I've just been cruising around MySpace and discovered that some of the Non-Con kids have put some of *my* photos into their profiles and Non-Con albums. How cool is that?
Okay, so I'm easily flattered. :-)
Mojo Brew bio
6 months ago
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Ten pet peeves
It's been a while since I ranted. Can't go too long without a good rant! Of course, I'm feeling too good to do it right. Five minutes ago, I set my mood (at right) to "Mixed." And then our STUN Movie Night came together so I know we get more good times tonight, and now I'm all chipper (even if I do have to clean house now).
So maybe I'll skip the rant and just list some pet peeves. This is by no means a comprehensive list.
1. When mothers threaten their children, especially in malls and other public places. Most recently overheard threat: "Stop doing that or you won't get your cookie." gack
2. When the scissors have not been returned to their drawer in the kitchen. We probably own eight pairs of scissors, yet I can never lay hands on one.
3. When people don't show up for meetings at work.
4. When people on message boards get pissed off over the advice they receive instead of simply ignoring what they don't like (or better yet, thinking about what was said).
5. When people hog the left lane. I know I might have mentioned that one before (like a dozen times), but it bears repeating.
6. When people say "so-and-so and I" when they should say "so-and-so and me." The trick: If you would use "me" if there were no so-and-so, then you should use "me." For example, "She went to the store with so-and-so and me" and "Send the e-mail to so-and-so and me" are both correct.
7. Same as above but substitute "myself" for the "I".
8. When I make grammar and spelling mistakes, especially mistakes that get published. (Did you know I have been known to flush with shame over and hurry to edit two-year-old blog posts?)
9. When Wendy's (and it always seems to be Wendy's) gives us the wrong food. "They f*** you at the drive-through!"
10. When I set out to make a list of ten items and can only come up with nine.
So maybe I'll skip the rant and just list some pet peeves. This is by no means a comprehensive list.
1. When mothers threaten their children, especially in malls and other public places. Most recently overheard threat: "Stop doing that or you won't get your cookie." gack
2. When the scissors have not been returned to their drawer in the kitchen. We probably own eight pairs of scissors, yet I can never lay hands on one.
3. When people don't show up for meetings at work.
4. When people on message boards get pissed off over the advice they receive instead of simply ignoring what they don't like (or better yet, thinking about what was said).
5. When people hog the left lane. I know I might have mentioned that one before (like a dozen times), but it bears repeating.
6. When people say "so-and-so and I" when they should say "so-and-so and me." The trick: If you would use "me" if there were no so-and-so, then you should use "me." For example, "She went to the store with so-and-so and me" and "Send the e-mail to so-and-so and me" are both correct.
7. Same as above but substitute "myself" for the "I".
8. When I make grammar and spelling mistakes, especially mistakes that get published. (Did you know I have been known to flush with shame over and hurry to edit two-year-old blog posts?)
9. When Wendy's (and it always seems to be Wendy's) gives us the wrong food. "They f*** you at the drive-through!"
10. When I set out to make a list of ten items and can only come up with nine.
A new Favorite for you
MJ has started blogging!
http://www.awesomerandomosity.blogspot.com/
I've added a link to this and many other Favorites in the updated sidebar at right. And in other blog news, I've added a new label: non-con. Now LIFE is Good and Non-Con posts are separately grouped. Grouped separately? You know what I mean.
http://www.awesomerandomosity.blogspot.com/
I've added a link to this and many other Favorites in the updated sidebar at right. And in other blog news, I've added a new label: non-con. Now LIFE is Good and Non-Con posts are separately grouped. Grouped separately? You know what I mean.
Friday, November 9, 2007
February whispers
Could there be a Non-Con North coming our way for Mardi Gras?
Remember, dear readers, you heard it here first, off the record, on the Q.T., and very hush-hush.
Remember, dear readers, you heard it here first, off the record, on the Q.T., and very hush-hush.
