[email protected]

In a message dated 1/17/2004 9:40:01 AM Central Standard Time,
mjsolich@... writes:


> We also had heaps of fun cleaning our floors (thanks Lyle!!!). The whole
> family donned thick socks and "skate mopped" the floor. We moved the table
> and chairs out of the room so we had a huge area to skate around on and we
> had a blast. My mother, brother and sister arrived just as we began. 5
> minutes later Kate was asking for socks and ten minutes after that my mum
> (60 this year) was zooming around with us! The floor looks fantastic and the
> kids are looking forward to the time it needs to be cleaned again.

Oh, this sounds like fun, can you share the details? I think we need to give
this a try, sounds like a hoot!
Laura


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Lyle W.

Another good floor polisher is to put one kid on a blanket or throw rug and another kid grabs the end and drags them around the floor. Dragging, spinning, twirling, or pushing them until the floor is nice and shiny. (Just be careful because it can get really slick too, lol.)

For carpeted floors, try sticking big loops of duct tape to the kids butts, and having them crawl around 'crab style' and try to pick up the dirt! We have pets, so it turns into a contest of who has the hairiest butt when we're done. lol. It's not as effecient as a vaccuum, but it's loads of fun! (Another one of the endless uses for duct tape.)

:)

Lyle

----- Original Message -----
From: BonKnit@...
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 14:34:25 EST
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [UnschoolingDiscussion] Floor washing

> In a message dated 1/17/2004 9:40:01 AM Central Standard Time,
> mjsolich@... writes:
>
>
> > We also had heaps of fun cleaning our floors (thanks Lyle!!!). The whole
> > family donned thick socks and "skate mopped" the floor. We moved the table
> > and chairs out of the room so we had a huge area to skate around on and we
> > had a blast. My mother, brother and sister arrived just as we began. 5
> > minutes later Kate was asking for socks and ten minutes after that my mum
> > (60 this year) was zooming around with us! The floor looks fantastic and the
> > kids are looking forward to the time it needs to be cleaned again.
>
> Oh, this sounds like fun, can you share the details? I think we need to give
> this a try, sounds like a hoot!
> Laura
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>



***Always remember, Lead By Example***

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Julie Solich

Oh, this sounds like fun, can you share the details? I think we need to
give this a try, sounds like a hoot!
Laura


I just poured warm water with tea tree oil onto the floor and we spread it
around. With 14 feet skating around for half an hour the floor got really
clean! We put the kids onto towels when we were worn out and dragged them
all over the floor to get it dry.

Julie

Elizabeth Roberts

My sister and I did that once when we were kids. My dad was at work, my stepmom had said she didn't care how we did the floor as long as it was done...so we got some big sponges, some shoestrings, tied the sponges to our feet...poured water and pinesol on the floor and had a blast for about an hour! My dad came home..took one look at us, raised an eyebrow and said "Ooooo...K!" and that was it.

Only did it the once though...we left for Bermuda not long after that and my mother would have had a cow if I'd tried it with "her" floor.

MamaBeth

Julie Solich <mjsolich@...> wrote:

Oh, this sounds like fun, can you share the details? I think we need to
give this a try, sounds like a hoot!
Laura


I just poured warm water with tea tree oil onto the floor and we spread it
around. With 14 feet skating around for half an hour the floor got really
clean! We put the kids onto towels when we were worn out and dragged them
all over the floor to get it dry.

Julie




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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Elizabeth Roberts

Toxic neighbor is no longer getting any help from us. I imagine she'll fade away pretty quick, although she has called to see how the babies are since they're so sick..I've chatted a couple minutes then said I needed to go even though I didn't really. But it was nice that she has called all week to check on them, even though she thinks they're "undiscplined brats!"

I stood up for myself this morning with best friend..that was hard...she hung up on me, and hasn't called even to see how the babies are doing or if I might need to run to store or anything...so...sigh...the final straw with her was actually more than one thing. For nearly two years now we've had an agreement where she'd come pick up Sarah and take her to Scouts when Paul is on duty. She called me this morning at 0815. I don't know how many times I've asked her not to call that early unless it's really necessary. She just wanted to know if I was awake and would have Sarah ready. Sarah didn't need to be ready until 1030. I had the alarm set for 0930 in case we all slept, although Gracie usually is awake by then.

Especially with the kids being sick I'm really needing every precious moment of sleep I can get!!

So then after Scouts, she calls and asks what I'm doing...I said I was just about to vacuum Sarah's room now that I'd cleaned it for her. She said "Why? That's HER job." and I just said "You know, I'm allowed to do nice things for my kids every now and again"...she hung up on me.

I just can't take the criticism anymore...especially from someone who doesn't have her OWN life together! I could easily say alot right now, but I think it best I keep my mouth shut. I KNOW I'm not perfect, so who am I to cast stones?!

