friends

Both Henry and Nora have friends. Good friends. Friends that I like them to have. Friends that have good parents and seem to have the same values as us. Wow.... that is truly miraculous. One of Henry's best friends is a girl. Her name... well... not my kid, so lets call her "K". I love love love love their friendship. They both hate team sports. They both seem to over focus on things. They're both really smart and adventurous and ...well... perfect together. K isn't in Henry's class... or on his bus... Actually Henry doesn't have any of his old friends in his class that we know of. This is kind of awful. He was very sad about this the first week of school, but he seems to have rebounded a bit. This week K's mom put together a plan to have K, Henry and Henry's other super good friend "S," get together once a week for a play day........ This is the best news ever. Henry doesn't know yet.

"K" came to Nora's soccer practice today because her little brother practices at the same time. I don't think I talked to Henry once. He was immediately off exploring the fields and woodline. Bouncing around the playground. Henry has it tough sometimes. He complains about not finding anyone that doesn't want to play "kickball" at recess. About people not listening to him. It is beautiful to find a few kindred spirits to go get muddy with. I am thankful for these, and the other few friends that Henry has made. They are good to him..... and for him.

music all around us

Both Henry and Nora are taking piano lessons, and, they seem to love it. Nora actually, is taking to it a little more than Henry. Both of them are also taking more interest in the various instruments I have strewn about the house. (scary... I am going to be needing to keep these put away a little more often.). I love that they are getting into music. Its kind of amazing what a part it has played in my life. I know I have written about this before, but I never really, I mean really, expected to be playing music for the rest of my life. Its followed me, and really never let me go.

Well, here is to our evening Jam session! On mandolin... HENRY BRONSON !!  ON GUITAR.... NORA BRONSON!!! In the kitchen, listening for things breaking and half wanting to take the nice instruments away while still allowing his kids to "experience" his instruments.... me.

Henry's heroic caterpillar

So a few days ago Henry had was assigned to find a caterpillar for science and to bring it in. Jen stressed out and couldn't find one, so I went looking and found three. A woolly bear, a cabbage white, and a monarch. He brought in all three and brought home two. (We still have the in a jar on my window.) The monarch stayed. I have had four people come in and independently tell me about the story of Henry's caterpillar and how it has turned into a chrysalis. I guess at some point they all got out. Some of them dehydrated and died. Someone poured water on one and killed it. Henry's has survived. How they knew it was his... who knows. But its transforming now and Henry's psyched. I am actually seeing the little guys all over the place now. There are also these white ones that I haven't seen before. Henry told me this morning that they are web caterpillars and that I shouldn't touch them. He is getting to the point in his knowledge now that I am starting to believe him..... I guess I will have to look into that one.

me... being the parent... night

Nora's parent night was tonight. I don't know what to think of her kindergarten teacher. I want to say she seems nice.... want to say. I think she doesn't seem mean.... really. I know one thing, she doesn't have that ... mothering... feeling that I want her to have. I ask Nora all the time how things were, and I think she would tell me if things weren't ok. I know that she has already set down disciplinary actions in class. I think it was the second day of school that Nora said they couldn't go out for recess because the class was too loud..... second day of kindergarten? Really? I also know how hard it is to run a class full of kids. I teach 8th grade, I can't even imagine kindergarteners.

Still, I want her to seem kind. I want her to ooze grace and shine funness all over the place. Nora is enjoying kindergarten. I am sure her teacher is fine... I think.

The pic above is of a Kingfisher. I hear this guy all the time on my hikes, but its the first time he has shown his face. Silhouette. Still I'll get him someday.

Parent Night

Well, its over.

Parent night usually goes fairly well for me. The worst I get back is that I am quirky........ I am quirky. So I guess that's ok. After nine of these now, I think I have zeroed in on what drives me crazy. Its the talk to people without them talking back to you thing. To simply present without feedback, while they sit there observing and judging. I know that is what I do when I go to parent night for my kids.

I know what I am looking for.
1. Does the teacher seem like they know what they are talking about. Are they competent?
2. (this one in my book is actually #1 in importance) Are they respecting and treating my kids nicely........are they going to be mean in any way.
3. no three.... thats it.
The rest is wash. This is truly all I care about.

