s/v Lark: May 2013

Sunscreen Allergy

having a reaction to sunscreen last summer

I think I have finally figured it out! We have been struggling with putting sunscreen on Lorelei since she was born. Her eyes would swell, she would get hives and a runny nose. At first I tried everything that said 'hypoallergenic' or for 'sensitive skin' that you could buy at Target, with no luck. She was still having a terrible reaction. Then last year I tried shopping at natural markets (mostly Vitamin Cottage) and bought natural sunscreens...although some still with fragrance. Again, we still had problems. That was the point when panic started to set in. After all, we have big plans to spend lots of time outdoors in warm and tropical places. I spoke with my pediatrician who recommended large hats and long sleeve swim suits, which I felt was a good start, but I still don't see how our plan works if I can't put sunscreen on my very fair skinned child! At last this year, I bought completely natural sunscreens, no fragrances, no chemicals, NOTHING!! They are comprised of Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide. It works! It leaves her looking a little pasty and white all day, but it works, and pasty and white is better then swollen and hivey. My favorite of the ones I have tried on Lorelei with success is by Goddess Garden and called Sunny Face. I will definitely have to stock up on this before we travel abroad. I have a feeling it is not very easy to find a Vitamin Cottage in Hiva Oa.

Totem made an interesting blog post recently on how they battle the sun while cruising. Behan shared her family history with skin cancer and how it has made them more vigilant in the sun, which I related too. My grandmother also suffered with skin cancer in her old age. I watched the horrific treatment of her having the skin on her face pealed off...and even after that, it kept coming back. It is a fate I hope my girls never experience, so we too will be pasty white cruisers.

In other news, Grampsy was in town for Memorial Day weekend and helped us celebrate Audrey's graduation from pre-school. It was great to have him, and nice not to put him to work the second he got here! We just played the whole time. We swam outdoors twice, went to the carnival and ate out WAY too much.

Here are some recent pictures:

Audrey with her graduating class

like Grampsy like Lolo

Lorelei's 1st carousel ride

carnival rides

5/30

Silly me. I forgot about having put all kinds of thought into steps to take to make this thing happen. I'll have to refer back to that.

We have two danglers now:

Audrey's taken a great interest in butterflies and their lifecycle. She has 5 or 6 butterfly books out from the library, and she's been working on her first independent assignment: putting together a book of captioned butterfly illustrations. I'll leave the details for April to fill in.

So it turns out the reading and writing parts of the trivium are actually four subjects: spelling, grammar, reading, and composition. Well, here's our grammar book for Audrey:

5/29

Lafitte 44s seem like nice boats. Here's some info on them from sailboatdata.com. Bluewaterboats has a nice write-up on them as does Cruising World. Sohcahtoa circumnavigated and is now for sale. What about the teak decks though?

Hull Type:    Fin with rudder on skeg
Rig Type:     Cutter
LOA:          44.33' / 13.51m
LWL:          35.50' / 10.82m
Beam:         12.67' / 3.86m
Listed SA:    967 ftft / 89.83 mm
Draft (max.) 6.33' / 1.93m Draft (min.)
Disp.         28000 lbs./ 12701 kgs.
Ballast:      11310 lbs. / 5130 kgs.
SA/Disp.:     16.85
Bal./Disp.:   40.39%
Disp./Len.:   279.40
Designer:     Robert Perry
First Built: 1978
Last Built:   1989
# Built:      56
Water:        115 gals. / 435 ltrs.
Fuel:         110 gals. / 416 ltrs.

One of our caterpillars has up and started dangling. We got some nice practice with making observations, composing complete sentences about them, and demonstrating penmanship today. Thanks for the links on their life-cycle, Mom. The girls will enjoy those tomorrow.

Here's the workbook for our 1st year history text. I'm really excited to have the chance to learn the ancient history that this curriculum covers, which I never had the opportunity to study. It's a feature of the Classical Education that every four years we cover ancient history one year, the medieval period the second, the Renaissance the third, and the modern history the fourth.

