The Mindful Homeschool

“Love is the greatest commandment on which all other commandments are based;  We are here to bring a particular gift of talent into the world, without which the world would be a poorer place;   Time is a gift that is only given to us moment by moment; The gifts of grace, faith, talent, life, nature and breath are free;  All gifts are given to be given away.”  - Esther Armstrong

It was my 4 yo’s birthday about a week ago.  Both of my sons were born in October and it makes for a busy time.  We took him to the zoo which was fun for the whole family.  We saw a Russian Grizzly Coast exhibit and even saw a grizzly bear up close swimming in the water.  We saw very playful sea otters doing somersaults and various back floats up close.  I could have sat there for a long time watching them play in the frigid water. 

My 4 yo son kept saying it was “the lucky day of his life” and he was walking with an extra spring in his step the whole time.  He seems very proud to be four and seems eager to get bigger and older.  My, how quickly this time passes.  Just the other day he was 3 yo and it seemed like that time would always be there for us.

When I snuggle with him at night now, it is with the knowledge that these days are numbered.  That as much as I want him to be small enough to carry and sweet enough to kiss and hug freely without any embarrassment or hesitation, I realize that it will not always be this way.

So this thinking brings me back to the idea of mindful living.  And this blog.  You would think seeing the name, The Mindful Homeschool, every time I log in would make me want to live more mindfully or at least check myself to see if the day has been mindful, or if my thoughts have been mindful.  Or most importantly, perhaps, if my parenting has been mindful.   Or mindless.

When I do sit and think about it, I worry that so much of my life is so mindless!  So much of my time is spent like there will always be a tomorrow, another day, another opportunity to do it right, mend the bad habit, start anew, become the best mom I can be! 

But sadly, it isn’t so.  My mindless habits are getting worse.  I spend way too much time on the computer these days.  Way too much time in front of a screen when I could be reading a book to my kids, or playing with my dc, or tending to the household chores, or sitting in meditation or practicing yoga, or reading a good book and mindfully doing what I want to be doing with my life.  

Even if I live to be 120 (!), life will be too short.  My children will be small children for only so long.  And I will be at the epicenter of their lives for such a limited time. 

It goes back to one of my previous posts where I wondered why is it that we don’t do what we know we should do?  

My yoga teacher has been saying lately that yoga is 99% practice and 1% theory.   I think life is the same.  I can spend all the ”free time” I have reading blogs and reading emails in search of the perfect parenting techniques, the perfect way to manage my homeschool and personal life and balance out all my needs.  But at some point, I have to say, “Enough.”  And start living and being the person I want to be.    The ”goshdarn” reality is that I have to be there, practicing - living my life.  I have to be parenting, not just reading and writing about parenting.  I have to be homeschooling, not just reading and writing about homeschooling. 

For a person like me who loves to read and write, the internet has been a great way for me to gather information and connect with others.  But I cannot mindlessly allow it to dominate my life.  So somehow, I must start living my life.   And I have to start right now.  Because as the quote above so beautifully articulates, 

“Time is a gift that is only given to us moment by moment;  The gifts of grace, faith, talent, life, nature and breath are free;  All gifts are given to be given away.”

Happy Birthday! 

Dh and I were able to go out for a night on the town on Saturday.  We were able to drop the kids off at my brother’s house and go out for dinner together.  This is such a rare treat for us.  And it was a win-win situation because our kids love getting together with their cousins. 

I had done research on places to go and finally decided on a small cafe that specialized in serving locally grown and locally made food.  The place was simply decorated and homey.  We ordered our food at the counter while we listened to a lovely woman singing and playing a guitar.  It was “locals’ night” on Saturday so they had live musicians playing while you ate.  How quaint, you say?

