I'm so excited to announce this! This fall, September 29, to be exact, I am hosting a Family Builder seminar. Here's a link to the seminar registration info.
It will be in Mukilteo, WA. Family Builder is the program Diann Jeppson and Jodie Palmer run to support family centered education. This seminar is 1 day long and very reasonably priced. Look at the agenda - I think it sounds pretty amazing and it will give you a good idea about whether or not this one is for you. The room I booked only has space for 50 people so register ASAP to make sure you get a spot.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
How Does Your Garden Grow?
I recently had an amazing conversation with a friend that
led us to a shared epiphany. As homeschooling TJEDers, we are both frequently
asked to compare our homeschooling to public school and to more common K-12
homeschooling. My friend and I
were talking about the differences and I was having a particularly hard time
comparing what I do with typical education. “Homeschooling” didn’t cover everything I meant when I used
the word “education.”
As we talked we acknowledged that the goal of Leadership
Education is for a person to realize their full potential while the goal of
typical education in the U.S. is for a person to realize their academic
potential.
Our shared epiphany was this: It is impossible to compare what we are doing – Leadership Education –
to typical education because Leadership Education is concerned with the whole
person while typical education is only concerned with a small part of a person.
It is like comparing holistic medicine to brain
surgery. As a former brain surgery
patient, I can sincerely say that I understand how critical a brain surgeon is
and I’m so grateful for the surgeon who saved my life. But it would be ludicrous of me to
ignore all the other systems in my body and assume that brain surgery would
ensure my entire body’s physical health.
Just as there is more to my body
than my brain, there is more to a person than their academic potential. All the people I know understand
this. I suspect there are very
few, if any, people who don’t understand this. Sadly, society in general
doesn’t live in accordance with this truth. Many, many parents, teachers, and
students are trying to live this truth.
I love Leadership Education
because it embraces this truth. It
is teaching me how to live it.
Typical education may begin as early as pre-school and end
after high school, college, or graduate school. Ideally Leadership Education begins at birth and continues
throughout a person’s whole life – it is never finished. Typical education
happens during school hours and usually in a classroom. As soon as the bell rings or the
student leaves the classroom, education is done for the day. Leadership
Education happens 24-7 wherever the student’s body is at.
As my friend and I talked we started to use an analogy,
probably inspired by Oliver and Rachel DeMille’s beautiful poem about an Oak
Tree (on the back cover of the book Leadership Education). We compared our children to
little plants that we were raising.
We’d already helped them get from seed to tiny plant but we both know
our little plants have a long way to go.
Ever since that conversation I
have started thinking of my children as little plants and myself as a gardener
of children. My goal is to
give my little plants the environment and nurturing they need to grow and
develop and become whatever plant they were meant to be. Each one is unique. They are not all going to become the
same kind of plant. They have
unique needs and unique development paths. I’m certain academics will be something each of them need at
some point, likely many points, along the way, but that is just a portion of
their development. Especially with
my core phasers, academics aren’t a high priority at all.
At the beginning of
the week I try to look at my little plants in my minds eye and ask myself, what
do they need this week to grow and develop? Then each day I try to ask again, which things do they need
most today? This week, what comes
to mind is my 3 yo daughter needs opportunities to work alongside me with jobs
like picking up toys and emptying the dishwasher; lots of snuggle time;
opportunities to improve her hand coordination with activities like coloring
and cutting; and our daily devotional.
Thinking of my 3 yo son, I know right now he needs lots of Dad time;
opportunities to climb and run and jump; recognition of all his good choices;
and our daily devotional. As I
think of my 8 yo daughter I know she needs more sleep; my help purging and
reorganizing her bedroom; opportunities to talk with me; one-on-one time with
Dad; time to ride her bike; lots of time to work with or near me; to be read to
by me; time to read and “play” with the academic subjects she is interested in;
time to socialize with friends at least a couple hours/week; opportunities to
learn more beginning cooking skills; inspiration to read our core book on her
own; and our daily devotional.
This is what I think my little plants need right now. Some of what I think they need is
constant, like our daily devotional.
But most of what I think they need changes with each week, month, and
season of the year. We are
transitioning right now from our “school year” to our “summer.” For my core-phasers, the big difference
will be not going to physical therapy for 3 months and going to weekly park days, but other than that, life will feel pretty much the
same for them. For my
love-of-learning-phase daughter, there are more noticeable differences. The clubs she participates in have
ended or will end soon for a summer break. Now that our Seattle weather is getting warmer and dryer (relatively),
we can spend a lot of time outside and park day with our friends will be what
we look forward to all week.
I won’t be involved in as many of my book clubs and classes so we’ll
have more family time and a simpler schedule. Our daily work will change in response to the change in
season. There will be lots of food
preservation, vacation planning and prep, planning for the next school year,
and yard work. Meal preparation
will be focused more on washing and cutting up produce and won’t involve the
oven, crock-pot, or stove much.
