Friday, September 19, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Long Live the Live & Learn!
We've been back almost a week now since our vacation. The Live & Learn Unschooling conference was, of course, our biggest highlight.
It is impossible to overstate the difference in our lives attending the conferences has created. The first one was August, 2004, in Peabody, MA. We were only just beginning to homeschool, but were curious about this philosophy/style called Unschooling. By the end of the weekend, after hearing & seeing first hand so much of what the unschooling lifestyle is really about, we were committed to it ourselves. The following year, 2005, brought us to St. Louis, MO. We enjoyed the opportunity to travel to new areas as much as we enjoyed attending the conference. We made new friends (Ren & I connected in the hotel hallway mere hours before we had to leave!) People whose writings I had read on the yahoo lists were now people I knew in real life - it was great being able to now read "hearing" their voices & "seeing" their faces.
Knowing the the 2006 conference was going to be in Albuquerque, NM, led us to make a huge change in our lives. We bought a motorhome. And the kids & I planned out a two month trip across the country. Phil was able to negotiate a solid 3-week vacation so that he could be with us as much as possible in the southwest - a most amazing part of our country. If you have ever thought about driving across the country, DO IT! It will change your perspective & enhance your appreciation of so many things.
During this conference we also felt part of the group in a more significant way than before. We met up with people in their homes - you know, outside of the actual conference! We had moved from meeting people to knowing people. To developing friendships & finding connections outside of just being "unschoolers, too". It profoundly affected my children - suddenly they had friends from all over the country, friends they were anxious to see again soon. And we did!
September of 2007: Hello, North Carolina! I never saw my children. They were livin' & learnin' all over the place with their friends. Our connected vacation plans included visits with friends from L&L. At this point, attending the conference was like attending a family reunion.
2008. The last Live & Learn.
I sang these words, from Wicked, Thursday night:
I've heard it said,
that people come into our lives
for a reason,
bringing something we must learn.
And we are led
to those who help us most to grow -
if we let them,
and we help them in return
...
It well may be
that we will never meet again
in this lifetime,
so let me say before we part:
So much of me
is made of what I learned from you,
you'll be with me
like a handprint on my heart.
And now whatever way our stories end,
I know you have rewritten mine
by being my friend
...
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you...I have been changed
For Good.
It is impossible to overstate the difference in our lives attending the conferences has created. The first one was August, 2004, in Peabody, MA. We were only just beginning to homeschool, but were curious about this philosophy/style called Unschooling. By the end of the weekend, after hearing & seeing first hand so much of what the unschooling lifestyle is really about, we were committed to it ourselves. The following year, 2005, brought us to St. Louis, MO. We enjoyed the opportunity to travel to new areas as much as we enjoyed attending the conference. We made new friends (Ren & I connected in the hotel hallway mere hours before we had to leave!) People whose writings I had read on the yahoo lists were now people I knew in real life - it was great being able to now read "hearing" their voices & "seeing" their faces.
Knowing the the 2006 conference was going to be in Albuquerque, NM, led us to make a huge change in our lives. We bought a motorhome. And the kids & I planned out a two month trip across the country. Phil was able to negotiate a solid 3-week vacation so that he could be with us as much as possible in the southwest - a most amazing part of our country. If you have ever thought about driving across the country, DO IT! It will change your perspective & enhance your appreciation of so many things.
During this conference we also felt part of the group in a more significant way than before. We met up with people in their homes - you know, outside of the actual conference! We had moved from meeting people to knowing people. To developing friendships & finding connections outside of just being "unschoolers, too". It profoundly affected my children - suddenly they had friends from all over the country, friends they were anxious to see again soon. And we did!
September of 2007: Hello, North Carolina! I never saw my children. They were livin' & learnin' all over the place with their friends. Our connected vacation plans included visits with friends from L&L. At this point, attending the conference was like attending a family reunion.
2008. The last Live & Learn.
I sang these words, from Wicked, Thursday night:
I've heard it said,
that people come into our lives
for a reason,
bringing something we must learn.
And we are led
to those who help us most to grow -
if we let them,
and we help them in return
...
It well may be
that we will never meet again
in this lifetime,
so let me say before we part:
So much of me
is made of what I learned from you,
you'll be with me
like a handprint on my heart.
And now whatever way our stories end,
I know you have rewritten mine
by being my friend
...
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you...I have been changed
For Good.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Who's that girl?
