School at the Creek at Oak Canyon Nature Center

Our home school group explored a new nature center this week.

Nature centers can be hit and miss.  Sometimes they are so "conscientiously" staffed that no room is allowed for the kids to explore.

This one was different.  

We were nearly the only ones there and the kids explored to their hearts content.

This place is now high on our list of return to sites.

If you live in the Orange Country area, it is a must visit.
Here is the link with all the info:  Oak Canyon Nature Center in Anaheim Hills.

The nature center has over 50 acres and lots of trails.

The first one we went on led straight up hill.

It quickly became all steps and therefore was not stroller friendly.

But the kids were so excited when they reached the top.

"Mom!" James shouted down to the huffing and puffing me.  

"You have to come up here.  It's beautiful!"

(One of my most favorite moments of the day.)

It was indeed beautiful.  

Clear blue skies and snow covered mountains in the distance.

Although there are houses on the hills around the nature center, once you are further into the nature center, you don't see them and you feel miles from the rest of the world.

Just like we like it!

After our workout on the steep hill, the kids returned back to the real draw of the day.
The creek.

It's not every place that has a real, running creek in Southern California.
This one was home to some amazingly beautiful ducks.
(I couldn't get a picture so a friend shared this one from her phone)

 But for the kids, the best part of the creek was experiencing it from every angle.
(again, not always possible at most nature centers)
They watched it.

Crossed it.

Climbed alongside it.

 Forded it.

 Explored it on, and mostly off, the trail.

Discovered its hidden treasures.

They waded, got wet, looked for frogs, climbed waterfalls and had a gloriously good time.
Is there anything better than playing in a creek?


Besides creek play, there were other things to do.
Like climb trees.
This is our friend Emmerly.  Around our house she is known as Emmerly-the-girl-who-likes-bugs.
She stands in high regard with my boys.

There were also plenty of sticks for collecting.

And making into forts.

It is days like this that make me very grateful that I can offer this kind of education to my kids.  
Sure it requires sacrifice.  Don't think that I don't sometimes dream of having whole mornings to myself.
I'd have 1 kid in elementary school and 2 in pre-school.  
There are times when that doesn't sound too bad.
And we are a single income family.  Aaron works very hard to support our, soon to be, family of 6.
But he and I decided long ago that this is what we would do.
And watching my kids spend a day exploring, experiencing, and learning from the world in a hands on way, instead of sitting at their desk, well, it makes the sacrifices well worth it.
It's not for everyone, but it works for us.


Beyond the learning that takes place when we are having "school at the creek" I am so happy about the love for nature and the outdoors that is growing in my children.
That my son would shout, "you have to see this.  It's beautiful!" about a view makes my heart swell.
To hear Emmerly, age 6, round the bend of the creek, see a waterfall and exclaim, "AWESOME!" gives me an incredible feeling of happiness.
You want to raise kids who care about the earth?
Don't teach them about recycling.  Let them hike and play in a creek all day.
They will develop a love for creation that will never leave them.
Daily I am discovering how much bigger learning can be when we simply have school outside.


...................................................................................
If you live in the Southern California area and would like to see more of the hikes, nature centers and other places we have explored, check out the  Hikes and Nature Trails category of this blog.
If you don't live around here, I encourage you to find hiking trails, nature center, and wilderness parks in your area.  The library and Google are fantastic resources for finding these places.


Go on!  Get out into the Great Outdoors!
Happy exploring.
Love from,
Greta

PS.  If you are worried about us allowing our kids off the trail, please allow me to calm your nerves.  A big part of spending a lot of time out in nature is teaching our kids to respect it.  They know there are places where they can't or should not go off the trail.  
They know to look for plants or animals that they can hurt or destroy.  They know to watch out for poison oak or snakes.  
At the same time, we feel pretty strongly that there are places where getting off the trail and exploring further should be encouraged.  If we always say, "don't touch" then they will miss out on an awful lot.

New Babies and A List (which you must read)

Three of my dearest friends had babies this week.

Three!

It has been so wonderful to experience 3 times over that joy that is unlike any other in the world.

There is just nothing quite so wonderful as a brand new baby.

My friend Jana called me last Saturday and said, "I think I am in labor."

