Fort Rickey

I have loved going to Fort Rickey since I was a little girl. It is a petting zoo, but so much more than a petting zoo. It's a beautiful nature walk through a maze shared with lovely animals.

This trip with my homeschool group was just for Halloween. We had a grand time. My kids especially loved it when the llama spit in my face! Oh and that lovely blue peacock? Well, that sneaky one took Audrey's sandwich right off the table! Oh but a good time was had by all and we will definitely be back.

The MOST

Another favorite place of ours to head to is the MOST (Museum of Science & Technology). And the great thing about going on a weekday? We had the entire place to ourselves! One of our favorite things there is a pendulum that you fill with sand, let it go and it makes such a pretty design. See? Henry was a big fan of the magnets and the vacuum that sucked up balls and managed to hit Audrey in the face at the other end ;)

Our first bowling day of the year

My kids love to bowl. I was never a bowler as a kid. That could be because the first time I tried to bowl, I dropped the ball behind me and sent it sailing into a group of friends I was trying to impress ;)

Anyway, our group bowls once a week and they really have a good time.

Our trip to the Syracuse Zoo

Oh, how we love the zoo. The Syracuse Zoo is fantastic. The weather was gorgeous and we had a great bunch of homeschoolers. It couldn't have been better. My favorite pic is of my kids with a lion in the middle. Can't even see the glass separating them, huh? Looks like they're the best of buds, sitting there, enjoying the weather together :)

Not Back to School picnic

What a perfect day we had for our annual Not Back to School party! The weather was gorgeous. The kids got to swim, discover some neat-o things in the pond (see Audrey's bee-u-tiful frog??) and visit with all their friends.

Our group has such a great bunch of kids. They had a great time. A great start to a new "school" year.

Having to play catch-up

Well, it's been awhile since my last post. We hibernated over the winter but we're really feeling the need for Spring to come soon!

It's funny but ever since we started leaning toward unschooling, I forget to keep track of all the things we do. Not the best way to go when the school district is wanting quarterly reports and I forget to send them in!

But boy, have we been doing some fun things. Audrey is a little entrepreneur and has been making things to sell in my etsy shop. She started with polymer clay pendants, like me, but (also like me), quickly lost interest and moved on to other things. She wanted to try her hand at stuffed animals so we did some research on all the popular "plushies" out there right now and decided to create a line called Huggaboos. Let me tell you, they are the CUTEST! They are all made of funky fabrics, machine and hand stitched by Audrey. Then, she named them, I made nametags and she came up with a "personality" to fit each one. Oh, and they each come their own little accessory. You can find them here, at my etsy shop. Along these lines, she and I made up some felt brooches in the style of her Huggaboos and sent them off to The Sampler to be included in the April issue. Well, Marie at The Sampler loved the idea of such a young contributor and she wants to feature a mini interview with Audrey and post it on the site. How cool is that? She is very excited about that!

But alas, she's made three Huggaboos and already her interest is waning, which is fine, of course, and now she's moving on to....

...matching necklace sets for you and your American Girl doll! She is making the pendants out of polymer clay and then either hanging them on ball chain necklaces or some beaded necklaces. We started working on them yesterday and hope to get some finished today so she can list them at etsy. I'll think they'll be a big hit as I haven't seen anything similar. She is very excited.

Her other idea is to write a zine and sell them on etsy. Of course, it will be homeschool focused and she wants to include other homeshoolers' work as well, so...if you know a homeschooler that would like to contribute to her new homeschool zine, send us an email (jdutt@twcny.rr.com). She's looking for stories, poetry, drawings, etc. Now, I think the issues will be themed so maybe wait until I know for sure what the themes will be.

Ok, well that's all the catch-up I can handle right now. Will post more later :)

Two fun quizzes :)

You Are A Lily

You are a nurturer and all around natural therapist. People see you as their rock. And they are able to depend on you. You are a soothing influence. You can make people feel better with a few words. Your caring has more of an impact than even you realize.

What Flower Are You?

You Are Psyche!

Eternally in search of purpose and insight. You're curious and creative with a total sense of wonder. Totally empathetic, you pick up on other's moods easily. Just be sure to pamper yourself as well!

What Goddess Are You?

Candy houses and fun surprises!

Every year, I see those Gingerbread house kits and think I should get one for the kids to put together...but, for some reason (usually money), I never do. Well, this year, I bought one. They had them on sale at Michaels for only $7.44. Well, let me tell you, my kids LOVED putting it together (they didn't even fight!) and it looks SO cute. We didnt' follow any of the "beautiful, but obviously done by a professional" decorating plans but rather, I put on the frosting as they plunked down the candies. I think it came out just lovely :)

Today, Audrey had to be at the dentist at 9 a.m. so it was an early morning for us. (we are not morning people). Good news, no cavities! Now, you must realize, we haven't had the best of luck with Audrey's teeth. They are crowded and soft and are easily prone to cavities but she is diligent with her brushing and I'm very proud of her for this no cavity trip to the dentist. So, luck was with us today and she was to be even more rewarded because after the dentist, we stopped at the beautiful, old Stanley Theater to pick up tickets for Lord of the Dance coming in February. I know, I know, it will be fabulous. I'm taking my mom and my 2 girls. It will be a wonderful girls night out and I just can't wait!!! Anyway, right when we got to the theater, busloads of children were showing up. What's up? I ask. Perfect timing, a musical of Junie B. Jones was just about to start. We obviously didn't have tickets but they just asked for 5 bucks and in we went. What a special treat. It was an adorable musical and even my little Henry loved it.

