Cragmama "Not all who wander are lost…" JRR Tolkien

Best in Snow…DUCKSDAY

Ready for a snowy hike in the Ducksday Ski Suit!

Ready for a snowy hike in the Ducksday Ski Suit!

It feels a bit odd to be writing this post in shorts as I look out the window and see my son frolicking around in 75 degree weather.  But I’m all too aware that just because spring has sprung in the South, doesn’t mean everyone is done with winter (and also doesn’t mean that winter won’t come back for one last laugh before spring is here to stay!)  I had actually intended to write this post back in January, but held off because we had a snowtubing adventure planned for February, and I had hoped to get some great action shots of Baby Zu’s new Ducksday ski suit to use.  Unfortunately for us, however, the weather was rather uncooperative, and the snowtubing just didn’t happen for our family this year.

But thankfully, I think the term “ski suit” might be a little misleading, and doesn’t actually give enough credit to this awesome little piece of gear.  Though we technically only got one “snow” (and if you are from the South, you understand why I put that in quotes,) we have gotten plenty of use out of this suit.

But first, the specs.  At first glance, this suit looks and feels like a much beefier version of the Ducksday Original Rainsuit (another family gear favorite, reviewed here!)  The outer layer is designed to block wind as well as water, all the way from the fleece-lined detachable, hood, down to the fold over toes (in the infant version.)  Insulated with 3M thinsulate, little bodies stay warm without overheating and getting sweaty.

"Its nowing!!!"

“Its nowing!!!”

Now for the applications.  We’ve used this suit in snow.  We’ve used it in ice. We’ve used it on cold, rainy afternoons.  But probably most frequently, we’ve used it on chilly, sometimes sub-freezing mornings around camp and at the crag.  This outerwear is perfect for bundling Baby Zu up in to explore around camp while waiting patiently (?!?) for a hot breakfast to head her way.  Then, when it’s time to hike in to the crag, and all the adults start shedding layers, she can stay comfy cozy all the way to the base of the cliff.  Usually by midmorning, the sun has thawed everything out enough so that she doesn’t need the suit anymore…and despite it’s initial bulky appearance, it actually can pack down pretty well!

One of my favorite parts about ALL Ducksday products is their versatility and durability.  The sizing is very generous, and designed to fit multiple children for multiples seasons.  For example, my son wore his green rain suit for THREE years…he wore it pretty hard, but it is no where near being worn out, and I am confident my daughter will be able to do the same when she can fit into it.  I’m also fairly certain that she’ll still be sporting the same pink ski suit next winter…so maybe I’ll still get a chance for those snowtubing action pics!

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Hard to believe this was just a few weeks ago!

But in the meantime, I’d love to hear from others who have used Ducksday on family outings – what pieces are your favorites?  And if you haven’t tried Ducksday yet, what brands are your go to for cold/wet family adventures?

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Family Climbing: Big C’s First Multi-pitch Adventure

It was an epic day for our family at Stone Mountain last weekend.  Well, for three of us anyway.  We left Baby Zu with the grands, and whisked Big C off to Stone Mountain for his very first day of multipitch climbing.

Up until this point the highest Big C had ever been off the ground was probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 feet.  But on a previous trip to Stone Mountain a few weeks ago, he had astonished all of us at how well he had scrambled up the friction slab, and the CragDaddy and I left wishing we could have taken him higher.

And...they're off!

And…they’re off!

Note for the non-climbers: A “pitch” is a singular stretch of climbing, from one belay spot to the next.  “Single pitch” routes start on the ground and finish at a set of natural or man-made anchors (which may or may not be at the top of the cliff.)  A “multi-pitch” route usually starts from the ground, but upon reaching the anchors, continues up another section of cliff to the next belay station (often atop a natural ledge or other feature), then another section of climbing, and so on and so forth.  Therefore, a route that is 5 pitches long would be climbed in 5 distinct sections, with all climbers in a party finishing one section before continuing on to the next.

