My sons used Christmas money to explore our favorite comic shop today. I remembered how I discovered the Hero’s Journey in a similar place, feeding my imagination for what one person could accomplish with the proper will.
We came home with piles of adventures and closed the day with a viewing of Avengers: Endgame.
The heroes who had survived cataclysmic defeat are the archetypes of grief. Captain America remains the eternal optimist, the unshakable hero who can only believe that good will come. Hawkeye gives in to darkest resentment, taking out his pain on the reality that has betrayed him. Black Widow works and works and works, she works herself to death fighting against the tragedy. Iron Man escapes from the past into his new reality, he discovers what he had before he lost so much. Thor escapes into self medication and pity, drinking himself into solitude.
Each of these archetypes has lived in me at times, but there is one character that I most aspire to personify. Bruce Banner turned inward, he stopped fighting the monster inside. He spent time with the Hulk. He learned about it. He learned about his darkest parts. In doing so he integrated his most destructive power with a mind focused on the good.
I’m not one for holidays and vacations. I believe in building a life that is enriching every day, one that doesn’t need an escape, but has moments of escape each day.
So as the park in Milton, Delaware, filled with Independence Day revelers and King’s Homemade Ice Cream served family after family, we snuck into the welcoming courtyard of Union of Body, Mind & Soul.
My sons are, well, boys, so any moment is ripe for wrestling, racing, and poop jokes. They’re also loving, compassionate creatures who recognize special spaces and look out for my wellbeing. A silly pose at the center of the labyrinth quickly became a twinkle of calm.
Once we got our selfies and completed the circuit, they went to the serious business of exploring and having a bit of fun with Buddha.
The peace of the visit carried us home to Wilmington and a raucous pool party with new and old friends.
Our life can become unbalanced with activities, explorations, and a constant pushing into the unknown. We are blessed to have found another place where much of that can be unwound and processed.
There’s no place we go that doesn’t maintain a connection with Mary. The four of us travelled up and down Delaware and tried on every type of event. She’s in the parks, gardens, concert halls, and campgrounds. In places that she had never been, we talk about what her reactions would have been or how she wouldn’t have forgotten the hummus for the carrot sticks.
It doesn’t always hurt, most of the time we’re smiling and remembering how she heightened every experience with her warmth, her smile, and her ability to be present. Sometimes it hurts like hell, especially when there’s something she would particularly enjoy.
Today didn’t hurt. We had fun with family and friends from Lewes to Hockessin and we’re going to bed fully spent.
These pictures were taken three years apart and neither one by me.
Delaware Art Museum, 2016. Reprinted for the DE Creative Kids Passport, 2019.Peninsula Gallery, 2019
Unschooling has been the most rewarding journey of my life. I still don’t like the word “unschool” and didn’t know it when I started exposing my sons to art before the youngest could walk. I had no history or education with art, I was sent by my wife as she knew there was no way I would be a “stay-at-home” dad. Story times and family-friendly tours and activities got us into museums on a regular basis and I quickly saw the magic that was happening in my sons’ lives.
Delaware Art Museum, 2016Brandywine River Museum of Art, 2012Biggs Museum of American Art, 2015Biggs Museum of American Art, 2015Meeting the Twin Poets at Delaware Contemporary, 2018Shakespeare at Winterthur Garden, Museum, and Library, 2013Terrific Tuesday at Winterthur Garden, Museum, and Library, 2014
An intentional learning lifestyle has taken us back again and again to our favorite galleries, where there is always something new to discover.
As we return to all these places in 2019 to complete our DE Creative Kids Passport, I will try not to be overwhelmed by the memories that we have made.
We visited the Marian Coffin-designed Gibraltar Gardens in Wilmington, Delaware, yesterday to enjoy a warm February day and have a relaxing stroll.
What happened was a game of “Non-Ball,” a concoction of wrestling, football, and war games that required nothing but a couple of brothers pounding each other into the neatly manicured lawn. They also climbed the stone wall at the end of the garden and encouraged passing traffic to wave and honk.
I wonder how many rush hour commuters were shocked to see boys on top of a wall over a sidewalk, seemingly unsupervised.
This morning I happened upon an article about the damage done to boys by insisting they not act like boys. Even as a physically active, nature-loving, hero’s-journey-following male I can be overwhelmed by their energy. It is hard to remember that they need to explore their worlds on their terms. Those worlds include the physical and emotional, solo and relational, mental and spritual.
Friday, October 19, 5:00 to 8:00 pm Stone Shakers at Foodie Friday The weather looks perfectly autumnal for a family-friendly night of fun tunes and great food at Blue Ball Barn.
