Homeschooling By Heart

Thoughts on the Election...

2008-11-05T23:24:00.002-05:00

Well, ironically yesterday I sat the playground with Lexi and Katie while waiting for Brianna and Chase to finish guitar lessons - and it happened that the Township building was where the voting was taking place for our town. As I watched people walk in and out I had mixed feelings about the whole thing. I have never voted. I had this sudden urge to join the masses. I contemplated who I would vote for. I like to read about things and have sat reading the candidates voting records and found that neither one voted as I would on all matters. So the question then becomes, what are the really important issues for me?

Education: I feel very strongly about the parents role in educating their children. I respect and admires public school teachers as it must be a difficult job, especially when faced with families whose children don't come from optimal learning environments. But who really supports Home Education? The Democrats really don't - even though one would think they should. The Republicans may - but there isn't any government group that I think really understands the whole crux of the problem. And throwing more money at it won't help- but maybe it can't hurt.

Environment - ANWAR drilling! That one is a no for me. However, if we are worrying about energy sufficiency - let's take those steps to make alternative energy more of a reality! I do appreciate National Parks and saving farmland - so I venture that the Obama side is more favorable to my views on this.

Heath Care - This is a hot one for me. I don't know if any of the plans will fix the underlying problem of cost. I have found personally that not having insurance and paying as I go has saved us money. It would be scary and tragic however, if someone needed hospitalization - but then again - having insurance I found that I paid for everything anyway because the company always rejected things and tried to make it difficult to get any bills paid - for routine things! I don't think having people buy more insurance is the answer.

Economy - the government has a limited role in what it can do to fix this. If we all learn to support our local economies, use resources more wisely, buy less, Freecycle, use thrift stores, libraries etc. we can overcome some of these problems. However, this still does not help if you simply don't have a job - but learning more skills to make one self-sufficient is something we all can do.

So - overall I am happy with the results and believe it is really all in God's hands. I hope to see change - but know that really all is working towards God's plan.

Sometimes I can't figure people out...

2008-10-29T10:43:00.002-04:00

At this juncture of the journey, I am used to people thinking I am weird - not quite understanding where I am coming from. I am way beyond all those comments like "I could never stay with my children all day". I have come to realize that I am different and the choices my family has made are different from mainstream - but I am happy with them. I have for the most part found like-minded people and groups here and there that remind me that it's ok to be different. Then you get to the homeschooling community. One would think that we would have an inherent boud because homeschooling is so different from what is going on with society - but there are some stark differences that I am experiencing right now. I am not sure whether it is religion - because although one could call me a Christian - in that I follow Christ, I do not adhere to the mainstream Christian perspective on things. I am not a MCCain voter - I am not a voter period. If I were a voter I would vote for the "other" - and my "other" does not appear on the ticket. This is a digression - it is not about politics. Perhaps it is about the fact that the Christian group requires one to sign a "statement of faith" - which I do not agree with and will not sign. For them - I am a scary influence on their children.

I think it is more than this. I think it is school-st-home versus whatever one wants to call what I do. What I do know is that by supporting my children and letting them follow their passions - they have become very good at certain things. Brianna is extremely talented in all things musical and theatre. I know that if I had, had the same chance to pursue it I would be way ahead of where I am now - but alas school and the "have-to's" get in the way. So could this be it? My experiences of late of other homeschoolers - who just are a bit snarky and not very nice - is it because of a jealousy thing - or because the way we do things are so different from them?

I am far from the perfect mother - but I am learning as I go. I know that I don't want to be yelling at my child or correcting other people's children in public. I do know that if I knew my child was making mean remarks about some other child, I would address it.

I know that this is something others have had to face within the homeschooling community. We are a diverse group and don't always get along or see things the same way. But what really gets to me is that often the meanness comes from those professing a Christian faith. The exclusion comes from those supposedly wanting to spread the Gospel. I realize we are all only human - but some are quick to pick-apart others without seeing the hypocrisy of their actions.

I haven't been able to sleep well as I try to figure out how to handle the situation. I probably should just come out and say something - get it off my chest. Maybe I can phrase it as a "let's unify" and get over the issues speech. I will have to give it some thought.

What I do know is that I will continue to be myself and let my children develop their talents and I am proud that they are unique - that we are unique as a family. I never know where life will take us - and it does bother me when people you think would support you and you would have camaraderie with, turn out to be not very nice. John thinks I should just quit - if I am not enjoying the play - however it is not the play - and I am not willing to give up support of the theatre because of people that I may not encounter all that often after this. I guess they call it "acting" for a reason ;-)

Homeschooling has changed me.

2008-10-21T22:35:00.003-04:00

The other day it dawned on me, how much I have changed since beginning to homeschool. In the very beginning I was not all the confident in my ability to home educate my child. Having read David and Miki Colfax's book "Homeschooling for Excellence" I was thoroughly inspired to provide an alternative than the average school education for my child. She was already reading - and so creative before even entering school, that I though "I can do this" and I would take it a year at a time. Years following, I read a lot of John Holt and spent a lot of time reading about Unschooling. I watched my children develop their abilities based upon their interests - learning all the time. Here I sit, with 14, 11 & 9 year old children. All educated at home, none ever having been to school - and it has changed me.

I no longer think I believe in the All- Powerful education system of this country. I don't see that it is preparing our children adequately. It certainly is preparing them for the corporate world - ever working, ever reaching higher, ever making more money and getting more and more things, more and more debt. What I have found for myself is that all those visions I had of myself being some executive have kind of died out as I realized that is not who I want to be - nor what I want my kids to strive for. I want them to be independent thinkers. I want them to be able to earn their living, by pursuing their passion.

I used to worry that I would be bored being home, that I could not conceive of what I would do with myself if I didn't work. Now I have no idea how to fit work into my life - that is full of teaching children and volunteering everywhere. I used to define myself by what I would do for a job - or how "educated" I was. Now I realize that, while it is important to be educated there are so many ways to get there. Some of the things I learned best where the things I really wanted to know about and learned them outside of school.

This year, my oldest child wanted to do a "cyber Charter School" and although it has the promise of being flexible and letting children work at their own pace, through interesting courses - the school is still kept to the stupid, standardized tests and you can see the "teach to the test" mentality slipping in. They have these "cram: courses in 10th and 11th grade - so that they can get students to score well on these tests. Regardless of whether this is the best method for teaching, or helps students " learn". The Director - who of course has a PhD basically says this is the way it is - so deal with it. So, who know how long this school will last for her. She likes most of her classes - but I don't see that she is enjoying all the dumb, rote, work. She loves Biology - and her teacher uses all kinds of websites and interesting articles. Her history teacher sticks with the boring text book. If the subject is relevant and interesting - children will learn. If it is meaningless to them - it becomes no longer education, but rather getting through the next test and then forgetting the material and moving on.

I love the freedom homeschooling provides. The funny thing was that when Brianna went into this school - she is doing great - including taking Honors classes. She was not held back by homeschooling - if anything it made her a proactive student. She doesn't view education as the "teacher's" job - but takes full ownership that it is in her hands. Her guitar teacher today, told me how talented and gifted she is. If it wasn't for homeschooling - would I have been able to let her sit and play piano all day - or stay up until midnight playing guitar? I know there are lots of schooled children that excel in the arts and music as well - but I think I had the same talent and it went to the wayside - because I didn't take the time to practice and play- I didn't have all that free time to figure out what I wanted to learn. I remember even through college - waiting for the semester to be over so that I could read the books I wanted to read. While my college experiences where pretty positive and I had some great teachers - there were of course those classes that just didn't do anything for me - whose information I have never used.

I have also been changed in that I no longer have any doubts or embarrassment that I am not doing the best job by homeschooling - or that my children are receiving an inferior education. They are doing great- and I think that my "education" is working enormously in supporting their learning efforts. I wish more people recognized the importance that homeschooling mother's provide to our society. It is dedication and sacrifice - but this is the best job that I ever could have asked for.

Lexi's Pumpkin Rescue

2008-05-08T18:25:00.006-04:00

Sometimes I find these kids so interesting. Certain moments just make me feel that what I am doing is working and creating very unique, individuals. Today, I was starting to till the garden to plant our seedlings and found there were lots of little pumpkin plants coming up from the compost that we put in there earlier. Knowing that I did not have room to grow all these pumpkins and all the other things I had to plant, I started to pull them up. Lexi did not like this and was mad that we were "wasting" these good seedlings. So, she convinced me to pot them and she and Chase dragged a table and made signs to sell them in the front yard. Before you know it, lots of neighborhood kids come over to "help". Chase and a couple other boys started going door-to-door to sell them and some people even gave them extra to plant them for them. The kids added lemonade to their stand as well. It always amazes me the nice people that stop and buy from children. One guy, who looked a bit like a hippy, bought two even though it was toward the end of the afternoon and they were looking a bit sad and droopy.

I learned something important. Always buy stuff from children! They are these budding entrepreneurs! They believe that anything is possible.

Now the true issue came out at the end of the afternoon when it was time to go in. Lexi was stressed that she still had plants left and knew that if they did not get planted, they would die. So she and two of her friends worked tirelessly to take them around and "give" them to people, instructing them on how to plant and make sure to water them. It was so funny. People were receptive and I think our neighborhood will be populated with pumpkins. Lexi's stubbornness and persistence really is some of her key qualities. She just does not give up when she believes in something. She manages these other kids, all who had different ideas and she delegated different tasks. She is really a leader in the making.

