Deliberate Living....

A new friend of mine said something that gave me pause. She said she needed to start living more deliberately. Hmmmm. As with all philosophies, some followers are rather militant, taking it to the very far extreme. Many, however, like my friends Cheryl, Kel, and Anet (and others of course) are just wading in and doing what their hearts tell them. Baby steps for me. I'm not sure I am ready to commit to any certain "thing" yet. It might be that I do as these women are doing and deliberately change the foods I serve to my family but it quite likely won't be exactly what they are doing. Maybe I'll work at reducing my plastics like Kel has done.

There are things we have that we cannot give up, like our swimming pool. Sure chlorine isn't the healthiest thing to be swimming in but does the exercise we're getting count against that at all? We can't afford to switch over to a salt water filter but I can research alternatives and possibly switch to a less toxic treatment or determine when the best times for swimming would be. There are other things out there that seem to be hype(or at the very least, overly dramatized) as well. I won't be giving up my microwave, sticking my feet in a detox machine, or exchanging our current bedding for organic, unbleached, undyed sheets. I have no room for a garden, nor do I have the inclination to dig in the dirt so that's out for me too. What I do know is that the phrase I heard at park day, "live more deliberately" struck a cord in me and I want to investigate further. How about you?

Here are more websites about living deliberately...

DeliberateLife.com

Deliberate Living: Slowing Down & Simplifying

Living Deliberately(a discussion group)

Living-Deliberately.com

Computer Woes....

My computer has a black screen and won't do anything. The girls just had a scan that showed 11 trojan horses. Sooooo, I may not be around much next week. Mark is trying to get to a restore point on mine but so far it won't take. Sigh. Everyone is banned from MySpace from here on out, that's where the scan shows the problems are coming from. GRRRRRR.

Wild and Wooly Texans!

In my last post I mentioned our field trip to a living history event in a nearby town. There were supposed to be 10 or more demonstration set-ups but many of them backed out at the last minute for reasons unknown(to us). The owners of the establishment felt so bad that they refunded everyone's money and let us go in for free! It was something we all agreed we'd have gladly paid for anyway. We had a FREAKIN' BLAST!!! It was all made even better with the addition of beautiful cool fall air(low 80s are considered such in east Texas), wonderful fellowship, curly fries, nachos, turkey legs, and a totally CrAzY kAraOKe train ride with insane people who shall remain nameless!!


(Traveling Texas Style, 1830s-1840s)


(Trader on Horseback)


(Civil War Saddle, the real deal, not a reproduction!!)


(Female brave who happened to have been homeschooled!)

Both of these riders are on Colonial Spanish Horses from Karma Farms near Jefferson.

I think because of my love of all things artistic, these guys were my favorite.


(Blacksmith beginning the ladle making process. The feather in his hat is forged, wish I'd asked if I could photograph it.)


(Blacksmith forming the bowl of a ladle. He was a bit farther along in the process than the other man.)


(Blacksmith wares for sale. I wanted that door knocker in a bad way but was too chicken to ask how much it cost.)


(Trapper/storyteller with a beaver pelt.)


(Learning how to use Char Cloth to start a fire.)


(Don't look Anet! The trapper was cooking his lunch, which happens to be a squirrel.)


(The char cloth guy also made lead bullets because he was the "law", Texas style. The small pail is filled with melted lead.)


(Kids hanging around the teepee.)


(Sarah and Grant tried hard but I'm not sure anyone in our entire group got the tomahawk to stick.)


(Yall watch it, Kim's got a tomahawk!)


(I wanted to take this drum home with me but couldn't quite afford the $400 price tag. That's me with the dark hair and Kim in the brown shirt. I look a bit short because I was kneeling.)


(Kids getting ready for our train ride.)


(Big Cypress Bayou. Yes we did see two alligators along the way!)


(They typically lurk in waters such as these.)


(Or these. The green and brown "ground" is actually water.)


(The tracks carried us through some "spooky" places as they gear up for their Terror on the Bayou haunted train rides. I'd LOVE to do that!)


(I didn't see this man when I took the picture but he ended up ON the train a few seconds after this shot so I guess he wasn't a bad guy.)


(We ended our day with a trek through the corn maze and haunted cemetery.)


(Corn maze)


(The cemetery)

And that concludes the field trip portion of this blog. If you are ever in
Jefferson, Texas, in early October this makes for a lovely day.

Homeschooling Life....

