Month: June 2013

Field Trip to Altadena Community Garden

Continuing the theme of how people get access to food, the first and second graders went on a field trip last month to Altadena Community Garden. It seemed like a simple enough venture. In fact, we were all smiles when we started.

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But most of this ragtag group of boys were in my group.

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In fact, when Jerri (also on the trip) saw my list she said, “Oh, sorry, man. That’s rough.” She’d been there before with quite a doozy of a group on the last trip.

Anyway, we proceeded. I think it would have been fine if we hadn’t teamed up with another group of boys for the garden tour. The kids were hot and our guide, while completely lovely, didn’t hold their attention as well as I’d hoped.

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I spent most of the time telling the boys to stay out of the planters, stop talking and pay attention.

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After a harrowing trip to the bathrooms/drinking fountain after the tour was over, I actually got scolded for not staying close enough to my group. True, I was taking a break from paying attention to vent to Jerri about just how crazy my group was. I deserved the scolding but needless to say I wasn’t happy about it.

Regardless, we finally made it back to the bus for the ride back to school. Here’s our after picture.

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I was ready for a spa day.

More pictures here.

Kindergarten PE and Recess

I’ve been at school a lot lately with various activities I’m covering for the Aveson website and the stuff going on with my own boys. One day when I was coming to chaperone Ezra’s field trip, I happened upon the Kindergarten PE class. They are super cute and seemed to be having a good time so I snapped a few photos.

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A few days earlier, I was covering Peace Day and found Finn’s class up on the blacktop for snack recess. Here’s his gang. Left to right: Charlie, Finn, Luca, Henry, Finley and Jade.

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Later I caught them playing kick ball.

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Finn’s base running may need work — he ran right over to me.

Library Update

Our Little Free Library got a boulder seat a few weeks ago when we decided to take out a boulder from the backyard and it needed a new home. All three Moision boys worked very hard to get it to just the right place.

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Also, I started an Instagram account of daily photos of what’s in the library. It wasn’t my idea but when my friend Allen suggested it, I couldn’t resist. Check in here if you like.

Finn’s First Lost Tooth!

After months of wiggling, Finn’s first tooth finally fell out. Quite literally, actually — he woke us up about 3:00 a.m. on May 23rd to tell us that his tooth was out. Apparently, he’d woken up when he realized that something was in his mouth. Good thing he didn’t swallow it!

Anyway, here are before and after pics.

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The Tooth Fairy didn’t come that night — we assumed a 3:00 a.m. call isn’t enough notice — but she came the next night. Finn wrote her this letter.

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Of course, she wrote him back.

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Mootho, the new assistant in Tootho’s stead, left a pile of coins for Finn. Finn thought this was hysterical.

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Bruce and I had a fun time eavesdropping on the boys that morning as Ezra read the Tooth Fairy’s letter to Finn and they discovered the coins. When Finn came in, the first thing he said was, “The Tooth Fairy came. I have some bad news. Tootho broke his leg.” My sweet, empathetic boy.

Playing for Money

Finn tried his hand at busking a few weeks ago after seeing a musician on the street in Old Town. He got out one of Bruce’s hats and sat on our front steps with his recorder.

When I came back from my walk that day, I saw this girl out walking her dog who had stopped to listen to him play.

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When he was done she fished some coins out of her pocket and put them in the hat. Finn was thrilled! Up to that point, the only money he’d earned had come from Bruce, Ezra and me.

A little later I found out that Bruce, who had been in the backyard working on the clubhouse, had seen the girl walking her dog, called her over, explained about Finn playing his recorder, and given her some change to give Finn. I’m pretty sure she thought he was crazy at first, but when she saw Finn she was very sweet.

Here’s Finn’s haul … all of it from our change jar.

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Mother’s Day Activities

Mother’s Day was lovely this year. I got in a nice walk first thing in the morning and when I got home I was greeted with breakfast from my boys.

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Here are the sweet notes.

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Finn drew us snuggling.

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A little while later, we met our friends Eli and Allen and their girls, Josie and Marietta, and went for a hike on the trail by JPL. At first it’s pretty hot and dry …

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… but there’s a payoff.

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The kids love this spot and we stayed here for quite a while.

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Then headed back.

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It was hot, hot, hot and the kids were tired. But they walked all the way back.

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A little later Bruce took the boys to the Caltech pool while I got a nice rest. Here’s Finn — ready to swim.

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We went out to dinner later, too. A great day!