Shamus is working, a lot.  Things are financially stressful but that is another post (and one I have been pondering for a while but which may or may not actually get shared.  All I can say right now is that God is amazing and much more reliable than any paycheck.)  On that point I want to mention mint.com– if you are having a hard time seeing the big picture of your finances, suck at budgeting, or just like seeing everything in one place then it is well worth a look.  It is working great for this financially challenged family and being free helps.  We had recently discussed the possibility of me taking on  a part time job to fill in the current gaps, but various factors nipped that in the bud.  Mostly the fact that me being here facilitating the children’s learning is key (they would learn anyway but Shamus cannot field their constant questions AND write 3 comics a week, 3 articles a week, and do 30 hrs a week programming not to mention keep up on his blog and several side projects.)

The kids are happily occupied talking to fellow unschooling friends on Skype and text chat, interacting on FamilyRUN, playing Build-a-Bear (their favorite game to play?  School–”except we know most of the answers already, but we get to learn new things too”.)  They are also occupied playing  Plants vs. Zombies, a lot.  Talk about an educational game that  you don’t realize is educational.  Essentially you could think of it as a fun way to learn financial planning and organizing your resources— of course you could say the same thing about Star Craft and other strategy games. Due to the snow, snow, and more snow they have been avoiding going outside (especially now that there is no ice to skate on).  The kids are also very involved in a new Lego Quest weekly challenge run  by a friend on Twitter.  Rachel is thrilled to have made friends who can talk when she can, Essie is reading her way through multiple series of books (having read all the Gregor the Underlander books in a week and moving on to several other series I can’t remember) , Issac is building all sorts of things and intent on beating Mario Galaxy on his own.  We are spending a lot of time listening to audio books together, playing games together, talking together.

Picnic at the pond

Me?  Aside from all the cleaning and rearranging going on (lots of re-purposing and getting rid of which I find a quick way to beat the urge to go buy something new. )  Now that the website issues have been dealt with I have been free to work on painting (trying acrylics still.  It is interesting but maybe I am getting somewhere?)  I am doing less reading and spending time on the computer  (due to eyesight issues) and more listening to audio books which means I am being more productive– I feel like I need to be doing something if I am listening to audio books.  And since the cd player is in the kitchen and we are being VERY frugal in our meals I am spending a lot of time in the kitchen cleaning, rearranging, and baking.  Yesterday it was no-bake cookies (naturally sweetened, carob, peanut butter, coconut, and oatmeal), homemade granola bars (naturally sweetened with oatmeal, cranberries, peanut butter, cocoa nibs, coconut, flax seed), and lots and lots of bread dough.  The day before I chopped all the raw veggies in the house, making a nice salad mix and freezing the rest.  Oh, and I finished a painting–a commission by my sister-in-law for her employers.

We have had crazy busy stuff since October 12 (Issac’s birthday and the beginning of our holiday season). With Rachel’s birthday over we finally can settle down. The problem is with the ice melted, the snow melting (we will have more, believe me), and no big upcoming events the kids are at a loss for what to do. I haven’t pointed out to them that our wedding anniversary is this weekend (and that they are all going off to visit family so that Shamus and I could have alone time to celebrate 13 years) deliberately. I want a little peace and quiet and boredom. Boredom is good for them, it gets their brains moving, it gets them thinking outside the box (unless we have boxes, then they think inside and all around them.)

Today is a normal day. Today the kids have spent 5 minutes each working upstairs in their rooms doing some sort of cleaning up, and 5 minutes downstairs, again doing some sort of cleaning project– whatever floats their boat as long as it makes a difference. I am finding that 5 minutes makes all the difference.

Rach spent 15 minutes doing Wii Fit and the other two have also been asked to do at least 15 minutes of some sort of physical activity (what and when is completely up to them– I only ask because Esther will spend all day reading without moving and then can’t sleep, and Issac will spend most of the day doing quiet sedentary activities only to be bouncing off the walls come bedtime– again, 15 minutes makes all the difference).

