Summertime, and the Living was Busy

From my last post, to the beginning of Autumn 2010, we filled our days with adventure and exploration.  From familiar ground, like Red Butte Garden, to totally new experiences, like being on a movie set, the pace of life has been brisk.

Red Butte Garden, August 2010

Maya had the good fortune to be cast in a film shot here over the month of August.  She had four days on set, including two back-to-back shoots, so our family stayed overnight in the Cast House, affectionately known as "The Mabin" (as in Mansion Cabin).  It was a wonderful experience for us all.

The "Mabin" Basement Dressing Room

The film is a new version of Hansel and Gretel.  Maya plays the Witch, Gertrude, as a child.  Naturally, bad things happen to Child Gertrude, giving her a back story, and the fairy tale greater narrative depth.  I couldn't have asked for a more perfect first film experience for my daughter.  The crew and cast were marvelous, the settings glorious, the weather perfect, and the role challenging.  Can't wait for the premiere!

The Woods

The River

Getting Direction

Setting the Scene at Gertrude's House

My Beautiful Daughter in her First Feature Film

As if this did not keep us busy enough, Maya also managed to volunteer Saturdays at Ten Thousand Villages, began a new session at Ballet West Academy, started Comedy Acting class at the Children's Theatre, finished Suzuki Violin Book II, and learned to play Beethoven's Ode to Joy on a ukelele. 

For a little rest and relaxation, we traveled first to Antelope Island, and then to Torrey, Utah, where we visited Capitol Reef National Park.

It's like another world, only 40 minutes away, and 9 miles across a causeway.

Symbiosis

My Family

 

And now we're ready to soar into Autumn, 2010.

Signs of Spring 2010

Every year since Maya was 3 or 4 years old, we have taken official "Signs of Spring" walks.  We begin in late February and continue, once a week, until Spring officially arrives.  When she was small, the primary point was to practice noticing, paying attention to details, and realizing how much one can learn or know just from simple observations.

As she has grown, the walks have become more of an intellectual, scientific exercise.  We collect data, such as time and temperature.  We note the position of the sun.  We sometimes count or measure shoots.  We listen for birdsong, and watch for insects.  At Red Butte Garden, signs of wildlife are keenly sought.  We touch leaves, bark, buds, and stems, and note differences in texture from week to week.

Our most startling observation this year was hearing a woodpecker on March 1, 2010.  That was definitely the earliest we'd ever heard one in the neighborhood.  It was a beautiful day, but it snowed 8 inches that night! 

In preparation for these walks, we read a lot of books about the seasons, plant and animal biology, climate, and astronomy; many Bill Nye and Schlessinger Science dvds are watched, among others. On the  Spring Equinox, we'll measure shadows for comparison with data from the Solstices and Autumnal Equinox.

We read old folktales about why seasons change, review the springtime celebrations and mythologies of the world, consume endless beautifully illustrated picture books with spring or new life themes, and spend time reflecting about the seasons of our lives.  Demi's "The Greatest Power," pictured above, is one of our very favorites.  Maya often remarks about how fast time seems to pass, and that it seems like yesterday we were noticing something that is now but a memory.  She is often inspired to write haiku or other forms of poetry. 

Currently, I ask her to put together a booklet of observations and drawings, and we compare each year's compilation to the one past.  She can see handwriting improving, sentence structure getting more complex, and paragraphs growing in size.  Next year, as she enters 4th grade, I'd imagine more in-depth reporting will be our goal, perhaps facilitated by a science project or experiment she wants to develop.  We are excited about acquiring our first decent microscope this spring, so I'm sure it will inspire many new components to our seasonal rituals.

We'll repeat these weekly outdoor observational walks in late October and November, and call the exercise "Signs of Fall."

Now I'm off to check on our grass seedlings, planted to grace our upcoming Nowruz feast table, for a wonderful Persian New Year festival.

Tulips in our yard

2/23/2010
3/1/2010
3/12/2010

Red Butte Pond frozen 3/1/2010


Cacti on top of Red Butte Sprout House 3/1/2010