Spencer is 13

13 of the best years of my life, right there.

John Holt Quotes for 2/17

Thanks to all my unschooling e-friends for continually sharing!

"It's not that I feel that school is a good idea gone wrong, but a wrong idea from the word go. It's a nutty notion that we can have a place where nothing but learning happens, cut off from the rest of life."

"Education... now seems to me perhaps the most authoritarian and dangerous of all the social inventions of mankind. It is the deepest foundation of the modern slave state, in which most people feel themselves to be nothing but producers, consumers, spectators, and fans, driven more and more, in all parts of their lives, by greed, envy, and fear. My concern is not to improve 'education' but to do away with it, to end the ugly and antihuman business of people-shaping and to allow and help people to shape themselves."

"True learning-learning that is permanent and useful,that leads to intelligent action and further learning, can arise only out of the experience, interest, and concerns of the learner"

"Standardized testing for children is the equivalent of a gardener pulling his plants up by the root to see if they are growing"

"The most important thing any teacher has to learn, not to be learned in any school of education I ever heard of, can be expressed in seven words: Learning is not the product of teaching. Learning is the product of the activity of learners."

"All I am saying in this book can be summed up in two words: Trust Children. Nothing could be more simple, or more difficult. Difficult because to trust children we must first learn to trust ourselves, and most of us were taught as children that we could not be trusted."

"Education – compulsory schooling, compulsory learning – is a tyranny and a crime against the human mind and spirit. Let all those escape it who can, any way they can."

Krispy Kreme and other adventures

Yes, I think it's ironic that I'm posting about a donut shop the same day I start a blog about nutrition, but nevertheless that's where we went on Thursday. We joined a big group of homeschoolers for a tour and sample, and it was pretty neat to see the inner workings of their production.

A couple interesting facts about Krispy Kreme:

1. Their donut machine (which we were under strict orders NOT to take pictures of) costs more than our house.

2. You need to be able to lift 50 pounds to work there

3. Employees get three free donuts a day. Yikes, I'm thinking about nutrition again....

The boys really enjoyed the tour. Tegan did not, but she did appreciate the donut at the end.



Krispy Kreme was one of three field trips we have scheduled for this month. Next week we're going on a tour of a crime lab, and the following week we're touring the Phoenix recycling center. Cool.

T-Ball and gymnastics are both in full swing now. Everett is still the easiest one to spot in both sports, as he's the one with the big grin on his face, waving to his parents every time he gets the chance.

Another Chapter

I started a new blog this morning, a blog devoted completely to nutrition and healthy living. It's a work in progress of course, and I will expand it as I go, but please check it out! I'm very excited to have another project that I'm passionate about.

Back in Balance

PS Regular blog coming soon...

Cleaning the Earth

Our very favorite thing to do as a family is to go out into the desert... driving, hiking, geocaching, exploring. Even just breathing in the air and drinking in the scenery. There is something so rejuvenating about it, something that makes the soul sigh and the heart smile. We love the desert.

Yesterday found us joining several hundred other like-minded valley residents for the third annual clean-up of Four Peaks.

We filled trash bag after trash bag,

trailer after trailer.

We picked up, loaded, drove, and deposited.

We stayed for hot dogs, and we stayed for the raffle drawing. Spencer won two off-roading DVDs (a more perfect prize for him could not have been), work gloves, and a Tread Lightly t-shirt.


And Everett won a Tread Lightly sweatshirt, conveniently sized big enough to fit his mother. He was thrilled to get it, as the sun was covered in clouds by that time, and he'd started to complain of getting chilly.


At the risk of repeating a long-held cliche, there truly is nothing quite like the sense of purpose and camaraderie you feel when you're out in the earth, working with your hands, giving your time, and coming together for a common good. That there's what life's about.

Lest the day be too perfect though, there was just one minor "oops" with the trailer


...giving us a perfectly matched set.

Teens and Toddlers

We have two big birthdays coming up in a couple of weeks. On February 19th, Spencer will become on a teenager. Three days later, Tegan turns two.

I think it's interesting that we're reaching both these milestones within just a couple days of each other, as both ages live in infamy for their own particular set of negative stereotypes... the sullen, aloof, eye-rolling teenager; and the opinionated, tantrum-throwing "terrible twos." What a sad and demeaning way to view such cool ages!

I am enjoying spending time with Spencer as much as I ever have, possibly more than I ever have. While still loving his trucks, legos, and Nerf guns, his interests are also taking a decidedly more "grownup" turn. He's fascinated with medicine, with forensics, with science fiction. We watch doctor and detective shows together; we've had lengthy discussions about Haiti, the economy, and different religions. He's constantly learning about new cooking techniques, and is absorbing information from my nutrition classes right at my side. He is sweet, he's affectionate, and he never lets a day go by without telling me he loves me.

