night swims
Melissa
Yesterday we headed to the dollar store, Breanna was needing
something so we picked up some McD's french fries and went shopping.
She picked out some coloring books, but suddenly I remembered
something I read online here, (and I'm crossposting because I know it
was one of these groups, but don't recall which, and plus it's so
cool that maybe someone else could try it). So I picked up a CASE of
the glowsticks. It was maybe $10 altogether.
We came home, grilled out, sat out and played cards (FLUXX and
WaterWorks) for a while, and after everyone was ready to transition,
I suggested maybe it would feel good to swim (honestly, 100 degrees
today and too hot to swim in the afternoon! 80 degrees at ten pm last
night, and it felt wonderful!) It's just odd enough, because usually
I'm hesitant to get them swimming so late, cranky neighbors, hard to
see, I'm exhausted....So while they jumped in, I ran inside, got my
swimsuit and opened up all those glow sticks. In the pool, I cracked
them all open and started quietly distributing them around the pool.
THe girls were THRILLED. We had so much fun swimming around diving
for sticks. The girls experimented with placing them in different
areas and distribution, and we all agreed that we need to have a
party and invite everyone over to swim late at night.
It was so beautiful to see their happiness and contentment shining in
pool late at night. The soft glow through the water was enough to
light their faces, and they were happy to be out and playing games
with dad and mom. We floated in the noodle chairs and watched
lightening bugs. We counted stars and adopted some as our own. We all
gathered around Avari in her baby floatie and laughed as she splashed
her way around to try and get the floating glow sticks. Rachel
learned to dive under water so she could catch as many as Emily was
getting.
I took the big plunge with unschooling, and I'm still finding little
things I didn't realize I was ruining for everyone. We stayed up
swimming until midnight. The little ones got out on their own and
climbed into bed as they got tired. i was surprised to come in and
see them down. Josh had stayed inside to play video games, and he
helped settle Dan into bed with kisses and storytime. :-) He's so
helpful...
Anyway, I might blog it later, I'm still tired and maybe not
verbalizing well how cool it was. Even if you have a wading pool, it
would be cool. We were also talking about how it would be fun to use
the necklace length ones and tape them onto our homemade water park....
Melissa
Mom to Josh (11), Breanna (8), Emily (7), Rachel (6), Sam (4), Dan
(2), and Avari Rose
share our lives at
http://360.yahoo.com/multimomma
something so we picked up some McD's french fries and went shopping.
She picked out some coloring books, but suddenly I remembered
something I read online here, (and I'm crossposting because I know it
was one of these groups, but don't recall which, and plus it's so
cool that maybe someone else could try it). So I picked up a CASE of
the glowsticks. It was maybe $10 altogether.
We came home, grilled out, sat out and played cards (FLUXX and
WaterWorks) for a while, and after everyone was ready to transition,
I suggested maybe it would feel good to swim (honestly, 100 degrees
today and too hot to swim in the afternoon! 80 degrees at ten pm last
night, and it felt wonderful!) It's just odd enough, because usually
I'm hesitant to get them swimming so late, cranky neighbors, hard to
see, I'm exhausted....So while they jumped in, I ran inside, got my
swimsuit and opened up all those glow sticks. In the pool, I cracked
them all open and started quietly distributing them around the pool.
THe girls were THRILLED. We had so much fun swimming around diving
for sticks. The girls experimented with placing them in different
areas and distribution, and we all agreed that we need to have a
party and invite everyone over to swim late at night.
It was so beautiful to see their happiness and contentment shining in
pool late at night. The soft glow through the water was enough to
light their faces, and they were happy to be out and playing games
with dad and mom. We floated in the noodle chairs and watched
lightening bugs. We counted stars and adopted some as our own. We all
gathered around Avari in her baby floatie and laughed as she splashed
her way around to try and get the floating glow sticks. Rachel
learned to dive under water so she could catch as many as Emily was
getting.
I took the big plunge with unschooling, and I'm still finding little
things I didn't realize I was ruining for everyone. We stayed up
swimming until midnight. The little ones got out on their own and
climbed into bed as they got tired. i was surprised to come in and
see them down. Josh had stayed inside to play video games, and he
helped settle Dan into bed with kisses and storytime. :-) He's so
helpful...
Anyway, I might blog it later, I'm still tired and maybe not
verbalizing well how cool it was. Even if you have a wading pool, it
would be cool. We were also talking about how it would be fun to use
the necklace length ones and tape them onto our homemade water park....
Melissa
Mom to Josh (11), Breanna (8), Emily (7), Rachel (6), Sam (4), Dan
(2), and Avari Rose
share our lives at
http://360.yahoo.com/multimomma
Sandra Dodd
Cool day, Melissa. I put it here
http://sandradodd.com/day/melissa
linked from here
http://sandradodd.com/typical
and wanted to recommend that you can put the light stick in a plastic
bottle (milk carton or water bottle) and that makes it a different
kind of fun.
There are some photos of Holly and Hannah in May 2005 in the hot tub
with a light stick. One photo only shows the lit-up milk gallon and
the outline of a hand (Hannah, I think, but could be Holly).
It's in the middle bottom here.
http://sandradodd.com/hottub2
Sandra
http://sandradodd.com/day/melissa
linked from here
http://sandradodd.com/typical
and wanted to recommend that you can put the light stick in a plastic
bottle (milk carton or water bottle) and that makes it a different
kind of fun.
There are some photos of Holly and Hannah in May 2005 in the hot tub
with a light stick. One photo only shows the lit-up milk gallon and
the outline of a hand (Hannah, I think, but could be Holly).
