Critical Mass

Critical mass is one of my favorite terms to throw into conversations from time to time to describe periods of intense stress or the general messiness of life.  I always thought it was kind of a funny statement, meant to make one step back and look at the situation for what it is and not get so wrapped up in it.

There is some weird karma that dictates stuff like this, don't you think?  A quiet day humming along nicely when out of the blue the phone rings, someone simultaneously presses the doorbell button, the dogs fly to berserk mode, cats scramble for cover, the dishwasher decides it's finished and starts beeping, and the teenager is yelling from his room that the Chihuahua pooped in the corner......again.

These interludes can last a mere couple of minutes to several weeks or longer.  That's just the way life plays sometimes and one must tell oneself that the topsy turvy will right itself eventually.  I used to be seriously affected by critical mass, but have learned to chill out and let it play out to its own rhythm and be more of an observer rather than a participant.  Try it - it's good stress management!

Critical mass is upon us once again for the next few weeks to months.  Some of this is self-inflicted, some came out of the blue.  I am doing surprisingly well!  So is Max.  Any general routine of homeschooling has left the building, but learning is still occurring on many different levels.  We are in the process of selling our house, moving to another one and preparing a third property for the market.  I almost always bite off big chunks and try to chew through them, sometimes having to spit some stuff out!  All of the real estate stuff was planned, albeit a bit impulsive, which is not unusual either.  We are excited about moving to a much quieter location with some space around us and lots of wildlife to study on.

In the midst of the packing and purging, I found out about a pretty good-sized mass lurking behind my uterus, shamelessly acting like a little dictator.  This coming week we are sending in a team of highly trained experts to take out the offending character and try to restore some normalcy to my system, for which I will be most grateful.  Now that the little beast has been discovered, a lot of symptomology makes perfect sense in retropect.

I started down the road of worry with respect to the teenager, wondering what, if anything, he might be learning during this time of distraction.  I shouldn't have even turned in that direction because he is clipping along on his own learning adventures as usual.  We've been learning about mortgages, titles, septic systems and leach fields.  We've measured spaces and converted inches to feet to see what will fit and what has to go.  He's been sketching up different ideas for his space and has plans to construct an outdoor area for the cats.  He's utilizing his awesome Tetris skills in packing up his belongings.  He's also doing a fair amount of cooking!  He has big plans for some archery practice, some trampoline time and exploring the woods.

In between he is still wondering and pondering, researching, practicing, growing.  This week he looked up state statutes about an issue important to him and wanted to engage in a debate about the law.  I suggested he write letters to those who have influence over such issues.  We attended a showing from the Banff Mountain Film Festival for two nights and were wowed by the determination of the filmmakers to get their messages heard.  What I see time and time again is that if he cares about it, he will unleash a learning strategy about it.  The beauty and rhythms of unschooling I am learning to trust in.  They are amazing!

When I'm back on my feet we will resume a math strategy using Khan Academy.  I've also selected several books we can read while I heal and put them all in a box that is set aside from everything else, marked "Mom and Max fun stuff".  Decks of cards, games, books, magazines.  I am secretly looking forward to a little rest after the surgery and hanging out with my kiddo, adjusting to the new surroundings.  I am also pumped about taking out a dictator :).

      

Thoughts About Being Busy

It seems that nearly everyone you talk to is "busy".  I hear comments such as, "this has been a crazy week!", or, "it's really coming out of the woodwork now", or, "I am so far behind".  I have been thinking about the commonality of these statements and how they seem to be the norm in many people's minds.  It makes for a good thoughtful study in what people prioritize or how they conduct daily life; I find all of this fascinating.

One of the reasons we chose to homeschool was to try and avoid the mad rushing about to get to activities, get homework done, practice the instrument, finish the book report, study for the test.  Mornings were a thorough drag when we had to be at the school building by 8:30 a.m.  The days clipped by so quickly and we felt disconnected from one another.  I do not miss the 'corporate' schedule at all and am sincerely grateful for the quiet time we get to spend at home without the perceived pressure of appointments/tasks/lists.  Homeschooling allows family members a great deal of freedom to live out their days in whatever manner they choose.  That quiet time also allows for plenty of reflection about what is important.