And Tegan: I can only wish for a fraction of her joy, her innocence, and her boundless energy. The world is so big and exciting to a two year old, and everything from from a pile of sand to a flower to a shiny - or not-so-shiny - rock is something to celebrate. Tegan reminds me that the world is beautiful. She loves to sing, dance, jump, and pretend. She is extremely verbal, and carries on the most incredibly intricate conversations from her unique two-year-old perspective. She is funny, and gets me laughing to the point of tears, and often. And CUTE??!! They simply don't come much cuter.

They're not perfect. Their brothers aren't perfect. And guess what,

their parents aren't perfect either.

But the way I see it, I can either shake my head and moan and complain about the inevitable difficult days, or I can celebrate their wonderfully complicated personalities, hearts, minds, and souls.... at every age.

I choose the celebrating.

It must have been a really good episode

I came into the living room a little while ago to find all four kids squished in front of the TV. I don't know why they were sitting so close - and no one really had an answer - but it made me laugh.

And this was dinner last night. It just looked so pretty in the bowl that I had to take a picture. Yay, food!

Pretzels

Field trip to Auntie Anne's...

Learning the ropes:


Happy in her baker's hat:


A gaming break with some friends:


Making our own:



Delicious!

Seasons Change

2010 has brought with it a shift. Things are changing, and I'm thankful that our fluid homeschooling lifestyle allows us to not only ride with the tide, but to embrace it.

While the latter part of 2009 was spent largely and voluntarily on our own, at home, we are now enjoying the call to come out of hibernation. We're signing up for field trips, making more playdates, and meeting new people.

After 3 seasons, Paxton has decided not to play baseball on a team this spring, instead just continuing to enjoy the sport on his own. He's happy with his choice, and seems to look forward to just being Paxton for awhile, instead of Paxton-the-ball-player.

Everett is currently taking an opposite track, and wanting to do, see, and try more more MORE. He's about to start his second season of baseball, and in one week will be taking gymnastics as well. At home he's been immersing himself into one project after another, from origami to sculpting to baking to studying the human body. He's the happiest when no two days are alike, when each day brings something new. It's a feeling I can fully understand at the moment, as I've been on my own similar quest.

Last week I enrolled in school, for the first time since Paxton was a baby, and will - God willing - finally finish my certificate in Holistic Nutrition, before moving on to Natural Health. My vocabulary is not large enough to explain how excited I am, both to start the new program, and to see what else the next 11 months are going to bring.

Out With the Old

A few posts ago I shared a picture of Tegan's new stroller. This kitchen is another favorite. I adore this kitchen! Tegan got a few beautiful sets of wooden food, a lovely tea set made from recycled plastic, and some pots, pans, and utensils. Which meant that the kitchen was fully stocked, and we could finally get rid of the big, yucky and cracked plastic bin that was filled to overflowing with old plastic food... food that was lovingly played with for a long time, and that was worn, dirty, and otherwise cast aside. Everett went through it this weekend, picked out the few pieces he wanted to hang onto, and the rest found a new home in our recycle bin, plastic tub and all. Everything they're left with fits wonderfully in the kitchen, with plenty of room to organize it however they'd like. I love it.

Few things give me such a natural high as getting rid of any sort of clutter! That one simple act has inspired me once again to continue the progress in the rest of the house.

In other current news, I snapped a couple of pictures of Spencer working on one of the cases in his new forensics lab. Very cool. I love the way their heads are bent together here, reading about the suspects.



And this is Paxton holding Leonard...


I am in love with this snake, and can't believe we didn't get one sooner.

One of those days

I felt like this today:


When I wasn't feeling like this:


I don't know why really. Just one of those days where I woke up on the wrong side of the bed and couldn't right myself now matter how hard I tried. I was stressed out, irritated, sad, and well... just plain grumpy.

I tried for a little perspective, tried to get out of my own head for a little while. God knows there are people dealing with real problems and heartaches. The devastation in Haiti right now is horrific.

To that end, I donated my $10 to the Red Cross's relief efforts. (If you haven't done this yet, please do! Just text HAITI to 90999, and your $10 will be charged on your next cell phone bill. It's only $10 and it takes 2 seconds.)

I tried to share about it on Twitter, but accidentally typed the number incorrectly - still haven't gotten used to that touch screen keyboard - and I was of course corrected by several well-meaning people. With the state I was in, even that made me feel worse.

We walked to the playground this afternoon, but the warm Arizona sun wasn't cheering me up today. The kids ran and played for over two hours, and I enjoyed it through them, yet that small part of me still wanted to just go home to crawl back into bed.

