A Lazy Summer Day at the Creek

Tobey and Nora Lee




Nora Lee, Mila, and Chloe


Chloe


Claire and Tobey






Tobey and Mila


Nora Lee


Mila




Tobey and Nora Lee

A Story

A short story by Nora Lee Young

Once there was a princess. She was picking flowers. She wished that she could fly on the cloud. The End.

School

Nora Lee is 4 1/2 and we are in the full swing of things academically. We are using a Waldorf kindergarten curriculum supplemented by other workbooks that Nora Lee and I find interesting. Over the months an entire imaginary school has been created in our household. I am "Mrs. Quiley" and Matt is "Mr. Cashote" (We have learned that Nora is a gifted creator of names). There are usually three or four other students that are in our class and often one of them is a character from a book or movie that Nora Lee is smitten with at the moment. A few weeks ago it was Omri, the boy from "The Indian and the Cupboard" and this week it is Cedric Digory from Harry Potter.

We all come to class at the dining room table and focus on one letter in the alphabet. We practice writing the letter and discuss "as a class" the sound the letter makes and words that begin with the letter. The Waldorf curriculum also includes an old fairytale that connects to the letter in some way. Sometimes we will explore a poem that also connects to the letter. For example, when studying "P" I would recite the "Peter Piper" poem.

After working with letters we move on to numbers and simple math. Nora Lee is working on counting to 100. She's got all the numbers in between but gets stuck on 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90. We've learned that Nora Lee is really good with geometric shapes. She can create cool patterns and enjoys that type of play.

After this study time at the table we go off into the world to explore. We have fallen in love with a library one town over from us. We were given a library card and we can't stay away! They have an incredible children's section with thousands of tantalizing books and movies. We have been enjoying books on CD for in the car when we drive around town. We did the first three Harry Potter books this way and just started The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Our Season Table

Nora Lee and I decided we are going to set up a small table in our home that we decorate for each season. We went to the beach yesterday and collected natural treasures for our "summer" table. She lovingly washed each rock and shell today and lined them up on a towel to dry. Tomorrow we decorate!




A few days later...



"Summer"

Coloring

As a child I loved to color pictures and I still find it very relaxing. Nora Lee also loves it and we have spent many sweet hours together coloring pictures at the dining room table. We have coloring books on wizards, fairies, princesses, elves, and animals. I'm rather impressed with her coloring skills. She does a good job of staying within the lines.











This is an original Nora Lee piece. There is something about it that I absolutely love. It makes me very happy to look at :-)

Nora Lee's Photography

I love uploading Nora Lee's photos because I get a chance to see through her eyes. I find out what she finds interesting and beautiful. Here are the most recent pics.


Nora asks me to make an angry face!


Nora captures Daddy's tattoos while he drinks his morning coffee



A picture she colored and framed herself


This is one of my favorite pictures of Hogarth ever taken!



She figured out how to take a self-portrait







Nora Lee is crazy about Scooby-Doo these days

Missouri!

Matt, Nora Lee and I just returned home from an incredible trip to Missouri. Most of my mom's side of the family lives there and it was time for a visit! Although I hadn't been back in 13 years (and Nora Lee and Matt had never been), it felt like home. I have such dear family and they welcomed us with open arms, hearts, and homes.

On July 1st we flew out of San Diego along with Colleen, Clay, Cameron, Mom, Dario, Karl and James. I've never had so many friendly faces on a flight before!


Colleen and Cameron


Karl and James


Clay and Aunt Dolores


James and Cameron


Brett


Aspen, Cameron, and Dusty


Clay


Cindy and Mom


All of us!


Nora Lee gets ready to swim


Cameron, Mom, and Colleen


Aspen and Uncle David


Dario and Matt


Mom and Dusty


Uncle David

On the Fourth of July we went to the town parade. Nora Lee was most excited about the candy they threw from the parade.



Nora Lee and Dusty

Jordon

Nora Lee

Nora Lee and Matt

Aspen and Karl


No matter how hot or humid it was, Colleen always looked stunning.

Cameron and Nora Lee

Matty

Mom and Dario on Dusty's ATV

Bottle rockets start off the evening of fireworks


Adarius and James

Uncle David

Shelly and Jimmy

John is the grillin' man



It turns out that Nora Lee is a fly swatting ninja. She went on a rampage to eliminate the enemy. She won.

Dusty and Nora Lee

Aspen and Nora Lee

Clay rides Dusty's horse, Babe.

Nora Lee enjoys a sparkler!

My cousin Dusty is a true Renaissance man. Among many other talents, he is a gifted auctioneer. He is 21 years old, owns 40 acres of land and each week holds several auctions where people can sell and buy things - all kinds of things. I saw an auction that was entirely produce, much of which was grown by the local Amish community. I am fasciated by the Amish and really enjoyed getting to spend half a day with them. They prefer not to have pictures taken of them so I left my camera in the car but got some shots of horses and buggies.



We also got to explore Fantastic Caverns! It turns out that the caves were discovered by a dog while out hunting with his owner. Later when the owner wanted the caves explored he put out an ad in the paper and a group of twelve women from the Springfield Womens Athletic Club responded to the ad and explored it first!



Brett, Tonya, and Jordon on the tram that took us through the caverns





All-in-all it was a perfect trip and we are all excited to return!