living in the now?

my 11 yr old daughter spent the morning crying for the planet, for the injustice of the rich and powerful making decisions based on greed and personal gain that will negatively affect the rest of us, and for the direction that our society has taken. what is a mother to do with that?

i feel so blessed, and so proud of her, and yet so completely inadequate to help...
for starters, we are doing an experiment on what it would be like to live in another time, (which is something she has repeatedly said she wishes for), so as of now, we are laying out the ground rules of what that is going to look like...

for starters, no tv, i'm assuming no facebook or phone will get tossed into the mix, (withing reason of course), and working out the deets on driving restrictions, electricity usage, acceptable food resources, etc.

wish me luck! this feels like a lot of pressure and responsibility will be resting on me, which i'm already guessing means it's going to have to be spread around. heads up kids, daily chores incoming!

The Hogwarts Express

Its not very day that your young lady turns eleven, now is it?

Actually it only happens once, and we are planning to make a proper big deal of it.

So we have spent the better part of the last two weeks putting much of our energies into creating a fabulously magical birthday party for my sweet girl's eleventh.

Any proper Harry Potter fan will already know that the eleventh birthday is a big deal; the age at which a young witch or wizard will receive their letter of acceptance into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

This could so easily get way out of hand- between my obsessive compulsive tendencies, my genetic predisposition to over-doing things (especially decorating), my secret desire to be a party planner, my tendency to get lost in fantasy worlds, my own love of (and desire to believe in) Harry Potter and Hogwarts, family and friends coming in from out of state just to celebrate with us, and a strong desire to make this a truly magical day for my daughter as she gets her (surprise) letter from Hogwarts, (along with a ticket to The Magical World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios at start of term this fall)- needless to say, I am having a hard time finding a boundary here between having a birthday party and recreating every detail ever mentioned in seven Harry Potter books!

I mean, is there really a difference?
Somebody please say no!?!




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Precious Gift

Friends are mirrors of who we are, our struggles, our strengths...

They are lamp posts along our path in life, showing us who we are, where we've been, and where we're going...

They are our sisters, our brothers, our fathers and mothers, they are ourselves, and we are theirs...

I am you and you are me...

I am the student and you are my teacher, what can I help you to see?




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Occupational Hazards of a Seeker

It's slowly starting to dawn on me that my tendency to think that everything in our past has brought us here- to this place and time- and now we're done and can stop and rest, perhaps permanently...

may be an idea that it's high time I let go of...

This was not the end, the final destination; it was just another step on our journey, and soon it will be time again for change.

I'm beginning to see the spiral pattern in this movement, and feeling the time has come to let go of linear thinking.

Such is the life of the gypsy hearted former conformist...


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Bloggers in Wonderland

I have recently stumbled down the rabbit hole, (or perhaps through the looking glass) of world-changing, paradigm-shifting, alignment-inducing, enlightenment-producing inspiration; disguised in the form of a handful of sweet and unassuming blogs...

...blogs that are both beautiful and soulful, simultaneously divinely universal and completely personal, a yin and yang of non-threatening and deeply challenging, filled with both meaningful ideals and pretty things (which I must admit a weakness for)...

...and I'm not even quite sure how I got there; but I am certainly glad that I did.

Maybe you can find yourself there too:

Curious Girl

Roots of She

Positively Present

Your Joyologist

I have a feeling that these comfortable winding paths of self discovery and broader human understanding will lead to many others...

I'll keep you posted, you do the same!

Share your favorite places, blogs or otherwise, where you find that daily dose (of beauty, inspiration, self discovery, humor, or whatever else it is that you need a daily dose of) - post it in the comments section below!

Ahem, please?

...and thank you!

Where are my manners?
;)

Love & Light

Happy Birthday my sweet girl!

11 years ago right about now, I was spending the first night of my sweet baby girl's life with her, learning how to be a mother, having nothing but love and a strong will to be a good mother and not a clue in the world as to how to make that happen. Sometimes I still feel just as clueless, and I'm still running on love and willpower, but I have been so incredibly blessed to share this life with such a beautiful human being. Trinity- I can only hope to teach you half of the valuable life lessons that I have learned from you, I'm so lucky to have you for a daughter- I love you!
Happy 11th Birthday my sweet baby girl!


