Magic Spot

"Mom, it looks like that tree has Christmas lights on it, going on and off, on and off, " whispered Joel as we sat overlooking our backyard. Every Friday morning in the early morning sun, we sit, quietly, in our "magic spots". We each find our own spot on the porch and then we listen, look, and wait with a sense of anticipation for what God and nature will reveal. On this particular morning, Joel noticed the morning dew glistening in the light, a scene that in a short time would be gone as the droplets dried in the morning sun.

Last week we all watched with attention to a beautiful bird chat with its mate on a tree branch and then find and eat a worm. A shear delight for little children to see this show of nature. We have observed Toucans, the movement of the clouds, and how the wind causes the leaves to dance and wave. We have see how light changes the shades of green and brings depth through the shadows.

For several years when we have been in the woods on family walks we have picked a stopping place and each found a Magic Spot to sit in silence to observe and listen. Now, we have added as part of our family rhythm a weekly time right on our back porch.

By taking this time, we learn what can be found by stopping. There are amazing gifts that come from solitude and silence. Great beauty is there, details and movement that would otherwise be missed.

When our hearts scream to be heard and to make sure our point is conveyed, when our thoughts are often consumed with

Silence also ignites the imagination and can open our heart up to new possibilities and dreams. Seth recently shared his excitement with us as we shared what we observed or thought about during our time. A poem had come into his mind as he let his thoughts run free and go where they may.

With our feet squished in the wet sand, we huddled around a little hole. We were waiting for a clam to show us its gyser-like spewing of bubbles and sand. One eighth of an inch, in the midst of an expanse of sand. So much in life vies for our attention-to do lists, looming decisions, and unmet desires that feel constant and loud, like the unrelenting crashing waves along the shoreline. Yet there, in the midst of the grand and powerful was a little clam giving us a gift. How many times have I missed the small voice of God's Spirit calling me to come and look, to listen, to pay attention. As we set aside regular times of silence, we find that throughout our days we are more attentive to small details and are drawn to really see our surroundings.

This week as we walked down a path to the beach, Joel turned around with his chubby finger pressed to his lips and whispered, "Shhh, we need to walk quietly." Even a three year old sees the gift of silence. May our hearts trust the silence, eagerly awaiting the treasures that God wants to reveal through it.
what's next, anxiety, or doubt, silence and careful observation break their hold on us. We see how carefully and skillfully God knit our world together reminding us of His care over the details in our lives as well. We give space in our thoughts to listen to His voice, laying down, even if just for a few moments, our own agenda.

Grandpa and Grandma’s visit

When I first heard that Grandpa and Grandma were coming, I counted down the days until they arrived. But when we actually saw them, our excitement went off the charts and I ran down their hotel hall and enthusiastically hugged them. There were many hugs that morning!

It was really fun what we did with Grandpa and Grandma. Right after we picked them up, we went to Sámara (pronounced Sam/a/da) beach. It’s a small town-probably 8 blocks. It’s about 4 hours away from the capital of Costa Rica, San Jose. We had a nice 2 bedroom condo with a pool and it was a 10 minute walk to the beach. Grandpa and Grandma had a condo right next to ours. There were restaurants on the beach, and it was really great for kids. Here are my three favorite experiences there:

1)Jumping in the waves with them. The waves were not too big and not too small. It’s on the Pacific ocean, and the water is really warm, about 85° F, so I could just walk right in. We had a lot of fun with my grandparents because we were together. It was really funny when Grandma lost her sunglasses in the waves and we all had to try to find them.

2) Horseback riding. Horseback riding on the beach ranks as a must-do, especially if you ride good horses like we did. It was really funny when Grandpa wanted to go in the water with his horse, but mine wouldn’t go in the water. It did take the chance to drink in a little stream, though. I wouldn’t recommend two riding a saddle, even if they’re kids. When Seth and I did, I was very scrunched!

3) Also, I enjoyed going exploring to find a new beach. We attempted a river crossing, but we figured out soon enough that we could only do it in the dry season. We rode a very bumpy road to get there.

Unfortunately, they could only stay for a week. So when it was time to say goodbye, it was as if I had just seen them for a tiny bit. It was very hard to see them go.

