School on the Move

Art Classes

2007-12-31T07:59:00.000-08:00

I've enjoyed watching the boys take art classes the last couple of years and have regretted not taking any during college. So while I'm waiting until the time that I can go back to school for a master's degree, I'm taking classes through the Southwest School of Arts and Crafts in San Antonio. Rather than focus on textiles, I decided to go back to the basics. I started with a drawing class and here is my final project, a portrait of Connor. I'm amazed that a few drawing lessons can help so much. I highly recommend a class for two reasons. One, you get to learn how to use the different tools of the trade. I had never heard of a stump and now it is my favorite drawing tool. Two, you get to watch your instructor correct your drawings. I realized that moving a line an eighth of an inch can make a huge difference to how correct something looks. I used to think that a drawing was hopeless. Now I know it only needs a little tweaking. And with my new skills, I can erase a bad line and it no longer shows. That eraser is my second favorite tool!

2007-12-21T11:01:00.000-08:00

Now that we have your attention...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Texas!

Thank you for accepting our newsy letter by blog... the money we will save on printing, paper and postage is being donated to Heifer International (www.Heifer.org).

Life with the Drake Family has not drastically changed. We are living in another warm climate. It is another 80 degrees as I sit and write this! It was near freezing Thanksgiving weekend. I just don’t think I will ever appreciate Texas weather.

We've had a busy year due to another move. California is a wonderful state and we explored more hidden corners on our way out of state. We visited King’s Canyon and Sequoia National Parks and Joshua Tree National Monument. The rest was a blur (except for a near speeding ticket soon after crossing the Texas border) as Scott’s new boss wanted him quick. The Air Force never changes.

The leave Scott did not get this summer we managed to take this fall. We went to visit friends in Germany and had the most marvelous three weeks. Visiting Germany is like visiting home. So many friends welcomed us with open arms and we had a marvelous time. Come over and see the photos!

So... here’s the quick and dirty update.

Scott is working for the Air Force Personel Center at Randolph AFB. I have no idea what his job title is but I do know that he has ten people working for him who place all of the Logistics Officers in their jobs. When they’re busy, they’re very busy. When it’s slow, they’re busy. He’s enjoying himself very much. And he’s keeping his eyes open for that next job :) Scott's also become Ryan's math instructor this year. The pair of them make a great team and it's nice for mom to be a parent instead of a teacher for one subject!

I am taking time for art classes and just completed a semester of basic drawing. I am amazed how a few lessons can make a huge difference. Also, drawing isn’t about lines. It’s about shade. Who knew? I've also learning how to play Mah Jong (big thumbs up) and how to organize a Local Foods group. The latter is a new concept here – how to buy and eat local food and share it with others. I've had to learn where the food is! The Drake Men have had to learn to appreciate local cows’ and goats’ milk as well as local meats, including lamb and bison, as well as fruits, veggies, and pecans. Texas has a lot to offer!

Ryan is no longer a boy but a young man. He turned 12 in September. He loves martial arts and is looking forward to playing Soccer again this spring. Math is his favorite subject and he hopes to become an engineer or an inventor of some kind. Currently, he’s working on a National History Day project about children on the homefront during WWII. He now has his own email address: ryan.ernest@gmail.com. He would love to hear from you!

Connor is still our fun loving, adventure seeking boy. And he is all boy (see picture on front page). He just earned his blue belt in Kuk Sool Won and loves the challenge of learning new forms. He doesn’t have a favorite subject but you can’t keep him away from books. He is always reading something new and something old, sometimes at the same time. He discovered Calvin and Hobbes a little over a year ago and I think he’s become an expert. He has started designing his own comics and wants to learn how to make games for the computer. I never know when he walks down the stairs if he’ll be dressed to slay dragons or to play four square. He makes our lives exciting! You can find Connor’s recommendations about computer games at his blog, http://gaming-by-connor.blogspot.com/

For those who would like to keep in touch by email, Angie’s has stayed the same: angiedrake@hotmail.com. Scott’s is ff94533@hotmail.com. If you would like our snail-mail address, please send me an email. I'd rather not post it on the internet for all to see! Please let us know how you are doing. It’s hard to keep in touch with AF friends and family but we are always happy to hear a voice from the past!