So often, I don't really want to associate with the neighbors. I just feel so different and get irritated at their lawn spraying, and George Bush signs ;-) But it was really nice to see them being kind to these crazy children, trying to save the world - one pumpkin at a time. And of course you have to throw in the capitalism, with the selling of product - marketed on cuteness alone ;-)

Sometimes it isn't always easy...

2008-04-24T23:54:00.002-04:00

I am writing this blog tonight for therapeutic purposes. Today was a tough day. It ended really rough. My kids are constantly bickering, my house was full of neighborhood kids in and out. They ate all my food, played horrible music, and had tantrums. And yet my kids want to play with them. I want to be the nice mother. In reality I would rather have them all here than have my kids all over the neighborhood. I am dreading the end of school when all the school kids are around all the time. I think maybe we are all tired and overstimulated. I think a lot of times I overreact to things, like bickering and crying. I am supposed to be the parent who figures out how to find solutions to a problem - and yet I find myself in these circular conversations about whose right and wrong, and they I find I am in some way taking sides.

I am not sure if it is a teen thing - and I can't really complain because my teen is quite wonderful. However, this constant struggle between respecting their independence, and keeping them safe - or even respecting their independence versus keeping everyone else in the family happy....it just drives me crazy. My younger daughter is sad because her older sister wants to always be on the computer, on the phone, or IM-ing her friends. I get that this is kind of what happens at this age. But I feel for my younger daughter too. I understand that she wants her sister to be her buddy.

It has been several weeks since I last wrote the above post. I was going to delete it, but I thought I would write about some of our solutions. We have started making a list each night of what each one wants to do/accomplish. If Music lessons are scheduled, or they want to work on something, they write it down. I am trying to do the same thing. What I have found is that we accomplish more, that they tend to want to finish things on the list, and then my teen will IM, but if she has written that she wants to continue to learn a song on the guitar, she writes this down. Just this morning Brianna was playing a game with Lexi - and I guess it just goes in cycles. We do tend to have lots of neighborhood children here, but I am trying to limit it to certain times of the day - or for certain periods of time. I guess I would rather have them all here, then have my kids off somewhere else. I am still working on this as some of these kids can be downright annoying - two of them are constantly fighting over my daughters attention, and it gets a little old after awhile. I have been pleasantly suprised at how well she handles them. She just says it like it is. The other day I finally said if a person yelled or name-called another person, they were going to be asked to go home. And it seemed to work.

All in all I guess it is just working through things as a family and trying to balance life - as Dr. Suess would say "Life is a Great Balancing Act"

Praying Mantis

2008-03-22T21:42:00.006-04:00

The kids and I have been trying to hatch praying mantis. We ordered the egg case and set up a habitat - and have since waited about three weeks. Finally, we saw that they had hatched and we were so excited. The only wierd thing was that only a few seemed to have hatched and about five or so seemed to have died and turned brown. One was still doing ok for awhile, and we released the wingless fuitflies into the habitat. The little guy is hard to find now, and I am wondering if he has died as well. I haven't found any research to suggest that they would have more than one hatching period. A science teacher told me that it might be that the temperature in my home is too warm, or that they had too much direct sunlight.

In any case, I guess that is what science is all about - trying things and seeing what happens! Perhaps I will order or try and find another egg case and see if we have better luck.

Whose Job is it to Educate the Children?

2008-03-12T00:59:00.003-04:00

I have read all the flurry of emails over this case in California... and I guess what I don't understand with this country is why do people feel that it is the Governments job to educate our children and not the parents? Apparently educating ones own children is not *technically* a Constitutional Right. Why? Because I think our Founding Fathers thought this was a given. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, it was the parent’s job to see that their child was educated. Fast forward to the Industrial Revolution, governments wanted to keep immigrant children out of the factories and keep developing new cogs for the wheel.

So, here we are with our whole society believing that it is the Governments job - and when kids are aren't educated, it is now the teachers fault, and the school needs more money. In my district, it cost $13,000 per child to educate them. I understand overhead and all that - but I am doing it with way less than that. In addition, why don't people question the growth and net profit of all those places like Sylvan Learning Center? So, not only does the district spend $30,000 for my children - but then parents pay again when the system isn't working for them.

I am not saying that schools are bad - and that we should banish them - because they are important in the goal of educating children - but what irritates me is that if the parents choose an alternative method - such as homeschooling, why is it the governments job to regulate and make sure parents are doing their "job", when everyone is crying at what a sad state the schools are in.

Which brings up the child abuse issue. That argument that says, children being in public school are screened for abuse. Hello!! I know many children that have faced sexual abuse and bullying in the public school - and no one is dragging the school into court. Well perhaps they are, but it is not as well publicized. I am in no means wishing to protect child abusers. But in most cases where this in the family that is called into question about homeschooling, it is that they were already having issues, social services dropped the ball and then when the children are starved and murdered, the headlines all say "Homeschooled Mother kills her children". I don't believe in these cases that the parents were really "homeschooling" and even if they were making their kid do sit down school, if they were abusive and controlling, they would have been this way regardless of whether the child was in school or not.

So, really I am not panicking about this California thing. Chase says we can just move to Canada ;-) But perhaps if it came down to it, I could get a teaching certificate and add it to my degree collection.

But the crux of the matter as I see it is - Who do we really think is responsible for the education of our children? Why do we insist on letting the government control us and let them serve the people rather than the other way around? I understand all the social implications of an educated vs. non-educated population, and I understand the Bell Curve. But in theory educational institutions should be in place, should we wish to utilize them. They should not be forced on us.

How I Love Theater....

2008-03-10T23:16:00.003-04:00

We have had such a busy month and a half. Brianna has been in the play The Three Musketeers at York Little Theater. It has been a great experience for her and this particular play has had rehearsals every night and Saturday for the past 6 weeks. She has had to learn stage combat, a bit of fencing and an Old English low-class dialect for her character.

I have had to learn a lot of new things as a mother ;-) I guess the biggest thing is the social part. Brianna has always been very social. I remember as a child she was happiest if I took her out somewhere - even to the store. So with this play she has met all kinds of new kids and adults - and has spent a lot of time on IM and email. Sometimes, it seems that she spends all day doing this. Then she'll be on the phone with a friend, reading the IM's from other friends, to the friend on the phone. And she has a million windows open and is flipping back between them, listening to Sirius radio on-line, updating her Facebook, etc. I am sure that many other Mothers experience this at this age - but I am just in awe at the pace of everything. Some of the kids she is IM-ing are in school using IM from their phones. I am amused as I am sure they are sitting in class - doing something other than what they are supposed to - as I was at that age.

I find myself worrying that she really is doing something worthwhile. I will say that she is working on her spelling and typing by using the IM...I am amazed at how well, what your peers think of your spelling matters way more than any spelling "test".

Many of the other kids use rather bad language. One of those "socialization" issues that you kind of miss by not being in school is the language. I guess that depends on what your household is like. We don't really use it - and I always tell my kids we have so many words in the English language that we can find one that is appropriate for any situation - that is clever and doesn't make you sound like an idiot. Ah - but then again, some people would suggest that peppering your phrases with the "F" word is the appropriate expression. Who knows... I just know that she has been exposed to many new and different things. I wonder sometimes how other parents are when their kid is in school. One of the things that I found shocking was how many parents will just let some strange woman (i.e. me) who they have never met or talked to, take their kid home at midnight. My daughter is always saying that this certain teenage boy has offered to bring her home - and I am thinking ....uh yeah - NO! It is a whole new world. Teenage boys who drive...

So, from my experience the whole socialization issue is ridiculous. I think people envision that we sit in our house at the kitchen table and never get out. Its crazy. I am almost feeling that we are always surrounded by people.

And on another note - I was impressed with Brianna giving a Bible Basics book to one of the other kids who she thought might enjoy reading it. I still sometimes stress at suggesting a certain book, or sharing my faith with people. She was so unabashed by it. She was sharing who she is. I am so jaded by experience. I feel a bit uncertain about what I think and feel- that I often don't just come out and say what I think. And yet, here my 13 year old daughter is confident in who she and and what she thinks - and it makes me happy to see it. She doens't have the hang ups caused by the "socialization" and bullying you can find in school. She has been able to develop in her own way, at her own pace.

So, I think what it really is that worries me is that I am afraid of all the ugliness out there. The meanness of other kids, the emotional rollercoaster that comes along with adolescence and the beginning of relationships with boys... I want to be able to talk honestly and openly - but not freak her out with too much information - or saying the wrong thing. I just want to be a good Mom.

Beyond that I do love theater. It just inspires my spirit somehow...

What do you want to be when you grow up? A Blacksmith!

2007-11-20T23:15:00.000-05:00

Tonight at dinner Chase asks me if Brianna 'has' to go to college soon. I said "well, she doesn't "have" to go to college, but I think she'd like to become a chef and I think she'd like to go to a cooking school. She has mentioned more than once that she'd like to go back to Rhode Island and go to Johnson & Wales. I guess that would be nice because of all our friends and family already there that could help her out during that first time away.

Then Chase says "Would I have to go to college?" I said well that depends on what you want to do for a job when you grow up. Some professions require a college degree and other don't. So do you have any idea what you'd like to do for a job?

"I want to be a blacksmith." Ok that one stumped me. I said "really - a blacksmith?" and he added "or someone who works with wood...you know makes things with wood."