I’m sharing a little slice of my family’s life right now but
it will look different next week and completely different in 3 months. Kind of the way a garden looks so
different each season and the gardener’s work is different from day to
day.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Quick Dinner: Chicken and Veggies over Rice
This is something my Mom made a lot when I was a kid. This afternoon, midway through my first canning foray I realized it was 5pm and I had no plans for dinner. Knowing I had bought chicken that morning that was likely not frozen yet, I remembered this old standby from my childhood. I grabbed the not-yet-frozen chicken breasts from the freezer, put some brown rice and broth on the stove and started slicing veggies. This is such a fast and easy meal to throw together and it's healthy, imho. The veggies roasted in the dressing really make it. You don't have to use these veggies - use whatever you have around. Green beans, squash and corn would all be good in here. The peppers with the dressing are my favorite. I remembered to take a picture of the uncooked chicken and veggies before I threw them in the oven because to me it looked really pretty but I missed the moment before we ate it - we were pretty hungry. Here's how to make it.
For Rice
2 cups of brown rice
4 cups of broth
For Chicken and Veggies
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 onion, sliced thickly
1-2 cups of red, yellow, red, and/or green bell peppers, sliced thickly (I used mini-peppers tonight)
1-2 heads of broccoli, cut in florets, or 1 package of frozen broccoli florets
1 bottle of vinaigrette dressing. I use Brianna's French Vinaigrette.
1. Cook 2 cups of brown rice in broth according to package directions.
2. While the rice cooks, line a baking sheet with sides or a 9X13 pan with foil and preheat oven to 400.
3. Place the chicken breasts on the pan.
4. Layer sliced vegetables over chicken
5. Pour dressing over chicken and vegetables.
6. Bake at 400 for 35-45 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
7. Slice chicken and serve chicken and veggies over rice.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Pesto Asparagus Risotto
My husband, contender for pickiest-man-alive, and huge fan
of cheese, couldn’t believe this creamy risotto was dairy free and begged me to
make it again soon. I will!
1 batch of Vegan Pesto
1 T EVOO
2 cups shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and diced
3 pounds of asparagus, washed and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 c Arborio rice
8 c broth (mushroom, chicken, or beef)
- Make Pesto first and refrigerate (definitely add the “optional” lemon juice and zest)
- Heat EVOO in a large sauce pot on medium high
- Sauté mushrooms for 3 minutes
- Add asparagus, rice, and enough broth to just cover rice. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a low simmer. Stirring often, watch for the liquid to be absorbed by the rice and add another cup whenever the liquid is mostly absorbed. Keep stirring and adding broth until it is all absorbed and the rice is cooked through. Don’t rush this process. Let it take 30-45 minutes at a very low simmer for the creamiest results.
- After all the liquid is absorbed, turn off the heat and stir in the pesto. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes to absorb the pesto and then serve.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Dressing My Kids II
A couple years ago I wrote about my clothing philosophy and how I plan and shop for my kids' clothing. It's a hobby for me. See the original post if you are curious. People often ask me where I shop for my kids clothes. With that in mind, I recently started a pinterest board where I pin some of the clothes I have bought or plan to buy for my kids.
In the last 2 years I have used my clothing checklists a lot and modified them. Mostly, I removed things. I've learned that I need even less than I thought I did for each child. Some weeks I even -GASP- put my kids in the same outfit twice. High quality clothing washes and wears really well so this isn't a problem and means I need fewer outfits for each child. Isabel's clothes from years past are holding up really well so I buy very little for Chloe.
Here are my updated Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter checklists:
In the last 2 years I have used my clothing checklists a lot and modified them. Mostly, I removed things. I've learned that I need even less than I thought I did for each child. Some weeks I even -GASP- put my kids in the same outfit twice. High quality clothing washes and wears really well so this isn't a problem and means I need fewer outfits for each child. Isabel's clothes from years past are holding up really well so I buy very little for Chloe.