Our love goes out to all of you!

Angie, Scott, Ryan and Connor

Persistence

2007-07-18T18:30:00.000-07:00

We have just finished move number eight of our 17 year stint with the AF. Although boxes are unpacked, I am still surrounded with piles of books, stacks of mail, miscellaneous furniture, and the odds and ends (like rubberbands and missing pieces to the game that I gave away two bases ago). But our computer is hooked up to the WWW after one mishap with an incorrect power cord. And life is ready to resume it's schedule.

The boys have been off school for so long that I'm not sure they really remember what it is. But I'm in no hurry to hit the books because that is exactly what they are doing this summer. On their own. With no prompting from mom. They are both turning into avid readers. I need to thank Brian Jacques and his wonderful series of books that begin with "Redwall." They are immersed in fighting mice and spying hares and loving every minute of it. It also means that their comfort with the written language is also improving - they are more apt to pick up a magazine and read an article just for fun. Ryan saw an article about Harry Potter in the New York Times and decided to read it, definitely something he would not have done on his own a year ago.

So this year we plan to battle writing. Hopefully it won't really be a battle, but the Redwall language is leaking into our daily life! My first goal is to write more myself. I used to write a lot and have found that years of motherhood had sapped the writing bug. The boys have always stepped up to the plate when they've seen either myself of their Dad doing something. They willing workout because Dad provides a great example (Mom tries to follow). They eat healthy food because they see us doing the same. They read books because we read a ton. They limit TV viewing because I make them. But hopefully they'll remember all the time they had to do other things - like play war outside after dinner with friends or spend an hour on the computer playing their latest round of Civilizations. So maybe, just maybe, when they see me spending time writing, they'll be reminded of the importance of it.

Reading hasn't been the only lesson learned this summer. The greatest lesson of all has been persistence. They've watched me persist in finding an organic grower to supply our vegetables, a farmer's market to buy more vegetables as well as meats, cheeses and breads, and an affordable health food store. They watched me for hours on the phone waiting to speak with people to get our phone turned on and our internet service working. They had to stand in line with me while waiting to turn in passport applications and learned all about bureaucracies. Luckily the latter didn't require a lot of persistence, just patience. And, finally, they are watching me persist with this house. It can be pretty daunting to wake up each morning and know that there is still more to be done to make a home livable. And as much as my boys have helped (and they have), somethings only I can do (like set up office files and help lost game pieces find their way home).

Global Learning

2007-02-02T10:33:00.000-08:00

Today, we experienced a perfect example of Global Learning and I just wanted to share. The three of us sat down to read a chapter from "The Story of Science" by Joy Hakim. The chapter was about Aristotle and his teacher Plato. In it, we learned more about why the earth was round and the proofs used to defend the theory. We learned a little geography from the maps provided. In a side bar, Hakim shared that Lewis Carrol wrote dedicated his book, "Symbolic Logic," to Aristotle. So we started to talk about Carrol and Alice in Wonderland. Then I asked if they had heard the poem, "Jabberwocky." They didn't remember it, so out comes our "500 Best Poems" and I read Jabberwocky. They remembered it from Drama class! Then we read "The Walrus and the Carpenter." Connor enjoyed the poetry so much, he asked if I would read Longfellow's "Paul Revere's Ride." So off we went, riding with Paul Revere through the American Revolution. Then Connor asked, if there are 500 poems, why is the book longer than 500 pages? So we talked about how long Paul Revere's Ride was (3 pages) and figured out that if every poem were that long, how many pages would the book have? Then we estimated how many pages the book actually had and looked. Both boys were very close.