I get really nervous on parent night. I tend to talk way to fast and do odd things. I picture myself like one of those guys that get all hyped up on a game show.... what was that one with all the girls with brief cases.... not remembering.... at any rate, have you seen those guys? Bouncing around like lunatics? This is my self image after parent night. I can only pray to God that I am exaggerating how I acted in my head.

I don't bounce well.
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Otters

So... in the world of magical animals, that live in New England, there is a definite top three: (These are in no particular order) Moose, Mountain Lion (actually lets include all of the big cats in this category...bobcat etc), and Otters. Otters you say? Really... otters? Yup otters. All of these animals, if seen on their own turf, are worthy of respect and really.... something akin to awe.

I have seen moose in the middle of the woods. Trust me, these are awe inspiring... and pant-changing if met alone... say completely alone, while innocently taking pictures of a stone wall.... less than twenty feet away.... lying down completely hidden until walked up upon.  Let me tell you, it was inspiring.

I haven't seen any sort of big cat in the woods, unless you count fisher cats, but they aren't really cats. So, I am going by reputation alone on this one.

And then there are otters. You wouldn't think these guys hold there own against the larger mammals but they really do. There is something noble about them, and they are smart.... really really smart... like Ricky Tikky Tavi smart. I have only seen them three times in the wild. It was the first time that really pushed them to the top of my charts. I was canoeing way in the back woods of this tiny...really more of a creek than a river. We had to portage around things constantly. Eventually, we came to this deep clean part of the river that was bordered by big grasses. Just as we entered that little stretch I heard a whistle and looked up ahead. I saw what I thought were beavers... but they were moving too fast to be beavers. We continued to canoe ahead and they went under water...typical beaver maneuver. Then, they were all around us. swimming and whistling. I was just amazed as they swam under the canoe and flew through the water as only otters and seals can. But it was when one of them got very curious about our canoe that defined the moment. He swam up to about a foot away and held his body way out of the water. He was tall enough that he could see right over the top of the canoe. These are not small animals, especially when that close up. He just wiggled his whiskers and stayed there... looking right at me. Honestly, I was kind of freaked out. Just like you have to be when something awe inspiring happens. He could have easily came right over the side into my canoe, and he had this look like he was going to do it. But instead he whistled and flew under water, under the canoe and with the rest of his family went upstream.

This morning, while walking across the small bridge that the ware river passes under, I heard a big splash from behind me. I turned and thought that it was probably a fish. But I saw a big trail of bubbles and figured it for a beaver. I waited and watched on the other side of the bridge for the thing to swim under and I saw three twisting, turning, underwater acrobats fly through the water. They are amazingly fast. They rustled this huge patch of arrow root and went past me. I took a picture of the the top of the water and thought that that would be the end. But one of them turned back. He poked his head up, mabe fifteen feet away from me and sat there... looking me over, blowing air at me. And I laughed, out loud, because of the magic of it all. He stayed for maybe two minutes, and kept  kind of snorting at me... not like a beaver though... much airier. And I laughed again. And that was that. He plunged under water and shot up the river. Gone, just like that.

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aftermath

Well... our little group of musicians is really growing into something great right now. I am really happy with the way things are progressing. I played drums for the first time in..... hm.... let me think.....well at least four years. Thank God. I feel so much better back there than up front singing. I did sing though... just at the end, not in the main set. Actually almost all of us took lead at one point. This is what I mean when I say that I am happy with the way things are going. Everyone involved right now seems to be finding their place. I love that. And I can really feel a cohesion starting to bleed in. These are the regulars:
~Aaron on guitar, electric and mandolin. Also on vocals both lead and background (but he can't harmonize yet... have to work on that)
~Bridget taking lead and background vocals. (She is also the queen of harmonies. And she says funny things..... and has great timing) She is also trying to pick up mandolin.
~Robin on guitar and backup vocals. (I am still trying to coax her into taking lead sometime)
~Janaque on electric or acoustic and both lead and backup vocals (he also says funny things... and he is short which is funny in itself)
~Kyle  and Mark are doing sound and actually, and let me capitalize that for emphasis, ACTUALLY know what they are doing.
~And then there is me. I am generally lead, but not so much anymore (which in my book is a good thing) and today I was drums, which is.... super duper great! And, I think we are starting to come up with something of a sound that is ours. Heavy harmonies and acoustic driven music. yes......sound mumfordy to you?!? I think that, if things go the  way they are going, we just might be able to take this on the road sometime. That would be more than amazing.

happy

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