New Items for October

Mathematics of the Incas Code of the Quipu

This is the book we got today to add to our personal library which is a facinating book how the Incas kept records since nothing was in writing. It also goes into how to make a Quipu of your own from items in the house however you do need a drop spindle to make it...........so looks like I  will be ordering a drop spindle soon, this looks like it will be tons of fun! Lots of nice photos too of actual Quipu however the photos are all in black and white.

Math Journaling: A Simple Budget

Our Math Journaling is something our children love to do and we typically work in them a few times a week. It was Corin's suggestion last year that we use notebooks for Math Journals as she loves working with numbers and math concepts. Math Journaling is a wonderful exploration of living math and number practice where we can journal about our trips to the store, unit pricing, percentages, integers, gas mileage and a variety of concepts used in daily life.

The other day we worked on creating a simple budget where I gave them a monthly income of $1400 a month and wrote a few typical bills in fixed and non fixed categories. I explained the fixed and non fixed categories such as rent or mortgage and car payments being fixed where they do not change and remain the same every month. I then explained the non fixed categories such as groceries, clothing and entertainment did change and were areas you could cut back in if the budget does not add up right.

I gave them each one amount only for their income of $1400 a month however I gave them each a different amount and this number was what they had to pay in rent.  They had to work the budget for all the rest I had given them which included car payments, utilities, heating, gas for the car, car insurance, groceries, clothing and entertainment.

It was interesting to watch them give each category a value they perceived they may spend in each category, I did help show them how to add up the numbers as they went along, Shae already knew how to do this however Corin has not had much experience in adding up columns where you have to carry numbers.

At the end of this, they had to show monthly total income, monthly total expenses and then the difference to see if they had a positive or negative number. The only category I saw them both really unrealistic in was how much they would spend in gas for a car monthly, they both were REALLY short in this area listing around 20 bucks for which I laughed and explained perhaps if they had a hybrid car this would be the case!  Other than that their prices were shockingly accurate!

Shae fell short and was 77 dollars in the negative, Corin was $16 in the positive!  I told them they did not have to correct anything as I was showing them how easy it is to go over budget yet it drove Shae nuts and he tweaked his budget until his expenses matched his income! I was quite proud of him for taking that initiative! I talked with Corin on what she might do with the money she had as a surplus! It was a great experience that both kids were really excited about.

They asked if we could do a lot more work in this area so I said yes, we can do all sorts of scenarios of different rents or mortgages,  incomes, bills etc and they could even research on the computer for ideas on rent costs. Corin went racing back to the computer laughing gleefully as she shouted I am going to research RENT!!!!!!! She came back with I got some numbers and I am not telling as Shae may copy my rent costs and he can look up his own!

Who knows maybe in a few weeks they can take over the families budget and finances completely! I feel if they get nothing else from math learning how to budget and manage one's finances is the most important use for math they can get, one area I feel the public schools lack completely in where managing personal finances should be on top.

In any case the kids surprised me by their enthusiasm in this area and it was a wonderful experience to share with them and I look forward to more exploration of finances and budgeting with them!

Freedom on My Mind

A fellow blogger is celebrating what her family has deemed " Freedom Day" writing up a wonderful post about it at http://www.carriesayer.com/2011/10/tgif-freedom-day.html  She has no idea how timely and inspirational this post was for me at this time.

It has been a really difficult past 2 years for my family to the point I felt myself "shutting down" losing all my passion for writing or anything for that matter. Before I took down my other blogs, I use to write on them almost daily and wrote many articles- I LOVED to write, while not always the best, it was something I truly enjoyed and most days felt I had something to say. 2 years ago hubby was making good money while we lived in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, yet he was gone so much he was never really a part of the family, it was rare we could find time to do much together.as a family. Because of the stress of his job and his horrible fast food diet, he had 2 heart attacks at age 38 that let us know we needed a drastic change. So I took it upon myself to create that drastic change and being inspired from reading a book called UNJOBBING- we packed up a small trailer and moved our family down to North Carolina at a time the economy was crashing all around us.

In North Carolina we dealt with culture shock and immense heat, a true change from 30 feet of snow a year! We dealt with more poisonous snakes, spiders and critters that still make me shudder and of course being worse than Michigan we found NO JOBS yet we did not let that deter us. We lived a whole year off of Scrap Metaling and odd jobs, rough but we did it and loved all the time we had together as a family. We raised almost all of our food and while money was in small portions, we made it yet the kids HATED living in North Carolina. So we sold everything we owned and moved back to Michigan and I mean we sold EVERYTHING. We only brought what we could fit into the trunk of our car and while we did not go back to the Upper Peninsula area, we came back to Mid-Michigan where much of our family lives sort of close by ( 50 to 80 miles at least)

Hubby did find work the first day we got here, a sad day it was for all of us for him to return back to a 9-5 world. With the economy, his line of work which usually is in the fast foods, had changed and he is looking at minimum wage and struggling to be able to get 40 hours a week, some weeks he only gets around 28 hours in! He also wound up at a place where there are no raises at all really, only 10 cents an hour a year IF the store makes all their goals which NEVER happens.

