Well, I am not doing so well on the bloggy thing... I was posting a comment on a friend's blog and realized how long it has been since I've worked on my own. Shame on me! :-)
Things have shifted and priorities have changed a little. I am still Homeschooling Solo, and will continue to as long as the good Lord allows it. But we are trying to set off on another journey, one I think will be filled with excitement and good times! And hard work, and problems, but we'll deal with those.
We are looking for an older RV that we can 1) afford, 2) refurbish, and 3) take out on the road! We plan to be Roadschoolers!! The Little One is SO excited... she would leave tomorrow! The Big One won't be going with us - they seem to get their own lives somehow, when we aren't looking, although I know that is the way it should be and I am happy for him. I do hope he will tag along or visit from time-to-time. He has the wandering spirit like I always have, so maybe he will. Or he may go off on his own adventures... Who knows? But right now, it looks as though Mom will be the one leaving the nest first! Wonder if I remember how to fly????
I am trying to find a way to earn a living on the road, so if anyone has any ideas, please let me know! I am looking at workamping options, but so many of them seem like quite a few hours just for a FHU site... Most of them also want a couple. A couple of whats, I wonder?? :-)... I need to earn enough to keep us and the rig fed, warm, and dry. Working out of the RV would be great, if I can pull that off. I need something that allows me to have the Little One with me... wouldn't be comfortable leaving her in the RV alone. She is only 9.
Anywaaaay... I will try to post here more often... not sure anyone is interested in the meanderings of a single, homeschooling, hoping-to-be-on-the-road soon, likes-to-talk-too-much mom... I wonder if there are others out there??? Oooh... that is a scary thought! :-)
Monday, February 8, 2010
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Happy Birthday, E!!
My baby boy is 21 today, and I cannot believe it. Twenty-one years ago, at 8:10 am he made his silent entry into the world. Premature, cord wrapped around his neck, tiny face as blue as a Smurf. The pediatrician who was in the delivery room immediately began resuscitation and after 12 of the longest minutes of my life at that point, he wiggled and made a tiny sound, like a little whimper. It reminded me of the sound a newborn puppy makes.
I was alone in the delivery room since his father had abandoned us months before. I remember lying there looking at this huge clock on the wall, as it ticked away the minutes, tears streaming down my face, and (funny now) steam rising from the oxygen mask. At 8:35, they finally laid him in my arms and he opened his dark eyes for a minute, looking at me as if to say "well I am here, I'm not impressed, and I am going back to sleep"! (He still looks that way pretty often... :-) He then snuggled up to me and slept for the next hour, with a miniature oxygen mask on his tiny little face. I was so worried because he hadn't cried, but believe me, when he woke up he made up for it! He let everyone in the area know that he was there, alive, and very unhappy! But after getting his tummy full and more snuggling, he drifted off again, happy as could be.
He weighed 8 lbs, 2 ozs at birth, and yes he was 3 & 1/2 weeks early. We were at the pediatrician's office for a checkup on his "due date", and he weighed 10 pounds on-the-nose. The doctor looked at me and said "this is what you would have had if you had gone full term!"
The night I was in the labor room, there was a bomb threat in the hospital. I was not told anything about it until the next day, but my family and friends had to be evacuated, and I heard the "bomb dog" walk through. I asked the nurse why there was a dog in the hospital and she said "must be a service animal". Quick thinking on her part! She stayed with me the entire time, which was risking her life had there been a real bomb, but she never complained and later told me it was her duty. That is dedication! I have never forgotten the kindness that she and the others at the hospital showed me that night.
So today, as my baby boy turns 21, I am reminiscing... thinking back over the past 21 years which have gone by in a blur, faster than I would have ever thought possible. We've had our ups and downs, but through it all we had each other and I could not ask for a better son. He is spirited and questions everything, handsome and strong, kind-hearted and chivalrous, born 3 decades too late (he would have loved the 50s), and one of the most intelligent people I have ever had the pleasure of talking with. He is also quick-tempered and grumpy at times (lest you believe him to be perfect!) hates to mow the yard and refuses to keep his room clean, but he has become a young man of whom I am very proud, and I love him with all my heart.