The kids decided that they would like to have boredom buster boxes, just in case they can’t think of something to do or need drawing ideas or book ideas, so they helped me put those together. They are free to fill them with their own ideas (because some days we have too many ideas about what we want to do and others not enough.) In the meantime I put some of their favorite (and forgotten) activities in the boxes in case they need something to do, knowing that they will likely not touch the boxes– just knowing they are there is enough.

And what are they doing?

Esther is on the 4th Gregor the Underlander book, nearly ready to start the 5th. She is curled up on the couch in the living room, cuddled under a blanket, enjoying the story (and grateful to Penny who suggested the books). She has already spent some time drawing and reading, and will likely spend some time in conversation with her siblings or us (her parents) about what she has read and the thinky thoughts she has developed because of the books. She will also likely spend some more time listening to audio books (she listened during breakfast and lunch and will likely do more later). Earlier she watched the rest of the Bionicles movie her brother rented (for some reason he doesn’t want her to watch with him.) She is also attempting to start an idea journal so she can remember ideas for stories, poems, drawings when she needs them as she constantly has ideas when she is otherwise occupied.

Issac is in his room building and listening to audio books. The trip to the library yesterday scored some new audio books (boy am I tired of Geronimo Stilton. He is great and all but too much is enough.) Earlier he spent some time cuddling me while Rach and I watched a movie he didn’t want to watch and whining because his sister was in his room. He likes to be in there alone, building and thinking and designing, then later emerging with whatever project that he has been working on for the world to see. He has also been spending time reading Calvin and Hobbes and Francis.

Rachel is feeling a bit off today (partly just down after such a busy birthday weekend) so she and I have been watching “Tin Man” which we just discovered today and are enjoying thoroughly. She is also coming up with ideas for her brother’s busy box– she loves coming up with activity ideas and this way he doesn’t feel bossed by her. She is also helping me find things to put in the bowls in the living room– because if it is in the bowls Issac will get it out and research it. Right now she is up in her room designing saris though earlier she was blogging on her site. She is reading the American Girl’s Smart Girl’s Guide to Internet Safety which I am thrilled with since she wants to spend more time online and make some internet friends. She made breakfast for her siblings and spent quite a bit of time drawing with the new pastel pencils I picked up. She also spent a lot of time talking– today mostly to her dad about random stuff, asking lots of questions about everything.

You can see the painting in the background.

In the meantime I have been working on painting with acrylics and learning a lot, mostly learning how much I don’t know about working with acrylics but it is getting there and I am learning. Also have been spending time trying to get one of the sites back online, and finally, a week later managed to get in touch with someone who knew what was wrong and fixed it. And now back to the kids– Rach wants to watch the next episode of Tin Man and is being very patient.

Instead of going for all the big flashy exhibits that all the other kids wanted to do they went for things that really interested them, most of which had no lines, and no kids or just a few. There were things that they wanted to spend much more time on and couldn’t because of the other kids but those things they were willing to wait patiently for and then used them to the fullest while they had their turn. They have also decided that they really want to save up to get a membership again (especially since a membership means being able to go to the art museum as well–though parking is NOT free even with membership. Grrrr.)

Issac focused on the things he was interested in– most of them included building but really anything that caught his eye (most of which were things that nobody else was interested in– like the exhibit showing the inside of feet and various types of arches, the joint exhibit, how blood pumps, and what’s inside a baseball bat.) Issac has also retained his love of trains. While the girls looked at the robot exhibit (their favorite) he and I went through the train exhibit. He has a knack for seeing things and noticed many details that I missed.

Esther loves anything with animals, computers, reading, or fans. She loves doing the weather report (complete with teleprompter and hurricanes), spent as much time as she could in the wind tunnel, and read every computer screen she could get close to. She was the only kid willing to pet the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach (it helped that she has been reading the Gregor series). She waited an hour in line at the sports works while her siblings and I wandered around just to spend 3 minutes jumping on the circus style trampoline and she was thrilled to death that she had done it (especially when the man in charge of it gave her an extra jump so she could finally do a flip.)

