The April Run Down....

So the weather is finally shapping up to be more like Spring and we thoroughly enjoyed today's 80 degree weather down at the beach with some friends. It's been busy the last few weeks, and I'm just gonna do the Jarjusey run-down on everything that has been and comin' up!

Since last checkin' in, we had Kaidin's 1st b-day party invite (and party) to a friends home all on his own! First time he's done this type of thing on his own! He did great. Ironically, Dahlia was really upset about not being invited b/c she plays with this boy just as much as Kaidin and all the other kids invited, so she was quite bummed about the lack of invite... I have to admit I felt is was pretty crummy she was not invited, but what's a empathetic mama to do in this case? At any rate, K went and D and I had a special girls date. We had a blast.... K did not. D did not feel so bad after that! ; )

A couple days after that Uncle Phil was in town helping dad out on some computer jobs he had... so we were so happy and lucky to sneak in a visit with him. He spent the day with us and fed him some of his favorite dinner. Kids were so happy to see him!

I had my annual dermatologist check-up. Skin cancer runs on my dad's side of the family. Two years ago I had a yucky "pre" cancerous spot on the underside of my breast that got lopped off, and last year I never made it to an annual check up b/c I had just has Shea... So this year I got on top of things and went, and fortunately, everything looks great. That's always a nice relief visit!

Just two days after a visit from U. Phil, we were very surprisingly visited by Uncle Paul... my youngest brother. He swung by b/c he was doing the UPS route very near to our place in E. Rogers Park. So he decided to stop in for a surprise visit. It was amazing that the starts allinged this way. Not only were we originally not planning on being home that day, but he just never stops by to begin with! Last I saw him was long before this past Christmas. So that was a great-welcomed shocker. He seems like he's doing pretty good, which is always a good thing for U. Paul!

We mailed on park day one day to head down to the nature museum. We had not been in such a long time and it's free on Thursdays, so we opted to check it out. But you all know, there's just not a ton to do at this place. It's fun, lovely and great to do when you have not been in a long time, but the excitment tends to end with in a couple hours. Friends of ours happened to make it down to the zoo that day as well, so we met them over there and had a blast. The kids were just so excited to play together that we mostly hung out in the gardens and played. We did make it into the zoo later on, but at that point the zoo was nearly closing... We 'closed the zoo'! It was a very nice spring-like day!

Then it was Grandpa's b-day and we took him out to celebrate. We started with a small hike through the River Trail Nature Center, and rounded that out with a huge lunch at Sweet Tomatoes. One of our favorites.... He was thrilled with his 'new' phone.... our old Razr hand-me-down which worked just perfectly by slipping in his sim card. Yea!

We had a family trip one Saturday down to the Big Run Wolf Ranch. Wow, the ride there was less than pleasurable. Mr. Shea was not very appreciative of that long hike. I sorta thought we were in a good place to do an hour in the car, but he was just in that not-so-happy spot of the day when he wanted to nurse and sleep. We stopped a number of times for him, but man that was rough. Sort of ruffled my feathers for the day, but the ranch was great. Kids had fun. Lot's of cool animals. Ride home was a dream in comparison! He fell asleep early an stayed asleep all the way to the beach when the older two got to hang out and dig in the sand. Later that evening said goodbye to good friends over a pizza dinner. They were moving to Portland in just two days following that evening. So sad to see them go!

Then was Grandma's b-day. She came out to our place and went to our last homeschool storytime session at the library with us. It was great to see her experience a part of the homeschooling stuff and get a taste of the community we hang with. We then took her out to lunch (at K's favorite spot! ; ) but it was fun nonetheless. She seemed to enjoy her lunch, dessert and pressents. We had a really nice time with her.

We then took a new adventure down to the National Mexican Museum down on 18th. Fun! On the way we stopped off to visit friends who just moved to Humboldt Park last summer and we had yet to see their new place. After a shortish visit there, headed to this new (for us) museum and checked out what they had there. It was a great little adventure and have to say the kids did great with doing something new! (Esp. Kaidin, as he is my somewhat close-minded fella! But even he enjoyed it!)

