100 Days of School!

And we celebrated with a much-needed party.  I confess, the year is beginning to wear on a bit.  The responsibility and intensity of schooling the kids as well as parenting them full-time is daunting some days.  I can't say for certain where they'll end up next year, but public school remains one of the options.  I love the idea of homeschooling, but the reality is that it's a tremendous challenge at times.  I am concentrating on enjoying this time we have together, because I know I will never regret it, regardless of what happens next year.  And, who knows, maybe once the dark days of winter have passed, we will hit our groove again.  Our party yesterday was fun for all!!

The kids loved Estimation Station.  They had to guess how many
items were in each jar and which jar had exactly 100 items.

Each child made a 100 day sign in advance of our  party.  This is Thing 1's, made with seashells.

Thing 2's sign, made with buttons.

We started our day with silly string.  Or, as Thing 2 likes to call it "funny spray."

The Lifesaver counting game.  According to the dice, the kids had to 
count to 100 by 2s, 5s, or 10s to earn lifesavers. 

100 gumballs for 100 days!

100 gumballs!

We frosted cookies at lunch to continue the celebration.

And, I have to revisit our magnificent 100 item T-shirts, created a few days in advance.  The kids were so proud they wore them out and about after the party!

Happy New Year!

We started back to school on January 2nd and here's what we've been up to:

Our new mascot - thanks mom!

Our other new mascot doing what he does best - sleeping!

Testing the nerve sensitivity of an elbow for science.

Outdoor recess in January!

Preparing for our 100-day party.

Thing 1 chose 100 google eyes- how cute!

Testing our pinhole camera.  It works!

Finding Hope in the Midst of Tragedy

The catastrophe in Newtown, CT continues to weigh heavily on my mind (as I hope it does on the minds of all Americans).  It's time for real change in this country.

I am not an expert on anything.  So who am I to opine?  It seems to me that right now, the world needs the voice of every sane, compassionate person and, for that, I think I qualify.

My opinions originate from the simple but powerful yogic philosophy "where you focus, the energy will go."  I think we are seeing the disastrous effects of a media and a culture overly focused on violence, sensationalism, guns, anger, and hatred.  What do we see every day on the news, our phones, our  computers?  More of this evil.  And what are we getting from ingesting that?  More of the same.  The media, I believe, has a major responsibility in contributing to the ills of our society by placing our focus on those ills instead of on the positive energy that also exists in the world.  The world (and everything in it) is the yin and the yang, the darkness and the light.  When we focus on the darkness, it grows out of control.  By focusing on the light, we can counteract the dark and help edge out the negative forces that are threatening to define us.  As consumers, we have the power to change this focus by not clicking on the violent, hateful stories, by demanding a more positive focus from our media sources, and by asking for more of the good samaritan stories, which are too numerous to count.

As individual citizens, we sometimes feel powerless.  I often wonder, how can I possibly change the world?  My voice alone won't make a difference.  What I forget is the power of starting small - starting with ourselves.  What are we doing to nurture ourselves?  How do we approach and allow for our own continual personal growth?  We can find activities that uplift us, people who inspire us and make us better, stronger, kinder, more compassionate and open-minded individuals.  Our power lies in shifting our own energy focus to the light within.  By changing our individual focus, we can begin to create positive ripple effects in our own small world.  Those ripples will quickly multiply and before long, we will see real change happening all around us.

Much has already been said about the need for gun control.  Some argue vehemently for it, others are vociferously against it.  In my humble opinion, more guns are NOT the answer - look where that's gotten us so far.  Guns place the focus on fear and violence.  Again, where we focus, the energy will go.  Do we want more fear and violence out there?  More guns will guarantee it.  To state the obvious (and statistics bear this out) a gun in the home is more likely to kill an inhabitant (i.e., a curious young boy handling a father's gun) than to protect those who dwell there.

I don't have global, wide-reaching answers.  What I do have is a prescription for myself.  I will continue to focus on the positive that I know is all around us.  I am joining my mom (thanks for inspiring me!) in Ann Curry's 26 Acts of Kindness.  The kids and I have already committed 2 today by taking homemade fudge to a couple of our elderly neighbors.  We'll continue to spread love and cheer and hope, all the while honoring the lives of the innocent children and teachers who lost their lives at Sandy Hook.

