Geez, I was so good there for a pretty long while with posting on my blog regularly and now I'm back to being a little sporadic. My apologies to all those who check my blog on a regular basis and have been seeing very few posts recently. Brenna has really been hogging the computer lately and I can hardly even check my email! We subscribed to this very awesome website called brainpop.com and she's on it all the time. There are tons of videos on science, math, social studies, ect.....very schooly with quizzes and everything but it's something she really wanted to get. Then there's Club Penguin of course, which is her alternate life. LOL
We've also started co-ops again with the homeschool group and that's every Friday morning for the next month or so. Brenna's group has been playing kickball and this week they are going to start on dodge ball. She's also taking an art class, which she looooves! It seems like this year she has really formed a little 'clic' with some of the other girls. I see lots of play dates in our future. :) Don't know if I can handle many more.....LOL
So this weekend we are going camping! Yea! We're going to be meeting Dea Jae and Dave at Choke Canyon State Park and staying for only two nights. I looked at the forecast and it's supposed to be in the 50's at night and around 80 during the day. Beautiful camping weather! Nice warm camp fire to keep us toasty. I'm sure I'll have lots of pictures to post when we get back. Today I have been getting things ready. Every time we go it gets easier and easier and the less we have to buy. Actually this time that's all we have to spend money on is food. Camping is so cheap for us now and I love it!
Okay, well Brenna is pretending to play ToonTown in real life and it is getting very difficult to try and keep up with her and type at the same time. So I will end with a quote tonight......
"When we adults think of children there is a simple truth that we ignore: childhood is not preparation for life; childhood is life. A child isn't getting ready to live; a child is living." John A Taylor
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
It Works!
As most of you who read my blog know, we don't "do school" in the Spear household. There is no curriculum, no tests, no quizzes, no sitting at the table and doing worksheets or writing spelling words. There is no assigned reading and no unwanted lectures. But yes, this is still learning happening in our house everyday!
When I first started on this journey of natural, child-led learning I was very nervous and very apprehensive. I worried that she wouldn't learn anything unless I forced her (and THAT surely wasn't working!). I worried that she would be 10 years old and not know what a noun was (not the case because she's 7 and knows what a noun is as well as an adjective and a verb LOL)or know how to write properly and spell or do difficult math. I loved the whole idea of unschooling and it made so much sense. I just poured myself into books about it and read as many on-line articles as I could get my hands on, but I was afraid to put it into action with my own child. I did take baby steps and did find myself doubting things but the more I stepped out of my comfort zone and just let go the easier it became and the more I started realizing, "Hey, this does work!" The brainwashing that I had succumbed to that says children will only learn when made to or that children have to know certain things at a certain age flew out the window and I was finally able to relax and feel at peace with our life. Which brings us to the present time....
Brenna has really been amazing me lately, especially with her spelling capabilities. She learns how to spell a new word just about every day and has been requiring less and less help from us these last few weeks. It's like she's really starting to 'get it' and this thing just clicked in her head. But the thing that I love the most about this is that she's doing it all on her own and learning how to spell not only because she wants to but because it is actually a very useful thing to know! She loves to make books and cards and chat with her friends on Club Penguin. In doing those things she has picked up the art of spelling wonderfully. Brendon and I were gone this past weekend and she stayed at her Grandma's house. When we got home she had home made cards for both of us that she did all by herself. The inside of mine said something like, "I missed you Mom! You are the best Mom in the whole world!".
Yes, she still needs quite a bit of help with bigger words but then again, she's only 7.
And the math that little girl can do in her head is so cool! She has this shirt that says "60% Angel 40% Stubborn (or something like that). Brendon made a comment the other night when she was wearing that shirt and told her that he thought it was the other way around. They both laughed and Brendon kept teasing her with different percentage combinations. It then turned into asking her things like, if she was 80% Angel then what would the other percentage be? She was getting them all right just by doing it in her head. She even figured out 85%/15% in about 5 seconds. We thought that was pretty cool. :)
Every day I become more and more convinced that natural learning really works. How can a child NOT learn?? It's impossible and I've had that proven to me over and over.
(Since you've read this post, you may find this one interesting to read again. I went back to last year and found it. Kinda neat to see how much things have changed and how far I've come......
First post on contemplating to unschool or not)
When I first started on this journey of natural, child-led learning I was very nervous and very apprehensive. I worried that she wouldn't learn anything unless I forced her (and THAT surely wasn't working!). I worried that she would be 10 years old and not know what a noun was (not the case because she's 7 and knows what a noun is as well as an adjective and a verb LOL)or know how to write properly and spell or do difficult math. I loved the whole idea of unschooling and it made so much sense. I just poured myself into books about it and read as many on-line articles as I could get my hands on, but I was afraid to put it into action with my own child. I did take baby steps and did find myself doubting things but the more I stepped out of my comfort zone and just let go the easier it became and the more I started realizing, "Hey, this does work!" The brainwashing that I had succumbed to that says children will only learn when made to or that children have to know certain things at a certain age flew out the window and I was finally able to relax and feel at peace with our life. Which brings us to the present time....