So, only 45 minutes and we covered Science, History, Geography, English Literature, Drama, American Literature, Poetry, US History, and Mathmatics (specifically multiplication and estimation).

Wow, what a morning!

Hiking Without A Trail

2006-07-29T19:33:00.000-07:00

On our last full day, we went on another hike, this time without a trail. We actually started on a trail, on the west side of Tenaya Lake, and had to cross the stream. You can see that there is a nice rock path through the water, but this year the trail is still underwater. But who needs a trail!

Ralph had us follow the stream instead of staying on the trail. He knew of a great place where the stream turns into a waterfall and we hoped to hike down to the pools at the bottom. We quickly appreciated the no trail part as we got see some signs of wildlife. First, a marmot. He was very curious about the pack of people hiking on the other side of the river. One of our group was very good at making kissing noises that marmots seem to enjoy.

And we found evidence of bears. The one that clawed this tree was either very tall or he liked to climb. We think the latter. There are claw marks a couple of feet above the top of the boys' hands.

And we found actual snakes! We haven't identified this one yet but we think he is a plain old garter snake. On the way in, we saw him on top of the water of a small pond. On the way back, we found him (or a twin) near a rock on the forest floor. Good lesson in animal habitats!

Today's hike was fairly easy, lots of forest and rocks but all fairly flat until the very end. And then we started to hike down. If we hadn't hiked Fairview Dome, this might have scared us a little. But by now we were feeling like pros. We knew where to walk and when to crab walk (maybe once or twice).

But lots of the down was just gradual over huge expanses of granite. The landscape was so huge that we couldn't help but feel small.

Our reward, a great water fall at the other end.

Our surprise, a lot of people enjoying the water at the other end. Who knew! There must have been about 20 people enjoying the stream by using it as a huge waterslide. Most used mats and just flew down mountainside.

Ryan tried it once with Ralph. He said no to any further trips. Maybe next year with Dad, he told me. And better to go single rather than two at a time. The trick, not to control anything, but just let the water take you where it will. Connor and I didn't give this a try.

But Connor did enjoy swimming with Ryan at the bottom of the river. The water felt wonderful after a hot hike.

We also enjoyed exploring the huge holes left by the river. Connor thought they looked like extra large solution pockets, which is probably what they started out as. He learned a lot about time and geology.

So we all learned lots on this day. Ralph learned about a new sport at Yosemite and decided that he enjoyed it. The boys learned about risky behavior (some of the sliders were drinking beer and doing some pretty risky things). We all learned about animal habitats and some more about the geology of the area. And, as always, we learned to be flexible. We didn't expect the trail to be underwater nor did we expect to swim or waterslide at the end of the hike.

This wasn't the end of the day, but it is the end of this day's blog. To find out about our evening and the drive home, tune in later.

Day 3 of Good Camping

2006-07-21T21:48:00.000-07:00

After two great days of hiking, we decided to take a day off. The larger group went on a very long hike that they still can't decide the distance on. We know that it went hours longer than expected and that they traversed lots of snow... it was a good trip for us to miss! Lesson - making good choices.

Instead, we went to see the South Tufas of Mono Lake.

We spent a couple of hours learning about how tufas are formed and about the wildlife of the area. Here are the boys collecting brine shrimp.

There were also lots and lots of alkali flies that never landed on you. They were amazing because they never touched us once. We watched nesting osprey and violet green swallows as well as lots of California Gulls (not seagulls). Mono Lake has risen a lot this winter and we learned why the lake could be higher still, how high the lake actually should be, and how the water has been diverted in years past. Lessons - biology, food chains, nomenclature, and environmental science.

After lunch in town (even happy campers need a restaurant meal every once in a while), we headed south to see some remnants of an old volcano. Just driving along the highway, you can see several craters from past volcanos. The sight we visited looked like a dumping ground for huge blocks of obsidian. It was actually an obisdian flow from one of the ancient volcanos. We had never seen anything like it!

