Learning Life Through Unschooling

Aug. 10, 2006

I've been tagged

I'll do this one because I've not said I won't before but - I'm not doing ANY more of these silly things...I mean it! (anybody want a peanut?)! ROFL

Jobs you have had:

1. Mommy/homemaker
2. Preschool teacher

3. Waitress at Shoney's

4. Burger King (lasted an entire 4 days!)

5. Mortgage Specialist

6. Computer Contractor for various co's, including one that starts with "i", ends with "m" and has a "b" in the name. ;)

Movies you could (or do) watch over and over again:

1. Sense and Sensibilities

2. Little Women
3. Red Dwarf re-runs
4. Star Wars, Indiana Jones

5. Contact

I'm stopping the list here because I will watch most all movies over again - it's like a painting - I always see something new each time. I love re-watching movies. ;)

Places you have lived:

1. Missouri

2. Missouri

3. Missouri

And, other than 6 months, I have lived on the same main road in the same town all my life. And you thought I wasn't quite that boring!?!?

TV shows you love to watch:

1. I've been suckered into Treasure Hunters because of the history aspect - lol
2. Desperate Housewives
3. I've been watching new-to-me re-runs of Everybody Loves Raymond - somehow I really feel connected to Debra. ;)
4. Bones

5. Smallville - what a great series!!!! Not only a good Superman series but what great relationship stories!

Places you have been on vacation:

1. Utah (honeymoon)
2. Florida (Disney World twice, Universal Studios, Kennedy Space Center)

3. New Mexico (mission trip '82, built a church for Pueblo Indians)

4. Louisiana (mission trip '87?)

5. Colorado (family vacations as a kid, had snow on me at the top of Pikes Peak on a 100+ day at the bottom, Silverado, ghost town, camped in Rocky Mtn Nat'l park where I watched as a wolverine chased my cycling brother up the mountain, waded across the freezing Colorado River)

6. North Dakota (drive through)

7. South Dakota (badlands, Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse monument, which I swear hasn't changed in about 20 years or more)

8. Kansas (driven through many times, worked as a camp counselor several years)

9. Arizona (to visit my brothers & on honeymoon - visited Grand Canyon several times, camped in Sedona, Sunset Crater)

10. Canada (twice on fishing trips off Eagle Lake, somewhat near Dryden, Ontario)

11.Texas (several business trips/mini vacations/to see friends - mostly Dallas area)

12. Oklahoma (yes, I've been to the biggest McDonalds ever...well, it was at the time!)

13. Tennessee (DH's family and vacation - saw Miss Saigon, visited Elvis' house, Mud Island, art exhibits)

14. Michigan (DH's family - Lake Erie)

15. Ohio (DH's family)

16. New York (on business that extended to vacation - watched Les Mis on Broadway, went up Empire State Bldg, waved at Ms. Liberty, toured Broadway)

17. New Jersey (on business, that extended to vacation - toured the Jersey turnpike on the way to Pennsylvania - lol)

18. Illinois (Cahokia Mounds, Chicago, East St. Louis, saw Phantom of the Opera in Chicago, toured Chicago History Museum, Lakeshore Drive and their wonderful fabulous aquarium)

19. Minnesota (drove through several times on the way to/from Canada and stayed in a hotel I wouldn't suggest to my dog, if I had one.)

20. Pennsylvania (toured Philly, saw Liberty Bell)

Wow, I've really seen a LOT of the US! I would love to see more of the east and more OCEAN!!! I've only ever seen the ocean three times that I remember - once was the gulf from LA, once was gulf from FL and once was the Atlantic from FL. Mom swears I've seen the ocean from TX when I was about 4 (and has the video to prove it) but I can't remember it.

4 Websites you visit daily( usually):

1. Mine (teehee)

2. Yadda Yadda Yadda and a bit more (mommy to RJ's site)

3. Happy SAHM

I have been unfaithful lately but I usually try to go down my list - my "usual" sites are listed in my sidebar.

4 of your Favorite Foods:

1. ice cream
2. fresh corn on the cob

3. good chocolate
4. Moo Goo Gai Pan from my local chinese place - oooooh soooo yummmmmmm - if only they weren't closed now :(

4 Places you would rather be right now:

1.Alaska

2. in my bed, sleeping very very soundly for the next 12 hours

3. on vacation by myself (somewhere cold and woodsy and remote - see #1 - teehee)

4. in a time machine, traveling to the past and future - just watching. I wouldn't want to change past things - just watch them.

4 Bloggers you are tagging:

[aghast] I WOULD **NEVER**!!! But, if any of you want to, leave me a link to your post. ;) And, MommytoRJ - don't you EVER do this again! LOLOLOLOL :)

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Aug. 5, 2006

Unschooling myself

Posted in Fun Stuff

Looks like I'll be unschooling myself in the french language for a while. ;) I was happily going through the Unschooling Carnival posts and stumbled across one entry posted by Phoebe. It's hard enough to find unschoolers around here but to find them in another country (I have found anyway) to be quite rare.