Obviously a multipitch scenario where everyone is off the ground at once can’t work when you’ve got a crazy toddler running around at the base of the cliff!  But with Baby Zu spending the day with grandparents, we had Big C all to ourselves, ready to make a summit run together.  We talked through the logistics at length on the way there, including plans for a summit, as well as back up plans in case we had to bail.

Enjoying the view from the Tree Ledge

Enjoying the view from the Tree Ledge

Block Route (5.8) seemed like the best and easiest option to get Big C to the Tree Ledge, a giant ledge about 160 feet off the deck.  He had already climbed the first 50 feet to the intermediate anchors without any issues, and there was really only one move that we anticipated he’d have a problem with.   (The namesake “block move” involves flopping one’s self up and over a 5 ft overlap feature, and we didn’t think he’d be able to reach up over the block to pull himself up.  Our plan was for me to lead that pitch on two ropes, clipping both into each piece of gear.  Then I could belay CragDaddy and Big C at the same time as they simul-climbed.  When they got to the block, CragDaddy would just hoist him up and over.

Our plan for the first pitch worked out perfectly.  So far, so good.  We took a break on the Tree Ledge to grab some food and reorganize the gear, as the CragDaddy was going to take the lead on our next pitch (No Alternative 5.4.)  At this point we noticed that the wind was starting to really pick up now that we were higher off the ground.  While I belayed the CragDaddy, Big C huddled in his down vest, asking if it was his turn to climb approximately every 24 seconds.

CragDaddy manning the upper belay station.

CragDaddy manning the upper belay station.

After about a million minutes (according to Big C), the CragDaddy had us on belay and was ready for us to climb on.  The first 50 feet went great…then that’s when our Summit Plan began to fall apart.  There was an encounter with some briars, several ill-timed gusts of wind, and the last straw…3 up close and personal ladybug sightings.  (For reasons I’ll never know, Big C is terrified of running into ladybugs while climbing…which can definitely present a problem this time of year in the South.)

The remainder of that pitch was pretty ugly…as in, at a couple points he was so panicked he was literally frozen in fear. Numerous times I suggested that we lower back to the Tree Ledge and just let Daddy rap down and clean the gear.  But that suggestion was adamantly shot down every time.  (“BUT I WANNA GO TO THE TOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

As a parent, it was really hard to know how to handle it.  It was so sad to see my little boy so frightened, especially by a situation that I HAD PUT HIM IN (even though he had shown us every sign that he was ready, and up until the sudden freak out there had been no red flags.)  And if I’m being completely honest, I was also worried about judgment from other climbers.  It was a beautiful winter climbing day, and there were a lot of people on the mountain, and I was pretty sure most of them were probably at least a little unnerved about hearing a small child screaming 250 feet off the deck.  While on the Tree Ledge, Big C had gotten lots of positive reactions from other climbers passing through…the part of me that cares too much about what other people think of me wondered if those same people were now ready to call CPS.

There's where we were, beside the tree at the top of that flake!

There’s where we were!

But the majority of my efforts, of course, went towards comforting and encouraging my inconsolable son.  Each time Big C had a “moment,” I held him close, we prayed, and I spoke calmly until he gained enough control to let me be his voice of reason.  Over and over we discussed our choices – going up or going down.  And over and over, Big C chose to press on.  After another million minutes (this time according to ME), we finally reached the CragDaddy at the next belay station.

By this time the wind was REALLY starting to whip up.  We had about 300 feet under us, with another 200 or so of significantly easier climbing ahead of us.  We had a family meeting atop the No Alternative flake, and came to a consensus that the best decision was to bail, and leave the summit for another day.

Originally we had all brought our hiking shoes, intending to leisurely walk off the other side of the mountain once we reached the top.  But bailing before the summit was a lot more complicated, and I was glad that we had talked through the possibility beforehand.  It ended up being a lot easier than we’d anticipated – I rapped down first, then CragDaddy and Big C rapped together on an extended rappel using their personal anchors.

