Curiosity

I was recently exposed to a new children's author, Oliver Jeffers. The boys and I have really enjoyed reading his books together. I enjoy his stories and art. I came across an interview he did and found this quote interesting:

Telling Stories and Asking Questions by Oliver Jeffers, published on 11/9/2013 HuffingtonPost
"I'm a curious person. I grew up that way. An important lesson my dad taught me was that the surest sign of intelligence in an individual, is curiosity, and that 'why' is the most important word in the English language."

Before we were married, I used to think that I was a smart girl, because I did well in school. (On the flip side, Brett didn't make straight A's--you can guess what I thought about his intelligence.) The longer I am married to Brett the more I am impressed with him, and the more I realize how very wrong I was. I regularly reflect on my husband's intelligence and his ability to do anything he set his mind to (except maybe sing...).

I think it all goes back to curiosity. I see how my husband is wired to wonder how things work. Then he figures it out and applies his knowledge. His hobbies are quite varied and self-taught.

It thrills me to see a little of this same curiosity in my son, Ryan. His hands are always busy, and he asks a lot of "why" questions, which I often deflect to my husband. Unfortunately, his schoolwork also resembles his dad's. I am afraid it will require great patience on my part dealing with his approach to school and homework. I hope that I can keep in mind the great things his father has done and look forward to what Ryan has to offer.

(Don't worry, Todd. You and I are both smart in our own ways, even if we don't have that natural curiosity.)

2014 Christmas Letter

To all our family and friends,

I wish that I were a skilled writer such that I could bring a smile to your face, make you laugh, or make you cry (in the best ways, of course). I wish that I were more organized and able to send out a yearly letter, instead of once every seven years. I wish that I could spend time catching up with each of you in person. These wishes are unlikely to come true this year, but if I could have one wish come true it would be this: that this letter finds you happy and healthy.

And, since it has been seven years since I did send out a letter, here's a family update.

Brett and I celebrate our 19th wedding anniversary this month. We are still happily settled in Niceville near Brett's parents, Brett's brother, and Becca's sister. It has been great having grandparents and other family in town. Becca's parents now live in New England, and we are able to see them a couple of times a year. Most summers we have been able to travel across the country to spend time with some of our faraway Mitchell cousins. We have wonderful memories of our time with family in Utah, California, and Maine.

Naturally, the boys have grown much in these last seven years. Todd and Ryan are close in age--they are now 11 and 10 years old. It makes me happy that they also remain close as brothers and friends. Todd just started middle school this year and is doing well. He likes all of his classes and enjoys getting involved with as much as I will let him, including band (trombone) and cross country. Both boys continue to play baseball each spring, and Todd is always ready for a pick-up game of any sport.

Ryan is in fourth grade and is convinced that school and government officials are conspiring against children everywhere, preventing them from spending enough time with their families. He plans to write a letter to the mayor requesting that a change be made to limit school to only four days a week. Despite his dislike of school, Ryan is an easy-going kid who is generally happy and who makes us laugh.

I enjoy volunteering in the school library once a week. I keep up with my music by singing with a small local choir and teaching a few piano lessons. These days I am down to only four students now that my afternoons have become busier with homework and after-school activities. After three and a half years of working with the children at church, this month I start working with the 12 and 13-year-old young women. They seem like a great group of girls and I am looking forward to this new opportunity.

Brett continues to amaze me with his talents and determination. When he sets his mind to do something, he accomplishes it spectacularly. What started out as an interest in woodworking has turned into a profitable hobby, resulting in quite a bit of quality furniture for our home as well as a beautiful new kitchen. Brett has always enjoyed boating and salt-water fishing. Last year he got his Captain's license, and from time to time responds to calls through TowBoat US to assist boats that are stuck or stranded for one reason or another. In 2012, Brett took some time off from work to fulfill a life dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail--all 2,180 miles from Georgia to Maine--a feat that took him six months of walking to complete! Brett accomplished all of the above while maintaining his employment with the same environmental firm for over 15 years.

