Kanoa learned to climb up on the couch tonight!

Tonight Kanoa learned to climb on the couch all by himself!!! He must feel so big and powerful! I think so by seeing the huge "I did it!" grin after he climbs up!!

Photos of Makana and Kanoa from March 2, 2010

Makana and Kanoa enjoyed playing the piano while I danced around and when they stopped playing I froze.  It was a fun game!  Sometimes I was the piano player and they were the dancers freezing.  Makana liked that Kanoa was really playing the piano too!  We have been playing this game for a while now. 

Kana enjoyed some chocolate!

Photos from Katie's Taking Wing Project (Gallery Opening)

March 5, 2010 - Friday - 5pm - Here are several photos from the opening night of the Taking Wing exhibit at the Waterfall Arts Gallery in Belfast, Maine.  This is Katie and Karen Jelenfy's collaborative project.  It combined drawing using mostly watercolor pencils and knitting.  Also toward the bottom are a couple of other exhibits by other people.

Artist's Talk and Knit-in at Waterfall Arts

Below is an article from the Free Press about Katie and Karen's "knit-in." -







Artist's Talk and Knit-in at Waterfall Arts

3/25/2010 9:29:00 AM Email this article • Print this article



Karen Jelenfy, left, and Katie Wolfrum with their “Swifts and Swallows” piece at Waterfall Arts photo by Martha Piscuskas



To highlight the current "Branching Out: Taking Wing" exhibit at Waterfall Arts, artist Karen Jelenfy will hold a knit-in and give an artist's talk on Saturday, April 3, from 10 a.m. to noon.



During the Branching Out mentoring program Jelenfy worked with Katie Wolfrum on hand-knitted "nests" and watercolors. Jelenfy, owner of Village Books in Washington, describes herself as an artist, reader and obsessive knitter. She will discuss the Taking Wing exhibit, the mentoring process and "Swifts and Swallows," the collaborative installation she and Wolfrum created.



Through the Branching Out program, Waterfall Arts pairs area youth with professional artists to work together to create art, inspiring each other in the process. In addition, each team is invited to make a public presentation of their work to a school or community group.



Artists and knitters are invited to sit in the gallery, hear the talk, have a discussion and knit together. Those interested can try out simple 3-D knitting, with guidance from Jelenfy. Small amounts of interesting yarn will be provided. All levels of knitters are welcome - bring your sticks. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.waterfallarts.org or call 338-2222.

Sunday 3/21/2010 - mostly about Makana

Makana and Kanoa were in the bath tonight...just about a half hour ago. Makana kept trying to kiss Kanoa who was sitting in the corner of the tub next to the spout. I thought Kanoa was getting irritated at her many kisses. I asked her to give him some space and finally I said "Stop kissing him - No more kissing." But just as I was saying that, Kanoa leaned forward and made three kisses to Makana (sounds with his lips, but no contact...but you could tell it was supossed to be a kiss). I exclaimed, "Awww...he's trying to kiss you now!" Both Makana and I were surprised and Kana said that he loves her (Kana pronounces loves like it has two syllables...so it sounds like "loveis" - so cute - and she still calls a sneeze a "bless you!!"). Then they both took turns kissing each other. I gave them each a kiss and agreed that they do indeed love each other very much!




Then we played with the Captain Tony plastic cups and the rubber duckie. We tried to get that duck to float right side up as it seems to flop over on one side or the other. Makana told me she could make it float and said that if you hold it by the head and gently place it in the water, it works. I tried it and it did work. We usually can only get it to float the way we wish when we stick it in a cup full of water. Usually the tub has too much turbulence for it to float right side up.



Then Makana and I were trying to get the Captain Tony cups totally full of water so that they would stay down and not float up. I told her that air remaining in the cup makes it float up. She then tried filling one cup with water (totally with water so it would stay heavy and submerged) and the other with air. She didn't understand that air just got into the cup because the cup was taller than the water level and would just remain in the bottom of the upside down cup when it was just overturned and placed down. She had actually tried blowing into the cup to "capture the air" and then swinging the cup around trying to "capture air" before submerging it...which I thought was kind of funny.



After the bath, Makana said she was sorry for the times when she has been mean to Kanoa and it was probably because she felt jealous. (I think it was me who has talked to her about being jealous as the reason for why she has acted in certain ways toward Kanoa in the past - maybe I shouldn't have ever said that aloud, but I truly think that is what happens some of the time. Noticing this does help me remember to make an extra effort to give her attention or to make her feel special. And I think that connecting time just spent in the bath made her think of how much she loves him and that might be why she said that.) She also said that Erin and Azure are her best friends and she didn't know who she liked better...Azure...Erin! She couldn't decide.



Downstairs, Kana said that she loves Kanoa so much that even when he gets married, she still wants to be with him.

Lincolnville Beach Video's on Saturday 3/20/2010

St Patricks Day and Sat 3/20/2010

3/17/2010 - Katie helped Makana dress up for St Patrick's Day!

3/20/2010 - Saturday - Jim was off this day and it was beautiful!!!! Unusually beautiful! At 10am (yes, very early for us) we went to make pysanky eggs at Merryspring Nature Center. We bought a kit so we could try making them at home. (And also because I tried to rinse the turpentine off Makana's egg - it took off some of her dye and she was upset and we didn't have time to make another. But it was good to get the kit as Jim said he wanted to try making them too and he had not had a chance at the class as he hung out with Kanoa while I helped Kana.)

Later that day, Katie went to a birthday party (her friend Francie's) and Li went to the Magic The Gathering tournament at the Knowledge Vault. Jim, Kana, Kanoa and I hit the beach! Yes, it was fun! And relaxing too! A teaser for summer! Here are some pics! This was Kanoa's first time this season at the beach and in the sand. Pretty cool! He seemed to really like the sand. I finally did take off his soft shoes and he enjoyed walking around in the sand and feeling it between his toes. It felt so good to sit on the warm sand!

Gosh...all these pics of Jim and Kanoa came out so good....I think though I like the first one best because of their crinkly eyes and smiles. But they are all good!

Jim wanted to take a couple photos of me and Kanoa, but Kanoa wanted to nurse. Nursing first! We never got back into taking pics...just enjoyed hanging out, making sandcastles and skipping stones instead.

All in all, a great day!

It's the little things that mean so much

 It's the little things that mean so much - I just made a paper hat out of newspaper for Makana. She lost it and was upset. I found it and put some tape on a ripped spot and put it on her head. We just walked hand in hand into the other room and she feels so happy and good inside. And so do I. These are the things I will remember! (esp since I am writing it down!)

Also, Katie's friend likes Wolf's and she is going to her birthday party on Saturday. She just drew this picture of a Wolf (by looking at a similar pencil drawing online) and then added color and her own touches. Wow! Ahhh...it was uploaded sideways and I don't have the time to switch it right now...

The average age in our house is 19 for both boys and girls!

Jim and Li calculated the average of the girls in our house (41, 12, 4 = 57) and the average age of the boys (48, 8, 1 = 57). 57/3 = 19! How funny (strange funny)!!