Best Getting Faster Award Goes To....

Anders!!

Anders finished up his last year of middle school cross country recently 

and really had a great season.

Even Thea made the team photo!

Congratulations to Anders for the best getting faster award!
From 2 years ago when he was in 6th grade, he's shaved up to 4 minutes off of his time.
Way to go!

Museums and More Museums

We've been to a lot of museums lately.   It's something we all love to do and a whole lot of fun.  This past week we took a trip to Brooklyn and while I was at a Visual Thinking Strategies Training at the Brooklyn Museum, the boys and Anna got to go to a few museums on their own.  Here's a bit of history from those visits:

The Brooklyn Museum 

(after nearly 30 years, I finally got to see Judy Chicago's Dinner Party) 

The Museum of Illusions 

(a brand new museum in NYC and a big hit with the boys)

The National Museum of Mathematics 

(Kuba was here in June and could not wait until he could go again with Anders) 

Storm King 

(It was a cold and pouring down rain kind of day, but alas, we made it work!) 

The Boys Make Pasta

Kuba and Anders made fresh pasta together today - 

using Kubas brand new pasta maker!
We're having pasta for dinner tonight.  

Kuba is E L E V E N

As Kuba spins into his eleventh year - I like write about some of the highlights from his tenth year.  

We took a family trip to Arizona and saw the Grand Canyon, spent a week on the cape and a week in Maine.  We also have been to NY City three times, and got to see Hamilton on Broadway.  

Grandma has been out in the barn for this entire year, and Kuba is always loving and kind to her, continuing the tradition of saying  "Did I tell you I love you today?" each time he greets her.  

Kuba fell in love with theater and drama this year, taking 3 drama camps/classes and loving every one of them.  He also got a family puppy this year, on June 22.   He is one heck of a loving boy with a phenomenal imagination, a giant amount of zest for life, a hearty and passionate approach to all of his feelings, and is basically just a lovely boy.  He's grown 2 inches and continues to be at the 96% height range for his age group.  He loves to write, draw, play, and invent all sorts of games.

He remains super attached to his brother and his family.
He still gets a bit scared at night and of the dark - and I am just so sure this is because of his ridiculously creative imagination that dreams up all sorts of things that could potentially be lurking in the darkness, waiting to grab him.  

Happy Birthday Kuba.

This family loves you utterly and completely.

100% devoted to you!

For the past 5 years at school, Kuba has celebrated his birthday in class with fruit cups.

Adorable little papercups overflowing with raspberries, blueberries, grapes, and strawberries.  

This is his last year in elementary school and he didn't want it to be the same this year, as it's his last year at IAA and he wanted it to be a special treat.  He decided to bake lemon bars for his class.   Here are some photo's of him baking the dessert and a snapshot of him in his classroom ready to share the birthday treats.  

And here he is last night after his birthday dinner with family and friends.  

Check out his lemon raspberry cake made by Anna.

He chose to have a meal with loads of ravioli - his current favorite food.  

Kuba got many wonderful gifts, and one was a pasta maker.  

Which leads us to the next post.   

Halloween 2018

  

Kuba the news reporter and Anders the Tree 

(Anna stepped in to do the filming for Pumpkin News) 

Anders, Ben and Finley 

Kuba, Oliver, Sam and assorted others

Trick or Treating in the neighborhood 

CHEWY - The VERY Friendly Squirrel

Kuba has befriended a squirrel at school.

It is so tame it eats out of his hand.
He had me bring him to school on the weekend just to show him to me.

There's something magical about a wild animal acting so domestic.

 

Why We Collect Rocks

 Designed by Anders 

Kuba at work

Designed by Kuba

The boys have been thoroughly entertained by these new paint pens - taking oodles of rocks collected from a variety of places and vacations and turning them into art.   It's been a bit of an addiction lately - and even I've gotten into it.   The idea is that the boys might have a rock art sale in the neighborhood.  Let's see if that really happens.  They seem rather attached.  

Designed by Judy