Thursday, October 16, 2014
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
A Glimpse
In her mind are visions of flower fields, horse pastures, patchwork quilts, rainbows, red birds, playful puppies, cuddling kittens, colorful outfits, cloud-filled skies, feathers and all sorts of whimsical designs. Out here in the yard she fills her doodling journal with her thoughts and pictures. Her mind spills out on paper and a glimpse of her visions are there in a notebook for all to see.
Saturday, October 4, 2014
I Hope
Dear Evan and Chloe,
I hope someday you look at pictures like these and smile as your mind floods with memories of your childhood. I hope you remember how it felt to imagine and play and tell the stories you told here in this backyard dirt patch. I hope you can still feel what it feels like to sit so close to each other and whisper and laugh and work. I hope you can recall the names you had for all the characters in your set-ups and what the games were and how important it all was to you. I hope you have those jokes in your hearts that only the two of you will ever laugh at. I hope you always know how much you meant to each other in your growing up years. I hope you always say I Love You, always wrestle each other to the ground for fun, and are forever the best of friends.
Friday, October 3, 2014
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
A Re-Cap of September
Looking back at my list of posts from this month I can see that I didn't take as many pictures as usual so a lot of our stories didn't end up here. So here's a re-cap of all the things I can remember doing and observing.
** It was the month for visiting farmer's markets and fairs so we did a bit of each. We went to the Albion Fair (my first time there since I was 8 or 9 years old) to see the livestock and experience a bit of the fair atmosphere. It wasn't quite what we expected and we were all feeling a bit of sensory overload. Just as we were about to leave we sought out the tractor pull, promising the kids that if we didn't like it we would just go home. Well, they were enraptured and we watched till we were sore from sitting! Evan found a new interest in life and has asked us where he can drive a tractor so he can learn and participate in the competition when he's older ;-) It ended up being a good day.
** We always go out to Goodell Gardens in Edinboro in September. A rather intense moment happened to us there as we were shopping and realized that Chloe had wandered from us and was absolutely out of sight. It wasn't worrying to me since the area is limited, but I knew how scared she would feel (especially since she's wandered from me in the Co-op and the library before and it scared her pretty bad for those thirty seconds of separation). Minutes later, when we spotted her with a loving group of helpful adults, she was in tears. She hugged me so tight. We've never been so grateful for her rainbow bright clothes. She was okay in a little while and we did some more shopping. Once she started to find pretty things to spend her saved-up birthday money on, she was feeling good again. She bought a necklace with a magnetic pendant; you swap out the buttons to have a new necklace! This is her new favorite thing and she has worn it nearly every single day this month.
** We made friends with a couple that lives on our block. They walk their little fox terrier several times each day, often around our block. We have crossed paths so many times this summer that now we seek out little Oliver just to see him do tricks and watch him intimidate our cat. It's also funny to see him eat grass and get yelled at for thinking he's a sheep. The kids really love Ms. Debbie and Mr. Ron. Oliver loves Evan's RC trucks, so come Christmas-time we're expecting Evan to have a long talk with them about what kind of truck Oliver would like best.
** She gallops everywhere and still acts like a horse on a regular basis, especially when she's mad -- snorting, stomping her hoofs, charging, kicking up dirt or dried grass.
** Todd brought a cicada home one day from work. On close inspection Chloe realized it had two broken legs and that it was probably dying. She fashioned a cozy habitat for it, slept with it by her bed, and checked on it throughout the day. It died in three days and she was actually sad! She may not play with dolls, but there is such a little nurturing heart alive and well in her.
** She learned to tie her shoes. One day (finally!) she just got curious enough and asked. I showed her two times and it clicked. She grabbed the laces and there was a perfect bow made with her own two hands. I have not helped her again since. Todd keeps joking with her that it's his job and she tells him, "Dad, you're fired."
** Her love of dogs is still strong. She has been in love with huskies for a while, and she thought that was the kind she'd have when she grew up. But now, she thinks maybe it's going to be german shepards. How did this happen in a house of cats?
** At the Goodell market she bought this teeny-tiny journal. She draws these itty-bitty pictures in it and shows it off to anyone who comes over. It's full of sunsets, flowers, hermit crabs, cicadas and such.
** Remembering a matching game she once played with her friend Lilah, she decided it would be easy to make her own. She and I worked on it together and now we play it all the time. It's full of the things she loves: dogs, crabs, birds, bats, and bugs.
** She says things like: "I don't mean to bother you, but...." "Is there anything I can help you with?" "I'm not saying this to rush you, but....." Her thoughtfulness and consideration is just blossoming.
