living our joy

CVSR bike and ride

2010-06-11T08:24:00.000-07:00

WE went to the Cuyahoga Valley Train and did the bike and ride option. We boarded the train in Peninsula with our bikes on a special bike car, then rode to the Botzum station where we disembarked and then biked the seven miles back to Peninsula on the tow path. While we were on the train Emma discovered the on board snack bar. She bought two sticks of rock candy which are featured in these pictures. During the ride back we saw lots of lovely scenery and wild life. Emma did a great job of riding that far. And as she enjoyed the outing in the national park I was reminded of a statement she made while we vacationed in South Carolina as she was wondering about a species of tree she did not recognize, "it is strange to be someplace I do not know the nature." I think this really summurizes how Emma experiences her life in her environment. She is outside knowing the world she lives in.

the bird feeder

2010-06-02T12:35:00.001-07:00

During the winter months Emma and I spend a lot of time watching our bird feeder. On a daily basis we see, wild canaries, sparrows, nuthatches, 3 varieties of woodpeckers, cardinals, tufted titmice,and blacked capped chickadees.

The most amusing is the squirrels who think they own the feeder. We are constantly repairing their damage however they are so funny we do not mind much.

Spicy Lamb Farm

2010-06-02T12:28:00.000-07:00

We visited this farm in the Cuyahoga Valley during their celebration of the arrival of all the new spring life! We saw chicks, ducklings, lambs and this pup! On the drive home through the valley we spotted this flock of turkeys, who were nice enough o let me get this picture.

Cleveland Art Museum

2010-06-02T12:25:00.001-07:00

We visited the Art museum. Most of our time was spent looking at the traveling exhibit of Native American Art, which inspired Emma to make this mask when we got home. We also enjoyed the armour room.

UWWG 2010

2010-06-02T12:05:00.000-07:00

the Unschoolers Winter water Park Gathering was the highlight of the year for us! we spent a week at Kalahari hanging out with friends old and new! Emma was very open to meeting and talking to new people because all the people registered for our conference wore the same color wrist bands, this seemed to be the perfect gateway conversation. we would talk to people as we floated in the lazy river, or wandered the resort, they were all friends! Emma participated in the kids market. She made book marks and chocolate covered pretzels. She sold each item for a quarter. She was able to charge people the correct price for different numbers of items purchased and give change by her self. She also spent some time shopping the other kids tables, buying some items and trading others. I was a presenter, my round table discussion was "Unschooling the single child". We also enjoyed the family dance in the ball room, a carnival and lots of late night play and yak sessions. It was great being surrounded by families with lifestyles similar to ours.

Creativity meets Construction

2010-06-02T12:00:00.001-07:00

Here is an example of how Emma's imagination is always engaged. WE used this building set to construct a run for the marbles. a lot of time was spent so that the

marbles went through various ramps and shoots. When the construction was done and After she had experimented with the various paths the marbles would follow, out came the "rubber guys" and this was the background for their trip to the amusement park.

Classes at the CMNH

2010-06-02T11:20:00.000-07:00

Emma attended a couple of classes at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. One was about the human digestive system. The students were able to do some hands on experiments using iodine and peroxide to test for various foods present in "vomit".

The other class was about new information regarding dinosaurs. The students learned that some dinos had feathers and how the scientests determine things about dinosaures based on observations of currently living animals. Emma really enjoyed it . I plan to check out the schedule for next year, and sign up for more classes.

Loom Weaving

2010-06-02T11:03:00.001-07:00

Emma and Danny figured out the loopy loom! They spent a long cold day making pot holders. Danny said that hanging out with Emma he d

oes more crafts in a day than he did in his wholeprevious life! I love watching them together.

Building friendships

2010-06-02T10:58:00.001-07:00

One of my priorities this year was to build some friendships with in the homeschooling community that would enrich our lives. We attended play dates, museum classes, and a weekly homeschool swim outing. Now we have a set of besties, for Emma and I, and several other families we also enjoy and call friend.

Building a T-Rex

2010-06-02T10:47:00.000-07:00

In support of Emma"s Dinosaur interest we assembled this museum quality model. We were all surprised by how large it is and how

difficult it was to keep all the pieces together. When it was complete Emma observed it looks just like the one at The Cleveland Museum of Natural History that they have mechanized so that it demonstrates the gait of a T-Rex! Emma really liked the idea of having a tail!

