Summer Reading

Calum's Finished Book                                       Favorite so far... Harry Potter Deathly Hollows
Who Was Albert Einstein?
Who Was Charles Darwin?
Harry Potter The Half Blood Prince by Rowling
The Tales of Beedle the Bard by Rowling
Bone Handbook by Jeff Smith
Stick Dog Chases A Pizza by Tom Watson

Stick Dog Wants a Hamberger by Tom Watson
Minecraft Construction Handbook
Spirit Animals Wild Born by Brandon Mull
Spirit Animals Hunted by Maggie Stiefvater

Spirit Animals Blood Ties Garth Nix and Sean Williams

Spirit Animals Fire and Ice Shanon Hale

Spirit Animals Againest the Tide

Harry Potter Deathly Hollows

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

Mewtwo Strikes Back by West

In progress 
Spirit Animals Rise and Fall


Hadley's Finished Books                            Favorite so Far Harry Potter Deathly Hollows
Wildwood One (re-read)
Spirit Animals Hunted by Maggie Stifvader (re-read)
Harry Potter Deathly Hollows
Holes by
Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms by Lissa Evans
Who Was Albert Einstein?
Who Was Charles Darwin?
The Tales of Beedle the Bard by Rowling
Bone Handbook by Jeff Smith
Bone Out of Boneville  by Jeff Smith
Stick Dog Chases A Pizza by Tom Watson

Stick Dog Wants a Hamberger by Tom Watson
Minecraft Construction Handbook

Wildwood two 

Harry Potter Goblet of Fire (re-reading)

Phantom toal booth

Percy Jackson Lighting Theif

Percy Jackson Sea of Monsters

Percy Jackson Titans Curse

Percy Jackson Battle of the Laberith 

Chasing Vermeer by Bret Berney

Prince Caspin. (Second book in Lion Which and Wardrobe)

The Voage of the Dawn Treader (third book in seriesLWW )

In progress

Sherlock Homes A Study in Scarlet 

Percy Jackson Titens Curse

Megan's Finished Books.     

Fav so far is the conclusion of the Giver ( you have to read to the end of Boy books)

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

The Rosie Project

A Wrinkle in Time by L'engle

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

The Messenger by Lois Lowry

Boy 1 and 2. by Lois Lowry

Fear by Thich Nhat Hanh

100 year old man who climbed out a window and Dissapeared 

In Progress

Catching Vearmer

The Mindful Therapist by Dan Siegel

The UpSide of Stress by Kelly McGonigal

An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor

Zip Line in France

We found a park about 10 minutes from our house where the boys (and Mom) can spend the days in the trees. It is a cool system where you can unhook yourself so you can't fall too far of you lose your balance. The boys spen 5 hours climbing and zipping yesterday. You have to do some climbing in order to get to the zip line part. I could only keep up for the first three hours. Then I sat back and videoed and took pictures. I think this is the highlight of their trip so far. Today I will need to stretch out from the climb.

The park is called Forest Land and you can spend the whole day there for 18 Euros. Not too bad. I am sure we will be back later this summer. I will put zideo up on Facebook because I still haven't figured out how to put video on blogspot.

Stories

I have hoped to take some of the time this summer to do a bit more writing, one of my creative outlets. Here is a story called One Hundred Percent Sure I wrote some time ago after a visit to California. Colin and I left Calum and Hadley in good hands (Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Ben) while going on a trip to the US Open. The boys did really well but it just got me thinking about the event of the first time parents leave their kids. Also Hadley and Calum and I had a bit of fun working on a France inspired story called If You Give A Bunny a Baguette so I will put that in this post too. Hope you like them.

STORY ONE

One Hundred Percent Sure

By Margaret Ann Jessop

               My parents went on something called a vacation and left me behind and I am one hundred percent sure I don’t love them anymore.

                On the first day of preschool they left me too and I didn’t love them that day either. My mom came back at the end of the school day so that time I decided to love her again.

            This time it’s different. This time Mom and Dad both packed bags with golf clubs and swimming suits so I am ninety percent sure they are never coming back.  Ninety percent, that’s a lot. It’s less than one hundred percent, which is the most, and how much I don’t love my parents.  (Illo: May need a percentage bar or other creative way to illustrate percentages through the story.)

            Mom left me with my Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Ben.  They have a tree swing and a swimming pool in the back yard and my Uncle tells fart jokes all day long. I am eighty percent sure their house is better than mine, so maybe it won’t be so bad living here.

            For the last two nights my cousins Lily and Annabelle and I slept in a tent … in their playroom.  My mom never thinks of anything like this to do. When you playroom camp every stuffed lovey you have gets to come to. It is so fun with my cousins that I’m seventy percent sure it is better than being at home without them.

