Going out like a lion

Well, March is about done. Here's what we've been up to:

Networking
The girls and I have been getting together with a bunch of fellow unschoolers, kids ranging in age from 2 to 17. It's been fun, educational, and fascinating, and we've met some terrific kids (and their terrific moms). It's very cool to see the wide range of interests -- not to mention clothing and hair styles -- unschoolers have. They all seem to have one thing in common, though: their openness to new people of all ages, new topics of conversation, and getting out and doing new things. A couple of the girls are going to the unschooler summer camp that MJ (Marjie) is planning to attend; they might all ride down to Oregon on the train together.

Other social outings
We've had some great times lately with friends from the past. Patti, an old indexing buddy of mine, had us over last weekend for dinner, conversation, and video games. Her 12yo son, Noah, and their rather large kitty kept us company. The weekend before that, we got together with Frank's former boat partner, Jerry, his wife, and their four grown sons. One of the guys is into drawing, and when he found out MJ has written a fantasy novel, he had her write out descriptions of some of her characters so he can draw them up for her. We can't wait to see what he comes up with. He was also intrigued by the green vampire cats Chloe dreamed up.

Miscellany
The MR2 had to go in for repairs (cracked exhaust manifold). Frank got our home network set up (the other kind of networking), plus ran cable TV to the girls' rooms, so we are totally wired now. I've been procrastinating doing the taxes. (It takes a lot of time to do procrastinating right, you know!) The neighbor kids practically live at our house. And, of course, we've been getting Chloe ready for Summerhill. We've filed all her paperwork, paid her bill (gulp), and made all of our travel arrangements. This weekend, we'll try to get fired up about doing her packing. Less than 3 weeks til we leave.

Family notes
Chiara is coming to England to see Chloe and me!!!!
Jerry should be back in NC in May, gets leave in June!!!!
Colin is 11 days old!!!!

Book recommendation
If you're curious about unschooling and want to read a lovely little book that shows what it's all about, try Parenting a Free Child by Rue Kream. It's set up in question-and-answer style, so it's easy to read in short bursts. I think Rue really captured the way unschooling can transform your family relationships and lifestyle for the very much better.