I found myself facing a thousand times MORE criticism over our lifestyle choices than ever before, simply by moving back to Mid-Michigan and woman that became backstabbing and quite hurtful in the local homeschool group I was working on putting together. While I will not go into details of the events, it was ill timed and at a point our car had broken down  and hubby and I found ourselves biking 5 miles to town on a daily basis for almost 3 months for work, groceries and getting laundry done.

I Crashed, I shut down, filled with defeat and lost my ZEST, my passions that have always led me and served me well in the past. My blogs were removed, I quit writing articles, I quit allowing myself to dream and accepted the deep worry that comes from living on less than $15,000 a year for a family of 5. While I put up the blog here, I found it hard for me to write much on a regular basis, I just felt there was not much to say. I found it hard to be inspired when daily I worry about getting propane to heat my home, will there be enough gas in the car to get hubby back and forth to work for the week, will there be enough for food this week and it has always been my responsibility to "Make it Work" regardless of the income and bill ratio.

I am a firm believer in the Law of Attraction, that like attracts like and your thoughts manifest your reality so much to the point it has had me called an "Idealist, a Dreamer, My head in the clouds and more" Yet I have been struggling with even this as I have let worry take over this year and saying over and over "it is NOT working!"

I have been called resilient as my determination to keep food on the table gave me the strength to bike to town in 100 degree heat and load my bike with 80 pounds of groceries ( 3 days worth of food for my family of 5)  or going on a 12 mile bike ride for harvesting extra food such as pears, apples and whatever else I could find. Yes resilient was a good word, a strength I can accredit my mother and grandmother for!

I have also felt the pressure of setting an early retirement date for hubby for 4 years from now and everyday worrying "HOW THE HELL IS THIS SUPPOSE TO HAPPEN?" "How can I make this work?" "How are we gonna come up with the money to go on our horseback trip across America to celebrate this event?  "Am I crazy? Am I simply a dreamer where the dreams will never happen? Is my head simply in the clouds and I need to accept poverty for all my days here on  earth?

I have also noticed with my crashing my darling hubby has become GRUMPY, SHORT TEMPERED, ANGRY and easily AGITATED ALL THE TIME NOW.

Then I realized something this morning as I read Carrie Sayers Post about Freedom Day at http://www.carriesayer.com/2011/10/tgif-freedom-day.html

That all that has been happening is due to our LOSS of FREEDOM- we have settled for LESS, we have ACCEPTED our struggles as our lot in life. That NOTHING has to do  with outside influences at all but has everything to do with FREEDOM.

We had freedom for a year, we proved it could be done, we were doing it and living in perfect vibration for our life we wanted so much to create. We lost our way and let LIFE take over again and it is becoming painfully aware that NONE of us are happy with it. We feel caged, we are once again slaves in the mainstream line of thinking again. We are not using time wisely nor in our best interest. We are out of sync with the rhythms of our desires.

"Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend" this quote that is displayed at the top of my blog here keeps going through my mind. Yes, time IS the most valuable thing a man can spend and it is well known that time is not on your side when you work the 9-5. You are exchanging your time for money and the man that works a 9-5 is wasting a lot of time working harder for less money rather than having money work hard for you to free up your time to do the things you really want to do. 

This makes me realize, I AM NOT OKAY with a retirement goal 4 years down the road, it needs to happen much sooner although the horseback trip across America will remain at a 4 year goal simply because our youngest daughter will then be of an age I am comfortable with  such a trip as that.

One of the first things Law of Attraction teaches us, is that we are not suppose to worry about the "HOWS" of what we want to manifest. Nor are we suppose to use up our valuable energy worrying about food, bills, heat and all the what nots. I KNOW THIS but for this year I AM GUILTY AS CHARGED. Yet when it boils down to it, our needs have always been met! We have always had a roof over our heads and 3 meals a day on the table. We have never frozen to death in a winter and we have always had something we could wear on our bodies.

I think over the past few years rather than raising the bar, we have been lowering it, yet again sabotaging our life's with old tapes with outdated beliefs. This needs to stop.

Freedom is the key that truly holds our hearts and the  loss of it has underlying built up resentments happening. I mean really how can one free themselves from the 9-5 world and then go back and NOT harbor any resentments? Especially since it is a low paying dead end job that you KNOW will never go anywhere?