Today was park day for us. Then skating. I'm pretty sure I couldn't take more than one skate day per month, its mega-loud in that place. I always come out shaky and today my right ear was stopped up from the music. Park day was nice, as usual, with conversation and the great outdoors. Today was especially nice with cooler temperatures and lots of sunshine. The kids had a blast at both activities but Amy still didn't skate much.

Tomorrow we're headed to a nearby town for THIS delightful field trip with over 100 other homeschooling families. I can't wait!! We are taking our cooler and picnic basket, the weather will be perfect.

When we finally got home late this afternoon, we were greeted by a very tiny, but playful, Tallulah.(those are peanut m&ms and Sarah's size 13 sock feet, the bowl is 4 inches in diameter)





I made pork chops, mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn for dinner. My gall bladder is not real happy with me. Ugh. Hopefully it will be a passing thing and not a full blown attack. I should know better!

A Chupacabra of my very own!!

We are "fostering" her until a forever home can be found.

Her name is Tallulah, meaning "leaping water". She is a Manx cat, around 5-6 weeks old. Her hair is the weirdest color I've ever seen on a cat. Part of what makes it look so strange is that there are dark grey guard hairs over blondish under hairs. It makes her look bald but she isn't at all. Her belly is distended because she had worms but the rescuer had her treated for all worms so that should be gone by the end of the weekend, I hope. We are watching for Manx Syndrome and I hope, hope, hope, she doesn't have this and is just having worm or kitten issues.

Anyway, that's that. Ryan managed to find the loose snake tonight, thank God! I didn't post about his escape but did write some of my commenters about it. We will be releasing it at the park tomorrow or Saturday.

In Solidarity(breastfeeding mentioned)...

Please read this unbelievable story(and the follow-up). I don't understand why folks still have such problems with this!

I nursed my last "baby" til 3 months before her 5th birthday. Yeah, she's just fine. In fact, she's my most precocious child by far. She potty trained herself(need help? no thank you, do it myself) at around 20 months. She didn't, wouldn't take a bottle or sippy cup, it had to be me. I nursed her in cars, I nursed her in stores, at barbecues, at other social occasions, at church, in front of friends, and in front of strangers. Basically whenever she asked. No one ever said anything to me, thank God, but there were times when I felt vulnerable and uncomfortable. Still, I rarely covered up(who the heck carries a blanket around with their third child??).

Believe, or maybe not....

I will start off by saying that the girls and I are huge Cryptozoology enthusiasts. We enjoy documentaries and the new series,
Monsterquest as well. It is exciting and fun to imagine there are critters out there we don't know about.

However, this is something I don't believe in...



Chupacabra is just Spanish for "mangy coydog"(or goat sucker, take your pick).

This is a coydog, can you see the resemblance? Some of my cousins who live in rural Oklahoma had an Australian Cattle Dog. I believe she mated with a coyote to produce this beautiful puppy.



Sadly the pup was killed by a car. When we were there and I took this picture, she NEVER made a fast move, she crept around very silently. Most times puppies are excitable but not Sunshine. She was not afraid at all, she didn't cower, she was stealthy. Absolutely the most calm dog I'd ever seen in my life.

Now, I do NOT believe in that silly chupacabra but I do have faith that Bigfoot exists. Amy and I wanted to go to the conference but we've already planned a camping trip.

The truth is out there.

PaRk dAY!

Scat, scat, scat!

So, the whole time I'm driving back to the lake(yall knew I would), camera in hand, I'm thinking, "I sure hope this isn't human scat". You can see the second pile between Mark's knees if you click the first picture. I reckon that if a person is going to "scat in the woods", they're not going to do it in the middle of a trail(besides, there are bathrooms just 200 yards away or so). And, it probably wouldn't be black. Or this big. Or in two piles more than 20 feet from each other. Or contain berry seeds. So, my conclusion is that this is either bear scat or wild hog scat. We looked for other signs of either and did NOT find hog diggings or bear scratchings. Not any tracks either. (please click each picture to get a better view)



This picture has Mark in the same exact place, but taken from the front part of the trail to include the first scat.



The third picture shows Mark examining the first scat with the other scat in the background(the black dash almost in the exact middle of the photo).



This is across the creek from where the scat was. It looks like possible den sites to me. There is a tree(the tree is on the close side of the creek) almost in the center of the photo and two dark spots to either side(these are actually on the far side of the creek-you can make out the water going through the middle of the picture). They were about 100 yards from us.