As for the perpetrator of this horrific crime, I will pray for his soul.  Yogic philosophy teaches that a soul reincarnates until it learns all its earthly lessons.  It's a given, in my mind, that Adam Lanza will reincarnate.  When he does, I pray that he will learn his lessons, atone for his sins, and make the world a better place.  He too had the light within him, he just couldn't see it.

The phrase 'charity begins at home' comes to mind as I write this.  Kindness and love begin at home, with the self.  Be kind to yourself and watch that ripple spread out to friends and family.  Be open, not judging.  Be loving, not hateful.  Be understanding - we can't know what the person next to us is going through.  And in this season of low light, on the heels of the Winter Solstice, be light and bright.  Share your light with others.  Smile when you don't feel like it.  Be kind to that person in your life who is rarely kind to you.  Let go of old hurts, forgive someone who needs your forgiveness.

We can each be the light that heals the world.

Wishing you all the blessings of the season.  Peace, light and love to all!

It's official...

I am an intermittent blogger, unpredictable, undisciplined, possibly even un-blogworthy?!  Nevertheless, here I am after a long hiatus during which I promise, we were very, very busy.  One trip to New England, one puppy, and many, many days of school later, it is now just 3 days from Christmas.  We started our break yesterday and we'll go back after New Year's.  Here's what we've been up to:

In science, we're working with water.

How many rocks can a tinfoil boat hold??

Thing 1 used Thing 2's pattern blocks to create tessellations.

The newest member of the family, Bear.  He's been tons of fun and the kids
adore him.  He has quickly become the 3rd student to enroll at the United school,
as we add puppy training to our daily routine!

Weekly Wrap-Up

It's been another good week at the United School.  Here's what we've been up to:

Look closely at Thing 2's desert diorama and you'll find 2 coyotes,
a chuckwalla, a gila woodpecker, a tortoise and a sidewinder.
Thing 2 had a blast creating this and, proud mama that I am,
I think it's pretty impressive for a kindergartner.

Thing 1 chose a coral reef for her dioarama.  Cellophane doesn't
lend itself to photography, but see if you can find a giant sea slug,
several anemones, kelp, brain coral, and various reef fish.
Well done, Thing 1!  I especially love the anemones fashioned
out of clay and pipecleaners, Thing 1's very own creative brainchild.

Today we did a nature study at a wildlife rehabilitation center.  This beauty
is a sandhill crane.  Thing 2 circled back twice to look at the cranes.

I've spared you the photos of this bobcat noshing on a
frozen rat.  We heard every crunch and Thing 2 was fascinated!
This particular bobcat had been hit by a car in Southern IL.
He has lasting vision problems and neurological damage
and would be unable to survive in the wild.

Veronica had amazing appeal for a rat.  She really did!
We all had our turn petting her.  She was soft and silky.

Both kids got to hold Rocky the ring-necked dove.  And that's Ranger Kev
with his Santa Claus beard in the background.  What an amazing guy!  He does
nature hikes for homeschoolers in various area forest preserves.  (He homeschooled
his own kids back when no one did.)  We could have talked to him all day long
and he was beyond generous in sharing information about the animals with the kids.
Thank you, Ranger Kev!  You made our day.

Gratitude really is the antidote to complaining.  I am so incredibly grateful for this opportunity to homeschool my children.  How did I get so lucky?

May our blessings be many and our complaints be few.  Amen!

Election Day

No homeschooler worth her salt can miss an opportunity like Election Day.  Leading up to the day, the kids and I studied the candidates and read a little about the election process and the electoral college.  They know red states from blue states, elephants from donkeys, and Romney from Obama.  On election day, after a little more talk about the process and some speculation about who might win, we headed off to the polls.  I talked the kids through the process, explaining each step from looking up a voters name and address to verifying the signature to filling in the ovals on the ballot and turning it in.  And then, we headed off to our local library where the kids were allowed to vote in their own election - for favorite book. They even had mock voting booths.  Too cute.  And, they each got their own sticker to boot, just like mom's.

The Owl, by Thing 1

The owl how swiftly he flies,

his wings make no noise as they beat,

he swoops upon his prey without sign of approach ,

he flies back to his nest,

for a satisfying rest.

Thing 1 was inspired to write and publish a poem this morning.  This is the fruit of her Thursday morning writing journal.  She chose the accompanying picture.  Beautiful!