-Kyle Wilson

Fun at the Beach

Last week we went to a white sand beach called Playa Carillo three times. The sunset is beautiful from this beach. My favorite thing at the beach is playing in the waves. Sometimes a big wave comes. It towers over me then I think it is going to crash. Dad says, "Jumper!" and everybody jumps. Often we see a big wave and then it crashes and we dive under the wave. We all get salt water in our eyes that stings.

Smaller waves are really fun. The size that I like is big waves. Sometimes a really big wave comes and it's a gentle, long bobber. I float with the wave. At the break point it crashes. When it does, I feel like a piece of paper blowing away. Sometimes, when I have the boogie board, I ride a crashing wave. Sometimes I fall off the boogie board, which is part of the fun. I can't wait to go to the beach again.


-Seth Wilson

Life Learning Lab: Leaf Nature Detectives

Leaf Sewing

We are incredibly blessed to live in a house with a gorgeous backyard. Several years ago as Kevin and walked around Meijer Gardens' botanical greenhouse with the kids, he said with longing in his voice, "This is so wonderful and such an amazing slice of the tropics, someday I would love for them to experience the fullness of the actual tropics." Here we are in a place we never dreamed of, surrounded daily by a countless variety of plants and birds. Just using the bounty of our backyard here are some of the projects we have worked on:

• Flower identification
• Using watercolors to paint pictures of leaves
• Measuring leaves
• Making predictions and observations about their smell and feel
• Observing the variety of shades of green- its actually pretty amazing!
• Leaf sewing
  

  

  Shades of Green

  

  Watercolor painting

  
  

  

  Measuring Leaves

Was your day's work just erased?

In our family, our favorite beaches all have one essential ingredient - a small stream. These small little bits of water in the midst of the ocean of sand provide endless hours of digging, damming, and building. During our time in Costa Rica we were thrilled to find one such stream which wound its way through the piles of pebbles that were left in place by the previous high tide. Given that it was low tide when we found it, the five of us happily plopped ourselves down next to its small current, ready for the hours of playing that was ahead.

Even better for the play-value of this particular stream was that it didn't take a direct path across the beach, but turned a bit as it looped its way down. As it meandered, it cut into the piles, leaving an ever-deepening channel down the beach and to the water. Little slabs of sand and pebbles fell into the channel with a whoosh sound every few seconds as the stream cut deeper and deeper, carrying the sand down the beach and into the water. 

My trip to Samara beach

Let me tell you about my favorite time in the gorgeous Samara beach:

It was the last day of our great vacation. We voted between the pool at our condo or the beach. We choose the beach. There was a beautiful, white-sanded beach right by our condo and we decided to go there. We brought our boogie boards and our waboba ball. (A waboba ball is a ball that skips on the water like a stone to the person you’re throwing it to.) We went to the beach and we quickly jumped in.

At first, we just jumped the big waves. They were a beautiful light blue. Then, we got the boogie boards and paddled on them. It was really fun. Since we were sadly leaving that day, we could only stay for an hour. So when my Dad called, “It’s time to leave!” we knew we had to go. So we said goodbye to the awesome beach and left.

-Kyle Wilson

Seth featured in Food For the Hungry Blog

We're so proud of Seth and the money that he raised for Food for the Hungry this summer!  His ice cream social idea was featured in the Food for the Hungry blog a few weeks back.

Howler Monkeys

 

           I was in the car and Dad howled to us, "Let's check out that noise."  We went quickly to check it out.  It was a Howler Monkey.  We watched for about ten minutes.  Watching them made me want to learn more about them.  Howler Monkeys have interesting habitats, tails, and characteristics.

A cool Costa Rican Howler Monkey

    Howler Monkeys have a cool habitat.  Howler Monkeys live in South and Central America.  Howler Monkeys live in tall trees.  Howler Monkeys live in the canopy.  The canopy is the upper area of the rain forest.  They live in groups of five to fifteen.

            Tails are a very interesting part of their body.  Howler Monkeys have tails from 23-36 inches.  They use their tails for an extra arm.  Their body is as big as their tail.  They use their tail to grab onto branches.

            Howler Monkeys have very interesting characteristics.  A Howler Monkey's howl can be heard for three miles.  A Howler Monkey is the second loudest animal in the world.  Howler Monkeys live for about twenty years.  They are the largest monkey in the Americas.  They are about 2 feet 3 inches tall.