5/26

I learned from Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Started Sailing that a well-maintained diesel should run for about 5000 hours before needing a major overhaul and that the engine in a recreational boat runs on average 200 hours per year. Vigor also says that one should run the diesel for 10-15 minutes at full throttle under full load every time it is started.

The caterpillars arrived for our butterfly habitat. We'll observe and graph their progress over the next weeks as a vehicle to introduce graphing and documenting observations. We'll give some thought to questions like how many legs the caterpillars have, what happens to the extra legs when they become butterflies, what that peanut-buttery goop is that they eat, and write down our findings.

Here are our Singapore Math books:

5/24

I've been reading Inspecting the Aging Sailboat and picking up some interesting tidbits. Here's one that I'd never thought of, though it's blinding obvious when you think of it: evidence of water below a port indicates a leak that will need repair, while evidence of water below an opening hatch means only that a wave or some rain came in before someone could get it closed.

Here's one of the new books we just got. We're fired up about the classical approach for Audrey and this book is a sort of meta-curriculum for it by a couple of very smart women.

5/22

I'm really struggling with what to say to the blog lately. The purpose of this exercise for me is to be accountable for taking concrete steps toward our goal each day. I realize that at this point I am primarily reporting on the day-to-day experiences of selling a house and teaching my kids. These are steps we are taking in support of of our goal, but they don't really seem to constitute concrete progress toward getting a boat and casting off. I intend to renew focus on those concrete steps, in addition to forging ahead on reducing our burn rate and educating our kids. Stay tuned for lots of exciting stuff.

5/20

We've got all sorts of learning materials coming. Our core will be reading, writing, and math based on The Well-Trained Mind. For reading, we have lots of graded readers and Audrey has been making fast progress. For writing, we'll have The Complete Writer: Writing with Ease and First Language Lessons.

More too, but bedtime now.

5/19

Oh boy, oh boy.

So we had another open house today, but no one really came. The showings have tapered off. Well, I guess we'd better settle in for a long slog. It will be good practice for us to maintain the habit of keeping things tidy, and in the meantime we'll get to continue to enjoy all the things we love about the place.

5/16

Audrey read her first level 1 book today without help (Fancy Nancy and the Mean Girl). Very exciting...

5/15

Audrey's doing great on reading. Highlights for today included "persuade," "dreading," "unfortunately," and "speechless." Good times!

5/13

Another showing, another "no." Not a happy day.

5/12

I ordered up some samples of the Sonlight curricula. Of course I'm not really into their theology, but they do seem like very well put-together packages.

I'm still digging the Westsails!

This 32 survived The Perfect Storm after her crew abandoned her.

S/V Fiona is a 42 which has sailed a quarter million miles as of October 2012. Here are some really interesting videos shot aboard Fiona. Captain Eric says she's slow for a boat but fast for a house.

I find these boats very attractive. Here are some specs:

Westsail 42 (Crealock)
Long Keel Cutter
LOA:        42.92'
LWL:        33.33'
Beam:       13.00'
Listed SA: 948 ''
Draft:      5.67'
Disp.:      31500 lbs.
Ballast:    12000 lbs.
SA/Disp.:   15.27
Bal./Disp.: 38.09%
Disp./Len.: 379.80
Water:      300 gals.
Fuel:       200 gals.

Here are some 42s and 43s (CC version of the 42) for sale today:

1976, GA, 85K

1976, SC, 69K

1976, CA, 85K

1876, MD, 85K

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5/11

I did a bunch of research on Westsail 42s. It seems like a really amazing boat.

5/10

Big day for boat shopping online.

5/9

We had that showing today, and we have another scheduled for Monday morning.

