Comics

Over lunch, two sons read aloud from a book of comics of Calvin and Hobbes.

We shared laughter.

We shared observations on life, life as a child, families.

Sometimes, comics mirror real life -we laugh and then we ponder.

Check out this comic. Telling.

http://www.thecowgoddess.com/archshow.asp?var=205

One More Thing

Oh, thought I'd share my One Thing for today - again, two things.

1. Read aloud from Our Life in the Church, with those boys who will be confirmed this year. I expect we will get side tracked into many other discussions.
2. Print some information about Manet ( artist) and Mozart ( composer) for the refrigerator door. In this, I have been inspired by the posters at the 4 real discussion boards* - these two have been suggested as the artist and the composer for the month of January.

We already have a print of one of Manet's paintings on the dining room computer, as wallpaper ( The Escape of Rocherfort) and have listened to some of Mozart while I ate breakfast and others read or played video games.
*http://4real.thenetsmith.com/

One Thing

I am feeling a bit under the weather, as they say. Tired, I have a sore throat, blood clots in superficial veins, on rest....

So, I am back to my One Thng.

One Thing for each day, to be and do with the children.

I first heard of the One philosophy when I was a young teenager, reading one of those ubiquitous magazines for young women.

The article was called One Bowl and was a dieting article - describing the philosophy of paring back. The ideas was to eat all one's meals out of one small bowl - thus cutting down automatically on portions. And learning to savour meals from the One Bowl.

Since then, I have read about the One philosophy applied to many areas. I have tried to keep to One Thing at many times, when everything else seems like too much.

One Thing can also be applied to housework, to habits, to homeschooling or unschooling.

Julie, from the Bravewriter Blog, describes it eloquently. *

So, what was my One Thing for unschooling yesterday?

Typically me, the One Thing was actually Two Things.

1.Read about the Epiphany Blessing and its traditions and meanings - Catholic Culture was one good source.**
2. Share my writing ideas with the dc - my thought of writing and drawing in our journals, about our holidays with the older three boys. About our dreams and wishes for 2006. Include photos and cut outs from leaflets collected on our visits in the holidays. Paste in snippets of Christmas cards. Pics of goals for the year.

Well, Anthony and I began this writing project. I think we will work on it over the next week or two. The others turned up their noses at the journalling - but jumped at the newspaper clipping I showed them. It was from The Catholic Weekly, on a writing competition for school aged students.

Write up to 1000 words, on a religious theme or topic.

Those interested immediately started brainstorming - current events, passions in the lives as young Christians, what does the CCC have to say about this topic? The closing date is in three weeks and I think the cash prize may be a motivator!
*http://www.bravewriter.com/blog2/
**http://www.catholicculture.org/index.cfm

Movies, Music, Letterwriting and Library Books

These all describe parts of our day today.

Jonathon borrowed, from the library , the soundtrack of the Bride and Prejudice movie - we enjoyed the movie and I found I liked a lot of the enrgetic dancing and Indian style of music. So, listening to the soundtrack has been a blast. ( I now want to get the Yoga Booty Ballet Bollywood workout DVD - if only they shipped here!)

Actually, our library trip yesterday was fruitful.

I suggested that we all try to peruse a different section of the library and see what we could find to borrow.

Yes, we all found our true favourites and current passions but we also discovered a few books that we may not have usually come upon -

Ancient Computing by Michael Worlds and Mary Woodes - mathematical thinking
The Best Ever Book of the Wild West
Giants of the Ocean ( whales, dolphins, sharks)
There and Back Again: A Behind the Scenes Look at LOTR by Sean Astin
My Name Escapes Me, by Alec Guinness

These now sit on our camphour wood chest in the sitting room, for reading and looking at and chatting about.

Lying nearby is our copy of The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. Anthony and I retrieved the book from the Christmas basket, after watching the DVD last night. We love the illustrations in the book. We enjoyed the animation of the film- although Anthony is hard pressed to understand why someone could not believe in Father Christmas!