The October Foodie Friday features food for purchase from WiLDWiCH, KOI on the GO, and Nude Food. These three food trucks will be competing in a $5 small plate challenge. Vote for your favorite at the Delaware Center for Horticulture table, who are joining us as this month’s partner non-profit organization. The Friends of Wilmington Parks will be selling beverages to wash down your snacks while you listen to the Stone Shakers Band play a variety of unique covers of classics and original songs.
Be sure to take a walk through the Blue Ball Barn to visit the Delaware Folk Art collection and to learn more about the origins of the property. Inside you will also find local artists displaying and selling their handmade creations. This is a great opportunity to get a jump start on your holiday shopping and find some truly one-of-a-kind pieces from Delaware area artists. Featured artists include Eric Zippe, Tim Gibbs, Nicole Kristiana Studio, and Connie Newby.
$5 entry fee per adult, gate fee is waived for this event. Family and pet-friendly. Kids 16 and under are free.
Lums Pond State Park
Saturday, October 20, 12:00 to 3:00 pm Harvest Hayride and Crafts at the Nature Center Join us for a fun afternoon of hayrides and fall crafts at the nature center! Cost is $5 per person which includes a short hayride and nature center crafts. Park entrance fee in effect. Please pre-register by calling (302)368-6989
Battery Park
Sunday, October 21, 11:30 am to 4:00 pm Tour or Sail the Skipjack Sigsbee This weekend New Castle welcomes the Skipjack Sigsbee. 11:30 am to 1:00 pm free deck tours, with a family friendly sail from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. $15 for children, $25 for adults, $20 for seniors. Bring your own food and/or beverages.
My sons were in their first years of life when they met Edgar Allen Poe at Brandywine River Museum‘s Picturing Poe exhibition. This Arthur Rackham illustration of “The Tell-Tale Heart” greeted us and I wasn’t sure we would make it much farther.
They survived hearing Vincent Price’s reading of “The Raven” and all the tastefully gruesome artwork. Perhaps they thrived.
To this day, October means Poe. We just watched the inventive animated movie “Extraordinary Tales,” but are most excited for Delaware Shakespeare’s Shakespeare, Poe & Fiends performances this weekend. Tonight’s reading is sold out, but there are tickets available for the following shows:
I’m not sure you’ve seen a sunset until you’ve seen it fall on these faces.
The Zerbeys grabbed the early-bird special, bypassed general parking, and went right for the VIP lot. We staked out a slice of shade (poor sun-trajectory calculations on my part, it didn’t last) with chairs and a patch of front row with a blanket. My sons were not feeling it and opening acts are rarely the most exciting. I was facing down a short festival day.
By the end of the first set I spotted and old friend and her son. With fingers crossed I introduced the boys and we set up a new little camp near the stage. Soraia got started and the boys went to look for trouble. After an entertaining, yet uninspired, series of Joan Jett and David Bowie covers, the band climbed into their real skin and killed with their own material. Drawn by the energy, my younger climbed onto my shoulders and whipped that beautiful hair like he was channeling his dad in ’96.
ZouZou Mansour of Soraia
As more families showed up, football tosses and a full on soccer match broke out care of the family of a member of Spokey Speaky (check out their site for free music).
Safe to say that Whole Lotta Gelata is our favorite food truck.Montana WildaxeJoey DiTullio’s hair is almost as cool as……my son’s.
These boys are champs. Nine non-stop hours of action and we all got home and in bed without a fuss. We even made it to church and a proper soccer match the next morning!
As the home education community grows, more organizations are reaching out to provide enrichment opportunities. This is obviously great news for those looking to educate their children outside of the school setting, but it also strengthens the broader community. When there are more places to gather for fun and learning, families are more likely to put down their devices and engage with their neighbors. We become better equipped to communicate with one another, constructively share grievances, and solve problems.
I applaud local libraries for creating programs geared toward the home-education community.
Homeschooling 101 and Homeschooling 101 Science Fun Wednesday, October 17th, 6:30 – 8:00 pm: I am very excited about this pair of events for parents and children. A panel of home-educating parents will present information and answer questions about the process in Delaware. Topics will range from the details of Delaware’s laws and regulations and curriculum options to the wide variety of educational philosophies that are being implemented. This will be great for those who are curious as well as those who have already decided to take this journey. Home education is constantly changing and there is always something new to learn, no matter where you are on the path.
And, in true homeschool fashion, you won’t need a babysitter for children ages 5-12. Science activities will be available and children of all educational stripes will get to interact in a separate space during the program.
