Not Back to School!

It's been a crazy summer, and I saw lots of yellow school buses out today. However, since we're NOT going back to school, our summer does not officially end until September 23! Just one of the many advantages of unschooling. . . plus we get to buy any "school supplies" and clothes after they've all been marked down. Joy!

In any case, I just love this time of year because I get so excited to think about various classes we can all take. On the menu (but not ordered yet) for fall are ninja classes for Ezra, Jiu Jitsu for Ezra and Papa, maybe "open build" art and science classes for both kids, swimming lessons for both kids, yoga for Mama (and hopefully kickboxing, too), possibly some Japanese tutoring for Ezra, and we shall see what else. Just waiting for that big paycheck to come in. . . the one we've been waiting for for weeks.

Right now Ezra, who is 7, is still really into martial arts. He's also teaching himself Japanese. Right now he's using a CD/book called Teach Me More. . . Japanese and he is in love with it! Both kids have also requested that I get them the Spanish version from the library. Ezra has also morphed over the spring and summer from being somewhat obsessed with The Civil War and guns, to moving on to submarines, and now he has expanded to be obsessed with World War II and the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He spends many hours every day drawing and building battleships, submarines, and aircraft carriers. He is also on a Jesse James kick and he and Ottar spent an entire afternoon last week re-enacting his death.

What I'm trying to work out now is creating a more structured life. As many of you avid fans may recall, I tried doing a schedule last winter (read here). Well, that crashed and burned immediately. I think it is because it was not the kind of thing that is true to my nature. In fact my whole life was untrue to my nature. But now that we're living on the river and close to the Twin Cities, let me start that over. That will be my topic for tomorrow.

Another Great Gatto Quote!

I've been indulging myself and reading John Taylor Gatto stuff for the past hour. And I just came upon this gem from an article in Natural Life magazine:

Does going to school matter if it uses up the time you need to start a business, to learn to grow vegetables, to explore the world or make a dress? Or if it takes away time to love your family? What matters in a good life?
-John Taylor Gatto

A Nice Explanation of Unschooling

Recently a relative asked me to explain the difference between homeschooling and unschooling. After I explained it, she still wasn't totally satisfied, but maybe wasn't sure why, so I told her I'd look around for some articles.

Here's a good one I found at the site of the Family Unschoolers Network. It explains the history of the terminology as well as the differences. With a slight bias towards unschooling, I suppose, but hey, I'm totally biased, too.

Robert Louis Stevenson Quote

"Youth is the time to go flashing from one end of the world to the other in both mind and body; to try the manners of different nations; to hear the chimes at midnight; to see sunrise in town and country; to be converted at a revival; to circumnavigate the metaphysics, write halting verses, run a mile to see a fire, and wait all day in the theatre to applaud 'Hernani'."

-Robert Louis Stevenson

Lame Crafts

One thing I occasionally feel guilty about is that my kids are not having the quintessential American experience of getting to make silly, adult-led craft projects. Thank God, though, the local library was making these popsicle-stick birds one day while we were there, so that Ottar got to take pride in helping assemble an already-cut-out feather mass, an ice cream stick, a pre-colored cheerio (the librarian painted it before we got there) and 2 googley eyes.

It's things like these that my kids are going to look back on and think, "Wow, was that ever meaningful!" I'm sure of it.

It's pretty cute, though. I have to admit.

Blacksmithing!

Ezra really wanted to take a blacksmithing class, but we missed the fall session at the local folk school. Finally we were able to get in to a class this spring that was actually meant for older kids, but the instructor, Robert, was willing to let Ezra take the class as long as I signed up, too, which I have to say I was overjoyed about. And for half price!

Anyway, it was really fun. A full day, and after our preliminary projects, Ezra let it be known that he would be really disappointed if he didn't come away with a dagger, like the one his friend and "faux cousin," Luka, had made in the same class the year before. So, Robert quickly showed us how to make a dagger and we both worked together on the project. In the end we made one that will eventually have a carved wooden handle, though Ezra loves his dagger so much that now he says he doesn't want one, but I'm sure he'll change his mind someday. I highly recommend this art form and this folk school - it was a great experience for us both, and I hope to do more blacksmithing in the future. Oh, I forgot to mention I made my own "S" hook, and I am very proud of it. Mine is the super fancy one just above of the dagger in the first photo (and *so* sorry these photos are in reverse order - one of these days I will remember how to upload photos correctly.)

Ottar's first cartoon!

Ah! All this talk of family business and then finally my dream comes true where I am sitting and cartooning productively at a table *with my kids*. . . after all these years. Both the kids made amazing cartoons, but Ezra's is too big to scan (it's a story of him shooting Nerf guns with his friend Cody, very much influenced by Tintin). Anyway. . . hopefully a family cartooning business is in the works. . . but if not, we have plenty of other family business ideas up our sleeves, too.

Anyway, seeing as Ottar is only 3-1/2, I think we've got some real talent on our hands, if I do say so myself. Personally, I think he's already surpassed me.

And I'll post more of Ezra's work soon!