Yes, it was nice.  We sat down in a section where we could see the musician.  Dh ordered curry and I ordered a pasta plate.  Then I had this tea called “Moon over Madagascar” that was really good.  It was from a local tea shop called TeaSource.  Their blackboard listed all the fruit and veggies that were in season and being prepared in their kitchen. They also had homemade granola for sale, also very good, made with Minnesota honey, and all kinds of other goodies. Their food was made from scratch, without preservatives or artificial ingredients.

I want to see more places like this thriving in our communities.  Places where the food is “home made”, locally grown, the entertainment is live (not just some TV blaring a football game), and the emphasis is on doing things the right way, not just to make a quick buck.

Thank goodness there are people out there who are willing to make these kind of places happen and customers who keep the place thriving. 

We spent the earlier part of this week camping and vacationing on the beautiful shore of Lake Superior.  We tent camped at a site that had a good view of Split Rock Lighthouse and a path leading down to the rocky shoreline.   We hiked and ate wild raspberries along the paths bordering the trails.  We found beautiful Lake Superior agates (a few), Thomsonite stone (we think), and broken pieces of vintage glass that had been “polished” by the rocks and waves on this great lake.   We roasted marshmallows, studied the stars, and saw some beautiful sunrises and sunsets.  We also heard (and maybe saw?) a loon from afar.  We saw a marsh hawk aka northern harrier up close at Hawks Ridge in Duluth and came pretty close to an immature bald eagle.  (Did you know that bald eagles don’t have their white heads until they are about 5 years of age?)

We spent our third night relaxing at an inn on Lake Superior.  Dd and I were able to do some sketching while relaxing on the big rocks on the shoreline and the boys walked all the way to the lighthouses.  We went over the aerial lift bridge a few times, which is always a treat, and spent some glorious moments hanging out on the beach at Park Point before we headed back home. 

The kids and I are still recovering from all the big adventures.  Everyone is a bit exhausted from the early mornings and numerous adventures.  Here are some of our favorite photos from the trip: 

The kids and I have been having a ton of fun outside lately.  We went on a nature bike on Friday morning and spent the rest of the day making bird baths from terra cotta pots.  On our bike ride into the woods, we saw all kinds of cool stuff.  We saw a huge wasp nest along the bike path, then later ran into the woods to check out the “kids’ fort” and scared away at least one antlered deer.  It ran out of the wooded area when W went charging into the tall grasses by the creek.  W also found a very pretty blue and black and white striped feather.

When we came home I started pulling out our assorted collection of terra cotta pots so that the kids could make bird baths.  We saw this idea first on PBS’s Donna’s Day show.  It is a lot of fun, doesn’t cost any money, and keeps the kids busy for hours.  We have been stacking the pots, rearranging them and decorating them for going on three days now.  The children have decorated them with pennies, glass gems and other things we have found in our house.  And the water that we add to the pots to make them look like fountains cools us all down.  At night we have placed candles in the center of the baths, making our own version of ishi-doros (stone lanterns).

I found this on the web to illustrate how some others create these works of art.  My dc have yet to commit to gluing them and painting them.  I think at this stage it is more fun to rearrange and design the pots.  It is kinda like building blocks for the garden.   Here is the site:

  http://patriciaspots.com/birdbathhowto.htm. 

I would love to hear if others enjoy this as much as we have!

Yesterday we hosted a sleepover with the cousins.  I made the kids earn it this time.  I told them they would have to prove to me and my dh that they were worthy of one.  This meant no fighting and they would have to help with things around the house.   And … they would have to convince their father.  They did surprisingly well.

We ended up going to a baseball game and then drove back home for the sleepover.  After watching a little of the Olympics and a few episodes from our Tom and Jerry DVD, the kids got ready for bed.  It took a while for all of them to settle down but I do believe they were tired!

It is good to have new energy in the house, to hear the cousins exchanging stories and laughing, and to see all the smiles on the kids’ faces.  It is a always a good thing when the cousins get together.  I am thankful that the kids play so well together and have a ton of fun.   

