A couple of posts ago I told you all about my new hooping obsession. I also told you I invited Lara from Superhooper.org to come to Columbus for some free classes—And she did!

She loaded up her tunes and her hoops and drove her car–yeah, I know I was a little disappointed she didn’t drive the green bus—-to my house. I invited everyone I knew and a few brave and wild women showed up–along with lots of kids!

Here she is pumping us up and talking to us about the moves.

We all learned so much in a couple of hours it was so great. Everyone had so much fun. Even a little rain couldn’t scare us away from the hoops!

This woman was awesome!!! She could move!! And this was even after she ran 5 miles that morning for her half marathon training!! She is my inspiration!!

Thanks Lara!!! I have been practicing the moves that you showed us!!  Can’t wait to hoop with you again sometime!

My two older kids learned how to hoop years ago. They have taken a few hooping classes and practiced on and off for years. They can do some tricks and walk around and keep the hoop up and going around effortlessly for hours.

These photos are from a few years ago at circus practice. I on the other hand never could get the hang of hooping.  Even as a kid I just couldn’t get the hoop to stay up. It always looked so fun but I also felt self conscious that I couldn’t do it so I didn’t practice at it much. And just figured I was just someone who couldn’t hoop.

Now fast forward to  this year. One of the great things about the internet and blogs is being able to see how other people live. I have been loving the new wave of unschoolers that have taken their lives on the road.  I have been  living vicariously through these families whose blog updates I  anxiously await just to  see what “we” are up to in our customized RV!  I so wish we could pack up and go–live an adventure on the road. But alas-my family says NO!  So as I sit here and dream I notice that many of these women have taken up hooping. They look like they are having so much fun.

And then Sara posted this giveaway and I entered thinking Molly would love a new hoop. But as I began clicking around her post I found that Lara and Superhooper were taking their hoops on the road and heading towards Ohio. Without a second thought I contacted Lara and invited her to Columbus.  And with that I decided eff it I was going to learn to hoop.  I didn’t care if I looked foolish. For three days my kids tried to teach me. Nothing. I watched countless how to hoop videos on Youtube and even checked a hooping book and DVD out of our library. I was dreaming about hooping.  Then it happened!!! On day 5 finally I could keep the hoop up for a minute or two. And each day it gets easier and I don’t have to make such huge exaggerated movements to keep the hoop up anymore!!! YEAH for me!!

Ginger learned too. But she is learning much faster and is working on tricks already. She literally went from not being able to hoop at all to using 2 full size hoops in less than a day.

One of our hoops broke and with 4 hoopers and being down to 1 hoop we needed more…we had to have more! So we went to Lowes and bought our supplies. (There are instructions and tips all over the internet.)

irrigation tubing  160 psi  3/4 inch

3/4 inch connectors

various colors of electrical tape and duct tape  (we found some metallic tape at a craft store.)

you will also need a hack saw and a blow dryer

Don’t be intimidated this is super easy

Measure your tubing –your hoop should come between your navel and your nipple.  The bigger the hoop the easier it is.  Mark it and cut it with a hack saw.

Heat one end with the blow dryer to soften up the tubing so the connector fits in easier. This only takes a minute or two. Once it is warm shove the connector in half way.

The girls wanted their hoops to make noise so we added rice to the tube

Next heat the other end and connect the tube together as close as you can get it. Then we wrapped a bit on electrical tape at this point to keep it together snugly.

Next–decorate your hoop however you want using electrical tape and  duct tape. The duct tape is a little slippery and wrinkly for hooping so electrical tape is recommended but we used both.

As soon as we finished we went and hooped in the dark in the back yard! There just isn’t enough room in the basement for three hoopers—unless we stand on the furniture!

Looks like we are set now! The white hoop in the front is actually an LED hoop that my husband made for Molly for Christmas a few years ago.  If you are local and are interested in joining us for free classes with Lara let me know!!! She will be here next weekend. Happy Hooping!!

I love Indian food. Like really love it!! And I love chai tea. I have tried several kinds at several different places. My favorite at home is celestial seasonings decaf chai and my favorite out at a coffee shop is at Global Gallery where they grind their own spices. Mmm it’s really spicy.

Today has been a rainy chilly day here in Columbus — a perfect day for tea.

I have two Indian cookbooks checked out of the library right now that are fantastic!