Brenna has really been amazing me lately, especially with her spelling capabilities. She learns how to spell a new word just about every day and has been requiring less and less help from us these last few weeks. It's like she's really starting to 'get it' and this thing just clicked in her head. But the thing that I love the most about this is that she's doing it all on her own and learning how to spell not only because she wants to but because it is actually a very useful thing to know! She loves to make books and cards and chat with her friends on Club Penguin. In doing those things she has picked up the art of spelling wonderfully. Brendon and I were gone this past weekend and she stayed at her Grandma's house. When we got home she had home made cards for both of us that she did all by herself. The inside of mine said something like, "I missed you Mom! You are the best Mom in the whole world!".
Yes, she still needs quite a bit of help with bigger words but then again, she's only 7.
And the math that little girl can do in her head is so cool! She has this shirt that says "60% Angel 40% Stubborn (or something like that). Brendon made a comment the other night when she was wearing that shirt and told her that he thought it was the other way around. They both laughed and Brendon kept teasing her with different percentage combinations. It then turned into asking her things like, if she was 80% Angel then what would the other percentage be? She was getting them all right just by doing it in her head. She even figured out 85%/15% in about 5 seconds. We thought that was pretty cool. :)
Every day I become more and more convinced that natural learning really works. How can a child NOT learn?? It's impossible and I've had that proven to me over and over.
(Since you've read this post, you may find this one interesting to read again. I went back to last year and found it. Kinda neat to see how much things have changed and how far I've come......
First post on contemplating to unschool or not)
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Video on kids and food
It's been a while since I posted and this will just be a short one. We've been pretty busy but I will post another longer one soon.
I just wanted to put a link to a video that I found on a board that I frequent. Very good video and I suggest anyone with kids or grand kids to watch this.
Video - a must watch!!!
I just wanted to put a link to a video that I found on a board that I frequent. Very good video and I suggest anyone with kids or grand kids to watch this.
Video - a must watch!!!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Life is good
Things are going pretty darn good in the Spear household. This week I have really been realizing how grateful I am for everything that we are able to do and everything and everybody we have in our lives. I think it's important for people to re-evaluate their lives every once in a while, to realize all the good things. A lot of times people, me included, focus on all the things they don't have or all the stuff that's going wrong but I think that's human nature, really. I tend to do that a lot.
But I am grateful for so much right now. Especially Brendon. :) What would I do without that guy? We've been married almost 10 years and and I'm still madly in love with that handsome man. :)
Tomorrow we are going to the beach for the day. My Dad and my brother are in a fishing tournament and we will be going to the weigh-in and then spending some time on the beach and maybe going out for dinner. I tried looking for a hotel today, thinking we could stay the night but everything is so expensive! I just can not justify spending $90 for a place to sleep when we live only 30 minutes away. I guess it's the frugal, tight-wad person coming out in me. I wish that sometimes I could just say "Who cares!" but it's so hard. LOL
Hopefully I'll have some beach pictures to post next time. Those are always my favorite. I guess it's the sun and the sand and the water - they always come out so perfect.
But I am grateful for so much right now. Especially Brendon. :) What would I do without that guy? We've been married almost 10 years and and I'm still madly in love with that handsome man. :)
Tomorrow we are going to the beach for the day. My Dad and my brother are in a fishing tournament and we will be going to the weigh-in and then spending some time on the beach and maybe going out for dinner. I tried looking for a hotel today, thinking we could stay the night but everything is so expensive! I just can not justify spending $90 for a place to sleep when we live only 30 minutes away. I guess it's the frugal, tight-wad person coming out in me. I wish that sometimes I could just say "Who cares!" but it's so hard. LOL
Hopefully I'll have some beach pictures to post next time. Those are always my favorite. I guess it's the sun and the sand and the water - they always come out so perfect.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
I DID IT!
Four and a half months ago I began my journey to lose weight.
I started eating a lot better and started walking four miles almost every day (sometimes 8 miles in one day!).
My first major goal was to lose 20 pounds.
Today I finally hit my goal! WOO HOO!!
Now I only have about 10 more pounds to lose before I'm at my final goal and my ideal weight. Such empowerment!! :)
I started eating a lot better and started walking four miles almost every day (sometimes 8 miles in one day!).
My first major goal was to lose 20 pounds.
Today I finally hit my goal! WOO HOO!!
Now I only have about 10 more pounds to lose before I'm at my final goal and my ideal weight. Such empowerment!! :)
CAN IT WORK IN THE REAL WORLD?by Sandra Dodd
If unschooling can't work in the real world, nothing at all can. People will say,
"How will they learn algebra in the real world?"