Friday fill-in
1. Plans and schedules are fluid things.
2. I'm happy when things are. (period)
3. The last thing I drank was Coke.
4. One of the most valuable things in my life is our friendships with other unschoolers.
5. I like mushrooms, black olives, and lots of cheese on my pizza.
6. Dear November, don't go by too fast.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to sleeping ('cause I've had a couple of short nights in a row), tomorrow my plans include a STUN movie party, and Sunday, I want to smile as much as I did last Sunday! (was "see the Seahawks win..." but I just found out that the Hawks play Monday instead)
2. I'm happy when things are. (period)
3. The last thing I drank was Coke.
4. One of the most valuable things in my life is our friendships with other unschoolers.
5. I like mushrooms, black olives, and lots of cheese on my pizza.
6. Dear November, don't go by too fast.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to sleeping ('cause I've had a couple of short nights in a row), tomorrow my plans include a STUN movie party, and Sunday, I want to smile as much as I did last Sunday! (was "see the Seahawks win..." but I just found out that the Hawks play Monday instead)
A taste of MySpace
Quizzes go 'round on MySpace with great regularity. I liked this one. Actually, what I especially liked was MJ's answers to it. My answers are next to hers, in green.
A
• Are you available?: indeed [for what?]
• What is your age?: fifteen [the answer to life, the universe, and everything]
• What annoys you?: stupid people. mean people. bad grammar. [GW Bush - a stupid, mean person who uses bad grammar]
B
• Do you know anyone named Billy?: i do. [I know some Bills (my dad for one!), and a woman named Billie. No Billy that I can think of.]
• When is your birthday?: september [May]
• Who is your best friend(s)? chloe [4-way tie: Steph. Frank. MJ. Chloe.]
C
• What's your favorite candy? what a difficult question. [Duds]
• Crush? exists and seems like it will for awhile [yep, for more than 20 years now]
• When was the last time you cried?: hmmm, when i finished a very sad book the other day called extremely loud and incredibly close by jonathan safran foer [two nights ago]
D
• Do you daydream?: all the time. favorite pastime. [Not really. I think a lot.]
• What's your favorite kind of dog?: great danes and irish wolfhounds [belonging to other people]
• What day of the week is it? mondayyy (MJ answered this Oct. 29th, I think) [Friday, baby!]
E
• How do you like your eggs?: over medium and made by my father or scrambled and made by my sister. [in a cheese-and-mushroom omelette]
• Have you ever been in the emergency room?: i have. [a number of times, but never as exciting as MJ's trip]
F
• Do you use fly swatters?: i avoid flies at all costs. [rolled-up newspaper usually]
• Have you ever used a foghorn? sadly, no. [no]
• Is there a fan in your room?: no, i live in the northwest, it's too cold for fans. [yes, 'cause even in the northwest the upstairs gets hot in the summer -- and no A/C]
G
• Do you chew gum?: for sure. [occasionally]
• Do you like gummy candies?: yep, but not constantly. my dad buys them all the time and i get sick of them. [occasionally]
• Do you like gory movies?: oh yes, so very much. [occasionally]
H
• How are you?: groggy, kinda unhappy, missing people [sleepy but good]
• What's your height?: 5'3" [5'6"]
• What color is your hair? dark brown [salt-and-brown]
I
• Have you ever ice skated?: i'm horrible at it. [yes, very carefully]
• What's your favorite kind of ice cream?: chocolate chip cookie dough [rocky road]
J
• Have you ever heard a really hilarious joke? indeed. ["...major combat operations in Iraq have ended."]
• Do you wear jewelry?: two rings, a bracelet or four, a necklace, three earrings in each ear and a nose ring. [one pair of earrings and my wedding ring always, other stuff from time to time]
K
• Do you think kangaroos are cute?: absolutely. [absolutely]
L
• Love at first sight? maybe. [self-fulfilling prophecy maybe?]
• Lions or tigers?: bears, oh my. [tigers]
• Do you like black licorice?: kinda. [yes]
M
• Favorite movie as a kid?: beauty and the beast. [West Side Story]
• Ever shopped at Moosejaw?: never heard of it. and i wouldn't shop there cuz it has a ridiculous name. [no, but I would even with the ridiculous name]
• Favorite store at the mall? i like scorning hot topic, then shopping there anyway. [Cinnabon]
N
• Do you have a nickname? MJ, Mary Jane, Idgy, Marjie. [now? dragonfly, Miss V. from my youth? I don't wanna talk about it.]
