Picking Up the Pieces

It’s easy unschooling when everything’s going well, but what about when it’s not?

Last year my family went through a serious financial crisis, my husband lost his job and was out of work for 4 months.

We have never had a lot of money, always lived on one income, paycheck to paycheck but when there was no paycheck for months life was  completely different.

We have always unschooled and in my mind and life unschooling isn't about academics, it's about learning through living. Unschooling is a philosophy and it's a lifestyle, we live therefore we learn.

So I was very stressed out, high blood pressure, anxiety, hormones out of whack, just not well. I've been having health issues for awhile and the stress from that situation really made me much worse.

The kids really did well, I mean we all adjusted going without things we were used to having. Relying on help from friends and strangers. So many of my online friends helped us through, I will never forget the generosity, I hold it in my heart.

It was hard but we were honest with the kids about not having any money, we ran out of things and couldn't replace them. We did just eek by with the bare necessities. We only lost power once, briefly and lost internet for a week or two.

We stayed home mostly and just used the things we had in the house to play with. We met some wonderful *angels* who blessed us greatly at Christmas. Yes, we had Christmas with presents and food all given to us by kind, generous people.

We learned a lot about kindness and helping others. We also learned that some agencies that are supposed to help you in time of need was just a bunch of bureacratic bullshit.

I believe because we have always unschooled that the kids just kept doing what they do the best they could. We learned a lot of real life stuff in those months. We grew stronger and closer and had to work together even more than usual.

We had to move (foreclosure) so we just did what we had to do to pack and clean and move. We are in a much better place physically and mentally now. My husband got a job at the end of December and we are climbing our way out of the hole that unemployment caused.

We have also been able to help several people in the past few months and it feels so good to help someone who truly needs it.

So while things seemed to be going all wrong, we perservered and stuck together and got through it.

Unschooling for us truly is a way of life, we adjust and go with lifes turns and twists all the while learning so much each day.

Because I am that mom, I lost count on how many times Jared said *mom, look* so my train of thought is gone...

This post was inspired by the Enjoy Life Unschooling Carnival.

I'm that mom

This post is inspired by Ronnie go to the link and see lots of entries in the comments :)

I've been trying to think about what makes me *that mom* I mean honestly I just do what I do for my kids because they are awesome people who deserve to be loved, respected and really listened to.

I honor their likes and dislikes, I cut the crust off the bread, I make them what they want to eat regardless if it's what I made for everyone else.

They play hockey in the living room and build forts and do experiments in the bathroom.

I'm that mom that inspires neighbor kids to want to spend all day at our  house and ask me to adopt them.

I'm that mom that let's her kids BE kids. Play in the mud, play in the rain, play in the hose, get dirty and explore. Guess what kids are washable :)

I'm that mom that reads the same book over and over, that answers countless questions each day, that comes when called to:

Mom, come here.
Mom, look.
Mom, what is this?

I'm that mom who does her best to find a way to say yes, even if it's not now but let's figure out how we could do that.

I'm that mom that will play a game with her child even if she really didn't want to because it makes the kid happy and in turn it makes me feel good.

Today I was that mom who let her 8 yr old play with a plastic produce bag in Whole Foods. He had a blast playing with that bag, it kept him occupied the whole time :)

I'm that mom who wants her kids to be happy and free and does her best to make that possible.

Learning happens

We all know the phrase *shit happens* right?

Well *Learning happens*

It is natural, it is individual, it is real and it is part of being alive and kicking.

Learning happens!

No shit!

Some days it explodes!

Some times there is so much info being shared, discussed and researched in this house that I can't keep up.

Lots of great stuff was discovered tonight, Jason said is it after midnight yet?

Ha ha! Of course we learned lots of stuff on Learn Nothing Day because we know it's impossible not to learn.

Annual Learn Nothing Day

Well it's that time again when unschoolers try not to learn anything.

We all know it's impossible but it's fun to try.

I'm sure I already failed and it's only 12:38 am :)

Enjoy your day.

Learning happens.

You can't stop it.

Just wish the mainstream folks picked up on that :)

When did this become the *Norm*

I think about things a lot and sometimes I actually verbalize them or write about it.

Soon after birth we(as a society) send our kids away for at least 12 years. If we do daycare and preschool then it's much longer than that.

Then in the high school years we push them about getting into college, then we send them away for another 2, 4, 6 or 8 years depending on how long they stay in college.

How does this promote families?

How is this a good thing?

 How is this considered the thing to do?

How can you have a real relationship with them?

Do you even know them?


I did not have kids to send them away. It never even crossed my mind to send them to school.

We planned on homeschooling before we had kids.

I left college to be a mother.

Being a mother is the best decision I have ever made.  We have 4 awesome people to share our lives with, why would I send them away for somone else to raise?

Why send them to government daycare ,aka prison, aka school?

I just can't understand how sending our kids away during their young years is a good thing.

Well it's not a good thing at all.

Happy Birthday Jared

Happy  8th Birthday to my sweet boy!