Thursday, February 25, 2010

Jared's airplanes

Jared made several paper airplanes and here are some of them. He has the Russian military and the US Military. He looked up the words in Russian and wrote it on the side of the plane.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

No title?

I get myself into discussions and feel misunderstood. For me, it would be easier if we were sitting next to each other having a conversation. I have gotten better at written communication but I am not a prolific writer and I tend to really try to get to the point and lose a lot between head and fingers.

This whole unschooling thing, trying to discuss it, what it is, what it isn't...

I have my own opinions and you can disagree with me all you want.

If there were no school, there would be no unschooling. It would just be living :)

I abhor the system, and if people want to hold on and cling to it and try to be unschoolers and still use the system, who am I to tell them not to?

The truth is I am a rare breed and I want absolutely nothing to do with the system period.

It irritates the hell out of me that the government thinks they have rights to my children and what and how my children learn.

We live and learn as if school didn't exist. It's so simple to me yet apparantly so complex to many.

I would do away with the system, it proves useless, damaging and completely dysfunctional.

The focus on money, tests, grades and standards is wrong.
What about the children?

They are people, they deserve to be trusted and respected, they deserve to have free reign over their own minds and bodies.

The fact that you have to ask permission to pee is appalling.

Control the masses, that is the purpose of school, it has nothing to do with education or real learning.

I  know that the school system generates over 50% of the GNP I can't recall the actual number. It would totally screw up society as we know it if school just stopped.

Think about what happens when a traffic light goes out. The sheeples don't know what to do, confusion and accidents ensue because people are so used to be told what to do and when to do it. When left to actually think for themselves and problem solve they are clueless.

Yes there are exceptions to this, I'm one of them and I know several who are. The sad truth is that the masses are dumb and can't think for themselves.

Why continue to support a  system that is truly detrimental to our society?

Don't know, I want no part of it.

If more people actually stood up or withdrew from the system it would fall.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Unschooling

There seems to be a *thing* about what unschooling is, who is an unschooler, what's the difference between unschooling and radical unschooling?

I have written many times about my take on this.

It seems that the people who get their panties in a wad about some of us trying to *define* unschooling are the ones who aren't really unschooling.

I really don't care what you do. My concern comes in when people say thay are unschoolers BUT...

Either you are or you aren't. It's really simple for me, black and white. I know it's not that simple for all.

Why do people want to join the unschooling movement and still hold on to schoolish ways? I don't know the answer to that. They are the ones who muddy the waters, they are ones who confuse newbies, they are the ones who say I'm an unschooler not an unparent.

Hello!!!!
We parent in partnership not as authoritarian adversaries.
We are parents, we are unschoolers. Unparenting is neglect, plain and simple.
So many things are just plain to me.

I have completely DEschooled, I have no more school hang ups. If you don't deschool you will never unschool.

If you hold on to  anything from the school model you won't unschool.
You need to step away, exam, shift your paradigm. Be a bold, non -conformist, just let go.


You need to deschool and leave your kids alone. Do not impose your hang ups on them!

Kids learn naturally until they are forced otherwise.

Get over yourself and let your kids live and learn in freedom.

Learning is as natural as breathing and my 4 always UNschooled kids are proof of that.

So unschooling means something, it's not do whatever and call it unschooling.

John Holt first coined the term and he meant no school. Unschooling means no schooling whatsover and so much more.

Educate yourself!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Jared's city


I tried to get it in one picture but it didn't look right.

Unconscious Mutterings

  1. Suitcase :: pack for a trip
  2. Exhaust :: tail pipe
  3. Olympics :: sports
  4. Video :: game
  5. Cargo :: ship
  6. Previously :: before
  7. Wild card :: jack
  8. Artificial :: school is artificial, unschooling is natural
  9. Gambling :: betting
  10. Exhibition :: game
Luna Nina

Saturday, February 13, 2010

John Holt quote

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.

Peri-Menopause support

I started a group on facebook and it's up to 52 members.

Please join us if you are experiencing the hormonal issues of peri menopause.

Peri- menopause support

If we aren't  facebook friends, look me up, follow the widget in the sidebar I just added.

bombing

Well I'm bombing out on the NaBloPoMo this month.

My life is...well it's my life. My hormone imbalance and anxiety are keeping me in a weird state most of the time.
I guess I lost some of my edge when it comes to writing down my thoughts and opinions.

We recently moved and there is still so much to do to get settled in. I know there is no hurry, we don't plan on moving again for a long time. We really like this house :)

I have just been in contact with another doctor and I think this one can really help me.

We are going to start with adrenal testing and then do the complete hormonal panel, this time it's saliva testing which is far more accurate than blood tests.

Even though I'm on Bio-identical estrogen, I still have way too many symptoms, thing is I'm worse when I'm off the cream.

Anyway, I'll let you know how this goes and will post some info on it as I learn. I know many of my blog friends are coming into peri menopause too.

I want to be free from these symptoms, I want my mind and body to work together because right now all they do is argue all day.

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

My day

First it started with some anxiety really early, like an ungodly hour. I wake up way earlier than I ever used to having issues. Anyway I took some xanax and fell to sleep for a couple hours.

I had errands to run, things to do, places to go. I was all dressed up and went to start the car and it was deader than a doornail.

So that put a wrench in my plans.