Photo Credit: James Coburn
Live & Learn Unschooling Conference 2008, Black Mountain, NC
Friday, August 22, 2008
Guard Up is our lives!
My mom was on vacation this week, so we planned a get-together for today. Kim, Mom & I went to see Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. Really enjoyed it. Of course, Kim & I already love Alexis Bledel from her Gilmore Girl days. Now that it's been more than a year since the series finale, getting a Rory/Lena fix was quite fun.
Afterwards we headed over to the mall & chowed down on crepes (Mom & me) & Chinese food (Kim). Then we joined Phil & Shaun at Guard Up before Shaun's class began. Kim needed to talk to some of her friends about their weekend plans before they went into their class, too.
A quick trip to Whole Foods for weekend yummies finished our day together.
Meanwhile, Shaun began his day with a play date with Connor. Phil dropped off Connor on the way to Guard Up, then picked up Andrew, who's sleeping over, after Guard Up. Tomorrow, Andrew leaves after lunch, while Connor & his family arrive for lunch. Then my folks are coming over. After we drop Kim off at Guard Up (are you noticing the very circular rhythm of our lives this weekend?), we're going out to eat with Mom & Dad to celebrate my birthday. Kim is sleeping over at Marin's, so we won't see her again until Sunday afternoon when we, yep, you guessed it, we take Shaun to his Guard Up class!
http://guardup.com
Afterwards we headed over to the mall & chowed down on crepes (Mom & me) & Chinese food (Kim). Then we joined Phil & Shaun at Guard Up before Shaun's class began. Kim needed to talk to some of her friends about their weekend plans before they went into their class, too.
A quick trip to Whole Foods for weekend yummies finished our day together.
Meanwhile, Shaun began his day with a play date with Connor. Phil dropped off Connor on the way to Guard Up, then picked up Andrew, who's sleeping over, after Guard Up. Tomorrow, Andrew leaves after lunch, while Connor & his family arrive for lunch. Then my folks are coming over. After we drop Kim off at Guard Up (are you noticing the very circular rhythm of our lives this weekend?), we're going out to eat with Mom & Dad to celebrate my birthday. Kim is sleeping over at Marin's, so we won't see her again until Sunday afternoon when we, yep, you guessed it, we take Shaun to his Guard Up class!
http://guardup.com
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Happy Birthday, me!
Yesterday, August 18, was my birthday. We had already done some fun things during the weekend, but Monday was the actual day.
When I woke up, there was a beautiful booklet that Kim made for me the night before. She had page after page of artwork - using stamps & stencils & pretty inks - all wishing me love & happiness. Phil also gave me a lovely card that coincidentally matched up perfectly with Kim's handmade cover!
I biked the Minuteman Bikeway from Bedford to Lexington & back - nice 1 hour ride. The weather was just starting to get hot, but the tree-shaded trail protected me from overheating.
My brother called (& it turned out my mom called, but the phone never rang - we heard her message late that night. Screwy Verizon messaging system...) & we had a nice 1/2 hour chat.
I wasn't feeling very hungry or inspired to go out for dinner, but then Kim suggested a lobster (sorry, "lobsta") sandwich from D'Angelos & that suddenly sounded real good! Phil did the hunting & gathering & brought back food for all of us. Afterwards, Phil, Shaun & I went to Kimballs to play minigolf (Shaun & I each got a hole-in-one during the game!) then chowed down on luscious ice cream (Phil & I shared chocolate chocolate truffle - he took the cup & I got the sugar cone - yummy!!)
As the kids & I watched "Saving Grace" very late last night Shaun gave me a special Birthday Massage. Sigh.
It was a great birthday!
When I woke up, there was a beautiful booklet that Kim made for me the night before. She had page after page of artwork - using stamps & stencils & pretty inks - all wishing me love & happiness. Phil also gave me a lovely card that coincidentally matched up perfectly with Kim's handmade cover!
I biked the Minuteman Bikeway from Bedford to Lexington & back - nice 1 hour ride. The weather was just starting to get hot, but the tree-shaded trail protected me from overheating.
My brother called (& it turned out my mom called, but the phone never rang - we heard her message late that night. Screwy Verizon messaging system...) & we had a nice 1/2 hour chat.