The day immediately following that we were intended to head to the Museum of Science and Industry, but the night before (upon our return from the Mexican Museum) Dahlia had graced us with a nice little incident that just about put me over the edge. Not something that would have normally, but I guess I'd been feeling a bit busy and stretched that this incident really tore at me. She was jumping on the couch, lost her footing, fell and cushioned her fall with her two front teeth landing on Shea's forehead of steal. No telling how this baby escaped injury here while Dahlia's two front teeth were knocked wabbly.... and a split open bottom lip, but that's what happened. So a try "all the way" down to the MSI felt like a real lot to me... And fortunately the kids did not mind hanging at home and spending the afternoon at the park... so that's what we did!

Followed by a good 5-ish hour park day the following day with the homeschool group.... and rounding up the list of the month (or at least since I last updated.... ) Today we did some volunteer work for Miseracordia! We did the Misercordia Candy Days where we stood on the corner in front of Whole Foods in Evanston and collected money for the charity. I was quite proud how great they did. Kaidin made it a full hour before falling into his close-minded-shut-down mode, and Dahlia nearly the full 2 hours! They did great and had fun. And it was great doing our first volunteer thing together. We talked about other projects we could do together to help people in need. So I look forward to that in the near future.

After that of course, we HAD to head to the beach! It was 80 today and we met up with people there, spending most of the day and early evening... coming home with a sunburn.... felt good to get that much fresh air!

Work has been pretty quiet for me this month so it's been good for me in many respects. More time to putz around the net and create new projects for myself. Less time to be on the net as well and with the kids playing and just enjoying the days! And really realizing where I am at with this job and the major changes that need to happen in the next few months. Quickly and whole-heartedly. Eager for change and excited about my business prospects.

Tomorrow we are headed to Serpent Safari with friends that we don't see all that often. Next week holds just as busy... with Shea's FIRST BIRTHDAY ending the week! Updates and that amazing year with Mr. Boober to come. It's surreal to even think that it's been a full year already!

Run Noel!

So these pix are just hilarious... the story behind these... Shea wanted to hurl our hamster, Noel, across the room! ; )

He seems to be the one that is most keen on our hamster, Noel, who was a gift from Grandpa for Christmas. He goes up to the cage frequently to check on her and say hello to her. He clearly is 'talking' about her and to her everyday. He's probably the one keeping that poor thing alive! ; ) Just kidding... we do take good care of her.

At any rate, I wanted to clean the cage one afternoon and put Noel in her exercise ball. Oh man, Shea goes bonkers with this thing. He clearly knows she's in there and is dying to get his hands on her. He will chase her around the house trying to do so as well! And this particular day, he caught her... and... was ready to HURL her across the room. He just so desperately wanted to "throw the ball"!!! It was hilarious. Dahlia was trying to 'help' (poor Noel, from a heart attack) but Shea was giving her the evil eye.... "why are you touching my ball"?!?

To funny....

This one is sheer.... "HELP, she's taking my ball!"

No Training Wheels

So last weekend we took the kids over to the park. Kaidin was fueled b/c a few of his friends had been talking about riding w/o training wheels, and Dahlia... well... she just wants to keep up with everyone. So we rode over there, took the wheels off and let them go at it. I was really kinda afraid that Dahlia would get it in seconds and leave Kaidin in the dust, wallowing in self-pitty and total distress that he had not accomplished it... put that did not happen.

Kaidin only needed a few good guidance pushes with daddy behind him and he was off and running, phew.... This video clip is something I just have to chuckle at. It's the "classic" thing you'd expect, but what I just love about it.... eventhough I was laughing, and he totally just ran into a tree.... he just got right back up and mastered it before we left the park that day.... Something we don't always anticipate from Kaidin! So this was such a huge, pleasant surprise. It rolled right off his shoulders and he mustered on.

Dahlia on the other hand, go quite furious. She was trying desperately to keep up but the balancing thing was not working for her yet. She wanted the training wheels back on after a bit, but one remained quite loose. What we figured a to take that loose one off and let her cruise hat way. She does feel the balance-thing every once in awhile and hopefully she gets where she wants to be. It was so funny b/c at our penpal group this week, she wanted to tell her penpal that she could ride her bike with "just one training wheel".... ; )

Jedi Knight

So the play went off with out a hitch. They did such a fabulous job on everything. Busy trying to edit a dvd for prosperity... somehow I get myself hooked into projects I don't have time in a day for! But it will be so great when it's completed. Tons of video and photos to go through. Some of which have been posted to Facebook as well. Kaidin did such a wonderful job on his first-ever performance. When we first arrived at the place he was saying he as hungry, then not hungry, then his stomach just felt "so weird"... First time he's ever had that sensation... pretty cool. I could tell the first couple of times on stage he was nervous, and then after the first few applauces, he was on fire. He was comfortable and really really enjoyed it. It was hard not to tear over seeing my baby up there! ; ) Ahh... the little "youngling"....

