The past few days around here have been, well, pretty much the same as the several days preceding it! Me on the sofa, kids in the playroom. Day in, day out. Wait! What is that? The kids are coming into the family room to hang out with me! And they brought an activity with them:
The boys love playing with these shapes and with them they created so many things. Boats, two-headed creatures, Pac-Man, fairies, and more things than I can list here. I need to get some more of these because when they both play with them at once we seem to run out of their favorite shapes.
I finally finished the book that Carri sent me, “Julie and Julia”, and I loved it. Usually, I’m a very fast reader but since my surgery, it’s been hard for me to concentrate and stay awake whenever I try to read something. Very frustrating for me so I’m glad I got to finish this book. Right now, Marin is borrowing it and I’ll be interested to hear what she thinks of it, too.
Speaking of Marin, yesterday she and her son Ian paid us a visit. It was short but great and I know the boys were thrilled to see someone other than me! Marin was very sweet and offered to bring the boys some lunch and they were really happy about that, too. Honestly, it was nice for me to have contact with the outside world!
So I think I mentioned that Sean and I celebrated our 10th anniversary this year. You know, it was the same day I had my uterus taken out. Because I don’t talk about that enough. The story of how we got together was a sweet one to me so several months ago I started writing it down with the plan of putting it here in installments. Then the dadgum Pioneer Woman put her story about her hubby on her site so now I’m feeling like a hack if I do it. Proof that the early bird gets the worm, I guess. What do you think? Should I just keep it to myself? Seriously, I’m looking for feedback here.
On the topic of unschooling, my faith in it has been wobbling again. It’s funny because I’m not doubting that it works for others but it just doesn’t feel like it works for us. Part of the problem is that it’s possible that we may have to move to a state that has tougher regulations on homeschooling, where you have to lay out a plan and put together a portfolio and I just don’t know how to accomplish that without doing some form of “teaching”. I’m struggling with it and feel torn between the school-at-home method and the unschooling ideal. Perhaps I just need to get out some of my books and read them to re-energize myself but as noted above, I find it difficult to stay awake these days when I read. 🙂
I took a couple of photos of Ryan yesterday because he doesn’t mind modeling for me and then I ran some actions on the photos in Photoshop. Can I just tell you how addicted I am to damn actions? In case you don’t know what they are, an action is an automated step that you can set up yourself or buy from someone else to perform changes or edits on your photos. Sort of like macros in Excel. It’s a timesaver for those things that you would do over and over again because all you have to do is click a button and the action runs quickly and edits your photo. The thing is, so many people out there have come up with their own actions and I’m freaking addicted to them. In fact, I’ve had to stop looking at people’s action sites because I’m too tempted to buy them! Anyway, here are the photos I took yesterday:
He’s got the head-tilt thing down pat.
So, tonight is another episode of “Lost”. I’m a long-time fan of the show, since it’s debut actually, and am looking forward to tonights show. If you want to get some sneak peeks of what’s going to happen, go here: www.spoilerfix.com It’s a great site and they give tidbits about a bunch of other shows, not just “Lost”.
And finally, because good grief, this is the longest post ever, today is my niece’s 2nd birthday. Happy Birthday, Makena! I love you and adore your feisty spirit. You have brought such joy to our lives and we just couldn’t love you more than we do! My sister is bringing her over today for lunch and cupcakes and I can’t wait! I’ll post pictures tomorow!
Please share your story!
Everyone has a love story, and I love reading them all! I pester my friends all the time for their stories.
[waiting, chin in hand, to hear the sweet story…..]
When I switched our unschooling focus from “unschooling” to “living joyful lives TODAY”, everything fell into place. Following any type of curriculum or coerced work doesn’t fit in there at all. I was able to completely drop the thoughts about learning. It was SO freeing. I completely trust that they are learning all they need, and it doesn’t even cross my mind any more. It took practice. 🙂
Maybe think about how to finagle the paperwork requirements to fit your life, not how to finagle your lives to fit the paperwork. This is *your* life and *your* family.
peace ~
Sunny, thanks for responding to that question! Maybe this weekend, I’ll put something up!
Dharmamamma: I “know” that on some level. In fact, when we first began this path, I was so passionate about that. I’m feeling a little, Gosh, I don’t know, tired about it. Worrying that I’m not preparing them well enough to compete in the future. I’m sure I’ll work through it, it’s just a difficult time right now. Thanks for your comment!
evie
What state? We live in Iowa (and may move to Ohio in 2009) and even though we have pretty detailed ways that we have to report (when the time comes) unschooling is rampant and successful. Many moms I know blog it and then use Blurb.com to print a book off and turn that in for a portfolio.
