Florida Day 2 in Pictures

A nice quiet day at the beach with a few (thousand) folks.A cheeseburger as big as your head for dinner.A game of euchre while we wait to be seated.A laugh or two or twenty with my main squeeze.

A pose by the pool.
And with my mum.
And with my brother (who's single and incredibly funny and does hilarious impressions).
Life is good.

Florida Day 1 or "Ooooh, Ahhhhhh"

The view from our back porch. Oooh, ahhhh.....

Jonathan has big pipes. Oooh ahhh....

Jonathan whooping up on his (single, employed, good- GREAT-with-kids) uncle Matt in a game of HORSE.
Brady, our documentarian, narrating a video tour of our rental house.

Poolside view from the living room. Oooh ahhhh....

Speaking of poolside... there's a lawn chair and a cup o'java with my name on it...

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

We're leaving for a spring break trip to Florida in less than two hours, but because I'm soooo ultra-organized, here I am, blogging. Truth be told, I tend to procrastinate quite a bit when I'm prepping for a trip, and this time was no different. And then my procrastination bites me in the butt when unscheduled events decide to make an appearance just about the time I really really REALLY need to be packing. This time, a visitation for a 12 yr old boy (I didn't know the boy but I went to school with his poor mum) and a request for a haircut.

Jonathan had been asking for a haircut for days, but in my distracted ADD-addled way, I kept forgetting. He'd ask at inopportune moments like when we were driving down the road or leaving for somewhere or just as my eyelids grew heavy toward slumber, so I'd put him off with a "remind me tomorrow" postponement.

Well, last night, he begged. I'd just begun settling in after an emotional and long visitation, when Jonathan flopped his mop of hair in front of me. "See, Mom? I'll be hot in Florida!" And then he continued. "See, Mom? My hair will be in my eyes when I swim!" He forged on. "See, Mom? It's TOO LONG." (For the record, a week ago, when I suggested a haircut, it was not too long.) And he made some pleading faces at me, full-out desperation.

His hair has been getting a bit unruly lately and his head seems to be allergic to combs, too. As I combed it last night, he groaned about the comb touching his scalp. It seems when HE combs his hair, he goes only for the ends. He likened it to getting something under your fingernails - "Your body isn't used to having something touch there, so it feels bad. That's how my head feels!" he said, as he ouch-ouch-ouched his way through the most gentle combing I could manage.

I got to work. When I cut Rob's hair, I charge "one shopping spree" in hopes he'll see the financial benefit in going to a barber. But for Jonathan I only charged a couple of hugs.


Here's proof that I was midway to pajama land when he begged me to cut his hair. Those are pajama pants I'm sporting with my newly-purchased top. It's a new fashion statement I'm starting in the cornfields. Sort of a glam-mom-meets-afternoon-naps look. How's it workin' for me?
It'd been a while since anyone had seen Jonathan's neck. Isn't it a great neck?
And those ears! Who knew? He's got great ears. We haven't seen them since sometime in early 2007.
The pile of hair on the floor freaked me out a bit. Rob swept it up and there was so much it looked like a very hairy cat had died on my kitchen floor. And the amount was astounding. I have thin, fine hair, so it's an odd thing to feel envy for a pile of hair clippings on the floor. But I did.

Jonathan was a little freaked out when I was finished. And he kept complaining that he was c-c-c-cold without his shaggy mane to cover his head.

But soon enough he began to like his new, airy head. Now he's all set for swimming in Florida.

And even though it took a try or two...

He did finally pay up. In full.

Happy Spring Everyone! Will post from Florida if I'm not too busy sunning myself, drinking coffee on the beach, hunting for seashells, or screaming on the Sheikra (AGAIN) at Busch Gardens.

In other words, see you when I get back, good people.

*grin*

My Small Dog is Too Big

You remember I told you my dog Duchess got a new bed? After perusing all the drab, dull, uninspired doggie beds whenever I was out shopping, I finally happened upon this pillow at World Market. I loved the pillow instantly but it's too big for my couch. A dog bed it became.

Duchess loves to snuggle on it by the woodburning stove, where she sometimes gets so hot she pants. But she won't move away. She loves her bed too much. She'll suffer heat stroke before she'll move away from her bed. Life is good for Duchess on her new, cozy pillow. And it's fashionable too.