He was so matter of fact. I guess the cool thing about his interest at the moment is that I can find ways to assist him with outlets for his interest. We actually have plans for a bat house that we got after the Nixon Park Nature Center class about bats. John is really good at building things. It quite amazes me actually. How he can even build things without a pattern and just figure them out. I think Chase is much like his Dad in this respect.

Blacksmith...huh. I wonder if you can make a living as a blacksmith? I was just reading this book about old "Yankee" homesteading skills and blacksmithing was in there. I kind of glossed over that thinking "yeah that's not something I could do" and moved on to the gardening and animal section. Now that I think about it, whenever we go anywhere that has a blacksmith - like recently at Mystic Seaport - Chase always spends a lot of time observing. I'll bet as he gets older I can find someone associated with the CSA to teach him... it is definately one of those dying arts....

Wow - unschooling really can open your eyes to possibilties that you never considered before.

This is why I got Satellite Radio...

2007-11-03T23:55:00.000-04:00

See there's something you discover every day while homeschooling....and using Satellite Radio ;-)
Alien In My Nose by Trout Fishing In America

Our Eco-Friendly Halloween

2007-10-31T22:08:00.000-04:00

This was our most creative Halloween. I finally remember to purchase ahead of time the Fair Trade Trick or Treat pack from Global Exchange. So we got Fair trade dark chocolate minis - along with some info cards to pass out about Fair Trade chocolate. I realize that I am the wierd one in the neighborhood - and especially living near Hershey, the chocolate capital of the world. My DH bought candy at the dollar store to make up little gifts for his clients kids and when we opened one of the bags the Jr. Mints were moldy!! So I took them right back and said "this is why I don't shop at the Dollar Store!"

So we also got a Mexican made skeleton garland thing that we put up to be festive and made cookies to eat while we worked on our pumpkins.

The kids did the best job with their costumes. Lexi wanted to be a vet and we did have a nurses smock in the dress-up bin, but she didn't have anything else that she wanted such as a stethoscope. So after two days of saying that we needed to buy one she finally made one out of cardboard and string and it looked really good. She carried around her stuffed cat, Lena - and very clearly was a vet. Chase already had a ninja costume in the dress-up bin that he wanted to use, but wanted a ski mask hat. So on a trip to the Salvation Army I found a large black snow hat that would fit all the way down to his neck for 99cents so we brought that home and cut holes in for eyes.

Brianna wanted to be a gypsy and so we went to the thrift shop to get bangles and beads and a scarf. Lexi found a pin with a cat on it. So we picked it all up for under $5.00. So I bought nothing new - and I am sure they will all make their way into the dress up bin for further use!

And I was the only person who gave out Fair Trade chocolate...although one mother had a set-up with a cauldron and was handing out apple cider - which was really great because everyone seems to get thirsty on the way.

Now our pumpkins! We found this great warty pumpkin and decided to make a witch out of her! So we used radishes from the farm for eyes, and the stump of a warty gord for the nose and a chili from our garden for the mouth. Brianna also made these really cool looking goul things. Chase says they looked like deer...

Overall it was a really fun day - and I was seiked that I was able to make it eco-friendly as well.

Going to the Symphony!

2007-10-19T21:03:00.000-04:00

Frankenstein!!
Friday, October 19, 2007 at 8:00 p.m.

We spent this morning in Baltimore at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra as they open the last dress rehearsal up to school groups. My friends Homeschool group had reserved seats for us. The upcoming symphony is Frankenstein and looked really cool. In reality, we have never been to the symphony before so this was really kind of special - but the rehearsal was just that and they played the same section over several times. As it wore on, most of the kids got bored so we left. But I think it was a neat experience overall. The first violinist was so animated! I think this was inspiring for Lex who has been struggling recently with her violin. As the pieces become more difficult, she doesn't enjoy playing as much. But her teacher has really been encouraging and it was good to see that even those professionals, who you think are perfect are still practicing the same section over and over!

But now, I would like to actually save up the money to go for real! The conductor composed a piece that was his interpretation of the Frankenstein character, based upon Mary Shelly's book.

The one theme that you find over and over with unschooling is that one thing leads to another. We recognized some of the bits of the song and my friend went home and looked it up and we played it. The kids came in and out while that particular CD was playing and remarked that they recognized that piece. Well, they should as they heard the little sections several times! Then, we want to read the original book - which leads my husband to quoting the silly lines from the Frankenstein movie (the spoof one) - which now I need to go rent.

I will say that Chase was not as inspired and had bioncles in his backpack ;-) But he is like that and seems to need something to do with his hands as he listens. This applies whether it is reading or TV. He doesn't sit still very long to watch or listen and you would almost think he is not paying any attention and then he will come out with something profound that lets you know he really was listening.

I really thought for us that this was a neat experience, because going to the symphony is so costly for our family. If we had waited around for the whole rehearsal they would have had Q&A. I was kind of bummed to miss that but really the kids had met their limit and we wanted to respect that.

Overall, it was a really interesting day!
.

What Harry Potter Character are you?

2007-08-08T23:08:00.001-04:00

Which Harry Potter Character Are You?
	You are Hagrid. You're an outcast with a heart of gold. Despite your own problems, you always find time to help those in need.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Awww..I was sure I'd be Hermione ;-)

Manitoulin Kids Camp

2007-08-05T23:47:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted for awhile so I probably missed a whole lot of really good stuff that we have been doing. However, we just got back from Manitoulin Kid's Camp in Ontario Canada. It is so beautiful there - and I have so much fun with the kids. This is really what it means when we say "The World is Our Classroom"! because it really is!

Canada is so beautiful! We did some serious camping sans electricity! The best part was counseling at kids camp. John and I had a great group of 11 year old girls. They really broght out the goofy in both of us ;-) Well, let's just say that it wasn't too far of a stretch for John!

Happy New Year!

2007-01-06T21:46:00.000-05:00

Well this is a little belated - but here is to another Happy Year!

I like to do a little reflection at the start of a new year. There have been so many projects; mostly personal that I have started this past year and things I will be finishing up this coming year.

I would have to say that this past year I struggled with some personal issue with homeschooling. I really feel that to successfully unschool, one needs to be completely available to do all the fun things that your kids want to do. I feel like I wasn't up to my usual perky self for many reasons, and some days I was just glad to get through the day. With that said, I have worried on those bad days that perhaps my kids would get more in school. Knowing that this is not true - and would be dependant on many factors I just really want to try harder to be more present, to make the time available to each one individually and help them accomplish some of the many things that they want to do. I have been feeling restless and bored. What is amazing is that I really do not have time to be bored - but what it is, is I am tired of the same old routine. I feel like I lack the emotional energy to pursue my own interests. I realize that I will get by this and that a lot has happened this year.

Starting the New Year off, I mailed a manuscript of a children's book that I had written and tweaked over the year. It has sat here on my computer, with my thoughts telling me, that really I am just going to get a rejection letter, so why bother. In reality, nothing can ever get published, if I don't put it out there. Even, if I get that subsequent rejection letter, well at least I actually sent it. Who knows - I visualize seeing it in Borders - or being able to have a booth at my CSA with the book there.

I have met some really creative people over the past year. I hope that I can just learn to let my own creativity through and be an example to my kids, that it doesn’t have to be perfect. There is so much that is artistic that appeals to one person and not another.

I will be completing my graduate degree this year. Somehow this does not feel like a major accomplishment - but I have really enjoyed the process of continuing to learn new things, interact with others in the class and have access to that really great on-line library from the college. I suppose if I was going to run out and get a job it might be more climatic, but I think I am going to miss going and will have to find ways to get my intellect going.

Someone asked me if being home, homeschooling my children wasn't mental stimulation enough - and I felt embarrassed almost at this assumption that if I am not content to just be with them that something is wrong with me. On the other hand, I feel like going to school has always been my way of having "something else". Something of my own interests. But I have seen it almost as a weakness that I need to have 500 things going on all at once to feel fulfilled.

This year I want to actually buy a camper and be brave enough to learn to drive it all the way to Canada for our annual camping trip.

This year I hope John's business continues to flourish so that I can pay off debt and I can save for that farm type property where I can have animals - and my neighbors won't complain!

Wouldn't it be really cool to have enough money to plan a really neat trip for our 15th anniversary - or take the kids somewhere really cool - like Mexico or Spain- to practice the Spanish we are learning? Ok, in reality Brianna would be the only one able to speak - as she is the one who seems to remember everything!

We are going to do another play. Hopefully, I will be able to have a role in one this year. I know Brianna and Lexi are planning for some of the auditions - but I need to go ahead and fit this in somehow.

Oh - and exercise...I really want to be more active. I know this is a cliché resolution - but I find I have been putting it off in a big way. I am going to be swapping babysitting for yoga classes so that is a start.

The kids don't really have "goals" for the New Year. To them, I think it is just another day. Which in reality it is. I just hope to have a really good year as a family. To get to do all those fun things that the kids want to do. To get the monkey off my back of insecurity or lack - or whatever it is and move forward. To be a more mindful parent, to listen more than I speak, to help my children grow into who they are as individuals and not who I think they should be. To be thankful for my many blessings, to embrace abundance and not be afraid of it, to make my marriage stronger, to allow for greater trust and intimacy with others, to not be such a chicken when putting my feelings out there, to figure out exactly what things I want to do and work toward them.

I welcome the New Year, full of things that have never been!

What We've Been up To...