She's done it twice before, but it was 5 weeks before her due date, so it just didn't seem like it could really be happening.

But it was.

And I got to be there!

It is the 3rd birth I have gotten to witness and I still cry when I think about each one.

(I've experienced 3 of my own of course, but it is quite different when you are not the one in the bed.)

I took at least 200 pictures, but this is one of my favorites.

Jana is from the Czech Republic, and all of her family lives in Prague.  

Here she is, calling her mom with the news, not only that it was a girl, but also that she arrived 5 weeks early!  The joy on her face is something I will always remember.

I am forever grateful I got to be a part of that most special day with my sister friend, Jana. 


Next up was my friend Heather.  Heather and I have been friends since we were 13.
And we've stayed friends.
Even though we have lived thousands and thousands of miles apart for years, it has not damaged our friendship.  We love each other.
I didn't get to be at Heather's birth, nor have I seen anything but pictures of her sweet baby, because she lives too far away.
But I rejoiced with her in spirit as she welcomed her 3rd baby girl into the world.
She started a little later than me, but she managed to sneak in that 4th kid before I did.
That's right--4!  3 girls and 1 boy.
And here's the newest girl.

She was hours old when this picture was taken.  Isn't she beautiful?  Her eyes are so bright and alert.
She is amazing.
(I hijacked this off your FB page Heath.  Hope you don't mind)


And then, this Saturday, while laying in bed and enjoying a sleep in Saturday morning (8:30 for me) I get a text from my dear Jen.
She was at the hospital, in labor, and texting me that the baby would be coming soon and to let everyone know.
Only Jen!
I got to meet her sweet boy today.

He has sideburns!  I love a baby with good hair.

He is sweet and snuggly and slept like and angel the whole time I sat and rocked him.

His mama was taking a shower and his brothers were at grandma's so it was just he and I.

It made me think.

It was not quite 7 years ago that I was holding my boy in the rocker.

And now he's drawing plans for our kitchen remodel, going to baseball practice and cruising the flea market with his daddy, admiring Civil War guns, swords and bayonets.

I can't hold him in my lap anymore.

He is closer to teenager than baby.

I wasn't surprised to feel my eyes welling up.

And I hope I remember this time how quickly it all passes by.

I hope I sit in the rocker a little bit longer and just watch my baby make newborn faces, listen to him make newborn sounds and smell his newborn smell.

Because like Jen said, there is nothing sweeter than a fresh babe.

(Audrey's tiny toes)


And lest you think I forgot: The List.
Jen posted this list a week or so before she had her baby.
I loved it and took note.
This morning I arrived at her house with muffin and latte in hand--for her.
I instructed her to take a shower while I held the baby.
Which is no big sacrifice for me, right?
(although, upon review of the list, I realize I should have emptied the trash can or swept the floor.  looks like I'll be going back)


If you know someone having a baby soon, or just remember being a new mom yourself, take a look at the list.  You'll chuckle.
I especially like the black cotton underwear part--size __.


Love from,
Greta


PS.  No, we did not find out we are having a boy.  I just didn't feel like writing he/she. So I might be sitting in the rocker smelling her newborn smell.  Only God knows at this point.  

Putting Down Roots

A few weeks ago we planted our first fruit trees.

A plum and a peach.

We're putting down roots and it feels good.

One of the things we loved about this house right away were the fruit trees already planted here.

A big, (gigantic) beautiful avocado tree to remind us of our hometown (Fallbrook-avocado capital of the world) and one of Aaron's musts on our house list.

Can you believe he actually found a house with one?  I can.

And orange trees.  Oh how we have loved those orange trees.

Also blackberry vines.  We're getting them back in shape this year and I have hopes for making jam.  

Or at least some pies.

The family that lived here before us were big into fruit trees too.  I love that about them.

Our yard is small, but we have plans to turn it into as much of an orchard and farm as we can. Do I dream of more room to plant lots and lots of trees?  To have a bee hive?  

To have a cutting garden and an herb garden and a vegetable garden?

Of course I do.

But I probably wouldn't have time for it all.

And besides, wanting more isn't going to stop me from loving what I have.

We're making the most of our suburban backyard.

I grew up walking out to the back yard and picking fruit off the tree.  Or fighting my brother for it, since ripe fruit seemed to be one of the few things that seemed to get him out of bed early.