Today has also been a hot day. I am on rest for medical reasons, the two teens have work at Kumon and the next two have newspaper delivery and folding. Anthony started making his model airplane, the one he recived for Christmas. Thomas emailed his brothers and worked a bit on his novel. Jonathon looked through the Open University handbook, for interesting and suitable courses to study this year. Alexander played and played his guitar.

And we all managed to find some time before lunch, and before my doctor appointment, to write and decorate thank you letters to frieinds and family.

Tonight there is Mass followed by Devotions to St Anthony in our parish and we plan to go - that constitutes rest , doesn't it?

On Mary and On Mothering.

A priest friend loaned me the book "Hail Holy Queen" by Scott Hahn.

I spent several hours today at the doctors, waiting for tests and test results.

This was a perfect time for me to read Scott Hahn's book about Mary, the mother of Jesus.

A good time to reflect on mothering, as we celebrated the Ephiphany yesterday, the coming of the wise men to honour the child Jesus, cared for by his mother.

A good time to reflect on mothering and on the Holy Family of Mary, Joseph and Jesus, as we come to the close of the Christmas season.

A good time to reflect on mothering, as we re-adjust to living life without our older three sons, to livng as a small-ish family of four sons and two parents.

Scott Hahn writes:

"Mothers are the most difficult people to study. They elude our scrutiny. By nature and by definition, they are relational. They can be considered as mothers only in their relationship with their children. That is where they focus their attention, and that is where they would focus ours."

I know that mothering *is all about relationship. I experience this daily.

And this is what I try to share day in, day out - my relationship with God, with my dh, with others, with my sons.

We listened to some Carly Simon in the car today, on our way to the medical appointments. And we got to talking about the lyrics of "You're So Vain."

As Thomas pointed out, if you knew Carly Simon and wondered if the song was about you - would you admit it?

In admitting it, wouldn't you be admitting that the song was true - you *are so vain that you probably think this song is about you!

I talked about how many people felt that this song was about the actor Warren Beatty.

Was he that vain, one son wondered.

Where was his mother, another asked. For surely mothers, of all people, are the one who would point out the fault of vanity?

As Scott Hahn said, mothers are mysterious and relational.

Synergy

I think there is a sense of synergy involved in unschooling/homeschooling.

Stephen Covey, of the Seven Habits fame, describes synergy as follows -

"Synergy...is the magic that happens when one plus one equals three - or more. And it happens because the relationship between the parts is a part itself. It has such catalytic, dynamic power that it affects how the parts interact with one another. ...

So, synergy deals with the part between the parts. In the family, this part is the quality and nature of the relationship betweebn people. ...

You might even think of this as a third person. The feeling of 'we' in a marriage becomes more than two people; it's the relationship between the two people that creates this 'third person'. And the same is true with parents and children. The other 'person' created by the relationship is the essence of the family culture with its deeply established purpose and principle-centred value system.

In synergy, then, you have not only mutual vulnerability and the creation of shared vision and values, new solutions, and better alternatives, but you also have a sense of mutual accountability to the norms and values built into those creations."

There is a synergy in unschooling that means that we are not just each individual, following our own interests. We are an entity - my current passion will be shared with a child; another child's interest will encourage strewing and this will rub off onto a sibling; the time spent tidying together is also a time for asking questions and thinking about answer.

Duties are not required but are worked out, within the family culture.

The influence of parents is huge.

But so is the influence of other siblings.

I think of the game of Kings that my boys played for years. It started when the older three were aged seven, eight and ten. It was played with another family. Rules and constitutions were written. Societies and governments forged. And active wars were fought!

As younger siblings in both famies were born and then grew, they were added into the game of Kings. The synergy of shared interests and culture. And Kings , in itself, became a separate entity.

All this reflection comes after a depressing farewell to our older sons. They had to return interstate for jobs and university, after a two week holiday with us.

The younger two sobbed . We all felt torn - a part of us is taken.

This happens in families, I know. But what is not often addressed is the effect of older children leaving home, on the lives of the younger children.