Fancy baked goods

2010-06-02T10:29:00.001-07:00

Emma really loves decorating fancy baked goods. Here are pictures of our gingerbread easter house, race car cookies and a gingerbread Christmas train. We also made a gingerbread house. It is really fun for all of us to decorate together, John is learning to think out side the box. His natural tendency is to try to duplicate the examples on the box. Emma prefers to make it up as she goes. She said "that way you won't be dissappointed because it can not be wrong!" My challenge is what to do with them when they have sat around so long they really are DONE but Emma doesnot want to part with them. The Christmas ones were set ouside for the animals to celebrate with. We were rewarded with deer tracks right out side our dinningroom window.

Lego City

2010-03-29T18:13:00.000-07:00

Emma created and photographed this lego city. She really enjoyed
creating all the details then playing with "the guys". They lived on our desk for weeks!

Life, Death and Music

2010-03-29T17:35:00.000-07:00

This was our last winter with our 16 year old Jack Russell, PeeWee. He was with me from the time Ali was 6 years old until the time Emma was 6 years old. He was with me through my divorce, my single mom days and my remarriage to Emma's dad. And even with that in mind, I think he believed himself to be Emma's dog. We all felt him to be less than bright and basically untrainable, sweet and adorable, but not too sharp. Emma however never saw that and in the relatively short amount of time she had with him, she taught him to sit, stay catch treats she threw and they were experimenting with obstacle courses she created in the yard for him. He followed her everywhere and would valiantly guard the yard in which she played against all intruders.

He died in my arms during our deep freeze of a northern Ohio February. We had his remains cremated. I struggled to explain to Emma what exactly that meant without it seeming too horrifying. Then Emma became entranced by a song that Ali was listening to which had a long instrumental intro. which reminded her of a Tim Burton sound track. As we listened to the lyrics I found the inspiration I needed to explain it..."Water" by Cloud Cult

"...give you back to the water, from where we're all born

when they burn your body, all that's left is sand crystals,

two tiny handfuls, all the rest is water.

all you need to know is you were born of water,

you were made of water... " Thank God for music, dogs and kids.

Emma's Winter View

2010-03-29T16:59:00.000-07:00

Emma has been taking a lot of photos lately. Usually they are of the pets, her toys or often unflattering shots of me going about my business...but this one i thought was exceptionally striking. I feel especially moved by the singularity of the icicle because of the way she framed it in the shot.

Fall Hiking Spree

2009-11-11T14:26:00.000-08:00

A goal that Emma and I selected for this fall was to complete the Medina County Parks Fall Hiking Spree. We did 12 hikes at 12 different parks totaling about 20 miles. Some of the designated hikes were at our usually hiking trails, but several of them were at locations new to us. We discovered some really amazing new parks, that have become our new favorites. This was a wonderful undertaking for us; not only did get out and move our bodies we also visited new and interesting places, saw tons of critters and Emma had a nice encounter with the park employee featured in this picture.

During every hike this fall we saw alot of garter snakes, some frogs and deer. And the most amazing thing was the day the whollybears were all on the move. I am not exaggerating we quit counting at 30. A really special part of this experience was when Emma earned her back pack and she conversed with the park employee. She looked him in the eye and answered his questions: "What was your favorite park?" "Allardale". "What did you think of Princess ledges?" "It is really pretty unless you go to Hinkley alot then it is small." "What grade are you in?" "I am homeschooled." I was so happy for Emma, these are the types of exchanges she is really growing more and more comfortable with.

Sewing

2009-11-10T09:31:00.001-08:00

Thanks to a friend introducing us to an adorable Japanese sewing book that features critters made out of felt Emma has been inspired to sew. This is her first project, a little kitty. During the stuffing phase she realized the value of tiny even stitches. She did not like the fluff that was peeking out of long stiches. She has now started a little bunny with teeny tiny stitches! An added benefit to this project is when John wanted to mend something the other night she was able to thread the needle for him!

Picking organic produce

2009-11-07T14:38:00.001-08:00

WE made a visit to a very special organic farm. It is located inside the Cuyhoga National Forest through a special lease agreement. So in the beautiful surroundings of Cuyahoga Valley we were able to see a co operative organic farm. While we were there we were able to pick raspberries, potatoes and edemame. The raspberries were picked using the "one for the basket and one for me method". The potatoes were plowed up by the farmer with his tractor and we followed behind. It was like a treasure hunt, gathering them and rubbing off the dirt. And the edemame we pulled whole stalked which we brought home then plucked off boiled whole then shelled and ate when cool. It is a beautiful place and such awonderful experience to gather our own food. Saddly it really drove home the point about how difficult it is to farm on a small personel level and have it be affordable.