Audrey is a reading machine these days. Mom reminded me about graded readers and we do have some so we pulled them out. We told Audrey that when she can read a book all by herself then it's hers and we'll write her name and date in the cover. That's been pretty motivating. She's scored Mittens and Scat, Cat! and is working on The Too Big Tutu.

Still waiting on our Susan Wise Bauer books. They actually haven't even shipped yet.

I'm also all fired up to get some Singapore Math books and have a look at them. I think they'll be good for Lo in about a year too.

And I can't wait to move aboard.

Kindergarten Plans

Educating Audrey has really been on our mind lately. Should she go to public kindergarten, or should we start homeschooling immediately? Today we toured and sat in on a supplement to homeschooling program in Boulder. It was a Waldorf inspired program, and a really fun afternoon. The grounds were gorgeous, the staff was friendly and seemed to enjoy the children. When we got there, we were greeted by one of Audrey's friends, who is a student, she immediately whisked Audrey off to gather eggs from the chicken coop, then they were all climbing trees. Later, Audrey and I sat in on some afternoon crafting. They collected dandelions, and made necklaces, learned a fun dandelion song, and then we learned to needle felt. We (mostly Audrey, but she gave me a turn or two) made a sweet little dandelion fairy.

Audrey and I really loved it, Jacob liked it but has a few reservations. If we did decide to go this route, we would also work on academics at home.

needle felting her dandelion fairy

the finished product

Another thing I have been inspired about lately is healthy eating. I have been trying to focus more on making meal plans ahead of time, and incorporating as many fresh vegetables and fruits as possible. I'm pretty proud of tonights dinner. I made a wilted spinach salad with yellow bell peppers, onions, almonds, and a homemade strawberry dressing. We also put on top quinoa with chia seeds and baked salmon. It was SUPER good. I feel healthier already!

5/8

We have another showing tomorrow. One of these times...

I've been reading up on math curricula and the math wars. Singapore Math really appeals to me in that it uses direct instruction of basic math facts and continually builds. It's presented in a colorful, engaging format which I think Audrey will enjoy. I also looked into Saxon Math and Math-U-See. We'll definitely need to do more research on these.

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5/7

It's going to be so cool some night to be standing watch in the tropics and watching the bioluminescence in the wake. Maybe one of my girls will be sitting in the cockpit with me, while everyone else is asleep. It'll be a nice breezy night, not too windy, and we'll be sitting quietly watching for fishing boats. We'll have just recently gotten into Mexican waters, and I'll notice it out of the corner my eye. We'll spend the next hour staring at it, entranced. It'll be great.

5/6

It's Sweet Pea's 63rd birthday!

Southern Cross 39
- http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/35547

Spencer 44
- http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/boatMergedDetails.jsp?boat_id=1875472&checked_boats=1875472&ybw=&units=Feet&access=Public&listing_id=3744&url=&imc=pg-fs
- http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/boatMergedDetails.jsp?boat_id=2521072&ybw=&units=Feet&currency=USD&access=Public&listing_id=76246&url=

Dinner tonight: nice fish

Lorelei put on her own pajamas:

The girls took turns as coachman and princess:

5/5

We had a showing today and almost had one yesterday. Here's a bunch of interesting links.

http://womenandcruising.com/cruising-children-speak.htm

https://sites.google.com/site/namaniatsea/nicky-s-page/boat-life---the-kid-s-perspective
(Who knew -- catamaran kids are clique-ish?)

Lesson Plans Ahoy (Second Edition): Hands-On Learning for Sailing Children and Home Schooling Sailors
http://www.amazon.com/Lesson-Plans-Ahoy-Hands-schooling/dp/0982771401

