What We're Up To

I realized I haven't posted anything about what we've all been up to in quite a long time now. Almost two years ago, my husband went back to school to get an AAS at Piedmont Virginia Community College, studying electronics and computer technology. This is where his interests have always lain, and I'm so excited for him to be able to learn more and then also work in his field of interest and his greatest strength.

That doesn't mean that I was at all interested in having to find a job to put food on the table and keep our health insurance. The first year was extremely difficult for me. I knew what I was doing was what had to be done for all of us, but after staying home for so long, I really wasn't prepared to stop doing what I loved--homeschooling and hanging out with my kids, their friends, and my friends, volunteering for our statewide homeschool organization (www.vahomeschoolers.org), running our local homeschool yahoo list--over 600 members! Not to mention have time to read and surf the web and play World of Warcraft, garden, raise hens, do laundry . . .

But I did find work, and at first was just working 20 hours a week. After not too long, it was obvious that I needed more hours and better pay. After wrapping my brain (heart) around that fact, I was able to find full-time (32 hrs a week) work, and it's a job I enjoy doing. I'm working four days a week, so I get to spend Wednesdays with the kids, doing what I normally would have been doing.

We've relied heavily on friends and my parents to take over some of the things I had been doing with the kids--sports, dance, playdates, Emily's volunteering at the library, became much harder to schedule, and we couldn't have continued without their help. School was never an option. I'm forever grateful to you guys.

I don't know exactly what's in store for us for the next year. Eddie's got one more full-time school year until he gets his degree, but he's working full-time this summer at a job that is perfect for him and that he is just awesome at.

Meanwhile, we managed a few trips to see friends over the last two years. The kids and I went to Tennessee twice for the Autodidactic Radical Gathering of Homeschoolers (ARGH). Eddie had exams and couldn't make it. We all went to SC for the Beach Unschoolers Gathering. The kids and I had a great time in Williamsburg at Great Wolf Lodge for their homeschool days last December, and met up with some friends there. I can't wait to do it again! We also traveled to Maryland to stay with unschooling friends of ours--we need to plan another trip soon! Those were the big things, though I could be forgetting something.

Emily participated in the East Tennessee Unschooled Summer Camp (ETUSC) last summer. Eddie and Thomas went and stayed down there for the week, since Eddie didn't have classes. This summer when she goes again, we're all going to stay there. And I know Thomas will want to participate the following year, when he's old enough.

So far this summer, we've joined a local pool but have only gone a few times. Eddie's son Nick and his wife Catherine have been helping out so much, by coming to the house on Mondays and Fridays, and taking Emily and Thomas wherever they need to go, or else just staying home and playing games with them. Nick still wins every game of Risk . . . We are also doing some bowling through the AMF Kegler free kids' summer bowling program.

Fridays after Five has been a really nice thing to look forward to each week. Emily loves to hang out on the Downtown Mall with friends, and I enjoy eating dinner with Eddie or with friends, or both. :) Thomas enjoys going occasionally, as well. I love that they can have the freedom to wander around, shop, goof off, listen to music even (LOL), without feeling like we're hovering over them. I don't usually see them till it's time to go. Cell phones are awesome tools!

Ok, I've got this week off, and things to do, so that's it for now! I'll try to post some pictures soon. And thanks for reading!

From Swiss Army Wife: The Secret to My Patience

I really enjoyed this blog post by Heather at Swiss Army Wife:

The Secret to My Patience

"No… that’s not it at all. I haven’t been blessed with some magical patience gene. In actuality, I hate waiting and I like instant gratification. Impatience, isn’t one of my better qualities, but as I get older and gain more experience, I learn to cope and try not to negatively affect others with my eager ways.

So what is it then? Why do people compliment me on my patience? Why do I hear “I don’t know how you do it” and “you’re so patient” coming from people outside my household.

It’s not patience. It’s perspective."

Impromptu Unschooling Blog Carnival

This is a really fun-to-read, inspiring bunch of blog posts. Ronnie has most of them linked in the comments at her post at Blog of the Zombie Princess.

Inspired by Flo's delicious post here. It's an impromptu blog carnival! Join in!

I'm that mom who drives 500 miles because her kids want to see their friends, because her kids don't feel like riding the train again, because her kids want to go now instead of in a couple of weeks when the trip could be combined with another trip. I'm that mom who knows it's a frivolous, indulgent, even "stupid" thing to do but does it anyway.

A Few Recent Pictures to Share

My brother and his wife and adorable kids are in town visiting. We went bowling one day--

We've got bluebird babies about ready to fledge. The parents are waiting to feed them.