Copper, our golden retriever, is now over ten years old. He is a sweet and beautiful dog who still loves going bird hunting with Brett, roller-blading with Becca (only Becca wear the skates), and walking with the boys to the bus stop each morning.

I love Louie Armstrong's song "What a Wonderful World,” especially the following part:

I see friends shaking hands,

Saying “How do you do?”

They're really saying

“I love you.”

How nice it would be to see each of you face to face, to be able to shake your hand and let you feel how much I love and appreciate you.

Wishing you the very best this Christmas season,

Becca and her boys (Brett, Todd, and Ryan)

Books Read in 2014

The Boy and the Ocean by Max Lucado (Juvenile Fiction) 1/1/14
Jack and the Baked Beanstalk by Colin Stimpson (Juvenile Fiction) 1/1/14
Marianna by Susanna Kearsley (Fiction-via eBook/Overdrive) 1/4/14
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Fiction) 1/17/14
Rocket Writes a Story by Tad Hills (Easy Fiction-via eBook/Overdrive) 1/19/14
NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society by Michael Buckley (Juvenile Fiction-via Audio Book/CD) 1/20/14
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (Fiction-via eBook/Kindle) 2/18/14
Sand Jewels by G. J. Walker-Smith (Fiction-via eBook/iBooks) 2/22/14
The Kiss of a Stranger by Sarah M. Eden (Fiction-via eBook/Kindle) 2/25/14, 5/27/14
The Dark by Lemony Snicket (Easy Fiction) 2/26/14
Drops of Gold by Sarah M. Eden (Fiction-via eBook/Deseret Bookshelf) 2/27/14
The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks (Fiction-via Audio Book/Overdrive) 2/27/14
Fall For You (The Jane Austen Academy Series) by Cecilia Gray (Fiction-via eBook/Kindle) 3/3/14
Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent (Non-Fiction 133.901-via Audio Book/Overdrive) 3/4/14
Someday, Someday, Maybe: a Novel by Lauren Graham (Fiction-via Audio Book/Overdrive) 3/11/14
The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale (Fiction) 4/2/14
Secret North by G. J. Walker-Smith (Fiction-via iBooks) 4/2014
Illustrated World Classics Ben-Hur (Juvenile Fiction) 4/2014
The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery (Fiction) 5/1/14
Lives of the Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull and Kathryn Hewitt (Juvenile Fiction-via Audio Book/Overdrive) 5/2014
The First Strawberries: A Cherokee Story by Joseph Bruchac (Juvenile Non-Fiction 398.2) 5/2014
Dangerous by Shannon Hale (Young Adult Fiction) 5/11/14
Lost Boy: The Story of the Man Who Created Peter Pan by Jane Yolen (Juvenile Non-Fiction 92) 5/16/14
The Last Bride by Beverly Lewis (Amish Fiction) 5/18/14
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Fiction-via iBooks) 5/2014
Apple White's Story by Shannon Hale (Young Adult Fiction-Short Story-via iBooks) 5/2014
Ashlyn Ella's Story by Shannon Hale (Young Adult Fiction-Short Story-via iBooks) 5/2014
Briar Beauty's Story by Shannon Hale (Young Adult Fiction-Short Story-via iBooks) 5/2014
Hunter Huntsman's Story by Shannon Hale (Young Adult Fiction-Short Story-via iBooks) 5/2014
Madeline Hatter's Story by Shannon Hale (Young Adult Fiction-Short Story-via iBooks) 5/2014
Kilmeny of the Orchard by Lucy Maud Montgomery (Fiction-via iBooks) 5/31/14
Raven Queen by Shannon Hale (Young Adult Fiction-Short Story-via iBooks) 5/31/14
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy (Fiction) 6/11/14
The Dark, Dark Night by M. Christina Butler (Easy Fiction) 6/11/14
Cinders: A Chicken Cinderella by Jan Brett (Easy Fiction) 6/11/14
On the Way to the Beach by Henry Cole (Easy Fiction) 6/11/14