In a crazy way, I feel like days like today help me to be a better parent. It's a not-so-gentle reminder that we all have those days. Those days when we're frustrated with the world, and ourselves, and life, and we inadvertently take it out on everyone around us. How much harder it must be to do with those feelings when you're a child! Days like today reaffirm my resolve for patience when Tegan is grumbling around, saying "No" to every question that's asked of her, and throwing herself on the floor. Days like today remind to be kind when Everett has burst into tears for the 3rd time, for reasons that even he doesn't quite understand. Days like today make me more understanding when Paxton wants to retreat into his computer game, without any disruptions from his younger siblings, or when Spencer needs nothing more than a nap at 2:30 in the afternoon.

For that awareness, I'm thankful for even the bad days.

"You never see the bad days in a photo album but it’s those days that get us from one happy snapshot to the next"

Birthdays and New Plans

Last year, my birthday was.... well, it was weird. We spent the whole day grocery shopping. Not just picking up a few things, but multi-store, several hundred dollar, stocking-up-for-a-month shopping. That evening we bought a used fridge for our garage from a neighbor, and wheeled it home down the sidewalk on a dolly. For dinner - and for reasons that have completely escaped my memory - we had hot dogs, one of my least favorite foods. It was a good day. Just weird.

This year started with Spencer making me coffee, and Mike making me chocolate chip pancakes. I did yoga while they cleaned up. I played Spongebob Operation with Everett, and read books with Tegan. Mom, Dad, Sandi, Mitch and the kids all came over in the afternoon for cake and icecream. The girls laughed our way through one of the workouts on my new Wii game, and the guys watched football. We played outside and pushed the kids on the swings. Everyone held the new snake. The kids raced through the house playing one made-up game after another. We saw the Cardinals beat the Packers in an awesome overtime moment. It was truly a great day.

Hot dogs were replaced with pasta with Mike's own scampi sauce (one of my favorites) as a late dinner, followed by even more cake and icecream.

I was having entirely too much fun to take pictures, but Mike snapped a couple of me with the cake...



Yesterday seemed to mark the end of our little season of rest. The rest of the month is fast filling up, as is February, and even this summer. We've planned a busy spring, and possibly an even busier summer. I'm once again reminded of living in the moment, and finding that ever elusive balance.

Another Year Wiser.....

Tomorrow I'll be 36.

If New Years makes me all introspective and philosophical, birthdays make me even more so. I always think about where I am versus where I thought I'd be, what I've done versus what I thought I'd do, what I've learned versus what I thought I'd learn. I think about the surprises that the past year held, both the good (becoming friends with someone with whom I thought a friendship would never be possible), and the bad (being hospitalized and tested and anesthetized yet again)

I love being in my 30's. I'm a happy mom, and I'm a happy wife, but beyond those things I'm just more me than I ever was in my 20's. If you have known me long, or even read my blog for any length of time, you have likely heard me say this before: I didn't have a single opinion in my head when I got married. I really didn't. The lightbulb moment came for me about ten years ago, when Spencer was still a toddler. Sure, I'd discovered many things about myself as soon as he was born, but it wasn't until a couple of years later that I finally felt that feeling of "OH. This is who I am. This is who I want to be." And if it was true then, it's even more true now. This is who I am.

This year, I'm thankful for a husband that doesn't just love me in spite of all the growing I've done over the years(I want to say "changing" but I really don't feel like I've changed!), but loves me because of it. I love that he patiently listens as I pontificate about my newest passions, reads what I ask him to read when I just can't put it into my own words, and supports whatever it is that I want to try/see/learn/taste/touch.

I'm thankful for the friends I have that truly let me be me.... not in a condescending, pat-on-the-head, kind of way, but in a true, accepting, and loving way.

I'm thankful for the people that get it.

I'm thankful for the ability to surround myself with resources that support attachment parenting, breastfeeding, baby-wearing, unschooling, natural living, non-circing, non-vaxing, life learning, free thinking causes.... and the freedom to distance myself from the resources that do not.

I'm thankful for my babies.

I'm thankful for what God has done in my life. This year, I feel truly blessed.

And finally, here is another picture of me as a little girl.


Anyone else think Tegan looks just like me?

Jesus Take the Wheel

One of Tegan's favorite Christmas presents was a nice double stroller. She puts her dolls in it occasionally, but she just as often uses it to push around her toys, books, or shoes. Last night I noticed she was pushing baby Jesus from her nativity set, and I had to snap the picture. Notice that she even strapped him in. :-)

Easing into the New Year

The kids and I have not left the house yet this week, and it has been wonderful! We've been playing new games, relaxing, and just being together. As much as I'm appreciating it, I know that it's fleeting. Soon we'll be out on field trips again, baseball will begin in just a few weeks, and life will take over. For now, I'm enjoying the tea parties, the science experiments, the games of Chinese Checkers, and hanging out in the sheet tent in the living room.



Happy 2010.