There's just one problem.

This: It seems she is a tad too big for her bed. The other day I found her flopped over the edge like this.

Doesn't look very comfortable.
When I sleep like that, I have neck cramps for days.

Dutch, Honey, you alright?

You don't look so good.

You need a little pink pill? Mama's here for you, poochie, Mama's here.

An Update and a Science Lesson (or six)

Wow, 20 comments. Not only is that a personal blog record, but it was so uplifting to receive your comments in my inbox, one by one. They made me smile each time, and I needed that - boy did I need that. And thank you to those who sent emails, too - I will be responding, soon!
To add a little more, Jonathan came down with a high fever - on the day of the farm closing, naturally. So while he was fever'ing on the couch, Rob had to rearrange several appointments to come home and take him to the doc while I ran off to the closing that was to take 10 minutes but, naturally, took three hours. Oh, and all the while, Brady had to wait for me to pick him up from school - two hours late. (Oops)

So here's the news for now.

I'm part-owner of a farm.

I'm also the secretary of the Family Corporation. Please address all future correspondence as such. Ahem.

Brady is 99% certain he will come home to unschool next year.

Keep sending those great "got yer back, grrrl" vibes, because my thin skin is taking a beating on this one. And we haven't even told many folks yet. Aye.

And let's see, what else... I don't have ovarian cancer! That was another thing eating at me. I've been having some strange pains during ovulation, once so badly I vomited, so my doc ran a blood test that is pretty reliable in detecting ovarian cancer. The trouble with ovarian cancer is this - if you catch it early, it's reasonably curable. If you don't, it's fatal. By the time a doc can detect anything wrong during a regular exam, it is often tipped toward the 'too late' stage. NOT a fun thought. My friend Diane went to my doctor at the same time and had the same test - she got her results days later, so I was trying very hard not to read into the fact that it took 4 weeks to get my results. My doc wrote in nice, large scrawl - "No Ovarian Cancer!" - with a big old smiley face on it.

Oh, and another thing - my dog is on Pepcid AC.

I kid you not. She's been vomiting. Frequently. I called the vet. His suggestion? 5-10 mg of Pepcid AC at mealtime. So I'm feeding my doggie the little pink pill. She also got a new doggie bed - ain't she stylin'?

Jonathan's fever lasted 4 days, so it was a mixed blessing to be cooped up in the house. It was a good excuse to shut out the world for a few days, but too much down time just makes me think too much so every evening I'd go to the fitness center and work myself silly, trying to shake off some of my angst.

On day 3, though, he was feeling better enough to be off the couch, and we were antsy. I pulled out a pack of science experiment cards that I bought at the homeschooling conference and they were a big hit. They're made by Usborne, and all of the experiments we've tried so far called for items you likely have around the house. Jonathan selected his favorite six and we got busy. For hours!

(Wait... unschoolers do science experiments?!? Who knew?!)

First, we made crystals. Mix baking soda into hot water and fill two jars. Take a 12-inch length of wool yarn and set the ends in each jar, suspending the yarn over a plate. After a week, you'll have crystals! We saw some by the end of the night!

Then, we tested the power of water pressure. Insert inch-long pieces of straw through the bottom of the bottle as shown, then pour water into the top very quickly - the downward force of the water should make the bottle spin as it drains through the straws. Here's a suggestion - use a 2-litre bottle. The water bottle we used was too small and it only began to spin by the time all the water had drained. A bust.

Next came 'Jumping Pepper.' I was quite amused by this one. Pour a dusting of black pepper into a plastic container and put on the lid. Rub the lid with wool for 30-60 seconds. The pepper should 'jump' to the lid and stick.

Then, take a paper clip and touch the lid. The paper clip will repel the pepper and it will either fall or scoot away. Does anyone know why?

For our third experiment we made a pinhole projector. Cut a 2x4" rectangle into one end of a shoebox and cover it with waxed paper. Use a thumbtack to make a pinhole in the opposite end.

Next, cover the end of a strong flashlight with wax paper. Out of cardstock, cut a triangle that is slightly smaller than the end of the flashlight and color it dark green or dark blue. Tape it onto the end of the flashlight. Now - go into a dark room and hold the lit flashlight about 3 feet from the pinhole while you look through the wax papered rectangle. Notice the orientation of the triangle before you look through the projector - now notice the orientation of the triangle as you look through the projector. What happens?

