Jan 29 2008
Yup. I watched the State of the Union Speech. And I really want to know what reality Bush is living in.
AFSC has just released a new 2 min. video to help people understand the outrageous amount of money that is being spent daily on the Iraq war — at the expense of meeting human needs.
Jan 27 2008
I saw this over at Meg’s at Get In, Hang On and thought that it looked like fun. Plus I needed something quick to post today before I head to bed (still trying to catch up on my sleep!)
When you walk in your front door, which room do you enter?
A small foyer with a brick wall on your right, the stairs going up on your left and the dining room straight in front of you. If you turn right before you hit the dining room you head towards the boys media room (for lack of a better word) and if you go left you head towards the kitchen and family room.
The original house was built in the 1940s and they added onto it a few years before we bought it. The brick in the foyer is actually the outside of the original house. Adds a lot of character.
Do you have a dishwasher?
Yes.
Is your living room carpeted or does it have hardwood floors?
Actually we have a family room (living room was the “formal room” in my house growing up) and it is ceramic tile with an area rug. One of the things I love about this house is that the foyer, dining room, kitchen and family room is all tile (with radiant floor heat so our feet stay toasty).
Do you keep your kitchen knives on the counter or in a drawer?
On the counter.
House, apartment, duplex or trailer?
House.
How many bedrooms is it?
Four. Three are upstairs, the master bedroom is downstairs. It is one of the few things that I dislike about the house.
Gas stove or electric?
Gas thank goodness. I hate electric.
Do you have a yard?
Yup. It was one of the big selling points of the house. We have 1.3 acres, over 16 mature trees and are still “inside the beltway”.
What size TV is in the living room?
36 inch widescreen HD TV. Hubby would like to get a bigger one but it would not fit in the entertainment center.
Are your plates in the same cupboard as your cups?
No.
Is there a coffee maker sitting on your kitchen counter?
Yes, on a side counter. but we rarely drink coffee at home.
What room is your computer in?
Hmmm…which computer? I usually use my laptop while sitting on the family room couch or back on my bed. Hubby uses his laptop while sitting on the couch (and yes, we do sometimes email each other while we are both on the couch!) Kyle has a small laptop which travels with him and Jason refuses to give up the desktop in the media room. (It is a good thing that Jeff has his own IT company…makes it easier to get the computer hand-me-downs)
Are there pictures hanging in your living room?
Yes. One wall has photographs of houses that I have taken throughout the years. One has a really nice painting of townhouses that I got at a craft fair and the third wall is our family gallery with pictures of the boys at different ages. Most of our artwork is photography…either mine or ones that I pick up at craft shows.
Are there any themes found in your home?
Sunflowers in the powder room. Fruit in the dining room. Houses in the family room.
What kind of laundry detergent do you use?
Ecover Laundry Wash
Do you use dryer sheets?
No. We had dryer balls for a couple of weeks but they split open.
Do you have any curtains in your home?
Valences in the kitchen, dining room and media room. Curtains in the family room. Curtains and roman shades in the master bedroom, blinds in the master bath. Valence in Kyle’s room (who does not like the dark), roller shades in Jason’s room (who needs darkness to fall asleep), blinds and valence in guest/craft room. I personally do not like closed blinds/curtains if I can help it.
What color is your fridge?
White.
Is your house clean?
Clean yes (we have a green cleaning service every two weeks) but our biggest problem is with clutter. We have way too much stuff.
What room is the most neglected?
The basement or the garage.
Are the dishes in your sink/dishwasher clean or dirty?
Dirty.
How long have you lived in your home?
Will be 9 years in March.
Where did you live before?
Do you have one of those fluffy toilet lid covers on your toilet?
Most definitely NOT!
Do you have a scale anywhere in your house?
Two in the master bath (a normal basic one for me and a complicated one that I don’t know how to use for Jeff).
How many mirrors are in your house?
7
Look up. What do you see?
Upstairs railing, ceiling fan, vaulted ceiling.
Do you have a garage?
Yes, a two car garage. But we can not currently fit any cars in it.
Anyone else want to play?