2006-11-18T16:39:00.000-05:00

I have neglected this blog for several months. It has been crazy here with many things going on at once. Perhaps most pressing was that my father was in the hospital for several weeks and we have really had to cope with alcoholism as a family. I have chosen to be honest with the kids in these matters as they are highly aware and it certainly pertains to them as well. It hasn't been easy on any of us and because of all that has been going on, it has seemed to disrupt our normal flow of things.

Learning, however as always continues. Brianna has performed in a major role at a local theater in an original play called The White Pebble Library. She has been continuing with piano lessons and soccer. She has been into poetry and has written many of her own lately. She continues to find joy in cooking. She recently sewed PJ's for herself and Lexi and has been knitting quite a bit.

Chase got a skateboard for his birthday and so has been outside quite a bit learning to ride it. He has been into bionicles and using the computer.

Lexi is still going strong with violin and I think she is pleasantly surprised at how much she has progressed since last year. She really likes playing. She has really been interested in helping me in the garden and canning lots of veggies and fruit. She planted lots of spring bulbs this fall and so we are looking forward to see how they will all look coming up next spring.

We have all enjoyed another season at Spoutwood Farm, CSA. I think the most memorable thing we learned was that praying mantis like bananas. We found one while harvesting that had a missing leg, and Lexi sat it on a plant. She was eating a banana and decided to put some on her finger and the praying mantis took it from her and ate it. I really wished I had my camera then! It was great to have another season to figure out how to cook all kinds of veggies and as always love the idea of all of us experiencing sustainable agriculture up close.

We are all participating in Project Feederwatch and have found some new types of seeds that the birds particularly love, a woodpecker blend. We finally invested in some field guides that are particular to our area and have seen some interesting birds. Perhaps most interesting was that while we were watching a really small bird was scooped up by some type of hawk. It happened so fast though that all we were able to see was the underside of the bird’s wings.

Currently we are visiting in New England and I am just soaking up the New England feel of things. We are enjoying being with old friends and the kids are having a blast. On our agenda is the Mystic Aquarium, and the Mashantucket Pequot Museum, and of course the beach, which we all love and went to often when we lived here. We plan to enjoy Thanksgiving with my aunt and family.

I love homeschooling. It is really great to just be able to get away, and experience other areas of the country without being hindered by school schedules and rules.

Pride of the Susquenhanna

2006-07-05T23:33:00.000-04:00

Last week we had our cousins visiting and took a riverboat ride - in the rain - on the Pride of the Susquehanna. The kids really enjoyed this. The water was really dirty looking and we found it interesting that in my water bill, there was a letter explaining that the Susquenhanna is a back-up water source in case of drought. The kids got right down on the bottom level and watched the "dirty" water go by with occasional pieces of garbage floating in it. What an ecology lesson right there. All the things that they learned from the Watershed association about water pollution came spilling out. Although, a couple days later we went hiking up Cunningham Falls and the kids splached, played and drank the "clear, fresh" water only to find out that the park has banned swimming that day due to bacteria in the water. So I guess you never know... Anyway here are some photos from The Pride of the Susquehanna.

CSA Farming

2006-07-02T15:19:00.000-04:00

Here are some photos from our CSA Farm -Spoutw ood Farm. We had guests this week and had a great time along with them, exploring the farm and helping harvest some fabulous organic veggies!

There are additional photos here:http://www.dropshots.com/bacwoodz

We have been really big supporters of Community Supported Agriculture and enjoy our locally grown, fresh organic veggies and flowers every week. The kids all come along with me and sometimes they help harvest, other times they play in the streams or various forts. There are all kinds of "farm" animal mascots - dogs, cats, horses and a goat. The best part of working on this farm is that not only am I learning a lot about organic and sustainable agriculture, but the kids are learning about where their food comes from, how it is grown and how much work it can be! It really makes us appreciate all that goes into fresh, healthy food. I love the fact that the farm we work on supports over 120 families with produce from June- November.

If you are interested in finding out about Community Supported Agriculture and what is going on in your area check out this link: htt p://ww w.nal.usda.gov/afsic /csa/

Oh - and our farm has a "Dark Fairy realm" - probably one of my kids most favorite places to play... they fit right in with those mischevous fairies ;-)!

Strawberry Jam!

2006-06-05T22:20:00.000-04:00

Our garden is doing amazing! Last year John bought strawberry plants and I took his advice and plucked off the flowers. This year we have a bountiful crop! During two days time I went from having a few ripe berries and the kids were eating them even though they were not quite ripe, to having a large enough bowl of about 5 cups that Lexi and I picked Friday. She really wanted to make jam, so I pulled out all my stuff and "helped" her. It got me thinking that I learned to make jam from my Grandmother and remember making it with her when I went to visit in California. One of the things that she always used to send me was her homeade cactus apple jelly. It was so good! My grandfather used to grind his own grain and make his own bread. I remember that he practically had an orchard in his backyard and it was the first time I had ever had a real, live fig ;-) At my grandfathers funeral this past October the brother that spoke about him had so much to say about his gardening and that he was an environmentalist before there was a name for it. I had one of those A Ha moments - that I was given a gift from my "ancestors". And it is this gift that I celebrate with my children. Lexi was so proud of her strawberry growing and jam making. She has shared jars with all out neighbors and we have already eaten two. This am I made homemade scones to eat with our jam. Brianna had it on her ice cream tonight for dessert. It feels so amazing to grow something completely organically and have enough for making jam AND eating. Lexi and Chase picked another large bowl this afternoon and ate them all.

Our chickadees have left the nest. We saw them today at the feeder. It was really a great experience watching the process. Observing nature is such a wonderful way to learn "science". It is real science and the way all great scientists learned.

We thoroughly enjoyed Shakespeare's Pericles. We spent the afternoon at the Rock Creek Park Nature Center and went to the Planetarium Show. We spent Sunday after meeting helping with the Clean Up Day and Brianna and Lexi went to their friend Janet's piano recital. With all our driving we listened to Esperanza Rising, which is an excellent book that I would highly recommend.

Our weekend was busy and fun. Brianna was asked in a shop the other day when she will be done with school. She replied - I'm never done. A teenage girl and her mother were nearby and the girl asks "Never?" Brianna replied "I'm homeschooled. I am always learning." The clerk smiled and thought that was great and said that "yes, we are all always learning". Some people that I run into get this. Others can't fathom learning without a classroom. I am so thankful that this has been the way we have been learning all along.

Shakespeare on Hot, Sunny Days...

2006-06-02T11:47:00.000-04:00

We have had some really hot, sunny weather the past couple of days. The kids have spent most of the day in the pool. We had a really fun cookout on Memorial Day with lots of kids in and out of the pool, playing croquet, in the tree fort and light saber dueling through the basement. We have had a variety of kids staying over and I think this is the first day in two weeks where my kids are the only ones here!

We are planning to go to Washington DC to see Pericles by the Shakespeare Company. I got out a few books from the library on Ancient Greece, and Pericles, along with the original play that I wanted to try and read through before we go. I think there is such an advantage to going to see a production rather then simply reading the play in the book. These plays were really meant to be watched rather than read. A more recent equivalent would be trying to read through a modern day movie script without ever seeing the production. I think this is why I had such a difficult time understanding Shakespeare in high school. You can get the gist of it by reading, but seeing it, especially on stage is a much richer experience. Especially with Pericles, with which I am largely unfamiliar, I like to try and at least skim the actual story beforehand, get an understanding of who the characters are and the time period that the play takes place in. But it is nothing in comparison to the experience of seeing it performed on stage. We have been going to see Shakespeare in the park since before we had kids! Brianna has been going since she was an infant. By having it in the park, the kids had freedom to meander a bit if they got antsy. We always packed a picnic "dinner" and snacks and during intermission you could walk around the park or go into the town for coffee and a pastry. The kids have seen, Othello, King Lear, Julius Caesar, As you like it, The Comedy of Errors, A Midsummer Nights Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Mac Beth, Taming of the Shrew, Twelfth Night and Hamlet. I am certain they do not understand all of it - but they don't have that feeling that "Shakespeare is hard”. The difference I see is in the approach. Rather than approaching it as "this is a required reading as part of your curriculum" – it is simply that Shakespeare in the park is fun! Of course it is "educational" - but it is not forced.I believe this is a great example of sharing your own interests with your children. Because my husband and I enjoy going to see Shakespeare and the kids have always come along and enjoyed it, it becomes a fun family outing. I downloaded the cliff notes on Pericles mainly for my own benefit, but found myself reading little snippets out loud to my daughter and her friend - who is also going with her family about the writing of the play and why they believe that there was another writer in addition to Shakespeare. We talked about how Shakespeare had been away from his wife for long periods of time and my son noted "That was like Ben Franklin, when he was going to England after the Revolutionary War. His wife was sick and died and he wasn't even here." It brought all sorts of conversation about how the ability to travel quickly has changed society and how even though people are far away they can still see each other quickly.The point of all this is that nothing is static, everything is connected. This is why unschooling works so well. There isn't just one interest that a child follows - but that interest branches into further things.

I am sure that the production will be fun!

Baby Chickadees!

