Mission Control

Emma has developed a fascination with space this past year thanks to her school's trip to the Challenger Center and a 5th grade science unit on rockets. Check out her launch:

This rocket was recovered and she's finishing a second, larger one today.  Apparently the teacher does not keep any engines at school. After watching launch day, I can see why. The Captain is keen on planning a summer launch. Yikes! The thought of having even one engine in the house makes me a little nervous. 

Back to the Blogosphere

Hey there!
I know. Long time no blog. What can I say? The last nine months has passed as a blur. Oh, there were definitely some blog-worthy moments. I hope to get to them all over the coming months. Emma the Brave turned double-digits, Mighty Mouse turned 8, and the Captain turned 40! Heh, heh. (Remind me to share how the Captain killed the battery on his new car.)
In my defence, I've blogged over 20 times since January for my Math Methods course. Yes, blogging is now a university-level required skill! It boggles the mind that I completed my first degree with a merely a typewriter. Now you need Internet access 24/7 and assignments have due dates like Sunday, January 23rd at 11:59pm. In any event, Melissa's Math Munch Box is not the least bit interesting unless you plan to teach math to kids ages 5 to 15. Warning: any attempt at completing the referred to readings in 15 weeks or less may result in shingles. (Yet another story that warrants sharing).
I just completed a required art course. It was a hoot. A perfect summer activity if you ask me, that is, if your going to be studying anyway. The following are my teaching prototypes created by both me and Emma. I bet you'll have trouble guessing which are hers. Send me an email if you want instructions for kids at school or home. They require no fancy tools, only humility.

Fall by Emma the Brave

Santa à la Suisse

Santa and star ornament made by Mighty Mouse

Santa and star ornament made by Emma the Brave

A Year in Trees

Way to go, Mighty Mouse! Glad to have you back. XOXOX

Twinkle's Wish

Illustrated by the children of Class 1A at the International School of Geneva. Written by me. Enjoy!

Twinkle was tiny and Twinkle was white,
the brightest and smallest of twinkles of light,

burst from the Sun and aimed straight for the Earth
and bearing one wish that she’d had since her birth:

“I wish to be scarlet, bright orange or gold.
I wish to be coloured – a sight to behold!”

A glowing blue ball through the darkness appeared
As Twinkle flew quickly, it rapidly neared.

“Blue is the colour that I want to be
I am sure brilliant blue is the colour for me!”

Twinkle wiggled and wriggled and squiggled to steer
Toward sparkling blue oceans and seas as they neared.

Despite wiggles and wriggles her path did not change,
Leaving wide open seas for a huge mountain range.

Blushing red peaks in a tidy long row
towered high up above a thick forest below.

“I wish to be red or a lush leafy green;
I wish to be coloured, a sight to be seen!”

She wiggled and wriggled and squiggled to steer
Toward rugged red peaks and green trees as they neared.

Despite wiggles and wriggles her path did not change,
Pushing past rocky peaks to a great yellow plain.

A ripe field of wheat in the last light of day
rippled and swayed as two impish winds played;

“I wish to be yellow, the colour of gold;
I wish to be coloured, a sight to behold!”

She wiggled and wriggled and squiggled with glee
so certain she was that bright gold she would be.

And she might have been, too, had a heavy dark cloud
not started to drip great round drops to the ground.

In the blink of an eye there were drops on all sides
and to Twinkle’s dismay there was no place to hide.

With no way to stop and without means to steer
Twinkle’s last wish became perfectly clear:

“I wish that these drops will not swallow me whole!
I wish to be Twinkle, a sight to behold!”

It was then that it happened, on that fateful day:
All her wishes came true in their own special way.

Afrique à la Suisse

What better way is there for kids to appreciate art from a different culture than by trying to reproduce it themselves? Below is an African-style wall hanging created by the girls and their classmates (ages 4 to 7) using dyes made from clay and dried leaves. It is approximately 2 meters wide by 2.5 meters long and hangs in the school entrance.

Bravo to the teachers and students of École de Corsier!
You never cease to amaze me.

