Eight Years in the Maze of Life

On Silas' eighth birthday, we found ourselves at a Half Moon Bay pumpkin patch, on a school trip for Rosemary's preschool.

Meredith took the girls; Silas and I charged into the hay bale maze.

The maze was two acres in size and (we discovered) had secret doors within. 

Silas led the way.  To find out whether he solved the puzzle, see the extended birthday photos here.

 

Frank and Ellen flew out to the Bay Area and we were so happy to see them. 

They used to be our nearest relatives.  Now, as one of the sadder results of our move, they are among our farthest.

During their visit, we had a great family birthday party at the grandparent's house. 

Pictured here are Uncles Frank, Tsutomu, and Pete; Aunts Ellen, Hildie, and Theresa; Grandpa Ray and Grandma Charlotte; and cousin Liam.

Science Fair

The College of San Mateo had a science fair today, with college students on hand to teach kids about physics, chemistry, and biology.

Activities included creating slime in the chemistry lab,

playing the skull-guessing game,

and making new friends.

Student of the Week

As student of the week, Silas had to present a timeline of important life events.

I printed 14 photos and Silas selected the 6 he wanted to discuss.

On subsequent days, Silas had to bring in a prized possession (a book about Teslas), be interviewed by classmates, and talk about a person who had influenced him (his mother).

At week's end, Mrs. Murphy asked the class what they had learned about Silas, and wrote up the results (at left).

Students were particularly fascinated that Silas' first bed was a drawer and that
he had a lot of experience with snow.

Each classmate then wrote Silas a letter.

This one was a favorite:

"I didn't know that you had no pets.... I feel bad for you."