            When Mom calls, I’m sixty percent sure I am going to tell her how great it is here, so she knows I don’t care if she comes back.  Or maybe I won’t talk to her at all.

            I asked uncle Ben when my parents were coming back.  He said two more days, so their vacation is fifty percent over. Fifty percent is half of one hundred percent, which is the most and how much I don’t love my parents.

            Today I dove of the diving board for the first time. It was so great I did it 47 times. I am forty percent sure my dad will be totally disappointed he didn’t get to see it, that is, if he comes back at all. If he does, I think he will be proud of me.

            Aunt Elizabeth said I have been very good not making messes and helping put toys away.  I am at least thirty percent better at cleaning up than Lily and Annabelle.  My mom would think I was a very good gentleman.

           Uncle Ben said my parents are on their way home. We just finished making double decker chocolate chip cookies which are my dad’s favorite and I am twenty percent sure there will be a few left when he gets here.

            They are home! (ILLO: Running for the door.)

            Ten percent of me is very mad that they ever left me to go on a vacation but …after seeing mom and dad and getting the biggest hug ever, I’m one hundred percent sure I will love them again.

            One hundred percent is the most and is how much I really missed my parents.

STORY TWO

If You Give A Bunny a Baguette

By Megan, Calum and Hadley

If you give a bunny a baguette it is going to want some cheese to go with it.

He wants the best cheese so he will have to make it himself.

He will need fresh milk so he needs to find a cow.

Cows in France wear bells so he will need to listen for them.

While he is listening for the bells he heard the hee-haw of a donkey.

Hearing the donkey reminded him of horses and how he always wanted to ride one.

Riding a donkey would be just as fun.

While he was out riding the donkey he sees the cows and remembered he wanted to make cheese.

He thanked the donkey and jumped off to gather the milk.

Gathering the milk made him thirsty so he drank some and then didn’t have enough to make cheese.

So he went to the local farmer who makes cheese.

She had seven different kinds so he tried them all.

He decided on the tasty brie’ cheese and packed some in his bag.

  

The cheese took so long to get, his baguette was no longer fresh so he needed to get more bread.

ILLO: Picture of bunny standing in line outside a French bakery with a sign on the door saying when the next batch of French bread would be done (In French of course).

Maybe I should just stick with carrots. (Though bubble over his head.)

 Coming soon...

If You Give a Cow a Croissant

If you give a cow a croissant she will want some honey to go with it.

 (Just Kidding)

Swimming

The boys and I have been swimming many days since we arrived. It has been unseasonably warm (around 80 degrees) and the pools are super nice. Almost each small town has a Centre Sporte where you can buy a day pass for about 11 euros. Each is a bit different but most have an olympic size pool for working out and then a kid pool for play. Then they each have slides. Not little one, but big ones. The next three pictures are at CERN and this pool had two slides. You can see one in this first pciture and the big one below.

All the pools here require small and tight suits. No short like suits. And the cool thing is you can buy a bathing suite in a vending machine for 10 Euros. We had to get one for Calum and Colin (he hasn't use his yet). Hadley's racing suit works fine.

We went to our new favorite pool in Divonne but I left my camera in the car. Will post more pictures to this one next time we are in Divonne. Divonne is the town we went to the farmers market in (about 10 minutes away). It is like Mill Valley accept it is surrounded by the Jura Mountains instead of Mount Tam. They have small shops and cafes like Mill Valley too. Haven't found the yoga stuido yet.  But I try to get in some yoga in the AM and with Calums help I have a highlight pose.

Donkey Morisemo and honeysuckle

In this small town just over the border of France there lives a donkey named Morisemo. We have been listening to him call out as only a donkey can. He calls in the early morning and late at night. If you listen you can hear him. Today we went to find him. Both Hadley and Calum thought he would be gray and I thought he would have a slit sway to his back as Blackie did in Tiburon so many years ago. This is what we found after a walk through the fields

Definitely gray and slightly swayed. I caught the end of his donkey cry and will post his voice on Facebook since I still don't know how to embed video in blogspot.

He is definately a senior member of the town. Some love him while others feel he is a neucience due to his late night calls. Once you see him you can't help love the guy. We started to approach the fence and as soon as he saw us he approached even faster. I wished we had something for him to nibble. It was 'donkey love' at first sight. 

Another detail of this region is the honeysuckle. This plant grew on my parents deck during my childhood. I was able to show my boys how to gently pull the center stem though so that you can taste the nectar. Definately a memory lane moment and I tasty!

Heidelberg

What a beautiful city. We spent the first day walking miles around to see the castle and the near by streets. This is such an old city and untouched by WWII so the old building are still here. This is the castle and the views from it.

After our walk around the castle we walked to the bridge that you can see in this picture. It is a busy bridge with walkers, bike riders and even cars. Everyone seems happy to be in the city. There is also a very good collage in Heidelberg and with that comes lots of young energy as well as lots of coffee shops, ice cream stores as will as places to eat. The main road through town is used mostly by walker and bikers and sitting there you feel out of time.