             This morning I saw a Howler Monkey in some nearby trees.  We saw them rustling in the trees and they howled at the motorcyles and buses passing by.  After reading this report, I hope that someday you'll see a Howler Monkey too!   

        

Life Learning Lab: Spanish for Joel

The combination of needing to focus on homeschooling the older boys and our desire for him to be immersed in the Spanish language drove our search to find a preschool for Joel. It's actually harder than we thought to find a place where he would be immersed in the language. Most schools here are bilingual and many of the recommended schools are in English nearly full time. However, one day as we were exploring a nearby neighborhood we saw a sign for "Green Minds Kinder" and decided to visit. It is a small childcare run in the backyard of the director's home. They have about 3 classes of kids and around 6 teachers. The director has three boys and has clearly set up the playspace with active and creative play in mind. Among other things, she has available wheelbarrows, ropes, a large pvc pipe, and a trampoline. There are small classrooms where they sing songs and have their lessons. Joel attends every morning from 8-12 and although the adjustment went fairly smoothly, I'm sure there are moments when he feels confused and misses being with us. One of the teachers speaks English to the children but I know he misses the ease of connection through a common language with the others. However, his teachers are very warm and it's clear Joel has a special place in their hearts.

A Birthday Gift on My Door

I heard the pulling and cutting of tape, a not-so quiet whisper and the scurrying outside my door. A sweetness filled my heart. One thing occupied the mind of my tender-hearted Seth on that particular day, to decorate my door for my birthday.

Years ago we started a special birthday tradition in our family. The night before the birthday, we decorate the person's door so right when they wake up in the morning they feel celebrated and loved.

On this day, my 39th birthday, the act is particularly sweet- it's the first time anyone has ever done it for me.
In the midst of so much change, Seth found a strand that carries us through time and place. He found an act that communicates we are family and "home" no matter where we lay our heads at night.

This is part of the beauty of family rituals. Some rituals provide a rhythm to life. Some are markers that break up one day so seamlessly going into the next. I find it fascinating how over time they build into our identity and sense of belonging. They communicate, "This is part of what it means to be a Wilson".

Five days later, with very droopy eyes, Kyle stayed up late to help me with a Costa Rica themed birthday decoration for Seth. He woke up to 7 pictures of Costa Rican animals, 7 compliments, 7 leaf rubbings from our backyard, and a picture of a cake with 7 candles on it made by Joel.

In this new place, we are creating new rhythms and markers, but we are also resting our feet on firmly planted ones.

Life Learning Lab: Homeschooling

An acceleration experiment

When Mom and Dad first told us we were going to Costa Rica, I asked, "What are we going to do about school?"  Dad replied, "We're going to homeschool." At first, I was really excited. We were going to homeschool, something that I've always wanted to do.

But when we got here and started homeschooling, I learned that everything has it's advantages and disadvantages. For example, there's no commute, but that means that instead, you have to work during that time. Here's a graph of it's advantages and disadvantages:

 Advantages                                                                                                      Disadvantages

no commute	you have to work instead
work at your level	harder work
do-whatever-you-want play breaks (recesses)	no playgrounds
mom as teacher	less experienced teacher
more one-on-one time	very few classmates
more field trips	(no disadvantage)
(no advantage)	more writing
less spelling	(no disadvantage)

As you can see, there are more advantages then disadvantages. But don't get too excited if you're a mom. I hear it's very hard work to get everything ready!

Also, we have Spanish. There's a really nice college student down the street that teaches us Spanish an hour every weekday. She speaks English and Spanish, which is nice because then we can understand what she's saying.  She doesn't just teach it, either. She shows it in real life. For example, we played tennis together. We learned the words tennis, racket, shoes, throw, and turn. Just from one hour!

Don't get too excited, kids. It's hard work!

-Kyle Wilson

Life Learning Lab - Transition to Homeschooling

I've been asked several times over the past month, "So how is homeschooling going?" Moving out of our house of nine years, arriving in a foreign country, and starting homeschooling for the first time two days later, would probably not make it onto any "Recommendations for New Homeschooling Families" lists. However, there we were, with a math and reading curriculum, a few art supplies and spiral notebooks and lots of hours in the day. The first few weeks were definitely a jolt for all us. The kids were used to long, summer days in Michigan with little required of them and I was used to well...nothing here. Everything was a new routine to discover, even down to where the silverware is kept and how to drive on the roads. Why not just throw homeschooling into the mix too, right?