• What's your favorite number? 15 [22]
• Do you prefer night or day?: nighttime. [both, but night wins by a nose]
O
• What's your one wish? it's a secret. if you ask i might tell. [that the Republican scientists are right (but I think we are all doomed to disappointment on that score)]
• Are you an only child?: siblings, i have. [no, I have siblings of many varieties]
• Do you like the color orange?: sure, why not? [some shades more than others, but yeah]
P
• What are you most paranoid about?: alien invasion. [nothing]
• Piercings?: 7 [2]
• Do you know anyone named Penelope?: i do not. [only in fiction]
Q
• Are you quick to judge people?: i get a first impression, then learn about them, then judge. not in a bad way or anything, god. [not too much except for certain "triggers"]
• Do you like Quaker Oats?: i like sugar with quaker oats. [occasionally]
• Quilts?: yes please. [often]
R
• Do you think you're always right?: it's a bad habit of mine. [about half the time]
• Do you watch reality tv? not on your life. [only by accident]
• Reason to cry?: sad stories. [what have you got?]
S
• Do you prefer Sun or Rain? both [sun]
• Do you like snow?: adoration [in moderation]
• What's your favorite season?: summer, winter, fall, spring. [late spring, early fall -- summer weather without the crowds]
T
• What time is it?: 11:55 [4:43 p.m.]
• What time did you wake up? nine? eight? ten? dunno. [half an hour too late]
• Any Tattoos?: not yet. [not yet]
U
• Can you ride a unicycle?: hahahahahahahahahahahahahaHA. [I don't know]
• Umbrellas?: once in a blue moon. [usually not]
V
• What's the worst vegetable?: asparagus. [canned peas]
• Did you ever watch Veggie Tales?: hell no. that's religious shit. i do like the pirates who don't do anything song, tho. [I might have heard of it once before this.]
• Ever considered being vegetarian? i am and have been for over a year. [not for long]
W
• Do you like water rides?: yeaaaa booooyyyyyeeeeeee. [on a hot day, oh yeah]
X
• Have you ever had an x-ray?: yes. [hmm, don't think so]
• Ever used a Xerox machine? i live for xerox. [maybe not an actual Xerox, not sure]
Y
• Do you like the color yellow?: adoration. [very much]
• What year were you born in?: 1992 ['65]
• Do you yell when you're angry? i curse a blue streak and yell myself hoarse. i don't have good temper control once i lose it. [it's been known to happen]
Z
• What's your zodiac sign?: virgo [Gemini, of course]
• When was the last time you went to the zoo? forever ago. i like the zoo, except for the fact that animals should be in the wild. [February 2007 in San Diego]
A
• Are you available?: indeed [for what?]
• What is your age?: fifteen [the answer to life, the universe, and everything]
• What annoys you?: stupid people. mean people. bad grammar. [GW Bush - a stupid, mean person who uses bad grammar]
B
• Do you know anyone named Billy?: i do. [I know some Bills (my dad for one!), and a woman named Billie. No Billy that I can think of.]
• When is your birthday?: september [May]
• Who is your best friend(s)? chloe [4-way tie: Steph. Frank. MJ. Chloe.]
C
• What's your favorite candy? what a difficult question. [Duds]
• Crush? exists and seems like it will for awhile [yep, for more than 20 years now]
• When was the last time you cried?: hmmm, when i finished a very sad book the other day called extremely loud and incredibly close by jonathan safran foer [two nights ago]
D
• Do you daydream?: all the time. favorite pastime. [Not really. I think a lot.]
• What's your favorite kind of dog?: great danes and irish wolfhounds [belonging to other people]
• What day of the week is it? mondayyy (MJ answered this Oct. 29th, I think) [Friday, baby!]
E
• How do you like your eggs?: over medium and made by my father or scrambled and made by my sister. [in a cheese-and-mushroom omelette]
• Have you ever been in the emergency room?: i have. [a number of times, but never as exciting as MJ's trip]
F
• Do you use fly swatters?: i avoid flies at all costs. [rolled-up newspaper usually]
• Have you ever used a foghorn? sadly, no. [no]
• Is there a fan in your room?: no, i live in the northwest, it's too cold for fans. [yes, 'cause even in the northwest the upstairs gets hot in the summer -- and no A/C]
G
• Do you chew gum?: for sure. [occasionally]
• Do you like gummy candies?: yep, but not constantly. my dad buys them all the time and i get sick of them. [occasionally]
• Do you like gory movies?: oh yes, so very much. [occasionally]
H
• How are you?: groggy, kinda unhappy, missing people [sleepy but good]
• What's your height?: 5'3" [5'6"]
• What color is your hair? dark brown [salt-and-brown]
I
• Have you ever ice skated?: i'm horrible at it. [yes, very carefully]
• What's your favorite kind of ice cream?: chocolate chip cookie dough [rocky road]
J
• Have you ever heard a really hilarious joke? indeed. ["...major combat operations in Iraq have ended."]