Is there algebra in the real world? If not, why should it be learned? If so, why should it be separated artificially from its actual uses? "Why?" should always be the question that comes before "What?" and "How?" There is a Sesame Street book called Grover and the Everything in the Whole Wide World Museum. There is a "things under the sea" room and "things in the sky" room, but still each room is just a room in a museum, no windows, everything out of context. Then he opens a big door marked "everything else in the whole wide world" and goes
out into the sunshine. There is unschooling.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Book
I know that I've been quoting a lot of things on my blog lately and posting links to various web sites. I guess I go through little spurts of being infatuated with other people's words and thoughts and ideas. I suppose it also greatly depends on if I'm reading a book at the time. LOL
I'm in the process of reading this amazing book that I mentioned in my last post called Deschooling Our Lives. It is a great book that makes so much sense to me and really solidifies my passion for creating a child-led learning environment for Brenna, who is doing so, so great with it and is really flourishing as a person. She learns so much every day. Just the other day Brendon was watching a show on TV and they mentioned Big Ben. Brenna immediately told Brendon, "Hey, that's the big landmark in England - that big clock!". Not sure where exactly she learned that from (probably one of her websites she frequents) but we were both pretty impressed. She surprises us with things like that all the time.
Here's a paragraph from the book I'm reading that I thought explained things very well.
"People are learners. They are born already working on their education! They are born curious - and striving. How else can you explain the unbelievable development in the first few years of life from a pretty much helpless infant, with only the most fundamental communication skill, into a walking, talking toddler whose universe expands exponentially from month to month. They are born creative. No one at all has to explain learning processes to an infant. You can't stop them, and each one learns differently: how to roll over, or how to sit up, how to explore with their fingers, to stand, to walk, to say a few words and then a few sentences, and then express an infinite number of thoughts, many complex and abstract. Infants begin life learning in the ways we all use when we are learning for our own pleasure. They explore. They imitate. They experience. They build more complex world views from trial and error. It is simple to understand, but terribly difficult to accept, that the individual is best served at every age by allowing that native curiosity and creativity to be undeflected and uninterrupted; that the best schooling may be the schooling that least impedes the mind's free exploration of the environment."
I'm in the process of reading this amazing book that I mentioned in my last post called Deschooling Our Lives. It is a great book that makes so much sense to me and really solidifies my passion for creating a child-led learning environment for Brenna, who is doing so, so great with it and is really flourishing as a person. She learns so much every day. Just the other day Brendon was watching a show on TV and they mentioned Big Ben. Brenna immediately told Brendon, "Hey, that's the big landmark in England - that big clock!". Not sure where exactly she learned that from (probably one of her websites she frequents) but we were both pretty impressed. She surprises us with things like that all the time.
Here's a paragraph from the book I'm reading that I thought explained things very well.
"People are learners. They are born already working on their education! They are born curious - and striving. How else can you explain the unbelievable development in the first few years of life from a pretty much helpless infant, with only the most fundamental communication skill, into a walking, talking toddler whose universe expands exponentially from month to month. They are born creative. No one at all has to explain learning processes to an infant. You can't stop them, and each one learns differently: how to roll over, or how to sit up, how to explore with their fingers, to stand, to walk, to say a few words and then a few sentences, and then express an infinite number of thoughts, many complex and abstract. Infants begin life learning in the ways we all use when we are learning for our own pleasure. They explore. They imitate. They experience. They build more complex world views from trial and error. It is simple to understand, but terribly difficult to accept, that the individual is best served at every age by allowing that native curiosity and creativity to be undeflected and uninterrupted; that the best schooling may be the schooling that least impedes the mind's free exploration of the environment."
Summerhill School
It's too bad we don't have places like this in the U.S. This place seems pretty amazing with the way that kids are respected and treated as equals and have such freedom! I'm reading a book right now (Deschooling Our Lives) and read a little about this school and thought I'd do more research about it on-line.
Just wanted to share for anyone who's interested.
http://www.summerhillschool.co.uk/
*********************************************************************************
Well I guess I should have kept reading my book because I found out that there ARE schools like that in the U.S.! How inspiring and refreshing!
The Albany Freeschool
Sudbury Valley School in Massachusetts
Just wanted to share for anyone who's interested.
http://www.summerhillschool.co.uk/
*********************************************************************************
Well I guess I should have kept reading my book because I found out that there ARE schools like that in the U.S.! How inspiring and refreshing!
The Albany Freeschool
Sudbury Valley School in Massachusetts
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Another Great Read
I was reading this article on-line today from Psychology Today titled, Seven Sins of Our System of Forced Education. This really stood out to me (and of course I liked it because he mentioned unschooling LOL)
Thought it was worth posting on the blog. You can read the entire article here.
