What a Beautiful Day...(one minor incident)

Ah, the freedom that home educating allows ones family is one of the absolute best parts of choosing this lifestyle. One needn't be a millionaire (we certainly aren't...not even a hundredthousandaire's!) to enjoy the beauty that Nature provided each and every day. Days in which to drink in the suns rays, adore various creatures and best of all, each other.

We left out around 8:15 this morning and headed over to Perdido Key State Park. It was so beautiful and peaceful and the waves were fun to play in without the danger of rip currents. We body surfed, found shells, saw several blue crabs, a small jelly, plenty of birds and two dolphin...and hence we've reached the minor incident! I am utterly terrified of sharks. Zak was about waist deep and Brooke and I were closer to the shore when I saw a fin pop out of the water, well I panicked "Get out of the water! Shark! Shark!" The whole time Zak is saying, "Mom, it isn't a shark, it is a dolphin." I didn't care, I saw the fin and that was that. I saw that no one was in danger and was screaming "Get the camera, get the camera!" While trying to stay with the fin, which were now two fins and I knew then we were dealing with dolphins. To make a long story short, Brooke's awesome "Rat" innertube was lost to the Gulf of Mexico because during the panic, the waves had grabbed hold of it and Zak was trying to hurry and get me the camera. Anyway, I felt terrible and promised Brooke a new innertube.

After the "incident" we still had a wonderful time and here are some samples of our awesome morning at the beach:

Morning at the Park and Swimming to Cool Off and Zak Bakes

We've decided to postpone our lessons until the afternoon because it is so very hot and humid lately and so this morning, we headed over to the new Perdido Key Kids Park. Whew! It mattered not that we went early it was still extremely hot and humid but not nearly as bad as it gets in the afternoon. Thankfully, we brought plenty of water. The children and I played Hide-n-Seek and they wore me out but we had a great time. After about an hour we headed back home for some fun in the pool. Our pool time consisted of throwing a football, jumping into the water all at the same time, noodle races, and more.

After we ate lunch the children went ahead with their lessons. They continually amaze me with their ability to learn all the while I keep in mind "not to step in as teacher, they ARE capable of learning on their own". Rarely am I called upon to answer a question and we do enjoy reading aloud together from some of their readings. It is the being there that is important but let me tell you...from reading with them and/or scanning their quality books to be read, I have learned more than I ever did in all of my schooled years. I'm thankful to be able to give my children a liberal education, one that will prepare them for college (should they desire to go)and one that puts them in direct contact with living books and living ideas.

Later that early afternoon Zachary made his first batch of brownies (no help from me whatsoever). :-) It was funny because he had chocolate all over his fingers and then the spoon and of course the beaters. He called his sister out to 'clean' off the spoon and beaters and I kid you not...I'm surprised we had brownies at all because I think they ate more than Zak put in the pan...LOL But man, they were delicious! Way to go Zak!




The above pictures were taken Saturday at the same park by DH. And what a fabulous family day that was... :-)

Wife Swap Rant...

Why I tune into this show when they have a family of home schoolers is beyond me because it does nothing but piss me off. Of all the home schoolers I know and have known, NONE have locked their children up from the world and I've known people on all sides (meaning from the fundamentalist to the radical non-christian unschooler). I'm sure that the public is well aware that Wife Swap and other 'reality shows' arrange shows in a way that will stir up controversy (which apparently people love) but home schoolers already have a negative stereotype due to ignorance on the part of opponents. Far be it for Wife Swap, to focus on home schoolers who actually get their children out, whose children are happy and getting along, whose children are taken to visit friends and have friends visit, who are in an activity or two, etc. However, it wouldn't stir ratings when they show how the majority of us are, despite what homeschooling philosphy or style the home educating family is using. Sadly, they will continue to portray the extremist homeschoolers and therefore continue feed the stereotype that that is how the majority of homeschoolers are.

Reality shows, love em' or hate em', are no where close to being reality. In reality, we don't swap spouses (well unless you're swingers), aren't put on islands for 31 days with complete strangers, don't cross countries with no money, don't have four women dating one guy the same night at the same time, etc. I cannot stand reality shows but just flicking through the channels gives me enough information to make a rational judgement...they are garbage. Everytime I have ever stopped on one, I find myself wishing that I could get those wasted minutes back.

They had a Ball....

The children had a ball today at their first day of blended school. They'll be going once a week. The whole day was hands on physical science done through; art, drama, writing, etc. Recess and lunch and of course a snack break helped the fun of the day as well. Both made many new friends, and Zak had the attention of some females...lol

I'm so thankful that my children have a choice on what they want to do with their education. So many public/private schooled and home schooled children do not have such an opportunity, many ask their parents to be home-schooled but they are told, "No" with really no good reason why. Same for many hard core home schoolers, their children want other learning opportunities or to get out and their parents do not allow them to try.

