Sarah

I have been thinking a lot about this lately, and I
wrote a day-in-the-life kind of post about it last
week, but I guess that wasn't enough because I keep
thinking about it.

We live on a half acre...not huge, but private and
across the street from the river. We have lots of
birds, the occasional pheasant, raccoon, or owl. We
have a good garden, an old house and lots of time.

Before kids, I was a homebody... a reader, crafter,
movie-watcher kinda gal. But Sophia is a go-er...very
social and active and wanting to be involved and
playing a lot of the time.

Up until lately, we've been really busy. We do things
the girls enjoy. Going here and there, yonder and
yon... show my kids *more*, eat out *more*, buy
*more*. More smells, more tastes, more sights, more
sounds. (Aren't we Zen:)?)

Turns out, we're all really happy staying home lately.
We're enjoying our yard, cold as it's been. And we
are really enjoying re-watching movies we've already
seen, playing computer games and board games we
haven't played in awhile, listening to books on tape,
making lots of messes, cooking and rearranging
furniture. I'm emailing to touch base with a
community I don't have IRL, and my girls are playing
with each other a lot. And arguing a little.

We're getting great snail mail lately--magazines and
books and birthday presents and craft kits and posters
and Florida shells.

We've had some fun visitors and some visitors we could
have done without.

We're reading the paper every day to find a doggie
companion for our 10 year old wolf-lab cross.

We're watching the wild cat family when we don't scare
them away.

We're finding new songs for the iPod.

We're playing guitar and recorder and drums and
singing and making up songs.

We're calling old friends on the phone.

We're counting down the days to a birthday.

We've been following obscure Internet links.

We're having food delivered instead of going out.

We're finding things on eBay that are interesting and
having them delivered.

We're doing some of the craft projects from our *many*
craft books.

We're knitting and making wrapping paper.

We're figuring out ways to make no-sew doll clothes
for American Girls and creating hair salons for the
plethora of dolls at our house.

We're really busy and engaged and learning and we're
sticking really close to home.

This is huge for me. "Mom," Sophia said, with a big
smile, "Let’s stay home for a whole year!"

We've been a little more relaxed. We're getting to
know each other a little better because we're getting
to know ourselves better because we're thinking a bit
more because we have time because we're not rushing
around because we're staying home and we're still
learning and happy and engaged.

I think we have resources here to last a
while...remnants of over-strewing and over-yard
sale-ing, Christmas leftovers and oldie-goldies.

But, part of the reason we've been home is an injury,
then a sickness. We're healed, for the most part.
And the requests to go have started coming again. The
girls like to be active, too. So Sophia is sleeping
over at Grandma's tonight, then gymnastics tomorrow,
and girls club and ceramics on Tuesday. Eva's got
dance which she loves, then the hot springs on
Thursday because they really want to go swimming,
Friday play date and a Saturday birthday with a
sleepover in a different town and the yurt on Sunday
and skiing on Monday...and I'm a little sad that our
cocoon time is ending and a little glad to get fresh
air. I think we'll remember, though, that we don't
*have* to keep busy outside of the house, our own
house is full of learning and fun!

And when the next ebb comes, we'll be ready.

Sarah Anderson-Thimmes


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Kathleen and David Gehrke

--- Sarah <sarahanne1@...> wrote:

>> But, part of the reason we've been home is an
> injury,
> then a sickness. We're healed, for the most part.
. I think we'll remember, though, that we don't
> *have* to keep busy outside of the house, our own
> house is full of learning and fun!
Thanks Sarah,
I needed to remember that. We have just left our large
social circle and moved back to our house in the
country. There are tons of things here to do, but my
fear is about making the kids world big enough. This
is the first time we have lived here as radical
unschoolers. I needed to look at your list and nod and
remember the joy that comes in making those
connnections at home, with the world we have created
around us.
kathleen

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