jrheling’s posterous

The sunflowers are in full bloom, each day brings more deliciously ripe cherry tomatoes, and the neighbor's maple reminds us that fall is coming soon.

Amy is off at a shoot tonight, so it's just me and the kids. While I was cleaning up from their dinner, they're busily at work -- of their own volition.

Ben, reading Roald Dahl's "George's Marvelous Medicine" and sporting a 'cape', waiting for the rest of the family for a Sunday afternoon hike. Regarding the book, Ben says "It's like a tongue twister saying the name of it".

Yesterday Ben's school year started, and today will be Nora's first
full day. They'll be in the same Montessori class, which I'm sure
will have its moments of cuteness and challenge for all involved.
 
Last week Nora had, as all new students at our school do, a 30 minute
one-on-one session with their teacher. It was beyond adorable to see
her dive in to the classroom -- she's been so very excited, and it was
clear from her body language that she knew this was her big 'big girl'
moment.
 
I wasn't able to get many pictures without disrupting things, but
here's a quick glance at her near the end of learning how to have
snack. (Even though we've been through it before, it's eye-opening to
watch the Montessori approach to process decomposition and the respect
with which supposedly simple, everyday tasks are treated mesh so
naturally with the young mind. To wit: snack involves many steps,
starting with preparing a place, and ending with doing your dishes.
Indeed it does.)

Earlier this morning, as we left the beach in the rental car, I mentioned to the kids that we were going to the airport, resulting in the following dialog:
 
Ben: to the airport!
Nora: the airplane-port!
(everyone but Nora laughs)
Me: no, Nora, the place with the airplanes is called an airport
Nora: airplane-port
Me, Ben, Amy (alternating): airport
Nora: airplane-port
(...repeat, for a few minutes...)
Nora: airport
 
...and conversation moved on to other topics.
 
An hour later, we're actually starting to approach the airport, when we hear:
 
Nora: airplane-port
Ben: Dad, Mom, Nora's up to her old monkey-business.
 
I had no idea Ben knew this phrase, and don't know where he picked it up. His usage is spot on, though, and caused much hilarity.

I was unaware of the EyeClops until a friend recently suggested it as a potentially interesting science toy for Ben.   It's basically a handheld microscope/magnifying glass with a camera/video recorder built in, and for $40 (at amazon) I thought we'd give it a shot. 

Shells collected on the beach of the Gulf of Mexico provided a great initial test subject, with some really neat results.

             

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We have a favorite family mexican restaurant. We go frequently; our normal order is known by the waitstaff -- it's like that.
 
In the midst of lunch today, Ben looked down at his strawberry juice (part of the usual order), and remarked: "well, at least it's 20% juice".

Ben: "look, party-hat!"
Uncle Doug: "bucket-head."
Ben: No. "Party hat."