And sometimes I blog.

Checking In and Signing Out :)

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 05:47:00 +0000

Hello friends,

It's been a whole month (and a day) since I last posted, and I have really had no desire to post again. There have been a few things going on, some of which are hard to articulate because they are deeply personal (not in a bad or worrisome way - just more of an introspection that seems long overdue), but also because I'm not finished thinking. ;) In a nutshell, here's the scoop:

- Many of my friends are on Facebook, which is convenient (and sometimes weird) for me. It's less time-consuming (unless you count Wordscraper), more immediate, and it serves a need of mine to keep up with friends who are all over the country.

- I've mentioned before that this blog has a sort of identity crisis - it feels random and disjointed to me, and I also feel like I have to be careful if I say something (such as about homeschooling) because I don't want to offend my friends who don't, and who especially aren't supportive of it. Those who do homeschool, and who read this blog, probably don't want to hear about all the other stuff. But mostly, I don't feel like it's really a true representation of who I am - my thoughts, my life, all of it - nor do I feel like it makes sense for me to keep coming back when it's becoming less and less important to do so.

- ...so, I think, for now, this is the last post. I hope that at some point, I will find my way back again, but it probably won't be here. If I'm going to work on defining a purpose, I want to start fresh. It's a low priority for me, but not something I am willing to dismiss altogether.

So, this is it. :)

I can't leave without including a bit of an update, though.

First, we had a great Halloween. Well, except for the cold and rainy part. :( Still, it resulted in plenty of candy, so it's all good, right? Plus, afterward we went to a Halloween party with friends, and that was best of all. And, it was warm and dry. :)

Molly was Joan of Arc at the Halloween Party held by her riding instructor; her costume had to be modified because of the weather, so you just need to pretend that the gray sweatshirt is armor. :)

Before that, Molly and James participated in a History Camp with our charter school. This was a 4-day program where the charter school kids attended our county's "Pioneer Village" - a village recreated from (actual) buildings from our county's past. Yes, they're moved to the village and used to help set the scene, and then most of them are furnished (with period items, if possible) so kids can see what they used to be like way back when. The charter school kids spent three intensive days learning and experiencing pioneer life, including making candles, cooking popcorn in an old-fashioned closed skillet over a real fire, tin punching, making corn husk dolls, etc. On the fourth day, the charter school kids and the teachers within the charter, man information tables tables all around the village, and become 'docents for a day', explaining, demonstrating, and teaching about 900 county public school kids who come in for about half a day, all the things they've spent the last three days learning. Molly taught at the tin punching table, but James chose the corn husk dolls (seriously, I was shocked). The cool thing was that this was easily the most popular table, and James was the star 'teacher' - it just must be his gift - he was complimented by visiting teacher and the teachers from our charter. It's always gratifying to see your kids find something they love.

Molly is the one in the middle {as always ;)}

James put his own spin on cornhusk dolls - he helped the kids make capes and swords for SuperCornhusk Hero. ;)

Before that, we spent a day in the Sequoia National Forest, among the giants. Very. Cool.

Just one of a million amazing views along the road in the Sequoias, on the way to Giant Forest

This is the placard for the tree (The Sentinel) in front of which the kids are sitting (photo above)

Oh, and before I forget, James was invited to join the Boys Competitive Team at our local gymnastics studio. He was unsure if he wanted to do it, but he agreed to give it a try and he's doing REALLY well. It's been an awesome confidence boost!

And last, I'm a big fan of Pioneer Woman, and was moved by her husband and daughters' recent trip to the Dominican Republic through Compassion, so, during a lesson on the election process that sort of meandered into completely different territory, we found our way online and, eventually, opted to sponsor a little girl in Haiti. She is the same age as Molly, except that she was born on July 4th! <-- Was how she was chosen for/by us: James liked her birthday, and Molly liked that she was a girl the same age. (Bridget liked playing with her animals on the other side of the room. What can you do?) We are all excited about all that sponsorship entails, and are looking forward to learning more about her, too.

That's it, I think. By the time I click "Publish Post", it'll be my birthday, but it's my wishes for you that I want to impart - Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas (Happy Hanukah, Season's Greetings - whatever works), and most importantly, best wishes for a wonderful 2009. It seems that we have good reason to hope that it will be so.

Peace to you,
Natalie

New Retirement Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:13:00 +0000

This was sent to me by my FIL, so I take no credit, but I thought it was funny (and good enough for filler for a post here):

NEW RETIREMENT PLAN

If you had purchased $1,000.00 of Delta Air Lines stock one year ago you would have $49.00 left.

With Enron, you would have had $16.50 left of the original $1,000.00.

With WorldCom, you would have had less than $5.00 left.

But, if you had purchased $1,000.00 worth of beer one year ago, drank all of the beer, then turned in the cans for the aluminum recycling REFUND, you would have $214.00 cash.

Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and recycle. It's called the 401-Keg.

A recent study found the average American walks about 900 miles a year.

Another study found Americans drink, on the average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year. That means, on average, Americans get about 41 miles to the gallon.

Christmas shopping

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 06:44:00 +0000

Oh, stop. Of course I haven't done any, but that doesn't mean I've not been thinking about it. Honestly, I've really wanted to put a stop to all of the over-the-top gifting that goes on here on Christmas Day. I asked the kids a few days ago if they remembered ANYTHING that they received last year, and do you know that the only one who remembered anything at all - was Bridget? Who only just turned 4 at the end of June, mind you, but she has used her Rescue Pack probably more than any other gift any of us received last year - yes, sadly, even including the Wii.

