If a child is happy and learning...

Originally saw this because Katherine Anderson posted this in Unschooling Quote-arama (on facebook) and it got sent to my email inbox. -

"If a child is happy and learning, I think that should take precedence over the (sometimes more) political question of whether she's in school or at home. A child who is home against her will might be worse off than a child who is in school against her will.

If all the homeschooled kids had chosen to be there, and all the school kids had chosen to be there, both would be much improved. And every child's life would be more peaceful. And the lives of those around them would be more peaceful.

Life isn't perfect, but pressure and lack of choices are in the negatives column in most lives." ~~Sandra Dodd

Sweet moment...

We have some tiny seedlings growing in eggshells and egg cartons. Kanoa and I were watering the new seeds we planted yesterday and he said excitedly, "Isn't this the best day of your life!!" I looked at him and smiled and said, "Yes, it is!"

Kanoa shows off his spinning and pretending skills (from 5.7.2013)

Kanoa thought it was so cool to spin the rubber snake fast and wanted me to get a picture of him doing it.  

I got a short video first, and then a quick picture!  

 A short video with a high pitched squeal/scream as Kanoa spins the snake! 

Now the picture....Can you see the snake spinning in Kanoa's hand...a blurr of green towards the bottom?

And here he is pretending to be a zombie!  We love playing Plants vs Zombies and had been looking up many videos related to that such as other people making their own homemade Plants vs Zombies music videos and Plants vs Zombies videos with various cartoon or game characters in them.  I can't believe how many there are.

5/21 - Jim just received a package in the mail for Kanoa which he'll give to him tonight.  It contains little characters from Plants vs Zombies!!!  Kanoa will love this!  Even has Dr. Zomboss ("the big guy!")

Dandelion Cookies

Today Makana and I picked a bunch of dandelions and used the flowers (no green parts) to make "Dandelion Cookies."  Makana went through each flower thoroughly to make sure we didn't include any green parts (sepals) as they cause bitterness.  

We followed a recipe in the book called "Dandelion Celebration" by Peter Gail.

Here is the recipe for "Dandelion Flour Cookies" - it takes about 20 flowers to make a half cup, though if you lose many petals in trying to get rid of the green sepals, you will need more.  Make sure they come from a place that doesn't spray chemicals or anything on them.  

This is how the cookies turned out!  They were pretty good.  Not oh-my-God great, but okay.  We thought that the lighter ones tasted better.  They weren't a crumbly cookie.  They aren't too sweet, yet there is a sweet aftertaste.  If you are used to healthier versions of cookies, you might like them even more.
 I'd make them again.  They'd be good with a cup of tea.

Makana made her own breakfast, etc

I know Makana likes to do things by herself and is proud of herself when she does so.

Yesterday morning she made herself scrambled eggs and an onion bagel.  I think this was the second time she ever made them on her own.  Totally on her own.  

Also, she and I have been playing Mastermind and Sorry, she's been riding her bike (Katie's old one) and last night she began to read Amelia Bedelia aloud before we went to sleep (though she had to stop to let people talk for a bit and then fell asleep before she could finish).  

Will you marry me, Mommy?

Kanoa was so sweet.  While we were at the Union Fairgrounds today (riding bikes and scooters with other homeschoolers), he asked me if I would marry him.  Twice.  Right after he asked the first time, he picked a dandelion and gave it to me saying, "Here is a dandelion for you." And the second time it was a dried out oak leaf.

I told him he was so sweet and thanked him for the treasures.

I don't think I got around to answering him the first time because he moved on to giving me the flower and then getting back into running and playing again.

A little bit later he asked for the second time.  He had stopped playing and running and had more time to listen to a response.  I should have said, "Yes, I can marry you" and give him a hug.  For all he must mean is I love being with you.  And he probably wanted to feel secure knowing that I would always be there for him and that I love him.  But what did I say?  Lightheartedly and gently I said I was already married to Daddy.  I asked him if I could give him a hug and a kiss.  He looked at me and with a yucky face said that if you give a person a kiss, it means you are married!  

Sit Down Meals, or Not

"Life is where connections are made. You don't need to try to set up meaningful situations (special dinners, family meetings etc) for big things to happen. Meaningful moments come from the people gathered, not the context. From being together. Unschooling families in action." - Pam Larrachia's newsletter, issue #13.

I love this!!  I was thinking about it in the context of "sit down meals," though it applies to so many things in life in general.  

We don't normally sit down all together in one place at one time for a meal.  Food  is made  when we are hungry and unless we have ants, it is eaten by the computers, in the living room, dining room or kitchen, with other people or not.

If I make a big breakfast, I usually make extra in case Katie is hungry after school as I know she eats very little while she's there.  Because Jim works and likes to have dinner after returning from work, I save a plate for him or have leftovers available to heat up.  Sometimes we eat late at night and so eat with Jim.  No matter how we eat, there is no "should." Wherever and whenever we decide to eat is okay.

Some evenings, Jim will eat his dinner while he, Makana and I (and sometimes Li) watch Little House on the Prairie.  We all Love that show and enjoy viewing it and talking about it together.

I love the freedom to eat when we are hungry and not feel like there is a certain time to eat what was put out on the table or that we somehow should come together to eat when we're into doing something else.  Even if I wanted to do this (which I really don't), Jim gets home so late that it wouldn't be a good fit for our family to wait to eat with him.  And Kanoa is too young to be comfortable eating at the table and I don't believe in making him do so.  I don't believe in making anyone do so.  I'm not up for coercing people to eat what I prepare and put out when I say so.  It isn't how I roll.  So....the idea of sit down meals is out and we do what we do are are content with it.

All that being said, there have been times when the kids wanted to have gone to a friend's house where they have sit down meals.  And sometimes afterward they have asked me to make a sit down meal at the table like xyz's house has....and also to make the macaroni and cheese just like they did too.  So I call for the recipe, the kids usually help prepare the table and the event is fun and special in and of itself.

How does anyone else feel about sit down meals?