• Do you wear jewelry?: two rings, a bracelet or four, a necklace, three earrings in each ear and a nose ring. [one pair of earrings and my wedding ring always, other stuff from time to time]
K
• Do you think kangaroos are cute?: absolutely. [absolutely]
L
• Love at first sight? maybe. [self-fulfilling prophecy maybe?]
• Lions or tigers?: bears, oh my. [tigers]
• Do you like black licorice?: kinda. [yes]
M
• Favorite movie as a kid?: beauty and the beast. [West Side Story]
• Ever shopped at Moosejaw?: never heard of it. and i wouldn't shop there cuz it has a ridiculous name. [no, but I would even with the ridiculous name]
• Favorite store at the mall? i like scorning hot topic, then shopping there anyway. [Cinnabon]
N
• Do you have a nickname? MJ, Mary Jane, Idgy, Marjie. [now? dragonfly, Miss V. from my youth? I don't wanna talk about it.]
• What's your favorite number? 15 [22]
• Do you prefer night or day?: nighttime. [both, but night wins by a nose]
O
• What's your one wish? it's a secret. if you ask i might tell. [that the Republican scientists are right (but I think we are all doomed to disappointment on that score)]
• Are you an only child?: siblings, i have. [no, I have siblings of many varieties]
• Do you like the color orange?: sure, why not? [some shades more than others, but yeah]
P
• What are you most paranoid about?: alien invasion. [nothing]
• Piercings?: 7 [2]
• Do you know anyone named Penelope?: i do not. [only in fiction]
Q
• Are you quick to judge people?: i get a first impression, then learn about them, then judge. not in a bad way or anything, god. [not too much except for certain "triggers"]
• Do you like Quaker Oats?: i like sugar with quaker oats. [occasionally]
• Quilts?: yes please. [often]
R
• Do you think you're always right?: it's a bad habit of mine. [about half the time]
• Do you watch reality tv? not on your life. [only by accident]
• Reason to cry?: sad stories. [what have you got?]
S
• Do you prefer Sun or Rain? both [sun]
• Do you like snow?: adoration [in moderation]
• What's your favorite season?: summer, winter, fall, spring. [late spring, early fall -- summer weather without the crowds]
T
• What time is it?: 11:55 [4:43 p.m.]
• What time did you wake up? nine? eight? ten? dunno. [half an hour too late]
• Any Tattoos?: not yet. [not yet]
U
• Can you ride a unicycle?: hahahahahahahahahahahahahaHA. [I don't know]
• Umbrellas?: once in a blue moon. [usually not]
V
• What's the worst vegetable?: asparagus. [canned peas]
• Did you ever watch Veggie Tales?: hell no. that's religious shit. i do like the pirates who don't do anything song, tho. [I might have heard of it once before this.]
• Ever considered being vegetarian? i am and have been for over a year. [not for long]
W
• Do you like water rides?: yeaaaa booooyyyyyeeeeeee. [on a hot day, oh yeah]
X
• Have you ever had an x-ray?: yes. [hmm, don't think so]
• Ever used a Xerox machine? i live for xerox. [maybe not an actual Xerox, not sure]
Y
• Do you like the color yellow?: adoration. [very much]
• What year were you born in?: 1992 ['65]
• Do you yell when you're angry? i curse a blue streak and yell myself hoarse. i don't have good temper control once i lose it. [it's been known to happen]
Z
• What's your zodiac sign?: virgo [Gemini, of course]
• When was the last time you went to the zoo? forever ago. i like the zoo, except for the fact that animals should be in the wild. [February 2007 in San Diego]
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Non-Con revisited
I can't stop looking at Non-Con photos and videos. Want to see some more?
Zenmomma's Garden (Mary)
Our Joyful Life (Kelli)
The Wonderful Happens (Gillian and Craig)
Bodhicitta (Diana)
Want more unschooling blogs? Here are some other of my faves:
Normal is SO last week (Qacei)
Learning in Freedom (Ren)
Another Roadside Attraction (Rue)
- author of the amazing Parenting a Free Child
This Is How We Shine (Anne)
Warts and All (Schuyler)
Sandra Dodd (family-life blog)
Oh, there are too many good ones. Many of those have Live and Learn, LIFE is Good, or Unschooling blog ring links that you can click to see even more.