Anyway, so I've been thinking that, amongst ourselves, we'd only make home-made gifts for each other, which leaves the one gift Santa brings to each child (and stockings), and what the extended family sends. I did broach the subject with the kids - they're less than impressed with the idea, of course.

However, even trying to find ways to cut back (as much because I just don't want the financial waste that occurs - spending hundreds of dollars on things that rarely get used - or remembered, as I want to keep the gimmes and the dreaded clutter monster contained), I have fallen in love with this, for Bridget:

The Magic Cabin Tree Fort Kit

Seriously, how cute is that? And also seriously, check out the "Super Saver" price! Considering that I don't want to spend more than $500 TOTAL for the holidays, this is a serious (!) problem. I've debated separating it all out - so, say, Santa brings the fort, and the in-laws generously provide (the money they usually send should cover the difference) all the extras (which will necessarily have to be wrapped separately). The only problem is that I am not considering anything else so extravagant for the others - not because I don't love 'em, but because I can't think of anything they'd really enjoy more than what they already have. Hmmm...maybe James would like an electric scooter (since he likes the one Molly has), and I'd still like to buy him a telescope (he's not interested), but really, he has plenty of things I thought he'd like, but that he doesn't really enjoy very much.

On a more financially agreeable note, I've been blog-hopping again, and found this awesome "make your own" child's tent (teepee) posted by Sew, Mama, Sew, who, apparently, isn't technically the creator of this fine item - instead, she hosts the tutorial, which is written by Meg, of Boutique Nutmeg Designs. If you followed the tent link, did you see those two beautiful words, "no sew"? I think even I can do this. And I'm also thinking that this could be a fun Christmas gift for Molly, who recently tried (unsuccessfully) to build a teepee in our back yard. And if I were to give this to her, does this make me totally cheap? Or just keenly aware of, and responsive to, what each child would enjoy, irrespective (more or less) of the cost of each item?

The thing is, James plays almost solely with his legos and army guys, and Molly plays with her extensive collection of (now play quality) Breyer horses, or else she draws. Sometimes, she'll try her Nintendo DS, but she's more active - she prefers scooters and pogo sticks and bicycles to most anything that's going to keep her sitting still in a seat. Occasionally, she'll hunker down and hide away to read - that's another reason I think this tent/teepee thing would be awesome for her.

So, I don't know, but I think I'm on the right track - whether it includes the little fairy house above, I don't yet know, but wouldn't it be nice if it did? Because I would love to (see Bridget) play with it. Heh heh. :)

And...OH OH OH! How cute is this? I think I'll make it for...myself. Wish me luck - I mean, I own a sewing machine, but it's not like I know how to use it. It's just as well that it would be for myself, anyway - I'd likely be pretty embarrassed to give my crooked-lined sewing mistake to anyone else.

Apples and a Big Brother

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 08:24:00 +0000

Bridget and Daddy
9.19.08

On Friday, we went to our charter's annual apple orchard field trip. I wish I'd remembered to take a picture of the actual orchard, because it occurs to me that most folks wouldn't recognize these...trees. I mean, they are trees, of course, but they are also a lot smaller than those I remember seeing on the east coast. Fortunately, the apples are still delightfully delish, and apple picking is still just as fun - maybe even better since the littles don't need ladders - at least not for apples on the lower branches.

I always wanted a big brother, so I was thrilled that my first baby was a boy. I just melt whenever I see him do things like this - like reading I Love You, Stinky Face to his little sister.

This 'being a mom' thing just rocks.

::Save Lori's House::

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:22:00 +0000

Sometimes, just when things seem to be more or less on an even keel, something will happen that forces you to stop everything and Do Something About It.

I had hoped that, tonight, I'd be in bed earlier, but I happened to check my bloglines one last time, and caught the most recent entry to my new favorite kiddie craft blog, The Crafty Crow.

But instead of another fun activity, there was a graphic, and a short paragraph, about a woman who was at risk of foreclosure on her home. This, of course, is the sad reality for many people in our country right now. The difference here is that she's a single mom of a 7-year old son, and she's bedridden, and on a respirator, because she has ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease).

My father had ALS. It is a merciless disease, and one without much hope, and I cannot imagine laying in a bed, knowing I didn't have very much longer to live, and struggling to come to terms with not being there for my child as he grew up. It was hard enough watching my father struggle with his emotions, as he gave voice to his grief and anguish over knowing he'd never be able to play catch or go fishing with his grandson. Even now, the memory of that day is so viscerally painful, with the sadness of the loss - for all of us - as (or maybe more) searing now as it was nine years ago.

I donated, but I also felt that I needed to share Lori Hall Steele's story. If you feel compelled to help in some way, then so much the better.

Save Lori's House (information and paypal donation link)

The Lori Hall Steele Fundraising Blog

A poignant essay written by Lori Hall Steele, about her then-4yo son's fear of losing his mom

Yesterday's Babycenter blog entry about Lori's situation

Catsup? Or Ketchup?

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 07:54:00 +0000

I keep saying I'm going to update the blog, but really, I still haven't really worked out why I do it at all. I'm still here for now, though, and I promised pickachers, so let's get right to them. There's a good mix of animals and...my kids. Who are, from a scientific point of view, also animals. Anyway.

* * *

This here is Beau. Nope, apparently we didn't change his name from that which he was given by his foster mom. The important thing here is to check out those ear tufts. I have never had a cat with ear tufts before; I love 'em. And he is a Really Sweet Kitty. Funny, too.