It's in the middle bottom here.
http://sandradodd.com/hottub2
Sandra
Melissa
"we're not worthy....we're not worth"
Thanks Sandra. That means a lot.
I've got some pictures on my blog.
Melissa
Mom to Josh (11), Breanna (8), Emily (7), Rachel (6), Sam (4), Dan
(2), and Avari Rose
share our lives at
http://360.yahoo.com/multimomma
Thanks Sandra. That means a lot.
I've got some pictures on my blog.
Melissa
Mom to Josh (11), Breanna (8), Emily (7), Rachel (6), Sam (4), Dan
(2), and Avari Rose
share our lives at
http://360.yahoo.com/multimomma
On Jul 1, 2006, at 8:46 PM, Sandra Dodd wrote:
> Cool day, Melissa. I put it here
>
> http://sandradodd.com/day/melissa
>
> linked from here
> http://sandradodd.com/typical
>
> and wanted to recommend that you can put the light stick in a plastic
> bottle (milk carton or water bottle) and that makes it a different
> kind of fun.
>
> There are some photos of Holly and Hannah in May 2005 in the hot tub
> with a light stick. One photo only shows the lit-up milk gallon and
> the outline of a hand (Hannah, I think, but could be Holly).
>
> It's in the middle bottom here.
> http://sandradodd.com/hottub2
>
> Sandra
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Sandra Dodd
-=-we're not worthy-=-
Every story that helps someone else get it is a perfectly wonderful
story.
-=-I've got some pictures on my blog.-=-
I linked the blog there.
I don't mind that people will cut out of my site and go elsewhere.
It's a good model of how unschooling can work best that they'll zig
and zoom hither and yon around the internet and other places, from
something they read that an unschooler wrote.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Every story that helps someone else get it is a perfectly wonderful
story.
-=-I've got some pictures on my blog.-=-
I linked the blog there.
I don't mind that people will cut out of my site and go elsewhere.
It's a good model of how unschooling can work best that they'll zig
and zoom hither and yon around the internet and other places, from
something they read that an unschooler wrote.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Gold Standard
I had some connected roaming thoughts today in the car about my oldest son
(17) and unschooling. Ds gets something deep from poetry and music. He
listens deeply to words and musical notes, and they actually have an
internal, enriching effect on him. I don't have the same experience. But
because I recognize that HE does, I honor it, respect it, find opportunities
for more of it for him. I deeply listen to him recite his writings, listen
to his music, engage in extensive discussions with him, look for things of
interest on the internet and in stores, look for what's going on in the
poetry and music scene in the local venues, etc. Even though my juices don't
get turned on by these things, my life has certainly expanded because of my
willingness to delve into my son's passions. And most importantly, my son
has had more opportunities to really get into these passions. This is an
important part of his journey.
So I was thinking about how this "behavior"...the behavior of enveloping an
interest that a person doesn't have themselves so that their child can have
more experiences with it...is what some parents sometimes have so much
trouble with (myself included at times). Video gaming for example...for so
many, just the mention of the word "video games" turns off the connection
switch right there. Parental interest engines shut down...no help, no
connection, no support. So sad.
So I'm challenging myself to look for the areas where my engines may slow
down a bit with my children and their interests, and pumping more fuel in.
Jacki
(17) and unschooling. Ds gets something deep from poetry and music. He
listens deeply to words and musical notes, and they actually have an
internal, enriching effect on him. I don't have the same experience. But
because I recognize that HE does, I honor it, respect it, find opportunities
for more of it for him. I deeply listen to him recite his writings, listen
to his music, engage in extensive discussions with him, look for things of
interest on the internet and in stores, look for what's going on in the
poetry and music scene in the local venues, etc. Even though my juices don't
get turned on by these things, my life has certainly expanded because of my
willingness to delve into my son's passions. And most importantly, my son
has had more opportunities to really get into these passions. This is an
important part of his journey.
So I was thinking about how this "behavior"...the behavior of enveloping an
interest that a person doesn't have themselves so that their child can have
more experiences with it...is what some parents sometimes have so much
trouble with (myself included at times). Video gaming for example...for so
many, just the mention of the word "video games" turns off the connection
switch right there. Parental interest engines shut down...no help, no
connection, no support. So sad.
So I'm challenging myself to look for the areas where my engines may slow
down a bit with my children and their interests, and pumping more fuel in.
Jacki
Janet Renk
That's a great story, Melissa. Isn't it wonderful what can happen we open
the door on the world for our kids by saying yes and doing things we
wouldn't have done before. Of course, then on the other hand I always feel
regretful about all those moments I said no to in the past, but now the
future sometimes seems limitless to me. I love reading about these moments
from other families. Thanks.
Janet
www.xanga.com/searching_for_willoughby
_____
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
the door on the world for our kids by saying yes and doing things we
wouldn't have done before. Of course, then on the other hand I always feel
regretful about all those moments I said no to in the past, but now the
future sometimes seems limitless to me. I love reading about these moments
from other families. Thanks.
Janet
www.xanga.com/searching_for_willoughby
_____
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
-----Original Message-----
From: Gold Standard <jacki@...>
I had some connected roaming thoughts today in the car about my oldest
son
(17) and unschooling. Ds gets something deep from poetry and music. He
listens deeply to words and musical notes, and they actually have an
internal, enriching effect on him. I don't have the same experience.