As a family who has a natural curiosity about life and learning, parts of the transition were natural. We already read, learn and do projects together. However, because I love to take advantage of "learning opportunities" I find it hard to know sometimes when to call the school day over and actually how to even define what is "school". There is so much to glean and so much potential in each day, that sometimes I struggle with whether I should be doing more to prepare or enhance their learning.

Honestly, I didn't have time to do a lot of research on best homeschooling techniques, but what I did read and from my education background I knew it was valuable to keep our goals in mind as we approach this year. Here are some of mine:

• Bond deeply as a family through shared experience
• Appreciate and learn from a new culture
• Learn about and from our surroundings
• Exposure to Spanish
• Spend time learning and discussing God's word
• Modeling for our children a growing, dependent relationship with Christ
• Learn and use technology
• Foster creativity and critical thinking
• Spend time regularly reading and writing
• Nurture a family culture of gratitude and of trying new and possibly uncomfortable things

It is perhaps important to mention some of the things that are not on this list:

• That we follow all the grade level Common Core standards
• That we cover all the subjects every day
• That they have regular, peer playtime
• That they participate in formal extracurricular activities like organized sports or music lessons
• That each day will be filled with well thought out, hands on learning experiences
• Spanish fluency

I find identifying some of my limitations helps me to keep my eyes focused on the goals we have determined for this year instead of feeling guilty about all the things we aren't doing.

Our days are filled with some routine: spelling, handwriting and grammar practice, Bible verse memorization and devotionals, writing, and sometimes math. We read aloud together every day and they read on their own as well. However, some days we have lessons related to this incredible giant ecology-lab we are living in. We'd love to share some of our favorite lessons with you along the way!

Life Learning Lab: Spanish for Kyle and Seth

Given the length of time we are here, we know Spanish fluency is not possible, but we prayed for a way for our kids to have consistent exposure to the language and culture.

Through a series of God-ordained events, I was invited to a birthday party of a woman who lives on our street and who also is from Michigan. At her party was a mom and her college-aged daughter. I had been looking for several weeks to find someone to teach the older boys Spanish, but had not found any feasible options. When I asked them if they knew of anyone that may be interested, the young woman, Valeria, immediately said she would love to do it! Her college classes are in the afternoon and evenings, so her schedule allows her to come every morning for an hour. She has been such an answer to prayer! She is creative, patient and kind and has really become a friend to our family. She even was able to babysit the boys so Kevin and I could go on a date! Another ideal that we didn't know how we would ever make happen in a new country.

Valeria and the kids do a variety of activities. Some day they play games, other days art projects, and on this day they made palm trees out of fruit.

Life Learning Lab: Waves

Waves

Internet-linked

Recorded by Kyle Wilson

Gathered by Kevin Wilson

          Waves might seem simple, but they are actually very complicated.  Here are some different kinds:

·       Capillary wave

A small wave about a centimeter in height.  About two centimeters between the waves.  The most common wave

·       Wind wave

A medium-sized wave usually two to eighteen feet in height.  Sixty to one hundred and fifty feet between the waves.  The second most common wave.

·       Seiche wave

A large wave, usually occurring during storms.  The third most common wave

·       Seismic sea wave (tsunami)

The tallest wave, usually 50 meters in height.  Usually occurring after a underwater earthquake or volcano.  One hundred and twenty miles between waves.  The fifth most common wave.

·       Tide

The longest between waves, half the circumference of the Earth.  The forth most common wave.  Driven by the moon. (gravity)

See links

     Waves are usually driven by wind, but some are driven by earthquakes and volcanoes, and still others are driven by the moon. (gravity)

     Waves break because they hit a rock or sandbar.  They can break many times on their journey across the ocean. 

Have you ever heard of AM and FM?  They are radio waves.  AM stands for Amplitude Modulation, and FM stands for Frequency Modulation.  AM goes more up and down, and FM changes the frequency instead of the amplitude.

Gathered by:
Wikipedia 
Wikipedia Tides

Tides for Fishing
Tides and Currants
Surf Chart
Tides and Currants-google map
Wave heights and speeds

Life Learning Lab: Are vines parasitic or symbiotic?