Donnie came home for lunch to spend some time with me and we had a super time... ;-) It was strange not having the children here and I admit, lonely for me earlier on but I'm just happy that they are happy.

Boy, I am sure to get a lot of put off decluttering done on Thursdays now...probably a good thing seeing how Christmas is just around the corner.

My Favorite Lyrics...

This song and it's lyrics are so powerful to me and our daughter loves the song as well. Positive music in the pop world and ones that aren't about having sex are often few and far between and that makes me all the more fond of this young lady, Natasha Bedingfield, for not following the crowd and standing out on her own.

Unwritten
Lyrics
Artist(Band):Natasha Bedingfield

I am unwritten,
Can't read my mind
I'm undefined
I'm just beginning
The pen's in my hand
Ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words
That you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten Oh

Oh, oh

I break tradition
Sometimes my tries
Are outside the lines
We've been conditioned
To not make mistakes
But I can't live that way oh, oh
(back to staring......)

A Shameless Plug for Home and Natural Remedies

We have been so fortunate to have read over the years books regarding natural and alternative healing. There are many things that I do not know and remedies that we have not tried but I'm going to start keeping tabs via this site about ones we have used that work....

Zachary has had an ear infection this past week and so I pulled out a trusted remedy that we had used on Brooke and myself within the past year. I boiled about a half cup of olive oil, turned down the heat, added 5 cloves of smashed garlic and cooked on low for five minutes. After the tincture has cooled, I poured it into a dropper bottle and administered one drop two times daily. His infection has already started to clear and we'll continue this for the next seven days.

Last year Zachary had some sort of skin-colored inflammed rash on his left inner elbow. It never really bothered him so I forgot that it was there sometimes. However, a couple of months ago it started to irritate him so off to the doctor we went. The physicians assistant, sweet as she was, never told us what this rash on his arm was; she just wrote a prescription and to put the ointment on twice daily for one week. I was kicking myself later after we used it because the possible side-effects listed were horrible...one including sterililty in males! Of course, by the time I read those we had already been using the medication. It cleared the bumpy and inflammed rash up but now the inflammed rash is back again and this time it was really annoying. I knew that we'd only get hit with another round of antibiotics and doctor bill so I decided it was time to go with natural healing...again. Yesterday I purchased a small bottle of Source Naturals Ultra Colloidal Silver Spray , Boericke & Tafee Florasone (R) Cardiospermum Cream and a bottle of blueberry flavored Acidiphilos (so as to introduce good bacteria). I sprayed the colloidal silver on his arm and allowed to dry, gave in one acidiphilous tablet, and then we followed with the cream and guess what??? Already the bumpy rash has gone down significantly and there are no 'possible' horrid side effects. I wouldn't be surpised if he was cleared up by Friday and we'll continue the treatment until next Wednesday.

I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and instead of going on pain medications and disease altering meds that have a list of nasty possible side-effects I've chosen to go (within reason)to a vegan diet and combined with 3 glasses daily each of 1tb of cider vinegar combined with 1tsp. of honey and 1tsp blackstrap molasses. First though, I did a week long fast as in the book Prescription for Dietary Wellness, that immediately relived pain and swelling. After that I started my path to vegetarian/vegan. There have only been mild flare ups and they ONLY happen when I have run out of proper foods and have had to eat what I shouldn't because we've had something happen over the pay period that cost extra and therefore I wasn't able to buy my foods. Other than that, and even despite that, I have not had to use any type of pain reliever be it over-the -counter or prescribed. I've learned so much, for instance...did you know that pineapple is a natural anti-inflammatory? :-) Two book recommendations are Cure Arthritis the Drug Free Way and also Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weightloss. To date, I have lost 23 pounds since June as a result of a healthy diet and regular exercise.

I'm very thankful to live in a country with such advanced medicines and technology, however, I think it is sad that those in the medical community are so much more apt to offer man-made medicines instead of the ones that have worked for centuries...they have thrown out the baby with the bathwater. There is not one good reason that natural and dietary remedies shouldn't be offered as a first treatment option, NOT ONE.

Chess and a Nice Weekend.....

Zachary has a great passion for the game of Chess. We bought him a beautiful wooden chess board with hand-carved pieces for his birthday. He has beaten his father and I many times over the past few weeks and he only gets better. We rented Searching for Bobby Fisher this past weekend and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. When it was finished I of course noticed that at the end it gave an update on Josh Waitzkin, the story of whom the movie was about. How cool to learn that not only did he become a proficient and champion chess player but that he is awesome at martial arts as well and guess who else is interested in the martial arts? LOL Yep, our son. ;-)

This past weekend was very nice and relaxing. Saturday Donnie, the kids and I spent lounging by the pool and playing together. On Sunday, we had some friends and their children over for a visit, swimming and dinner. I believe that we all need weekends like that where you just do 'nothing'. Families need more time like that for just chilling out with not a care in the world for the lawn, or the weeds, or cleaning; they need it to just be. To be at one with nature, at one with their families and at one with their spirit.

