Market Day, Soccer & The Greatest Fort, Ever!

Homeschool soccer is *always* a good time. A great park full of kids and stellar weather to boot. Most kids come to play soccer and some come to watch and play with friends. It's all good at homeschool soccer.

This week was Market Day. The kids bring their wares to sell. We ended up selling stuff only to turn around and buy someone else's treaures - I think that's what Market Day is for. There were custom buttons, homemade baked goods, origami, candles and various handmade jewelry.

By far, the best part of the day was The Awesome Fort. I will do my best to convey what was so incredible about watching the kids build this circular work of art.


It began with kids dragging *huge* fallen limbs over vast distances into a central location. I believe from start to finish there was about 2 hours worth of work done.



There was alot of planning and hashing out of plans. There were definately leaders that emerged and busy workers.



No adults got involved. No one told them a 'better' way of doing things. Little kids worked, big kids worked. Boys & girls worked together. Polite orders were given and reponded to with cheerful 'okays'. Knives were used safely. Requests for help were met with extra hands. No one poked an eye out. The circle got bigger and higher by the minute. It became clear that this was not work to be interrupted. Several of us waited for an hour (and some of us needed to use the bathroom) because it was clear that it was really important to them. They eventually accomplished the task and took away from it what they were all needing and wanting. You'd have to ask the kids what that was, because all the adults could see was a huge circle of broken branches, but the kids clearly saw something much bigger than that.

http://richardlouv.com/books/last-child/

Green Valley Homeschool/A radio station tour

The kids and I hang out with folks from a homeschool group called The Green Valley Homeschool Coop. I came upon them when someone at another homeschool group snidely commented (with an stinkface) that I sounded like I belonged "at Green Valley". Turns out, she was right.

Green Valley is an ecletic and diverse group of people. There are all types of homeschoolers - highly academic & structured, classical, Charlotte Mason subscribers, Waldorf types, unschoolers and every variant of those. It was exciting for me to meet people with every religious and philosophical affiliation, lots of nationalities, different family structures, and with children of all ages. It was a welcome change from the 'cookie cutter' type of homeschool group. And good for my kids.

Green Valley is a free-flowing, social group. I always leave a gathering feeling blessed. Although there is not a specific curiculum of classes offered, they always seem to 'just happen' somehow.  Someone offers a book club or spanish lessons, someone coordinates classes at a local museum and offers it to the group, and people are always organizing field trips. That is how we ended up at Magic 98.3 this week.

Touring a radio station was way more interesting than I had anticipated. The office at this station happened to be really friendly and welcoming. We were shown several different studios, given history of the stations they supported, ratings were explained and we were able to meet the on-air personalities. We were told they are no longer 'disc jockeys' as there are no such things are 'discs' anymore!

Kids and moms alike had lots of questions and I think listening to the radio will certainly conjure more vibrant images of a fascinating industry. Keep up the great work, Green Valley, we're awesome!

My Relationship with Halloween

I like Halloween - in theory. I like the idea of costumes, apples, pumpkins and fall frolicking. I hate the idea of trick-or-treating and the treats obtained turning my kids into monstrous versions of themselves. I dislike hearing my own voice saying things like "Quit pushing your brother!", "Stop walking on the neighbor's flowers!", "Watch out for that puddle", "Stay together - get over here!". I turn into a parent I don't want to be, with kids I don't want to have!

This year we hosted a Halloween party, for which I was without a camera and power thanks to an Oct. 29th snowstorm. (18 days prior, we were on the beach and in the water!)

On Halloween, Gavin & Mikey and I had the opportunity to visit with some residents at The Brandywine Assisted Living. I admit, it was a little awkward at first, trying to speak with people we did not know. But the residents seemed really happy to just see kids traipsing around in costumes.

Mikey was a shining, little beacon to the residents. He could talk easily with them, sit close to them and even ask them to try on his mask! He thought the ladies were lovely and they thought he was the cat's pjs!

He asked how soon we could go back and visit Barbara & Doreen. What a gift! We are definatly going back.

Later on, the boys only wanted to go around the block - and Ethan opted out about 1/2 way around. He likes handing out candy. But, the candy certainly got the better of them and there was still all types of frenzied behavior and mouthy children.

Hyper and fresh - but soooo darn cute!!

Blogging Catch Up

I have gotten tons of emails from faithful readers saying, "Janet, what have you been doing, what are you up to, we hang on your every word!" (that *never* happened)

My camera quit working on me for no good reason (sprayed with sunscreen, dropped countless times, used by a two year old, left out in extreme heat) and so I had to use my handy-dandy, VIP warranty from Best Buy (does Dennis know me or what?) - and they provided me with a brand-new camera, as per our $44.99 agreement - Yeah! But for this post you will have to tolerate pictures taken with my Hipstamatic app.

We've been doing this....

and this...

Washington Rock State Park

and this...

Kid Junction - Sean had never been in a 'kiddie' place, because there are always two or three "too big" brothers with us. He said, "Ma, I no can belief this place!"

and this....

Ringing Rocks State Park, Upper Black Eddy, PA - featured in Roadside America

We participated in our homeschool clan's Annual Stone Soup Celebration. It is always a day that makes me happy to be a homeschooler!

We also did this. 

This was an impromptu Pokemon game we were generously invited to on one rainy afternoon.

There's been a snowstorm, a blackout and a halloween party held during the blackout. Nope, I didn't have my camera for those. So, are we all caught up, Blog?

The Last Two Days Have Been Kind of Sh*&y

(Lest I portray that life is rosy all the time. Sorry for the profanity if your not inclined and don't proceed if you have a weak stomach.)

The utility sink overflowed. But not from utility-sink water, the kind you don't want flooding your basement. We figured that out when someone flushed and it brought a new cascade of not so clean water out onto our basement floor. There was lots of it. Roto-Rooter was called, but they couldn't come until morning. Really? Since I am the only one who can't easily pee on the grass, I think I took it the hardest.

Then the baby pooped in the tub. That's not new, but he was particularly creative this time. But we were in a rush to get somewhere, surprising, right? And I didn't mean to leave the poo in the tub. But then came the grumpy phone call from Dennis asking if that was poop in the tub? Ummm, yeah it is. Like I said, I didn't mean to leave it there.

Then Sean pooped and peed on Dennis' chair in the office, so I went to put him in the tub. When he dumped all of his bath toys into the tub, it became evident that he had 'strategically hidden' a quantity of poop inside one of the toys. Drain bath. Scrub. Santize tub and kid.

I grabbed up all the bath toys that were implicated and stuck them in the utility sink. Only problem was, the washer was running and it drains into that sink. Flood number two on the basement floor. I had recently scrubbed and dried that floor and just started the fans the dehumidifier. Rewind. Start again.

This morning the upstairs toilet flooded after being used. Are you seeing a theme here?