Zenmomma's Garden (Mary)
Our Joyful Life (Kelli)
The Wonderful Happens (Gillian and Craig)
Bodhicitta (Diana)
Want more unschooling blogs? Here are some other of my faves:
Normal is SO last week (Qacei)
Learning in Freedom (Ren)
Another Roadside Attraction (Rue)
- author of the amazing Parenting a Free Child
This Is How We Shine (Anne)
Warts and All (Schuyler)
Sandra Dodd (family-life blog)
Oh, there are too many good ones. Many of those have Live and Learn, LIFE is Good, or Unschooling blog ring links that you can click to see even more.
Thursday 13
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1. Sorting the mail |
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
The only bright side...
...to this story is that it gave me something to blog about.
Girl, 13, gets detention for hugging two friends
I'm just not sure what this experience is supposed to teach her.
And when I contrast it with our joyous weekend—where we had kids of all ages hugging, holding hands, walking arm in arm, wrestling, tumbling, tickling, and laughing, laughing, laughing—I just want to cry.
Socialization? I prefer our variety, thank you.
Girl, 13, gets detention for hugging two friends
I'm just not sure what this experience is supposed to teach her.
And when I contrast it with our joyous weekend—where we had kids of all ages hugging, holding hands, walking arm in arm, wrestling, tumbling, tickling, and laughing, laughing, laughing—I just want to cry.
Socialization? I prefer our variety, thank you.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Acceptance
what the fuck is with everybody lately
i have no air
no space to breathe
everything i do is wrong
everything i say is rude
every way i look is bad
what the fuck people
i can't please anybody
i'm not happy with myself
so why should you be
but for god's sake
you don't really have to tell me every
single
time
i fuck up
— Anonymous. Used by permission.
I've added a new label to the blog: acceptance.
The poem above was written by a teen friend. It made me realize that acceptance is the unschooling concept I would most like to promote. It is, after all, the concept that has made the biggest difference in our family, from repairing my damaged relationship with MJ (who had to live through more of my newparentitis and horrible mistakes), to building our new family dynamic, to opening up the world—with a nice side benefit of improving my self-esteem.
Our society is geared toward correction. If someone was wrong yesterday, we tell them. If someone is wrong today, we tell them. If someone might be wrong someday, we tell them. When it comes to kids, this inclination toward correction is magnified a thousandfold. From "Say please" to "Chew with your mouth closed" to "Stand up straight" to "Are you going out like that?" to "Have you given any thought to your future?", we bombard kids with messages that they will only be accepted when they change. So they do. And then they're confronted with the next set of expectations. So they change again.
For most of us, a day comes when we realize "they" will never be satisfied, so we'd just better get on with accepting ourselves.
Well, here's a question for you: If you have to tell a kid something, why not tell them that? Why not let them skip all those pointless years of struggle? Let them skip the part where they fight that voracious monster, Expectation.
Just let them be.
Accept.
One small example: Those of you who knew Chloe when she was younger might remember her headful of superfine blonde snarls. Matted rats. (And if you didn't know Chloe then, check out Fergus and multiply snarls by three. Or maybe six.) There were a couple of times when she and I decided cutting it off was our best option (easier than, if not as rewarding as, brushing it out). I had moments of hair-despair, and my mother probably wanted to call CPS on me. But I let Chloe be. And this is Chloe now.
We still don't tell her to brush her hair. But now it's beautiful, and people compliment her, and she likes it. She remembers being that messy-headed kid, though. At Non-Con this weekend, I overheard a little conversation between Chloe and Fergus:
Chloe: I like your hair.
Fergus: It's unusual, but I like it.
That's acceptance, folks.
...
i have no air
no space to breathe
everything i do is wrong
everything i say is rude
every way i look is bad
what the fuck people
i can't please anybody
i'm not happy with myself
so why should you be
but for god's sake
you don't really have to tell me every
single
time
i fuck up
— Anonymous. Used by permission.
I've added a new label to the blog: acceptance.
The poem above was written by a teen friend. It made me realize that acceptance is the unschooling concept I would most like to promote. It is, after all, the concept that has made the biggest difference in our family, from repairing my damaged relationship with MJ (who had to live through more of my newparentitis and horrible mistakes), to building our new family dynamic, to opening up the world—with a nice side benefit of improving my self-esteem.