Rachel loved everything, except the fish tanks. She was disappointed that we didn’t get to go on the sub (she loves history and LOVES walking through the sub and asking all sorts of questions but with the crowds it would have been too much.) She also adored doing the stop motion camera movies and lots of the exhibits in the robot room.

All three insisted I get a photo of C3PO.

In general I was amazed at how much they actually took away from the experience, reading each description instead of running from item to item like most of the kids. They were focused and interested and quickly learned how each item worked and why instead of just interacting with each exhibit and moving on.

First is the one I did when Cat mentioned feeling like a dragon the other day (and which you have already seen):

Then there is the wonderful antique dragon coffee set my in-laws bought us last January for our anniversary (which is next weekend).

Also in our home is the Guardian of the Futon: the dragon I bought for Issac for his birthday last year at IKEA and which migrated downstairs so often that he eventually became our futon guardian.

Another favorite who often gets overlooked (because he sits like a gargoyle atop the shelf in the office is the Guardian of the Video Games.

Below you will find my Bibliophile Dragon Horde painting (still unframed) above the awesome paper Chinese dragon Rachel made me.

And finally, because my favorite dragon shirt is in the summer clothes and because all my favorite dragon books (including The Enchanted Forest series, Here There Be Dragons, and “Max’s Dragon Shirt”, as well as the books mentioned above) are elsewhere, are two small dragons that keep me company at my desk:

And our favorite household dragon quote?  ”Dragon shirt” said Max.

Valerie Comer also has a post up for Appreciate a Dragon Day.

Being nervous and doing it anyway is the hardest part of the battle.

Once you decide to do it, do it with all your heart.

Enjoy the company, take turns doing new things, and of course racing.

Be willing to race, to jump, to turn, and inevitably, to fall.

And when you fall, take some time before you get up to explore the ice– the look, the feel, the texture, and imagine what is down below, remembering what it was like in summer.

And when you get tired, take a break, but don’t take your skates off because you are bound to want to skate some more.

Cat has inspired me yet again–this time with a twitter comment about feeling like a dragon today. This is the fastest watercolor in the west (paint is still damp) but it is fun and was fun to do.

Snow is pretty.

Snow on ice after ice skating is pretty. I took a ton of photos of it because it reminded me of cubism.

The creepy hole in the ice for pouring water over said ice to make it smooth is not pretty, and is rather nerve wracking.  It actually has a nice layer of ice over top and and huge bump of ice all around– no one is going through (and there is a rope nearby) but still, rather scary.  And that is my dad cleaning the ice so it would be nice the next day– keeping the ice nice when it is snowing is lots of work.

James stole my phone and took a photo of me ice skating.  So that is me.

And that is Rachel.  She fell, and laughed.

Issac spent hours trying to perfect a sled riding track (with my help.) Lots of physics involved (slope, weight, gravity, angle, etc.) as well as lots of physical labor (I had a tiny metal kids shovel that I was using to perfect the ramp so he would go all the way down the hill instead of off to the side.)

More snowy photos (and ice skating photos to come.)

My desk is a mess– multiple coffee cups, several salad bowls and water glasses, watercolor stuff, paper work and receipts.
The kids rooms are trashed (although the daily service is working and they are slightly better each day). Books are everywhere though at least now they are in piles, most of the clothes have finally made their way to the laundry–clean and dirty alike, paper and writing utensils are everywhere as are all the little girl trappings– stuffies left from plays and other productions, nail polish and hair things set up like a beauty salon..
In the living room sits a box full of Christmas decorations (I finally took down the last bits), Wii motes and yoga mats, blankets and bean bags left out after movie watching, a laptop sitting on, and papers strewn about the midi keyboard.
Issac’s room there are legos and race tracks covering every inch of the room, mixed with books and boxes (used as needed for every building project under the sun. )
The kitchen is covered in dishes left over from meals, cd’s of audio books, and my paints and paintings in progress.
In the bathroom are the results of Rachel’s latest hand cream/epson salt concoction, some dolls and doll clothes left over from a recent doll resort, hair clippers from a recent trim, plus numerous damp towels and clothes on the hooks– left there just in case I need to go out and hubby is sleeping. The laundry room is overflowing with clean and dirty clothes and the back hall is full of snow things hanging to dry.