Here are my updated Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter checklists:
Spring/Summer Clothing Checklist
Liam
o Sneakers
o Waterproof/sandals
o Rainboots
o Sunday Shoes
o ooo 3 PJS
o swimsuit
o hat
SUNDAY
o pants
o shirt
o sweater or vest
o tie
o oo 2 socks
6 Everyday Outfits
o 2 jeans
o 1 pants
o ooo 3 shorts
o oooooo 6 SS shirts
o hoodie
o oo 2 socks
Chloe
o Sneakers
o Waterproof
o Rainboots
o Sunday shoes
o Sandals
o ooo 3 PJS
o swimsuit
o hat
SUNDAY
o oo 2 dresses
o white tights
o sweater
6 Everyday Outfits
o jeans
o shorts
o bike shorts (for under skirts)
o oo 2 skirts
o oo 2 play-dresses
o ooooo 5 SS shirts
o hoodie
o oo 2 socks
Isabel
o Sneakers
o Flip flops
o Sunday shoes
o sandals
o ooo 3 PJS
o swimsuit
o hat
SUNDAY
o oo 2 dresses
o white tights
o sweater
6 Everyday Outfits
o jeans
o oo 2 shorts
o oo 2 skirts
o footless tights
o 1 dress
o ooooo 6 SS shirts
o hoodie
o oo 2 socks
Fall/Winter Clothing Checklist
Liam
o Sneakers
o Rain Boots
o Sunday Shoes
o ooo 3 PJS
o Coat
o Hat/Scarf
o Mittens
SUNDAY
o Suit
o pants
o oo 2 LS shirts
o Sweater or vest
o oo 2 socks
6 Everyday Outfits
o ooo3 jeans
o oo 2 pants
o sweatsuit
o oooooo 6 LS shirts
o hoodie
o oo 2 sweaters
o oooooo 6 socks
Chloe
o Sneakers
o Rain Boots
o Sunday shoes
o Mary Janes
o Dress Boots
o ooo 3 PJS
o Coat
o Hat/Scarf
o Mittens
SUNDAY
o oo 2 dresses
o oo 2 tights to match
6 Everyday Outfits
o oo 2 jeans
o sweatsuit
o oo 2 skirts
o play-dress
o oo 2 tights
o ooooo 5 LS shirts
o hoodie
o oo 2 sweaters
o oooo4 socks
Isabel
o Sneakers
o Rain Boots
o Sunday shoes
o Mary Janes
o Dress Boots
o ooo 3 PJS
o Dress Coat
o Puffy Coat
o Hat/Scarf
o Mittens
SUNDAY
o ooo 2 dresses
o oo 2 tights to match
6 Everyday Outfits
o oo 2 jeans
o sweatsuit
o oo 2 skirts
o 1 play-dress
o oo 2 tights
o ooooo 5 LS shirts
o hoodie
o oo 2 sweaters
o oooo 4 socks
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Progressing Towards Perfection
I have this crazy hope and plan to one day become perfect. Not in this life and not without an immense amount of divine assistance but, someday. I know that sounds a little crazy but I also know I’m not the only person with this plan. I’ve learned that the quest for perfection can help me fulfill my less-than-perfect potential here and now. I’ve also learned that a realistic approach and attitude can help me guard against the plague of perfectionism, which is antithetical to my goal. Here’s what I’ve learned about the process so far:
1. The Process Won’t Make Me Perfect Anytime Soon but it Makes Me Better Today. I wish I wouldn’t make any more mistakes. Especially as a parent, I wish I could give my kids a perfect mother. But I have accepted that having imperfect parents was God’s plan for all of us. He also intended us to have imperfect spouses, siblings, children, friends, teachers, coworkers, etc. We are all part of the imperfect mass of humanity and I believe God expects us to deal with it and do our best in less than perfect circumstances. Even though I know I am going to keep making mistakes and messing things up, I believe the process of trying to perfect myself makes me better every single day. Some days are better than others but knowing this is the path I’m on gives me hope and helps me be patient with myself. Because I’m working on this daily, I experience little victories almost every day. Yes, some days are total losses but I try to learn from those, “pick myself up, dust myself off, and start all over again.” I try to recognize the little victories as they happen.
2. I Can Remake Who I Am. I am by nature, an 11th hour girl, who is way too comfortable with mess and chaos. I used to leave everything to the last minute; show up late, if at all, to everything; be totally unreliable; always have a messy kitchen; never make my bed; never have a plan for anything and fly by the seat of my pants. I remember deciding one day, many years ago, that I didn’t like these parts of who I was. I was very depressed and overwhelmed by these weaknesses. I decided that no matter what it took, I was going to change. I started with being on time to things. It took a lot of trial and effort and years, yes, years, to figure it out. But with persistent effort I did. Over time, I have conquered all of those weaknesses. Now, I am almost always on time, most people consider me reliable, I plan my days and weeks pretty well, my kitchen is rarely messy, I make my bed almost every day, and I rarely leave anything for the last minute. For some people, these habits come naturally and don’t sound impressive. For me, they represent a tremendous personal triumph over many of my natural weaknesses. I still have a looooooong list of things I want to change but I know that I can change them and I will. I’m not stuck with who I am today. I totally reject the idea behind the phrase, “this is just the way I am.” I am who I work at becoming and if I don’t like something about who I am today, I can change it.