I had promised the boys a visit to a hot springs after all of this educational stuff, so we drove a little further south to Hot Creek. It was highly recommended as a great place to cool off. We would have to swim through the cold creek to get to the hot springs! However, when we arrived, we were sadly disappointed. These hot springs have been closed off due to recent geologic changes. What, more science! Instead of swimming, we had a little lesson in geology.

So it was time to call it a day. We were all hot and tired as we climbed back into the van and headed back to camp. But Connor's sharp eyes spotted a fire! We just had to pull over and see. We weren't sure if it was a "real" fire or not until we pulled over and watched it grow very quickly. We knew that it had been called in because we watched fire trucks and lots of men arrive. After about 1/2 hour we also watched the helicopters come in. They look so small against the backdrop of a mountain on fire. The boys were amazed at how high the flames would go. A gentleman by the side of the road gave us a lesson in firefighting (he was a firefighter from way back) and we learned why some smoke is black and other smoke is gray. A couple of days later we learned that the fire had been put out fairly easily and had consumed only 18 acres. Needless to say, we had a lesson in firefighting!

The Joy of a Good Camping Trip, continued

2006-07-18T07:42:00.000-07:00

When we woke to our second day of hiking, we learned that a bear had walked through camp the night before. We had heard some banging around and one of our group had yelled out in the middle of the night, "Get out of here!" The bear didn't seem to find much, but Ryan was a little concerned as he was sleeping on his own in his one-man tent. But he knew that as long as he didn't go to sleep with a bacon sandwich in his hand, the bear was highly unlikely to come and visit him.

After the success of our first day, my boys were very ready to hike. We were a larger group as more families had shown up the night before. Our goal for the day: to hike to the top of Cathedral Peak. Those of us who could make it to the saddle could decide if they wanted to grapple with ropes and belay lines and climb to the peak. This picture is from Wikipedia and shows the peak much better than any of my photos.

We began our hike from the Cathedral Lakes trail but didn't stay on it for long. We headed on a smaller, climber's trail that took us to the base of the mountain. That part of the hike was our usual style of hiking; through the woods, along a gorgeous creek, then gorge, then creek again, across rock and through woods. It was gradual uphill but our legs were a little tired from the day before. And then we started to climb.

The picture below is of Connor climbing down the slope. I was too busy trying to get up it to take any photos going in that direction! Notice the ground. We are hiking on tiny pieces of granite, some as small as gravel, some like marbles, some as large golf balls. It made for very interesting hiking going up. When we reached larger rocks, we had to choose carefully where to put our feet, as some large rocks were loose. One young man actually knocked one loose. We heard the yell, "Rock!!" and learned that you should hide behind a tree or the closest large rock and not try to look to see where the rock is. We had no problems seeing this one about twenty feet from us. It bounced down the mountain side like one of the boys' bouncy balls. Scary.

After a long and challenging climb up, we all reached the saddle of the mountain. Connor and I were elated to make it so far. This was Class 3 and Class 4 on that Yosemite scale. Ryan was chafing at the bit to go further! So on he went to the Class 5 part of the climb, with Ralph and the crew. I had a hard time letting my oldest go it on his own, but I knew that he had a lot to learn on the rest of the mountain and that Connor and I were at our max.

Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of Ryan at the top (I'm hoping to get some soon) but here is a picture of the mountain that I took. Ryan sat at the top of this and looked across the world. He told me that it was not an easy climb and that he was nervous and scared at times but he trusted his instructor, listened well, and was rewarded with feelings of accomplishment, pride, and awe at the beauty of Yosemite.

So while Ryan was hiking up, Connor and I started our hike down. It took a long time! We planned our route and slid on rock and scree. Slow but sure, we made our way to the bottom. On the way down, we found us a marmot!

