Early in the week, we were still in Steamboat! Sigh. I am missing the crisp, sweet-smelling air and wearing a wool hat to walk in the mornings. Maybe I should move up the hill a bit more? Lots of great hiking + fishing with easy access.
It’s fall + we all seem to have more energy for projects. Things started this week: wooden model, Wilder’s costume, Rosetta’s baby plant propegation, kombucha flavoring tests, + Rosetta’s calico critters Halloween remodel. Rosetta saw her friends again for the first time in a few weeks – they’ve been traveling + so have we – and it’s been grounding just to be primarily home for a while.
Our family hike on Friday explored the Welch Ditch, a former canal for Clear Creek built in the 1800s and reinforced in the 1920s. George, our resident water + wastewater engineer, explained what the historical signs meant and how long it would have taken to build concrete barriers, the ancient wooden waterfall portion. The kids and I liked the pictures of what the valley looked like before roads, mining + people took over the area.
This week, we continued our cooking journey with Eat2Explore. Wilder made what was titled “Japanese pizza” but was really a cabbage pancake with bacon. Rosetta made an American taco recipe for the end of her Mexico box. She saved it for last because she didn’t believe it was very authentic. Which leads us to the discussion of the week: Are these boxes legit? None of us believes that Japanese pizza is eaten in Japan! The pancake batter, sure, with cabbage or veggies and scallions. It is very like Chinese or Korean scallion cakes. But the toppings for this were mayo- and ketchup-driven and very American with a sprinkle of bonito flakes. (Everyone loved bonito, btw.) Rosetta’s taco had iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and cheddar on top, just like Taco Bell. We agreed that we all like having the weird sauces + condiments, but we’re looking to experience a country’s foods more authentically, even with the weird tastes + smells they may have. We definitely do not want to eat – and Rosetta is upset by – the Americanized versions of foods. She will add ketchup to whatever, don’t worry. But don’t do it for her! The kids decided to finish out their 3-month trial, then quit this one.
Steamboat exploring in a band of cousins / The runway, apparently / Creekside hike in the rain (3) / Fishing in town / Fly shopping / Wilder + Mo / That time Wilder fell in the river… / Morning view from the wetlands / Wilder fishing / Silverthorne hike / Rosetta found puffer mushrooms / Creekside on the Blue River (2) / Book we finished while camping – it’s so funny! / Stomp rocket fun / Wilder’s unsuccessful first egg drop / Rosetta’s padded box / Wilder with a parachute attempt / Art break (2) / Purse in the tree – self-directed group project / Success! Gathered around to see inside (empty) / Candling gecko eggs, month 2 / First bike ride to get groceries with the trailer / Japanese pizza, making + final (2) / The cat-face spider living under our deck / Snowflake’s new cage design by Rosetta / Rosetta’s lost eye tooth / Adding ketchup to her taco / Rosetta’s taco bar photo / Thursday Wildlings by Little Creek (2) / Family hike, the Gateway Trail, in Golden, with a rock climbing break (3) / Wilder’s costume-making project (3)
Unschool Stories 