After all this excitement, we came home and plopped on our comfy couch for a little snooze. I love days like this, where everything comes together and all is right in our world:)

Weekend Winter Wonderland

What a dramatic weekend we had! Sometime Saturday afternoon, our sprinkler system in the backyard went on. At first, I thought my little man of mischief, Henry, turned a switch but he adamently denied it. I tried and tried to locate the systems power but the breaker for it was off and I was at a loss. I was hoping Jason would call from Afghanistan to help me but of course, this is the weekend he decides not to call until Monday!

Now, realize that it is freezing here and after a few short hours, my backyard became a winter wonderland with icicles dripping off the rose bush, the swingset, the hedges, the cars and little drops of water froze all over the yard. By the time Jason called, our yard looked like this pic.

Finally, he called and helped me discover the problem. It was NOT Henry's doing (this time!) but rather a bad switch that broke. I had to turn the water off at the valve and turn off the pump. It's finally off (of course, my neighbors all stopped by to let me know my sprinkler was on...yes, thank you, I know!) and it is slowly melting and the yard is back to normal. It was quite beautiful but I was stressed!

Yum, yum puppy chow

This is one of our favorite snacks and it's SO easy to make. Check out the recipe here

Kids group photo & sparkly lights

Being the non-photographer that I am, I had the darndest time getting all three kids smiling, looking at the camera, eyes open, etc....This was the best out of, oh, I don't know, 50! When I tried taking photos inside in front of the Christmas tree, Henry kept shutting his eyes because of the flash. So, we traipsed outside and sat them on the front steps. Well, then it was the sun that bothered him. So, we finally settled on this shot where I told him just to keep his eyes wide open just for a moment. He went a little overboard and this is the result...but hey, it's better that eyes squeezed shut, right?? So, this pic will go in the lovely frames we bought for the grandparents and Aunt Jill.

I'm terrible about sending pics to the grandparents and they see them only occasionally (like, every other year or so!) so they really deserve this photo. :)



We decorated the house over the weekend. I went a little crazy with tiny white sparkle lights and garland. They are on the mantles, up the staircase and a few outside. Of course, I chose the windiest day to hang the lights outside so they ended up only on two of the front porch posts. Then, I put a single candle in every window. It's simple, elegant and understated. I like it :) Our tree, on the other hand, is our usual eclectic mix of lights and ornaments collected over the years. You wouldn't find this tree at Martha Stewarts house but then again, you wouldn't find much of any of the thrifted goodies I find at her house :) Jason and I bought these M&M lights years ago and they go on every year but somehow we're down to only one strand of them so we supplement these gems with another strand of candy lights and then a strand of red. I did start a lovely tradition of getting the kids a new ornament every year so that when the leave the nest, they will have enough ornaments for their first tree. They are all piled on our beautiful, family tree :)

Lulu, the dress-up bunny

There's something about putting clothes on your pet...I remember dressing up my cat when I was young, in all of my dolls' clothes...she looked SO cute! Well, Audrey has started dressing up Lulu in dolly clothes and adding fashionably long, blonde hair. How tolerant this bunny is!

What kind of coffee are you?

You Are a Plain Ole Cup of Joe

But don't think plain - instead think, uncomplicated You're a low maintenance kind of girl... who can hang with the guys Down to earth, easy going, and fun! Yup, that's you: the friend everyone invites. And your dependable too. Both for a laugh and a sympathetic ear.

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

It's been one of those days...

Maybe it was the weather, maybe I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed. The weather has been icky and we are stuck inside, climbing the walls. Just a taste of what we'll have to deal with come winter. I've also been struggling with some inner termoil, if you will, about my life and where I'm headed. Most days, I feel like I'm heading in the right direction but today, my mind was all over the map.

The hardest obstacle right now is my struggle between wanting to trust my kids enough to go forward with unschooling but that stresses me out sometimes plus, the fact that I love so much all the waldorf inspired teachings but am having trouble implementing them into our lives. Too much effort some days. Most mornings, I would love 2 hours just to sit, drink my coffee and surf the net but of course, my son doesn't want to let me, although he's perfectly happy to watch tv for that time but if I allow that, then guilt creeps in. I'd really like to wean him from tv. He's only 3 and he's such an addict. Audrey, not so much, she'd rather read, as would I, but since he can't read, he's happy as a clam watching all those PBS shows. So, there's that matter. Then...