Next - Balloon rockets!

Cut a piece of string, about 10 feet long, and string it through a drinking straw. (I had trouble with this until Jonathan had the brilliant idea to suck it through!) Tie each end to a chair and set the chairs far enough apart to make the string taut. Then, inflate a balloon (and try to do this without your head exploding - oofda) and hold the neck closed while your partner tapes the balloon to the straw, like this:

And let go!

Project #5 was 'Quacking Duck Vibrations.' Make a hole in the bottom of a plastic cup and run a string through it as shown, knotting it so it won't slip through. Then, grab a handful of wet paper towel and, while holding the cup with one hand, run the wet towel quickly over the string from top to bottom. Do you hear a noise? Does it sound like quacking? (We thought it sounded more like a moaning mutt, actually.)

And we saved the best for last. GOOP. My kids have probably made goop a time or two in museum classes, and I'd heard of it but never actually made it. So simple - so addictingly fun! Mix 2 cups cornstarch to 1 cup water.

Add a few drops of food coloring, then mix with your hands.

Jonathan had his hands in the goop for about an hour straight. He was mesmerized!

And now, just to ensure this post is all over the map, I found this while working on the last youtube upload. Evie, your kids will really want to come over and play now - we have a sith lord in training here. And they could be sith lords too!

Thanks again for your kind words, everyone. Y'all just made my day.

Life's Heavy Doses

Does it ever happen to you that you're feeling tired, or agitated, or tense, or ouchy, and you're not even sure why? It happens to me.

Does it ever happen to you that you get a little passive-aggressive about blogging, about attending the usual commitments, about, say, cooking dinner, or... getting out of bed, and you're not even sure why? It happens to me.

Does it ever happen that you set out to type a newsy email to a friend, and all this angst-ridden stuff comes pouring forth, and you realize by the end of it, "Ahh, so that's why I'm feeling like this"? It happened to me. Just now.

This is a heavy week, for several reasons.

~I met my mother's new 'friend.' I liked him fine, so that's not the problem. And he's good to her. It's just surreal, that's all.

~I met with the headmaster at Brady's school to discuss the possibility that he may drop out. I can hear the homeschoolers now, screaming excitedly, "That's not a problem! That's not a problem!" and I can hear the rest of you thinking, "HUH?!? You're not serious..." It's a long story. We're on the fence (including and especially Brady). We're neck-deep in discussion. It's a huge decision. Again.

~Tomorrow we sign papers to buy the main family farm. Because my father died, because my grandmother died, I find myself in the interesting and unexpected position of becoming 1/3 owner of our fifth-generation family farm. It's exciting and frightening and mind-boggling all at the same time. It was Dad's plan and we're carrying it forward.

~Tomorrow is also the 2-year anniversary of my father's death. Two years already. That doesn't seem possible, as I still look for him around corners and among fence rows. And I still haven't been able to visit his gravestone. I've tried.

~And I saw some old friends last week, whose reception of me was so kind and warm and accepting, it shined a very bright light on the fact that I don't have that in the current communities I'm running with.

So I guess, dear friends, I've got a lot working on my mind and my heart, so I've been tired, and quiet, and introspective... and tired.. and, well, tired... Instead of my usual blog chirpiness, I'm loaded down with big things that can't be easily discussed in this blog.

'Twill be a good day when I post blog chirpiness again.

But we need to end this on a high note, because a wise friend recently told me...

~ the thing you feed is the thing that grows.... ~

*****
Good news part one - I've been doing some arting lately, and for anyone who knows me at all, this is pretty unusual. It's been very soothing. And while the feel of pencils and paintbrush in my hand is rather foreign, I find it doesn't matter - it's the process I need right now, not the product. So indulge me, if you will, by looking upon my beginner's work.

One became a bookmark and went to live with my mum.

