Dear Mom, B is for Birds, Brom Bones, and Benjamin J.

Week of October 21 - 27

This week started off with a parents meeting at Hummer’s new school regarding a resolution the school has adopted resisting the implementation of Common Core. It was quite a revelation to me – I had had no idea what impact this will have here on parental rights much less education, and am now duly alarmed. I came home feeling strongly that I am meant to be involved in the resistance, and also wishing very much that I were better prepared to help.

My posts about this topic may not be as fun to read, but it really is important to me. You know that I feel a particular responsibility because of certain experiences I have had. . . . Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. (Ronald Reagan, 1967.) Apparently this is one of the times that I will have to face down my natural distaste for confrontation and stand up for something that is right.

The next evening found most of us at a high school volleyball game, where Exacto was playing with the band. . . .but only when the teams didn’t need it quiet, like during timeouts. (Kinda silly, if you ask me). But it was fun for a while, and a good cultural experience for our poor music-saturated children.

Rosebud and I celebrated “B” week. There are so many fun B words! Brownies, banana bread, baking. . . .We did find some non-edible ones, too. My favorite was Birds.

Google helped us find a raptor sanctuary here in Fort Collins, only about 4 miles from our house. We showed up and were amazed at the huge, beautiful birds, in captivity because they had been injured and could no longer survive in the wild.

Golden eagles, bald eagle, several types of hawks, they were all gorgeous.

Fortune was smiling on us (grinning actually) because it happened to be time for the caretakers to bring the birds out one-by-one for weighing and feeding.

We actually got to watch a red-tailed hawk rip a mouse’s head off and then swallow it and the rest in about 2 bites! (A little more than I had bargained for in Rosebud’s case, but I think Fluffy thought it was pretty much the coolest event of the week. :)

no photo of mealtime, but here’s the sweet little red-tail that did it

The rest of the week pales somewhat in comparison, but there was a pretty sweet “Sleepy Hollow Celebration” on Friday for the 4th grade classes that I got to go help with. Hummer and I both enjoyed it heartily. The students could dress up as Legend of Sleepy Hollow characters, and Hummer chose to go as Brom Bones.

He stuffed balloons into his sleeves to look like muscles, and definitely has the mischievous grin down pat.

I am SO SAD that I have no pictures of him! I made sure to change the batteries in my camera before leaving for the party, and when I got there, the “new” ones were dead, too! AAAAHH! (I am trying to track some down with the other parents, and I’ll update if I succeed in getting any.)

The Headless Horseman Pursuing Ichabod Crane, John Quidor, 1858

They had a feast and re-enacted the story several times (Hummer got a chance to act out his mischief-making ride), watched the movie of course, did some crafts and went home with a little candy.

It was a strangely healing afternoon for me. Not only was it the closest I have gotten to a H*$%oween celebration since 2007, but that movie was what we watched the night before the doctor’s appointment where I received the news that changed my life. I have had no desire to see it ever again. But Hummer didn’t know that (he was too young to remember) and he really wanted me to come help, so I did. Yay for me. :)

And really, it was just fine. Six years and lots of loving support have done their healing work. I still don’t want to celebrate H*$%oween or anything like that, but the complete revulsion to it has faded to just a plain dislike. We are looking forward to the Chinese buffet and a movie this Thursday. :)

Saturday we did one of our favorite fall traditions – the waxing of autumn leaves.

And then we went to climb trees at the park by our house.

Last night Jofus and Lori sent some more pictures of that sweet new little Benjamin, and I am happy just thinking that such cuteness exists in the world. :)

Dah! I just want to kiss those awesome cheeks! He is sooooo cute!

Love,

Michelle