the network for radical unschooling families

October 2008 Blog Posts (30)

Ready...Set...New Zealand!

With Bryce leaving for Iraq today, our two separate adventures begin. The kids and I are gearing up for New Zealand day by day. We've collected sleeping bags, mats, rain gear and passports. We're still in search of the perfect hiking shoes to fit tiny feet though. Somehow, crocs have become an addiction in our house and the kids almost have me convinced that they can hike volcanoes in them.

I'm still working on our itinerary. My girlfriend, who happens to be living in NZ, Steph's… Continue

Added by Marissa on October 31, 2008 at 8:23pm — 4 Comments

I Am Learning All the Time IS HERE!!!!

I am sooooo excited to share my first children's book is here!!!!

They are just beautiful!!!

A children's story about homeschooling with unschooling characters.

I am amazed... 55 boxes of books in my house!!! It is really here.... Yahoo!

I am mailing out all preorders today first class (for those of you who have already ordered yours!) so you should receive them early next week... thank you all for your month… Continue

Added by Rain Fordyce on October 30, 2008 at 10:36am — 5 Comments

the complete tales (although late and fuzzy) of our live and learn experience

here are the links to all the posts i made for our live and learn experience, enjoy:

day 1

day 2

day 3

days 4 & 5…

Continue

Added by laura bowman on October 29, 2008 at 11:40am — No Comments

Holly on the motorcycle

I had written about Holly's first motorcycle ride (or about her leaving for it) but it's not here.

She's back safely and here are photos.

SOMEday I'll learn to use this forum!…

Continue

Added by Sandra Dodd on October 28, 2008 at 7:32pm — 5 Comments

I think my subconscious is starting to get it finally!

I will admit, it's really challenging for someone who was public schooled their entire life to deschool and trust Unschooling. I have my days where I think I will forever question this process, but last night something happened that gave me hope!

I was dreaming I was back in college. I was in a chemistry class only I had no clue what the professor was talking about. I tried to write notes even though I was completely lost. At one point, the professor grabbed my notebook and read what… Continue

Added by Dawning on October 27, 2008 at 12:00pm — 4 Comments

Video Games 24/7? Really?

This was written to a response on the unschoolingbasics yahoo group regarding video games and the prevalent thought from new unschoolers and the rest of the world out there that our kids would play video games and watch movies 24/7 "if we let them"...here was my response. I did put the pre-paint photos up for anyone who wants to see how it looks so far. :) read on....

Re: Normal??

Let me give you an example of video games and movies as a jumping off

point. My oldest… Continue

Added by Amberlee on October 24, 2008 at 4:08pm — 5 Comments

Waiting patiently for the Delivery...

So many people have been asking me lately...

"How is your book?"

"Do you have your book yet?

Hmmm....

It's a challenge dealing with life outside of your control.

The book has finally been reprinted, due to previous error, and it has been cut and sorted (all 100,000 sheets of it) and is now happily in the hands of the binder. YES!

The binder is going to glue and stitch it all together and make it pretty.

He will then… Continue

Added by Rain Fordyce on October 23, 2008 at 2:27pm — 1 Comment

Looking Closer

I was just wading through some posts from my other blog and saw an old post that I like. I thought this would be a good place to share.

Organized Chaos

(10/07)

To some, this may seem like a bunch of toys thrown haphazardly around the room. I admit, sometimes it takes a lot of internal fortitude to just go with it!

Thankfully, I have learned to look closer:…

Continue

Added by Jean Dorsey on October 21, 2008 at 5:27pm — 4 Comments

What Do You Call A Bad Dachshund?

A meenie weenie!

The joke for today, courtesy of Anna.

Added by Paige on October 20, 2008 at 2:39pm — 9 Comments

I Just LOVE Writing...

Funny how my life has turned upside down since last year. That was when I wrote my first children's book. Well, any book for that matter. That was when I took a stand and said, I am a writer.

At 37 years old, I am a writer!