7. Reduction in diversity of skills, knowledge, and ways of thinking.
By forcing all schoolchildren through the same standard curriculum, we reduce their opportunities to follow alternative pathways. The school curriculum represents a tiny subset of the skills and knowledge that are important to our society. In this day and age, nobody can learn more than a sliver of all there is to know. Why force everyone to learn the same sliver? When children are free--as I have observed at the Sudbury Valley School and others have observed with unschoolers--they take new, diverse, and unpredicted paths. They develop passionate interests, work diligently to become experts in the realms that fascinate them, and then find ways of making a living by pursuing their interests. Students forced through the standard curriculum have much less time to pursue their own interests, and many learn well the lesson that their own interests don't really count; what counts is what's measured on the schools' tests. Some get over that, but too many do not.
Thought it was worth posting on the blog. You can read the entire article here.
7. Reduction in diversity of skills, knowledge, and ways of thinking.
By forcing all schoolchildren through the same standard curriculum, we reduce their opportunities to follow alternative pathways. The school curriculum represents a tiny subset of the skills and knowledge that are important to our society. In this day and age, nobody can learn more than a sliver of all there is to know. Why force everyone to learn the same sliver? When children are free--as I have observed at the Sudbury Valley School and others have observed with unschoolers--they take new, diverse, and unpredicted paths. They develop passionate interests, work diligently to become experts in the realms that fascinate them, and then find ways of making a living by pursuing their interests. Students forced through the standard curriculum have much less time to pursue their own interests, and many learn well the lesson that their own interests don't really count; what counts is what's measured on the schools' tests. Some get over that, but too many do not.
Fall Garden
Well the brutal South Texas sun baked my Spring garden about the middle of July and I had to pull up all of my dying plants. I guess not being able to grow for only two months out of the year isn't too bad. It could be worse I suppose.
So it's now time to re-plant and start my Fall garden. I am so excited and can't wait to start harvesting again. Nothing quite as awesome as sitting at the table and eating fresh veggies that you grew! No pesticides or fertilizers and all natural.
I planted my first round of seeds last weekend and everything is starting to sprout. I went outside this morning and saw tiny little signs of life in each square I planted in. This season I am growing tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, romaine lettuce, sweet lettuce mix, peas, green beans, squash and spinach. I've decided to space out my planting this time so that everything isn't ready to harvest all at once.
With the help of my brother-in-law, Kenny, I built a huge trellis for my green beans. Thank you Kenny!! He is my garden-growing side kick. LOL Can't wait to have my new trellis full of green beans! I think I will have an over-abundance of them since I planted 8 seeds but I have been reading up on freezing vegetables.
Anyway, here's a few pictures I took of my garden. I will be building another 4x4 or 4x8 box before next Spring. When I built these two boxes last Spring I told Brendon that "this is only the beginning honey!"
Before planting, with freshly composted soil.
Green bean trellis
Picture I took this morning of one of my little green bean plants. I think I just might have squealed a little when I saw that they had sprouted. LOL :)
So it's now time to re-plant and start my Fall garden. I am so excited and can't wait to start harvesting again. Nothing quite as awesome as sitting at the table and eating fresh veggies that you grew! No pesticides or fertilizers and all natural.
I planted my first round of seeds last weekend and everything is starting to sprout. I went outside this morning and saw tiny little signs of life in each square I planted in. This season I am growing tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, romaine lettuce, sweet lettuce mix, peas, green beans, squash and spinach. I've decided to space out my planting this time so that everything isn't ready to harvest all at once.
With the help of my brother-in-law, Kenny, I built a huge trellis for my green beans. Thank you Kenny!! He is my garden-growing side kick. LOL Can't wait to have my new trellis full of green beans! I think I will have an over-abundance of them since I planted 8 seeds but I have been reading up on freezing vegetables.
Anyway, here's a few pictures I took of my garden. I will be building another 4x4 or 4x8 box before next Spring. When I built these two boxes last Spring I told Brendon that "this is only the beginning honey!"
Before planting, with freshly composted soil.
Green bean trellis
Picture I took this morning of one of my little green bean plants. I think I just might have squealed a little when I saw that they had sprouted. LOL :)
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
A Person for Everything
Everyone has those people in their life who they can talk to about certain things. I feel so lucky because I have many who support me in all different areas.
Well my someone who I can talk openly to about attachment parenting, green living and unschooling is my dear friend, Tara. She totally "gets me". She is just amazing and is the epitome of what I should have been as a parent from the get-go. If only I had known better.... If only I had known the things that I know now.... things would have been so different when Brenna was a baby and a toddler. I'm just now figuring out the things that she says, "Yes, of course!" to and she has a daughter who is only one year old. How lucky. :)
She sends me so much great stuff via email and I love every bit of it. Articles, blog posts, tips for green living (which I am slowly incorporating in my life and loving it!!).... I look forward to all of it. Here's a great article she sent me a couple weeks ago that I thought was worth posting
http://zenhabits.net/2009/08/education-needs-to-be-turned-on-its-head/
It does a great job explaining how and why children learn so much more when they are not forced and how much benefit they get from that. Really makes you think a little about how schooling completely crushes a child's desire to learn.