Now, having expressed all of that, I feel the need to tell you how busy we've become (and what we are doing about it)!  Just kidding.  Yes, the last two weeks have been unusual mainly because we're taking steps to move to another house and sell this one; busy under those circumstances is a given!  It's part and parcel of moving and I'm accepting it as the temporary status quo.  This too shall pass and we'll hopefully assume the more relaxed routine we've come to enjoy in a few weeks.  The move is worthwhile because we are motivated to downsize, purge, clean out and start fresh.  Stuff is overrated!  Clearing out the clutter has been liberating.  You should try it if you haven't ever gone on a clutter-purging rampage.  Craiglist and Freecycle have served this quest well.  Freecycle's mission is to keep things out of the landfill and that's something to be respected.

On top of purging, packing, parceling and planning, I have learned that I have a pelvic mass that is going to need to come out, sooner rather than later.  Yesterday I was rather wigged out about the entire ordeal and didn't function very well.  Today, after a good night's sleep, I have felt better able to make arrangements and keep moving forward.  The next few weeks will be 'different', but I'm confident we'll manage with the help of friends and family as needed.

I could complain about how busy the days have been, how buried we could feel with so many things to do, how worried I could get about having surgery, how worn out we could all become, but I am not going to that place.  I'd rather take one morning or afternoon or evening at a time and do what we can do and be happy with the process.  Someone said to me today that a life based on what gets done is not a life that should be pursued.  It's much more about learning and growing and spending your time immersed in activities you enjoy, hanging out with people you want to be with.  Unschooling suits that mission so well and I'm very glad we've been running with it.  

Khan Academy II and Update on Unschooling

Lots of homeschoolers know about Sal Khan's Khan Academy.  The format has changed a bit since we started making use of this resource, but the mission has clearly retained its vigor.  I am undeniably impressed with Sal's endeavor.  If you have never visited Khan Academy, you need to stop reading right now and head over there.  Here's the LINK, again.

We've been messing with the math tutorial.  It is FUN.  It is ENCOURAGING.  It is GENTLE.  The program meets you where you are at via a pretest and then proceeds to gently coax you to mastery over topics, slowly but surely.  It's brilliant in that it sets the learner up to WIN.  By the way, Lumosity is a barrel of fun, too.  Nothing like a little brain training to get a day started.

Math has always been received with reticence around these parts.  There's just not enough room in this here town for math and Max.  Somehow Sal has ingeniously managed to sell math to my reticent teenager by boosting his confidence, showing him that he can, in fact, 'get it'.  I could cry and hug this marvelous human named Sal.  He probably hears it all the time!  Math, at least in my mind, is a magnificent tool to help one carve out a unique worldview.  It is pattern, it is art, it is language, it is rhyme and reason.  I don't need Max to know how to do math.  I do, however, crave for him to be able to see what math really is and then decide from there if it's worth taking a closer look at.  Math is magical stuff.  Exactly the kind of cool, mysterious stuff that makes life worth examining.

This unschooling journey has been simply marvelous so far.  He is learning how to learn with what can be described as single-minded determination.  Having tackled many books, built a computer, fiddled with the speed cubing arena and countless other subjects in which he noses about, he is developing a strong drive to discover and understand.  That's exactly IT.  The point of an unschooled life is to discover and uncover as much as you wish.  I harbor a deep craving that every child could experience the freedom of learning dictated by one's interests.