I was alone in the delivery room since his father had abandoned us months before. I remember lying there looking at this huge clock on the wall, as it ticked away the minutes, tears streaming down my face, and (funny now) steam rising from the oxygen mask. At 8:35, they finally laid him in my arms and he opened his dark eyes for a minute, looking at me as if to say "well I am here, I'm not impressed, and I am going back to sleep"! (He still looks that way pretty often... :-) He then snuggled up to me and slept for the next hour, with a miniature oxygen mask on his tiny little face. I was so worried because he hadn't cried, but believe me, when he woke up he made up for it! He let everyone in the area know that he was there, alive, and very unhappy! But after getting his tummy full and more snuggling, he drifted off again, happy as could be.
He weighed 8 lbs, 2 ozs at birth, and yes he was 3 & 1/2 weeks early. We were at the pediatrician's office for a checkup on his "due date", and he weighed 10 pounds on-the-nose. The doctor looked at me and said "this is what you would have had if you had gone full term!"
The night I was in the labor room, there was a bomb threat in the hospital. I was not told anything about it until the next day, but my family and friends had to be evacuated, and I heard the "bomb dog" walk through. I asked the nurse why there was a dog in the hospital and she said "must be a service animal". Quick thinking on her part! She stayed with me the entire time, which was risking her life had there been a real bomb, but she never complained and later told me it was her duty. That is dedication! I have never forgotten the kindness that she and the others at the hospital showed me that night.
So today, as my baby boy turns 21, I am reminiscing... thinking back over the past 21 years which have gone by in a blur, faster than I would have ever thought possible. We've had our ups and downs, but through it all we had each other and I could not ask for a better son. He is spirited and questions everything, handsome and strong, kind-hearted and chivalrous, born 3 decades too late (he would have loved the 50s), and one of the most intelligent people I have ever had the pleasure of talking with. He is also quick-tempered and grumpy at times (lest you believe him to be perfect!) hates to mow the yard and refuses to keep his room clean, but he has become a young man of whom I am very proud, and I love him with all my heart.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Fuss and grump session!! :-)
I haven't posted in so long... When I began this, I thought I would have time and inspiration to write every day, but that has not been the case..... We've had some difficulties over the past few months, but K and I just do what we can, and she has been a trooper. She gathers up her textbooks, worksheets, and pencils, and we go to work. As those of you who know me personally already know, I consider us Lifeschoolers, so using the textbooks is tough for me. So canned and stilted! But I can also see that in our case at this particular point in time, they are serving a purpose. I am so proud of the progress she is making, and the worksheets do help me to document that progress. As anyone who homeschools knows, learning takes place any - and everywhere, and we couldn't stop it even if we tried! I still believe that the most valuable learning experiences are the day-to-day living which we do.
I hope to have time, energy, and inspiration to blog more often in the near future. Thanks for taking the time to check in with me. I hope you have a great day!
I hope to have time, energy, and inspiration to blog more often in the near future. Thanks for taking the time to check in with me. I hope you have a great day!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
A Good Day....
Sunday was a very good day. Seems that those have been few and far between for us recently. Job losses, on-going illness, loss of friends, financial worries, car troubles... We've had our share recently. But today... We had a wonderful church service this morning. Ate lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant - luscious guacamole. Beautiful weather...
In the afternoon, as I was contemplating our homeschool journey and where we've been and where we are going, K was being a busy bee. I was reading a homeschooling book - bits and pieces of it, a section here, a chapter there, not straight through of course - that would be so un-unschooly of me! :-) Any way, I was reading about letting kids be kids and delight-directed learning. Good book. Good information. I am totally sold, of course, but enjoy reading about others who are, too. Reading questions from doubters like HOW a child can possibly learn "everything they need to know" (whatever THAT means!) by unschooling, and "won't children tend to do nothing if not "made" to study????" Things like that. So I was pondering these questions and reading the wonderful responses in the book, adding my own response in my head. During all this, K was busy....
We are "on break" right now (that means I am not counting days or doing any "just in case" documentation), and plan to begin our "new school year" sometime in late June although we truly school year-round. I was reflecting on the past year and trying to decide if I want to do anything differently this year. What worked, what didn't... you know what I mean. So... back to K.....