3. One Thing at a Time. Leo Babauta has this figured out and I have learned a lot from him. I think his thoughts on this are dead –on. He says it so much better than me. Read his post on The Single Changing Method. If you want to make real lasting change, you should focus on one small change at a time. You can do something really dramatic and different for a day, week, or month but lasting change that sticks only comes as you create new habits and I don’t know anyone who has had a lot of success creating several new habits at once. I am always working on one new habit at a time and I define the success of each day by how I did on that new habit. Right now I’m working on the habit of reading my Core Book every morning, first thing. This is something I’ve wanted to conquer all my life. I’ve finally accepted that I need to focus on making it a habit. So at the end of every day I ask myself how I did on this. If I did well, I tell myself it was a successful day. If not, I tell myself to do better tomorrow. This is such a simple approach but it really works and the results are dramatic. When I’ve mastered a new habit, meaning it happens most days without me thinking about, I’m ready to begin working on a new habit. It usually takes me 4-6 weeks to master a new habit.
4. Focus on Habits, Rather Than Results. I think it is important to put my effort into things I can control and not worry about what I can’t. I can control what I do. I can’t control anything else. If I’m working on being on time, I can control how much time I give myself to get somewhere and the speed I drive. I can’t control traffic, lights, or road accidents. I try to plan buffer time to cover some of these possibilities. If I have planned well and done what I think I should to help myself be on time but I’m late because of a messy road accident I don’t consider myself having failed. The habit of planning and leaving early is what I’m going for and most of the time that habit will get me places on time. If I’m working on losing weight and being healthier I can control what I eat and what kind of exercise I do. I can’t control how fast pounds come off or how quickly my health improves. I know that if I create healthy habits, my health will improve and I will lose weight. So if I’ve done a good job on my healthy habits, I count myself successful. If, after I’ve mastered some healthy habits, I am not seeing the changes I wanted to (weight loss and healthier body), I reexamine the habits and try to figure out what else needs to change and then give myself time to work on the new changes. As I mentioned before, this process can take years. I just keep learning more, trying new habits, and trying again until I have success – but I don’t make myself crazy focusing on things I can’t control.
5. Don’t Reinvent the Wheel - Get a Mentor. With almost everything I’ve ever tried to do, there is someone else out there who has already done it. Usually there are tons of people who have done it. I search them out and find one that resonates with me and then learn from them. Most of my mentors are authors, presenters, artists and others I’ve never met. I study their work over and over, squeezing out every drop of wisdom I can until I’ve figured out how to do what they’ve done. Sometimes a personal mentor is what I need. I’ve heard that “When the student is ready, the mentor will appear” and in my experience that is true. If you need a mentor for something, start looking and asking around. If you are truly ready for it, you will find the mentor you need.
6. I Am Where I Am Right Now, and That is OK. Even though perfection is my goal, it’s not going to happen anytime soon. I have to be able to be happy and enjoy my life right now, based on who I am today. That doesn’t mean I’m giving up on progressing. It means I’m being realistic and patient with myself. I don’t need to feel bad about not being perfect. I should feel good about my efforts to improve. Whenever negative, self-destructive thoughts come to my mind I treat them like evil thoughts and kick them out. They just aren’t allowed in my mind. At the end of everyday I try to think about the progress I made and look forward to the progress I will make tomorrow.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Amateur Art Study
I love art and casually study it on my own. I know just enough to know I don’t know much at all. The more I get into it though, the more addicting I find it. My limited study of Art has really helped me enjoy and get more out every other subject I study. Here are some of my favorite books and DVDs for learning about Art and sharing it with my family:
For Kids
The Katie series of picture books by James Mayhew
The Art Book for Children series by Phaidon publishers
Mary Ann F. Kohl’s series of books on Art Projects that combine Art with other subjects, like, math, science, history, etc. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&sort=relevancerank&s\
Usborne Books on Art (there are a lot, these are just a couple examples)
For Youth
For Adults
My name is Asher Lev and The Gift of Asher Lev by Chaim Potok
Letters to His Son Lucien (letters written by Camille Pissaro)
Great Courses DVD classes on art like these:
The PBS series Great Museums, you can watch it on Hulu.com
Parents and teachers please note, the Art Tradition includes an extensive study of The Nude. This means most art books and classes, even some of those designed for children, will include pictures of and descriptions of nudes. Generally, I appreciate artists’ appreciation of what I consider, God’s greatest creation, the human body. There are some artists and works that cross the line, in my opinion, and objectify rather than glorify the body. I recommend that you carefully consider the books and DVDs on art that you want to bring into your home and/or present to children. I’ve grouped my favorite books and DVDs on Art into 3 lists, based on who I think they are appropriate for but you should review them and decide what you think – don’t take my word for it.
I recommend students of all ages visit art museums as often as you can. Many museums are free and almost all of those that charge have one day or evening a month when admission is free. This is when I take my children so that a half hour doesn't feel like a waste of money. The more one is surrounded by art, the more familiar it becomes and the easier it is to learn about and enjoy.
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