Fully Present

Pottermania Redefined: Reading Aloud 3407 pages in 5 months

Tom — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 18:54:39 +0000

At 9:40 pm MST Sunday, December 5th, the Greentree boys completed their epic journey through the Harry Potter series. My vocal chords will now take a short sabbatical in order to recover . . .

They simply couldn't get enough of this story.

It was amazing to read through this whole story together. What a memory for all of us!

The boys are claiming that we are on to another Redwall book next, then The Chronicles of Narnia. Here’s to loving stories!

Home-made Noodles

Tom — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 19:48:12 +0000

Tennille and I had fun the other day with her new Kitchen Aid Pasta Maker. Hmmmm . . . and the chicken noodle soup was delicious.

The new pasta maker attachment unveiled.

Tennille feeds the monster.

I attempt to keep the strands separate. Attempts that mostly failed.

The finished product drying before being cooked.

The Tar with Friends

Tom — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:05:18 +0000

We had an amazing meal with our close friends Akbar and Zahra the other evening. Close to the end of the evening, Zahra and Akbar brought out the instruments and proceeded to teach us a little sitar and tar. What a fascinating sound and history. Akbar wants to pick up the guitar (which I play) so we are going shopping next week for a six-string and will be making some Western music to augment the Persian. Should be fun!!

Akbar plays and discusses a piece of traditional music with Tennille's mom.

Ethan on the tar.

Our friends Akbar and Zahra play us a tune.

It has quite a different sound, and the boys found it interesting.

It Takes A Village to Grow a Garden?

Tom — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 23:17:33 +0000

In our neighbourhood, many children are coming and going, all the time. And lately, a lot of them have been enjoying the fruits of our gardening efforts, both in beauty and in produce. Peas and beans, as well as the ever-elusive carrots, have been ravenously devoured by kids that probably refuse to eat vegetables when they are set in front of them on a plate (mind you, it’s probably because store-bought taste simply cannot compete with backyard delectability). The flowers are admired (and sometimes picked!) and we receive help with the watering and mulching, as well as dead-heading. It may not take a village to grow a garden, but this village is certainly enjoying it.

Ethan and friends, watering one of the back flower gardens yesterday.

Star Wars in Concert

Tom — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:38:52 +0000

Our boys are Star Wars fans, through and through. But they also love the orchestra. Just how perfect was it that Star Wars in Concert was a stunning blend of both?! Rinus and I took our four boys to the Saddledome on Saturday afternoon and enjoyed an amazing concert, narrated by Anthony Daniels (C3PO). The big story of Star Wars was brilliantly told, following certain characters and epic themes, all accompanied by great clips from the movies and live orchestration. It was stunning both visually and musically. So glad we went. What a memory!

In front of the Saddledome

The big screen alternated between Star Wars clips and camera sweeps of the orchestra.

Anthony Daniels of C3PO fame did not simply narrate the story -- he told with passion and intensity and humor. Very well done.

The foyer was filled with Star Wars memorabilia, such as Darth Vader and multiple other characters.

Life-size, Yoda was. Thrilled, the boys were.

Bird Watching at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary

Tom — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 23:07:10 +0000

This week, as Tennille has been recovering from hip surgery, I’ve taken more time with the boys than I normally can. So yesterday we headed out on a bird-watching adventure at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. We had a great time and will definitely go back, especially as spring come on in fullness.

Here’s a few shots from our time there.

Ethan spys upon a nesting pair of Canadian geese.

There are more than just birds at the bird sanctuary. Here's a young, one-horned deer peacefully munching away just off the trail.

There were too many nests to count, all very easy to see because the leaves haven't come in yet. Here's a little one . . .

And huge nests were everywhere

Somewhere along here the boys ran into a couple Canadian geese who, in their effort to take off, seemed to be chasing the boys for a few yards. After they took off, the boys, eyes huge with excitement at their close brush with feathers, laughed and laughed. The guy nearby who was trying to take beautiful pictures with his epically large telephoto lens was not so cheered.

Hamlet 101: How to define tragedy to a seven-year old

Tom — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:35:35 +0000

And we continue our journey through Shakespeare. We are reading (for our “special nights”) a book called The Shakespeare Stealer. It’s about a boy who is commissioned by his master to copy down the play Hamlet from the original Shakespeare production at the Globe in London; he knows a unique form of short-hand, and attempts to steal it in the early stages of it’s public performance. The book is a great read, and the boys are really into it.

This morning, before work, I read Hamlet to them from Usborne’s great Stories of Shakespeare. At the end, we were able to again answer a longer standing question that Micah’s has been asking: “What is tragedy?” Answer: “Hamlet.” (as well as Romeo and Juliet, which they thought was silly — I mean, kill yourself over a girl?)

Lest you think Shakespeare is the only thing we read in our family, here’s a few recent hits:

The Chronicles of Mismantle, Book One: Urchin of the Rising Star (Margi McAllister)

Tales of the Greek Heroes (Rodger Lancelyn Green)

The Little House in the Big Woods (Laura Ingalls Wilder)

We’ve also started Redwall as well, which they really like (what is it with talking animals?).

Fathers, Will You Please Engage?

Tom — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 02:25:48 +0000

Over that last two days I have had multiple conversations with people about slacker dads, complete with all the detrimental, traumatic, heart-wrenching effects.

I hurt for these kids, be they 15-year-old girls adrift among wolves, or 4-year-old sons confused because dad is never around. When will the dads re-engage? When will the men step up and actually love their kids? actually make them the right priority in their lives?

I don’t have many answers, but what I do know is this: nothing is more important for fathers than being lovingly present to their children. But most dads are working too much, watching sports, doing “guy” stuff, leaving their wives to pull the weight, numbly and stupidly watching their kids grow up till, poof! they are leaving the house fatherless and lost forever. Get a grip on what’s important — it ain’t the game, guys. Or your precious career. Time is passing faster than you can imagine.

I love my boys. And they will remain a central priority in my life and calender.

God be with me as I father them daily. God be with me as I strive to wake up the dads I know. Because kids are worth everything we can give them of ourselves. Make no mistake about it, for their sakes.

These boys are worth all of my heart and life.

Shakespeare 4 Kids

Tom — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:25:43 +0000

We’ve been reading Shakespeare this fall — from the Usborne “Stories of Shakespeare” — and our boys are loving them. We also caught a performance in Point Pleasant Park in Halifax this summer of “Love’s Labour’s Lost” which was terrific.

Then Tennille stumbled across these “Shakespeare 4 Kidz” DVD’s at the library and wow, what a hit! Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream came alive through compelling music and terrific acting. Our kids are loving them (especially Micah). We are hoping to find more!

Fun in the Snow

Tom — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:54:19 +0000

We are enjoying a few days of family fun with Tennille’s parents in Creston. Today, the boys and I built snowmen, though for some of them you have to use your imagination (in fact, for a couple it reminded me of seeing figures in clouds — imagination sorely needed!). Lots of fun.

Ethan built his own snowman today.

And Micah and I joined together to work on this peace activist, plunked down beside the driveway where everyone could see him.