Anyway, thanks Tara for being that person I need in my life right now.
Well my someone who I can talk openly to about attachment parenting, green living and unschooling is my dear friend, Tara. She totally "gets me". She is just amazing and is the epitome of what I should have been as a parent from the get-go. If only I had known better.... If only I had known the things that I know now.... things would have been so different when Brenna was a baby and a toddler. I'm just now figuring out the things that she says, "Yes, of course!" to and she has a daughter who is only one year old. How lucky. :)
She sends me so much great stuff via email and I love every bit of it. Articles, blog posts, tips for green living (which I am slowly incorporating in my life and loving it!!).... I look forward to all of it. Here's a great article she sent me a couple weeks ago that I thought was worth posting
http://zenhabits.net/2009/08/education-needs-to-be-turned-on-its-head/
It does a great job explaining how and why children learn so much more when they are not forced and how much benefit they get from that. Really makes you think a little about how schooling completely crushes a child's desire to learn.
Anyway, thanks Tara for being that person I need in my life right now.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Things You Find in a Homeschooling/Unschooling House
Tables always full of books!
Bird nests and cool leaves hanging in baggies in various places
Table of Elements hanging in a 7 year old's bedroom (cuz she thinks it's cool!)
Gallon Girl!
A shelf full of more books and various art supplies
Messy room means creative play, which means learning
Map to keep track of and learn about where our fruit and veggies come from
And yet more books......
Bird nests and cool leaves hanging in baggies in various places
Table of Elements hanging in a 7 year old's bedroom (cuz she thinks it's cool!)
Gallon Girl!
A shelf full of more books and various art supplies
Messy room means creative play, which means learning
Map to keep track of and learn about where our fruit and veggies come from
And yet more books......
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Recess (LOL!)
It poured down rain yesterday and Brenna had a blast playing in it. She was appalled when she found out that kids at school don't get to just jump up from their desks and run outside when it rains. LOL
(Pictures are kinda dark cuz my flash wasn't doing a very good job outside - should have just turned it off...... You can click on them to make them bigger.)
(Pictures are kinda dark cuz my flash wasn't doing a very good job outside - should have just turned it off...... You can click on them to make them bigger.)
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
No wonder....
It's no wonder why some people think homeschooled kids are not normal and neither are their parents. With all the negative news media portraying homeschooled families, I'd think they were all a little weird too if I didn't have first-hand experience with it.
Last week I read the article in the paper about the man who kidnapped that 11 year old girl in California (she was recently found after 17 years) and at one point he claimed to someone that he was homeschooling his kids. The article went on to explain how odd the children seemed, wearing long dresses and not hardly speaking at all and looking like little robots.
Last night I watched one of my recorded episodes of 20/20 and one segment was on parents who are way too involved in their kids lives. The mom they had on as their main interview person was one of those 'helicopter moms' and called her kids in college like 30 times a day, read their emails, sent them schedules she had created and drove 2 hours every month to do their laundry, grocery shop and clean their dorms. Guess what? Of course, she homeschooled her kids and they made sure to point that out right away.
Even on the reality show "Wife Swap" they've had a couple families who homeschooled. Were they seen as normal at all? Of course not. They were portrayed as these crazy, hippie people who seemed like they were missing a few parts of their brain.
This stuff is what most people see as homeschooling. For someone who knows nothing about it, they watch these shows and then assume that all homeschooled kids and families are a little out-there. It's frustrating to watch.
With as much as homeschooling is growing I just wish that I would turn on the television one day and see a great news segment on how wonderful and NORMAL homeschooling is. I'm tired of all the negative association with it.
Last week I read the article in the paper about the man who kidnapped that 11 year old girl in California (she was recently found after 17 years) and at one point he claimed to someone that he was homeschooling his kids. The article went on to explain how odd the children seemed, wearing long dresses and not hardly speaking at all and looking like little robots.
Last night I watched one of my recorded episodes of 20/20 and one segment was on parents who are way too involved in their kids lives. The mom they had on as their main interview person was one of those 'helicopter moms' and called her kids in college like 30 times a day, read their emails, sent them schedules she had created and drove 2 hours every month to do their laundry, grocery shop and clean their dorms. Guess what? Of course, she homeschooled her kids and they made sure to point that out right away.
Even on the reality show "Wife Swap" they've had a couple families who homeschooled. Were they seen as normal at all? Of course not. They were portrayed as these crazy, hippie people who seemed like they were missing a few parts of their brain.
This stuff is what most people see as homeschooling. For someone who knows nothing about it, they watch these shows and then assume that all homeschooled kids and families are a little out-there. It's frustrating to watch.