When we finally reached the bottom, Connor got it in his head that we needed to beat the others back. Now, it had taken us an hour and a half to hike down. I knew that the others would make it in half that time. But we started some serious hiking. On the way in, we had stopped at least four times to rest. On the way out, we didn't stop once. Connor hiked his heart out and at each landmark he said, "They didn't beat us to the creek!" and "They didn't beat us to the big rock!" until finally he could say, "They didn't beat us to the end!" This was a great success for my seven year old since he had been at the back of the hike for the last two days. And, fifteen minutes later, the first of our climbers started arriving at the trailhead. The two ten year olds and the twelve year old hadn't had enough. They decided to run back!

Ryan was thrilled to find out that the first person to climb this peak was no other than John Muir himself. And he climbed it on the same route that Ryan followed, though he didn't use a rope.

Lessons learned for the day - eating habits of bears, how muscles grow, geology, natural history, CA history, animal habitats, perserverence, personal limitations, and teamwork. Not bad for one day.

The Joy of a Good Camping Trip

2006-07-17T21:37:00.000-07:00

We've just returned home from one of the best camping trips ever. Not only did we have fun, but my kids didn't want to come home. And, as with any good vacation, they learned absolutely tons.

Our first day has no pictures. Just a long drive from home to our campground near Lee Vining. We did stop and have a short hike at a rest stop near Truckee and we explored the small town of Genoa, Nevada, the oldest settlement in that state (except to the people that come from Dayton, Nevada). So lessons for Day One included some natural history as we hiked (lots of info about how glaciers and volcanoes shaped the area) and US History.

After we arrived in camp and set up, we learned how things would work. We were camping with several other families, most of whom were new to us. We were to cook dinner for one evening of our five days and handle our own breakfasts and lunches. Our only concern were the possibility of bears coming to join us for a meal! Lessons learned - team work and manners.

Ralph, our host, had our first two days planned for us. We were going to start off with a "practice" hike the next day to prepare us for the big hike the day after that. Our practice would take us to Fairfiew Dome, near Toulomne Meadow in Yosemite National Park. Here is a picture of the dome from ground level. Our hike started lower than this elevation, but this is the best picture.

The hike up was very steep and we all learned new techniques for walking up such a steep slope. The boys learned what an open book is (no, it is not something to read) as well as a solution pocket (Connor thought they looked like the holes in which Native Americans ground corn). We also learned about scales of difficulty. This dayhike classified as a 3 on the Yosemite Decimal System.

The view from the top was well worth the effort. This was by far the hardest hike of my life. I have always been afraid of falling and I had to push that fear aside several times. And, while we were enjoying the view from the top, in the back of my mind I kept thinking of the trip back down. Yikes!

Here is Ralph teaching Connor how to walk down an open book. Both Connor and I resorted to the "crab walk" several times, but not as many as I thought we would need.

Just a look at the faces of my two boys tells you how much fun they had on this great outing. Lessons learned - team work, rock climbing, natural history, and science. More of our great trip in the next blog!

Our First Backpacking Trip

2006-05-22T20:32:00.000-07:00

Here it is! Pictures and prose from our first backpacking trip. We drove to Manchester Beach in mostly good weather though by the time we arrived, it was spotting rain. The boys and I decided to make a go of it anyway. Here are the boys, gear packed and ready to go.

As you can see, the trail was fairly flat and it wasn't too wet when we started. We were a little damp from the rain on the grass. Then we hit the tall grass, and we got a little wetter. Then the rain actually started for real and we had to pull out the emergency garbage bags to keep the sleeping bags dry. I didn't get a picture of that because I didn't want to get the camera wet! And things were a little hectic as I was trying to keep to boys dry enough that they didn't end up hating camping for the rest of their lives!

A small part of the trail crossed the beach and we had to hike through damp sand. It was tough going but neither boy complained a bit. They were enjoying the adventure!

We arrived mostly dry and were very happy to find that our campsite was under the cover of huge cypress trees. They made a canopy that protected us from both wind and rain. It was actually very dry underneath those trees and we didn't need to worry about the rain at all.

