Benches by Rowan

Happy Friday!

For Papa

Lydia was excited to show Papa her round-off back handspring, so she and Rowan made this video of each other (and Desmond).

Check It Out!

I've added a couple new videos.

My YouTube Channel

Porthos Paints

Do you think this is what the Easter Bunny looks like when he's done dyeing eggs?  

Porthos ate part of a picture Rowan had just painted and ended up blue from his nose to his tail.

Our bunnies live in the same room as our art supplies.  It's a constant battle to keep it all cleaned up and out of reach.   These naughty little rabbits eat everything they can get their paws on; books, crayons, pencils, paints & paper.  Nothing is safe!

Good thing they're cute...

DQ

Signature pose.

Signature style.


Desmond has been picking out his own outfits.  They usually include Rowan's red shoes.  What do you think of this one?

Old Shipwreck Surfaced At Ocean Beach

Old shipwreck surfaced at Ocean Beach | Photos | KGO

This is so cool!  Wish we were still there to see it in person.

When Arlene Gives You Lemons...

...make lemonade!

When Nancy Gives You A Cookie Recipe... 

                                    ...Definitely, Make Cookies!

We made these pretty, 3 ingredient cookies the same day as the lemonade.  Yum!

INGREDIENTS:

1 C Peanut Butter

1 C Sugar

1 egg

(These measurements are for all-natural peanut butter.  You may want to reduce the amount of sugar if your peanut butter is sweetened.)

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 350.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, you can probably slightly butter and place powdered sugar on the bottom of the cookie sheet. Or butter and a tiny bit of flour. You just don't want the pan to be greasy.

Toss the ingredients into a bowl.

Mix till well combined.

Take about 1 Tablespoon of the dough and roll into a ball.

Place on cookie sheet.

You can leave as balls and bake or you can take a fork and flatten. 

Continue this until you fill the cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-13 minutes. 

Let cool slightly.

Eat!

Variation: If you leave as balls, once baked, you can press a Hershey's Kiss into the center. This will flatten the cookie.

Thanks, friends! :)

My Gymnasts

They passed!!!

I am so proud of these two.








Rowan passed the Level 2 Junior Olympics gymnastics test!  She did a great job on all her routines and conditioning.  She'll be moving up to Hot Shots in the next month or so where she'll work out 6 hours a week.


Rowan has been a natural gymnast since her first parent-participation class at 18 months.  A few months before her 3rd birthday, she moved up to Kinder classes and she was asked to join the Super Kids when she was still 3.  This past December, she passed Level One.  Lydia is already teaching her the Level Three routines!

My sparkly 5 year old is on track to compete next year!

Lydia passed Level 4 testing.  This is the big one!  She'll begin working out with the team in the next month and start competing in August.  She is very excited that she'll be spending at least 9 hours a week in classes!

Lydia's gymnastics journey has been a whirlwind!  In October, she was asked to join the Hot Shots.  This meant a move from a 1 hour a week recreational class to 6 hours a week team training.  In December, she passed Level One and was allowed to skip Level 2.  She passed the Level 3 test in February and now Level 4.

I knew my girls would make it to the team, but I never thought we'd be moving so quickly!  It is really exciting to watch them work hard and do so well at something they love.

Hail, Yes!

I am the Lorax. And so are you.