Sir David Attenborough has hung out in our living room via Netflix lately.  Gosh, isn't he wonderful, too?  I could gush, but won't.  So many admirables out there to explore with.  This week, here is what has come up so far:  we've visited the Constitution and its amendments, the three branches of our government and their purposes, and that whole electoral college thing; we've projected forth into the future and talked about having your very own mortgage and what that entails.  "How long does it usually take to pay off a house?"  The thirty year answer was met with saucer eyes, so we talked about the pros and cons of renting.  Which led to us opening a credit card application that conveniently arrived in the mail today.  After careful examination of the fine print, we shredded it with glee.  Take that, credit card company!

Every day is different.  Some days are packed, some are nice and quiet.  A good friend asked when I planned to test Max, just so I know where he is at grade-level-wise.  We won't be testing him because it simply doesn't matter where he is grade-level-wise.  As his mom I see how he is conducting himself and based on that observation alone, I am confident that he will craft a life that fits his own personal standards, whatever they may grow to be.  Our internally-generated standards are more important than the arbitrary ones dictated by the school system.

I am one homeschooling mom who is grateful for people like Sal Khan and David Attenborough.  They epitomize what it looks like to live life in line with one's passions.  Imagine what the world would be like if everyone was given room to explore their very own interests?  Perhaps this all sounds a little 'Pollyanna-ish', but.......just imagine!  

Addicted to Speed Cubes

I should have saved my Rubik's cube from my childhood; the quality of the product then was probably more remarkable than the quality now.  How quickly the teenager picked up on the poor quality of the current Rubik's offering is something to be noted.  On a whim several weeks ago I grabbed a Rubik's cube at Target and brought it home, knowing that he likes to futz with objects in his hands (see the post on Fidgets if you have a similar kid lurking about your house.)

He took to it immediately and then.....his interest morphed to obsession levels, which is so often the case with this one.  Youtube video after video was perused and studied in an effort to master the 3x3x3 cube.  The cube was always in his hands; it's possible he slept with it.  I can't be sure.  With mastering it behind him, he moved on to such nomenclature as learning how to 'cut corners' and 'trim his time'.  I had no idea about the far-reaching underworld of speed cubing!  Apparently the world record for solving a cube is something inconceivable like just over 7 seconds.  Read that again.  Seven. Whole. Seconds.  Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.  DONE.  I can't do anything worthwhile in 7 seconds. Maybe get out of a chair or think a thought?

Here's a clip from the 2013 Rubik's Cube World Record Championship held in Las Vegas (of course) in July of 2013.  This is showing Feliks Zemdegs from Australia knocking it out in 7.36 seconds.

A chart showcasing the winning times in various categories of the 2013 championship can be found HERE in case you are curious.

Speed cubing has developed quite a following and manufacturers are paying attention.  There are some pretty neat products out there designed to 'fly' in your fingers, the clever things that they are.  Once you figure out how to solve the puzzle, you can continue to entertain your brain by learning different methods for reaching the solution.  It's crazy fun for someone who likes a challenge and is intrigued by the possibilities.

It also fits into the kinesthetic scheme of learning.  For those types of learners, having an object in hand to manipulate provides a conduit for the brain to absorb new information, or so it would seem.  Thinking back to Max's toddler years, he almost always grabbed a lock of hair at his forehead to rub between his fingers when he was concentrating on something.  Even then signs of his preferred style of learning were making themselves known.

The Dayan 5 ZhanChi 3x3x3 Stickerless Speed Cube is all the rage over here.  It's on the Christmas wishlist and at this writing, is tucked away in one of the closets, waiting for a slick application of wrapping paper.  The Teenager is rather adamant about cubes being stickerless for better play.

3x3x3 Dayan 5 ZhanChi Speed Cube

Ten bucks is not a lot to spend for hours of concentration, skill improvement and good times (pun!) sitting around the fireplace with cube in hand.  There are many different manufacturers and models, some of which get pretty crazy!  I think the 2x2x2's are kind of cute:

2x2x2 Dayan ZhanChi 50 mm Speed Cube

Shengshou Pyraminx Triangular Puzzle

Curvy Copter Puzzle

Shengshou 7x7x7

And if you really want to push the envelope:

11x11x11 High Order Speed Cube

Cubes even come with 'some assembly required' and look like this.  One of these is under the Christmas tree this year, too:

A handy reference manual for solving all kinds of cubes by Dan Harris

If your child is so inclined, you can locate resources for puzzle solving on blogs, in forums, in Youtube videos or books.  