Our society is geared toward correction. If someone was wrong yesterday, we tell them. If someone is wrong today, we tell them. If someone might be wrong someday, we tell them. When it comes to kids, this inclination toward correction is magnified a thousandfold. From "Say please" to "Chew with your mouth closed" to "Stand up straight" to "Are you going out like that?" to "Have you given any thought to your future?", we bombard kids with messages that they will only be accepted when they change. So they do. And then they're confronted with the next set of expectations. So they change again.
For most of us, a day comes when we realize "they" will never be satisfied, so we'd just better get on with accepting ourselves.
Well, here's a question for you: If you have to tell a kid something, why not tell them that? Why not let them skip all those pointless years of struggle? Let them skip the part where they fight that voracious monster, Expectation.
Just let them be.
Accept.
One small example: Those of you who knew Chloe when she was younger might remember her headful of superfine blonde snarls. Matted rats. (And if you didn't know Chloe then, check out Fergus and multiply snarls by three. Or maybe six.) There were a couple of times when she and I decided cutting it off was our best option (easier than, if not as rewarding as, brushing it out). I had moments of hair-despair, and my mother probably wanted to call CPS on me. But I let Chloe be. And this is Chloe now.
We still don't tell her to brush her hair. But now it's beautiful, and people compliment her, and she likes it. She remembers being that messy-headed kid, though. At Non-Con this weekend, I overheard a little conversation between Chloe and Fergus:
Chloe: I like your hair.
Fergus: It's unusual, but I like it.
That's acceptance, folks.
...
Look at this!
Top Ten Tips to Fight Global Warming (on a personal level)
History of Photography (photographic, of course!)
Deadliest Year (despite recent "things are improving" reports)
Fruits Basket (Chloe's favorite manga/anime)
Tattoo Magazine (one of MJ's subscriptions)
Decisive Battles of the Civil War (interactive)
Luke and Laura's Reunion (a BIG General Hospital moment from Ronnie's college days)
Ten Places of a Lifetime (I've been to 5 of them so far)
Free Hugs ('cause you can't watch it enough)
Ronnie looks like... (try it with your name!)
History of Photography (photographic, of course!)
Deadliest Year (despite recent "things are improving" reports)
Fruits Basket (Chloe's favorite manga/anime)
Tattoo Magazine (one of MJ's subscriptions)
Decisive Battles of the Civil War (interactive)
Luke and Laura's Reunion (a BIG General Hospital moment from Ronnie's college days)
Ten Places of a Lifetime (I've been to 5 of them so far)
Free Hugs ('cause you can't watch it enough)
Ronnie looks like... (try it with your name!)
Monday, November 5, 2007
Non-Con '07
We've just returned from Corvallis and an unschooling un-conference. We call it "Non-Con" and it was a BLAST!! A double shot of thanks to Mary and Jon and Conor and Qacei for hosting most of it.
Here are just a few—okay, more than a dozen—of the 155 photos we took.
Our man Fergus, enjoying hot cocoa and whipped cream—in separate cups, thank you—at the Sunnyside Up Café.
Dragonfly and Zenmomma
Blurry but beautiful Girl Circle
- front row: Kyra, Effie, Steffi
- back row: Chloe, MJ, Qacei, Abbi
An Amy Steinberg concert just for us
Watching Amy
- at the bar: Chloe, MJ, Scotty, Diana, Abbi, a friend of Amy's, Kelli
- at the front table: Effie, Steffi, Kyra, Qacei, Mary
- others: Craig (sitting on the floor with not-shown Fergus and Marty), Michael (another friend of Amy's whom we adopted), Mercedes with Jon behind her, Donna, Hayden at the Community Table with Conor), and of course Frank
Merchandise moxie
Chloe and Qacei
Bad Marty! Just kidding—he's counting for yet another game of hide-and-seek with Fergus and the gang.
Daughter and Dad
MJ and Chloe doing Yankee Doodle while Conor looks on
Rafael shows Fergus her new 'stache
Hola!
- from left: Kyra, Qacei, Hayden, Mercedes, Diana, MJ, Chloe, Ducky, Mads
Qacei and Chloe
Kyra, Qacei, and Chloe walking (?) down Monroe Street
The unschoolers invade the Fair Trade store
Here are just a few—okay, more than a dozen—of the 155 photos we took.
Our man Fergus, enjoying hot cocoa and whipped cream—in separate cups, thank you—at the Sunnyside Up Café.