And THEN, to find that her story was so simliar to mine...it's quite surreal really. Anyway, her blog is written in french but for you non-french-speaking people, you can drop it into freetranslation.com to get a fairly good translation. I took one year of French in high school but that was eeeeks - fifteen! - years ago and I'm sure I've forgot more than I learned. LOL

Mais je trouve que je me rappèle pas mal d'aussi. [But I find that I remember quite a bit too.] I look forward to reading more from Phoebe. ;)

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Jul. 22, 2006

Homeschool meme

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Susan over at Imperfect Genius has started a homeschool meme. OK, I'm game. ;)

1) What country/region/state do you live in? Missouri

2) How long have you been homeschooling? Just getting started, old pro or somewhere in between? Technically? Since my oldest was born (almost 6 yrs)

3) Write a little something about your family. Ages? Stages? Jade, 16mos, has just figured out what those two long things inbetween her tush and feet are and she has been using them like crazy! Rose, 3 1/2yrs, has been having a blast becoming more independent by the minute. It's great to see but scary too. Matthew, almost 6yrs, is loving Transformers and having a blast creating his own from Legos. I, 33yrs, am writing and searching for publishing houses and agents and learning whatever I can about the process. Hubby, 37yrs, has been busy with the garden and Morrowind (well, who doesn't like Morrowind??).

4) Share some good homeschooling advice you’ve run across. "Let them do it in their own time. Relax."

5) Tell us something you’re passionate about (besides your family and homeschooling, those are givens!). Writing, breastfeeding, reading, (and recently) photography

6) If you could take the ultimate field trip, where would you go and why? Hmmm...out of country. Probably Ireland or Australia. I would love to give my kids the experience of seeing a different culture. While there are MANY places left in America that I want to take the kids, the ultimate would be immersing ourselves in another culture for a month or two or three... ;)

7) What is a resource you can’t do without? The internet, of course! And the library. ;)

8) How do you homeschool? Classical, Charlotte Mason, Waldorf, Unschooling, Eclectic? Unschooling

9) Share a website or two that you visit often - can be your favorite blogger or a curriculum supplier, just any sites you really like. Sooo many sites, so little space to share. Please see my side list of favorite blogs to the right. I also visit tryingtoconceive.com, allrecipes.com, ebay and amazon on a regular basis.

10) Tell us about one of your favorite projects/activities/trips you’ve had in the past few months. We took the kids on their first camping trip in June. It was a great experience for them and we had so much fun getting to know our ~~extended family~~ friends better!

11) What is a current/previous homeschooling challenge you’ve faced? Do unschoolers really face homeschooling challeges? Maybe the time that Matthew thought he wanted to go to school and "play all day like my friends do".

12) Share an accomplishment, something about you or your children. Come on, brag about it! I think I'm officially a writer! I have received my first rejection letter - I'm going to frame it, I promise. ;)

13) What are you looking forward to over the coming year? Honestly? Seeing where the kids will go. It seems we're a long way off from where we were last year at this time. I wonder where the adventure will take us this year.

14) Name three things you like doing in the summer with your family. Eating ice cream in the air conditioning, reading in the air conditioning and looking forward to autumn in the air conditioning. ;)

15) Have a favorite homeschooling quote? Share it here. Probably not a homeschooling quote but this is my current favorite.... "What would you dream for if you knew you couldn't fail?"

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Jul. 21, 2006

What type of Homeschooler are you?

Posted in Fun Stuff

Scroll down to see the kind I am - any surprises? :)

What Type of Homeschooler Are You?

Salvador Dali Melting clocks are not a problem in your reality. You are an unschooler. You will tolerate a textbook, but only as a last resort. Mud is your friend. You prefer hands-on everything. If your school had an anthem, it would be Dont Worry, Be Happy. Visit my blog: http://www.GuiltFreeHomeschooling.blogspot.com
Take this quiz!

Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

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Jul. 20, 2006

Meaty Bones

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Matthew: Mommy, it's sooooo cold in here! Brrrr
Me: You need to grow some meat on your bones, boy.
Matthew: I do have some already. It's just that my meat is cold!

Might I just add that only my dear son and dear hubby could POSSIBLY complain about air conditioning during a week when the heat index has exceeded 115? ;)

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Jul. 19, 2006

Spiderwire Story continues

Posted in Fun Stuff

Previously on As The Spiderwire Turns... #1 and #2

Last night, Matthew received in the mail a package of Trilene fishing wire.
M [overly excited]: "I can't believe they sent me a package to try! I can't wait to go fishing again!"