Lately

So we've been really been in a good place lately... Things going well, feeling good. Of course we have our minor woes.... one of which I am having a hard time with is Shea and his nighttime nursing and restlessness issues, which I am hopefully is revolving around teething. But over the last several nights we've been testing the waters of me sleeping elsewhere (as a pediatrician suggestion)... not next to him at night and he tends to sleep a 'bit' better. But I have to say, it just plain sucks. I hate not sleeping next to my baby. I hate having to get up and go to him when it's nursing time. It feels unnatural and just plain exhausting. Seringe does not think it has anything to do with me and says that he will just get over it.... it is by far our worst sleeper of the three. So it's probably something we just have to deal with and eventually he'll finally sleep! Or at least hope so!



The other is Kaidin and his inability to be flexible with others needs or desires. Prime example is when Dahlia and I would love to do an activity one day and he is so totally opposed to the idea that it causes havoc in all of our lives. I have tried relentlessly to talk this out with him and sort of negotiate to the point that "hey we do this stuff with you when you need/want, how about giving it a chance and then we can ... ". But this is not something he wants to hear. And I am trying endlessly to understand that. Everyone's needs here are different. As a mama it's easier for me to put mine on the back-burner for now. But also as a mama, I struggle with Dahlia having to put her's on the back-burner. She's the one I wonder about her growing needs, passions, interests, hobbies, etc. etc.. She's spent SO long following suit to her brother, and that was great for them and their relationship... but now she's growing and trying to figure out "her thing", and I want to support that so desperately. If she's showing interest in somethin' I want to support her exploration, just as Kaidin has gotten throughout his growing and development. But desperately struggle with Kaidin's inability to go along or be supportive of that process as it's blossoming. I do gather that he's going through his own thing as well.... so this too can be temporary and passing.



Ah.... so Kaidin's BIG (FIRST) show is this weekend. He's doing the Circus/MacSith performance on Sunday and SO excited about the whole thing. It's been an amazing process... this entire class. I have seen him grow into this totally new person. I was trying to explain to someone the other day... "I truly feel like I am getting to know this brand new little man... it's remarkable". The class, and maybe just natural growth and development that comes along with being 7... and Kaidin... but he's just become someone I could not have ever imagined. Remarkable, whitty, comical... a performer. Not what I would have ever thought of my little lap-sittin-mama's boy who'd never give anyone time of day when he was just 2 yrs old! Ah.... motherhood. It's a remarkable ride if you can relax and enjoy even the hardest moments.


His passions for Bionicles even subsided a bit. He told me on his 7th b-day that he really feels seven.... but more accurately said "I feel different. Like a big kid. I'm seven now but really I think I'm 12". He's a boy so eager to grow up I am so not sure how or where that came from, but he's just so eager to be a BIG kid. Dahlia certainly has not come to that point yet.


So... looking and feeling the goodness and how I feel like we are in a great place right now. I think that may be because the process of deschooling has been really good for me lately. I feel like as much as we grow to trust the process for our kids, we also grow to trust ourselves. Lately I have had a couple inquiries about us and our unschooling life choices, and really has brought to my attention how much more comfortable I am feeling about our life path... Looking back since the very beginning when I did not even realize that I was going to be homeschooling in the first place, and now feeling quite comfortable not only unschooling, but life learning and/or radically doing so. The people who have posed those questions to me lately have really forced me to step back and look at it more deeply. And wow, it's just felt really really good to feel I am so incredibly comfortable with where our family is right now that I feel far (FAR) less pressured by what everyone else around us is up to and doing. (Explaining that may take me far more time than my eyes can manage to stay open for, so I'm going to leave it at that.... )


SO... it was a family choice that instead of signing up for more classes this Spring we were going on a museum tour. We are going to 1-2 places a week, depending on free days and distances, and going to check out several new places that we've never been to before. Greatly looking forward to it. Will be a fun filled 2 months before (hopefully) summer weather hits and we are on the beaches, parks and pools. Of course, there are 2 class options for us, if they actually do happen. Kaidin may be doing a 4-5 week circus class... Dahlia may be doing a 4 week art class. All depends on if the classes actually run. But if not, we have our museum stops along the way.