2006-05-27T21:38:00.000-04:00

We have been having a great learning experience with our bird box that the kids made during the Great Backyard Bird count activities at our local nature center. It was exciting for us to watch a chickadee start building a nest, and then there were six small eggs in the nest. The chickadee actually let me pet her. I'm not sure if she was just tolerating me - but anyway it was something that has never happened before. Last week the eggs hatched and there were six, featherless pink babies. This week we have watched in amazement as they have increased exponentially in size, and have enjoyed watching the mother and father care for them. The girls went in and held one of the babies - They were told that this was ok, by the people at the nature center; however I have gotten mixed information about this. My feeling is to let them be and just observe them - but anyway, I did take some pictures of Brianna and Lexi, and their friend Rachel as they were holding the birds. I am amazed at how much we have learned about birds and backyard birding in the last few months. For Mother's Day the kids got me a new bird feeder and a birdbath that you can hang from a tree. This way our cat won't keep leaping at them! Chase uses his binoculars often to look at the birds and has found numerous nests up in our trees - one of which he is sure belongs to a Robin. Enjoy our photos!

Ways Children Learn

2006-05-10T22:05:00.000-04:00

This was posted on an unschooling discussion list from selfdirectedlearning and I loved it. I want to print it out and put it on my refrigerator! It is such a simple concept. As an adult I learn all the time in any manner of ways. Why do we assume that children must be sitting in a classroom to learn, or need a particular teacher to learn? The world is full of opportunity, we just need to provide children with a rich learning environment and be available to them to take them to places they would like to go and people they want to see. Be available to play with them, read with them, do puzzles and legos, nature walk, garden, cook, look at the night sky,playy in the rain, fly kites, walk on the beach, send postcards to friends, watch interesting DVD's, go to the library, the playground, the zoo, the park, antqiue stores, festivals and community events... the list never ends!

Ways children can learn :
Learn by being told -- through lessons, lectures,presentations.
Learn by being shown -- from examples, demonstrations,and models.
Learn from an on-line or distance education course.
Learn by observing intensely.
Learn by studying books or other print resources.
Learn by asking someone what you want to know.
Learn by searching the Internet.
Learn by imitating a skilled performance.
Learn by practicing repeatedly, especially coachedpractice.
Learn by mentally rehearsing.
Learn by seeking direct experiences.
Learn by conducting an experiment.
Learn by taking action in the field, by doing it.
Learn by working cooperatively with others as a team.
Learn by teaching someone else.
Learn by teaching yourself.
Learn by studying media: videos, CDs, tapes, and DVDs.
Learn by preparing a public presentation.
Learn by working or studying with a mentor.
Learn by trial and error.
Learn by dramatization, by acting it out.
Learn by grouping, categorizing, and clarifying.
Learn by forming concepts based on evidence andreason.
Learn by creating conceptual maps of relationshipsamong items or ideas.
Learn by picturing -- by seeing and recalling thingsthat are.
Learn by visualizing -- by imagining things that mightbe.
Learn by thinking metaphorically: link the known tothe unknown.
Learn about ideas by connecting them to what youalready know.
Learn from failure how not to fail; from success, howto succeed.
Learn from simulations.
Learn by taking a job that requires the performanceyou seek.
Learn by thinking for yourself -- forming opinions,reaching conclusions.
Learn intuitively: discover what you knowinstinctively.
Learn by competing with others.
Learn by playing spontaneously or in games.
Learn from observing yourself: your thoughts,emotions, and actions.
Learn by striving to achieve an ambitious goal.
Learn from reflection and contemplation in solitude.
Learn from travel -- new places, new people, new activities.
Learn by doing what has moral value (for example,helping others).

Rocket Launch!

2006-04-24T23:04:00.000-04:00

Chase finally got to launch the rocket that he got for his birthday. The weather was perfect for it - so we headed out to the park. It was really cool. Chase loves rockets and this one shot so high into the sky - the kids were all impressed.

On Birds and Writing...

2006-04-13T22:29:00.000-04:00

Today the kids found that the cat had tried to get at a bird. Well, he is always doing this as is natural for cats. They found this hurt bird - and got out a box, tried to dig up worms to feed it, and generally were really loud and chaotic about it all. But they were honestly trying to help it. It unfortunately died, and Chase cried. I love it when my sword-swinging boy gets emotional about these types of things. It reminds me that he is still sensitive about smaller creatures. In any case, they did all whip out the bird books and found that it was a baby mocking bird.

They have been excited that some chickadees have found the bluebird houses that they built and put up. The one near my garden doesn't seem to be getting much action - but I think it may be too close to the road.

We had a beautiful day and spent most of it at the playground with the home school group. There were lots of kids today. I got really sunburned which takes the zing right out of you.

Yesterday Brianna and I spent some time at the coffee shop at the library going over a book about publishing children's books. We really have been learning a lot about the whole business and it seems a little daunting. She had a poem published in a magazine and a book review published in our local paper. So now she wants to submit her stories to a book publisher. She has been working really hard with grammar and spelling and rewriting. There's a part of me that doesn't want her to be disappointed, but on the other hand I admire her pluck. She doesn't have that "someday" idea that most of us grow up with. That "someday" she will be a writer. She just assumes she is. I on the other hand am still a bit chicken. ;-) I worry about rejection and wind up sticking to things that I know I am good at - and I am not too invested in. You can learn a lot from your kids. I sometimes think how fortunate I am to be home schooling and spending so much time with their creative spirits. They don't look at anything as being impossible. They are just so determined.... I wonder sometimes if I would have wound up that way if I had done things differently. I always wrote in high school. My friends and I would write stories back and forth about boys we liked and such. I saved a lot of this stuff and have read it a time or two - thinking it was really stupid. But at the time, it was a great outlet. It never seemed to be something that was real. It wasn't schoolwork - wasn't guaranteed to get me into college. It was just how I got through the school day. Brianna notes how Dave Pilkey wrote his Captain Underpants in school while he was supposed to be paying attention. We love that Christopher Paolini wrote his books as a home school teenager. It is nice to note that J.K Rowling wrote the beginnings of Harry Potter while trying to work as a secretary and being totally distracted. Can you imagine her family must have thought she would never be able to hold a job, etc. So I guess the moral of the story is that there is hope for me. A year ago I would never have written even a blog for fear that strangers would read it and think it was awful. So this in itself is a step. It forces me to write at least something - and something that is not school related and academic. I sometimes think that graduate level writing is far easier than creative fiction.
So perhaps, my daughter will have written a child's reader - that is fun and has a purpose other than teaching phonics.... and I will have a book signing someday at Borders....

Gingerbread Bunnies Potting Shed

2006-04-12T13:22:00.000-04:00

Here are some photos of our Bunnies Potting Shed Gingerbread house. Much thanks to the homeschool Dad for his structural expertise - and much more patience than I have ;-) Overall it was a messy, fun process! Chase wouldn't let us take his picture, but he did volunteer to help us eat it ;-)

Making Candles

2006-04-11T00:06:00.000-04:00

Here are some photos of our candle making project. We started off with the Chemistry Wiz kit - and wound up trying to make some like my Mom used to. She used sand for her mold and melted crayons to create the colors. When you take it out of the mold, it holds the sand a bit making it look kind of rustic and interesting. In any case, it was a fun project....

View from the Font Yard

2006-04-10T23:50:00.000-04:00

This was a neat view this afternoon. I thought the balloon next to the moon looked really cool. We had a great weekend. Brianna got to stay over at a friend's house and went to an art festival. I took Lexi to the Pennsylvania Herb Fest - and she enjoyed it. She helped me pick out some new herbs for the garden - a pineapple sage, pineapple mint, golden oregano and we found perennial basil (you do have to bring it in before the frost). We had a great time tasting all kinds of goodies and came home with some herbs that you add into cream cheese, some new teas and a bottle of sparkling apple cider from a local orchard. I got to listen to a Medicinal Herb workshop and Lexi loved that the lady presenting passed around all these pictures of herbs. She liked to guess what they were and then took to drawing pictures of them on the brochures and catalogs that we had collected. We just had a really nice time together.

On Saturday, Chase had a play date, and John was working so Lexi and I finally finished her gingerbread bunny’s potting shed. I will have to get a picture of it because it came out really cool. When Chase got home he wanted to have a "book" party. So he and Lexi filled his room with streamers and ribbon - I made up snacks and Chase had books laid out everywhere. He kind of had this library idea - but of course it was just us. So we had our snacks - and played Dominoes, and read some of his books. It was fun to just hang out there together.

Sunday we went over to our friend’s house and had a fire and roasted hot dogs and made Smore's. We all had fun. The kids all built a tee-pee. I was impressed with how they worked together and did a great job with getting it to stay up. They used a blanket around the sides to make it like a "real" Tee-pee. Kids are really creative.....

Overall - it was just a great weekend....

The Kitten Story

2006-04-03T23:00:00.000-04:00

Brianna often tells stories to Chase and Lexi - and they laugh and laugh! It seems that the more "slapstick" comedy they contain the funnier they are. I think my favorite is the "Worker" stories(i.e Construction Worker - Chase call them workers). Usually everything falls on his head and this makes Chase laugh. In any case, she has taken the time to type out the Kitten story and illustrate a cover. So I thought I would include it here in this blog becuase
of her hard work ;-)

The Kitten Story

One day three little kittens were playing outside. The oldest was Lilly. The second was Tiger the third was Peanut. They were having a very good time when their mother came around the corner of the house.
“Kittens” she said “your Grandparents are coming today and I am going to make a coconut cream pie so stay out of Mischief Okay?”

“Okay” sang the kittens together

“Mom?”asked Lilly “can we make something for Grandma and Grandpa?”

