Travels with Charley - "The Sorting"

If you are at all familiar with the story of Harry Potter, you remember that the first order of business on their arrival at Hogwartz School, is to be "sorted" into groups. Sara and her sister, Hannah, were in charge of the children's program and they did a great job of "Sorting" the children.

The names of groups from the book were not used, probably because there were some that were less popular than others. The names they made up were imaginative and fun for everyone. After all, who would not want to be a "Fwooper", "Puffskin,"
or "Billywig"?

















In the book, the "sorting" is done by a magic talking hat. How could we expect anything less for our group? The kids were delighted and I don't think some of them quite figured out how it was done.

















Most of the kids had read all the "Harry Potter" books as well as having seen the movies...several times....so the interaction was great. It was really fun to hear them keeping each other honest on all the tiniest of details. The groups had small competitions which led to prize at the end. Everyone received a prize. but they did not weaken the contest by giving each group the same thing. My favorite competition was the "Good Manners" one.






When Sara or Hannah observed a child using especially good manners , the child's team earned a point. Holding the door for others, pouring water for the person seated next to you, asking politely to be excused. and a myraid of other manners we have always tried to drill into our children's heads, became predominant behaviors.

Not only were Sara and Hannah great with the children, they had the energy to wear the kids out before the grandparents took overand announced it was absolutely bedtime so they would be able to carry on the next day.

After a cup of hot chocolate and a short time to read at night, Charlie was ready to sleep very soundly.

Trip with Abs - Heading Home - 5 July 2009

The Elderhostel program was over and we left St. George, Utah, to head home. Abs' family was preparing to move to Colorado and Gunner was waiting to give her a hug before he left.

I decided to make a couple of stops that were not out of the way and thought Abs might enjoy.

Somewhere I missed a turn and missed the weird houses I had seen previously but we did get a closer view of Glen Canyon Dam. Abs must have been a little anxious to get on the road because she declined to take a tour of the inner workings. Of course she did want to visit the attached book shop where we ended up with another book on dinosaurs.
We stopped early enough to drive through the painted desert

and visit the Petrified Forest (free with our National Parks Pass). The Ranger Station had scavenger hunt papers and Abs was all into it. She earned a pin and a patch and learned something in the process.

Abs was fascinated by the petrified wood.

She found it particularly interesting to see how dry the area was and learn how the trees had once stood straight and tall by a big lake that was frequented by dinosaurs. It really brought the entire picture into better focus.

Of course, we are never to busy to watch the rainbow and remember the promises God has made to us.

We watched the sun set as we headed back to our last night in a hotel. We would make it all the way home the next day.

Travels with Em - "The Jabberwocky Tree"

JABBERWOCKY
Lewis Carroll (from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872)

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun

The frumious Bandersnatch!"

Our ElderHostel tour to Oxford focused on literature, including the works of Lewis Carroll. It is said that his poem about the Jabberwocky was inspired by this tree. Such imagination, to turn a twisted tree into a twisted poem. The poem has been called "the greatest nonsensical poem in English." This site gives some insite into the meanings of the poem.

Travels with Em - Em Update

Helen, the EH staffer in charge of the children, sometimes keeps the children for activities while the adults pursue other avenues. I am not quite sure who benefits more. The children love her, they are bonding, having a great time, and Em couldn't care less where I am. In other words, Em is having a great time and is being very independent. She has become quite friendly with 1-2 other girls and has someone to pal around with. I gave her a key the very first day and she has felt like she is older and ready to take on the world. I have to bring her back to earth occasionally, like when she plays with the ketchup bottle and (accidentally) squirts it into the air and a plop of it lands in my hair.......or when she sticks the bowl of a spoon into her mouth sideways and leaves the handle hanging out on one side, and turns around to show everyone......or when she orders coffee.....

I got her up for a walk the first morning we were here. She did not want to go...dragged her feet....refused...until I suggested we go to take photos of the Dragon School. That is actually the name of the school where the girl who played Hermione, in the Harry Potter film, went to school. That got her out and we managed pretty well except I couldn't keep up with her. Either I am slowing down or she just doesn't want to be seen with me, or both. We managed alright until we headed back to the hotel and she was more anxious to get there than I. She kept running ahead and I kept calling her back. As we got closer to our destination, she got faster, until I saw her heels disappear around a corner. Unfortunately, she was going the wrong way....and going fast. Calling out someone's name on the street with other people around, is not a safe practice, but when I finally got within calling distance, I called her. It took three tries before she heard me. She was standing by a very busy street.
"Well, I wasn't going to cross it," she told me.
I gave her a lecture and we headed back.
There is a fine line between guarding Em's safety and squashing her independence. I hope we can get it resolved here, where the streets are mostly quiet and life is slower.

Travels With Em - "The Sorting"

Our ElderHostel (EH) program is a literary tour of Oxford, England, focusing on the Harry Potter novels. Helen, the EH staff member who works with the children's part of our program, was in charge of "The Sorting." Fortunately, I saw the Harry Potter movie that included "The Sorting," so I knew what was going on.

In the movie, each new student at Hogwartz school, takes a turn sitting in a special chair at the front of the room. A witch-looking hat is placed on the student's head, the Sorting Hat. The talking hat divines the student's attributes and sorts them into different groups, called Houses, at the school. By the light of votive candles sitting on a white-clothed table, our children each took a turn sitting in the chair placed at the front of the room in front of their peers and grandparents. A witch-like hat was placed on their heads in turn, and a voice from the depths of the darkened room announced the group the child would be in. Em is in Fwooper group. Well, it could have been Billywigs or Puffskins.