Rocket Boys

During the spring one of the scout merit badges that Colin and Tristan were working on was Space Exploration. One of the requirements is to build and launch a model rocket. I also found myself to be a merit badge counselor for this badge since our troop didn't have one. Knowing these things we headed off to watch the Kearsarge area rocket society do some launches. We weren't sure what to expect but came away glad that we went. The younger boys now love rocket launching and I learned the things I need to know to sucessfully run this badge with other scouts. We thought we would only get to watch the launches but the rocket group involved the boys in every part of several launches. They put together rockets, learned the parts of a rockjet, learned about the importance of recovery wadding, launched rockets, ran into far off fields to recover rockets and did some fun missions to test height, launch a pesky tick far away, bring some not so pesky passengers back to the ground safely (ants) and recorded some footage from a rocket that was launching. They also saw some launch failures and learned some troubleshooting. A lot of fun was had by all and a new hobby for the younger boys was born. Trevor and Hayley watched and helped the boys to build some rockets and they want to do some launches too. The rocket club launches about 7 times a year and rockets and motors are not too expensive so this is a hobby we can afford both time wise and money wise.

Below are photos of rockets being launched, recovered and a turtle that was found while recovering a rocket (it was later put back to a safe place near the water).

Changes and Growing Up

I chose to transition to a new blog now because we've outgrown the theme of the old one. Also I was up to 75% photo space taken and I eventually want to post some old things on there and back date them.

We are still us, a family who likes to walk in the woods, spend time at the lake and care for any creature that finds its way to us, a family who values freedom and differences. I'm still a Mom who believes the main work of childhood is play and much time should be spent in the out of doors and without any agenda. Yet the children are growing and changing and our homeschool style as well as my parenting need to change right along with them. I feel that we've had an awkward in between year finding our way to what is right for Big Kids and Young Adults in our family. It's a funny transition. My kids are not spread out enough in age that this transition went in stages. There is less than 5 years from oldest to youngest, so it kind of came all at once, this growing up thing.

In 2009

My baby will turn 10.

My oldest child will start high school work.

The kids will be given more freedom and also more structure in their homeschooling, if that makes any sense...it does to me!

Half of my children are teenagers.

The "little boys" currently ages 9 and 10, turning 10 and 11 this year will learn to ski, can I still call them "the little boys", I wonder?

all my children will be in double digits.

Many of our pets are in double digits.


Some childhood and growing up quotes and sayings which I like.

Childhood is a journey not a race.

There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in.

Wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the forest, a little boy and his Bear will always be playing- Winnie the Pooh

The work of childhood is play

A little dirt never hurt

Living is learning and when kids are living fully and energetically and happily they are learning a lot, even if we don't always know what it is. - John Holt

Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire.- W. B. Yeats

I'm a Big Kid now- Huggies pull ups, LOL when you are 10 you are a Big Kid in our house.