I promised you sheep, and so you shall have them. The other day, on our way home, we turned up the street before ours and... this is what we saw. Despite the fact that our little street isn't well-traveled, our neighbors were still doing a fine job of gawking (too).

That is, until the owner of that house discovered them eating away at her lawn (and bushes). She promptly shooed them away...

which pretty much meant that the show was over, except for this little lady, who gave one last, wistful look at the green grass. I don't blame her, though. I miss green grass, too - having it more than eating it, I mean.

A couple days later, our dogs alerted us to a crisis of wooly proportion. On the hillside adjacent to our...hillside, there were the sheep. My dogs, despite the fact that their breed is designed to protect sheep, did not get that memo. They are definitely not happy about the sheep. Nope.

Enough with the sheep, though, already. Let's (quickly) visit a parade. That's Molly (sort of) in the middle - to the left of the middle - on a horse they later learned was NOT parade-savvy. The lady next to the horse is the owner of the ranch where Molly takes her lessons. She had to walk next to Tug the entire parade route because he was really ornery. Figures, huh? He's the oldest one - supposed to be bomb-proof - and maybe he is, but not parade-proof.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch('s parade float), Bridget was thrilled to get to ride on the hay wagon. I know she doesn't look thrilled in this picture, but trust me - it was way better than walking.

About a month ago, we visited an ostrich farm, where they raise ostriches for their meat, mostly. But separate from that area, they have a few that are sort of on display. These are a few of the babies:

And this one here is part of the official meet 'n greet team, at least in the sense that they are among the breed (I think there are three breeds? or four.) that is friendliest. This one will come up to you if you call her over.

Continuing our fowl theme for one more picture, here's a goose who lives at the little lake around the bend, so to speak. I just happened to like this picture - there's really no other reason for including it.

For the next month, we get to call this "P.E.". Or recess. Both, really. The kids (the two older kids) are taking a rock climbing class with a county-based homeschooling group. It is So Cool, and I suspect we'll be back after the month-long session is over. That's James and Molly on the boulder there - Molly is wearing the purple pants, and James is to next to her, looking at the camera.

Here's a close-up of Molly. The first day, she made it about half-way up the wall (the one surrounding that boulder in the middle), but today, she went to the very top twice. At the end of the class, she was exhausted - it's a lot of work!

This was my "school" table and one of (too many of) our bookcases, as I was preparing for the beginning of school. It is usually clean and organized (stop laughing).

Photographic evidence that, sometimes, they get along. Okay, truly, it's very blurry and clearly not a great picture, but it's one of pictures I've taken recently that I really, really love. It may not be saying a thousand words, but there are plenty there, and they all make me smile.

Last picture! Look at those cheeks! Oh, I know you can't really see them, but you know they're there. And as you can see, she was very proud of her (I think it's a) giraffe. I'm proud, too, even if I think it's more of an interpretive piece of art, if you know what I mean. CORRECTION: Bridget says this is a llama. I asked her, "It's not a giraffe?" and she said, "No, because it doesn't have spots." Well, I was right about the interpretive thing, anyway.

And that concludes the ~~slide~~ scroll show for today (this month). As an aside, I need to add something about a post I made earlier, but which I later deleted. It was about Barack Obama, and it was inflammatory and clearly so extremely biased as to be of little benefit in terms of actually documenting reasons not to support the senator, and I regret ever putting it on my blog in the first place.

I'm not a fan of big government, and I'm especially not a fan of Big Spending and Big Government, and those are *my* points of contention with Sen. Obama's platform. The rest is just details, or in the case of that video, an attempt to distract from should be a focus on issues, and where the candidates stand.

I strongly agree that we can't do four more years, but in my opinion, I think that the Democratic platform is a bit too much of an over-correction.

On the other hand, Sen. McCain made it a helluva lot harder (as in, impossible) to support him, when he chose Palin as his running mate. No. No. Not just no, but hell no. And despite my objections to the Democratic platform right now, I don't think Sen. Obama would make a bad president. On the other hand, as much as I'd like to be thrilled that a woman might be a VP, I just want to say - please, no, not that woman. The thought that a radically conservative chick (which really should be an oxymoron, go figure) might have a say in the selection of a Supreme Court justice appointment makes me want to weep. By comparison, I guess I only want to whimper when I read about Obama's plans.

The way I see it, my choices are a) Big Government, b) Losing ground on women's rights, c) not voting, d) writing in someone's name, or e) voting for one of the other (non-major party) candidates. I like Bob Barr's platform; ideologically, it is closer to mine than either of the other two. Realistically, though, it's sort of a non-vote, so I still feel like I have to choose between two platforms, neither of which are really representative of my own views.

Sometimes, I think it would be easier to be an ostrich.

Super Quick!

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 10:11:00 +0000

We had our charter school picnic this past week, and although I didn't want to go, it was at one of my most favorite places to spend a bit of time here in our little spot in the high desert. Probably because it doesn't look very desert-like.

Anyway, here are a couple of pictures from the picnic. There are more, of course, but this'll do for now, I hope. Be on the look-out for more sheep and a few pictures of the not-really-new-anymore kitty.

She was being a "jumping horse".

See what I mean? Sure doesn't look desert-like to me.
Just don't look beyond that little island-in-the-lake, okay?

The coolest (kid) craft blog/collective

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 05:58:00 +0000

The Crafty Crow: A Children's Craft Collective

Completely fresh ideas - love it!

