what are you doing this morning?
Ren
Well...
My kids have had the tv on all morning...coming and going from it as they gain or lose interest with what is on. We're winding down from our road trip, trying to get the house somewhat clean again.
Jalen has been hauling around his hot wheels collection and showing us all his cool cars. When his uncle stopped by a few minutes ago to head out for work with dh, Jalen got REALLY excited by the car shirt Terry was wearing. Uncle is a car lover too!:)
Trevor has been checking email frequently, due to an extra special connection he made at the conference.
Jared has been moping about, hoping to feel better because he's dealing with swimmer's ear post-conference. He was in the pool as much as he was out, so I'm not surprised.
Sierra has packed her backpack with various toys and snacks, in preparation for "school". She is fascinated with the idea of going to school, so she acts it out in these ways.
The plan is to get the house liveable again and then go downstairs for a movie fest. We have the Cowboy Bebop movie that didn't get watched at the conference (sorry Cat!!), Chocolat and Willow. We'll be plenty busy today.
An interesting connection was made on the drive home...a fun one for me. On the way up to the conference the kids were talking about transport pods and how they wish we could just transport to the conference. We talked about the technology it would involve and whether it would ever be possible. On the way home, a fly got trapped in the car and that started a whole convo about flies, how they eat, different types and whether they bite etc....
Suddenly I said "The Fly"! The kids didn't know what I was talking about so I explained about how the movie combines two of our topics of conversation, transport pods and flies!! They thought that was pretty cool, so we'll have to rent that one soon. Maybe the old version and the newer 90's one also.
My workshop at the conference was all about the importance of play. How the creative genius in human beings NEEDS play to stay active. Play helps us stay in touch with our inner child, which is the time in our lives when we are most able to explore new ideas, toy with the imaginary and come up with incredible daydreams. THAT is what creative genius needs. Not academic know how. And no matter what area of life you are naturally skilled at, creativity is an extremely important skill. It helps business leaders develop new and better idea, it gets scientists coming up with innovative, amazing new research, it makes inventors famous! So I guess it depends on your goals. I value creativity and imagination above knowledge. I know that creative thinking needs lots of play and free time to grow and flourish. Therefore I value play highly in our lives!!
It's time to look at play through different eyes. Play is essential, it is important and it is absolutely necessary if you want to allow your child to continue their creative pursuits.
As I was typing this, my free children turned off the tv and set up a Yu-gi-oh battle on the coffee table. Jalen is now nursing and I'm not sure where Sierra went.
Ebb and flow, rhythm and pulse..... this is the way of unschoolers. Life itself just swirls around us and we pick up the things that are meaningful along the way.
Play is important. Laughing and being silly is valued. Life is short and focusing on joy is far better than worry about knowledge they may never need. Although through their play, they DO pick up the essential ingredients for dealing with our culture, our society and the world beyond their society.
The most inventive, creative adults play with their work. Albert Einstein was playing when he came up with his formulas. Rolling ideas around in your mind, pondering, playing with them, fluffing them about like so many bits of swirling color...that is what I want my children to be able to continue doing throughout their lives, not only in childhood.
Ren
My kids have had the tv on all morning...coming and going from it as they gain or lose interest with what is on. We're winding down from our road trip, trying to get the house somewhat clean again.
Jalen has been hauling around his hot wheels collection and showing us all his cool cars. When his uncle stopped by a few minutes ago to head out for work with dh, Jalen got REALLY excited by the car shirt Terry was wearing. Uncle is a car lover too!:)
Trevor has been checking email frequently, due to an extra special connection he made at the conference.
Jared has been moping about, hoping to feel better because he's dealing with swimmer's ear post-conference. He was in the pool as much as he was out, so I'm not surprised.
Sierra has packed her backpack with various toys and snacks, in preparation for "school". She is fascinated with the idea of going to school, so she acts it out in these ways.
The plan is to get the house liveable again and then go downstairs for a movie fest. We have the Cowboy Bebop movie that didn't get watched at the conference (sorry Cat!!), Chocolat and Willow. We'll be plenty busy today.
