Getting Grounded! (Mud Play)

There is no better way to connect with the earth than to FEEL IT, touch it, taste it and wear it! I've always made sure that whatever backyard we are living in, it's got a few good climbing trees, plenty of space to play, green grass and a little bit of MUD!

Fort Building with Life-sized Lincoln Logs!

We love the beach in Ventura with plenty of driftwood! We call it build-a-beach. Yes, we made this amazing fort and continued to visit it for a few weeks, until it was dismantled. At one point, we found that someone had been using this fort to sleep in (we found a fire pit!)

Catalina Adventure by boat

During September through April, Catalina's Two Harbors has FUN staff housing available at incredible prices. Sleep in rustic cabins, with a shared community kitchen and toilets. Perfect for a group!

Moonlight Kayak Ride in Catalina

Deep Blue Waters.... Catalina Island, 25 miles off the coast of Redondo Beach, feels like an island in the Caribbeans. The color of the water and the depth of visibility is amazing. We hooked a flashlight to the front of the Kayak to act as a lantern and paddled out on a MOONLIGHT KAYAK RIDE. Bioluminescence :) provided a little extra light as it floated atop the water. At one point, both kids FELL ASLEEP, Canyon between my legs and Sierra in front. A few nudges and accidental splashes with the paddle kept Sierra awake for the remainder of the journey. It was an adventure for sure! The next day we snorkeled with Jean Michelle Cousteau, of Ocean Ventures, where he showed us the life below the waters. (I grew up with my brother playing Jacque Cousteau adventures daily, so this was more exciting for me than the kids.)

Sharing a song with Dreamingbear

Our Friend Dreamingbear ( on his world wide LOVELUTION TOUR) stopped by to share some beautiful musical inspiration. He brought his new toy, a Hang Drum, which sounded more beautiful than a steel drum, and played our digeridoo, as well as a few wooden flutes. The kids shared a few songs as well. What a beautiful evening to remember.

Scrap Wood put to Fruition

No platic play tools for us! The real thing baby! A lot of imagination and a little supervision and they are on their way!

Another Man's Junk - Two Kids Treasures!

The kids caught wind of some construction going on up the street, hooked up their wagon to their pink jeep and headed North. They hauled a few loads of wood home and began their creations.

Science and Spatial Relations

We frequently travel to the mountains, 7,000 feet elevation! Along the drive up the winding road, we watch the temperature rise and fall, we get to really FEEL what the freezing point is, we watch water droplets turn to snow as the temperature drops slowly from 34 degrees to 32 degrees, observe the geography as it turns from freeways to alpine and then to SNOW!

Yes, from sandals to snowboots all in one day, what fun! As a child in Michigan, I have fond memories of the snow caves that we built in the packed snowbanks. Here I am with my children, reliving a fond childhood memory of my own. Snowplay, snowhikes and snowcones with maple syrup fresh from the yard.

artful expressions!

We LOVE to get into our art, really, really, into it! What if Jackson Pollock's mother never let him drip or splatter?

learning colors

What happens when we mix red with yellow? Let's see? Mixing colors from head to toe. primary colors - red - blue - yellow