Me pulling on a vine.  It came down very easily!

While my family and I were walking in the rainforest, we wondered whether vines were parasitic or symbiotic. We all needed to know what that meant first. We learned that something that’s parasitic doesn’t help the host, which is the thing it’s living on, but instead takes from it and doesn’t give anything back. Symbiotic is when they both give something to each other.

When I arrived home, I did research on the Internet and found that vines are parasitic. They take the tree’s nutrients and water and they choke the tree. It’s so bad that people cut down the vines so their tree can survive. Though some might say it looks a lot better to have green vines than a brown trunk!

-Kyle Wilson

A litte clip from Kyle's travel journal

To see more, read my full journal


On the second day of our vacation, we were having a little bit of trouble…
We were walking along the beach and then I yelled: "Look at that HUGE fish!" Everybody saw the fish. It was probably the size of a large canoe, and was obviously only part of a fish. It had bones two feet long, and stunk the worst kind of fishy smell you could ever imagine.

Our troubles continued on the way home from the beach, too…

When we got in the car, Mom exclaimed, "We all stink!". Everybody noticed it at once. It was true. We all stunk. It must have been because the water we had been playing in had a lot of rotten fish in it. Dad had to drive with the windows open and music blaring to keep our minds off the stink. This wasn’t your normal paved road, either. It was so bumpy that we had to go only like, five miles an hour. It was also dark, and some of the ATV’s didn’t have working headlights. There were narrow one-way bridges with no railings, and sometimes it was hard to see when they were coming. And it was dirt roads most of the way home.

Along the Way.... Our Beach Vacation

From October 27-November 1, our family took our first overnight trip to Santa Teresa on the Nicoya Peninsula.  Here's some pictures and videos that we took of some of our animal sightings and adventures.

This isn't a road sign that you see everyday!

Howler monkeys howling in the trees

Amazing Tidal Pools
We researched about tides and learned that there is a 12 foot tide in Costa Rica! In comparison Lake Michigan has a 1 inch tide!

A driving adventure to Cabo Blanco National Park

A Limerick to Boogie Boarding

There once was a Seth that rode a wave

The wave toppled him over, so he was now a boy we needed to save

The front went down, the back rose

we could barely save his toes

Even after this, a cheer to boogie boarding Seth gave

Seth and Sarah Wilson

Along the way...Flooding in San Jose

We're nearing the end of the rainy season in Costa Rica, which can mean up to 8 hours of rain a day for weeks on end.  Last week when we were driving home the rains really started coming down!  Most city roads have 2 foot ditches on either side to handle all the rain, but on this particular day, they weren't up for the task!

Life Learning Lab: Wave Sizes

Wave length is the length of the wave.   

A capillary wave is two centimeters tall.

What's the longest wave?  It's the tide!  Did you guess right or wrong?

Where do you find the biggest waves?  Guess.  It's Antarctica!  Were you right or wrong?

-Seth Wilson

Turbulence

On a regular basis since arriving in Costa Rica, we try to check in with the kids to see how they are feeling and experiencing all the change in their lives.  Kevin shared one night that it is completely normal to one day feel excited to be in a new place and the next day, seemingly out of the blue, to be frustrated, discouraged, or sad.  Seth had been quietly listening and then he shared, "I think being in a new culture is like feeling turbulence on a plane.  You are going along just fine and then, boom, you feel it!  It's kind of scary and exciting at the same time."

Seth's Granadilla taste test

     

            Looks like...

·       Stalagmites

·       Covered with sunflower seeds

·       An orange with a stem

·       A pile of frog eggs

          Smells like...

·       Sweet but sour

·       The seeds sit in a skinny pouch

       Feels like...

·       Soft but crunchy

·       Smooth

·       Hard

·       Slimy crunchiness

    Tastes like...

·       Sweet and sour

    Sounds like...

·       eating a cracker

·       crunching sound when you bite into the seeds

·       cracking a rock

The adventure at the Pacific

Me and my family went to the beach.  The sand got just on your feet.  The water was hot.  I liked the rip tides.  There was a speedboat.  They asked if you wanted a ride.  I saw a monkey.  I saw a iguana.  I like playing in the water.  I like playing in the sand.  It was a long drive to the beach.  There was a dance group. 