An interesting connection was made on the drive home...a fun one for me. On the way up to the conference the kids were talking about transport pods and how they wish we could just transport to the conference. We talked about the technology it would involve and whether it would ever be possible. On the way home, a fly got trapped in the car and that started a whole convo about flies, how they eat, different types and whether they bite etc....
Suddenly I said "The Fly"! The kids didn't know what I was talking about so I explained about how the movie combines two of our topics of conversation, transport pods and flies!! They thought that was pretty cool, so we'll have to rent that one soon. Maybe the old version and the newer 90's one also.
My workshop at the conference was all about the importance of play. How the creative genius in human beings NEEDS play to stay active. Play helps us stay in touch with our inner child, which is the time in our lives when we are most able to explore new ideas, toy with the imaginary and come up with incredible daydreams. THAT is what creative genius needs. Not academic know how. And no matter what area of life you are naturally skilled at, creativity is an extremely important skill. It helps business leaders develop new and better idea, it gets scientists coming up with innovative, amazing new research, it makes inventors famous! So I guess it depends on your goals. I value creativity and imagination above knowledge. I know that creative thinking needs lots of play and free time to grow and flourish. Therefore I value play highly in our lives!!
It's time to look at play through different eyes. Play is essential, it is important and it is absolutely necessary if you want to allow your child to continue their creative pursuits.
As I was typing this, my free children turned off the tv and set up a Yu-gi-oh battle on the coffee table. Jalen is now nursing and I'm not sure where Sierra went.
Ebb and flow, rhythm and pulse..... this is the way of unschoolers. Life itself just swirls around us and we pick up the things that are meaningful along the way.
Play is important. Laughing and being silly is valued. Life is short and focusing on joy is far better than worry about knowledge they may never need. Although through their play, they DO pick up the essential ingredients for dealing with our culture, our society and the world beyond their society.
The most inventive, creative adults play with their work. Albert Einstein was playing when he came up with his formulas. Rolling ideas around in your mind, pondering, playing with them, fluffing them about like so many bits of swirling color...that is what I want my children to be able to continue doing throughout their lives, not only in childhood.
Ren
Cay A. Gibson
--- In [email protected], Ren
<starsuncloud@n...> wrote:
active. >>
Ren,
Is this talk on cassette tape or posted somewheres?
I'd love to read it if available.
Blessings,
Cay
mom to Corey 15.11, Kayleigh 13.3, Garrett 10.5, Chelsea 5.10, and
Annie 20 months
Author of "Literature Alive!" http://literaturealive.tripod.com
Take the boredom out of reading and make literature come Alive!
within your home!
<starsuncloud@n...> wrote:
> My workshop at the conference was all about the importance ofplay. How the creative genius in human beings NEEDS play to stay
active. >>
Ren,
Is this talk on cassette tape or posted somewheres?
I'd love to read it if available.
Blessings,
Cay
mom to Corey 15.11, Kayleigh 13.3, Garrett 10.5, Chelsea 5.10, and
Annie 20 months
Author of "Literature Alive!" http://literaturealive.tripod.com
Take the boredom out of reading and make literature come Alive!
within your home!
[email protected]
I got up first this morning (ah, the peace and quiet!) and checked my e-mail.
Hayden woke up soon after and snuggled with me on the couch to watch LOTR-2
Towers. He asked for chicken nuggets and fries for breakfast so I popped some
into the oven. Hannah missed the feast but woke in time for my favorite
lines by Gimli, during the war. (That dwarf cracks me up & my laughing really
entertains the kids <bg>) She just finished the ramen noodles she requested & is
making some apple juice. I hear Hayden playing with his new "Hulk Hands."
We're still celebrating their birthdays (Aug 22 & 23) so they are King and Queen
of the castle thru next weekend, meaning my vote doesn't much count right now
<g>. I do have a couple of errands to run, including registering Hannah with
the school district (though I'm really in a quandry, wanting to stay
*underground*); but we'll see how their plans/desires for the day mesh with mine. I'm
sure we'll see the park across the street at some point, though indoor play
is fine for now, considering it's over 90 outside right now! Hayden just came
in with his new spiral notebook to show me the pictures he's drawn and the
words he's written: mostly of our family and his *invisible* friends. Hannah
dressed herself, but Hayden and I are still in our nightclothes :) and probably
will be until we are forced to go somewhere <g>
Yesterday, we spent a leisurely afternoon at a local toy store, playing with
their new *Panama Canal* water toy, the train sets and the playmobile stuff.