First of all, did you know that not all of the Olympic competition takes place in Beijing?  Some of the competitions are as far away as Hong Kong.  Hong Kong is about as far away from Beijing as New York City is from Miami!  But that doesn’t make these Olympics any less spectacular.

We watched the Opening Ceremonies on Friday night.  It was beautiful, breathtaking and just plain gorgeous.  I loved seeing the big scroll on the floor and watching the dancers, the drummers, and the Chinese characters throughout the ceremony.  The costumes were gorgeous, the symbolism was poignant, and the show was flawlessly performed by no fewer than 15,000 people.  I am so glad that we were able to watch it, all of us together as a family.  The children really seemed to appreciate the artistry and beauty of it all, too.

The games are taking me by surprise this time.  I hadn’t intended to watch Michael Phelps but I did see him win his first, second and third gold and I am now a big fan.  I saw a story about how his mother raised him and his two children by herself and it really moved me.  His mother said that when he was a kid she realized he needed an outlet for all of his energy and decided to place him in a swimming program.  That was the beginning for him.  Being a mother of three active children, I can relate to this story.

The kids are fired up about these Olympics.  They have been running outside around the house doing their “track and field”.  They have been doing “routines” off the swing set.  And they are adamant that they don’t miss an evening of watching these Olympic Games.  H-man has been cheering for Michael Phelps even when we are watching the women’s swimming competions!

Tonight after one of H-man’s races around the house, he was sad that he wasn’t fast enough to beat his siblings.   I told him that he was still growing and that as he got bigger he would get stronger and faster.  So what does he do?  He tells me that he wants to eat a lot of veggies and nuts to grow bigger!  So I got out the walnuts and started feeding him!  He is such an athletic child; it will be interesting to see what sports he takes up when he gets older.

C is interested in gymnastics and we plan to look into signing her up for lessons close to home.  I am excited that she wants to do this.  William has not asked to do any specific sports and I will continue to look for something that would be a good fit for him.  He is asking for rollerblades these days.  He has been wearing mine and he is very good.  He was really good at ice skating last winter so I guess it makes sense that he would learn how to blade quickly.

I am still taking my yoga classes and loving it.  And I still do believe that yoga is the answer to everything!  LOL!  Hubby is running and biking these days and looking good.  He is slowly losing weight and feeling really good about that.  It is good to have such a healthy, active family.    

I heard recently that setting goals can help make dreams a reality. 

In about 3 months or so summer will be but a distant memory.  That’s why we Northerners especially need to make the most of every moment.  So in the interest of doing that, I am going to make a list of things I still want to do before the summer is over.

• Lemonade stands and more fundraising for MoMF, a foundation that helps kids who have cancer and their families.
• Swim, bike, walk and run (?) more.  Possibly train with the kids for the triathlon and participate in a 5K this fall with dh.
• Feng shui some more in the home.  Donate and sell goods we are no longer using.  Clear out guest bedroom.
• Plan out the coming school year and establish some sort of a routine.  Do more reading about Charlotte Mason and Ambleside Online.  Set up a loose daily schedule complete with time for music, Tuesday tea time, movie afternoons on Wednesdays, art on Fridays, special outings, nature walks and lots of outdoor exercise, and time for me.
• Camp at least one more time in a State Park.
• Try at least one new recipe.  Try at least one new recipe in a crock pot.
• Buy at least one new outfit.
• Hang out at the poolside and beach - lots.
• Buy some new sunglasses, sunscreen and possibly a new hat. 
• Make at least one more mosaic stepping stone with the children.
• Go on a picnic.
• Check out the deals at some more local garage sales.
• Bike to the local grocery store at least 9 more times.
• Wash the windows in my upper level.
• Make pizza on the grill with fresh basil from our deck.
• Practice yoga on my deck at least once, maybe in the morning when the sun is rising?
• Practice yoga everyday for at least 15 minutes.
• Celebrate the gift of summer and enjoy being in the moment with my family.