After Jason got home he jumped it, turns out there was a light left on and it killed the battery.

I took the van and  two kids and went to JcPenney's, which is near where we used to live.

It's no big deal except that it started to snow.

While we were shopping it snowed a lot. The ground was covered, it was thick and slushy.

I don't like snow and really don't care to drive in it. I figured after leaving PA that I wouldn't ever have to drive in it.
Who knew?

So I saw someone in the ditch on my way home.

Once I got to the freeway it was just really wet, kind of slushy but enough traffic that it wasn't snow covered.

Still, I was a little nervous, drove between 40 and 50 mph, which is what the flow was.

I thought that since my plans were derailed that I wasn't supposed to go out then. I have learned that these things happen for reasons I do not know.

But then to be thrust into a situation that I am uncomfortable with makes me wonder as well.

I said ok God, get me home safe!

All is well :)

To make things even more odd, the snow turned to rain, the temps went up, it is raining and snow is on the ground.
Go figure!

Monday, February 08, 2010

Unconscious Mutterings

  1. Humbled :: taken down a notch
  2. Buns :: I love buns :)
  3. Snowstorm :: sucks, I don't like snow
  4. Sweetheart :: Jason is my sweetheart
  5. Punch :: in the nose
  6. Glass :: half empty or half full?
  7. Classical :: music isn't my thing
  8. Heels :: head over heels in love
  9. Twitter :: still trying to get the hang of twitter
  10. Husband :: My husband rocks!
Luna Nina

Sunday, February 07, 2010

Kids are fun

My kids just crack me up!

Kieran recently joined facebook and we sit next to each other and leave comments on each others status.

Last night we were talking about their births and weird stuff during my pregnancies.

We were all laughing so hard. One thing leads to the next and we were almost rolling on the floor.

They are bright and witty and have an awesome sense of humor.

I love my kids, I love BEing with my kids.

My kids rock!

Saturday, February 06, 2010

Damn! Can't tie me to a schedule.

Well, I was busy today and Flo showed up so I've been drinking wine and heating up my heating pad and catching up on the DVR.

I missed it by and hour!

I tried, I'll keep trying.


I signed up for NaBloPoMo to get me back into blogging, so in that respect it worked.

I just won't win any awards for it. I'm cool with that I don't need an award.


I don't do schedules very well.

My routine is loose and varied.

Ah the life of a free unschooler :)

Thursday, February 04, 2010

Tying Shoes

Remember when learning how to tie your shoes was a huge milestone that had to be pushed by a young age?

I could tie my shoes when I was 3, big deal!

I remember when velcro became popular so little kids could just put their shoes on with ease.

I think they used to teach shoe tying in Kindergarten.

Cassie used to tie up everything in the house with ropes, strings, Jason's ties, whatever she could find long before she ever tied her own shoes. It was really funny, then one day she tied her shoes.

Jared is 7 and doesn't tie his shoes yet, it's really no big deal, he'll learn when he is ready just like everything else.

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

A mother's ties to her children

I am with my kids all day everyday and it's been that way since they were born. Now they are growing and spreading their wings a bit.

Last night Brennan stayed the night at his friend's house and Jason is on his way to pick him up.  It's the neighbor from our old house, it's 12 miles away when it used to be two doors down.

Cassie is spending the night with her friend tonight and will be home tomorrow evening.

This afternoon it has been quiet with just Jared and Kieran here.

I'm glad that they have a friend that they are comfortable with to spend the night.

It's just so weird having them gone.

I'm ok, I miss them but I know it's important for them to do this.

I'm just realizing how grown up there are getting. It was just a few months ago that Cassie wasn't ready to stay away all night. She had tried but called us around 10 pm to come get her and now she goes without a hitch.

I'm just very connected to my kids and miss them when they are away.

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Ties that Bind, Alterbridge



"Ties That Bind"




I tear on the leash

That keeps me contained and controlled

Let me go

I want to break free

And fight my way out of this hole



[Chorus]

One last hope

To rise and break away

Above the faded line

Way beyond the ties that bind



This I know

The risk is worth the gain

It's worth the sacrifice

Way beyond the ties that bind



I run but the chains

Pull me right back to the floor

You control

I rattle the cage

I won't be your slave anymore



[Chorus]



You broke me into pieces

Don't tell me what to be

Damn you all I'm gonna find my way

Monday, February 01, 2010

The theme for February is *ties*

Many things come to mind when I think of the word *ties*

Today I'm thinking of putting down roots.

Jason and I want to have ties to a community and put down roots but we have to stay in one place long enough to accomplish that.

Next month marks our 4 year anniversary in TN. Before that we were 7 years in PA and before that 9 years in CA.

We were both born in NY, Jason lived there for 21 years before he moved to CA with me. I lived in FL, AZ and CA and moved back to NY when I was 14.

We've been all over and want to find a place to settle. We like TN for the most part, I could do without the homeschool laws and a few other things.

Our kids like it here and talk about living here when they are grown. So maybe we have found our place to build roots and ties. We just changed cities so we are going to get involved with homeschoolers here and be part of this community.

We shall see how long we stay put.

When people talk of a *hometown* I don't have one. I do not think of one place as my hometown, where I was born is just where I was born. I've moved a lot in my life and I do have fond memories of certain places but for me, home is where I am :)