But
because I recognize that HE does, I honor it, respect it, find
opportunities
for more of it for him. I deeply listen to him recite his writings,
listen
to his music, engage in extensive discussions with him, look for
things of
interest on the internet and in stores, look for what's going on in the
poetry and music scene in the local venues, etc. Even though my juices
don't
get turned on by these things, my life has certainly expanded because
of my
willingness to delve into my son's passions. And most importantly, my
son
has had more opportunities to really get into these passions. This is
an
important part of his journey.
So I was thinking about how this "behavior"...the behavior of
enveloping an
interest that a person doesn't have themselves so that their child can
have
more experiences with it...is what some parents sometimes have so much
trouble with (myself included at times). Video gaming for
example...for so
many, just the mention of the word "video games" turns off the
connection
switch right there. Parental interest engines shut down...no help, no
connection, no support. So sad.
So I'm challenging myself to look for the areas where my engines may
slow
down a bit with my children and their interests, and pumping more fuel
in.
-=-=-=-
I think this is soooo important!
I know *my* world has been opened in so many ways by my children's and
my husband's interests.
But I also know it's so much easier when they coincide in some
way---or if the boys are engaged in something I deem "worthier" in some
way. It was so much easier to shell out the big bucks when it's
something *I* am interested in. Like magic. When Cam was into magic, I
was delighted to pay for new effects 'cause I loved magic. It was
harder when he was into skateboarding. I had to make myself pay for new
wheels or trucks---ans smile at the same time. Going to the magic
Phoenix Gathering i n Baltimore was easy. I had had to almost force the
smile as I drove him to Woodward Skateboard camp; but Cam was so
excited, that smile was contagious! <bwg>
Ben would *love* to buy Duncan a $500 bicycle. I know he hesitates
when he pays for $10 Yu-Gi-Oh decks! <g> But I think that's a huge,
important necessity in unschooling. We really do need to accept and
embrace what our kids find fascinating.
I don't care for jazz. It's no secret! <G> But I'll sit and listen for
hours because it's what Cam loves (until my teeth hurt! <g>). I'm not
wild about Yu-Gi-Oh!, but I happily painted a bunch of the characters
on Duncan's bedroom walls, and we threw a big Yu-Gi party for Duncan's
birthday this year.
I'm lucky that my parents let me have pets and a horse when I was a
child. Do I wish they had been even *more* into my interests? You bet!
But I can't change that. I *can* change my thinking about my kids
though! I *can* make a much further effort in enjoying what they love,
in paying for their passions, and in helping further their journeys.
A lot of it is simply changing the way we look at things. Seeing their
passions through *their* eyes! Well, as much as we can! <G>
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://liveandlearnconference.org
School's goal is to prepare them to be anything they want. But the
process is so dullifying and kids haven't explored the possibilities of
what they could be that many set their sites as low as possible. They
go to college to get a job to buy stuff. ~Joyce Fetteroll
________________________________________________________________________
Check out AOL.com today. Breaking news, video search, pictures, email
and IM. All on demand. Always Free.
From: Gold Standard <jacki@...>
I had some connected roaming thoughts today in the car about my oldest
son
(17) and unschooling. Ds gets something deep from poetry and music. He
listens deeply to words and musical notes, and they actually have an
internal, enriching effect on him. I don't have the same experience.
But
because I recognize that HE does, I honor it, respect it, find
opportunities
for more of it for him. I deeply listen to him recite his writings,
listen
to his music, engage in extensive discussions with him, look for
things of
interest on the internet and in stores, look for what's going on in the
poetry and music scene in the local venues, etc. Even though my juices
don't
get turned on by these things, my life has certainly expanded because
of my
willingness to delve into my son's passions. And most importantly, my
son
has had more opportunities to really get into these passions. This is
an
important part of his journey.
So I was thinking about how this "behavior"...the behavior of
enveloping an
interest that a person doesn't have themselves so that their child can
have
more experiences with it...is what some parents sometimes have so much
trouble with (myself included at times). Video gaming for
example...for so
many, just the mention of the word "video games" turns off the
connection
switch right there. Parental interest engines shut down...no help, no
connection, no support. So sad.
So I'm challenging myself to look for the areas where my engines may
slow
down a bit with my children and their interests, and pumping more fuel
in.
-=-=-=-
I think this is soooo important!
I know *my* world has been opened in so many ways by my children's and
my husband's interests.
But I also know it's so much easier when they coincide in some
way---or if the boys are engaged in something I deem "worthier" in some
way. It was so much easier to shell out the big bucks when it's
something *I* am interested in. Like magic. When Cam was into magic, I
was delighted to pay for new effects 'cause I loved magic. It was
harder when he was into skateboarding. I had to make myself pay for new
wheels or trucks---ans smile at the same time. Going to the magic
Phoenix Gathering i n Baltimore was easy. I had had to almost force the
smile as I drove him to Woodward Skateboard camp; but Cam was so
excited, that smile was contagious! <bwg>
Ben would *love* to buy Duncan a $500 bicycle. I know he hesitates
when he pays for $10 Yu-Gi-Oh decks! <g> But I think that's a huge,
important necessity in unschooling. We really do need to accept and
embrace what our kids find fascinating.
I don't care for jazz. It's no secret! <G> But I'll sit and listen for
hours because it's what Cam loves (until my teeth hurt! <g>). I'm not
wild about Yu-Gi-Oh!, but I happily painted a bunch of the characters
on Duncan's bedroom walls, and we threw a big Yu-Gi party for Duncan's
birthday this year.
I'm lucky that my parents let me have pets and a horse when I was a
child. Do I wish they had been even *more* into my interests? You bet!
But I can't change that. I *can* change my thinking about my kids
though! I *can* make a much further effort in enjoying what they love,
in paying for their passions, and in helping further their journeys.