It is easy to think of these things as mess and clutter. And yet, I am reminded that these are signs of success, of learning, of activity and thought.
Everything left out in the girls’ room has been recently used and is the result of a project. Rachel’s hammer is sitting out because just a little while ago she used an old Chubs box (those plastic lego brick style diaper wipe boxes), a pen, and bits of paper to make a voting box– which entailed hammering a hole in the box for the votes. Books are piled everywhere because Essie always has a book, or her laptop. Audio books also lie strewn because Rachel is always listening to one. Their floor is always covered in paper and pens and other wiriting utensils because the girls are always drawing, designing, writing, or creating something.

Issac’s room is covered because he is constantly in the process of building or designing something new. Today he designed a war game using the weights to build cannons and gaming dice to figure out who wins each round. Race tracks cover his room surrounded by stuffies, Legos, K’Nex– all built precisely to the enclosed directions, and then adapted and added to, surrounded by books and boxes.

The kitchen is cluttered and not so clean because we ate and ran today as right after lunch we headed to the pond to test out the ice and Rachel’s new ice skates. The food we took along got dumped on the table because we had some other project to do when we got home. The audio books are there because we have been listening to classic books while I work on an acrylic painting and the kids either eat or do projects at the table. There is a blue IKEA bag full of snow things on the floor so we can easily take them to the pond tomorrow. A workbook (Issac’s) sits open where he left off coloring and doing activities (because he wants to, for fun, not because it is a rule.)

The bathroom is less than ideal because today Rachel made a special hand cream using various essential oils and Epsom salts to help our hands with the cold dry weather and aches that accompany the RA. This led to a discussion of books that I own with recipes for such things as well as which herbs work best for what, and future plans for me to teach her how to melt bees wax, olive oil, and coconut butter together for creams. She and Esther also had a beach party for their dolls a few days ago and today she had a spa day for the doll that she took skating (she designed skates and clothes adapted from other dolls for her so she could go along but then dropped her in the snow so she needed a bath).

The laundry in the laundry room is a sign that the girls finally remembered to give me their dirty (and some clean) clothes and that I have finally begun to get caught up on washing.

The living room proves that Rach, Essie, and I watched part of Rozencratz and Gildenstern are Dead this morning, which lead to much commentary on Shakespeare and humor and later watched The Golden Boys (a fun and interesting period piece) (both watched on the living room laptop). Issac also spent some time replaying Mario Sunshine, enjoying that he can finally read a lot of what is on the screen, and this morning Rach finally brought me the other Christmas box so I could take down the rest of the decorations. Oh, and several books are strewn about (because they are being read) and the piano music is out because it is being used.

The hall is evidence that there has been much snow play (and ice skating) as are the rather salty spots on the floor where people keep stepping with wet boots no matter how hard they try to avoid it.

The fact that my desk is cluttered is evidence that I have actually gotten some work done recently.

We may not have an immaculate house- though it is much, much cleaner, and staying cleaner now that we have instituted the 5 minutes upstairs 5 minutes downstairs rule. The kids are actually beginning to enjoy cleaning up and going well beyond the 5 min I require. It is never going to be perfect, or even clean to most people (though I do keep clutter to a minimum so that we don’t have so much to fuss about.) However, the mess is evidence of living and life, of time well-spent, of fun had, and mistakes made. More conversations and time together happen because we aren’t fighting over who is supposed to be doing what job and why isn’t everything perfect. Learning is going on at every turn without coercion and fuss. We all have time to pursue our interests without constant nagging and whining. We are greatly blessed.