Happy in Maine.

When revisiting old places or taking a trip to a completely new destination you always want to have the ultimate traveling experience. I don't know what I like more: to go to the places I have been before and feel the joy of reliving the happy moments of the past, or to go to a new place and experience the rush of unexpected happiness after discovering a beautiful new scenery and living in a new moment. In each situation there is unforgettable, irreplaceable momentum that only a true adventurer can not live without.

During our trip north we were able to experience the new and revisit the place we had been before in our early pre kids dating years. Oh, my, it sounds like we are so awfully old.
We drove by The Acadia National Park and spend a most wonderful day there. The rocks we had climbed before were not covered with the wild blueberries as a few years back due to a different season, but there was another surprise waiting for us. It seemed that the rocks just wanted to meet and greet us! The sky was bluer than blue, the chill in the air was almost unnoticeable, the view down to the ocean from the top was gorgeous. And right by our feet there was a good bunch of ... mushrooms! We picked them up, of course and felt like being at home right away!
As Samuel Chaplain named the island "Mount Desert Island" in 1604 the panorama of shore and sea emerges surrounded by magnificent rocky formations as far as you could see.
A real amazing thing about the area is the only sandy beach. Ivana was very observant and noticed even before we went back up to the board walk and read that the sand was actually crushed shells! The position of the bay and the strength of the waves created the conditions for this sandy beach to come to exist. It was written on the info plaque that the water there was only for the most hardy ones even in the summer, since it mostly stays around 50F.
We were taking the camera from each others hands with Mirek just simply trying to document all these beauty around us. Leaving Maine we were feelling spiritually uplifted and very happy for being able to live our day with our family in a serenity of God's artistic creation.

The Bay of Fundy.

The day was so much better today. Better?..No, the day was simply gorgeous! The clouds cleared away by around noon and the sun was treating us with a nice warmth, gentry caressing us on our backs when we were taking a hike in the Fundy Bay.
But before a nice hike we were able to experience a very nice country drive. The views wherever we looked simply took our breath away. The red fields of off season blueberry bushes, the miles of beautiful pastures with animals grazing, the peaceful rolling hills, the vibrant streams, all provided plenty of opportunities to take memorable photos.
The covered bridges are a local specialty. There were a few in each county and some of them are listed as top tourist attraction, here in New Brunswick, Canada.
We took the Bay of Fundy coastal drive today going more north to visit one of the most unique places on Earth. To be precise, the only place on Earth where this tidal phenomenon occurs.

The Hopewell Rocks are the highlight of the whole New Brunswick province. Only here and nowhere else in the world the tide comes and goes twice a day, every day, bringing and taking away water almost four story high. The force of the water is so strong that it was able to create these magnificent structures we are standing next to. They say to fully appreciate and enjoy The Rocks you need to see them at both tides. We were fortunate today to experience them in low tide, hoping to have a high tide experience some other time in the future. Walking around these formations was amazing. We picked up a few rocks that Mirek promised to make necklaces for the girls, got ourselves into a lot of "muddy situations", walked through low and pretty narrow cracks in between the giant rocks, and simply took some time to be in awe of nature's beauty around us.
Being four days on the road, we have covered 1200 miles so far, and even managed to spend a day in a different time zone, Atlantic.
That is quite an impressive achievement taking into consideration the ages of our kids. I was joking today saying that for a single person that kind of vacation would not be a vacation. Too much work, too much hassle, too demanding, too noisy. But Mirek said that he would never switch for the type of vacation that a single person would have. He said that even though we have to do so much more work being on vacation, tending to kids, they make him happy and he would not want to have it any other way.

A day of rain.

These are the only pictures we took today. And it is such a shame. The Rt. 1 along the coastal Maine is absolutely breathtaking. The pine trees, ocean bays, ocean views, every turn was full of magnificent natural beauty. But the rain kind of spoiled it for us. We were not able to stop and stretch a bit, take a mini walk and enjoy the scenery. The drive was monotonous, but we still tried to make the most of it.

The only time we got out from the car today was a stop at the huge book store. The building used to be a chicken barn that is now a two story book store where there are over 150,000 new, used and rare books. We browsed the shelves a bit and I picked up a book of poems by Robert Louis Stevenson that I wanted to have in our library. Since there were no books by Douglas Reed, Mirek bought the works by Plato. I guess, he really wanted to have this book in our library as well.

And the find of the day was a McGuffy Reader! It might not mean a thing for a lot of people, but for us it does! That was the book that Laura and Mary learned to read from in "The Little House on the Prairie" series. Leona was the happiest! She was sitting in the car and reading, practicing her speller words and recitation, just like in the books we have been reading.

We are hoping the weather will turn around for us tomorrow so we can visit the Fundy National Park and the famous Rocks. For now we are having a great time in the inn in New Brunswick, Canada, playing cards and blind mice.

Our trip North.