I wasn't feeling very hungry or inspired to go out for dinner, but then Kim suggested a lobster (sorry, "lobsta") sandwich from D'Angelos & that suddenly sounded real good! Phil did the hunting & gathering & brought back food for all of us. Afterwards, Phil, Shaun & I went to Kimballs to play minigolf (Shaun & I each got a hole-in-one during the game!) then chowed down on luscious ice cream (Phil & I shared chocolate chocolate truffle - he took the cup & I got the sugar cone - yummy!!)
As the kids & I watched "Saving Grace" very late last night Shaun gave me a special Birthday Massage. Sigh.
It was a great birthday!
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Summer Reading
Kim & I have finished "Breaking Dawn", the latest book in the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. It was tricky because Kim wanted to finish before me, so I had to put on the brakes everytime I caught up with her! It is a very compelling story - quite hard to put down. Several times one or both of us were up to the wee hours of the morning (5am for me, 6:30am for Kim!) unable to stop turning those pages.
Now Kim is lending out the earlier books in the series to her friends so that they can catch the fever. Maybe you should check it out, too!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
It's August - just!
Well, it's 12:04am on Aug 1st & I'm busy editing this blog. I've added new quotes & more pictures from our travels. Big day later today (you know, in the morning). Kim is sleeping over at a friend's house & I will be picking them up to get our wristbands for the Vampire Prom event that evening at the local Barnes & Nobel, in celebration of "Breaking Dawn", the latest in the "Twilight" series of books written by Stephanie Meyer. Kim & I just started reading them 2 weeks ago & became instantly addicted to the story. What's next for Bella & Edward? We'll know this weekend!
Sleepy...time for bed...must be ready for Kim's call in the am...snore...
Sleepy...time for bed...must be ready for Kim's call in the am...snore...
Monday, January 21, 2008
Great Zeus!
You just never know when something is going to turn into a passion. DS discovered a computer game called Age of Mythology during a playdate with friends. He liked it so much that they got him his own copy of the game for his birthday last month. It's a good thing I have a laptop because suddenly my PC was unavailable for most of the day!
This game is a sort of simulation game - you start off with a few humans living in a long-ago era. As you play, you direct the characters to do things that enhance their chances of survival, such as hunting animals, building shelter, etc. Over time they have increased their population & have developed a civilization. What adds to the adventure is the mythology stuff - you select gods for your communities to worship, as according to where & when they are existing (Ancient Greece, Egypt, Rome & Norway). The game gives information to help understand the myths, the gods, the monsters - Shaun became more & more curious about these stories.
It makes sense - years of loving Pokemon & Yu-gi-oh lead him to anime & manga - stories that deal with heros & evil beings, supernatural powers & complicated plots. The myths of ancient cultures have these same elements.
DS is gobbling up these stories. I found a lecture series on the Odyssey that is was available for free download from the library that he enjoyed. Then, while at the library, we discovered a book written by Rick Riordan called Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Turns out that it was the first in a series - now we're awaiting our Barnes & Noble order for the entire series!
Who knows where else this new passion will lead us - maybe to Greece! DS is already saying he wants to see the actual temples to the gods that were built by the ancient Greeks. His love of manga/anime has brought him the desire to learn some Japanese - he know owns several translation books & has been creating signs for things around the house in Japanese.
You just never know what the connections will be...
This game is a sort of simulation game - you start off with a few humans living in a long-ago era. As you play, you direct the characters to do things that enhance their chances of survival, such as hunting animals, building shelter, etc. Over time they have increased their population & have developed a civilization. What adds to the adventure is the mythology stuff - you select gods for your communities to worship, as according to where & when they are existing (Ancient Greece, Egypt, Rome & Norway). The game gives information to help understand the myths, the gods, the monsters - Shaun became more & more curious about these stories.
It makes sense - years of loving Pokemon & Yu-gi-oh lead him to anime & manga - stories that deal with heros & evil beings, supernatural powers & complicated plots. The myths of ancient cultures have these same elements.
DS is gobbling up these stories. I found a lecture series on the Odyssey that is was available for free download from the library that he enjoyed. Then, while at the library, we discovered a book written by Rick Riordan called Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Turns out that it was the first in a series - now we're awaiting our Barnes & Noble order for the entire series!
Who knows where else this new passion will lead us - maybe to Greece! DS is already saying he wants to see the actual temples to the gods that were built by the ancient Greeks. His love of manga/anime has brought him the desire to learn some Japanese - he know owns several translation books & has been creating signs for things around the house in Japanese.
