Saturday, December 29, 2007
The Holidaze
Happy New Year, all!
We had a fantastic time over the holiday break, taking a much deserved and much needed two week trip to Northern Georgia. Kristin and I got to have several honest-to-goodness nights out on the town, and the kids had a blast visiting their grandparents. Parker proved that he can have fun for hours with just a handful of hangers (really), and Kira proved quite adept at climbing stairs, as botha human and as a cat.
Kira and Parker getting into the holiday spirit, and staying still for the just one second.
Kira and Parker on their first time on bicycles.
Lucille's Mountain Inn, the fantastic bed and breakfast Kristin and I stayed in on our out of town anniversary present.
William the Conqueror's Def Comedy Jam is in the house!
The kids take a moment to fish with a bear at Goats on the Roof General Store (yes there are indeed goats on the roof).
Parker strikes a pose at the Georgia Aquarium.
The piranha disturbingly await their next victim....er, meal.....at the Georgia Aquarium.
Parker gets up and personal with a Penguin - at least, as personal as three inch glass can allow you to be.
Kira and Aunt Shelli on an insanely cold December night.
Pay no attention to the large scaly gentleman behind you. Nothing to see here.
Labels: And We Are Rather Puny, Homeschooling, Kira, Let Kids be Kids, Parker, Sheer Awesome
Friday, December 28, 2007
Five Islands: Madeira
Here is the second entry in Parker's and my review of islands of the world that we would like to visit:
One of the most unique features of the island are the levadas, a series of stone aqueducts and tunnels created by the original Portuguese settlers to bring water from the north side of the island to the south. These stone troughs are often wide enough to allow for hiking along the edge. In some places the levadas are in level territory, but in others the aqueducts go high into the mountains, and walking them becomes a delicate balancing act, particularly is one suffers from vertigo. I'd like to think I could walk on one of these, but if the photos I've seen are any indication, some of them are probably a little too agoraphobia-inducing for my tastes.
The New Years' fireworks celebration holds the Guinness Record for being the world's largest. Parker is eager to see that, as am I.
Labels: Homeschooling, Parker, Sheer Awesome, Where in the World
Monday, September 17, 2007
Carcassone
Parker and I explored via Google Earth the town of Carcassonne in Southern France. One of the few fortified towns of Europe to never be conquered, it was restored in 1853 by the theorist and architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, and became a World Heritage Site in 1997.
It is one of the most intact examples of a medieval town in Europe today, and one can't help but fall in love with it on first sight. if we ever get back to the Continent, it will definitely be on the itinerary. Although Parker is endlessly fascinated by castles, most castles in Europe today are in some sort of decay or disorder - eventually they were breached, and conservation efforts there are more inclined to preserve it as it is rather than to restore it. Carcassonne would give Parker a better understanding of what architecture and life was in that time more than the crumbling masonry of most of the fortresses of the age.
Labels: Homeschooling, Parker, Sheer Awesome, Where in the World
Monday, August 27, 2007
Even Old New York was Once Old Amsterdam
This weekend, Parker and I talked about the Netherlands. We explored the streets and canals of Amsterdam, looked at the churches, and talked for a while about the Anne Frank museum and who Anne Frank was. We watched videos about the tulip fields and how a windmill is used to crush wheat into flour. We also looked at how dikes are built to reclaim land from the sea, and the massive wind turbines and dam control programs that are used to keep the country dry. To boot, we saw a pirate and a Viking ship.Later, we used Google Sky to look at galaxies and the Crab Nebula (Parker's favorite).
Labels: Homeschooling, Parker