Kids: cute baby animals and saving animal habitat. local attractions

While all three girls were here at the farm we had a girls day. On this day, we dressed up in dresses (and tiaras for the little ones) and went into town, Davenport. We left the boy at home to get a little time to himself and get some work done on the farm.

We went to see a movie at the IMAX theater. The plan was to see Born to Be Wild. This documentary is about two women who started saving baby animals. One woman cared for baby elephants when their mothers were poached. Another cared for baby orangutans when their habitat was destroyed and their families pulled apart. Both ended up with helpers and their care turned into organizations. When the animals are big enough and ready they are released back into the wild.

The girls were enthralled by the cute baby animals and had many questions about why people are destroying the habitat. It was fun watching Zoe reach out to touch the 3-D images. Ivy was like a stone. I only saw her move once during the movie, when a baby elephant charged at the screen.

We were a little early for the movie so we decided to go check out the Putnam Museum exhibits while we were there. Phoenix loved the fossils and anatomy exhibits. Ivy liked the mammals, submarine, lightning and tidal pool. Zoe kept going to back to the display where you could push a button and make your own tornado/whirlpool. All three girls loved the display where you could pretend that you were drawing blood out of someone's arm. There was a little kids wigwam and trader area where the girls dressed themselves up in "furs".

I very highly recommend Born to Be Wild! We all learned a lot and enjoyed ourselves too. Of course, everyone ooh'ed and ahh'ed over the three little princesses running around around around. I asked too, and there is no rule there to prohibit running!

Movie:

www.putnam.org/bornwild.html

Museum:

www.putnam.org/exhibits.html

Kids: conflict transformation and mediation

Ivy and Zoe are back with their mother and soon will be headed back to their other new home in Europe. We really enjoyed having the girls here. Jerome took a few weeks of vacation and we all had a lot of fun playing and exploring new areas. Having two four-year-olds and a five-year-old requires a lot of attention and energy. I think this seems like an age with a lot of transitions. The girls are all still learning where they can be independent, when they need to ask, and how to best communicate their needs and desires.

I think communication is a fascinating subject. When people are together though, misunderstandings and confrontation are unavoidable. A little over a year ago (two years ago?) I discovered Non-Violent Communication when I ran across the book in a library. It is a way of expressing your feelings and transforming conflict. Jerome and I have used this throughout our relationship when we are feeling, tense, stressed, hurt, or having a hard time understanding each other. We use it with Phoenix to help her communicate when she is upset. Phoenix really seems to enjoy it and often steps in as mediator for other kids who aren't getting along well. At our Mommas and Babes camping trip Phoenix would step in to help Shelby and Grace when they would get upset and yell at each other, helping them to communicate effectively.

When Ivy and Zoe were here it was fun watching the girls take responsibility to resolve their own conflicts.

It breaks down to:

1 Observation (objective)

2 Feelings

3 Needs

4 Request (of the other person)

For kids we often guide the process as so:

ok, wait, take a deep breath

Now (to kid #1)) tell me what you saw happen.

(To kid #2) tell me what you saw happen.

(To kid #1) Tell your sister/friend how that made you feel

(Now kid #2's turn to share feelings)

Each kid then gets asked what he/she needs and how he/she thinks that this need can be met.

Both kids are usually able to resolve things at this point.

After a few times we tell that they can work it out between themselves, because they now have a template. It is really fun when there is a third kid to act as mediator. They take charge and act so grown-up, it is like another game.

. . .not to say that there are not times that we all get tired and irritable and end up having quiet time or nap time instead of talking through a conflict . . .

I really want to do the NVC workbook and attend a conference sometime.

www.cnvc.org

Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life

Marshall B. Rosenberg

reusable items

Here are a few links to some fun reusable items.

Every time I throw something away my mind flashes to where it will end up. Obsessive about sustainability? Possibly. I think its time to step up and move past the out-of-site-out-of-mind way of thinking and deal with our shadows.

Plastic and metal razors waiting to degrade in landfills . . .

Preserve

This company makes products from recycled materials, when you are finished you mail your razors and toothbrushes (made from recycled yogurt cups!) back to be recycled again.

http://www.preserveproducts.com/products/personalcare.html

I emailed Preserve to ask if they did indeed recycle the razor cartridge as well as the handle. They said that at this point they do not recycle the cartridge. It is, however, something they are working on and hope to have that available in a year/year and a half.

Terracycle

You mail them wrappers from chips and candy bars and they make amazing products from them like purses, bags, and earrings. They will even pay you for your trash!

http://www.terracycle.net/brigades/candy-wrapper-brigade.html?locale=en-US

We learned about this at the Unitarian Universalist Society in Clinton, IA. They also have a drop-off at the Restore in Davenport.

Containers and items that can't be recycled we often add to a craft box for Phoenix. She makes some really fun things and has taken to asking teachers and other adults for their glue bottles and other empty containers to make crafts, or suggesting what they could do with it.

How does your garden grow?