Who's on First? by Abbott and Costello (Easy Fiction) 6/11/14
Guys Read: Funny Business "Unaccompanied Minors" by Jeff Kinney (Juvenile Fiction-Short Story) 6/11/14
Martina the Beautiful Cockroach by Carmen Agra Deedy (Easy Fiction) 6/12/14
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney (Easy Fiction) 6/15/14
If You Give a Dog a Donut by Laura Numeroff (Easy Fiction) 6/16/14
The Other Side by Istvan Banyai (Easy Fiction) 6/17/14
Locomotive by Brian Floca (Easy Non-Fiction 385) 6/17/14
Cajun Night Before Christmas by Trosclair (Easy Non-Fiction 811) 6/17/14
Guys Fead: Funny Business "My Parents Give My Bedroom to a Biker" by Paul Feig (Juvenile Fiction-Short Story) 6/15/14
Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey (Juvenile Biography) 6/16/14
Gingerbread Days by Joyce Carol Thomas (Easy Fiction) 6/27/14
The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen (Fiction-via Kindle/Overdrive) 6/21/14
If You Give a Pig a Party by Laura Numeroff (Easy Fiction) 6/24/14
Things That Are Most in the World by Judi Barrett (Easy Fiction) 6/24/14
It's Duffy Time by Audrey and Don Wood (Easy Fiction) 6/24/14
The Firekeeper's Son by Linda Sue Park (Easy Fiction) 6/24/14
Daredevil: The Daring Life of Betty Skelton by Meghan McCarthy (Easy Biography 92) 6/29/14
The Three Questions by Jon J. Muth (Easy Fiction) 6/29/14
Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman: Duty and Desire (Book 2) by Pamela Aidan (Fiction) 6/30/14
The Goose Girl: A Story from the Brothers Grimm Retold by Eric A. Kimmel (Easy Non-Fiction 398.21) 7/2/14
The Goose Girl by Harold MacGrath (Fiction) 7/18/14
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (Young Adult Fiction) 8/4/14
Invisible by Cecily Anne Paterson (Young Adult Fiction) 8/31/14
Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty & The Beast by Robin McKinley (Young Adult Fiction) 9/5/14
The Diaries of Adam and Eve by Mark Twain (Fiction-via iBooks) 9/12/14
Gilgamesh the King by Ludmila Zeman (Juvenile Non-Fiction 398.21) 10/1/14
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver (Fiction-via Kindle) 10/11/14
Go to Bed, Monster! by Natasha Wing (Juvenile Fiction) 10/22/14
The Revenge of Ishtar by Ludmila Zeman (Juvenile Non-Fiction 398.21) 10/23/14
The Last Quest of Gilgamesh by Ludmila Zeman (Juvenile Non-Fiction 398.21) 10/23/14
As You Are by Sarah M. Eden (Fiction-via Kindle) 10/14
The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen (Fiction-via Kindle) 10/14
Nacho and Lolita by Pam Munoz Ryan (Juvenile Non-Fiction 398.2) 10/30/14
Goodnight, Mr. Darcy by Kate Coombs (Juvenile Fiction) 10/30/14
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (Young Adult Fiction-via iBooks) 11/14
Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China by Ai-Ling Louie (Juvenile Non-Fiction 398.2) 11/4/14
Jouahan: A Hmong Cinderella by Jewell Reinhart Coburt with Tzexa Cherta Lee (Juvenile Non-Fiction 398.22) 11/7/14
Santa Mouse by Michael Brown (Juvenile Fiction) 12/1/14
The Stranger by Chris Van Allsburg (Easy Fiction)
Stuck by Oliver Jeffers (Juvenile Fiction) 12/11/14
The Christmas Story (A Little Golden Book Classic) by Jane Werner (Juvenile Fiction) 12/11/14
This Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver Jeffers (Juvenile Fiction) 12/12/14
A Book of Mormon Christmas: The Nativity Story in Picture, Verse, and Song by Michelle Kendall 12/14
Drummer Boy by Loren Long (Easy Fiction) 12/14
A Christmas Greeting A Series of Stories by Hans Christian Andersen (Juvenile Fiction-via Kindle) 12/31/14