A lot of it is simply changing the way we look at things. Seeing their
passions through *their* eyes! Well, as much as we can! <G>
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://liveandlearnconference.org
School's goal is to prepare them to be anything they want. But the
process is so dullifying and kids haven't explored the possibilities of
what they could be that many set their sites as low as possible. They
go to college to get a job to buy stuff. ~Joyce Fetteroll
________________________________________________________________________
Check out AOL.com today. Breaking news, video search, pictures, email
and IM. All on demand. Always Free.
Pamela Sorooshian
On Jul 9, 2006, at 7:01 AM, kbcdlovejo@... wrote:
money spending.
When my kids want to go to yet another musical - another $25 apiece
(for the cheapest seats) - I need to ask myself, what if they wanted
to spend $25 on a math book - how would I be reacting?
But Kelly's point about having to force some enthusiasm is good too -
it isn't just about money. I felt chastised by Sandra once, because
it was clear that Roxana was wanting me to watch CATS with her (the
video) and let her stop and talk about it, throughout the show. I had
been putting her off - let's just say my enthusiasm for CATS was not
super high. Sandra did it for me - and Roxana adores her and always
will (not just for that, I'm sure, but really it was such a gift). It
happened another time that Roya wanted to go walk around at the
college she was going to attend - I put her off and she got my sister
to go with her. I felt awful to miss out on that with Roya - awful
enough to tell her I was really sorry and it ended up that the three
of us went and had a blast.
-pam
Unschooling shirts, cups, bumper stickers, bags...
Live Love Learn
UNSCHOOL!
<http://www.cafepress.com/livelovelearn>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> Ben would *love* to buy Duncan a $500 bicycle. I know he hesitatesSO important -- and I could list MY biases, too. Mostly in terms of
> when he pays for $10 Yu-Gi-Oh decks! <g> But I think that's a huge,
> important necessity in unschooling. We really do need to accept and
> embrace what our kids find fascinating.
money spending.
When my kids want to go to yet another musical - another $25 apiece
(for the cheapest seats) - I need to ask myself, what if they wanted
to spend $25 on a math book - how would I be reacting?
But Kelly's point about having to force some enthusiasm is good too -
it isn't just about money. I felt chastised by Sandra once, because
it was clear that Roxana was wanting me to watch CATS with her (the
video) and let her stop and talk about it, throughout the show. I had
been putting her off - let's just say my enthusiasm for CATS was not
super high. Sandra did it for me - and Roxana adores her and always
will (not just for that, I'm sure, but really it was such a gift). It
happened another time that Roya wanted to go walk around at the
college she was going to attend - I put her off and she got my sister
to go with her. I felt awful to miss out on that with Roya - awful
enough to tell her I was really sorry and it ended up that the three
of us went and had a blast.
-pam
Unschooling shirts, cups, bumper stickers, bags...
Live Love Learn
UNSCHOOL!
<http://www.cafepress.com/livelovelearn>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Sandra Dodd
-=-it was clear that Roxana was wanting me to watch CATS with her (the
video) and let her stop and talk about it, throughout the show. I had
been putting her off - let's just say my enthusiasm for CATS was not
super high. Sandra did it for me --=-
Well I did it for me, too, because when Holly tried to talk to me
about it I zoned out and couldn't find a hook to get into it by. And
so I did it for Roxana because she was overflowing with enthusiasm
and I needed some of it, and so I did it for Holly too, because when
I got home I had things I had learned that I could share with Holly,
and I understood enough to know what Holly was trying to tell me
about it.
I need to balance that good incident with the confession of a big
failure.
Though I kept up really completely with the original Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles shows and could converse freely about Shredder and the
Foot Clan, and then I knew who the Power Rangers were, and what
parts came from the Japanese show and which didn't, and why the
particular actors were chosen, and I cared who the White Ranger would
be, and we watched that week's episodes as avidly as some people
watched NASA broadcasts... when Pokemon came along I couldn't bring
myself to care as much as I should have. Keith was working out of
town, we were hosting a weekly get together that had gone from being
in parks to just being at our (newer, bigger) house every week, and
Holly was bigger and needed lots of attention, and I failed to get
the names of Pokemon characters straight. Kirby told me repeatedly
he thought I would like the TV show, and finally there was one
episode he was sure I should watch. I tried, and to my great shame,
I fell asleep. In his room with three or four other people there. It
hurt his feelings. I was embarrassed. I'll never recover.
I wish one of you who were up on Pokemon could've hung out with Kirby
a while. But really, he was doing okay (except for me). There was
one mom coming to the meetings and she was TOTALLY into it and used
to dress up like the female trainer character. And I appliqued a
sweatshirt for her son's birthday of the bluish frog-looking guy with
the flower on his back (but I don't remember his name). That was
sewing, though, not "Pokemon." And I'm glad his favorite was one
that lent itself easily to applique! And I'm sorry he grew up to be
6'3" or so and as big as a freezer, because had he been a scrawny guy
that shirt might've fit him a long time. <g>
I still to this day sometimes find a Pokemon card stuck in some odd
place, and I put them all in a lost-parts collection drawer.
Kirby got his first job because of Pokemon, and the adult aversion to
it. Those who worked at the gaming shop where he hung out couldn't
understand the game or learn the cards quick enough, and the
tournaments had many precise rules. Those Pokemon tournaments were
very elaborate, with weekly pins you could only get by participating
that week, and special cards sometimes. Kirby understood it really
well, at thirteen, and used to help them. The rules said only store
employees could run the tournaments (because it involved
responsibility for inventory, and judging, and reporting), so they
hired him as soon as he turned 14 and Pokemon was his chief
responsibility. (And before that he ran them, but they had to claim
an employee had done it.)