Random Blurbs

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 06:33:00 +0000

I wish I could make this blogging thing more of a priority, but alas, it is just not so. So, I'm here with some random blurbiness. :)

- I picked up my progressive lens glasses this evening. LOVE them. But, you know, when James overheard me say that I was getting bifocals, my sweet boy said, with a mischievous grin, "Mom? Bifocals? Are you getting old?" Love you, too, kiddo. *lol*

- I've read a couple of interesting articles on homeschooling today: a very positive Op-Ed piece in the Wall Street Journal, and a curious piece by Sonny Scott, entitled "Home-schoolers Threaten Our Cultural Comfort". I'm sure there are some truths in the latter article, but I assure you that it doesn't describe most of the homeschooling families I know. And frankly, I am dismayed to be defended in this manner. I mean, aside from the obvious fact that I don't wear homemade dresses (or anything else that's homemade), I think I must disagree that a "concern for a theistic world view largely permeates the movement." Or maybe I'm just fortunate enough that I have met many homeschooling families here who are not at all like the family that Mr. Scott describes in his article; most here seem to homeschool for secular reasons, even if they do actually believe in God/attend church/etc. This article, thought? It's quite a lot too 'in your face' to help "the movement", and even I find the whole thing rather put-offish. I wear pants, I drive a minivan (with an integrated DVD player - which we use, and not only for education shows), we have a Wii (and a Playstation) which we play on our large, wide-screen TV, my kids have toys,... Though I wouldn't mind if my kids were well-behaved. That'd be pretty handy.

- I'm still struggling with how it is that I want our 'school' days to look. I think part of the problem is that we are still viewing it as school - as separate from everything else - and that's not really what I want. I want it to be this sort of natural thing where learning is good and fun, and where it happens without some sort of arbitrary time line and list of topics to study. Except that I have these text books, and it seems rather contrary to use them, and still try to accomplish what it is that I seek.

- We finally signed up for a pest control service - too many ants and earwigs and centipedes, I thought. Imagine my surprise when the gentlemen who came here explained that he found evidence of LOTS of black widows - in and near our grill, our retaining wall, our enclosed side courtyard, and all around the play area. Awesome. After hearing that, ants don't seem so bad, really.

- Aside from my glasses (love 'em - did I say that?), we also bought the following at Costco: Presidents (James and Molly argued over who got to read this first), Universe (which you should buy at Costco; it's half the amazon price), 501 Science Experiments, and a "Bridgie book", a Fisher-Price preschool jumbo floor pad (like a really big workbook), which will probably become an expensive scribble pad, I bet. Oh, and the DVD, Earth - The Biography. Thankfully, I also remembered to get bananas, which were actually the only item on my 'list'.

- Raccoons: We have them visit every night - a mom and her two nearly grown babies - when I put out a bit of food for the local stray (and feral) cat I feed. Lately, they've been a bit more brazen - they don't run off unless I physically step outside and shoo 'em away (if I see them, I remove the food). And also lately, one of them - the mom, I think - has been GROWLING at me. Dude, that is so not cool. I'd like to relocate them somewhere very far from my house, because they are only cute until they growl. Ya know?

It's Tuesday, FWIW.

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 07:23:00 +0000

I want to say a hearty and sincere 'thank you' to those of you who posted comments or sent notes of condolence about DJ. It's hard to believe she's gone - I guess I thought my sister might change her mind at the last minute, but she didn't. Not that I think she should have, only that it was so very hard for her to make the decision, and even she wasn't sure she could go through with it. My mom is handling it fairly well, but I pretty much lost it when she said, "She's at peace now." Because how did my puppy turn into an old lady? As I get older, though, it seems these reminders of our mortality keep coming ever more frequently, and I suppose that's normal, but it still stinks.

* * *

I've been having a sort of blog-identity crisis. Is this a homeschool blog? Is it just a catch-up blog with a few of my pals? Is it a place for me to talk about pictures I've taken? Is it a place for me to write - for the sake of writing, even? Something else altogether?

Well, don't look here for an answer, 'cause I don't know either! Maybe it'll stay a mixture of all of the above, or maybe the focus will naturally whittle down to something more specific. For now, I'll just give fair warning that it's a little o' this and that, and hope the rest works out okay. Maybe I'll add headings, because of course, I can be that organized, if I try. Like that little train, right? Heh.

* * *

HOMESCHOOL

Although I missed the specific session at the Expo, I have been intrigued by the notion of doing a version of "Hogwarts Homeschooling". I was sure that James wouldn't be at all interested (since he "hated" the first HP, refusing even to read any of the other HP books), and that it would only be appealing to Molly (who lurves HP). No matter, right? He can do his own thing, and Molly and I will have fun with this. Except, when I started reading the first HP to Molly recently, James was as captivated as Molly. He's even been taking the book and reading it again - I guess a year will change things, sometimes. Anyway, so I've been looking at all of the various HP/Hogwarts items available (there are plenty), and I hope we'll be ready to get started next week, when school officially starts for us.

"I am not a Muggle."

Speaking of school, though, I am feeling more and more compelled to withdraw from our charter and file an R-4 affidavit with the CA DOE. Basically, it is a declaration that we are our own private school, without any affiliation with any other school, such as the charter where the kids are currently enrolled. The drawback is that we lose the ability to join the school on organized field trips and enrichment classes, plus other options, like the LEGO Robotics team here. Steve isn't ready to take that step, but... I am. Since we can do it later in the year, I'll just keep it as an open option for us, if/when we choose to go down that path.

ETC.

It's too late to add more, but I am planning to share a few pictures of our not-really-new-anymore kitten, who is still freakin' adorable, especially when he runs through the house with his little kitten growl. Like he's fierce. :)

Saying good-bye.