With as much as homeschooling is growing I just wish that I would turn on the television one day and see a great news segment on how wonderful and NORMAL homeschooling is. I'm tired of all the negative association with it.
Monday, August 24, 2009
In awe....
I am in such awe every year when school gets closer to starting. The amount of parents who say things like, "I can't wait for school to start - my kids will be out of my hair again!" or "First day of school... I feel my sanity slowly coming back :)", which was posted by a friend on Facebook, is pretty sad. Sometimes I find it so hard to bite my tongue to not say anything. Why do those people even have kids if they look so forward to shipping them off to strangers for most of the day for approximately 177 days a year? I feel bad for those kids who's parents don't want to be around them and can't wait to get rid of them for 8 hours a day.
I'm not saying that all parents who send their kids to school are horrible - just the ones who make it well known that their day is going to be so much better with their kids not around.
Frustrating.....
I'm not saying that all parents who send their kids to school are horrible - just the ones who make it well known that their day is going to be so much better with their kids not around.
Frustrating.....
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Children's Museum
We went to the Children's Museum yesterday and I remembered to take my camera this time. Here's a couple pictures from the Grossology part.
Big nose you could walk into - Brendon standing in there.
At the Art Gallery
They had a whole Egypt thing too which was really cool! Brenna was fascinated by it.
Playing in the science lab learning how to build dams and make rivers on a water table.
And finally --- Brenna lost another tooth today!! Her first top one. It popped out while we were eating breakfast at IHOP. She's getting so big!!!!
Big nose you could walk into - Brendon standing in there.
At the Art Gallery
They had a whole Egypt thing too which was really cool! Brenna was fascinated by it.
Playing in the science lab learning how to build dams and make rivers on a water table.
And finally --- Brenna lost another tooth today!! Her first top one. It popped out while we were eating breakfast at IHOP. She's getting so big!!!!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
I could have written this word for word. Such a true depiction of the things I feel and go through choosing to go the route of unschooling with Brenna......
Home Education Magazine
May-June/97 - Articles
Dealing With Doubts - Janet Keip
Choosing any unconventional path carries with it periods of uncertainty and doubt. The choice to homeschool is an unconventional choice; the choice to unschool is even more unconventional. Like most unschoolers, we are convicted of the wisdom of our education choice yet there are times when doubts assail us. Sometimes the source of those doubts is from a quarter from which we least anticipate.
Last week we had a parent's networking meeting, gathering to discuss homeschooling issues and concerns while our children played. My eleven year old daughter, Jaime, a veteran-never-been-to-school unschooler was one of those playing children. As usual, following the meeting, we gathered in clusters to talk and catch up with the latest news of our family's respective comings and goings. I was already feeling a little alienated, having spent two hours listening to others compare curriculum and other pre-programmed learning tools. I am familiar with all the methods of homeschooling, the various materials and can speak intelligently of such matters, yet was left with a lingering sense of "not fitting in" even with this group of homeschoolers whom I know so well. Our unschooling path was leading us even further away from the mainstream of homeschoolers.
The real uncertainty came as Jaime and I headed out the door. Few questions can erode a new unschooler's confidence more than "What grade are you in?" or "What curriculum are you using this year?" There is nothing quite like seeing your child's eyes rolling frantically in your direction to make your heart turn over and cause you to question everything you believe and hold true.
"Hi, Jaime. What grade are you in this year?" The well-meaning question suddenly pins her, mute and helpless. Jaime fastens her apprehensive eyes on my face.
"We, ummm . . . we don't use grades.", I manage to intervene.
"Oh, realllly." our friend replies. "How do you know where she is at and how she is doing?" Warning bells clang in response to her suddenly cool, steely tone.
"Well", (a long pause as I take a deep breath to ground myself),"She seems to be doing just fine, learning and moving forward at her own pace. She is a very happy and contented kid."
"Ohhhh, I see. Well, how do you know she is -- like, is she at grade level?" (At this point, she leans forward conspiratorially, as if to say our little family secret is safe with her.)
"We trust.", I say. "We trust that she knows what to learn to take her where she is going."
"Well, doesn't she have to take tests or something?", the speaker finally blurts out incredulously.
"Mmmmm, not really", I reply, evasively, my willingness to share our philosophy of learning evaporating.
Jaime is tugging on my shirt sleeve, whispering, "Can we go, now?
I'm left with the sour aftertaste of a conversation gone wrong, lingering doubts and slight, smoldering anger at a fellow homeschooler's lack of understanding.
How could I have handled this better? Just what sort of defenses have we against such erosions of our confidence? What tools could I have used?
Perhaps it is easier to be an unschooler in places where there are many unschoolers but where we live, we are the only unschoolers amongst a large homeschooling group. Among the general population, most people have heard of homeschooling but few have heard of unschooling. Many homeschoolers have never heard of unschooling, or as our homeschooling friend demonstrated, cannot yet grasp the concept of child-directed learning through living. I suspect there are others like us out there in our community who would like to unschool (or who are unschooling already)but who feel hesitant and shaky against the perceived pressure to stay to the conventional path.