Dragonfly and Zenmomma
Blurry but beautiful Girl Circle
- front row: Kyra, Effie, Steffi
- back row: Chloe, MJ, Qacei, Abbi
An Amy Steinberg concert just for us
Watching Amy
- at the bar: Chloe, MJ, Scotty, Diana, Abbi, a friend of Amy's, Kelli
- at the front table: Effie, Steffi, Kyra, Qacei, Mary
- others: Craig (sitting on the floor with not-shown Fergus and Marty), Michael (another friend of Amy's whom we adopted), Mercedes with Jon behind her, Donna, Hayden at the Community Table with Conor), and of course Frank
Merchandise moxie
Chloe and Qacei
Bad Marty! Just kidding—he's counting for yet another game of hide-and-seek with Fergus and the gang.
Daughter and Dad
MJ and Chloe doing Yankee Doodle while Conor looks on
Rafael shows Fergus her new 'stache
Hola!
- from left: Kyra, Qacei, Hayden, Mercedes, Diana, MJ, Chloe, Ducky, Mads
Qacei and Chloe
Kyra, Qacei, and Chloe walking (?) down Monroe Street
The unschoolers invade the Fair Trade store
Stepping out of the box
Here's an excerpt from a mini-article written by a newer unschooling mom. The whole post is available on Sandra's site here.
"For the first time, in what seems like my entire life, I am not terrified...
"My husband and I were talking about being put into the proverbial box (i.e. the 'school' box or the 'good little child' box or even the ‘good parent’ box) and he made an analogy that was quite startling to me. He said, 'It’s as if people start lopping off pieces of the child, in order, to fit them inside that very tiny box.' I had a disturbing image of pieces of myself lying outside my own box. I have been in that box since a very early age and only the label on the outside has changed. I was the Good Girl, the Good Student, and the Good Parent among other things. He asked, 'What if the best parts of us are lying outside that box?'
"I didn't even realize I was confined because I was put in there very early in my life. Even though the lid has been off for quite sometime now, I didn't know to get out. It makes me very sad to think that my fear has pushed me to confine my children the way I’ve been confined. I think of the pain caused by ‘lopping’ off parts of who they are just to fit some kind of ‘ideal’ that [is] not even beneficial to them and I’m so remorseful.
"So as of today, I am stepping out of my box..."
By jbantau
"For the first time, in what seems like my entire life, I am not terrified...
"My husband and I were talking about being put into the proverbial box (i.e. the 'school' box or the 'good little child' box or even the ‘good parent’ box) and he made an analogy that was quite startling to me. He said, 'It’s as if people start lopping off pieces of the child, in order, to fit them inside that very tiny box.' I had a disturbing image of pieces of myself lying outside my own box. I have been in that box since a very early age and only the label on the outside has changed. I was the Good Girl, the Good Student, and the Good Parent among other things. He asked, 'What if the best parts of us are lying outside that box?'
"I didn't even realize I was confined because I was put in there very early in my life. Even though the lid has been off for quite sometime now, I didn't know to get out. It makes me very sad to think that my fear has pushed me to confine my children the way I’ve been confined. I think of the pain caused by ‘lopping’ off parts of who they are just to fit some kind of ‘ideal’ that [is] not even beneficial to them and I’m so remorseful.
"So as of today, I am stepping out of my box..."
By jbantau
Gratitude Dance
Today, I am grateful for...
- F, M, & C (as always)
- Good friends (especially Steph (as always), Mary, and Gillian)
- Laughter and joy by the truckload
- Anne's normal BP and EKG that was only "a teeny weeny bit irregular"
- Jambalaya
- Keeping our Sunnyside Up
- Unschooling (as always)
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Auction success
Last night was the annual Hope for Horses fundraiser auction at the Bellevue Westin. Frank and MJ volunteered there all day, helping to haul the lots in, set up the band, organize the silent auction, and generally make it come off. They worked SO hard! Both of them straggled in last night, worn to the bone.
Cool stuff:
MJ was in charge of one group of volunteers. She handed out assignments and provided information and instructions.
Warren Moon and his (new) wife are pretty involved with HFH, so they were there. In addition to all of the above duties, MJ and Frank spent some time with the Moons' ~1yo son. He is evidently quite the cutie, and he found Frank's beard fascinating.
No word yet on total donations, but it sounds like it went well.
If you'd like to contribute to the cause—and having seen several of the horses that they've helped this past year, I can tell you it is a very worth one—you can use PayPal, or you can mail a check to:
Hope for Horses
PO Box 1790
Woodinville, WA 98072
Cool stuff:
MJ was in charge of one group of volunteers. She handed out assignments and provided information and instructions.