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 08:17:00 +0000

October 28, 1991 - August 9, 2008

I first met DJ on December 21, 1991 - she was, technically, a Christmas gift to me, but I picked her out of a litter of 11 pups. And my gosh, but she was cute - a bundle of 8-week old, lab/golden retriever love. She was with me, and then Steve and I, until James was about 6 months old, but because she wasn't always aware when baby James was on the floor, she went to live with my sister. By then, she was almost 9 years old, and she and I had spent so much time together, playing frisbee, going for walks, playing frisbee, snuggling in my bed, and often, playing frisbee. Her frisbee of choice was an aerobie - that thing could go far and fast, and she - she could catch it.

DJ stayed with my sister from the summer of 2000, until Christmas, 2006, when she moved in with my mom into her new home across the street from my sis. So, she was never far away, and she still lived in the family. By then, she'd been diagnosed with a collapsing trachea, so her frisbee days had been over for a few years already.

All along, DJ's beautiful golden color slowly turned white, and she developed lots and lots of cysts. They didn't seem to bother her, so sis left them alone.

About eight months ago, DJ fell down the stairs in my mom's home, and ever since then, my mom slept with her downstairs - mom on the couch, and DJ on her doggie bed on the floor. These last few months have seen DJ go from a rickety but lively dog, to one who stares at nothing - at the walls, at memories long gone - who knows? Two months ago, mom had to stop feeding her dry food - DJ could no longer chew anything but the softest things. Her vision and hearing have been going, going, gone for months, and yet she hated to be left alone - somehow, she knew, and she'd moan a most pitiful sound until someone returned to her side. Last week, on her morning walk (about the length of ten cars), her rear legs buckled, and it took all of mom's strength to help get her up and walking again. Most recently, she's become completely incontinent, and she sleeps nearly all day, so keeping her clean is difficult at best.

A few days ago, my mom finally told my sister that it's time. Until then, mom insisted that she (DJ) wasn't ready, but last weekend, something changed. My sister said tonight, that mom is her moral guide - she's got the tenderest heart - and mom told my sis that she felt that DJ was in pain nearly all the time, but with no other way to tell us except for these low, pitiful moans.

And so, in a few hours - seven, as I type this - a mobile vet will come and ease DJ's transition from pain to...to...I don't know. The rainbow bridge? I don't know, but it's a nice thought. I wish desperately that I could be there, but it just hasn't been possible. But in any event, DJ was my first "baby", and nearly seventeen years ago, I had no idea that a golden little pup would leave such a lasting mark on our family.

My gosh, I'm sad. She's been alive for nearly half of my life, and we have so many memories with her - I used to take her with me to our family reunions, and my dad called her the first grandbaby. :) DJ and Polo were best buddies, once upon a time. And in seven short hours, yet another connection to that part of my past, will be gone.

She'll be buried in the middle of a 350-acre farm, under a small stone that will simply announce, "Here lies a friend."

Indeed.

A milestone for me - in two words:

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 07:56:00 +0000

Progressive lenses.

I [heart] the UPS guy...

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 20:58:00 +0000

I should add that I love my hubby, too. He's the one who said to get it. :)

What's happening to me?

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 05:56:00 +0000

A year and a half ago, I wasn't even close to where I am now. Sure, that's true in a geographical sense, but I don't even think my old self would recognize the new one. Not even a little bit.

A year and a half ago, we'd just received an offer on our house, so we knew our time in Florida was officially short. In that time, I worried and fretted over many things, among which were the quality of the schools in the district to which we were moving. On paper, they looked ...okay, but not great - not at all great like the public school my children were attending then. In fact, the poor(er) quality of schools was one of the reasons who opted to move an hour away from where my husband works, just so we could escape the overcrowded classrooms there. By comparison, the schools in our soon-to-be new-to-us district became the best of options that were, in my opinion, not good enough, especially compared to our beloved FL elementary school.

Indeed, I was right - I was profoundly disappointed with so many things: overcrowding, poor resources, the loss of dedicated music, art and computer teachers each of whom had state-of-the-art classrooms and supplies, less-than-impressive security measures, a playground that was too large for adequate supervision, a kindergarten that seemed more like Molly's preschool... and test performance that was, compared to other CA districts, not very impressive. I didn't even like their books, and the classrooms (which are about 20 years older, mind you) were dingy and dreary in comparison to the brightly lit and decorated classes at "our old school".

Eventually, I began to dread taking them there - that's how much I began to dislike the place. And then other things started happening, each of which forced me to feel ever more strongly about THAT school. But the culminating moment for me, when all these doubts swirling around began to gel into a most horrible thought, was when a friend - and former teacher in the same school system (who left the schools and went to teach at a prison) - said to me one day, "If you care about your kids and their education, you'll pull them out of _____ School and homeschool them."

Yes, that is the horrible thought that I'd been compelled to consider. It seemed to be a rather draconian reaction, even, and one I considered with some sense of resignation and even despair, as well as a bit of grieving for the many things we had (already) had to give up before we got to this point.

The first day of "school" last year was a bit of a non-event, but I took the advice of some of the 'experts' at our charter, and set out ground rules, and did other things that, essentially, were intended to create a "school at home" atmosphere. By then, I'd read enough that I had considerable disdain for the more radical types of homeschooling, most specifically unschooling, which I equated with unparenting. I know I wasn't alone - this is often how it's portrayed in the mainstream media, too.

In retrospect, I can say that for most of that (school) year, I was still mourning our move and what it had done to the landscape of my days - instead of having several hours each day to re-energize my very introverted self, I was forced to give up my 'me' time and spend it all with ~~monsters~~ my children, who, by the way, were also still grieving for their former home, school, teachers, friends, and way of life.