Time is the First Tool
When we first began homeschooling six years ago, I felt a raw defensiveness when someone challenged or questioned my choice to homeschool. Now I feel that same surge of defensiveness when someone questions unschooling. In the beginning, my conviction of the rightness of homeschooling for us and our daughter was firm. However, homeschooling was still too new and too fresh for me to easily articulate our philosophy. Today, I confidently speak to anyone about homeschooling, no matter how uninformed or hostile they might be. Unschooling, a more recent shift for us, is still too fresh to for me to have developed an assured, confident response. Given time, I trust I will acquire the same ease of speaking about our choices to unschool.
The Second Tool: Support Networks
Building a support network by talking on the Internet and on-line service forums bolsters my confidence and feeds my need to connect with others living a similar lifestyle. It has also helped me to understand that unschooling is still relatively unique among all homeschoolers. Feeling unique is not a result of living in a fairly remote and isolated area but an understandable response to an unconventional choice. It has been important for me to build a supportive community with other unschoolers no matter how far afield I must reach.
Reading is the Third Tool
Staying informed and knowledgeable through reading about other unschoolers continues to be my best form of defense. The more I learn about and share of the experiences of other unschoolers, the better I understand and can articulate my thoughts. My bookshelves bulge with practically every book and most magazines ever published on the topic of unschooling! Every month the list of titles grows. HEM and Growing Without Schooling are consumed as soon as they arrive. Books such as The Art of Education, by Linda Dobson, Deschooling Our Lives, by Matt Hern, and Real Lives, by Grace Llewellyn have fueled my resolve to unschool in spite of periodic doubts.
I have noticed that talking to schooling parents about homeschooling sometimes generates a defensive prickliness in them. Institutions like this, I remind myself to be gentle. I must also be aware that mainstream homeschoolers may feel a similar sense of defensiveness in their choice to follow a more structured and conventional path than unschoolers. I can remain sensitive to their feelings while reminding myself to be gracious, understanding and tolerant. Learning new ways takes time. © 1997Janet Keip
Home Education Magazine
May-June/97 - Articles
Dealing With Doubts - Janet Keip
Choosing any unconventional path carries with it periods of uncertainty and doubt. The choice to homeschool is an unconventional choice; the choice to unschool is even more unconventional. Like most unschoolers, we are convicted of the wisdom of our education choice yet there are times when doubts assail us. Sometimes the source of those doubts is from a quarter from which we least anticipate.
Last week we had a parent's networking meeting, gathering to discuss homeschooling issues and concerns while our children played. My eleven year old daughter, Jaime, a veteran-never-been-to-school unschooler was one of those playing children. As usual, following the meeting, we gathered in clusters to talk and catch up with the latest news of our family's respective comings and goings. I was already feeling a little alienated, having spent two hours listening to others compare curriculum and other pre-programmed learning tools. I am familiar with all the methods of homeschooling, the various materials and can speak intelligently of such matters, yet was left with a lingering sense of "not fitting in" even with this group of homeschoolers whom I know so well. Our unschooling path was leading us even further away from the mainstream of homeschoolers.
The real uncertainty came as Jaime and I headed out the door. Few questions can erode a new unschooler's confidence more than "What grade are you in?" or "What curriculum are you using this year?" There is nothing quite like seeing your child's eyes rolling frantically in your direction to make your heart turn over and cause you to question everything you believe and hold true.
"Hi, Jaime. What grade are you in this year?" The well-meaning question suddenly pins her, mute and helpless. Jaime fastens her apprehensive eyes on my face.
"We, ummm . . . we don't use grades.", I manage to intervene.
"Oh, realllly." our friend replies. "How do you know where she is at and how she is doing?" Warning bells clang in response to her suddenly cool, steely tone.
"Well", (a long pause as I take a deep breath to ground myself),"She seems to be doing just fine, learning and moving forward at her own pace. She is a very happy and contented kid."
"Ohhhh, I see. Well, how do you know she is -- like, is she at grade level?" (At this point, she leans forward conspiratorially, as if to say our little family secret is safe with her.)
"We trust.", I say. "We trust that she knows what to learn to take her where she is going."
"Well, doesn't she have to take tests or something?", the speaker finally blurts out incredulously.
"Mmmmm, not really", I reply, evasively, my willingness to share our philosophy of learning evaporating.
Jaime is tugging on my shirt sleeve, whispering, "Can we go, now?
I'm left with the sour aftertaste of a conversation gone wrong, lingering doubts and slight, smoldering anger at a fellow homeschooler's lack of understanding.
How could I have handled this better? Just what sort of defenses have we against such erosions of our confidence? What tools could I have used?