Art School for Homeschoolers Tuesdays, October 2nd, November 13th, and December 4th, 1:30 – 2:30 pm: Exercise your imagination, creativity, and fine motor skills using various art media. Ages 5-12.
Book Club for Homeschoolers Tuesdays, October 16th and November 20th, 1:30 – 2:30 pm: Dive deeper into a book through activities and discussion. Stop at the Youth Reference Desk for the current title. Registration is suggested. Ages 8-12.
Elements Home School Co-Op Teen Meet-up New teen homeschool group: Beginning Friday, September 21st, Elements will host a weekly teen game/activity group for area homeschoolers. Teens will be meeting in the Teen Loft at the Dover Public Library each Friday from 1:00 – 3:00 pm. Come play games and socialize with other area homeschoolers ( DE, MD, VA, NJ, PA). Drop-ins are welcome, ages 14 (or 8th grade) and up.
Homeschool Show and Tell Tuesdays, September 25th and October 30th, 2:00 – 3:00 pm: Bring in an item from home and practice your public speaking skills by sharing it with the crowd. Instruction provided. All ages are welcome to participate.
Elementary Homeschool Art Class Note: This program is currently full, but worth keeping an eye on for future iterations. Art classes will meet every 1st and 3rd Tuesday from October 2nd – April 16th, except January which will be the 2nd and 4th Tuesday due to the New Years holiday (no classes in December). There is a limit of 12 students per class and you must be able to commit to the entire series as each class builds upon the next. Open to students in elementary grades. Registration is required.
Middle/High School Homeschool Art Class Note: This program is currently full, but worth keeping an eye on for future iterations. Art classes will meet every 2nd and 4th Tuesday from October 9th – April 23rd, except January which will be the 3rd and 5th Tuesday due to the New Years holiday (no classes in December). There is a limit of 12 students per class and you must be able to commit to the entire series as each class builds upon the next. Open to students in middle and high school. Registration is required.
Homeschool Book Club Thursday October 11th, 1:00 – 2:00 pm: Enjoy a new book that will include discussions and a fun activity. Open to students in 1st – 8th grade. Registration is required.
We are fully addicted Lego Maniacs now and that mania was born at Hockessin Library‘s Lego Club. It runs every Tuesday in September, 4:30-5:30 pm. This where I got to see my sons explore piles of bricks and build whatever came to mind. We still visit occasionally and I love watching the children build together, many of them winding down from a busy school day. It’s also gratifying to watch parents and caregivers assisting and, sometimes, building on their own.
Friday, September 7th, 10:30 – 11:15 am, Brandywine Hundred Library‘s Lego Storytime will focus on early childhood literacy and problem solving skills. My sons love to recreate and extend stories with their bricks.
Saturdays, September 8th and 22nd, 1:00 – 2:00 pm, South Coastal Library‘s Lego Club is for children 6 to 11 and requires preregistration by stopping by or calling the library at 302-539-5231.
Mondays, September 10th, 17th, and 24th, 3:00 – 5:00 pm, Brandywine Hundred Library‘s Lego Club is the place to be. Miss Katherine provides themes each week, but free building is encouraged for all ages. This program is dear to us as it was born out of local efforts by home educators working with this great library.
Wednesdays, September 12th and 26th, 3:30 – 4:30 pm, Claymont Library hosts their Lego Club for ages 4 and up.
Wednesday, September 12th, and Friday, September 28th, 6:30 -8:00 pm, feature a monthly building project at Newark Free Library‘s Library Lego Land Club for ages 5 to 10.
Saturday, September 15th, 2:00 – 4:00 pm, Bear Library‘s Lego Club is directed at children ages 6 to 12. And Delaware City Library‘s Lego Club will have themed building for a similar age range, 2:00 – 3:00 pm.
Monday, September 17th, 6:00 – 8:00 pm, Bear Library‘s Lego WeDo Robotics Club just went on my personal calendar. I’m coaching a FIRST Lego League Jr. team this season and I’m looking to learn more about WeDo, an introductory build-and-program system. Registration required at the Kids desk or call (302) 838-3300.
Tuesday, September 18th, 6:30 – 7:30 pm, Appoquinimink Community Library‘s Lego Club requests registration through this link for ages 5-11. There will be construction challenges and free building.
Wowzers. Lego is expensive and none of these programs will cost you a dime. If your local library doesn’t have a Lego program, just ask. Many of them have a bin of bricks that aren’t being utilized. Maybe even step up and volunteer to host one yourself. You’ll be amazed at what children create.
