3.23.2011

Something About Nothing

I have big plans to do absolutely nothing tomorrow, all day long.

Yeah, I have to make a plan to do nothing. Don't judge.

This last week or so has been a whirlwind of family, friends, and tons of fun... and I am whupped!

Anyone who has this idea that we unschoolers are just laying around playing video games all day every day, is just completely uninformed!

...Or maybe I'm just doing this all wrong?

Not that we can't (because we can if we want to), or not that we don't (because sometimes we do), CHOOSE to do 'nothing' all day, (and when I say 'nothing', that still usually doesn't equate to 'nothing' in any 'normal' sense of the word 'nothing'), but only other unschoolers would really know what I mean with all that 'nothing'-ness up there...
I digress.

If you happen to still be reading this, and happen to NOT be a fellow unschooler, and happen to want to try to wrap your brain around what all that 'nothing' was about...
Try clicking HERE.

Anyway...
The point is, even I didn't really get how much 'something' we are doing around here all the time; but keeping this blog is really helping me realize that I've been calling a whole lotta 'something', 'nothing', for WAY too long.

For example, when my parents call and ask what we've been up to, i used to just throw out the default 'nothing', (aka: 'nothing much' 'nothing new' 'not much')...

WHAT??? Really???

AS IF!!!
...Right?

On any given day, there are so many 'somethings' going on in our home and lives, (both external visible active somethings, and deeper subtler quieter somethings), and there's so much of those 'somethings' going on in any given week, that I usually don't have the time or energy to document it for ourselves, our supporters, (or our naysayers), to see what we're REALLY up to; and there just aren't enough words in existence to ever truly express all those amazing quieter subtler somethings that I am so blessed to witness every day of my children's lives.

But what an injustice that little 'nothing' has been all these years- to me, to my kids, to the people who care enough to ask what we're up to, and to the reputations of fellow unschoolers everywhere!

I mean, If we don't give ourselves credit for all the amazing 'somethings' going on in our lives every day, then why would we expect anyone else to see it?

The Challenge:
Never say 'Nothing' again!

What about you, do you have the 'nothing' default?

Do you give yourself and your kids proper credit for all the amazing things you're doing and learning every day?
(even when it looks to the rest of the world like you're doing 'nothing' all day?)

Do you take the time and energy to share the truth of this amazing life with people who might not get it or agree with it?

I think it's high time we did!

...now, how to find the time to document, the words to define, or the brain space to remember all that 'Something'!

Here are just some of our most recent 'somethings':






Lady J writing (drawing) and mailing a 'letter' to Blue and Steve of Blue's Clues, (she doesn't like the taste of envelopes)






Miss T developing her own temporary tattoo business as a fundraiser to stop kill shelters for homeless animals






Trying out a new Asian restaurant, and totally loving it! (chopsticks and all)






Girl Scout Adventures: a midweek field trip to The Women's Museum and a project passport trip around the world (which included some yummy homemade exotic foods)!




Playdates and parties with awesome fellow unschooling friends!



Honing our hOOping skillz and deepening our Hoop Love! <3






Spending an entire week with some of our favorite people in the whole world, cuddling with a sweet baby, touring a farm, going to the Lego store, and so much more!






Learning about, and trying, different foods from different cultures.
1. Farmers market bounty
2&3. Mexican Palletta (ice cream, we know this now, and also that if you order melon, don't expect watermelon because you'll get cantaloupe)
4. Sushi lunch date with my Little Lady J, who wound up eating all of my crunchy roll (even after that face) because she loved the 'baby fish eggs' on top. (I kept trying to get her to call it roe, or at least leave out the word babies, but she didn't seem to have a moral issue with it!)






...more fun with food!
1. Gluten free chocolate pancakes made with friends
2. Homemade Mardi Gras King Cake (made by friends, enjoyed by us) for our Fat Tuesday Party
3. Smiley Face Sprinkles discovered on a Starbucks cake pop (cake pops are so good they even make themselves happy;)
4. Delicious dessert made by Miss T with chocolate bread from the farmers market






Special just us girls time together, learning to love and care for ourselves






And of course some good old fashioned family time at the pet store and the park...

...no turtles pace for this unschooling family!

(and all of this is just in the month of March, so far, and this just barely skims the surface of what we've done, and really doesn't even touch on all we've learned, and how we've grown, or how we've felt, or fueled our interests, or discovered things about ourselves, or each other, or life in general)

Do me a favor, try to do nothing for a whole day; and more importantly, try to learn nothing.

Let me know how it turns out! ;)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

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