I also struggle with what to do as far as my etsy shop, my crafting and my potential Barefoot Books biz. I love etsy and when the mood strikes, I love to craft. My shop has been empty for months now and I just haven't been motivated/creative enough to make anything. I have supplies for almost any craft and believe me, I've tried them all and I like most crafts I've tried (especially soapmaking) but I can't seem to find my niche, if you know what I mean. I actually got inspired to pull out the beads to make some jewelry. Nothing came to me so I thought well, I can at least, sell off some supplies, mostly beads, for now, that my mom has been collecting over the years and gave to me to use. I did get struck with some minor creativity as I manage to make a couple of necklaces and finish up some old projects that needed completing. I feel better now and maybe once etsy works out the gliches in the new system, I'll get them listed.

So, that's what I've been struggling with today. Tomorrow may be better...I hope. And I'll leave you with the most adorable pic of our little bun-bun, Lulu :)

My Daddy is a Pretzel or Pretzels for Daddy???

Talk about confusion! The other day, I suggested to the kids to go get the book "My Daddy is a Pretzel" (very cute, cute, cute yoga book & cards for kids). They were spending their boundless energy wreaking havoc on the house as it was an icky day outside. I thought I nice, relaxing yoga session would work wonders. Well, my 3 yr old heard something completely different...as in..."Let's make pretzels for Daddy". Not quite what I had in mind but since I had been wanting to make pretzels for some time, it turned into a fun afternoon of pretzel making (search allrecipes.com for "Mall Pretzels"). Sadly, Daddy will not get any as he's overseas for awhile but we sure enjoyed them!

We also made apple chips as I have been looking for some healthy snacks to make for the kids. But alas, they were not enjoyed by anyone! Maybe there is a better recipe out there, anyone?

Fairy Houses & new dolls

After reading the fabulous books Fairy Houses and Fairy Boat by Tracy L. Kane, Audrey & Henry set to work making their own fairy homes complete with moss carpeting. We now find perfect places to build fairy homes everywhere!

Oh and check out my first attempts at little dolls. The first is a bendy doll using pipe cleaners, then we have a little finger puppet made using a tiny wood flower pot and wood bead for a head. Last, is my take on a pocket pal. Thought I might make some more up for Christmas gifts and maybe a few more to sell at my etsy shop.

Emily's donation to Locks of Love

Emily's hair has been long forever! She had been dying it black and had we continued, we would have had to buy THREE boxes of color but alas...she decided, not only to grow out the black and return to her lovely shade of rich brown, but she donated 12 inches (!!!!) of hair to Locks of Love. Yay for Em!!

Backtracking a little...

Since it's already November and we've "technically" been schooling since September, I thought I would post some pics, etc. of some things we've done.

September was our Farming block. We read a lot of books, made our own version of a waldorf main lesson book, planted both an acorn and a maple key and are keeping track in our homemade Tree Journals. Last but not least, we made a compost pile. Oh and we also visited the fabulous Farmers Museum in Cooperstown.

In October, we took a trip to Erie Canal Village for a historic tour of Halloween village. We got to go on a train ride and a wagon ride as well as tour some of the old, historic homes all dressed up for Halloween.

On the homeschool front

This school year has brought many changes to our homeschooling lives. Where last year, there were workbooks and books we didn't enjoy...this year, I've discovered Waldorf education as well as delved deeper into learning about the unschooling philosophy. If I were to label our schooling, I would say we are Waldorf-inspired unit-study unschoolers, which is to say, I love most things Waldorf, including playing with old fashioned styled toys made of natural materials, LOVE all the fairy tales and beautiful stories, finding a rhythm to our days, respecting nature and most of all, keeping children...children. To soon, today's children are turning into mini-adults. I know 9 yr olds with cell phones, 12 yr olds wearing makeup and preschoolers having homework.

I have all but abandoned the workbooks. We look, occassionally, at her math book but we will learn grammar, spelling and vocabulary by reading quality literature. We will learn history by reading one of her favorite series of books, Dear America, as well as lots of field trips to historical sites. Math is done by cooking, baking and playing some awesome games I found at the thrift store. Science is also done in the kitchen and outside. Oh, the possibilities! I have so many ideas in my head that makes learning fun we just won't have time for workbooks!!

Unit studies work great for Audrey. Studying something in depth makes for real understanding. This year she chose to study holidays, traditions and celebrations from a variety of cultures. We will make a Waldorf style book with drawings and writings about what we read. We'll do the same for famous women in history. We started with Helen Keller.

Another ambitious project we have is to make tree house out of popsicle sticks as well as other artsy-craftsy things to sell at my etsy shop

So that is where we are as far as homeschooling. I'll post our progress as we venture through this year finding wonder all around us :)

This is what we woke up to this morning! Our first snowfall and it is so beautiful! We were outside by 9:30 am making snowballs. It's that fun, heavy, good-packing kind of snow. It'll probably be gone by tomorrow but it was a chance to find out that all of Audrey's winter clothes are too small! Off to the thrift store later to see if we can come up with something for this year :)