There are few things I know of more enjoyable than picking a warm from the sun peach, plum or apricot.

So soft you eat them right there on the grass, letting the juice drip down your chin and hands, and going back for another as soon toss the pit over your shoulder.

Home grown fruit is one of life's greatest pleasures.

I am happy to share it with my kids.

James worked alongside Aaron pulling weeds out of the planted and prepping the soil for our bare root trees.  I love to see these pictures of the 2 of them working together.  James loved every minute of it.
It is a good thing for a boy to work with his Daddy.

While this narrow planter bed isn't ideal, it is the best place we had for the trees at the time.  Due to my complete lameness, our original spot for them did not work out.  Next to our house and alongside our neighbor's driveway seemed the perfect spot so I gave my parents the go-ahead to pick up the 2 bare root trees for us.

What I failed to take note of was the placement of the sewer lines and gas lines in my "perfect spot."

If it weren't for Aaron, we might have had some problems on our hands.

Live and learn.

We had to get the trees into the ground--bare root trees won't last long out of it--so we chose this spot. James noted that our neighbors will get all the fruit on their side of the fence.  I noted that too, but I kept this childish thought to myself.  Him saying it aloud proves how childish I really am.

I guess it is time I finally learn to share.

While James and Aaron worked away, William scoured the freshly turned earth for worms.  He found lots, which made his little bug loving heart happy.
He also found this guy.  He placed him in a jar with dirt, sticks and plenty of leaves.  He named him Rocket Launcher and in a couple of weeks we watched RL build a little cocoon.
Just this week we watched him fly away.

Lilly did her own sort of flying while the boys worked.

When it came time to dig holes, William wanted in on the action.  
But mostly so he could look for more worms.

And finally, it was time to plant our trees.
James got to hold them straight while Aaron back filled the holes and watered them.
After all his work with those trees, James feels a strong connection to them.
He and I check them often for signs of growth.

And in just 2 years, we should have our first crop of fruit.
A lesson in patience, yes.
And a lesson in delayed gratification.
Growing things teaches us so much.


It's only February, but I can't help thinking about spring.  For more dirt, plants and growing things, check out Picnics in the Park.
Love from,
Greta

1 Year

I didn't think I would write this.
I woke up at 5 am this morning with the stomach flu and all the loveliness that stomach flu entails.
My kids have been sick for the past 2 weeks, I have been up nights with coughing children, fevers, aches and pains, and long days of tired, sick kids.
I have been utterly exhausted, but I thought I had escaped the sickness myself.
But I had to get the stomach flu.
Bummer.
And I took dinner last night to friends who just had a baby.
And we had other friends staying with us.
And if I get every one of them sick, including my family, I am going to feel so, so bad.


So, I thought this was not going to get written and I felt bad about that too.  Because I wanted to remember that little life that was a part of mine for such a short time.
And even though I am achy and tired, it feels good to be sitting up, so here I am.


It was a year ago since I visited the dr. and learned my 4th child had died.  Only 11 weeks old, but already such a part of me and our family.
A few days later I wrote this post and was awed by the outpouring of love showered on me.
People I didn't even know sent me cards and notes.  I saved them all.
I'd wake from a nap to find flowers or baked goods on my front porch.  People brought dinner.  They came and sat with me and let me cry.
I was blessed and humbled and felt less alone.


But as the months passed, it became lonely again.
I couldn't talk to Aaron about it because he was still sorting through his own grief.  The subject was so loaded with hurt and sadness that we almost stopped speaking of it.
I felt self indulgent discussing it with anyone else even though I wanted to so badly.
I'd mention it on occasion here, but eventually even felt that it was too much.


Then I got pregnant again and there was so much joy in my heart.
Everything went just as it should, we saw the baby's heartbeat at just 6 weeks and there was weeping afresh, but a new kind.
There was a scare at my 12 week check up.  The dr. couldn't hear the heartbeat and although she was very cool, as she searched my belly, she began to ask those questions again.
"Have you had any spotting?  Any cramping of any sort?  Everything seems normal?"
She gave up and said we needed to do an ultrasound.
It was just like the last time.  Except Aaron was there with me and that helped.
I could see in his face that he was scared.
She found that baby right away and she let us watch it move and kick and jump around.
It was  a relief unimaginable.