Also, I have 4 homeschoolers in my online college composition class. The unschooler is by far my best student. He designs video games as a hobby.
I can send you the link to his mom’s page, as she is the radical unschooling guru in Central Iowa. In my blogroll, Zamozo.
MamaP:
PA
The problem is definitely rooted in my own insecurities. I know that there are successful unschoolers out there since that’s what got me started down the path. I’m just in a funk from laying around so much I think. Maybe this weekend I’ll get out Rue Kream’s book or go back through Sandra Dodd’s website. It just feels like I need an injection to get me pumped back up about it.
Does that make sense?
First, please post your story despite Pioneer Woman. What timing it is to read this. I just read her for the first time a few days ago and was feeling… I guess it was a combination of awe and envy,for the first time in the blogging world. I am a farmer’s wife who doesn’t really farm but cooks, like her, and loves my camera. But we do not have a sprawling ranch, with a lodge for guests and the best camera equipment and I spend way to much time with my kids to be able to spend time writing so well….or just can’t. You know? And then I got over it. She is inspiring me to better blog posts and new cooking ideas. Please post your story.
Anyway, on the unschooling front, I just got the “Unschooling Unmanual” in the mail and have only read a few of the pieces but it is perfect for small bursts of attention. Will you still be in NC in Sept. when the unschooling conference happens there? I highly recommend that.
Madeline!
Thank you so much for your comment! I also suffered from Pioneer Woman envy for a while then I realized that she, like you said, inspired me to do some things that I wouldn’t have done before. I think I will post part of the story tomorrow, bear in mind that it’s not as funny or irreverent as the Pioneer Woman’s story. 🙂
THe “Unschooling Unmanual” sounds interesting! I’m going to have to run off and order that to add to my collection. I’m not sure where we’ll be in Sept. I did hear that this is the last year for the conference though!
Thanks again for taking the time to comment on this worrywart of a post!
evie
Okay, let’s see…YES! Post your story. The photos are wonderful. He’s such a cutie! And your unschooling worries…
Have you joined an email list in the state you might move to? I’m sure there’s an uschooling one. There are for most states. Reading about how others in that state are doing things might help ease some of those worries.
Maybe you these feelings are stemming from your not being able to get out and being kind of trapped on the couch. When I went through my depression, my parenting and schooling choices became an obsession. Worrying over every little thing with the kids. I am imagining that being stuck on the couch can make the world seem a little topsy turvy like that.
Do you have a porch you could maybe sit on for a few minutes here and there. There is just something about the smells and sights from outside that can make all those worries seem silly, ya know?
I really hope you are feeling much better soon. Looking forward to reading your romantical story!
Hallo, I’m catching up on reading – it’s been a while since I’ve gotten a chance…
First off, PW has staff. No one can blog as often as she does, and food blog, and photoshop blog, and make calendars, and edit every photo to the nth degree, and and and and… without staff. So until you decide to go out and get a nanny, stop comparing yourself to someone like her. PW is very talented, but I like reading the regular folks like us who have good days and bad days and sometimes don’t have time to blog and sometimes don’t have anything captivating to say when we do. Y’know? Ok, there’s that.
As for unschooling – you’ve just got too much thinking time right now (I agree with what Carri said above). Right now, I’m having trouble shutting off the naysayers in my head too, even though I *know* and *believe* wholly in the rightness and beauty of unschooling. If it helps, I turned Brady’s radical unschooling into a transcript for his school admission – I am more than happy to send you a copy. Just email me – piscesgrrl(at)aeroinc(dot)net. And, I will help you do that when the time comes, if you want. Just say the word! I’d find it fun and be able to help without the subjective wiggyness that you’ll feel during the process. A friend helped me with mine and that was great in keeping me from flaking out over it.
And as for the love story, I know I’m too late to chime in on that cuz you’re already sharing it. So I’ll just say woohoo! Can’t wait. Our women’s group retreats 3-4 times per year and we often have 2-3 activities scheduled (the rest of the weekend is taken up by long walks, lots of chocolate, non-stop chatting, and gut-busting laughter!). For our retreat in May, one of the activities is for each grrrl to share her love story. We’ll sprinkle them throughout the weekend. Can’t you just feel the swooning now? But with this group, there will definitely be some eyebrow raising yumminess too. 😉
I’m going to try my darndest to be at the L&L in Sept – if I go, I expect to see you there! (In other words, um, please?)