Luckily, it didn't rain for very long and we were soon out on the beach adding to the drift wood shacks. Ryan was very proud after he figured out how deep to sink a log so that it would stand up by itself and not be easily knocked over.

We had a decent first night (I had cold feet, nothing new) and the boys slept so hot that we had moisture inside the tent instead of outside! I actually removed the rainfly the second night so that the vapor could more easily evaporate! We managed to sleep three of us in our two man tent with no problems.

The next day was full of adventure. We found wildlife - frogs the most exciting, but we also saw lots of birds and three seals.

We played in the sand and hiked on the beach.

Connor found a large abalone shell and a plastic float for fishing nets!

I took lots of pictures of wildflowers. It was hard not too as they were absolutely prolific. I have never seen so many different kinds in such a grand explosion of color before.

That evening we hit the beach again and the boys had fun figuring out all the different ways to have battles against the waves without getting wet. Ryan especially loved throwing logs onto the sand near the water to see how long it would take the tide to sweep it away and then bring it back on shore again.

The second night we all slept even better than the first. I think reading each night to the boys helped. We used a new candle lantern that provided good light and read a chapter from our latest book, just like we do at home. We woke very early the next morning because I heard rain drops through the canopy of trees. It was starting to rain and hard. So at 5:30 am we were up and breaking camp.

Our hike out was a little wetter than our hike in. Not constant rain, but enough to get us pretty damp. Poor Ryan had the wettest shoes and socks! He really needs a pair of hiking boots!

Here is our last view of the trail out. We had to hike around this lagoon to camp at the trees in the distance.

We topped off a great trip by eating an excellent breakfast in Point Arena before heading home. I have two troopers for sons and they are already to go camping again. Connor actually got upset this morning and said, "But it's been such a long time since we went camping!" I don't think many seven year olds would have hiked with such vigor and without a complaint. I'm a very lucky mom.

Sunday School

2006-03-20T12:07:00.000-08:00

The weather has finally been moderate enough to start hiking again. It is amazing the amount of learning that goes on while hiking. First of all, we talk. Even more than usual. There is no radio, no music, no TV (not that we have much of that anyway), and no friends over visiting. So we talk to each other as we hike. It started out as an "I remember" hike. We happened to choose our hike on the same day a Volksmarching Club was out and about. This is not a usual thing in California but it sparked memories of living in Germany. So we spoke a little German, remembered castles we had visited and fests we had enjoyed. We talked to cows and about cows. We explored streams and rivers. We threw rocks and watched them skip across the water. We collected water to look at under the microscope. We discussed how much water pushes through the gap of the waterfall per minute and how much of it is lost to spray. We counted flowers and discussed why some hillsides had more than others. We learned that the California State flower is the poppy and that it is illegal to pick it (but why, mom?) so then talked about conservation. We picked what looked like a wild onion and smelled it to see if it was. We compared our experience to Sam Gribley, the main character in "My Side of the Mountain."

As far as I can tell, we covered biology, math, physics, social studies, and literature all through the enjoyment of a simple hike. I don't think I said "don't" or "stop" the entire day. I need to bring more of my outdoor self into our homeschool day. Or maybe we need more Sunday School and less everyday school!

Truth

2006-02-13T21:36:00.000-08:00

Why is it that five children can all be involved in the same fight and that they cannot agree on what happens? My son came home today in tears because three children messed him up. He admits he threw the first dirt clod and that he didn't know when to walk away. His brother saw the tail end and stopped dirt from being shoved further up his nose. The other kids not only have a different story, they can't agree that he started it with throwing a clod of dirt. He supposedly pinched someone (very much in character, but deserving of a face washed in mud? I don't think so. Throwing dirt and getting washed in dirt makes a lot more sense.)

So instead of learning how to use his new fishing pole, my seven year old has learned:

Walk away when you can't stop arguing.

