The Pond is Full!

Even though the water is still pretty muddy, Josiah tried to get in, but it was very cold. However, he did throw the dog in. She swam out very fast, shook, and rolled in the grass. I think she was really grateful for the spring bath.

Fire!

The gas line men started a fire with a spark from their pipe cutter. The whole fire department had to come out to make sure it was extinguished. Josiah rests on the four-wheeler after the ordeal. He helped put it out with some jugs of water. I was busily trying to string hoses together to spray the roof. Nothing like a dry run to make you see how unprepared you are for disaster. When I tried to call 911, the dispatcher told me I had the wrong number! Then when the fire department came, they said they had trouble finding our farm because we don't have our address on the mailbox.

Josiah Digs

Josiah decided to dig a hole today, and asked where I wanted one.

I told him I would like a pond at the spring.

He dug 2 hours and hit bedrock. I hope it holds water.

Maybe we'll have ducks.

Kylie Colors Easter Eggs

My little grandaughter spent the week with me. She was very busy sewing, painting, and cleaning.

Unschooling Quotes

I browse the Radical Christian Unschoolers discussion board so you don't have to.
Here's some favorite quotes from recent discussions:

' I think for some reason when we begin to *homeschool*, that whole word carries connotations of forcing our kids into perfect little *homeschool* molds, so the world will applaud and praise our "products", which I've begun to see is steeped in pride and pleasing man. '

'Date: Wed, 08 Mar 2006 23:28:22 -0000 From: "Lynn Coalson" <lynnatbeach@bellsouth.net> Subject: I am getting it!
Hi Everybody, Well, you all know from the rather long intro I wrote several weeks ago, that we are transitioning from unit studies into Unschooling. I am SO excited I just want to share this with someone who really "Gets It!" OK, so while we've been deschooling from a unit study co-op, I have been in the reading and researching mode, which gave Jenny time to just breathe, and be.And play!I was so busy schooling her she didn't have time to just play!Even though our homeschool was a fun and happy experience most of the time, we were too busy for play. The Lord showed me a long time ago that Jenny works through her life lessons through play.Oh Lord- I repent for all the times I have interrupted the serious work of her play to do some frivolous school stuff!I cringe when i think of all the times I missed it, because of my busy agenda. ouch! Well, God opened the eyes of my heart and guess what I saw?? He showed me how Jenny is developing her own ways of dealing with
the challenges of dyslexia- through play. Her own ways-ie His way. I mentioned before that she has been on this roller blade choreography thing lately.Well, she was recently put into a more advanced ballet class. This means she has to execute longer combinations of choreography.This is a big challenge for her. While cleaning up the yard one evening, after a day of roller blade "performances", I came upon the white board and markers she left next to a tree . On the white board she had drawn a diagram of our street where she rollerblades, complete with trees, storm drains, and other landmarks. By each landmark was a picture and a word like twirl, arabesque, etc. She had drawn her choreography in pictures. She drew it in the way her brain sees it ; in the way she can best learn it! By playing, she was developing ways to memorize longer sequences.Cool huh! There's more! I set aside the math book where she'd been "learning" fractions fractions and more fractions. ugh She's been playing with a wooden geometric puzzle where you arrange little colored triangles into a quilt like pattern-there is no one way to do this-you can make countless patterns. She has also been playing with magnetix -litle magnetic bars and marbles you connect to make shapes.And baking! Measuring and reducing the recipies because there are only 3 of us home now. Yesterday- she decided she wanted to complete her math book. So she wrote out daily assignments for herself, for the entire month. My first thought was "Oh no, we just failed unschooling" Or could it be that maybe, all the "playing" with parts of a whole, and connecting those little magnetix , attached a new meaning and connection to the math book fractions? My prayer is and hopefully will remain"Oh Lord, keep me diligent and alert-don't let me miss your plan, by being too busy with my plan!"
Lynn '

Amber's 24th Birthday

My lovely daughter turned 24 this month. She's such a mature woman, and beautiful, too. I had the grandkids 4 days and nights. They were very glad to see their mommy. Luke wouldn't let go of her.

Knitting in the round

I found these neat knitting circles at WalMart on our Valentine's Day trip. Josiah and I set to making toboggans. He finished his in short order and gave it to a friend for V-Day. I got this far and got busy with other things. I'll try to post a picture of the finished product when I'm done.

Valentines Day

We took some balloons, flowers, and goodies to Mommo on Valentine's Day.

Party pictures

Other people at the party ate plenty of cake and ice cream.

Josi's 13th

Josiah has reached the long-coveted age of 13--teenagerhood!
He's expressing his personality in various independent ways. But he still has to have candles and balloons at his birthday party (even though he brought a girl with him).