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This is from my old-neighborhood nextdoor neighbor. We moved six years ago.
She knew my kids pretty well then, because she has same-aged grandaughters
who lived with her (their mom was there to, and has since remarried and moved to
a nicer place, and all...).

She used to work at the museum, and has this year been teaching history at a
prep school, to 12 and 13 yr olds (7th/8th).

Today she was over to borrow some stuff for a unit on medieval Spain. When
she got here, Marty's friends were gathering. We hung out and she went with me
to see Marty play ork ball at the park. She LOVED that, and said she would
videotape a game for him so he could take it with him to the conference in
Boston in the fall! (What she did at the library was photo archives, and she
helped produce the educational videos they did.)

So anyway, she went home. Kids all came here and had pizza and cake, and a
dozen of the original 18 or so are still here.

I've already received this e-mail:

--------------------------

you all are AWESOME parents. your children are SO different from same aged
kids i encounter because you have allowed them to be PEOPLE.

i am very proud of your kids if that makes any sense to you.

i really meant it about taping, i'll be glad to do it. i did a soccer game
for katrina once, it came out pretty darned good.

----------------------

She's comparing them not only to the kids she teaches, but her granddaughters
and their friends.

Feels pretty good!!

Sandra

Sylvia Toyama

Sandra,

You do have good kids. Andy is quite taken with Holly, who is always nice to him and the other younger kids on Fridays.

This past Friday when it was so warm we met in the park, the kids had a great time playing Freeze tag. I'd watched them for a while, when I noticed Marty had joined them. There were a lot of kids playing, from about 6 on up, with Marty probably the oldest. They were having a great time playing and chasing. Even better, for me, it was clear that Marty and Holly truly enjoy playing with each other.

Our younger boys play well together now, at 7 & 3, as did my brother and I until we were about 8 or so, when school friends (and their opinions) became so much more important than each other. By our teens, we had virtually nothing in common, and rarely chose to spend time together. I've so enjoyed watching Andy & Dan become close, knowing that if Andy were in school, he'd be much too 'big' for his little brother. It was nice to see that trend continues in non-school kids like Marty & Holly.

Sylvia


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Jenny E.

Wow! What a great email for her to send to you. That is such a great feeling when others can see the value and assets in our children that we see as their parents.

Recently, the boys and I went with my parents up to Monterey Bay, CA. to scatter my grandmother's ashes. While all the "grown-ups" were planning and visiting at my uncle's house, the boys and I were outside playing and exploring the small fish pond. When the neighbor noticed my boys (at a house that has no children) she came over and invited them to play with her kids in their yard. A couple of days after returning home my uncle's wife emailed me to tell me that the neighbor had come over and complimented my boys on their thoughtfulness and politeness. But what really made me proud was when she said, "And they are so creative in their play!"

Yay for unschooling and seeing the value of play!

Jen :o)
Mom to Beck (8) and Dane (5)
Learning the natural way every day!

----- Original Message -----
From: SandraDodd@...



I've already received this e-mail:

--------------------------

you all are AWESOME parents. your children are SO different from same aged
kids i encounter because you have allowed them to be PEOPLE.

i am very proud of your kids if that makes any sense to you.

i really meant it about taping, i'll be glad to do it. i did a soccer game
for katrina once, it came out pretty darned good.

----------------------

She's comparing them not only to the kids she teaches, but her granddaughters
and their friends.

Feels pretty good!!

Sandra


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In a message dated 1/11/04 8:06:00 PM, syltoyama@... writes:

<< Andy is quite taken with Holly, who is always nice to him and the other
younger kids on Fridays. >>

Well I wondered if Holly was the one you said he kinda had a crush on, but
didn't want to ask. <g>

<<This past Friday when it was so warm we met in the park, the kids had a
great time playing Freeze tag. I'd watched them for a while, when I noticed
Marty had joined them. There were a lot of kids playing, from about 6 on up, with
Marty probably the oldest. They were having a great time playing and
chasing. Even better, for me, it was clear that Marty and Holly truly enjoy playing
with each other. >>

Thanks for letting me know that!

Here it is from my end, and for the benefit of readers outside of
Albuquerque, the park is just a couple of blocks from my house. It's where they were
playing Ork Ball today.

Holly had left while I was gone from the house. She got the message that
the site had been changed, so she cancelled the ride she had gotten. But I knew
nothing of that.

She had planned to take a box of candy she got for Christmas and share it
there. When I got home from having lunch with a friend, I noticed it was still
there, and said to Marty, "Oh, Holly forgot to take that candy. She can take
it next time." Marty and I did this or that, talked about some things,
settled in separately, and in a bit he came in and said "I'm going to take this
candy to Holly."

I thought you were at the community center (Plan A), and I kinda thought he
meant to roller-blade there. I said "It's way too far, they might not even be
there by the time you get there," and he looked at me funny, and I looked at
him funny, and he said "They're at the park."

Oh. I hadn't read my e-mail (which was full of plan-changing details).

So Marty took the candy, and when he came back he said "They were playing
freeze tag."

"Did you play?" (Because he'd been gone a fair while.)

"Yeah! It was fun."

That night Holly told me about the freeze tag game. She said they played
longer than they ever had, and that nobody had gotten angry or quit. I asked if
it was because someone was being the organizer and peacekeeper. She said no.
Then she kinda hesitated and said, "Well I started it, but..." and trailed
off. She was thinking. Then she didn't take credit. She said everyone was
just getting along really well that day.

Sandra

[email protected]

<< You do have good kids. >>

I think most unschooling kids are the way they are. Sure seems like it at
unschooling conferences!

Sandra

[email protected]

In a message dated 1/11/04 8:21:07 PM, mom2jrjedis@... writes:

<< Yay for unschooling and seeing the value of play! >>

Yah for adults who can still appreciate it!!