As I began to show, people started to ask, "wow! so how many do you have?"
That is when I discovered a new part of this journey that I was still on.
Despite my deep and abiding joy at the new life growing in me, I was still mourning the life that was lost.  It hadn't even been a year and I was, am, still sad.
So I wanted to answer every time, "5.  This is my 5th baby."
But when I had all my kids with me, except the 4th, they'd ask where the other one was.
And that was awkward.
But I felt disloyal somehow to say this is my 4th baby.  Because it isn't.
My 4th baby lived such a short time, but that baby was real, and a part of our life.


Grief is such a difficult thing.
Especially in the face of a new happiness.
I felt sad for the one thing and happy for the other.
But my happiness didn't take away the sadness that the other happened.
I wasn't sure how to sort through all of it.


A couple of months ago, a friend at church shared something with me that helped me more than she could have imagined.
We hadn't seen them in a while and they were asking about our pregnancy.
"Was this planned or a surprise?" she wanted to know.
I explained that we had gotten a surprise pregnancy and lost it and afterward discovered we did indeed want another one--it just took some of us longer to discover that!
When I spoke about losing the baby, I couldn't keep the tears from coming to my eyes.
She looked at me and said, " I lost a baby between my 1st and 3rd pregnancy and even though it's been 20 years, I still feel the loss.  And I still mourn for that baby."


It was so liberating.
I felt like she was giving me permission to grieve still.
And I am so grateful to her.
We never know how sharing a little piece of our heart will encourage and lift someone up.


In the past few months, I have read the story of Lazarus several times.
I have taken great comfort in that little verse found in the story:
"Jesus wept." (John 11:35)
He knew Lazarus would not stay dead.  He knew the miracle and the joy that was waiting before Him.
But it did not take away the horrible sadness of that moment.
Because death is sad.
It doesn't matter if it is an unborn baby, a grandma, a pet or a teenager.
It doesn't matter if it is someone who will be alive again shortly, like Lazarus.
Death is a tragedy.
And we are supposed to weep and mourn when it comes.


So here I am, feeling joy with every kick from my sweet 5th baby.

But still mourning the loss of a tiny one that I never got to feel kick.
And that is OK.
Thank you for being on this journey with me.
Your love and support have been a comfort and a blessing.
I have learned a lot.
It is my hope that I have a softer heart to others in pain.
It is the way I honor my tiny babe.


Love from,
Greta

'

Daffodils.  I received many bouquets of daffodils last spring.

I love then now and have been waiting for them this spring.

They are a sweet reminder for me of my little one and the love showered upon me.

Thank you for caring for me.

On Valentines Day: Looking Back and Looking Ahead

I was looking back to this post that I wrote last Valentines Day.
Some parts made me laugh because they were eerily similar to this year.
Like this part:
Valentines Day is different when you have kids. For example, the thing you meant to write about your husband in honor of the day doesn't get written because you fall asleep at 8 o clock, teeth unbrushed and fully dressed, exhausted from nights up with kids coughing in your bed and needing steam showers in the middle of the night. 

There is laundry piled on the dining room table and dirty dishes in the sink.

You eat in.

You talk about the kids during dinner.

It isn't about candlelight and roses.

That is very nearly the exact replay of last night.
We were planning on relaxing together and watching a movie.

Except 2 of our kids were up at 10 watching a cartoon after waking them selves up coughing so hard that one threw up.  
What is it with February and our kids having terrible coughs?

We cleaned one up and comforted the other and while Aaron was helping Lilly fall back to sleep, I fell asleep on the couch, fully dressed and teeth unbrushed.
I was pregnant and exhausted then and I am pregnant and exhausted now.

The laundry was all done, but is now piling up because the "new to us" dryer installed yesterday, was falsely advertised and is not working.
I had to chuckle at how much my life is the same.  This is obviously the season I am for a while.


But as I continued to read last year's post, this part really hit my heart hard:

Because life isn't always romantic. Sometimes it's a baby crying in the middle of the night. Or something much, much harder.

And you can't make it through without real love.

This kind of love:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Little did I know when I wrote those words how much harder it was going to get.

Just a few days later we learned we had lost our baby.