I'm embarrassed that something that was THAT BIG in his life was not
something I pressed myself to fathom.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
video) and let her stop and talk about it, throughout the show. I had
been putting her off - let's just say my enthusiasm for CATS was not
super high. Sandra did it for me --=-
Well I did it for me, too, because when Holly tried to talk to me
about it I zoned out and couldn't find a hook to get into it by. And
so I did it for Roxana because she was overflowing with enthusiasm
and I needed some of it, and so I did it for Holly too, because when
I got home I had things I had learned that I could share with Holly,
and I understood enough to know what Holly was trying to tell me
about it.
I need to balance that good incident with the confession of a big
failure.
Though I kept up really completely with the original Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles shows and could converse freely about Shredder and the
Foot Clan, and then I knew who the Power Rangers were, and what
parts came from the Japanese show and which didn't, and why the
particular actors were chosen, and I cared who the White Ranger would
be, and we watched that week's episodes as avidly as some people
watched NASA broadcasts... when Pokemon came along I couldn't bring
myself to care as much as I should have. Keith was working out of
town, we were hosting a weekly get together that had gone from being
in parks to just being at our (newer, bigger) house every week, and
Holly was bigger and needed lots of attention, and I failed to get
the names of Pokemon characters straight. Kirby told me repeatedly
he thought I would like the TV show, and finally there was one
episode he was sure I should watch. I tried, and to my great shame,
I fell asleep. In his room with three or four other people there. It
hurt his feelings. I was embarrassed. I'll never recover.
I wish one of you who were up on Pokemon could've hung out with Kirby
a while. But really, he was doing okay (except for me). There was
one mom coming to the meetings and she was TOTALLY into it and used
to dress up like the female trainer character. And I appliqued a
sweatshirt for her son's birthday of the bluish frog-looking guy with
the flower on his back (but I don't remember his name). That was
sewing, though, not "Pokemon." And I'm glad his favorite was one
that lent itself easily to applique! And I'm sorry he grew up to be
6'3" or so and as big as a freezer, because had he been a scrawny guy
that shirt might've fit him a long time. <g>
I still to this day sometimes find a Pokemon card stuck in some odd
place, and I put them all in a lost-parts collection drawer.
Kirby got his first job because of Pokemon, and the adult aversion to
it. Those who worked at the gaming shop where he hung out couldn't
understand the game or learn the cards quick enough, and the
tournaments had many precise rules. Those Pokemon tournaments were
very elaborate, with weekly pins you could only get by participating
that week, and special cards sometimes. Kirby understood it really
well, at thirteen, and used to help them. The rules said only store
employees could run the tournaments (because it involved
responsibility for inventory, and judging, and reporting), so they
hired him as soon as he turned 14 and Pokemon was his chief
responsibility. (And before that he ran them, but they had to claim
an employee had done it.)
I'm embarrassed that something that was THAT BIG in his life was not
something I pressed myself to fathom.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Nancy Wooton
On Jul 9, 2006, at 10:10 AM, Sandra Dodd wrote:
My son has one on his computer.
BTW, I didn't brag on *this* list, but said son qualified for the
Pokemon TCG (Trading Card Game) World Championships next month.
Nintendo is paying for transportation and three nights at the Hilton in
Anaheim. Too bad we live so close <g> but they do pay for gas and
parking. Too bad dad decided he should be the accompanying parent...
oh well. I'm taking a road trip to Oregon with our daughter at the end
of this month, so I guess it's fair. (He played last year, too,
getting in by finishing in the top 8 out of about 250 players in a
last-chance qualifier. The top 32 went on after the first day of play;
he placed 33rd. He had a blast anyway :-)
I'm embarrassed that something that was THAT BIG in his life was not
something I pressed myself to fathom.
Oh, I hear you. But you know, that game is complex! I listen to Alex
and his friends talk, usually as I'm driving them somewhere to play,
and eventually he'll say, "Sorry, mom, I know we're speaking another
language."
Nancy, the Pokemom.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> And I appliqued aVenusaur.
> sweatshirt for her son's birthday of the bluish frog-looking guy with
> the flower on his back (but I don't remember his name).
My son has one on his computer.
BTW, I didn't brag on *this* list, but said son qualified for the
Pokemon TCG (Trading Card Game) World Championships next month.
Nintendo is paying for transportation and three nights at the Hilton in
Anaheim. Too bad we live so close <g> but they do pay for gas and
parking. Too bad dad decided he should be the accompanying parent...
oh well. I'm taking a road trip to Oregon with our daughter at the end
of this month, so I guess it's fair. (He played last year, too,
getting in by finishing in the top 8 out of about 250 players in a
last-chance qualifier. The top 32 went on after the first day of play;
he placed 33rd. He had a blast anyway :-)
I'm embarrassed that something that was THAT BIG in his life was not
something I pressed myself to fathom.
Oh, I hear you. But you know, that game is complex! I listen to Alex
and his friends talk, usually as I'm driving them somewhere to play,
and eventually he'll say, "Sorry, mom, I know we're speaking another
language."
Nancy, the Pokemom.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Sandra Dodd
-=-(He played last year, too,
getting in by finishing in the top 8 out of about 250 players in a
last-chance qualifier. The top 32 went on after the first day of play;
he placed 33rd. He had a blast anyway :-)-=-
When the tournament is over, please let us know how it went and where
other players were from and what they gave them as souvenirs and what
he bought and whether they were trading foreign cards and stuff.