There is a hole.

On New Years Eve, we watched the children's movie "Because of Winn Dixie'. Jonathon and I had read the book earlier this year.

And the pathos in the movie spoke volumes to me and gave me the words to share with the younger four children, about the departure of their three older brothers.

"Its like Gloria says, in Because of Winn Dixie. She tells Opal that you can't hold onto those things or people that you love. You have to love them while you have them."

The same applies to family, siblings, children leaving home, the empty nest and the synergy of unschooling.

Love it while you have it. And give it all to God.

Structure

Talking with friends about unschooling and structure.

Reading a blog about unschooling, which had many links to homeschool schedules.

These are not traditional post Xmas activities but are where I am today.

Structure can be developed, though. I like to do lists and 'getting things done." I just don't force my need for minimal structure onto my kids.

Instead, we discover rhythms and dances, meeting needs and wants and blending these in a large family. Especially right now, when all seven boys are at home.

Sometimes, too, my structure and example rub off onto others in the family.

Thomas mentioned that he never got around to the extra things he wanted to do. I suggested he make to do list at the start of the week, so he can write the things on a post it pad and stick it on his bedroom door. I have no input on this list and never check it myself but T likes the (minimal) structure, simply because it is his.

That is Thomas, in orange, in the photo. Anthony is the other - the one eating ice cream!

More on structure.

Father Xmas also gave Jonathon a diary , a cool Triple J diary. The idea being to encourage the jotting down of and keeping track of his Open University assignments.

We'll see. Perhaps he'll develop his own system. Or maybe he prefers the nebulous organic approach to university asignments - I have seen this work with his older brothers. Their approach to structure is diferent to mine, but still valid and effective.

Unschooling is..

I have shared this with others but wanted to keep the quote here, for a record. So I can look back and read and remember.

I like the description of unschooling in Rue Keam's book - Parenting a Free Child: An Unschooled life.

" We choose to live in ways that keep us conected and involved in each other's day to day lives. ..We believe that learning will happen in its own time and is not more important than loving or hoping or laughing. We live without subjects, in a world where life is not separated into neat little pieces but instead swirls and flows together in ways we could never design....Our unschooling is our parenting is our life together."

And Christmas was fun. Mass was beautiful. Having all the boys together is great.

And I got the book "The Taebo Way."

http://www2.billyblanks.com/book.html

Endings

Yessterday was the last Teen Group for the year - we went to the beach.

It was a seriously beautiful day. I loved the surf, the lunch on the grassed area was fun and the kids loved swimming and catching up with friends.

Christmas and Advent are always times of endings for us - it is the start of the summer holidays and many regular activities finish.

Some people finish homeschooling, with the aim for children to start school in the new year , at the end of January or beginning of February, when schools resume.

Other people plan to start homeschooling in the new year, so we know the new year will often bring new people to our outings and groups.

So, we are finishng off our Christmas crafts with decorating teddies - well, its mostly the youngest, but he is having a whale of a time and getting suggestions from the others.

Next week, the three youngest fly interstate to spend time with their older brothers. And Alexander will have his braces removed!

At home, it will just be dh, I and Jonathon. Weird having only one child at home!

Everyone returns on the night of the 23rd for Christmas - all nine of us will be home for Christmas.

I am planning on a Father Christmas photo for Christmas Eve.

Another Christmas Activity

We are aiming to complete at least one Christmas or Advent craft each week.

Now, I know one does not sound like much but the weather here has been HOT and we have been swimming and indoor ice skating ( both of which are a great way to stay cool in summer!).

We have the end of year drama presentations and rehearsals for carols at church - J and A are playing and singing in the youth band for the carols.

We have end of year teen group and time to catch up with friends ...Mmm...A minimum of one craft a week fits nicely.

This week we made miniature gingerbread houses. The original recipe called for graham crackers - what are they??? We substituted milk coffee biscuits.

We had trouble with the icing and decorations, as it was a hot, thirty five degree Celsius day.