While I was thinking about all of this, she was on her own. No direction from me at all. Just being a busy little girl. First, she gets out her watercolors and paints a (really good:-) picture...... Then she watches a couple of shows on APT - one about Mozart, another that encourages vocabulary building...... After that, she gets out several bouncy balls (you know, the kind that come with jacks) and discovers the differences in bounce depending on weight and height of release. She is so excited with her discoveries! ...... She then gets out her Wizard of Oz Monopoly game, and cons me into playing "our version" of the game. She was adding up a storm, telling me what I'd rolled almost before I could read the dice...... Then she reads from a Beatrix Potter book (our current favorite!), reading silently and aloud to me......After this, she gets her sketch pad and watercolor pencils out and draws several pictures in the Beatrix Potter style. She is using her beautiful illustrations as a guide....... Soon we decide we want homemade ice cream, so she helps to measure the ingredients and we discuss why we need this one or that one. This leads to a discussion of how ice cream is made and why we need to use the salt, ice, etc. She asked if that is how the "store bought" kind is made. We do a little Internet research (at her request) about it while the freezer is spinning, and I learn some things too! I tell her stories about when I was little and we made ice cream with a hand crank freezer, and how all the cousins would take turns. And how sad I would be if the adults decided to make Black Walnut - ick!..... After the ice cream is all eaten up - yummy and NOT black walnut :-)!! - she went out on the front porch to brush and play with her cat. Shadow was a fur ball this winter, and is shedding like crazy and appreciates the grooming! This led to a discussion about why animals shed and questions about us - do we shed? - and discussions about animal care. Then after supper, which she helped prepare, she and her brother ate fresh fruit which led to a discussion about where the fruit came from (strawberries, peaches, kiwi) and how it is grown and shipped.
All of these "learning opportunities" - Art - painting, drawing and appreciation; Music - history and appreciation; Vocabulary building; Reading; Science - chemistry, biology, plant life, animal care, etc; Math - adding, prediction; Family history; Daily living skills; and others I am probably missing, occurred without any prompts from me. No lesson plans, no testing, no grades... just wonderful learning experiences in the course of a wonderful day. Learning which happens in a natural way, about topics that are important to her, without any coercion or timeline. How much more effective can education be? How can ANY one believe that children will not or cannot learn when left to their own devices??? I don't know how to STOP children from learning, other than by making it drudgery. And even then, most will still learn in spite of that, because they will continue to learn the things which are important to them... Lifeschooling, Unschooling, Delight Directed, Child Led, World Schooling, Real Life Education..... Whichever label you choose to use.... IT WORKS!! Try it. I think you will be pleasantly surprised! I LOVE Lifeschooling!! It was a very Good Day! :-)
In the afternoon, as I was contemplating our homeschool journey and where we've been and where we are going, K was being a busy bee. I was reading a homeschooling book - bits and pieces of it, a section here, a chapter there, not straight through of course - that would be so un-unschooly of me! :-) Any way, I was reading about letting kids be kids and delight-directed learning. Good book. Good information. I am totally sold, of course, but enjoy reading about others who are, too. Reading questions from doubters like HOW a child can possibly learn "everything they need to know" (whatever THAT means!) by unschooling, and "won't children tend to do nothing if not "made" to study????" Things like that. So I was pondering these questions and reading the wonderful responses in the book, adding my own response in my head. During all this, K was busy....
We are "on break" right now (that means I am not counting days or doing any "just in case" documentation), and plan to begin our "new school year" sometime in late June although we truly school year-round. I was reflecting on the past year and trying to decide if I want to do anything differently this year. What worked, what didn't... you know what I mean. So... back to K.....
While I was thinking about all of this, she was on her own. No direction from me at all. Just being a busy little girl. First, she gets out her watercolors and paints a (really good:-) picture...... Then she watches a couple of shows on APT - one about Mozart, another that encourages vocabulary building...... After that, she gets out several bouncy balls (you know, the kind that come with jacks) and discovers the differences in bounce depending on weight and height of release. She is so excited with her discoveries! ...... She then gets out her Wizard of Oz Monopoly game, and cons me into playing "our version" of the game. She was adding up a storm, telling me what I'd rolled almost before I could read the dice...... Then she reads from a Beatrix Potter book (our current favorite!), reading silently and aloud to me......After this, she gets her sketch pad and watercolor pencils out and draws several pictures in the Beatrix Potter style. She is using her beautiful illustrations as a guide....... Soon we decide we want homemade ice cream, so she helps to measure the ingredients and we discuss why we need this one or that one. This leads to a discussion of how ice cream is made and why we need to use the salt, ice, etc. She asked if that is how the "store bought" kind is made. We do a little Internet research (at her request) about it while the freezer is spinning, and I learn some things too! I tell her stories about when I was little and we made ice cream with a hand crank freezer, and how all the cousins would take turns. And how sad I would be if the adults decided to make Black Walnut - ick!..... After the ice cream is all eaten up - yummy and NOT black walnut :-)!! - she went out on the front porch to brush and play with her cat. Shadow was a fur ball this winter, and is shedding like crazy and appreciates the grooming! This led to a discussion about why animals shed and questions about us - do we shed? - and discussions about animal care. Then after supper, which she helped prepare, she and her brother ate fresh fruit which led to a discussion about where the fruit came from (strawberries, peaches, kiwi) and how it is grown and shipped.