Those aspects I understand.
Where was it last year?
You should brag more on this list. <g>
-=-I'm taking a road trip to Oregon with our daughter at the end
of this month, so I guess it's fair.-=-
What are you going to do there?
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
getting in by finishing in the top 8 out of about 250 players in a
last-chance qualifier. The top 32 went on after the first day of play;
he placed 33rd. He had a blast anyway :-)-=-
When the tournament is over, please let us know how it went and where
other players were from and what they gave them as souvenirs and what
he bought and whether they were trading foreign cards and stuff.
Those aspects I understand.
Where was it last year?
You should brag more on this list. <g>
-=-I'm taking a road trip to Oregon with our daughter at the end
of this month, so I guess it's fair.-=-
What are you going to do there?
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Nancy Wooton
On Jul 9, 2006, at 6:18 PM, Sandra Dodd wrote:
Japanese ones as well (I shouldn't say "kids," as he plays in the 15
through Adult level). It was really interesting playing against the
Japanese players; they use a specific sign language to communicate.
And yes, they do a lot of trading.
The man who created Pokemon was there to celebrate the winners at the
end. Winners get scholarship money, all the new release cards
automatically, a bye into the next year's worlds, and tons of stuff.
For making it into the first round, Alex got a really nice backpack,
binder, cards, baseball cap, t-shirt, and all kinds of stuff in the
backpack like pens, notebook, etc. There were side events going on, so
his friends were there hanging out.
Mission Valley. The next big thing in Alex's universe is the ComiCon,
which hosts Pokemon tournaments in addition to the enormous comic book
convention stuff (I want to go to the "Lost" discussion board :-) That
event is at the new convention center.
It would be cool if they'd hold it overseas, but it's much easier for
them to move the American players around here, as they outnumber the
rest.
sticker on one of the South Park kids' parents car: "Proud parent of a
World Chinpoko Master." (We dearly love that episode!)
specialized riding instruction from some of the top people in the world
(one of them literally wrote the Pony Club handbooks).
Nancy
> -=-(He played last year, too,He played a lot of American and British kids he knew online, and some
> getting in by finishing in the top 8 out of about 250 players in a
> last-chance qualifier. The top 32 went on after the first day of play;
> he placed 33rd. He had a blast anyway :-)-=-
>
> When the tournament is over, please let us know how it went and where
> other players were from and what they gave them as souvenirs and what
> he bought and whether they were trading foreign cards and stuff.
> Those aspects I understand.
Japanese ones as well (I shouldn't say "kids," as he plays in the 15
through Adult level). It was really interesting playing against the
Japanese players; they use a specific sign language to communicate.
And yes, they do a lot of trading.
The man who created Pokemon was there to celebrate the winners at the
end. Winners get scholarship money, all the new release cards
automatically, a bye into the next year's worlds, and tons of stuff.
For making it into the first round, Alex got a really nice backpack,
binder, cards, baseball cap, t-shirt, and all kinds of stuff in the
backpack like pens, notebook, etc. There were side events going on, so
his friends were there hanging out.
>Here, in San Diego. It was held at the old convention center in
> Where was it last year?
Mission Valley. The next big thing in Alex's universe is the ComiCon,
which hosts Pokemon tournaments in addition to the enormous comic book
convention stuff (I want to go to the "Lost" discussion board :-) That
event is at the new convention center.
It would be cool if they'd hold it overseas, but it's much easier for
them to move the American players around here, as they outnumber the
rest.
>About this, I guess you're right :-) I want a replica of the bumper
> You should brag more on this list. <g>
sticker on one of the South Park kids' parents car: "Proud parent of a
World Chinpoko Master." (We dearly love that episode!)
>We're going to a Centered Riding open clinic -- a weekend of
> -=-I'm taking a road trip to Oregon with our daughter at the end
> of this month, so I guess it's fair.-=-
>
> What are you going to do there?
specialized riding instruction from some of the top people in the world
(one of them literally wrote the Pony Club handbooks).
Nancy
diana jenner
Sandra Dodd wrote:
Pokemon was my true introduction to whole-life unschooling! Hayden was
obsessed and I was not, not, not! In fact, I black-listed the show and
the propaganda... then I met an unschooler, who threw open the back of
her van, filled with give-aways and my then 4.5 year old found the
motherlode of POKEMON!! The look on his face gave me great pause, cause
that whole tirade was on the tip of my tongue -- Hayden had heard it so
often, he wouldn't even watch the cartoon with adults who didn't
know/care about my opinion -- and I swallowed every single bad thing I
had ever thought or felt about Pocket Monsters!!! I slapped a big ol'
grin on my face and reveled in my little guy's JOY!
Since then, I've come a looooong way <vbg> Hayden inherited Kirby's
collection last year and they're one of the few things Hayden knows the
exact location of at all times, so sacred a gift they are! We don't
play *the* game, but he spends lots of time sorting them out with his
own organizational systems, discussing Pokemon powers vs super heroes vs
humans. They even came all the way (back) to California with us this
spring, as a comfort for the boy...
Still don't *get* it, it's not my thing, but it's important to me
because it's *his* and I really, really miss seeing him that joyful!
~diana, pledging to never again be a fun-sucker! :)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> when Pokemon came along I couldn't bring-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
> myself to care as much as I should have. Keith was working out of
> town, we were hosting a weekly get together that had gone from being
> in parks to just being at our (newer, bigger) house every week, and
> Holly was bigger and needed lots of attention, and I failed to get
> the names of Pokemon characters straight. Kirby told me repeatedly
> he thought I would like the TV show, and finally there was one
> episode he was sure I should watch. I tried, and to my great shame,
> I fell asleep. In his room with three or four other people there. It
> hurt his feelings. I was embarrassed. I'll never recover.