Everyone was relieved when we set foot on solid ground.  I was afraid Big C would still be upset, but as we sorted through the gear he quickly went into full crag mode climbing trees and jumping from boulder to boulder.  CragDaddy and I decided to take a lap up Father Knows Best 5.9+, to give him a chance to decompress a bit.

On the hike out, we talked about how it’s okay to be afraid, but sometimes we let our fears get too big.  My own fears about having permanently scarred my child from climbing were alleviated when he asked if we could “try again another day when it’s not so cold and windy.”

So while things didn’t go exactly according to our plans, all’s well that ends well.  He may not have made it to the top, but I’m so proud of my little boy for making it as far as he did and for pushing through his fears.  When we got back down to the meadow at the base, his mind was absolutely blown when we pointed out our high point on the cliff.  I have since overheard him telling at least 3 friends about how he “climbed way higher than even the trees,” with an emphasis of “for real!!!!!”  A fellow climber on a neighboring route contacted us with a picture a friend of his had gotten from the base, and Big C has even requested a copy of it to keep in his room.  And that same fellow climber was also good for my own psyche as well – previously I didn’t know him, but the following day I saw that he posted some very encouraging remarks about seeing our family up there on a Stone Mountain facebook group.

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Can you zoom in and find us? (Photo: courtesy Christopher Wittman)

So moral of the story – type 2 fun with kids is stressful!!!  But, I like to think worth it.  It might be a while before we try it again, simply because there were so many logistics involved to make it work.  But in the meantime, it’s almost time for spring climbing season…and CragDaddy and I have an anniversary date to celebrate at Rumbling Bald this weekend!

 

 

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Our Homeschooling Journey: The First Three Weeks

My knight, er...helmet, in shining armor.

My knight, er…helmet, in shining armor.

We’ve only got three weeks under our belt, but so far I have been amazed at what we have ALL learned in such a small period of time.  It’s not perfect – most days feature at least one bout of insanity at some point.  But at the end of the day, we can look back and always find fun, quality family time, and of course, a lot of learning.  In fact, since I’m learning something new and better about this whole process every single day, I hesitated writing this post, for fear that the minute I published it, it’d become “obsolete.”  But my guess is that like most other areas of my life, this one is pretty much ALWAYS going to be a work in progress, so I may as well document the journey!  So with that said, here are my observations after the first 3 weeks of homeschool:

BEHAVIOR:

One of our main concerns throughout the public school year had been the unpleasant emotional side effects that came with a 7 hour day of basically sitting still and being quiet.  By the time Big C came home, his body seemed to be in a complete state of confusion – his physical body needed to MOVE, but mentally, he was completely drained.  Add to all of that a desperate need for one on one time with family, and we ended up with an overly-emotional little boy that walked off the bus in a hyperactive frenzied state seeking love and attention.   BUT…now that I’ve got all day to fill up my little boy’s love tank, he is a million times more patient and even-tempered…most days.  He is after all, still a strong-willed 5 year old…but now a much more reasonable one!

Creating a pretzel/peanut butter log cabin during our Presidents Unit Study

Creating a pretzel/peanut butter log cabin during our Presidents Unit Study

OUTDOOR TIME:

A 20 minute recess (that was often spent indoors at the first sign of “cold” or “wet”), just didn’t cut it for a 7 hour day.  Not even close.  Now that we are homeschooling, we find ourselves with big chunks of time at all hours of the day to spend outside enjoying Creation.  Sometimes outdoor time is a science lesson – one day last week we measured the depths of puddles using a stick, and the next day we followed deer tracks in the mud along a creek bank.  Sometimes it’s exercise-oriented – a walk, hike, or bike ride.  One day we even “hopped” out our math facts with sidewalk chalk.  But most of the time, it’s just good, old-fashioned, unstructured play.  (For more on why unstructured play is so important for young kids, read this, or this.)