Greetings Jennifer, Remember that little Dr. Seuss character who speaks for the trees? Well, today's his day--and all of ours--it's World Forest Day! To thank you for being a true forest (and ForestEthics) fan, we've compiled a list of the top five reasons to raise a glass for the trees. The recap is below, but don't stop there--read more from our executive director Todd Paglia. Top Five Reasons to Hug Your Inner Tree Geek: 1. Forests are good for our health. Did you know forests provide more than half of our medications? From digoxin for the heart, to taxol for cancer, forests  literally save our lives.  2. Forests create the air we breathe. It's that basic high-school biology thing: in goes the carbon dioxide, out comes pure, fresh oxygen. So go ahead, take a deep breath, and say, "Thanks, forests!" 3. Forests give us water. Yup, it comes out of the tap for most of us, but the truth is far more fascinating: forests help purify and store nearly two-thirds of the US water supply.  4. Forests are home to countless species. That includes those of us with opposable thumbs. 80% of terrestrial biodiversity on earth call forests home. And for all of us who enjoy, you know, breathing, or drinking water, we've got forests to thank. 5. Forests have been battling climate change for a very long time. For thousands of years, forests have played a crucial role in absorbing and storing whatever carbon is emitted into the atmosphere. We need their help more than ever. Thanks, forests!  Want to spread the forest love? Here are some quick and easy things to do: Take our quick survey and tell us why forests matter to you. Share Todd's blog post on Facebook, and tell your friends about forests. On Twitter? Click here, and be sure to include @forestethics Take a hike! No really, go say hello your local forest. Visit our action center and get to work. For the forests, Kristi Kristi Chester Vance Deputy Director IT'S WORLD FOREST DAY Want to join in the celebration? Take our quick survey and share why forests are important to you. Read our Executive Director Todd Paglia's top five reasons to hug your inner tree geek. Home  |  Take Action  |   Donate   |  Unsubscribe ForestEthics - because protecting forests is everyone's business San Francisco | One Haight Street | San Francisco, CA 94102 | 415-863-4563 Bellingham | 601 West Chestnut Street, Building A | Bellingham, WA 98225 | 360-734-2951 Vancouver | 301-163 Hastings Street W. | Vancouver, BC V6B 1H5 | 604-331-6201

Fighting

The Baughs are fighters.   We don't let people walk on us, we are not content with the status quo, we don't accept our fate.  If you know us, you know that.  It can make life difficult sometimes, but it's just who we are.

I remember my mom going to the principal's office to dispute some rule or decision when I was in junior high.  I can't remember the problem or the outcome, but I have a vivid image in my mind of my mom storming into his office and making sure her opinion was known.

My dad fights for what he thinks is right everyday in his position as a Shasta County Supervisor.  He was even featured in a PBS program about stopping hate crimes in his area.

My brother has had countless fights with his employer & his union.  My sister, very recently, fought with her childrens' school over homework policies.

If you've read my blog for a while, you know of my fight with Borders, you know I write letters to politicians telling them why I won't vote for them.  I have issues with Starbucks, junk mail, plastic bags and waste.  I sometimes feel like I am always fighting.

Recently my fight is with South Sutter; the charter school I have been so enamored with for the past two years.

About a week and a half ago, I was informed by our E.S. that the golf clubs we purchased with school funding (from an approved vendor) in August were going to be confiscated by the school.  The reason given was that they never should have been purchased for the girls' use.  Someone in the South Sutter office made a mistake that wasn't caught for 6 months.  To remedy the mistake, the clubs must be returned and put in a closet to ensure no child might use them.

I made phone calls and wrote emails, but was unable to change anyone's mind before they were taken last Friday.  It was either give them up, or have all our school funding frozen.  After surrendering the clubs, I was informed that the portion of the girls' funding used to purchase the clubs would not be returned to them.  I've asked repeatedly, but no one will give me a reason for that.

On Tuesday, my E.S. called to tell me that I had been accused by the school's office of stealing the clubs I had returned.  They are insisting that both Lydia & Rowan had sets with 5 clubs each and a bag.  In reality, Lydia had 5 clubs and a bag, and Rowan had 3 clubs with a bag.  Apparently, they don't keep receipts.  They have  refused to answer my emails about their accusation or issue me a receipt for the clubs.

So far, I've sent about 20 emails and received only one response.  The one response promised to forward my email to someone who would address my concerns.  They haven't.

I've contacted South Sutter, the corporation that owns South Sutter and the district that licenses South Sutter. My next step is to make phone calls and attend the next school council meeting.  I will contact all these people again as well as every person on this chart who is in any way involved with education.

My children and I followed all the proper procedures for obtaining the golf clubs.  We used an approved vendor who only sells golf equipment.  The school approved our request, submitted payment and delivered the clubs to us.  Six months later, they decided we couldn't use our funding for golf clubs and took them back.  They refuse to accept responsibility and return the funding.  They've accused me of theft.  They've ignored all my emails.  That's not a fight I can back down from.