“Of course you can” said their mother “I am going to start the pie”

“Bye mom” the kittens shouted after her

“what are we going to make” asked Tiger

“Oh I was thinking a card or something” said Lilly

“Lets go get the stuff “said Peanut

“I will get the paper” said Lilly

“I will get the Glue” said Tiger

“I will get the Markers and pencils” said Peanut So they ran to the house to get their stuff

Back in the barn they were wondering how they should make their cards “I am going to make a BIG flowery card with lots of loopy letters” said Lilly

“I am going to make a card with lots of Butterflies and bees” said Peanut

“I don’t know what to make” said Tiger

“Make one like mine” said Lilly

“No way” said Tiger “I think Grandpa and Grandma would like a paper airplane instead” He put his nose in the air to show his mind was made up and he was not changing it

“O.K. then” said Lilly and they began to make their cards.
But after awhile trouble started Peanut could not reach the table because she was too short so Lilly got her some big books from her bookcase so Peanut could reach but she dropped the glue on Tigers seat when he got up to get some paper and he came back and sat on it “Watch out” she yelled “Yikes” shouted Lilly

“Whoa” said Tiger Glue squirted every where Peanut flew upwards and got pasted to the door Tiger and Lilly got stuck to the wall just then mama cat opened the door “Ouch” said Peanut “Oh” said mama “I’m sorry- wait a second what are you doing back there”

“I’m stuck” said Peanut

“How did it happen” said mom

“I could not reach” said Peanut “And Lilly got me some books to stand on and then I dropped the glue and….and…. I’m sorry” She said

“It was not your fault” said Mom prying her off the door then going to Tiger and Lilly to help them off the wall. As Mom peeled Lilly and Tiger off the door she said “Now kittens the pie is almost ready and Grandma and Grandpa will be here any minute I need help cleaning up this mess” “Yes Mom we will help” said Lilly

So they all worked together and the mess was cleaned up in no time. “Oh my goodness the pie” screamed Mom she ran out the door to save her pie while the kittens very carefully finished the cards. Just then Mom was coming back when she ran into Grandma and Grandpa “Are we early” asked Grandma
“Why no” said Mom

“Are we late” asked Grandpa

“Of coarse not” said Mom

“Then we must be on time” said Grandma
“Where are my darling grandkittens” said Grandpa
“In the barn” said Mom “Shall we go see them?”
“Yes I think we shall” said Grandma So they went off to the barn to see the kittens who were waiting for them “Grandma” Lilly said “Grandpa” Peanut said “PIE” Tiger said
Everyone laughed and they all enjoyed coconut cream pie and each others company till dark.

THE END

Chase learns to install a water heater...

2006-04-01T01:09:00.000-05:00

Well - it is never boring around here! Yesterday our water heater gave out and filled the basement with water. I am filled with gratitude that it was still under warranty until June! The kicker was that they wanted $270 to install it, so we decided to do it ourselves....well John decided to do it.

There is something about kids and water! The last thing I really wanted to do was sop up all that water in the basement - but the kids thought it was great. They had buckets and cups and sponges and used the Shop Vac (which Lex calls the Vac Shop). Chase put on his bathing suit and danced around. So this became a family event. John would tell them when to turn off and on facets and have them hand him tools and stuff. Chase is always right there sucking up everything that is going on with any home fix-it job. He asks all kinds of questions like "If you throw the blow torch on the ground will it explode?" I just know that one day when he has his own house he will not have problmes with fixing and building things.

The other thing that I think is so great about John is that he is never afraid to try something and usually can figure it out. No matter what it is. He will call people and ask advice, read things about it, etc. and usually he can fix anything. He is an example to the kids that they can do anything they put their mind too. It took him three times to get the pipes all back together without leaking ;-) but that's just one of those things...

So - we have a new water heater, had an interesting day "splashing" in the basement and did spend quite a bit of the day playing outside as it was beautiful out. The kids all zonked out to Gilligan's Island... and now I really am in need of a hot shower ;-)

Learning Through Play...

2006-03-28T23:50:00.000-05:00

I have been having a hard time lately. My energy level has been really down and things have just been going on where I feel that I haven't been giving focused energy on homeschooling. That's certainly not to say that learning has not been going on constantly at our house - but just that I have felt in a bit of a funk. We have read a lot. Chase has read to me quite a bit. Lex has had an interest in trying to read as well. I guess what it is that I usually have some sort of fun something to do - and usually everyone loves to jump in and do it with me.

Today was just one of those slow days. John didn't have a whole lot to do today so he was home. Brianna and Lex played for most of the day in her room and just seemed to be having a great time. They had all the doll stuff out and stuffed animals. I later found that they were playing "school" and in the course of this "play" Brianna showed Lexi how to do the 5x's table. She used all kinds of stickers and they colored and made pictures. They even had some old workbook type books that they did 1/4 of the pages (I think one was Social Studies ;-) and colored and read a Dover Coloring book on Fairy Tales.

Chase built a "submarine" out of a Discovery Toy building set and said the best part of his day was playing catch with Dad. He helped rake and bring in wood. All the kids had the bunnies out today. The weather was cool but a bit nicer so they played outside quite a bit. They noticed that some chickadees have been hanging out at the blue bird box they made and are hoping that someone will make a nest there.

Lex watered the potatoes and onions that we planted in the garden.

Oh and they watched a Wallace and Gromit DVD that came in the mail today.

Within all this one could look at them and think they are just "playing". But they do so much with play. Sometimes I think this is what many kids are missing with the early pre-school and such. Free time that is available to them to explore is a key component of growth and discovery. I sometimes feel that I went through all those years of public school and college and still don't know what I am good at - or what I want to do. Maybe being a homeschool mom is what I was meant to be. What if all those years of public school were preparation for helping kids discover their passions.

We had a good day - and it is nice to watch them all grow and learn and play. I am always amazed when I look over their day and see the depth of their play - the seriousness of their endeavors, whatever they may be and the way in which they simply love life!

Lego Playing Google Leaders...

2006-03-21T12:36:00.000-05:00

A recent article by TIME on the leaders of Google made me smile. Check out the article opening...

TIME's Adi Ignatius got the Google triumvirate of Sergey Brin, Eric Schmidt and Larry Page to sit for a talk around a table covered with Lego pieces, for which they have a known fondness, during a break at Google's recent sales conference in San Francisco. Page, who as a student built an ink-jet printer out of Lego bricks, is snapping pieces together to make a kind of endlessly ascending staircase; Brin is working on a robot. Schmidt seems too grownup for this.

WHAT ARE YOU GUYS MAKING?

BRIN: I was hoping to build a Lego nuclear reactor, but I think I have a bazooka-wielding robot.

PAGE: Hey, I know. Let's build Eric out of Legos.

http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,1158956,00.html

See and all this time I thought Chase wasn't really listening while playing with Legos ;-) This is the latest creation an "International Space Station", complete with green alien and lizard?? We were reading the book Space Station Science - life in free fall by Marianne J. Dyson and LIFE in Space. Apparently inspiring the creation.

Actually I knew he really was listening and have figured out that especially times where he is supposed to be quiet ( like in meeting) he will be playing with something and you don't think he is really listening but then later on he will come out with something profound about whatever was going on around him. Legos are a good thing...

Learning Compassion

2006-03-20T23:05:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we all had a lesson that none of us will forget. It is amazing the things that happen in everyday life that make you change and grow.

After our church meeting on Sunday, it was our turn to drive home an elderly man who attends meeting. I was alone with my three children, as my husband was at a brothers retreat weekend. As is our custom, we took Bob out to lunch. As we were sitting in the restaurant, Chase notes that the man sitting in the wheelchair in front of the hotel next door did not have any ankles. He kind of giggled a bit and this became for me a lecture on how one should be thankful that we all have legs and healthy bodies. We watched this man for a bit, and he seemed really close to the very busy main road and seemed to be struggling.

We finished our lunch, got everyone in the car and as I was about to drive past the hotel, I looked at the man and all of the sudden felt that he really needed help. So I pulled in and stopped and went and asked him. He did not have legs, had a bunch of things in his coat, a bag at his feet and looked a little worse for wear. He explained that he was meeting someone at the top of the hill and was trying to wheel himself up. This is in Baltimore - the traffic is horrendous and there was not much side space for him to travel on. He was going about 1/2 mile up the road. I was really concerned - I wanted to help and my first thought was just take him in the van. But I felt that fleeting concern that here I was with three children and an elderly man in my care... I often want to help people that I see looking for a ride and such, but tend to get concerned with safety when I have my children with me - or am alone.

So, I went in and asked the lady at the desk at the hotel about this man - and she was very unconcerned. I expressed that he was struggling and right at the entrance to the hotel where cars are turning and wondered if he was someone that they saw often. She really didn't have much to say, didn't seem to want to help. So I just followed my gut instinct and went back out and asked him if I could take him in the van. He seemed so relieved that I would do this. So I get the kids to move to the back seat, and this man gets in to my very high van, slowly and painstakingly, refusing my attempts to help. He said he maneuvered himself all the time - and wheels himself all over, but was just having trouble with this hill.

The kids sat in silence as I drove....and believe me, they are never silent! The man proceeded to tell them (and me & Bob) how he had lost his legs and just had the most positive outlook on life despite his infirmity. He said 'Life is hard without legs...life is hard with legs for that matter...you just need to keep a positive outlook and always keep pressing forward."