Jan 24 2008
My fellow Life Without School author and friend Tammy has written some very insightful posts on Just Enough, and Nothing More about “deschooling” to which I often refer new homeschoolers. Each time I end up re-searching her website to find them, so I have decided to collect my favorites here to make them easier to find!
And these are just the tip of the iceberg. Tammy has lots of other pearls of wisdom on every aspect of homeschooling. Definitely take some time to pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee and read to your hearts content.
Enjoy!
Jan 24 2008
Actually I have been back since late on Monday, but I am still trying to get caught up on my sleep and everything I missed.
The cruise was…well, let’s say illuminating? In that I have discovered that I am NOT a cruise type person. I am a beach/pool type person and unfortunately the weather was not overly cooperative. The first full day was not too bad…did get a couple of hours of pool time and we took an excursion to an island off the Bahamas…unfortunately there was a brisk wind and TONS of people so not exactly relaxing. The next day was overcast so instead of hitting an island and beach we were stuck on the ship all day. Then that night on the way home we hit some really rough seas and I spent the entire night on the floor of the bathroom (I brought pillows in with me so that I could try to get some rest). I usually do not get seasick so this really caught me by surprise. And was one of the worst nights I have ever spent. I finally fell asleep around 4:30 am only to have to get up at 6am to be off the ship by 7:00 am.
I know, I know. I am whining about being on a cruise. I found that for me, there is just not enough that I enjoy if you take away the pool and too much depends on the weather (not to mention the potential for possible seasickness!) And I also really did not like being one of thousands on board. Too much herding involved and not enough time to really explore.
Ah well. Live and learn. Needless to say it is good to be back.
Jan 16 2008
But I am getting closer…progress not perfection!
I am trying to keep in mind that it has taken me quite awhile to get to the point I am now and that it will take more than a day to get back into balance!
I have made some progress. I have gone no mail on several email lists and am considering a few more. I have also identified several email lists that no matter how good the topic I am only going to read. These lists I have decided can continue perfectly fine without me jumping in <snort>. And the interesting thing is that since I have started doing this, I have realized that usually my point gets made by someone! I want to be able to focus my postings on my statewide and local homeschool lists (VaEclecticHS and NoVaUnschoolers) as well as Homeschooling Creatively. These are the ones that I most enjoy posting to and feel that I have the most to contribute to, so it makes sense to focus on those.
I have unsubbed from some blogs (sorry!) and am really trying to limit my reading time. This is the hard part too as there are so many wonderful blogs and great conversations going on, I just want to jump in on every one. So I am thinking about this as more of a “break” rather than an end. So if you see me commenting on a post that is weeks or months old you will know that I am catching up!
I have been working on re-focusing my work with VaHomeschoolers as well. The problem that we have is that there are so many exciting things that we want to accomplish it can get frustrating not to be able to do all of them now. The good thing is that we have been putting out calls for volunteers and getting them! We now have a new editor for the Out and About (VaHomeschoolers monthly activity and events email publication). This was a hat that I used to wear and am more than happy to pass it on. (Thanks Jennie!) So I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel there. And it has been very reassuring to find that as we do more and more outreach more and more people are stepping in to help. It really is the only way that we can survive.
Another interesting thing that I have noticed this week is that just shifting and realizing that I don’t have to do everything right now has put some space back into my life. I would get an email and think I had to respond immediately or read a post and want to write back right then. I am giving myself permission to wait a little bit. And I am finding that the world has not come to a crashing halt (imagine that!) Being online as much as I am can add an immediacy to life that can be daunting to keep up with.
One little change that has made a big impact is that I no longer get online as soon as I wake up. I used to not even get out of bed before grabbing my laptop! How crazy is that? I have changed my routine now so that I get up, walk and feed Ellie, make sure the boys are awake, take my shower, read a daily reading, meditate (or at least sit quietly) for 10 minutes (hoping to extend that but for now it works), finish getting ready and then go out into the family room to get online. This has helped immensely, although I have been surprised at how tempting it is to jump online to check the latest and see if there are more fires that need to be put out. Yes, I know, crazy.
In this same vein, I have also been working on changing my default mindset…I found that often when I had “free time” I would gravitate to the computer. I am now consciously choosing to do things around the house or with the boys.
It is a work in process, but at least I am trying!
