Science Fair, Spotlight Student Lunch and Farewell Mema

As a parent, it can be difficult finding the gift that each of your children possesses. With some children it is entirely obvious. With others, you know they could be talented in many areas and so you give them opportunities, but they end up not being passionate about it or boring with it or whatever.

Yesterday at school was the science fair. Although she is in Kindergarten, Marina wanted to compete. She and Vince have done many experiments around the house, and so this seemed very natural.

With her early reading skills she picked the project, "Drawing with Fire". It's a simple project that I will not go into depth about here as to not alert the department of homeland security about our pyrotechnic ways. Let's just say that it was very cool. (Homeschooling friends out there looking for a great science project that can demonstrate scientific method across the age groups...send me an email and I will write you the directions.)

Where else in the United States would a kindergartner be allowed to strike matches and sizzle paper all day at school?

Her booth was a real star. We were constantly flocked by kids who were amazed at the way the paper burned without burning. The teachers at school want us to do the project for math and science night next year. They also commented on her self confidence and poise. I was so proud.

She was disappointed that she did not take home a blue ribbon, but she learned that she needs a hypothesis and three questions answered. Also, the judges told her that next year they would have separate prizes for younger grades and older grades. Everyone learns at a science fair!

In the middle of this was Falcom's spotlight student luncheon. Because I was babysitting Iris and because he invited Valda, our family had a large representation. They were serving french toast sticks with syrup and sausage links and tater tots. Ew. Maygen sent a beautiful lunch for Iris; Moose meatloaf with mashed potatoes and corn. While I had my head turned talking to Marina, Iris quickly grabbed up a tater tot and then went for the french toast. How would she even know that that is something she would like? Question is, will I be allowed to babysit again? Time will tell. At least there was no discernible food dye present. Yes in the above picture Iris's mouth is filled with french toast.

Later in the evening, we joined Mema for her farewell dinner. She was sad and nervous to be leaving, but is glad to know she will be back soon. We decided to go out on the spit to the Glacier Drive-in and we ate things that are Weight Watchers Disapproved. Suzanne came, as did Priscilla and the Wise family. The Grady's showed up and so it was really an event.

The kids went out and played in the sand and surf after they horsed down their food. Then, as they played a seal came up to them, right up to the shore, and stared at them. I do not exaggerate, it was maybe 5 feet away. Where was my camera? Home. I was just sick! It was like a picture out of a children's book. The Greear and Wise children standing at the breaking tide, seal popping his head out of the water staring at them diving back down to reposition and then reappearing. The blue sky, Cook Inlet and mountainous horizon was in the background. We adults in the diner looked out at them in amazement, but for the children it was almost as if it were a natural event, like, "Shouldn't all of the wildlife greet us in wonder and puzzlement the way we greet them?" Fantastic! Then an otter swam right by them. Suzanne caught a picture of the otter. I hope. I wish she would send it to me, but that probably won't be for a few more days. Until then my written description will have to do.

If the sun keeps shining like this I am going to have to take my kids out to the spit camping before the RV's get there. It is just too amazing.

Alana's Birthday

What a week! Do you remember the Calvin and Hobbes book, "The Days are Just Packed!" That is me, in this family, in this life.

For my birthday, Marina baked me this cake all by herself. She wanted me to do it, but I told her it was bad luck to bake your own birthday cake. She couldn't let that happen and so she brought a chair over, sat it right in the middle of the kitchen, told me to sit and began cooking. I sat there and helped her reach the oven temperature and the oil, but besides that it was all her. Didn't it turn out lovely? She is a miracle...

Vince was my slave for the day and responded dutifully to my every whim.

Mom and Priscilla met me for lunch with Irene and Maya at Maura's. Look at this sandwich! The soup is also absolutely killer.Maya staged this picture herself. I know, I've been training her in diva ship very well.