As quick on a "let's go" as we are, we decided to take a mini trip North. We've heard that the foliage is simply spectacular in New Hampshire, Maine and even more north, like Ontario and New Brunswick, Canada. And that is why we are on the road.
We left on Thursday, around noon, after packing as fast as we could and juicing those pears that had fallen off the tree. They would go bad by the time we get home, plus we are now sure when exactly we're coming back.
The drive to New Hampshire was around 5 hours with two short bathroom breaks. We spent a night at our friends' that we haven't seen for over two years, and then headed more north in the morning.
Today we covered one third of the coastal Maine and are staying overnight at a motel. Unfortunately, the ferry to Nova Scotia stopped running for the season, so we'll have to drive a different route. But that's OK. We are known for coming up with spontaneous ideas and changing plans on the spot.
Today's highlight was our lunch. The thing is that we do not eat sea food, except for fish. Mirek called all that kinds of food "sea bugs" and we got used to skipping the appetisers and entrees with any type of sea food in them. But today we not only surprised the girls but even surprised ourselves.We thought that being in Maine it was a must to taste a lobster. So, we had a "sea bug-lobster" lunch at the "Taste of Maine" restaurant.

How did we like? Hmmm... let me see. Leona was saying, "Oh, Mommy, it is good, but not SO good", with an emphasis on the "so". Ivana had fun cracking the claws but was very careful taking mini bites, not sure whether to take it with butter or if squeezing some lemon on it would improve the taste. Milana, with her appetite and great sense of adventure in trying new things simply licked it a bit and refused to even take a tiny bite. I got turned off by the sight of the green liver that is supposedly a cherished part by the true lobster lovers. Mirek simply got reminded that he does NOT eat the "sea bugs" because they smell of the low tide!
And that was how we liked the lobster. But, we were able to agree that if there was nothing else to eat but the lobsters, we would not starve to death, we'd eat them. Off to New Brunswick tomorrow...

It's not us being greedy.

Ah, the pear tree again!
We have been coming back to get more pears for a few days again. Picking them is fun, but it takes time and energy to pick each pear, one by one by a long stick. When other fruits fall on the ground we pick them as well and make delicious freshly squeezed juice. By now we have about 100 lb of pears. And it is not that we are greedy, it's just a shame to let them go to waste.

It is amazing how many people saw us picking them up and approached surprised to see that the tree was covered with pears. One Recreational Area employee said that he had been working there for 10 years and had never noticed pears on the tree. There was an Asian family that were having a picnic and came to ask us what we were picking. There was a family from Israel, asking the same question next day we were busy harvesting. Then there was a couple that have been taking their dog for a walk in the area for some time already and they, too, had admitted, that they were not attentive enough to notice the pear tree.
So we have been sharing the juicy pears with friends and mostly our Tata has been having a great time since he was able to pretend to be a kid again and climb the trees. Plus the box got filled up so much faster!

In preparation for cold winter days.

When the snow is gone and the Indian summer has returned it's time to get back to winter preparations. With having electric heating system in the house it costs us a pretty penny every winter to stay warm. As much as we've always been resourceful and kind of on a budget, this year we are going an extra mile. We have decided to close off our "craft room" for the winter. The room we love to spend time in, reading, drawing, playing. We had to move the piano from that room as well. Since this room used to be a covered porch and does not have a foundation, plus with all the windows around it takes up a lot of heat to warm up the room in the winter. And the floor still stays pretty cold. I always see the dollar bills flying out the windows
turning into the snow flakes...

Now since we have a fire place' the idea is to heat the house as much as possible by burning wood. Unfortunately we don't have a wood burning stove and the fire place requires too much wood, but living in the country finding free wood is not a problem at all. The girls have been helping with gathering twigs and bundling them up for our fire starters, and Milana was busy cutting wood with her own ax, just like Tata. According to Mirek's estimate we have wood stocked up for about two weeks. Not for too long after all. Hmmm... maybe we'll go to Florida for a few weeks during the coldest time in winter.

October bizzard.

That is how autumn turns into winter overnight when you least expect it! The golden light, the smell of wet leaves, the gentle crisp in their, the no need to bundle up too much... all was gone overnight in the middle of October. We have experienced an early October blizzard, just like in "The Long Winter", a book by L.I. Wilder we have read recently.

Everybody was excited to go outside and play with the snow. It took us some time to pull out all the winter jackets, boots and other accessories. All three of the girls moved up in the "jacket hierarchy" which is a good sign of healthy growth.
The landscape was phenomenal. The trees still haven't lost their foliage and were bravely enduring the added weight of the wet snow. Various shades of green, orange, brown and red looked even brighter as the white covering had created a nice contrast.
We came home refreshed, glowing with rosy cheeks and got to warm our hands and wet feet by the fireplace, settling down to read some books.

A trip to the past.