And as coincidence would have it, Jeff and I are leaving on Friday for a 4 day cruise to the Bahamas with Jeff’s company. And I will not <gasp> have internet access! Which I think will be a good thing. It will force me to make a break and hopefully when I come back I will be able to be more balanced at what I start doing again. I am not really a cruise-type person, but I am looking forward to relaxing and getting away for a few days (my in-laws are coming up to stay with the boys). I hope to have time to focus some on my photography which is something that I have not had enough time to do lately. I have a few new photography books that I am bringing with me to read poolside and obviously will be bringing my camera with me.
So I will be offline for a little bit. But I will be back! So please keep checking back. Believe it or not, even though I want to get my online time back into balance, one of the things that I want to find more time for is blogging. I find that writing this blog is a wonderful creative outlet and I have so many things that I want to talk about. So one of my priorities is to find more time to write.
So here is to balance! May we all find what works for each of us…
Jan 12 2008
That huge crashing sound you heard? That was my house of cards falling apart. What happened? Nothing major really. And that is the problem…it has not taken much lately to send me crashing because I have everything balanced “just so” which means that any little bump in the road causes me to crash. And I am tired of crashing.
I often have people ask me how I “do it all”. Well, it has become obvious that I can’t and I am killing myself trying.
My biggest problem is that everything that I am trying to do (well, mostly) is stuff that I enjoy and want to do, especially my homeschool advocacy and support work. But since there is so much of it I have found that I am feeling more stress than joy lately.
So I am going to scale back. I need to put my focus back on the boys and our homeschooling, where it belongs. Don’t get me wrong, we have been doing a lot and they are learning, but I just feel that I have not been putting as much thought into what we are doing as I would like. I have been finding myself not being as “present” as I want to be. Having too many things that I am responsible for means that I am always thinking about how I am going to get everything done and not enjoying what we are doing.
This is not going to be easy for me. I hate letting people down. But obviously life will go on and hopefully as I get more balanced I will be able to judiciously pick more things back up. And start enjoying them again.
Jan 08 2008
While I was searching to double check some directions, I happened to stumble onto A Look Back at Braddock District History. I haven’t had a chance to really delve into it much yet, but it looks fascinating. Especially all the old photos under resources. I absolutely love local history as it is so much fun to match the events/places to the area today. And given my love of revolutionary era history this is a perfect place to learn about.
This discovery led me to be even more curious about Annandale itself, so I googled it and lo and behold found Ravensworth: A Short History of Annandale, Virginia. The neat thing is that I know where most of these places are…we actually took Ellie for a walk at Accotink park yesterday and we regularly drive past Green Spring Farm (it is a county park and has native plant sales and classes). I had never realized its colonial roots. I am really bummed because I also found out that they had a historical program at Oak Hill (one of the oldest residences in Annandale and at one time owned by Robert E. Lee’s children and used as a summer residence) this past October! I would have loved to go. Ah well.
Virginia has something for everything as far as history goes. A rich native american past. Early Colonial history. Revolutionary era history. Civil war history.
The Old Dominion really is a fascinating state to live in.
Jan 08 2008
I had forgotten that I had taken this test a little while ago and found it remarkably accurate for an online test. I also find it amusing that I am not borderline in any of my characteristics! No doubt where I fall.
My multiple intelligences results did not reveal any big surprises either. Interpersonal and verbal/linguistics are definitely my strong points.
Learning styles, personality types and multiple intelligences are fascinating to me. Guess that is one reason why I am so strong in interpersonal skills!
Go check it out!
Jan 06 2008
I recently learned of a new free service called Catalog Choice. Run by The Ecology Center and endorsed by the National Wildlife Federation and the Natural Resources Defense Council, their mission is to:
to reduce the number of repeat and unsolicited catalog mailings, and to promote the adoption of sustainable industry best practices. We aim to accomplish this by freely providing the Catalog Choice services to both consumers and businesses. Consumers can indicate which catalogs they no longer wish to receive, and businesses can receive a list of consumers no longer wanting to receive their catalogs.
They make it super easy to opt out of getting catalogs that you do not want. All you have to do is click on the company, provide your customer number (if you have it) and submit. They handle the rest and contact the company to get your address removed. What is also really nice is that they maintain a list of of the catalogs that you have opted out of so it makes it really easy to keep track.