DAILY ROUTINE:

I purposefully said “routine” instead of “schedule,” because so far we’ve been pretty laidback, with a few daily constants to anchor our day into place. You could read more here on where I could find activities that I made the constants. We start our day with breakfast around 7:30, at which time we talk about our calendar, and read a variety of books – always one from our children’s Bible, a couple from our Unit Study Basket (each week we choose a new theme), and whatever other random books the kids take turns picking out.  After morning jobs are done, we usually do some sort of writing activity – it could be drawing a picture and writing a sentence about it, or maybe a couple of pages in one of our new Star Wars Workbooks.  Last week our theme was “Community Helpers,” so this time was spent making thank you cards/pictures for our trash/recycle collectors, mailman, librarian, and local firefighters.

At this point we sometimes do a school lesson, if it’s something that we can do with Baby Zu around.  Or if the kids are playing nicely together, I let ’em play while I finish my coffee and make an attempt at tidying up the house.  The rest of the morning depends on the day, but over the course of the week will generally include all of the following – library, errands, cooking, meeting friends, playground/park, playing in the backyard, nature study, crafts that relate to our unit study, visiting neighbors, and making music/dance parties.

Thank you notes and cookies left for our garbageman during Community Helpers week.

Thank you notes and cookies left for our garbageman during Community Helpers week.

We eat lunch around 1145, when we read a few more Unit Study books.  Sometimes I give Big C something to work on while I’m putting Baby Zu down from her nap, other times he just plays in his room and waits for me.  Baby Zu’s nap is our most “formal” schooling time of the day, and it lasts anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and a half, depending on whether we did any “school” in the morning or not.  We do math and reading in 15-20 minute chunks, sandwiched in between more read-aloud time – either from the Unit Study basket, from Big C’s library bag, or whatever chapter book we are currently reading (right now we are FLYING through the Magic Tree House series.)

After our official school time is over, we BOTH get free time until Baby Zu wakes up…Big C usually chooses to either play outside or build with legos, and this is my time to write/email/plan/breathe.  If Baby Zu is taking a long nap, we sometimes watch an episode of The Crocodile Hunter together during this time.

Once Baby Zu wakes up we are usually out the door until Daddy gets home – playdates, bike rides, neighborhood walks, climbing gym, etc.  We all eat dinner together around 6, then relax around the house until the kids go to bed around 730 or so.

ROOM FOR CREATIVITY:

This has been my favorite part about homeschooling.  As a toddler/preschooler, Big C always had a HUGE imagination.  You know that expression about chatty extroverts being able to talk to a brick wall?  I always used to say that Big C could have an all day playdate with a brick wall.  He could use just about anything to launch him deep into his own little world.  But once school started, a lot of the quirky creativity stopped.  He was still a Lego Master Builder, and still loved acting out scenes from his favorite books and movies, but the costumes and impromptu crafting had disappeared.  At first I thought that perhaps this was all just my little boy (sniff sniff) growing up, especially after a few specific incidents at school that prompted conversations about caring (or not caring, rather) what other people think about you.

Going on a "pirate" scavenger hunt at a local nature preserve.

Going on a “pirate” scavenger hunt at a local nature preserve.

But I kid you not, during out very first week of homeschool, Big C averaged 4 costume changes per day.  Ninjas, medieval knights, firefighters, pirates, and of course about a million superheroes.  In a matter of days it was like that quirky, creative little boy had returned without missing a step, and it has been enchanting to follow him down all of his little rabbit trails of learning.

After a long day of public school, Big C wanted to talk about ANYTHING other than what he was learning at school.  Now, he rarely wants to talk about anything else.  It’s like the teachable moment lasts all day long, and we can dive in for as deep or as long as we want! Kids Typing homepage proved very helpful.