Suffice it to say that while I can't say that friend and I will never talk again, I'm not going to hold back any more. She tried to say the other day that what I "need" to do right now is put Sarah back in school and Logan into Head Start because of all the stress I'm under and I just said that I'm not about to do that. So she started in on how I'm not doing any "school work" with Sarah anymore and I just stopped her and said that I know what I'm doing, why and how; and I'm not going to argue about it.

She and I just don't agree on much of anything, so what's the point?!

MamaBeth





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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Betsy

**So then after Scouts, she calls and asks what I'm doing...I said I was
just about to vacuum Sarah's room now that I'd cleaned it for her. She
said "Why? That's HER job." and I just said "You know, I'm allowed to do
nice things for my kids every now and again"...she hung up on me. **

Some people get bent out of shape if anyone anywhere ever (like your
daughter) gets better treatment from a mom than they did. Or so it seems.

Betsy

Fetteroll

on 1/17/04 11:20 PM, Elizabeth Roberts at mamabethuscg@... wrote:

> I could easily say alot right now, but I think it best I keep my mouth shut. I
> KNOW I'm not perfect, so who am I to cast stones?!

No need to criticize her, just be self confident in your own choices. Keep
in mind that you've chosen the path of growth and change -- the pathway *to*
perfection -- and she's choosing to stay stuck :-)

Joyce

[email protected]

In a message dated 1/18/2004 12:29:01 AM Eastern Standard Time,
ecsamhill@... writes:
<<Some people get bent out of shape if anyone anywhere ever (like your
daughter) gets better treatment from a mom than they did. Or so it seems>>


Or if you give your kids better treatment than they give theirs! I had a
*friend* who once said to me, "Do you think your kids are really so great that
they deserve all that special treatment you give them? They're just regular
people like my kids, and they should be made to go to school. Your deluding
yourself if you think your kids are so special."

Of course, I responded that my kids were special. Our friendship was pretty
much over at that point, lol! She was just upset that I didn't want to go to
work and makes lots of money so that she could borrow it!

--Jacqueline


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

In a message dated 1/17/2004 10:21:20 PM Central Standard Time,
mamabethuscg@... writes:


> I could easily say alot right now, but I think it best I keep my mouth
> shut.

I'm thinking of this in relation to your conversation with the child welfare
folks. I have a friend who is an attorney for clients in the throes of
situations like yours - one had the child service people called on her because she
was feeding them natural foods and treating their colds and such
homeopathically! Anyway, she tells her clients that if they say more than five words in a
row that aren't all "yes", they are talking too much. The goal is to keep the
kids (or get them back), not to educate the too young, under-trained and
idealistic social workers.

It can work the same way with a friend or family member who doesn't
understand or doesn't want to understand what you are doing in terms of unschooling. I
have a brother who expressed concern that I would raise a bunch of idiots.
Honestly, that's the terminology he used. Since then I smile sweetly, answer
his questions briefly and move on. It's not worth it. Right now he has an
image in his head of us gathering with a bunch of homeschoolers in front of a
blackboard and teaching addition. Dont' know where the image came from, and I
don't care. I'm not getting emotionally wrapped up in his delusions, it just
leads me to be entangled in his arguments.

So, ymmv, but think about my lawyer friend's advice with the CSS or whatever
it's called in your state.

Elizabeth, who is no longer wanting this baby to come out any minute as her 5
year old asthmatic child has a cold!


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Kelly Lenhart

> I have a friend who is an attorney for clients in the throes of
>situations like yours - one had the child service people called on her
because she
>was feeding them natural foods and treating their colds and such
>homeopathically! Anyway, she tells her clients that if they say more than
five words in a
>row that aren't all "yes", they are talking too much. The goal is to keep
the
>kids (or get them back), not to educate the too young, under-trained and
>idealistic social workers.

LOL!!

We just went through this because our landlord felt the house was too much
of a mess. He was, sadly, right about the mess, but that was SO not the way
to deal with it.

Anyway, we actually had the social worker say, "Do you have any questions?
I'm not used to people not talking much."

I pointed out that the complaint was about the condition of the house and
what could I say that she couldn't already see? She had to laugh and agree
with that.

We'd cleaned (and have maintained it, so far) so the case was closed.

Kelly

Betsy

**Or if you give your kids better treatment than they give theirs! I
had a *friend* who once said to me, "Do you think your kids are really
so great that they deserve all that special treatment you give them?**


Did she treat her husband like he was special, or did she figure
run-of-the-mill crappy treatment was all he deserved? I wonder.

Everyone I care about, of course my son and spouse, but also my friends
and virtual friends, deserves to be treated as if they were fabulous,
because they actually are. And even people we haven't met yet have the
inborn human potential to be fabulous and deserve to be treated as
"potentially fabulous".