We will probably find ourselves there again before the week is out :)
It is all about the play, both theirs and mine. Hayden noticed a board game
we own that we've never played (Mind Your Manners) and has requested a game
this afternoon. Monopoly Jr. is played almost every day! The TV is on, but
ignored as they go about their business of playing. Pretty typical of our days,
though today I think I must get the dishes done and the living room livable
again :)
diana,
The wackiest widow westriver...
"Education- compulsory schooling, compulsory learning- is a tyranny and a
crime against the human mind and spirit. Let all those escape it who can, any
way they can." John Holt
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Hayden woke up soon after and snuggled with me on the couch to watch LOTR-2
Towers. He asked for chicken nuggets and fries for breakfast so I popped some
into the oven. Hannah missed the feast but woke in time for my favorite
lines by Gimli, during the war. (That dwarf cracks me up & my laughing really
entertains the kids <bg>) She just finished the ramen noodles she requested & is
making some apple juice. I hear Hayden playing with his new "Hulk Hands."
We're still celebrating their birthdays (Aug 22 & 23) so they are King and Queen
of the castle thru next weekend, meaning my vote doesn't much count right now
<g>. I do have a couple of errands to run, including registering Hannah with
the school district (though I'm really in a quandry, wanting to stay
*underground*); but we'll see how their plans/desires for the day mesh with mine. I'm
sure we'll see the park across the street at some point, though indoor play
is fine for now, considering it's over 90 outside right now! Hayden just came
in with his new spiral notebook to show me the pictures he's drawn and the
words he's written: mostly of our family and his *invisible* friends. Hannah
dressed herself, but Hayden and I are still in our nightclothes :) and probably
will be until we are forced to go somewhere <g>
Yesterday, we spent a leisurely afternoon at a local toy store, playing with
their new *Panama Canal* water toy, the train sets and the playmobile stuff.
We will probably find ourselves there again before the week is out :)
It is all about the play, both theirs and mine. Hayden noticed a board game
we own that we've never played (Mind Your Manners) and has requested a game
this afternoon. Monopoly Jr. is played almost every day! The TV is on, but
ignored as they go about their business of playing. Pretty typical of our days,
though today I think I must get the dishes done and the living room livable
again :)
diana,
The wackiest widow westriver...
"Education- compulsory schooling, compulsory learning- is a tyranny and a
crime against the human mind and spirit. Let all those escape it who can, any
way they can." John Holt
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Betsy
**I do have a couple of errands to run, including registering Hannah
with the school district (though I'm really in a quandry, wanting to
stay *underground* **
Hi, Diana --
I don't want to be too alarmist or too pessimistic, but it is my
perception that school districts overall seem more inclined to pick on
single moms than on anyone else.
Other people could mention whether they think I'm blowing smoke. I
realize that I am passing on anecdotal evidence from a small sample.
Betsy
with the school district (though I'm really in a quandry, wanting to
stay *underground* **
Hi, Diana --
I don't want to be too alarmist or too pessimistic, but it is my
perception that school districts overall seem more inclined to pick on
single moms than on anyone else.
Other people could mention whether they think I'm blowing smoke. I
realize that I am passing on anecdotal evidence from a small sample.
Betsy
[email protected]
On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 13:10:30 -0700 Betsy <ecsamhill@...>
writes:
cases I know of have involved either custody issues (which Diana doesn't
have) or families getting some sort of gov't aid (SSI, food stamps, AFDC,
etc). And they're still very rare...
Dar
writes:
> I don't want to be too alarmist or too pessimistic, but it is myNo, I think you're right, at least in my experience... but all of the
> perception that school districts overall seem more inclined to pick on
> single moms than on anyone else.
>
> Other people could mention whether they think I'm blowing smoke. I
> realize that I am passing on anecdotal evidence from a small
> sample.
cases I know of have involved either custody issues (which Diana doesn't
have) or families getting some sort of gov't aid (SSI, food stamps, AFDC,
etc). And they're still very rare...
Dar