Finally, everything "gelled". And we were proud of our creations.

Here are the instructions, in case you are interested -

http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/xmas/food/gbhouse.html

Art Attack

My younger two sons really enjoy the Art Attack TV Shows and the complementary website.

Last Friday, we made some Christmas Baubles for the tree, following the directions from the Art Attack website.

The Baubles were easy to make and look great!

http://www.hitentertainment.com/artattack/menu_artattacks.html

Our Day in Chinatown

Back, way back, in September, I posted about a Saturday spent in Chinatown and in the city.

Finally found some pics - here I am at the entrance to Chinatown, with Jonathon (16), Alexander (14), Thomas (12) , Anthony just turned 10.

See any resemblance to our older three sons? You can double click on the pic to enlarge..

A Fancy Dress Party

Awhile ago, Jonathon and Alexander were invited to a fancy dress party.

We tried to think of pairs, of characters that fit together, since the two were going to the party together.

We came up with the Blues Brothers, Starsky and Hutch and Neo and Morpheus from the Matrix, among others.

Our final decision was based on what was easily available at the op shop - A found a cool, inexpensive leather jacket, so the Matrix it was.

Here they are as Neo ( Jonathon, 16) and Morpheus ( Alexander, 14).

The Phantom of the Opera

We recently viewed the DVD of this opera. At Thomas' request.

It was magnificent. We all enjoyed the costumes and sets, the fade outs to black and white, the time travel.

Oh, and the music. The theme song haunted me for days.

Thomas and i want the soundtrack, now.

A Day in the Life of A Cheerful Catholic Unschooler

From an email and a day of last week -

Today we all got up late-ish. I exercised ( Taebo again!) and dh went for a walk. Alexander did his tai chi and yoga. Thomas and Anny played computer games, got themselves dressed, beds made, ate breakfast. At 8.30 am I woke up Jonathon as he and Alexander had a band practice today with hs friends and I knew we'd have to leave around 9.30.

Anny has been sick these last few days so he was going to stay home with dh and Thomas. I reminded them that later today was their piano and keyboard lesson so a practise might be a good idea. When I left, they were talking on the phone to their older brother Greg.

I know while I was gone, they played Uno with dh, played music, did some handwriting ( they both want to work on cursive writing), did their exercises ( we have a family fitness focus right now) and played games on the Playstation.

Jonathon, Alexander and I drove to a friend's house. Discussed the clouds and weather. They and two homeschool friends had a jam session, trying out a new song Jonathon had written and a new song another band member had written. I sat in the family room and had coffee and chatted to the other mums, the 17 year old dd of one friend and the friend's dh.

On the way home, it started to rain so we phoned dh and asked him to bring the others and meet us at McDonalds McCafe for a treat lunch. While there we talked about lower fat choices - eg skim milk iced chocolates for Thomas and dh and a skim milk decaf cappaccino for me!

Home again and Thomas made phone calls about some toys for which he is saving . Anthony read his book for Advent reading - More About the Saints. Jonathon got to work on writing more songs and readng a James Thurber book. Alexander played guitar and read some of his Advent book - Mere Christianity. I surfed the internet and wrote email!

They all played an rpg with Anny ( his love - Tunnels and Trolls) from 2- 2.45 , when it was time for music lessons. Anny wanted to divide 223 among 4 for the game so I showed him how to set out and complete division algorithms.Dh is on holidays so while the two boys were at lessons and the other two at home, we went for a walk. Together.It started to rain again!

Dh walked home and Thomas and Anthony and I went to the shops for some groceries and to hire a new PS2 game. We talked about the ethics of war and asassins!

Home again, dh was working on his hobby models , Jonathon and Alexander were using the computers, Thomas and Anthony jumped on the trampoline and went back to the Playstation. I did laundry and started dinner.

We had dinner watching Dr Who on the ABC and compared different Doctors. I cleaned the kitchen, including giving the cupboards a scrub. Then Jonathon, Alexander and I went to Tai Chi class .