Here's a picture from yesterday, playing with his friends while waiting for a meal to arrive.  We moms rather like not seeing the phones/ipods/ipads/gaming systems make an appearance!

United States History Over Time Puzzle

On a recent trip to Barnes and Noble to scout books we saw this puzzle.  And then brought it home.  I do the same thing with lost puppies!

4D Cityscape's USA History Over Time Puzzle

The puzzle certainly required some feeding and care over the next four days.  We are now adding the 3D elements to the finished layers; up until this point it's been an enjoyable experience.

Overall the concept is good.  Assembling the first layer is helpful in visualizing how the US grew westward from 1783 to the 1900's.  You can start by separating the puzzle pieces by color and then build each section (the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the Gadsen Purchase, the Texas Annexation in 1845, the Alaska Purchase, etc.)  It's interesting to build those sections in relation to one another and imagine our growing pains over time.

In the second layer you add the states according to historical order of statehood.  On top of some of the western states goes a little dollop of foam Rocky Mountains to add some dimension.  Finally, you get to place the tiny 3D plastic historical buildings and monuments all over the map.  The Empire State Building is pretty easy to spot, as is the Statue of Liberty.  However, the Thomas A. Greene Memorial Museum is not that easy to distinguish without following the numbering system; I'm not even sure that landmark actually has a representative tiny plastic building that we are supposed to ferret out.  These historical buildings and monuments are placed according to their dates of birth, too.

You can visit www.4DCityscape.com to learn more about each building or monument.  There are many puzzles to pick from.  Putting together the New York City puzzle would be a great activity before a trip to NYC!  We picked this up because it seemed interesting and fun to build.  It has been a satisfying family activity over the week.  There is something very pleasing about snapping a puzzle piece into its spot, do you agree?  It is addicting.  My husband is a whiz at recognizing shapes (he generally doesn't look at the box cover); I glance at the box cover every five seconds to try and find those pieces.  The teenager has paid quite a bit of attention to the puzzle because he's a puzzle person and enjoys all types of them.  Please excuse me - I have an urge to go put 3D plastic pieces into their spots.  Because I am addicted!

I also find it interesting that near the end of puzzle completion, you are absolutely certain there aren't enough pieces to finish the darn thing.  Maybe it's an optical allusion, but I always feel it and I'm almost always wrong.
 

Isn't the mini arch in St. Louis cute?  And there's the Willis Tower, too.

The easiest piece to recognize!

Makes climbing them seem easy :)

Gaming

It's a multi-billion dollar industry!  And my kid has a foot firmly planted in it.  He's definitely a gamer and a fan of game development; he spends quite a bit of time at this point in his life playing, researching, reading about, and marveling at games and their developers.

Instead of resisting his interest, I've decided to embrace it and encourage him to explore.  Granted, I still harbor some hesitancy about all of it (which is probably some sort of protective instinct or is weirdly fear based), but I try to keep that tucked in the back corner under a bunch of upside down boxes that are taped to the floor.......with duct tape and covered with an old blanket.  I think the point of my job here is to be encouraging, to get behind him and cheer him on.  That's much more important than any preconceived stereotypes about how gamers conduct their lives; besides, it makes me sound like a big old prude and that's no fun.  Gamers are people, too!  An incredibly creative and talented bunch, in fact.  I think some gamers might get into trouble when they sit in front of the screen all day at the expense of other life-sustaining activities, drink umpteen sodas, eat junk food and don't move their bodies, but the same could be said for TV watching or any other passive activity like blogging(!)  Yep, I just downed a handful of chocolate chips and have yet to exercise today.