I suppose I had a typical first year of homeschooling - I changed directions, curricula, tactics, schedules, and whatever else applies, so many times that we were just treading water, and only barely. It wasn't until around March of this year, that things really began to change. I gave up trying to "save" that school year, and realized that I needed to focus my energy on changing and preparing for what was to come next.

Along the way, I'd found a couple of really valuable homeschooling groups, and eventually blogs, that began to make me really think about homeschooling, and I began to realize that, somehow, I'd not only accepted our "fate" (ha!) but I'd started to embrace it and even become protective of it - so much that, when my husband recently mentioned finding a better school district, my first thought wasn't "Hooray!", but, "Why?".

That's when I knew something was up. I began to 'hear' my local homeschooling friends talk about their own approaches, and more importantly, I began to read between the lines. When I mentioned to one mom that I'd been advised to double-check the state standards to make sure we were in compliance, she just sort of casually shrugged and said, "Yeah, and how's that going for ya?" She didn't mean to be rude to me, she was just acknowledging that the standards are pretty arbitrary and, um, useless.

So anyway, this weekend, I spent two and a half lovely and inspiring days at a homeschooling conference. I learned a lot from the speakers and workshops (well, most of them - a couple were duds), but what I came away with - what has been most valuable to me - is what I learned about myself.

I've become one of them.

There, I said it.

What I mean is, I've become one of those who sees the problems with canned curricula, with across-the-board expectations, with "one size fits all" education systems that often don't inspire, but instead quash a child's enthusiasm for learning. That's not to say that I don't see value in public school systems, but rather, that I see how hard it must be to educate adequately all the children in our classrooms and schools. I know there are teachers who do it - who are able to differentiate and accommodate the various learning styles and needs of their students, but the 'system' is rife with problems. More importantly to me - for my children, anyway - I have seen first-hand how a curriculum may serve one child well, but not another. If that can be the case for my two older children, then surely it could prove problematic for many children in one class taught by one dedicated but exhausted teacher.

The sessions that were most meaningful to me were those led by Tammy Takahashi, an unradical unschooler whose excellent and insightful commentary made me turn to my friend (also an unschooler) and admit that, you know, she has a point, and that I'm sort of digging this new (to me) explanation of what unschooling really is. My friend, whose journey started long ago, and whose children have never been enrolled in public school, just smiled; she probably was thinking, "It's about time."

And that's the thing. Another person with whom I spoke this weekend - a math professor whose book on math games was especially intriguing - casually commented that I "must be an unschooler." Seriously, I think I could have died right there, except that I had to admit she had a point, too.

So that's where I am. I told my friend, "This isn't at all where I thought I'd be a year and a half ago." It's a heckuva journey, and I have a feeling, it's just going to get more exhilerating, maybe a little bit further along the 'unexpected' path, but mostly, a whole lot more fun, and satisfying, and better than I ever could have hoped for.

How awesome is that? Yeah, pretty awesome.

I'm off!

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 06:59:00 +0000

I've really been looking forward to this - I'm going to CHN's Expo. I'm hoping to learn a bit and connect with other homeschooling folks, too. I'm also shamelessly admitting that I'm looking forward to having some solo time - Steve and kids are staying home.

Happy weekend to you!

Earthquake, Shmearthquake.

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:55:00 +0000

There hasn't been much to say ...no, wait, there hasn't been much time to write, really, though once summer winds down, maybe I'll make more of an effort. Or not. :)

Anyway, big news in LA about the earthquake, but we're fine. We didn't feel it at all, though Steve did - of course, he's an hour closer, so it makes more sense. I'm going to a conference this weekend that's about 20 miles from the epicenter; hopefully, the ground'll have it all out of its system by then.

I'm off to play on the Wii Fit (LOVE it); hope you're having a wonderful summer, too!

Checking in

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 21:53:00 +0000

Drove by a couple gas stations today - at "my" gas station, prices jumped 7 cents from yesterday evening, to $4.35/RUgal. I saw a couple stations already had their RU gas at $4.39. Yes, $5/gallon gas will be here before summer's end. I wonder if there is a such a thing as a 4-seater bike that handles hills really well?

Our Planned 2nd & 4th Grade Homeschool Curriculum, 2008-2009

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Wed, 28 May 2008 06:06:00 +0000

I haven't written here because - well, it's not because nothing is going on, but because the one thing that's been off is my computer. I turn it on (okay, it stays on for a bit in the evening, while I get my scrabulous fix), check email, and turn it off. I MUST turn it off, and keep it off, or it becomes a wicked time suck for me. Some days, I dream about packing it up and storing it in the attic, or giving it away.

Except that I'd be lost without the internet, of course. So, the next best thing is to enforce an on/off sort of boundary - mostly off. Because then, I'm productive. :)

I have been doing research on the materials we'll use for next year's lessons. And most of those reading this will skip over this part, because it isn't applicable to you, but in case someone down the road googles ideas for 4th and 2nd grade homeschool curriculum ideas, here's what we have so far:

Math:

2nd grade - Singapore Primary Math 2A/2B (Kit)

4th grade - Singapore Primary Math 4A/4B (Kit)

I don't have anything specific for the preschooler, but she already can count to 20, do simple addition and subtraction, knows her shapes and colors, so we'll probably just continue to reinforce these things and take it from there - if she asks for more, then I'll give it to her.