Sick day looks the most like "normal" school day

2009-11-07T14:25:00.000-08:00

Emma experienced a brief and relatively painless round of the flu, it was not unbearable but kept us lying low for a few days. The irony of the situation is those days looked the most like some people's normal school days. We played endless games of cards, Cooties, Monopoly and other board games. I was excited for her because she had a really good grasp on being the banker in Monopoly. She seemed to really enjoy paying me and even more so taking my money. She did a great job of combing the denominations to get the correct amount. During this time she also decided to pull out the phonics tiles and manipulate them. It was interesting to see how much more she reads in a whole language way than what she figures out doing bits and pieces this way. John Holt really knew what he was talking about regarding holistic reading development vs. little meaningless pieces. I am glad she was exposed to phonics method because of our stint with virtual school, but I am very glad I had the comfort level I did with holistic learning in time to drop it before her dislike of the lessons turned into a perceived dislike of reading.

So much fun with a newspaper

2009-11-07T14:16:00.000-08:00

Once again Emma has shown me how very lon g her attention span is when something engages her. We spend hours making things from newspaper with just scissors and tape. We made palm trees, corn stalks, periscopes and "Captain Octopus" hats.

I am so thankful her days are not broke into 20 minute increments that could alternatley seem endless and way too short!

NASA Glenn visitor center

2009-11-07T13:46:00.000-08:00

WE visited NASA during the last week that the visitor center would ever be open. The security measures required to allow us inside the NASA compound made it quite apparent why they could no longer afford to keep the center open. Our IDs were checked at a guard house, then we drove into a parking lot where we all got out of the car our ids were checked again and our car was searched then we were escorted to the visitor center. This was all very educational. I was using my imagination about life in a police state.

After all of this we were able to see the displays. There was an interesting mix of hands on, pretend your an astronaut type things, and real space artifacts to look at. We also watched a film about life on the space station. Most notable information; human hair does crazy things in zero gravity!

Great Lakes Science Center with Danny

2009-11-07T13:23:00.000-08:00

We made it to the Science Center on a beautiful sunshiney day!!! This is the first time we came and the outside things were open. It was wonderful to play and explore with a blue sky and Lake Erie behind us! Perfect.

Disney Train comes to Cleveland

2009-11-07T12:59:00.000-08:00

...another huge benefit of homegrown time management. This traveling museum came to Cleveland on a "school day" and we were free to get there and explore. Danny came with us making it a great outing! We saw how they create 3D animation with live actors on a blue screen in suits that have sensors on them, then work the backgrounds from white models, draw and morph the characters. We also saw artifacts from the Charles Dickens Museum in England. There were touch screens we could use to explore the movie set. And another section where our pictures were taken and morphed into the characters from the movie. When we finished our walk through the train we were greeted by manufactured snow and were able to view an excerpt from the movie in an inflatable theatre in 3D. There were no crowds and we were able to take our time and enjoy all that was there to see.

Nurturing sibling ties

2009-11-07T12:44:00.000-08:00

When we made our decision to live this unschooling life one of the main drivers was freeing our time to spend on the things we value. And one of those primary values is family relationships. Emma and I having wide open days whick allow us to spend time with her adult siblings. We can work around their schedules which are not as flexible. This fall a very special outing has been our Wednesday visits to see Alison at the University of Akron. We always eat lunch somewhere, purchase the weeks worth of bread from the Wonder outlet and have time for some campus style culture. So far we have watched cheerleaders being launched high into the sky by there male counter-parts, listened to several concerts outside of EJ Thomas Hall, poked around inside EJ looking at the acoustics and Architecture. We also explored an Anthropology display about what was unearthed of the original college buildings during the preparation for the new stadium. Emma was very interested in all the broken bottles, pieces of newspapers and photos. She also had a chance to use the Computer lab to play web kinz while Ali did some school work.

I love watching how comfortable she is in this environment. She is right at home walking around and watching.

Exploring Niagara Falls Emma style!

2009-11-07T07:52:00.000-08:00

Our Fall camping and site seeing trip to Niagra Falls was wonderful! But not at all what most people would think of for that destination. We looked at the Falls and we walked the tourist strip but the majority of our time was spent walking and biking. We followed Emma's interests and for one whole day we walked the gardens at the top of the falls and took dozens of pictures of "Zim", the pink critter in the picture above. Then another day we were determined to get to the bottom of the Falls near the whirlpool area. This is rugged park territory, intense inclines and lots of loose stone. But as you can see from our happy faces, we made it!

We showed Emma the usual tourist activities "Maid of the Mist" and the "Walk of the Winds" but she did not want to do those. WE did play Dino Putt-Putt, rode the ferris wheel and ate at Rain Forest Cafe. So there was a bit of the tourist in us, but most of all we relaxed and followed Emma's joy!

