Monday, January 23, 2006

This Weekend

Friday, we went to the new video store in town. They have some pretty good deals for videos. The kids, especially Corbin, were stoked about the GameCube games they could rent. So this weekend has been filled with playing Wind Waker and Paper Mario on the GameCube.

Saturday, Jade and Stephen took the recycle in and dropped off things we no longer needed at the thrift store. Then they went out to eat and had some fun connecting time. When they got home they had dessert for us. Yum!

We all sat down to eat our cakes, sodas and coffee while watching Madagascar AGAIN, because we just can't get enough of it or Corbin can't get enough of that movie. I do enjoy the soundtrack because we "We Like to Move it, Move it!" because dancing is fun.

Sunday, Jade and I did the grocery shopping and did some errands to get more storage bins. Storage bins are one necessary "school" supply for homeschoolers (and probably anyone with hobbies or kids.) I don't think you can ever have too many. I also bought a CD player to keep in the kitchen because Jade seems to have the other one in her room most of the time to listen to books on tape or CD. If I can listen to some music I enjoy I am much more likely to go into the kitchen to do some dishes. Let's just say that if I had a choice between doing the dishes or getting my teeth cleaned....I'd read a book or crochet or take a hot shower. The list is truly endless of what I'd rather do than do dishes or fold laundry for that matter.

I did some yoga today. I set the timer for 20 minutes and told myself I could stop when the timer went off. I also committed myself to one power pose today I did a lunge. My other poses were grounding poses and some twists. I woke up with a crick my neck but it was gone after doing yoga. I'm still a bit stiff probably because I haven't been doing yoga regurlarly since I started blogging.

Here's to getting back to yoga again and spending time with the kids.

Friday, January 20, 2006

Time Together

The kids take turns going shopping with either Dad or me. It's easier to shop with just one of the kids and it a wonderful opportunity to get some one on one time doing something that needs to be done.

This Sunday was Corbin’s turn to go shopping and he wanted to go shopping with me. I was actually surprised he wanted me because he seems to prefer Dad time to Mom time lately. (I was a little disappointed because if he had gone with his Dad I would have more crochet time.) I’m so glad he did because we had a wonderful time.

As soon as we got in the car Corbin started talking about Shadow Raphael, his imaginary friend, who was in the back seat. Shadow's name is inspired buy one of Corbin’s favorite Gamecube games Shadow the Hedge Hog and Raphael from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Shadow gets $1000 dollars a week for allowance. His family is very wealthy but Shadow is not spoiled at all, although his sister is a little spoiled. (Personally I hate it when spoiled is used to describe kids so I did interject that I really didn’t like kids being called spoiled.) His family likes to help others who are less fortunate. Shadow’s living with us right now because his mansion burned down.

When we go to the store Corbin helped get the food we needed and pick out snacks for the family. Getting to spend time with Corbin was fun because I got to watch him choose the food he wanted and I wasn’t torn between helping two kids make decisions. It means less stress and more fun and that’s always a boon.

A few weeks ago Jade was at a sleepover with a good friend of hers. The rest of us decided to get Chinese out. Corbin was very chatty with the waitress and restaurant owner as well as quite adventurous with the food. He got some time to shine with both Mom and Dad. I know I enjoyed the time just the three of us and look forward to the time I can do the same with Jade.

This week is Jade’s turn to go shopping I wonder if she will go with me or with Dad. What we will talk about? Whatever it is, I’m looking forward to it.

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Falling down at the job as an Unschooling mom or am I?

I worry sometimes that my passions sometimes eclipse the kid’s passions. In the summer I am often distracted with the garden. In the winter it's crocheting or some other kind of craft not to mention that I often have a book going that’s hard for me to put down. Then there's trying to blog, write, dream little, eating AND laundry.

Yet, it’s important for Unschooling parents to have interests and love learning new things. Unschooling my kids has inspired my current passion for learning. I know I am much more willing to take a risk and see well how does that crochet stitch work? I try it…fail…try it again…fail again…then maybe ask for help or I can just let it go and try again in a few months.

Unschooling has given me the freedom to dream big. I just changed my blog description to say I’m an amateur fiber artist. I like the sound of that. I might teach classes some day or my work will displayed in bragged up worldwide.

My big dreams are catching because whenever I'm inspired my kids get inspired too. Sometimes they want to learn what I’m learning. When I was messing around with drop spinning I had to go out and get things to make the kids drop spindles so they could do it with me or I wasn’t going to get to use my drop spindle. Every time I got out my spindle the kids showed up to give it try. Sometimes it inspires something else entirely like getting out the colored pencils to draw or sewing something. Or they want me to play a game with them or help them write up a post for their blog.

The trouble is when I’m in my creative groove and the kids are asking for my help I hear myself say things like “Just a minute or maybe later” when that “Just a minute” turns into tomorrow I feel guilty because the kids still need my help. So there is a balance that I’d like to seek. Maybe the balance is observing that I have said “Just a minute” too many times and the just minute has turned into tomorrow too many time in the last week or so. (Not to mention I have been neglecting this blog)

So it’s time to seek the kids out, find out what they want to do and help them get done what they want to get done. We will make a plan. I know Jade wants to write up a bit about AstroBoy. Corbin wants to see the pictures he took with of his Ninja Turtles. I’ll put some crocheting time for me on that plan too.

Friday, January 6, 2006

Oh how geeky I am. Let me count the ways...

I'm a blogger geek, a reading geek, and now a crocheting geek. Oh in the summer I'm a gardening geek.

See some photos of my recent projects here. I'm working on a scarf with some of my husbands yarn stash inspired from Hip to Crochet. He being a knitting geek(computer geek, and naturalist geek) is teasing me mercilessly about using HIS yarn.

I say BAH! If you are a yarn crafting, crocheting geek you will understand that it's just not fair to bring beautiful yarn into a house of crafters and say you can't use it. It's down right cruel and unusual punishment.

If he really doesn't want me to use the yarn (and he really isn't serious he just likes to play up his love of the yarn) I might spend my own $300 on yarn just for me. That'll teach him :)

I'm not using the yarn he has intended for his sweater(well only a little bit) Most of the yarn he bought to practice his knitting making hats and scarves. He will survive and so will our bank account.