And we've always got something interesting happening down at the chicken coop.

This poor little hen was attacked by a fox but I think I disturbed it and ran it off before it could kill her. She had a huge bruise on her neck/back, which is looking much better. She can move all appendages and her neck. She just won't sit or stand up. So we're nursing her back, hoping she just needs to recover from bruising. Kind of a hysterical picture though. :) Sometimes we go to see her and she's managed to push herself onto her back. Not how you normally picture a living chicken!

And this is one of our handsome roosters.

July Blog Carnival--Night Life

This month's carnival by Enjoy Life Unschooling is about Night Life:

JULY 2010 THEME – SLEEPLESSNESS

For July the topic for our blog carnival is: burning the midnight oil, unschooling sleep and sleeplessness. Posts from seasoned and new unschoolers are welcome.

If you like to work from writing prompts here are some questions to get you going:

• What are some of your favorite late night adventures?
• Ever had your kids want to do or talk about something late at night?
• Did you transition to “no bedtimes” or did it all flow naturally?
• How and where does everyone sleep? Family bed? Musical beds?
• How do you and your spouse get “quality time” together?
• How do you get your personal needs met when kids are “up all night”?
• When visiting family and friends, do you get questions or unpleasant comments? How do you deal?

The deadline for submissions is June 28 – please send links to your submissions to enjoylifeunschooling@gmail.com.

Look forward to reading your stories!
The crew at Enjoy Life Unschooling

There are a bunch of great posts to read over there:

"This month we have several posts from unschooling bloggers about bed times, sleep, and nighttime fun. They are tales of adventure, informative pieces, personal stories and thoughts of perspective shifts."

Summer Camp for Homeschoolers Near Richmond, VA

Camp Whispering Woods

Kids loving Summer!

Camp Whispering Woods is a small overnight/Day coed Adventure Camp located in western Hanover County, VA , 20 minutes northwest Of Richmond. Our dream of providing kids ages 8-16 with a summer experience like no other will leave our campers wanting to return year after year.

We pride ourselves in creating a structured yet relaxed atmosphere in which kids are free to explore and try new things. We custom create an experience based on individual likes and dislikes. Our hope is that by participating in Camp Whispering Woods activities, our campers will make new friends, increase self-esteem, learn to work as part of a team, take responsibility, build positive values, and have fun doing it!

Camp Whispering Woods is privately owned and operated by a local home schooling family. The camp features over 10 acres of scenic woods with creeks and hiking trails to explore on foot. We have a swimming pool and a paintball field and offer arts and crafts, cooking, gaming, photography, good ole fashion running tag games, camp fires, Segway riding, and more.

Campers sleep in a cabin, a tent or in the Main-house. We want each child to be comfortable and think of camp as a home away from home.

Unschooling Rules: Off-Topic: A Gravity Composter for the Lazy Gardeners

Unschooling Rules: Off-Topic: A Gravity Composter for the Lazy Gardeners

I love composting, but have hated all of the steps that have traditionally gone with it. I did not want to shovel or sift or spin or even think about which composter was currently in use.

So, I put together a composting system that works really well. I thought I would share it here, as it epitomizes how I like to think about the world.

This is a cool idea. I might have to talk to Eddie about helping me make a composter like this one. :)

But What About Math? – A Guest Post by TJ Phillips

But What About Math? – A Guest Post by TJ Phillips

Off the top of your head, what is the value of X if: y=7.5 and z=3

“How will my child ever learn how to do Algebra like this? You’re telling me he’s just going to learn this on his own, while having fun? No friggin way! How will my child learn this when I don’t know how to do it, I suck at math!”

Awesomely well-written!

QOTD

The most valuable learning is not about memorizing facts and figures.
It is not about higher grade point averages and accumulating degrees.
It is about life itself, and its impact is on the heart.
- Rodney Smith, "Lessons From the Dying

Unschooling and Unjournalism

There has been so much happening so quickly since Christine Yablonski and Phil Biegler and their two children appeared on Good Morning America on Monday! And there have been so many responses to the recent media attention concerning radical unschooling it's been hard to keep track of it all.

Here's an article I enjoyed reading: Unschooling and Unjournalism. (Posted using ShareThis).

And this blog post at Blog of the Zombie Princess has a collection of links to tv appearances, as well as responses: Unschoolers Respond. Lots to read over there.

I don't think there was a link to the interview on the Joy Behar show, which was much more positive than the first GMA piece.

This Facebook page, Living the Unschooling Life, was started by Christine and Phil to share what's been going on since their interviews, to announce any future radio or tv interviews, and to talk about unschooling, of course!