LESSON PLANNING:

During the “pre-kid” era of my life, I taught elementary school for 8 years, so in many ways, I feel right at home with a lot of the formal school stuff.  I loved teaching, and sharing those skills with my own children has been very rewarding.  That being said, homeschooling one child (with a toddler along for the ride) is A LOT different than managing an entire classroom!  There’s a lot that feels completely foreign, along with a few habits I’ve had to completely unlearn.  Most notably, I’ve realized that I can (and should!) be a LOT more relaxed about planning my days.  Rather than having to have everything prepped for the whole day before the morning begins, I can get things ready as they come up.  If I don’t cover everything I’d expected to on a particular day, it’s not a big deal, and I don’t have to play “catch-up” the next day.  By the same token, some days we skip ahead, and that’s fine too!  As long as there’s plenty of learning opportunities scattered about throughout the day, we can call it a success!

With all that said, there’s still a ton I don’t know, and a lot of resources I’ve yet to tap into.  But the past 3 weeks have been nothing but confirmation that for our family, this is the best next step.  For those of you that also homeschool, I’d love to hear more about your daily routine, so please feel free to comment.  And for those of you that are ready for more climbing posts…spring season is almost here, so be patient!

Measuring puddle depth

Measuring puddle depth

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Homeschooling: Our Newest Family Adventure

Just before the holidays I got an email from the PTA at my Kindergartener’s elementary school.  They were looking for parent volunteers to substitute for a whole day in their child’s classroom, giving the teachers a rare chance to plan together all day.  Reading that email turned out to be a providential moment for me – I couldn’t explain why, but I felt very strongly that I needed to volunteer.  The logistics took some work.  The PTA was requesting two parents per class, so I had to convince another mom to help me.  I also had to arrange for my mom to drive up from Winston-Salem to watch Baby Zu for the day (although that didn’t take much convincing ;).

A midmorning hike on our first day of homeschooling.

A midmorning hike on our first day of homeschooling.

Although I’d volunteered in his classroom before, it was only for short periods of time, so I was anxious to get a feel for what Big C’s day looked like as a whole.  I showed up optimistic and ready to teach, learn, and experience modern-day Kindergarten.  However, at the end of the day I left the school feeling deeply concerned about the future of our public school education system.

My feelings had nothing to do with my son’s teacher or with his classmates.  He’s got some great friends, and I’ve told more than one person that if you look up “kindergarten teacher” in the dictionary, you will find a picture of Mrs. W.  Rather, it was small, subtle things that added up to make me feel like big changes were necessary.  Here’s just a handful of the things that disturbed me about my Kindergartner’s SEVEN HOUR school day:
– Only one recess period, lasting a mere 20 minutes
– Only 20 minutes allotted for lunch
– Very little unstructured play time.

Morning journal: CROCODILES!

Morning journal: CROCODILES!

Big C often complains about school being too long, and that he never has any time to play because he has to be quiet all the time.  After seeing his day play out, I completely see where he’s coming from.  There is no way it can be developmentally appropriate for a wiggly 5 year old body to sit that long.

In addition to the problems I saw in the classroom, we’ve also been keeping tabs on some rather unpleasant behavior changes at home since the start of the school year.  On school days Big C is an emotional time bomb, from the time he wakes up until the time he goes to bed.  I just never know what will cause my previously laid-back kid to explode into a tirade of emotions.  He spilled his milk.  He can’t fit the Lego piece where he wants it to go.  It’s time to brush teeth.  Seemingly minor instances and requests cause him to erupt without warning and Big C is overcome with frustration and anger, taking it out on whoever is nearby.  It is exhausting and emotionally draining for the whole family.

Making words with letter tiles

Making words with letter tiles

On stay-home days however, Big C is like a different child.  He is more patient with his sister.  He plays well independently, engrossing himself in his own imaginative worlds.  By no means is he perfect, and of course he still needs discipline and redirection on the regular.  But on non-school days, Big C seems much more in control of himself, both physically and emotionally.