He was thankful that I stopped and said most people don't notice or care. I told him that sometimes for me it is fear that holds me back. Just because someone is in a wheel chair, doesn't mean they don't have a gun in their pocket! And especially being in Baltimore - I am not local; I don't really know where I am going. I just felt in this instance that it was ok.

The kids did not stop talking about it all day. Lexi said she thought it was scary that I took a stranger in our car. The kids watched as he struggled to get in and out of the van. We have a conversion van and so it is rather high up. He was adamant that he would be fine - and as we left he mentioned that the only thing he has not tried to do without legs was to swim - and maybe he would try. Brianna said it was really nice that we helped him and she was glad that we did. It was the first thing she told her Dad when he called. Chase noted how sad it was to have lost your legs. (No more giggling about missing ankles from him again, I'm sure)

The thing about it is that I think it did more for us, than it did for him. I have been having worries about money -and feeling lack. I had been worrying about going to lunch because we really didn't have the money, but it has become a bit of a habit to take Bob out to lunch and I can tell he enjoys being with us and enjoys the company - so I didn't want to not go. Being with this handicapped man - with such a tremendous spirit, just made me feel such gratitude. It made me thankful for the opportunity to help, because sometimes in life you feel that everything you do has selfish motives, or will benefit yourself in some way. It made me thankful for all that we have...and I certainly did not feel any "lack".

The Bible notes that "men have entertained angels unaware" - and there are times when I wonder if people are placed in your life for a reason. If angels do really give you a message of hope. If these are things that are meant to help you to see the big picture.

I do know this - this will be something that all of us will remember for a long time.

Homeschooling and Stay-at-Home Motherhood

2006-03-18T00:06:00.000-05:00

Today John and I had a discussion about money - and worries.... As he is just starting his new business, it takes time for things to get going. Luckily we have saved a bit over the years - and are doing ok. However, I am feeling a bit sad at the fact that I seem to be telling the kids that we "don't have the money" to do this or that, very frequently. I was thinking of taking them to a play at our favorite local theater York Little Theater but even the cost of the tickets, which is comparable to going to a movie, yet far more interesting, is more than we can do this weekend. So, we wound up renting some movies using our Blockbuster gift card from Christmas - and snuggling up together with comforters and ice cream. This actually worked out better because Brianna really wanted to audition for the play that is going on at YLT - Robin Hood, but it came at a time that was really busy for us.

So - in our discussion of "how do other people do it"... we almost always come back to - "well both people work". And starting your own business may not be as financially difficult if one person is providing a steady income and health insurance while the other gets established. I know there are other homeschooling moms, who work or do home businesses and they amaze me. I do assist with college courses - for money, which helps, but there are days like today when I don't feel that it is enough.

I was reading tonight on the New American Dream website and find it really inspiring. There is an art to staying home. A savings both financial and ecological. Would you really want to cook from scratch and find things on sale, if you were working full time and trying to do it all? Would you really be trying to find interesting, cheap (or free) fun excursions for everyone if you were working full time? Would homeschooling be as free and unstructured if you faced the time constraints that one has while working? I try and remind myself that even when we don't feel that we have the material things, or extra money for entertainment, we have time and creativity that we may not have developed if financial concerns were not an issue.

I am working on not being grumpy about it. Sarah Ban Breathnach states often in her book that there is a fine line between abundance and lack. You decide each day which one you want to inhabit. There is so much abundance here and it is a good character growing experience to understand that "All we have is all we need". And God really does provide - I am certain of that.

I took Lexi with me today to the natural food store. This one has a great bulk section where you bag you items yourself (pastas, grains and things) and you have to write out the bin number on a little twist tie tag that is attached to the bag. Lex did a great job of figuring out what numbers went on the tags and writing them for me. We then went home and made homemade pizza - which was really good. Finished planting some more seeds for our garden and sat down to our movies and ice cream.

So in reality - there was much abundance in today. And despite my worries of "lack" we all got a treat - chocolate bars, Big Sky Granola and organic coffee for me ;-)

I am certain that when the kids look back they will not feel deprived - but rather full of abundance of time and interesting things that we do together and I am thankful that I am home with them sharing their days.

Although I will not be opposed to John's business taking off... and I will look back at this post and remember that reliance on God and a bit of creativity - and not money is the key to abundance...

Spring is on the way!

2006-03-14T22:39:00.000-05:00

Yesterday the weather was absolutely beautiful! Those poor school kids stuck inside! My kids were my helpers as I continued to paint the garden fence - which I never got to finish last year. The great thing is that they love to help paint and with this job it doesn't matter how much paint they spill - it is all outside! I wish I had some photos of yesterday. With the painting and Chase in his bathing suit, covered in mud making a mud "brain".... Well, I tilled one half of the garden and last night the kids planned what they wanted to plant this year. We have some potatoes from my friend Jenny's farm - Swissland Acres, sugar snap peas, lettuce, green onions, carrots, beets, arugula (or rocket as per Jamie Oliver). We headed off to Home Depot today to get some more seeds. Inspired by a seed variety called "Bloody Butcher" tomatoes, I decided to get stuff to start some seeds indoors. The girls picked watermelon, little yellow pear tomatoes (inspired by the book written by a fellow Homeschool mom, Demian Elainé Yumei), tomatillos (love that salsa verde!), sunflowers, larkspur and lavender. I added cilantro, chives, basil and other tomatoes. The girls all had fun, planting the seeds. Hopefully they will grow out in the sunroom until it is time for them to go out into the garden. Lexi also wants to plant a tree for Arbor Day - and we decided on a plum tree... so we will be figuring out when and where to plant it in the yard.

My other errand involved trying to fix the bathroom sink. I bought a new facet - and then found out the sink needed to be replaced. And of course there were hoses that John needed that didn't come with the facet. So, back I go to Home Depot - this time with Chase, who assured me he would help me find the correct hoses. (And he did!) He didn't want me to get help from the Home Depot people - but said “Just hold me up and I will find the right one". Amazingly, I came home with the right ones! Chase wanted to see all the tools, and we must have spent an hour, where he just walked through the power tool section, looked at all the interesting tools and noted all the prices on the things he liked. He noted too that they were "expensive" which was good because he has a habit of taking John's tools and leaving them in weird places. John got him his own tool box and he has quite a few tools in them. He makes all kinds of things. The other day he nailed some broken pieces of the girl’s bunk bed into an L-shape and it became a "wooden leg". Perfect for playing pirate.

I always find myself amazed at how children really do follow what interests them passionately. I was getting bored in Home Depot with the tools. I like to get in, get what I need and get out. I hate to go back for things that John needs because I always wind up getting the wrong thing. Now I know to just bring Chase along ;-) Chase is so knowledgeable about tools and fixing things - I remember taking him to the zoo a few years back and they were doing some electrical work. He was more interested in checking out what the electricians were doing. He would squat down beside them and they would usually tell him about what they were doing. He sat alongside John when he wired the upstairs of our last house...and followed the electrician around, when he wired our pool this summer. He just absorbs it all. I am sure that whatever he does in his future he will have these amazing skills (like his father;-) to fix anything! Imagine he was instead bored to death in school. These are the days where I am so thankful for unschooling....

Great Backyard Birdcount

2006-03-04T16:22:00.000-05:00

We all had a great time participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Our feeders had not been full for a bit so it took the birds a little bit to find us. We made some homemade suet which so far attracted Starlings and a Grackle. The kids really enjoyed trying to figure out what birds were which. They seem to have a good sense of the birdfeeder regulars, such as the Cardinals, Blue Jays, Dark-Eyed Juncos, Chickadees, etc. Since the bird count we have seen several kinds of finches as well. We spent a Saturday at the Nixon Park nature center where they had all kinds of bird activities for the backyard bird watch weekend. We watched a presentation on cavity dwellers and the kids made bluebird boxes. We have since mailed one to Grandma and have put one up in the pine trees and one near the front garden. The kids are excited because they learned that they can look at the birds and it shouldn't disturb the nest. We also are going to participate in Project Feeder Watch through Cornell. We just received our lab materials in the mail and are ready to go.

Chase has a special thing with birds. It is one of the activites where he actually will sit still ;-) For him, this is a great outlet for his interest. During the course of the park day, the kids made Bluebird Boxes:

Artistic Inspiration

2004-12-22T22:02:00.000-05:00

Well, after just getting over everyone having the flu at the same time and having loads of disgusting laundry and a house to decontaminate and clean for weekend guests - my guys were suddenly inspired....

Yesterday, we let the kids open their gifts to help lift the boring doldrums of being sick. Brianna got a calligraphy pen set and nice parchment paper. She usually hates anything to do with "handwriting" and has an ongoing hate relationship with her own. I would agree that I have the same issue. Handwriting being the only thing I failed in 4th grade. In any case, she loved the calligraphy set and set down to work through the alphabet according to the book. She did such a great job! In the meantime Chase, who really dislikes any kind of sit down style work - wanted to write as well. So I found some lined "elementary" age paper and he wrote his name and copied some sentences, which I wrote to purposely make him laugh. Alexa followed suit, and even pulled the papers out tonight to play around with her sentences some more.

The amazing thing I find is that they do as well as if I had forced him to sit everyday and do workbook sheets or a curriculum. It is great to see how a child can really learn and be inspired by following their own interests and timetable. How much we think we know from our past experiences with schooling, that learning must take place in a certain way, or that if it doesn't happen at a certain time, your child is doomed to failure. I may even consider taking up with Brianna's calligraphy set and seeing if I can improve my own handwriting.