Good news part two - I sold an article! http://www.everythinghomeschooling.com/ purchased an article I wrote titled, "An Unschooler Goes to School". Subscribe to their web-zine if you want, but you already know the details. :-)

Good news part three - We just returned from our annual homeschooling conference, and it couldn't have come at a better time. I needed the pick-me-up more than ever. Brady and I stayed up until 2:40am on Saturday night, Brady going on 'adventures' through the hotel (which was bizarre and very bad feng shui!) with his new unschooling friends, while I chatted with a new group of unschooling moms. And a very cool serendipitous event was my chat with Ren Allen. She was a featured speaker at the conference and as I'd connected with her online a time or two, I hoped to say hello to her. However, she was swarmed with questioners after each workshop so I didn't have the opportunity to chat with her. Well, our room's coffee maker died, so on Sunday morning, after most of the conference-goers were gone and the hotel was finally still, I went to the hotel cafe to get a coffee and there was Ren. Her flight didn't leave for several hours and I had time to chat because Brady wanted to spend as much time as possible with his new unschooling friends, so we got over an hour to talk. Looks like I wasn't meant to have only a quickie hello with her after all. Good things come to those who wait. So glad to have connected with you, Ren!

*****

Now listen - if Brady decides to leave school and come back home, I'm gonna need all the good unschooling mojo and support vibes you've got to spare. All of 'em. It's hard work going against the grain of society again and again, and it gets harder as the stakes get higher. The collective sigh of relief when Brady entered school did not go unnoticed by me (or him), and it takes a strong spirit to shut out the myriad opinions, doubts, and fears and listen to your own inner voice speaking, and that's what he's faced with right now. Big stuff for a 15 year old.

I am in awe of his maturity, his willingness to be who he is, and his obvious ability to succeed no matter where he is, no matter what he chooses. We want him to be happy, and we will do whatever is necessary to see that happen.
*****
Thank you to everyone who's sent "where'd you go?" and "come back soon" emails - it's a comfort to know I'm missed. And now I ask you for one more thing - a big fat dose of "I've got your back grrlfriend" and some 'there there' if you've got any to spare.

Odds are, I'll be back with more than a little bit of big news any time now.

The metamorphosis continues.

~Namaste~

Baby, It's Cold Outside

You know it's cold when I consistently dress like this:

In the house.

And truth be told? I'm getting a little p*ssy about it.

The Rest of the Story

Do you ever notice there's little closure in blog-world? We post about a recipe we plan to try; or a new project our kids are taking on; or a request for paint color ideas. But we often don't report back. And by 'we', I mean 'I'. I just like to assume everyone else has a similar lack of follow-through - makes me feel less pathetic.

Blogging makes me feel both less lonely and more disconnected. I get to network with like-minded people. I get to learn from other unschoolers and parents. I get feedback from readers. But because I've never met most of these people, it occasionally feels a bit like talking on the edge of a dark forest - my voice goes in, but I'm not always sure who's listening.
I've posted before about how I have difficulty transitioning from being away to being home and back in the swing. I don't jump back into the swing. I circle it, I see it with new eyes, I get a little passive aggressive about getting back into the swing. And I don't blog.

But here I am, without much to say at all. I figure, therefore, it's a good time to wrap up some loose ends. Finish some stories. Fill in some blanks. Reattach some dangling participles.

***
The bathroom paint color dilemma. Remember how I asked y'all for suggestions on what color to paint my bathroom? Update - I haven't painted it yet. It still looks like this:
Only with a lot more hair, dried toothpaste, and dirty towels.

***
My request for an editor for my writing was fulfilled! Lori of MORTpiphanies has been working with me to polish up my writing. And holy wow, have I learned a lot already. Thank you Lori - you rock! Also, Christa of Sandy Feet has provided constructive criticism as well. And yes, I thought her name was Sandy. Sandy Feet. Well, guess what - It's not! Thank you Sandy Christa! You rock too!

***
Remember this? Well, just between you and me... It WAS what it looked like! Shhhhhh.

***
But the update I'm most excited to give... the news I'm most smitten to share... the follow-up you've been looking for... Brady's band, Just Maybe, did audition! They've got new recordings up on their MySpace page. That's my boy singing, too. Gush gush gush. They were incredibly nervous but they did it. They were the youngest band there but they did it. They were the most inexperienced band there but they did it. They did it!

***

I think that's it for my updates.

My spring to-do list is long so I may not be posting as often. But I always say that and then write 5 posts in one sitting, so we'll see.

Thanks for being here. :-)