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Whipping Cream and Running Crazy

Despite my most valiant efforts and noble intentions, we have been failing miserably at this whole do nothing project.

I really meant to, and I thought I tried to, do nothing at all this past week.

Well, it seems the harder I try, the bigger we fall!

Today:


We made our own whipped cream for dessert- yummy, low sugar, all natural, organic, and educational!



...and I'd say it was a success!

(home ec, health, math, science)


We learned about healthy food choices and the importance of presentation!


(aka- let's find a way not to open another box of those evil girl scout cookies!)

(nutrition, visual arts, chemistry)

We went to a new food market that had lots of samples (free snacks are fun), and bought organic milk to make our own homemade ice cream, (and cream for making whipped cream and butter!), and veggies and salt for our fermenting party coming up this Tuesday!

(economics, home ec, science, math, social studies)

There was a patio demolition that took place in our back yard this afternoon. (my part was staying out of the way with the girls and then directing while the hubs backed the trailer into the driveway) He says I'm good at directing. ;)

(architecture, business management, safety)

We all watched a supercross race together (sort of;), and had some of the yummy farmers market tamales for dinner (with lots of fixins that the girls helped with)!

(phys ed, economics, home ec)

Yesterday, the girls played with barbies in the 'swimming pool', :( i didnt get a pic, and painted pictures 'inspired by' the new flowers blooming in the front yard.



(p.e., drama, art)

We've also been:


Writing letters to pen pals.
(language arts, communications)




Prepping and planting a backyard garden.
(biology, economics, agriculture)

Man, these girls are advanced! ;)

And, we are still remodeling the house. This week, the hall bath got new floors, paint, baseboards, and a new vanity! Here's a nice picture of our toilet:



Way to go hubs!

All this trying to do nothing is wearing me out!



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Rainbow Libra Love

I've recently realized that my favorite color is rainbow...



...how's that for typical libra indecisiveness?

Perhaps it's not an inability to decide on just one thing, but rather a deep desire to have it all???
;)

Thanks V for my beautiful hoops!


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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! ;)


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Love Notes from the Universe

Did you ever have one of those days where you felt like the whole universe was conspiring to make you feel abundantly blessed and excessively happy?

Today was that kind of day.







Starting with a solo trip to the farmers market at white rock lake, which felt anything but lonely because of the warm, friendly, neighborhood vibe of the market and the people there.







So many cool vendors, selling everything from refurbished vintage bikes, to adorable handmade clothes and jewelry, to repurposed plastic ray guns and rocket packs!







Oh, and you can find beautiful real food there too! (assuming you can peel yourself away from the artists tables)

Everyone i encountered was friendly, and kind, and interesting, and encouraging and inspiring.
It was all so uplifting.

Maybe it was just the Farmers Market Effect, but the rest of the day was just as pleasant, if not more so.

I stopped at the nursery on my way home from the market, and found heirloom tomatoes and pole beans!

Just a week ago, I asked about heirloom varieties and genetically modified seeds at this very same nursery, and the woman looked at me like I had a nipple growing out of my forehead, and then screamed over her shoulder for "EARRRL!", like she was calling the bouncer to throw me out for breaking the rules.

Today, they had a whole table of heirloom veggies, so I bought one of each! (I hope my friends like tomatoes)

Add to that the fact that after my near miss with EARL last week, I came straight home and ordered heirloom seeds from two different etsy stores; but for some reason, still haven't gotten them. :(

So I was talking to my dad on my drive home from the market, about his freshly flooded tomato plants, and my impatience with waiting for seeds, and how I wished I had ordered sooner bc I really needed to start them weeks ago, etc...

Well, since he clearly wasn't done talking, and my sister was calling on the other line, I figured i needed more phone time, so decided to pull in to the nursery and just tool around for a while.
...and I found heirloom tomato plants, already started for me.
Wink wink universe! ;)

Then I came home to my girls happily playing with barbies and littlest pet shops in the grass, my hubby happily washing and tweaking his new bike, birds singing, sun shining, soft breeze blowing...

There was so many things, too many little details to even be able to express, but today felt like a really warm hug.

Thanks universe!






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