It's also okay to give people better-than-they-deserve-treatment.
Really. It makes the world better

Betsy

rachel_foodie

>
> Everyone I care about, of course my son and spouse, but also my
friends
> and virtual friends, deserves to be treated as if they were
fabulous,
> because they actually are. And even people we haven't met yet have
the
> inborn human potential to be fabulous and deserve to be treated as
> "potentially fabulous".
>
> It's also okay to give people better-than-they-deserve-treatment.
> Really. It makes the world better
>
> Betsy

Betsy,

I think your statement is fabulous! It got me thinking though. SO
many of us, especially people with such ideals, tend not to treat
others who can't see our point of view or agree with it, as
fabulous. I deal with this with my husband. I love him and am still
in love with him too. He's a great husband/friend and dad. But he
can't seem to think or feel
his way to totally letting go and unschooling. Does that make his
love for our kids any less real or powerful? I don't think so,
though I catch myself treating him as if it does. Also, on these
boards
sometimes there seems like there is less tolerance for people for
people who can't see it our way.

I bet if we did treat everyone better than they deserve regardless of
their points of view, The world WOULD be alot better.

Thanks Betsy,
Rachel

rachel_foodie

MamaBeth,

I had to throw in my support for you. My closest friend here is
a "schooly mom" (my son's name for kids in school). Her family and
mine spend practically every weekend with each other. They have 4
kids, we have 3. They all sink up pretty well. We have known them
for 9 years.

Lately, Kath and Rhett (them) having being giving us a hard time
(jokingly) that we spoil Autumn. Their daughter Claire seems really
jealous. Of course, everyone can given everyone crap about whatever,
because that is our relationship. It was so interesting for Robert
and I to see this though. Kath and Rhett have always kidded us about
kissing our kids to much, running to a crying baby too fast(even
Andrew flies out of a room if hears his sister wake up from a nap).
And I clean all of my kids' rooms. I like a neat house. It makes me
feel calm (and I am naturally a hyper chick). My kids love it. There
have been a few times when I have needed their help with cleaning the
basement and they can clean fine. But if it's not important for them
to have a clean room, and it is to me (sometimes), and they don't
mind if I clean it (I check), then it's my choice to do it.

Yeah, some people get really pissed off that others love their kids
more than they seem too. But hey, it's the other peoples' problems.
I agree that you don't need to explain everything to everyone. It can
be a huge time sink, especially when most of the time it still makes
no difference in their opinion.

Well there is whining coming from my bathtub. Ben and Autumn are
fighting and I am being called.

Bye,
Rachel

Elizabeth Roberts

Thanks, Rachel! I had asked Sarah before if she'd minded if I cleaned her room for her once in awhile since it wasn't important to her but it is to me...and she said she didn't care as long as I don't throw out any toys. So I took anything I was considering throwing out, put it in a box and let her go through it to see if she REALLY wanted any of it. She didn't and she'd happily thrown it all away....

MamaBeth

rachel_foodie <rachel_foodie@...> wrote:
MamaBeth,

I had to throw in my support for you. My closest friend here is
a "schooly mom" (my son's name for kids in school). Her family and
mine spend practically every weekend with each other. They have 4
kids, we have 3. They all sink up pretty well. We have known them
for 9 years.

Lately, Kath and Rhett (them) having being giving us a hard time
(jokingly) that we spoil Autumn. Their daughter Claire seems really
jealous. Of course, everyone can given everyone crap about whatever,
because that is our relationship. It was so interesting for Robert
and I to see this though. Kath and Rhett have always kidded us about
kissing our kids to much, running to a crying baby too fast(even
Andrew flies out of a room if hears his sister wake up from a nap).
And I clean all of my kids' rooms. I like a neat house. It makes me
feel calm (and I am naturally a hyper chick). My kids love it. There
have been a few times when I have needed their help with cleaning the
basement and they can clean fine. But if it's not important for them
to have a clean room, and it is to me (sometimes), and they don't
mind if I clean it (I check), then it's my choice to do it.

Yeah, some people get really pissed off that others love their kids
more than they seem too. But hey, it's the other peoples' problems.
I agree that you don't need to explain everything to everyone. It can
be a huge time sink, especially when most of the time it still makes
no difference in their opinion.

Well there is whining coming from my bathtub. Ben and Autumn are
fighting and I am being called.

Bye,
Rachel



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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Betsy

**I bet if we did treat everyone better than they deserve regardless of
their points of view, The world WOULD be alot better.**

Yeah, and I don't always do it. I probably don't even do it half the time!

But it is pretty easy to look at the mother love (or father love or
grandparent...) that we feel for our kids and just know that it is right
to lavish our kids with our love and favor. I kind of extended that
outwards in a broad philosophical gesture. I don't always live up to
it, but it is a fine notion. Something I can strive for.

Betsy