Winter Holidays February 7, 2011

Still in an effort to write about the present, I will share some highlights from winter break!
December 2010- January 2011!

*School ended with a great play at Ruby’s school, she was the “lovely lady” in an Arthur and Camelot style production!

*Ruby and Miles, although ill, played together splendidly! Miles misses Ruby so much when she is away at school all week. It was awesome to have two weeks to play, read, make stuff and build together! I love my winter break!

*Art and Gift giving; we created lovely prizes for friends, family and ourselves and took time to adorn the house in winter trinkets and bright baubles.

*We had a warm and magical winter solstice, creating family traditions (snowflake paper cuts year 3), hot cocoa, cookies and fireside stories. We awoke to a fairy visit with stuffed stocking and prizes galore from one another! A few days later, we had Christmas morning together and opened the presents from Santa and Grandparents!

*We visited our loved ones; Grandma and Grandpa Raasina stopped through on their way North. We headed down to Bette and Warren’s for a brief, yet fantastic holiday visit. And we left for the coast to celebrate the New Year and hang out with Grandma and Grandpa Arnold!

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Fall festivities 2010 February 2, 2011

In an aim to get caught up to the present day, I’d like to recap a few big events that happened not long ago…

During thanksgiving break this year, we traveled to Southern California to spend time with Jacob’s family for ARNOLD REUNION 2010! It was great! Many firsts for the kids too;

First airplane ride (it was super fun)

First rental car (not as super fun)

First hotel outdoor swim experience in late November (colder then one would expect for “Cali”)

First time to Disneyland (8:30am-10pm ; NON -STOP Super fun!)

First hang out with all cousins (since Elle and Scarlet joined the crew! Super fun!)

Thanks everyone!

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How a person has an idea; by: Ruby January 18, 2011

Ruby’s hypothesis as of November, 2010

And here is a video she made all by herself; explaining her theory…

Blast from the past January 17, 2011

As, I tried to get some video in you tube, I ended up in Jacob’s account and found this vintage video of a very adorable young man.

So here is Miles again as a wee baby; just because it is that cute…

Mile Kahlo Arnold

Winter 2008

Blast off! January 17, 2011

I wish I could keep up with this blog. We had such great intentions. I’m going to try to catch up a bit…

Traveling back in time to a draft from FALL 2010

Ruby has been curious about space; especially planets, stars and space travel for the past few months. Coincidentally, as we had just completed many a space book from the library, she started FIRST (yes, I did write FIRST) grade this fall! Our baby is growing up! Her class has a yearlong “traveling through time” theme and began in outer space! So it’s been great watching Ruby’s curiosities and passions enhanced in a different environment (school).

Today she took the cardboard space ship we have been building to show her class. It was a huge hit and a great example since they are building their own time machines out of similar materials. Miles and Ruby worked amazingly well together as they crafted the Star Jumper. Miles LOVES space shuttles, space ships, rockets; and his passion mixed with Ruby’s curiosity and resulting research makes for a great design team!

Ruby has decided, last minute to go to school tomorrow as an astronaut to celebrate Halloween instead of the original “autumn” fairy plan. We will see if Mr Miles (party pooper) goes as anything…

Ruby’s newest book idea as of bedtime tonight November 9, 2010

Ruby is an idea lady. She has hoards of great writing ideas daily and often acts on many of them.

Tonight was no exception. Ruby recently attended a play with her class; a play of the story: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. I believe it’s by Judith Viorst, a great writer if you haven’t checked her out.

She was thinking out loud (loudly) and mentioned her story idea; Ruby and the Fantastic, Most Wonderful School Day!

In the loud brainstorm, Ruby asked, “How many hours do we go to school each day?”

I asked, “Oooh, how can we find out? When do we start in the morning when you leave mommy’s room and head down to yours?”

“8:30.” replied Ruby.

“Do you want paper?”

“No, I’ll just hold it in my brain.” Ruby replied. And then she continued to amaze. She held 8:30 and put up a finger, saying 9:30, then another for 10:30 and so on until she got to 3:30 and that was 7 hours and it showed on her fingers. Pause. “We get out before that, huh?”

“Ya, at 3:00. So, that was 7 hours all the way to 3:30. What would 3:00 be? What’s the difference.”

“1/2 hour. So 7 1/2 hours. “

“That would be 7 plus a half, you told me we got out 1/2 hour before 3:30, so what is 1/2 less than 7 hours?”

“6 and a half. We go 6 and a half hours every day. Mom, I need 5 more pages of paper for my book.” Ruby commented.

I was wondering why I needed to go get more paper, so I asked. And Ruby informed me that since there were 6 hours in her school day she wanted a page for each hour in her book. Great idea, huh?!

Ruby has started creating the book. I will post it for reading enjoyment as soon as it’s done, and possibly you can even chat with the author about her work!

Ruby the reader! October 29, 2010

I’ve been waiting to write a lot about the happening life of Ruby Sophia since I know she would like to write for herself (have I mentioned that she is an amazing storyteller and writer?). However, she has hundreds of interests as of late, and has not found the time, so I’d like to share my admiration, pride and awe of miss Roobs (Miles calls her Roobs).

Ruby is brilliant. And I don’t just say that because she’s my daughter, or I am passionate about studying thinking and learning, it’s because it’s true. Ruby is an amazing thinker….and human. She is a problem solver, a listener, as well as an artist, friend, scientist, mathematician, reader, writer, inventor and musician…to name a few. A true renaissance woman!

I will add an audio or video link so you all can hear her reading as of late; I love how she totally reads to find meaning and enjoyment! She gets it! I will also try to document some of her current writing pieces soon and link them here  as well.

For now, here is a picture of her doing one thing she loves; reading!

Pumpkin Patch 2010 October 26, 2010

We visited Lee Farms last weekend, and although it felt as busy as I recall Disneyland being, it was a hoot! We fed baby pigs, sheep and gently touched a sleepy calf. We went for a hayride, jumped on this cool “jumpy” thing and ate homemade pumpkin donuts and apple cider! WE LOVE THE FALL!

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Miles is a reluctant 3! October 22, 2010

Miles turned 3 on my “30-too-awesome” birthday. He was unwilling to discuss or acknowledge his birthday until the actual day when he found out from Daddy, that since it was his birthday, he could pick what he wanted for breakfast (waffles). Presents helped too. I think the hesitance to turn 3 revolves around the “big boy” idea of using the potty. He also mentioned that he would be 2 or 5, but “Neber (never) 3!”

 

Ruby jumps! October 17, 2010

I’ve been  having  a grate time being a really good jump roper.  I jump rope on recess every day and when I get home.

I’ve been learning double dutch and I just taught myself how to do a cris-cross. I LOVE JUMP ROPING!

Love,

Ruby