Science:

for both 2nd and 4th grade -

ACS's The Best of WonderScience

We'll supplement with a life science unit study somewhere in there, and Science in a Nutshell kits

and for the preschooler, two more books from ACS:

Apples, Bubbles and Crystals and Sunlight, Skyscrapers, and Soda Pop

plus some activities from

Science Arts and Science is Simple

Oh! and this one: What Color is Newton's Apple?

Language Arts:

I love this book, Education Play: Language Arts and plan to use it for both (all three?) kids. And not just for Language Arts, but for most subjects, I really recommend any of Peggy Kaye's Games for (Reading, Math, Language, etc) books.

I have the terrific If I Were a Road, and plan to follow it with If I Were a Table. We also already have (and have used a bit) all three volumes of the Aesop's Fables: My Book about Reading, Writing and Thinking, and we'll use those (the 3yo liked those this year, too, though obviously she wasn't writing, although she tried). And finally, from that same vendor, I am considering Classic Words, and/or a study of Latin and Greek roots.

For the 4th grader's curriculum, I'll probably choose Brave Writer's The Writer's Jungle, along with the recommended (accompanying) digital ezine, The Arrow.

The 2nd grader won't have a defined curriculum, except for the items from the books already mentioned. Oh wait, she's been using and benefiting from the Explode the Code series, so we'll continue with those for as long as she needs them. And perhaps some dictation, too. The preschooler can keep working on the BOB books if she wants to. :)

Social Studies

Both will use Story of the World (and activities), and the Kingfisher History Encyclopedia. The 4th grader will need to read a bit about California history (missions and gold rush), so we'll toss in a few books on that later, and visit some of the missions in the spring of '09. We'll also be using the Trail Guide to World Geography.

I'm working on compiling Art and Music activities, and both kids are already enrolled in gymnastics for next school year (but also throughout the summer). M continues to take horse riding lessons, and she also want to take violin lessons, so we'll see about that.

* * * * *

Tomorrow, we're off on some fun field trips, and I'll update about those when I return.

I haven't forgotten.

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Fri, 23 May 2008 10:19:00 +0000

It has been seven years today.

And Dad, I still miss you.

Ten Cents

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Fri, 23 May 2008 08:19:00 +0000

My week, in reverse:

- Noticed late this afternoon that the price of gas had gone up ten cents since this morning. As of 6:30 pm this evening, prices ranged from $4.05 to $4.11 per gallon. I expect that will have increased by tomorrow. I'm beginning to believe the "$5/gallon by summer's end" predictions.

- Had our final meeting with our resource teacher for the end of the school year. Apparently, we all survived intact. I'd say that's something to celebrate.

- Made plans to meet with a couple of the veteran homeschool moms to discuss curriculum choices for next year.

- Learned that a former playgroup friend from way back when we lived in Maryland, lived right here in my teeny tiny town for two years after I left Maryland. We missed each other by a year. I had no idea until this morning. Small world, indeed.

- Spaghetti for dinner last night; the kids could eat this every day for every meal, if I let them. And because I am wicked mean, I don't. Let them, I mean. Never mind.

- Pulled more than a few handfuls of hair from the fur of 'Emma the (grown puppy) Pyrenees'. I'd say she could give sheep a run for the money.

- Talked with another good friend from my Maryland days. Gosh that was a nice chat; she is always so upbeat.

- Spent too much time playing Scrabulous on Facebook. What the hell is a QAT anyway?

- Was diagnosed (yes, really) with ADHD by a qualified-to-diagnose doctor. Meds were recommended, and I am considering them.

- Sent Steve off to the airport for a week in the NorthEast. After a mini-heatwave here, temps dipped from highs in the 90s to highs in the 50s and 60s, so despite the distance, we had similar weather. I think he was warmer, though.

- Short-term memory pretty much stops here, so that's a wrap!

A good day

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Sun, 18 May 2008 07:55:00 +0000

Yesterday, when I posted, I meant to write the day itself - wonderful and perfect. We'd started the day with lessons, then headed to the park at noon to meet up with fellow homeschoolers. The kids all played well together, and I enjoyed a nice, relaxing conversation with the moms. Afterward, I drove Moon to her riding lesson, returning to the park to pick up Sun, who had stayed behind for a little more face time with his pals.

That's one of the beauties, by the way, of a small town - the riding lesson was a mere five minutes away, and after our trip to DC, I appreciate even more the lack of traffic and congestion here.

Anyway, so I returned to pick up the boy, and we spent a little more time there. We all left then, and I was able to swing by, pick up Moon, and get home with - well, not plenty, but at least barely enough - time for Sun to paint his Pinewood Derby entry for the Cub Scouts meeting that evening.

...where he won 3rd place overall, and a trophy! And driving home, I realized how fulfilling it is when things go smoothly, and when you have connections and relationships within your community, and a busy, but not too busy, schedule for things you enjoy doing. And when home really feels like...home.

Finally.

And then there was today (well, by now it's yesterday) - Moon participated in her very first horse show - a little local production put on by her instructor, under whose tutelage she has flourished. She walks, trots and canters (correction: she guides the horse to walk, trot and canter) without assistance, and her posting is coming along well. She's also remembering to keep her hands down, and she's doing much better "steering" the horse.

She was the youngest (by three years) and least experienced kid there today, but no matter, she still placed in each of the seven events in which she participated! She earned one 1st place, a 2nd place, four 3rds, and a 5th. Not too bad for a newbie! And despite the inexorable heat, we spent six hours there and got to meet a great group of kids and moms: nothing pretentious here - they were all encouraging and rooting for each other throughout the day. Moon got lots of compliments, with several of the parents saying she was a natural on the horse. Oh, and okay, they all also said she was awfully cute, too. :)

But the best part was how happy she was to be there, and how at ease she was with the horse, the other girls, the other horses, and the competition itself. Indeed, it really was a good day.