You just never know what the connections will be...
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Me & my Grammy
This is my Grammy. This photo was taken when I was about 3 years old & she was in her late forties. She was a very important part of my life, even as I became an adult, married, & had my kids. Three different times she & my grandfather housed us temporarily, once while we were looking for a new home in a new state, once when our house caught fire & needed to be repaired & once when we were building a new house. I took my kids to visit them every Tuesday for 4 years, until we moved further away & the kids started school. My grandparents are gone now, & this past weekend was the 4th anniversary of Grammy's death. I'll always miss them & the void they left in our lives. XXOO I'll love you always Grammy & Grandpa!Tuesday, January 15, 2008
New Year, New Goals!
We all know the cliche - New Year's Resolutions, a Clean Slate, etc., etc. Well, I've been Clean Slating my life these last few weeks. Trying to chuck out the clutter & past-their-usefullness reminders of interests past.
Today I tackled cleaning my kitchen, which includes a walk-in pantry. I found boxes of bread mixes & containers of long-forgotten tea blends that got knocked to the dark corners of the shelves. Things with price tags that say "Bread & Circus", which became "Whole Foods" years ago! Into the garbage!
I grabbed all of my cookbooks that are stored in open shelves at the end of my kitchen peninsula - & when I say cookbooks, I also mean magazines & ripped-out magazine articles, pages from newspapers, notes jotted down from various now-anonymous sources, inserts that come with whatever kitchen appliance or tool they are meant to enhance. So many - & I haven't looked at them since I first placed them there. I easily rid myself of half of the pile.
Then I remembered the corner cabinet. Placed over the counter that elbows the oven & sink, it is large but awkwardly shaped. It held many more cookbooks, plus all of my old copies of Cake Decorators magazine, plus catalogs from my wholesale cake decorating supplier (from 10 years ago!) I swear the cabinet breathed a sigh of relief as I unloaded the weight. Into the recycle bin went the old flour, sugar & tea canisters I never use. Look at all of this space! My vast collection of exotic hardly used spices was next. I was merciless - if I hadn't used it in 2 years, well, it was history!
I haven't filled the space yet. I want to enjoy the feeling of purging these old cluttery things for a while. Obviously, my nature is to hold on to things even when it doesn't make a lot of sense to do so. My brain shouts, "What if you need this later? How can you just throw this away?"
I think what is important is to remember that sometimes letting go of things really means giving you the space to allow new things to enter. That doesn't necessarily mean new stuff. It can mean letting peace enter. Or new habits. Maybe by doing the purging work now, I'll have less maintenance work to do later.
At the very least, I'll have cleaner counters!
Today I tackled cleaning my kitchen, which includes a walk-in pantry. I found boxes of bread mixes & containers of long-forgotten tea blends that got knocked to the dark corners of the shelves. Things with price tags that say "Bread & Circus", which became "Whole Foods" years ago! Into the garbage!
I grabbed all of my cookbooks that are stored in open shelves at the end of my kitchen peninsula - & when I say cookbooks, I also mean magazines & ripped-out magazine articles, pages from newspapers, notes jotted down from various now-anonymous sources, inserts that come with whatever kitchen appliance or tool they are meant to enhance. So many - & I haven't looked at them since I first placed them there. I easily rid myself of half of the pile.
Then I remembered the corner cabinet. Placed over the counter that elbows the oven & sink, it is large but awkwardly shaped. It held many more cookbooks, plus all of my old copies of Cake Decorators magazine, plus catalogs from my wholesale cake decorating supplier (from 10 years ago!) I swear the cabinet breathed a sigh of relief as I unloaded the weight. Into the recycle bin went the old flour, sugar & tea canisters I never use. Look at all of this space! My vast collection of exotic hardly used spices was next. I was merciless - if I hadn't used it in 2 years, well, it was history!
I haven't filled the space yet. I want to enjoy the feeling of purging these old cluttery things for a while. Obviously, my nature is to hold on to things even when it doesn't make a lot of sense to do so. My brain shouts, "What if you need this later? How can you just throw this away?"
I think what is important is to remember that sometimes letting go of things really means giving you the space to allow new things to enter. That doesn't necessarily mean new stuff. It can mean letting peace enter. Or new habits. Maybe by doing the purging work now, I'll have less maintenance work to do later.
At the very least, I'll have cleaner counters!
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