I snapped a few pictures of the garden before we left and was excited to see it when we got back. These are all before pictures. We may have gotten it planted a little late (bought the farm in June) but it is catching up! In the garden we have: a few different varieties of string beans (green and wax), mung beans, soy beans, cucumbers, butternut squash, cilantro, basil, lavender, thyme, sage, dill, spearmint, mint, many different tomato plants (my favorite is black sea man, the purple ones, Zoe calls them rainbow tomatoes), cantaloupe, strawberries, butterfly bush, marigolds, pansies, lilac, yellow rose, morning glory, a citrus plant (from Tom in KY), Zen sand garden in progress, and kittens.Butternut squash
Climbing beans
Heirloom tomato and volunteer pansies

These two cantaloupe are now ripe and Phoenix pretty much ate one all by herself today. We picked them this morning. There are a bunch more started on the vine.
. . . and pretty maids all in a row.

(Zoe with giant caterpillar found in the garden!)

Everything is organic with no pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers. If the bugs start getting to a plant I just make sure that I dump the dishwater (natural soaps like Seventh Generation) on the leaves after I have done the dishes. It coats the plant and the bugs don't like the taste. The gray water from the dishes also provides great nutrients!

illinois renew: PV and Native Plants

We had a chance to stop through the Illinois Renewable Energy fair in Oregon, Illinois, last week. I was very excited to go and meet some like-minded people.

We made it to a presentation on Photovoltaics that was informative. It was about maximizing the energy from your solar panels. The end of the presentation got drowned out in the sounds of rain and hail from feisty weather. It is always encouraging to see what others are doing in your area though.

I enjoyed learning about some of the challenges of solar power and some innovations that help overcome them. I've got some fun notes and I'm sure I will be looking more into this PV group that services the midwest: Advanced Solar Solutions.

www.AESsolar.com

Next we sat in on a presentation about why it is important to grow native plants in your lawn. It was called "We all live downstream". The presenter, Tim Lewis, talked about the importance of the root systems to filter ground water and prevent erosion. He also talked about how native plants support native insects that help to balance a healthy ecosystem.

Tim obviously had a personal vendetta with the "traditional" american lawn. Although, I can't say I disagree. I think that lawns are a waste of time and resources. The shallow root system alone causes environmental degradation, not to mention chemical fertilizers and fossil fuels used to keep it trim and green. Jerome told me about a group called food-not-lawns that I find intriguing. I learned from the presentation that grass is actually the largest crop in America, covering 30-40 million acres of lawn surface. Imagine if everybody grew some of their own food instead of caring for a fruitless lawn.

According to Tim Lewis, the current traditional American lawn is actually a throwback to the 1700's. In England it was a status symbol. The lawn took off in America right after World War II. Now there are laws about the necessity of taking care of one's lawn. As people are learning more about the hazard of current lawns though this is changing. The association for native plants refers to a lawyer who will help people fight for their right to plant native species to nurture their ecosystem.

We ended up having to leave early because of the rain and storms and a sick little one. I was disappointed to not be able to return on Sunday, but Phoenix just started school and seems to have already caught a virus. I stayed home and took care of her while Jerome got a chance to go back and pick up some of the native food-bearing plants (hazelnuts, serviceberries and more) we had planned on getting at the fair from Red Buffalo Nursery (http://www.redbuffalonursery.com/).

I will make another post later on what we got to see at our time at the Illinois Renewable Energy Fair! We had a long day today picnicking and playing at Eagle Point Park in Clinton with the girls. We ate at the top of a small castle next to a wedding and played at the multiple playgrounds. We relaxed on a blanket, had a treat and read a story. Then the kids went back to play while the adults relaxed with some yoga and Thai massage before a small hike. I'm ready to relax at home with some candlelight and local wine.

home

I have decided to spend a few days shifting my focus to current comfort in the home. Sustainability is a lifestyle. Making our home sustainable will be a dynamic process as we learn more. Ivy and Zoe will be coming home for the first time this weekend. We are really excited and I am hoping to put a few comfort touches in before they get here.

On the way to pick them up we are going to swing through the Illinois Renewable Energy Association fair. . . and maybe again on the way back . .

www.illinoisrenew.org/events/2011_fair.html

The house: Massage and guest room

Over the past couple of weeks we have had a lot of visitors come through and have also gotten a lot done. These pictures show floors after we ripped carpet out of the remaining rooms. We painted these with the water sealing paint. We also decarpeted (yes, I did just make a new word) and painted the guest room, the blue one clear in the back.
The other guest room, with the cabinet, is doubling as my massage room.

The room off the kitchen is the one with what looks like newspaper on the wall. This isn't newspaper! It is art in progess. There is a rose in the center, and each page is from the Thought Dictionary. Its really fun, but not all that far progressed yet.

I found some fun cabinets recently at garage sales and thrift stores. I like unique furniture. You can see a couple of these in one of the kitchen photos.

We got a good start on the earth-rammed tires. One afternoon three of us worked these. I'm sure we will continue to progress steadily now.

We also added the two remaining leaves to the table for visitors and we are going to keep them in in anticipation of more friends and family coming soon!