We have been shooting hoops (H-man got a new basketball); practicing our golf swing (just a little on the front lawn); filling up the compost bin with scraps collected over the winter months; and spending lots of time outdoors, picnicking and playing with the neighbors.

We have been reading Harry Potter, the Borrowers, and Mrs. Piggle Wiggle.  We are also reading a d’Aulaire book about Abraham Lincoln and a Holling book, Minn of the Mississippi.  The latter two were recommended on the Ambleside Online website.  C and W also finished a Hardy Boys book at W’s request.

We saw the second Harry Potter film on DVD last week.  It was enjoyed by all except H who is too young to watch the scarier scenes.  We just picked up the CD to the Broadway musical Wicked.  It sounds really good and I hope to be listening to it a lot over the next few days.

We are playing outside on the swings and trees, taking nature walks in search of painted turtles and birds and just enjoying the great out of doors.  This is the one of the best seasons in my neck of the woods and I don’t want to miss it. 

Can I brag just a little? 

This winter the three children, Papa and I have been skating on the ice down by the marsh every chance we get.  And I am afraid that our skating days may be numbered.  So it is with great pride that I will announce that this winter we have made skaters of them all.  This has been one of those unconscious goals of mine for a long time. 

Everyone, I am sure, has ideas of what experiences they want to share with their kids, right?  Well, one of mine has been to raise kids who were comfortable swimming in a pool or lake in the summertime and also able to skate across an icy surface in the winter time.  And enjoy ice skating enough that you wanted the frigid cold days of winter to last just a little longer just to be able to skate outdoors just a little longer. 

Today we all skated outside on the pond.  It was glorious.  The sun was out part of the time and we warmed up enough to take our jackets off and skate in our sweatshirts and long-sleeved shirts.  Glorious. 

One of the neighbor’s grandparents saw W skating out there and commented that W had “style” and had a future in hockey.  That was a nice compliment to hear.  And there were no lessons, not even informal lessons.  We paid no money, other than what we spent on buying the skates.  We just laced them up and sent them out onto the ice.  We took them ice skating every chance we got.  And this year we were lucky, yes, lucky, that it has been cold up here in this neck of the woods. 

So even though I am looking forward to spending more time outside in warmer, spring weather and I am looking forward to playing outside without having to spend a lot of time dressing for it I am not ready to say goodbye to ol’ man winter just yet. 

It has been so wonderful to see my children skating faster and more confidently on the ice.  It has been a great way to play outside on these cold days of le bons hivers.  (That’s the good winter, n’est pas?)  We have taken photos.  I have blogged about it.   And we have made memories sharing good times with family and friends on our frozen pond. 

When it is time to go, we will wish it a fond farewell.  But not until then.  We will be out there every day we can, trudging down the hill with our sleds, water bottles, bubble gum, skates and shovels.  Making winter memories for those hot, dog days of summer that are sure to come, but in their own good time. 

On Wednesday night we ended up having a “o-tsukimi” party.  At least I think that is what the Japanese would call it.  Papa made his famous homemade pizza and then later we watched a beautiful lunar eclipse from our front yard in the frigid air, running outside to look at it and then back inside to enjoy the warmth of a fire in our fireplace.   

That same night I also taught the children some basic kanji.  The children had seen Sagwa, a PBS show about a Chinese cat, where people were practicing kanji and it showed people learning one of Celia’s best remembered Chinese characters, the kanji for rain.  This was enough to inspire the kids to practice writing these beautiful Chinese characters. 

We practiced again on Thursday and both Celia and William have really neat writings to prove it.  I taught them the few that I know including moon, day, rain, river, mountain, book, eye, and rice paddy.  Makes me glad that I studied kanji enough to share this with them.  It is amazing how what I have learned is able to be passed on.  Bit by bit.  Makes me wish I would have studied harder!  Well, I guess there is still time for that.  Maybe HSing gives all of us that second chance.