And Aaron and I set out on the most difficult of our 17 years together.

I am so thankful to be here now.

That through the tears, the anger, the frustration, and at times, despair of this year, God has shown me the truth about real love.

It is hard.

It is hard to be kind, to not be self-seeking, to not be easily angered and keep no record of wrongs.

It is hard to always trust, hope and persevere.

But that is the love that never fails.

That is God's love and that is my model.

I love Valentines day.  I always have.

The first party I ever threw on my own, in 4th grade, was a Valentines day party.

Flowers are wonderful, romantic dinners are fantastic, cards are cherished, but when all those things fade away and times are dark, real love, the hard kind, is what sees you through.

I love my Valentine more today than I ever have before.

To be up with him at 4:30 this morning with another kid having another coughing fit, to laugh about him picking me up a special Valentines breakfast at McDonald's (not a fan of McD's), to know that our kids will be tired and cranky and coughy again tonight, but to just be happy that we are here together, well, that is the best Valentines gift of all.

It's real and I praise God for it!


These verses, from Ecclesiastes 4, were a part of our wedding:
⁹ Two are better than one,
   because they have a good return for their labor: ¹⁰ If either of them falls down,
   one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
   and has no one to help them up. ¹¹ Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
   But how can one keep warm alone? ¹² Though one may be overpowered,
   two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.


Happy Valentines Day friends.
Hoping your day is filled with all things love: the silly, sappy kind and the real kind.  
Love from,
Greta

Get Away

I went away for the weekend.

It was so nice.  I am grateful for a husband that has always been supportive of me taking a break.

He never minds keeping the kids.  And he does a bang up job of it too.

And I bet, when #4 is old enough, he'll keep that one too.

Cause by then, this mommy is really going to need a break!

Anyway.

We drove up to the little town of Idyllwild on Mt. San Jacinto.

I love, love, love that mountain.

Usually I see it from the Palm Springs side, but this side, the pine tree side, is just as beautiful.

I woke early enough on Sunday to watch the sun rise over the mountain.

I went out on the deck to watch.

I like the quiet, except for birds, woodpeckers and the melting snow dripping from the roof.
And my favorite part is when the sun rises high enough to light up the whole sky and everything turns a golden color.
God's creation fills my soul with awe.

There was also food.
The colors of this fruit were so beautiful.

And all the food (not just the breakfast I made) was fabulous.  
I think my doctor is going to be upset at me on Wed because of all that good food.

Last year we did a hike.
This year we were lazier and huffed and puffed along the roads near the cabin instead.
(some of us huffing and puffing more than others.  OK. me)
But it was still beautiful.

I like the way old trucks and cars can sit in the front yard of these mountain cabins and it looks good.
At home.
A little bit of rough around the edges.
It doesn't look quite the same when you are off the mountain.

And there was snow!
Not a lot.  
Very little in fact.
But enough to look pretty and to make these treasures stand out even more.

It was refreshing to get away.  
Aaron offered to let me leave again next week.  I said, "how about next month?"
If only we could figure out a way to get our own cabin in the mountains.
Because we really need 2 houses to take care of.
Yeah.  I could hardly clean out one closet today.
Reality check.


Love from,
Greta


Oh, and I linked this post up to Life Made Lovely over at Blessed Little Nest.
If you have never been to Heather's blog, you must go take a look.
Here is the link.  Enjoy!

Adventuring to Chinatown

There are many gifts I'd like to bestow upon my children before they leave my nest.

Not smallest among those gifts is a thirst for adventure.

I have loved and longed for adventure my whole life.

I was fortunate to have a dad who made everything into an adventure.  

From trips to the dump to my first airplane ride at 16, he was there to make it exciting and magical.

We traveled to India together and I got my taste for adventuring abroad.

Now, just picking some one up from the airport gives me wander lust.

Riding the subway makes me long for Europe--the first place I rode the subway.

I love to see new places and experience new things.

It is an essential part of my being.

All that I am trying to pass onto my children.

I think I am doing an OK job so far.

I have yet to take them to Europe (still trying to figure that one out.  but we keep having more kids and the price of our airfare keeps increasing) but we're still seeking adventure.

For example, I've lived in LA for 10 years and had never been to Olvera St or Chinatown.