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Jul. 15, 2006

Depravity

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Earlier this week, I decided to purchase a new coffeemaker. I decided to go with the Senseo, especially after I saw the $50 gift deal. So this morning, after my dear children asked for a special breakfast, I threw on my clothes from last night, ran a brush through the bottom strands of my hair and ran to Walmart (hey, at least I *mostly* wiped away the black mascara smudges from under my eyes!). Along with some other breakfasty items, I included run-of-the-mill chocolate covered mini doughnuts. When I came home, only Rose was around and the conversation went like this…

Rose: I put on clean underwear already! What's that?

Me: Great job! A new coffeemaker. [I start unloading the bags]

Rose: What is that [eyeing the doughnuts]?
Me: [smiling slyly, I hand her a mini chocolate doughnut]

Rose takes it, looks at it with untrusting eyes, gives me a side glance and takes a small bite.

Rose: YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. Heeeheeeheeeee. [yelling] Matthew, come here!

[no response from upstairs. She continues to laugh herself giddy and repeat YUM over and over.] MATTHEW!

~Enter Matthew~

Matthew: Wow, that was a super sonic quick trip to the store, Mommy! (*everything* is super sonic these days)

Me: Yep [I hand Matthew a doughnut]

Matthew: Oh WOW, THANKS Mom!!

Rose: [happily munching on her 2^nd] They’re CHOCOLATE Matthew! YUMMMMM

Matthew: They’re called ‘doughnuts’, Rose.

Rose: Oh. [awed Homer Simpson voice] Doughnuts.

I ask you, does any other 3 ½ year old have to be TOLD what a doughnut is?? My poor depraved kids. Pray for them. ;)

And my nightgown is back on my body, where it belongs at 8am on a Saturday morning.

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Jul. 11, 2006

Blinded

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Matthew: "Mommy, do you have any old wood I could use?"
Me: "Hmmm....what kind of wood? What do you need it for?"
Matthew: [pauses] "Well, I want to make a bird blind. How about that wood that Grammy brought over?"
Me: "You mean that bookshelf she brought a few weeks ago?"
Matthew: "Yes!! I just need to cut a hole in it so I can see the birds."
Me: "Well, it's really thick wood and I really don't want to tear up the bookshelf. I wonder what else we could use."
We look around the garage for a few minutes and find a perfect sized cardboard box, cut it open, cut viewing holes, tape the sides a bit so it will stand nicely and....voila...a bird blind!

Can you see their little noses poking out?? LOL

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Jul. 10, 2006

Our latest find

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Missouri Matthew

OK, guesses as to what we dug up in the backyard. This is an unknown object to me. Feels like smooth plastic. Before our house was here, this was a farmer's field. But I'm sure DH will figure it out when he gets home. Please post your guesses!! Aspiring Indiana Jones' want to know! :)

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Jun. 22, 2006

I Am From

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I am from The Letter People, from an Atari 500 and boomboxes.
I am from a small yellow five room house on land big enough for twelve. From apples and lilacs and horses and tire swings hung from climbing trees.
I am from the sweet honeysuckle, the cool dark woods filled with stick directions and a field of jonquils. From rabbits and cats and dogs and gerbils and guinea pigs and mice.
I am from French Dip and Writers, from Burtons and Pratts and Grandpa Clark who loved to read and take long walks and fight for justice.
I am from the tellers of rich stories and lovers of rich music. Quotes from birds and cats who wouldn’t go away.
From think before you speak and get a good education so you can support yourself and be brave like a soldier.
I am from Agape Love. From the beginnings of CCM. From long bus rides to GA camp and hot float trips down ice-cold spring fed rivers.
I'm from Missouri and California and Michigan and Ireland and Germany, from egg rolls and apple pie and biscuits and gravy and warm blueberry muffins on crisp Christmas mornings.
From the blizzard of ’82 when we were without electricity for three days and I was sick with 103 fever, from homemade Halloween costumes, and the aunt who was a year younger than me and still my best childhood friend.
I am from boxes buried in the basement, from collages hanging on walls, from Super 8 films and yellowed newspaper clippings stored in dust covered containers but not forgotten.

To read more about the I Am From poems, check out Loni's contest or click here for a template to do your own

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Jun. 22, 2006

My book

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I've written a children's book manuscript. I really do have a corner on the market for this topic and I feel it's well written. Today I received my first rejection letter. And instead of feeling like I'm a hack with no talent, I feel wildly invigorated. I'm ready now to print off a thousand copies and mail them out. I feel very optimistic about this book and just need to find the right publisher. This first publisher was upfront from the beginning and stated that it was a long shot because they don't do children's books but she does feel I have a "valuable book" and just need "the right publisher". If this is what all rejection letters say, please don't tell me. I don't want to know. ;) For now, I'll basque in the glory of my first ever rejection letter and I just might frame it for my living room wall. ;)

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