Today we are going on a boat ride while Colin gives his talk. More on this soon.

I took the boys on a boat trip down and back on the Rhine. It was very soothing and we could see the castle and bridge from the waters perspective. 

Le Labyrinthe Jardin des Cinq Senses and Telepherique Saleve

Busy weekend. We went to a small town called Yvoire about an hour from our house. The town has a 700 year old castle that you can walk around.

 They also have a garden of the five senses that was a maze of different kinds of plants, some for smell, touch, medicine (which included poisonous plants as well as healing ones), visual and plants for taste. The last picture is fox glove and is in many English murder mysteries...it can kill you!

 Boys found marmot hats (that are really more stuffed animals but for their heads!) These animals live in the mountains in the area. We hope to see some on one of our hikes! They named them Allen and Steve  from a marmot video on utube that is super funny,with talking marmot of course.

 On Sunday we went for a quick trip to the bakery to get morning bake of bread for our sandwiches for that days adventure. We were heading to the mountains in front of us (not the Jura behind us) and were going to take a cable car up to the top of the Saleve. Upon arrival we found the cars were not running due to the storm the night before. We are having almost 90 degree weather by day and thunder and lighting storms by night. It is quite dramatic and makes for a very cosy and cooler sleep. So fresh in the mooring after the rain. But not so good for Cable cars heading up to almost 4000 feet! 

We were able to drive to the top and have lunch and a short hike. Amazing views and crazy folks para gliding right of the side of the mountains. Took video but still don't know how to embed video into these blogs. You are looking down at Geneva from the other side. Jura mountaintop are in the distance junt not clear enough to see well.

Next ... We are heading to Rhinefalls on our way to Heidelberg!

Roasted Beets and Broccoli

I had a lovely dinner with my friend Debbie right before leaving for this trip. We had just finished the third run of the Hornet and Hippo workshops and headed out to eat.  It is a relatively new restaurant in Granger called Rocky River. We ordered a dish with roasted beets and cauliflower which may not sound good to you but it is worth ordering again or even better making it at home. Colin doesn't really like cauliflower so I adjusted the recipe by using broccoli instead. When you roast either broccoli or cauliflower the cooking process brings a nutty flavor out that you can not taste in these veggies otherwise. It is similar to roasting asparagus (if you have ever tired that). Just a little bit of olive oil on the veggies, and a dash of salt and pepper and then pop them into a 350 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes keeping an eye on them. The broccoli will start to brown as does the cauliflower. Then when you remove them add just a touch of your favorite vinegar (about a table spoon) to give it a salad taste and salt and pepper if you like!

Stowaways

Leaving home for three months is not easiest thing for anyone to do but for Hadley and Calum is was particaularly challanging for them to imagine. No friends, no swim team and soccor team, few toys and little that they are familar with. Many adults get excited about a big change and new adventures but kids are just a bit differnet. So far they have been handling the challenge pretty well and I did tell them they could bring some of their lovies. But I think I was thinking they could bring 3 or 4, five tops. I didn't micro manage their packing. They each had a back pack and Calum, at the last minute, brought his little duffel bag that grandma gave him with just a few last minuted items. Today I asked them just who and how many lovies managed to stowaway? Here is what I found in Calum's room and then...

Karyn do you see monster? He made it!

Here is what I found in Hadley's room.

For a total of 22 stowaways in all. It turns out the frog in Calum's crew actually speaks French so he is a real help and the rabbits are a bit put off by all the killing a eating of their kind. 

If this is not love I don't know what is.

Duck a l' Orange and a Salad Note

We managed a real French dinner that even the boys loved. We used the Duck that we bought at the local farmer's market and a classic recipe that I adapted from Epicurus www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/duck-a-lorange-102245. Here is what the breasts looked like, much larger that the ones we find in Indiana (no chuckling please, OK maybe we chuckled at this too).

If you do decide to give this classic dish a try with the attached recipe you can use one cup of the homemade stock in place of the 1 1/2 cup that the sauce calls for. See I am always thinking about the stock! The homemade has more flavor to it so you don't need to use as much. This will shorten the cooking time of the sauce as well.  I also leave out the orange slices that this recipe adds at the end. The sauce is so good on its own you really don't need them but they are a nice touch if you want to give them a try. Here is the final outcome. Duck with Orange sauce, roasted potatoes with garlic and a green salad.  

On a side note, have I mentioned the crazy lettuces they have here? They are also huge (like the duck breasts) and lasts for days. I think I even took a picture (yes I did). And they are only .99 euros for the whole thing. Euros are almost one to one with the us dollar right now. So we have salad almost every night and sometimes for breakfast!