They haven't even been on the planet for 10 years and they've done both.

We adventured to Chinatown on Tuesday.  

Come along for the ride.

 Last time we took the metro to LA, most of our home school group went along.  This time it was just me and my adventure buddy, Rebbecca.  We have 6 kids between the 2 of us though, so we aren't exactly a small crowd.


Just riding the train is an adventure.  
When we boarded, there was a woman yelling about hell fire and brimstone to a car full of people who were sitting still as stones, trying to ignore her.
She yelled for a long time.


A man sitting near us was talking to James and William.
"Are these all your kids?" he asked me.
I told him they were and when I moved Lilly off my lap, his eyes grew big.
"And you're having another one?  Dang!  Your husband wasn't kidding around!  He said "I'm going have me a FAMILY!"
I just laughed and told him that is exactly how it happened.


The train travels through some of the grittier parts of Los Angeles.  You can't help but notice the mattresses and makeshift houses by the tracks.  Or the piles of trash that are seemingly everywhere.
James asked me why there was so much trash on the ground.
Rather than get into a complete lecture on socio economics and other things that I am not very knowledgeable about,  we talked about how just one person throwing their trash on the ground makes it easier for the next person to do it.  And the next.  And the next.
It made sense to him.
And it is a real reminder that throwing one small piece of trash on the ground, or picking one up, makes a difference.


Riding the train helps us experience a world we never would if we were on the freeway.
I think that is important.
Besides, I want my kids to know how navigate all sorts of transportation.
To read a subway map.
To make 3 transfers and not get left behind.
To have a snack on the platform while waiting for a train.
To experience the thrill of seeing the city from above.

 And below.

William's favorite part of the journey is the moment the train goes underground.  He loves it.
On the way home he said, "I love riding the subway.  It makes me ready to go in the Chunnel."
That boy speaks my language.


When we got off the metro, we began our walk into Chinatown and saw plenty of things to tell us we were in a new place.

But seeing this building was what really got the kids excited.

And then we walked into this square and it was magic.

 The girls walked slowly and took it all in.

 The boys, however, made a beeline for these:

I am not above letting my children ride on small, mechanical toys.
They loved it. (word to the wise: bring quarters)

We browsed a little.

We got fortune cookies.  I liked William's best.

  
The signage was incredible.  (more signs on Picnics it the Park, here)

And those red lanterns for New Years.  I could have taken a million pictures.
Oh yeah, I did.

The kids were happy to be together, to explore, and tell secrets.

To act goofy.

These were a big hit.
Yep, I gave my kids firecrackers.
Cause I am an awesome mom! 
(rebbecca actually showed me what they were.  i had never seen them before. guess what mom is really awesome.)

I did not, however, let them get cheap,fake, automatic machine guns.
Guess I am not that awesome, after all.

We loved these beautiful birds and their cages hanging outside a shop.
They reminded me of Hong Kong and watching all the older gentlemen take their birds for walks, in cages, each morning.

After a lot of walking, we had just one more stop to make.

Rebbecca wanted dim sum to take home.

We decided to sit down and have a cold drink while we waited for her order to be ready.

 That's right.  We're not afraid to live dangerously.

Soon tea things were delivered to our table, and the kids got to have tea.

Which some of them enjoyed quite a bit.

I felt bad just ordering drinks, so I ordered a bowl of soup.
It was a tureen.
So we had tea and soup and fortune cookies.
And 3 Sprites.
And all we went in for was some dim sum to go.

I won't even tell you how long it all took.
It was just one more adventure.

We headed back underground for the trip home.
A fun day with friends.
A fun day of adventures.

It really wore some of us out.

When we got home, William said, "I love Chinatown.  If I live there, can I still speak our language?"

James sat down and drew the sky scape of Chinatown as seen from the elevated train tracks.

I think they liked it.

Is it a lot of work to take 3 kids (+1) on an all day excursion like this?
Heck yeah it is.
When I woke up in the morning, I really didn't want to go anywhere.
The past 4 days had been busy and I was ready to play the pregnancy card.
Sometimes I do.  And that's OK.
But sometimes, I just have to remember that the laundry can wait.
Life is too short to stay home.


Wishing you adventures.  Just hang on and:

Love from,

Greta