Also coming up is Shea's first b-day, May 1, and Dahlia's 5th on May 31st! The thought brings tears to my eyes.... I can't go there just yet! ; )

FB

Who would have thunk it... but what you come across on FB is bewildering at times. I joined an unschooling group tonight and the intro to the group was great. Had to copy it for my own personal reference:

"It is absurd and anti-life to be a part of a system that compels you to listen to a stranger reading poetry when you want to learn to construct buildings, or to sit with a stranger discussing the construction of buildings when you want to read poetry."-John Taylor Gatto

"I never have let schooling interfere with my education."Mark Twain

"The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education." Albert Einstein

"My schooling not only failed to teach me what it professed to be teaching, but prevented me from being educated to an extent which infuriates me when I think of all I might have learned at home by myself."George Bernard Shaw

"School days, I believe, are the unhappiest in the whole span of human existence. They are full of dull, unintelligible tasks, new and unpleasant ordinances, and brutal violations of common sense and common decency." H.L. Mencken

"It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education."Albert Einstein

"What does education often do? It makes a straight-cut ditch of a free, meandering brook."Henry David Thoreau

"How is it that little children are so intelligent and men so stupid? It must be education that does it."Alexandre Dumas

"We are students of words; we are shut up in schools, and colleges, and recitation rooms, for ten or fifteen years, and come out at last with a bag of wind, a memory of words, and do not know a thing." Ralph Waldo Emerson

"The founding fathers in their wisdom decided that children were an unnatural strain on parents. So they provided jails called schools, equipped with tortures called education. School is where you go between when your parents can't take you and industry can't take you." John Updike

"I do not believe much in education. Each man ought to be his own model, however frightful that may be." Albert Einstein

"My grandmother wanted me to have an education, so she kept me out of school." Margaret Mead

"I loathed every day and regret every day I spent in school. I like to be taught to read and write and add and then be left alone." Woody Allen

"Nothing that is worth knowing can be taught." Oscar Wilde

"When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school, it's a wonder I can think at all." Paul Simon

"School is the advertising agency which makes you believe that you need the society as it is."Ivan Illich in his book Deschooling Society

"Schools are designed on the assumption that there is a secret to everything in life; that the quality of life depends upon knowing that secret; that secrets can only be known in orderly successions; and that only teachers can properly reveal these secrets. An individual with a schooled mind concieves of the world as a pyramid of classified packages accessable only to those who carry the proper tags."Ivan Illich

"Education is the period during which you are being instructed by somebody you do not know, about something you do not want to know."G K Chesterton

"I hated school so intensely. It interfered with my freedom" Sigrid Undset (Nobel Prize winner)

"The only time my education was interrupted was when I was in school." George Bernard Shaw

"There is nothing on earth intended for innocent people so horrible as a school" George Bernard Shaw (Nobel Prize winner)

"Nothing enrages me more than when people criticize my criticism of school by telling me that schools are not just places to learn maths and spelling, they are places where children learn a vaguely defined thing called socialization. I know. I think schools generally do an effective and terribly damaging job of teaching children to be infantile, dependent, intellectually dishonest, passive and disrespectful to their own developmental capacities." Seymour Papert

"It is much easier to condemn a child than to understand a child." Jiddu Krishnamurti

"One who uses coercion is guilty of deliberate violence. Coercion is inhuman." Gandhi

"I have not the least doubt that school developed in me nothing but what was evil and left the good untouched." Edvard Grieg

"Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense." Gertrude Stein

"Our aim in education is to give a full life. We owe it to them to initiate an immense number of interests. Life should be all living, and not merely a tedious passing of time; not all doing or all feeling or all thinking - the strain would be too great - but, all living; that is to say, we should be in touch wherever we go, whatever we hear, whatever we see, with some manner of vital interest."Charlotte Mason

"In the end, the secret to learning is so simple: Think only about whatever you love. Follow it, do it, dream about it...and it will hit you: learning was there all the time, happening by itself." Grace Llewellyn

"Drop out of school before your mind rots from exposure to our mundane educational system. Forget about the Senior Prom, go to the library and educate yourself if you've got any guts." - Frank Zappa

"the whole educational and professional training system is a very elaborate filter, which just weeds out people who are too independent, and who think for themselves, and who don't know how to be submissive, and so on -- because they're dysfunctional to the institutions."- Noam Chomsky