Here's an interesting Ted Talk by cognitive neuroscientist Daphne Bavelier, Ph.D. discussing the brain benefits of playing video games.  She heads a brain and learning lab at the University of Geneva:

She has demonstrated that video games help the brain become more adept at important tasks like visual acuity, tracking, quicker decision making, etc.  All important elements we invoke when, say, driving a 3,000 pound vehicle down the road.

I'm making a point to seek out video game information that might interest him.  A few years ago I would have searched for some 'educational' video games that satisfied a misguided desire to have him learn something while he tapped away at the controls, but now I'm trying hard to pay attention to the cues he's sending and let him lead the way.

Last week we watched this movie about game development and I wrote about it in the last post:

And this movie about Steve Jobs on Netflix:

The teenager is also a huge fan of Minecraft, so this book seemed like a good fit:

And another Steve Jobs book written especially for young adults:

You can find a slew of art and development books focused on individual video games, too, such as:

Not to mention omniscient Youtube.  Oodles and oodles of gamer-related reviews, some of which I've taken a look at along with the teenager, exist to entice the curious learner. 

He's interested in the art within the games, the design concepts, the story lines, coding, computer systems and their componentry, building a computer that supports games, etc.  He also likes the coordination and training involved in getting more proficient at various levels, that whole manual dexterity thing. 

Gaming can be a door to many different areas of knowledge.  Now if I could just find some game developers to invite over for dinner........and I'll feed them nutritious foods.  No soda, but we might have something sprinkled with chocolate chips for dessert!  

Flow

This week is off to a good start.  Three weeks back in to learning at home and we're establishing a pleasant rhythm.  The first two weeks felt like we were groping in the dark for the light switch, tentatively adjusting to the big idea that we didn't need to get up, make breakfast, get dressed and drive to another building across town, all before 8 a.m.  So not morning people we are.......not.  Right now it's 9:40 p.m. and I feel like I'm revving up for the day!  The teenager is also bouncing around (he's cleaning out cat boxes).  A nice soothing activity before one retires for the evening, yes?

Here are the two main reasons for the increased demand in cat box reconnaissance:

Squidge and Tova

Squidge and Tova are foster kittens from the city shelter.  They've been the teenager's charges for just over a week, living in his room, keeping him up at night.  These two are teaching him tremendous concepts like what's required to take responsibility for other living things, by paying a little more for nice-smelling litter, your room stays fresher longer, and, of course, how to stay up all night.  Six weeks old.  Total cuteness, sharp claws and stealth stalking topped off with tiny vampire bite marks all over your ankles (when they aren't biting each other, they are biting us).  It's really fun to hang out in his room!  S & T will be here for another week and then will be off to new life adventures.  We are doing our best to give them a safe place to test out their teeth and learn to appreciate humans.  Sweet babies, both of them.

After bandaging our bite marks yesterday, we watched this movie on Netflix:

Indie Game*

It's an inside look at three game developers and the victories and trials they experienced bringing three independent video games from concept through design/programming to market.  Incredibly stressful (in a first-world sense) about sums it up.  The teenager was familiar with two of the three games and the developers and was thus enthralled with the movie.  He wore a permagrin the entire hour and forty four minutes.  I enjoyed watching him grin out of the corner of my eye knowing he was sparking on something, that we were hitting closer to home.  In the twenty-four hours since viewing this movie, he has researched all sorts of related topics from graphic design to gaming conventions to computer components.  I was inwardly horrified by the lack of daylight/exercise/any-activity-other-than-sitting-in-front-of-the-computer the developers exhibited.  All three pasty-faced guys had a penchant for fast food and other video games, too.  One of them had a cat, at least.  Listen to me.  I spend an awful lot of time in front of the screen.  The guys were incredibly talented and skilled.  It was fun watching them bring their dreams to fruition.    