Following this, Lexi wanted to watercolor. I had purchased real watercolors from the craft store awhile back for Brianna after she had gotten some watercolor art books from a wonderful "older" friend Aunt Betty. We also got an acrylic set, with canvases. So everyone water painted and Brianna painted two acrylics for her grandma's.

They all made pizza for supper and we read together from "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. We all love this book! Brianna likes that it uses big words. I like that we all learn new words - by context, words that aren't used anymore in modern fiction. I think as a society we have gotten away from using and understanding rich vocabulary. John does voices for Scrooge and the Spirits, and the Cratchits – which make it all the more interesting.
Amid all this I did manage to make a good dent on the laundry and do some decontaminating ;-)!

Money Management

2004-12-03T23:58:00.000-05:00

My husband and I decided to give our kids an allowance to help them learn to manage their money. We all had a field trip to Commerce bank on Tuesday. The kids particularly liked the "Penny Arcade", where you can put in all your coins and they change it into cash for you. Pretty neat. One mother said she'd rather have her kids count it all so as to encourage their skills...

In any case, being a finance major and a previous bank employee, I think I was surprised at what my guys didn't know when asked questions by the bank CSR. My older daughter hadn't given much thought to the concept of interest, even though she has a bank account and is very pleased whenever she deposits money in her account. They were all impressed however, by all the money in the vault. The Teller in the drive-through let them push the tubes in and out - and that seemed to be a hit.

Overall, I thought it was a great field trip. The bank has a website, where homeschoolers can register as educators and print out lesson plans and workbook sheets. The kids were given activity books and a bank.

So - after all of this, today is allowance day. The kids all get $5.0o, of which they save $1.00, give $1.00 to charity of their choice, and get to spend the rest. Last week my son, who also had birthday money saved up his money and bought a rescue hero jeep, with a man at the consignment shop with his own money. He was so proud of himself. This has also limited their constant asking for things, as they have their own money to manage. My younger daughter, who is 5, does tend to want to spend hers as soon as she gets it on whatever - my older daughter is a bit savvier.

Today, however, was our homeschool bowling league day and they all spent all of their weekly spending money on the video arcade. What is really hard for me - is I really want them to get the fact that some of these games are wasteful. Some are games of chance - I guess the only merit one could suggest is that they got some sort of momentary satisfaction from their minutes of usage. It is their money, and I have to admit that I wasn't really happy with their choice. My son even put all of his money in one video game. So, I am not looking forward to when we go into a store and they want something and will realize that hey - I don't have any money left!
I guess it’s really not any different than life as an adult. I mean how do we really explain all those credit cards! We want instant gratification - and we sometimes spend on things when we have bills or other to pay - but want something instead. Perhaps this lesson is really meant for me... I could use a little more restraint. Also, I have a weakness for books. I can't go into Borders without spending $50. My husband thinks this is a waste. I hate spending any money on car repairs or parts, telephone of electric bills, and taxes, even though I know they are necessary evils. I guess one could even say that my Starbucks coffee habit is a bit excessive. So I guess the moral of the story is that it is all a learning tool - what's important to me may not be to you and vice versa. I am sure this will continue to open up all kinds of issues and insight. Another reason why homeschooling is teaching me as much as it is my kids!

Procrastination

2004-11-29T23:18:00.000-05:00

I am supposed to be writing a paper for my grad class. I am completely uninspired and unmotivated. I keep putting it off thinking that with just one more cup of coffee I'll be able to plunge in....it just isn't working.

On a positive note an article that I wrote on Imagination has been accepted for publication in Live Free Learn Free magazine. I really like this magazine - it has a definite unschooling slant to it. I highly recommend it!

I also love seeing something I have written be in print. I read constantly, especially with the kids. Tonight we were reading The Tales of Olga da Polga. Olga is a guinea pig with an attitude. We were laughing in hysterics at the part were Olga introduces herself to a hedgehog as a "Hedgehog Eater from Upper Burma". And later convinces the hedgehog that there is a dog nearby, foaming at the mouth, with fangs as big as cucumbers. This of course sends the hedgehog scrambling for the nearest bush as if his life depended on it. I don't know, but whoever this author is has a sense of humor - and must have gotten her inspiration from somewhere.

Chase had his first night of wrestling. I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun it is. This can't be a real sport - it's too much fun! The coach was really great. The kids played a lot of games, learned a few moves. I think this may be the thing for Chase. A good outlet for his energy and his desire to be around other boys. It has kind of been hard for him since our move to meet new kids. It seems are neighborhood is full of girls - but lacking boys his age. All in all he really seemed to like it and can't wait to go back. I find it more difficult to figure out what inspires Chase than the girls. It takes a bit more forethought on my part to help him find interesting things to do. At least we know that bowling is not on the list - or it is if it comes with cheese fries.

We had a great weekend at Camp Hashawa for a Bible Study on Habakkuk. While there, on of the environmentalists did a program on birds of prey. They have several raptors that have been wounded, and rehabilitated at the camp, and although they will never be strong enough to go back in the wild, they are great for education. We were able to see a screech owl, barn owl, great horned owl and red tailed hawk, all up close. They also had a bald eagle. Chase said something funny; he had been wandering and came upon the archery range. There was a cabin/shed with all kinds of bows and arrows. He said, " Mom, there is a guy going around with bows and arrows and that is why all those birds were wounded. He must be a poacher!" It took a bit of convincing that this was actually a place of instruction - not for crazy bird-killing poachers. Funny, how kids see something and come up with an explanation that to them seems entirely plausible.
Well, I should go off and write my paper. It is on intercultural management - a subject I think is plainer than dirt. Oh, well it makes me understand unschooling all the more. I get far more out of the classes that I find intellectually stimulating and personally enjoyable. I am sure it is the same feeling Brianna has when we watched Sacajawea and she thought it was boring! It wasn't done as well as it could have been - and did leave one wondering if Sacajawea really had any positive feelings about her experiences. I'll bet in reality she was just a pawn. Anyway - I am delaying yet again...back to that paper!

Turkeys n More

2004-11-24T23:29:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderfully busy day! Last night the kids had a sleepover with two of their friends. This was really good for them, as meeting new friends after our move has been a bit of a slow process. Actually meeting people is easy; it's connecting with them in a way that moves from acquaintance to friend. I think we are getting there ;-)

We had Homeschool co-op today at our house. The kids have moved on from doing their play, which I think they will all finish writing and actually perform it in the spring. There is an outdoor stone theater in a park that would be wonderful for them to get the feel of how things work on a stage. Today the kids all worked on singing Christmas songs, which they then want to sing at a nursing home. I think this is a great idea. My husband on the other hand does not because we do not personally celebrate Christmas. So here again is one of those issues that come up - which we would probably have to take for granted if, hey were in public school. The diversity of the whole home school group we are in makes me more comfortable as there are many others who do not celebrate Christmas either. What I think is difficult with this is that all the kids decided together that this was something that they want to do. I want to support that.

When I was a kid I sang in chorus in school and every year we sang at the school, and at the mall. I thought it was fun and enjoyed it - and certainly did not care that the songs were particularly Christmas songs. I can't help wonder what my kids will do when they are older. They will certainly make their own choices.

In any case, the highlight of our day was visiting the organic farm of another homeschooling family. They are members of our co-op and had lots of extra turkeys. So I stopped by to get two - and the kids got to walk around and pet the cows and horses. The farm is so spread out and absolutely beautiful. The rolling hills coupled with the weather today (cold and rainy) made you feel as if you were in Scotland or Ireland.

I love the idea of buying directly from a farmer. I know this family and how they raise their animals. There are no hormones or junk in these turkeys!

This was one of those moments where I thought - ah this is what I want to do! I don't know the first thing about farming - and having to take care of such a large area seems a daunting task. But the idea of raising my own food - and raising it in a pure organic form seems so fulfilling.
I guess I'll have to add it to my list. Sometimes I wonder what I would do if I was told I have certain amount of time to live...would I change something drastically? Would I really pack up the family and head to India?

Well in the spirit of things, I will have to be thankful for what is - that my husband has a good job that he enjoys, we are all healthy and happy and smart. We are meeting new friends and making connections - and we have so many blessings in life. We are learning new things everyday - and hopefully our path is winding the right way...

Have a Wonderful thanksgiving and remember all the blessing you have to be thankful for!

Welcome!

2004-11-17T23:20:00.000-05:00

Well, I am new to this blogging thing. I have read about blogs and the idea of it intriqued me. Perhaps it was caused by trying to send the Grandparents large Jpgs, or not finding the time to write real notes ;-) I really want to keep a journal of our homeschooling journey. Sometimes in the midst of the daily grid, I forget how much fun we are having. So this is to remind me - and my kids are thrilled to see their pictures up here!

In any case, my husband and I have been homeschooling our three children since birth. As of this writing, Brianna is 10, Chase is 7 and Lexi is 5. We have adopted a style called Unschooling which seems to fit our family well. Our Homeschooling is child-led, and we never have lack of children's interest's to follow. The world is our classroom - we learn every day... We love to read, play outside, study the Bible, cook, garden, take care of our animals, travel, play games, dream and discover.

We hope you enjoy learning about our world!

2004-11-17T23:15:00.000-05:00

Enjoy the Sunshine

2004-11-17T23:13:00.000-05:00

Let's Dress-Up!