All of these "learning opportunities" - Art - painting, drawing and appreciation; Music - history and appreciation; Vocabulary building; Reading; Science - chemistry, biology, plant life, animal care, etc; Math - adding, prediction; Family history; Daily living skills; and others I am probably missing, occurred without any prompts from me. No lesson plans, no testing, no grades... just wonderful learning experiences in the course of a wonderful day. Learning which happens in a natural way, about topics that are important to her, without any coercion or timeline. How much more effective can education be? How can ANY one believe that children will not or cannot learn when left to their own devices??? I don't know how to STOP children from learning, other than by making it drudgery. And even then, most will still learn in spite of that, because they will continue to learn the things which are important to them... Lifeschooling, Unschooling, Delight Directed, Child Led, World Schooling, Real Life Education..... Whichever label you choose to use.... IT WORKS!! Try it. I think you will be pleasantly surprised! I LOVE Lifeschooling!! It was a very Good Day! :-)
Sunday, March 15, 2009
"Out there" doesn't come close....
I am sitting here at my desk, shaking my head. I just read an article about what some women feel is the "new" job for all the mothers who find themselves unemployed. The "new" job is.......... being a mother. Does this strike anyone else as ludicrous?? The women interviewed for this particular article - for the most part - were worried about going back to work because they wanted to, and not just for financial reasons.
One commented how "surprised" she was that her 8 year old daughter wanted to "spend her summer" with her mom, and that she was "worried" about being home ALL summer with her children........ WHY should it be surprising that children want to spend time with their parents. Are you surprised by it? I'm certainly not. God intended for children to spend time with their parents, to learn from them, and be guided by them. And why in the world would someone not look at spending time with their children as a gift?
Another mother came to the realization "that she'd always really known" that she preferred to work and was "tired of being home with JUST her children". I find this incredibly sad. I am so incredibly grateful to be home with my children, and often the very best days are when it is "just us"!! WHY does anyone intentionally have a child only to turn it over to someone - most often complete strangers - to raise??? Can someone please explain this to me?
Believe me, I understand all about having to work - a single parent does not have to be reminded of our obligations and responsibilities. But many, many parents PLAN to have children while KNOWING that they will go back to work - by choice or by necessity. Pardon me for saying so, but I just DON'T GET IT....
Another woman quoted in the article knows SO little about her 2 year-old's life (yes, I said TWO) that she had to "get directions from him to find his playgroup room", and the "pediatrician's staff didn't know who she was because they had always seen him with the nanny" when she took her son in for a check-up!! PLEASE..... Does she know ANY thing about her son's life? Anything? At all??
I will probably ruffle some feathers by posting this, but that is OK. Ruffled feathers means we are thinking. If we begin to truly think about situations, maybe that will lead to realizations. And perhaps, just perhaps, that will lead to action. I know that in this case, I might be "preaching to the choir", but some of you may be able to influence other mothers in similar situations. And on those days when YOU think there may be "life out there", please remember that the LIVES in here (our homes) are SO much more valuable than anything "out there" could ever be. In fact, "out there" can't even come close..... :-)
One commented how "surprised" she was that her 8 year old daughter wanted to "spend her summer" with her mom, and that she was "worried" about being home ALL summer with her children........ WHY should it be surprising that children want to spend time with their parents. Are you surprised by it? I'm certainly not. God intended for children to spend time with their parents, to learn from them, and be guided by them. And why in the world would someone not look at spending time with their children as a gift?
Another mother came to the realization "that she'd always really known" that she preferred to work and was "tired of being home with JUST her children". I find this incredibly sad. I am so incredibly grateful to be home with my children, and often the very best days are when it is "just us"!! WHY does anyone intentionally have a child only to turn it over to someone - most often complete strangers - to raise??? Can someone please explain this to me?
Believe me, I understand all about having to work - a single parent does not have to be reminded of our obligations and responsibilities. But many, many parents PLAN to have children while KNOWING that they will go back to work - by choice or by necessity. Pardon me for saying so, but I just DON'T GET IT....