The creek starts to the left and flows from the spillway/dam to the right after leaving a large pool(seen in first pic).




(its a good 60-100 feet straight down to the creekbed)




(this is to the right of where the scat was, about 10 yards down the creek)

The key ring is a Whiting and Davis ring, about 2.25 inches across. I placed it next to the first scat for scale.



Closer, you can see berries or acorns or some kind of bumpy food leftovers. It did have a faint "poo" odor when I first came upon it with Ryan, but the smell was gone when Mark and I were there.



The second scat was a different texture but still filled with berry seeds and possibly corn kernels. Again, my keys for scale, and then a close-up.





So, what do you all think? Bigfoot maybe?

What Homeschooling Means to Us...

Karen at Leaping From The Box is playing along with this awesome homeschooling meme so I thought I'd join in too.

Why do you homeschool?

Honestly? Because if I didn't, I'd already be in jail for assault. I don't do well with rules(especially those I see as stupid). Having my kids home is natural, unlike families who only see each other an hour a day or less. The school-dictated schedule might be the societal norm but it is definitely not "natural". We enjoy being free to do what we want, when we want.

What technique or curriculum do you use?

We are life-based learners. This means that if Ryan wants to spend all week looking up catfish bait recipes, or the best weather conditions for catching crappie, or view instructional videos for guitar on youtube all day long, he can. The fishing stuff alone would cover earth science, zoology, chemistry, reading, and probably many other "subjects". This is how real life works, it rarely resembles a classroom setting so there is no need to duplicate that at home.


(several years ago at park day)

Do your kids work above or below grade level (or both!)?

I'm not sure, probably both! I know Amy isn't up to speed in math but she can read and reason very well. She understands a lot about genetics and breeding, from her love of studying dog, cat, guinea pig, and cattle breeds. The math will come to her when she needs it so I'm not worried. This question reminds me of "way back when". Ryan was learning his letters at a young age(maybe 3.5 or so) and Mark's dad made a comment about him not knowing the alphabet song. What? Who cares? He knows his letters because they are letters, not from a song! Anyway, now Ryan can read whatever he wants to but his spelling isn't the greatest. Having read some things his myspace peers have written(both the girls and guys), he is right on par with them. Maybe it is just the way things are done online with that age group.

What is your educational level?

Lets just say I quit while I was ahead. I had no idea what I wanted to do but majored in a subject that was interesting at the time(Native American Studies). It got real political and I ended up coming home, getting married and never really getting focused on college again. Mark has a BBA in Marketing.

Do you feel that your education level has an effect on your teaching (both limits and abilities?)

None at all. I am perfectly capable of learning and providing an atmosphere in which my children can learn.


(Amy and Basil)

What does your daily schedule look like?

Our schedule varies widely. Once a week we have to be at Park Day at 9am and sometimes I have to leave the kids at home while I run errands. We have major clean-up days and goofing off days, artsy days and movie-watching days. Days we are extremely busy and days we can't seem to get going.


(37 kids came to our group's field trip to Longview Museum of Fine Arts)

Are your kids always polite and ready to learn?

If my kids are rude it is always unintentional, they never want to hurt anyone's feelings. They are always learning, but not always at a fast pace or a tangible subject.


(Ryan's Summer 2007 Pool Party)

Do the kids (or you!) get frustrated?

I think Ryan is frustrated that he can't have everyone come to our house 24/7. He is very social where Amy and I are not. We enjoy a slower, quieter day. It is hard to work out an agreement on this, one that he doesn't try to alter at least twice a week.

I get frustrated with how they do chores occasionally. Ryan cuts corners with some things. Mostly I am NOT frustrated with their performance but now and then it gets on my nerves.


(homeschool group halloween party, 2006)


How has this affected your parenting?

I don't think it has, if this question is referring to the previous question. If it refers to how homeschooling has affected my parenting, I'll say that it has made it Infinitely Easier! I don't have to defend "our way" to my kids when they come up with what "everyone else" is doing(well, not very often anyway). They are not ruled by a crowd of kids, they can make decisions based on how they feel, not to go along with the group.


(Sarah and Buddy)

How much free time do they have?

All day long most days. They(we) have chores that have to be done every day since we have so many animals. The girls feed and water the cats and guinea pigs every day, and change piggie bedding as often as twice a week in each of two cages(this is hard work). Ryan feeds and waters the dogs once a day, loads and unloads the dishwasher daily and mows the lawn less than once a week. The girls gather dishes and put them in the sink so Ryan doesn't have to search for them. They all help with laundry(gathering, folding sometimes, and putting away) and even do their own loads occasionally.