Poem

I have a pretty grand hand

To dig in the sand

There were people getting a ride behind a boat

They sure didn't need a coat

I saw a sick fish

Who had a wish

The wish was not to be a sick fish

I saw a monkey in a tree

It sure wasn't a bee
-Seth Wilson

Life Learning Lab: Rip Currents

          I felt the water rushing toward the sea.  I held onto Joel's life jacket tightly, for fear that he would float away.  What were we in?

          We were in a rip current.  A rip current can occur wherever there are breaking waves.  A breaking wave appears when it hits something like a sandbar or pier.  It then breaks and pushes toward the shore.  More breakers push the water parallel to the shore.  When the water finds a break between the sandbar or pier, it rushes out, carrying anything in it's way with it.  Soon, it splits up, at the 'head' of the rip. 

          It is important to know how to get out of a rip, and most people try to get out of it by swimming directly against it.  This doesn't work, so make sure you know how to really do it: To get out of a rip, wait until you get to the 'head' of the rip, and then swim a few strokes at a right angle to the current.  Most rips aren't very wide, so getting out should be easy.

          Unfortunately, many people don't know how to get out of a rip, so US rips are responsible for 46 deaths annually.  To help reduce that number, here's how to identify a rip:

·       It is almost always a darker, more murky color then the water around it

·       You can usually see a gap between the breaking waves

·       It can be more foamy then the water around it

I hope you can find this information useful!

This information was collected from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rip_current

-Kyle Wilson

Facts About my Two Dogs

I have a big dog and her name is Chloe and the little dog is named Tucker.  Tucker needs a cone.  They are very fun.  I like how Chloe loves to play fetch.  Tucker slept with Kyle for a little bit.  Chloe eats her food before you can say sgadl.  They both bark at dogs.  Tucker sometimes chases Chloe off the porch. 

 

-Seth Wilson

It's Quite Different Here in Costa Rica - Food

First, let me tell you about the food.  There are a few different foods that don't grow in the U.S. that you can get at the farmers market here.  For example, there's one fruit called guanabana, and it's REALLY sweet!  You have to watch out for the seeds, though.  There are tons of them!  Did you ever think coconuts were filled with milk?  They're not!  At a market, there is almost always a coconut stand.  They open up the coconut with a machete and stick a straw in.  Some people really like them, but I don't.

                                             Joel drinking coconut water

                                            Guanabana

                                                   Mamón Chino

-Kyle Wilson

It's Quite Different Here in Costa Rica - Driving and Parking

Here's a notice about driving and parking in Costa Rica: it's terrible.  Almost all of the roads are two lanes total, not each way (even in the city).  All day, it's bumper to bumper traffic.  And parking...  What a mess!  We drive a big Sequoia, and it's practically a truck.  Most people drive only small cars around here.  That means the parking spots are smaller.  Dad had to make about twenty turns before he got into the spot.  There was one turn when he was literally two inches from the car next to us.  Another complication is how all the roads in Costa Rica are twisty-turny.  Maybe you haven't noticed, but most of the roads in the U. S. are mostly strait, on a grid.  In Costa Rica, you have a place in mind, (or be very directionally gifted) or it's very hard to find your way around.  It is probably also caused by there being no road signs or addresses.

-Kyle Wilson

It's Quite Different Here In Costa Rica - City Park

Dad heard about this city park near our house.  He expected it to be just a small field, packed with people playing futbol, or soccer. It turned out to be a HUGE park with barbecue grills, outdoor swimming pools, trails, playgrounds, and much, much more.  Just don't go on Sunday.  It's very busy!
-Kyle Wilson

It's quite different here in Costa Rica - Weather

The weather around here is very different.  The sun seems to always rise at 5:30 am and seems to always set at 5:30 pm.  The rainy season lasts from mid August to mid November.  During that time it almost always rains from 2:00-dark.  We are done with breakfast by 7:15 am and are done with dinner by 6:00 pm!  We have a back porch, and at least a meal a day, we eat out there.  In the mornings, it's so clear that you can see the mountains, which are several miles away.  The temperature is at least 75 F in the day, but it cools down at night.  That's weather in Costa Rica for you!

-Kyle Wilson