So I  think it is due time I pull my head out of the sand, dust myself off, raise the bar and let inspiration fill me once more as we work towards that freedom we all seem to strive for. It is also time to quit wasting my good energy on worrying which places way too much focus on the problems rather than the solutions. It is also time to quit being so wishy washy on what is it that we really want, and truly define what we want and work towards manifesting it into our lives.

There is no reason we can not have that life we really want with freedom reigning in every aspect of our daily lives.....

A few happenings this week..

Dear Friends, Readers and Fellow Bloggers,

Our Indian Summer has come to an end and chilly windy days have fallen across Central Michigan bringing down the pretty yellow, reds and orange leaves that brings life into the autumn Michigan scenery. The promise of the coming winter is here, you can feel it in the air and with the dampness of the area brings the chilliness within your very bones where the warmth of a house is a very welcoming place to be!

It is almost time to put the bikes in the shed, a day the kids are NOT looking forward to, but perhaps sledding in the snow will take over this seasonal delight replacing all the bike riding.

Shae continues his reading "The Terrible Glory: Custer and the Little Bighorn" which is fascinating as he always comes to me to tell me about what he has read about when he is done. It is a fun way for me to hear about the days of Custer and for a split moment, I am transported in time to another time, another place, a different way of life than our modern world provides.

Late into the scene we have Discovered the LOST seasons, when they started we must of been into some other shows of the time. However we all love this series and have been renting them from Netflix along with Dr. Who.  We just finished Disc 2 of Season 1 in LOST and can not wait to get the next one! It has also been bringing up some very interesting discussions and What if scenarios. We like playing out What IF scenarios here and exploring different options in this fashion.

We have also been doing work a few days a week in our Math Journals which was originally the kids idea and since we have so much fun doing them, it continues.

Trips to Walmarts have been a blast and far from boring- we explore the store together, laughing, being silly, even verging on the side for sure of being childish! Picking up things we have never seen before and loudly giving a "WOOOOO AMAZING!"  It keeps it light, fun and well WONDERFUL. While others may complain about walmarts and well shopping in general, we take full advantage of making it a fun adventure and a time of family connections while exploring new foods and gadgets. Sometimes it is a simple exercise in dreaming of things you would buy if you had the money that moment in time.......... or of the better days about to come your way. We most always bring back a new food to try, that has just been waiting for us to discover it!

Watching the News every night is a family endeavor as well and never fails to bring on discussions of world and local events about cultures, inner cities, economy, wall street, violent crimes and weather.

I feel very blessed to have a way of living with those I love the way we live our lifestyles. While it may not be for everyone, this is what works for us. I am So Blessed!

Of course this is just a few things that has been going on in our world, talking about everything this week, would, well take a week to write and talk about!

Thursday Unschooling Tips: Tip #2

How To Be Really Alive!

Live juicy. Stamp out conformity.
Stay in bed all day. Dream of gypsy
Wagons. Find snails making love.
... Develop an astounding appetite for books.
Drink sunsets. Draw out your feelings.
Amaze yourself. Be ridiculous. Stop
worrying. Now. If not now, then when?
Make yes your favourite word. Marry
yourself. Dry your clothes in the sun.
Eat mangoes naked. Keep toys in the
bathtub. Spin yourself dizzy. Hang
upside down. Follow a child. Celebrate
an old person. Send a love letter to your-
self. Be advanced. Try endearing. Invent
a new way to love. Transform negatives.
Delight someone. Wear pajamas to a
drive-in movie. Allow yourself to feel
rich without money. Be who you truly
are and the money will follow. Believe
in everything. You are always on
your way to a miracle.

The miracle is you.

 

I saw this post surfing the web the other day given to the poster from a friend of theirs, it did not state the author so I am afraid I can not give credit to them, if you know who wrote this please leave a comment letting me know so I can give proper credit! However I found it very fitting for an Unschooling Tips thread so wanted to share it with you as Tip #2!

 

I would like to add to this by saying:

 

How to Really be Alive continued........

 

Climb a Tree, hunt for fairies in a magic meadow,

go grocery shopping in your pajamas,

make a stranger smile, do an act of kindness,

do many acts of kindess,

open doors, don't close them, sing loudly,

dance under a full moon, cloud watch,

try a food you have never tried before,

throw a party just because,

play in the mud barefoot, talk to plants,

giggle, no reason just start giggling!

Dance in the grocery aisle,

learn a new skill, research and come to your

own conclusions, remove the limits you have

imposed upon yourself.

Be spontaneous.

Play in the rain, hug yourself, send flowers to yourself,

live like there is only today!

