Marathon Finisher!!!

Hurray for Kyle! Today he ran his first marathon, pushing through the pain, to finish strong. I was so proud of him. He is a champion!

Half-Marathoner...

Here's an action shot of Mr. Half-Marathoner himself.  Today, he checked off another goal from his life list.  Fun, Fun, Fun!

A new nephew...

Earlier this month, a new nephew joined our family. He was given the name Isaac Desmond by his adoring and ecstatic parents. We are excited about him too, and want to extend our "welcome into the world wish" in his direction. May these next few days and months bring them all lots of magical moments of discovery and happiness. Congratulations L.'s!

Happy Birthday Lindsey!!!

One year ago on this very day,
Lindsey was found wandering the streets as a stray.
The pound became her new home for a bit,
until we met and knew that our lives together would fit.
Since that time we have come to realize,
it is really us that has gotten the prize.
Today we honor our best doggy friend,
and pray that the fun for this girl will never end.

Happy Birthday Stinky! We love you!

A surprise concert...

We went to the Arlington Theater this evening to watch the premiere showing of the new movie, "Jack Johnson En Concert." The film was amazing, a great balance between actual live performances and a collection of snippets of the realness of each band member. At the end of the movie, Jack Johnson came onto the stage in Santa Barbara and proceeded to play a series of very raw, unfiltered solo acoustic songs. It was unbelievable. Kyle and I couldn't believe our luck. Who knew that we were actually going to a see Jack Johnson in the flesh this evening. Wow! Oddly enough, when we first saw him we didn't really recognize him because he is growing out his hair at the moment. Craziness. Life in Santa Barbara is never dull!

Give me an S, give me an O, give me a U, give me a P...

What does that spell? Soup! Rah, Rah for soup! That is my cheer for the day. Inspired by the cooler weather and a newly acquired cookbook, I exercised my culinary creativity this afternoon in the kitchen. My concoction was a chard and yam soup, with a little feta sprinkled on top. Delightful! I adore soup, especially when it's loaded with lots of healthy and colorful veggies.

If you are looking for a new book to add to your library, you should check out the book that inspired me today. It is called, "Love Soup." It has soups for all seasons. I think it will keep me amused for quite some time.

Today, it feels like fall...

Moments ago, Lindsey and I were out on a morning stroll. As we walked, crisp wind gusts blew our hair around and caused our eyes to burn from the dirty debris it stirred up. Leaves swirled in the air. My decision to wear shorts and sandals was a mistake, though I was grateful for the fleece I put on at the last minute. This is the first day of fall in Santa Barbara. It is likely that the weather trend won't last for long, though while it is here, I think I'll celebrate it with some hot tea and squash soup. Maybe I'll even press a few leaves. I love the fall, and I feel thankful for this cool reprieve from the regular sunny and warm weather.

A fun new musical experience...

This past Thursday night I enjoyed a performance by an Oregon based band, "Pink Martini." Their songs and style are infused with both creativity and global pizazz. I felt quite inspired by their musical talents, as well as their comical stories about the song writing process. If you haven't checked them out, you should. They are fun and wildly entertaining.

Lately...

Lately it seems that I never get quite enough sleep or feel like I have enough time to accomplish my list of to-do's. Days are blurring into each other, as the weeks pass at an irregular pace. When I'm not completely overwhelmed by all of the expectations I am trying to fulfill as a teacher, I'm still finding myself obsessively thinking about tomorrow and/or about how I can truly address the vast needs of each of my students. In many ways, this is strange reality. I absolutely adore my class, even though most of them would chat nonstop if I didn't take away a few recess minutes or attempt to redirect them every couple minutes. From the moment the bell rings to the end of the day I am on my feet, alert, and ready to respond to anything and everything. It is exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. Fortunately, I'm learning a lot about my students, about the educational process, about myself, and about the societal misinterpretations of success and failure. I feel frustrated by the fact that we measure each of our students according to standards that are not necessarily at their personal academic level. With my own eyes, I am witnessing the damaging impact that this "applied sense of failure" is having on the next generation. It is easy for apathy to develop in the hearts and minds of students who are repeatedly labeled as being Basic, Below Basic, or even Far Below Basic. Who wants to be Basic? Are we as a nation, indirectly by our quest to keep up with the Jones, extracting the wind from the sails of the dreams of our young citizens? More and more I am convinced that educational reform needs to happen. Hopefully it will occur soon, for I'm not sure how many more disheartened dreamers I can handle meeting.

My favorite buddies...

Last weekend, our little family unit was able to spend a lot of quality time together. It was very enjoyable. At one point we went down to the beach to check out the Sand Castle festival. The sculptures were a bit disappointing, though walking along the beach with my favorite friends was extremely refreshing. Here is a cute picture of Lindsey and Kyle. Their shadows motivated me to capture the moment.

A new leash...

The sand and Lindsey's old leash were not working well together, and so we got a new one. I'm enjoying it immensely, especially since the hook area functions well even with sand caught in the cracks. Hurray! Another problem resolved in the K-deux household.

Thoughts on insanity...

For the past couple of weeks I have been flying solo, doing double doggy duty, and frantically preparing for and starting another school year. Insanity may be a little bit of an exaggeration, though dealing with a class of 20 boys and 7 girls and then an overly energetic and needy pooch upon my return home is a true recipe for crazy-making. Thankfully I have a sense of humor and enough spunk to find moments of enjoyment mixed in with the madness.