I was one of those early self-taught readers before I was four. I loved books! I read and read and read, until I started school. It took… Continue

Added by Rain Fordyce on October 17, 2008 at 8:30am — 5 Comments

in awe of everything human

My 11 yr old is more "into" politics than I have ever been. She's an activist at heart. She inherited my passion for writing, but she always seems to have a greater purpose. Today she had friends over so they could stand on the corner & hold up signs. "Support our troops, bring them home."

Once again, I am amazed by my kid. Even more amazed when I think that each human on the planet is amazing. There are so many millions of ways to be amazing, and she's just one teeny example.… Continue

Added by LisaRussell on October 16, 2008 at 8:51pm — No Comments

The Easy Way

I have been thinking a lot about our parenting choices lately. Specifically, I have been thinking about a conversation I had with a friend last year. She and I don't really get to talk much anymore. We are not as close as we once were...but I love her dearly.

After years of closeness, the differences in our parenting choices became like the proverbial elephant in the room. No longer was it as easy to always agree to disagree. At long last we were realizing that some of our choices… Continue

Added by Jean Dorsey on October 16, 2008 at 7:01pm — 7 Comments

I almost blew it again.

I can't get too excited when my children show initiative. I can quickly deflate their ballooning ideas when I butt in.

DS13 watched a television program on kids running their own businesses. I think it was called Biz Kids, but I'm not certain about that. It may have been on PBS but I didn't pay much attention. I thought he was watching while waiting for his brain to wake up, so I went about my business.

While folding laundry he asked me to buy him 20… Continue

Added by Dawning on October 16, 2008 at 3:50pm — 7 Comments

Second Day Finds

This picture is clearer, but doesn't show everything.

As promised...pictures of the second day's finds. More tools this time. They're so cool! ; Continue

Added by Paige on October 15, 2008 at 7:00pm — 6 Comments

Our Finds For Today...

I wrote about this on my other blog, but I think it's so cool, I wanted to put it here, too. We were just scooping these out by the handfulls… Continue

Added by Paige on October 14, 2008 at 10:40pm — 6 Comments

Holly's Dolls

Added by Sandra Dodd on October 14, 2008 at 11:38am — 7 Comments

Where to post?!

OKay, I am sooo awfullly bad at putting things down on ~~paper~~ blog pages! I am keeping a blog at blogspot and I have the option for one here.. so now I have to make a choice to write here, there, here AND there or here OR there! OH NO! Well, I suppose I can try to bring things here since it is nice to have most everything in one spot/area! I do have a link here, to my other blog--so that it can be cross referenced, if need be. Let's see if I have it in me to be more taskful(hmm is that a… Continue

Added by Dawne aka Ashade on October 13, 2008 at 11:49am — 3 Comments

Did my kids CHOOSE to do math last night, or was I dreaming?

We have been unschooling for about 3 years, RU for about a year.

We have a shelf of old workbooks, resources, etc... from well meaning grandparents that just sit and gather dust. I have been contemplating getting rid of them for awhile, but just never could decide if I should. So there they sat. Ignored. Quiet. Forgotten.

When all of a sudden! My 10 year old runs up to me with excitement at 8pm last night and asks "Where is my math book? Which one is mine?" So we go through and… Continue

Added by Rain Fordyce on October 13, 2008 at 9:00am — 3 Comments

30 Questions brought over from....

http://dawninger.multiply.com/journal/item/276/Because_I_dont_feel_like_cleaning_house_now....

Because no matter how hard I try I can't do a lovely little clickable link. Anyway...on to the questions!

1. Person with the same name as you?

I have NO idea! Real-life person, or movie person, or some obscure online person who says "Oh, that's my (dd's, grandmother's, neice's, aunt's, cousin's) name!" My husband has a neice named Paige...although I think it may be Page.… Continue

Added by Paige on October 11, 2008 at 11:23am — 8 Comments

Nervous about a wedding.

Some friends of ours are getting married tomorrow. I met them both online many years ago and after moving to the same state they were we have become offline friends as well. The Bride is the Captain and the Groom the first mate of the pirate crew our family is a part of. We go and do non sanctioned SCA camping events with the whole crew during the summer. The kids absolutely love them and they like our kids and think they are great.

So they needed a DJ and my husband volunteered… Continue

Added by Slinky on October 10, 2008 at 5:30pm — 4 Comments