Learn Nothing Day

Just great- yesterday was National Learn Nothing Day, and we didn't even know it until almost 4:00 pm. By then it was too late. Even though it was a pretty relaxed morning of lounging at home, I'm pretty sure we had already learned something. We'd looked up some garden pests and recipes on the internet (for two separate projects,) did a little reading, figured out how to alter the brightness of dark photographs on the computer, and then they still had karate class to go to. I told the kids that maybe they should consider skipping it- or at least trying not to learn anything new. It failed- they were trying new moves before half an hour was up. My daughter wanted to try a new drop-in soccer class for girls since she's never played before, and the first thing the coach says to her is “You're gonna learn a lot about soccer today.” What kind of a day off is this?
So, I guess we blew it this year. And I had really liked the idea behind this day of rest too. I guess my kids will just continue to get the sad looks when they say, no, they don't really take a break from homeschooling in the summer. Poor things are learning all the time.

Fundraising Fun

There have probably been fund raisers since kids first started being herded into schools and organized activities. Girls Scouts sell cookies, cheerleaders wash cars, the soccer team sells chocolate and the youth symphony has a bake sale. Fund raising pretty much comes with the territory of kids activities, which is OK because they're expensive, and I think it's a good idea to work for what you want. In some cases, the parents seem to do just as much of the work as kids, and while I do think it's good to be supportive and helpful, I also think kids should understand the theory of a work ethic by actually working themselves. Nevertheless, I've bought plenty of candy bars from the boxes my co-workers children have cleverly placed in the break room at work.

My own daughter has just started participating in her first fundraisers in the past year. Her scouting troop is taking an educational trip, and the girls are earning their way with garage and craft sales, selling used books on ebay and by selling snow cones on hot days at the park. She came up with the idea of selling sodas and cookies at kids baseball games, too.

Since this fundraising adventure has begun, our family has been talking about just what kind of fundraising efforts we would feel good about. To me, legitimate fundraising involves offering a product or a service in exchange for money that will be used toward a particular cause. I told my kids that if their grandma asks them what they want for Christmas, it is perfectly fine to say music lessons, but it is not OK to just ask someone out of the blue to pay for their activities or buy them things. They can ask people if they can water gardens, walk dogs or sell lemonade to earn the money, but they can't ask for handouts. The only exception would be if they are raising money for a charity- then they can ask for donations, but for their own personal use, no begging.

I am more than happy to support young business people and their ideas to earn money though. I think it's exciting to see the initiative and creativity people have when thinking of what they can do, rather than when they are looking for what they can get. So, I'm driving my daughter to Costco where I'll loan her the money to buy bottled water and fruit snacks she can sell at her brothers baseball game tonight. She'll pay me back at the end of the night. She priced the items, figured her sales price needed to make a profit, is keeping inventory, and doing plenty of math adding up products and making change. Not to mention merchandising her products and gaining people skills by talking to the public. I hope she does well with her little business venture. She is really excited and working hard at it. No matter how much she sells though, I can see she is learning a ton in the process. And that is worth buying a 50 cent bag of crackers, even if I'm not really hungry.

Food for thought...

I wonder how much of America realizes that much of what makes up their diet is no longer actually even real food? It's full of high tech, pasteurized, processed, chemical filled "food products," that have very little relationship to anything in the natural world. Sadly, as a nation, we continue to open our big mouths and stuff it in, wondering why we have such high rates of obesity, heart disease, diabetes and other health problems. Thinking about what we put into our bodies is probably one of the most important and obvious steps we can take towards health care. Here's a few easy tips... "froot" products are not actually fruit, and "cheez" is not the same as actual cheese. If you can't read it, you might not want to eat it, and petroleum by products are probably not good for you or your children to consume.

I am hopeful though, because there are people with the power of voice who are willing to speak up. The message is making it's way into the media. And, hopefully every day, more people will stop to think before they swallow the load of manure being sold and served up as dinner. I'm looking forward to the movie Food Inc. this summer which will undoubtedly sum it up better than I possibly could.

Self Directed Learning

For some reason, many in the field of education seem surprised by the idea that people have the capability to teach themselves, and don't need every detail broken down in easy to digest and well planned lessons followed up by a quiz. Learning for the sake of learning, just because you are interested, or it seems fun, rather than to get a grade, or piece of paper, or because some authority figure says you "should be learning that right now" is a foriegn concept to many. Really though, aren't we all more likely to retain something we were actually interested in than something we were forced to memorize? I know I passed many a test with flying colors because I knew I would get some prize, but if you asked me a month later, I probably forgot half of what was on the test because I only cared about the prize, not the knowledge.

Now that I am an adult, and a homeschooling mother, I am appreciating the opportunity to immerse myself and my children in studies that excite us. My own college classes may add up to a degree at some point, but the main idea is that I am interested and want to learn more about a subject, and that is why I am studying it. When I play with learning dance or music at 38 years old, I am fairly sure I will never be a professional performer, but I am having fun, and that is what life should be all about.