Endless time to explore

2009-11-07T07:23:00.000-08:00

While we were camping in Niagara Falls, Canada I was struck by how wonderful our self directed life is. Emma is able to explore and enjoy things until they reach a natural end on her own internal time table. At the campground she spent literally hours picking apples that were not edible in human terms. She had an elaborate process of picking, organizing and then roasting them over the fire. She was creating treats for the squirrels. As John and I sat and watched her and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the camp, I was so glad that our time belongs to one another and is not dictated by outside agendas.

Emma at Work

2009-07-01T21:15:00.000-07:00

Emma loves going to work with Alison. They work at a fair trade store. Emma helps organize merchandise, dust the displays, explain fair trade to customers, ring up sales, make change and count the money at the end of the night. Here she is talking with a local artist as they select hand drawn greeting cards to be added to the stores merchandise.

The Alpacha Farm

2009-07-01T21:00:00.000-07:00

Emma, John and I attended an open house at an alpacha farm. It was love at first site...the little Chloe was smitten with Emma and the feeling was mutual. After the little love fest, we attended a seminar about how to process the fibers and the types of crafts and garments one can create with them. The seminar was rather long and technical but Emma really enjoyed it, especially the tactile experience of all the different items made from the fibers. She and I left there with a real feeling of "we could so do this."

Save the Earth

2009-07-01T20:51:00.000-07:00

This poor VERY dead shrubbery was given new life as a piece of social commentary art by Emma. She rescued it off the curb where I had deposited it for trash pick-up, then added pine cones and trash.

When I inquired about the new decoration on our front porch ( it is still there, 3 months later) She told me "It is to show people that they should be good to the earth."

It's hard to disagree with that.

Childhood is not practice for life...

2009-07-01T20:44:00.000-07:00

it is life. Emma leads Katie and Lauren on an archeology adventure after the inspiration of Grey's Fossil Site. They were searching for fossils, bones and "bows and arrows".

They found some cool rocks, fossils and a rope from the "Pirates of the Caribbean".

Grey's Fossil Site

2009-07-01T20:29:00.001-07:00

Emma and I visited Grey's Fossil site during our trip to Tennesse www.grayfossilmuseum.com

ETSU Natural History Museum and Gray Fossil Site covers more than five acres located along State Route 75 in East Tennessee. The Miocene site is dated at 4.5 to 7 million years old, containing fossilized remains of an entire ecosystem of plants and animals.A series of sinkholes, formed from a collapsed cave, created a watering hole that drew animals from near and far. For some unlucky animals, the sinkhole became a trap that preserved them as fossils for the ages.With less than 2 percent of the site excavated, thousands of fossil specimens have already been recovered! You’ll discover saber-toothed cat, short-faced bear, ground sloth, rhino, alligator, camel, shovel-tusked elephant, Eurasian badger, the world’s largest collection of fossil tapirs, and the world’s only near-complete fossil red panda!

This was really special to me, because I have always dreamed of being a paleontologist, and to discover a world class wonder like this so close to home was exhilerating. I believe John Holt now, that "it is never to late". My dream has been revitalized and Emma really enjoyed both the museum and my excitement...I was moved to tears, REALLY!

Horseback riding in Wolf Laurel, NC

2009-05-07T14:49:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Tennesse was a dream come true... We found a stable that would let Emma trail ride on her own horse! She needed to demonstrate her ability to control the horse to David our trail guide and the owner of the stable! She was great with her horse, Bud. And she also did well communicating with David, this however she found more personally challenging than dealing with the horse!

Then is was off to see the Mountain trail in the glory of spring. We got to cross two streams on horseback, have a snack on a mountain rock out cropping and eat a Ramp freshly picked by our guide. What a wonderful day!

Emma the Engineer

2009-05-07T14:31:00.000-07:00

WE got this marble construction set for christmas and until this session of use Emma has asked someone to build it for her.

It is a completely open ended construction activity, there are no instruction, just assemble the pieces to create a marble run. Her style of construction was WAY different than what she had seen done by her Dad and older brother and brother-in-law. The three of them assembled a complex structure THEN added the marbles to see what would happen sometimes successful and sometimes they did not work.

Emma would assemble a very small section, run the marbles, make adjustments to get the results she wanted, then add more to the structure. She spent several hours using this method till she achieved two "Y" shaped runs that had complex variations in their flow.

After using it off and on throughout the day I was very surprised when that evening she was ready to disassemble it. She said "next time I will just experiment again!"

Some inspiration...

2009-04-21T07:30:00.000-07:00

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

From The Prophet by Gibran