Father's Day à la Suisse

Father's Day isn't officially recognized in Switzerland. Unless your child goes to a school frequented by loads of expatriates, they won't be coming home with gifts like the ones I've received for Fête de Maman these past four years (see the photos below). It's a bit of a shame and requires the girls and I to get a bit more creative--but we like that.

Two years ago, we invoked a tradition of our own, recruiting a couple of other Canadian families to go water skiing on Lac de Genève. There are a few pay-as-you-go ski boat operators at the Geneva end of the lake. The dads, moms, and the occasional kid ski until their legs jiggle while snacking and sipping between runs. Unfortunately a cool, wet spring has postponed this year's event. Nonetheless, we're having a celebratory barbecue and saving our wet suits for a warmer day.

We love you, Captain! You are a terrific dad!

Porte monnaie by Mighty Mouse

Ivy Sconce and TicTacToe Game by Emma the Brave

The World's Most Notorious Child Criminal Strikes Again

Goldilocks and the Three Bears:

A Play in Three Acts
by Mighty Mouse


Act 1:

Innocent Beginnings
Act 2:
Felonies Overfloweth

Act 3:
Busted

Bragging Rights

I received a rejection last night of one of my children's stories, my first in a while, so please humour this blatent bragging on my part. Think of it as e-therapy.

Check out the latest pencil sketch by Emma the Brave:

It's free-hand. She's seven.

Happy Easter from Geneva

Easter Wreath by Emma the Brave

Easter Egg by Mighty Mouse

Easter Bunny by Mighty Mouse

Coquetier (Egg Cup and Warmer) by Emma the Brave

Blogging My Novel: Week 16 1/3

Okay, here's the deal: it was a busy week.

In case you haven't been following , Mighty Mouse celebrated her fifth birthday last Tuesday. The party was Wednesday afternoon, the day Swiss kids have no school. It was nothing outrageous. There was no clown, no juggler, no magician, and no multi-storey bouncy castle. It was just the birthday girl, her sister, and six of her closest friends eating copious amounts of pizza, chips, and cupcakes along with a few carrot sticks, tomatoes, and grapes thrown in for good measure. The kids made their own party favours, painting terracotta pots which we later filled with the live primrose of their choice. It was a raging success...exhausting, too. Add to that two full days at the school, house guests, a dinner party, and general fatigue and this writer cried Uncle!

Did I write at all last week? Um, sort of. I scrapped an entire scene and rewrote it. The new one is slightly shorter than the first, hence the temporary drop in word count. On the upside, at least this new one makes sense. I admit the setback contributed to my feelings of fatigue. I don't much like going backward, no matter how justified it is. Truth be told, I'm ready for this draft to be over. I'm gaining unwelcome perspective having worked on it this long. If you've ever stared at yourself in the mirror too closely then you know what I mean. This puppy needs to be stuffed in a drawer somewhere and soon.

So now it's crunch time. March 15th, the day I must send a copy to my critiquing partner, is uncomfortably close. It's a good thing my guests brought me some Belgian chocolates. I'm going to need them.

More from the Refrigerator Door

Apple by Emma the Brave

Conspicuous Cow by Mighty Mouse

Only in Canada, you say?

"Inuksuk (ee-NOOK-sook) have stood for centuries in the far Canadian North as sentinels to travelers, guiding them through safe passageways. Each one is unique, every piece of it representing perfect balance, and the concept that each part of the whole is crucial to its existence."

The two small figures above were made by Madelaine and Evelyn using a kit they received from their Canadian cousins. Brilliant... and as Canadian as they come.

Crafty Kids

My kids love their crafts. Here are a few specimens they created this past year that they are particularly proud of. These first two are by Mighty Mouse, created using a sand art kit. The kit included lots of different coloured sands and at least eight different adhesive coated pictures. My only criticism would be that the craft was a touch messy, but its kid appeal is hard to beat.

These last two are Emma the Brave's, made using an Aquarellum kit. One of the most interesting aspects of this craft was that she created her own shades of colours using five basic ink dyes, water, and a little plastic dropper. More templates would have been greatly appreciated, though. She finished the eight provided in under two hours.