That's also what I want my children's education to be- self driven and joyful. Of course there are a few basics you need to thrive, or even survive in our society, but I don't see why they all have to be learned on a rigid timeline. There is plenty of room for flexibility, and I've seen my own kids absorb countless concepts when they were ready. Their siblings and friends may have learned the same thing at a younger or older age, but in the end, as long as they get it, who cares? It makes me very sad when I hear of other great kids who are labeled and critiqued for not being on the exact arbitrary timeline some expert chose for them. I wish these experts would look at all the neat things these kids can do, rather than focusing on what they can't and making them feel bad about it. Most kids are not stupid, and can excel in something. But no matter how many special programs you set up, you are never going to get everyone to be good at everything because were are all unique individuals. We all need to read and understand math to handle what the world throws at us, but I'm really glad my kids know they can learn the basics at their own pace, and follow their own passions. It is a freedom we all treasure dearly.

It's nice when other experts back up my thoughts and opinions, and along that theme, here's an article from Psychology Today with more on minimally invasive education.

Free Homeschool Days at Monterey Bay Aquarium

Fun and educational opportunities abound for northern California homeschoolers! The Monterey Bay Aquarium is once again offering a series of homeschool field trip days this fall with FREE admission for homeschooled children, and their parents! There are five available field trip days in October and November, and pre-registration is required. This always fills up, so if you are interested, check it our soon.

My family has taken advantage of this wonderful opportunity in the past, and we loved it. There is a high adult to child ratio, and pretty much everyone actually wants to be there I appreciate the leisurely pace, and the time for interaction with whatever interests us. It doesn't have the insane, loud, rushed feeling that can come with large groups of energetic kids who just want to be out of their desks, and very few adults who have to keep them all on a schedule. I also of course, appreciate that it is free.

If you're a homeschooling family who would like to go, you can find out more information at :
http://montereybayaquarium.org/lc/teachers_place/field_trip_form_homeschool.asp

Enjoy!

Goodbye to the King of Pop

You know how sometimes you remember exactly where you were when you learn something big? I was standing in Subway the other day, waiting for the nice lady to make my sandwich, when I hear the news over the radio. Michael Jackson, the King of Pop has died. While I'm digesting the news and thinking he wasn't that old, I have a flashback to my childhood. I remember clearly being a little kid standing in the kitchen of my babysitter Mary. I am waiting for her to make my sandwich, when I hear the news over the radio. Elvis Presley, the King of Rock n' Roll had died. For some reason, this just strikes me as strange to have heard of both of these deaths of these two musical Kings on the radio while waiting for a nice lady to make sandwich. Yes, I realize that is totally random, but I found it odd, and after all, it's my blog, so I'm writing about it.

Thinking back on the life of Michael Jackson, I prefer to remember him before all the plastic surgeries, before the personal, emotional and mental problems became public, back when he was a cute boy with his original nose and a big ole' afro who could sing and dance. His music was the background for so many memories. I remember playing hand clap games to “Rockin Robin” and staying up until midnight to watch the debut of the “Thriller” video back when MTV was new. I remember my 7th grade cheerleading squad choreographing our halftime routine to “Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'” and singing "Bad" thinking we were so darn cool. (In hindsight, we weren't.) I remember getting teary eyed watching “We are the World” and thinking of all the starving kids in Africa (probably while eating a bag of chips.) At some point, it seemed pretty clear that Michael Jackson was a troubled soul. It's a prime example of the fact that being a child star, and having lots of fame and money do not buy happiness or peace. It makes me feel really sad for him. He was an entertainer like no other, and history won't forget him, that's for sure. The other day, someone on NPR said that Michael Jackson's music is the soundtrack for much of our lives. It's true that hearing his songs will always bring back memories- they are playing in the background of my mind as I recall chunks of my growing up. Millions of people around the world have the same experience; different memories, but with the same songs. I sure hope Michael can rest peace now.

Birth As We Know It

Here's a link to an article I wrote for North State Parent Magazine about a very interesting woman, and her work to make birth better for babies:

http://northstateparent.com/articles/be-the-change-column/299-be-the-change-elena-tonetti-vladimirova-chico.html

Microfinancing

I just realized that for less the cost of lunch out with my family, I can invest in a business in another country. $25 is not a lot in the U.S., even to those in the American level of poverty, it's less than a monthly cell phone bill (which most in the U.S. seem to manage)
In a country like Paraguay or Peru where the average annual income is less than $5000 (yes, that's a WHOLE YEARS income for the average family) small loans can make a big difference in the ability to start, grow, or continue a business. Kiva is a non-profit that coordinates small loans to developing businesses around the world. I love this idea of microfinance, because it's a way that all of us, even those without a lot of disposable income- can make a difference with very small amounts of money. They have a great record- over 98% of loans have been paid back- and thousands of folks have been helped on their way to a better life.
This morning I found two small clothing companies in South America that had my name written all over them, and with the money I didn't spend on kids' rides at the fair, I am investing in these women.
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=114902&_te=ty
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=114927&_te=ty
Why not check it out, and consider what you could do if you skipped a few coffees?
http://www.kiva.org/