Another woman quoted in the article knows SO little about her 2 year-old's life (yes, I said TWO) that she had to "get directions from him to find his playgroup room", and the "pediatrician's staff didn't know who she was because they had always seen him with the nanny" when she took her son in for a check-up!! PLEASE..... Does she know ANY thing about her son's life? Anything? At all??
I will probably ruffle some feathers by posting this, but that is OK. Ruffled feathers means we are thinking. If we begin to truly think about situations, maybe that will lead to realizations. And perhaps, just perhaps, that will lead to action. I know that in this case, I might be "preaching to the choir", but some of you may be able to influence other mothers in similar situations. And on those days when YOU think there may be "life out there", please remember that the LIVES in here (our homes) are SO much more valuable than anything "out there" could ever be. In fact, "out there" can't even come close..... :-)
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Welcome to my pity-party.... :-)
As I write this blog, my little girl is dancing around in her pj's with my sleep shirt over them, to Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 6. We've been discussing Bach - when he lived, why he wrote the music he did (or why we think he did), where he lived, etc. She has asked some very insightful questions, and is loving his music. We haven't listened to this particular CD in quite some time, and I'm very glad that she found it yesterday! My favorite (tonight :-) is Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring. It is so beautiful!
Although I try really hard to not mention this often, at times like this I wish there was someone here to share her with. When she is being so cute and asking such great questions, I sometimes wish that there was someone to turn to and smile, knowing that both of us are thinking "this kid is really something". I wish that she could be a Daddy's girl, as I was. She deserves that. At times, I would give almost anything for us to have a man in our lives who is wonderful. I know how much my children are missing because we do not.
But at the same time, I am honest enough with myself to know what they ARE NOT missing by one certain man not being here - and that more than makes up for the rest. Knowing that they are safe and happy, that they know they are loved without question and accepted for who they are, and knowing that I am continuing my homeschool journey without having to justify it to anyone, even that we can listen to and enjoy Bach without rude or obnoxious comment... those things are very precious indeed.
Although I try really hard to not mention this often, at times like this I wish there was someone here to share her with. When she is being so cute and asking such great questions, I sometimes wish that there was someone to turn to and smile, knowing that both of us are thinking "this kid is really something". I wish that she could be a Daddy's girl, as I was. She deserves that. At times, I would give almost anything for us to have a man in our lives who is wonderful. I know how much my children are missing because we do not.
But at the same time, I am honest enough with myself to know what they ARE NOT missing by one certain man not being here - and that more than makes up for the rest. Knowing that they are safe and happy, that they know they are loved without question and accepted for who they are, and knowing that I am continuing my homeschool journey without having to justify it to anyone, even that we can listen to and enjoy Bach without rude or obnoxious comment... those things are very precious indeed.
Monday, March 2, 2009
I wish I'd written this!!! :-)
I found the quote shown below and just had to post it here. Ms. Tate really hit the nail on the head with this -- I wish I had written it! She does go on to say that this is not her usual comeback when questioned about homeschooling, and reminds us that it is usually better to answer briefly and walk away to avoid confrontations about something that we know is best. It just puts a smile on my face to know that I will be THINKING about this the next time someone has a snarky remark to make!! LOL
"I don't go around telling folks in my neighborhood or my church, "I don't understand how you can possibly send your kids to public school. I just don't have the patience to get my kids ready by 7:00 every morning and help them with homework for hours every night. How can you really be sure they're learning anyway, when all you get is a report card every 9 weeks? And aren't you worried about socialization? When your kids spend all day in a room with a bunch of other kids the same age, how will they ever learn to function in the real world?" (bold emphasis mine)
"Defending our Decision to Homeschool" by Mary Jo Tate posted on HomeschoolBlogger.com
Can I hear some Amens??
"I don't go around telling folks in my neighborhood or my church, "I don't understand how you can possibly send your kids to public school. I just don't have the patience to get my kids ready by 7:00 every morning and help them with homework for hours every night. How can you really be sure they're learning anyway, when all you get is a report card every 9 weeks? And aren't you worried about socialization? When your kids spend all day in a room with a bunch of other kids the same age, how will they ever learn to function in the real world?" (bold emphasis mine)
"Defending our Decision to Homeschool" by Mary Jo Tate posted on HomeschoolBlogger.com
Can I hear some Amens??
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