Never throw dirt because it will come back and hit you in the face.

My story isn't the one that the other moms believe.

Don't play out of mom's hearing.

Be thankful for your big brother.

His mother learned:

Although it takes a village to raise a child, it isn't a good idea to involve the village in disputes like these.

Even if seven-year-olds can hear you when you yell it's time to come home, they may not be close enough to stay out of trouble.

Big brothers care very much for little brothers.

When does Blogging become a habit?

2006-02-07T12:22:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I've blogged and I find that I miss it. I think that's a good thing.

We joined a charter school this year and have felt a monthly urge to gather papers and show "real" progress. It just confirms that real progress should not be measured by how many sheets of paper a child can produce a month. What the school misses is the daily interaction with my children: the conversations that spark new ideas; the questions that beg investigation; the projects that are three dimensional and don't translate to written description (at least, not well!). When I am doing things "right," I am not teaching my children. I am participating in a learning experience. On those days I feel happy and content.

Our big project that we want to share with everyone is the Cornell University Feeder Watch. We log how many and what types of birds visit our feeders for two days out of every week (or so). We have learned that different birds like different foods and some birds feed from the ground and others from a perch. We have watched hawks come hunting in our backyard. We have observed a squirrel consistently attempt to gain access to a feeder that is placed in more and more difficult places to reach. The learning of myself and my children has been amazing. And the boys are proud to call themselves "Citizen Scientists." If you are interested, visit www.birds.cornell.edu/pdf.

In the meantime, Happy Homeschooling

Free time

2005-09-08T08:16:00.000-07:00

Well, we've started. Our days are a little more organized. Ryan is sitting on the couch reading a book early this morning instead of waiting until later this evening. We've decided to let him test out of part of the math book (it moves too slowly) and his spelling has improved over the summer without doing a thing. Connor balked at the site of a workbook so I left them on the table and whenever I leave the room he is all over the them. As soon as I come back, he starts to play with GI Joe or go check on his tadpoles. I wonder why school needs to be "secret" for him?

I can feel a calmness in the home that was not there a week ago. I think having a list of things to be done has helped the boys manage time. They don't come to me with, "I'm bored." They finish up the little school work we have and spend the rest of the day enjoying their free time. I realize the they needed more to do this summer. I gave them unlimited free time and they just didn't know what to do with it!

And I am making sure that I have a little free time everyday. My favorite free time is on the hammock with a child next to me, both of us observing the world about us. Ah, freedom.

Why do I always start and never finish?

2005-08-31T14:03:00.000-07:00

It seems that blogging is not yet a habit and here it began as a way to reduce stress. A few minutes a day keeps the psychiatrist away (or at least, I hope it will).

We are getting ready to start our school year. It's funny, because I think we ultimately unschool our kids but I have a list of things to start next week that looks amazingly like school. But the kids want to start it too. I have left their summer completely unstructured and I'm finding that they are not very happy. A lot of times, I only need to get out the clay or pull out a game, and everything is better but I have not been doing that (I've been organizing the house after our last move). So maybe unschooling is less not doing school and more mom putting the right things out. Having just moved and feeling out of our element doesn't help either.

Ryan started a new math program today, his first serious homeschool subject, and he loved it. He was amazed at how easy it was (too easy, probably) but maybe he's been listening to his "go to school" friends who complain about math. I also think he's amazed that he's learned so much without a sit down and do lots of work program. I love that he is confident and proud of his written work on the page. And when I let him check the answers, he was thrilled that he got them all right... "that's an A isn't it, Mom?" Maybe he is ready for grades. I'm not sure I am.

Connor will be all unschooled again. He wants to learn more German and do more math and learn how to read but without much rhyme, reason, or plan. And I know that I will be reading tons of history once again. I don't think I want to ever stop reading out loud to them. It is one of our best parts of the day!