There's a New Shop In Town

I am loving having a Trader Joe's Supermarket in town for a whole host of reasons. Living in far Northern California (contrary to the mis-informed opinions of out of state folks, and those from the lower half of the state, there is a whole lotta state north of the Bay area) we don't have so many choices in shopping. We have more than enough big box stores, but not so many options in small, fun shops with interesting choices. Trader Joe's came to town in May, and even my kids find shopping there pleasurable. First, they always have a sample of some tasty morsel to try. It's not samples on every aisle like Costco, but it's not a corn dog sample either. It's more like a tilapia taco or something like that, and although there are usually several people waiting to try, it's nothing like the traffic jam of over sized and overstuffed carts with like shoppers found elsewhere.
I am really enjoying the yummy ethnic and convenience foods that aren't full of mysterious ingredients. In a perfect world, we would make everything from scratch. We love to cook, but in real life, sometimes we're too busy for a full scale homemade meal, and we're hungry. We want good food fast, but not fast food. We also like to experiment with new and different flavors, spicy, tangy, sweet- we are adventurous with our tastes. That's why I love the sauces we find at TJ's. It's a quick, easy, and tasty way to spruce up some lentils, beans, chicken etc. Thai Curry, mango chutney, and East Indian are some of the newest flavors we've enjoyed. At about $2 a bottle, with simple, short and recognizable ingredient lists, it's well worth it.
Our other TJ's favorites are the breads, cereals, and chips. I have never cared what the Atkin's fans said. I love my carbs, but I do make them whole grain and organic whenever possible. It's nice to find affordable and healthier choices. Organic cracked wheat sourdough for less than $3 a loaf- I'm all over it.
I also appreciate the Two Buck Chuck. Of course Charles Shaw wines aren't the best in the world, but they are certainly a lot better than I ever imagined a $2 wine would be. And who ever heard of a $2 wine that didn't have a screw on cap? It actually has a cork, and I don't even feel like a wino buying it.
The only thing I dis-like about Trader Joe's is the over packaging of the produce. I'm not a fan of excess plastic, and some of their items simply have more wrapping than needed, but I am optimistic that they will listen to consumer request and get rid of some of that in the future. Overall, my family is very glad to have a new place to shop full of good things to eat and new flavors to try.

Random Travel Thoughts

A weekend trip to the city inspired in me a number of thoughts on travel.

#1. Driving through farm country would be much more enjoyable without crop dusters flying overhead and dropping carcinogens on the fields. My husband pointed out that I don't know that they are actually spraying poisons- they could be spraying beneficial nematodes. Yeah, right, that's likely. Next...

#2. My brand new- freshly aligned tires will no longer be aligned after driving Interstate 80. I've driven on smoother highways in Third World countries. Even though the 80 is basically a long stretch of potholes and drop-offs, everyone is still in a big hurry and driving 90 miles an hour.

#3. If any member of my family does not have food on a regular basis, they will become a wanker, myself included. We must travel with food at all times, or it will be ugly. My car is crumb covered mess, but in a worst case scenario, we could probably survive for a few days on the food particles under the seats.

#4. It's good to note that in Japantown, most of the food will have some sort of fish taste, whether it actually contains fish or not. (The kids and I were fine with this, poor husband didn't look so impressed.)

#5. An amazing number of children seem to think it is acceptable to walk in front of people who are in the middle of an interactive museum experience, and start messing with it as if you're not even there.

#6. An even larger number of children (and adults) do not have the attention span to read the instructions on interactive museum exhibits, let alone stick around to see what the exhibit is about or does. Instead they just run from display to display pushing buttons in a spastic frenzy that would make an excellent Ritalin commercial.

#7. Art is very subjective. People who take too seriously a canvas that is just painted solid blue can be rather amusing. Really, depth and meaning? It's solid blue- nothing but solid blue. There was a white one too. It, of course, inspired a much different mood.

#8. I think having unreliable internet access is more annoying than having no internet access at all. With spotty service, I just keep trying to get on. I'm failing most times, but since I got on that once, I just know it can be done. If there was just no internet access here, I wouldn't even be wasting time trying in the first place. In fact, I might have just left my laptop at home instead of lugging it on this trip. I'm glad I finally gave up and went on a walk.

#9. My children are great at finding ways to amuse themselves in the car. They're set up with all the travel games, sketch books, car games and hand crafts, but after a while they like to play things like “Let's see if we can hold our breath over every bridge.” Especially interesting over long ones such as the Golden Gate. I hope they didn't lose too many brain cells.

#10. I love traveling with my kids. Truly, I do.