** He started fixing his own hair, just like that, and he doesn't want me to mess with it. It started with his realization that curly hair bedhead can be unpredictable and pretty embarrassing, so he would brush it down flat right away. Now it's what he likes: all brushed flat and forward around his face, the less curly the better. He knows his curls are awesome but this is just something new -- a first little peak into his adolescence.
** Legos have always been a constant part of our days. Lately Evan's creations have taken on yet another level of complexity. We see it happen each year, and we never think they can get better but he continues to amaze us. He still only makes vehicles but they are really inventive. Last week he dismantled his Star Wars Sandcrawler to invent a car-hauler that he had a dream about. He built this huge cab and trailer with treads for wheels... all from his own mind.
** With Todd reading aloud to him this summer, Evan discovered his new favorite book series: The Indian in the Cupboard. There are four books and they just finished them. We are going to have to find a nice set to invest in so we don't have to check them out of the library constantly.
** He bounced on his big red bouncy ball a few too many times when, one day, it exploded underneath him. He was so sad, but even in that moment of disappointment he recognized the wisdom in listening to the insight of others. He came to me and said, "If I had only listened to you this wouldn't have happened. How did you know it would pop?" It's so cool when our kids realize things, isn't it?
** His heart has been pretty set on owning an RC toy hobby shop when he grows up, but over the course of the month Evan has expressed interests in some new things: tractor-driving, wood carving, baseball, and knitting. Looks like we'll have some new things to pursue this fall. (He really wants to convince Mr. Gary out at the milk farm to teach him to drive the old red tractor.)
** When he's not eying the big red tractor at the milk farm, Evan is off chasing down the orange striped kitten named Dale. His efforts to tame this somewhat feral cat have worked! Each week Dale yields more and more to being held and snuggled. It helps that Evan is really strong.
** It was the month for visiting farmer's markets and fairs so we did a bit of each. We went to the Albion Fair (my first time there since I was 8 or 9 years old) to see the livestock and experience a bit of the fair atmosphere. It wasn't quite what we expected and we were all feeling a bit of sensory overload. Just as we were about to leave we sought out the tractor pull, promising the kids that if we didn't like it we would just go home. Well, they were enraptured and we watched till we were sore from sitting! Evan found a new interest in life and has asked us where he can drive a tractor so he can learn and participate in the competition when he's older ;-) It ended up being a good day.
** We always go out to Goodell Gardens in Edinboro in September. A rather intense moment happened to us there as we were shopping and realized that Chloe had wandered from us and was absolutely out of sight. It wasn't worrying to me since the area is limited, but I knew how scared she would feel (especially since she's wandered from me in the Co-op and the library before and it scared her pretty bad for those thirty seconds of separation). Minutes later, when we spotted her with a loving group of helpful adults, she was in tears. She hugged me so tight. We've never been so grateful for her rainbow bright clothes. She was okay in a little while and we did some more shopping. Once she started to find pretty things to spend her saved-up birthday money on, she was feeling good again. She bought a necklace with a magnetic pendant; you swap out the buttons to have a new necklace! This is her new favorite thing and she has worn it nearly every single day this month.
** We made friends with a couple that lives on our block. They walk their little fox terrier several times each day, often around our block. We have crossed paths so many times this summer that now we seek out little Oliver just to see him do tricks and watch him intimidate our cat. It's also funny to see him eat grass and get yelled at for thinking he's a sheep. The kids really love Ms. Debbie and Mr. Ron. Oliver loves Evan's RC trucks, so come Christmas-time we're expecting Evan to have a long talk with them about what kind of truck Oliver would like best.
************************************************
Chloe this month:
** She gallops everywhere and still acts like a horse on a regular basis, especially when she's mad -- snorting, stomping her hoofs, charging, kicking up dirt or dried grass.
** Todd brought a cicada home one day from work. On close inspection Chloe realized it had two broken legs and that it was probably dying. She fashioned a cozy habitat for it, slept with it by her bed, and checked on it throughout the day. It died in three days and she was actually sad! She may not play with dolls, but there is such a little nurturing heart alive and well in her.
** She learned to tie her shoes. One day (finally!) she just got curious enough and asked. I showed her two times and it clicked. She grabbed the laces and there was a perfect bow made with her own two hands. I have not helped her again since. Todd keeps joking with her that it's his job and she tells him, "Dad, you're fired."
** Her love of dogs is still strong. She has been in love with huskies for a while, and she thought that was the kind she'd have when she grew up. But now, she thinks maybe it's going to be german shepards. How did this happen in a house of cats?