Irene then took me for a pedicure. No, there is no video outtake, and I will not post the pile of skin that was left on the floor after. Looking at this picture I'm realizing that it is hard to sit up straight, have good posture, and be fabulous while someone is shaving the dead skin off your feet. This smile is not a grin of joy, it is a smirk of deep tickling.

Mom came over for dinner which Vince created. Steak. Blue Cheese. Sweet Potatoes. I forgot to photograph that.

Saturday night the girls went out. We went to Wasabi for sushi and cocktails. We had several opportunities to laugh so hard and loud that we silenced the rest of the patrons in the restaurant. Of course everyone of these conversations would be inappropriate to recap here. The sushi was good. No...it was not as fabulous as Himaware. But it was still very good.

After dinner, Suzanne and I went to the Down East Saloon where a reggae band was playing. Vince and Glen met us there. We laughed with all kinds of people we know but rarely meet up with.

There were plenty more inappropriate conversations going on. I was enjoying watching the single people making connections with each other and flirting. I really enjoyed watching all the flirting. It is so nice watching it from the outside, you know, as a member of the happy couple with the longevity position, rather than as a single person looking for a companion position.

After the evening of being around adults and their inappropriate conversations, I've decided I need to go out more. It was entertaining.

And so another weekend comes to a close. For my birthday, Vince bought us shades for our bedroom windows. It is probably hard to imagine that the sunlight could be so distracting in our nest of a bedroom, that I get reverse seasonal affective disorder. But I do! Last year I got wiggy and taped aluminum foil to the windows. Now that was goofy! Effective, but goofy.

The new shades are navy blue and darken the space nicely without blocking the reason we have the windows in the first place; the amazing view. This picture is of Marina, sleeping in my bed as the sun rises during a morning of full sun and no shade.

Alaskan Girl Looses a Tooth!

Marina lost another tooth yesterday. She is getting so big!

Look at this Alaskan princess: A beautiful princess with rubber boots!

We've been having beautiful weather. Look at these happy chickens! Today was their first day out of the coop and they are in what Falcom calls "Chicken Heaven".

Maya's Baptism and Fundraising Dinner

Another busy weekend in the life of Greear has finished.

We went to the Karen Hornaday Park Fundraiser Friday night. Sally had asked Falcom to perform a song at the show and he was very happy to do so. He gave Sally two choices that he could do. She chose "Here Comes The Sun" and so he prepared. We all ate Cajun, bid on auction items, and prepared for Falcom's song.

Mike McKinney did an excellent job at his stand up comedy act. He really made Marina, Willie, and DeeJay laugh!

This picture was upstairs in the 'green room'. Maya was loving all the acts. There were cloggers and tap dancers and belly dancers. Then it was time for Falcom to go on. There was so much pressure and the whole room became silent to hear him. The music was off. He forgot the first line. He sounded sweet, but he had a hard time rallying.

When he finished he broke into full panic attack and got hives. Irene and I sat outside with him for a half hour while he pulled himself back together. He begged me to take him home, but we managed to make him go back in and good thing he did. So many people hugged him and kissed him and asked for his autograph.

When I got home and watched the video of his singing it was actually very sweet. Yes, I know he was off and reserved, but he actually recovered well and he sounded nice. The anxiety in his head is a huge burden to carry.

Sunday morning we dressed and went to church to celebrate Maya's Baptism. It was a beautiful ceremony! Instead of rewriting the experience, I would like you to go to:

http://phowises.blogspot.com/

Here you will read and see photos of the princess Maya getting baptised with us, her Godparents and siblings in the background.

Irene also does a nice job talking about Falcom's disappointments and how this pressure is really taking a toll on him. When it came time for him to sing the Hymn he muffled the first line. The pastor stopped the song and said, "Let's start again."

With each line Falcom's voice became clearer and stronger and more beautiful. By the end of the song he was in his full out of body singing voice. (You know, when the voice doesn't seem to be possibly coming from this body.)