Overcoming Fears of Traveling Alone

We are currently on vacation in California. We spent the first week with my brother's family and took a few trips into Los Angeles. Of course, my sister-in-law, the native Californian, did all the driving. Sadly, they had to leave for their own vacation, and I stayed on longer. The question was, do I stay in my comfort zone of the Santa Clarita Valley? Or, do I venture on my own and continue going on outings with my boys? Doing so would require I drive the L.A. freeways.

I could feel myself resisting. At the same time, that sense of fear was also challenging me to prove to myself (and the world!) that I can do it. I am strong! I am capable! I can be independent! So I drove myself into Los Angeles twice this week--once to the aquarium in Long Beach, and once to the Griffith Observatory. Both were successful trips.

I hope that I am teaching my boys not to be timid about doing the things they want to do. Their dad showed them in a big way to follow their dreams by hiking the Appalachian Trail. I have my own smaller travel dreams that I drag them along to enjoy with me.

I want to be fearless, but I am not quite there yet. I almost always travel to be with family. My family lives in some of the most beautiful places in our country: coastal California and New England; Utah, and its beautiful mountains and geography. I also have family through Brett who live in Bavaria, Germany. I absolutely love enjoying these areas with my family. It is so easy to travel when I have family greeting me off the plane, and coming along on outings.

But I am also determined to enjoy outings with my boys without the comfort and security of my family. I have done it before, both out-of-state and closer to home. However, this summer I am trying some new things (like driving through L.A. traffic).

The last time we visited California, my brother's family took us on the train into downtown Los Angeles. My boys wanted to take the train again. I decided to combine that with my desire to take them to the LaBrea Tar Pits.

The MetroLink (train) doesn't take you directly to the tar pits, so I had to do some research and plan a route using additional modes of transportation, like the Metro buses. We took the MetroLink train from Newhall to Union Station, walked a few blocks to the stop for the Metro bus 28, rode that for a good half hour, and walked a few more blocks until we reached the museum. Success! The only problem was that I forgot to coordinate my return travel plans. Without Wi-Fi I was stuck having to ask for help. Fortunately, a kind museum employee looked up my return route online for me. We couldn't go back the same way, because the bus we had used only ran in the morning. For our return route we walked a block to the bus stop, took the bus to a subway station, rode the Metro purple line to Union Station, and took the MetroLink from there back to Newhall. Again, success!

A few notes about our experience using L.A.'s public transportation. First, a complaint. Where is their customer service? I was disappointed that it wasn't easy to plan my route. I (and the helpful museum employee) was able to find most of the necessary information using their web site. However, without Internet access I was stuck with no tools to find my way. If there was a Metro help center or tourist information center in Union Station, I never found it. The first bus had a few paper maps/schedules, but not one for the line it was currently running! When we had to purchase our fare for the Metro subway line, there was no one available to answer my questions. I thought I could use the same TAP card (a reusable money card that you are required to use for your Metro train fares) for me and the boys. After I got through the gate and my boys couldn't follow, I was in a mild panic until a kind stranger helped me sort it out. In the end, it all worked out and I suppose I am more prepared for the next time. I will learn from this experience, and I hope my boys will too, but it would have been nice to have some on-location resources.

I think using public transportation ended up being more expensive (even if I had used my brother's gas-guzzling SUV) and took more time than if I had driven myself. (I hesitate to disclose the total cost . . . $50!) But I do feel it was worth it. My boys wanted to ride the train--check! And I want my boys to experience using public transportation so they will be comfortable navigating the system when they are older and traveling on their own. Todd is already well on his way and was a help to me yesterday working the automated TAP card machines. We have now ridden the bus and underground rails in Montreal, Boston, and Los Angeles. I hope I am preparing them well to travel with courage and enthusiasm.