** At the Goodell market she bought this teeny-tiny journal. She draws these itty-bitty pictures in it and shows it off to anyone who comes over. It's full of sunsets, flowers, hermit crabs, cicadas and such.
** Remembering a matching game she once played with her friend Lilah, she decided it would be easy to make her own. She and I worked on it together and now we play it all the time. It's full of the things she loves: dogs, crabs, birds, bats, and bugs.
** She says things like: "I don't mean to bother you, but...." "Is there anything I can help you with?" "I'm not saying this to rush you, but....." Her thoughtfulness and consideration is just blossoming.
*************************************************
Evan this month:
** He started fixing his own hair, just like that, and he doesn't want me to mess with it. It started with his realization that curly hair bedhead can be unpredictable and pretty embarrassing, so he would brush it down flat right away. Now it's what he likes: all brushed flat and forward around his face, the less curly the better. He knows his curls are awesome but this is just something new -- a first little peak into his adolescence.
** Legos have always been a constant part of our days. Lately Evan's creations have taken on yet another level of complexity. We see it happen each year, and we never think they can get better but he continues to amaze us. He still only makes vehicles but they are really inventive. Last week he dismantled his Star Wars Sandcrawler to invent a car-hauler that he had a dream about. He built this huge cab and trailer with treads for wheels... all from his own mind.
** With Todd reading aloud to him this summer, Evan discovered his new favorite book series: The Indian in the Cupboard. There are four books and they just finished them. We are going to have to find a nice set to invest in so we don't have to check them out of the library constantly.
** He bounced on his big red bouncy ball a few too many times when, one day, it exploded underneath him. He was so sad, but even in that moment of disappointment he recognized the wisdom in listening to the insight of others. He came to me and said, "If I had only listened to you this wouldn't have happened. How did you know it would pop?" It's so cool when our kids realize things, isn't it?
** His heart has been pretty set on owning an RC toy hobby shop when he grows up, but over the course of the month Evan has expressed interests in some new things: tractor-driving, wood carving, baseball, and knitting. Looks like we'll have some new things to pursue this fall. (He really wants to convince Mr. Gary out at the milk farm to teach him to drive the old red tractor.)
** When he's not eying the big red tractor at the milk farm, Evan is off chasing down the orange striped kitten named Dale. His efforts to tame this somewhat feral cat have worked! Each week Dale yields more and more to being held and snuggled. It helps that Evan is really strong.
Friday, September 26, 2014
Old and New
Old: Evan and Roy cuddling under a (ratty) fuzzy blanket. These three, blanket included, have grown up together.
New: Chloe and a book hanging out pretty much anywhere these days. We did two simple lessons and now she reads by herself for the first time.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Intruiging
In school I hated gym class. Dreaded might be a better word. I am uncoordinated and easily embarrassed, also I prefer to learn new skills privately. Why did I have to play horrendously painful games like dodgeball? Or learn how to bowl? How is it necessary for my life that I know how to do a layup with a basketball? Will I really ever use the ping-pong skills I was taught? And why, oh why, was I forced to wear a polyester uniform and share a locker room with dozens of strangers???
What if instead I had been pleasantly and peacefully homeschooled? What might my physical education have looked like? I'm certain I would have done gymnastics until my growth spurt at age 14 prevented me from being a nimble tumbler. I would have excelled at trail walking and creek wading. Tree climbing would have scored me an A+ (as opposed to the C- on my report card from the quarter where we learned basketball and ping pong). Running? Yes! I would have run for miles without being forced to do it as a warm-up for other impending dreadful activities. Bike riding would have been fun and I would have been up for the challenge.
Some kids just don't really pursue sports or team activities, and those who do rarely, if ever, end up doing that sport for a living. So why was I abused and embarrassed and made to feel like 'phys-ed' was a chore when quite obviously it is not? Because in school you have to do what they say whether it fits into your life or not.
Well, here in this family my kids will never know such time-wasting tortures. Bike riding on the next-size-up bikes has been all the rage recently. Evan really wants to ride Todd's bike, so for unschooling 'gym class', that's what he is pursuing. (Chloe said that watching Evan 'intrigued' her into wanting to try to ride his bike.)
No embarrassment, only intriguing personal growth and challenges, all of which are applicable and useful for life and living.
**************************************************
p.s. Of course some people loved gym class, and I would have never met my middle school best friend without that whole locker-buddy system. What I am against is force, and what I am advocating is freedom.
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