Irene really captures this on her blog, when she talks about the beauty of a church family. At the fundraiser no one was able to stop, stand at his side and say. "Whow! Start Over!" Like Irene says, "In God's house, there is always time and room for a do over."

For those of you who are wondering. After singing at church, Falcom did not have a panic attack, hives, nothing.

After the service, we went to the beach. It is almost hot dog season again.

Then off to Irene's for Chammoru Bar-B-Que. It was delicious. Red rice, fina-dente, ribs, chicken, spring rolls. I told Irene that sadly this was not a very authentic experience. She and Priscilla both said, "What?" I had to inform them that the meat was not burned enough on the outside or raw enough on the inside, and that the presence of fresh vegetables that were not pickled would not do. We laughed. With eyes closed, each bite brought back a part of the islands!

Ah!Laska

Sushi Dreams and Farming News

Last night I had a dream that I was in Saipan and I was frantic. I'd been there a week and had not yet been to Himaware! All the delicious sushi I had been missing out on! I finally busted through the doors but because it was the end of the day they were nearly sold out. All that was left in the sales case was a little tray of Poke. The pieces looked limp and tired. I took the dish to the check stand with an Assam Black Tea and I asked the sales clerk, "Please, since this is the only thing left and I'm here on vacation, can you please sell me a Himaware T-Shirt!" (They say Himaware Staff and have a sunflower on them).

Before they could answer the dream ended.

Farming News:

• Now that the roosters are gone (another story that I'm not going public about but one that all farmers can guess the plot line of) we are getting 6 to 10 eggs a day.
• We are back in the business of raising bees. It is still too cold for them, but we have a strategy and it seems to be working.
• Charlotte's yak died. Too Sad!
• The Nintendo Wii at Irene's has claimed it's second TV. (I add this because of the feral nature of our children...raising them is like farming)
• Had to order frog food online yesterday. $5.00 worth of food, $10.00 worth of shipping. I mention this because there might be a reader out there who has not heard the story of these frogs. It was a science project. Six frog eggs came in the mail. The directions read, "These are a delicate life form. You will be lucky if one of your eggs grows to become a mature frog." Now we have 5 adult frogs. Fortunately, we have only heard them croak a couple of times. Every time I start to resent them, I go over to their tank and I realize that they are like my own Far Northern Coy Pond: they see me coming, they circle around, they leap out of the water to try to grab the food from my hands. Now, if only there was some way to give their habitat a "Zen-like" feel.

Alright! On with the day!

He is Risen! (And I'm not just talking about Jesus)

This weekend did not only mark the rising of Jesus, it also marked the rising of Falcom's sad heart. Sometimes it is not possible to see an outcome that spirit has in store for us. This is where we must learn to summon our faith. (Faith used here not only in the Judeo-Christian form, but also in the New Age 'manifest the positive' way and the Atheist 'Optimistic outlook provides health benefits' way as well). This week has provided us another opportunity to investigate our faith, or positiveness; our optimism in the face of disappointment. (Pictures from Kilcher Homestead on a visit to their new Yak)

An outpouring of love and support for Falcom, Mystique and Chasey from the community has taken the place of adoration from a crowd. It is amazing to watch. As a parent, I feel that it is more nourishing than the applause of a crowd. It is like the difference between giving a child a fresh orange or giving them a piece of candy. We all want the candy, but it is the orange that is alive...

(Pictures from Kilcher Road Egg Hunt. Thank you Gage and Family!)

Falcom has learned a lot about disappointment this week and I think he is really growing with the support and love of the adults (and other kids) in his life who are giving him well wishes. Someone at church yesterday came to him and told him how disappointed they were for him and he said, "You are just saying that to make me feel better." and that person said, "Yea, but also for myself, 'cuz I really wanted to see what you had up your sleeve this year and I'm disappointed." Fal smiled. He is starting to get it.

