For two weeks now I have been tracking my fitness & nutrition in an attempt to get to a healthier me. So far, so good. I've lost a little, become more toned, & don't feel like I'm starving myself or overdoing it.
Most of my exercise has been solitary: using DVDs for yoga, pilates & even kickboxing. But every once in a while, one or both of the kids join me in a big walk around our neighborhood. We try to grab those milder, sunnier days that pop up sporadically in February & walk a 4 mile loop that takes us to the adjoining streets & culs-de-sac (& yes, it's culs-de-sac, we learned that on Gilmore Girls!). There are big steep hills, smaller rolling ones, stream crossings, wet lands & even a town park as part of our trail. We chat & observe what's around & about us. We change our pass as needed to accommodate everyones' comfort levels.
It is a really nice way to get some exercise!
Friday, February 27, 2009
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
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