Home from Tai Chi and Thomas said he had finished his Advent reading - Mary and Frances by Eleanor Spence, about Blessed Mary Makillop. Anny finished his reading and told me about St John of God.

We prayed the rosary and talked briefly about Christmas customs - trees, red and green. Then I read the next chapter from Mao's Last Dancer - and we all just had a long discussion about communism and capitalism and religion and culture. We looked up info on Marx and Engels and Mao Zedung and Lin Biao .

Anny is off to bed, after asking me to choose on of our homemade books for him to read in bed - I chose one Greg wrote whgen he was 14 - Australian Explorers. Thomas is playing the keyboard, Jonathon is writing and Alexnder is reading and Gerry is back at models and I am typing!

Its 10.00 pm and I think we have had a full unschooling day.

....So, there was our day. What do you think?

Joy

I posted this recently on an email list.

I would like to share this with others - joy is such an important concept for me.

Friends and I have talked a lot about joy and unschooling and our kids and our faith. How they mesh.

A and I are reading Chesterton's "Orthodoxy". We bought it yesterday. There is a great quote on joy , which I'd like to share -

"Man is more himself, man is more manlike, when joy is the fundamental thing in him, and grief the superficial. Melancholy should be an innocent interlude, a tender and fugitive frame of mind; praise should be the permanent pulsation of the soul. Pessimism is at best an emotional half-holiday; joy is the uproarious labour by which all things live......

Joy, ..... is the gigantic secret of the Christian...."

Papal Feminism

I was reading this morning, from Witness To Hope - a bio of Pope John Paul II, by George Weigel.

I was reading from the section titles "Papal Feminism." Intriguing, huh?

This is some of what Weigel had to say, about PJ2 and his thoughts on the role of women.

" Mary, he {the Pope} suggested, was the first disciple, for her assent to the angel's message made possible the incarnation of the Son of God. ...The ' Marian profile' in the church is, John Paul suggested, even 'more..fundamental' than the 'Petrine profile.' Without being divided from it, the 'Marian Church" - the church of disciples - preceded and made possible the 'Petrine Church' - the Church of office and authority....The message was unmistakable. Discipleship came before authority in the church, and sanctity came before power, even the apostolically transmitted priestly power.....This was Mariology demolishing the last vestiges of the idea of the Church-as-absolute-monarchy. "

I talked of radical in the post below.

When I think of radical and Christianity together, I think of the late Pope John Paul II.

Our faith and unschooling

I am on several unschooling email lists, two of which are faith specific.

One of these is the Radical Christian Unschoolers list - it is not that we are radical Christians but more that we are radical unschoolers who are also Christian.

What is meant by the term radical? The email list blurb says " On this list there will be no talk of curriculum, partial enrollment, spanking, chore charts, coercive limitations, forced respect, or anything else that doesn't jive with radical unschooling. " The blurb also quotes Galatians -

Gal 5:1 "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." ~NIV

Recently, there was a discussion on this list about our faith and our unschooling. Can the two mix? Is there a dichotomy there, somewhere?

A poster said that she found that as she unschooled more, she learned more about her faith. And vice verse. Someone else pointed out that, if this is where God has lead us, then we need to listen to His prompting, in the gifts and talents and personalities of our dc, and not necessarily look to curriculum .

And this is where I am - acceptance. Acceptance of where and who we are, and moving along with the help of the Sacraments.

Today we went "op shop shopping" - found some good bargains with books, Christmas books and cards, clothes. We peeked in an antique store and admired the old tins. There was an original Mortein fly spray pump, the kind that was used before aerosal sprays were invented. We tried this out and marvelled at the technology of the times.

We went to Koorong Books, a Christian book and music store, and bought an animated version of The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe. I think we are becoming Narnia obsessed, in preparation for the new movie. We keep looking at the Narnia movie books, at the website, we have re-read several books in the series, we have found out info about the new Narnia game for PC/gaming systems.

And T got an early birthday present - a PS2. It was on sale, secondhand, the newer slimline version, and it seemed a bargain too good to be missed! Hey, an early birthday present is fun.