There is something great about starting new projects; it gives me a burst of energy and a feeling of well-being. And when I stop and start again, that feels okay too. Maybe I'll remember to blog tomorrow.

Blackberry picking is a physics lesson

2005-07-13T09:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to pick blackberries by the river behind our house. It was going to be a hot day and thought we should get outside before the weather turned hot. On the way home, with baskets of berries, Connor asked why things would stay in a basket if you swung it upside down. We talked about centrifugal force and both boys spent the walk home swinging their baskets in full circles to see if the berries would fall out. Who says kids don't learn without a school setting?

Art Camp and the "password"

2005-05-23T12:11:00.000-07:00

I just dropped my boys of at their first day camp. They will spend 5 days at the local Museum of Fine Art being artists. I'm not really worried except for the fact my kids aren't used to being in a class all day so I talked about all of the "school" issues: how to raise your hand if you have a question, to ask to go to the bathroom or get a drink of water, to be polite, etc. It was only when I was leaving that I realized we had forgotten the "password." What if somebody tries to pick them up after class who isn't supposed to? Do they know what do? Do they know who a stranger is and that sometimes acquaintances can be strangers? Do they know that a puppy doesn't make somebody safe? And, what if mom can't come to get them?

So tonight the dinner table conversation will be about the "password," that word only family is supposed to know and share when there is an emergency. How many other families do this? Are we worried about to much? Is my California background beginning to show? While we were in Europe, we never even thought this way. But back here in the States I feel I must. The news is just too full of incidents I dread to read. I don't want my kids to be in that news report.

Repressed Anger

2005-05-22T15:15:00.000-07:00

I recently read that my hiatal hernia could be caused by repressed anger. I didn't think I had any repressed anger. I'm quite vocal when I'm mad and I let lots of people know. In a calm way, I hope. Then I realized, I don't let the right people know about my anger. I'm mad about the state of the environment, about people using too much electricity, about our government conducting wars in lands where we care more about oil than we do about people and ignoring wars in lands where people really need us and the oil just isn't there. I'm mad about so many things and I just don't know what to do.

So today, while reading the NY Times, I see an ad with a list of senators to share my views with about the upcoming filibuster or nuclear option. And I sent them all an email. It may not change a thing but it is more likely to help than me complaining to my husband over the dinner table about those Republicans taking away the rights of the minority. So now I feel a little bit better. I'll have to wait and see about the hernia.

Moving again

2005-05-20T10:05:00.000-07:00

Next week the movers come to put all of our stuff in boxes and ship it to CA. We've lived here for 10 months and it is amazing how much stuff one family can accumulate in that amount of time. I'm tired of cleaning out stuff. Next assignment will be for 2 years (unless the Air Force changes its mind). Our goal will be to get rid of things when we're finished with them. Though that's hard to do... we like to save... maybe we'll need it next month.

Change is good. We find maps and books we forgot about. Toys that have been in the back of the closet seem like they're new. It's hard to stop the boys from starting new projects with all of these "found" objects!

Ryan discovered word problems this week and is hooked. No one ever told him that you're supposed to hate word problems. And when he's run into them before and not been interested, we've skipped them. I'm very glad I've taken the low key approach. I'd much rather have my boys love to do word problems a little later than to do them and hate every minute of it. We talked about writing for next year and we both know that he's ready to write a lot but his spelling isn't ready for it. So we are going to work on a spelling program this summer... not school, just spelling. He's okay with that. Is it unschooling? I guess we'll find out.

Am I Crazy?

2005-05-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

I'm a little tired of hearing my friends tell me how they're feeling behind the times. Some of them can't take a digital photo, much less upload it to their computer. Then I started to think about where I stand in this world. Some of this new technology is a little scary and I'm only 38. What am I going to do when I'm 50, 60, 70 years old? Well, if I have it my way, I'll be blogging while listening to my iPod and updating my PDA... or whatever the equivalent technology is in 20 or 30 years. So, here goes nothing, my first Blog.