Cruising with Children
http://www.amazon.com/Cruising-Children-Gwenda-Cornell/dp/0924486279/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367812922&sr=8-1&keywords=Cruising+with+Children

http://www.womenandcruising.com/blog/2010/12/6-tips-for-home-schooling-sailors/

http://womenandcruising.com/sailing-families.htm

http://www.mahina.com/cruise.html
Spencer

Passport 42

valiant

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/boatMergedDetails.jsp?boat_id=2595146&checked_boats=2595146&ybw=&units=Feet&access=Public&listing_id=1634&url=&imc=pg-fs

westerly

nauticat

bowman

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1985/Bowman-Pilot-House-Sloop---Blue-Water-Cruiser-2376393/Rockland/ME/United-States#.UYcvPoI8xuQ

brewer

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/boatMergedDetails.jsp?boat_id=2571931&checked_boats=2571931&ybw=&units=Feet&currency=USD&access=Public&listing_id=1707&url=&imc=pg-fs

wauquiez

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/boatMergedDetails.jsp?boat_id=2557354&checked_boats=2557354&ybw=&units=Feet&currency=USD&access=Public&listing_id=76619&url=&imc=pg-fs

corbin

hood wauquiez

5/2

Inexplicably, after fighting to break below 226.2 for weeks, and being up to 229 earlier this week, this morning I weighed 225.7. I don't know how it happened, but it just goes to show, once again, that dogged persistence can often bring unexpected success. So I've officially now lost over 45 pounds since August, and when I break 224, it will be 60 pounds since my all-time high in 2004.

We ordered The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home and The Story of the World: History for the Classical Child: Volume 1: Ancient Times: From the Earliest Nomads to the Last Roman Emperor. Can't wait to get my hands on those.

I've been enjoying the video logs from s/v Delos. They're like MTV Ocean Rules.

225.7

Well Rounded

To add to what Jacob said in his last post, we have been talking a lot about what home-schooling should look like for our kids. I was feeling inspired, so Audrey and I sat down and I interviewed her on her interests. Without much coaching, this kid came up with a TON of things she likes or wants to learn, or do.

Audrey's list of interests:

Cooking (this was at the top and mentioned several times...she really wants to do all of our meal planning and would like me to just be her sous chef)
Dancing
Swimming
Reading
Gardening
Math
Art
Cleaning (whose kid is this?)
Playing outside
Sewing (she wants to try a sewing machine, and would like to make her own dresses...she also mentioned painting her own fabric for dresses)
Science (like what she learns at Wild Bear)
Photography
Sledding (it snowed 18" today, so it is on the brain)
Playing with friends
Dates with Mommy and Daddy (like going to the movies)
Writing and telling stories
Making her own movie
Mountain climbing
Camping
Sailing
Skiing
Yoga
Capoeira (We had a professional painter in the house for a week that Audrey adored, who teaches this, so now she is really interested)
Biking
Playing piano (she also wants to learn guitar, but she said piano first)
Playing with balls

So, I think that gives us some ideas about where to start! My challenge is how to keep Audrey engaged, and excited doing age appropriate things while doing the same for Lorelei. Oh- and keeping my cool and excitement while managing normal sibling stuff and behavior problems.

Here are some recent pictures:

My new favorite! The girls having a sweet sister moment.

Audrey with her buddy Eliza after dance class

Celebrating my grandmother Verna's 88th birthday

5/1

We're getting kind of excited about homeschooling. My research on the Robinson and A-2 curricula led me to The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home. There's something incredibly appealing to me about starting out with the trivium -- writing daily, reading great literature and approaching math from addition and multiplication tables. It just makes sense to me. And I love the way that the classical education builds from the trivium into history, logic, rhetoric, Latin, and sciences. I wish I'd had access to logic and rhetoric in school!

But how in the world does this fit in with unschooling? I'm not sure but it seems to me that being well-read, articulate, and well-rounded provides the child an awesome toolset to power their interest- and joy-led exploration. Obviously it would be counter-productive to drag a child through material that makes them miserable, and I think unschoolers make great points about that.

So anyway, I don't know, I'm thinking 3 or 4 hours a day of classical education with lots of time and support for interest-led stuff. Put all that on boat sailing slowly around the world and I think we've got something incredible in the making.

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