We also bought another DVD in the Gurardian Angels Force series and G K Chesterton's book "Orthodoxy". A and I love Chesterton and this is one we haven't read.

We had lunch out and talked about making healthier selections. And about our favourite foods ( curry for several of us!). J and A are at part time work at Kumon right now and T and Anny are watching the Angels DVD as I type. Anny is also doing mazes and crossword puzzles at the same time. G is working on his models and watching the DVD, too. And talking about who will be the bad guy in the film. We all like to do two things at once, it seems.

This is where we were lead today - and it is a day full of experiences and learning and reading and family time and game playing and movie watching. It doesn't look like a typical school day but that is where we are.

Radical?

What we have been up to..

This pic of a rose is similar to a rose I picked on Friday, on our way back to the car from the train station. The rose was from a bush growing wild near the carpark at the semi rural railway station - it was growing in an old lot. There must have been a house there once and it is now demolished. But the garden plants remain.

The rose now stands alone in a small vase, sitting on the wood cabinet in our entry area. It is a rich colour and has a mild fragrance. I love flowers in the house!

Where did we go on the train on Friday? Well, we left home at 8.30 a.m. We picked up a homeschool teen girl and met another homeschool family at the railway station. It was great to have company on the hour long train trip.

We went to the Art Gallery - then to lunch at a food hall and a visit to Border's and to CD shops. Finally, we all met a group of homeschoolers for an excursion to Parliament House.

This was an excursion I had organized awhile ago and while the group attending was not large, the information and tour was great. We had an interesting tour guide, who ad libbed and added in side remarks. These were humourous and often sarcastic. We found out not only about the Parliamentary process but also about the history of the early colony and how one gets to be a tour guide at Parliament House. The guides made the tour interactive and had children playing the roles of different politicians.

Then, home again on the train - and that is when I found the rose. We arrived home around 5.30 p.m.

What else have we been up to? The usual drama class, skateboarding, iceskating, gymnastics, tai chi. Library visits, part time work. Shopping for new clothes for the boys for summer - interesting to see how the youngest two ( 10 and 12) have grown.

I am reading aloud Mao's Last Dancer by Liu Cunxin.

http://www.dymocks.com.au/ContentDynamic/Full_Details.asp?ISBN=0143301640

Automatically, while reading,we get into research and discussion about the Chinese revolution, the Chinese culture, communism and capitalism.

We have also purchased and read the latest Lemony Snickett book - "The next to last." I still have to finish the book - but I am reading at least four books right now!

http://www.infinitas.com.au/ProductsByAuthor.php?autid=24179

We watched Kingdom of Heaven ( some bits we ffed through). This had us spending a week reading about the crusades and everyone wrote a narration on some event or person from the crusades.

The teens, dh and I watched The Interpeter. Quite suspenseful but also topical - we discussed Africa and civil war and human rights.

We went to ten pin bowling with the Homeschool Teen group- younger siblings and mums welcome! It was a good day, followed by picnic lunch along the Nepean River. The boys and I pondered the importance of water to the early settlers of this area.

Every Saturday, the boys play an rpg with Anny. Rpgs are his love - he has the Star Wars one right now. They create characters, roll die, enact scenes.

T and J have been doing the Canadian Air Force fitness programme - 5BX for males ( XBX for females). A keeps up with tai chi practice and martial arts. Anny does bouncing on the trampoline and lifts my barbell without the added weights - it is cute to see a ( small) ten year old working out.

I have been doing the Taebo Bootcamp and some new Denise Austin workouts. Gerry keeps up with his walks.

Fitness galore!

It's over!

The Homeschool Spring Concert is over! Yay!

It was a fun day and we certainly enjoyed ourselves, enjoyed everyone's acts and had a ball of fun performing ourselves.

However, since our kids ( and thus, by implication, our family) were some of the organizers, it is a relief to have the work over - to feel the satisfaction of a job completed, a job well done.

No more worries!