What's interesting about this is that two years ago when we were homeschooling, I wouldn't have chosen this movie to watch with him.  He would have watched it in his free time when we weren't working on 'school' stuff.  A documentary on slavery or a movie based on a book we read would have felt like a better fit then, because I wanted him to learn about slavery, etc.  I doubt he even remembers the documentaries I steered him  toward.  He won't soon forget the Indie Game:  The Movie, though, because it connected with something he's already jazzed about.  That makes for a good fit and I'm starting to understand now.

Today was even cooler because he went to work with his dad and hung out with the computer guys all day.  They taught him how to build a computer and how to write a little code for Linux.  He came home, ate dinner and bolted for his room so he could continue more research on computer componentry and operating systems and pet the kittens.

Flow happens when you lose track of time and lose yourself in an activity.  That's what best describes the heart of unschooling.  I witnessed it yesterday and today.  Flow certainly won't happen everyday; when it does, step aside and GET OUT OF THE WAY.  Best advice I could ever give you.  Best lesson I am learning as a homeschooling parent.

*Although a good movie, it may not be appropriate for kids younger than 13 or so, or whatever age you deem best for your kids.  The developers, one in particular, are fond of colorful expletives and they are sprinkled liberally throughout the dialogue.  Know this before pressing play!

The Books on Unschooling Moving Through My Hands Lately

Unschooling.  It's on my mind.  It's on the tablet reader.  It's on our bookshelves.  It's on our tongues.  The more you read the more you open yourself up; the more you open yourself up, the more likely you will experience paradigm shifts that rock your world.  I find this whole process to be terribly exciting! I've experienced three major shifts in the past few years, mainly due to reading, thoughtful contemplation and a strong desire to be true to the best parts of myself.

As a homeschooling parent I really want to be true to the best parts of my son, too!  Unschooling serves that endeavor well.  Here are the books that have passed through my hands lately about schooling/unschooling:

The Teenage Liberation Handbook by Grace Llewellyn

By far the book that left the biggest impression on me with respect to unschooling.  

The Reader's Odyssey by Dena M. Luchsinger

It's been fun assessing the teenager's favorite genres and interests and then hunting for books that might intrigue him.  I've filled a big shelf with fiction, mysteries, how-to books, science fiction, classics, comics, adventure stories, etc.  If he doesn't end up reading them, his dad and I are certainly set for awhile!  Today at a used book store I picked up an Isaac Asimov and a Frank Herbert - both science fiction giants.  The goal is to read widely and WILDLY.  And the hunt is kind of fun, too!

Free to Learn by Pam Laricchia

Free to Live by Pam Laricchia

Guerrilla Learning by Grace Llewellyn and Amy Silver

101 Reasons by Ps Pirro

It quickly becomes clear that the author does NOT like traditional schooling and she doesn't separate that distaste from her writing; some of her 101 reasons are snarky because she's trying to drive the point home.  You can read around the edges without getting hurt and take out of the book what means the most to you.

 Viral Learning by Mary Griffith

And I haven't even gotten to John Holt yet!  I much prefer when the author rises above bashing traditional schooling and focuses on the possibilities and positives that result from unschooling.  So many people don't know what unschooling really is and looks like, thus they may react viscerally to hearing that a child is being unschooled; they may equate it with neglect or extremism.  Saying the word, "vegan", can generate much the same response sometimes....... a horrified look, a wan smile and then a cloud of dust as the person scurries off in the other direction!

Unschooling is a joyful, stimulating, interesting, refreshing, soul-saving way of looking at and living life.  Go ahead!  Read more about it :).

Here are a few more books about homeschooling/unschooling on a Pinterest board of mine.
  