Turkey Brochetta Melts

Whole Wheat

Turkey Brochette Melts

14 Slices of Whole Wheat Bread

8oz block of Pepper Jack Cheese

14 Slices of Swiss Cheese

Can of Diced Tomatoes or 2 fresh tomatoes diced

14 Slices of Smoked Turkey Slices

Green Onions Chopped

Sliced Fresh Mushrooms

6 eggs boiled and sliced

Boil the eggs, cool, peel and slice or chop.  On cookie sheets place whole wheat bread slices and top each with a slice of turkey. Spread the diced tomato's on top of turkey then add the shredded pepper jack cheese to each. Add the green onions and a few sliced mushrooms to each then top with a slice of Swiss cheese.

Place Sheets in oven one at a time on rack in middle of oven set at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes ( until bottoms of bread are toasted)  take out of oven and top with boiled egg slices and serve!

( A huge hit in our house last night!)

My Heart Still Bleeds

While my drum beat may be different,
my heart still bleeds,
when your critical views wonder
about my parenting skills meeting that
of my children's needs.
I am simply planting a variety of different seeds,
to grow a different journey than that of the past.
But yes, my heart still bleeds.

Schooling, education, learning,
coerced, threatened, arbitrary or real
natural. flowing,
GLOWING.
Nobody on this planet is all knowing.
Yet they are learning all the same
GROWING.

While my drum beat may be different,
my heart still bleeds,
when your critical views wonder
about my parenting skills meeting that
of my children's needs.
I am simply planting a variety of different seeds,
to grow a different journey than that of the past.
But yes, my heart still bleeds.

Freedom to make choices,
That was the plan
all along.
WRONG
I walk the steps of a different song.
If I do not follow the crowd, you say I don't
BELONG.

While my drum beat may be different,
my heart still bleeds,
when your critical views wonder
about my parenting skills meeting that
of my children's needs.
I am simply planting a variety of different seeds,
to grow a different journey than that of the past.
But yes, my heart still bleeds.

Yet despite your concern,
my children delight in growing,
and yearning,
LEARNING.
where the wonder of the world
around them lies in their belly,
BURNING.

While my drum beat may be different,
my heart still bleeds,
when your critical views wonder
about my parenting skills meeting that
of my children's needs.
I am simply planting a variety of different seeds,
to grow a different journey than that of the past.
But yes, my heart still bleeds.

New Items for October

         Since we are into a lot of Japanese things at the moment I thought I would introduce the kids to this Haiku Magnetic Poetry Kit!  They came up with the Haiku you see in the above photo here that is now displayed on our Fridge and will get updated often! The kids loved these and I look forward to using it often with them as well as introducing other magnetic kits in the future!

We also brought in these 2 new books for our home library and use as the mood strikes us !

Thursday Unschooling Tips: Tip #1

Hello Fellow Friends, Readers and Bloggers!  I thought I would start a regular posting on Thursdays for Thursday Unschooling Tips! I will make these posts every Thursday offering tips on living a joyful unschooling lifestyle! Remember that the goal of unschooling is not education but rather a lifestyle of passion, joyful living, happiness and following one's one unique spirit of being the best they can be. The education and learning are simply by-products and side effects of living a full enriching life that builds deep connections within the family unit!


So here is Tip number 1.................(Drum roll please!)


Tip #1:
Take Great Delight in Discovering The Wonder of Each Moment!

Children are often experts in this area that adults tend to forget as they get older and LIFE takes over. However if we can consciously shift back to living in the present and pay attention to what we are doing in the here and now and look upon it with wonder, we can begin to see the beauty of the moment. Living in the present allows us to fully enjoy the moment.

Many of us get so busy we are always thinking of yesterday or what our many tomorrows may hold, stressing about all the what if scenarios rushing through our brain. But if we train ourselves to focus ONLY on our NOWS, a flower of the most amazing beauty unfolds before our eyes elevating our vibrations of joy and wonder.

Whether it is a Delicious meal we are preparing to nourish our loved ones, pulling weeds in the garden, cleaning our home in order to create space for our children's imaginations to have a clean canvas to create in, reading a book, playing a game with our children, or even running to our local store for groceries, LIVE IN THAT moment and do whatever you can do to make it fun, enjoyable, exciting and full of wonder! It is only boring if your thoughts tell yourself it is boring, but it really does not have to be if you fully live in the moments as they happen.

Life will open up to flow simply and joyously when we consciously live in the present and live it as in the wonder of a child's eyes. Moods and thoughts are contagious as well so if you are modeling PRESENT LIVING most likely other family members will follow suit as well. Joy is an emotion, one we can choose to live in paying attention to the moment, moments that can take our breath away when we get out of the past or the future.

Learn to train yourself to live in the moment full of wonder and see how many moments you can make breathless that allows your spirit to soar and raise your vibrations to a new level of joy!