INDIAN HOME COOKING by Suvir Saran and  Stephanie Lyness and INDIA WITH PASSION by Manju Malhi  The chai recipe came from the latter.

chai ka masala     spiced tea

3-4   1 1/8 inch cinnamon sticks or cassia bark

6 cloves

4 black peppercorns

6 green carmamoms  seeds only

1 black cardamom, seeds only (optional)

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp ground ginger

Dry roast all but ginger for 2 minutes

Cool  Add ginger and grind to a fine powder

cool completely and store in airtight container in dark place up to 6 months

add a pinch when brewing tea  1/4 tsp flavors 2 cups of tea

add to boiling water pot of tea and milk

I found my frother–it made all the difference

Last Thursday I promised to share a new Friday feature and here it is Monday already!  More about that in a minute. Last Friday we went to Slate Run Farm. If you are not far from Columbus, I highly recommend a visit to this 1800′s historical, working farm. They often hold programs here too so be sure to check their schedule.

As often happens in the Spring, babies are born on the farm-a few sets of twins even!!

So back to my new Friday feature— What’s On Our Table. As I said last week - I love to strew and leave interesting stuff around for my kids to play with. When I taught pre-school this was one of my favorite things to do; set up the environment for the kids.  I have a small table in my dinning room that I like to leave stuff out on for the kids to find. I usually change this every Thursday (when I clean).  I try to change it up as much as I can. So one week it may be a game  or magnets  or a card making station. I never put anything messy here. It’s usually something they haven’t played with in a while, an interesting book, things that wouldn’t normally go together or something that has a connection to something else in our world. Here is a wooden marble game the kids played with at the farm.

And here is What’s On Our Table this week.

Strewing is a great way to expose your kids to different ideas and activities. Things they may or may not find interesting. By no means are my kids expected to read these things I leave out or they must solve the puzzles etc… My only hope is that they find it fun or interesting. Who knows what will catch their eye and then they will be off looking for more information or a different way to do something. Sometimes these things spark an interest and sometimes not.  I am always leaving interesting stuff all over the house but I make a conscious effort to change this table up once a week.

My hope is to post What’s On Our Table on Friday’s—feel free to share what you have strewn at your house too!

It’s another dull, gray day here in Columbus, Ohio. Almost everyone I have talked to around here in the past few days is ready for some sunshine and Spring weather but according to the calender we have several more weeks of this doom and gloom to contend with. This morning after an additional cup of coffee, I noticed at about 9am that it wasn’t much lighter than at 7am and I was figuring out how many hours until bedtime. I was planning to either sit on the computer all day or take a nap . Then the sun peaked out for a minute and I decided to bundle up and head outside with my camera to at least get some fresh air in hopes that it would wake me up. I only got a couple of shots worthy of posting but a little exercise and fresh air certainly helped get us through the day.

I bet he is wishing for Spring too!

I bet someone is missing this but probably better that they don’t find it now

a little evidence of life

like a crook of an arm or leg

Other than this I’ve got nothing. Not feeling too crafty or too motivated these days. Just feeling like hibernating and drinking tea and eating oranges. So that’s what I plan on doing!

May this be the year we soar to new heights

Dance with reckless abandon

Stretch ourselves

Take risks

Toast our friends

May this be the year…………

Photos taken at First Night Columbus 2009

Kristina Isabelle/High Jinks Dance Co

KidCo

I swear to heaven above that these really do taste like Sour Patch Kids. Only they are a little more healthy!

I saw this recipe on local, Columbus blogger Rachel’s,  Hounds in the Kitchen. I knew right away that I would love this sweet and Oh, so sour concoction!! And boy was I right! I barely have any enamel left on my teeth after eating almost a whole bag of these sugary, sour goodies.

You will need to mix :

2 T of honey with 2 T of hot water in a bowl. To that add grated orange peel, 1/2 t cinnamon (more or less)  and 1 teaspoon (more or less)  vanilla extract.

Rinse a bag of cranberries and add to the bowl, mixing to coat.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment and pour a mix of 1 to 2 cups of powder sugar and granulated sugar.

With a slotted spoon, add cranberries to the sugar mix and coat well.  Let sit about 30 minutes or until sugar hardens. Store in a jar for 3 to 4 days. I didn’t use a slotted spoon so  mine are still drying since this morning. But that didn’t stop me from eating them all day!!!