Easter brought us a house FULL of fun guests and loads of Middle Eastern...Oh! Did I say Middle Eastern? I meant Midwestern foods. No couscous or hummus here. The Easter bunny hid eggs out in the snow (again) and magic eggs in the house that had prizes inside.

The sun was shining, the house was hot, the conversations were warm and everyone enjoyed themselves.

Irene asked Falcom to sing next weekend at Maya's baptism. He agreed. We are getting right back up on that horse. Suzanne was upset with my mother for telling her what was really in the scalloped potatoes. (No one wants to know the secret ingredients...not really. We like the mystery so that we don't have to feel guilty for enjoying things like, cream of mushroom soup and frozen hash brown potatoes). Mayghen played the piano for us and she played part of the Little Mermaid soundtrack and Falcom sang for me like he used to do when he was young and didn't know about pop music. Marina hid plastic eggs for Iris. Nicki chatted with Mema and Valda. It was a good day.

Oh...and we slipped Iris a licker full of whipped cream.

I want to finish this post by saying Thank You. Thank you to everyone who loves and supports this family. We know that we are blessed beyond belief to live in a community like this and to have friends and family like you. Thank you

The Disappointment

We discovered today that Falcom, Mystique and Chasey WILL NOT be in this years Jubilee. There is a deep disappointment in Falcom and the family, but we are celebrating through it...pizza, popcorn, a little orange soda.

I can't help but remember my life's first disappointments. Fal has not cried, but he said, "I feel dead inside." I instantly went back to a year when I was going to be on the flag team. I practiced what felt like forever. I was a perfect marcher. I held good posture! I could not believe my eyes when I was not picked. I knew exactly what Falcom is talking about. There is not a thing that can be said that can make either of us feel better. It just is what it is.

Congrats to all the kids who made it in! I am sure you will make it a fun show.

Jubilee Tryouts

I was just explaining to DeeJay and Brandon the problem with being an artist. When you are involved with a sport, you are usually with a team. The events are regularly scheduled. There is pressure, but for the most part sometimes you win, sometimes you loose. When you are an artist, your opportunity to perform is narrow. You've got one shot to be picked. You are alone on a stage. Each time you audition, regardless of how you did before, you have to earn your spot. It's tough.

As I could see from the artists backstage waiting for their tryout, these three kids are at the 'make it or break it' point. What I mean by this is that the stress of the audition, coupled with the peer pressure seems to put an end their stage musings. I was hiding a bit, but I didn't see nearly the number of kids there this time as there were last time. Also, many of the kids who had performed individually last year were in a group this year, like a team. I guess there is safety in numbers. Also, there were no young boys singing.

The kids were great.

I'm not being a braggart about this either. After two hours of waiting, they were ready and did their deal and stayed on track. They were not the totally embodiment of energy and Falcom got to high and pitchy at the critical point of the song, but that did not cause him to stop singing. He buckled down and carried on.

One of the things that I thought was so cool was how many of the kids back stage were so kind and positive to Falcom. From, "Dude! Cool shoes!" to "Oh my God! You are going to do that song! That is awesome!" I could almost feel Falcom's self esteem go up.

It doesn't matter if they take him this year or not. He left there feeling good about the experience, and for me that makes it worth it.

I don't know if they will make it this year. It's not the greatest song. But one thing that all three of them deserve an award for...they are brave! They put themselves out there. They hold onto their love of singing and dancing and they are willing to put themselves out there. It is awesome and I am so proud!

Results are in on Friday! I'll be sure to keep you posted. (Literally)

Easter is on It's Way...

In preparation for Easter, we dyed our eggs.

If you have a person in your family who is blessed with the challenge of ADHD/ADD and you find the egg dying process especially challenging, I am here to tell you that you are not alone.

Every year I am surprised at how this fun artistic venture can become an exercise in behavior management.

After the first few minutes of

parental freak out, we were able to get everything under control and we were off to the races.