Picking Up Where We Left Off

It's Halloween, 2013.  My kiddo is fourteen and almost able to look me eye-to-eye.  Teenagers grow in odd and scary ways!  Kind of like our Great Dane puppy who is now two years old.  His growth could be measured daily, something to be seen to be believed.  He just recently seems to be able to exert control over his body; his brain understands now how to move appendages in synchrony with one another.  When in a narrow hallway with a Great Dane, move deftly to one side and hug the wall, especially if you suspect he is cavorting behind you.  DANGER.  We have survived twenty four months with this dog without any head injuries, thank goodness.  He's pretty awesome.

Cobus grew up!

I stopped blogging about being high on homeschooling because Max spent his seventh grade year with his best friend at a charter school.  It was a genuinely good year for all parties involved.  The teachers were outdoor enthusiasts and got the kids out a lot, into nature.  For one whole week in May they toured through the southern part of our state while tent camping.  He endured playing a stringed instrument, tolerated math homework and thoroughly enjoyed his friendships.  During the summer he took juggling lessons, an improv class, read book after book and lost himself in Minecraft.  Hours were dedicated to tackling its intricacies.  Did you know that Sweden uses Minecraft as part of its national curriculum?  You can learn more at www.minecraftedu.com.

I used the time while he was at school to work on my photography business, raise a baby parrot and scoop Great Dane poo.  Household materials got pared down, closets got cleaned out and a kitchen got remodeled. I also became a fan of following a plant-based diet and discovered an underlying desire to spend time in the kitchen chopping vegetables.  All the while, though, I wondered what we would do for eighth grade.  The benefits and beauty of homeschooling become rather glaring when one isn't partaking of them.

Ziggy, the female Green Cheek Conure

A few weeks into this 2013-2014 school year Max began to petition to stay home.  He wrote a persuasive essay.  He began to research curriculum that he could do at his own pace.  He growled at his cello and plastered sad on his face.  The hours between homework and bed every day felt like fleeting wisps of light, like he had best get what was required of him out of the way so he could move on to the things he wanted to learn about if there was any energy left to be had.  There wasn't much time to hunker down into a good book of his choosing or research how to build a computer.  Go to sleep, get up, repeat process and sink deeper into a funk.  Two weeks ago, with my husband's support, I filled out the paperwork and pulled him from school.

We are learning at home again.

It's likely he won't set foot in another school building long term until such time he deems college a path to step out on.

I prefer to say that he is on an independent learning adventure of a sort to be determined (that's the line held in reserve for the occasional person at the grocery store who wonders aloud why that young man isn't in school where he should be; I will leave the "to be determined" part out of those interactions.  Heck, maybe I'll choose not to interact at all.)  It will take awhile to figure out where he wants to go, what he wants to do.  We are wandering into UNSCHOOLING territory with its heavily prescribed doses of freedom to breathe and be; my job is to remain calm and keep feeding everyone kale.

It feels like good timing to begin blogging again.  I hope you will have us back as we pick up where we left off.

Settling Down.......But Wait!

This is a sure sign that things are settling down around here..........I'm adding more animals to the family!  Well, one is temporary since we are just babysitting him until the weekend.  He arrived today.  Out came the camera so I could capture his uber cuteness.  The other new little monster I'll blog about when she gets here this week - she's an entirely "different animal"!

The last one is kind of artsy, don't you think?  Bunny butts are cute.  He's a 6 week old Flemish Giant rabbit whom we are watching over until Friday; then he'll go to his newest and bestest home.  Flemish are the largest breed of rabbits and in my opinion, have the best personalities.  They are a lot like dogs and will follow you around, come when called (sometimes - even I don't always go to the source when I am called) and generally make your life more happy.  They can grow to about 20 pounds or so, so you need adequate housing/space for them, preferably not in a wire cage since they are so heavy and can develop sores on their feet.  They do well with a fenced off area and a small dog house, love the winters and don't cause much of a ruckus.  Some loyalists keep their pet Flemish in the house and provide a dog door for their comings and goings.  They live only about five years, which is rather sad.  Just like giant breeds of dogs, they burn out quickly with their mass.

We'll enjoy him while he's here, that's for sure!