Mini Mycophile?

MYCOPHILE

my·co·phile   noun   \ˈmī-kō-ˌfī(-ə)l\

: a devotee of mushrooms; especially : one whose hobby is hunting wild edible mushrooms
First Known Use: 1885


Photographic evidence, obtained July 27, 2012. You be the judge.

More Things We Were Doing While We Weren't Blogging: Riding Bicycles!

You know, if I didn't share this laptop (which functions as our sole music/DVD/internet/computing device) with the entire household, perhaps I might have a chance of catching up! Ah, well... continue I must...

At the end of July, Rowan picked up a new habit: bike riding!

He got to go out shopping with Daddy & pick out a brand new bicycle (as opposed the the usual gee-look-what-i-found-by-the-dumpster bicycle) -- very special. After a certain amount of store-hopping & bike sizing, they decided on a GREEN (very important) "Hot Wheels" model, complete with "tachometer." 

Check out that fancy-shmancy gadget!
(It even goes "whirrr-whirrr!")

Hitting the road...

Stopping for mushrooms...

Getting sleepy? O_o

Happiest clam on wheels... Hot Wheels, that is.

Children & the Many Values of Art. (#4: Art as Creative Self-Expression)

When his nose isn't buried in a book, Rowan has been pretty busy drawing. Perhaps he is an aspiring illustrator & just does not know that yet. Anyway, he has been creating a plethora of fascinating new fungi species, all of which seem to possess some unique quality, backstory or superpower. Here is just one sample set among many. My question is: can I eat them?

P.S. You Utahns keep an eye out for a special native species. ;)

The illustrator at work.

 This stuff takes focus & careful attention to detail.

Such a wide variety of new fungi!
Why have I never seen these while hunting before?

A "Schooled Funghi"
(He gets good grades too!) 

A "Toasty Funghi"
(Mmmmm...)

A "Carnival Funghi"
(Rowan tells me it hurts when the
acrobats hit him from the inside)

A "Christmas Funghi"
(Very pointy. Ow!)

Children & the Many Values of Art. (#3: Art for Contemplation)

The other day I went downstairs to our friend's apartment for a short visit & when I returned, I learned that Rowan had been very busy with his sketchbook. Daddy made a point to have me take a careful look at the new works. I could see why...

Value #3: Contemplation (of life's many themes & such)

"Life!"

"Sketching Life"

"Life and Smiles"

All the titles are his own. I do not know where this young, contemplative illustrator snatched up the liberal use of the yin & yang. When asked for a statement, the artist declined to comment. 

Children & the Many Values of Art. (#2: Art as an Opportunity to Share)

Paint is for sharing.
With everyone, everywhere & on everything..

Back in October, before the big move which so disrupted all aspects of our lives, the kids & I decided to establish our own art gallery in the teeny-tiny kitchen. It seemed a good idea to us since we had all this expanse of white vertical space & most art galleries tend to be teeny-tiny anyway...

The fluorescent lighting was boo, so that made for a second-rate gallery, but we made up for it in all the sharing; sharing art supplies, sharing ideas, sharing snacks, sharing messes, sharing our creations.


Value #2: Sharing


Moma: "I have an idea to share. Let's begin by using chalks to create 'background interest.'"

I am done with "background interest."
Let's get on with the PAINT.

Changeling: Let me share my technique...

Too much sharing gets an artist put in
the highchair to minimize damage!

Rowan shared his technique too. It was much applauded.

Certain parents love this piece.
Alas, the newsprint does not last well.

The gallery is prepared for the "show"...

Ooops. Tsk, tsk... how tacky...
Someone forgot to mop up.

Now for a careful study of our works, sharing feedback, accolades & snacks. Sharing fun, feeling accomplishment, being together under the flickering fluorescents -- the best part of this art.

Aw, geeze guys. Shirtless? Where's your decorum?
Oh, maybe it's just the "eccentric (messy) artist" thing.

Children & the Many Values of Art. (#1: Art as a Cure for Tears)

Daddy & Moma might be crafty, but we are by no means artists proper. Nonetheless, we believe strongly in the countless values of art -- including art for art's sake. This post is the first of four of many (I keep finding new opportunities!) in which we will share some simple ways engaging in artistic ventures has enriched our lives... more specifically, the children's lives. Please enjoy. :)

Value #1: A Cure for Tears

So sad... What do we do with sad baby?
Give him crayons!

And an easel...

and some inspiration!
(Is it the toy bin or the painting?)

Before you know it...

...he's found his groove!
(This day it was purple.)

Voila! A masterpiece! (Or something.)
And no more tears!

More Things We Were Doing While We Weren't Blogging: Phone Photos

Daddy & Moma got their first Smarty-pants phones in August. While these phones have many mind-blowing abilities, their talent for capturing images is pretty poor. Every time Moma forgets her camera, something fabulously photo-worthy happens. I looked at my batch of photos from the phone & decided to add a few of the noteworthy happenings here. (And maybe a gratuitous mushroom or two.) 

First, we had to practice with the phone by sending an image to Moma's BFF. Three people, three attempts, always someone a little out of line, but overall, I think we did alright. Besides, it's the thought that counts, right?

Not sure where the spoon came from -- 

we noticed it only after we went the picture!

We discovered the trails to the bluffs over Kincaid,

What is it with bad photos that makes them always
appear to have been taken in the seventies?

Oooh! Sandbox! Way up here even!
Let's get DIRTY!

We discovered other things in the park too...

 Creepy crawlies,

 The obligatory annual great big freaky Alaskan spider encounter!

And other creature's leftovers, 

Owl pellet! Whoah! Really?!?
Are they following us? @__@

And FUNGI (of course),

Always so cute! Amanita muscaria

And a basket of boletes: this one is 100% Boletus edulis.

And some lovely, anise-scented oysters, Pleurotus spp.

And because of Murphy's Law, sans cameras, we always had a...

MOOSEFEST!

Always lotsa Moose when you don't have your camera. Always.

There were actually THREE males this day, browsing together

because they *knew* that not one of us brought a proper camera.

I found a handful of terrible phone photos from other places too. Just to prove that we sometimes leave the forest & enjoy the pleasures of other places here are a couple: 

Whoah! A dining experience with cloth napkins?!?
Going somewhere sans chillins?!?!
A place where the waitstaff doesn't try to get you
in & out as quickly as possible because they know
children are time bombs?
I wouldn't believe it either, but for the evidence above.

Oh, those sunsets on the Cook Inlet...
so lovely, even via smartphone.

Well, that's enough of the smartphone retrospective & the blogging for today. Tune in again to see if we manage a record three days in a row of "one-a-day" blog posts focusing on all those things we did while we weren't blogging!