Perhaps it is easier to be an unschooler in places where there are many unschoolers but where we live, we are the only unschoolers amongst a large homeschooling group. Among the general population, most people have heard of homeschooling but few have heard of unschooling. Many homeschoolers have never heard of unschooling, or as our homeschooling friend demonstrated, cannot yet grasp the concept of child-directed learning through living. I suspect there are others like us out there in our community who would like to unschool (or who are unschooling already)but who feel hesitant and shaky against the perceived pressure to stay to the conventional path.
Time is the First Tool
When we first began homeschooling six years ago, I felt a raw defensiveness when someone challenged or questioned my choice to homeschool. Now I feel that same surge of defensiveness when someone questions unschooling. In the beginning, my conviction of the rightness of homeschooling for us and our daughter was firm. However, homeschooling was still too new and too fresh for me to easily articulate our philosophy. Today, I confidently speak to anyone about homeschooling, no matter how uninformed or hostile they might be. Unschooling, a more recent shift for us, is still too fresh to for me to have developed an assured, confident response. Given time, I trust I will acquire the same ease of speaking about our choices to unschool.
The Second Tool: Support Networks
Building a support network by talking on the Internet and on-line service forums bolsters my confidence and feeds my need to connect with others living a similar lifestyle. It has also helped me to understand that unschooling is still relatively unique among all homeschoolers. Feeling unique is not a result of living in a fairly remote and isolated area but an understandable response to an unconventional choice. It has been important for me to build a supportive community with other unschoolers no matter how far afield I must reach.
Reading is the Third Tool
Staying informed and knowledgeable through reading about other unschoolers continues to be my best form of defense. The more I learn about and share of the experiences of other unschoolers, the better I understand and can articulate my thoughts. My bookshelves bulge with practically every book and most magazines ever published on the topic of unschooling! Every month the list of titles grows. HEM and Growing Without Schooling are consumed as soon as they arrive. Books such as The Art of Education, by Linda Dobson, Deschooling Our Lives, by Matt Hern, and Real Lives, by Grace Llewellyn have fueled my resolve to unschool in spite of periodic doubts.
I have noticed that talking to schooling parents about homeschooling sometimes generates a defensive prickliness in them. Institutions like this, I remind myself to be gentle. I must also be aware that mainstream homeschoolers may feel a similar sense of defensiveness in their choice to follow a more structured and conventional path than unschoolers. I can remain sensitive to their feelings while reminding myself to be gracious, understanding and tolerant. Learning new ways takes time. © 1997Janet Keip
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Healthy Times
So I've been trying to cook a lot healthier lately. Brenna is dealing with it rather well and is adjusting wonderfully. Some things she turns her nose up at but she's getting to where she'll try most things. As long as she tries it and doesn't like it then she doesn't have to eat it - but she has to at least try it. Her diet is starting to widen tremendously though, which I'm happy about. No more hot dogs and mac and cheese in this house. LOL The picture to the left is one of her favorite things for breakfast now (it looked so pretty, I had to take a picture of it!). Whole grain waffles with organic yogurt, blueberries and strawberries. She doesn't like eggs so I have to get a little creative when it comes to trying to make her a good, healthy breakfast. For snacks she has fruit or my homemade granola with yogurt. We also made these granola and almond butter balls that are so, so yummy!In fact, right now she has a friend over and she just made them both fruit salads to snack on while they watch a movie. All her idea too - I love it. :) Gotta teach 'em young! (Ok, well now that I think about, I guess it helps that there's no other option besides fruit! LOL)
Our fridge now is stocked with all kinds of salads, raw veggies, fruits and as much organic stuff that I can find at the store. They don't have much but I find something new just about every time I go. I think the most important thing that I buy organic is the milk. It's expensive but it's not loaded with antibiotics and growth hormones - it's still pasteurized, which isn't all that great for you, but I have a friend who sells raw cow's milk and I will be trying to get ahold of her soon. I found a guy pretty close by that has an organic, free-roaming chicken farm and he sells his eggs for $2 a dozen. I just wish we had some kind of farmer's market here with locally grown, organic veggies. The selection at the grocery store is not all that impressive.
When I do go shopping though I find that it takes me much longer now. I am always reading labels now. I read a long time ago that when you shop healthy you will do most of your shopping on the perimeter and hardly ever go in the middle isles. That is so true! My cart is now loaded down mostly with clear, plastic produce bags. LOL The downside of shopping that way is that I can't just go every two weeks now. I'm having to make trips about twice a week. Fresh veggies don't seem to last as long as boxed food with tons of preservatives and chemicals. LOL
My next major thing that I want to accomplish is to get rid of all my chemical cleaning supplies and start cleaning with just good ol' vinegar and baking soda. I've been reading a lot about it and I feel that it is very do-able and a much better alternative. Cheaper too - I'm always up for cheaper. :)
So yes, Brandi is on another whirl-wind adventure.....
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