Hello friends,
It's been a whole month (and a day) since I last posted, and I have really had no desire to post again. There have been a few things going on, some of which are hard to articulate because they are deeply personal (not in a bad or worrisome way - just more of an introspection that seems long overdue), but also because I'm not finished thinking. ;) In a nutshell, here's the scoop:
- Many of my friends are on Facebook, which is convenient (and sometimes weird) for me. It's less time-consuming (unless you count Wordscraper), more immediate, and it serves a need of mine to keep up with friends who are all over the country.
- I've mentioned before that this blog has a sort of identity crisis - it feels random and disjointed to me, and I also feel like I have to be careful if I say something (such as about homeschooling) because I don't want to offend my friends who don't, and who especially aren't supportive of it. Those who do homeschool, and who read this blog, probably don't want to hear about all the other stuff. But mostly, I don't feel like it's really a true representation of who I am - my thoughts, my life, all of it - nor do I feel like it makes sense for me to keep coming back when it's becoming less and less important to do so.
- ...so, I think, for now, this is the last post. I hope that at some point, I will find my way back again, but it probably won't be here. If I'm going to work on defining a purpose, I want to start fresh. It's a low priority for me, but not something I am willing to dismiss altogether.
So, this is it. :)
I can't leave without including a bit of an update, though.
First, we had a great Halloween. Well, except for the cold and rainy part. :( Still, it resulted in plenty of candy, so it's all good, right? Plus, afterward we went to a Halloween party with friends, and that was best of all. And, it was warm and dry. :)
Molly was Joan of Arc at the Halloween Party held by her riding instructor; her costume had to be modified because of the weather, so you just need to pretend that the gray sweatshirt is armor. :)Before that, Molly and James participated in a History Camp with our charter school. This was a 4-day program where the charter school kids attended our county's "Pioneer Village" - a village recreated from (actual) buildings from our county's past. Yes, they're moved to the village and used to help set the scene, and then most of them are furnished (with period items, if possible) so kids can see what they used to be like way back when. The charter school kids spent three intensive days learning and experiencing pioneer life, including making candles, cooking popcorn in an old-fashioned closed skillet over a real fire, tin punching, making corn husk dolls, etc. On the fourth day, the charter school kids and the teachers within the charter, man information tables tables all around the village, and become 'docents for a day', explaining, demonstrating, and teaching about 900 county public school kids who come in for about half a day, all the things they've spent the last three days learning. Molly taught at the tin punching table, but James chose the corn husk dolls (seriously, I was shocked). The cool thing was that this was easily the most popular table, and James was the star 'teacher' - it just must be his gift - he was complimented by visiting teacher and the teachers from our charter. It's always gratifying to see your kids find something they love.
Molly is the one in the middle {as always ;)}
James put his own spin on cornhusk dolls - he helped the kids make capes and swords for SuperCornhusk Hero. ;)Before that, we spent a day in the Sequoia National Forest, among the giants. Very. Cool.
Just one of a million amazing views along the road in the Sequoias, on the way to Giant Forest
This is the placard for the tree (The Sentinel) in front of which the kids are sitting (photo above)Oh, and before I forget, James was invited to join the Boys Competitive Team at our local gymnastics studio. He was unsure if he wanted to do it, but he agreed to give it a try and he's doing REALLY well. It's been an awesome confidence boost!
And last, I'm a big fan of Pioneer Woman, and was moved by her husband and daughters' recent trip to the Dominican Republic through Compassion, so, during a lesson on the election process that sort of meandered into completely different territory, we found our way online and, eventually, opted to sponsor a little girl in Haiti. She is the same age as Molly, except that she was born on July 4th! <-- Was how she was chosen for/by us: James liked her birthday, and Molly liked that she was a girl the same age. (Bridget liked playing with her animals on the other side of the room. What can you do?) We are all excited about all that sponsorship entails, and are looking forward to learning more about her, too.
That's it, I think. By the time I click "Publish Post", it'll be my birthday, but it's my wishes for you that I want to impart - Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas (Happy Hanukah, Season's Greetings - whatever works), and most importantly, best wishes for a wonderful 2009. It seems that we have good reason to hope that it will be so.
Peace to you,
Natalie