I have been trying to reduce the number of catalogs that we receive but it is very time consuming, having to call each individual company, not to mention keeping track of which ones I have already called.
It looks as if the the Direct Marketing Association is not thrilled with what Catalog Choice is trying to do. Which seems counterintuitive to me. After all, why spend the money to send out a catalog to someone who does not want it?
Jan 05 2008
I am sure that by now everyone has seen the news stories on how homeschoolers have propelled Huckabee to national prominence. Just had to add my voice to the growing chorus of homeschoolers…HOMESCHOOLERS ARE NOT ALL OF ONE POLITICAL PARTY OR ONE RELIGION. We are a diverse population from all walks of life and, yes, some of us are even <gasp> liberal!
Needless to say that I got a kick out of the the Homeschoolers For blog. Although their Barack Obama listings seem a bit weak…I may have to help remedy that…
A friend of mine, Laura had a great letter to the editor published in the Washington Post:
It would be a refreshing turn, though, to learn more in your pages about the diversity of positions we home-schoolers take, as many of us work to remove partisan political agendas from our conversations about educating children. Because we are accustomed to stepping outside the norm, dissent feels familiar, and we express it in multiple arenas — certainly not only in the limited world of Mike Huckabee’s conservative presidential campaign.
I have been trying to basically ignore most of the news stories that show up in my Google Alerts about Huckabee and homeschoolers as they usually do at least mention that it is evangelical homeschoolers who support Huckabee so strongly. And the truth is that some homeschoolers are definitely playing a big role in his campaign.
But the problem is when reporters start reporting on homeschooling in general and portraying homeschoolers in particular ways. Most reporters are not familiar with homeschooling and homeschoolers and usually don’t do much research when reporting on us. Kind of like this article from the New York Times:
It is unclear how many evangelical Christians in Iowa teach their children at home — some estimates are over 10,000 — but the network of families is tightly connected and highly motivated. They come together in groups and online to share curriculum information, form sports teams, and stage other activities. And many, aware that homeschooling was illegal in almost every state until recently, fear that if they relax their vigilance politically teachers’ unions will push to take away their rights.
First off, homeschooling has never been illegal. Second off, most homeschoolers I know do not live in fear that their homeschool rights are going to be taken away. Third off, the president honestly has very little to do with our homeschool rights as home instruction is handled at the state level.
Yes, we do have to be active to protect our homeschool rights and not take them for granted, but in my opinion, that is better done through supporting statewide homeschool organizations like VaHomeschoolers rather than presidential candidates. The truth is that homeschooling is not on shaky ground and does not depend on a president’s support.
I am not a one issue voter and to be honest with you, a presidential candidate’s opinion on homeschooling is far down the on the list of considerations. Homeschooling does color my views in many ways…I have found that I have more libertarian leanings since starting and tend to prefer that government leave me alone as much as possible. Yet, I also feel strongly that it is ok and even good for government to help those who need it and yes, I realize that these may seem somewhat contradictory. But that is ok…it works for me and I tend to not be a black and white person anyways. Nothing wrong with nuance. I guess that you could call me a Democrat with Libertarian leanings?
So don’t believe everything that you read in the newspapers about homeschooling. We are a much more diverse group than you might think based on the news coverage. Yes, we are passionate about what we do. And yes, we are very networked. But we come in all shapes, colors, religious backgrounds, political leanings, shoe sizes…hey just like the rest of the country!
Jan 03 2008
Jon Scieszka was just named the first National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature!
Scieszka’s nomination for the new post, which Billington had to approve, came from a five-member committee of children’s literature experts. Jewell Stoddard, who runs the children’s section of Washington’s Politics and Prose bookstore, was one of them. Scieszka was a good choice, she said, both because he’s already “on a mission to promote reading among young boys” and because “he’s a wonderful speaker and lots of fun.”
He is definitely a big favorite around here.
Thanks to Anastasia on the Child’s Lit list for the heads up!
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I am a liberal-minded homeschool mom who is constantly trying to find that elusive state of balance in my life while enjoying my two energetic, yet vastly different boys.
I am also a featured author over at Life Without School. Come check us out!
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