> <snip>
> I still to this day sometimes find a Pokemon card stuck in some odd
> place, and I put them all in a lost-parts collection drawer.
> <snip>
> I'm embarrassed that something that was THAT BIG in his life was not
> something I pressed myself to fathom.
>
Pokemon was my true introduction to whole-life unschooling! Hayden was
obsessed and I was not, not, not! In fact, I black-listed the show and
the propaganda... then I met an unschooler, who threw open the back of
her van, filled with give-aways and my then 4.5 year old found the
motherlode of POKEMON!! The look on his face gave me great pause, cause
that whole tirade was on the tip of my tongue -- Hayden had heard it so
often, he wouldn't even watch the cartoon with adults who didn't
know/care about my opinion -- and I swallowed every single bad thing I
had ever thought or felt about Pocket Monsters!!! I slapped a big ol'
grin on my face and reveled in my little guy's JOY!
Since then, I've come a looooong way <vbg> Hayden inherited Kirby's
collection last year and they're one of the few things Hayden knows the
exact location of at all times, so sacred a gift they are! We don't
play *the* game, but he spends lots of time sorting them out with his
own organizational systems, discussing Pokemon powers vs super heroes vs
humans. They even came all the way (back) to California with us this
spring, as a comfort for the boy...
Still don't *get* it, it's not my thing, but it's important to me
because it's *his* and I really, really miss seeing him that joyful!
~diana, pledging to never again be a fun-sucker! :)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Angela S.
<We're going to a Centered Riding open clinic -- a weekend of
specialized riding instruction from some of the top people in the world
(one of them literally wrote the Pony Club handbooks>
Cool! We want to come with you. :-)
Angela ~ who has a pony with a scratched cornea. Putting meds in his eye 6
times per day isn't much fun for either of us. :-(
game-enthusiast@...
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
specialized riding instruction from some of the top people in the world
(one of them literally wrote the Pony Club handbooks>
Cool! We want to come with you. :-)
Angela ~ who has a pony with a scratched cornea. Putting meds in his eye 6
times per day isn't much fun for either of us. :-(
game-enthusiast@...
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Kim H
<Pokemon was my true introduction to whole-life unschooling! Hayden was
obsessed and I was not, not, not! In fact, I black-listed the show and
the propaganda>
Diana, I can SOOOO relate to this as Pokemon was my initiation into self-regulation. I too banned it (the thought of it makes me shudder with disgust) and would politely say; "we don't have that in our home" or "we don't play those kinds of games in our home" (double yuck!). When Lewi got interested in Pokemon through our neighbour at the time, I was so concerned. I tried as many ways as possible to try to manipulate him out of Pokemon. (so too with pretend gun play which started around the same time) The more I did this the more he wanted it. The poor little thing! Once he turned 5, he was still into it and I realised that the way I was handling it was really not working nor helping. I started looking into self-regulation and what that means for children. Although I'd been unschooling for a little while and practicing attachment parenting the whole of Lewi's life, I hadn't fully grasped the self-regulation concepts. It made me realise how much I still controlled in his life and I decided I wanted to change some things about the way I was manipulating him (regarding TV watching and 'violent' type stuff). On looking into it I relaised there was even more freedom to be had and since then, (especially since finding this group!) I've grown continually forward. It's so freeing and so beautiful to relish in our children's joy - whether it's our cuppa of tea or not. The bond only flourishes between us.
I'm so pleased that I found it all out sooner rather than later (I'd say Lewi would agree on that one too!)
Kim
obsessed and I was not, not, not! In fact, I black-listed the show and
the propaganda>
Diana, I can SOOOO relate to this as Pokemon was my initiation into self-regulation. I too banned it (the thought of it makes me shudder with disgust) and would politely say; "we don't have that in our home" or "we don't play those kinds of games in our home" (double yuck!). When Lewi got interested in Pokemon through our neighbour at the time, I was so concerned. I tried as many ways as possible to try to manipulate him out of Pokemon. (so too with pretend gun play which started around the same time) The more I did this the more he wanted it. The poor little thing! Once he turned 5, he was still into it and I realised that the way I was handling it was really not working nor helping. I started looking into self-regulation and what that means for children. Although I'd been unschooling for a little while and practicing attachment parenting the whole of Lewi's life, I hadn't fully grasped the self-regulation concepts. It made me realise how much I still controlled in his life and I decided I wanted to change some things about the way I was manipulating him (regarding TV watching and 'violent' type stuff). On looking into it I relaised there was even more freedom to be had and since then, (especially since finding this group!) I've grown continually forward. It's so freeing and so beautiful to relish in our children's joy - whether it's our cuppa of tea or not. The bond only flourishes between us.
I'm so pleased that I found it all out sooner rather than later (I'd say Lewi would agree on that one too!)
Kim
----- Original Message -----
From: diana jenner
To: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, July 10, 2006 5:40 PM
Subject: Re: [AlwaysLearning] Expansion
Sandra Dodd wrote:
> when Pokemon came along I couldn't bring
> myself to care as much as I should have. Keith was working out of
> town, we were hosting a weekly get together that had gone from being
> in parks to just being at our (newer, bigger) house every week, and
> Holly was bigger and needed lots of attention, and I failed to get
> the names of Pokemon characters straight. Kirby told me repeatedly
> he thought I would like the TV show, and finally there was one
> episode he was sure I should watch. I tried, and to my great shame,
> I fell asleep. In his room with three or four other people there. It
> hurt his feelings. I was embarrassed. I'll never recover.