Warren Moon and his (new) wife are pretty involved with HFH, so they were there. In addition to all of the above duties, MJ and Frank spent some time with the Moons' ~1yo son. He is evidently quite the cutie, and he found Frank's beard fascinating.
No word yet on total donations, but it sounds like it went well.
If you'd like to contribute to the cause—and having seen several of the horses that they've helped this past year, I can tell you it is a very worth one—you can use PayPal, or you can mail a check to:
Hope for Horses
PO Box 1790
Woodinville, WA 98072
Friday, November 2, 2007
Photo recap
I can't remember all the times I promised photos and never delivered, but here are some from a couple of key events over the last couple of months. Hover to see captions, click to see larger images.
MJ's Birthday at IHOP
Maddie's Birthday
Halloween
What I want to write
I'm home with my cold today, sniffling and coughing in private. This means I could be working on my NaNoWriMo novel. Instead, in true champion procrastinator form, I'm posting to my blog.
Part of the problem is that I don't know what I want to write. Chris Baty says, "No Plot? No Problem!" and his kickoff e-mail certainly has me tempted to indulge my inner goofball. But there are a couple of dusty works in progress that I should work on instead.
Aha! Did you see what I said?! I said "should." I owe myself a quarter.
And I think I just unblocked myself. Bye!
Part of the problem is that I don't know what I want to write. Chris Baty says, "No Plot? No Problem!" and his kickoff e-mail certainly has me tempted to indulge my inner goofball. But there are a couple of dusty works in progress that I should work on instead.
Aha! Did you see what I said?! I said "should." I owe myself a quarter.
And I think I just unblocked myself. Bye!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Thursday 13
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Exotic places I've visited 1. Mexico 2. Panama 3. Costa Rica 4. Cayman Islands 5. The French Quarter, New Orleans 6. Virgin Islands 7. Bay Islands, Honduras 8. St. Martin/St. Maarten 9. Kauai 10. Lake Powell, Utah 11. The Gulf Coast after a hurricane 12. England (well, it's exotic to me, Schuyler!) 13. LIFE Is Good 2007 |
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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I am...
I'm catching up on my favorite blogs and found this meme over at Ren's place. If you pick up the chain, please put a note and link to your blog in the comments.
You can play by finishing the following sentences about yourself:
aaa
You can play by finishing the following sentences about yourself:
aaa
- “I am…”
- “Right now I am in…”
- “Most people do not know that I…”
- “I am passionate about…”
- “Decades from now, when my children think of me, I hope that they remember…”
- “My soul feels warm and I have a big smile when I remember…”
- “If I could go back in time and give one piece of advice to myself when I was 18 years old it would be to…”
- “I think that the most important thing about life is…”
aaa
aaa
Here are my answers:
aaa
- I am suffering from a cold but hanging in there. In the larger sense, I am more happily mySelf with each passing year.
- Right now, I am in a good mood due to the excellence of our Halloween festivities last night. MJ and Chloe were Alice in Wonderland a lá Grace Slick and a beautiful fairy/butterfly, respectively. They very kindly went trick-or-treating out at Grandma's with younger cousins first – 4yo Ella won the Cutest Kid in the World contest – and then roamed our neighborhood with unschooling buds Hunter and Logan (Sherlock Holmes and an employee of the Umbrella Corp., respectively). A most excellent night.
- Most people do not know that I have secrets. Amazing how much you can hide behind a whole lot of talking.
- I am passionate about my kids, my husband, unschooling, doing a good job, writing, family, travel, and fun. Not necessarily in that order.
- Decades from now, when my children think of me, I hope that they remember unconditional support, Christmas mornings, Happy Halloweens, cozy family nights watching Heroes, fun, fun, fun.
- My soul feels warm and I have a big smile when I remember birth days, especially MJ's and Chloe's, but also Megan's, Madison's, Ella's, and Lila's, when I was the coach. Nursing. Dancing at my wedding. Our honeymoon. Our family roadtrip in 2000. Our year with Chiara. Also, see the previous item.
- If I could go back in time and give one piece of advice to myself when I was 18 years old it would be to learn about attachment parenting before MJ was born and never send my kids to school.
- I think that the most important thing about life is nurturing kids and family, plus living it instead of letting it live you.
aaa
aaa
Your turn.
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