge, passed through Sleeping Beauty’s Castle to Fantasyland.

Saffy refused to go on Peter Pan’s Flight once she saw King Arthur’s Carousel, so I went with our eager equestrian while everyone else flew over the rooftops of London to Neverland. Saffy and I had the whole carousel to ourselves, so she selected the special stallion the princesses always ride.

We all met up again and took our magic feathers and soared in the sky with Dumbo. Wendy and Ian led the way and Miles and Melinda followed.

Saffron and Ian knocked on the White Rabbit’s cottage, but he was late for something. Ian and I spun madly out of control at the hatter’s party, while the girls took a more relaxing cup of tea.

Wendy and Karen took Lisette, Miles, and Ian through the Storybook Canal and enjoyed the Lilliputian villages. Melinda, Saffy and took a ride on “the little train who could”; Casey Junior’s Circus Train.

After a wild ride with Toad we headed to Toon Town for a crazy spin with Roger Rabbit.

After exploring Mickey Mouse’s house and Donald Duck’s Boat we took the train over to New Orleans Square to catch some hot jazz, and then we made our way to Adventureland to brave the dangers of the Jungle Cruise.

Whew! What a morning! Back to the hotel for some chow and a little R&R.