Today my class celebrated the invention of the toilet paper roll, which occurred 130 years ago on this very day. To honor such an important invention, we turned our very own roll into a self portrait of sorts. The creativity of the 9-year-olds was rather impressive. If I think of it tomorrow, I'll try to post a picture of their creations. Simple pleasures are alive and well in elementary school, in case you were wondering.

The joy of friendship...

A few months ago Lindsey and I met a woman and her dog Bella while walking on the beach. The dogs hit it off right away, proceeding to chase and wrestle with zest and delight. From that moment on, every time we ran into them on the beach, the dogs played joyfully, and the woman and I were able to enjoy a more relaxed walk as well. A win-win situation developed, which has continued to this day. Recently, we even tried carpooling to the beach, which Lindsey and Bella both seemed to love. Their friendship is really cute, and actually quite funny. Here's a glimpse of the buddies in action.

One of their favorite games: tug-of-war,

catching air during a wrestling match,

and chilling on the way home.

Stargazers...

Last night we tried to escape the bright city lights, the infamous marine layer, and smoke from a nearby fire, in an effort to watch some falling stars. Our wonderful neighbors joined us on the quest. After sampling a few spots, we finally settled on a flat dusty pull-out, high in the hills above Santa Barbara. Though we could still see the faint glow of the city below, it was dark enough for us to witness a few of nature's fireworks. Mixed with the excitement that came from announcing a sighting, was this underlying tone of youthfulness. In many ways, we were all transported back in time in our minds, as we reminisced childhood stargazing parties and camp outs in the yard. I had forgotten how mesmerizing the night sky can be. Thankfully, our spontaneity allowed us to rediscover those feelings, and to reconnect with the innocent part of our selves that still believes in the magic of falling stars.

Highlights from a dog's point of view...

Lindsey was a very lucky girl in July. The month started with a visit from grandma, followed by a road trip and lots of fun family time. She went hiking/camping, played in snow for the first time, learned to swim more comfortably, and met some new pals. Before our return home, Lindsey received her first official haircut and went backpacking in the Sierras. Wow! These days Lindsey can be found catching up on her sleep, often in front of the fan. She is becoming quite the princess. Enjoy these pics of her July highlights.

Road trip with Grams...Hikes in the Oregon wilderness...
Frolics in the snow...Swims in Alpine lakes...
Making new friends (Henry and Zoe)...Spa treatments and haircuts...and backpacking in the Sierras!

My summer barometer...

I've been thinking a lot about temperatures this summer, as I have found myself in a variety of time zones and seasonal patterns. After spending a few weeks in the southern hemisphere's winter, I ventured to another extreme where the infamous Oregon heatwave shocked my body a bit. This is by no means a complaint, as I have truly enjoyed all of my moments this summer. I just find it fascinating how intricate and diverse our world really is.

On a slightly less philosophical note, it does feel nice to be back in my current home with a few more weeks of vacation time to spend. It looks like I still have some time to get into mischief. Hurray for that!

July was full of memorable moments. I was able to spend time with family and a few friends, hike and explore the wilderness, and rekindle the joy of keeping old summer traditions alive. Though I was unable to reconnect with all my loved ones, I did greatly enjoy the special times I shared with those that I was able to see. Having Lindsey with me kept things exciting and even a bit challenging. Ahhh...the life of a dog owner is never dull. Kyle was even able to join us on some of our later adventures as well, which was wonderful. Here are a few images from the past few weeks.

Checking out the scene at Neverland...
Showing off the S.B. highlights...Picking berries with Grams...Honoring old traditions...
Family reunions...Spending time with my sisters and their wonderful offspring...Hiking with my dad...Exploring new places...Reconnecting with some amigas buenas...
Laughing with the wonderful K-Family...Enjoying some coffee and conversation...
and backpacking in the Sierras!

Book recommendation....

I just finished reading this book, "Last Child in the Woods." It was extremely moving and thought-provoking. Over and over again I found myself reading passages aloud to Kyle because they were so eloquent and powerful. As someone who benefited from a very nature-rich childhood, I was amazed to read about the growing level of environmental disconnect that is forming in countless children in our country, as fears and technological preoccupations strip them of their desires to really know nature. Imagining a world without young nature lovers is very sad and depressing. The threat of that, however, may be more possible than most people think, unless societal trends are either halted or modified by our communities. This is a "movement" I want to support. Hopefully there are others out there who will join the cause for nature-based experiences and education. Reading this book would be a great start, and then go have some fun outside!

New Zealand Memories....

Our first stop on the adventure was in New Zealand, where we spent a couple weeks hanging out with Annie and touring some of the highlights of the North Island. Experiencing winter during June was kind of a trip, though being in the cool rain was a delightful change. New Zealand provided us with some fun new challenges, like driving on the left, manuvering loads of round-abouts, eating with a fork and knife properly, and learning a new coffee vocabulary. We laughed a lot, at ourselves and sometimes even the situation. What an incredible country. Hopefully we'll return there someday, maybe next time in the summer months of December! Here are some photos from our time in New Zealand.

Driving on the left...
Ordering flat white and long black coffee drinks...
Bushwalking in search of glowworms...
Exploring caves...
Trekking through thermal areas...

Utilizing "hotties" (centralized home heating in New Zealand)...
Walking beaches in the rain...

Hiking along a few muddy trails...
Being amazed by the scenes of Piha Beach...

Riding the ferry to Waiheke Island...
Posing in the sunshine...
Spending time with Annie...
Viewing the giant Kauri trees...
Soaking in thermal pools...
Taking in the sights of Auckland at night...
Eating at the top of the Skytower...
Standing on top of the world...
and touring volcano land...