We didn’t arrive at our decision to homeschool overnight, and while I could go on and on about more reasons why it seems like the best choice for our family, I won’t.  I’ll just sum it up by saying that homeschooling feels like a refreshing alternative to the overcrowded, underfunded, standardized test driven system that public schools have become.  (When I was in Kindergarten, there were centers for dress-up, blocks, and art…and even naptime and half-day options!!!)  At this point it just doesn’t seem like a good fit for my energetic, self-directed boy.

The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of prayer, internet searches, reading, and meeting as many people as I can in our local homeschool community.  As someone who was a teacher for 8 years in my pre-parenting life, I am so excited about returning to the world of formal education (I use the term “formal” because I have always believed that the most teachable moments for any child always occur at home.)

I’m also psyched not only for the academic freedom we will now have, but the ability to be more free with our schedule.  Getting back late Sunday night from a climbing trip?  No problem, Big C can sleep an extra hour (if only Baby Zu would get those same memos…)  Got a long drive on Friday afternoon?  No problem, we’ll leave during Baby Zu’s nap and school in the car.

Starting our day with calendar and memory verse time at the breakfast table.

Starting our day with calendar and memory verse time at the breakfast table.

I know it won’t be easy, and I know that it will take us a while to find and settle into our new routine.  I’m sure we’ll make a lot of mistakes along the way.  But with that said, we’re just gonna dive in.  This past Monday was our first official day…and so far so good.  We’ve predictably had some bumps, but nothing we can’t handle.

Any other homeschooling families out there?  I’d love to hear about routines, curriculum, and social activities that have worked for you.  Also, this new chapter is going to open up a new educational component on the blog as well – so stay tuned for some great product reviews that can be fun for ANY family, not just homeschoolers.  (Sneak peek: Green Kid Crafts review coming your way soon!)

 

 

 

 

 

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Big C’s First Slab Climbing Adventure

If you’ve noticed that our family has been fairly quiet both around the blog as well as social media, it’s because there are big changes in the works!  Our family is about to open up a new chapter in our lives, and we’ve been pretty busy getting ready for it. Don’t worry, I’ll tell you the whole story in the next week or so.  And to slow the wheels of the rumor mill a bit, I’ll go ahead and give you a hint that our news has absolutely NOTHING to do with adding any new family members 😉

But with that said, just because we haven’t been posting a ton doesn’t mean we haven’t been getting outdoors and adventuring.  In fact, just this past weekend, we had a blast introducing Big C to some Stone Mountain slab climbing!
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One of the cool things about slab climbing is that just about anyone can do it.  It doesn’t require large amounts of athleticism or physical strength.  Basically if you can crawl, you can slab paddle!  Slab climbing lends itself particularly well to kid climbers. Because there are virtually no holds, crag-kiddos don’t get frustrated about not being able to make the reaches.  Plus, kids are basically made of rubber bands, so the slab mantra of “step high, trust your foot, and stand up” is a very natural movement.

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Anyway, the Crag-Daddy and I have been talking for a while now about how Stone would make a great place for a first multi-pitch adventure for Big C, due to the low angle and kid-friendly grades.  But of course, we want to practice lower to the ground first, so this past Saturday was an experiment.

We had a feeling he’d do well, but no one was prepared for just how much he would enjoy it.  He motored right up without hesitation, and at several points he stood up and literally jumped for joy (all somehow without weighting the rope?!?)

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It was so much fun watching him have so much fun.  I can’t wait to come back without Baby Zu and try for a family summit, and I’m optimistic it will be soon!

For those of you with climbing-age kiddos, I’d love to know how old yours were for their first multi-pitch experience (and what routes you did!)

The smiling purple one thinks she's ready for a multipitch day too...

The smiling purple one thinks she’s ready for a multipitch day too…

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