(kids with Buttercup)

What do they do during their free time?

The girls play games with the dogs, draw in notebooks or on the computer, jump on the trampoline, mess with craft stuff, read, watch television, listen to music, play in the water hose(our pool is being repaired), study things online, email their friends, take pictures, play with the guinea pigs or cats... and lots of other things.

Ryan pretty much stays online, either on myspace or looking up fishing stuff or guitar things(how to play and videos of his favorite rock bands mainly). He also plays with the girls outside and spends lots of time messing with his fishing equipment or on the phone with his friends. He sometimes fishes at a stock pond in a pasture near our house but not by himself. His friends are usually here, we don't go too many nights without having an extra boy or two staying with us.

What hobbies do they have?

I hope I've explained them in the previous question! I realize that free time is viewed very differently by public schooled kids. In our case, Hobbies = interests. We don't look at the things we enjoy as hobbies, but as a part of how we express ourselves, grow, learn, and relax.


(Ryan and Friends)

What difficulties and challenges do you have with homeschooling?

In east Texas it is hard to find homeschoolers who are not doing it for religious reasons. This isn't a bad thing, it just means that there are usually major differences in general homeschooling philosophy. Mostly, religious homeschoolers are also "school-at-homers" and use a curriculum and schedule. There are very few unschoolers around and most of "them" tend to be very different from "us". We are a mainstream family, we shop at Walmart, watch SpongeBob, and other typical things. We aren't trying to live off the grid or be ultra-greenies or politically correct.

What makes homeschooling enjoyable?

Being with my kids all day. Knowing they aren't in the false rat race of school. Watching them learning and ejoying what they are doing, and that its for them, what THEY want to do.

How do you get involved in the community?

We typically don't. No offense, but we kind of enjoy being apart from the crowds. We occasionally donate supplies to the local animal shelter and we donate to food pantries and that sort of thing.

When do you have opportunities to interact with public or privately schooled children?

About half of their friends are public schooled kids. Ryan attends church where he is the only homeschooled kid in the large youth group. He's also one of the most popular among them. Amy is content to have some long-distance homeschooled friends and one close friend who goes to public school(her mom is a friend of mine and a high school Spanish teacher). Sarah is also friends with this girl and has some friends who attend our homeschool group's park day.


(kids with Amy and Sarah's friends)

Would you like more of these opportunities?

No thank you. I'm an introvert and the going we do is plenty for me. Amy is the same way. Ryan, as I wrote earlier, would rather have a pool/guitar/fishing party going on at all times. The wilder the better as far as he is concerned. Sarah is in the middle, she's social but not stupid and enjoys her downtime.

How can they be created?

This implies that socializing with non-homeschooled kids is desirable(it is neutral in my opinion). Or that it is somehow not easily obtained, which is the case during "school hours" but definitely workable in summers and after school, or on weekends.

What is your least favorite homeschool stereotype?

That we go around winning spelling bees and reciting geographical facts.

Or, on a more serious note, that homeschool families are hiding some sort of abuse of their children. Abuse happens to kids no matter what their educational status is. Yes, it is possibly easier for parents to get away with it if the kids aren't in the public eye every day. It also happens that tens of thousands of kids go through public school being beaten or starved or whatever, and never get "rescued".

A funny stereotype story:

I run a group of about 60 homeschooling moms but I can assure you, even though most of them are conservative Christians, few, if any, of them approach the Duggars as far as stereotypical appearances. You would not know we were homeschoolers by looking at us. We appear to be a typical moms' group with a mix of fashion-forwardness and regular, comfy, mom attire.

Several weeks ago we were at our regular homeschool park day. We watched a young "mom" in a denim jumper with long hair leading a group of several kids down to the play area. All the girls had on long skirts with long hair, all the boys were nicely dressed as well. We just "knew" this was a homeschooling family(perhaps the "mom" was actually an older sister because she looked kind of young to have that many kids). Finally, I got up to ask if she was a homeschooler and it turns out she's a teacher at one of the local Christian schools. She baby-sits some of her students during the summers at her home(she still lives with her parents and *was* too young to have all those kids for her own) and does lots of fun activities with them. We all got a big chuckle over how we stereotyped this poor girl!