The Park and WildLife Sanctuary

Today we went to a park just a few minutes away from home to feed the ducks and birds, but we went a little bit too late because there were few around and when we threw a couple of test pieces, the Seagulls didn't bother. Before we went there though the kids wanted to get snack from the store with their money. I just sat back and watched as they estimated the total amounts in their head, how they interacted with the clerk, etc.... their life skills are just fine. Brooke's total was $2.99 and she gently counted out one quarter at a time in the clerk's hand until she had counted out three dollars, and gave him a polite 'thank you' when he handed the change back to her. Zak had so much junk and only had out $4 and I asked, "Son, are you sure you have that right?" With a slight bit of a 'sigh' he was like, "Yes Mom, I have enough, I estimated everything out." He was right. :-)

At the park the children enjoyed their food and drinks and swang for awhile, however, I wasn't that comfortable. An older teen was there (he had a vehicle) and he had a toy shotgun that he aimed at many things. First I thought that it was just a little strange but it was when he went to the car that I got nervous. I'm a firm believer in motherly instincts and let me tell you, mine went into overdrive. He placed the toy gun down but then picked up a big bag and reached inside, he then pulled out a handgun that did not look like a toy. He studied it a moment then placed it in his bag and walked away from the car while leaving the hatch open. I quietly walked over to the children and said that we need to leave. I should've called the police but I was just bothered so much that it didn't cross my mind. The toy gun had an orange tip, what he pulled out of his bag did not have a tip. I do not feel bad about my intuitions at all and am glad that we left the park, you just never know these days.

We went home and had lunch and then about an hour and a half later we went to the Wildlife Sanctuary just over the bridge from our home. We had a wonderful time! Mourning Doves followed us everywhere and allowed us to hold them and they really loved to get at our toes. The white-tailed deer was out and about and the kids fed him with leaves around the area. We watched Pelicans fly around and stare at us with their beautiful eyes, and some geese were busy making a ton of noise. Two mallard ducks wandered around in freedom one of which had a broken wing.

I think it is just so awesome that there are organizations out there who take care of animals. Last month when we visited Brooke donated $15 and they sent her a handwritten thank you note. Zak loves the sanctuary too, and we've decided to regularly frequent and support this little gem of a place. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if they wanted to volunteer their time someday when they reach the right age. However, at this moment, the sanctuary (for liability purposes) doesn't allow those under the age of 16 to volunteer.

Pensacola Museum of Art

Today was a mother/daughter afternoon. We went to downtown Pensacola to the Museum of Art. The artist being displayed was Salvador Dali and the artwork of his being displayed were Botanical. The art was amazing to look at and every piece was a conversation for Brooke and I. We discussed what we saw in the drawings and read the card on the side with what the artist was trying to convey, it was a very calming atmosphere even though we thought that most of the art was disturbing. However, we enjoyed the works anyway. Next we went to the upstairs portion of the Museum to view the local artists in the area and were drawn in especially by one painter who's art we both absolutely loved; Larry Horn.

Afterwards we took a stroll in the city park and Brooke climbed on the cannons and we sat on a bench under a big tree for shade. Being that it is a Sunday is was very relaxing and peaceful. There were two men playing guitar over by the fountain where Brooke made a secret wish.

When we were finished we went to pick up some groceries and pick out birthday cards for Zachary, he'll be twelve tomorrow. I'm excited, wow, how the time flows by! One day they are in your arms after exiting the body of their mother and the next thing you know, they are so tall that they are at eye level with you. :-)

Blues on the Beach

Tonight we drove to Pensacola Beach and had a wonderful time listening to some blues and classic rock from a local band. The weather was perfect and the breeze from the Gulf of Mexico was slightly cool, taking the humidity away to make for a very comfortable evening. Zak and Brooke played on the sand dunes for awhile and then later Brooke played with the daughter of a man whom Donnie works with.

Zak ventured out on his own tonight which made me a little nervous but I know that there comes a time when children want more independence. There were probably over a couple hundred people there and many at the beach and he wanted to go take a dip in the Gulf without me or his dad by his side. :-) So, although I was nervous, I was excited too, for him. It did relieve another fear which was that "will homeschooling mean children who never want independence?" The answer is a resounding "no", in their own time, they will want independence.