the memorial is stunning in a confident, spiritual kinda way,
regardless of the drama around it being made
in China from Chinese granite by Chinese sculptor, Lei Yixin.

if you choose to visit, first read a little about the memorial and its design elements.

besides the memorial being impressive,
i also appreciate that it is accessible to all
– e.g. there are no steps that seem to be at all the other monuments on the mall –
and that there are bathrooms nearby.
those with small children and/or weak bladders feel where i’m coming from.
it will probably be quite lovely when the cherry blossoms come in the spring.

here are the big girls’ favorite quotes from the Inscription Wall:

Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.

We are determined here in Montgomery to work and fight until justice runs “down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

i thought about making them memorize their favorite quotes,
but i’ll settle for just letting them feel Dr. King’s eloquent presence in their minds.

after stirring forever the slime finally started to show its solid-side. look above the spoon: when have you ever seen a liquid crack?

slime is bipolar. it's both liquid and solid.

it all ended quite messily after a crescendo of slime. next time everyone gets their own pie pan. fortunately clean-up was pretty easy.

oh, the beauty of non-Newtonian fluids!

most common phrase when entering: oooooh!

the US botanic garden’s “Seasons Greenings” exhibit this past December
brought out the kid in all of us.
there was nothing but oohs and aahs and wide grins
as we watched the model trains moving through fantastical homes and DC’s most famous buildings and monuments
all made of plant materials!

y'think a scorpion lives here?

yep, it's pretty much amazing.

a giant lady fixes a train that went off track.

the white house...

...complete with Sasha and Malia's playground set!

THIS is how cocoa grows. we've read about it and seen video, but now we've seen it live!

can you see Lincoln's acorn head?

found this in the rainforest room. will gaze upon this when i need a mental vacation.

the big girls with their favorite fragrant flower: Mamama! (and a plant-based washington monument.)

i first encountered nasraddin jooha when i studied arabic in amman, jordan.
on a quick visit to cairo, i found a book on him in the hotel gift shop.
these are tales known all over the muslim world
– india, pakistan, turkey, afghanistan, iran –
but also greece, bulgaria, macedonia, albania, russia and china.

the folk tales of mulla nasruddin
– generally thought to have been a traveling suffi in 13th century turkey –
may have a different name depending on the culture
(like khoja or its variations: hodja, hoja, khawaja)
but the stories seem to transcend culture.
through his playful antics and peculiar ways
we learn wisdom;
explore logic, reason and common sense;
and take lessons in how to make a “point without getting in trouble.”

ciao from italy

this is another gem i found on the Homeschool Activities Update*:
a public speaking class for homeschoolers.
once a month homeschoolers get together in a conference room at the Bowie Library
to share what they’ve learned about a country from the continent of the month.
just last month i had the pleasure of listening to a toga-ed four year old tell me a bit about Greece.
my girls shared what they had researched about Italy, England and Russia.
it’s an excellent opportunity to get my girls comfortable speaking in front of a crowd,
not to mention developing their research skills.

BIG UP to Melissa R., homeschooling mother of 6, and
Josie R., of the Bowie Branch of PG County Library.

*if you’re a homeschooler in the DC metro area,
getting on Angela Brown’s Homeschool Activities Update can save you a lot of
time and stress
when looking for activities, opportunities and scholarships
for all ages of homeschoolers,
as well as support groups and professional development for parents.
email hsactivitiesupdate [at] gmail [dot] com to get on what i like to call
“The Homeschooling Master List.”

all about england

the intimate narrative, also written by Nelson, gently carries readers along like they are sitting at their great-grandmother’s feet on a warm summer afternoon in the country somewhere down south. This story shares the pain, pride and glory of an American experience in a manner that is clear and appealing for any age.

i’ve heard the weekends of the pumpkin festival are packed not only with people,
but with opportunities for grownups to spend even more money
on face-painting, pony rides, food and etc.
during the week, however, not only are a lot less people around,
but the entry fee is less expensive
and i don’t have to go through the drama of saying “no” to all the extras
that just get in the way of pure country fun:
riding in bumpy hay rides pulled by loud tractors,
getting hay in every crevice as you jump in the hayloft,
feeding and petting the farm animals,
working through the corn, hay and burlap mazes,
having rubber duck water pump races,
and sliding down the steep slides.

front row seat on the hay ride to the pumpkin patch

picked out their pumpkins

hay maze

the final event: completing the corn maze. we take turns choosing the direction at each intersection: a 20 minute exercise in group dynamics.

good ole country fun.

straws, strings, tissue paper and glue

finished project. now time to test...

thanks again, karin & laura!