We have become absolute fans of "The Little House on the Prairie" series, written by Laura Ingdalls Wilder.
We have grown into the books and simple can't help it but love them to pieces! We have been reading the series for about two years now. We didn't start from the very first book, so we haven't been reading them in a chronological order. And I think it adds a little twist, an extra fun to it.
We are down to a few chapters of the "Little Town on the Prairie" and then the last two books, out of the total of 9. We almost feel like to drag reading them a bit, to stretch the pleasure.
We read them together in the evenings. The girls usually draw something while I read out loud. Now that Mirek is at home in the evenings, we got him hooked on the books as well. He calls himself "Pa" and me "Ma" and we have adopted a few things from the book for our family. Like serving Pa's plate first at a dinner table :)

Ivana would read a book quickly to herself and then she would still insist on me reading it out loud and then she would get excited to hear the parts she had really enjoyed when reading them herself.
The girls would play together , pretending to be Mary, Laura and Milana would be Carrie. For a few days Milana insisted that she was not Milana, that she was Carrie.

I can't start praising the books, because it would be so hard to stop. Plus no words would do justice to describe the books. You simply have to read them yourself. And it doesn't matter you are not in school anymore. I believe it is a must read for every adult. I think I was born in a wrong time in history. I wish to have been living in those times! I so wish our lives these days would be simpler and people would be more connected and more for each other.

Discipline, self-reliance, respect for the land, a shared community, the joy of music were the values celebrated in those books. The values that are as valid today as they were in the Dakota territory in the 1880s.

On Sunday the day was trully a perfect fall day. The colors have been in full swing and the sun was still giving out enough of warmth to enjoy the outdoors without bundling up too much. Millbrook Village 1800s festival was last Sunday and it has become our beloved place to visit over the years. It was great to have our friends join us, and the girls each had a buddy to enjoy the craft demonstrations with and participate in the activities. We could not pull them out from the 1800s school house. They were too cute in their sun bonnets, sitting by the desks with their slates and answering teacher's questions.

On Wednesday we went to see a musical based on the Little House series. I was even more excited than the girls. They could not wait, and neither could I. Beautiful, wonderful, spectacular performance! I shed a tear at the theater. That how much the actors had touched me with their brilliant acting, singing and dancing. I was so happy that we had managed to attend the show even though those were the last tickets and we were sitting all the way up in the Mezzanine 2.
"One of the classics of American literature, Mrs. Wilder's nine volume memoir have become part of our American DNA", wrote a director of the musical F. Zambello. Our family would like to thank the producers of the musical for taking upon a challenge to make the books sing.

Making papyrus scrolls.

Pleased to introduce the three scribes in training.
We have decided to learn history this year and are following the "The Well Trained Mind" approach. So far we like it and the girls are excited every time we have our history lesson.
Now we are learning about the ancient Egypt. We've learned about the Nile delta and the early history around it. Made red and while pharaoh crowns which came up a bit ugly, but, oh well, we still had good times. Then we traced the map of the ancient Egypt, Sumer and Mesopotamia. read about it, talked about it, looked at the pictures on the web, listened to the story about archaeologists, wrote down the new words we were learning, looked up the hieroglyphs and then decided to make our papyrus scrolls.
On the scrolls they decided to write what they like to do and also all the names of the family members. And Milana was writing her "o's".
I wonder if the girls will be able to "read" their scrolls tomorrow? We'll wait and see...

Acorn Math.

It's fall! The leaves changing their color and it's time to use the nature's beauty for our learning time and art projects.
I like to be prepared for our homeschool learning time, kind of plan the day out, think in advance about the project to do with the girls, prepare supplies so that we don't waste our time looking for them when a quite time is so precious before the baby wakes up and then I end up holding both Evan and Milana and trying to help the girls with their stuff.
But when the momentum arises and the spontaneity gets the reins I like these times even better! Because even though I do put a special emphasis on the girls learning how to follow the instructions and self discipline with our learning time, I do treasure the moments when they themselves come up with ways to learn, discover and experiment.

Today we have experienced another moment like that. While playing outside we started collecting the acorns. This year is the year of crazy acorns. They are huge, and numerous. The ground is simply covered with a carpet of acorns. We even had to get used to the constant loud noises coming from above that almost sound like a shot gun. The acorns fall with such a might from the high branches and produce this amazing "puff" on the roof that resonates in the house.

And then the girls started sorting them out. We pulled out our mini scales and added more fun to our activity. They would take turns putting the acorns on the scales and then placing them in the rows according to their weight. We were able to find the biggest acorn, weighing 9 grams, and the smallest one was crushed and dried up and weighed 2 grams. Then we got excited and wanted to find one acorn that would weigh 10 grams and were hoping to come across the smallest at 1 gram. No luck, though. But the observation and statistics proved that most of them weight at about 7 grams.
And that is just another example that living is always learning. And learning in various ways keeps the fire of curiosity to discover for yourself burning hot. Compulsory "Education in a box" squishes kids' individual ways of learning and discovering, thus poring cold water over the hot fires of curiosity.
So that was our math lesson for the day. Maybe tomorrow we'll bake cookies and call it "math and chemistry lesson".