Unless policies are changed and I receive some concrete answers, there is  no way I will be able to trust South Sutter to  be involved with the education of my children.  I now believe that anything provided with school funding might be suddenly taken away.  Classes may be cancelled, books may burned, science kits or instruments may be confiscated.  What really matters to South Sutter and IEM is the bottom line.

Bed Handsprings

Desmond Poops!

Desmond just pooped in the potty for the first time!  He's been peeing in the potty (when he feels like it) since right after Christmas, but hadn't been able to poo sitting down.
 

With the offer of a treat, he produced this massive beauty effortlessly!

I am proud!  My boy is not even 22 months old yet!  I think he just might beat his sisters to the finish line of potty training.

Still reading?  Good!  Then you weren't too scandalized, squeamish or startled by my topic today.   I'm not going to apologize, you knew who's blog you were reading!

Have a great day!

Desmond Does His Own Makeup

Bunny Hypnotism

Lydia and Rowan have discovered they possess the power to hypnotize the bunnies!  

Happy Dinner Friend

Wave poured balsamic vinegar and olive oil for our dinner bread, and look who showed up! Our totally unplanned on friend made our spaghetti dinner extra fun!

Bunny Play Time

The kits have been getting a lot of play time outside of the cage.  They seem to enjoy exploring, but soon curl up in a warm spot for a nice nap.  

We've been experimenting with names.  The girls originally gave them  names that match their colors.  Blackie, Brownie, Chinchilla & Pinkie.  I prefer Athos, Porthos, Aramis & d'Artagnan.  The girls like my names for the bunnies, but have trouble remembering which name belongs to each bunny!

Here's a name guide for you.

Black Kit = Blackie or d'Artagnan 

Brown Kit = Brownie or Athos

Gray Kit = Chinchilla or Porthos

Black & White Kit = Pinkie or Aramis

Do you notice I'm not asking if you want one any more?

What A Difference A Week Makes!

Our kits seem to have doubled their size overnight.  I took these pictures yesterday.  That's just one week after the pictures on my last post!

The bunnies have each taken on their own distinctive look.  One is white with black spots.  (Wave says it looks like a cow.) It looks the most like Jake.  The brown bunny has the floppiest ears.  Lydia calls the grey bunny Chinchilla.  I think the black baby has the sweetest face.

They haven't opened their eyes yet, I've read that happens around day 10.  They do move, though!  They have to be held securely, or they are liable to hop & crawl away! (That's what the white one is trying to do in the picture.)

So,  do you want one, yet? ;)

...And Multiply, And Multiply....

About a week ago, darling little Rowan decided to let both bunnies out of their cages at the same time.  She ran screaming to me as soon as Jake "attacked  Applecore on her back".  She later told me they had gotten married.  Sigh.  It's hard to be mad at such a cutie.

Applecore started nesting yesterday morning.  I assumed she was just a bit nutty.  They usually don't nest until hours before they deliver.  When she started pulling out her own fur to make the nest, I gave her nesting materials.

The kids & I left the house in the early afternoon to run errands and go to gymnastics.  When we got home, we noticed that Jake was not acting like his usual, sweet self.  Instead of coming to us for pets, he was following Applecore through their cage wall and "getting married" to his stuffed pig repeatedly.  I (again, wrongly) assumed he was just excited by the contact they'd had a few days before.

After dinner, I started cleaning the rabbits' cages.  That's when I noticed movement.  Under the pile of hay, bedding and fur in the corner of Applecore's cage, something I could not see was moving.

I was a tiny bit afraid a mouse had gotten into the house, but the truth seemed pretty obvious.  Applecore had had babies!

I called my friendly, local, rabbit expert, Loana to find out what to do.  She told me to check on the babies and that Applecore wouldn't care if I touched them.

When I felt around in the nest, I found four plump, wriggly little babies!

Since a rabbit's gestation period is around 30 days, Rowan could not be to blame for this litter.  Unfortunately, though, she's not completely off the hook.  My veterinarian friend, Arlene, tells me that a rabbit can become pregnant while pregnant (poor thing)!  That means we may see another litter in about 3 weeks.

If so, it will be the last!  Jake has an appointment with Dr. Arlene on the 14th to make sure he won't be instigating any more offspring.

Anyone want a bunny?

Happy Holidays from the Kids