I also don't want my boys to be afraid of being with locals who use the bus regularly. Certainly, I want them to be cautious and safe, but not afraid. Yesterday, Todd was the only blond-haired, blue-eyed person I saw riding the bus and the metro. The majority of the people we saw did not speak English as their first language. We rode though Chinatown and Koreatown where most of the business names and advertisements were written in a language that we can't even begin to pronounce, though some of them did include smaller English translations. We saw skyscrapers and the city, with all its graffiti, up close. And it was great. Great, in the sense that I was able to show my boys a little of the world outside of their homogeneous hometown. I love our hometown, but I know that the world is a big place, with people whose experiences are vastly different than ours. We can be kind and respectful to all people. We can also be grateful and mindful of how fortunate we are.

So far this summer I have faced the challenge of driving in L.A. and the adventure of using public transportation. Now I am ready for my next travel adventure--going to a national park and camping for two nights on my own. Tent, fire, hikes, s'mores and all!

Best Birding Season Ever

Our family has long enjoyed backyard birding. It is an activity that the whole family follows. I love that my boys are growing up enjoying this activity with us. They are getting better and better about being able to identify the birds that are regular visitors in our backyard and common birds in our area.

Brett has built a number of bird houses over the years, and always cleans them out, fixes them up, or replaces them as necessary each spring. This year Brett was surprised to find that two of our houses were already inhabited by flying squirrels. Though not birds, we do enjoy watching the flying squirrels when they visit our feeders. Brett is always the one to discover when they come. He will hear them when he is out working in the garage after work. It is fun to take a few quiet minutes watching them glide from one tree to another and find their way to the feeder.

We have three tray feeders, one of which is on the outside window sill of our kitchen window. We also have two hanging feeders right outside the kitchen window. The boys are looking forward to putting up the hummingbird feeder. In the middle of the summer they are pretty much guaranteed to see the hummingbirds come to the feeder while they are eating breakfast--and lunch or dinner, for that matter. We always see the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, but I'm pretty sure I saw an Allen's Hummingbird last year!

This winter/early spring has been one of the best backyard bird-watching seasons for our family. It started with a brown-headed nuthatch who came to our feeders before Christmas. We have been thrilled that a pair of them stuck around all winter and are still here this spring.

We have had our usual visitors: Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee, Eastern Bluebird (a few times this year--we'll see them more regularly soon), American Robin (they've moved on already), Mocking Bird, Brown Thrasher (at the feeder, even!), Northern Cardinal (or a "Red Jay" as one of my students called it, much to our amusement), Chipping Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, American Goldfinch (more this winter than ever before), and House Finch.

We had a surprise visitor during a rainstorm this weekend. We have heard the Northern Bobwhite before, but this was the first time what we actually saw one--and on our back porch, no less, around 5:00pm. We assume he was trying to get out of the rain. I had to leave the house, but Brett said he hung out for at least an hour before moving on. We also saw him the next morning in and out of the bushes in the front of the house.

One of the most exciting visitors for me has been a pair of Indigo Buntings that showed up last weekend, and have been back to visit every day since. They are a beautiful blue.

We have also had some occasional sightings of a Mississippi Kite, Belted Kingfisher, Pileated Woodpecker, and a Rufous-sided Towhee (also this weekend).

Around town we regularly see: Osprey, Herons/Egrets (I especially love seeing a roost of Snowy Egrets in the middle of town off the main highway), and Wild Turkey (especially in the spray field).

Bonus sightings around town within the last month: a great view of a beautiful Swallow-tailed Kite (in Creekside), two Bald Eagles (White Point Rd. and Mossy Head), and a pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers (Bluewater marina).

Post Note: Immediately after publishing this post, I walked over to the kitchen sink and saw a Mississippi Kite perched on the corner of my neighbor's chain link fence. Awesome!