"Insert Pictures Here"

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Sat, 17 May 2008 09:21:00 +0000

Which is to say, I have no pictures to share.

Yet!

I mean, I did take over 600 pictures while we were in Virginia and DC, even though it rained five of the seven days we were there. Good on them, though - they've had drought problems in the last year, so I can't really begrudge the five inches of rain they received just during two of those rainy days. Frankly, it was a nice change of pace, even if it did put a damper (ha!) on our plans.

But you know what's strange? When we left here, the highs were in the mid-50s to mid-60s. With plenty of wind, of course, so it felt even cooler. And a mere week later, we return to high temps in the mid-to-upper 80s. And really, I can't help but wonder, where did Spring go?

Anyway, I am only wanted to say, quickly, that we're home and safe, and we had a nice time. Along the way, we visited several museums (all Smithsonians - the Natural History Museum, the Air and Space Museums [both the main museum in DC, and the Steven F. Udver-Hazy Museum in Chantilly, VA], and the Freer and Sackler Art Galleries), did a wee bit of shopping, and otherwise, relaxed and spent time with the family. By the end of the week, though, we were ready to be home again. There is just something about sleeping in your own bed, and taking a shower in your own bathroom, that makes things right with the world.

We have big plans for the weekend - a horse show for Moon, trenching our side yard to put in water sprinklers, and a host of minor (and at least one other major) projects to begin or complete. I hope you have a great weekend, too!

A Kitty Decision

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Mon, 05 May 2008 06:51:00 +0000

Remember Otis, and his sister Willow?

Well, we went to meet them, and their three little kitty siblings, and fell in love...

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

with Beau:

(Feel free to take a couple of moments to savor the cuteness.)

But not with his name. Everyone still likes the name Otis, so that's what we'll call him. Though I keep thinking I'll probably call him 'Beau-tis'. And let me tell you - it was a tough choice. But not between him and the real Otis - no, between Beau, and his brother Milo. Milo looks A LOT like Polo (and how 'bout the coolness in the name similarity, huh?), but Beau is a total bundle of mellow lovebugness, and that is exactly what won us over. He just hung out in our arms, while the other kitten spazzes ran all over the place. ;) Of course, because he's a kitten, I wouldn't be surprised if he showed up with an orange 'n purple suitcase, and spiked hair, and said, "Oh? That mellow part? That was just a ruse," but maybe he'll also still be a cuddlebug, too. And as for his sista, Willow? She was already adopted, leaving her four brothers in the dust.

I need to go sign paperwork with the humane society, which I'll do before we leave for vacation this week. Little kitty won't be ready for a few more weeks (he'll be neutered before he leaves the society), which gives us extra time to, uh, kitten-proof the house. I'm thinking this could be cool: Cat walk. For later, I mean.

And although I don't have a picture, we had our first rattlesnake in our yard today. It was a baby, and our Cinnamon was NOT going to stop barking until we knew about it. Of course, because Steve wasn't convinced it was a rattler, he let it go, but googling baby rattlesnake images made us realize (too late!) that was, indeed, one of the bad guys. And while I will happily trap and release most bugs and even spiders from my house, there'd be about no way I'd have let that snake outta my yard alive, if I'd known with certainty, what he was.

'Night!

Science Slowed Down - a video

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Sun, 04 May 2008 00:52:00 +0000

Something for the kids and their parents - this video shows various mundane things, but in very slow motion, so you can see what's happening. Absolutely fascinating!

Go fly a kite.

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:29:00 +0000

Sun's kite, which should come as no surprise.

If there's one thing we can usually count on here, it's wind. Which is why I figured that buying kites for the kids wouldn't be a waste of money. Of course, it would be a little more enjoyable if we didn't have to watch for the above-ground utility lines, but that didn't stop Sun and Moon from having some kitific fun yesterday. However, I don't think they were prepared for the workout that it involves - running to keep the kite in the air, and just holding onto it during a particularly strong gust.

Moon's kite

For a few days, we've had such warm and wonderful weather. It almost seemed as if we were joining the rest of the northern hemisphere in welcoming spring. By Wednesday, we're supposed to dip back down to about 50F, which is, well, what it is.

And also, we think we could be in love - this is Otis, a 5-week old kitten currently in the care of our local humane society. Steve has insisted that we need to find a kitten that looks like Polo, and when he saw this little guy's picture, he exclaimed, "That's him! He's the one." I've emailed the contact person, and hopefully, she'll let us know that he's still available and that we can reserve him now (he's too young yet to leave his mama). But oh my gosh, isn't that some kitten cuteness?

And this is Otis's sister, who looks so much like Polo's mom. And that gives us reason to pause and consider...things. ;)

We are also in the process of - seriously, I cannot quite believe it myself - obtaining plans and lumber for a... a... a chicken coop. As in, one where we could keep chickens. Hens, no roosters. Until we get to the point where we can have chickens, though, we're enjoying buying farm-fresh eggs from our friends. Between that, the whole raw milk (and organic produce) we buy from the organic co-op, and the grass-fed locally grown (and slaughtered) beef, we're beginning to appreciate some of the unique opportunities we have here for honest-to-goodness healthy eats.

And! I found out that we are allowed to have goats...and a friend of mine's does just had babies. Never had goat milk, though, and I'm not really sure I want to.

What's next, you ask? Oh stop; you're loving laughing at me, aren't you?