> <snip>
> I still to this day sometimes find a Pokemon card stuck in some odd
> place, and I put them all in a lost-parts collection drawer.
> <snip>
> I'm embarrassed that something that was THAT BIG in his life was not
> something I pressed myself to fathom.
>
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Pokemon was my true introduction to whole-life unschooling! Hayden was
obsessed and I was not, not, not! In fact, I black-listed the show and
the propaganda... then I met an unschooler, who threw open the back of
her van, filled with give-aways and my then 4.5 year old found the
motherlode of POKEMON!! The look on his face gave me great pause, cause
that whole tirade was on the tip of my tongue -- Hayden had heard it so
often, he wouldn't even watch the cartoon with adults who didn't
know/care about my opinion -- and I swallowed every single bad thing I
had ever thought or felt about Pocket Monsters!!! I slapped a big ol'
grin on my face and reveled in my little guy's JOY!
Since then, I've come a looooong way <vbg> Hayden inherited Kirby's
collection last year and they're one of the few things Hayden knows the
exact location of at all times, so sacred a gift they are! We don't
play *the* game, but he spends lots of time sorting them out with his
own organizational systems, discussing Pokemon powers vs super heroes vs
humans. They even came all the way (back) to California with us this
spring, as a comfort for the boy...
Still don't *get* it, it's not my thing, but it's important to me
because it's *his* and I really, really miss seeing him that joyful!
~diana, pledging to never again be a fun-sucker! :)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.9.10/384 - Release Date: 10/07/2006
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Nancy Wooton
On Jul 9, 2006, at 6:18 PM, Sandra Dodd wrote:
yesterday, so he's still in the running for the championship. Woo hoo!
When I talked to dh Friday, he said Alex was already trading the new
schwag they'd given him. What he's coveting is the leather jacket the
top four finishers get <g> (The scholarship money they award would be
nice, too... Our Other Child starts community college tomorrow, and
I'm still in Bookstore Sticker Shock!)
Nancy
> -=-(He played last year, too,The tournament is continuing today, and Alex is in! He placed 27th
> getting in by finishing in the top 8 out of about 250 players in a
> last-chance qualifier. The top 32 went on after the first day of play;
> he placed 33rd. He had a blast anyway :-)-=-
>
> When the tournament is over, please let us know how it went and where
> other players were from and what they gave them as souvenirs and what
> he bought and whether they were trading foreign cards and stuff.
> Those aspects I understand.
>
yesterday, so he's still in the running for the championship. Woo hoo!
When I talked to dh Friday, he said Alex was already trading the new
schwag they'd given him. What he's coveting is the leather jacket the
top four finishers get <g> (The scholarship money they award would be
nice, too... Our Other Child starts community college tomorrow, and
I'm still in Bookstore Sticker Shock!)
Nancy
Kelli Traaseth
***The tournament is continuing today, and Alex is in! He placed 27th
yesterday, so he's still in the running for the championship. Woo hoo!****
That's awesome Nancy! Please keep us updated. I'm sharing this with my son who is totally into Yu-Gi-Oh dueling right now. He wants to start entering tournaments soon. :)
Kelli~
http://ourjoyfullife.blogspot.com/
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail Beta.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
yesterday, so he's still in the running for the championship. Woo hoo!****
That's awesome Nancy! Please keep us updated. I'm sharing this with my son who is totally into Yu-Gi-Oh dueling right now. He wants to start entering tournaments soon. :)
Kelli~
http://ourjoyfullife.blogspot.com/
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail Beta.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Paula Sjogerman
On Aug 20, 2006, at 12:41 PM, Nancy Wooton wrote:
and then tried to buy them used somewhere.
paula
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> I'm still in Bookstore Sticker Shock!)No kidding! For Zoe's classes, we found out what books were required
and then tried to buy them used somewhere.
paula
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Nancy Wooton
On Aug 20, 2006, at 11:06 AM, Kelli Traaseth wrote:
He played the guy who finished sixth yesterday, and it was evidently a
very close game (one card made the difference). Alex still got a lot
of loot, including a new DSLite handheld.
Nancy
> ***The tournament is continuing today, and Alex is in! He placed 27thI just heard from dh that Alex was eliminated in the first round :-(
> yesterday, so he's still in the running for the championship. Woo
> hoo!****
>
>
>
> That's awesome Nancy! Please keep us updated. I'm sharing this
> with my son who is totally into Yu-Gi-Oh dueling right now. He wants
> to start entering tournaments soon. :)
>
>
He played the guy who finished sixth yesterday, and it was evidently a
very close game (one card made the difference). Alex still got a lot
of loot, including a new DSLite handheld.
Nancy
Kelli Traaseth
***I just heard from dh that Alex was eliminated in the first round :-( ***
Ahhh,, dang. But its still really cool that he made it that far and that he entered. :)
***Alex still got a lot
of loot, including a new DSLite handheld.***
Nice.
Kelli~
http://ourjoyfullife.blogspot.com/
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Next-gen email? Have it all with the all-new Yahoo! Mail Beta.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Ahhh,, dang. But its still really cool that he made it that far and that he entered. :)
***Alex still got a lot
of loot, including a new DSLite handheld.***
Nice.
Kelli~
http://ourjoyfullife.blogspot.com/
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Next-gen email? Have it all with the all-new Yahoo! Mail Beta.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]